oh hello there,

i'm back! as in.. I finally have a new laptop! as in.. I managed to restore my photo editing software to said new laptop!

let's not dwell on the part where I lost a little over 2 years of photos.. no, no must not continue to keep doing that. instead let's celebrate new beginnings and possibilities with a blog post!

there isn't much hope for a white christmas in Vegas so the holiday feels can feel a little far a way but there are a few things around town that can help change that. the ethel m chocolate factory is a season must that is high up on the list. with the combination of Christmas lights and the smell of chocolate in the air it is easy to get the spirits stirring.

hello my name is ruby, I work at a chocolate factory.

even though it was pretty late in the evening I was really excited to get a chance to see people still working. it was like I could almost hear marc summers' voice in my head when I walked along the glass separating all of us from their chocolatey assembly line. not to mention how hardcore I was spying on their work tables I was incredibly curious to see what was going on there.

after all that work, there they are..!

dark chocolate anything for me pleeease.

I do not know the owner of this butt, I apologize if this is your butt.

I do know this one though.

 check out that smile. lines for days? no sweat.

my wallace loves.

supposedly she is the oldest sibling..suspicous. 

the. best. cocoa.

this is the kind of hot cocoa that you don't mind waiting for.

not to mention how necessary it is before you walk the cactus garden. Vegas may not get much or any snow but it is a desert and it can get extremely cold.. says the person who is cold all the time.. I know, I know.

trust me, rookie move if you skip the cocoa. 

bundle up to the fullest, cocoa in hand, and you're ready!

famiglia.

the holidays remind us to make the time.

i feel like this year has been pretty rough for a lot of people. speaking from personal experience it really has been for me. i thought for sure this whole year not one good thing actually happened but i realized that wasn't true.

i'm truly grateful for all the people who have been so supportive and empathetic towards me. i couldn't imagine this year playing out as it did without these lovely batch of humans whom i've been lucky to have at my side.

sometimes you have to remind yourself of what matters after you've had crap experiences. sure let yourself wallow, feel your feels but then remember what matters and keep pushing forward.

i remembered i still had this space. i have my family and friends. i have me. 

merry christmas and have a happy new years, i hope you appreciate all the things we tend to forget about and that you take the time to be kind to yourself.

xo