Simple Joys of the Week, December 13th Edition

Why hello there, Friday the 13th! Thanks for stopping by to say hello.

To all my bloggies out there, how was your week? I hope you're staying sane as we get closer to Christmas. I've basically been ignoring the fact that this holiday is right around the corner (card, gift, and shopping-wise, not decoration or music-wise!), so I'm fairly stress-free when it comes to Christmas at this point ;) 

However, when you read this week's SJOTW, you'll quickly see that my love for Christmas and everything Christmas-related is starting to take over my life [quickly]...lets jump right in!

What brought you joy this week? My simple, sensory pleasures from the past 7 days are below: 

HEAR: "Little Drummer Boy" by Pentatonix
Although I'm totally behind on my favorite musical competition show, The Sing-Off, I'm still very grateful that the show introduced me to Pentatonix, arguably one of the best/most innovative acapella groups out there right now (and probably the most well-known?). They've put out a fabulous Christmas album this year, and here's one of their songs from that album. It's incredible. They're so talented (especially the "drummer!"). Check them out: 

SEE: My hubby's name in the local paper
Last Friday, Ben handled the bail hearing for a notorious Cape Cod drug dealer (I know, hard to believe, but there are criminals on the Cape, too!). On Saturday morning, there was a big write-up about the arrest in the Cape Cod Times, and Ben was quoted as the Asst. DA who handled the case. Seeing his name in the paper about a local event was very symbolic to me, as it shows how far he's come from from his contract job in a huge government office in DC, to handling real-life cases in a small town courthouse. I'm so proud of him for following his dreams. 

PS. To all CC Criminals/Drug Dealers: Please don't come after us! He's just a lawyer--not the one who makes the arrests!

TASTE: Hors d'oeuvres at last weekend's Holiday Shopping Event
Last weekend, I sold my paintings at a Local + Natural Holiday Event at one of my new home studios, Orleans Yoga + Pilates. It was a wonderfully done event with fabulous vendors and great energy, and it was so much fun to meet more students, teachers, and people in the local yoga community. Not only was it super enjoyable, but the food that was served by a local chef was also AMAZING! So great to be a part of such a welcoming place :)

SMELL: Christmas Tree scent
Are you surprised? I think you already know how much I love our [first life-size] Christmas Tree! I plug in the lights the second that I wake up, and they stay on until we go to bed. It's the closest thing that we have to a pet right now, so I've decided to treat it as a part of the fam ;) Oh, and the smell! Heavenly! Everything about the experience of picking it out last weekend was wonderful and totally got me in the holiday spirit. It was freezing cold outside, there was a fire pit nearby, and the trees were as green and luscious as could be. We threw our little tree + oversized wreath in the bed of our truck and were on our way. Yep, that's how we do things now that we live in the country ;)

TOUCH: Snow
I know that this week's SJOTW are kind of cliche, but I guess that this week has been full of holiday/winter-in-New- England cliches! We got snow on Tuesday, and although it didn't really mess up the roads (thank goodness!) there's still a light covering on the ground that makes everything look seasonally-appropriate and dreamy. I'm sure that come February, snow will not be a SJOTW for me anymore, but right now, I'm still a GA-girl who gets excited at the first snowflake.  I'll try to enjoy this feeling while it lasts ;) 

So, there you have it! This weekend, I paint, paint, paint, with a dash of yoga, a holiday party, and a Red Cross CPR course thrown in for good measure ;) 

Hope you have a wonderful and festive weekend, and that you're able to find the time to reflect on your own SJOTW today...