love lists: october, plus a little announcement.

on this lovely halloween monday, i am happy to say that i have the day off work.

and i want to share with you my favorites from the month of october.

1. getting engaged at louisiana tech university homecoming!

yes, you heard that right.
 i am now engaged & the future mrs. christy!!
i am so beyond excited!
i'm going to share the story & more photos later this week!

 2. MAC painterly paint pot.

3. when kara comes to visit from jackson.

4. dawes (a band).

5. co bigelow mint-infused tinted lip shine.

6. my leaves & twisted peppermint candles.

7. writing. everything from blog posts to grad school manuscripts.

8. arthur. partly because i love russell brand immensely.

9. football soup (i'm going to post the recipe soon).

10. the holiday season has begun.

oh, & did i mention getting engaged?!?!

i'm so happy!!!!

thank you to all of our family & friends who made this FANTASTIC weekend possible. i love you all.

homecoming bound.

this morning, justin & i are headed over to our beloved college town: ruston, louisiana. while there, we will be partaking in homecoming festivities, touring the updated campus, & just generally enjoying being back where we spent our undergrad days. i am positively brimming with excitement. i can't wait to spend this lovely long-weekend saturday in the setting of my fondest memories.

these photos are from homecoming of 2007, which was our senior year. it was a very special year for me, as i was given a huge honor - one that meant the world to me: i was named sweetheart of justin's fraternity. i will never forget that day; it was one in which i was surrounded by some of my very best friends, in one of my very favorite places: louisiana tech university. i feel lucky to have such memories, & i also feel lucky that justin & i are still together after all these years, so that we can head back to our college town to celebrate homecoming together. and i really do hope it's a tradition that we continue. here's hoping this year is as lovely as they come.

happy homecoming & go dawgs!

 

friday's fancies #9: happy halloween!

friday's fancies #9: happy halloween! by siddathornton featuring sterling silver rings

if budgets didn't exist, i would be scooping up everything you see here, teasing & curling my hair for hours on end, & putting on as much makeup as possible, to the point that i could pass as a blonde-haired, fair-skinned kardashian sister. i was toying with multiple ideas for this week's friday's fancies over on {long distance loving}, but i thought dressing in dark, sparkly things & calling myself the blonde kardashian sister would be the most fun. 

first things first: those louboutins. i'm a little bit in love. and what better to complement those magnificent booties, than black, wax-finish skinnies & a sparkly top? if you answered 'nothing,' then you're right. moving on, we have the requisite dark opi polish. every time i watch those crazy kardashians on tv, i can't help but admire their manicures. and i want 'my private jet,' but i can't find it anywhere. that, apparently, is kim's signature color (sad that i know that? probably). 

as far as makeup goes, all i can think of when i think kardashian, is smoked out, heavy eyes & nude lips. and to say i'm in love with it is an understatement. i finished the look off with some elegant-but-fun black drop earrings & a rocker-vibe mixed metal ring. 

i hope everyone has a happy halloween! i will be headed over to my college town for homecoming tomorrow, but then i will be headed out for a night on the town, costume & all!

a small comfort.

when i was little, my family went to cracker barrel a lot.

it was over on our side of town, & it had just opened up.

and i guess - when you go to a place frequently - all of the feelings

you've ever felt at that place reside there,

ready to be felt again should you revisit them.

and well, i guess i was always happy, content, & comfortable

at this warmly lit, sweet-smelling little restaurant.

because all i have to do to escape from the stress, anxiety, & drudgery of daily life,

is walk through those country doors & make my way to one of the tables

softly glowing with the light of an old-fashioned lamp.

(photo: iphone)

currents, round three.

currently, i am...

reading absolutely nothing. i've taken about a week & a half off of reading, & i am missing it terribly. for the rest of october & the whole of november, i will be playing catch-up. the facebook effect, by david kirkpatrick, & the girl who kicked the hornet's nest, by steig larsson, have both been left unfinished, & it's driving me crazy. both of them will be complete before the end of november, & then it will be on to the fresh, new, exciting winter list.

writing articles for zeltamae. dull, work-related emails. blog posts (i've definitely been on an inspirational kick as far as this little blog is concerned, & i love that. it makes me truly happy. i love writing on here). i've been brainstorming like crazy, though, for my grad school manuscript. after a quick trip to pick up some old diaries, i think i will officially begin writing it tomorrow. i'm hugely anticipating this moment. 

thinking of everything i need to do today. between work, a magazine meeting, & my many to-do's, i am a bit overwhelmed. coming back strong after lunch, though. i can handle all of this.  

smelling the fantasy by britney spears that i sprayed liberally over my entire body this morning. i am a sucker for sickeningly sweet perfumes in large quantities.

wishing i was touring north carolina with justin.  

hoping for a lovely long weekend, filled with homecoming, halloween, justin, friends, & family. but also hoping i can get all this work done so i can really enjoy my time off. 

wearing my black bow dress & a creamy white cardigan with ribbon trim. and my favorite gold ring.  

loving that justin is keeping me posted on his trip. it's a little bit like i'm there. i just looked up a restaurant in wrightsville beach where he may have lunch.

wanting indian food. so badly. it's all i can think about.

needing to get to work on my 'while you were out...' list. a bit of progress has been made, but not enough to say that anything has officially been checked off.

 

while you were out...

justin is headed to north carolina today for interviews & to have a nice little look around at some places we think we may love. i'm so excited that he's finally getting to meet in person with the people he's been having phone dates with, & tour what may be his 'office' in the coming months. and while i'm a little bit jealous that i don't get to go with him, i can't wait to hear all about the people he meets, the places he experiences, & his take on the sure-to-be-beautiful surroundings. i also can't wait for him to come back home, because this weekend we are headed to ruston for our alma mater's homecoming game (which i couldn't be more thrilled about).

when he returns, though, i would like to be able to say, '... and look! here's all the stuff i accomplished while you were out!' so, of course, that means it's time to make a little list.

1. work on my grad school manuscript.

2. finish my knitting project & start the new ones.

3. do all of my laundry.

4. clean out my car.

and really, i think that's enough to keep me busy. so here's hoping all of this will be checked off when justin returns... because if it is, i know i'll feel accomplished & really be able to enjoy the homecoming & halloween festivities with our friends.

here's to safe travels & a lovely little tour of north carolina for moomoo.

(image: via) 

a foggy morning run.

my alarm went off this morning, & i silenced it. i was supposed to get up & meet a friend at the gym.

my alarm went off again. this time i turned it off & stayed in bed. and when my friend texted to let me know she wouldn't be making it to the gym, i thought about going back to sleep. but if i don't get up when my alarm first goes off, i'll sleep way too late & end up having to put my makeup on at work.

and no one likes to put their makeup on at work.

so i rolled out of bed, slid my chilly feet into borrowed slippers, & went downstairs. i contemplated coffee, watched a little of the news, then decided: i'm getting my run out of the way early today.

i pulled on a sweatshirt & sweatpants - it's cold outside on louisiana october mornings. the cold air stung my lungs, yes. and the park was still foggy, the ground still wet with dew, yes. but once i was out there, putting the miles behind me, i knew i made the right choice. i knew that starting the day out ahead really is what makes me the happiest, the most content - what makes me feel like i have my life together.

on this particular run, i saw children getting onto school buses, men in suits (there is an interestingly-placed law office in my neighborhood), a man walking his child to school, & a fellow early-morning runner.

and it was nice to see that everyone was doing their own personal version of monday morning activity. the earth was already humming with action & conversation & productivity.

and it was then i realized: how lovely it would be to be an early morning person.

maybe i will be.

(photo: iphone)

starbucks sunday: outfit of another day.

here are a couple of outfits:

we will talk about the one on the left in a minute.

the one on the right is what i'm wearing today, complete with tall nonfat no whip pumpkin spice latte. it also might be what i was wearing last night while playing cranium with some hilarious people. 

the one on the left (you know, the one where mollie jean is looking at me like i'm a lunatic for taking self portraits with my phone in a mirror during lunch break) is something that i wore to work the other day.

and i loved it. a lot. i don't know what it is about the stackable layering quality of winter clothes, but it gets me every single time. i'd like to say that i love it because it's cozy & comfy, but something tells me i also enjoy the permission i'm given in the colder-weather months to just cover up my body & call it a day. 

when i think about winter clothing, i think about nights out in dallas, wearing long shirts that i pretended were dresses, with tights & high heels. about the chilly air & outdoor bars with those tall heaters. i think about nights out in slidell, wearing a silk skirt, a borrowed sweater, & my new black boots. i think about chilly nights at the sae house, bundled up & huddled around the trademark bonfires of the winter months.

so, i think that's another reason i love cold weather clothing: the fond fall & winter memories they summon. 

i know one thing for certain, though: i have an immeasurable & insatiable love of scarves. 

and the ever-so-elegant jeggings.

(photos: iphone)

friday's fancies #8: simply pink.

friday's fancies #8: simply pink. by siddathornton featuring a keyhole dress

as you may have gathered from the title, i wanted to keep my fancies simple this week. and it's safe to say i adore each individual piece of this little ensemble (and i guess i'm going barefoot to whatever hypothetical shindig i'd be wearing this getup). the irene neuwirth rose earrings really caught my eye, but i am 100% obsessed with both the valentino bag & the philosophy di alberta ferretti lace keyhole dress, equally. i wish they were in my closet (wishful thinking is at an all time high, it seems). i also had more of a festive, fancy weekend in mind when i put this together - i'm craving the party scene, apparently.

 

friday's fancies over at {long distance loving} is thinking pink in observance of breast cancer awareness month... so get yourself over there & link up. also, have a lovely friday & a great weekend!

the pioneer women: a peek into our book club.

maybe you added her website to your list of favorite cyberspace haunts & it has remined there ever since it made its debut into the blogosphere.

maybe you ravenously tore through her book, craving more & more detail, as soon as it came out.

maybe you've been telling me & telling me (til you're blue in the face) that i should read this book.

that i would love this book. that i would love this person.

and if you have been telling me, i'm happy to finally tell you:

you are correct.

i am absolutely obessed with ree. yes, i am one of those girls. since reading the book, i have subscribed to have each of her blog posts delivered straight into my waiting inbox. i've pored over the archives of her blog. i may have even googled her. i don't know what it is: i think i just like the way that she makes the mundane activities of daily life on a ranch, somehow interesting. and maybe we have the same sense of humor, because i can just hear everything she writes. i was told by a friend that read the book a while back, that ree & i are similar... & i think she was right (and i like it, except for how she handled both the j & puggy sue situations). i have been missing this book terribly ever since i turned the last page. getting to know ree through her easy-peasy read the pioneer woman: black heels to tractor wheels was, to me, inspiring: i love her wit. i love her sarcasm. i love her glamor. and i am beyond thrilled with excitement about its sequel (if the rumors are true).

not everyone shared this view, however, which led to some interesting & engaging discussion last night. i loved hearing how differently everyone's experiences of this particular read panned out. and as we passed around the mason jar of questions, it was fun to hear different anecdotal tales from each person.

and since this was a book club read, i have some pretty pictures to share from our meeting:

... or should i say... a picture? i'm glad to see i was focused on the important stuff at the get-together, like the sangria (which was yummy, by the way). i am certain, though, that between the mad camera skillz of both lindsey & daci, a cute shot or two of actual people at the book club meeting will soon be available for everyone's viewing pleasure. 

in addition to this yummy, spicy, holiday-flavored sangria, there was a spread of the most delicious (& certainly the most fattening) treats i've sampled in quite a while. between the creamy chicken spaghetti casserole, the sweet-yet-tart bruschetta (that i'm craving this morning at 10 a.m.), the most delicious pizza i've ever tasted, & the fluffy, creamy, sweet desserts, i think it's safe to say i shouldn't eat again until next july. 

i had a fabulous time, & i feel so lucky to be able to take part in a book club with such interesting, fun, & creative girls!

and if you haven't become acquainted with the pioneer woman just yet, head on over & discover her interesting, funny, witty, well-written world... and not to mention, read her book. i don't think you'll be sorry.

i sure wasn't.

bonus! lindsey let me steal one of her photos to share:

a very special candid shot of katie & myself. if only i could remember what we're reacting to here, i'd share.

(photos, in order of appearance: iphone, point & shoot, lindsey's fancy cam)

october's accountability session.

if my calendar serves me correctly (& it usually does),
it appears that we are due for an update on my 25 things list.

i'm very happy to report that some progress has been made:

i think 4.5 out of 25 by month 2 is decent, though i feel i should probably up the ante for november. there are a few simple tasks on this list which are simply being overlooked (like going to a movie by myself, sending a post secret, watching breakfast at tiffany's, etc.). however, i am so happy to announce that i have chosen my career path (more to come on that later), but i need to begin the process of setting things in motion. and if all goes to plan, pursuing my career path will lead to the accomplishment of another list item: going out of the country (i know, it's very exciting). as for items such as constructing a budget & workout routine, those things are constantly being worked on, but they aren't where they need to be just yet.

as for everything else, it's time to get serious about all of this, y'all.

i only have 309 days left.

miscellany monday #5: another list of lovely things.

i thought that for today's miscellany monday (link up with carissa here), i'd type out another* little list of lovely things to be thankful for.

1. justin's north carolina license was approved!

this is huge! this means that as soon as justin finds a job that's the right fit, he can start working as soon as he needs to... because he's licensed to work there! i know that after all the tedious errands he had to go on (like getting finger-printed at the not-so-local prison, because no one else in our hometown does electronic fingerprints, or getting a seemingly endless list of recomendation letters), he is absolutely relieved to have completed this step of beginning his career. i'm so proud! ... and speaking of his career... 

2. justin will be heading to north carolina this week for a few interviews.

after a rather painstaking couple of weeks in the job hunt, things are finally coming together. i know he is stressed & just ready for this whole process to be over with, but i also know he will do well on these interviews. i'm nothing but excited about all the opportunities he has to explore. (and i'm also glad to have written about these things on my blog - it's fun to look back even to the last list of lovely things & see that i was writing about him passing his boards then. it's just fun to see the progression of events!)

3. my sister is in town. 

as written about here & here, my sister kara has been in town since friday! and let me tell y'all, it really has been so great having her home. on friday, we had family dinner at cantina laredo, where one of her high school friends ended up being our waiter. not to mention, i'm pretty sure everyone in the restaurant came up to our table to say hey to her (she's one popular gal, in case you didn't know). on saturday, we watched adventureland (one of my favorites) while we both got ready for nights out. and on sunday, kara, mom, & i went on a little shopping trek. we also went to church & had family art project night last night. all in all, i'm just glad to have everyone together again, & i'm dreading tuesday, when she'll head back east for more campus goings-on.

4. homecoming. and no, i don't mean long, sparkly dresses. or corsages.

if you know anything about me, know this: homecoming always has been (& i'd wager always will be) my favorite college holiday. and this year, justin & i will be making the hour-long journey east to the quaint little town of ruston, louisiana, in order to take part in the festivities. i'm so excited to see old friends & explore the new aspects of tech's campus. tech has been growing since we attended school there not so many years ago, & i'm anxious to see the additions that have popped up since my visit last november. i'll also be taking a mini-vacation from work (think long weekend), so it'll be a time of fun & relaxation. i couldn't be more excited.

 

*the first list of lovely things may be viewed here.

starbucks sunday: wall art.

since this one is in town:

we went shopping today.

we also did this:

but early this morning, i celebrated starbucks sunday with justin. i got a tall nonfat no whip pumpkin spice latte. he got a tall salted caramel mocha frapuccino. yummy.

(photos: photo booth & iphone*)

*one day, i will have a lovely camera that takes lovely photos.

friday's fancies #7: fall festive.

friday's fancies #7: fall festive. by siddathornton featuring tortoise sunglasses

i can't lie: i positively love this week's friday's fancies theme (link up with {av} here, if you know what's good for ya). and it's mainly because i love fall clothing. i can't remember the last time i pulled on corduroy pants, so when i saw these j brand babies, i knew it was time for a revival. the thakoon addition plaid jacket looks just right for what i should be doing this fall: heading to starbucks, ordering a pumpkin spice latte (which - surprise, surprise - somehow found its way into my friday's fancies, even though it's not something that can be worn... or well, it's not something that should be worn), and hunkering down to write a 30-page grad school admissions manuscript. i picked the blue scarf because i can practically feel how soft it is just by looking at it, & i thought the yellow bag was a fun counterpart - its yellow to the scarve's blue is pleasing to the eye, in my opinion. boots were pretty much a given, right? i love the cute tie detailing of this pair. and yes, those tortoise sunnies are most definitely repeat offenders from this particular week. i think this means they've crossed over from dream-item to must-have item? right? i guess i'll start saving up now...