Thanksgiving

I can't believe it's already Thanksgiving. It feels like the New Year was a couple of weeks ago. Last year I learned, because of school, Thanksgiving means there's only a few weeks left in the quarter and I need to have my projects pretty ready to go. Which I don't. This seems to be how it always works out. Studio week comes and I stay up for two weeks trying to get everything perfect on no sleep and 20 Red Bulls. Usually ends in lots of crying and irrationality.

Back to Thanksgiving. For Thanksgiving, my entire family from both sides come to my parents' house. There is tons of food. Coming from a Methodist family (my grandfather was a Methodist minister) we have a plethora of amazing, Southern food. We all have our assigned dishes to bring: my grandmother brings ham (she doesn't eat anything that is called what it is, such as, she doesn't eat chicken, turkey or fish, but ham is ok because it isn't "pig"), my brother makes mashed potatoes, my mom's sister bring sweet potato casserole, I make corn pudding and one of my aunts brings bread or dip. Last year she brought brussel sprout dip. It's the thought that counts.

It's the only time of year I see my uncle on my dad's side. After last year's bonding debacle, I'm kind of done with this whole issue. It's good to see him, anyway. Even if he doesn't talk to me.

My brother and his girlfriend had a baby, Maddux, in May and this is his first Thanksgiving and the first time much of the family will be meeting him. If this isn't exciting enough, my brother and said girlfriend are getting married on Friday. It's going to be a crazy 2 days.

In spite of all of this, I decided to spend Thanksgiving with Boo's family. It'll be much different because there will only be four of us and they're eating steak instead of turkey (who eats steak on Thanksgiving?!!). I'm a little nervous to leave the huge and dramatic Thanksgiving of my family behind, but it's not as if I'll never have another Thanksgiving. It's only this one year and I'm sure it'll be absolutely wonderful.

Does your family have any awesome traditions you don't think you could live without?

Best Stuff This Week (BSTW) vol. 1

At my old blog, I had a whole Best Stuff This Week segment. I curated a little list of the best things I saw that week. I got a lot of this from the numerous blogs I used to have time to read (such a lovely time). Now I don't have time to read blogs or peruse the internet all that much. And, after a lot of self reflection, I decided to start anew over here. All this is to say, I'm starting BSTW up again. Here you are!

I luuuuuurv this coat. It's amazing.

Amazing.

When I get out of school I'm going to get a gold dress like this.

My beautiful friend Becky got married over the weekend. She had a gold dress which started my obsession.

Soooooo cute.

I can't believe all of this is made out of paper. 

Another amazing example of paper craft. I can barely use my exacto to make a straight line.

And this lovely rosette crown that I made. Click here for more info.

Have a great weekend!

Ah ha! vol. 4 Collecting

I realized lately that I tend to collect people. And by collect people, I mean I have a hard time accepting the natural cycle of friendships. And, god forbid someone not like me and not want to be friends.

There's a girl I know who I don't have an opportunity to see several times a week anymore. I've reached out to her a couple of times and she either doesn't respond or does later than I appreciate. I've been a little flustered, you know, trying to grasp onto this relationship with a stranglehold. Then, one of my friends was talking about something or other and what she said made me realize, it's time to let things go. It's okay for us to go our separate ways, it doesn't mean I'm bad or she's bad, it just means we are moving in different directions. And this is perfectly acceptable. If I want to have healthy and stable relationships, it's required that I understand and am willing to embrace this. Because, it's going to happen over and over again.

This is a hard lesson to learn. I feel that the Sims demonstrate this very simply. If you're unfamiliar with that game, let me explain. To get a promotion at a job or to reach a new life goal level, your Sim has to have a certain number of friendships. Which means you have to find other Sims your Sim is compatible with and talk with them, hang out, play games, whatever, normal friend stuff. Then your level goes up and this Sim and your Sim become friends. But, if you don't have your Sim call, hang out, talk with this Sim, your friendship is lost. And, not all Sim likes other Sims. It has to do with their different personalities. In my humble opinion, this little bit of coding is brilliant.

So yeah. I'm learning this slowly. It's okay for me to let friendships go if they become toxic or if I'm moving in a different direction. And it's okay for me to let a friendship go if the other person is moving in a different direction.

Maturity. It's happening.

Halloween: The Chico Edition

I don't know if you know this about me: I luuuuurv Halloween. With all of my heart and soul. Unfortunately, being in graduate school and all really limits my time and resources (i.e. $$). I wasn't able to decorate or lend time to making a costume. So, that's kind of sad. Fortunately, finding things around my house I already had and buying a little fabric, I was able to compile group costumes for me and Chico. And let me tell you, they were farking adorable.

Lamby Cheek

Mary had a little lamb

Using a drill to carve...

Hands spreading butt cheeks.

I used Boo's iPhone (mine is a 3GS and really blows) to take pictures because I forgot my camera. So yes, that is Halloween. And now onto Christmas music and Thanksgiving, in that order.