Fill in the blank Friday

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1. The highlight of my week was being a social butterfly. Monday was a movie with my Mama, Wednesday was Mexican food and margaritas for a coworker's retirement, and last night was a cocktail (a cranberry old fashioned...yum!) and bacon-wrapped dates with Chelsae.

2. If I had to classify my interior design aesthetic it would be feminine eclectic. I tend to like specific pieces, rather than specific styles, but I do have a love for floral and chevron patterns.

3. My first vehicle was a white, '99 Pontiac Grand Am. I loved that car, and was heartbroken when she was totaled in an accident.

4. An item I need to have in my day in order to function is coffee or tea, which sounds like what I'm saying is caffeine, but really it's the comfort that comes from enjoying a warm cuppa while working or reading or sitting through a meeting.

5. My favorite way to waste time is by pinning pretty photos, tasty recipes, and clever DIYs (that, let's be honest, I'll probably never do) on Pinterest. I love Pinterest.

6. Right now I could really go for a nonfat cafe au lait and a scone.

7. This weekend I will be finally, finally, finally getting to see Corey (formally known as the Baltimore bestie, but no longer lives in Baltimore) and her handsome little boy, Landon for a shopping adventure. I haven't seen Corey and the little man since December and I need some bestie time in my life.

Weekend Recap

+ Pizza date with Tony at Ragazzi's, complete with salad, a glass of chianti, and hand holding while chatting about our day.

+ While Tony went off to play golf Saturday morning, I read my book and lounged with the dogs.

+ Found a new walking route and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Longs Peak.

+ Lunch, a little shopping, and wandering through an open house with my Mama...lots of laughter!

+ Tony and I had a drink with a bunch of his friends to celebrate the birthday of a mutual friend.

+ After a drink and lots of birthday wishes, we made our way to a barn dance! We ate, had a few beers and danced...I'm horribly uncoordinated, but Tony stuck with me and my simplistic dancing.

+ We ushered Sunday in by meeting Tony's dad and cousin for breakfast.

+ I took my cranky-pants self for a long walk, texted with Jamie, and indulged in a much needed nonfat latte.

+ Went shopping with Tony (all for him!).

+ Ate wonderful homemade fish tacos...my man can cook!

Despite being cranky on Sunday, it was a fabulous weekend overall.

Happy Lately List

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1. Morning cuddles before tackling the day

2. Nonfat, no foam lattes

3. My favorite author referencing my favorite poet in each of her books

4. Disney movie dates with my Mom

5. Watching Merlin from the start on Netflix

6. Lunch dates with girlfriends

7. Positive feedback at work

8. Gelato

9. Getting back to the swing of things at the gym

10. Dad's homemade BBQ sauce

A break from life to celebrate a birthday (and to eat sushi)

Work has been crazy. It's been frustrating. I've been on the edge of tears after finishing for the day a few too many times. I tend to turn into the ultimate hermit when my stress levels peak. I revert to my tried and true inner introvert, finding solace in my thoughts and the scenery on long walks, embracing the calm found in books, cups of tea and the occassional glass of wine. I don't have the urge to go out and surround myself with people. It can be too overwhelming for me.

But, there are those times when I pull myself out of my hermit-like ways and join the world again, despite my stress, or exhaustion or raging hormones. It's good for me, and you know what? I rarely regret my decision. That's what I have to remind myself: I love my friends and the energy we give off simply from being around each other. We understand the stressors in each of our lives and strive to push it away with laughter and good food...and we usually succeed.

My friend Lisa's birthday was on Tuesday, and even though I was *this* close to losing it over continued work problems and general discontent over still not feeling 100% after last week's cold, I made the time to join in for her sushi dinner at one of our favorite spots in town. I'm so glad that I did. We sat outside, people-watched, made friends with a spunky boxer puppy, enjoyed a glass of wine, ate copious amounts of sushi and I tried saki and mochi for the first time. It was the perfect interlude to celebrate my lovely friend, and to remind myself that I never want to let life pass me by.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Another week has rolled on by and it is once again Friday. I love Fridays. I don't think I truly appreciated Fridays (and the weekends) until I graduated and started my job in the real world. I'm lucky that I love my job, but there is nothing sweeter than knowing you have 2 days to do whatever you want (or often need to do), and that knowledge always seems to make Fridays go just that much faster.

1. The last thing I ate was a glazed donut with hot pink and chocolate striped frosting. Perhaps not the healthiest start to my day, but it sure is a sweet one! (haha, horrible play on words...feel free to judge me).

2. The next thing I'd like to eat is salmon fish 'n chips and a caesar salad. The caesar salad I can do because that's what I packed for lunch, but the salmon may be a little more difficult...anyone want to drive to Oskar Blues in Longmont and pick me up some? Please and thank you.

3. The best things involve friends. I have an amazing family and wonderful coworkers, but it's the times when I'm with my friends that I find myself feeling happiest, most confident and completely true to myself. There's nothing in this world that can compare to being surrounded by those people whom you've specifically chosen to have in your life.

4. Something that makes me supremely and utterly happy is traveling. I have wanderlust at all times so badly I can practically feel it radiating off of me, and any chance I get to give into it is like pure magic.

5. Sports are neither here nor there for me. I do love the Red Sox, and follow their season, but my life schedule is not determined by sports. I've also gotten more into NFL Sundays, but once again, my heart doesn't break if I miss it.

6. I miss Jamie Lynn! We've both been incredibly busy, and she's reveling in the fact that her Master's work is done so we haven't managed a good Skype date in a while. Random messages back and forth, but nothing of substance. It's time to schedule a date!

7. Right now I am superbly happy. It's going to be a good day!

I spent Saturday with the cutest baby boy in all the land!

You all remember my Baltimore bestie, Corey, right? The one who showed me such wonderful long weekends in Baltimore over the past couple of years, and who got married (to someone I also consider a dear friend, Matt) last August? Well, I've neglected to share with you all 2 very important things:
1. Corey and Matt had a baby while I was in Australia, and
2. They moved back to Colorado to be nearer to both of their families!

I know I mentioned in my last post about "visiting Corey and baby Landon" and for some of you long-time readers who are aware of who Corey is there may have been a little confusion. I'm hoping all of the pieces are coming together now, though.

Anyway, Matt and Corey recently moved to the southside of Denver, so after picking my mother up from the airport Saturday evening, we took the long way home in order to have dinner with the new little family and to finally meet little Landon Justin.

He is too cute for words! And, such a mellow, sweet little man; he completely stole my heart. My mother obsessed over him for a couple of hours, but she was kind enough to let me hold him for about 5 minutes before stealing him away again. Sounds mean, right, but little babies make me kind of uncomfortable still, plus I'll be down to see Corey and Matt far more often than she will, so it's all fair.

It was so wonderful to see my lovely friends and meet their handsome little man. And, Corey already looks completely amazing less than 2 months after having a baby, so she's obviously a rockstar that we should all be jealous of.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to Sydney, obviously, and I would bring my mother and I would make sure Jamie was in the city, too. Magic would clearly be involved since it would take the entire weekend just to get half-way across the world, and I would want ample time to show Mom the sights, eat some mussels and drink entirely too many flat whites. I like when magic is involved.

2. Something I often rant about is everything! True story: I'm a ranter, but my main topics are people's stupid life choices, bad drivers and work drama.

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all time is milk. I drink a lot of milk and always have some in my fridge. Yogurt, broccoli and apples are on this list as well.

4. My "life-saving" product is either volumizing mousse or mascara...but mascara probably wins because I will not leave the house without it on, and if I was stranded on a desert island I would want to have a few tubes with me.

5. A friend is someone who knows the real you, the good, the bad and the ugly, and loves, appreciates and respects you despite it all. You can fight with a true friend, be brutally honest, and know that at the end of the day that person is still there for you no matter what.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be "If I could be a character in any novel, I would be _____"

7. My favorite kind of art is oil on canvas. I'm a sucker for Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. I love the way layers of oil paints look on canvas and the depth that comes from it. I also love water colors. Both art forms can have a rather romantic feel to them, which is probably why I love them.

Fill in the Blank Friday

I feel like it's been a while since I played along with Lauren's Friday blanks, but to be perfectly honest I cannot remember exactly when the last time was...before I left for Australia, maybe? No matter, I'm playing today and encourage you all to link up as well!

Happy Friday!

1. People always tell me I look like my mother, even though I see more of my father in my face. My personality is pretty much all Debby, but I physically look more like my father.
(I've never been told I look like a celebrity, by the way)

2. Friends don't let friends make big decisions without first discussing the pros and cons; they don't let friends walk around with food in their teeth or things in their hair.

3. A sunny day is perfect for drinking coffee on the patio, going for a long walk or hike, reading at the park, grabbing a glass of wine and then wandering around Old Town with the girls.

4. My favorite accessory is a fun pair of earrings. I love earrings, and because I have short hair they are usually visible.

5. If I could afford it I would quit my job, pay off whatever officials I needed to in order to get the residency required to live in Australia, move into a killer flat with Jamie, call it my home base and then travel the world. Yep, sounds like an awesome life plan to me.

6. The cure for boredom is to go for a long drive or walk, and to get just a little lost, both in direction and in your thoughts. A good book works, too. As does spontaneous wine nights with friends.

7. I am currently "in like" with If I Die Young by The Band Perry because it references my favorite Tennyson poem, with the idea of a pixie-ish cut (I may chop off my hair this arvo!), Twinings Lady Grey tea, long walks when it's sprinkling outside, avocado and tomatoes on toasted sourdough, etc, etc...

Gorge and gab-fest with girlfriends

I just got back from a long lunch with 2 of my favorite ladies, and it was wonderful! I'm slowly, but surely getting back into the routine of my life, and I must say that time with my girlfriends is my favorite. There is nothing like catching up, giggling over boys and their silly antics and venting about work with your girlfriends. Girls just get it! And, so I babbled about my trip and we talked about our respective jobs (2 of us work for the same agency) and discussed living situations for the coming year all while gorging on some of the best sushi in town. It was lovely.

Is it strange that I always feel a little cool, city chic when I meet my girlfriends for lunch? It's the perfect break in the day, but the office is still kind of calling to you because no matter how much you want to just escape, there is still work to be done...it makes me feel very adult-like.
Yes, I'm an odd one.

I miss this.

I cannot promise the sappy, I-miss-Australia posts won't go on for a while, but bear with me. The post-traveling blues have hit me hard, and even though I am back to feeling normal and smiling at the fact that I'm lucky enough to live in as beautiful a state as Colorado, I left a piece of my heart behind in Australia. I want to say that I specifically left it in Sydney because stepping off of the plane in Sydney felt like coming home, but there's a bit scattered up in North Queensland, too, simply because there are lovely memories there.

I miss uninterrupted time with my best friend. The sense of complete understanding and acceptance between she and I is overwhelmingly powerful and comforting.

I miss all of the new friends that I made; truly fabulous people who embraced me as their own and showed me the time of my life.

I miss the vibrant, yet calming pulse of Sydney.

I miss every day feeling like a new, little adventure. I didn't need to know where I was or where I was going all the time; everything was fine so long as we were laughing and having a good time.

Fill in the blank Friday

The time has come for me to embark on my Australian adventure, and I'm not sure how often I'll be able to pop onto Blogger in the next 2 weeks. If I can, I am going to try to post a few hello's while I'm gone, but just in case I had to leave you all with some of the lovely Lauren's blanks.

Happy Friday, lovelies!

1. Something that makes me a great friend is, that I care for the people in my life with my whole heart. Friendship, as with any other relationship, is an earned trust and once that's established I will stand up for my friends, laugh and cry with them, and make them an integral part of my life.

2. I am starting to get nervous for my trip tomorrow. Up until this point I really haven't had any butterflies in my stomach, but they are starting to flutter around a bit. Eek! No worries, though, I am far more excited than I am nervous.

3. I am not a patient driver. In fact, my family is convinced that I have driving anger management issues, but in reality I just hate when slow people get in my way. I really need to work on this...

4. If I had to describe myself in 3 words, they would be emotional, indepedent and loyal.

5. Something I'm really cheap about is books. As I've blogged about before, I read entirely too much to pay full price for my books. I have no qualms about using the library, hunting down books in used shops and waiting for a book I really want to read to land in the bargain bins. My Barnes and Noble membership (thanks, Mutti) discount and additional coupons are fabulous, too!

6. Something I'm willing to splurge on is travel. There are lots of ways to travel cheaply, but almost any kind of long distance travel requires a chunk of money. Traveling is vital enough to my sanity that I'm willing to budget and splurge on trips.

7. I would trade nothing for any kind of change in a heartbeat. At this exact moment in time, I am perfectly content. I don't need to change a thing, and therefore, I don't need to make any trade-offs. (Note: ask me this again in an hour and my answer may be different.)

Fill in the blank Friday

1. The best prank I ever pulled was pretty much the only prank I've ever pulled: I scared the crap out of a friend with a very realistic rubber lizard. My dad likes lizards and my parents have a few rubber ones in their side garden. One of these, whom I named Lizzie long ago, is large (think komodo dragon) and honestly looks like a real lizard, and I didn't tell my friend we were getting close to where Lizzie was placed and she freaked when she saw it. It was cruel, but funny.

2. The best prank ever pulled on me was either non-existant or just not coming to mind right now. I can't really think of any true pranks that have been pulled on me, although I am sure there have been run-ins with fake spiders or something like that.

3. A day without positive human interaction and time alone with your thoughts is a day wasted.

4. The most important things in life are the people who are your family. Not just blood relations, but the true friends in your life who are always there for you. You get to pick who you surround yourself with, so choose wisely and never take them for granted.

5. I dream of traveling the world, learning to cook exotic recipes, falling love, visiting Paris just to shop at Shakespeare and Company bookstore, getting married, most likely having a baby or two, continuing my education, living next door to my bestie with a giant shared backyard...the usual sorts of things.

6. I dread confrontation these days. Obviously my answer is entirely biased by this week's work drama, but until it all gets sorted, confrontation and appropriate solutions are on my mind.

7. A discovery I made this week was when you pull your calf muscle, you really should go easy on it for a few days. This means not using the elliptical to see if you can outpace your last work-out, not riding the stationary bike and possibly choosing to wear flats instead of wedges to work. Sorry, left calf muscle...at least I took it easy last night.

"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.

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!

Fill in the Blank Friday on a Saturday Morning

1. I wish I had endless amounts of money so I could travel the world and be a professional student.

2. Yesterday I entertained my mother while she decorated her tree, had dinner and a margarita with a good friend and played a little trivia with the boy and his roomie. I stayed out entirely too late considering the fact that I'm fighting off a sinus infection, but it was a blast!

3. Today I will try my best to clean my apartment, decorate my tree and sort through my Christmas presents to see what I still need to buy. Jamie's flying in on Tuesday and I kind of need to have these things done before then.

4. Tomorrow I will have brunch with the lovely Kaity and finally have a phone date with my Baltimore Bestie. Corey and Matt are moving back to Colorado from Maryland (yay!) and I need to get all of the details.

5. Maybe I'll hit the jackpot and find some new sweaters this afternoon...I'm in need!

6. Someday I will fall in love, get married and have babies. I'm in no rush and love getting to play with my friends' babies, but one of these days all of the pieces will fall into place for me.

7. I love that I have wonderful parents who surprised Jamie and me with tickets to see A White Christmas at our local dinner theater. This is my favorite Christmas story and I've been dying to see this production for the past couple of years. I cannot wait!

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. My Thanksgiving plans this year will include horseback riding with my mom and Uncle, my Dad joining us for dinner after the ride, wandering around and enjoying the fresh mountain air, drinking some wine and maybe seeing a movie. My family doesn't cook for Thanksgiving, instead we head up the canyon a bit to a local Dude ranch and enjoy their awesome festivities. The 4 of us get to spend quality time together outside of the kitchen...and Dad still usually cooks a turkey later so we can have "leftovers".

2. My favorite Thanksgiving was I'm not really sure. I enjoy Thanksgiving, but no specific one comes to mind. My Uncle always comes out for the week and we spend a lot of time together as a family...you know, trying not to kill each other.

3. My signature Thanksgiving dish is probably green beans. I make a killer green bean casserole, but I'm also good at just cooking up fresh green beans in general.

4. My favorite Thanksgiving food is everything! How can you pick just one? I always eat entirely too many green beans, but stuffing, sweet potatoes and turkey are high on the list.

5. Thanksgiving free association! Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, waldorf salad, green beans, horseback riding, pilgrims, red wine, swinging by the river, mountains, family, pictures, Mikey the bull, laughter, movies, hot coffee, pie, fireplace.

6. Thanksgiving is always a fabulous day!

7. I am thankful for my family, friends, a best friend who stays up late so we can Skype before I go to work, my education, having a job that I love, my health, the health of my family and friends, the ability to travel, being fortunate enough to live in an amazing state, and every other little thing that makes up my world.

Fill in the Blank Friday

It's time, once again, for the one constant on my blog: Fill in the Blank Friday! If you want to join in on the fun, head on over to Lauren's little corner of blogland and play along!

1. The most spontaneous thing I've ever done was leasing my car. In all reality this wasn't legitimately spontaneous because my car had been totaled in an accident and I obviously needed new transportation, but the whole thing happened very quickly! And in my world quick = no time to hum and haw like I do = Erin's version of spontaneous. What started as my Dad doing a little car research ended in a test drive and a lease within a few hours.

2. The best gift I've ever received was my amazing friends and family. Maybe that's a cop out answer, but I really do have the best people in my life and I would be lost without them.

3. A time that I was truly and genuinely surprised was when my dad handed me a good amount of cash when I was moving into a new place a few years ago. My dad does not give over money often, and he never announces the rare occasions when he does. He knew that I needed some extra cash and as I was leaving the house he hugged me, put money into my hand, smiled and nodded as I thanked him and we've never spoken of it again. That's his style.

4. I can't leave the house without my purse. It contains all of the necessities including, but not limited to: my cell phone, keys, wallet, chapstick and a book.

5. My favorite day of the week is Saturday because it's a totally free day. Ever since I started working full time I've come to appreciate Saturdays in a way that I never had before. I (usually) get to dictate how my day will go, there's rarely any guilt involved when I end up doing next to nothing, and it always on a positive note because I know that when I wake up in the morning it'll still be the weekend.

6. Something that can always make me laugh is my bestie, Jamie. She's always getting herself into awkward, yet hilarious situations, and hearing her recount them makes me laugh until I cry...and, it's even better when I get to witness them myself. Haha...love you, bestie!

7. My perfect day would include going out for brunch with my girlfriends, drinking entirely too much coffee, shopping downtown with my Mom, going on a long walk, getting lost in Barnes and Noble, going out for dinner and a beer and ending the day cozied up with a chick flick.

Fill in the blank Friday

I love Fridays for all of the obvious reasons, but also because I love filling in Lauren's blanks each week. Feel free to hop on board the FITBF train!

1. In the story of my life the actor who would play me would be Rachel McAdams. I have to copy Jess here because she pegged it. Rachel McAdams, while looking nothing like me, has the definite ability to play my crazy, Gemini dual-personality self with a lovely air of grace. Plus, Rachel McAdams is totally my celebrity girl crush.

2. If I could change one thing about the world it would be to stop all of the hatred. That's almost as cliche an answer as "to bring world peace", but I don't think anyone can deny that the world would be a better place if we weren't constantly creating prejudices and violently acting out on them.

3. Yesterday was a good day that ended with not enough sleep, but some fantastic cuddling.

4. My favorite comfort food is a warm chocolate chip cookie. Not a soft or gooey one, but one that is slightly overdone with melty chocolate chips. Yum!

5. My new favorite blog find is Summer over at {B is for...}. She's a Southern gal living life with her hubby in New York City, and is endlessly entertaining. Her father also just beat his battle with cancer, and reading about it has been very inspiring.

6. If I could meet any blog friend (who I haven't met yet) in real life, I'd choose to meet my bloggy soulmate Jess (LittleMsSunshine) and my lovely friend Ashley (Kiwis and Cocktails). I love emailing with both of these gals and just know we'd be instant real life friends.

7. My favorite breakfast food is vegetarian eggs benedict with spinach and tomatoes instead of ham. Hollandaise sauce always feels like such an indulgence, and I love poached eggs. Oooh, and a giant biscuit from Lucile's Creole Cafe.

Sunday Quotes #4

Do what you love and you will find someone who loves the same thing. Don't look for love, beg for love or suffer for love. Just live.
-Unknown-

Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves.
-Blaise Pascal-

The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.
-Ashley Montagu-

But Oh! The blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearless on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together.
-Dinah Maria Mulock Craik-

You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus.
-Mark Twain-

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love.
-Christopher Morley-