Back-to-Work Syndrome

I had 4 days to pretty much do whatever I wanted.
Sure, there were Thanksgiving celebrations to attend to.
And relatives to visit with.

But I could have done whatever I wanted. And I did.

But why, oh why, didn't I do anything productive?
Why didn't I plan meals for the next week?
Why didn't I clean more? Or get a few more house projects done?
Why didn't I finish decorating?

I got so irritated with myself
on my drive to work yesterday morning.
Now that I finally have some place else I have to be,
I'm in the mood to get all that stuff done.

Dear Self,
Last week was a holiday. A vacation. A rest.
Get over the need to be "productive" 100% of the time.
"Production" is rarely what's really important.
Love, Self.

Giving Thanks

Last year, I kept a running list of things I'm thankful for
because as Thornton Wilder said,
"We are most alive in those moments when our hearts
are conscious of our treasures"

To wrap up all the thanksgiving celebrations,
I thought I'd share it


What are you thankful for?

Store-Bought

Aubrey and I are pretty much known
for our extravagant [dinner] dates,
but last night we settled for store-bought soup and salad
and a movie at home.

Me likes having a beautiful friend so down-to-earth and honest.

Tradition

As is tradition in the Mikovits family,
we went up to T.O. to celebrate Thanksgiving with the fam bam
and as we do every year,
we sipped lattes and enjoyed a nice skate around the outdoor rink
before scarfin' down turkey, taters, stuffin' and the like.

The sunset was gorgeous as we drove up the 215
I'll say it again and again,
I love this time of year!

Crisp Cool Air

This year, Jeremiah and I invited Alyssa and Joey along
for our annual day trip to Julian.

We bundled up and strolled the streets of the quaint little town,
stopping at the little shops along the wayIt was such a beautifully crisp and clear day.For lunch, we stopped in for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches at Rongbranch
and enjoyed tasty apple pie with cinnamon ice cream from Julian Pie CompanyNote to self: bring sunglasses next time!We love these guys!And of course, we couldn't leave without a little bag of candy
and some fresh hot apple cider from the Cider Mill
Twas a lovely fall morning.
And the perfect way to spend the long holiday weekend.

Thankful for: Jeremiah

Today, and always,

I'm thankful for: Jeremiah

He's loved me since I was 17.
He's inspired me, encouraged me, challenged me, provided for me.
He's shown me devotion, loyalty and generosity.
He's taught me how to love.

I am so thankful to have a husband that loves the Lord.
A husband that takes care of his family.
A husband who wants to make his wife happy.

What an absolute blessing to be married to this handsome little fella.

I love you, my dear!

Thankful for: Friends & Family

So I know Thanksgiving has come and gone,
but it's still Thanksgiving Weekend I say
so how about a few more things that I'm thankful for...

Good friendships aren't fostered overnight.
They take time, effort, and the whole blood-sweat-and-tears thing.
I am so thankful to have friends that think I'm worth their time and energy.
Friends who encourage, who challenge,
who inspire, and who are a joy to be around.
God has blessed me so abundantly.

And Family... well, you don't pick em,
which makes me extra thankful
that I have the best. family. ever. (x2)
My family is kind, thoughtful, generous and helpful.
We do fun things for and with each other.
We're committed to one another.
What a blessing to be a part of such love.

Today, I'm thankful for:
Friends & Family

Thankful for: Our New Home

We're no longer pouring money into a rental each month.

We're able to paint the walls, redo the floor

and call something our own.

Thank you again,

to all the family and friends

who have helped us make our little townhouse a home.

Today, I'm thankful for God's provision, for helpful hands,

and for...

Our New Home

Bunting, Baby!

Birthday? Anniversary? Something fun to celebrate?

I'm your girl for cute bunting.

Birthdays
Congratulations
Christmas
Valentine's
Mother's Day
Miscellaneous

Thankful for: Light Traffic

With most people off work or out of school this week,
the traffic has been so insanely light.
All green lights.
Mm good!!

Today, I'm thankful for:
Light Traffic

Fa La La

Remember this lovely little treasure?

Well, with it's help
and the help of a little holiday elf [Read: Me] ...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the McLeod household!


Close up of the Disney villages my MIL got for me.
Thanks, Tina!

Hostess Gifts

Don't show up to Thanksgiving Dinner empty handed!!

I know most people bring a pie or a bottle of wine,
but this year.. I put together these simple little hostess gifts
for Thursday's festivities.


What's inside?
Only the B-E-S-T candle EVER.

A Productive Saturday

I've had "House Cleaning" on my To Do list all week.
But instead of cleaning,
I've chosen to play with friends, watch tv, and craft.
And I've been a happy little girl.
But I know that "House Cleaning" had to come
before "Christmas Decorating" could.

So Saturday was the day...

Blinds wiped down? Check
Windows washed? Check
Floors vacuumed and scrubbed? Check
Bathroom cleaned? Check
Kitchen cleaned? Check
Dishes done? Check
Clean Laundry? Check
Random nonsense put away? Check
Bills paid and checkbook balanced? Check
Christmas decorations brought in from the garage? Check

Christmas wrapping and decorating in progress?
With Christmas music, Christmas movies, and a cozy fire?

Check, Check, Check!

Thankful for: City Lights

I love them.
Period.
End of story.

Chicago
Seattle
New York City
San Diego

The country is beautiful.
Who am I kidding?
I don't think I've ever been to the true country.
But the non-city.. the non-city is beautiful.
Don't get me wrong.

But those city lights.
They get me every time.
They ignite something in my soul.
Something that makes me come alive again.

I see beauty in Creation.
And because we too are creators,
there is beauty in the man-made.

source

Thankful for: Elevators

My morning went a little bit like this...

Force myself out of bed and into the shower.
Slowly and sloppily get ready.
Stop for coffee.
Drive to work.
Park.
Enter building on second floor.
Push elevator button.
Wince when the elevator door opens
and someone is already in there
Enter elevator.
Push button for third floor.
Me: "Don't judge. I'm only going up one floor."
Stand in silence as elevator goes up one floor.
Stranger: "Hope your lazy butt has a good day."

Despite the sarcastic guy in the elevator,
I'm glad I was able to take that
instead of the stairs.

Lazy? Psh! :)

Today I'm thankful for: Elevators

(And the fact that I normally start the day on the first floor)

Thankful for: Coffee

I am not much of a coffee drinker.
I much prefer tea or cider.
But this morning:
I'm a coffee drinker.
Actually, I'm a Coffee Drinker.

I spent much of my post-bedtime hours
on a call with India last night
debugging something for work.

This morning, coffee and I are
C-O-M-P-A-D-R-E-S.

Today I'm thankful for: Coffee

Fill'er up again!
And Cheers to a Happy Friday!

Thankful for: Girls' Day

I may or may not have mentioned this before,
but I work primarily with males.

The fact that I get to see a pretty lady face
every now and again
is such a lovely surprise.

But, today... today was Girls' Day!

A coworker and I visited the Annual QC Arts & Crafts Fair,
went for a walk in the pretty sunshine,
and ate lunch together.

Can we say blessing?

Today I'm thankful for: Girls' Day!

Thankful for: The Prayers of Old Friends

This ritual goes back to high school.
I pitched. Jen caught.
I was number 7. Jen was number 14.
And whenever the clock struck 7:14, we'd think of each other.
It was just kinda our thing.

Well, I got a text this morning.
At 7:15.
Jen had seen the clock.
And had said a prayer for me.

What a good way to start the day.

Today I'm thankful for:
The Prayers of Old Friends

Thankful for: Little Drummer Boy

I wandered around the craft store last night
and in the short time I was there
Little Drummer Boy played not once, but twice.
One of my favorite Christmas songs.
A special treat.

And such a fitting place to play it, I thought.

This song has been
such an encouragement and a challenge for me,
specifically since I heard Silas (now FoF) play it
a handful of years ago.

It challenges me:
to do my best
to lay my gifts before the King
to believe that my talents are worthy,
but that my worth is not in my talents
and to remember the humble beginnings of baby Jesus.

It encourages me:
to see the community gather around the drummer boy
and to know the Lord smiles upon the gifts we bring Him.

Today I'm thankful for:
The Little Drummer Boy

Thankful for: The Cross @ Loma

Today, I'm thankful for: The Cross @ Loma

I stopped there last night
after I dropped off Amra.
It was just around sunset
so I thought I'd catch a quick glimpse of the Cross.

Beauty Defined.

I wept as I gazed upon the Cross,
and the backdrop of God's creation.

How thankful I am
for the work of the Cross,
for the beauty of creation,
for my years in that place,
and for the chance to return.
If only for a moment.

Before&After: The Master Bedroom

Thought I'd share a couple pictures of our new bedroom

Before
Popcorn ceilings, Bright white walls, and empty as can beGiving the ceilings a makeoverApplying fresh paintAfter
Clean ceilings, Fresh paint and all our belongings
Still on the "To Do List" at some point:
Window treatments, hanging pictures and redo-ing the bathroom.

Thankful for: Amra

I spent the afternoon shopping
with my favorite almost-fifteen year old (?!) on the block.

For the past three years, we've made it a tradition
to go Christmas shopping together.
[And one of my favorite Christmas traditions it is.]
This year, it had been a little while since I'd seen her last
which made our outing extra special.

This girl is insanely wise and mature.
She's classy. She's modest. She's humble. She's fun.
Girl's got a great head on her shoulders.
And deep down I know,
we're soul sisters.

I am so thankful for her friendship.
And for the absolutely beautiful woman she is becoming.

Today I'm thankful for: Amra

Thankful for: Sleep

For the past few days, I've been going to bed rather early.
And for the past few mornings, I've been waking up rather late.
Without an alarm.
Just laying in bed.
Zoning out.
Reading.
Being perfectly content with the fact that
there is much to do,
but that it doesn't need to get done now.

Today I'm thankful for: Sleep

Sneak Preview: The Craft Room

A glimpse at the chalkboard wall in my craft room.

Inspiration here.

Thankful for: Sunshine

I realize it's fall/almost winter,
but I'm a fan of those sunny days.
Today it was 80 degrees and beautiful.
But alas, I spent my day running errands
and doing little things around the house.
Still - the sunshine makes all things smiley!

Today, I'm thankful for: The Sunshine

A Lovely Morning

Remember how I planned to head over to Old Poway Park this weekend?
Well, it was a lovely morning indeed.

I strolled over to the cozy Tuscan Sunrise to grab an Italian Soda,
I sampled delicious chai, lemon cheese spread, and fresh fruit,
purchasing a loaf of warm gluten free bread from the Poway Farmers Market.
And I browsed the Boardwalk Craft Fair, chatting with different sellers.

What a perfect Saturday morning.

Here are a couple pictures from my morning walk.

Thankful for: Weekends

I can't get enough of them.
And having a full time job throughout the week
just makes them that much better.

Today I'm thankful for: Weekends

Weekends are for relaxing
for catching up on sleep
for escaping responsibility for a while
for pretending you're on vacation
or for actually going on vacation
for spending time with friends and family
for crafting, and shopping, and playing
for getting prepared for the upcoming week

Me loves em.
Me loves em, for sure.

Happy Friday, my friends!

Thankful for: Post It Notes & the Holy Spirit

Today, I'm thankful for:
Post it Notes & the Holy Spirit

Doing the right thing is sometimes hard and/or scary.

You see, I've had this Post It note on my cork board for the past few months.
"The way you work shows more about your walk
than the way you worship"

Today, it glared at me in the face
and the Holy Spirit pressed it deeply against my heart
until I finally did the right thing.

Even though it was scary.

Thankful for: Pennies

With two weeks until Thanksgiving,
I thought it rather fitting
to highlight something I'm thankful for each day.

Today I'm thankful for: Pennies.

I'm thankful for the ability to see and appreciate the small things.
I'm thankful for the abundance of them in my life.
I'm thankful for He who provides them.
And I'm thankful for those who remind me of my duty to pick them up.

Lyssa loves those Veterans

You may have already heard,
but I'm pretty sure I have the
Coolest. Seester. Ever.

Last week she made me this pretty garlandand a darling little Christmas tree
She also gave me a yummy smelling Veteran's Day gift.

Last time I checked,
I've never fought in any wars.
But let it be known,
I'm thankful for those who have.

And I'm thankful for my thoughtful seester too.

Welcome to P-Town

Dear P-Town.

This weekend, we plan to walk over to your lovely park,
to stroll along the train tracks collecting crafts and fresh produce,
and to dine in your factory of hamburgers.

Thank you for welcoming us to the neighborhood.

Love,
The McLeods

Los Libros

These days,
I'm hoping a couple of these books
find their way onto my shelves.

“Crafting a Meaningful Home” by Meg Mateo Ilasco
“The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary” by Robert Alter
“Undecorate” by Christiane Lemieux
“Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People” by Amy Sedaris

What are you reading?

Before&After: The Living Room

Our living room is by no means complete
[To Do: Mount TV, Hang pretties on the wall, etc.]
But I thought I'd share a few more pictures anyway...

Unfortunately, I didn't document e.v.e.r.y step,
but I think you'll get the idea.

Before
Popcorn ceilings, bright white walls, ugly brown carpet
Pulling up the carpetScraping popcorn off the ceilingPopcorn aftermathRipping up the tack strips and baseboardsOur make-shift living roomPaintingCutting hardwoodLaying hardwood floorsCutting baseboardsAfter
Hardwood floors, fresh baseboards,
softly painted walls, new couches, new tables and a new rug
Thank you to everyone who has helped us make our little house a home.