Tic Toc

Whelp! It's that time again! What time you ask? 

Birthday time!!

Since getting my little yellow Anthro Card a few years ago (the one that tracks my purchases) I've received one of these babies in the mail come every November. My birthday falls at the end of this month, so Anthro sends a 15% off your entire purchase coupon**, and I couldn't be more smitten. I like to think of it as their personal Thank You for spending so much of my time and shopping budget at their store. For a girl who doesn't actually have much to spend at Anthro, this is the perfect way to get me in there and back out with a little bag of goodies. All I have to do is use this card sometime during the month of November. Done and DONE.

Remember yesterday how I told you I was going to take my sister's advice and go somewhere that inspired me? Well, can you imagine where I ended up? That's, right, Anthropologie.

I didn't really have intensions of buying anything, which is why I was surprised to leave with this and napkins that look a little like these.

That darn candle just smells too darn good and my house has been missing that scent for a while now. And those napkins? I may have a little project in mind for those...tutorial to come! I don't know about you, but I have a hard time passing anything up that only costs $3.

I kind of cracked myself up going to Anthro as my place of inspiration, but I couldn't have picked a better place. I left with probably a dozen pictures of products or displays giving me ideas of how to spend my free time for the next month. I also left with a twinge of jealousy as I walked past the girls working on the display features (my dream job).

Speaking of the next month, I've heard a number of people say "it's ok, we'll get through it" in the last few days, speaking of the busy season we are in (work, life, reality, whatever). While yes, we will "get through it", I don't want to just get through it! I want to enjoy this season, I want to THRIVE through it. I love November too much to "get through it". So my new goal for myself is to embrace each day of November, doing something daily that reminds me of autumn, Thanksgiving, or my birthday. The months go by all to quickly, trying to "get through it" and move on to the next big thing. Well, this month is full of goodness (food, family, fun, cooler weather, celebrations, holiday decor, anticipation, etc.) and I don't want to miss out on any of it.

I've actually already started working toward my goal...I'll call it "Do Something Daily". Here's what I've already done:

November 1st

Pumpkin Pie FroYo + Reeces=YUM

November 2nd

Sunflowers from Trader Joes

Yes, I bought myself flowers for no *good* reason. But I <3 them.

I'm not sure what today will bring, but I have a free night and a dozen projects callllinnnggg my name. I can't wait!

So go ahead...do something daily!

**I'm pretty sure this used to be a 30% off coupon, but I'm not complaining...I'll take what I can get :)

P.S. In case you were wondering (I clearly was), the Fresh Cuts section at Anthro was updated on Wednesday this week because of accounting/warehouse/stock issues since Tuesday was still October 31st. Too many Tuesdays in one month I suppose?

A Special Something...

I got a little special something in the mail yesterday. A perfect way to start my favorite month of all (November)...can you guess what's inside? 

Fresh Cuts: Happy November!

Here's another installment of Fresh Cuts! If you didn't catch last Tuesday's post and you don't stalk Anthropologie like I do, then you should know Anthropologie comes out with their new sale items on Tuesdays. Hence why my week often revolves around Tuesday. (Note regarding the "stalking" comment: I've definitely had multiple employees tell me as I check out "Ya, I thought you looked familiar." Call me creepy, but you'll be the one wishing YOU had found skirt for $0.67. Ya--you can be jealous. It happened.)

So anyways, it's November, which in my opinion means you need to start wearing autumn inspired clothes (even in Southern California). Please enjoy this week's Fresh Cuts!

Side-Snap Turtleneck

Passant Blouse

Calligraphy Strokes Skirt

Unmatched Shoulder Bag

Katariina Wedges

What are you wishing and hoping for from this weeks Fresh Cuts??

How to Feed a Fancy Cold

Because I am at home today nursing a cold, and because I truly believe you can find anything you could possibly need or want at my favorite store, here are the things I am dreaming of as I pin to my heart's content and catch up on Pop Up Videos (did you know VH1 finally brought this show back??).

Satellite Pullover

Essentially Yours Top

Lounging Lodge Pants

Striped Steps Socks, Vertical

Ruffle Mountains Scar

Pendleton Throw, Yellow

Pinched Corners Mug 

Winifred Colorblock Chair, Houndstooth

Capri Blue Etched Jar Candle

Nimbus Jersey Duvet Cover

Doesn't this just make you want to curl up and call it a day? It's only noon and that's just about what I've committed myself to despite the *apparently* 77 degree weather outside. Typical SoCal autumn...can't complain too much I guess! But that doesn't mean I'm not giving the heater a little lovin' this morning...er...afternoon. Man, I could never live where it actually gets cold. 

Hmmm, now if only someone would make my a cup of my favorite tea in that cute little mug...any takers?

Homemade Butterfingers (Gluten Free)

Halloween is just around the corner. It's not my favorite holiday, but by default it gets bumped up a few notches on my list for two reasons: it involves pumpkins and peanut butter candy. Since I have another month or so to really embrace the pumpkin part, today I dedicate this post to the peanut butter part. Butterfingers that is.

While I don't think you should pass the following recipe out at the door (something about homemade goods freaks people out, I can't imagine why), I do think you should take the few minutes it does to make these. Then I think you should eat one, then I think you should take the rest to work, or spreadthelove to a neighbor or a friend or anyone outside of your house. Ok--share one with each person in your house, then get them out! Because yes, they are just that addictive.

Homemade Butterfingers 

1 16 oz. jar of peanut butter

1 lb. bag of candy corn 

1 bag of chocolate chips 

parchment or wax paper 

8 by 8 inch pan

basting brush 

cookie sheet 

Instructions: 

1. Line 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment or wax paper. (used jars for weight)

2. Pour candy corn in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Repeat until candy is fully melted. 

3. Scoop jar of peanut butter into candy corn and stir until fully combined.

4. Pour mixture into 8 by 8 inch lined pan. Smooth until even. Let sit for 2-3 hours until cool and firm.

5. Pull candy from pan by lifting wax/parchment paper. Cut candy with large knife to size desired (mine were about the size of a mini Twix or Butterfinger). 

6. Melt chocolate over double boiler or cheat and do it in the microwave. Double boiler = Pyrex bowl sitting on top of a small pot of boiling water).

7. One at a time pick up each candy square and, using your basting brush, spread chocolate on 4 sides of the candy. Place on wax paper (chocolate side down). Then cover other 2 sides with chocolate.

8. Let sit out to cool, or if you're in a rush, put them in the fridge for 10-20 minutes. When you take them out, lift from paper, break off extra chocolate, then enjoy! (But only 1).

An extra step if you're gifting these away. 

Ok, ok, if you want to eat more than one you're totally allowed to. But don't say I didn't warn you. 

Happy Halloween! 

**Please excuse my amateur photography. Maybe one day I'll work on that...

Choosing Contentment

My coffee pot broke this morning. It was a very unfortunate thing, and I don't really know what happened, but it broke. That's probably not an entirely interesting factoid for you, but if you're a morning coffee-drinker...a MUST-drink-coffee-in-the-morning type of person, then you understand.

After numerous, feeble attempts to "fix" the pot, I opted to jump in the shower, throw a dress on, and head to Starbucks. It was still only about 7:30am, so there was plenty of time to get to Starbucks, grab a cup o' joe for my roommate and I, then head home to finish getting ready for the workday and week ahead. 

Don't worry, I haven't exactly been productive this morning, but the fact that I am here writing after rummaging through the blog-world is worthy of what I would consider a "productive" morning. 

There is this other thing that's been on my mind lately too. Contentment. My 2011 New Year's Resolution, along with watching more news...*fail*...was to work on being content with the life I have. That means choosing joy when it's easier to b&m (bit*h & moan) about my life. That means embracing each day, not fearing or dwelling on the future. All easier said than done of course, but such is life. 

Looking at a whole year, trying to be content about ALL of it, is a daunting task. But that's exactly why I am choosing to NOT fear or dwell on the future. I'm working at taking baby steps to embrace today and enjoy it for what it is, or at the least to work through it. I can't promise I do it well. For some strange reason (to me anyways), I've faced a lot more anxiety this year than I have in the past few. It's like I'm being faced with practice opportunities to choose joy and learn what it feels like to be content. I truly believe to "be" content you much first choose it. It's kind of like love (I think). Sometimes it's easy to embrace and you don't even have to think about it, but there will be many times when love is a choice. 

For me, right now, contentment is a choice. My hope and prayer is that at some point it becomes easier and will come more naturally--to be honest I think it is s-l-o-w-l-y becoming just a little bit easier. 

For example (and this is a totally random example) but yesterday I went to a local farn to pick out pumpkins to be carved later this month. It's a large farm for a non-rural area, so it's definitely a hot spot for families each season (watermelon in the summer, pumpkins in the fall, Christmas trees in December, etc.). They have an area for seasonal games and activities, homemade baked goods, u-pick fresh vegetables, and plenty more. Many schools in the area take an annual field trip here in the fall for vegetable picking. 

So there I was,  a 24 year old, single girl, there with 3 friends and 1 boyfriend (not my own), picking out pumpkins for carving. We were surrounded by kids and babies and families. We were 5 young adults, with no kids, but doing something that sounded fun to us. As the 4 of us girls posed for a picture with our pumpkins, I could help but think, and say, "just think, one day there will be kids in front of us as we take this picture." I wasn't trying to be dramatic or *hopeful* for the future, just pointing out the irony of the situation. We should probably have kids here with us to be doing this. 

But the thing is, none of us really cared. Even as single, young adults, we were foregoing what we do not have (families) and embracing the day, embracing autumn and all it has to offer despite the 80 degree SoCal weather (typical). We chose to have fun doing something together to celebrate the season, even if we "should have" been doing something a little more age and life-stage appropriate. 

I have a feeling there will be many more moments like this in the coming months. Autumn is the best season after all. I'll be sure to keep you posted on our very single holiday celebrations :) 

All this to say, I could have woken up to a broken coffee pot and allowed myself to be annoyed. I could have been frustrated that I paid $3.00 for a cup of coffee when an entire pound of coffee costs only twice the price. I could have let that irk my day. I could have b&m that I will now be purchasing our annual coffee pot for at least $30. I can't promise I will always choose joy (naturally or easily) and choose to embrace the day or the life I have been given. But today I choose joy. I will pick pumpkins. I will drink expensive coffee on occasion. I will celebrate the life I've been given and do my best to be thankful for all of it.