hectic holi-daze!

the holidays are always a happy yet stressful time for us. this year we are hosting christmas eve dinner at our house for his family. i am very excited; we plan to do a hawaiian themed dinner! i also want to make a pumpkin cream pie for dessert (not so hawaiian) that is oh-so-delicious. i can't wait! i'm just crossing my fingers because my culinary skills are extremely novice.

here are my resources:















it's a lot to read through! and i thought school was over for the semester...

today was a packed day. this morning j came home from work and we made breakfast together. this meal has been a "tradition" for us when he works his current schedule. this morning we made a poached egg/bacon sandwich with hawaiian bread. it was ridiculously delicious (i'm trying to be better at posting pictures). the bread is not particularly healthy, but poached eggs are always yummy and healthy; we microwaved our bacon so there is less fat, and it is still crispy!

i also spent the day with ma mere. we went shopping and had lunch (pho lan). here are some goodies my the shopping extravaganza:















pair of nine west heels for... (drum roll, please)... 12.99!




a skirt for work/dress from jcpenney for 16.99. i'm a sucker for business dress. honestly, it justifies my shopping habit (BAHAHA) because it's "for work."




a little bit of the detail. i think it modernizes the pinstripe pencil skirt. you can't tell, but the pinstripes are actually green :]




we also went to petsmart where much of the holiday treats/toys were half off. we always spoil our fur-children. the stocking is filled with gingerbread men, reindeer heads (creepy?), and snowmen. maile is investigating.

after that, my sister and i did a 4.5 mile run at the local park. i wish there were longer tracks on my side of town, but alas, what can we do? i have the treadmill, but it gets so boring-- even with a TV. we are both logging longer runs-- it's very exciting. it's definitely motivating to have a running partner. thanks big sis!

since it's winter break, i have decided to indulge in some recreational reading.




first three dexter novels, jeff lindsay (there are four total)
the tipping point, malcolm gladwell
marley & me, john grogan

i know it's quite ambitious. i'm about 1/4 through with the first dexter novel, and it's a pretty easy read. i'm resolved to broaden my literary horizons and not be restricted by (forced) academic reading. i have also started the tipping point... yeah, i try to multitask when it comes to reading. good for me? probably not.

until next time!