Miserable, Magical Monday || Christmas Edition!

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I've been dying to get back into my regular posting groove and what better way to do it than with the return of Miserable, Magical Monday?

1. The Voice!I know it's over and there's been a winner but I've magically been able to avoid the results up to this point. It all started a few weeks ago when Brandon decided he wanted to watch it. We spent a whole afternoon watching it the day I stayed home from work because of the big storm we had out here a few weeks ago.

Side bar: I woke up, got ready, and drove about 20 minutes before I decided my car had been jerked one too many times by the wind. I turned around because honestly, I was not about to risk getting stuck in a flooded Napa or driving at night, in traffic, in rain and wind when the morning had been so yucky.

So I stayed home with Brandon and binge-watched old episodes of The Voice. I've made it to the top 12, and I was pretty surprised at a few of the coach's choices (how, HOW did Adam get rid of Taylor?) but overall I'm excited to see the rest of the show. I really dig the indie guys, which should not surprise anyone.

2. I had a huge debacle with my Christmas cards last year when I received 50 copies of some generic-looking family's card instead of my own. I was so unhappy about it that I was determined to send out a classy card this year. But as luck would have it, the cards I ordered online (in a same-day print capacity to avoid shipping headaches) were printed on flimsy photo paper. I seriously have zero luck with Christmas cards...and I hate it because I think they're lovely (and an excuse to get gussied up and snap pretty photos). I thought about using some random cardstock I had to make them a tad sturdier, but honestly, who in the world has time for that crap? Not commutes-at-least-two-hours-a-day-me. So instead, I caved on Brandon's genius idea to do a South Park inspired card this year. I found this website my literally typing "how to turn yourself into a South Park character" on Google and clicking through a link in some Yahoo forum. And then I spent about 20 minutes creating our avatars and manipulating everything else in Photoshop. It turned out so much better than any kind photo card I could have thrown together.

Awesome, right?!

3. Still on Christmas: I got a ukulele from Brandon Santa for Christmas! It was wrapped in its case, so I was completely thrown off when I saw it under the tree. But I legit shed tears of joy when I saw what it was. I'd had an urge to splurge (gross) on a uke when Brandon and I were out in Hawaii for our honeymoon over a year ago, but he intelligently told me to cool it since I didn't actually know how to play. So I cooled it. But then, I just kept wanting this thing. I wanted something to practice, something to learn, and I kept having all these ideas of how to cover songs I loved. Anyway, Brandon took notice of my sincere desire to learn to play the ukulele and hooked it up. Seriously, this thing is so pretty.

4. I literally just finished watching Saving Mr. Banks and it was just as beautiful and magical, though a lot sadder, as I imagined it'd be. Mary Poppins is one of my favorite Disney movies ever (no, seriously, last time I was in Disneyland I cried when Mary and Bert came out in the parade) and I completely enjoyed catching the overlapping of dialogue. I had to hold back my sobs in multiple parts of the movie because this was not the kind of movie that rips you apart...unless you're me? But seeing how special Mary Poppins was to P.L. Travers -- and Walt Disney, for that matter -- made it exponentially more special to me.

Such a great shot.
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And can we talk about how spectacularly perfectly Julie Andrews captured Mary Poppins? Later? Cool.

5. Semi-related: I think I've been picking all the wrong books to read. Watching Saving Mr. Banks made me want to read the story of how Disneyland was built and about Walt's life. Maybe then I could pick up a book and finish it!

6. Did you know you can cook fish from frozen without it getting super mushy? I found that out today and it was delicious.

Until next time!
♥ A

Personal Day

To say I had a long day on Sunday would be the understatement of my year. I've been tired, I've been hungover, and I've even judged a five-day debate tournament in 2014 and I haven't had as long a day as May 4, 2014. By the end of Sunday, I couldn't remember if I was confusing that morning's shower with one from Saturday.

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Sunday, May 4th, marked one year since I walked across the stage in The Greek as my name was mispronounced to my parent's dismay. One year since the journalism prof whose class I had to drop when I changed my major remembered my name as he and his helper placed a hood on me (funny, I was "hooded" twice in 2013). One year since I've seen the professors who challenged me academically and personally to find what I care about and to never quit pursuing it. One year since I've set foot in San Diego. 

I was feeling so depressed before church started. And watching a sideshow from a San Diego mission trip didn't help. Especially the photo of the Old Town location of Miguel's (a restaurant), where two years ago my friends and I celebrated a roommate's birthday. To everyone else in the congregation, that photo was just a picture of a restaurant. To me (granted in the already super nostalgic mood I was in), it was a picture of a memory and a stark feeling that this city that was so pivotal to my life meant next to nothing to the people I was surrounded by. No joke, I started crying. As in all my attempts to breathe it out and push down the tears failed. It was embarrassing to say the least.

Flash forward through a long conversation I was in no emotional state to handle to Sunday afternoon. Our friends Seth and Julie invited me and Brandon over to watch a WWE program and treated us to a scrumptious spaghetti dinner. We hung out there basically all day and were lucky enough to catch Game of Thrones before the actual air time! It was just the distraction I needed.

Monty the cat sleeping like a cutie.

But come Monday, something was still off. The funk was so strong that all I wanted to do was write, but I stalled every time I tried to. Anyway, my best friend and husband independently suggested I take a day off work to forget my worries and focus on the things I hadn't found time to do in the past couple of weeks. I figured if the two people who know me best in the world thought I needed a day to process my thoughts/feelings, then maybe I should listen. I should mention that the Monday night young adults small group was also a refreshing, much needed dose of community and love. I'm thankful I was there.

That brings us to me on my personal day at home, in my leggings and 2012 Homecoming tee shirt and you, wherever you are. I realize this is a bit of a long-winded post, but I'm a relatively long-winded storyteller. Anyway, I bet by this point you just want me to tell you what the heck I've done all day, right? Well, I hope so, because I'm about to show you.

First, I woke up around 7:30am sans an alarm. That's perfectly ok in my book! Brandon hadn't left for work quite yet so I grabbed Mindy Kaling's book and cuddled up next to him while he played some video game where you're kidnapped in the jungle and trying to escape/find your friends. I don't know much about it, except apparently there's a hefty use of Alice in Wonderland quotes. Once Brandon left for work I made myself a small list (because lists are still important on PDs). It wasn't meant to include everything, just to touch on some main things I wanted to do.

As you can see, I've been quite busy.

As a side note: I'm super excited about starting this new journal. My old one was a gorgeous brown one Brandon gave me for a birthday. But I have a thing for collecting journals, so I bought this one at Barnes and Noble not too long after because I thought it was beautiful. It's made of recycled sari silk and the paper is handmade in Nepal. OH MY GOSH that sounds so pretentious! I fully invite judgement after that sentence.

Are we done judging me? Are we still friends despite my hipster-ish tendencies? Cool. After this I've got my journal with the Eiffel Tower on it (normal lined paper from Target) and my Tom Riddle diary that my sis brought me from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter last Christmas.

After the list, I took the pillows from the couch and made myself a comfy reading nook on my bed. I usually prefer to read on the couch but my living room is so dark it's not even worth it. I (finally) finished the book and then poured my thoughts into my new hipster journal as I sipped my coffee. Since reading Ephron's  I Remember Nothing,  Fey's Bossypants and Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), I've decided I need to read more comedienne memoirs. It night just be tied with distopias as my favorite genre.

The background here is the top of the gorgeous journal.

After a quick lunch I headed out on my balcony to paint my nails. Let me just say that removing pedicure polish is a million times harder than it should be. After consulting the girls (actual people, not a euphemism), I settled on mint toes and blue nails. I read Lauren Conrad's blog every day and it always makes me happy when "Team LC" points out things that are "on trend" that I bought before they were in. Case in point: light blue nail polish. I've spent some time trying to think of why I like this shade of blue so much. I knew it had to do with my childhood. I thought maybe it was the Robin's Egg Blue crayon, but then I noticed that the color reminds me of Aurora's cake in Sleeping Beauty!

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Random, I know.

I snuck in some wonderful yoga with a Yoga With Adriene video in between toes and hands. And that's all I've done so far (not including this post).

I've still got a crafty project to work on that will let me check off another Thing from my 12 Things list. And come to think of it, I can mark that I've completed 1 out of the 6 books I want to read before November! Yesss.

Alright, this post is long enough. I really appreciate you few who read my thoughts and rambles. You guys rock. Don't ever change.

What?

These kids knew what was up.
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♥ A