Aloha Christmas 2011...Hello New Year's Eve...

It seems to me that as soon as fall begins, preparation for the holidays begin to surface.  Stores are putting up holiday decor as early as September in hopes of getting eager shoppers to start their holiday shopping.  Fall birthdays, Halloween, and Thanksgiving goes by, and the much anticipated holiday of the year has finally arrived...Christmas. After all of those festivities have finished...there's a calm on December 26th. The excitement of Christmas subsides and many are looking for the after Christmas sales on gifts, decorations, and holiday cards.

It makes me wonder if we get too caught up in the glitter of Christmas and forget about the meaning of Christmas.  Perhaps the hustle & bustle of getting the best deal is part of getting into the spirit of Christmas, or perhaps we may take it too far...?

This was my second Christmas away from most of my family in Hawai`i.  However, this year I was fortunate enough to be spending my first Christmas with my boyfriend and his family. This is also my second Christmas with my sister, my brother in law and my niece.   And the second year I have been away from my closest friends I like to call my besties.  They are the friends I have considered my family for years...and for them I have taken it upon myself to extend the Christmas love a wee bit longer, of which I am happy to do. Heck, if I could keep the Christmas decor into spring, I would do so...  There's just something happy about Christmas trees, lights, and holiday decorations.

One of these years, I hope be near my whole family during the Christmas season.  The family I've been born into, brought into, and my chosen family.  What a Christmas that would be!

For now...the happiness of giving and seeing the smiles on the faces of those you care about is perhaps the most priceless gift I could receive.  I'm  just happy technology has allowed us to stay connected to loved ones even if we're thousands of miles apart.  Another priceless gift.

.:*:. Speaking of glitter... How will you be ringing in the New Year?  .:*:.

What I Like about Christmas...

Christmas.  It's only two days away! Festivities in the works and procrastination at its best, stress & worry are bound to make an appearance at some point.  I feel them creeping in and I'm doing my best to keep them far away.  Because, at Christmas, there's so many things that make me smile.  This week, I am happy to report a number of great things that have happened...

...Frosty mornings.  What I'm enjoying most about living in the midwest right now is seeing the change of seasons.  I may be a much bigger fan of warm weather, green mountains, and the beach, but mornings like the one pictured above, that's just marvelous!
...Christmas Lights. One of the few times you can really make your house and lawn shine & sparkle!  Growing up, my grandparents took my sister and I to see Christmas lights at Honolulu Hale and through different neighborhoods.  Hey, it's free, gas was cheaper, and you got amused children in the backseat, easy as pie! One thing I wanna see next Christmas: Christmas lane.

...Working. I am now a working woman again, I am so very thankful for all the prayers, positive vibes, and support from my loved ones...
...Spending time with my family up here.  Being able to see my niece at her Christmas show & horseback riding lessons, is just priceless to me =)
...Having dinner with my sis, binlaw, and niece.
...Getting pedis with my sister in one of the most beautiful nail spas I've been to.
...Spending time with my boyfriend's humangous family =)

and what I like about Christmas...
...the decorations, the lights, and winterized everything.
...the Huge Santa & mrs. claus in front of honolulu hale.
...the smell of Christmas Trees.
...truly the spirit of Giving.  It makes you happy, it makes them happy, it makes the world go 'round.
...the Christmas LOVE.

There have been so many changes this year which have required more patience and learning. So wanting something in particular for Christmas has been a low priority of mine.  But, every girl likes to dream and wish, so for me, I think I want to go outdoor ice skating for Christmas!!

I wish all of you a safe and beautiful Christmas!  May God bless you with love, laughter, and happiness throughout this Christmas season and well into the new year!!

I wanna hear from you fabulous readers...
Has there been something you've been wishing for this Christmas?  
What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?  

The Sweet Life. Thursdays.

Mixed cupcakes from Sucre:: taken by yours truly on my 3 year old black berry

Feelin' chilly over here in Omaha, and I still decided to go walking.  Sounds crazy, but I needed the fresh air.    Physical activity is a great way to clear your head, have some time to yourself, and get your blood circulating.  Which can also help make you happy!  So, despite the wind chill, and my cheeks turning a bright pink, I felt a little happy in my heart! 

A great quote I came across this morning helped me to get back on the happy track: "Be so happy that when others look at you they become happy too."  This is the perfect quote for today.  Forgetfulness has been my friend this past week and so has grumpiness.  With all the negatives this week, there were some silver linings that has made my Thursday a bit sweet.  

...First things first: The Sweet Life Thursdays begins with --National Cupcake Day! Cupcakes are my top choices for a dessert or a snack and my one of my favorite cupcake shops is Sucre in New Orleans where we got those cupcakes above.  They are gorgeous, huge, and full of delicious sweetness.  So, sometime today, I'll be biting into a cupcake from Cupcake Island, here in Omaha. 

...Sweet life #2:  Completely understanding what I'm learning in Math, really makes life a wee bit sweet!

...Sweet life #3:  Spending some quality love time with my boyfriend, watching movies and just chillin'.

...Sweet life #4:  making new friends in blogland.  A new experience that's been so wonderful so far!

This upcoming week, I'm focusing on being more positive and happy, to stop letting those little things bother me, and just go with the flow.  I'll also be finishing up my Christmas shopping, card making, and sending out Christmas gift packages.  A lot to do, but I'm excited for everything that's to come.  

What do you guys have to look forward to this coming week?  What has made your life a little sweet this week?  

Globetrotter Noob.

We love adventures... 

We're in the last month of the year, with all the plans, must dos, and fun stuff coming up, it got my noggin' thinking about what's to come next year... 

2012:  it's going to be a busy year. It marks a year of traveling outside of the country, finishing up my pre-requisites for graduate school, applying to graduate school, and who knows what else!! 

All of that is kind of a big deal.  It will be my first time owning, holding, and using a passport and with all of that, I'll be meeting a bunch load of my boyfriend's family...in the Phillipines!  It's exciting and overwhelming at the same time.  Will they like me?   We shall see.  Not only will we be visiting the Phillipines, but also Thailand, possibly Boracay, to go cliff diving here.   Oh, and lastly, Tahiti--all thanks to yours truly and winning miles via Hawaiian Airlines, we're thinking of this place: swoon!  And hopefully, make some time for our favorite place... 

I've done my fair share of traveling...within the United states: California, Washington, Idaho, Chicago, Nevada, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida (Walt Disney World to be specific), and numerous layovers in between.  But, going out of the country!!? Noob, I am!  And boy, am I excited! Even more exciting, since my boyfriend and I are pretty adventurous, I hope and expect our travels to be pretty...adventurous.  When he came to visit me in Hawai'i for a week, we went hiking 5 out of the 7 days he was there!

Now, don't get me wrong, 2011 has been a great year! 

It is the year I spent the most time with my sister, niece, and brother in law.  

It is the year I met the man I've been dreaming of, along with his awesome family!

It is the year I first went Las Vegas! *cheers*

It is the year that I've fallen back in love with Hawai'i, and have been even more thankful to my wonderful friends at home.  True friendships are similar to true love, when you know, you just know!

What has 2011 been  like for you? What is 2012 going to be like for you?  DO Share! =)

.The Sweet Life.Thursdays.

Sweetness comes in all sizes! 

Today is thursday.  And I think I'll dabble into a series of blogs on thursdays, rehashing the week that has gone by.  Thursday is a pleasant day because it's my last day of class, "in class," and it's the day my assignments are due for my online class.  So Thursday it is.  Each week I'll go through sweet things that I'm grateful for. Let's get started...

Whenever I find myself in a rut, which, lately, has been more often than I care for, I try to find the sweet things in my life that... will get me back on the optimistic train ride.  I've been so inspired these past few time laden weeks and months by so many creative and talented women out there.  If you've read my very first post you'll know how much i love writing.  It's been a back and forth relationship that I am now throwing myself all in to.  My creative side has been kicking in reading through Bethany's, amazing and beautiful DIY projects featured on her blog.  Sifting through so many different blogs  has been a wonderful ride and I'm glad to be getting my bloggy on!!

The rut that was recently experienced got me a bit irked at myself.  Why am I letting itty bitty nonsense bother me when I have sweet stuff all around me? To get back on that optimistic train again I found myself thinking about what I can do better as a person.  And in the end, it's admitting that I am somehow unhappy about something [check] then figuring out a way to make myself happy again, without expecting someone else to do it for me.  [check]  Today is a new day, yesterday is done, so it's what I do to day that's still to come.

• Sweet stuff number 1:  my $9.99 Christmas gift to myself. Jewelmint's. pomander 32" pendant.  This pretty little number was just in my budget and had a vintage charm to it.  It was inspired by Kate Moss' own pendant which belonged to her grandmother ( or something of the sort) and what's neat about is you can open it up and place a piece of cotton in it with a spritz of your very own perfume!! GENIUS! 
• Sweet stuff number 2:  Kung Fu Panda cub.  Enough said. 
• Sweet stuff number 3: Krispy Kreme red velvet doughnut.  So deliciously wonderful!  Thank you to my boyfriend's sister for this super sweet treat.  

Now, this may sound a bit sappy, it's just imperative that I put things in perspective... but my absolute favorite sweet stuff is this guy...

We come from two very different...worlds, in a way. And our differences come up from time to time.   In the end, however, I will always go back to him and what we share.  It's the sweetest gift & blessing, that I will always be so happy for.  And that is worth more than any differences that we may have.

What do you think of or do when you're in a rut and in negativity-land? How do you get out of that rut? 

Books.

An old time leisurely past time that many adore and many loathe. I'd place myself in the adore category, but at times, the loathe category. It's been a wee bit long since I've last posted...  There's just been so much going on. Transitioning into a new place and moving.  I think you can learn a lot about someone when you're moving.  It's a stressful time.  Especially moving to a new STATE.  Yes. I did that.  With my BF.  He helped me.  Has been patient with me. And has loved me through it all.  Blessed...is just an understatement.  I thank God for him everyday.

Back to books.  I am starting school in two days, and I'm buying my book today.  I have my book for my other class. But, I have to physically go to the bookstore for my other book. This may sound normal for all you blog readers out there... but for me it's a little nostalgic and weird.  I've been in online classes all winter & spring last year...and this class is the first IN CLASS class I'll be taking since I graduated with my bachelor's.  Exciting, weird. It's Math.  Meh. On a good note, I'm hoping I can sell my other unnecessary books I accumulated last spring.  Hopefully it all goes swimmingly.

I'm hoping this book is much less than an arm and a leg. I'm hoping a pinky finger...funds are low. And I'm still job searching.  Staying optimistic though, who knows, something might turn up in a few days! *crossing fingers*

Have any of you been battling going back to school after being away for awhile? Or job search been rough?

Your thoughts and positive vibes would be greatly appreciated =)