"Pictures are often hung on walls to decorate homes, but more often to cover up holes and soiled spots"

Every winter my mom and I go up to San Francisco and do a little day shopping trip. This isn't like most people. Even though this is before Christmas we rarely buy any gifts and sometimes nothing at all. We basically take the day to embrace the experience and the city and then go home and shop online.  I know it's not as fun as coming back with bags and bags and then wrap everything, but tradition is tradition. Part of this tradition (apparently) is that I take a couple photographs but since I never remember to use my camera I always end up waiting till we get to China Town or in this years case just leaving.

I'm not sure why but these are always some of my favorite photos. One day I'll go up with the distinct purpose of touring the city with my camera but until that happens I'll enjoy my two.

"A woman has many good reasons for shopping, one of which is that she cannot afford it"

Ok so I know this wasn't the best use of my time but what esle is as fun on a rainy day as shop online? At least I was only looking at sales...usually. I came across this bust at Urban Outfitters that I've decided I really want partly because I like it, partly because it goes with my jewelry holder systems, and partly because I have too many necklaces to hold only on what I have. 

With that reasoning it sounds like a perfectly logical investment...right? Well because I'm avoiding impulse with a credit card, I will wait.  It'll at least go on my 'wish list' I'm forming. I figure having a running wish list will help me separate the logic from the just 'want' purchases and I'll have something to refer to when people ask for my birthday which is around the corner.

"Into each life some rain must fall, especially when you've left your umbrella at home"

Last night I fell asleep to the rain and woke up to no power. It was actually quite a little nice escape.  I got up for some hot oatmeal and since it was too dark to read and there was no power to do any work I decided to curl up in bed with my cat.  It was amazing. It was the best nap I've had in quite a while and with the grey sky and sound of rain it wasn't hard to drift off. I got up and did a little here and a little there. I set up camp in the kitchen listening to Pandora and made muffins for breakfast, chopped some veggies for a baked pasta I made for dinner, and later I made healthier version of the classic chocolate chip cookie for my dad.  (It's actually been a big hit so if you're looking for a good breakfast dessert cross over cookie let me know).

I'm looking forward to another day or two like this. It's so relaxing!

Have a cozy night

"Happiness Consists of not longing for the things that make us happy"

So to those who know me, organized only begins to describe me. I've been playing with organization for years, which has blossomed into a side job. I will probably be sharing little tricks and ideas that I stumble across throughout this blog.  To start I have only recently really allowed myself to practice my skills and hobby on myself. I recently decided that even though I'm in this ongoing state of in between I wanted to settle into my room. I could be moving in a month or a week or in a year but I still wanted to treat myself to that moved in feeling I've put aside for 3 years. I went out and picked up some drawers from Ikea.  I love Ikea.  You can do so much with their stuff. I have a dear friend who along with her mom design their spaces primarily with Ikea and it always looks so amazing. It's bold, colorful, functional, efficient, and has a great vibe that mixes youthful playfulness with mature sophistication.

I wish I could share some pictures but all I have are of this amazing chest she got with this beautiful sketch on it in gold pen. I'm so inspired that I've started brainstorming motifs for my little Ikea drawers to make them more special.

One of the many things that I like about organizing is that it's an opportunity to make art of storage. Keep in mind that art is subjective and the goal is visually pleasing rather than a framed masterpiece. I think these drawers are such a great example and guess what...she got them as is for $25 on Craigslist! I know!

With all the rain in the area and a day off, this might be a great opportunity to give your storage a facelift with a new coat of paint, some new handles/knobs, or a pretty little sketch.



Have a happy cozy day

"The happiest man on earth is the one who never know it"

Here's a happy tip. It's actually more like emotional yoga. It takes practice. I used to keep a journal but I found that I only wrote in it when I was frustrated, angry, or sad. I made a choice to stop that. Not so much to write only positive things but to change the ways in which I described them.  It was difficult so at first I just started with more of a list format of things I liked that day. Things that made me smile, thankful, or thoughtful. In a day that didn't seem like anything exciting happened I gradually discovered that there was a lot to enjoy. I'm still in a practicing mode and so I'm going to start using the Moleskine notebooks (I LOVE them!) I have in my purse  to make notes throughout the day.

Flickr: Jo36

These notebooks are so amazing.  I have one for DIY projects and ideas, one for work/project thoughts and contacts, and one for misc. in my purse.  I even have the calendar. It doesn't have to be beautiful just purposeful.

Don't let the stuff that makes you smile pass by without a token

"Happiness is a way station between too much and too little"

As I am starting this blog part way into my little experiment it feels like there's a lot of catching up to do but instead of attempting the impossible of sharing everything up till now, I'll just start with something recent.  As one of my happiness resolutions I vowed to put myself more out there and allow bubble to be broken and uncomfotable mments to happen. In that spirit I jumped back into the dating world full force. On one recent date I came across some of the most delicious hot cholocate, some tasty salty pizza and some great conversation about music.  It happened in that order reminding me how nice it is to eat dessert first.

 Flicker: Bobby Ramirez

Have a happy chocolate day