Pippin Hill

I recently went wine tasting with friends at Pippin Hill. I would LOVE to get married here! I am sure that they are booked WAY in advance and that it is quite expensive!  I just love the barn and the muted country colors and the mountain view...I just can't get enough! I wish I had found it before it was so popular (and rumored that Jennifer Aniston was married there). http://blog.theknot.com/2013/07/25/did-jennifer-aniston-get-married/

Green thumb

I have never been one to have a green thumb, but, for the first time, my Christmas cactus bloomed at Christmas! It was quite the win! I have found that this plant does not like direct sunlight (I was deceived by the fact that it’s a cactus!) and as expected does not like much water (but does still need some).

Family and Hokie Football

It is somewhat of a tradition for my sister and I to go to the VT v UVA football game on Thanksgiving weekend.  Since she's had kids, the tradition is restricted to the years that VT plays in Charlottesville.  This past year was one of those years and my sister came down to go to the game and hang out with me Saturday night. It was kind of her to sacrifice time with her kids to hang out with me for a day. The game was SO cold! We walked around the stadium at halftime to warm up our feet!  I made her sourdough waffles on Sunday morning before she went home. I think she ate 3, so I guess they were pretty good. As usual, I froze the rest for the occasional "breakfast for dinner" after my 12 hour work days.

Cookie party!

In early December I hosted a cooking making party. I had all guests bring a bottle of wine or supplies for their favorite cookie recipe. It ended up being a small gathering of 3, but it was just perfect. One friend brought sugar cookie dough made from her grandmother's recipe and sprinkles. Another friend brought supplies for the peanut butter cookies with kisses on top. Yum! I made gingerbread (from a pinterest recipe, of course) and had the dough and icing ready for the party. We all took home an assortment of cookies and had a fun time baking and decorating. I hope to make it a new tradition!

Scarf

A friend of mine had told me how she envied my secret santa for always getting a homemade scarf from me for Christmas. Since she had blessed me with a waffle maker for my birthday, I decided to return the favor with a homemade scarf of her very own!

I had stalked her pinterest to see if she had pinned any scarf patterns and I found one for this scarf. You actually knit from each end and then join the two sides together. I'd never done that before and it turned out beautifully! It just needed to be a tad longer, I think.

Back again

I let the holidays slip away and I am WAY behind on posting. I have a lot to catch up on: good food and projects!  My Life Group met this past Thursday and we shared our 5 goals for the year.  Mine were:
1. Learn more about investing (and do it)
2. Be a better friend (aka be more involved in people's lives and less isolated)
3. Intentional Bible study - not just a check box on YouVersion
4. Connect with family weekly
5. Make my giving more personal (I hope God will reveal to me needs in those around me)

The group started me off with some great resources for starting my learning on investing.
One couple encouraged me to take advantage of the resources available from USAA.
Another directed me to this site:
http://www.marottaonmoney.com/
They also sent out this article which I find super inspiring:
 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-retire-early-35-years-early-2014-01-17?dist=beforebell
I would love to have my home paid off and to live off the interest I am making on my investments. That truly is my dream, although I don't know enough about it to make it happen. Hence the need for learning!