What I Wore #70

So about a month ago when Dustin and I met up with Rachelle and Matt in St. Augustine for all the sweet hangs she gave me this amazing or should I say PURRfect shirt. Like for no reason at all she just straight up hands me the coolest shirt ever. I've worn it just about every Saturday since. It totally fits into my gray-t-shirt-obession! Also the company does great work for animals and a portion of the proceeds goes to helping them help all the furballs. The pants I've had for a few months. They are comfy as hell and mid-rise so it helps me create the illusion of slimness.

Shirt: Arm the Animals

Pants: Old Navy

Shoes: Vans

Stranger Christmas

Every year Dustin and I TRY to start brainstorming Christmas card ideas starting in August but if we haven't thought of anything by Halloween I start to panic. We threw around some ideas but Stranger Things just stuck because DUH. It was fresh on our brains as we had just binged watched it. Also it was fairly easy to put everything together. I bought Dustin a plain shirt and trooper hat on Amazon. I already had my outfit which just about matched Joyce's to a T other than the shirt color. It took all of 5 minutes to paint a flattened cardboard box with the alphabet. Hanging the lights was the hardest part. Well, that and positioning my phone to take the photo. I had it set on a timer but it took tons of tries to get it right. And then the cardboard piece totally fell off the wall mid picture so that was a fiasco.  By the end Dustin and I were both sweating like pigs from running around. But all in all I'm so happy with how it turned out. Stranger indeed. 

Thanksgiving: Brunch Edition

Dustin and I originally were going to spend Thanksgiving just the two of us as we've done several times before but then everything changed as life always seems to. 

Katie's plans to spend Thanksgiving morning with her grandfather didn't pan out so she asked if she and the girls could come over in the morning to watch the parade in our pajamas (since Tommy had to work until that evening). I was all "TOTES!". Then I talked to my mom and she didn't go with her boyfriend to south Florida and also didn't have any plans. So parade pajamas turned into a full on brunch situation. Dustin made THIS casserole (via Alyssa), I cut up some fruit, popped both cinnamon and orange rolls in the oven and Katie and my mom also brought pastries. We were set!

The minute the girls walked in they both handed me two colorful pieces of paper that looked like a list of some kind. I almost cried in between laughs when I finally got a minute to read it. They had listed all the things they're thankful for that have to do with Dustin and I. I'm not a parent, I'm barely an aunt at this point, but I have wondered if I'm making any kind of positive impact in my friend's kids lives. Those thoughtful papers they gave us prove that I am. It's small and it's subtle but I hope they'll grow up and have fond memories of the times they spent with Dustin and I. I love them and could not be more thankful they are in our lives. 

We sat around talking, eating, showing each other random photos on our phone (as you do these days), and of course watched the parade (which I was kind of disappointed in this year to be honest). 

Aubrie made a beautiful drawing of a city skyline with a back drop of a beautiful blue night sky. I wish I had taken a photo of it. She worked so diligently on it. While she drew that Dustin and Kierce were becoming BFFs. I'm not even kidding. I don't know what it was about this time in particular but the two of them just ended up bonding like never before. Dustin taught her how to draw Batman and Ninja Turtles. Then they moved on to a nerf gun fight and ended the morning with guitar lessons. It was adorable to watch.

The dynamic duo even talked me into letting Kierce open her Christmas present early. I didn't want her to because Aubrie's present hadn't come in yet but since Aubrie was cool with it I allowed it. Kierce got the biggest nerf gun ever. Dustin of course picked it out and he only wanted the finest for her. Quite literally "Nerf of Nothing". The girls also asked for gift cards this year (mainly for food which I find hilarious) so they each got gift cards for Dairy Queen. When Dustin told them they could get at least THREE blizzards with each card they got all wide eyed and asked Katie if they could go on their way home. Ha! Too bad they weren't open. 

Everyone left by early afternoon and Dustin and I just kind of took it easy. Later that afternoon I made green bean and sweet potato casseroles before heading out to Boston Market for our main course. We ate our Thanksgiving dinner just the two of us while watching Mindhunter (which we've already finished). We took a late nap and it was just the best little Thanksgiving. 

 

Lorna's Birthday

If you haven't noticed, we go all out for birthdays in my department. Sure we enjoy the planning and decorating but it's quite simply about showing how much we appreciate one another. 

And we truly, genuinely, appreciate everyone. 

Christy took the lead for this one. She had a vision from the start so I had her draw it out on paper so I could help bring it to life. Nicole and I helped by making a ton of tissue paper flowers. It legit took me a whole evening after work. I had trouble at first but then I got really good. I might go pro. Who knows. 

The four of us all helped to put it together. Alyssa and I were up and down on the ladder, Nicole was sprinkling gold glitter on some of the petals, and Christy was working on the paint bucket. A few things changed from the original design but for the better. We added lights and instead of just random flowers we bunched them together to spell out L-O-R-N-A which came out so cool. We opted to get Lorna a cookie cake because she is a recently retired baker and all she did was stare at cupcakes every day of the week so we knew she didn't want that. 

Lorna loved it just as much as we had all hoped she would. 

We kept the party going and all got together on her actual birthday for a dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I had to come clean to them as soon as everyone sat down. Ok so here's the thing, Dustin and I had plans to go to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch the whole week after seeing Justice League - so we did. Then plans for Lorna's birthday changed from City Walk to Cheesecake so I wasn't about to ruin the new plans so I didn't tell them initially that I went there for lunch. Not only did I go for lunch BUT I totally busted my ass while there. A lovely older lady came to my aid to help me up while literally everyone else just stared at me like I was an exhibit at the zoo, even the wait staff. Thanks guys, MY TOE ISN'T THROBBING. I hobbled out of there and went home. Then I came back about 5 hours later. Ha! The funniest thing was I was still full from lunch that all I had was a water. No bread, no appetizer, nothing. I was stuffed but I wasn't about to miss out on a good time with my girls so I enjoyed my water but the company was where it was at.