52 lists - week 18: ways i am energized

words of wisdom wednesday

"manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.

if you have that awareness, you have good manners,

no matter what fork you use."

emily post

i was very amused by the news item this week

about the mother who reached out via facebook

to the woman whose movie experience 

had been ruined by her ill-behaved daughters.

as it happens, i had a similar experience.

we took the young women in our ward to see Cinderella

and i was absolutely horrified

by the movie theater etiquette of many of our young women.

horrified.

sorry to anyone who was in that theatre.

i was just as annoyed as you.

52 lists - week 17: things i hate that most people like

words of wisdom wednesday

“Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” 

― Brené Brown

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

weekly happy list (2 weeks)

- lunch date with regina. just what i needed. i almost forgot how fulfilling and clarifying it is to have a good old fashioned girl-talk.

- new cinderella movie soundtrack. it's enchanting. 

- newsies on stage in san francisco. it was as amazing as i hoped it would be.  

- newsies broadway soundtrack. 

- finally glitterized my chucks. red. now i just need a white/silver pair.

- finally got to wear my boden plate-print skirt and i love it more than i can say.

- fresh nail polish on fingers and toes. 

- cinderella castle skirt

- finally watched baz luhrmann's "the great gatsby" - i enjoyed the story more than i expected, and visually it was, of course, exceptional. 

- vernal equinox - welcome spring!

- fresh dyed hair

- getting all my laundry done

- saw the new cinderella movie. it is perfect. absolutely perfect. better than i hoped - and i had high hopes. 

- elder ballard was at our stake conference. he talked about the importance of knowing who you are, what your standards are, what you believe in, and taking time to conduct self-interviews to make sure you're on track and living your life accordingly. 

2014 reading: miscellaneous

Some Kind of Ride: Stories & Drawings For Making Sense of It All by Brian Andreas

brian andreas' books never fail to enchant me. it's almost impossible to explain his books to someone who has never read them - the best i can say is that they're kind of inspirational picture books for adults. the pages are filled with (admittedly) bizarre drawings and what he calls "stories"; but they're never more than a few lines. little thoughts and snippets that seem to summarize a bigger conversation. they always rejuvenate my hope and delight and wonderment with life in general.

Chasers of Light: Poems from the Typewriter Series by Tyler Knott Gregson

yes, really. a book of poetry. gregson posts daily haiku and poems through various social media platforms, and developed enough of a following (including myself) to earn him a publishing contract. his love poems generally leave me a little weak in the knees and wishing someone would write such a thing for me.

Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

the great creator of middle earth took time every year to pen letters to his children from father christmas. silly and creative, this was a fun little read going into the christmas season.

weekly happy list

- book club

- homemade cheesecake

- began reading "A Return to Modesty" - it's going to be good. i've only read through the introduction and i've already tabbed six pages. 

- sunday school lesson went well

- my new bullet journal system getting me all organized and efficient and helping me track the lesser details of everyday that otherwise get forgotten

- saw Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella on stage in San Jose. magical. so fun. it's on a national tour. if you have the chance - definitely go see it.