Spooky Spaces: Halloween Decoration Guide

Guys. I love, love Halloween. Really, I love all of the holidays between October and December to an unhealthy degree and Halloween is the first chance I really have to go all out! Because J and I are in different cities this year, we've gotten to pick two different themes to run with. He is clearly into the Zombie/Scary theme...

J's door for reference. Courtesy of Target Dollar Spot! 

And I'm more into the Spooky/Witches/Black cat scene. (Alternative themes include: Day of the Dead and Slasher Chic of course).

So for the Spooky/Witches/Black cat theme, I'm thinking glittery black candles, gold accents, and some aged-looking wood to give it a Knockturn Alley-type feel.

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6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

When J and I first started decorating for Halloween, I remember a bunch of the stuff available being super cheesy (all orange, black, and pumpkin) so it's been nice to see some variety pop up! I also love the fact that a ton of stuff (the tea light candle holder, the black glitter candle, and even the flask) can be used for other things since they aren't so overtly Halloween-y.

Best of all, this lets me combine my love for Harry Potter and Halloween into one fun theme! I think this'll make the perfect place to post up drinking warm cider and watching Nightmare Before Christmas (Is this a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? I'm not sure we'll ever know).

How to Shake Off the Mid-Day Slump

Hey guys! I wanted to apologize for not responding to your great comments! I've been fighting off a nasty bug and have been spending a ton either sleeping or wishing I were sleeping. I'm heading back to work today and I'm hoping to have at least a somewhat productive day, unlike Tuesday.

On Tuesday, I was at work sifting through cases and writing summaries and I noticed I was working slower and slower. Finally, I just couldn't focus at all. I drank coffee but it didn't help. I re-read the same sentence 10 times and I still didn't fully comprehend it. It was that kind of day. The problem with those kinds of days is that they can derail your productivity for the week. I didn't have 8 hours to lose to inefficient, groggily skimmed work methods. I needed to get my head back in the game.

Whether or not you're sorting through research, studying for a final, or even cleaning the bathroom, we all have those days. These are some ways I've found to shake off the funk and get back on track!

• Listen to upbeat songs. Maybe even dance around a little. Dance can trigger an endorphin release that can perk you up and brighten your day.
• Try on some moves for size. Office yoga might just be the thing you need to relax an work through some of the frustration of the day. 
• Eat a sugary snack. I like to recommend fruit because it's a healthy option as far as sugary things go but some days, you might just need to mosey on over to the store and buy a slice of cheesecake. And that's okay, too.
• Take a walk outside. If you can get out for a bit, the fresh air can definitely liven you up. Coupled with the increased blood flow from your physical activity, it might result in a better mood once you're back on task!
• Read something engaging. Trying to read dense material when your brain is out to lunch isn't helpful for anyone. Instead, accept that these are going to be lost minutes anyway, and take 15-20 minutes for yourself. Read something that interests you or that makes you laugh. It can get your brain thinking and engaging again!

What do you do when you fall into the workday slump? 

Playlist for Fall

I like to make a new playlist every time the season changes. I've read that music is great at invoking memories and I like listening to a song years later and thinking, "Hey, that reminds me of Fall 2008." Plus, I've always liked the idea of creating soundtracks to my seasons. Spring is usually acoustic and mellow songs. Summer brings the party jams. Fall, then, is an interesting hybrid of both. There's the songs that are perfect for sitting next to a bonfire and then there's the songs perfect for dressing up for a Halloween night out on the town. (Winter is just Christmas music added to the Fall playlist).

Though I'm still working on rounding out this season's, I wanted to share with you guys my playlist so far! Warning, though, I have super eclectic taste in music so it's hard to describe what type of music is likely to appear on the playlists. For the most part though, it's just sounds that remind me of the season.

I hope you enjoy!

Life Lessons from the Courtroom

As part of my job, I get to go to hearings a few times a week. The first few times, I was mostly just overwhelmed at the sheer amount of things I'm going to be expected to remember. Then, once it started to feel more familiar, I started paying attention to the behavior of the attorneys and witnesses. What started off as a list of 'What To Do/What Not To Do' became a list of more generally applicable Dos and Don'ts. Who knew life and courtrooms had that much in common?

So without further ado....

1. Be still and listen.
2. People try to help you more often than you think. If you're not careful, you might miss it.
3. Being the loudest doesn't make you the most powerful (or the most effective).
4. Be the river, not the stone.
5. Know before you speak. If you don't, at least think before you speak. If you can't, don't speak.
6. Don't get ruffled by the whispers.
7. Pick your battles. Not everything is a war.

North Carolina Wedding Weekend

On Friday morning, J and I packed our bags and sleepily made our way down to the airport for a wedding weekend in North Carolina! Though we didn't get to sleep in, we did (or I guess, *I* did) pick up a salted caramel latte (which comes in 2nd place to the reigning favorite, Pumpkin Spice) and entertained ourselves with giant checkers, until I realized I was going to lose and waved the white flag.

We had a quick layover in Charlotte before bumping over to Raleigh. When we landed, the first thing I noticed were how tall the trees were. I know that sounds a little ridiculous but Texas is all about those big, open spaces. I'd almost forgotten that trees could grow so tall and that they could be colored yellow, orange and red. In Texas, trees are either green and blooming or dead. There really is no in between.

His aunt's house (where we were staying), is this gorgeous wooden house with rustic details hiding around every corner. Since we landed kind of late, we only had time to eat dinner and then curl up with wine and fleece blankets on the living room sofas before his cousin put on American Horror Story: Hotel. (I'd never seen any AHS before so I didn't really know what to expect. Even then, I was floored by some scenes. Like. What.)

The next morning, I had these grand plans of taking pictures of the trees for you guys but it ended up raining all day long. The sky was a gray overcast and the rain hitting the roof was enough to about lull me back to sleep. So it was back to the sofas and the fleece blanks for Saturday morning football until it was time to get ready.


























The wedding was about an hour's drive away on an island in the middle of a lake. By the time we arrived, the temperature had been steadily dropping all day but there was a break in the rain. I was able to snap some photos of the tiny details before the ceremony began.

When you need a ferry to get to your ceremony, you know you've made it

It was a beautiful wedding but the wind coming off the lake kept reminding me of the fact that I was absolutely freezing. J lent me his suit jacket but even then, I swear all of the tiny little hairs on my legs were standing straight up.

They had an open bar (blessedly) and with the insider knowledge that wine can make a person feel warmer (though not actually be warmer), I grabbed a glass and made my way to the reception (not blessedly, still outside).

Cutest table marker in the history of weddings

We ate, drank and eventually, danced the night away. There was a fire pit a little ways away that J and I roasted marshmallows over and warmed ourselves by before hitting up the dance floor again. (Disclaimer: we are both awful dancers). Then Sunday morning, it was another early flight followed by a long day of travel before I got back to Austin.

All in all, this weekend was a blast and I'm so glad I got to spend some time with J's family. I'd forgotten how tiring traveling can be, though, so tonight, you'll find me tucked into bed at an early hour.

I hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Fan of Fridays Vol. 2

Happy Friday! This week went by fast but I won't lie, I'm glad it's over. Each day was jam-packed and I'm looking forward to a (slightly) slower paced weekend. This week, I've been a fan of:

1. The Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffin candle from Target. They have a small size for $5 and a bigger size for $10 and when I first bought it, I got the smaller size because I tend to have candle ADD. But this candle smells amazing. I burned through the first one and ran back to Target for the bigger size! They smell so so good and are reasonably priced for a candle. If you're heading to Target, you should add it to your cart!

2. Travel days! J and I are leaving this morning to North Carolina! It's his cousin's wedding and his dad invited us to go up. I haven't been to North Carolina in a long time but from what I remember, it's beautiful. Plus, they're having cooler weather than we are, so I'm looking forward to this tiny taste of fall!

3. The new Sherlock trailer! It's no secret that I love TV, yet another reason why fall is one of my favorite seasons. But there's always a handful of shows that come out in January, including the new season of Sherlock! It's been so long since I finished the last season, I'm going to have to do some re-watching to be ready for the premiere. Any other BBC fans out there?

4. This possum cuddling a toy kangaroo! I'm a sucker for all things animal related so naturally, this melted my heart. No lie, when I first adopted Keller, I had hoped he'd be the kind of Chi who cuddled with tiny stuffed animals and who carried them around the house. Because I had these aspirations for him, no surprise, he has less than 0 interest in anything fluffy (besides blankets). Go figure. In the mean time, I'll keep looking at pictures of this possum.

5. The fall fashion all over the place. You guys know how I feel about fall and it does my soul good to know I'm not the only one obsessed with the upcoming sweater weather! Laura, Jen, Lauren, and Caroline are some of the ladies I've seen around the blogosphere killing it! Seriously, if you're posting about peacoats and ankle boots, holler at your girl. I'd love to read it!

What are you loving these days? Hopefully a fantastic weekend is one of those things! Happy Friday :)

The Weekly Happy Hour: Italic

This week found us all a collectively cranky, tired mess. You guys already know how I feel about Wednesdays in general but today was especially bad. After a 3 1/2 hearing that got out late, a terrible headache and backache, and the knowledge that I have a ton of packing to do tonight, I was worn down. Weirdly enough, Nat, Karls, and Ferj all felt the same way. So "Happy Hour" became the Complaining Hour and you know what? It was just what the doctor ordered.

This week, we went to a relatively new haunt called Italic. Due to said tiredness, I didn't get too many good pictures but they had a giant, suspended glass case of wine so that was pretty cool.

They had $4 glasses of wine and happy hour cocktails (I got the wine if you couldn't tell) as well as a few starters including a giant ball of cheese for $8. Yes please!

They also give some free sandwiches with the purchase of a drink so that's definitely a selling point! Overall, it was a decent happy hour. I particularly loved the part about the wine and cheese. Like most places downtown though, parking was terrible. Foodwise, they had some olives and prosciutto (pictured above), for $8ish and $10 respectively. Besides that, they had some $17 pizza which is just a little bit more than I was prepared to pay for pizza so I filled up on bread.

If you're really into Italian food or you're looking for a glass of cheap wine, I'd suggest it! Otherwise, you might want to have a quick peek at the surrounding blocks that are filled to the brim with restaurants.

Overall rating: 3/5