Merry Christmas from Izzie, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

lol Hope you all had an awesome Christmas like mine and Izzie’s

Hello, Austin!, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

My road trip, although brief, was a lot of fun. The drive time gave me a few hours to reflect, listen to music I haven’t heard in a while, and catch up on my podcasts. My confidence in driving has improved a little more which is one of the most valuable takeaways from this whole trip.

I spent the weekend with my friends Jeff and Lauren and their two cats Nox and Ella. They live in the ground floor of what they like to call a “treehouse” duplex. It practically is a treehouse with a large tree of some sort growing out of their deck and into part of their apartment. Their landlord, who lives right above them, used to design interiors of ships and is very eco-conscious. In fact, he designed their 800 square foot apartment with smart, compact design in mind. It really was very cute.

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"You keep that top part clean, I’ll keep this bottom part clean, k?", originally uploaded by krisalis903.

Izzie is such a great helper in the kitchen. When I’m preparing food or cooking, she’s often a foot or two away staring intently at the floor to make sure not a drop of food stays on it for too long.

The photo is a testament to how good of a job she actually does.

Curled, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

My hair, by nature, is straight. Straight, straight, STRAIGHT.

Yet I always wished it was anything but.

It wasn’t up until my talented and courageous hair stylist suggested I get a perm that for the first time in years, I had curly hair. Not kinky curly, but lusciously wavy locks.

Tonight I had my hair permed again and now that it’s gotten longer, I love it even more than when I had it curled the first time. I used to think I’d go back to having straight hair, but honestly? I may have straightened my hair twice since I started getting it done this way. Other than that, I just wear it wavy or curly. And that’s how I prefer it now.

Making Room for Another Holiday, originally uploaded by krisalis903.

Halloween is one of those neglected holidays I never decorate for. I don’t know why really. My mom never decorated for it at our house when I was a kid so it just never occurred to me–until now of course.

Why? It’s the beginning of the holiday season so why not usher in the season in its entirety, from beginning to end. Oftentimes I feel like Christmas comes and goes, but it’s only a fourth of what’s actually celebrated in the 3 month span of time.

So I got a few small things to start out: a sparkly wire wreath, a dangling pirate skeleton, a black decorative garland with purple bats on it, and a shiny purple pumpkin with a black witch on it. Just like my Christmas decorations, I’ll add a little to it every year.