Merry Christmas!

I'm running around crazy today getting ready for our trip to Washington in the early morning. We'll be there tomorrow through Wednesday of next week, and with all of the family time, Christmas parties, present opening and cookie eating, I'm not sure how much time will be left for checking in here - so, I thought I'd go ahead and wish you all a very, very merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays, from me, Mason and Cajun - to YOU!

(In case you're interested in the card details, I found the art as a free printable on a blog that I can't seem to find anymore for the life of me, then uploaded it to Vistaprint and added our signature. I'm so happy with the way they turned out. We would've loved to do a photo card again this year, but with the craziness of the move, there just wasn't time, so I figured fun typeface + cute colors was a pretty great second choice. What do you think?)

*In case you missed last year's card!

Life Lately

A few photos of life lately - which has been ca-razy! The holidays are always a busy time of year, but with the move, I'm pretty sure the craziness has been doubled - maybe tripled. However, I am happy to announce that I got our Christmas cards sent (with five days until Christmas!), our shopping done (what did we do before Amazon??) and everything washed, packed and ready to head to Washington for the holiday (thank you, thank you, my very own washer and dryer - I love you).

So, all in all, I'm calling this holiday season + relocation a huge success (and I'm choosing not to focus on the fact that our tree only has one ornament on it - it is a really great ornament, after all).

Now the only thing left to do is wait.... for Santa!

What a Beauty

I was driving around downtown the other day, completely lost (as is usually the case here in Austin) and listening to my navigation as it brought me in circles, when I rounded a corner and saw this. Isn't it just beautiful? I certainly think so.

Holiday Wish List 2011

With Christmas only 10 days away (10 days!!), I couldn't resist posting my wish list. If you're in need of last-minute gift ideas for me (because I know all of you are planning to buy me gifts, right??), any one of these will do. ;)

1. Timex Weekender Watch

2. Nail Art Pens

3. Jonathan Adler Love Pillow

4. Fur-Trimmed Sorels

5. Fun Wallet

6. 2012 Planner

7. Small Backpack

8. Washi Tape

9. Chevron Missoni Throw (I can't find this on Target.com anymore - and it kind of makes me want to cry.)

What's on your wish list this year?

(Psst, you can see more on my Pinterest board if you want!)

Apartment Peeks

The apartment is finished! Can you even believe it? In my last apartment, I left rooms undecorated for years, so this is a BIG accomplishment for me. It was really fun repurposing items from our old apartment and rearranging things to fit into the new space, and I have to say, I really, really love the finished product.

(The bookshelves you see in the top left photo are pretty much the only new thing we bought, and they're definitely my favorite piece in the apartment. I've always wanted a wall of bookshelves, and I love the way it looks in our living room.)

Now that we're all set up, we're ready for visitors! So, if you're reading this and you're itching for a trip to Austin, TX - come on over. We've got a super cute guest bedroom with your name on it!

*I promise a more thorough photo tour when the light is better - it's been a gloomy week here. Also, you can see our Santa Monica apartment here.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving - to me - is all about being with family, and we were so lucky this year to arrive in Texas (permanently!) two days before the holiday. After a quick day of unpacking, we hopped in the car (again) and drove to Beaumont for a day and night of fun with the crazy people you see above. Don't they all look fantastic?? (I love, love these guys - and not just for their nerd glasses and mad Pictionary skillz).

Roadtrip Snapshots

These snapshots from the road are my absolute favorites. Good people, good cats, good food and good books on tape truly are the perfect recipe for a great roadtrip. (If you've never roadtripped with a cat, I highly recommend it. It adds just the right amount of hilarity and weirdness to it all.)

Now that the weekend is finally here, I'm headed to Houston for some sister time (LOVE that she's only a three hour drive away now). We've got hair appointments and Christmas shopping on the agenda, and Mason will be spending his first solo weekend in Austin, exploring the city a little bit more. Have a great one!

P.S. - That "Watch for Snakes" sign was posted at the entrance to the restrooms at a rest stop somewhere in west Texas. Scary!

CA to TX: Roadtrippin'

Wow - It feels like it's been a million years since I've been here (which it kind of has). My apologies for being gone so long (and thanks to those of you who've stuck around!). Moving is ca-razy. Seriously. But we're all settled in Austin now, and besides a few small details, our apartment is pretty much complete and already feeling like home. I'm finally getting back into a regular schedule after a couple weeks of weirdness, and all in all, we're loving it.

Above are a few photos from our Santa Monica to Austin roadtrip, the best roadtrip I've ever been on. You might think two people + one cat in a truck for two days wouldn't be fun, but it was perfect. We drove a lot (and stopped for snacks a lot), and listened to the first of The Hunger Games books on tape (which we loved and made the miles go by so fast). It's definitely a trip I'll remember forever.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few more snapshots from the road, and I promise to catch you up on even more things next week - like Thanksgiving! And the new apartment! And all the fun we've been up to in Austin so far! (Aren't you so excited??)

Ahhh, it feels good to be back here. (I missed you guys!)