the weekend + committing to...

happy monday, friends -- and happy thanksgiving week! i feel like this week marks the official start of the holiday season -- even though christmas decorations have been up in my local target since halloween, and christmas carols were playing in the mall yesterday afternoon, i never fully embrace the season until thanksgiving rolls around. it just doesn't feel right. so i'm excited to go to my parents' house for a few days, have two days off work, and then come back to sarasota and start thinking about my holiday 2010 decorating and gift plans.

and speaking of holidays and celebrations, how were your weekends? mine was great; i came home from work on friday night and basically vegged out, which was delightful and a nice contrast to the busyness and errand-running that made up most of saturday morning and afternoon. then saturday night was my friend s.'s wedding reception at the newly renovated sarasota yacht club, and what a beautiful party it was -- s. looked gorgeous, the food was delicious, and you really can't beat the sight of an almost-full moon shining down on sarasota bay on a crisp, clear fall night. oh, and the pink shoes were a total hit, and also incredibly comfortable, considering all the dancing they did. (here's a terrible-quality phone picture of me and my friends t. and k.; not sure what that weird white "ghost" is, but i'm so sad this didn't turn out.)

sunday was a bit of a recovery day (oh, vodka-cranberries and wine at the wedding, why were you so good?), particularly the morning, but i also spent a lot of time outside, by the bay, with my friends k. and c., and then again later, still with k., eating outside at the columbia restaurant and walking around st. armands circle, which is totally gorgeous this time of year. so it was a great weekend, indeed.

and as far as this week, i'll probably be blogging monday through wednesday, taking thursday "off," and then potentially blogging again on friday, but it kind of depends on what my mom has planned for me at home. still, even so, here are the things i'm committing to this thanksgiving week:

+ not totally stuffing my face with the pumpkin cream pie i'm toting to my parents' from sarasota and yoder's, which churns out the most amazing menonnite food and seriously decadent pies. (a little stuffage is ok, though.)
+ concentrating on the things i'm thankful for, and focusing on remembering those as we step into the last bit of this year.
+ also focusing hard on work, because my mind has a propensity to wander during weeks like this.
+ finishing another book. (i think this one might warrant a little review next week.)
+ spending quality time with my family, who i haven't seen in a few months.  

and you? what are you committing to this week? tell me, and i'll see you here tomorrow! xoxo

lovely photo by nikaa