Images of (my) Christmas

Lights in Round Rock. These lights were synchronized with Christmas music.

With all the moving and chaos over the past few months, we decide on a nice relaxing evening; or in otherwords, we didn't plan anything. It was nice to not have the stress of decorating, buying or cooking for the holidays. One thing we did enjoy was the Christmas lights. I don't know what it is, but there's always something magical about driving around and viewing the Christmas lights. And Austin does not disappoint; there is even a list of the best lights in the city. Even though we only made it to a few of those on the list, I think we saw some great displays. My favorite was the house that synchronized their lights to Christmas music. Somehow they used a radio frequency so that cars driving past could hear the music on their radios while watching the lights. I appreciate how much time they put in for all us viewers. 

The tree at Zilker Park.

Now this is a flashy nativity.

The extent of our Christmas decorating. Maybe next year I'll do a tree.

It is finished

I have an overwhelming feeling to cry, yell or just pass out from stress (not sure which one to choose first). My final obstacle of writing my letter of intent is finished, with a few hours of the final day to spare. What a journey a 500-word essay can take me through. The past few years have led to my decision to go to graduate school. And over the past months I have been trying to explain my journey and why I want this so much. I'm hoping that my letter can convey my passion and conviction that teaching college is my path. I've written all I can, and now it is out in the universe floating on positive vibes.

Light up the night

For our second free event, we attended the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for its Luminations night. It was a chilly 40 degrees in Austin, but we figured since we're used to Utah winters, we could brave it :) When we arrived, there was a banjo band playing in the courtyard next to a clear spring pool, kids creating crafts and people following the luminaries towards an area with Christmas music. We decided to walk along the paths, where they had quite a few benches to sit and enjoy the evening. This is definitely a place to return to when it's spring and the flowers are blooming. As we left, we stopped at the Hey Cupcake! trailer to get one of their amazing cupcakes, which I intend to blog about in the future. It just so happened we were the last customers, so they gave us 4 for the price of 1!!! I would say that was a perfect way to end the evening.   

A cool walkway covered in vines.

Sitting on a large, wooden bench.

A pool of spring water.

Adrian and I above the walkway.

Luminaries lighting the path.

Getting more for less

Who knew saving money could be so exciting? While I've tried to use coupons and search out deals, it always seemed like a hassle that got in the way of relaxing and having fun. But while searching for a job, I have resolved to be more frugal with my money. Of course, I don't want to miss out on exploring the new city I've moved to. Luckily, through a job club, I found out about this amazing blog (definitely makes me appreciate bloggers even more) that highlights all FREE things to do and deals in Austin!!

Free Fun in Austin is my new go-to site for fun. While the site is specifically geared at families with children, a lot of the activities are for people of all ages. In addition to having a calendar of FREE stuff to do in Austin, they also point out restaurant and online coupons. I am just way excited!! They also filter in discounts from other sites like Groupon.com and Restaurant.com, which makes it a lot easier than checking tons of sites everyday for deals.

As our first activity from the blog, Adrian and I attended Christmas Tidings at the French Legation Museum. The museum is tucked away in a neighborhood just minutes from downtown; in fact, from the grounds there is an amazing view of the city. I learned that the main house is the oldest house in Austin (still extremely sturdy). It's a small museum but one with lots of history and beautiful grounds. Nowadays, the grounds can be rented for events and weddings (jot that down next to possible locations :). With this event a success, I'm already making plans for what free stuff I'll be doing for the rest of the weekend.    

Me enjoying the beautiful grounds.

This is the oldest house in Austin. Now, the veranda is used for weddings.

There is an amazing view of the city. This is just a small glimpse of the capitol.

S'mores in the Austin winter

It's winter!! For Austin that means the temperature has drifted down to 35 degrees — at night. No snow, but there is a frigid wind that makes people head indoors for something nice and warm. Sunday night, Adrian and I decided to head downtown and check out one of our new favorite coffee shops, Halcyon. I love the modern look and artsy vibe of this place; plus, on a previous trip I had noticed they had s'mores on the menu. Since we needed something to warm us up, s'mores seemed like the perfect option. They provide everything needed, even a mini-fire. We enjoyed the whole experience, and there were quite a few people in the coffee shop that did the same thing. This is definitely a unique activity that everyone in Austin should try at least once. I'm sure we'll enjoy this no-hassle s'more cookin' again, especially since I didn't have to worry about my hair or clothes reeking of campfire afterwards :)  

Just trying to get that nice golden coating.

Cookin up our marshmallows.

Adrian enjoyed his s'more.

The new apartment

Just some photos of the new apartment. Look at all the space I have to work with!! This may take a while to furnish.

Kitchen

Bathroom — I already decided on the color scheme

This will be living room/office

Walk-in-closet!! Room for everything & more

And, of course, a drawer full of makeup!

Starting to feel like home

So I have now been in Austin for over a month. Crazy!! It feels longer and shorter at the same time. Overall, very nice. I do feel like this is my new home, especially now that I have an apartment. I'm way excited to not be living in a hotel anymore. And the new place is about twice the size as my one in Salt Lake. Of course, since I don't have a lot of stuff, it's just empty space; But it's my empty space and I like it. I'll take some photos and post them.

As for what I've been doing. I'm am just about done writing my letter of intent (read about that dilemma) and applying to grad school. I've been exploring the city, which is quite awesome. There is so much good food. I want to call out some of them specifically later. There is such a variety. The people are also really nice. I've made some good connections with designer types.

Also, I love that the coldest its gotten during the day is 50, and 30 at night. Sorry to all my Utah friends who have had to fight the snow. I'm pretty grateful I got out just in time :)