Black Friday, Red & Gold Saturday

My mother recreated the "Luscious spice cake," which is also on the cover of Southern Living's December edition.

Thanksgiving came and went, but this year, I attended TWO official turkey dinners. I'd love to say that all was splendid and magical......well, it was pretty fabulous, but honestly, Thanksgiving is not one of my favorite holidays. Of course, I have a ridiculous amount of things to be thankful for, but when its over, I don't really look back until the following November. The anticipation of Christmas is just too darn distracting!!

Every year, crazy people camp out for hours on Black Friday morning, hoping to snag the best deal on coveted items like flat-screen TVs or other flashy electronics. I'm never been this extreme, but keeping with tradition, my family drove to the mall and participated in a few hours of "black Friday" shopping. The most interesting aspect of this day is the fact that my parents actually managed to buy clothing for themselves. When my sister and I were small, my parents spent lots of time helping us acquire the things we needed (and wanted)... within reason, of course. Nowadays, I choose most of my own things. This method takes away the element of surprise, but, that's the life of an adult.

This year, I'm trying to tone down the crazy gift-wanting aspect of Christmas. Honestly, there's not a thing I desire that one person can buy me. I have everything I need to survive, and although there are a few items I wouldn't mind receiving, I'm relatively happy. I mean, an iphone would be entertaining, but do I really NEED one?? Eh.

The tree at my family's house changed a bit..... the main colors were once maroon and gold, and now, they're simply red and gold. Yep, my mom is a bit of a fanatic. But it's pretty, don't you think?

Well, time to watch the Georgia v. Georgia Tech. Go Dawgs!!

Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1, was amazing. It was 8th grade when I read my first Harry Potter book, and though I was initially skeptical, I became captivated by J. K Rowling's wondrous wizarding world. Therefore, when news of a film series reached my ear, I was ecstatic. Unfortunately, the first two movies felt like a letdown, and I criticized them for leaving out so many of the book's details. Why do that do that? I wondered. Many readers prefer to simply read novels and ignore big-screen adaptations, arguing that actors and script writers depict poor adaptations of well-written literature.

It's true that I'd always pictured Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and several other characters rather differently than their real life counterparts, but I quit complaining and stuck with this consistent thought: I'm a Harry Potter fan. I've read and re-read the books countless times. Therefore, it's only fitting that I see the movies too. Luckily for me, the movies got better and better.

I LOVED Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (The 6th addition). My confidence restored, I knew I needed to view the newest production quickly.....or else, hear a personal review from a friend, or worse........be tempted to read all the details in Entertainment Weekly.

The movie ends beautifully yet somberly, approximately page 500 of a 760 page book. I'm anxiously awaiting part two of Hallows, which I believe releases in July. I think it's wonderful to see this story come to life. Oh, but I am curious about one thing........... how does the evil Voldemort breath out of that repulsive slit of a nose??

A hoarder no more

 I'm currently going through a new a phase where I'm craving change. This is unusual for me, because I normally prefer to keep my life routine, as well as my surroundings, consistent. But yesterday, I briefly glanced at the space atop my handmade bookcase and realized the cheerleading trophy from high school needed to go.  I kept that ionic object around not because I loved cheering, but mostly because that trophy happens to be the largest and flashiest prize I ever earned. I suppose that's not too embarrassing, but I also have a 3rd-place science fair trophy from the 5th grade, a D.A.R.E Graduate keepsake with a gold eagle mounted upon its base (also from elementary school), not to mention my graduation tassels from every school I attended. I wonder...... why do I hold on to such trinkets?


I've visited the homes of many friends, and my critical eyes are always quick to spot neglect and shameless pack-rat syndrome. It's a sticky situation however, because I have to constantly remind myself that I am no better than them. Down deep, I'm a natural hoarder, yet my OCD, which I guess developed with maturity, forces me to clean out the old and the unnecessary.

This isn't my real room. But, I would love to have it!

Oh, but you can bet I most definitely have my collection of sweet stuffed animals stored safely away for .....well, I guess when and if I ever decide to marry and have children. Yep, my former fuzzy friends will charm the socks off the little munchkins. Honestly, after watching Toy Story 3 this summer, I'm never getting rid of them. Ever.

Anyway, with everything that's been on my mind lately, I'm in awe that I even noticed with sight of my outdated stuff. Perhaps the wild downpour outdoors inspired me to lock myself inside and give my living space as many expense-free renovations as possible. Converting to a minimalistic style would be AMAZING, and I plan to make my future living quarters more scarce and less cluttered. If you're not clear on "minimalism" an excellent example would be the decor used on the drama "Nip Tuck." I know, it's kind of a terrible, immoral show, but I like the ultra-modern design used in their chic homes and work places.

Football: Fun or Foe?

For many, crisp Autumn Saturdays in the south usually mean one thing: football time! These days provide ample excuse to stock the kitchen with tasty snacks like chips and guacamole, cookies, hamburger meat, and various tasty refreshments.

Yesterday during a local football gathering, the smell of a freshly baked batch of pig-in-the-blankets wafted into the room, and believe me, it didn't take long to gobble up a huge handful. I love the days where friends can temporarily put their career and family responsibilities on pause and gather together for the enjoyment of a rousing sporting event.

Many people are outraged by the wayward behavior displayed during last evening's Georgia/Auburn match-up. Punches were thrown, teammates grew enraged, name-calling ensued. I watched the TV screen from kickoff to the end, but cannot describe all the actions in full, nor can I declare which team deserves the most blame. Honestly, in my 11 years of casually witnessing football, I still understand very little about the sport. While watching one of these Saturday events, the excitement of the competition certainly becomes contagious, and I can comprehend most of the basic details. However, I spend a lot of these moments watching, listening, and naturally, pretending.

I actually used to dislike football, simply because I did not understand it. Basketball is still more of my thing, but over the years, I've watched it less and less. Hopefully, this winter I'll get back into a routine of watching more b-ball. We'll see.

I love Fall, 90210, and Gossip Girl...

Why have I abandoned my blog? Well, I could always blame that wicked enemy we call "writers block" or the "I've been terribly busy" excuse, but perhaps the real culprit here is sheer laziness.

Bottom line: I've been distracted. I need to continue writing so that my skills stay sharp, but falling out of habit is far too easy.

Meanwhile, I've made several changes since my last entry, from my dating life to former career expectations. I think all is for the best. However, some things change slower than others, one such thing being my fixation with teen shows, such as the CW's 90210 and Gossip Girl. Yep, I'm watching them as I type, I cannot help myself. I assume I'll grow out of my juvenile television favs eventually, but as for now, I plan to faithfully watch these shows every Monday night.

October '10 was wild. I survived four haunted houses (one containing live snakes and fake flying babies), I raced go-karts, carved pumpkins, endured an "almost" tornado, purchased fallish flannel shirts and..........ok, so aside from one or two details, this October was fairly low-key.

Since summertime has gone into hibernation and autumn has arrived, I'm welcoming change.