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