Woooooo! Zzzzz...

Where in the cotton-pickin' world have I been lately?

Good question, readers.

You see, I've had a lot of folks ask me just what takes so darn long between one post and another. Well, folks, there are a couple of answers for the time lapse as of late. And they are as follows:

I've been busy decorating for Christmas.

Because what's the point of having a New Kids on the Block shelf
if I don't get to decorate it with tiny Santa hats and a teeny tree?

I've been blowin' up Pinterest with fun and festive holiday ideas.

Because we're so broke, everyone in my family will be lucky
to get these candles instead of a pair of socks for Christmas this year!

I've been helping Brian plan for his big graduation from nursing school on 12/12/12.

He has to wear a tux,  y'all!!!

I've been wishing my pal, Arielle, a happy birthday in a most-Laverne inspired way.

Arielle is a Leo girl all the way (particularly Leonardo Circa Titanic.)

I think that about covers it. I mean, that's how I've been spending most of my free time. But I feel like there was something else....

...oh, right, I've been WRITING A BOOK SINCE NOVEMBER 1st!

That's right! I did it! I completed the 50,000 words necessary to win NaNoWriMo 2012. Paired with last year's half-manuscript, I now have almost 250 pages worth of book. I don't know about you, but that's a serious reason to throw around confetti.

The only problem? Things have been so busy (and stressful) around here lately that I haven't had much time to really think about my major accomplishment. I actually finished Nano on Monday, after an 11,000 word marathon on Saturday afternoon. (Yes, I actually meant to include that many zeros.) I finalized my word count, posted on Facebook that I was all finished, and then promptly went to sleep.

Hence, my big celebratory WOOHOO!!! moment was actually more like WooZZzzzzzz.....

But the good news is that now that I've wrapped up the intense writing of NaNo, it frees me up to start blogging regularly again. Hooray for December! And oh, boy do I have some awesome posts coming up.

(None of which are as awesome as the one my friend, Leslie, wrote over on The Bearded Iris today. Especially if you're a fan of Dancing with the Stars. Seriously. If you need a laugh, go read it. I promise. It's awesome.)

So bust out the signs, readers! Balloons are welcome, too! And if there are enough of you to line up and do the wave, I'd be most appreciative. Because I am officially a NaNoWriMo 2012 Winner!!!

My, How The Times Are A-Changin'...

Tomorrow is Sunday. It will be November 18, 2012. I'm telling you this now, so that you can mark your calendars after you read this blog post. Why, you ask? Because tomorrow afternoon, something so momentous, so stupendous, so serendipitous is happening that it should be documented fully.

Let me explain.

Tomorrow, I will be taking my husband to be fitted for a tuxedo.

That's right. You read that correctly.

Why is this such a major event in the life of the Abby Gabs household? Well, dear reader, there are two reasons. Number one: We have to rent said tux for Brian to wear to his nursing graduation next month. It's a big deal. We'll be havin' a party, ya'll.

But the second, more important reason that I'm blogging about the menial task of renting my husband a tuxedo is the real reason behind this blog. You see, my husband has a uniform. He wears it practically every day. That uniform consists of jeans, sneakers, and a myriad of nerdy t-shirts.

On any given day, he looks like this:

Now, most men share this trait. They like to knock around the house in jeans and a tee. Perhaps they'll wear this outfit to the grocery store, or out to a movie.

However, Brian's uniform has always been deemed appropriate attire for all occasions. For instance, here is Brian on any date night:

Special occasions don't often change this trend. A birthday dinner with friends? Same clothes. An evening of (forced) fun at the theater? Same clothes. Our anniversary dinner at a 4-star restaurant in Charleston?

Yep, you guessed it.

In fact, my husband is so entrenched in his fashion sense that he flat-out refused to wear a tie OR a vest to our wedding.

And so, you can imagine my glee at hearing the news that all men graduating with the nursing program in 2012 are required to wear a tux.

Not just any tux, mind you. But a SOLID. WHITE. TUX.

Oh, sweet justice.

And can you guess what I'll be wearing to the tux store tomorrow, dear friends?

Yes I will. And I will enjoy it thoroughly.