Long Holiday Weekend in Review!

It was so nice to have a 4-day weekend!  Waking up for work this morning was quite a challenge after all the fun I had!

Before......

Wednesday night I got home from work and started on my "Autumn Cheesecake" for Thanksgiving.  M came home while I was in the midst of it and said we were gonna go to dinner with his dad.  I did as much as possible without leaving the house with the oven on, we went to Mexican (YUM) and then I came home and finished it.  My goal was to be Pioneer Woman and document the step-by-step.  Well, I didn't remember this until I was layering the apples on top (one of the last steps.)  Fail.  I did take a before and after baking picture.  Here ya go.

After!

It was a huge success, as well as a wonderful afternoon lunch with lots of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, apple slaw, and cranberry (sludge, as my mom called it.)  The company was even better than the food.

Thursday morning we woke up and participated in Habitrot.  I was overly confident that I'd be able to run 3.1 miles when I hadn't been training and I'd had surgery 2.5 weeks before.  I was so very very wrong.  I managed to run about a mile altogether, but definitely felt like I was going to die when I finished.  M managed to run it in about 29 minutes!  I was very proud of him.  Mom, dad and Drew finished right under an hour, walking. 

We ate lunch around 2 (as described above) and then played this game called The Game of Things.  It's kind of Apples to Apples-like, but also different.  Check it out if you're interested.  It's one of those games where there's a topic/question-y type thing and everyone writes an answer.  Sometimes the responses are serious and sometimes they're funny/silly.  It was a hoot.  M and I came home afterwards to feed Sally-dog and relax.

Friday morning I woke up about 6:45 to shower and get ready to go Black Friday shopping with Brandon.  While I was getting ready I snapped this precious picture of M and Sally snuggling.  She definitely loves her daddy!  

Brandon, his mom and his dad (my honorary parents) were running late, so I fiddle-farted around and then finally left to meet them at the Green Hills Mall Starbucks.  Yum!  I love peppermint hot chocolates!  Green Hills is so much less crowded than Cool Springs.  It's definitely a more enjoyable shopping experience.  So we hit up Dillards where Brandon got more Ralph Lauren Polo stuff that he didn't need.  We went to every store we wanted at GH and then drove to Cool Springs where were ran into Richard and his parents so we all had lunch at Chilis.  I managed to get some great deals (and everything on my Black Friday "me" wish list)!  

1) Holiday Party Dress.  Intentionally for M's office holiday party at Morton's, I bought a beautiful black strapless dress from White House Black Market.  It was initially $178 but was on sale for $100, plus BF sale for 20% off.  I got it for $80!  Win!  Now I just have to withstand the two-week wait to wear it!

It looks much sexier and fuller on me than this skinny-mini model.

2) Boots.  I've been wanting some cute grey suede boots to wear with skinny jeans and/or leggings and tights.  I went to Macy's knowing exactly what I wanted and expecting not to find it.  Nope, got precisely what I wanted to for the best price you could imagine.  Initially $69.99.  Marked $50 + an additional 20% off + a $10 off coupon.  $70 boots for $24!  I rock.

Not the actual pair, but pretty much the same exact thing!

3) New Purse.  I have been hating my purse for a while.  It's frayed and beat up.  Blah.  So we went into New York and Company, who was having a 60% off sale and found a big, black, sparkly bag for $42.  $42 at 60%= $17.  <3

4) Sparkly, skinny belts.  I bought two: black glitter and silver glitter.  Go me!

After shopping, Brandon and I watched the Santa Clause, and then I went home.  M and I grabbed a bite at Fulin's, by our house.  We each had soup, split some pork dumplings and a volcano sushi roll.  Then we spent the evening watching Mad Men.

Saturday we woke up and after some Comcast internet drama, M cut a hole in the wall to run a cable, then crawled under the house while I knocked on the wall so he could find me.  It was amusing.  I was helping while watching my Vols beat Kentucky for the 26th straight year!  

We met up with KJ and Joel, Brandon, Richard and Amber at Sam's in Hillsboro Village for an early dinner.  Then KJ, Joel, M and I went downtown to watch the Predators lose to the NY Rangers.  It was a great time, though.  There were plenty of fights and great company.  Joel had never been to a Preds game before.  Our friend Laura was also at the game, so KJ and I popped over to say hey.  After the game, M and I went to BB Kings to meet Jimmy for his dad's birthday thing.  The music was fun and M and I danced for a couple songs.  

M and I at the Predators game!

Sunday we woke early.  The Comcast guy came and set up our xfinity internet.  I got ready and went to church to only be disappointed.  I didn't know that the 10:30 service was now a contemporary service.  I don't like contemporary services.  I know it's weird, but I'm a stickler for tradition when it comes to church.  Following the service, I went over to my parents house and once Drew arrived, we put up our Christmas tree.  Traditionally, dad untangles the hooks while the rest of us hang the ornaments.  Dad contributed a surprising amount in comparison to other years.  The tree turned out great!

Please ignore the ghetto TV tray entertainment center.

And mom had hung the stockings up already.  M's part of the family with his monogrammed stocking!

Dad, mom, Drew, me, M!

All-in-all a great weekend!  Lots to look forward to over the next few weeks!  Can't wait for the holidays to be in full swing! :)