StiCky SaP, BaLLet shoEs & Top NotCh PeOple

₩ell we made it home for thanksgiving which was so great...I got to see pretty much my entire family both in CT and NY...and many of my friends including one of my long lost friends who I got to catch up with which was rather surreal. It*s so strange when you haven*t seen someone you used to be so close to, who knew everything about you inside and out..and then you have to try to catch them up with what you have been doing the past 3 years in about 3 hours time. As I told my story it hit me how much can happen in 3 years. Also how much I still need to accomplish off my list of things I had wanted to accomplish by now.

I*m not sure exactly what changed in my head...I think it was Ally passing away...but since then a great deal of fog thats been looming over my head the past few months has blown away and I am more inspired and genuinely posisitve {not just putting on a front of positivity}. There are still things I am un-certain about... but even just being honest with myself about that fact makes me feel better.

I just finished helping out with the Nutcracker here...
Being back stage again and around so many passionate people had such a nostalgic and warm feeling about it. I felt home again. Butterflies are contagious.. and everything that goes into preparing for a performance is just pure magic. Theres NOTHING else like it. It*s just the fact that you are witnessing a MILLION different pieces coming together all at once... to form something absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

Each piece has taken someone so much dedication and time and love...and then it all gets thrown together and without the other pieces it wouldn*T seem like anything...
...but with the entire team... the entire force all at once... you have ALL created something so powerful... together. And then i finally got to see the production on the last night... and sat next to the sweetest little girl with autism... and just hearing her gasp in awe when she saw the sugar plum fairy in her sparkling tutu... it*s what it*s all about.. it*s why performers do what they do... and as the music grew louder and louder... the little girl would get SO enthralled in the performance... she would mimic the music until she got to loud that her mother would have to tell her to "shhh"...
... being part of such a beautiful and complex machiene again was absolutely fantastic. I met so many interesting and inspiring people... and to me.. that*s what life is about.... experiences like that.


Work is also going really well... because it is the holiday season and Marriott throws associate holiday parties throughout the month... i have been sent on task force {where you go and work at other properties so they are free to attend their holiday party} ...i have met the most incredibly friendly people...
it honestly takes me by surprise... and i almost catch myself asking... wait..WHY are you being that way? why are you being so nice??? I*m VERY lucky. I*m VERY glad I am experiencing what i am experiencing. Everyday i learn something beautiful about life.
And everyday someone impresses me. Is that rare? I feel like it is. Whatever it is... i appreciate it and love every second of it.

♡☃Yesterday Dj and i went out hunted down our perfect X~mas tree..and honestly... it is PERFECT. I*ve never seen such a perfect tree. It is the PERFECT size... hight.. fullness... and it smells SO heavenly!!! Driving home with it we both had sap on our hands loving every sticky moment of it... we kept taking turns sniffing these slices of pine taken off the trunk of our tree... i took them home so i could use them as wintertime coasters... We also picked up pine garlands with pine cones attached and hung them over the window sills and fireplace (where i have candles, and my little nutcracker prince the ballet gave me as part of a thank you gift}
and swirled them around the front porch and over the door.... it makes me SO SO happy!!!!!❄ ❅ Did i mention that part of my orchard will have an x-mas tree farm attached? ;]

Today Dj and I went out to the NRA range and then spent hours picking out an awesome guitar that we got!! AND NOW... Dj is playing me Taylor Swift songs!!!!!! It*s freaking un~believable and the sensations i get when i*m around crafty people is so intense!!... when i*m around it i just feel amazing. ♬♪

What else.. what else... oh...It was DJ*s b~day! Did i even mention that?! So i tried to make that as special for him as possible and coOked these dishes that honestly impressed me to the fullest degree...i really had to pat myself on the back..i think it was just luck bc i made everything from scratch and didn*t use a recipe... Dj LOVED all his presents and it was just great to get to have off all weekend and spend it with him. Last night we went out to celebrate Cat*s 25th b~day as well at olive garden and i had THE BEST WINEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... i never thought of myself as a wine lover... i am now officially a wine ℓo√ﻉℛ!!♥