Dear Universe (again...),
Why is it that every time I blink, another month has gone by? Another month filled with too many work deadlines, countless trips to Target, and a zillion recipes baked/cooked/served up undocumented?
Time flies always. And now, around the holidays, more than ever.
Please help me to stop. To make time to take time. To breathe. And take pictures. And savor the smell of spicy ginger and creamy white wine. To bask in the glow of a sparkling evergreen and sink into a deliciously cozy blanket.

Isn't that what it's all about anyways?

How are you taking time today?

Dear Universe...

Sometimes you inspire me beyond belief to have one of those super productive, super time management/proactive/getting a handle on my life and my closet days.

Yesterday was one of those days. Before noon I had run the lake shore, lingered at Maria’s for coffee, and watched Kathy and Hoda down 1½ glasses of red wine while I scrubbed the kitchen and bedroom floors, cleaned the bathroom, prepped a batch of pumpkin cut-out cookies, and experimentally (and what turned out to be delicious) added an assortment of ingredients to our crock pot for dinner. Phew! I’m exhausted now just thinking about all of that.

And you know what the best part is? Afterwards, I spent some quality time with my couch and the Lifetime channel. Why is it that I can’t change the channel (no matter how overly cheesey/unrealistic the show might be) when the title contains any semblance to the word Christmas? It’s just so wonderful to be getting in the holiday spirit.

Are you watching Lifetime? Or are you holding out for ABC Family’s (Countdown to) 25 Days of Christmas?

Work potluck on Thursday! More to come on the cut-out sugar cookies. In my productivity I prepped, cut-out, and froze some cute pumpkins for the event. Will be baking and frosting tomorrow.

Day 30: Halloween Eve

Today is for cupcakes. Pumpcakes.

Today is not for taking note of the state of disarray of my kitchen- for counting the days-late progress on the window construction in my apartment.
Today is for adding wet to dry and letting the mixer do the heavy lifting.

My fingers know their way to the oven despite the mess in their path.

Fifteen minutes of waiting, warmed by the buttery aroma, fly by.

Another fifteen to cool, then frost.

Yes, today is for cupcakes.

Tomorrow is for construction…now that’s a Halloween scare!