september 24th September 25, 2009

Since I was a dead beat last week and missed putting down my good things but I guess it’s because my good things have been taking me away from this blog and into real life. The ultimate good thing but I still have some to put down.

• Good dates- when you’ve had a couple of really bad dates, you get really discouraged. I have found that dating in the real world is not like meeting guys at college; it’s a lot more stressful and not as easy as meeting and just hanging out. But finally I had a good date where I actually enjoyed the person. He made me laugh and he made me comfortable despite my nervousness. Tomorrow I have another date so let’s cross our fingers that it will be a good date.
• New sorority clothes- yes, I know I graduated and am now an alum of  my sorority. But now that I am working and making money, I can finally indulge in buying some frivolous things like a white hoodie with my letters on the back. I’m getting it for homecoming and I just can’t wait to wear it!
• New shoes- okay I am not going to make this post all about the new things I’ve bought but I have to mention my new shoes. I was very thrifty and purchased shoes online because I had a coupon for DSW. I got the cutest madras boat shoes for work and a pair of fleece-lined moccasins for this fall and winter. Not to mention the two pairs of boots I bought from in store with a discount coupon that are very fashionable and perfect for the winter season.
• Phone calls- I love getting phone calls from friends and being silly and fun and reminiscing even when you’re far away from each other.
• Watching the news- I got back into my routine of watching the news every evening at 6:30pm. It’s nice to learn things outside of the classroom and be updated on what’s going on in the world.

“We are all vulnerable. We will at some point in our lives fall. We will all fall. We must carry this in our hearts, that what we have is special. They can be taken from us. That when it is taken from us, we will be tested. We will be tested. We will be tested to our very soul. It is these times, it is this pain that allows us to look inside ourselves.” -Friday Night Lights

september 10th September 10, 2009

Another Thursday and I only did one post for the week! I need to get working on this thing again. But it’s been another good but long week though tomorrow’s Friday!

• Trashy beach novels- I stopped reading all those “trashy” paperback novels in search of some really good reading materials. But I missed them, I missed the silly romance stories so I grabbed a few at the library and they’ve been making me happy all week. They’re kind of like bon bons, short and sweet.
• Trying new recipes and meeting success- I love to experiment in the kitchen but trying new recipes can sometimes me daunting. I made lemon bars today at work and they were savory, tangy, and a success!
• Buying a personal organizer- okay, so it is not the filofax of my dreams but it’s pretty darn close. I found a lovely organizer in green with a bamboo pattern and filled with cream colored sheets. While everyone moves to PDAs and Blackberrys, I still love the satisfaction of crossing things out.
• Shopping online and getting crazy discounts- I went out shopping on Monday and found a really gorgeous black dress and nice black pants. But my real shopping expertise started when I got home and went online. With labor day sales, membership discount coupons, and promotional codes, I scored a pair of adorable madras boat shoes, fleece-lined moccassins, and two great skincare products from Philosophy. Now if only I could find a discount code for the boots of my dreams at Piperlime…
• Buying discount Bradley Beach merchandise- I went down the Shore on Sunday and it was really windy and kinda cold for a day lying on the beach. It was so cold in fact that it forced us to search out sweatshirts or something to cover us up in the cold. The little boardwalk store was closing up and selling some of their merchandise discounted so I picked up a pink longsleeve tee with the beach logo and threw in a Bradley Beach bumper sticker for good measure. All for only $10 and it was sweet.

“Sometimes what seems like surrender isn’t surrender at all. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. About seeing clearly the way life is and accepting it and being true to it is far, far greater.” -The Horse Whisperer

september 3rd September 3, 2009

It’s been a good week with lots of good things:

• Text messaging- what would I do without it? But it just reminded me of how close you can be with your friends without being close. I’m not saying that texts replaces hanging out with our toes in the fountain but it makes me feel good to know I can contact them in an instant.
• Three day weekend coming up- it’s all about the little things in life like getting to sleep in one extra day.
• Working on my scrapbooks- I have been getting pictures printed up and will be going out to replenish my scrapbook supplies. I love having little things to look at and go along with all of my memories.
• Bringing my dog to work- he was super cute with all of my residents, running around and making friends. I love my puppy and it was great to have him around all day.
• Discovering Uno’s Snack Hour- you cannot beat $1.99 half portion appetizers from 4-7pm every night. I am seriously in love with their Buffalo Chicken Quesadilla and Shrimp and Crab Fondue. I sound like a fat kid but really they’re only half portions so I’m good.

“But the only thing I have to give/ To make you smile, to win you with/ Are all the mornings still to live.” -Morning Morgantown, Joni Mitchell

August 20th August 20, 2009

I know, I know I’ve been lazy about posting but there have been a lot of things going on in my life! But at least I made it for another good things Thursday.

• Moving my brother to college- he’s a freshman! And though I’m going to miss him a whole lot, this is such an exciting time for him and I’m so glad I was there to share it with him.
• Writing!- Yes, I am writing. It’s coming along a little each day and though I’m pretty convinced it’s going to be crap when I’m finished, at least I’m writing something. Progress, progress, progress.
• Car shopping- in light of recent events in relation to my current car (case 1: hitting a deer on the highway, case 2: back brakes so bad that I am afraid of crashing), I am searching for the new perfect ride. I know that when I find it I will be so proud of myself because I am buying this car for myself without my parents. I’ll be a real live grown-up, unlike a lot of people my age. It makes me smile every time I think about it. Plus I am doing so much research I am going to have the cutest car for my money.
• Having more money in my savings than my checking account- this is just such an obvious good thing but seriously, this is the first time it’s ever happened to me. Although I will be depleting it in the near future it’s still progress.
• Blueberry pie- my mom made a delicious blueberry pie the other day, my favorite summer pie and I hope I’ll be eating some of that for dinner tonight!

“And you want to get moving/And you want to stay still/But lost in the moment/Some longing gets filled.” -Barangrill, Joni Mitchell

August 13th August 13, 2009

Another good things Thursday is here! Even though today was not the best Thursday on record, I still have lots of good things going in my life.

• Getting to see the movie I wanted to see…twice!- I got to go see Julie and Julia which I had anticipated seeing for awhile now (see: Exciting Things I Think). I liked the movie and got to see it with my mom and at work. Also reading Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France, made the movie that much better. Now I have to finish it!
• Perfect new blue jeans- I just got the most perfect new pair of jeans. And for anyone who’s picky about their denim, you know that’s a big accomplishment. They’re AG jeans, a nice dark wash, a little on the long side, and they hug my legs in all the right places. Definitely a perfect pair to wear on dates (which I need to work on by the way) and just to hang out in. Plus they were a very good size if I do say so myself.
• Figuring out how to blowdry my hair for maximum effect- a major accomplishment of today was finally using a little bit of product to go a long way. Not only was I asked if I got my hair highlighted (no way, sister, that was about 4 months back) I was told how beautiful and thick my hair is. And a girl loves getting compliments about her hair no matter what.
• Creating a workable budget- pretty boring but pretty essential. I figured out how I am going to be able to afford getting a nice new car in a couple of months and not land myself in the poor house. Of course the really good thing will be when I actually stick to it but I have faith in myself.
• Reading Patti Stanger’s Become Your Own Matchmaker- I have really come along from four months ago and come into a new me, a me post-college and out in the “real world.” I’m thinking more about relationships and being happy. It’s a good book and made me think a lot more about finding a perfect someone. Really it’s always fun to daydream.

“And me, I still believe in paradise. But at least I know that it’s not somewhere you can look for, ’cause it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re part of something and if you find that moment, it lasts forever.” -The Beach

august 6 August 7, 2009

There are many good things this Thursday but I will pick out my favorites:

• Adopting my soldier- okay, so I am insanely excited to be supporting the troops but seriously I feel like I’m making a small difference in a way that I know how.
• Rimmel’s Sexy Curls mascara- at first I wasn’t sure if I liked the weird bubbly brush but I knew I liked the metallic purple tube. I gave it a few days and it’s pretty much my favorite, even if mascara is an essential part of my day.
• My Life in France by Julia Child- the memoir of the famous cook is fantastic. It’s all about her time in France learning cooking. It made me realize that you can stumble across your life goal in the most unexpected ways. It also makes me want to move to Paris ASAP.
• Searching for things to get me involved- I haven’t yet found anything in my area that I am going to get involved in to get me out and meeting new people. But I have been discovering lots of things I can do, little projects and things here and there that I can’t wait to do. One is Memory Walk in October. Since I work with people affected by Alzheimer’s, I think it’s important for me to be involved with the walk and raise money. More info soon!
• New music- I love music, in my car, in my room, out and about. Life is just better with a soundtrack. I just got some great new music from iTunes and my brother. The music from my brother is accapella music and it’s sooo good. He gave me a version of Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes” that’s so beautiful and I’m obsessed!

“Yea, things happen. Things you don’t expect or want or like. The world rages and you become someone you didn’t know you’d ever be. And there you are, in your clothes, in your life, this is my future, this is me. This is me and I want things I never thought I would.” -Everwood

july 30 July 30, 2009

I am back for another Good Things Thursday, sadly having neglected this post last week. I’ve been having a crabby past few days most likely due to the weather and difficult residents at work so this will be good to remind me of the good things in my life.

• New clothes!- At the beginning of the summer I realized I hadn’t bought new clothes for myself in a long, long time simply because I was poor and in college. Now I have a job and as much as I’m saving, it’s still fun to go out and treat myself. Plus it doesn’t hurt that I have a whole bunch of giftcards to my favorite stores.
• Good books- I’ve been reading a whole bunch of good books lately. Even some I thought were hardcore chick lit, like Love the One You’re With by Emily Giffin, turned out to be meaningful. Right now I’m reading The Time Traveller’s Wife in anticipation of the movie but seriously I don’t know if the film is really going to capture how good it is.
• New Food Network magazine- I love cooking but don’t do it too much anymore now that I’m living at home again. But I still love to fantasize about all the things I want to cook. I spotted this magazine last night and remembered how awesome it is and how much it’s going to satisfy part of my cooking craving.
• Starting a new journal- I wrote my last entry on the last page in my beat-up notebook that I have been carrying around since February. It feels good to have a new beginning
• Silly crushes- so maybe nothing’s going to happen with this whole little tete-a-tete I’ve been having but since it makes me smile still, I’ll let it go on.

“It’s not about what happened in the past, or what you think might happen in the future. It’s all about the ride, for Christ’s sake. There is no point in going through all this crap if you’re not going to enjoy the ride. And you know what…when you least expect it something great might come along. Something better than you even planned for.”             -Along Came Polly

july 9th July 10, 2009

It’s Thursday again;  how did that happen?! I feel like the weeks of my summer are flying by. I am going to have to try to slow down my life and enjoy it all before it passes by just like last summer! My good things for this Thursday are as follows:

• Mrs. Field’s Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches- totally addictive, thank God they’re sold by the ice cream man and are not currently in my freezer. An absolutely delicious decision I made over getting my ice cream truck standby, the Screwball.
• Driving my Mom’s car- a cute girl in a sporty BMW gets looks everywhere and anywhere. It’s even better when I use the awesome speakers to blast T.I. and Kellie Pickler, in that order of course.
• Shopping!- I stopped shopping for a little long while when it was necessitated by lack of funds. But I’m back out there with lots of graduation giftcards and birthday money. Last night I bought the cutest dress at Forever 21, strapless tie-dyed and tiered. My wardrobe needs perfecting asap.
• The Tipping Point and other such books- anything that inspires me to think differently right now is much appreciated. Just finished The Tipping Point tonight and now trying to find ways to implement these strategies at work and in life. Gotta love inspiration.
• Planning cute outfits for work- in high school, embarassingly enough, I wanted to make sure I had good outfits to wear every day of the week so I would create a chart Sunday night of what to wear Monday through Friday. After awhile I stopped this over-the-top organization of my life but I didn’t get tired of planning outfits until college. But now I’m back and having fun with clothes again.

“Losing him does not matter. It is you who will be found—and cherished.” -The Joy Luck Club

july 2nd July 3, 2009

It’s another Thursday and despite being my lazy self after a day of work, I am going to be diligent about getting at least my Thursday posts up. Because there’s nothing better than picking out the good things on my Thursday.

1. Loving my job- right now I am in the ultimate state of bliss about my job. Every day is fun, though not every part of every day which is okay, and I’m always learning new things. I never thought I would come back to this job and have so much fun doing it but here I am. Life is unexpectedly amazing sometimes.

2. Reading my horoscope for the month of July- I never read my horoscope really. Sometimes in passing in a magazine I’ll check it out but I have never been to one of those intense sites like I did today. Basically it had a lot of stuff that I don’t understand about planets being in this place or house or whatever but it did tell me that I will get some money and I will have some romance in my life. Yes please to all of the above.

3. Fireworks- it’s the Fourth of July weekend and it comes with my favorite thing in the world: fireworks! Honestly the man of my dreams would propose to me the week of the Fourth at some fireworks show, that is how obsessed I am. I saw them tonight and they were just as beautiful as every other display. Much love for the fourth of July.

4. Finding motivation once again- June was a huge loss of focus. Of course it was the month I got a job but for most of it, I felt completely lost (just read my June entries and you’ll see). I am working on getting back my motivation to achieve, to do more, to be the best and happiest me as I go on into July. It helps that I feel like I’m already on the right track in so many ways. Now about that book I plan to write, that’s where I need the motivation!

5. Sunny days- there was nothing worse than the doom and gloom of this past June (shut up, I know it rhymes). I am a person that lives off of sunshine, kind of like a plant, only I also love food. Sun makes me feel better and we’ve finally had some good weather these past few days. This meant trips to the beach with more coming up, spending the afternoons on the back patio at work, and driving with the windows down and the music blaring, my favorite part of a sunny summer.

“Did you really think your destiny was a one way street? You gotta be ready for anything/ Just set your whole life free”   -Go Figure, Everlife

june 25th June 26, 2009

It’s Thursday again and I decided to write down all the things that make me happy about my life:

• Engagement celebration! Yes, one of my best friends’ boyfriend took the plunge and proposed. Tomorrow is girls’ night out to celebrate and check out the rock. I am so happy for them and it makes me smile to see my wonderful and deserving friend find the man of her dreams.
• My hair- I seriously have a love affair with my hair and am usually super happy about it. But this week it has looked fantastic even when I have abused it by only half blowdrying it before running off to work. Now I just have to work on it being boringly straight.
• Making friends with tough residents at work- when you get old, you sometimes get cranky. So when you work with the elderly, you can find yourself the recipient of grouchy antics. But I used my powers of persuasion and charm to win over one of these cranks and actually hung out with her…as much as you can hang out with the over eighty crowd.
• Finding good quotes for my inspiration journal- about a month ago, I started to find all these quotes that helped me deal with no exactly ending up where I thought I was going to be post-grad. I keep a journal so I used to scribble them in there but periodically I take all the pages out of my journal to clear my thoughts. I wanted a place to keep these quotes so I could find inspiration easily and that’s how my green leather inspiration journal was born (btw I should also be thankful for my hyper organization). And lately I have been finding really awesome meaningful quotes to make me thankful for my life.
• Pandora-  most people know about what is basically an internet radio called Pandora. I’ve used it off and on for awhile when I get tired of my iTunes. This week I’ve been using it and discovered some great songs, including the song I’m now obsessed with “Cowboy Take Me Away” by the Dixie Chicks.
• Being optimistic about job searching once again- this week I plunged back into finding my dream job, or at least a first job that’s got benefits and all that jazz. And by a wonderful stroke of luck, I found a job that is somewhere I would absolutely love to move. I’m not going to say what or where it is so as not to jinx it but let’s just say it’s making me smile!

“Too many hearts have been broken/ Failing to trust what they feel/ But trust isn’t something that’s spoken/ And love’s never wrong when it’s real.” – “Believe in Me,” Dan Fogelberg