I like reading?!

I have read 4 or so books since Christmas. For me this is unheard of! I didn't enjoy reading until my Junior year at Baylor. I feel like I missed out on some great things by not being reader when I was younger. Better late than never I guess.
Anyways, I am attempting to read the Alchemist right now. Whomever said it was "amazing" was WrOnG! Maybe I am just thinking this since I don't exactly feel like I am seeking my "personal legend." hmmm... I think I may stop reading it and move onto Confessions of a Shopaholic in preparation for the movie.
Movie popcorn sounds pretty good right about now...

I love Christmas!

Christmas if my favorite time of year! I was begging Britt to let me put up Christmas decorations way before Thanksgiving even though I knew better. That was not allowed, so the weekend after Turkey day, we went to work. First, the tree went up. It seemed bare to me (if you saw my mother's tree, you would understand why this seems sparse) so we made some popcorn/cranberry garland!
(i do not have the "after" picture of the tree with garland on it like i thought i did. This is the trouble with having two cameras. You never know what pic is on what camera!)
He is a very talented garland maker
Then, we went outside! We thought long and hard on what lights we wanted. We sprung for the LED lights in order to save electricity, not burn the house down, and of course, live up to the eco-friendly status we have given ourselves. :)
Britt braved the steep roof to get those lights looking good! I must say, they are perfectly spaced and look so nice!

Oh, we had our one year wedding anniversary on Monday! The work day was horrible, but Britt made me feel better with my new beautiful earrings and flowers he got me! We just stayed in, made dinner and had a bottle of wine while watching Love Actually. I love being a Duke!

We are going to spend Christmas with Britt's family this year. My first time not to be in Abilene on Christmas. Kind of crazy, but I am excited for the new traditions and seeing everyone!

Happy Holly Days!
(so cheesy, I know!)

big dreams for waco

i saw this proposal on the trib website and it is crazy! What if Waco looked like this in 2015? Impressive.

Yes We Can!

woohoo!

*photo courtesy of www.aaronsacco.com

ornamental things

so harts~n~crafts got some new necklaces that are from ornamentalthings.com...(an Austin based jewelry artist who we came across at ACL) they are all so pretty! I have been trying to keep my hands off of them to let others get the chance to buy them and take their pick, but i am not sure i can wait any longer!


so cute!the one i am leaning toward looks alot like this one but it has a leaf and a little flower with a pearl in it.

i originally fell in love with this one:what do you think?

i am just in the shopping spirit because i have been badgered about christmas from my mom and mom-in-law. As I look for other people, i naturally find stuff i like!

leave us alone, Ike!

A woman just came into the store and told me she was just browsing and that she and her husband had evacuated from Houston because of Hurricane Ike. They are staying at the hotel behind the shop. I got to talk to her and find out that they had sought refuge in Fredericksburg just last week because of Gustav. She seemed a bit shaken up

She had no intention of buying anything, just killing time and then she found a special little plaque. It said "STORMS always lose out to the SUN." She told me that she would put that up in their hotel room. I thought that was so sweet.

*EDIT* she came back and bought two more for people she met at the hotel!

i have a fear of going to the bank.

Have I ever told you that I have a fear of the bank? Somehow every time I go, I do something wrong. Lately this fear has been amplified at Wells Fargo because my account says Holly Jones and my ID says Holly Duke. Geez. Sometimes Britt offers up the idea that I should be a bank teller for some extra cash. How can I work there if I can't even make a successful trip through the drive-thru?

One day I will grow up. One day.

p.s. I have tried to post pictures from our trip to Atlanta but my internet connection is lacking.