Celebrating Love

 There is only one happiness in life—to love and be loved. 

-George Sands

As I sit at work with the rain pouring outside, I am ready to tackle a few remaining items on my to-do list before heading out of town for the weekend. This week has been a busy one... crunch time at work on a large project, an impromptu engagement party for 2 of my dear friends, and a weekend away on the horizon. The major theme of the week (and impending weekend) is love, and celebrating it to the fullest. 

Today is my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, and this weekend, we will all come to Ohio from near & far to join in celebrating this momentous occasion. Born and raised in small town Ohio, they married at the age of 20 and raised 3 wonderful children (the eldest of which is my dad). Love and family are the two most important things to my grandparents, and I have found such inspiration in the two of them, particularly in regard to their enduring love. They've been there by each others side throughout the happiest and most challenging moments of their lives, never failing to continue making the choice to honor and love one another.

I wanted to come up with a way to properly honor the occasion, so I thought of hiring a photographer to come and document the evening. I was able to connect with a friend from high school who takes photos on the side, and she will be joining us to capture the evening. It is well worth the money, because all of us will be able to fully enjoy the evening and the photos will be a wonderful tribute that will live on. 

I am looking forward to taking a pause from my hectic life in the city to celebrate love and the wonderful family that will surround me. 

(Image via WeHeartIt)

Balm To My Soul

I get by with a little help from my friends.
-John Lennon 

 Right now, I live about 350 miles from where I grew up, which is a small town where everybody knows everybody. I love living in the city, but I do miss being surrounded by love and familiarity. Luckily, those things are just a phone call away. 

I am very blessed with many wonderful friends in my life, but there is one particular girlfriend of mine that just "gets" me. Even though we only see each other once or twice a year, a visit or phone call with E is truly a balm to my soul. 

We are both busy people, and the opportunity to have a long phone conversation doesn't happen often. Last night, I was home after a long day of work, and I got a notification that E had posted something on Facebook. I decided to try giving her a call, since it seemed likely she could chat. Two and a half hours later, phone battery nearly depleted and face hurting from laughing & smiling, I hung up the phone with that gem of a friend.

Our conversation covered a lot of ground --  from the largest and most important things we're going through down to inside jokes and memories that make us crack up instantly. We reminisced about some of our favorite moments, we planned some fun events for my upcoming visits home, and we giggled over our love for the Baby-Sitters Club and Center Stage. 

In the midst of a busy week like this one, feeling connected like that was just the ticket. For an introvert like me, it's important to realize that reaching out is sometimes just as nourishing as reaching in. 

I hope you are all as blessed as I am to have someone like E in your life. 

(Image credit -Vanessa Van Meerhaeghe)

Type A

 A goal without a plan is just a wish.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Over the years, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm a type A personality. I don't adapt well to change, I like to be prepared, and I am in a considerably better mood if my bed is made and there aren't dirty dishes in the sink. 

Even in this digital age where my iPhone rarely leaves my side, I prefer a paper planner. I do use Google Calendar for appointments, but love charting my week + to do lists with a pen and paper. Thanks to the suggestion of the ever inspiring Kimberly Wilson, a few years ago I began using Planner Pad. It's certainly not as eye-catching as many planners on the market now, but it's incredibly functional and works like a charm for me. 

I used to spend Monday mornings at work charting out my week & accumulating my various to do's, but have recently found that Sunday evenings are the perfect time for me to do this. First, I carry over any lingering tasks from the previous week. Then, with the help of my Google calendar, I add any appointments or social engagements. After that is finished, I create my various tasks lists at the top of the planner, corresponding to different subjects at work (and always a personal/weekend list). I truly put everything on these lists, from "schedule haircut" and "e-mail mom re: weekend trip" to my top task for work that week.

I highlight the most important tasks so they stand out to me, prioritize my tasks for Monday, and make sure that there is enough quiet/unscheduled time for an introvert like me. Taking just an hour to do this every Sunday night has had such a positive effect on how I feel Monday morning and leaves me ready to face my week.

This week in particular is one of those jam-packed weeks for me. From work to social events, unscheduled downtime is hard to come by. Prioritizing and organizing have helped me feel less anxious and more prepared for what's in store.

Do you have any Sunday night rituals to get ready for your week?

(Image from We Heart It)

Oh Happy Day

Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to
choose joy and keep choosing it every day.
-Henri Nouwen

Not every day can be a one with a star on the calendar, a celebration, or something to look forward to. But, it really does make a big difference to seek joy in the mundane, find the silver lining of a regular Tuesday. On Facebook, I regularly post "things I love about today", and I thought it would be a fun exercise for me to continue that here. I hope it encourages you to look at the world around you through a different lens. 

Printstagram
I am a huge fan of Instagram, since I love taking pictures & always have my iPhone handy, and I've captured some fantastic moments of the past few months through this popular photo app. But, as it can be with anything digital like this, what do you do with these photos aside from post them online? This week, I happened upon Prinstagram, a website that turns your lovely little digital pictures into something more tangible. For a very reasonable price, you can get a poster, mini-prints, stickers, or a mini-book with your favorite photos. I immediately ordered the mini-prints and can't wait for them to arrive! After they do, I may just have to try this gorgeous DIY project and turn them into wall art.  

Memoirs of a Geisha 
I'm a total bookworm, and always have a book on the go (and a queue at the ready for when I finish). Within the past few months, I've started a book club with some of my fantastic lady friends in the DC area. We've read a vast array of choices over the past 6 months, and our August book is Memoirs of a Geisha. This book has been on my list for years, after a dear friend recommended it to me. I am delighted by this book's beautiful language and compelling story. I'm only about 125 pages in, but am eager for more. "Yet somehow the thing that startled me most, after a week or two had passed, was that I had in fact survived. I remember one moment drying rice bowls in the kitchen, when all at once I felt so disoriented I had to stop what I was doing to stare for a long while at my hands, for I could scarcely understand that this person drying the bowls was actually me."

Striped t-shirts on the cheap
I am a bargain shopper through and through. My favorite places to buy clothes are Old Navy, Target, H&M, Filene's Basement, and my favorite consignment shop down the street. Right now, I'm having a slight obsession with stripes. I can't get enough striped shirts. A few months ago, I laughed at myself when I purchased 3 striped shirts while wearing a striped shirt. This past week, I was wandering blissfully through Target (my love of Target is a whole post in and of itself) when I happened upon the cutest striped scoop neck t-shirts for $5. I've worn both of them this week, and they are quickly becoming my new favorite. 

Other happy items of note: 

• Fresh cherries
• This beautiful blue nail polish
• Afternoon frozen yogurt breaks with my co-workers
• Returning to my yoga practice after being away far too long

What is making you happy this week? 

Familiar

A month ago, my grandmother died. She was 90 years old, and had been in nursing homes for the last 7 years of her life. Even though she suffered from dementia and didn't recognize her loved ones for her last few years, her genuine smile and optimistic spirit remained until the very end. 

I grew up very close to my grandmother. I spent summers at her house, every day while my parents worked. There was no shortage of adventures -- baking angel food cake from scratch, playing with my mom's 1950s Barbies, and reading aloud from her favorite poetry anthology, The Treasury of the Familiar. 

The book was very special to Grandma. She received it as a gift from her sister in 1945, and it's well worn pages, bookmarked poems, and underlined phrases indicated it had been there with her through many years & experiences. The first poem I ever memorized was from that book (The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson). In her later years, I would read poems when I went to visit her. Though she couldn't recognize faces, something in those words soothed her, let her escape from the prison her mind held her in. 

That anthology now sits on my desk, well worn and creased as ever. It has become one of my most treasured possessions. Looking through those pages, browning with age, I feel connected to a beautiful, vibrant woman who passed along her love of arts & culture and genuine smile to me. 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everyday's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with a passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

... and it begins

 Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
- St. Francis de Sales

I've played around with starting a blog for a long time. About a year ago, I actually created this blog, but didn't post anything. Today, inspired by the lovely Kaileen Elise, I've decided to jump in. 

We'll start with your basic introduction. I'm Sarah, I'm 30 years old, and I live in Washington, DC. I work in the arts, I love to read, and I'm obsessed with nail polish. I never turn down a cupcake, I am an extroverted introvert, and I love rewatching old episodes of Felicity. I'm from a small town in Ohio where my great-grandfather was the blacksmith, and I love my family dearly & visit often. 

What can you expect to find here? A mix of my favorite quotes, weekly and/or monthly goals, insights on life, favorite books, nail polish shade of the week, favorite Target clothing finds, and ways I find joy in the every day.  

I'm so delighted to join this wonderful community, and I hope you'll join me on occasion in my little corner of the web.