5 Things That I am Lovin On Right Now

I thought I'd give you a little window into some of the special things that I've been enjoying in my weekly routine this month

1. 4pm Coffee Time

I am addicted to caffiene. I am not ashamed to admit it. If I dont get a morning and an afternoon round of a strong cup of joe, everything else in my day is less enjoyable. Lately, I've been indulging myself. 4pm is often a magical time of day for me. Its the time when my never-sleeps toddler will usually drop off for a 60 min snooze, and when I've usually finished my household to-do list for the day. Its not quite time to start making dinner and there is space for a little just-me time. So I pour a cup of coffee all milky smooth with a swirl of hazelnut creamer (a personal weakness), snag a handful of Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips, and just sit in my rocking chair reading my favorite blogs, checking out the new gorgeous Etsy treasuries, and embrace total relaxation (for a full hour...its glorious).

2. The TV Series Weeds

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Ok so I am a little ashamed to admit this one, but I also have an addiction to the Showtime series "Weeds." I dont get cable, but Netflix instant streaming to our family WII had proven a huge downfall for my culturalization (not a real word but it works) ;) I started watching randomly one stormy afternoon back when I was on full time baby duty with a newborn and my husband worked. Somehow, I fell in love with the characters, as gritty, raunchy, and selfish as they all can possibly be. I mean its a Showtime tv show, so anything goes really. Anyway, I am hooked and sneak a new episode in on the random nights that I find I have 30 minutes of alone time. If you are also a closet "Weeds" lover, I'd love to know.

3. The evening run

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I started running for exercise about 10 years ago. Obesity runs rampant in the women of my family, and I got tired of feeling like the "big girl" of the group back when I was about 20. Through the process of growing up and finding a true center to myself, running has been a stabilizer. It has kept me sane in chaotic times and forces me to be alone with my thoughts and work through them. Lately, I've been rediscovering how much I love these jogs each evening. There is a gorgeous bike trail that runs through the woods a block from my house, and you can find me there almost every evening, no music- only the sounds of my shoes (Aasics - I will never run in any other shoe) on the pavement, my breath rhythmic and strong, and the nature around me. I am in love.

4. Trying New Art Supplies

Normally in my art and photos, I avoid glossiness at all costs. I am just not that big a fan of shiny stuff, and never really have been. A few weeks ago, I bought some of the constantly talked about Diamond Glaze, to try on the covers of my journal necklaces. I was skeptical that I would like it, but thought I'd give it a try. I freakin LOVE it! This totally shocked me. It takes my little covers to that next level of professionalism. It makes the pictures underneath pop so beautifully, and it is very forgiving, covering little mistakes easily with no trace of them. I seriously want to glaze everything in this stuff, it is so much fun.

5. Packages! 

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Getting mail is seriously one of the greatest feelings in the world.   I adore getting mail, and especially packages.  Even when the packages are something I ordered and was expecting, it is still so exciting to tear open a box that has my name on it.  I cant help it. It's the kid at Christmas feeling, and I love it! This month, I've been getting lots of packages. Mostly ones that I ordered with art supplies and such (I am trying to build up the inventory that I will need for the Fall Craft Festivals).  Anyway, today I got another expected package, but this one is REALLY SUPER exciting! I finally got my very own scanner!!! I was finally able to afford the one I wanted, and I am ecstatically happy to stop paying someone else to scan my artworks. Plus, I've been dying to start creating some papers to add to my art journals, and now I can scan the natural materials/fibers that I've been wanting to turn into paper designs. I want to scan everything!!! Textures, objects, doodles, odds and ends, oh it will be scanned and turned into paper designs. I can hardly wait to get started!

Tell Me: What things are you Lovin On these days?