collective bargains

(early bird, black friday waiting at half-price books)

(my sister's coat this morning, i was in love)

(items i bought today, along with a few presents i am not able to share.. surprises!) 

   here's to the biggest day of promotions and huge sales, black friday! it is funny to me how we transition into black friday, from thanksgiving (a day of thanks and i day of personal shopping? well, i suppose most people do their christmas shopping today). i did not actually shop too much today, which i normally do on black friday. i started the morning off waiting in line at half-price books, with my family, and received a $5 gift card and some coupons for the first 100 customers. being to sleepy to continue  i decided to go home for a nap and some relaxing with my cats and netflix. i believe that's what my thanksgiving break is for!
   i ventured out later in the day to go to the salvation army, which was having a 50% off all clothing items. i bought a few gifts for my boyfriend's stocking and a pair of shoes, and lot of this was extremely inexpensive due to sales. my to-do list today was mainly to re-organize my closet and bedroom, which i am still working on now from being in such a lazy mood today. 
   readers, did you do any black friday shopping/what deals did you find? 

pilgrim children

 

(thanksgiving home-made lattes with rice nog) 

(at one of my family functions, we always pay bingo after dessert) 

   first, i want to wish all of my lovely readers, who reside in the united states, a happy day of giving thanks! i hope your day was as full of family, happiness, wonderful food as mine was today. i enjoyed mashed potatoes, vegan sausages, veggies, rolls, and noodles. i also have a whole pumpkin pie, that was made just for me, to take home and eat! i was so full from the meals i had today, i could not even eat dessert. 
   today is a day for thanks, so i'm listing just a few things i am thankful for in my life at the moment. i am incredibly grateful for the ability to go further my education and live in a country i am able to do so. i am thankful for people who, despite my flaws, still love me and appreciate me for who i am. i am thankful for learning, the ability to learn, my little home, and the ones who make that up.
   readers, what are you most thankful for this thanksgiving? 

bells may ring

(i found a wedding album at the "give n' get" awhile ago. i thought it was so odd that someone left their wedding photographs there, or could have possibly not been theirs. not sure exactly what year this happened, but i adore the bridesmaid's dress.) 

   hello, thanksgiving break! i am so glad to have a few days off from my normal schooling schedule and not have huge amounts of homework either. i will, hopefully, be starting my new job as an after-school nanny within the next week, along with my job as a baker. i will be having a much more full schedule soon, which is a draw back and needed at the same time. 
   tomorrow morning and afternoon, i will be baking and getting ready for thanksgiving with my family. i am excited to bake pumpkin scones, using this recipe here. i also have to make sure i buy some tofurkey for my meals on thanksgiving. with being a vegan, i have to take extra measures to do so on thanksgiving, but it is well worth it. 

green grass of home

(the homeowner's father cut down the tree she used to love, when it was dying, and saved these pieces for her to hang in her home) 

   as i said in my last post, today was the day of the holiday homes tour & boutique! i absolutely love touring other people's/modeled homes that are wonderfully decorated for the holiday season. all of the profits from the ticket admission went to a non-profit organization called rediscover, that helps families and children who are affected by mental illness or substance abuse. although before thanksgiving is a tad early for so much christmas decor (yes, i did it myself! but, i didn't think everyone else did too!), walking through these beautiful homes made me want to go past the limit of "too-much" this year. my cats will not allow that though! 

   all of the homes, themselves, could have just been walked through without the christmas decoration  the home that i loved the decoration was the first one we toured, which i have no pictures of because i was unsure if we could photograph inside! almost every decoration was a "do-it-yourself" from a vintage or scarp piece. this house gave me so much inspiration, not just for the holiday season, but to decorate when i move into my next living space. i am hoping to go on another holiday home tour before this christmas season is over!