Spooky Desktop Wallpaper

Chained to your desk this Halloween?  Giving your desktop a spooky facelift with the wallpaper above, compliments of the Desktop Wallpaper Project, is the least you can do to bring a little Halloween spirit to the workplace today.

Find this image and more in sizes suitable for desktops, laptops, iPhones and iPads here. 

Easy A.M. Work Out

1. Wake up.

2. Complete 50 jumping jacks, 5 pushups, 20 sit ups, 20 mountain climbers, 30 second plank, 7 burpees.

3. Repeat the cycle twice each morning.

4. Love your body.

Halloween at Home

In my world, October 1st ='s Day 1 of Holiday Decorating Season.

While spending the bulk of the past decade living in apartments I never did much spring or summer decorating beyond one lonely metal bunny pail that pops up most years around Easter, carried on from my time at ReyRey. Instead I've found that Halloween and Christmas decorating lend themselves best to small spaces, when a few simple pieces (that are easy to store) can transform an apartment without cluttering it.

The past few weeks I've been sprinkling my home with bits of Halloween flair. The photos below were all taken this year and with the exception of the first one, are taken in my current abode: a single family home in Houston, TX. Many of these pieces came from my previous apartments, no single item cost more than $25 and all of it works for spaces large and small.

This Ekk! mug from Crate and Barrel makes October mornings at home and work a tad spookier.

I am obsessed with these kitchen towels (also from Crate and Barrel), in fact when I brought them home I announced with great pride, 'They're soft enough to sleep on!' 

A shapeable wood and metal Halloween sign from Pier One sits perched on the half wall between our kitchen and living room.

This mosaic pumpkin (in the front room) will be much easier to clean up this year now that I've replaced his traditional wax candles with the LED tea light variety. 

The Pier One glitter pumpkin (next to the TV) was my favorite addition from last year.  The copper jack-o-latern in the floor looks happy to hold magazines (I believe we found him at Home Goods).

This hand towel and matching bath rug (both from Target) brightened up our first floor half bath by greeting our guests with Happy Halloween vibes.

With Halloween less than a week away I am already looking forward to switching these great pieces out to make room for Thanksgiving decorations!

October Friend Dinner with Amy

My friend Amy is brilliant, well read and eloquent. She is the wife that men wish wasn't taken and the friend that girls aspire to be. The definition of class, Amy knows exactly when to keep mum that she knows more than anyone else in the room (often the case), when to support without limits and when to simply call a spade a spade. 

Wife to a proud marine (hoorah!) Amy makes balancing a full time design gig, running her own marketing strategy biz after hours and keeping house look easy. Amy and I met when I moved to Houston for my first 'big girl' marketing position. We commiserated daily over snacks in the break room, causally chatting over hot chocolate about politics, relationship ups and downs, our bosses, dieting, social media progression, you name it. We shared recipes and 'you would not believe what my boyfriend/husband said/did/shouted at the grocery/bookstore/mall' stories as freely as we shared our dreams of wrap around porches and what days of doing 'nothing' might feel like.

 

Life in your twenties has a way of sweeping you off down the river and away from some of the people you care for most. Since I left my job with Amy a year and a half ago the frequency of our chats has dwindled, but our friendship certainly has not. We're pretty good at keeping up with each other via text, email and Facebook and last week we were even able to squeeze in a friend dinner together. 

Amy came over to my house (the first time I'd seen her in person in almost 6 months) and taught me how to make fish tacos with mango salsa, chipotle mayo and Spanish rice- from scratch - in the comfort of my own kitchen. We chatted away a few hours- cooking, eating, drinking wine and talking politics and relationships. It was perfect. 

Ever the social media enthusiast, the dust from her jeep hadn't even settled in the drive before I started tweeting our instagramed meal:

Beauty and the Beast

Sunday we attended our first show of the Hobby Center's 2012-13 Broadway Across America series and Amanda and I's first show as season ticket holders.

The actress playing Belle stole the show (ah-azing vocal skills) but the new guy playing Gaston was a close second. Overall the ensemble was pretty fab, although I wish the Beast had his mic turned up a little.  Quiet or not, his roar was quite fantastic.

Unfortunately, the Premium Seat Holder Lounge we had access to was a little ridiculous.  They had a lovely table set up with cheese and fruit and the Hobby Center's famous plaintains but the majority of the 'Premium Seat Holders' were absolute animals.  I think next time we'll pre-order our intermission drinks at the main bar, like we did at the Lion King, where there was much less shoving involved.  

Amanda and I Post-show 

We didn't locate the special beverage cups theater-goers are now allowed to purchase and bring in to the show, but for $3 each we will definitely be scouting them out at the next show, Les Miserables, and avoid that inevitable walk-and-chug at the end of intermission.