bringin' it back

after a much too long hiatus, i have decided to bring the blog back into cyber land, even if it is simply one post (girls - you're up!). it's been a tough week, one where i have found myself with feelings of resentment towards the job, inevitably leading me down the road of frustration and cynicism. i'm finding it easier and easier to complain about the bad and leave behind the good. this is not who i am. i love finding the beauty in life and i love that i can spot it from a mile away. yet somehow life can get the best of us. it's much easier to think and remember the negative things because sometimes they seem to override the positives.

needless to say, it's time to come back to gratitude.

a few of the lovely 7 were enjoying happy hour recently and it was decided that we needed a comeback in a big way. well...here it is. no big comeback. no incredibly profound words. no amazing revelations. just real and true gratitude from some very ordinary gals.

so, without further ado...

- anthro's yearly birthday gift - i tend to hoard this until the very last minute, where, at that point i panic and can somehow only bring myself to buy a candle or bowl...every year

- jar full of jelly beans - nothing like pure sugar and color to make a girl smile

- my mama always knows what i like

- crafting - i had no idea how therapeutic this could be

- a belated bday gift from a sweet friend - she knows the way to this girl's heart!

- BOOM! Back up! - anyone??? my little bro was sporting this t-shirt last weekend, although a bit too small

- flowers from little darlings

- a clean bathroom

- upcoming hair appointments

- having a weekend to look forward to

- sleeping in my own bed after several nights away

cheers to happy hearts and joyous thoughts,

b

through this little blog we have created, i have come to find it difficult to make a short list of things i am grateful for. i often see something and think "this has got to go on the blog!", but before i know it, i have completely forgot about it. i suppose the ultimate goal is to remind oneself of the wonderful things in life and to be consciously aware of them all at the same time.

 i discovered something interesting last night from a book i am reading and it made me think about the choices i make each and every day. the book said that our bookstores are often filled with "self-help" books on how to improve our attitudes, images, skills or thoughts, yet do we find the same amount of literature on finding the beauty in life or how to help others? we frequently make excuses or find we are too tired (i'm the worst at doing this!) to do something beautiful for others. why is it that we soul search and work to better ourselves (mentally, physically, whatever), yet something so simple as doing good, volunteering or making a conscientious effort to find the beauty in life can be the ultimate "cure" to our problems? i am in no way saying i have this mastered or am the perfect "do-gooder". far from it people, far from it. it's just food for thought. so perhaps during the upcoming holiday season where we tend to give more and think of others in need, we can intentionally work to better ourselves through helping others or by finding the magic each day brings and make it last longer than usual. because my friends, it is truly a wonderful world we live in full of incredible, incredible things.

 like any other skill, be it throwing a ball, playing the piano or learning a language, we learn from practice. and because of this practice i feel that my gratitude list has become as simple as riding a bike. easy, thrilling and carefree.

so on this beautiful, but chilly fall thursday, i offer up my little piece of gratitude (don't get too jumpy...they aren't that exciting...)

* candles burning
* upcoming trips
* doing laundry without having to pay for it
* a full fridge to choose from
* new songs - lovin' "we found love" by rihana
* talking to brothers
* jeans friday!
* being able to vote - aren't we blessed?!
* a clean bathroom, shower and all (i know you hate cleaning showers like i do...)
* the smell of hot coffee - i'm fairly certain i said that last time, but it's just too good!
* boots
* christmas commercials/movie previews (i know i shouldn't be excited yet, it's not even halloween yet!)
* my husband: his drive, motivation and hard work to be able to provide for his family


have a lovely weekend and enjoy the hunt to find something to be grateful for...

peace,
b

Grateful on Tuesday

Happy belated birthday to our beautiful friend K! I have known K nearly all my life - our moms were best friends and we soon followed in their footsteps. K has been there from day one and she has never left my side, she is the definition of a true friend. One of my favorite things about our girl is her laugh, it is truly infectious. She has a way about her that makes the people around her feel loved and cared for. K is our organizer, always finding an excuse to get together and celebrate our friendships, never allowing us to forget how important we are to each other. She is not only the most incredible friend, she is an amazing wife, sister, and daughter. I cannot imagine what my life would be without this loving friend! K, I wish you the happiest of birthdays and look forward to celebrating many, many more with you. Happy Birthday dear friend!

Love,
B

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In an effort to make up for a couple (ahem) lost weeks in posts, here is post #2 for this rainy Tuesday...


As my alarm went off for the third, yes, third time this morning, I couldn't help but loath the thought of waking up at what felt like the wee hours of the day. The morning started out a bit chaotic. Although I had thought ahead the night before and packed my lunch, laid out my clothes (I even ironed!) and packed my bag for the gym, I was still slightly frazzled. Among the rushing about to get out of the house in time to greet my students, I could only feel gratitude for the many blessings I have been given...

- a phone call from my husband
- a hot pot of coffee to greet me as I went downstairs
- a parking spot in the garage
- a car letting me in
- a colleague pulling onto the freeway next to me
- a hot bowl of tomato soup....grilled cheese next to it of course
- apples, don't you just love fall?!
- skyping with loved ones
- an upcoming visit from the little brother
- a weekend visit from the big brother and sister-in-law
- pulling off a surprise
- being done at the gym...can't beat that feeling!
- slumber parties with cousins
- birthdays

Cheers to a week full of gratitude,
B

First Monday of Fall

Its the first week of fall and it feels like it.  The weather has seemed to change over night and there are leaves on the ground that weren't there yesterday.  Even though I don't know if Im quite ready for the sun and heat to be gone I do have to admit that Fall has always been my favorite season.  I love everything that comes with fall.  And here are a few things I'm grateful for on this gray morning...

Needing to pull the blankets up during the night
Gray sky
Fresh muffins out of the oven

Spending time with friends and family I have been missing
Random store shopping
Modge Podge
Volcano candle
Looking forward to home made soup for dinner
Our first fire of the season and our new home

Edgar visiting
My husband thinking about getting a furry friend
Fresh flowers
Halloween Decorations
Tomatoes from my garden
Reading a GOOD book

Hope your first week of fall is filled with festivities!

K
xoxo

Short and Sweet

Short and sweet list of things I am grateful for...

-The sound of the dishwasher running when the rest of the house is quiet.
-candles
-dinner with friends
-tissue paper
-working for something you care about
-reflecting
-patience
-ordering pizza
-new seasons of a favorite show
-a good workout
-finding a dollar in your back pocket
-the John Stewart Minute on 94.7
-when people say "thank you"
-getting into bed after a long day

Happy Tuesday!
xo M

This must be how pregnant women feel...

  Prior to getting married a few weeks ago, my then fiance and I had been living together...in sin(gasp).   Joe was living in full bachelor pad mode - the major theme of the place was Grateful Dead, OSU and beer, three of Joe's very favorite things.  The walls were mainly bare with exception to some G.D. album covers that are apparently "worth a lot of money" and a few things leftover from an old girlfriend :/
  Well, I lived in this for a good year +.  I didn't want to be that girl that came in and changed everything right out of the gate.  I didn't love the decor by any means but I also didn't have the money or energy to do anything about it.  And Joe is someone who will keep things the same forever because he just doesn't care.
  Enter our engagement.  It was becoming more clear to me that we would be living in this apartment for quite a while (don't get me wrong: it's a great apartment, great neighborhood.  See this post) But I knew that I couldn't get cozy in our surroundings as a newlywed couple.
  Three weeks before our wedding, I got the fever.  Not the Bieber fever, mind you, but the fever to redecorate.  I equate it to nesting as a pregnant woman (not that I know what that feels like, but so I hear).  I needed to make this apartment our home.
I scoured all the local Goodwills and thrift stores and found myself really enjoying the thrill of the hunt. 
  How had I not done this earlier??  

My first day out I found a cute side table for $8. This was the item that got me real excited! If I can get this for less than $10, imagine what else I can do! 

(please don't mind all the other Goodwill items piled to the side)

oh! and the candles are from Goodwill, too! $1-3 each! 

I kept finding more and more goodies to spruce up the place.  Things were going great!  But then I reached a point where I just couldn't find the right item for above the bed (the current painting was from Joe's ex...remember the 'How I Met Your Mother' episode??)

I got a whole new kind of fever.  One that I'm very unfamiliar with...I wanted to do some DIY crafts.  For those who know me, you know that I am not a skilled craftsman.  For those of you who don't, a little story...

In high school pottery class, I handed in my 'vase' (I loosely use the word vase) to my teacher.  He stared it over with a look of concern and finally tactfully said, "Ummmm, yea, we only have so much room in the kiln."  I couldn't blame him...my hands are not made for art.

But, alas, I felt like I could finally tackle something - you gotta face your fears some time!

I decided to use this tutorial to make my very own fabric wall art!  And it was super fun and easy!

All you do is choose the size canvas you want - I chose a 22"x28" canvas at Michael's where they were on SALE! I love this crafting thing!

 Next is the hardest part - choosing the fabric.  I thought this would be easy but it took longer than I expected.  I went to the classic fabric stores and was overwhelmed by the novelty prints that surrounded me.  And then I remembered a cute, funky fabric store called Bolt that has the BEST patterns.  And that's where I found this little guy...

I really wanted a yellow fabric to brighten up the room and the gray background of it just felt so good :)

After a few pins and tucks of the fabric around the canvas, I came out with a really cool piece of art.  Add a couple of thrift store mirrors and I am on my way to a new bedroom!

(the print doesn't show up well in photos...so just come over and see it in person!)

 I love this because when we want to change the look of our bedroom, it's really easy to just swap out the fabric for another!  And the best part is you can make it whatever you want!  It's the best way for a non-artist to 'paint' on canvas!

 I will admit that the apartment is a work in progress but with the decorations thus far, I have gotten many compliments...especially from Joe!  I still have one wall in the living room waiting for these amazing frames from Joe's sister and her husband...can't wait to get them up!

So to cap it off, I am thankful for fresh new starts and for finding a way for even the most unartistic person to create something 'artsy'.

AWESOME!

I recently found out about a book titled, 1000 Awesome Things. It is full of short stories about things that we may overlook that are just AWESOME.
When I read the ones I listed below I couldn't help but smile and nod...those are awesome.
-Chugging cold milk after eating chocolate cake
-Laugh lines
-The person lying down in the front of the sports team photo
-When it's sunny and rainy at the same time
-Warm sandals that have been sitting in the sun
-When you find the spot on the dog that makes it leg go crazy
-Taking your makeup off after you have been wearing it for hours
-Eating a free sample of something you have no intention of buying
-Car dancing
-People who look like their pets
-Saying Thanks
-Getting a good locker in highschool
-Putting garbage in another garbage
-Singing the national anthem with a big crowd
-The sounds of the train coming into the station
-Getting the perfect ketchup to fries ration
-When the Christmas tree gives the only light in the room ("Go turn on the tree!")
-Double spacing your essay so it takes up way more pages
-Baby toes

Go and check it out...the website is  1000awesomethings.com
I hope all of you are having an AWESOME day!

Lots of love,
M