Friday Favorites: Five Senses Edition!

FAVORITE SIGHT: LOOKET THESE GREMLINS IN THE WAGON OF MY YOOOUTH

     This cracks me up, not least because of how it compares to this picture of me and Amanda when we were wee tykes. 

     Right? The mischievous goblin-face, it's apparently a family trait. 

FAVORITE SOUND: THE BOB'S BURGERS INTRO SONG

     Yep, that's a thing that's happening now. I remember when this show first aired I thought the ads for it looked incredibly stupid. But people kept telling me I would like it, so I did and here we are. I relate strongly to Louise, the somewhat psychotic youngest child, because of course I do. So yeah, it's kind of a cheat to slip in a favorite tv show under the heading of "sound," but I do walk around humming the theme song a lot, so it sort of counts. Just roll with it man, be cool for once!

FAVORITE SMELL: MIIIGHT HAVE TO BUY THIS PERFUME SOME DAY

     This was just one of the little stink-good pamphlets that falls out of every magazine on Earth, but for some reason I decided to smell it instead of chucking it immediately as per usual, and I'm really glad I did. It smells like a fancy grown-up lady with her shit together walking through a park in fall. Or something. I dunno, it's kind of cozy but also sweet? I just like it a lot. I'm thinking of getting the little rollerball size of it to wear in the cooler months.

FAVORITE FEEL: THE DRESS SO NICE I BOUGHT IT TWICE

     I liked this dress from Kohl's so much I bought it in black and white. Part of the reason for that is it's surprisingly soft and floaty. The other part is that it was on clearance for like NINE DOLLARS. That's ridiculous. I couldn't afford NOT to buy it in two colors. White for when I want to look like I'm going to a very casual hippie wedding, black for when I want to look like a sassy cool witch who's a big deal on Tumblr. 

FAVORITE TASTE: TRY NOT TO BE TOO SHOCKED BUT IMMA CHEAT AGAIN HERE AND PICK AN APP AS A TASTE

     Hear me out though. My favorite taste-related app is the Chipotle mobile ordering app. I downloaded it when it first became available for Android an absolute age ago, and it was so horrible and unusable that I ended up deleting it and just waiting in line for my burrito bowl like all the other plebes. But on a lark the other day I re-downloaded it and THANK GOD it is so much better now. It's much more streamlined and intuitive, so it's really easy to put in everyone's order, name them so you can save them for later, pay online, and just bust up in there half an hour later and skip the line to pick up your food like you're Oprah. Or Oprah's assistant, let's be honest. 

Friday Favorites: Seemingly Quite Shallow Right Up Until The End Edition!

FAVORITE THING TO LOOK AT: PRETTY STAR-SHAPED LIGHTS

     I've been eyeballin' these at Target for a few weeks now and finally decided to pull the trigger because, seriously, look at them. They're glowy and star-shaped, and you know I love anything star or moon-shaped. Plus they give off a good amount of light for the time frame when I'm not ready to go to bed yet, but need to be calmin' down the ole brain-grapes.

FAVORITE THING TO DO: PLAY THIS GAME AND YELL "DAMN IT YOSHI"

     I've been loving this game since Jen and Jason gave it to me for my birthday. I'm kind of awful at it though. I get greedy for perfection, so I'll go back to get that one last coin, then die and not finish the level. The struggle, she is real. But it's really fun anyway, and Yoshi makes the cutest freaking sounds you will ever hear in your life when he gets wings,  to the point that I actually get a little upset that I can't just go see a Yoshi in a petting zoo or whatever.

FAVORITE THING TO SLATHER ON MYSELF: THIS LOTION SMELLS LIKE FREAKING DELICIOUS

     Um. I feel like I kind of said it all in the title, but let me try and find some other things to say about it. It's a really thick lotion that smells like strawberry-flavored candy and is, in fact, very moisturizing? It definitely doesn't smell like literal fresh strawberries (the minute someone invents that scent I will buy stock in it and bathe in it indefinitely), more like strawberry cake. Which is obviously fine by me because I like to smell like one delicious confection or another at all times.

FAVORITE METAPHOR FOR POSSIBILITY: THESE FABRICS

     These babies arrived in the mail from fabric.com the other day, and since then I've grown quite fond of gazing lovingly at them and imagining all the things I could make. The pink skull fabric, I want to use to make a simple short a-line skirt, because I think that would make a suitable visual representation of my personality: looks normal and cute from a distance, but then when you get up close you go "ahh this is actually kind of weird and macabre and I'm maybe a little scared?" The other two fabrics I honestly just wanted to have in my possession. There was no goal in mind for them, I just wanted the option to make something out of them should inspiration strike at a later date. I'm told this is how craftily-inclined types start fabric stashes. I'm fine with that, I'll build a big ol' fabric hoard and sit on it like a dragon. No shame in my hoarding game. 

Friday Favorites: Seemingly Uncorrelated Edition!

FAVORITE WEARABLE THING: FOXY JIMJAMS!

     I realized recently that I had a real problem because I have very few summertime pajamas. I have several cute sets for cold weather, but no shorts, really. I used to be able to just sleep in my underwear when it was really hot, but in college I lived in an apartment where the fire alarm was going off in the middle of the night all the freaking time because I guess people are too dumb to open a window before they smoke their pot (and it was always the potheads). So it got to a point where my subconscious just would not let me relax enough to go to sleep unless I was wearing something I could vacate the building in without fear of shame or ridicule. This has been Fun Facts About Jacki's Neuroses, thanks for tuning in. So anyway, the point is I needed some summer jimjams. These super soft shorts were part of a set at Walmart (it has a tank top with it, but that's in the laundry because I am a monster and I can't own a shirt for more than three hours without getting something on it), and they are my new favey faves. 

FAVORITE WATCHABLE THING: DOCUMENTARIIIEEEES!

     I was going through a patch for a few days where I was just itchin' to watch some good educational programming, so I burned through much of my Netflix queue of documentaries. I wasn't super thrilled with some of them (DEAR GOD DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE IMPERIALIST ASSHAT HOST OF THE ONE ABOUT CANNIBALISM), and in the end I came back to one of my all-time favorites: Life After People. This is gonna sound super dark, but I've always found that series to be kind of...soothing? I dunno, it's nice in a way to think that if humankind disappeared everything could feasibly just go back to normal and plants would grow over the highways and elephants would run around all "wassup bro I'm an elephant, Imma take a bath in this former water treatment plant and be delightful." But even if you're not a sad gothic panda like me who finds a post-human-extinction world to be a nice bedtime story, it's really interesting. I've already learned about invasive plant species, methods of fighting architectural failure in earthquake-prone zones, and how the Queen's corgis would do if left to their own devices (they'd be fine, don't worry). 

FAVORITE THING TO SMEAR ON MY FACE: DUOCHROME, TWO TIMES THE...CHROMES!

     This is an eyeshadow color that was in my Coastal Scents 252 color palette, called Dark Goldenrod. One day a few weeks ago I was just kind of picking colors randomly and swatching them on my hand when I found this one and realized IT IS AMAZING. It looks kind of humdrum at first glance, but it's so pretty and interesting on. It's a duochrome color (even though it's not described as such on the website? But it is, trust me) that looks like a warm bronzey color on my lids when my eyes are open, but catches the light and flashes peridot green when I turn my head or blink. I ordered the full-size so I can have a nice reliable quantity of it, and ordered the same color for my mom, because she liked it so much she had to have it too. As far as quality goes, it's pretty impressive, especially considering it was only about four bucks. It goes on best with fingers or a flat brush; if you use a fluffy brush with this you will get pretty multi-colored fallout all over your face. But that's really the only downside. The biggest upside of course being that you get to look all shimmery and weird like a dragon.

Friday Favorites: A random sample of things from various technologies!

AKA let's look at stuff from my phone and what I've been playing on my tablet lately! 

     I had to take a picture to document that this is a real show that was on, because it's basically the pinnacle of television as an art form. Everybody else can stop trying, it's all downhill from here. You can't top that. You just can't. 

     Ditto for this headline. I didn't even read the rest of the story because I didn't feel like I needed to and there's no way it could even be a real story. This has to be a story they generated by picking words out of a hat. Has to be. This cannot be real life. 

This is the game I've been into lately. It's exactly what is sounds like. You start out as a reef shark and eat everything you can to grow into bigger sharks, eventually getting to MEGALODON. I'm sure it's not the point of the game or anything, but there's barrels of toxic waste and explosive mines and a bunch of random human junk all around the ocean floor and it makes me kind of want to eat all the people floating in their donut rings just because hey, humanity, stop ruining all the nice things like oceans. Team sharks 4eva.

    On a related note, I'm also really into the OCEARCH app, where you can track sharks and see where they're hanging out and stuff. Like, check out Genie, a 14 ft. white shark hanging out off the coast of Virginia. 

     What, you thought I was going to do a Friday favorites and not include some specimen of stunning baby cuteness? Nah bro, that ain't me. Here's a clip of Evie trying to decide if she likes applesauce or not. Spoiler alert: she totally does. 

MONDAY Favorites: GIF Edition!

     Since I was too sick to put together a coherent Favorites post on Friday, I figured I'd do something a little special and different and make today Monday's Favorites, now with 100% more GIF-y goodness!

FAVORITE #1: LOOKET THESE EARRINGS! 

Should I have put a seizure warning on this post? I mean I warned you there'd be gifs, right? 

     These gawgeous thangs were made by my amazingly talented Aunt Patti (you can go check out her Etsy shop HERE- right now everything is 20% off and the proceeds from any purchase you make go to Miracle Horse Rescue, which is a great charity that helps horses that have been abused or neglected. Tell me that's not a win-win!). I saw them posted on her Facebook page and immediately said "Oooh, those are cool. They would look pretty on my head." And they do! I love a happy ending, don't you? They fit perfectly with my whole "hippie archaeologist by day, benevolent but still kind of spooky witch by night" aesthetic, and they also happen to be the same kind of blue-y green-y gray-y color of my eyes in sunlight, which is exactly the kind of super-cliched character detail I'd have made fun of in my college writing courses, so yay nostalgia! 

FAVORITE #2: I'VE BEEN EATING THIS STUFF LIKE CANDY, IN THE MOST LITERAL WAY POSSIBLE.

Mmm, snake-oil -- I mean Vitamin C....

     By which I mean "sporadically, whenever I see the bottle sitting around and think "Oh, I could go for something sour." You know me and my immune system are not seeing eye to eye right now, on account of it being a good-for-nothing layabout and all, so I decided I'd try this stuff and see if the "blast of vitamin C" makes me feel any healthier. All I've noticed so far is more like a blast of powdered citric acid, but I'm cool with it. They're kind of like giant soft Sweet-tarts, except ostensibly less horrible for you. I don't know if I believe it will make me any less likely to get sick, but the placebo effect kind of brings back that teenager-like feeling of invincibility, like I couldn't possibly get sick, ever ever again, so I'm all for it. 

FAVORITE #3: THINGS TO PAINT ON MY FACE! 

Skin is so weird looking up close. Especially when you're the color of the mooooon. 

     When I found myself at Ulta again the other day (found myself there. As if I have no idea how I got there. I just woke up from a fugue state in the middle of Ulta. Yes, that's it exactly), I picked up two liquid eyeliners from Jane cosmetics. I already had the gold one, which is amazing, and I needed a new black liquid eyeliner because the 20 I already owned were all drying out. But it was 2 for $10, and they're normally $8, so I had to get two, and the second one I picked was this one, called "metallic nude." It. Is. So. SHINY. This was actually what gave me the idea to do a GIF post, because a static picture alone just was not doing justice to the shininess. I also like these eyeliners because they have an actual brush tip, not a felt tip. I know a lot of people like the felt tip because it's easier to work with, but I don't like that they dry out, and also I kind of like how a tiny little paint brush makes me feel like Mulan in the Disney movie when I use it.

     Here's what the black eyeliner looks like, in case you are interested in the nuances of black eyeliner (I mean, I am, but I'm interested in almost everything). It dries matte, so it has a 60's velvety feel to it. I also have the metallic nude on my inner corners. 

Do you like how I just told you I have blue-green-gray eyes and very pale skin, then closed with a gif where I look tan with almost brown eyes? Sorceryyyyyy!

     I don't find it hard to work with either. I mean it's not a beginner's eyeliner, for sure, but it's not so runny that it gets in your eyes and makes you look like a tiny squid swam across your sclera. Too far, people who are weird about eyeballs? Sorry. 

     
     I hope this GIF-tacular post makes up for the fact that it's on the wrong day, and I also hope you all had delightful weekends full of all your own favorites! 

Friday Favorites: I stink so goooood Edition!

FAVORITE VIDEOGAME: LEGO THE HOBBIT!

     First, a confession: I haven't seen either of the Hobbit movies, and I never finished reading the book. I got about halfway through it and then lost interest because the writing style was...somehow not as magical and descriptive as I had expected it to be? I dunno. Also there's no girl characters, and I ain't about that life. But I do plan to see the movies someday, in the same way that I plan to have a cool little cottage in the woods where I can grow flowers and cooking herbs and let the local children think I'm a witch, by which I mean I have taken no action to make this plan a reality beyond thinking "yeah, someday." But whatever. You know I love me some Lego games. They're super therapeutic because they're not particularly challenging and you get to run around smashing stuff all willy-nilly and collecting shiny things, which is basically all I ask for in a pastime. 

FAVORITE CONSUMABLE: DISCOUNT EASTER CANDY!

     Having bulk quantities of candy around the house after any holiday whose traditions dictate the exchange of sweets is one of those little things that make me proud to be an American. Oh, what's that other countries, you think we're fat and stupid? Well this stupid fatty just got like ten pounds of Cadbury mini-eggs for a nickel, who's stupid now? 

FAVORITE ONLINE PURCHASE: I'M A SEA GODDESS, IT SAYS SO RIGHT HERE

     I ordered a set of five choose-your-own perfume samples from this Etsy shop called Alkemia last week. Most of them were a bit of a let-down for me, and I'm not sure if it's because I just have crap taste and picked samples of things that I don't actually like, or maybe I was smelling the carrier oils in the samples or WHAT, but 3 out of 5 of them had a note of...bathroominess? To them? I'm doing that upward inflection because I have zero confidence in my abilities to describe scents. I've gotten many a strange look when trying to explain to someone that I don't like a particular popular perfume because it smells "newsprint-y" to me, in a way that reminds me of my dad fanning me with a newspaper while I had a bloody nose in the lobby of the church we went to when I was a kid, and I'm allergic to newsprint, so the paper made me sneeze and it was a mess. So...bad vibes, is what I'm saying, I guess. What?

      Anyway, back to the good perfume. The one I did really like was called Sea Goddess. The website says it has a bunch of fancy things like "saline aquatics" and junk in it, but to me it just smells like a beachy floral, but not old-lady floral at all (not that that's bad, I have a hand lotion that smells like Social Security in a bottle and I don't even care, I put it on every night). It's not going to be my forever-and-ever signature scent or anything, but it was only twelve dollars and it's definitely going to be my "this summer" signature scent, so that's an accomplishment. And they sent two new samples with my order, one of which still had the icky smell I don't like, but the other was really interesting. It's called "Mist Becoming Rain," I believe, and I immediately gave it to my mom because it smells like her interests: fresh and outdoorsy, kind of like you just watered the garden where you grow your arugula (it has kind of a peppery smell, I didn't just pick arugula out of thin air).

SURPRISE FAVORITE: I WENT INTO A TRADER JOE'S AND DIDN'T RAGE-TWITCH AN EYEBALL OUT!

     It's not that I have anything against Trader Joe's as a corporation or anything, my prejudice is based entirely on the fact that their parking lot is like the nexus of all assholery. It is a spawn point of assholes. Every time you've ever been cut off in traffic or tailgated, it's someone on their way to or from a Trader Joe's. They are born in the Trader Joe's parking lot, they go out into the world to spread misery and strife, then they come back to Trader Joe's at the end of their long lives of hooliganery to die. This is known. The one near me is located in an itsy little shopping center next to Ulta, and every time I have ever had the misfortune of finding myself at Ulta on a weekend, the ENTIRE parking lot for the WHOLE shopping center is taken up by all of Trader Joe's rudest minions. I can tell that's where they're going because they'll take the front spot at Ulta, then get their reusable sustainably sourced shopping bags and their aluminum water bottles full of spring water charged with "healing positive ions" out of the trunks of their Prius's and start hiking across the lot. All this I could forgive. I understand sometimes a store ends up in a shopping center whose parking lot just can't keep up with demand. But they are the single rudest identifiable subset of drivers I have ever had the misfortune to observe. They steal spots from people, don't observe any sort of common courtesy at multi-way stops, don't yield to pedestrians, honk at me if I yield to a pedestrian in front of them because how DARE I put ten more seconds between them and artisan-shelled fair-trade pistachios! Basically they suck. 

     BUT. The other day I realized I was running out of jojoba oil, which I use as moisturizer because I have idiotically sensitive skin and if I put normal-person moisturizer on my face-suit I basically become Professor Quirrell, clutching at my burning face screaming "What is this magic?!?" I usually order it online but somehow I had approximately none left, and it takes a while to get here. So I googled, and Trader Joe's seemed to be the only place I could buy it that day. Thus I ventured in. 

     I did end up actually getting it, but the surprise favorites were the two other things I found once I had braved the dreaded parking lot (which is kind of a pun, because they did have a white guy with "dreads" working there). The coconut body butter I bought because it looked like it would smell delightful (I have great purchase-justifying skills), and because there was an old guy who picked up two tubs of it as I was perusing and I thought "hey, he doesn't look too dry and crackly, it must work!" (told you). Then I picked up the "espresso pillows" waiting in line, because the fact that they call them "espresso pillows" cracked me up with how high on the pretentious scale that hits. You couldn't just call them espresso bits, or pieces or something? There's not even anything particularly pillowy about them, they're crunchy for God's sake. I dunno man. It's a weird place. 

     POINT BEING (I'm so sorry I just wrote three paragraphs about Trader Joe's, I just have a lot of feelings. About everything, apparently), the espresso ~*~pillows~*~ are tasty and the body butter is straight-up delightful. That is all. 

BONUS FAVORITE: THIS PICTURE FROM MY PHONE WHICH SHALL SLAY THE MASSES WITH ITS ADORABLENESS

     I don't even have anything to say about this, I'll just leave it here without comment to counteract the Homeric Saga I wrote above. 

Friday Favorites: Viking Edition!

FAVORITE SHOW: VIKINGS

Plot summary, basically. 

     I started watching this History Channel show around Monday, I guess, and I'm really into it. It's about...you guessed it, vikings! The main guy kind of looks like Brad Pitt, if that's your thing, and his wife is a total badass, if that is your thing (badass female characters is so totally my thing. You ax that sumbitch in the head Legertha, you git im). It's also inspiring me do a lot of weird braid things in my hair, but that's kind of the norm for me anyway, so I guess it's a win-win. If you like Game of Thrones, you'll like this show. Like, I'm not gonna say it's exactly like it, I'll just say that I've been watching this show at night and waking up with the Game of Thrones theme song in my head. Draw your own conclusions. 

FAVORITE MATERIAL POSSESSION: THIS...THING?

     I'm not sure what to call this now that I've thought about it, because I know the trend is referred to as a kimono, but it's really not. A kimono is an actual super-detailed amazing specific cultural garment, so I feel weird using the term to refer to this that and the other. It's more of a...sheer...layering...thing...robe...sleeved shawl? I don't know. The point is I got it at Target a while back and now that the weather has become tolerable I've been wearing this thing non-stop. You wouldn't think it would be a basic, but in my weirdo wannabe Stevie Nicks wardrobe it acts like one. I really like it because since we're just emerging from winter I'm feeling a little...doughy, shall we say, and I'm not too keen to bust out my upper arms just yet, so this provides a little security blanket of sorts. 

FAVORITE PICTURES ON MY PHONE: OH MY GOD LOOK AT THESE FACES

     I actually have a ton of really cute flattering pictures of the twins when they're smiling and being photogenic, but my favorites are always the outtakes. 

     Hope you all enjoy your weekend! I'll be doing something silly that you'll be getting to laugh at me for on Monday. 

Friday Favorites: Super Incohesive Edition!

     Since last Friday's favorites post was kind of a weird one, I thought I'd do a normal one this week. But then I remembered nothing I do is normal, so this ended up just being a jumble of things that I found really, really, disproportionately amusing. 

FAVORITE #1: MY PLANT IS GROWING! 

     Real talk, I was like 97% sure all I was going to get out of this was a delicately dressed jar of dirt, so this was a big surprise. Especially because it popped up preeetty much overnight. I was watering my other (already well-established -- I think it's from a cutting of one that's older than me, but I'd have to ask my mom to confirm that, and she's asleep, and it's my blog so...we're just gonna pretend that's right) plant a few days ago when I glanced over and OH HEY, A PLANT. It felt right at the time because it was all nice and springy and we had the windows open, but now that it's 27 degrees again it feels a little out of place. Whatever, it'll make sense again in a day or two, and I'm pleased with the little bit of spring hope it brings to my desk.

FAVORITE #2: I HAVE THE SEXIEST MOST INTRIGUING ARMPITS!

     So I was standing at the deodorant section, staring at all the possibilities and getting so overwhelmed that I was starting to think about just not buying anything and running off to live in the forests like the smelly ape that I truly must be, and eventually I started wantonly grabbing things and smelling them. None of them really spoke to me, but this one smelled decent enough (read: not entirely like straight-up baby powder. I mean whatever, baby powder is an ok smell, but I don't want to smell like a baby, damn it, because that's a weird thing for a childless person to smell like. What am I supposed to be hiding a baby in my armpit?). But then I looked at the label and knew I HAD to buy it. Because SEXY INTRIGUE. That is the actual name of the actual scent of this actual product that you can actually buy. A stick of chemical compounds designed to hide your sweaty smelly armpits to keep everyone from noticing your bodily processes. Called SEXY INTRIGUE. I laughed out loud, alone in the aisles of Target. That is exactly what I want, Degree. Really gonna complete the whole "sexy intrigue" look I rock when I'm dragging my sweaty sun-block drenched ass around in the sweltering heat of summer. People will walk past and murmur to their friends "She looks pretty rough right now, but how about those sexy intriguing armpits, amiright?" That is exactly what will happen. BRILLIANT MARKETING, GUYS. (I may make fun of it, but in the end who's the sucker who bought it anyway?)

FAVORITE #3: WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING IN THIS PICTURE!

     I snapped this picture because I was sitting on my bed reading about pottery-firing methods of ancient Japan on Wikipedia because I have no idea how to have fun like a normal person and when I looked up for a second it took an abnormally long time for my brain to figure out what I was looking it. It looks like somebody snuck in and pasted a mural of a nice dusky horizon on my window, then when I opened it I revealed the black abyss of a cold indifferent universe lurking behind. In reality it's just a weird illusion of there being a hilly pasture over there that pulls the horizon right up to where my window ends. I mean, the picture is just an illusion. The cold indifferent universe is real. Sweet dreams, kiddos!

FAVORITE #4: I'M REALLY JUST ADDING ONE MORE IN CASE YOU FOUND THAT ENDING TOO SOBERING AND NEED SOME CHEERING NOW!

     This was Bess's face the entire time my mum was vacuuming the other day. The other cats all ran away  but Bess is too lazy, so she just sat there and stared at me like "Getting real tired of your bullshit. Trying to get a solid twelve hours of sleep here." And yes, I am that person who talks for their cat and laughs hysterically while taking twenty pictures in a row of them. It is what it is. 

Friday Favorites: "This is why I can't watch movies in theaters" edition!

     Real talk: I don't even remember what my other favorites were going to be this week, because today Amanda got the Hunger Games: Catching Fire dvd (a day early! I shall not question thy will, Amazon Prime, but merely bask in gratitude) and we watched it pretty much immediately and I cried continuously. You know when you don't get the cap of your water bottle on quite right so it just leaks little by little until suddenly you realize everything's a mess? That was me, leaking tears through the whole damn movie (such metaphor. very writer). I have a really awful headache now, probably from my brain banging on my skull saying "This is FICTIONAL, ya ding-dong. Get it together." But whatever, I get attached to my fictional characters, ok? Anyway, I thought I was doing pretty good holding it together and silent crying with just the occasional melodramatic sob, then my eyes starting burning really bad. So I paused the movie and went to splash some water on my face and THIS HAD HAPPENED.

I stopped laughing long enough to put on a tragic face for you guys. You know, for authenticity. 

     They were not screwing around when they labeled this mascara "high drama," y'all. Those are actual STREAKS of it down my face, like I was guest-starring on the Hills or about to come crawling out of your television to murder you. It was out of control. 

     Anyway, I know this may not seem like the most glowing review of the movie, but it is actually super amazing. I may have cried the whole time (except for the break where I came bursting out of the bathroom cackling hysterically to make everyone look at what was happening on my face), but I'm the kind of weirdo who likes to get all my crying done in one big cathartic sitting. That way when life's getting me down later (or, let's be honest, I see a particularly touching Google Chrome ad), I can handle it because my whole month's supply of tears has already been used. Basic biology, totally how it works. 
     

Friday Favorites: TV Binge Edition!

     I guess I kind of gave away the nature of one of this week's favorites right in the title, but so it goes. Let's do this! I present to you this week's favorites. 

SHOW I'VE BEEN WATCHING OBSESSIVELY

     I started watching Elementary this week because Jen has told me several times over several months that I'd really like it. I knew she was probably right, given that I'll watch any show that's a variation on a Sherlock Holmes theme (except the Mentalist, because the lead in that looks too much like Gilderoy Lockhart and for that reason alone I simply can't deal), and that if she likes it I probably will too because we're basically the same Lego minifig, just wearing two different snap-on hairs. But I have to be in a certain mood to start a new show, so it took me a long time to get around to it. Part of that is it has to be when I know I have a few days free, because I cannot be trusted to start a new show without binge-watching every season in a span of days. I can't help it; I do the same thing with books. Put it off for months and months, then read an entire trilogy in a few days. Anyway, I'm enjoying that this version of the Sherlock theme is less depressing than the BBC version (which I do love, but come on, my heart still hurts), and that Watson isn't such a sad-sack (again, I love Watson. I do. But it's nice to have a version where Watson isn't quite as much of a tragic puppy). 

FOOD I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED IS REALLY FREAKING DELICIOUS

     Lindt white chocolate truffles (I'll pause here while you imagine the sound of a choir of angels parting the clouds on a dreary day, because I don't know how to spell that sound. I picked up a bag of these the other day because I just thought "Oh, haven't had one of these in a while!" and OH MY GOD IT ISN'T EVEN FAIR HOW GOOD THESE ARE. Granted I'm biased, because white chocolate has always been my favorite chocolate (yes, I know technically it's not even real chocolate. Whatever, don't tell me who to be). But what I really want is the one this guy is whipping up with a maniacal look on his face on the back of the package. You know, the one the size of my FIST?

IMPROMPTU ROOM SWITCH-UP THAT I THOUGHT I'D HATE BUT DIDN'T

      Yeah, so... I have a glowing headboard now. See, the other day I was sitting around, being Pinterest in human form, and decided I wanted to incorporate the whole "white string lights behind a sheer fabric" thing that I see everywhere online, lookin' all pretty and junk. I grabbed some lights from the attic and my summertime sheer curtains, then set about holding them up and laying them out in different configurations waiting for inspiration to strike. It occurred to me that a sheer, lit-up headboard could be kind of cool. So I strung the lights on, then started having doubts. It was looking a little...dorm-room-esque? But once I threw the curtain on there and turned on the lights, I decided I actually really like it. It gives a nice ambient glow that's enough to, say, plug in my phone or see the buttons on the tv remote by, but it's not quite so bright as to prevent me from getting sleepy, like a reading lamp can be. Obviously I unplug it before I go to sleep at night, because it is too bright to sleep in, but it's nice for that wind-down time before I'm ready to get serious about sleeping. The lights are the LED kind that are designed to stay cool so you don't burn your house down with a Christmas tree, so I'm not worried about any fire hazardry there. As for that curtain, it's literally just tossed on there right now, so if I decide to keep this set-up I'll figure out some way to make it look more polished. Right now though, it's just a fun little change. I may keep it, I may not, but I'm enjoying it right now. 

Friday Favorites: pink and cats and hobbits, oh my!

     Let me just say in advance: if you think this edition of my weekly favorites is too pink, just be glad I didn't buy the Hello Kitty clock that I saw on clearance at Target. Sadly, though my preferred aesthetic leans toward childlike whimsy, even I couldn't justify that one. But onwards, to the things that made me happy recently! 

PLANNING LIFE LIKE A GROWN-UP WHO HAS HER SHIT TOGETHER

     I got this most perfect little planner on earth so that I can try to better organize myself. I've got a lot more going on in this new year (more freelance jobs, more custom cakes to make), so I needed a way to make sure I wouldn't lose track of anything! This little guy is pretty much exactly what I wanted: it's pink and fun and different enough that it could belong to the girl who bakes your kid a birthday cake shaped like a pony, but still polished and professional-looking enough that it could belong to the girl who edits your research papers. It suits my multiple personalities! Yay! The inside even has polka dots sprinkled across the top of every page, so that kicks it up way into "did someone design this for me personally?!" territory. 

     STASHING THINGS INSIDE THIS FAT LITTLE CAT COOKIE JAR

     When I saw this at Target the first time, I told myself I was going to wait for it to go on sale, because I really have no need for a twenty dollar cookie jar shaped like a cat. But the next time I was there, I looked at it again and thought of how sad I'd be if it sold out before I got one, and I couldn't stand it. I just wanted it in my life, I don't know what else to tell you. So I had to buy it. I think I'm going to start writing down good things that happen to me and really nice compliments and stashing them on little cards in there so that at the end of this year I can look back and remember all the great stuff that's happened. Kind of cheesy, but sometimes I need a little help maintaining my optimism, and I think that will help. 

FINALLY READING THE HOBBIT SO I CAN BE INTO ALL THE NERDY THINGS IN THE WHOLE WORLD

     You may find it hard to believe, since I've already made clear that I like all the nerdy things, but I've never read the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I had always wanted to, but I had this notion that the books were all insurmountably long for some reason. But one day I saw a box set of the Hobbit and the trilogy, and it looked totally do-able. Just four nice little moderate-sized paperbacks. So I went for it! I started reading the Hobbit about a week ago, just a chapter here and there before bed, and now I'm halfway through it. I was surprised at what an easy read it is, actually! I'm looking forward to finishing it so that I can see the movies without guilt, since I always like to read the book before seeing the movie. 

HONORARY KIND-OF-CHEATING FAVORITE: SNUGGLEPUP MCGEE HERE

     It's kind of cheating because Sophie is a favorite all the time, not just this week, but Amanda wanted me to include this picture she took, so I told her I would. Sophie was feeling snuggle-deficient that day, so I told her she could come up on my bed for some cuddles just this one time (she's normally not allowed on my bed) and she was just pleased as punch. And let's face it, so was I, because she is a delight to snuggle with. 

Friday Favorites: Sick edition!

     As you may know, I've been dealing with some sort of horrible cold/flue/sinus issue all week long. Since I know there's a lot of colds and flus and various plagues swimming around out there right now, I thought I'd share some of the things that have helped me deal, in case anyone finds themselves in a similar situation. 

1. Two words: Heated. Blanket.

     I know I've said it before, but the importance of a nice heated blanket for the cold months in general, but especially during cold and flu season, cannot be overstated. When you're feverish and have chills so violent you think your skeleton's gonna jump right out of your body, there's nothing like cranking a heated blanket all the way up. I'm feeling a lot better now, but during the worst of my bout of illness, when I was basically just a shivering incubus of viral plague, I crawled back into my bed and turned it up to high after spending the night praying for the sweet release of death on the bathroom floor, and I swear that as soon as the heat hit me it soothed my broken body and toasted the chills right out. I finally fell asleep, and when I woke up a few hours later I felt approximately a trillion times better. It's the closest thing you're gonna get to a power-up in real life. 

2. Along the same lines: flannel PJs. 

     I've been living in flannel jimjams all week (they're from Kohls, in case you're wondering where you can get flannel jammies with Scotty dogs on them -- I also have the same pair in blue plaid). They're so soft and warm and delightful. I always thought I'd hate flannel pajamas because I'd overheat, but I've been pleasantly surprised by the shnuggliness. 

3. Entertainment: Lego Marvel Superheroes.

     Look, I know this isn't exactly high-brow entertainment, but you know what? Sometimes you want something intellectual and enlightening, and that's when you go watch the King's Speech or something, but sometimes you want to make Captain America punch a Lego velociraptor until it explodes. And for those times, this game is delightful. I really like the Lego videogames in general; they're easy to play, satisfying because you get to smash practically everything, and they have a sense of humor smart enough that it doesn't make you feel like you're playing a kids game (even though you kind of totally are, but whatever. Grab your happiness where you can). I've especially appreciated it this week because I could handle playing it even when I was taking cold medicine that dialed my reaction time and problem solving down to slow-mo. 

     So those are the little things that have gotten me through a week of germy grossness. I hope you all are staying healthy, but if not, I hope you're finding solace in little things too!

Game Day, Roasted Marshmallows, and Runny-Jumpy

     Those are the high points of my weekend, in case you couldn't guess (it's ok, I didn't really expect you to guess. I expected you to go "Whaaa?" and continue reading to figure out what on Earth I'm rambling about. That, dear friends, is called a hook. Thanks for playing). 

GAME DAY!

     As you may well know, I come from a Green Bay Packers family (well, not my mom, but we just hide her in the Shame Corner whenever she wears a Redskins t-shirt. Just kidding, Mom!). And now that football is back we've been getting the family together every weekend to cheer on the Pack. It's been fun, but the best part this weekend was this: 

Mmmm, rivalry.

     This is a collaborative cookie cake: it was Amanda's idea, my mom baked the cookie, and I slapped some frosting on it. And then we all came together as a team to eat it.

     To be fair, I guess the "best part" award is tied between cookie cake and getting to hang out with Jen, Jason, and the babies. Although I'm a little concerned about the amount of straight-up SCHEMING Ollie was doing...

"Hmmm, yes, I shall explosively poo the SECOND they remove my diaper! Brilliant..."

      Anyone else reminded of this guy from Beauty and the Beast?  Probably not, that reference was a bit of a reach. And Ollie's obviously way cuter and less menacing. But he does a good impression of an evil insane asylum manager, right? Right. Anyway. 

ROASTED MARSHMALLOWS

     This is the part where I throw you a plot twist, M. Night Shyamalan style, because I don't mean actual marshmallows, I mean this: 

Smells like happiness and burning.

      I've got this Marshmallow Fireside candle burning as I write this and it smells so goooooood. Since it's been nice outside I've got the windows open, and the combination of the breeze and the cool air and the crickets and tree frogs outside and this candle is delightful. It really does smell like somebody nearby is having a campfire. I plan to go buy the full-sized version of it at Bath and Body Works the next time I get an email telling me three-wick candles are on sale.

Runny-Jumpy

     Obviously, because it's me, Runny-Jumpy isn't going to be a real thing, it's going to be the stupid thing I've been calling something else. In this case, I'm referring to my latest favorite game to play on my tablet when I've got a couple minutes to kill: Wind-Up Knight. 

Featuring Chicken-Dragons. I could get all 12th century lit on you and call it a cockatrice, but let's be real. It's a chicken-dragon.

      The reason I call it Runny-Jumpy should be fairly obvious: you do a lot of running and jumping. Also because I'm a bit of a simpleton, but mostly it's just an apt description when someone asks me what I'm playing. It's a side-scroller that starts out pretty simple, just collecting coins and slaying stupid-looking mythological terrors, but you get more abilities (a shield, dodge roll, wall-jumping) as you advance through the levels. I like that it gets more difficult, so it keeps me on my toes, but there are still only ever a max of four buttons to hit, so it doesn't get too insane.

     So those are the things I've enjoyed over the weekend! Hopefully you all had delightful weekends as well, although maybe involving less baby-scheming and burning-smells and more... I dunno, relaxation or whatever.