Thankful Thursday: Blessings In Disguise

today i'm thankful

that i have to take my car to get it washed and checked out,
because that means i have a car that runs and money to wash it
because the nice person who hit it a few months ago left a note

that i am totally rethinking my relationship,
because that means i'm too smart to be attached to anyone just for the sake of attachment

that i'm going to apply for a new job today,
because i'm healthy and able to work to support myself
because i believe in myself enough to know i deserve better than what i have now
because there are people out there who will appreciate and reward me for all i am
because most people who are successful had a bunch of so-so jobs first- i'm not alone

that there's someone home taking over the whole house for my only days off,
because now instead of being lazy, i must keep moving
because now instead of feeling sorry for myself, i must keep crossing things off my lists

that i've been so miserable,
because it's pushing me to try for a better life

that i'm feeling so lonely,
because that tells me i've experienced connection
because i have people in my life to be lonely for

that i feel like i'm the only one who will get anything done around here,
because i might as well accept the truth
because i might as well stop lamenting and just do it



what convincing disguises are your blessings showing up in today?

{i may add more later}..{sorry, i just didn't feel like capitalizing today}

i'm also thankful:

for heart to heart talks
for watching beautiful lightening storms passing through {we saw a bolt that looked like a knot being tied!}
for lonely thundery rainy afternoons
for nights in
for second chances

;)

I Hope So...

:)

Attitude is Everything

:)

Have you ever seen a more beautiful smile than this one?





















Anything bugging you today? Doesn’t seem so bad anymore, does it?

;)

{received in an email. you guys know the source?}

Neck Candy

 {Above: Notions necklace, via google}

Oh my gosh. Anthropologie. Is. The. Devil.

{I mean that with love!}

Mother's Day High Tea: Part III (The Part Where I Get Engaged to the Love of My Life)

:)

Check out Parts I and II first if you like.



So it was finally time for our Fabulous High Tea. {or so we thought..}



Wait a minute, what is this?? No boys allowed, we said!
We let Dad sit there, it was weird that he was 'presiding over our tea'
but we figured he wasn't going to bug us.
Nick (Brother #2) got shooed out a moment later.



Shawn came in and said "I'm sorry to interrupt your tea."
{Eyes were rolled- what NOW??}
Then he got down on one knee.
It took a second for it to sink in.
(Rachelle's jaw dropped!!}
And then, pandemonium.
Mom was shrieking
All the boys had flooded back in while Shawn knelt down
Everyone was exclaiming
I just kept saying 'oh my gosh' and 'you're so sweet' 
{Brad {brother #1} captured it, these are live action shots, sorry for the blurriness!}



We were all in shock. Well, all of us girls were.
Dad had been asked ahead of time, and the rest of the boys were let in the loop just before the Tea-
that's why we couldn't seem to get rid of them!
I forgot to even answer.
Dad called in from the living room, "Is that a yes?"
and I said "Oh! Yes! Of course! Duh!"
Then I told him to put the ring on me, and I was confused as to which hand it goes on-
I had always thought you put your engagement ring on the right hand until you got married.
Nobody told me til later it was supposed to be the left, which I find hilarious.
{I have never dreamed of getting married, so never bothered to investigate these kinds of traditions}



Rachelle {sister #2} was so surprised. Her reaction was awesome.



Mom cried.



NOW we can have tea. For Reals.



Jeff {brother #3} and Shawn look so dainty with their hats and their pinkies up. Haw.
That's my brother-in-law Will with Levi in the background.



I love that Nick {brother #2} has his dainty pinky up too, even with his greasy hands from working on vehicles :)



The Aftermath. Actually, even this was gone in another fifteen minutes. We were starved after all that action!!

After tea we decided it was time to go for a ride.

And that, my friends, was my Mother's-Day-High-Tea-turned-Engagement-Party.

aka Best Surprise of My Life!

That's why the last pic in Part II was so significant. Last photo taken of me without a ring on that finger! ;)

Side Tattoo Musings

My tattoo artist has been drawing up a gorgeous* sidepiece for me for the last couple months.
I've been too busy to go see it, and I had to reschedule my appointment yesterday because of work.
{Also because I wanted my man to get his bootsy** tattoo covered first, that tattoo being another story}

At first when I thought of getting side tattoos, I wanted them about the size of my outspread hand,
nestled in the crooks of my sides, like the one above. {Love that!}



Then I found my inspiration image, and I had to stretch it- it just wouldn't fit into that small a space.
At that point in my mind it was going to be about as big as the girl on the left has in the above photo.



Of COURSE, Mr. Arteest thinks I should stretch it allll the way down my thigh even.
I'm thinking we will end up with something closer to the image above. Large and in charge? Yes.
Much more than I planned on? Yes. Seriously amazing art I'll have forever? Yes Please.

* How do I know it's gorge without even seeing it? Well, my half-sleeve,
{which I have yet to take pics of to show you guys} for starters. As well as various other pieces he's done on me.
But, if you want to see what he does, some pics here.

** Bootsy is a word we are determined to not see die. His tattoo isn't OF Bootsy, it's just bootsy.

Laughter and Commiseration

This made me laugh out loud this morning. Something I needed, as well as the commiseration that followed.
We all have days like that.. well maybe not EXACTLY like that (!), but it's nice to vent together in the blog universe about them.
Thanks, Bee!

the lil bee- Bad Day Blues

And since I am incapable of posting a blog without any images, this cracks me up too.
Precisely how I feel about going to work today! ;)

Thought for Today: If You Really Want To

Ireland

This movie always makes me want to go to Ireland. So does this one.
Incidentally, they both also make me cry and eat chocolate (in a good way.)
Sigh. I need a chick flick marathon.

{view the images to see sources~ they are saved in the titles}

This Weekend

This Weekend:

~I have put in some quality cuddling time with my honey

~I have almost completely recovered from my nasty cold

~And I let myself have a Saturday entirely dedicated to enjoyment:



Pedicures with PLP



Tacos on a sunny afternoon



Shopping with PLP (I scored the sexiest shoes!)




The most heavenly Gnocci ever to cross my lips (Ok, the first Gnocci ever to cross my lips. But not the last!)



Good wine...



...and even better company.


Alas, it's back to budgets, to-do lists, job hunting, and work.

How was your weekend?

And when was the last time you let yourself have a day completely dedicated to pleasure?

Validation

I couldn't NOT share this with you guys. It makes me grin.
I know it's long, but worth watching the whole thing!

Thankful Thursday: Chin Up

This Thankful Thursday I'm Thankful for the ability to be thankful when things are seemingly not so great.

I'm Thankful that even though I'm sick {hooray for cold & flu season} I have a comfy bed and couch, books and movies to entertain me,
friends who cheer me up, coworkers who feel my absence, and a Love who takes care of me.

I'm Thankful that even on the brink of a job hunt and a lot of change, I'm embracing my fears and believing that I DO deserve better.

I'm Thankful that 'This, too, shall pass.'

P.S. This is a Good One, too.

Sickie

Hi folks. I'm sick for the third day in a row. That means all I want today are the following:

Chicken N Dumplings



{via}

My Grandma's Quilt {the one I sleep with every night}



{via}

Pride & Prejudice (the BBC movie. Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle are the quintessential Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth! Sigh.)



{via}

My Couch



{via}

Hot Water with Lemon and Honey



{via}

and my Mommy



But what I will be doing is going to work for 9.5 hours and training a newbie getting insulted, argued with, put through the wringer (all by the higher-ups), and deciding to look for a new job (again).

{My boss has something super special going on today, there's NO WAY I could call in and ruin it for him!} (Congrats boss for getting engaged to your awesome girlfriend!)

What do you crave when you're sick? And how do you push through when you just have to function?