next up...

And it begins...  the hubby has the long weekend off and started off by coming home from work today and promptly heading out to the garage to start working on the plywood "forest" he's making up for Christmas.  Yep.  That's right.  Not even halfway through November and we're already not just thinking it, but actively participating in the madness. (In his defense, there's every chance that he'll be up north for the majority of the winter, and this probably IS his last chance to get this stuff done.  And at least we won't turn the lights on until  Dec.1st... I hope.)  So with him all cheery and covered in "Pine Green" spray paint, I can't help but think of what MY plans will be...  See, our agreement is that he gets the outside, I get the inside, and we otherwise do. no. intervene.  We both learned years ago that we both had VERY strict ideas about what we liked/wanted for Christmas...  And neither of us was happy to compromise.

Anyhoo, this all really leads up to this GREAT idea I just found for door decor, instead of the standard wreath.  Though, now that I'm thinking about it, it might look pretty as a pair, flanking the navy shutters on the picture window at the front of my house...  Pretty, and pretty easy to diy.  I'm SO stoked for this!  Image found here.

the fake "real" me

Question: is the "natural" version of yourself always the goal? Should we always be trying to go for "me but better"? What if the "me" that we were born with doesn't really feel like "me", even once it's "better"? Case in point: I am a natural blonde... dark blonde, but definitely blonde nonetheless (my eyelashes are practically clear. fun. not.) I do NOT feel like that in ANY way reflects me, though. To such a degree in fact, that even after four months with my "natural" colour, when a girlfriend dyed her hair dark, my first reaction (jokingly) was "Copycat!" Only to realize that she WASN'T copying me. At all. (Reacting to my incessant goading, maybe. Copying, no.) So, you know what? I don't care if I have to ALWAYS colour in my brows and lashes. Or if it makes me look more "harsh" or pale. I feel SO much more comfortable. So I'm wondering: are there things YOU do that you KNOW might not be the most pretty or flattering or whatever, but you do anyways because they're YOU? Anyhoo, here's a pic of my new mane (full disclosure, though, it's MUCH inkier in real life, and not red at all... too bad... kind of.)

...sitting in a tree

Awww... I love this idea... or heart it, I guess! We actually have a huge old elm tree right outside our bedroom door, and I'm thinking it would be a ridiculously cute pic to carve our names into it, and then have our pic taken in front of it, the day of. Question? Would this kill my poor ol' tree??? Pic found over at Once Wed from Jill Thomas.