Thursday, January 31, 2013

paperman animated short film

this most adorable little disney short has been floating around the internets and i needed to give it a permanent home on my blog. if you haven't seen it, you must watch!  now please excuse me while i go perfect my paper-airplane abilities and/or leave lipstick prints on a few things.


i believe in a thing called love,

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

10 facts about my sleeping habits

I think you can tell a lot about people by examining the way they sleep. 

Or maybe not, but it's still interesting to do some examining. I mean, if there's one thing people are particular about, it's their sleep. I once had a roommate who couldn't sleep without a special little blanket draped over her face. Humans are a curious bunch of creatures!

Here are 10 facts about my sleeping habits:

1. The room must be cold for me to sleep properly. Cold room, big blankets. Fan on, air moving. Perfect.

2. I always start sleeping on my right side but wake up on my back. Usually, one of my hands is touching my face and the other one is resting on my tummy. I cannot explain this.

3. I am obsessed with my gray jersey sheets and sleep best in gray pajamas.

4. I am in a committed relationship with my body pillow. We shnuggle every night.

5. I always set my alarm early so I can hit snooze a couple times.

6. In high school, I set my clock 30min ahead so I could wake up when the clock said 6am instead of 5:30am. Trust me, it makes a difference.

7. It is impossible for me to sleep well if anything in the room is ticking or making a rhythmic noise.

8. It's difficult for me to sleep if my hair looks or feels weird. If it's already down and curled or straightened, then it's fine. But if it's been up all day and will be crazy or fuzzy if I take it out, I usually leave it up to sleep. This is maybe the single tidiest detail of my otherwise cluttered life.

9. There is no better feeling in the world than going to sleep without an alarm set for the next morning. It evokes a level of joy inside me that almost drives me to tears and/or hysteria. I credit this to my intense dislike of being told what to do. Starting the day with a dumb little machine telling me exactly when I need to wake up? Instant grumpiness.

10. I keep three blankets on my bed: one heavy, one medium and one light. Depending on the temperature in my room, I choose a different blanket each night and push the other two to the foot of the bed. Also, I don't believe in top sheets. I find them to be tangle-prone and somewhat distressing.

OK now YOU spill. Tell me all your sleeping quirks! 
{Better yet: blog about it, link back here and leave me a comment with the URL.}

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Healthy Fast Food Chain to Open in Gilbert, AZ


After my lovely sister-in-law from Bonnie Jean Photography posted on Facebook about Salad and Go, I immediately did what was necessary: thoroughly stalked them online and made an appointment to call the owner on the phone.

After just a few minutes on the phone with Roushan Christofellis, one of the masterminds behind this tasty new venture, my anticipation for opening day on Feb. 28 only multiplied.

It isn't easy being green.

For a long time, Roushan and her husband struggled with what many people face: a desire to eat healthy, but a busy lifestyle that made it seem nearly impossible to do so.

"There's really a void of available options," Roushan said. "Why can't there be food that's quick, convenient, affordable, healthy and great tasting?"

For the Christofellis family, it's personal.

Roushan and her husband are no strangers to the negative impacts of poor health. Within their own extended families, heart attacks and quadruple bypasses are situations that have hit too close to home.

"You are what you eat," Roushan said. "When you eat poorly, you're really setting yourself up for heartbreak later."

And so, they're doing something about it.

When the idea for a health-centered fast-food chain first sprouted, Roushan was in her 7th year of teaching elementary school. After a lot of careful thought, she decided to take a break from teaching and pursue the idea full time.

"It's way too convenient and affordable to eat unhealthy meals," she said. "Let's change this!"

What's on the menu?

At Salad and Go, the vision is simple, local and homemade. As any healthy eater knows, junk food is cheap and easy -- the fresh ingredients are where it gets pricey.

To combat the inevitable cost factor, they're keeping the menu simple -- but that doesn't mean it's lacking. From the dressings to the croutons to the pico de gallo, all ingredients are fresh and house-made. The corn, for example, isn't just any old corn -- it's a specific type of sweet corn roasted in a specific (and inevitably delicious) way.

"Each component itself is like a little recipe," Roushan said. "It's a small, focused menu."

(Check out the menu and drool a little with me, OK? And salad aside...fro yo milkshakes?? Be still my fro-yo lovin' heart!)

How's it work?

As promised, the food comes quickly. Salad and Go includes a drive-thru option and pick-up window only, with some patio seating. They're starting with just one location -- set to open on Feb. 28 -- but the goal is to open six stores within 2 or 3 years.

"We want to saturate the Gilbert area," Roushan said.

Read more on their innovative, cost-saving business model here.

My thoughts on all this?

Excited. Excited. Excited. A healthy fast food option? Bingo. Bless you, Salad and Go. Bless you.

Also, kudos to them for a good-looking, functional and well written website. I have strong feelings about good-looking, functional and well written websites. Win.

Can't wait to check it out on Feb. 28! Follow them on Facebook to stay in the loop.

p.s. They're hiring! If you live in AZ and are looking for part-time work for a cause you can really commit yourself to, here's the info.

All images via the Salad and Go website.

Friday, January 25, 2013

a pep talk from kid president to you ▲

i know i already posted a video and told you that what fridays need are a movie clip from the 80s and a chance to get up and do the freddie (this advice still stands).

but then this video appeared. and you need this, too.


"it's like that dude Journey said."
"and i looove space jam!"
"not cool robert frost."

Thursday, January 24, 2013

girl, put your wellies on

the sun didn't come out today in AZ, and it meant two things:
1. my bed was abnormally cozy (as it always is during overcast weather) and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth before i could peel myself out of it
2. no sun means clouds and no clouds means rain and rain means...


...wellies!

this fine pair of galoshes entered my life one unsuspecting afternoon as i wandered the aisles of my local wally-mart (welly-mart?). i spied them hidden in the back of a corner shelf, all coated in a thick layer of dust (for serious) with a neon $5 price sticker stuck haphazardly on the toe. 

and they were my size.

i proceeded to wonder three things:
1. were these divinely placed here, just for me?
2. and if so, does that mean there is dust in heaven?
3. or maybe, just maybe, these navy-blue rain boots were simply part of an overstock supply of footwear originally intended for the actual walmart employees to wear while they worked on the docks and stuff.

whatever it is, i'm not complaining.
(almost as good of a story as the tale of my chinese overalls, but not quite.)
i'm just a little black rain cloud.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

a case of adult-onset introversion

My name is Katie and I have adult-onset introversion.

It's kind of like how a couple of my friends have adult-onset lactose intolerance, but I can still eat dairy. So it's not really the same, actually. And wow, I love me some fro yo.

Growing up, I was the definition of extroversion. 

And by growing up, I mean "anytime between age 0 and about a year ago." If there was a party, I had to be there. I hated missing any social event. My dad, he was the opposite. He's the funniest person I know, but only a few people know it because he always hides in his room when too many people come over to the house.

Introversion and shyness are not the same thing.

My research (see: googling and talking to other people) has taught me that introverted vs. extroverted is not the same thing as shy vs. outgoing. An introvert or extrovert is defined by how they get their energy: introverts feel drained by a crowd, and extroverts feel energized. Introverts recharge their energy reservoir with some quality alone time. It is entirely possible to have a shy extrovert and an outgoing introvert.

For me, shyness is purely situational.

If i'm in my element (usually somewhere I spend a lot of time) I feel confident talking to anyone and everyone. But if I'm the new kid in a crowd of people who all know each other, you'll find me hiding in a corner somewhere. When I first started the job I'm at now, I barely talked to anyone for the first couple months. I ate lunch out in the same room as everyone, but I rarely contributed to the conversation. To their credit, my coworkers did exactly what I prefer people do in that situation: acknowledged me but didn't draw too much attention to me or push me to say anything.

I attended a networking event not too long ago where I quickly slipped into my "I'm intimidated so I'm going to be quiet" mode, and one of the other attendees would repeatedly call attention to me with statements such as, "Don't say too much over there!" (Cue more intimidation and not even a remote desire to open my mouth or interact with anyone.) (Also cue a desire to throw my appetizer at that obnoxious woman.)

Leadership is a huge factor.

One theme I've noticed is that being placed in leadership positions brings me out of my "I'm shy around new people" shell. If I attend a small group gathering where I barely know anyone, I'm really not likely to say much. But if you tell me I'm in charge and I need to lead the discussion or take other people under my wing, I blossom. (Side note: I hate the word blossom because it makes me think about awkward puberty lessons in elementary school.) But really, if I know I'm expected to step up and be animated, I totally do. Otherwise, it's the quiet corner for me.

So what am I?

But shy vs. outgoing aside, am I an extrovert or an introvert? Like I said, back in the day I was a large-gathering-i-love-parties social addict. NOTHING could have been worse than sitting at home on a Friday or Saturday night!

And then something funny happened.

Sometime in the last year, I stopped liking parties. I stopped caring if I missed a social event. I even started to love being alone. Like, LOVE. A weekend night with no plans?? Hallelujah to high heaven! At first I thought it was "a phase I'm going through," but then it became clear the habit was going to stick around.

Last Friday night I took a hot shower, pulled on my favorite striped pajamas and crawled into bed to read a book and watch netflix.....at 7 pm. And I would probably do it every night if I could. Which basically means I've turned into my dad, so maybe this is genetic?

So I've diagnosed myself: I have adult-onset introversion.

What about YOU? And did it change as an adult?

more netflix and striped pajamas please,
katilda

Monday, January 21, 2013

my favorite childhood tv shows

Before the dawn of my boy meets world obsession and my deep and abiding love for saved by the bell, full house, sabrina the teenage witch and  really any 90s sitcom (bless you, TGIF), there were my younger childhood tv shows. 

This was before the era when all children's shows took a shot of crack and went on an ADD-riddled sugar rampage. (Also, i don't think you actually take cocaine via a "shot.") In any case, I think television used to care a little bit more about being educational and wholesome, and a little less about inducing emotions akin to that entire scene in willy wonka when they rode through the creepy light tunnel (speaking of a shot of crack).

i plan to raise my children on some of my old childhood favorites:

[via]

[via]

[via]

[via]

[via]

[via]

[via]

[via]

...what were yours?
(seriously i really miss wishbone.)

Friday, January 18, 2013

the benefits of working from home

fact: working a creative job (see: writing all day) at a desk for 40 hours a week can be...stifling. sometimes the wiggles inside me just want to run out the door and into the sunshine!

thankfully... my boss recently gave me permission to work remotely two days per month.
{cue choirs of heavenly angels}

since only lovely adventures are sure to come from my newfound freedom to work from wherevertheheckiwant two days per month, you can expect that i'll be reporting on the places i go and the things i see! there will be coffee shops, there will be new libraries (of course), and maybe sometimes the great outdoors! like i said, wherevertheheckiwant.

my first remote working day included:
+ working the first 4 hours in my bed, in my striped pajamas
+working the other 4 hours at my kitchen table, wearing real clothing like an adult
+ lunching in my quiet living room with the sun coming in
+ ditching the headphones and freely singing along with my music
+ an impromptu 5-minute solo dance party to LFO's "Summer Girls"
+ a 4-mile afternoon run in the ever-gorgeous Arizona winter weather, with views like this:


so basically, it was excellent. i can't wait to do this twice a month.

have you ever tried working from home?
my coworker showed me this study and i'm all "yeah, fist pumps to the sky!"

it's friday, do the freddie ▲

there are simply two things every successful friday needs:
1. a blast from the past, such as favorite clips from The Karate Kid, etc.
2. an excuse to get up and get all the weekday wiggles out

so i'm going to suggest this treat from 1989, if i may...


if you're not a visual learner, wikipedia has some helpful, descriptive advice:
"To do The Freddie, simply stand in place; then, in rhythm with the music first extend the left leg and left arm; then the right leg and right arm. Repeat until the song's conclusion."

you can even kick it vintage, if that suits you.

the mashed potato is also a good option,
katilda

Thursday, January 17, 2013

music: penny & sparrow

i have a new musical crush.
introducing: penny and sparrow
{see their website or find them on facebook or spotify}
{credit to katie lee for the recommendation, who also makes music}

what i love about them:
+the music, first of all
+ the music, second of all and third of all
+ they began as two roommates with a hecka-ton of talent
+ their sound has the folksie/acoustic vibe i live and breathe for
+ the album is clearly named after one of my favorite books, The Hiding Place
+ it's one of those very rare albums where i legitimately like more than 5 songs
+ one of their songs is about les miserables (we know i love that)
+the band name is a biblical reference, and i have to love that too!
+ they're from Texas, they're from Texas, and they're from Texas
(did you know i was born there? the pride is in my blood!)


my most favorite tracks so far:
brothers, la reyna, bones, hereos & monsters, and a woman caught
{listen on spotify if that's your stomping grounds}

not only do i dig penny and sparrow's music, but i love the idea that they are just two random fellas embarking on their musical career, so i actually bought their album to show some support!

go get 'em, boys! xoxo

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

how to convince someone to love you

Confession: this isn't actually a post about how to make someone fall in love with you. Rather, it's a post about why you shouldn't try to do that. When you're ready to forgive me for deceiving you, please do read on.


Somewhere in the middle of college, I fell hard and fast for a boy who did not like me back. It all started with a chance run-in on campus one day, a couple flirtatious smiles and a hopeful "see you around." I was officially a goner.

For months and months, I crushed deeper and deeper. And you can't blame me -- he was good-looking, he was fun, he wrote me witty emails to entertain me during class, and we frequently hung out on campus between classes, and even sometimes on weekends.

He never took me on official dates, and he never held my hand or kissed me or did all the usual things a boy would do if he has feelings for a girl. But I told myself he would come around. I just needed to be patient, right? And maybe he was shy? And maybe he took out other girls (and not me) because he was intimidated by me and those other girls were safe...?

I remember once, we were joking around about me becoming a punk-rock pop star someday (who knows why) and he playfully touched my bottom lip and suggested that a lip piercing might work out well for me. It's funny how, even several years later, my breath still catches in my throat when I remember the way it felt when his finger briefly brushed my mouth.


But like I said, he did not like me back. Or if he ever did, he must have changed his mind. Because one day, there was someone else. There was another girl, and there was less of me and him. There was less of witty emails and less of campus run-ins and less of casual weekend hangouts. And then one day, there was a ring on her finger.

And I was crushed, and not in the good way this time. I was crushed, I was heartbroken and I was jealous. I wanted to win his attention back. I wanted to prove to him that I was the one he was supposed to fall in love with. But I am not a home wrecker, and there was a ring on her finger. And so I wallowed. And then I felt deeply numb.

I remember coming home one day a couple months later and sitting in my room, without even bothering to turn on the light or take off my coat. I simply laid on my bed and looked at the ceiling, until the numbness finally broke inside me. I cried...and I cried...and I cried.

And this is when a dear friend found me lying there, in my pitiful, tearstained condition. She was one of those wise souls, and I'll never forget what she said to me:

"Katie, do you really want to spend the rest of your life convincing someone they want to be with you?"

It hit me like a welcome ton of bricks. She was right. Why WOULD I want that? Even if he did magically change his mind and decide he wanted to be with me, what victory is that? What victory is it to manage to convince someone to be in love with me? That my persistence eventually wore him down into being with me? Would I ever really feel secure about that? 

I realize there is something to be said for persistence. And sometimes, people do change their minds down the road. Sometimes, patience does pay off in the end. (I know it does, because I've been there. I've been the exception to the rule, so I know it exists.)

But even if someone does eventually change their mind about you, there is so much more you can be doing in the meantime than putting all your eggs in one basket and pining away with a lovesick heart.

I'm not talking about pessimism or not taking risks. You know I'm an infallible believer in hope, vulnerability and courage. But I do think there are times when we all need that good friend to sit down next to us and say, "It's time to let this go and move on."


what do YOU think?


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

i will always have a library

I will always have a library.

Be it a simple bookshelf that barely fits in my smallish room and bursts at the seams with treasured words, a few boxes of old favorites waiting in a storage unit, or a single novel perpetually riding on the passenger seat or tucked in my suitcase and coming along with me like a friend on my adventures, it is my library.

My yellow-paged, dog-eared, used and new and loved and unknown and borrowed and bought.


And someday it will have its own room. Its very own living, breathing, stretching, personal, devoted space. and its furniture will be chosen on the basis of comfort and whimsy and what-will-put-the-best-lines-on-my-face-when-i-accidentally-sleep-there-all-night-somewhere-in-the-middle-of-the-5th-or-6th-harry-potter.

And even if it has to share its corner with lamps, plants, toys, blanket forts, coat racks and mayhaps someday even a smallish television, it will always be the library. It will always be queen of its space.

"Go to the library and read for an hour," to the children.
"Please have a seat in the library," to my guests.
"I'm going to be alone in the library," to my To Do list.
"It's probably somewhere in the library," to every small object i inevitably misplace.


The smell of old books and the feel of threadbare pages will always be only one room away, just in case i need to lose myself in them.

The ones that move me, the ones that open my eyes, the ones that break something inside me and the ones that put me back together, the ones i eat up and the ones that swallow me whole in return, that make me fall in love, that compel me to lie awake at night and think and think and think, that make me feverishly underline every passage, that are the reason for the yawning and the dark circles perpetually under my eyes, that i could read 200 times and never grow tired of, that i obsessively loan out to friends because their lives simply won't be complete until they've experienced it, the ones that tell stories outside of what's written on their pages, stories about me and my life and how we came to find each other.

I will always have my library.

My yellow-paged, dog-eared, used and new and loved and unknown and borrowed and bought.

Monday, January 14, 2013

my pretty little plate collection ▲

when i was little, i collected trolls. you know, the little guys with gems on their bellies. my favorite was the one with blue hair and the star on his belly, but i think my friend stole him? but then i stole her house key and hid it under the dog in retaliation sooo....there's that.

these days, i've moved on from trolls to pretty little plates. i like to buy them when i travel (souvenir shops in most cities will have them) but i mostly love to thrift them! did you know you can find a whole variety of dishes at thrift stores? for verrry little moneys? uh-mazing.

i adore the idea of having a whole set of mismatched china someday. mostly because i prefer the quirk of a mismatched set, but also there's the bonus that it doesn't matter if a piece breaks.

here's a few favorites from my collection:






i can't tell you how much more exciting birthdays and dessert nights are with these little treasures on hand. paper plates? no thanks! everyone picks a fancy little dish and puts a piece of cake on it.

what do YOU collect?
my mom collects souvenir thimbles and i think it is so lovely.

sometimes i am ladylike and fancy,
katilda

Friday, January 11, 2013

music: the boxer

thanks to my papanwa (see: dad), i have a deep and abiding love for music from the 1960s  and 70s (see: hippie music). and when a modern favorite (see: mumford & sons!) covered a simon & garfunkel favorite (see: the boxer) (see: i don't know why i keep writing "see:" in parentheses but let's run with it) i was happy as a clam!

here it is, so you can enjoy it too!
happy friday.


In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
"I am leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains

p.s. lie-la-lie will now be in my head all day.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

why i'm going gluten free

Among my 2013 resolutions, you may have noticed my goal to stop eating gluten at least until my birthday on february 11. Truthfully, I started this goal before the new year and I've offically gone 18 days without gluten. (holla!) I realize this might not sound like a big number, but I challenge you to try it for one or two days and you'll get it -- it's hard. My sincere admiration and respect goes out to all people who deal with food allergies and dietary restrictions, seriously.

Not sure what gluten free means?

Basically it means no wheat...so the foods on the chopping block include bread, pasta, all baked goods (unless made special with non-wheat flour), most cereals (bless you, chex!), many sauces and soups, etc. also random things like reeses, but only the holiday shapes (weird, i know). Basically, the lifestyle means you have to check food labels and/or look everything up before you eat it (bless you, smartphone).

Why am I doing this?

I'll spare you the details of my poor, ailing tummy but suffice it to say, it's hated me for a few years now. I tried going without dairy and a variety of other remedies, but nothing ever seemed to make a difference. Aside from the stomach, my other issues included regular headaches, weak immune system, general fatigue, weird random fevers and joint pain, random itchiness, a plague of deathly canker sores, etc.

Not my first rodeo...

Visits to the doctor always came back inconclusive, even official blood tests (something involving an IgA deficiency that can cause a false negative for the gluten test). I first tried going gluten free a couple years ago, and let's be honest: i was terrible at it. I frequently cheated or didn't pay close enough attention to food labels, so i never could tell what made a difference and what didn't. The problem with gluten is that, if your body doesn't handle it well, it damages your digestive system -- so the only way to fix it is to go cold turkey long enough to let the system heal itself and then avoid gluten....forever. Needless to say, my low commitment level resulted in failure for my first gluten free trial.

But then, I just snapped one day.

I reached a point the last few months where i felt like i got sick every other week. If i was around anyone with a cold, i inevitably came down with it. I'd get random fevers that made my whole body ache and put me in bed for a couple days at a time, but i never tested positive for the flu or mono. We won't even get into the angst and woes of my tummy, but it was no bueno. I still struggled with regular headaches, and it reached a point during december where the pain was pretty crippling and struck like clockwork every afternoon/evening. The only thing that made it better was excedrin migraine, but i don't always love the racing heart and jittery caffeine high that comes with that avenue. So a few days before Christmas at the grocery store, I just snapped and took everything out of my cart that had gluten in it.

And I mean it this time.

It's never been so easy in my life to say no to something. All those christmas baked goods? No thank you. Free food at work and social events? I can pass. It definitely takes work and planning to eat gluten free (it's in pretty much...everything) but my mind is in a much better place this time around. As much as i love so many things with gluten in them, it no longer outweighs my desire to feel good. Instead of feeling resentful of things I can't eat, I've actually noticed a large amount of gratitude when I remember all the delicious things I can eat: grilled chicken, vegetables, gluten-free dressing and sauces, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. I also have a sincere appreciation for restaurants and grocery stores that cater to a gluten-free diet -- they do exist, and I want to hug them all and shout their names from the rooftops!

And has it helped?

Honestly, yes. I know it's only been 18 days so it might sound cheesy or dramatic, but I haven't had a single headache in more than two weeks, my stomach is working noticeably better (not perfect yet, but better), and my overall energy level is on the upswing. My initial goal was to make it all the way until my birthday on february 11 so i could get a more conclusive gauge on the situation. More time will surely tell if it's causation or coincidence, but with the way I feel so far I suspect I already know the answer. But like I said, only more time will tell for sure. I struggle a little with feeling high maintenance when friends try to plan their meals around me or I have to turn down free food offers, but I've been doing a really good job of keeping my own snacks on hand so I can just tell other people to do their thing if I can't eat what they are eating.

Thanks for the support!

And finally, I just want to give a shout-out to crystalee from delighted to write. This sweet girl has been gluten free for several years, and is someone I only know through the online blog world. When I sent her an email about not eating gluten a few months ago, she offered to have a phone conversation with me (a complete stranger!) and gave me the nicest pep talk about it all. It took me a couple months to get in gear and commit to the idea, but I am so grateful for her support and example that this crazy diet isn't completely daunting and impossible. You're a gem, crystalee!

Any other gluten free eaters out there? Thoughts?

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

texting while driving: are you guilty? ▲

i remember when my i first got my driver's license, i had this irrational fear of sneezing in the car. the thing is, you can't sneeze without closing your eyes for a split second. i always worried about what would happen if i was forced to briefly shut my eyes like that while driving.

after a decade of driving, i can safely say that i have put this fear to rest. but i do sometimes worry that i've gotten over-confident behind the wheel, meaning i'm not afraid to finagle my GPS or glance down to pick a song on my iPod.

fact: i need to be better about this.
i'm usually pretty good about only responding to text messages if my car is sitting still at a red light, but i know i've been tempted a couple times as traffic starts moving again to think "i'll just finish a couple more words, i got this."

[via]

i mean, other than my own safety, i'm pretty sure i'd never get over it if i ever caused an accident and injured or killed someone else because of something as silly as a text message.

and seriously, people can wait a few minutes for a response.

here's some excerpts from an interesting infographic:




[all excerpts via]

i live in arizona, aka one of those few gray states that aren't legislating this.
what rules does YOUR state have?

and what are your thoughts on texting while driving?

intextication sobriety pledge,
katilda

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

happy is as happy does

i had such a great time in utah and having time off for the holidays that i thought i would feel melancholy getting back to a normal schedule, but i've actually had an amazing week these last few days. it's just the little things, ya know? and sometimes it's the big things, like getting to sit in floor seats at a phoenix suns game (yes, dreams do come true).

between the suns game adventure with my friend cody, opening shop katilda, getting free custard at lunch yesterday because they messed up my order the first time, owning a bicycle necklace, hosting a baby shower for this gal (and therefore getting to decorate with crepe paper and drink sherbet + sprite), taking a little more time to pray and have heart-to-hearts with the big guy upstairs, and that one time i ordered beautiful new luggage and it was waiting for me on the porch when i got home last night just begging me to plan grand adventures...
life is just raining goodness on me.






you know you're in a good mood when you get a paper cut first thing in the morning, poke it a few times and say to your coworkers, "isn't it incredible that skin can just heal and reattach itself? the body is amazing."

what's making YOUR life happy this week?