If that doesn’t make you smile, here on Thanksgiving-eve, nothing will. I suggest you read the whole article and look at ALL the beautiful photos. And now, back to my sweet potatoes.

So yes, I am a vegetarian. I look forward to Thanksgiving nonetheless – my favorites were always the side dishes anyway. And, of course, the warm fuzzy spending time with family-ness of it all. It was a tricky holiday, though, once I started college. Air travel over the holiday can be nightmarish. And it never seemed to be enough time, especially with finals hanging over my head.

That hasn’t been an issue for a few years now, but from LA, the whole redeye flight/long weekend thing does throw you for a loop. Since Mike and I will see our families a lot over the next couple months anyway, I’m ultimately extremely relieved to be staying right where I am this Thanksgiving. It will be the first time I actually make some of the Thanksgiving goodies myself, as opposed to showing up in the kitchen, asking my mom if I can help and then mashing some potatoes or something marginal and then stuffing myself. My poor mom. It’s just so easy to go back to your parents’ house and revert to total childlike ‘feed me’ helplessness. But it’s good I am now forced to bake my own pie like the grown-up I actually am.

I for one will be making a sweet potato casserole and a chocolate pecan pie and bringing it to a friend’s. I actually do love baking (I’m the cupcake queen!), and I’m thrilled to actually have enough time to do it. Both are specialties of my mom’s, so I’m making my own tradition while actually just carrying hers on. Which is a warm fuzzy feeling in itself. :) Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

While we all know I’m neither gorgeous nor even tall enough to be a real model, I did spend all weekend feeling like one. Our friend Sara Remington, who also happens to be a kick-ass professional photographer, took some wonderful shots of me (and of Mike, looking all cute with his bass) for the album and for promo materials. Along with the album, I’m not yet ‘unveiling’ the shots, but they’re fantastic pieces of art. As time went on with the shooting I forgot all about my insecurities and just let Sara do her job. I look at them and forget it’s me–interestingly, that’s similar to how I feel when I listen to the album. I get carried away by something Mike or Jay is playing and forget about myself…which is a bizarre but very rewarding experience.

You can check out her stuff at www.sararemington.net. I’d recommend her to anyone. She takes a lot of still-life photos of food, so, seriously, make sure you’re not hungry when you visit the site. :)

Otherwise, just gearing up for Thanksgiving. I really am counting the days ’til I get to go freeze my butt off in Michigan…can’t wait to see Mike’s family. It’s always good to get away and have a little change of scene to clear your head, and I can’t wait to hang out with my little future nephews and niece. I’ve missed family time out here, and eating too much of someone else’s fantastic food (yay Mike’s Mom and sister!).

Before I go, I’ll be playing solo (Saturday, Nov. 18 should you want to come party with me!) at the Borders in Glendale. It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of those quasi-background music gigs, where’s it’s always awkward to talk to the crowd as if they chose to come hear you play when they walked into Borders that night…but I’m actually really pumped to play. Should get some good foot traffic, and have fun re-visiting my high school days as a bookstore cafe singer. Seriously, if you have any requests and will be there…let me know. I have 2 hours to fill!

Right now, off to hear Dave Palmer and (we hope!) Fiona Apple, after our Largo snafu last night. See Mike’s blog for details on that ridiculous affair…

Happy Thanksgiving (soon), people…soon it’s just a warp speed hurtle through the holiday season, which I love.