I guess it's time now for another update from Amber Land. There isn't a whole lot going on around here, we're just gearing up for my family coming next week for Thanksgiving. I haven't done much around the house lately, I guess I've been burned out. But, this past week I decided to remove the air conditioner from the spare room window because it makes it too drafty for the pets in the winter. I may have underestimated its size and weight though, because there were a few moments where I was pretty positive that me and the ac were going into the bushes. Luckily I took care of it. I've also been continuing my work on refinishing the bathroom door. I finished stripping the paint, and spent four hours over the last few days sanding it down. So now it's finally ready to paint! I would feel even better about that if it weren't for the fact that I have to do the same thing to 5 more doors. Blurg. Yes, I have been watching many, many episodes of 30 Rock on the Roku box, why do you ask? Anyway, the main reason I wanted to post is because I opened up my Etsy shop this week! It's called All the Years, which is the title of a Beach House song. I have a hard time coming up with names for things, so I went through my iTunes and found it haha. Honestly, I'm still pretty self conscious about it since there are so many people on there who are much better at the whole thing than I am, but I figured I'll just learn as I go. On that note, my shop banner is a bit of an annoyance for me. I've never really used Photoshop, but I managed to make a pretty kick ass banner using the first shop name I had. When I changed my mind about the name, I tried to remake it, but it kept coming out blurry. So, what you're seeing is the 15th try, which, unbelievable as it may be, is the best version. Hopefully someday I'll have the patience to try again. I've made one sale so far, but hope for more. So, you know, tell your friends haha. For now I am trying to go into it just to see what happens. For the time being it's just vintage items, but I have a few ideas for some handmade things to add in, more than likely after the first of the year. But, I still haven't started the laundry, so Jason has no work clothes. And there are two stinky furry beasts in the other room who need their cages cleaned, so I should probably get back to being responsible. But, on an unrelated note, I'm currently listening to my fourth Sonic Youth album in a row. Somehow, it just seems right on a Sunday night.

I thought I'd drop in before Jason gets home from work to update the blog. I got back from Florida on Friday night. I had such a great time! I'm not big into tropical vacations as a rule, but I love Clearwater. It's probably because my grandparents have lived there since I was 2, so it's a very homey, comfy place. I went to the beach, where I saw dolphins swimming around right off the shore! It was even cooler when I realized that they were dolphins and not sharks, like I had previously thought haha. My grandma and I went to Disney World. We spent time in Downtown Disney and Epcot, and we got to go to the Halloween party and parade at Magic Kingdom! It was so much fun, I love Disney World! I also believe that that was my 20th trip there. Crazy. I also ate lots of Chik fil a and bought a few cute things at Forever 21, because my grandparents love to hang out at the mall haha. And I got to see some of my grandma's family that I hadn't seen in 6 years. All in all it was a great trip, but it's nice to be back. I felt like before I left I wasn't really getting as into Fall as I normally am. But, since my brief return to Summer, I'm excited to find it even more Fall-like here. Actually, almost Winter-like, since we have snow flurries in our forecast! I've been listening to lots of folk music and drinking tea, and really, is there a better way to celebrate fall than that? I've also been looking ahead to Christmas. We have to buy a total of 22 gifts every year (yes, I've counted), when taking into account Christmas and birthdays. Our budget is going to be so tight that it's starting to worry me. But, I bought 2 gifts at Disney, and I'm thinking about some handmade options for some others, so I'm sure it will work out. I just can't believe it's already that crazy time of year again. My mom, Bob, Cory and Megan are coming here for Thanksgiving, and I'm really excited. I haven't spent Thanksgiving with my mom, Bob and Cory since I was in high school! And that was a really long time ago, since I'm pretty old haha. Also, before I forget, my goal is to have my Etsy shop open by the end of next week, so I'll post more about that when the time comes!