My little corner of the world: 2012

December 2012 Round-Up

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! As the clock moves closer and closer to midnight, it's time for my final round-up of 2012. (You can see my other round-ups by visiting this page.)

What I Read...

Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford: I finally read the second book in my Nancy Mitford collection. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Pursuit of Love, but I thought the story picked up when cousin Cedric made his appearance toward the end.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: I decided to reread this Christmas classic for the first time in several years. It's such a good story.

What I Watched...

The Life of Pi: I loved watching this movie while I was in San Antonio. It was my first 3D movie, and it was a truly beautiful film. (And I still love Richard Parker, the inspiration for our Parker's name.)
Finding Nemo: I went to see this at the discount theater with my friend Michelle. It was cute as always.
Les Miserables: Mom and I drove over to Kilgore to see this the day after Christmas. We both really enjoyed it and have had the music running through our heads ever since.
I got Moonrise Kingdom and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen from Redbox this month. The first was rather quirky, and the second was a nice, easy-going story.
I watched several of my favorite Christmas movies as well as a few new ones: Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Carol.

What I Want to Remember...

Spending almost a week and a half at home during the Christmas holidays. I haven't been home for this long since I lived in Boston.
Visiting San Antonio earlier this month. I enjoyed shopping and looking at the River Walk and Alamo decorated for the holidays.
Building "Kendra-land" (in Legos) when I stayed with Paul and Esther.
Taking Christmas card photos for Sarah and her family for the second year in a row. T. has grown up so much!
Seeing the decorated trees along 360.
Playing bells at the Christmas concert at church. It was wonderful to have Sarah, Michelle, and Dad there to hear me. (It was fun shopping with Dad the day before too.)
Shopping at the San Marcos outlets on my way home from San Antonio. I made it there right after the stores opened and left before they got too busy.
Enjoying the cookie exchange at work.
Designing and sending out my Christmas cards.
Exploring IKEA with Michelle. We discovered the best time to go is right before closing — no one is there!
Shopping downtown Henderson with Mom and Esther.
Attending the Christmas Eve service with Mom and Dad.
Going to the Christmas Day brunch at Art's.
Visiting Natchitoches and seeing the Christmas lights along the Cane River. (Shopping in Shreveport with Mom was fun too.)
Watching Texas beat Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl. In a word, whew!
Enjoying the cheese nachos at Francisco's during our lunch with Mary.

What I'd Like to Forget...

The horrible shooting in Newtown, CT. I have no words.

You can see some of my pictures from this month by visiting my Flickr page.

I hope all of you have a wonderful and blessed 2013!

About My Monthly Round-Ups
At the end of each month, I take a look back and write a post about the month's highlights, as well as what I read and watched. To see all of my round-up posts, visit this page.

Home for the Holidays

As the song says, there's no place like home for the holidays. The last week has been wonderful as I've stayed with my parents in Henderson — and I still have a few more days to go! We've spent a lot of time just relaxing around the house, but we've also done some fun things away from home.

A few highlights:

Celebrating Christmas with Paul and Esther before they flew to Florida last Sunday.

Opening presents with Mom and Dad on Christmas morning. My favorite gifts this year were my new camera lens and my Instax camera. (Honorable mention to my state quarters.)

Enjoying Art's Christmas Day brunch for the third year in a row.

Seeing the snow fall down on Christmas night. We actually had a white Christmas! It was beautiful to see the snow covering the fields on the way to Kilgore the next day.

Watching Les Miserables with my mom. (Or as the woman in line behind us called it, "Less.") We both really enjoyed it.

Going shopping with my mom in Shreveport. We didn't have too much luck with clothes, but we enjoyed our lunch at Julie Anne's and looking around a store called Altar'd State.

Visiting Natchitoches and seeing the lights along Cane River. It was fun to try out my new lens as I took pictures of the scenery — even if it was really cold!

Working on some craft projects with my mom.

Meeting up with friends from Henderson and beyond.

I'm planning to savor the last few days of 2012 before heading back to Austin. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and can look forward to a splendid 2013!

Currently...

Enjoying the twinkle lights on my Christmas tree (even if the tree seems to have an unlighted "belt" this year)

Watching Downton Abbey reruns on PBS — I'm so excited for Season 3 in January!

Addressing my Christmas cards

Looking forward to spending over a week at home for Christmas this year

Reveling in the fact that I'm finally caught up with Project Life (I haven't been able to say that since maybe sometime in August or September)

Planning to reread A Christmas Carol sometime this December

Making plans to watch several movies with my parents while I'm home (hopefully Les Miserables and Lincoln)

Needing to wrap the presents I've already bought

Hoping the presents I bought online make it in time for Christmas

Appreciating this special season and the true reason behind it

November 2012 Round-up

Well hello, December! I wasn't expecting you so soon, which is probably why my November round-up is a little late. Here we go...

What I Read...

The House of Velvet and Fog by Katherine Howe: This was one of my birthday books. I didn't enjoy this book as much as her first one, but it was fun to read a book set in Boston.
So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore: I bought this book while I was in Seattle because it was set in Boston (apparently that's a running theme through my book selections this month) and the North Shore. The book focused on bullying (sad) and historical mystery (fun). It was a pleasant read.

What I Watched...

Silver Linings Playbook: I didn't know quite what to expect with this movie, but I enjoyed it. It was interesting to see Jennifer Lawrence as someone other than Katniss. I also liked the random dance competition at the end.
Anna Karenina: I went to see this last Friday after work. It was difficult to follow at times because the movie looked like it took place on stage. I also got annoyed with Anna and Vronsky by the end of the movie.
Bernie: The whole family rented Bernie over Thanksgiving. It was fun to watch it together.
The Thorn Birds: I decided to rewatch this miniseries once everyone left after Thanksgiving.
Dancing with the Stars: It was fun to watch the conclusion of the All-Star Season this month. My two favorite couples finished first and second so I was happy. (And the Fierce Five showed up for the final show — I was impressed.)
TV: I continued to watch my other favorites, including Grey's Anatomy, Castle, Parenthood, Upstairs Downstairs, and Call the Midwife. I also enjoyed skating Sundays.

What I Want to Remember...

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the second time. I even made the dressing this year, and I was thrilled everyone seemed to enjoy it.
Voting earlier this month and watching the election returns on TV. I even colored in my electoral map and everything.
Going to Canton with my mom the first weekend of the month. It was super crowded, but we had a lot of fun.
Playing bells at church. The whole family was able to hear me at the 11:00 service.
Discovering the grown-up grilled cheese at Panera Bread. Yum!
Receiving my new pots and pans in the mail.
Spending a lazy Sunday afternoon at the farm. It had been too long since I had farm time.
Finally finding a working photo booth. Mom indulged me by climbing in beside me.

What I'd Like to Forget...

Having my parking space stolen by a mean person in the Homegoods parking lot.
Getting my first filling in 20+ years. At least I was able to have a chocolate milkshake afterward.
Watching UT lose to TCU on Thanksgiving night.

I'm having a little trouble adding pictures tonight (apparently I've almost run out of storage on Picasa). You can visit my Flickr photostream to see some of my pictures from this month.

October 2012 Round-Up

Happy Halloween! It's time for my October round-up.

What I Read...

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares: I read the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books a few years ago, so I decided to pick up the newest book when I saw it at Goodwill. It was a nice diversion, even if the subject matter wasn't quite as light as I hoped it would be.
Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio: I've enjoyed reading Jio's previous two books, and this one was just as wonderful. This book isn't great literature, but sometimes it's nice to read a sweet book that doesn't make you think too much. I also loved that it took place in Seattle.
The Technologists by Matthew Pearl: My first book on the iPad. I enjoyed reading about the early days of MIT and returning to Boston for a little while, even if it was only in the pages of a book (screen on the iPad?).
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling: I tried but barely made it 100 pages in. I miss Harry and his friends.

What I Watched...

The Perks of Being a Wallflower: This was a wonderful movie. I wanted to see it because of Emma Watson but left more impressed with the performance of Logan Lerman, the young actor who played the main character Charlie.
Sense and Sensibility: I watched my new DVD of the PBS miniseries last weekend. (It was a birthday present.)
TV: I've enjoyed watching some of my old favorites (Dancing with the Stars, Castle, Grey's Anatomy) and discovering new shows (Upstairs Downstairs).

What I Want to Remember...

Taking my first flying trip all by myself. I loved visiting Seattle; the fall colors, cooler temperatures, Pike Place Market, Space Needle — and of course, the skating — were wonderful.
Attending my second skating competition this year. I think this is the first time it has ever happened. I need to keep going because Ashley Wagner always wins when I see her live.
Celebrating my birthday with my family the first weekend in October. As always, they made it special.
Dressing up as McKayla Maroney for Halloween. It was fun to be "unimpressed" all day.
Learning my way around my new iPad. It really is a lot of fun to use, but I'm not completely sold on the Kindle app yet.
Attending the UT-WVU game earlier this month. The outcome wasn't in the Longhorns' favor, but it was definitely one of the best games I've ever seen live.
Getting crafty one weekend and creating my Seattle scrapbook before the trip.
Enjoying my special birthday cupcake from Gigi's Cupcakes.
Knowing that Sammy was well taken care of while I was gone because my entire family was in Austin.

What I'd Like to Forget...

The OU game (for obvious reasons).

Around Here...

It's been a long time since I've written anything, so I thought I would write about what I'm doing right now.

Around here I am...

Getting super excited for my trip to Seattle (and skating — I'm very excited to attend Skate America for the third time).

Making a few last-minute packing decisions (lots of long sleeves and rain protection).

Preparing things for Sammy while I'm gone. I'm very happy my family will see him this weekend so he won't be alone too long.

Trying to stay out of all the pre-election craziness but still getting sucked in. Every four years I get really excited to follow the debates, learn about the different issues, and passionately support my favorite candidates. Then I go on Facebook (or Twitter) and wish the election were already over.

Learning more and more about my new iPad. It's been fun to try out some of the different apps and download my first book on the Kindle app. I'm looking forward to traveling with it for the first time tomorrow.

Staying ahead at work (this one is not a joke). For some reason, it's like feast and famine with my job — I'm either pulling-my-hair-out busy or frantically looking for tasks to complete.

Enjoying the new season of Dancing with the Stars more than I thought I would. I'm Team Shawn, even though I'd like someone new to win this time.

Attempting to play four-in-hand at handbells. My bells are much more active this year, and I haven't quite gotten the hang of everything yet.

Using my oscillating fan to block out the noise from next door. If it's not fighting, it's something else, and the something else makes me miss the fighting. Awkward.

Reading The Technologists by Matthew Pearl (downloaded on my iPad). I just started it yesterday, but I'm enjoying the descriptions of Boston so far.

Hoping the Longhorns can turn their season around this weekend. If not, I'm looking forward to basketball season.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

September 2012 Round-Up

It's time for my September 2012 round-up.

What I Read...

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey: This book was an update of Jane Eyre set in the 1950s and 1960s. I really enjoyed reading the book, even though the ending was a bit of a let down.
Harry Potter: I finished the Great Harry Potter Reading Spree of 2012 with the Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. They truly are amazing books, and I'm so glad I decided to reread them this summer.
The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles: My mom recommended this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it over the last week or so. It reminded me a lot of The Great Gatsby, even though the book was set in the late 1930s instead of the 1920s.

What I Watched...

The Words: I saw this movie at a special showing with Michelle and Sarah. The movie is about a writer who decides to claim another man's work as his own, and of course, trouble ensues. We all enjoyed it.
Harry Potter: I decided to rewatch the first two Harry Potter films after my reading spree. I'm always amazed at how young the three main actors look compared to how they look now.
Notting Hill: I've been wanting to rewatch this for a few months because the actor who plays Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey has a small part in it. I finally caught it on TV last Friday.
Fall TV: It's been nice to have new episodes of my shows to watch again. I'm still following Dancing with the Stars, Castle, Parenthood, and Grey's Anatomy. (If only I lived in England and could watch the third season of Downton Abbey now.)

What I Want to Remember...

Finally catching up at work. It's such a relief to have the right number of clients again.
Receiving my surprise flowers from Mom at work one day. They brightened my spirits (as well as those of everyone at the office).
Exploring the South Congress food carts with the whole family on Labor Day weekend.
Finishing two photo books.
Having Tiff's Treats cookies at the office last week.
Attending a photography class and realizing I am no longer a beginner. Yay!
Watching the Longhorns go 4-0 in September. Now the hard part truly begins!

What I'd Like to Forget...

Coming home to find that Sammy had decided to fight a scorpion. I had to make a late-night visit to the emergency animal clinic, but he's doing fine now.
Continuing to hear my neighbors fight (and cry) through the walls of my bedroom.
Burning my homemade granola. Twice.

A few pictures from September 2012...

Eating at Matt's El Rancho

Mom and I at Whole Foods

A great find at Target

Rainy afternoon

Glorious sunset

New mirror

Movie night

Dad's ready for the game

UT vs. New Mexico

Feline emergency

Chuy's

MLK Statue

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Back when I was a student at UT, I loved walking past the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue on the East Mall. It provided just a little bit of inspiration as I headed off to my morning classes. Yesterday I took this picture as we were walking to the game, and I think it's one of my current favorites.

August 2012 Round-up

Did August fly by or what? It's time for my monthly round-up. (For my other round-ups, please go here.)

What I Read...

Harry Potter: I finished Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix this month. With the Olympics and traveling, it seemed to take me forever to read both of them. I've decided to take a break from my HP spree and return to the final two books in a few weeks.

What I Watched...

Hope Springs: Starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carell, this seemed like the perfect mother-daughter film while we were in Dallas. It wasn't quite what we expected, but Mom and I did giggle through several parts of it.
Sparkle: I saw this movie last Saturday. It reminded me a lot of Dreamgirls (girl group tries to make it big), but the earlier movie was far better. It was sad to see Whitney Houston in her last movie role.
Olympics: I lived in front of my TV during the early part of August. I also enjoyed watching some of the coverage on my computer — much less biased.
Regular TV isn't quite as interesting after the spectacle of the Olympics. However, I also watched Army Wives and Bunheads this month.

What I Want to Remember...

Spending the first weekend of this month exploring Austin with Paul and Esther.
Driving up to Dallas to spend the second weekend with Mom. It reminded me of old times.
Watching the Olympics. My favorite moments: Gabby Douglas winning gold, synchronized diving, Michael Phelps becoming the most successful Olympian in history, royal watching, Aly Raisman winning gold on floor, the American success on the track. (Please note: McKayla is not impressed with any of these.)
Sensing the light at the end of the tunnel at work. It's not here yet, but it's getting closer.
Finally getting caught up on Project Life.
Celebrating my two-year anniversary at work.
Spending a lazy Saturday reading as the rain fell outside. Those days have been few and far between recently.
Making it to Curves three times in one week (even if this only happened once this month).

What I Want to Forget...

Feeling sick the week after I returned from Dallas. I blame "work flu."
Getting stuck in traffic on my home from work this past week. Whose idea was it to work on 620 at 6:30 at night? At least I found a short cut.
Having my credit card number stolen again. Someone apparently bought gas in Spain with it.

Here are a few pictures from August 2012:

Olympic cupcakes

NorthPark Center

Chihuly

You call that a winning vault? Not impressed.

Flowers in bloom

Sammy at rest

Sunbeam

Hummels

August Weekends in Review

Note: I started this post earlier this week but never got around to finishing it until this afternoon. I've tried to update some things to make more sense. Apologies for not wanting to write after writing all day at work. :(

Last weekend I quite literally crashed. As in, came home from work a little after 12 on Friday, ate lunch, read for a little while, and then took the most glorious two-hour nap. I felt so refreshed after I woke up (the sign of a good nap). The rest of the weekend was spent catching up — reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, working on Project Life, and cleaning my kitchen AND master bathroom.

I needed last weekend. And I savored it.

However, the two previous weekends were wonderful and quite a bit more exciting. Three weekends ago (the first weekend in August) Paul and Esther came down to Austin to stay with me, and two weekends ago I met my mom in Dallas for some girl time.

The weekend with Paul and Esther was great. On Saturday, we did some of the things around Austin we always want to do but never have time for. Our biggest adventure was hitting up the food carts along South Congress. We each tried something different, and I got very brave and tried fried mac & cheese. It was surprisingly good (I don't know why I was surprised; everything fried is good). After sampling the carts, we looked around a few of the shops along Congress and then grabbed cupcakes from Hey Cupcake!

Later on Saturday we ate dinner at Matt's El Rancho and went to Zilker Park to see a production of The Sound of Music at the Zilker Hillside Theatre. We weren't expecting the theatre to be so crowded, but apparently it was a popular place to be on Saturday night. Once we finally found a place to sit, we had trouble seeing the stage at all. However, it was nice to meet up with two of my co-workers, Sarah and Michelle, and talk with them a little bit during intermission. We all ended up leaving at intermission because it was getting rather late.

On Sunday, the three of us went to church, had lunch at Fire Bowl, and then drove out to IKEA. Paul and Esther drove back to Tyler after that, and I came home.

Two weekends ago my mom and I met up in Dallas like we used to do all the time. On Friday we both arrived at the hotel a little after 12, so we ate lunch at the In-N-Out Burger nearby and then went shopping. That afternoon we went to Half-Price Books, NorthPark Center and Christmas Tree Shops (a little taste of New England) and ate dinner at Mi Cocina. We also tried to make a movie that night but couldn't make it to the theater in time. Even though it felt strange to turn in early, we came back to the hotel and watched the Olympics for a little while before going to bed.

The next day we felt revived so we decided to explore a few thrift shops and an antique mall in the morning. We ate lunch at a great burger place called Liberty Burger (we split the burger and shared onion rings) and then headed out to the Allen Outlets for some more shopping. The outlet parking lot was crowded, but we managed to find a place and find a few new pieces each. Later we went to a movie theater nearby to see Hope Springs. The movie wasn't quite what we were expecting, but that didn't prevent us from dissolving into giggles several times. After the movie ended, we stopped at Homegoods and Target, ate at Paradise Bakery, and drove back to the hotel.

On Sunday we went to the Dallas Arboretum to see the Chihuly exhibit. It was really amazing to see all the glass sculptures displayed throughout the arboretum; sometimes it was difficult to tell what was alive and what was glass from far away. We enjoyed wandering around the grounds for about two hours until it got too hot to stay outside. Once we left, we grabbed lunch at Humperdinks, drove back to the hotel to get my car, and went our separate ways.

As I mentioned earlier, the last two weekends haven't been nearly as exciting, but with Texas Longhorn football starting in less than a week (!), my weekends are about to be crazy once again.

July 2012 Round-up

Where did July go? (I'm being serious; the month flew by for me.) It's hard to believe it's time for my July round-up, but here it is.

What I Read...

The Golden Hour by Margaret Wurtele: This was my vacation book, and I finished it halfway through out trip. It took place in Italy during World War II, and I found it an engaging, easy read.
All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith: I LOVED this book. Not only did the book focus on Jane Austen, one of my favorite author, but it also involved travel to Central and South America. I've now added several other destinations to my must-travel-to-before-I-die list.
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: Inspired by my last reading selection, I decided to reread Smith's favorite Austen novel. Sometimes it's fun to read books a second (or third) time because you notice something new, which brings us to...
Harry Potter: I decided to reread the Harry Potter books again in anticipation of the London Olympics. I've finished the first three and am about halfway through the fourth. One of the things that has struck me this time is how much more familiar I am with the movies than with the books. I keep thinking — that didn't happen in the movie! It's strange how that works. (I blame ABC's monthly Harry Potter weekends. If it's on, I have to watch.)

What I Watched...

DVD: I rented Albert Nobbs. It was...interesting.
Olympics: I've enjoyed watching the competition on both the TV and computer. (Well, I enjoyed watching it on my TV until last night. Time Warner, I'm looking at you.)
Before the Olympics, I watched some of my other shows, including Army Wives and Bunheads.

What I Want to Remember...

Watching the U.S. women win the Olympic gold medal in the team competition for the first time since 1996! I'm so glad I was able to see it on my computer yesterday morning.
Seeing Aly Raisman's face when she realized she had made the all-around (I feel bad for Jordyn Wieber, but Aly's been a rock for the U.S. team the last few years.)
Traveling with my parents to New York.
Finally finishing my Week in the Life photo book (I'll hopefully have pictures soon).
Walking up to Times Square to watch Good Morning America with Mom the last morning we were in NYC.
Flying first class for the first time on the way home from New York. It was wonderful, but I think it was pretty obvious to everyone that it was my first time.
Enjoying a lazy Sunday after vacation and before heading back to work. I went to church, picked up Chuy's for lunch, and treated myself to a mani/pedi.
Finding some dress pants and capris for great prices on an impromptu shopping trip (that never happens to me).
Rain. In July. In Texas. It really happened.

What I Want to Forget...

Losing my cable channels during the Olympic Games. Unacceptable, Time Warner.
Continuing to feel stressed at work. It has to end sometime, right?
The horrible shooting at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. It's hard to put into words how sad it is.

Here are a few pictures from July 2012:

The cats of Catskill, NY

So much for the SI curse. :)

Friendly tissue

For my other round-ups, please go here.

2012 Summer Olympics Preview

Can you believe it? The Olympics start tomorrow.

I'm just a little excited. To be more exact, I'm so excited it's hard to get any actual work done at the office. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with all the pictures, articles, reports and Tweets. (I am getting things done by the way, even if I take a few more breaks.)

To temper some of my anticipation, I decided to write down a few of the things I'm most looking forward to watching over the next couple weeks. Most of these are gymnastics related, but I know I'll enjoy watching the other sports as well.

Opening ceremony: I love the pageantry of the opening ceremonies, and I'm sure the British will put on a good show. I've already heard that Paul McCartney will be performing Hey Jude.
Women's gymnastics team final: I am really excited to see how our American girls perform next week. It's been sixteen years since the Magnificent 7, and I think it's time for another American team to win. The Russian team has been doing very well at training in London, so it won't be an easy victory. And you can never count out the Romanians and Chinese.
Women's all-around final: It's been interesting to see the media make this a Jordyn Wieber vs. Gabby Douglas battle. (Playing off the one-two finish of Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson four years ago, I guess.) I think both of them could do well in the competition, but the Russians have two strong competitors in Aliya Mustafina and Viktoria Komova. Aly Raisman could also take one of the two American spots.
Women's event finals: Vault is usually my least favorite event, but I'm looking forward to it this year because of McKayla Maroney. She is by far the best vaulter in the world, as long as her toe holds up over the next few days. (I also think it's neat that the Duchess of Cambridge will be there to watch the vault finals.) I don't have any particular favorites in the other events, but I'm sure I'll enjoy watching them.
Swimming: Like most Americans, I'm pulling for Michael Phelps to win the most Olympic medals in history. (And I love that his quest is bringing attention to this lady.)
Longhorns in London: Making Bevo proud all the way in jolly old England! How do you think the rest of the football team will react if Marquise Goodwin wins an Olympic medal?
Everything else: The Olympics always tend to give me goosebumps at some point. I'm sure I'll be glued to the TV (and computer) for every moment.

Only a few more hours to go!

~~May the odds be ever in your favor!~~ (whoops, wrong games)