Seven days without blogging makes one weak.

Y'all. I have missed writing and I hope nobody lost sleep over my absence. Totally kidding. I have a few new followers which makes me super excited. Hi, new friends! I apologize that your first impression of me is a spotty poster, but my laptop is currently zapped.

I have spent the last several days in Tennessee visiting my little sister. (I did take a few pictures, but I cannot currently upload them.)

I arrived Thursday afternoon and we immediately hit up Anthropologie/J. Crew/Williams-Sonoma/a quirky cupcake shop. Needless to say, the only thing we bought were cupcakes. Thursday night we were up late: laughing, singing, and reminiscing.

Friday for lunch we went to a little Italian deli and had a hearty panchetta soup with cheesy, spinach turnovers. We spent the afternoon at the zoo. My favorite animals at the zoo are the giraffes, the polar bears, and the elephants.

Friday evening we went to a holiday bazaar where I was really tempted to spend $10 on a handcrafted card. (Like, I'm kind of regretting not getting it.) There was a Santa and elves and plastic cups of champagne.

For dinner we went to a snazzy sushi place and afterward we hung out with some of my sister's friends at a little camp out.

Saturday morning we woke up early for coffee and a vintage sale. More delicious things I cannot afford. After the sale we went to a museum, courtesy of one of her friends (free passes!). We spent the rest of the morning checking out thrift shops and driving around town. Sister showed me the building where she works and then we grabbed paper-thin crust pizza.

After lunch I was headed home, happy to have made the trip and sad to leave my sister. Like most, we grew up bickering constantly. That's my shirt, you stole it. You're taking too long in the bathroom, get out. Blah blah blah. We still bicker occasionally, but it is so nice - and slightly scary! - to watch my sister grow up, develop independence, create goals, and dream big.

And now the holidays are upon us. I cannot believe how close Thanksgiving is. Do you have any special plans for Thanksgiving? Do you go shopping on Black Friday? I've never been, but I kind of want to check it out, even just for the people watching. Grab a holiday coffee, a blanket, and park myself in a store watching all the nutso shoppers thrash over an iPad or what-have-you.

This afternoon I am making a thirty minute group presentation, so wish me luck!

I will try to post a couple more times this week. Thanks for bearing with me.