PhotasticFriday: Flatlander

North Dakota is flat. Like really flat. Whenever I'm riding in a car, I can't resist taking photos of the endless horizon. The strait lines of the land seem to give sky more depth. I'm traveling out west next week for Thanksgiving where the mammoth sky seems to hang over the gross, dead terrain even more than in the Red River Valley.

Fall is my favorite time of year, especially on the plains.

WardrobeWednesday: Making my work wardrobe, well, work

So I got my first big girl job, and I start in exactly one month. I've been building my work wardrobe slowly and have most of what I think I will need to not feel like a college student anymore.



These are a few outfits that I'm looking into buying. What's your must-have in your work wardrobe?

MondayMust: Winter gear

I pulled out the crate of winter hats, scarves and gloves. It's been an incredibly mild fall here in North Dakota so far. Usually, we're in the throws of winter right now. Snow has barely fallen, and I hope it stays that way for just a bit longer. We've already shaved off about a month of our normal winter, and I'll appreciate that even more come March.

I have lots of gear and this is just a sampling. I could tell you a story about each one. I've noticed that about me and my clothing. I seem to remember where I wore things and what the special/non-special occasion was, who gave/ made them and the last time I wore them.

Knitting season usually corresponds with hat/scarf season. I never keep my own creations, but maybe I'll change that this year. I started a scarf for my aunt during yesterday's Vikings game. I'm using and seed stitch, and it's coming along quite nicely.

Next on my list is socks. Maybe I'll have a sock collage to go with it ...

PhotasticFriday: Santa's lap

As a kid, I was always kind of a ham in photos. Unlike my older sister Jill, I liked when our mom would force us to go outside and take our Christmas card photo each year. Part of that tradition usually included me picking on her, which might have also added to the appeal of the event.

Then came the sit-on-Santa's-lap photos. No thank you. This guy doesn't even really look like Santa — maybe a Santa that just ate a mud pie, but no Santa I'd want to sit on even now.

PhotasticFriday: Night out with my BFF

Cristen and I went out for pink drinky poos last night. Because we are now old women, we went out about 8 and were home for the 10 o'clock news.



Cristen and I have known each other for more than 20 years and attended grade school, middle school and high school together. We were on basketball and volleyball teams together and eventually became BFFs in college. I just looked back through some old pictures trying to find one of us from long ago, but it eluded me for now. Here's a sort-of oldie dating back about five years.



She's the best person in the whole world to hang out with.

WardrobeWednesday: My newest shoes

I had a very strange day today. But enough about me, let's talk about shoes. MY shoes. I guess we're back on me.



I got these Steve Madden Oxfords a few weeks ago, and they are my new favorites.



I wish I had gotten the black ones because I realized I'm often breaking the brown-black rule with my news shoes. Rules are meant to be broken.

TypophileTuesday: Periodic table of typefaces

Scribbleoneverything.com has a great piece of wall art for anyone in love with typefaces. The periodic table of typefaces is something I've seen on T-shirts and posters, but this one is a set of vinyl wall decals. It's brilliantly designed by Camdon Wilde of Squidspot. You can order them for less than $50. Now that's some affordable art (for geeks anyway).