9 for 9

It's been 9 days since I've posted so here are 9 things I've been up to :)

Thanksgiving Game Night!
Too bad we didn't have enough markers for everybody and had to drink wine in order to get make-shift train markers :) This was such a fun way to end a day of giving thanks with friends, family, and of course wine!

Doing a little Christmas shopping with my mom in downtown Salem.
We skipped the malls and big-box stores in favor of cute little boutiques...so much fun! I loved this new take on Christmas stockings!!

Having fun making my niece an oh-s0-cute gift for her 1st Birthday!!!

Getting closer and closer to finishing this book!
So good, especially paired with a mint hot chocolate!An evening conversation with my good friend Emily in which she took 2 whole minutes of small talk before shocking me with her engagement news!
Emily, I cannot wait to meet Greg and celebrate at your wedding this summer!
Chattanooga here I come!!!

Trimming my small Christmas tree!
I love holiday decorations as they make everything seem so comfy and cozy!

Driving home each night through a lot of rain...yuck!

Making a loaf of my favorite banana bread!

Being amazed that it snowed this early in the season up in Portland's West Hills!! It was so pretty to drive home through but secretly I was excited it didn't stick! I'm just not ready for winter weather!

The countdown has begun for the remaining two hours of my week (cannot wait for a few days off!!) and I should be taking advantage of a quiet office to tackle my large to-do list...but do I do that, of course not! I just cannot get away from scouring the internet for the best deal on my next pair of beloved Dansko's! Aren't they awesome! Since I've seen them at my favorite shoe store I cannot get them off my mind's must-have list. I've vowed not to get them until after presents are bought for the holiday's but I just might be tempted if there is an excellent online sale...a girl can dream!

My O'Malley is doing a trial run at my friend Julie's house to see if he wants to live there with her. I have been thinking of this for a few months as I think it would be best for both my kitties but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that it was hard to see him leave tonight! I don't know how anyone could give a pet up for adoption to a stranger or to an animal shelter, it would be so hard not knowing if they would ever end up in a good home! I know that Julie will shower O'Malley with more love than I can with two cats and I am confident that they will be good companions for each other but it will be a little sad tomorrow morning when he is not there to wake me up with his purr :( He has only been gone for 45 minutes...is that too soon to call and see how he is doing???

Peppermint Invasion

You know that the Christmas season is approaching when peppermint starts invading food and drink...I don't mind though :) What a busy week it has been and this peppermint hot chocolate was exactly what I needed to get me through the day!

This is the Season of Giving and here's something tangible we can do to help those who are hungry in all corners of the world!

I am planning to skip a meal next Thursday and donate the money I would have spent on a meal out with friends to this wonderful agency committed to making a difference to all people, tribes, and nations! I know that many food banks/shelters are doing food drives this time of year and I encourage you to also donate what you can to them as they serve more and more people in need each year!
On November 15th, the Thursday before Thanksgiving, join with thousands of Oxfam supporters and skip one meal to remember the more than 850 million people who go hungry every day.

Skipping a meal the week before Thanksgiving is a tradition that Oxfam began 34 years ago as a way for Americans to connect with people in the US and throughout the world. It's an act of simple gratitude for what we have, and a recommitment to continue our work to make poverty history.

Skip a meal on Thursday November 15th to show your solidarity with those for whom hunger is a daily reality.

This Thanksgiving season, give thanks—as we will here at Oxfam—for the millions of lives that have been saved this year by the profound generosity of so many who care. And for the very real chance we all have to end poverty.

Not too much happening lately so thought I would share the only picture I took these past few days...this cat has no concept of privacy! I think he thought that if he sat there long enough that I would put down my book and play...silly kitty!

Monday morning is just a few hours away and I have a premonition that I will have a "Case of The Monday's"...why don't weekends last longer than they do??? Thanksgiving and the few days off for it can not come quick enough!!

SWOONING for an Irish man!

Tuesday night my friend Julie and I had a GREAT time taking in the sounds of THE SWELL SEASON, the artists from ONCE which happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies! It was AMAZING! The show was a sold out packed house but the way Glen interacted with the audience made it feel like there was just a small group of us gathered around him and his guitar talking over a shared bottle of wine...well, maybe over a few pints of beer as he is ALL IRISH! Seriously, his music is simply amazing and stirs something in me and I couldn't be any more excited that they came to Portland on one of their first stops of their Fall tour! Merry Christmas to me! And how cute is it that these two are finally a couple!! If you've seen the movie you totally know what I mean! They were very sweet together and she still allowed him to flirt with the crowd as to completely steal the hearts of all of us ...we totally swooned! Here they are wearing some homemade hats that a fan made for them :)

Baby Skunks Are Kinda Cute!

Ha Ha Ha...just got this email and thought it was pretty funny!
This could have been my sister and I when we were young :)

So there I was, just relaxing in front of the T.V. when the kids yelled
"Hey Mom, come see the kittens."