Festive for Friday-Fall

One of the things I was most worried about when I decided to move to California was the year round temperate climate. How can it be fall without all things pumpkin and apple flavored? How weird is it going to be when the leaves don't turn and fall? (although I'm pretty pumped that there will be NO leaves to rake!) It's September and so fall (at least in my mind) has just begun. It also turns out that September (and October so I've heard) will be two of the warmest and most glorious months in this fine city. AKA it's not foggy ALL THE TIME anymore. And I haven't turned the heat in my apartment on in weeks. Two things helped me feel fall this week, despite the heat.

A tree near my apartment was dropping little bits of red pollen onto the sidewalk, completely filling in the street name etched into the cement. I may not have red leaves, but I have red pollen! 

The discovery that I can get a Pumpkin Spice Latte Frappucinno! I had a hot one earlier this week, but it was when I was in the a cold building during a meeting. I knew that that wasn't going to fly if I wanted to get anything done in Starbucks (another part of operation leave the house). This is pretty much the awesomest thing ever. The cold pumpkiny flavor with the whip cream and the dash of pumpkin spice on top made it taste JUST like a piece of pumpkin pie with a cold dollop of cool whip that we had every Thanksgiving growing up. I can tell this is going to be my go-to drink for this fall season...

What made your week festive? 

Festive for Friday.

Happy Friday! Nothing is more festive than the Friday of a short work week! This week I bring to you five things about living here in San Francisco that make me happy.

1. Trader Joe's. More specifically, these Coffee Latte and Cream Bars. They're like my super sugary and creamy morning coffee but frozen. And served for dessert.

 2. I can't even remember where we saw this, but I took this picture the first week I was here when the N-boy and I were out exploring the city. Since the Momcat and Daddo are scientists I was amused.

 3. Celebrating Baby Brother's 25th birthday back at the beginning of August. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've been able to celebrate with him in person since I went to college (aka a long time ago).

 4. Being able to walk to work. The boys are pointing down the "hill" (since it's technical name is Lone Mountain I question calling it a hill) to my apartment, which is visible when it's not foggy. What is slightly less festive is climbing these 160 steps (yes, I counted) each morning when I've only had one cup of coffee.

5. Food. So I'm pretty sure food will make this the list of all things festive each and every. This was at the Corner Store for brunch. 

What made your week festive? 

Festive for Friday-N'stagram #2

It's been a busy week. I've had work events three nights this week and although we're no longer working at a break neck speed in the office, we've still been much busier than I expected. So blogging fail. Oh well. Next week is a new week.

But thank goodness today is Friday. 

Here are three pictures the N-boy took this week for happy N'stagram day!

The N-boy and CatCat.

Friday the cat.

Train.

Festive for Friday-N'stagram

Three photos brought to you by the letter "N." 

Balloon glow.

Watermelon love.

Baby and her bottle.

Festive for Friday...N-sta N-boy

On this Final Festive for Friday of August (oh if only August began with an "F") I bring you more pictures from the N-boy. How are we feeling about "N-sta N-boy" for his Instagram pictures? 

He calls this one "Hangover Cat."

This is one of my favorites.

I'm also linking up with LifeRearranged for InstaFriday! 

Festive for Friday-Pictures from the N-boy.

To end the week on a festive note I bring you pictures from the N-boy. He's taken to Instagram and has been wandering around town (on both bike and foot) taking pictures. Here a few of them from this week.

He said I can use his pictures regularly on my little blog, but only if I can think of a catchy title for the post where I feature them. Any ideas? 

Festive for Friday-Why I Like the Olympics

I like the Olympics. I find them highly festive for several reasons.

1. I get to see sports I never see. Or even think about. I mean, really, how many times times a year do I actually think about the uneven bars. Or rowing for that matter. 
2. They make nice background noise in the evening when I'm hanging out at home. I don't have to pay super close attention, but I can still see the exciting moments. 
3. It's international. As an international educator I generally support anything international. And it's just fun to see athletes from so many different countries. 
4. It makes me want to get my ass off the couch and go work out. This is a good thing. 
5. Eye candy. Athletic eye candy. Yup, I said it.

What's made your week festive? 

Festive for Friday-Christmas in July.

I told the N-boy that he was looking very Christmassy yesterday (the shirt is a little greener in person than in the picture). He wasn't thrilled with my observation but let me snap a photo anyway. He even brought me iced coffee as a present, so he was just like Santa Claus, too.

Ho ho ho. Merry Christmas. In July. 

Of course now I have "Feliz Navidad" from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street in my head. I bring this on myself. 

What's making your Friday festive? 

Festive for Friday-Caffeine.

I've been drinking a lot of coffee lately. I think that's an ok thing for this time of year. It only gets worse as we head into three weeks until new student orientation. Pretty sure caffeine is the only thing that's going to keep me going here. That and loving my students and wanting to give them the best experience we can. But mostly the caffeine. 

What's keeping you going this summer? 

Festive for Friday-Starbucks and Girl Talk.

Summer evenings are for sitting at Starbucks with the N-boy. 

Drinking an iced decaf americano. 

Listening to Girl Talk. 

What made your week festive?

Festive for Friday...Not far and not fast, but enough.

I've felt a bit blah this week. Stress about an upcoming conference I'm planning at work, trouble sleeping [it's like my brain wouldn't turn off this week!], adjusting to some changes I've made in medication, the countdown until the N-boy gets home from Russia (13 days!) just lots of things. But I did have an aha moment on Wednesday.

I'm working really hard at keeping to a fitness schedule. Wednesday is a running day. I don't run very far and I don't run very fast, but running is good for me. It helps me clear my mind and I feel less stressed. But when I'm feeling blah it's sometimes super hard to get out the door and do anything, much less something that takes actual effort.

Luckily for me, BabyBrother has been super supportive of, well, pretty much everything lately, even though he's three time zones away. So we were chatting online and he kicked me off and said to go for a walk. So I shut the computer and walked to the front door and literally could not get myself out the door. I don't know what it was. Finally I realized this was silly and that if I didn't want to go outside I didn't have to, but that I could go down to the basement to Floyd the treadmill instead. Where I ran two miles at an 11:00 pace. Not far and not fast, but it was enough.

So this week my festive comes from realizing that I do have choices when it comes to my health. Festive is making healthy choices even when I don't always feel like it at the time, because I know it will make me feel better in the long run. Festive is know that I may not be fast like my new running shirt says, but knowing that putting on that shirt and going for a run is sometimes enough.

Festive for Friday...Cotton Candy For the Win

Why, yes. It is Friday. Thank goodness.

A picture is worth a gazillion words this week. I bring you a one of my favorite coworkers from the university wide staff picnic this week. The theme was "Under the Big Top."  Cotton Candy for the Win.

What made your week festive? 

Festive for Friday...errrr Saturday...

Festive for Friday comes a day late this week, as I was out of town for a work meeting on Thursday and Friday. And since Festive for Saturday lacks that alluring alliteration, we'll just run with the Friday theme.

Two festive events to report on this muggy and steamy day.

1. I PR'd my 5k time with 31:14! Woohoo! This was one of my goals for 2012, so I'm super excited about this! After the race we went out to eat at a new breakfast joint, Macadoo's, which is the self proclaimed "Biscuits and Gravy Outlet."  And you should ignore how hot and sweaty we both look. We're healthy and festive. And about to go enjoy a blueberry cheesecake pancake with blueberry syrup!

2. After dinner with friends, I went to the grocery store where I found the below on sale. And I said, "self, you ran a race today with 10 minute miles. You can most definitely get a box of generic Lucky Charms." And so I did.

Festive for Friday...What Quilters Do

I came across this somewhere out in the Blogosphere and thought it needed to be shared. These memes have been all the rage on Facebook, and you could probably find one for just about any category of people!

Also festive on the start of this lovely three day weekend, Prairie Sewn Companion (post on this to come soon!), the sewing and quilting company that the Momcat and I started this year are going to be at a craft show in Goshen, Indiana on Saturday. It should be lots of fun, so come by and check it out if you're in the area!

Festive for Friday...SPRING!

 Happy Friday, friends and family! I acknowledge it's been almost a month since my last post. And although I wish I could say that I've been spending all of that time sewing, that's not quite true. However, I did go to a craft fair with the company the Momcat and I have started, Prairie Sewn Companion, and sold a couple of things. However, my goal for the weekend is to get our Etsy site up and running!

That, of course, will be a challenge given the following schedule for St. Patrick's Day weekend (and where I live it is a BIG holiday!). Keep in mind that I also am desperate to do laundry, make an egg casserole for tomorrow and somehow reclaim my family room from all of the fabric bowls/vases and table runners that are sprawled about. Le sigh. I am fully convinced I can do all of this in the teeny tiny window between work and going to dinner.

Today:

• Dinner out

Tomorrow:

• Four mile run
• Potluck Brunch
• St. Patty's Day Parade
• Sitting in the sunshine at our favorite summer restaurant on the patio by the river
• --Note this will likely be ALL afternoon

Sunday:

• Three mile run
• Brunch at the local Irish Pub
• Massage! 

My other goal for the weekend is to get back into THIS glorious space! The Momcat helped me majorly reorganize my studio when she was here this winter, and I need to get back in there and get some things done! I also have a certain Challenge Quilt project to do before we go back to Paducah next month!I have lots of pictures of the new space, so look for a post tomorrow with a little tour it!

I tend to quilt less when the weather is sooo nice. But this year I'm excited to take my work outside with me to do English Paper Piecing projects. I must remember that  no matter what, the weather, the length of time between my blog posts or even the towering pile of english paper pieced projects threatening to tip over onto my cat carrier, that I'm always:

Festive for Friday...Taking it Easy

Oh thank goodness it's Friday.

Festive! this week:

- The meds the doctor put me on for shingles seem to be working! Since I started them in the first 72 hours, it kept them from spreading, and the pain has been confined only to that area. I saw the doc again this morning and she seemed really happy.

-My shingles provided endless glee to my coworkers today with fodder for bad jokes about how I'd be going to a "shingle's bar" this weekend. Luckily they also provided me with donuts.

- I've already done my grocery shopping for the next week! Although that was largely out of desperation since I was completely out of milk which would have been a crisis come coffee time tomorrow morning.

- Since I went grocery shopping tonight, I went to the salad bar at the grocery store for dinner. Yummo!

Why yes, I am eating my salad while lying down. 

-Since then, I've been on my couch, with my salad, a cat and Lois the Kindle reading a new book that I checked out from the library: The Happiness Project. Which I had on hold and seems to have arrived at a good time since it's all about how to be happier and less stressed.

Picture taken in Salzburg, Austria a year ago. But still a festive shot of Lois. 

Less-than-festive! this week:

-Yeah so the shingles still really suck. I ended up going home at lunch time yesterday after wearing a camisole that wasn't loose (it wasn't tight, but wasn't billowy, either). I thought I was going to throw up from the pain. It was seriously awful.

- When I found swollen lymph nodes under my arm on Tuesday night, I had a total freak out. Like called my parents in the middle of night because I thought I had arm pit cancer freak out. My parents, the cancer researchers, were finally able to calm me down and then informed me there was no such thing. Of course then Daddo mentioned that you can have cancer in your lymph nodes. Fail.

-I'm frustrated because this is the most random disease ever. I had no idea that a three inch strip of skin could cause THIS much pain.

-I am SO sick of the timer going off on my phone every 4 hours and 45 minutes to remind me to take the antiviral. Again, I'm very grateful to have the drugs, but waking up in the middle of the night sucks.

-Waking up now is especially un-fun since the other medication makes me really dizzy. Which is why I only take it at night. But doc told me this morning she wants me on it for the full 60 days.

-While eating my delicious salad tonight, I managed to drop chopped broccoli down the inside of my shirt. Twice. This is what I get for eating a salad while laying down and balancing a cat and a kindle, trying to keep everything off of my side.