Halloween Fun

Today's Beautiful Thing is a bulldog dressed up in her flamingo costume. I mean, really, what's not to love?

Cookies Baking

Today's Beautiful Thing is the smell of cookies baking. I made brownies, sugar cookies and choc chunk cookies for our Halloween pot luck today. All with Halloween and fall colored sugar or sprinkles. :)

Cooling Down

Today's Beautiful Thing is cool weather. It's finally beginning to feel like Fall--at night anyway.

Good News

Today's Beautiful Thing is good news. The fires are getting under control and my friend Kay's home is fine. My aunt and uncle were able to return to their home this weekend and it's fine too. (Pictured: the hubby, me, my aunt and uncle at a lake near their house last November.)

Via Con Dios

Today's Beautiful Thing is spending some time with friends. A good friend of mine is moving to Colorado tomorrow and the hubby and I had dinner with her, her hubby and their 2 amazing kids. We will miss them terribly, but we're happy that they had this opportunity to make their dreams come true. Via con Dios.

Late night TV

Today's Beautiful Thing is staying up late to watch the Tonight Show. We're usually in bed when it comes on. I enjoyed it.

Getting stuff done

Today's Beautiful Thing is getting things done. I've been entering a whole lotta info into Excel the last couple of weeks. When I turn in a big stack of paperwork, my supervisor hands me some more. But I'm getting it done and that's the most important part.

Lunch on the Boss

Today's Beautiful Thing is a healthy lunch. The boss treated everyone in my department to lunch at a nice seafood restaurant. I was able to find a shrimp dish served with pasta and marinara sauce, rather than alfredo or something else equally fatty. It was really good and I stayed on my diet.

Fond Memories

Today's Beautiful Thing is memories of the Crusie Con. As I worked on my monotonous spread sheets today, I couldn't help but smile every time my mind wandered back to the Con. I probably looked like a dope. :) My happy memories will be with me forever. Hugs to all the cherries out there! (Pictured, 4 of our 6 Reading Mods. L to R: Molly, me, Butterscotch the Pony, Jill--Mentor Mod and Conference Organizer--and Vaishali, our newest Reading Mod. Not pictured: Kathy and Darla, who couldn't make it.)

safety

Today's Beautiful Thing is safety. Today my friend Kay and my Aunt Toni are in danger of losing their homes in the CA wildfires. Both families are safe and sound right now, however, and that's a blessing. (Pictured: my aunt's adorable mountain home.)

Roomies

Today's Beautiful Things are my conference roommates...Cory, Chris and Betsy (not shown)--the best roomates around. I was lucky enough to win a copy of Chris's upcoming release, A Wicked Liason too! Squee! See ya in San Francisco, my lovelies!

A bowl full of cherries

Today's Beautiful Thing is a bowl full of cherries. We had a great time on Saturday night at the Levee in Covington, KY.

Now in person!

Today's Beautiful Thing is seeing online friends in person. I met my friend Barb (AKA Caridad Ferrer, author of the fabulous Adios to My Old Life & It's Not About the Accent) in Reno in 2005. It was fabulous to see her again! Isn't she adorable?

Diva Dinner

Today's Beautiful Thing is Dining with the Divas. We all wore tiaras and feather boas at dinner. Krissie (AKA Anne Stuart) read a sex scene from her upcoming book, Ice Storm. It was so hot the waitresses closed the conference room doors. :)

Reunion

Today's Beautiful Thing is being reunited with good friends. Big cherry love to my friends! I'm leaving for the airport in a half hour. Squee!

Packing

Today's Beautiful Thing is packing my adorable little cherry print suitcase! We leave for the airport in 8 1/2 hours! Yeah!

Candy Corn

Today's Beautiful Thing is a fresh bag of Brach's Candy Corn. As long as I count them, I can still have a handful on my diet. Please note that there are 2 in the picture. Two days till the Crusie Con! Yeah!

Nosh with Michele

Today's Beautiful Thing is having lunch with Michele. The food was icky, but the company could not have been better! Smooch Jersey Girl!

Please note Canova's Three Graces above. Three more days till the Crusie Con! Yippee!

4 More days!

Today's Beautiful Thing is 4 days till Ohio! 4 is my lucky number, so I couldn't resist this one. :)

Help

Today's Beautiful Thing is help from the hubby. He was home today and he ran a couple of errands for me. My Ohio trip is in 5 days! Much to do.

Done...for now

Today's Beautiful Thing is my last dentist appointment for a while. SInce August, I've had an old root canal re-done, two new crowns put in and a cleaning. Next appt: not till the end of Feb. Yeah!

Doggie Alarm Clock

Today's Beautiful Thing is Lulu's (not so) subtle walk reminder. Every night between 9:30 and 10, she reminds us--with little yips, playful growls and the occasional jumping up on your chair--it's time for her walk. I don't know how she knows, but she does. (Please note the time stamp of this post. Yes, Lulu did come and remind us it was time for her walk as I was sitting here trying to think of TBT. Handy, that Lulu.)

Weight Loss

Today's Beautiful Thing is losing 18 pounds. The total may actually be more, but I'm being cautious. Go me!

Countdown!

Today's Beautiful Thing is the anticipation of my upcoming Ohio trip. Nine days and counting! Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Fondue!

Today's Beautiful Thing is fondue. A romantic, late night, four course fondue anniversary dinner to be exact. I can technically say it was TODAY'S Beautiful Thing because our 10 PM dinner ended at 12:30 AM this morning. We had a great time! (For the foodies, an actual run-down of the dinner is here. Enjoy!)

Hotel Room

Today's Beautiful Thing is a pretty hotel room--and it's free to boot. I won the one night's stay at our holiday party last December and saved it for our Anniversary weekend. The hotel is one of my favorites, beautifully decorated to look like a little European town inside. There are rivers running thorough the first floor, with bridges over them. A beautiful gazebo sits under a dome in the atrium. (A few years ago, our friends of ours got married in that gazebo and it was a Beautiful wedding.) They also give you free cooked to order breakfast in the morning and drinks & snacks in the afternoon. I'm already saving my calories!

iPod Love

Today's Beatiful Thing is my little red iPod. I bought more tunes tonight in preparation for my trip on the 17th.

15 Years

Today's beautiful Thing is our 15th Anniversary. Since we met so young, we've been together for 23 years. Incredible! (Forgive the blurry photo. I snapped a pic of a framed photo since I don't have any scanned wedding pics. The wedding was pre-computer, doncha know!)

Sleep

Today's Beautiful Thing is sleep. I got up early and ran around all day. A good night's sleep is going to feel so great!

Vegging out

Today's Beautiful Thing is spending a couple of hours vegging out in front of the TV. Off I go!

Health Insurance

Today's Beautiful Thing is having health insurance. I accompanied my mother to the eye doctor this morning and my husband to the urgent care tonight. (He's ok. No worries.) I don't know what the services would have cost, but I know they weren't cheap!