Man I start a lot of drafts of posts that I never finish. Posts about how I made Indian food. Or my garden. Or how Facebook seems to think I would like the Grateful Dead. I guess Facebook doesn’t really know me at all. Or how I really love True Blood.

Have you guys seen True Blood? I mean you should totally watch it. The vampires. And the nakedness. Oh it makes me feel uncomfortable. But I can’t look away.

Anyway, I’m just here to write a post I can finish.

Don’t you just love summer? I love it. So, without further ado, the things I’m loving this summer.

• True Blood. Obv   – as I mentioned above. It makes my Sunday blues not quite so bad. (Sorry guys).

• Pinkberry. Because yum. I like it with shredded coconut and strawberries.
• Homemade pesto. I grew basil and I ate it. And it was delicious. So so proud of myself. I can cook. I am woman, hear me roar.
• Inception. Have you seen this movie? You should. I loved it. And not just because of Leo, although of course I love him. It made me think. And that feels nice sometimes.
• Operation Beautiful.
• Sitting on my front porch.
• This shower curtain. But I’m not five so I won’t buy it. I still love it though.

Man February is crazy. Crazy awesome though! Olympics anyone? Can I get a what what?

Okay I know some of you are bored by the Winter Olympics. And I’ll admit, curling is a little dull. And I’m not a huge fan of shooting things. But. BUT.

Have you seen this man?

I mean honestly, how can you not love that? So NOT boring.

And tonight, Shaun White, who needs a damn haircut but he is still AMAZE-balls. Can’t wait to see him pull the new trick.

No, I’m not rotating that picture. Because that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Anyway, I mostly love the Olympics is what I’m saying. I have a LOT of pet peeves about how NBC is handling the coverage, but mostly I’m just enjoying watching. We were in Singapore for the Beijing Olympics and it was a very different experience. We did get to see quite a bit of coverage, but oftentimes the focus was on sports that Asia is more interested in, like Table Tennis. Rightly so of course, but I missed hearing more about the other sports.  And the one thing I really missed was the little six-minute back stories on the athletes. We did not have those at all in Singapore, of course because they don’t have the time or the resources to do what a major network like NBC does in terms of coverage.  I recently saw someone (sorry, can’t remember who now) say on Twitter that they couldn’t believe how much they could care about somebody after just a few minutes. I completely agree. Personalizing each story is what makes you want to root for someone, don’t you think?

Oh and Canada? BC? Your advertising is totally working. I’d go to Vancouver tomorrow if I could. And I’m totally on board with those mittens.

Sunday morning and I woke up feeling love in my house. There is nothing special about today, really. But I think that is what makes it so special. We’re on the verge of many major changes here, and watching the snow fall hard and fast on the lawn while a little dog snuggles up on the blanket next to me and a lovely man mumbles in his sleep, these are the things I really need to make me happy. What I know is that all I really need, for now, is this moment here.

Things change, but nothing changes, and sometimes I feel like I’ve been worried for so long. Worried about not having steady work, work that’s moving me toward my career goals, my life goals. Worried about what it’s doing to me, mentally, that I’m not handling it well. Worried that I’m not who I thought I was going to be when I was 16 and all I had were the words on the page in front of me and my whole life was there,  just in the distance, just out the front door. Worried that what I have, what I’ve made for myself here, and now, just isn’t enough.

It’s funny though, that me, such a realist, mostly a pessimist really, I remain optimistic. As soon as I put it out there in the universe that I was going to renew my efforts to find a job, even if it was just freelance work for now, things started happening. I have four five potential clients. I have an interview for a full-time gig tomorrow. I started volunteering for an incredible organization. And even if none of it turns into anything concrete, I’ve found a renewed sense of confidence in my ability to do my job, and even do it well. I find comfort in that, at least. And some of the worry goes.

Things will change, and with that I’ll find new worry I’m sure. The morning will turn to afternoon, and the snow will stop falling. The phone calls, the meetings, the routine conversations that determine the course of a life, those things will all happen, and things will change. But for now I find happiness, I find love, in a cup of coffee, a warm cozy blanket, a family. Because those are the things that make up this life.

It’s funny how the minute we’ve eaten that last piece of pie on Thanksgiving day, Christmas suddenly appears. Out of nowhere every house in the neighborhood is aglow with tiny white lights, garland decorates every fireplace and staircase, and Christmas music pervades even the most unlikely places (the park anyone?).

I have to say I’m kind of loving it this year. Although I have a tendency to get jaded about the Hallmark quality of this holiday, the often over-the-top displays of consumerism and greed, I don’t feel that way this year. Granted, it is only the first day of December, but so far I’m just giving into the joy of it all. A few of the things I plan on enjoying during this holiday season:

• The intoxicating smell of cinnamon-scented pine cones
• Pulling out my monogrammed stockings
• Wishlistr (such a fun way to make your list)
• Gift guides galore (found great ones here and here)
• My Grandmom’s homemade rolls
• The warm glow Christmas tree lights give a room
• Stocking up on thank-you notes early
• Longing after a pretty dress for a holiday party I’m not even invited to yet

What are you looking forward to?

I am having one of those days. Nothing is going right, things are hard and I am sad. My go-to comfort when I’m feeling down? An iced-coffee, some chocolate-covered almonds and singing at the top of my lungs to my favorite band (with the windows rolled up of course). Always makes me feel better.

What helps you out when you’re out of sorts?

]]> http://www.nonworkinggirl.com/2009/11/03/the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day/feed/ 3 http://www.nonworkinggirl.com/2009/10/28/snow-day/ http://www.nonworkinggirl.com/2009/10/28/snow-day/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:40:23 +0000 Jeni http://www.nonworkinggirl.com/?p=190

Oh the weather outside is frightful, and it’s only October! So what to do on a deliciously snowy day?

• Stay in your pajamas all day
• OR, bundle up and shovel the walk (and your neighbor’s too!)
• Bake something, anything (I’m going to try my Grandma’s brownie recipe, coming soon!)
• Tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch
• Learn to knit
• Think about learning to knit
• Build a snow fort in the backyard
• Eat all the Halloween candy meant for the kids this weekend
• Try the matte nail polish (again)
• Drink a bottle of wine with your girlfriends
• Catch up on the New Yorker
• Love EVERY minute

Look what I found while walking the dog this morning! Free Marigold seeds, just sitting there! I am thrilled. And what a cute idea, no?

It may be 75 degrees in Denver today, but fall is in the air. I miss these days when they’re no longer here, so while they are, I make an effort to take it all in. Sarah over at Pink of Perfection had a great post about her favorite fall activities, so I’m taking a note from her today. Behold, my fall favorites. What are yours?

• Monday Night Football (Go Broncos!)
• Anything Butternut Squash related (I love it roasted, as a soup, and especially in ravioli)
• Pumpkin Spice Lattes

• Raking leaves
• Carving a pumpkin for Halloween (coming soon!)
• Curling up on the couch with a good book
• Honeycrisp apples
• Fall’s newest nail polish trend: the matte look

• The disappearance of white wine (even though I love it in the summer)
• Chili every week
• A scarf for every occasion

It’s been brought to my attention that I’ve been talking about YouTube a lot lately. What can I say, it provides hours of entertainment. And, as an added bonus, it’s pretty educational too. What am I talking about? Well, last week I learned how to do my eye makeup like Lady Gaga from a wonderful young lady.

And, not so much educational but still ABOUT education (okay it’s tangent but I still like it) – this group of elementary school kids do an awesome cover of Jay Z and Rhianna’s “Run This Town.”

How to cut a pineapple:

And finally, how to cross country snowboard. Gotta love this stuff.

Today’s Things I’m Loving post will be dedicated to beauty and personal care products. Guys, you can use all of this stuff too. And you probably should.

Method Home Care and Personal Products. I use everything from the multi-surface cleaner to the dishwashing soap, but my favorite is definitely the personal product line and specifically, the cucumber hand wash. I love that these products are natural and non-toxic, they smell delicious, and they work. Not to mention, they’re cheap. Love.

Yes to Carrots beauty products. At my house, we’re currently using this C Loves Your Hair Pampering Carrot Shampoo and the Tremendous Tomato Volumizing Conditioner. These products are free of parabens (a group of chemicals often used in cosmetics and beauty products) and are not tested on animals, both important features for me. And of course, my hair looks lovely.

Tweezerman slant tweezers. The best tweezers I’ve found, hands down. I don’t think I need to go on at length about what to do with these puppies. Use them.

Burt’s Bees Fabulously Fresh Peppermint & Rosemary Body Wash. This stuff smells so good. It wakes me up in the morning and has a nice tingly feeling.

Best part? You can find all of this stuff at Target. Go, now!