30.4.15

happy things.

Lately all I want to do is write. I mean, I just put up a facebook status bemoaning the fact that I've lost my gift for writing. . .and here I am. All I can think about are blog posts, a plot-line for a new story. . .its amazing. I really think I have the library to thank. Working alone and in a new environment has sparked my imagination. What else could it be? "Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." -- Isaac Asimov

These days happiness is ❧ 
{all images from my Pinterest board, Bella la vita}


 ❧ my pink water bottle. because its pink. and it motivates me to drink 9 cups of water a day. staying hydrated is my new obsession. . . in the mornings i like to squeeze a lemon into about 2 cups of water, and sip (more like gulp,) on it while i clean up after breakfast.

 ❧ carob. now that i'm off caffeine--which means chocolate and coffee--i need to improvise. it definitely isn't chocolate, but it gives me that subtle taste when i just can't stand it any longer. or maybe i've just brainwashed myself into thinking it tastes like chocolate. :P desperate times call for desperate measures. lately instead of snacking at night i make myself a cup of "hot carob." it gets this yummy foam on top. .  . 

  long, long walks. there are blossoms everywhere. and Belle and i are getting lots of fresh air and exercise. i used to work out all the time, but lately its been making me sick. . .like, i literally get dizzy and all sorts of horrid things. . .and anyway, i don't like killing myself. :P so i've been walking, and its so energizing and makes me feel productive. ;) 

 ❧ youtuber/bloggersaccidentally stumbled upon. i'm absolutely "chuffed" by Niomi Smart's channel. she has the most adorable British accent, and she and her boyfriend are pretty cute together. love all of her tips and inspiration for health, fitness, skin care, hair, etc. her blog is just as lovely as her videos, so be sure to check them both out, and lemme know if you fall as hard as i did. 


 ❧ vintage films. at night i pull out my tablet and veg. is it me, or were people better-looking then? i feel like i could write up an entire post on this topic alone. my mom and i are rather hooked and always looking for new suggestions. comment below and tell me which vintage films are your favorites! some of my fav old-time actors/actress are Gregory Peck, (much swoon!) Humphrey Bogart, Dana Andrews, Charlton Heston, Fred Astair, Ginger Rogers, Audrey Hepburn. . .  

 ❧ the "quiet room" at the library. there's comfy red chairs. and a fireplace. i spent three hours there one day reading Catching Fire, and i didn't even care that i was "wasting" the day. since when is reading a waste, anyway? 

  having clearer, healthier skin. i have a care-routine down and its actually working! 

  cooking for myself. its an adventure, discovering foods i can eat, now that i've changed my diet. i've been all about rice pasta cooked perfectly al dente and topped with mixed veggies (asparagus, mushrooms, peppers. . .pretty much whatever is in the fridge,) extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and lots and lots of freshly squeeze lemon. bon appetit!


 ❧ my bedroom! first time in nearly 24-years that i've had my own room. i love the privacy.  i'm also excited to re-decorate here in the new week or so. i already have my comforter and a few cute accessories for my dresser. going with a salmon, mustard, and turquoise theme that i love! i'm not sure why, because i'm generally not a blue person, but lately i'm obsessed with every shade of turquoise and teal. 

 ❧ feeling/looking healthy. you can see it in my weight, my skin, my attitude. no, really. i fit into clothes i normally would feel too self-conscious to wear. not saying you can't gain weight eating all-clean foods, because you can. i'm trying to discipline myself in daily walks, eating only when hungry, and drinking lots of water.  

 ❧ Cinderella, 2015. because Kit. (check out my pinterest board!) and because deep down, i am a princess twirling in a poofy blue dress. . .waltzing away in the arms of a stunning, heroic pri--oh, i already mentioned him, didn't i? 

 ❧ the new gourmet ice scream shop in town. flavors like earl grey and strawberry balsamic. 



❧ my new church. its been a long time since my family has been regular attendees of a church, (we were homechurching whilst "church shopping,") and finally our waiting has paid off! God directed us to a church family that is absolutely perfect for us. now i'm busier than ever and feel so spiritually-rejuvenated, awake, and refreshed, all week long. God is so, so good!

  being 24. i am so different. . .my perspective has changed, and i'm much more confident. 

reading. i feel like i haven't really been avidly reading for around a year now, mainly because i couldn't find anything i was interested in. all of a sudden i've started again, and now i can't seem to stop! when i was little i actually used to get in trouble for reading too much. ;) i have a feeling i'm not alone here. 

Annnddd that's all I can think of, right now. For some reason "lists" are my favorite type of posts. They are easy and personal. . .I can ramble away without thinking too much. ;) Anywho, hope you enjoyed my spontaneity. Let me know in the comment section what your list of "happy things" are. :)

15 comments:

  1. Nice list! Good for you for getting off of caffeine! I think I've become addicted this semester of college...I've been drinking so much coffee and lately I've noticed that I'm really tired all the time. I don't know if the caffeine has anything to do with it, but I really do need to cut back. Any tips?
    Ooh, your library has a fireplace?!
    Would you mind sharing your skin care routine? I really need to work on mine.
    Also, great color choices for your room. Turquoise is my absolute favorite color! I've been obsessed with it for quite awhile now.
    My happy things right now: beautiful spring weather, running, having time to sew, the semester coming to an end, and graduation right around the corner (although it is bittersweet too)!

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    1. Hi Elizabeth!

      Well, my best tip would be. . .go cold turkey. I mean it. It shows a lot of willpower, and I personally feel much more successful when I can just say NO. No, I am not tempted. ;) Not saying it will be easy! But when I went off of caffeine I REALLY did. Not cheating. Lemme know how you do!

      I'd love to share my skin-care routine. Still trying to figure out the best way to do so. Video? Pictures? I'm not sure. I have a lot of health-related posts set up for the future. :)

      Yay! Congrats on your up-coming graduation. Exciting stuff!

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  2. I LOVE Gregory Peck!!! Oh my goodness. He's amazing in To Kill a Mockingbird (though I don't really like the movie in general-- it comes nowhere near being as good as the book.) Old movies give me that deep-down, gooey, golden feeling of pure happiness. :-) Especially old musicals. Some of my favorite old actors are Jimmy Stewart, Debbie Reynolds and Judy Garland.

    I've shared a bedroom with my two sisters for sixteen years. Two months ago I convinced the rest of my family I wanted my own room, so we did some major re-arranging and I moved into our school room...but then I hated it! I missed sleeping on the bottom bunk, and talking to my sister on the top, and having the piano right by my desk so I could just slide from one to the other whenever I wanted to. So after almost two weeks, we moved everything back, and I was so happy. I guess I'm just used to the way things have always been, and I don't ever want to mess it up. ;-P It's strange how little things like that affect me so much!

    I like list posts too....they just flow so easily, and are so fun to write. Thanks for sharing all the things that are making you smile! :-)

    ~Emma

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    1. Lol, I knnooowwww! He's just the dreamiest. I haven't seen To Kill A Mockingbird though. I guess I'll have to remedy that. ;) I love him in The Guns of Navarone, Roman Holiday, and The Big Country. But yesssssss. . .love vintage movies!! So agree.

      Welll. . .I've been finding myself back in my sisters room lately. ;) I DO like having my privacy, but when it comes to sleeping. . .its just nice knowing there's someone there. ;)

      Glad you enjoyed this post!

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  3. Fun post!

    Some of my favorite classic movies are 'Singin' in the Rain', 'Brigadoon', 'Meet Me in St.Louis', and 'I Love Melvin'.
    As you can probably tell I LOVE musicals:)

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    1. Ooh, good list! I haven't seen Brigadoon or I Love Melvin. I'll have to check 'em out!

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  4. I just want to spend a really long weekend with you taking walks and drinking smoothies and talking health and fitness. ♥
    I've really started to actually enjoy working out this year, finding new, healthy foods to eat, and switching to all-natural beauty products. It's fun - seriously! :)
    Sometimes it's not the easiest, but the results are so worth it.

    YES, movie stars used to be so good looking and classy! I can pick a few modern actors and actresses who are good-looking, but you really can't beat some of those older movie stars when it comes to looks. It was more, I don't know, natural, I suppose. :) Believable beauty, where now it seems so many people are enhancing everything and it's almost like it's not the same person. :P

    Those new colors for your room sound gorgeous! I really wish I had my own room to decorate. I've mentally gone through each room trying to figure out what I could turn into a bedroom...no luck yet, haha.

    What are some of the books you've been reading lately? I just started The Help and really like it! There are a few swear words, but overall it's the most interesting book I've read in quite awhile!

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    1. Mmmm. . .I want to do that too, Samantha. Why don't we? I mean it. We've been talking about it for years, haven't we? You should just come here for like a month. A WHOLE MONTH. Imagine all the fun we could have!

      Hehe. . they were so beautiful back then. I forgot to add William Holden to my list. ;) I ADORE him in Sabrina. But then. . .I just love that movie in general. ;)

      Well, I just finished Catching Fire (second book in The Hunger Games trilogy,) and I'm going to be starting Mocking Jay soon. I was also reading this mermaid book. . .can't remember the name. . .but it ended up being inappropriate. o.O So I stopped.

      What have you been reading??

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  5. Such an incredibly happy post! Very inspired to do one of my own... haven't done a blog post this style for quite a while and I've missed it!!! Love to you, sweet lady!

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  6. Hey Michaela (I hope I spelt your name right :) I've been following your blog for awhile and one of the things I love about it is the design, your whole blog looks amazing! I was just wondering did you design everything by yourself?

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    1. Hi Tiffany Jane! (and yes, you spelt it right. ;) ) Thank you so much! Quick question--is the template too wide? I've noticed that on some computer screens its almost too big. . .it looks perfect on mine, but not so great on others. I'd love the feedback! But anyway. Yes, I designed everything myself. It took several months, but I'm rather pleased with the results. :)

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    2. It's little wide maybe.. but you don't really notice that much because all you see is the content and the pretty pictures :)

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  7. i have missed your posts so much... and i've missed so many of them because of my absence from the blogging world. :P but hey, i'm back (hopefully) and i actually squealed when i saw your post on my dash. ;) also, can i just say, i agree with everything you said. hah. and it's funny how similar my life has been lately. i've been trying to drink more water, and this year, i made a goal to read more. last year, i didn't read much at all, but this year i've been going crazy with books. (it probably helps that i have a kindle now, too. ;)) there are just so, so many good books to read. i love reading with an indescribable passion. haha. and as you said, it's NEVER a waste of time. ;) and i've been trying to eat healthier lately as well, and have found a church where i feel like i belong just in the past 2 months. so, yeah. i can relate to a lot of what you're saying.

    i love this post so much. it's very... happy. *wink* and it makes me happy. ;) xoxo

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    1. MIKAILAH!!! It's been forever since we've talked! Welcome back to Blogdom. I'm just recently back myself, and loving every minute!! Have you been blogging? I feel like I haven't been on your blog in a while. . .

      *Hugs!*

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