Friday Happies!

I'm in a philodendron kinda mood.

Hey y'all! What a long week. I'm working all weekend, but I'm keeping a smile on my face. Here's this week's list of funs, happies, pretties, interestings and what-not's to help keep a smile on your face too! Here we go!

*I weirdly love this bathing suit. One pieces aren't really my style, but I may need to reconsider that because...well, mid-thirties. I like this one too...

*Wanna know what goings-on are happening in the deep ole dirty South this Spring? Check it out!

*Would LOVE this for the new house...but $600...not quite ready for that!

*You know I love those "100 years of" posts! Here's 100 years of fitness. So great!

*And Jane Fonda of course!

*Super Troopers is crowd-funding a sequel fourteen years after the first! Sweet!

*I've never seen an eclipse of any kind. Last week a solar eclipse could be seen (it seems like) everywhere but where I was. So, I found this list!

*Robert Plant and Jack White covered "The Lemon Song". Wild.

*I'd flaunt it too. Good for her.

*I LOVE CAPYBARAS. Let's just get that straight. But look! They all took a hot tubby together! The cuteness...it hurts.

*Dude. The first grade preparedness checklist from 1979 shows a whole lot of change has happened in a short amount of time. I can't say I'm the hugest fan of how helpless people seem to be making them these days.

*Netflix show, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, shows the irrelevance of major networks like NBC. Wowsers.

*This woman followed the 90's dating rule book "The Rules" for three months and hilarity ensues.

*Cool. This artist created world maps from food. I love stuff like that. Remember these guys?

*I seem to have a beacon inside me that lures former flight attendants into my life. It makes for great stories and friendships. Did you know they have their own language?

*This lady inspired me this week. She lost 200 pounds and did a 10K! When she started having difficulty toward the end, her son and a police officer helped her finish. Even though she finished last, she's the winner to me!

Have a great weekend, guys!!

Announcement

Little Pink Houses for you and me.

Sometimes you just have to take time for yourself. Right now is one of those times, but don't you worry! I'm just codependent enough to still post every Friday (and once or twice a week too). For the next 2-4 weeks, the hubs and I will be moving into a new (very tiny) house and well- things are nuts at work too...so's I need the headspace!

We will be reducing our possessions by two thirds. That alone is daunting and terribly exciting. I'm also taking this time for some personal experiments (more on that later). All in all, I will be posting intermittently until May. Then I'll be back to my old hijinks. So don't touch that dial, or do, but dial it back here at least once a week for your dose of positivity!

I can't wait to share this upcoming adventure with you guys!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

3 questions.

Sometimes the decisions aren't that tough to make after all. What will you let go of?

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

And now for something completely different!

A few months ago (probably around the beginning of Autumn), I kept noticing a product pop up on my Pinterest. It was a face mask that the "pinners" claimed did all kinds of wonderful for the skin. After seeing it week after week, I started getting curious. I have an odd focus like that. It takes a while to get my attention but when it does, I'm a terrier about finding out about it. And so I did!

The product is called GlamGlow and it's a face mask. All the pictures made the users of it look like their faces were robin's eggs. Pale blue and freckled. I was intrigued. I have done enough damage to my skin in my 20's, I kept thinking now would be the best time to try it out and see if it could aid some of the issues I was aggravated by (enlarged pores).

Well, as things go, I have a tendency to put my needs (or wants in this situation) on hold while I find a million excuses to put whatever it was I was wanting or needing on the back burner. Then a few weeks ago, I'd just had it. I found myself scrolling through before and after pictures of people who used the product and promptly put the clay purifying mask in my online shopping basket...where it stayed for another two weeks before I pulled the trigger.

The package arrived two days later and inside the label, it greeted me with "Hello Sexy" (printed on the inside)...which snarky as I am, I kinda liked. I used it for the first time last Wednesday (and though I probably shouldn't use it more than once a week, I had to use it again when my mom and I did makeshift facials while we were at the beach). And let me tell you what, y'all...my skin looks friggin' awesome.

Ew, right?! But morbidly wonderful...

At first I was scared it was going to burn my skin because it had a lot of different acids in it and my skin is hyper-sensitive, but it didn't. The tingling lasts for a few minutes and then fades away as it dries and sure enough...I looked like a robin's egg. But you know what? My skin has responded to the mask better and better every single time I've used it. Sure a little bump crops up as my pores clean out here and there but unlike how they were before the mask; they depart very quickly and my skin is just...glowy! I super highly recommend it.

Next on the list? Every thing they make! The hydration mask in particular! Ooh lala!

P.S. It's waaaaay cheaper from Amazon, get it here! And this is completely an unsponsored post.

Think you'll try it? I'd love to know! Have a wonderful day, y'all!

Friday Happies!

Google.

Happy first day of Spring y'all! I hear there's a solar eclipse today too, wow! It may not feel like it everywhere you are, but Winter is officially over. I hate to see it go, but I'm excited for a bright, happy Spring!

What do y'all have in store for your weekend? I'm going to a little beach community with my mom to help her with her art show. I'm very excited and I hope we are so busy we can't stand it! I hope your week has not been too hectic, mine was...eventful (more on that later). In the meantime, here is this week's list of happies, pretties, funnies, interestings and what-nots to make you smile even if you have to work all weekend. Here we go!

*Here's what happened when a woman decided to live according to the Pinterest top pins page for a week. She got so over it so fast! Hilarious.

*I'm terrified of all stinging bugs. Though I love bees, I love them from a big ole distance if possible. Anyway, there has been a wasp hanging around my front door and back door and...I'm just irrationally scared of being stung. So here are two posts about whether to wasp or not to wasp.

*Another share from Yes & Yes, I just love her stuff. How to Celebrate Your Birthday (12 culturally different ways).

*A very under-appreciated frozen vegetable, and some ways to turn it gourmet easily.

*I loved this!! What happens when you put your phone down for a week.

*My "personality vs. name" test was, let's say...close! For some they'd say "accurate" for those who know me better, they'd say "close by no cigar"...Names...and nicknames...http://www.first-names-meanings.com/names/name-LULU.html

*I just love this show! Here are the 31 best sight gags from The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. 

*Working mom sends a powerful message without really saying anything about it at all. Good for her!

Google.

*This woman traveled the country in an RV after cancer and losing her husband to help with her grief. Super interesting.

*Did y'all see those beautiful images of the Southern Lights in New Zealand?? Incredible!!
*Seven ways to minimize decision fatigue in your daily life. While you're at it...

*Why you should consider opting out.

*I've had a crush on Stanley Tucci for years, and apparently it is a "thing". So funny!!!

*Genes are crazy! Check out these parents (and some grandparents) and their kids looking pretty near identical!

*I've been working on a post with a similar theme for about a month now. I'll still totally check this book out though: That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us. I love this kind of stuff!!

Have the most spectacular first weekend of Spring ever!!!

Two choices.

I don't know why I just needed to read something like this today. I hope that it resonates with you all too. Perhaps, there are no excuses today after all? Methinks of all the possibilities!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Some Inspiration

Google image

There is a secret little town I love about an hour and a half from where I live. It's been a sanctuary for me and my Mama for years. It's become a sanctuary for me and the hubs too. Last year we stayed there for a weekend in a little house. It was magical.

On the drive home we spoke of how good it felt to be in a place that has exactly what you need and not much else. I've spoken about that vibe on here multitudes of times, but I thought today I'd throw some "vacation house mentality" your way.

Don't you just want to go to there?!

A simple space for making simple and delicious meals.

Do some front porch sitting'.

And have a nice cocktail! 

Can't you just feel your shoulders relaxing? I can. It's gonna happen one day! Every day is a choice and I choose a life that is simple and peaceful. What about you? What do you choose? I'd love to know!

I truly have a wonderful day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Clover image from Google.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, kiddos. It's always been a special one in my family and friends and I'm celebrating quietly this year. Y'all be safe whatever you do. 

XOXO

Gotta love Charlie in Always Sunny! NSFW.

Have a truly lucky day!

Thoughts on pulling the trigger...so to speak...

Kat's Daily Inspiration

Things I've been needing to make decisions about:

1. Finding a house.

2. My fitness & health.

3. Job/Career

Things I have been obsessing about or sabotaging:

1. Finding a house.

2. My fitness & health (beer...why you so yummy?)

3. Job/Career.

Coincidence? Methinks not. But, why oh why oh why oh?

Mostly because I'm overwhelmed with a smattering of fear. Partially because the last time I just went and did something about 2 of the 3 of those, it ended up being great for what we needed then but every attempt to progress afterward quickly felt like quicksand. As for fitness and health...I'm getting there and will not beat myself up about having a bit of a hitch in my giddy-up. I just need to light a fire, so to speak.

Decide.

So here's what I want and here's what I'm doing about it:

1. I want a house that fills our needs and doesn't break the bank. We are actively looking and (I'm) trying to convince the hubs that the right thing will feel right (as that tends to lead us to good things anyway). Instead of forcing something that is sort of right but mostly not.

2. Just doing it. Making the healthy snacks so I don't buy 37 peanut butter-filled chocolate bunnies. Doing the exercise because I want to feel good in pretty clothes this summer (and always). Going to bed early yadda yadda (and limiting the yummy beer too).

3. I want to do something for a career that I'm passionate about. Writing, creating, and helping people. I see it's possibility glimmering in the distance and I want to grab it and hold on to it forever. Also, I'm aware that bills need to be paid, and I'd prefer to do something in the meantime that isn't so hard on my body, emotions and psyche as my current gig. Is that asking too much? Anyway, I'm actively looking for something new. Also, I'm choosing to ignore the biased and unsolicited advice of a few close to me that prefer that I settle because it would directly affect their job if I left. I'm choosing also, to work more fervently on my personal passions. I need to and I've put them off for a long time.

Y'all, I am tired of feeling bogged down. Do you ever feel that way? I honestly believe that I could be living the life I want to live every day starting now. I just have to take it one day at a time and stop bitching about the things I want to change and just...pull the ever-lovin' trigger, you know?

What could you pull the trigger on in your life? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

Just the essentials, ma'am.

Y'all this week...ugh. I've been working my hiney off to stay positive and stay on track lemme tell ya. Whew lordy! Well, y'all know what day it is! It's time for this weeks list of happies, pretties, interestings and what-nots to usher you into your weekend with a smile on your face! Here we go!

*Slang from all over the country! My favorite is the one about the kittens in the oven- whuh?

*We got gators down here. Don't believe me? Just watch!

*These Molasses Clove Cookies sound divine. DIVINE I say!

*In case you missed it, a "visual story" I made called Lazy Sunday Morning. 

*I love this photo project. It makes me want to clean my purse out (in a good way)!

*Ten tips for a more mindful home. I love it!

*I am kinda obsessed with Foodiggety.

*Did y'all catch Alabama Shakes on SNL two weeks ago? Man oh man. That band is good and that girl can SANG!!

And another one because they're seriously one of my favorite bands.

*This is absolutely my new favorite show. I watched the entire season two nights ago. I couldn't stop. She's so positive and well- unbreakable. Plus I love that the theme song came from them auto-tuning the news. It's like 30 Rock (because the Fey produces it), but with way more heart.

*I'm really enjoying Ella's blog, Deliciously Ella. She changed her diet and her life when diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. I love the things she comes up with.

*Did y'all see the huge swatch of seabed that had these naturally occurring metal spheres in it? So weird! Our planet is so incredible!!!

*Apparently men in the UK think heterosexual women want something very different in a man than they actually do!! It's comical, really!

*Tallahassee, Florida has claimed the porch swing as its symbol to represent the laid back, Southern "come sit a spell and visit" small town mentality. So cute!

*What's your go-to midnight snack?? Mine's usually a grilled cheese or a tortilla smeared in spicy mustard with cheese and turkey pressed in a skillet.

*Planting seedlings in eggshells. Spring is on it's way y'all! Apparently this helps with end rot!

One week until Spring is officially here! Take some time to enjoy what is left of Winter and to bid it adieu. Have a truly wonderful weekend!

Gossip Fast Results!

Sorry about yesterday, guys! Sometimes a gal has just gotta sleep! The time change has thrown me off more than I expected and I spent two nights worrying about whether or not to rent an apartment the hubs and I looked at (we decided not to). However, yesterday I was supposed to fill y'all in on my Gossip Fast!

Well, I'd have to say I'd give myself a B. It's super hard to turn a conversation away from gossip when the people you are around 40 hours a week really want to gossip. A few even asked if I was feeling okay because I was trying so hard to skate around gossip. Ha! I guess that's a success! Anyway, here's my little breakdown (which I'm pretty sure no one but me cares about but hey! I read this every day too).

Thursday: A, I redirected someone gossiping at work to talk about nice things about that person instead, but it was more challenging than I thought!

Friday: C, This kinda fell within the parameters of "if they heard me, I would feel bad." It wasn't gossip, but opinions. However it still didn't feel good and there was no helpful reason for me to express those opinions.

Saturday: B, rocked it out at work and afterward. Minus one comment about someone a friend of mine was about to start working with.

Sunday: A, and it was a really nice day too.

Monday: B, did a good job but could have done better.

Tuesday: C, chatted with a friend and it snowballed a teeny bit and I sounded a bit gossipy. Also, made fun of an ex-boyfriend and felt bad about it immediately. I don't know why I try to make people laugh when I'm nervous. It's so frustrating!

Wednesday: A, did a good job! Didn't say anything I wouldn't have been embarrassed if someone overhead what I said and redirected gossip at work to positive stuff!

All in all, I need to work harder at it, but I made progress. It's incredible how gossip is so deeply woven into conversations. Multiple times a day at work I heard people saying something about other people. Even just passersby. It was a bit daunting to witness, and heaven knows what they say about me... The point is I want a more positive life and I will work hella harder to make my part of it more positive. What are you going to do?

Have a truly wonderful day!

Well...

Thoughts on Derailment

Stay on track!

I've said before that when I get going with big changes in my life that inevitably within a week or two something happens that I feel derails me. Well, last week there was an attempt of derailment and I'm weathering it pretty well. Not marvelously but well, and here are the reasons why I consider myself succeeding:

*I'm not giving up. That's the main thing. But also...

*Just because an incident throws me off-kilter doesn't mean that it's a total loss for the goals I'm working toward. Like realizing I'd not only gained back three of the pounds I'd lost in January but also gained three more! It made me work harder this week and make better choices instead.

*Going to bed when I'm tired instead of doing the things on my to-do list doesn't mean I've broken the cycle and can't get back on track the next day. I worked a few really exhausting shifts last week and partnered with the time change, my body just needed more rest. All the things on my to-do list are getting done (though it's at a slower rate) and I will not beat myself up for it. Though my subconscious mind did try to tell me I was being lazy, I knew that I just needed some self-care time.

*I did one small thing even when I felt like that dark wave I mentioned yesterday was creeping up. Instead of beating myself up, I did two minutes of sit-ups. I really did that! Instead of going to bed feeling like I'd failed because I didn't do the things on my to-do list, I tidied the bathroom counter after I brushed my teeth so when I woke up, it'd look nice.

And that's the thing. Progress isn't black and white. It isn't a staircase as much as it is a ramp. Just keep on truckin' y'all! Don't give up on your goals! You can do it, and so can I!

Have a wonderful and productive day!

A Monday Happy Too!

Little Miss Kit.

I found this snippet the other day and it made me happy. Non-ironically it is titled The Real Secret To A Happy & Abundant Life. It has inspired me to not be such a grumpy gus this week (something I was feeling creep in like a dark wave). So I'm turning it around! Your turn! More tomorrow, I swear!

Have a truly wonderful day!

Friday Happies!

It's Friday again you guys! This week has been a blur of closing shifts and trying to prepare my body for the time change on Sunday (don't forget!). Yeah, I'm a nerd and I love my sleep too much to be all out of sorts on my only day off this weekend. Aaaanywho, here's this week's roundup of happies, funs, pretties, interestings, and what-nots to usher you into your weekend (working or not) with the utmost pep in yo step! Hang on to your hats!

*Did you know about the hidden "village" of Pomander Walk in the middle of Manhattan? It's like a faerie tale! I love the story behind it too! So cheeky!

*Remember that awesome picture of the guy giving water therapy to his aging dog (Schoep lived to be 20!!))? Well, it's been a while since his best buddy passed on and he's gotten himself a new buddy, his name is Bear and he says that he is whole again since Schoep's passing! It's so lovely and heart-warming!

*Have you seen Meryl Streep's three daughters in their photo shoot for a fashion line? The clothes and they girls are absolutely stunning!


*Why are people always bashing on Kelly Clarkson? Her music isn't my taste per se, but her voice is undeniably incredible and her disposition and class are immeasurable in today's icky pop-music world. Check out her badass response to a total crap-heap talking head from Britain. Shame on you person whose name I refuse to remember. You're mean and Kelly's rad! TEAM KELLY!

*The weather has been whackadoodle this winter, no? Check out these frozen waves in Nantucket. It's so trippy! Makes me wonder if people two hundred years ago ever saw something like that!

*I LOVED John Oliver's segment on infrastructure and the hilarious and star-studded movie trailer he made about making a passion for maintaining our nation's infrastructure sexy and glamorous! It's the entire segment, the "movie trailer" is at the end and it's worth the wait (Cue to 17:30 if you don't wanna wait).

*Heh. Look at this idiot thief get taken down by a brick he tried to use to break into a Mercedes. What a fool! 

*This made me laugh out loud! The Zagat Guide on Twitter sent out a hashtag about coming up with your best "food band names". The internet responded with gusto, needless to say.

*I thought this was interesting and a little sad too (it shouldn't have to be!), but this woman is keeping her pregnancy a secret at work for as long as she can. See why she's made this choice, it's fascinating.

*One of my favorite shows ended last week and I'm bummed. But here are 14 Things Parks & Rec taught us about food.

*Completely awesome post about how to deal with people who think/act/treat you like you're nuts for trying to make healthy changes in your life.

*The Steven Banks specials in the 1980's was one of my legitimate favorite things as a kid. Last week I found the whole thing online and watched it twice back to back. It is so damn funny and the guy is a genius of not only subtle and slapstick comedy but timing and orchestration. Here is "Rock and Roll R.I.P" from the Steven Banks special from 1980-something.

*10 Habits of naturally calm people! Totally taking notes.

*Cute post by Caroline. How to Find Your Soulmate.

*I've been really enjoying the blog Raising Miss Matilda. This week Matilda turned two. The cuteness abides, man...the cuteness abides.

*I like this little candle for a subtle nod to St. Patty's Day (or just to have because it's so lovely!).

Well, with that I'm off! I hope this finds you on a beautiful day and even if the weather's grey...I hope you choose to make it a beautiful day! Ciao!

A Thursday Happy!

Happy Thursday y'all! It's gorgeous and warm here in North Florida (minus a little fog here and there). Yesterday I was listening to NPR and I heard this voice that immediately got my attention. At first I thought it may be Patty Griffin, one of my all-time favorites, but it wasn't! It was an artist based in Nasvhille named Nora Jane Struthers & (her band) The Party Line. I totally dig it, particularly the DIY meets retro feel of their videos and have been pouring through her catalog on YouTube ever since. It's earthy, catchy, wry and confessional. All wrapped up in a nice package with a fantastic genre-vague flouncy bow on top! Check it out, friends and I hope you enjoy! She's become an "already classic" in my rotation.

Let Go. So catchy and wry!

Bike Ride. Possibly the happiest song and video I've heard in a long time. 

Her kickstarter for their latest record, Wake. 

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

A Gossip Fast

Pssst.

Ugh. Gossip is the worst. I don't know one person who doesn't do it. Some of my guy friends are the worst culprits too, but I'm right up there and so are a lot of other women I know. A bit of news is one thing, but lately I've been noticing all the bad juju gossip coming out of people's mouths (mine included). I go through phases of noticing it too. Sometimes it just rolls right past me, other times I feel stuck in it like the tar sands.

It's human too, I've noticed. People need to feel connected and sometimes the quickest way to connect is to bash the same thing. Movies, etc. But- straight up gossip sucks. It's toxic and dangerous. I caught myself the other day making a little gossipy remark about a mutual someone and afterward I thought..."I should call (the friend I was gossiping with) and ask her not to mention what I said to anyone." How crappy is that?! I then scorned myself. If I'm worried about someone hearing my snarky opinion then I shouldn't be saying it all willy-nilly! Totally common sense, but I feel it is not at all common practice.

So, with that- I'm taking a gossip fast for one week. Everyday harmless chit-chat is fine, but if it turns ever so slightly to the "dark side" or if I'd be embarrassed if the person in question heard what I was saying then it's a no-go!

Do you think you could do it? I know a lot of people who say they don't gossip but I've heard them do it regularly! Being mindful of the effects of what we say is one way to control the overall ecosystem we choose to exist in. I'm all about the positive and healthy ecosystem so I'm working harder on my part of it. Care to join me? I'll write how it went for me after the one week is up (Wednesday the 11th)! Cheers!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Tennessee Snapshot

We had a wonderful trip up in Nashville visiting my family. We had cocktails and pasta at Maggiano's with the whole fam on Thursday (we had too much fun to take pictures). Then Friday I was interviewed on East Nashville Radio about my series on time management (hold your autograph requests until after the post please, thank you). Friday night we stayed in and had a delicious tortilla soup and watched Cut Bank (woah!) and St. Vincent (a new classic for me). Saturday was bowling and appetizers in East Nashville! Here are a few pictures from our trip!

Snow and ice in Alabama. 

The boys in ENR headquarters rockin' their welding best!

Colby. Our poster boy from a few Fridays ago. He's such a little caterpillar! Excuse my creeper face.

Me and the hubs at the Holland House in East Nashville where we had the best $5 Happy Hour cocktails (la Paloma was my favorite), and Salt & Vinegar fries. Yum!

Beautiful Tennessee scenery on our way back to Tally. It went by too fast!

Home with my little buddy. He likes to take selfies. 

Hope you enjoyed a little look into the fun weekend of relaxation and great food (and beer)! A big thank you to my folks for having us and showing us such a great time!! We love you!

Have a truly wonderful day!

We're baaack!

We got home from our wonderful trip to Nashville, y'all! And though I have some pictures to share, it'll have to be tomorrow for I am so very tired and hungry and ready to plop down in bed after some Q-time with the pups. More tomorrow! In the meantime check out this cool place my dad took us too!

Black Abbey. An awesome brewing company in Nash. I still have a (half) a growler of Walk the Lime left and it is damn good!

And while you're at it, spend some time with East Nashville Radio! Great music, great people!  Show them some love and donate today!!

Have a wonderful day, friends!