The Little Things

It is frigid and snowy and icy here in Northern Colorado, and I just don't have the energy to muster up a legit post this morning. I'm well-rested, in a good mood and just brewed a cup of hot tea, but my brain isn't big on stringing together articulate sentences into paragraphs right now. So instead, let's look at just a few of the little things that make life fabulous:

(possibly my favorite thing ever)

via

Sunday Quotes #9

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware- beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
-Unknown-

I understand the impulse: the impulse to want to put out your hand and want someone to be there at the end of your reach. To want someone to be close to. To want to kiss or touch, even if it's wrong. The point is, you can't control these feelings. Even if they're wrong, they're still there.
-Unknown-

You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.
-Unknown-
Thank you, Jess

For a kiss to be really good, you want it to mean something. You want it to be with someone you can't get out of your head, so that when your lips finally touch you feel it everywhere. A kiss so hot and so deep you never want to come up for air. You can't cheat your first kiss. Trust me, you don't want to. 'Cause when you find that right person for a first kiss, it's everything.
-Grey's Anatomy-

If what you are following is your own true adventure...then magical guides will appear to help you.
-Joseph Campbell-

Fill in the Blank Friday

Hooray for the end of the week, gorgeous sunshine and Lauren's blanks!! I am done with being in a mellow mood, work is hassel-free today and I am practically bouncing off of the walls. Yea, my coworkers just laugh when they walk past my office...

Anyway, before I get all scattered and babbly on here, onto my favorite weekly feature:

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab my laptop, the old photos of my grandparents (this is several frames, but let's count it as one thing) and Perry, my trusty stuffed panda who has kept me company since I was 6. For the sake of the blank, I would like Perry to be draped in my grandmother's costume jewelry so I can save that from the fire, too. I have my clever moments...

2. A smell I really like is freshly brewed coffee, rain, lavendar and my rosemary-mint conditioner.

3. Something you might not know about me is that the caffeine in coffee doesn't affect me. This might have something to do with having built up a high tolerance (read: I'm a coffee addict), but nonetheless, I could drink a quad americano just before bedtime and have no trouble sleeping. But, give me a cup of chamomile tea and chances are I will be drowsy before I even finish it.

4. Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are Anthropologie, Amazon (I'm constantly looking up books and new authors), We Heart It and I'm a Facebook whore.

5. This weekend I will probably play trivia with the boys tonight, possibly grab lunch with my Mom tomorrow and I'm sure I'll do the usual gym, errands, cleaning and cooking rotation that makes an appearance in most of my weekends.

6. Nothing makes me happier than starting a new book that hooks me instantly and makes me want to ignore the world in order to read all day.

7. A bad habit I have is not wearing my shoes when I'm at work. I tend to take my shoes off when I'm sitting at my desk and I rarely remember to slip them back on before wandering around the building. My coworkers have taken to guessing what color socks I'll be wearing on any given day. Oh, and this only applies to the cold months, otherwise I have sandals on and I leave those on even when I'm at my desk.

Today's mantra:

It is enough.

I really don't talk about the guy I'm kind of dating on here often, but I had to share his sweet little gesture this morning. I had a rough day at work yesterday and he was on the receiving end of several texts that made this painfully obvious. He knows about some battles I've been fighting lately with lazy coworkers and he's aware of my control-freak, perfectionist ways that sometimes hinder rather than help me. He gets it, which is nice.

Well, this morning, as usual after a bad day, he sent me a good morning text, just checking in to see how my mental state was (aka, am I still on the path to kill someone). I told him I was doing better than yesterday, still a bit tense and frustrated, but feeling quiet so I didn't think I'd be snapping at anyone. We bantered back and forth a bit, eventually coming around to the composition class that he's taking. He is a very good and articulate writer, but he sometimes gets lost in all of the grammatical rules, which is where I excel. He knows that I'm always willing to look over his papers and that, as weird as it sounds, the simple act of editing calms me. Eventually I got a text that said, "check your inbox. No worries (timewise) I thought it could be relaxing", and in my email was his latest paper and a little note:

Give the paper the business
Today will be better.

It's a small gesture that has rewards for both of us, but it's the personal knowledge behind it that I find so sweet. Sure, he gets an editing out of the deal, but I get a little peace of mind amidst the chaos that has been my Monday and my morning. And, knowing him, that was his intent: this was for me, not for him.

No matter who it is, be it a family member, friend, the guy (or gal) you're crushing on or even a coworker, just knowing that someone out there gets it and wants to make sure you have a smile or two during the day is enough.

It is absolutely enough.

Sunday Quotes #8

Take chances, take a lot of them. Because honestly, no matter where you end up and with whom, it always ends up just the way it should be. Your mistakes make you who you are. You learn and grow with each choice you make. Everything is worth it. Say how you feel, always. Be you, and be ok with it.
-Unknown-

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
-John Burroughs-

She's not the type of girl to wait by the phone, she wont cry, she knows it'll get her nowhere, she'll laugh a lot and often and she will live her own life. She would like you to be a part of it, but she will do just fine without you.
-Unknown-

If you're feeling frightened about what comes next, don't be. Embrace the uncertainty. Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and your mind as you create your own path towards happiness, don't waste your time with regret. Spin wildly in your next action. Enjoy the present, each moment, as it comes, because you'll never get another one quite like it. And if you should ever look up and find yourself lost, simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart...where your hope lives. You'll find your way again.
-Unknown-

A little indulgence goes a long way

Lately, Fridays have become my night for going out. They almost always involve trivia with the boys, which leads to staying out waaaay past my bedtime and often times not sleeping in my own bed that night. While I'm not complaining about this last part, I will say that I do not sleep my best when not in my own bed. So, for the sake of my sanity, I usually lie low on Saturday nights.

Tonight has been perfectly relaxing. I went to the gym (to feel better about eating that frozen pizza for dinner) and then had a fabulously indulgent bubble bath. I lit a couple of candles, turned on my favorite instrumental Celtic music (I'm a nerd) and settled into my ridiculously hot bath with my book. It was lovely. I'm normally not a bath-taker, but this was just what I needed tonight. I also finished my book, Good Enough to Eat, which I highly recommend. It was about love, food and self-discovery...such an Erin book!

Happy Saturday, lovelies.

Perfect Sense

I saw this trailer over at ...or so i feel and watching it gave me chills, so I wanted to share it with you all. I love Ewan McGregor and even though I'm not entirely sure what Perfect Sense is about, I'm certainly intrigued enough to want to see it.

Fill in the Blank Friday

I seriously look forward to filling in Lauren's blanks every week! I highly recommend jumping on this bandwagon ASAP, folks.
Happy Friday, loves!

1. My favorite quote is "once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." ee cummings. This is just one of many, many, many quotes that I love.

2. A bad habit I have is eavesdropping! I love listening to other people's conversations, but I am not always too stealthy about it. Sometimes I get really into what they're saying and I end up blatantly staring, or completely ignoring whoever I'm with.

3. The first time I felt like a "grown up" was when I bought my dining room table. Just about everything else in my apartment is a hand-me-down of some sort, or was purchased by my parents, but not my table.

4. Weekends are either crammed full of things I didn't have time to do during the week or they're nice and leisurely and full of coffee and pjs. No matter which end of the spectrum my weekend falls in, they always involve a heavy dose of "me time". I love weekends!

5. When I was a child I wished my name was Aeryn. Haha, yep, I didn't mind my name, but I wanted it spelled differently. I even went through a phase in high school where I spelled my name like that and my teachers just went with it. Oh, and I also went through a phase where I wanted to go by my name from German class, Amelie. I still think it's beautiful.

6. I wish I could work 4 10's instead of 5 8's. I love three day weekends and find myself putting in more than 8 hours most days anyway, so why not make the most of it?

7. A secret I have is that when pouring myself a glass of wine I choose which wine glass to use according to the little charm I have on it. The charms are of travel landmarks in London, NYC, Paris and Rome, and when picking my glass, I think of where I would love to be enjoying a glass of wine in that moment. Last night was Rome...the Coloseum to be exact.

"You meet a thousand people, then you meet that one person and your life is changed."

I just got back from seeing Love and Other Drugs with my friend Chelsae and I loved it! I've wanted to see this since it came out, and once Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal were up for Golden Globes I knew I needed to see it while it was still in theaters.

According to imdb.com, Love and Other Drugs is about "Maggie, an alluring free spirit who wont let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie, whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love."

What this synopsis doesn't reveal is that Maggie suffers from early on-set Parkinson's disease, which is why she doesn't let anyone get close to her. She doesn't feel that she has anything to offer a true relationship other than her illness, and who would want to sign on for loving a woman who will slowly lose her motor control? What the synopsis does get right is that Maggie meets her match in stubborn Jamie Randall.

I was worried that this movie was going to have a sad ending, but despite the feeling of finality that comes with Parkinson's, this movie ended with hope, happiness and love. It was wonderful.

Neal Caffrey, I've missed you!

White Collar is back!
And even more than that, hottie Neal Caffrey is back!
Side note: I always want to call him Neal McCaffrey.
Obviously, this is wrong.


Does anyone else watch this show? I know the lovely Marz at Royal Mail is a huge Caffrey fan, and must be as excited as I am tonight. I've missed the witty banter between Neal and Peter, and Neal's constant plotting. I love the weekly trip to bustling New York City, and would kill to live in Neal's studio. I want to know Kate's back story and am always entertained by Mozzie's OCD ways. And my current favorite: Hilarie Burton (Peyton from One Tree Hill) appears to be becoming a White Collar regular! She's absolutely lovely and has the most fabulous wardrobe!

If you aren't already a White Collar fan, I highly recommend checking this show out!

After a while.

"After a while, you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and changing a soul. You begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts and presents aren’t promises. And you start to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open. You learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain. After a while, you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. You learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong, and you really do have worth. You learn that with every goodbye, there’s a hello. Take chances. Tell the truth. Date someone totally wrong for you. Say no. Spend all your cash. Fall in love. Be random. Say I love you. Cry. Apologize. Tell someone how much they mean to you. Drink until the bottle’s empty. Sing out loud. Tell an asshole how you feel. Let someone know what they’re missing. Laugh until your stomach hurts. Live Life."
-unknown-
found via

I heart 3 day weekends

Weekends are splendid things. A lovely little reprieve from the chaos that seems to be everyone's lives during the week. But, a 3 day weekend? It doesn't get much better than that! Ok, so a full on vacation beats out a 3 day weekend, but let's not go there right now...

(I don't mind a break from this...and yes, that's my blog.)

Anyway, this weekend was the first one I've had in a while that wasn't chalk full of things I needed to do. I hadn't over-planned, hadn't put off a bunch of things throughout the week and my list of chores was miniscule. This meant 3 days of time that was all mine!

On Friday, I left work early enough to fit in a long walk before the sun went down, cooked up a little dinner, poured myself a glass of Zinfandel and settled in on the couch only to receive a text that said, "Trivia tonight?". I couldn't resist, so off I went to a local pub for trivia with the boys and the usual gang of people. It ended up being a bit of a shit-show kind of night (I was sober cab) for the boys, but there was a lot of laughter in the end (and a little kissing).

On Saturday, I didn't get home until noon and proceeded to lounge on the couch, drinking coffee and watching Beautiful People on Netflix. Does anyone else remember that show? Jamie and I discovered it during a Sunday homework marathon while we were still living in the dorms. I wish it hadn't been cancelled; I still want to know what happened to the characters! I didn't shower until almost 4, which was heavenly, ran a few errands, scarfed down a bowl of cereal and then met my friend Lisa for a couple of beers at my (our) favorite bar, Lucky Joe's. We enjoyed our drinks, ate a ton of peanuts, psychoanalyzed the current boys in our lives and had one hell of a time people-watching...typical girls at the bar, right? It was so much fun!

Sunday was another fairly unproductive day. I slept in, showered, and ran around town with my Mom. We did a little shopping, she generously bought me several things and Mom gets major points for putting up with my cranky mood. I am not built for 2 late nights in a row! Kind of lame, but true. I am so glad that I went out both nights, but I don't know that I would have done it if I hadn't had a 3 day weekend. I finished the day by going for a walk, cooking a nice dinner while watching The Golden Globes and enjoying a cup of tea before happily falling asleep on the couch.

Today started off with a full brekky, another long walk (notice a theme?) and a movie with my parents. We saw The Fighter and I was floored. The cast was amazing, and Christian Bale impressed me to no end, especially after seeing the footage of the real Dicky; he was dead-on! Christian Bale is sometimes criticized for taking his roles a little too far, but in my opinion he's incredibly talented. One look at him in The Fighter and you know you're looking at a has-been, crack-head who's lost in the world; it was the perfect transformation! He absolutely deserved his award last night. Watching Amy Adams in this movie made me want to watche Julie & Julia. Her two roles are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but she's wonderful in both. So, I rented a copy of Julie & Julia, did a load of laundry, ate some leftovers and baked a small batch of chocolate chip cookies. It was a low-key day, but a lovely one.

Now the real question is, will I finally clean my bathrooms or put it off one more day?

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. I feel happy when I'm hanging out with my favorite people; becoming obsessed with a new song/band; working out; just starting a new book; drinking wine and gossiping with my girlfriends; lost in my own thoughts on a long walk; having a coffee date with my Mama; Skyping with Jamie before work; traveling; adding a new quote to my quotes journal; etc, etc, etc.

2. I get silly when I drink just enough wine or when I've reached that point of being over-tired...everything seems funnier and a bit more clever, and my hyper side comes out.

3. Something that makes me sad is when people assume they know me without actually getting to know me. I can be judgemental, too, but do not talk to me like you know anything about me unless you can back up your assumptions. I'm willing to bet I can read you better than you can read me and I won't hesitate to call you out on your B.S.

4. Something that makes me annoyed is...lots of little things: my coworkers not clearing the microwave screen after they use it, extremely slow drivers, my student hourly not pushing the office door all the way against the wall after he hangs up his coat, blatant immaturity, flakey people, etc...

5. A time that I've been truly surprised was when my parents bought Jamie and I tickets to see White Christmas at our local dinner theater last month. The show was sold out and they got lucky with a last minute cancellation.

6. I am so thankful for everything! My family, friends, job, health, happiness, etc.

7. I feel loved when I'm with those whom I love. We don't have to do anything spectacular, just taking the time to hang out with each other is perfect.

P.S.- Feel free to play along!

Wish List: artwork

So, in my lunch break blog-hopping I came across a post on Life's Little Adventures about her newly purchased art and immediately fell back in love with Clare Elsaesser's oil paintings. Yes, I said it, back in love. I've come across Tastes Orangey on etsy before (probably via another art lover's blog) and swooned over her pieces, but in typical Erin fashion it eventually slipped my mind. So while it might slip my mind again, for now I'm going to continue to ooh and ahh over some of my favorites:

November

To Sea

Fall

Shadows

I'm already formulating in my mind where I would hang these in my apartment...

I love a good swap

Ever since Micaela's lovely Christmas ornament swap (which I still need to blog about because Micaela sent me the most wonderful package) I've been in a swap kind of mood. I just signed up for the Defeat the Xmas Blues swap and am already thinking of what I want to send to my partner once we're paired up.
If anyone else needs a little pick-me-up and enjoys a good swap, head on over to Just Putting It Out There and sign up!
It'll be fun...I promise.

Only in my dreams...

This library is like the one from Beauty and the Beast come to life!!

I literally dream about having a library like this...
spiral staircase
elaborately carved bookshelves
maybe a rolling ladder
more books than any one person could read in a lifetime
big windows and lots of sunlight

Fill in the blank Friday

Happy Friday, lovelies!!
I cannot believe it has been 2 weeks since I last participated in Lauren's Friday blanks. It sure does feel good to play along again.

1. Winter is beautiful in its own way. It can be cold and bleak, but I love seeing the sunshine through the bare tree branches and enjoying the serenity of freshly fallen snow. Winter encourages cuddling, hot coffee and tea, blankets and reading...nothing wrong with that!

2. Summer is usually too hot for me. I love that Summer makes me feel young and alive, but I really hate being hot.

3. If it were summer instead of winter right now I'd probably be wishing I were reading out by the pool or playing at the park instead of sitting at my desk. I'd also be plotting my weekend Farmer's Market trip!

4. My favorite thing to do in winter is brew a pot of tea, throw on my sweats and cozy up on the couch with a book or a movie. Meeting a friend for a glass of red wine on a chilly evening after work is fabulous, too.

5. My favorite thing to do in summer is read by the pool, go for long walks in the evening and drink margaritas on the patio with my girlfriends!

6. The ideal outfit for a sunny summer day is a sundress, flip-flops and sunglasses.

7. The ideal outfit for a frigid winter day is jeans, boots, a cami and a warm, cozy cardigan.

Sometimes I just need to remind myself.

I'm tired. My sleeping has been all screwed up this week because I cannot seem to shut my brain off. I hate when that happens. I've never classified myself as a truly great sleeper, but normally I do pretty well...except for those nights when I feel the need to think through every. single. thing that is happening in my life, which always leads to psychoanalyzing myself, which in turn leaves me lying awake at all hours of the night. This is eventually followed by a restless night's sleep that is often full of strange dreams and sometimes a little sleepwalking. No worries if you think this is strange; I do too! Gosh, I wish brains came equipped with an OFF switch.


So, I'm in a little funk today. Not a depressed funk, but just a quiet, let's-internalize-everything funk. Easy enough to handle, but still a funk, nonetheless. I keep finding myself focusing on the many what-if's in my life, and playing out all of their options in my head. This game can sometimes be a fun one, like when you're planning a "what if my bestie and I met up in Chicago for a weekend" scenario; but sometimes they aren't so fun, like when you play out the "what if I'm selling myself short" game. Ugh. I don't like this game. And, as much as I am a worrier and I do sometimes get into a pessimistic rut, I'm normally more of the Pollyanna type. I'm good at seeing the glass as half-full, at twisting people's thoughts in order to show their optimistic other side, and I'm good at smiling and making other people smile. But today I need to remind myself to smile a bit more; to remind myself that my life is freaking awesome and I truly do love it because it's filled to the brim with:

-Coworkers who bring in Dunkin' Donuts coffee because they know it's my favorite.

-An adorable dog (my coworker's) who rests his head on my chest when I scratch the sweet spot behind his ear.

-A Mom who meets me for impromptu lunch dates.

-My Dad who listens to me babble about my books even though he doesn't really care.

-A job that I adore.

-A wonderful friend who needs an afternoon escape from the office in the form of a walk and gossip session just as much as I do.

-A best friend who knows me better than I know myself.

-An amazing apartment that is my own little haven.

-The warmth of Colorado sunshine on an otherwise chilly day.

-Being able to flirt with cute boys.

-The opportunity to travel and the support of my family that helps make it possible.

-The option to indulge in my nerdy, school-loving ways.

-Feeling accomplished and renewed after sweating it out at the gym while the music blasts.

-Lovely bloggy friends.

-A surprising amount of patience when it comes to someone or something that I truly care about.

-The constant presence of art and language in my life.

-A newly walking 10 month old who smiles when she sees me and always wants to play with my jewelry.

..and oh-so-much more...

Sunday Quotes #7

They had expanses of time in which to memorize one another's routines and favorite songs and worst heartaches and greatest days. It felt something like being in love, but without the weight of having to choose just one heart to hold on to, and without the fear of ever losing it.
-J. Courtney Sullivan-
from Commencement

Women wish to be loved without a why or a wherefore; not because they are pretty, or good, or well-bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves.
-Henry Frederic Amiel-

When people can walk away from you, let them walk. Don't try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring for you, coming to see you, or staying attached to you. When people can walk away, let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. What is hardest to accept about the passage of time is that the people who once mattered the most to us are wrapped up in parentheses.
-Unknown-

I am the work of your life and you are the work of mine. That is what love is!
-from The Last Station-

I'm not the silly romantic you think. I don't want the heavens or shooting stars. I don't want gemstones or gold. I have those things already. I want...a steady hand. A kind soul. I want to fall asleep, and wake, knowing my heart is safe. I want to love, and be loved.
-Shana Abe-

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year, lovelies!!

Here's to a happy, healthy, fun and love-filled 2011.
I can't wait to see what this new decade brings.