February 2022 // A List

February was the shortest month but felt like the longest month.

February was a month full of love and joy.

February found me visiting my family a few times.

Conversations with Mami made me laugh and feel incredibly grateful.

February was a month of trying new things.

February was a good month for accomplishing my goals.

The last half of February was a bit rough.

February found me going through waves of grief and mourning.

This month, I've noticed the signs of grieving much earlier than usual.

I think the universe is trying to tell me something, but I don't know what.

February found us mourning the loss of a family friend. It just seems so unfair and unreal.

February taught me so many things.

I'm glad to see February go, but I am so grateful that I lived to see this month.

Goodbye February. 

Hello March. I always have such mixed feelings about you.

Instead of dreading you, I'm going to welcome you with open arms.

Photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their happy and grateful list link up.

1. New bedding set

2. All the spring vibes

3. Finding new hot chocolate brands and flavors

4. Receiving arcs of books that I really want to read

5. Finishing two really good books

6. My sons

7. My curls (It's been a while, but the curls are back.)

8. This art journal page by Arlyna (Check out her Instagram here)

9. Cleaning and organizing (Sometimes a bit of change is good and so needed.)

10. Blue Bunny Load'd Bars

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time... 

Three Things - February 2022

Wow! It's been a while since I filled out a questionnaire. The last one was in August 2020. I saw that Steph from Life According to Steph made a new questionnaire and thought it'd be fun to share my responses. 

Three things that make me feel free

1. Going to the Silver Comet Trail

2. Looking at the moon

3. Going for a long drive

Three things I am inclined to forget when leaving the house

1. Wallet

2. Sunglasses

3. My list (specifically my grocery list)

Three things I keep saying I should do and continue to not do

1. Try a new recipe

2. Work on my unfinished projects

3. Organize my nightstand

Three reading related things I don't do that you might

1. Listen to audiobooks

2. DNF books (It's extremely rare if I stop reading a book even if I don't like it. Once I start a book, I have to finish it.)

3. Dog-ear my books 

*FYI: A dog-ear is when you fold down the corner of a page in a book. I will always use a bookmark. Also, I'd love to know who in the world even came up with the term "dog-ear."*

Three places I am dying to go

1. Italy

2. Alaska 

3. Scotland

Three things I do every day by noon

1. Respond to emails

2. Read a chapter in a book

3. Go through my to-do list for the day

Three fashion trends I can confidently say I will never do again

1. Denim on denim

2. Pants with messages on the butt

3. Butterfly hairclips

Three things I'm over

1. The pandemic 

2. Winter (I'm so ready for warmer weather)

3. Inconsiderate and irresponsible people

Three things I'm looking forward to

1. Spring

2. Going to the Farmer's Market

3. Going on a vacation (or staycation)

Now it's your turn. Feel free to share your response or a link to your blog in the comments.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash

If You And I Had Coffee

 

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet at a local coffee shop and have a late breakfast. We'd stay indoors because it's still a bit cold in the mornings. We're getting spring-like weather in the afternoon, so if we meet up in the afternoon, then we'll probably take our drinks and go for a walk.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that this month has been interesting. It feels like I haven't done much, but it also feels like I did too much. It's a strange feeling. I made too many goals for this month, and I'm behind on a few of them, but I'm not upset.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I had a conversation with Mami about her childhood (and our extended family), which made me think of my childhood. My mami is such an amazing and strong woman. I won't go into details over the conversation because I'm still processing so much of what I've learned. There were many things that I already knew, but I swear I learn something new every time, and it always makes sense. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm dreading the arrival of March. I've come to realize that grieving will never go away. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere, but March is when it hits me really hard. I've been thinking a lot about the grieving process. I have noticed the signs of grief again. I've been doing the usual things that bring me comfort, and working in my sketchbook/journal is one of those things that definitely helps. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm glad that we were able to meet up. I'd tell you that I hope we can have our next coffee chat outdoors. Spring will be here before we know it, so hopefully, the weather will get warmer next month. 

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their happy and grateful list link up.

1. Apple Music 

2. Working in my journal

3. Day/breakfast dates

4. Can You Keep a Secret?

5. Better Than Me by Bohnes

6. Easter candy

7. Spring-like weather

8. Superbowl memes

9. Get Messy Art by Caylee Grey

10. Flowers blooming

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time... 

Valentine's, Magnolias, and Warm Hands

Today is Valentine's Day, and oddly enough, it's one of my least favorite holidays. My feelings about the holiday are a bit complicated. I'm all for celebrating love every single day. I think what annoys me is the commercial aspect of the holiday. It feels a bit weird to buy a ton of stuff on one day to show your love. However, John and I always exchange a small gift every year even though we always say that we won't do it. We also get our boys a small gift, and I don't think that will ever change. However, celebrating most holidays when you have kids is much more fun. One of my favorite things about Valentine's Day is seeing the arts & crafts that my sons bring home from school. See...I told you my feelings on Valentine's Day are complicated. 

Speaking of complicated, I recently started watching Sweet Magnolias, a Netflix series adapted from the book series by Sherryl Woods, and I'm still unsure how to feel about the show. It's not a show that I would typically watch, and there are a few things about the show that I'm not a fan of. However, it may be because I read one of the books, and it was not the first book. I randomly read the fifth book, and I was absolutely not a fan. I'm still debating whether or not to read the first four books and the other books after the fifth book. All I can really say is to read the reviews on the books...both the positive and negative reviews.

Anyways, let's get back to the TV adaptation of the book. Sweet Magnolias is about three best friends, Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen, who live in a small, Southern town called Serenity and deal with their family, relationships, and careers. The drama is insane. One of the major plotlines is Maddie has to deal with the aftermath of her husband's cheating (and he also got the other woman pregnant), their breakup, and ultimately her divorce. She also has to figure out how to co-parent with her ex-husband and start a new career. Let's just say Maddie is dealing with a lot. Again the drama is a lot. 

I've been reading Amy Turn Sharp's newsletter, Warm Hands. Can I just say how much I love the name of her newsletter? I first learned of Amy Turn Sharp via Instagram. I was excited when she made a newsletter. I love her poems and prompts. I find her poetry to be relatable. There have a few poems that brought me so much comfort. You should check out her work on Instagram if you get a chance. 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their happy and grateful list link up.

1. Fire on Fire by Sam Smith

2. Reading new books

3. Trying a new schedule

4. Pepperoni Pizza

5. Package from Ali Edwards

6. Art journal pages on Instagram

7. Paper Person's Be Mine kit

8. Helen from Sweet Magnolias (I'm still not sure how to feel about the show, but Helen is probably the best character.)

9. Naps

10. #gmseasonofenough

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...