HELLO, OCTOBER!

It's no secret I love the month of October. This year, it feels extra special as we welcome Max into the world and my family joins in on the celebration for a two-week stay in Swell Rio. Woo Hoo! There's so much goodness to look forward to, I'd be remiss if I didn't share it on m' blog. Here are just a few things that make me exceptionally giddy...

• Sweater Weather & Fall Favorites // I'll be honest, I hate missing out on Fall weather; however, it's pretty much been the case for the past six years. I usually get jazzed if I there's at least ONE day in October where I throw on my favorite sweater and pretend there's a slight chill in the air. It feels like the best birthday present ever!  

• Max's Arrival // Last week I made my follow-up appointment with my midwife and she asked "How does October 2nd sound?" I almost choked when I responded, "That's next week? That's ten days away from his due date!!" I honestly don't know how we got here, but as D-Day gets closer, I pray for the healthy arrival of our baby boy. 

• My 29th Birthday // When my parents said they planned to visit for two whole weeks in October, I couldn't help but get a teensy bit excited when I realized they would be around for my birthday. Yahoo! The last time I celebrated my birthday with them was when I turned 18 years old. How crazy is that?! My goodness, a lot can happen in 11 years...

• Quality Time with Family // Cue the confetti guns and whip me up a gin cocktail, I can't wait to be surrounded by my dear family! So many aspects of this next chapter freak me out, but knowing I'll be in the company of the people I love the most makes me feel incredibly blessed. The unknown seems more like a celebration and a little less scary.

• Pumpkins and Mums Galore // October makes me eager to bust out the pumpkins and Mums, but I've had to hold off due to the warmer Texas temps. In a few days, I'll probably give in and display them around the house because it's my favorite month and I do what I want. I purposely waited until October to have my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. I guess a part of me believes Autumn officially begins during my birthday month. That sounds very Ashley-centric. Oops!

What's something exciting that you look forward to this month? Do tell. Pretty please...

IMAGE CREDITS: Sweater // Hendrick's Gin // Party Hat // Colossal Confetti // Calf-Hair Flats // Crown Illustration // Onesie // Pumpkin

The August Agenda

Jot it down on a cute notepad! 

I'm a stubborn gal. Actually, I prefer tenacious. Can we just call it that? I think it sounds fancier and sugarcoats what's really just pig-headed. But what kind of imagery is that? 

I've noticed that when I go on the record with something, whether it's on the blog or to family and friends, I hold myself extra accountable. That's a good thing, right? But shouldn't I approach all facets of my life with such zeal and ambition? Ideally, yes. 

As a creature of habit, it's easy for me to cling to my old ways, and boy do I love a good routine! So, I thought I'd share a few things I hope to accomplish in the month of August. You'll notice that most of these aren't groundbreaking. In fact, the items on the list are fun and give me something to look forward to and try this month. 

As someone who occasionally adds things to her to-do list just so she can check them off -- you'll find that this month's agenda should be easily attainable. Baby steps, my friends! I'm trying to set myself up for success.

The Friday Five

Happy Friday, friends! We survived another week. Can I get a ginormous WOO HOO? Life on Lil' Puna has been rather crazy lately. While I did post every day, I feel like it was lacking again in the creative department. I just hate when that happens! You make it a point to stop by daily, so I feel this dire need to produce something wonderful. I promise next week will be just as fabulous as you are.

Flyboy is leaving tonight for two weeks and things at work have picked up. Each night, I get home, throw something together for dinner, and sit on the couch with FB and the fur kids at my side. Sounds divine, right? Well, I've kind of neglected my family and friends in the process. I'm there physically, but I want to be "there" in that moment. I have emails that have piled up, and I sit on the couch in the evenings with the laptop attempting to throw together my next post. Before I know it, my sweet family is asleep and it's time to get ready for bed. It's been very "shampoo, rinse, repeat" around here. I need to find a balance in all areas of my life. This post sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?

Anywho, instead of going on ad nauseum about this cray cray life, here are five ways I'm going to strive to achieve a balance and tackle my to-do list this weekend...

1. Create and zhush blog posts in advance. Try to get ahead while Mr. Fine* is away.
2. Work out. I'm ashamed to admit that it's been two weeks since I've hopped on the old spin bike. That's unacceptable! In the big scheme of things, I NEED that stress reliever.
3. Make lists on pretty paper. It makes being productive so much sweeter!
4. Take some time to unplug all iDevices. Being connected is not healthy. I have a silly callus on my thumb from my obsessive scrolling.
5. Do something creative with a pen, pencil, or paintbrush.

*Sometimes it sounds so silly to refer to him as Flyboy. Get used to seeing other references such as FB, Mr. Fine, the mister, etc. I'm sure there are times you want to roll your eyes when you see Flyboy mentioned ONE more time. Ha ha!

How do you get ahead of your to-do list? What's your secret to achieving a healthy balance? Sometimes I just need a few deep breaths and a handful of charming images to clear my mind. In the spirit of this Friday's theme, here are five of my faves.

The Illustrated Ensemble

Girlie Chiffon Bow

New Vintage

Donald Judd, anyone?

Thought Action Gainsborough by Leigh Wells

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Toodles,

ANF

P.S. A special thanks to Carlie for the sweet blogger shout out this week! I just discovered your post last night. Thanks for the blog lovin'. Be sure to add Carlie Crash to your Google Reader -- she's an absolute hoot! Her posts remind me of witty write-ups you might find by Tina Fey or Mindy Kaling.