Oh, September, you get me every year. I don’t know why September always feels like it’s in such a big hurry to me. I’ve felt this way for a long time, even going back to my school years. It always feel like there’s so much to do, so little time in September. Perhaps it’s the clash of the last lazy days of summer vacation running straight into the get-your-booty-in-gear buzz of fall. That makes a lot of sense, come to think of it. It’s still very much summer outside, but the busy bee is in. I spent the last week cooped up in my office pretty much all day every day trying to get back on top of filming and editing for YouTube, taking and editing pictures, and writing blog posts. Now it’s time to start planning out the rest of the year in terms of trips, organizational projects, and even my holiday prep series. It’s crazy to think that the holidays are just a hop, skip, and a jump away (aka September, October, and November). I have many aspirations for videos and blog posts surrounding the holiday season and I know I need to start doing some major work in the prep & plan department if I’d like to reach those goals. It’s a little overwhelming, but ever so exciting at the same time. In the next couple of weeks I’m working on wrapping up some of the loose ends of my remaining summer projects and gearing up for fall.
Can You Be A “Health Nut” and Still Eat Cookies Every Day?
It hasn’t been all work, work, work this past week, of course. I’ve been able to steal a moment or two here and there for personal pursuits and pleasures. I’ve been working on perfecting my own version of the Health Nut Cookie I mentioned being obsessed with while in Utah in my last WIR post. I was fortunate that two of my Twitter followers saw my plea for comparable recipes and I’ve been working with both recipes to find the right balance of ingredients (you can see House of Aqua’s recipe here and Kelli’s recipe here). I’m getting closer and hoping that my third try will be the charm. I’ll post a Cook Nook video on TBBB as soon as I’ve got it figured out!
I’ve also been catching up on some reading in the tub. I really fell off the reading bandwagon this summer. There was a lot of family togetherness time that took reading’s place, so I can’t complain! One of my favorite ways to unwind after a busy day is in the bath with a cup of tea and a good book. Sometimes when I am in between books I’ll catch up on one of my guilty pleasures, People magazine. I stumbled across a small blurb in the most recent edition announcing Carrie Underwood’s undertaking Maria in one of my all time favorite movies, The Sound of Music, in an NBC TV special set to air December 5. I’m not sure anyone can top Julie Andrews in this role, but Carrie Underwood, one of my all-time favorite female singers, might just come close!
Being home again after such a long stay in Utah means opportunities to be reunited with the family I missed while I was away. Don and I spent a lovely Labor Day evening at my parents house for home grilled burgers. I was also finally able to visit my grandma, Betty, in the hospital where she is recovering in rehab after breaking her hip a few weeks ago. She’s a trouper! Don and I went on a fun double date with his grandparents this past weekend to one of our favorite local Italian restaurants, Tuscany. It’s great to be reunited with loved ones!
Sweet Beauties
I’ve been fortunate to encounter some sweet beauties in the past week, as well. I was welcome home with an awesome package from Sigma Beauty including the new Crème de Couture collection, which I recently shared in a First Impressions post. Talk about makeup candy goodness! I am looking forward to playing with these beauties!
Don surprised me with a unique bouquet early last week which is still thriving and gracing our family room with its beauty. It seems very fitting for an end of the summer bunch of flowers. Even the colors pull from summer to fall! My husband is not only thoughtful but great at picking out nice bouquets. He’s a keeper! 😉
Lastly, I fell madly head over heels in love with this gorgeous green beauty from Tory Burch that I spotted in the latest Saks Fifth Avenue catalogue. I have no plans to buy a new bag right now, but it’s fun to lust after one! Suddenly I feel the need for a green addition to my collection! I’m holding off for now (especially considering the hefty price tag!) just in case a different design comes along and makes my heart flutter even more. Speaking of purses, I have not forgotten about the promised handbag charity auction I’ve been talking about for a few months now. I had hoped to have it up and running sooner, but it’s turned out to be a much bigger undertaking than I originally anticipated. I decided I wanted to make an accompanying video to showcase each bag for a better look than the less than stellar photos I took. I have every intention of hosting the auction at some point this fall, but I am not making any promises on exact dates. Rest assured that I will provide ample advance notice before it launches and I will have it run for at least two weeks to give everyone who wants to participate a chance. I’m still looking for a good online charity auction platform and would appreciate any suggestions.
I hope to be back to my full posting schedule both on this blog and on all of my YouTube channels by the end of the month. Stay tuned for so much more to come as we approach the final quarter of 2013! I hope you enjoy these last few weeks of summer 😀
