This is the busiest time of year; I have been working overtime to finish album designs and to ensure that approved albums are delivered by Christmas. Album designs and revisions, print orders, and wedding galleries take precedence over blog entries.  I will get back to regular blog updates after the holiday season has passed. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week!  =)

We were excited to participate in the boo-ing. Jillian and I went shopping together to pick out Halloween treats for our neighbors. We filled plastic jack-o-lanterns with Bed Bug candy, gingerbread candles, and other treats. I think we will start the boo-ing early next year so more neighbors can participate. If you want to start the boo-ing in your neighborhood, you can find print-outs online at: http://www.beenbooed.com/

Every year, we have a small pumpkin-carving party. Chad always draws his own designs, but Jillian and I trace them from pumpkin-carving kits. This year we carved a bat. For the second year in a row, we woke up to find our pumpkins smashed in the middle of the road. I told Chad that we are going to stand watch next Halloween to catch the culprits! ;-)

Jen’s pumpkin was the best:

Move over football fans! Instead of Superbowl parties, how about Election night parties? I will definitely be glued to election coverage tonight as the race unfolds. If you aren’t enthusiastic about any of the 3 presidential candidates that were allowed ballot access in North Carolina, don’t stay at home. Use the write-in option on the ballot. NC polls close at 7:30.

You can find your NC polling site and view election results here:
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

There are tiny elephants throughout the curtains in the living room so we were excited to find a matching tapestry at Ahlara in Cornelius over the weekend. The owner of Ahlara travels extensively; she brings back unique art, furniture, and fabric from her travels. Chad and I have an affinity for ethnic pieces. We just ordered Bangalore-inspired bedding for our bedroom. I can’t wait to pick out paint colors to match it!

This is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. Both of our parents raised their eyebrows when they saw this one. They wanted to know which one of us picked it out. lol

This is on the opposite wall next to the front door:

I’ll post pictures of the other guest room later. When we moved in, it was forest green with a baseball mural on one wall. We decided to go with a tropical theme. We painted it aqua and added a painting of a Charleston breakfast spot we frequent. We still need to add a few final touches. I’ll post a before and after when we finish it.