Friday Happies - Birthday Edition!!!

How was your week, friends? Mine was a little off, but good. I worked a lot and spent a lot of time trying to "get ahead", whatever that means. Amiright?

Well, I'm off for the weekend because  IT"S MY BIRTHDAY (on Monday)!!! I love my birthday. It's all red and pink and tulips and chocolate and chilly pretty weather in all its swirly February-ness! Heh. I digress.

I hope y'all all have a nice relaxing weekend planned (and even if you have to work), here is a list of pretties, funs, happies, feel-goods, interestings, and what-nots to at least put a smile on your face! Here we go!

*This is Rami. He is a love child (obviously) of a dachshund and a pit bull. I love him, but there is a wait list at the shelter in Moultrie (just an hour or so from me!) for possible adoptive parents. That is a good thing, because I would totally take him home tomorrow otherwise.

Rami

*Woah. The cost of things in the U.S. after living abroad for fourteen years! Wowsers.

*Heh. Perfect for a birthday girl!

*I love all the ladies on Saturday Night Live. They are incredible from A to Z (Aidy to Sasheer Zamata). This article on Aidy made me smile. She's interesting and funny and smart and I just liked it so there!

*I like practical things that are beautiful. These scissors would be so beautiful on my (one day) desk.

*Peonies and tulips are two of my favorite flowers. But, I never heard of Peony Tulips until yesterday! What the what?! They are the prettiest flower I've ever seen!!!

*Workouts you can do according to how the characters on your favorite shows act! Love it. It's the perfect balance of totally lazy and getting exercise.

*What a pretty garden thermometer! It'd be so pretty outside a screened-in porch (I want a screened-in porch so badly!).

*I got two great records from my dad for my birthday and they have been on constant rotation on my record player since. This one makes me dance around like I'm James Brown!

*Hmm! Coming out as "anxious".  Super duper interesting article!

*Now these are some par-tay shoes!!!

*A really pretty blog about gratitude and other lovely things. The Garden of Eating.

*What a hilariously dark, weird, funny looking movie. The Voices.

*And a beautiful, chilling and charming movie. Woman In Gold. 

*Ahmahgah! I wish I had found these before Groundhog's Day!!! I could make them for myself for like- a regular Tuesday in the future, right? Right?!

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! How could you not after seeing that groundhog cookie? P.S. If the image is no longer moving, refresh the page and scroll down and be prepared for utter joy!

Just a thought...

Image

I've been thinking a lot about fear these days. Why I've put off so many things I'm passionate about because I'm so afraid I'll fail. Or I'm afraid people (friends, family, audience etc.) won't like it or judge it. Yadda yadda yadda, right? We all have it, deal with it and/or are ruled by it in some way.

Well, I saw this quote and it...I don't know. It made me smile. A simple thought that provokes a powerful image. It put a bit of wind in my sails, so to speak. I hope it does for you too!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day, y'all!

My pal Vicky.

Celebrating victories one confetti sprinkle at a time!

I used to write about this regularly. I would share the little victories I accomplished over the week with y'all and ask for some to be shared with me. I stopped only because I felt like I was tooting my own horn too much and that it may be boring to read about!

However, it is super important to claim your victories, no matter how small. Especially if when you're right in the moment. Take the second it requires to look around you and realize you are in the middle of a victory! Whether it be that you ate more vegetables today than yesterday, subbed a glass of water for your fourth coffee. Perhaps you left for work an five minutes early so you missed that one long light that always makes you late; or you kept your mouth shut in a situation when you normally would have gossiped or said something snarky or judgmental.

So many things can be a victory and every victory adds up to big, beautiful changes. I know that is what I'm craving and working toward, so I thought I'd share it with y'all. It's just on my mind, you know?

What little victories have you had lately? I'd love to hear about them!

Fleur 101

February is a special time for me. Not only is it nice, chilly and crisp weather- it's also the month of my birthday, Valentine's Day, and Mardi Gras (all fun & festive days of food and flowers... yay alliteration!).

Anywho, I've always been intrigued by beautifully arranged flowers. Though never really had them in my house or gardens until recently (very recently). I've started adding fresh flowers to my house about once a month, but they never look particularly "arranged" when I get them into their little vases/containers.  I try, but usually it just looks like I dropped them into the container willy-nilly even though I actually try to make them look nice. It's amazing how some people just have that gift to see an arrangement in their mind and just make it happen. That floral je ne sais quois. I don't have it necessarily, but I do think I'm capable with a little nudging (and many online tutorials and magazine tear-outs) to pretend like I do!

So for funsies today, I thought I'd share some tips and things I found to make store-bought grocery store flowers look beautiful and expensive.

From My Soulful Home:

        *Filling the base of the container with something to stabilize the stems. Der. I've never done that.

        *Using tape to create a grid for keeping the flowers in place. (Totally works, I have used this trick).

        *Adding a bit of sugar to the water. It makes sense, though I've never tried it. I've heard of an aspirin being used. Don't know the science behind it. Would love to know if any of y'all do!

        *Three types of flowers make an arrangementt: Line, Mass & Filler (as well as a focal flower...so technically four types of flowers).


Some tips for single flower-type arrangements from A Cup of Jo.

How to make fancy-schmancy centerpiece-y arrangements. I would totally put something a little outlandish like this in a teeny powder room just for giggles.

My personal favorites: loose, asymmetric arrangements. It's oh-so Rosemary & Thyme!

Having beautiful flowers in my home is a small luxury in my life, but I want to make the most of it. It doesn't much and it makes me smile every time I see their little flower faces.  Do you have any tricks or tips to make cheapo blossoms look better?  I'd love to know!

It seems like a pretty good metaphor for the P&PPS anyway, you know? Taking what you have, recognizing its inherent beauty then figuring out a way to make it really stand out in all its glory!


I hope you have a truly wonderful day, little blossoms!

A little something for your Monday.

I found this quote a while back and like it. I found it again yesterday. Something about it made me smile, and made me say "oh!" and "hmmm.". I think it is a lovely way of describing the simplification/weeding out process (physically and emotionally). I like it and I'm going to meditate on that this week. I know the hubs and I are having major anxiety about our apartment and keep trying to find one that fits our budget and our specific array of needs. In the meantime, we are trying to get as simple as possible (it is not as easy as the blogs say it is). This quote just kinda hit home (no pun intended) for me.

 What about you? Any quotes that really get in your noodle and get you perspectivizing (trademark pending on my new word there)? I'd love to know!

Image from Pinterest.

I truly hope you have a wonderful day! It's a concentrated month, let's make the most of it, y'all! Oh, and Happy Groundhog's Day, Candlemas, and/or Chandeleur Day!

Friday Happies!

Happy Friday, y'all!

We've done it again, friends! We've made it through another week! This one seems like it flew by, doesn't it? Well, I'm slogging along this weekend, but I certainly hope that you are free as birds. Even if you aren't I certainly hope that this odd list of funs, pretties, happies, feel-goods and what-nots helps usher you all in to quite the pleasant pair of days! Heeere's this list!

*I live in Florida. So this...isn't a thing for us, but it's still cool to see!! Come hurricane season, I'll show you a totally different kind of time-lapse (it will mostly involve a hurricane party but that's not the point).

*Stuff I didn't know I wanted for camping. There are at least two dozen that I really really dig! The sheep tent being one of them...

*Here's a little "it's-almost-halfway to Spring" punch of colour!

*Looking for something to read to make you laugh and/or seriously devour a book in an afternoon? Take your pick (I've read 5 of the 13 and they do. not. disappoint.)!

*The American evolution of the "Perfect Female Body" in 100 years. Pretty wild. Here's a totally different take on that idea, but through the centuries all over the world!

*Cool! Lightning storm as seen from space!

*I want this on my door starting now for February through April!!

*This made me laugh out loud! 6 Time Dads Dressed the Kinds, and It Was Awesome! Seriously, GO DADS!!

This one makes me laugh every time I see it. 

*I've been on the quest for the perfect measuring spoons for my entire adult life. It may seem like a silly quest, but try being in a kitchen with half-ass measuring spoons. I'm convinced my baking attempts are a disaster due to this very simple lacking in my kitchen. All of that is to say...I like these. They purdy.

*On that same note. A hilarious video about parents judging other parents. It's so good, and I'm not even a parent! It can totally be applied to so many different aspects of life.

*I weirdly love these even though I know my feet would be dying at work (and I really dig the space-agey shiny metallic ones too!!).

*Nerd alert! I could really use these for the hubs' side of the closet!

*Mardi Gras will be here in 19 short days! I gotta order my king cake!

*I more than likely have shared this with y'all before. But I think I need this. Like not a want, but a need. I also may be confused about what "need" means.

*Yep. This pretty much summed up that business for me from ages 9-12. Can I get an Amen from the congregation?

I hope y'all have a truly wonderful day y'all! Cheers! OH! And don't forget to say "Rabbit Rabbit" on Sunday morning, it'll wish you good luck throughout the month. But don't worry if you forget first thing! Rumour has it you can undo the bad juju by saying "Tibbar Tibbar"! Later, y'all! Be blessed!

Give me a G!

Soaring.

Do me a favor, kiddos. After you've read this post, and after you have rolled your eyes and after you've sighed something along the lines of "yeah right, that'll never work!" as you close your computer and proceed to go about your day as usual...just take five minutes. Set a timer if you have to (I always do), and maybe find some nature sounds to play on your phone while you're at it (I like the White Noise Ambience app- particularly the "country meadow"). Close your eyes and try this:

If you're sitting in a chair, place your feet flat on the ground, no legs crossing or weird sitting positions. Place your hands on your knees, palms relaxed and facing up. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for a few breaths. Keep your back comfortably straight. Your mind will wander all over the place. But after about 30 seconds (or 15 deep breaths give or take), imagine these letters being typed up in front of your minds eye:

G     R    A    T    I    T    U    D    E

Type them over and over again like in the movies when the camera zooms in on an old-fashioned typewriter, change the color, the font, have your mind scribble the word over and over again. Make piles of them in your mind, like a factory of this word. Then imagine the piles of words trembling to life and flying out of your line of vision, out of your house or office etc. and out into the world to find the people (and animals) you are grateful for. Imagine the words moving like a bird through the sky and soaring into the window of your best friend and seeing his or her face light up suddenly for no reason. Bet you smile. Imagine them floating in the window of your mother's kitchen as she has her first cup of coffee. Imagine them circling around your partner, child or happy little fur baby. Keep typing them. Send them out to strangers, to old friends you haven't seen in ages, to your mailman, or that nice cashier at Publix who always asks about your day because she remembers you work on your feet just like she does. Send them out to the people who are doing good in the world big and small. Send them all out except for one. Let that one circle over you and land on your shoulder gently. Then open your eyes.

I guarantee you will feel incredible after trying this. Do this as much as you can, change the imagery if that works for you, but keep that gratitude. Keep manufacturing and sending it out there. It totally works and I do it before bed sometimes, and when I do I always sleep better. It is but the work of a moment, but baby it feels so good.

I hope you have a truly wonderful day, and you know what? I'm grateful for you.

Gratitude