Cozy and thankful.

 

This is my absolute favorite time of the year, when it's still fall but heading into the Christmas season. Everything is so cozy. The crunch of leaves, and the smell of woodsmoke outside and our Christmas tree inside, and the warmth of flickering candles, I wish I could bottle it all up. Then I could take it out and enjoy it during the summer when it's so hot and humid that I doubt I'll ever be able to wear wool again.

And this year is even better, because I have Kenny to share it with. It was around this time last year that we started talking a little more and getting to know each other, and by the end of next month we'll have been dating a year. I still can't wrap my mind around it! :) I am so very happy, and I don't know how I got this blessed. I'm incredibly thankful for him.

I know things have been quiet around here lately, but it's hard to share what I'm making when it's all Christmas gifts. But hopefully I'll be done with those in the next few weeks. Stella's blue sweater is finished, just waiting for the buttons. (Speaking of my niece, how adorable is she?) I'm down to my last couple of gifts, and it's not even December quite yet, so I'm feeling good about that. :) I started spinning some new fall-colored fiber the other week, and I love how it's turning out. It was going to be a skein to sell, but that orange and gray look so nice together that I'll probably have to keep it for myself.

I finally bought an essential oil diffuser, and I've really been enjoying it! In the fall and winter, I light candles almost every evening. But I can turn my diffuser on in the morning and it makes my room smell amazing, plus acts like a humidifier. (And of course there are health benefits to diffusing different essential oils, too.) I've had orange and cinnamon leaf oils in there lately, and it smells like fall. I bought this inexpensive one from Amazon, and despite how little water it holds, it runs a surprisingly long time.

I also finally read the first Percy Jackson book. I've been hearing about this series for years, and of course I see Rick Riordan's books everywhere. (That man seems to release a new book every month or two!) I kept hearing comparisons to Harry Potter, which of course intrigued me. It was such a fun read! I enjoyed it more than I expected to, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series sometime soon.