songs that speak something true

Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done
Or what I will become
Who will love me for me
~ JJ Heller

Happy Valentine's Eve - a little ditty about finding someone who will love you for you, which is what everyone deserves. Sending a little love out to all this weekend.

merci beaucoup

It's not too late to send out your holiday thank you notes! I saw these cards on sale at JCrew today which prompted me to make a little purchase, because it's never too late to send a note of thanks. The best part with the code FUNSALE all sale items are 40% off today. Do you regular send thank you notes out?

monogram love

There's something about finding anything with my initial on it, it just makes me feel like I get a bit of personalization and I love it. I upgraded my iPhone back in November and I was so sad to lose my monogrammed case that I instantly ordered a case from Etsy with a J on it, just so I wouldn't not have to live without a J on the back of my phone. A bit obsessive? Absolutely, but that's what makes me who I am. Shortly after Christmas my mother and I took a trip to Marshall's (P.S. Marshall's and T.J. Maxx seem to be better in New England then down in the tri-state from what I've found), and when scoping out the holiday sale items I found cocktail napkins with a J on them. I had to have them - like any reasonable person. I used the napkins for my birthday and look forward to bringing them out again the future. 

happiness list

And I am back to my happiness list – I think this is my new favorite sometimes series, maybe closely tied with Letters to Norby (love that kid like wow). It’s one of those things that reminds me to stop and smell the roses – ever so important to do when the world sometimes just doesn’t go the way you want it.

So here we go:

Planning my last 5 vacation days for 2013. I have a very generous vacation time allotment, and even with these days, I still have some to use for next year. Most of the time will be spend with the family around Christmas, but one day is officially declared Jill’s NYC Staycation Day. Planning has officially commenced to make the most of the day.

Breakfast tacos from my favorite brunch place in Hoboken, Hoboken Gourmet. I love tacos, I love eggs, I am one happy camper when I have breakfast tacos.  I am also a massive fan of the vanilla hazelnut coffee which is a house specialty – it’s so good. Reminds me to make a mental note to get coffee from there next weekend as a treat (done).

Bikram yoga  - think we’ve finally gotten out of the hate relationship and gotten to the love stage. I started up again and just have been really enjoying the feeling of health and zen that the room is giving me these days. I am actually counting down to when I can go again, which means I am slightly hooked. I’ve been trying to get into yoga for the better part of a year, perhaps I am finally there.

Tootsie Rolls are also making me particularly happy, I think most people find them the rejects of the Halloween candy, but I go in search of them when I can. My office has trick or treating for the kids, which is so much fun – but upon the wrap up of the event, a colleague and I raided the remaining candy at our department- I’ve got a desk full of Tootsie Rolls and a happy little smile on my face.

Enjoying this cover of Miley’s “We Can’t Stop”… something about slowing things down makes me smile. 

And finally, a great lazy dinner of apples, cheese, peanut butter and pretzels - amazingly easy, delightfully delicious. 

much loved

This coffee table book looks so cute to me  - I think everyone needs a lovey and it’s great to see some truly loved bears and animals.  Much Loved by Mark Nixon is a collection of teddy bear portraits of some of the most loved of their kind. I still have my pink bear – Snuff, who’s been loved since 1988, making him 25 years young. Snuff now sits above my bed most nights watching me sleep (little creeper). Lately, I have been trying to track down Dolly – my lovey from birth, whom my mother painstakingly replaced her back regularly since I would wear it out, and eventually had to do reconstructive facial surgery when I wore through that too. I think Dolly must be at my parents’ house somewhere in a hidden spot as I cannot find her in mine – I really do hope I can find her as she was so loved for so long.

Did you have a lovey or two?

bedtime rituals...

Minds out of the gutter readers, please. This is more of a something sweet I like to do each night before I turn out the lights. Most evening routine involves the normal things, washing the face – which usually involves a makeup wipe because I am lazy, a bit of moisturizer for the face, brushing the teeth and flossing. Once I hope in bed, a few things must happen, I must read at least a page of a book, I cannot get sleepy without a bit of reading, and when I turn out the lights, I’ve gotten in the habit of saying good night to my someone, where ever he may be right now. Call it crazy, call it sweet, it’s just what I do – I want my person to know that I wish do wish for a pleasant sleep, and a great tomorrow. I don’t really know when I started doing this, but it dawned on me a few months ago that this is just part of my life until that someone comes into my life.

(photo from pinterest)

there's always...

There's always money in the banana stand...

I love the television show Arrested Development. As part of the upcoming fourth season, the Banana Stand is making appearances in New York City this week. The other day I walked by this one and was able to get a picture - however I was not willing to wait in a huge line for a chocolate dipped frozen banana.  It was great to see this out and about though- definitely made me so excited for the show to start up in a few weeks.

it's just a little crush

Yes, I have a crush and a few of my close friends know all about it. It's a person at work (and really if you think it's you it's probably not, and if you want to confirm ask me, I'll be honest) - who totally does not follow any context clues. I've been subtly or not so subtly trying to at least make the friend radar for the better part of a year. I find the whole working together thing makes this super complex as I do not want to cross that line of too far to go back and it's so awkward at work - I like my job. Oh well, it might just be one of those things that I just enjoy day dreaming about because I am too much of a coward to really do anything about it. Have you ever had one of those oh so awkward crushes as an adult?

(love letter photo from google)

guilty...

I have guilt regarding my very bad blog habits lately, it’s so very Catholic of me – I really did so well for so long on trying to do daily posts, and then well life got busy and the last thing on my mind when I had free time was writing for my blog. I miss updating my blog though, so I am going to make a much better effort going forward to make time to write regularly. Hopefully I can just find things that are interesting, or just fun to share, and well I need to stop over thinking as this blog is mainly for me, and I am certainly happy you’ve stopped by to say hello – but it’s all about what’s on my mind.  I pledge to do better, and hope you’ll keep coming back to check in from time to time.

(photo from mochithings.com)

valentine

Happy Valentines Day! I thought I would share one of my most favorite letters about a valentine from my favorite shows of all time, Everwood. It's just so sweet and beautiful- and embraces all those things so many of us cannot say when we need to. I do hope you enjoy!




"Dear Valentine, come away with me. If I had a day with you and you only, I would enjoy the simple things. The things that bring joy to the drudgery and the mundane, the things that, in the end, when time steals the rest away, are the only things we'll remember. I would paddle you across a still lake in a rowboat and read poetry to you until you fell asleep, and I would never ever think about the hours.

Dear Valentine, if I had one day with you and you only, I would admire every line of your face, every strand of your hair, every graceful movement of your hands or your eyes or your body. If I had one perfect day. Don't you see, my heart beats only for you? 

Dear Valentine, these are the things I remember, my love... A warm hand, your warm breath, your warm mouth, your arms around mine. I remember feeling safe, ceaseless, like one person, the two of us, still, at rest, entwined. I remember how I felt the first time I kissed you. It felt like... the high dive. What do you remember? How will I ever know what was inside your heart? Where do they go, all the things we think and feel but don't say? 

Dear Valentine, these are the things I never told you, these are the things I need you to know... that I loved you always, and my love was so big, it lives still after you're gone. I'd like to tell you that I would do it differently, that if I had one more day I would do everything right. But I know that not to be true. I'd make all the same mistakes. That is, except one... I wouldn't say good-bye.”


(this beautiful photo is from Georgianna Lane)