Good morning, star shines! The world says “hello!” (Anyone know what movie that’s from? And go!) It’s the beginning of another week, but not just any week- it’s THANKSGIVING week! Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday- I love the craziness of everyone knocking around the kitchen, the smell of turkey wafting through the air, and that delicious homemade cranberry sauce my dad makes each year. I love the excuse to spend an entire day with family, no matter how much my little brother may pretend to dislike it :). And as of Friday, I’m officially allowed to start enjoying guilt-free Christmas music. It’s official- this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Last week was a crazy one- I spent a bit of time in Santa Barbara with good friends, and I am so stoked for February when we all reunite at UNITED! As always, lessons learned/events that transpired over the past week:

• We went skeet shooting, and as awful as I’d thought I’d be at it, my aim was surprisingly good. I hit about half of the clay pigeons out of the air! Also, standing there with a shotgun tucked into my elbow made me feel like all I needed was a mason jar full of moonshine and a wooden rocking chair to complete the vision.
• I love Virginia. A lot. I truly believe I live in one of the most beautiful states in existence. But after wine tasting in the Santa Ynez valley, I have a whole new perspective on what constitutes a “stunning view.” Holy cow, people. I’m adding “tour California’s wine country” to my bucket list.
• After eating a meal planned and prepped to perfection by the one and only Mike Larson, Matt & I are seriously considering switching to organic foods. I’m guessing it’s going to be a bit more difficult here in Virginia than it would be in SoCal, but dang. There’s just no comparison- organic tomatoes are SO GOOD.
• Palm trees are good for the soul. Waking up to an ocean view and a horizon full of tall, skinny trees made my heart fit to burst.

Here’s one last preview of Ware & Liz’s wedding, coming to the blog tomorrow afternoon! If there was ever a more perfectly classic couple, I’ve  certainly never met them.

Happy Monday! Also, the Starbucks gift card winner from this post is Jean, selected using a random number generator! Jean also happens to be my Granny :).