Photo problems

I haven't had much time to blog, but those few chances I've had, were unsuccessful. As of recent, my computer has decided to reject my phone from being plugged in. It's apparently sucking up too much power from my computer, and I feel like my posts are lacking when I can't provide photos to go along with them. Post fails.

Thankfully, the mr is coming to my rescue. He's buying me a snazzy camera, of my choosing, for christmas. It's yet to be bought due to the craziness of the holidays, but, fingers crossed, it'll happen by this weekend. Not only will I have my photos back, but they'll be sharper, quality photos!

If you happen to know how to fix my mac/iphone dilemma, let me know. It kinda stinks not being able to take and put data on my phone. Sad face.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Two weeks into December: Project 334

Yet another month flying by, and so far, December has been a good month. Work has kept me busy, too, so I don't really have the most exciting photos to share, but enjoy the goods I bring you.

1st. I got my last Kate Spade in the mail. It's by far my favorite.
2nd. The Chick-fil-A by the mall gave out free Peppermint Chocolate Chip milkshakes; I couldn't turn it down.
3rd. After work saturday, I snuggled with my sweet little kitty.
4th. My assistants and I made gingerbread houses!
5th. The cold weather has me addicted to lip balm.
6th. Got my oil changed...
7th. Free ice cream!!!
8th. Family came to visit :)
9th. My sister graduated and devoured a king crab.
10th. Early christmas gifts for mi madre
11th. I bought a six pack--of wine.
12th. Nothing like fresh linens after a long day.
13th. My lunch break was delicious and hilarious.
14th. Another week, another set of cluster shots for my allergies...yuk!

And there you have it. Like I said, nothing too awesome, but I can't complain. I wrapped up my day today with Zumba at the gym and caught up on the New Girl with a glass of wine (from the six pack). Livin' the life!

Love and light.
Adrienne

That time my little sister graduated

After working six days during Thanksgiving week, I got a comp day. What should've been a wednesday/thursday off, turned into a friday/saturday off so I could attend my sister's college graduation on Friday.

The whole family was in attendance. My mom, stepdad, brother and uncle came from Las Cruces, NM; my dad and stepmom came from Houston; and the mr and I came from Austin.

Both sides of my family haven't been together since I graduated from college in '06. It was a wonderful time!

I couldn't be more proud of my little sister; she graduated magna cum laude--even had a pretty purple sash to show her honors. I'm excited for her future and what's to come.

The whole family, including the lovely Barth family went to dinner at Pappadeaux to celebrate. I don't think we've all shared a better family time. So much laughter, many photos, and tons of food was had by all.

I love my family.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Gingerbread house time!

For a little team building, unwinding, quality time, my assistants and I decided to build gingerbread houses after work on Sunday. It started off a little competitive, but that didn't last long. After we were finally able to keep the roofs on our houses, it was obvious who was gonna win. Marisa is a bit of a perfectionist. As the evening progressed, Kristen and I just started adding things to our houses because we had nothing else to do while Marisa detail frosted her house.

It was a lovely evening. I adore my assistants, and glad we got to get together outside of work before the craziness gets worse.

Love and light.

Adrienne

Goodbye November, you did me well; Project 334

November was like a hiccup this year, it came and left so quickly. Not sure if it's because this last week seemed like one long day or because I had such a great time.

Nov. 22: The weather has been all over the place lately, and Reni couldn't make up her mind whether she wanted to be inside or outside. It wouldn't be a huge problem, but she was being indecisive at 3am. The mr finally got fed up after a few times of getting up to let her in. She got reprimanded. With an "I'm sorry face" like hers, it's impossible to stay mad.

Nov. 23: My company was awesome enough to give each store a food stipend for Black Friday. This is only half of what we had to feast on. The fridge was also filled with Red Bulls, sodas and juices. It was difficult to keeps everyone from eating it before friday.

Nov. 24: As you may have read, my Thanksgiving celebration was short-lived. The mr and I drove to Dallas at 4am, had a wonderful time with his family, ate a giant lunch and headed home at 7pm so that I could be at work by 11pm. Short-lived, but worth it; family time is wonderful and getting to see the sun rise was awesome.

Nov. 25: Black Friday was interesting to say the least. We were super busy and beat our sales projections, all with a system that wasn't working. All I wanted was to go home and sleep after work, but I couldn't help but do some christmas shopping. I fit a nap in before my sister came to visit. We did some more shopping, and I bought my first christmas tree!

Nov. 26: My sister and I love taking photos, especially when we get together. We had a mini photo shoot when I got out of work. I love the look of fall.

Nov. 27: Finally, a day off. First one in a week. It was a lovely day. Melisa and I went to the Renegade craft fair in the morning. It's become a tradition of ours. She left in the afternoon and I spent the rest of the day relaxing and wrapping christmas gifts.

Nov. 28: It was tough going back to work on Monday. I went in a little early so I could get coffee at Panera. I had enough reward points I ended up getting the coffee for free! What a way to start a monday.

Nov. 29: Tuesday went well, but I still hadn't completely caught up on rest and relaxation. When I got out of work, I went to dinner with a friend for a black friday vent session. It was needed. When I got home I got my first taste of Cupcake wine. It's delicious and you need to try it!

Nov. 30: I savored my day off. I finally caught up on sleep and gym time. I also finally got the chance to put the filter I bought for Tibs in his tank. He was super happy, not only to have a newly cleaned tank, but I think he liked the sound of filter (I know the mr and I enjoyed it).

So that's how I wrapped up my month. It was time well spent and have much to be thankful for. I am very much looking forward to December. I have my sister's graduation, family visits, a busy holiday season at work, and of course, Christmas to look forward to. I can't wait!

Love and light.
Adrienne

Another week in November: Project 334

Nov. 15: Tuesday was a rough day. I had to make the schedule for black friday. We're currently understaffed and were given so many hours to fill. I found myself stressed more than I thought I would be. My awesome assistant recommended Rum Chata, a tasty, adult variation of the delicious Mexican drink horchata. Perfect recommendation!

Nov. 16: Wednesday was a busy day. Woke up early for my 2nd round of allergy shots then went to the gym. I got in an awesome workout and sunbath by the pool (yes it's that hot in Austin still) before I met up with my lovely friend Julie and her husband Josh. We ate authentic mexican food and I enjoyed some real horchata.

Nov. 17: I thought tuesday was a stressful day till I got to work on thursday and a bombshell was dropped on everyone; the company announced that the stores were opening at midnight. Not only did I have to find a way to add 66 hours to my schedule, I also found out I get no thanksgiving night.

Nov. 18: I love Groupon! Two weeks ago I bought one for eyelash extensions. I had my appt. Friday morning. It was relaxing, and I love how it looks! I already made an appt. for a followup. What do you think?

Nov. 19: Saturday was a slow day at work. It was gorgeous outside, too. I took a stole around the mall looking for anyone that I could hire before black friday. No luck, but did stumble upon a random sight. The things people do in Austin.

Nov. 20: Sunday was my last day off for a week. I made sure to relax and rest as much as possible. I slept in and had brunch with the mr as usual. I also went to go see Breaking Dawn with my awesome friend Boomer. Best movie of the series so far. The night was topped off with wine and cat warmth.

Nov21: It's really starting to feel like Christmas! I love the cozy feeling, and all the lights and green and red makes me smile. The view outside my store is too much. Really makes the feeling tangible.

My November was been shaky, but I wouldn't change a thing. Still looking forward for the last couple weeks of remembering the little things I'm thankful for.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Sister time!

My little sister came to visit me on Friday. I guess she's not so "little" anymore. It was just the other day that I realized this girl's 23 now. She's been 21 in my head for the past few years. It's crazy; and she's just a couple weeks away from graduating with a bachelors degree.

So, as I was saying, the sister came to visit. As we always do when we get together, we took a little photo shoot. We used her nice camera, but I was able to catch a few gems with my phone.

Aside from picture taking, we did lots of shopping. Most of the stuff I purchased were for friends and family. I'm now pretty much done with my holiday shopping, and surprisingly it was quick, cheap and hassle-free. I think everyone will be super pleased with their lovely presents. 

While shopping at Target, Melisa convinced me that this is the year that I needed to get my first Christmas tree for my home. I got the best deal too (since it was Black Friday). I got a 6.5 foot tree with lights on it for $30. Can't beat that with a stick! We spent the rest of the night decorating the tree, listening to christmas tunes and eating our favorite holiday treat (white chocolate covered Oreos).

I love it! There's no prettier decoration during the holidays than a christmas tree all lit up. It even has a few presents wrapped up under it. Sister time is always so much fun!

Love and light.
Adrienne

My rushed Thanksgiving

Wednesday through Saturday were all just one long day for me. That's how I expect most of the holiday weeks to go.

I got done with work on Wednesday at 8pm. I should've gone straight to sleep, but stayed up till midnight. The mr and I woke up at 4am so we could make the three hour drive to DFW. His family was meeting at his aunt's house for Thanksgiving.

We were the first ones there, and though the mr kept hounding me to take a nap, I couldn't rest with so much family and fun going on. We had a delicious late lunch. I even went back for seconds. It was time well spent, but short lived. We left DFW around 7pm and headed back for Austin. I took a 30 minute nap on the way back.

We got home at 10pm; right about the time I needed to start getting ready for work. I was scheduled at 11pm along with nine other associates so we could open the store at midnight. It was surprisingly busy for a good two hours. around 3am everything died. It didn't help that we were the only store open for five hours. But everyone had fun, including our greeters who were posing for photos in the 65 degree weather.

I was done with work at 9am, but instead of sleeping, I went shopping for my cats at Petsmart--the deal I got on their cat tree was insane. Also shopped for the mr and family. I got great black friday deals, so it was worth it. I did end up taking a four hour nap when I got done. It was a short nap because my sister came to visit me for the weekend.

We did more shopping when she got here, and I finally ended my night at 11pm, only to wake up at 7am for another long 9 hour day at work. It's hard to remember when one day ended and the next began. But so much fun, family and thankfulness was crammed into those 72 hours, it was all worth the lack of sleep.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and found the many things to be thankful for.

Love and light.
Adrienne

My new obsession: Ebay

Okay, I'm aware Ebay has been around for way too long for this just now to become my "new" obsession. I've done my share of bidding and winning on it over the years, but for the past few weeks, I find myself checking it more than I do my Facebook account--that's saying something.

It started off with me looking for the perfect graduation present for my little sister, after I won it, I kept looking, mostly for purses--I know, it's super girly.

So now I've won myself two vintage Coach purses, a super cute bow ring, and five Kate Spade purses, two of which I haven't received yet, but can't wait to get...also two more adorable rings that are minutes away from being mine.

I'm a bit ashamed. I just can't help it when I see a great deal! The Mr thinks I'm a sucker for sales. Maybe I am, but I'm a sucker with super pretty things.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Pie N' The Sky: 5 tips on Being More Optimistic

My lovely sister asked me to spread some good vibes on her blog. It could be of some use during the sometimes hectic holiday season. Enjoy! Pie N' The Sky: 5 tips on Being More Optimistic

November week 2: Project 334

Sadly, nothing super exciting has happened this week. That could be a good thing I suppose. Here's my week at a glance.

November 8: The weather here has been weird. One day it'll be super windy and grey; the next day it'll be sunny and warm. Silly Texas weather.

November 9: My day off! I love Wednesdays, but this particular Wednesday I had my first round of "cluster shots." My allergist is treating my allergy itching with injections of what I'm allergic to. I got 9 shots of dust mites and trees. Gross!

November 10: Before work, I headed to Firestone for the third time in a week. I finally got around to buying a new battery for my car. It took about two hours to install for some reason. I took it as an opportunity to read.

November 11: The holiday season is becoming more evident at work. It was pretty darn busy at work. Fortunately, I have sweet cats, a turtle and mr to come home to. I unwound with a glass of wine, a movie and a "catnap."

November 12: Saturday was one of our busiest days yet. I left work after 6pm with a bad migraine. When I got home, I curled up on the couch with my cat for a nap, and my mr was sweet enough to cook us dinner. Accompanied by wine of course.

November 13: As you may or may not recall, last month I got my second speeding ticket ever. It was a pricey one too! So, luckily, I was able to complete a defensive driving course to keep from paying the full cost of the ticket. Only thing is is that it takes a minimum of 6 hours to complete. Spent all day working on it and it's still not finished.

November 14: Last night I went to trim my bangs before the mr and I went out to dinner. I ended up trimming off too much, so I just went with it. I now have full on bangs. I think it works!

Hope everyone out there is enjoying the very beginning of the holiday season. Hope you've all started your christmas shopping too! It's gonna be crazy this year.

Love and light.
Adrienne

My book of Job

Are you familiar with the book of Job from the bible? Basically, Job's faith is tested at the hands of Satan. This is the second time I've gone through a Job-like experience since living in Austin--and it probably won't be the last. I actually take a bit of comfort in it.

It all started on October 27th, when welts and difficulty breathing sent me to the ER at 2am. Apparently, I had an allergic reaction to something--probably fish. It was taken care of quickly, but things just kept on happening.

Next, after a quick visit to auto shop to fix my headlight and check my tire pressure, I get a flat tire less than an hour later. Fixed it with a can of fix-a-flat. Turned out it voided my warranty on my tire. I had to buy a new tire.

Two days later my car battery dies. Luckily, my mr is around to drive me to and from work. Took a few days to get the money, but finally got a new battery after four days of driving on a dying battery.

ER bill, tire bill, battery bill. Not a good way to start the holiday season. I admit, I got a little stressed, but as always God showed me what I was missing.

Just like in the book of Job, God was there to help me bounce right back.

Wednesday, I found out I got my electric deposit back, and now I have a credit that will cover about three months worth of my electric bill. This lovely savings helped me pay for my car battery. That alone was enough to help me remember He's always there no matter what difficulties I'm going through--the reason why I find comfort in times like this.

Love and light.
Adrienne

November week one: Project 334

November has been interesting. I'm glad I'm an optimistic person because this could be rough time for some people. Here's a look at my first week.

November 1: Every year around this season, I get super allergic to something in the air. I get really itchy all over. My dermatologist had treated me with UV rays. Basically, a tanning bed. I'd been feeling super itchy, so rather than going to the doctors, I went to a tanning salon. It helped a bit and gave me pretty glow.

November 2: I spent the day being productive. I started the day by dressing up--skirt and heals. I made breakfast for me and the mr, took care of part of my ticket, fixed my taillight and aired my tires. I felt cute sitting at the car shop all dolled up with my vintage Coach purse. Ended the day with a flat tire though...all you need is a skirt and heals to get help from a guy.

November 3: Thursday morning I had an appointment at an allergist. I wanted to find out what gave me the welts last month, but mostly I wanted to know what makes me itchy every year in the Fall. Found out I reacted to seafood, and dust mites and two types of trees that bloom this season are possibly what makes me itch.

November 4: For some reason, there was some ridiculous amounts of traffic on the way to work. I was stuck in it for 20 minutes. I made the most of my time with picture. I was bored...

November 5: What started as a good morning ended quickly. The mr woke up early to have coffee and breakfast with me. I went to leave to work 10 minutes early and my car wouldn't start. The mr had to drive me to work. He also picked me up afterwards. It felt good to sit outside waiting.

November 6: Jesse and I went to church at 11am and heard an awesome service! After lunch we went to the gym while the mr and his friends watched football. The guys thought it would be a good idea to go to a movie at 11pm at the drafthouse. It was good fun, but I forgot how pricey it is.

November 7: It's always difficult going to work on Mondays, but I made it through the day. After work, the ring I won on Ebay arrived from China. I also got my prescription for my epipen. Not sure why I'm excited to have an epipen, but I'm ready for any allergic reaction now.

There's my first week of the month. Though there've been some rough patches so far, I had sprinkles of good times. I'm really hoping the rest of the month isn't so bad. It doesn't even have to be awesome, just as long as I'm not stressed.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Another month passed by: Project 334

Where does the time go? Honestly, I felt like it was just the other day I was excited for October to start and now here we are almost a week into November.

My October finished up quite interestingly. It definitely didn't go as planned, but nothing ever does. I've been learning to go with the flow. Here's what the month looked like.

October 15th: It's a new season at work, which means new clothes! This season brought in lots and lots of plaid. I always feel like a lumberjack in my red plaid, but tis the season.

October 16th: I went into work on Sunday before we opened and had a little photo shoot with some of my employees. They all had a good time being super cute.

October 17th: The weather had been so awesome. I was super excited to get out of my store during my lunch break and eat outside by the fountain. I could've easily taken a nap.

October 18th: My mama came to visit me! Actually, she came with my stepdad for a business conference, but it still brought her to me. Every time my mom visits she comes bearing gifts. She brought tasty green chili and a 6.5lb brick of cheese. I was in heaven.

October 19th: Wednesday was a wonderful day. My mama and I spent the day together. We got a mani/pedi, had lunch, and did some shopping. It was relaxing and great getting to spend time with my mom.

October 20th: The mr and I went to a Jack's Mannequin concert with our friends Cade and Michelle. It was a blast! Motion City Soundtrack opened for them. I didn't realize how many songs I knew of theirs. Good times.

October 21st: Horrible, long day. I worked way too long, and on my way back home at 11ish, I got pulled over for speeding. I felt like crying, but had my mama waiting at my apartment with a glass of wine and my sweet kitties to love on.

October 22nd: Way better day than the day before. Work was long, but I came home to my newest Ebay winning: a Kate Spade purse. She's so pretty!

October 23rd: Another awesome day off. Mama and I spent the day together again. We went to church, went to see Footloose and had a home-cooked lunch. She and I also went to the vineyard I'm a member of and had a glass of wine while overlooking the vineyard.

October 24th: Monday was the first time in awhile that I had the apartment to myself. The mr went to his friends' to watch football and I relaxed with my girls. I felt so good.

October 25th: Tuesday was a wonderful day. Right after work, I drove the 2.5 hours to Houston for a family reunion with my siblings and Dad and Donna (for my dad's bday). After dinner and great conversation, Donna had me try on her old dresses from the 70's. They fit like a glove and I fell in love with them. I'm now the owner of 7 lovely vintage dresses.

October 26th: An eventful and awesome day. Dad, brother and I had lunch at Phoenicia with awesome conversation. On our way to pick my sis up from the airport we got a blowout on an overpass on the highway. It was an ordeal, but got it fixed. We rushed home afterwards and got dressed for a family photo (hadn't done one since high school). After photos we had the most delicious dinner at Brennan's in downtown Houston. It was perfect. Sadly, I had to drive home afterwards for work the next day. Such a perfect day.

October 27th: I got home from Houston at 1am and went straight to bed. 2am, I'm woken up from this unbelievable urge to scratch myself all over. I'm covered from head to toe in welts and hives and they get worse as I shout for my mr. He drives me to the ER where I'm given a steroid shot and a high dose of antihistamine. The welts go down pretty quickly, but I'm kept there til 5am for observation. It was scary, but I survived and think perhaps I'm allergic to something I ate at dinner.

October 28th: I spent the day recovering. I was so worn out from all the recent events. My day was picked up when I received three packages! They were each Ebay winnings--two Coach purses and one Kate Spade.

October 29th: My mr had been lending his bed, couch and desk to his buddies. They were in the process of moving to a new place, where the furniture was no longer needed. We ended up getting rid of our oldest couch to make room and putting the bed and desk in the study. It set up quite nicely, and the girls liked it too.

October 30th: My pretty little friend, Jesse, came to visit for the weekend. She and I woke up early, made brunch, went to church and relaxed at Mozarts with a cup of cider and chocolate brownie.

October 31st: I love halloween! But this is the first year that I didn't partake in the festivities. Instead, the mr took me on a date. We had a tasty dinner at Cheddars and went to the movies to watch Paranormal Activity 3. It was a great relaxing night...I'm getting old.

So there you have it, the wrap up of my October. How was your month? Do anything exciting for Halloween? Have any hospital visits? I'd love to know!

Love and light,
Adrienne