October Mish-Mash

Here we are in the last week of October!  Can you believe Saturday brings the eleventh month of the year?  This year is sure flying!

Here's a mish-mash of snapshots from my life this month:


1.  We've had a gorgeous October here in North Dakota.

The weather has been warm and mild overall; we couldn't have asked for a better fall season.

And the nice weather means more quality time on family evening walks.

2.  I have been using Instagram for quite some time for the filters and frames.   Around mid-August, I decided to actually start posting photos to my account and following other accounts.  Somehow I stumbled upon a huge Cavalier King Charles Spaniel community; my account quickly became all about Crickett and 99% the accounts I began following were dog accounts.  It's so much fun interacting with other people who are as obsessed with their pups as I am with mine.  I'm currently debating whether I should open another account for myself, a place to post "non-Crickett" photos and follow "non-dog" folk!

3.  I'd been in a bit of a thrifting slump in regards to finding good items (or even good priced items) during my spring and summer outings but earlier this month my luck changed.  I walked away with some great finds at great prices.  Thirteen dollars total for a dress ($3 after a coupon!  Can you believe a thrift store has coupons?!), sweater, and two shirts!  Pretty pleased with myself!

4.  Speaking of slumps, I can't seem to figure out what to do with The House of Sand and Fog.  I started reading the novel back in June and made it to page 211 before I had to quit and move on to other (good!) books.  I feel like I'm too far into the novel to quit but I find the writing extremely boring and repetitive and I don't like any of the characters or really care what happens to them.  I'm curious to know how the book concludes but I know I could easily find that information online and save myself the time and agony that reading this novel requires.  Stay tuned for my decision! (I know you're sitting at the edge of your seat!)

5.  Several big home improvement projects going on around here.  After spending a good chunk of time staining the fence this summer, Mitch has moved into the house with a paintbrush.  I haven't reported much on the progress of our basement but, long story short, it has been dry-walled, textured, and now we are on to the painting phase.  I'm pretty excited about all the colors we've chosen and will post an update once the rooms have been completed.

6.  Mitch purchased our 2014 Hallmark Keepsake Christmas ornament (I will post a photo once it's actually time for it to be displayed) and we are currently on the hunt for a new Christmas tree.  I better decide soon since the day after Thanksgiving - aka: Holly's time to start decorating for Christmas - will be here before I know it!

 7.  And last, but not least, Mitch and I have booked our 2015 vacation!  We will be enjoying ourselves on an Alaskan cruise come May!  So very exciting!!!