Taking Stock: November

happy halloween from a gnome and a penguin!

M A K I N G : (or at least thinking about it) a felted ball garland! I just ordered a bunch of different felted balls from this etsy shop (I got an assorted set of 25), and I'm excited to get crafty next weekend (or whenever they arrive!). If it goes well, I may order a few more in the christmas colors to make a wreath for our front door.

D R I N K I N G : Shipyard Pumpkinhead. I'm easing back into the work week with one of my favorite flavored beers. When we found it last year in BevMo, Peter and I went a little overboard getting multiple 6-packs, this year we just opted for one :) It always brings me back to fall in Maine.

W A N T I N G : to reread the happiness project. I read it my senior year of college, but a lot of it was not relevant. I would love to do a reread especially with her chapters about keeping a home clean and maintaining a work-life balance.

W A T C H I N G : the packers play the broncos, slightly reluctantly. My Sunday and Monday nights are filled with football courtesy of Peter.

R E A D I N G : motherless daughters. I recently got news that a very good family friend was diagnosed with the same cancer my mother had when she passed away 8 years ago. It really affected me this past month, and I've been thinking a lot about my mom. A friend who's mother also passed away while they were in high school recommended the book for me and though emotional, there have been so many "so that's why" moments, or "I'm not the only one..." I would highly recommend it for anyone who's lost their mother.

L I S T E N I N G T O : I spent the afternoon today at starbucks studying for the GRE while listening to mumford and sons/of monsters and men pandora radio. Kept me in the studying groove!

E A T I N G : Made a pizza tonight with some whole foods pizza dough! It's really nice to live so close to grocery stores... I was working with some trader joes dough that was probably a little too old and was filled with holes by the time I finished stretching it out, so I was able to give up on that mess and quickly go get some fresh dough to work with!

W I S H I N G : the tests in my backpack would grade themselves. I swear grading is the absolute worst part about teaching (apart from the behavior issues my first year!). That stack has been looming over me all weekend and I am so reluctant to face them.

H O P I N G : I will make it to the gym more than one time this week. I've been slacking off with my gym attendance which meant that one trip yesterday has left me 100% sore today.

N E E D I N G : a vacation getaway somewhere! We're headed to chicago for Thanksgiving this year with Peter's family, but I need a big trip somewhere else where it's just the two of us, ideally somewhere warm, although I wouldn't be picky. Maybe even just somewhere up north...

F O L L O W I N G : MissJordanKelley on instagram. Her feed is making me wish I could take a trip up north to Oregon sometime soon. So many fantastic fall shots. There is not a lot of changing of leaves/fall weather here in Berkeley but instagram has been transporting me to that place lately.

F E E L I N G : rested thanks to my extra hour of sleep!

W E A R I N G : my new down vest from uniqlo. I got the last push I needed to get it when 1. it was on sale this weekend 2. I've been eyeing it forever and 3. I lost my old puffer vest. I headed off to uniqlo early this morning to cross it off my to-do list.

B O O K M A R K I N G : these instructions for the next birthday I have to celebrate. Baking a great cake from scratch is on my long-term bucket list and the kitchn has put all the information I need in one place

L O V I N G : the feeling in the air at the moment. It's finally starting to feel like fall this week in berkeley (knock on every wooden surface ever.) I've been getting really sick of the warmer weather we've been having lately. My new classroom doesn't have AC and agh. it gets so sticky when there are 30 bodies packed in there. I've been checking the weather daily and praying for some good fall weather and it seems like that's finally coming true! Yay for cooler, seasonal weather!