The Little Things

Last week I talked to one of my best guy friends for his birthday.

Senior Prom Photo. We’ve been friends since first grade.

We hadn’t talked in a while so he asked me what had been going on in my life. There were a few big things to mention, but my mind was predominantly flooded with tons of little, relatively unimportant things that have been the fabric of my days recently. I didn't bore him with most of the little details that were drowning my thoughts, but I realized that sometimes it really is the little things that make up a big story of our lives. So here’s what’s been going on:

Running

I started running again. I guess I can say started since I have gone four times in the last ten days. Almost a trend. I am a fair weather exerciser. Literally. Summer is too hot. Winter is too cold. Fall and spring? Perfect. Unless it is rainy, polleny or dark… y. My first night of running I ran to the end of my street and walked back. I was so proud. It was at least 0.7 miles. (Actually it was exactly 0.7 miles. I was so proud that I measured it in my car afterwards.) At work the next morning I shamelessly told everyone about my success (although I rounded it up and called it 1 mile)… including the man who just finished an iron man competition the week before.  Oh well. One co-worker delicately pointed out that it probably took me longer to pick out my outfit than it did to actually run. Boy was he wrong. For one thing, I run really slow so it took me much longer than he probably suspected. For another, I anticipated that I would go for a run so I picked out my clothes the night before. I decided a long time ago that day-before outfit picking time does not get factored into day-of getting ready time. I have run three times since then – a little farther each time.  Last night I ran to the end of the street and back. As I was pounding the pavement (I’m trying to sound tough here) I realized I was sweating a lot. Oh no wait. That’s not sweat. Yep, it’s raining. Just another little reminder from Mother Nature that I don’t belong in the Great Outdoors. Like I needed it.  

As I am cruising along I see that Metro Police have recently visited my neighborhood. Apparently there have been some speeders because at the bottom of the hill they set up one of those “Watch Your Speed” radars that flashes your mph on a giant screen to remind you to slow down. As I crest the hill, I cross over in front of the meter and dart straight towards it. I see a tiny red light blinking, as if it is thinking about whether or not I am fast enough to register. Thinking. Thinking. The flashes continue. I speed up, running as fast as I can (reminiscent of my buffalo run), hoping that it registers my Usain Bolt speeds. It’s still blinking. Calculating. Calculating. I am now just a few feet away. Two more seconds and I come to a screeching halt, face to face with the contraption. And... Nothing. Just a blank black screen staring back at me. Really Metro? I was at least putting out 5 mph. I have to be running over 30mph to be good enough for you? Sheesh. Don’t hate. 

I keep running despite my Metro-sized let down when a neighbor totally made my day. That’s right, emo guy in the hot pink converse hightops.  You made me smile. The fact that you came to Nashville to make it big and decided that Music City truly should be a City of Music was not lost on me. I can appreciate the amp that you set up in your front yard.  It took some time to run that orange extension cord all the way out to the street. And thanks for plugging in that electric guitar to said amp and playing all of your recent writes for us (all six of us neighborhood exercisers). But most of all, thanks for playing the guitar while riding a skateboard. That takes talent. Especially since your guitar is wired to the amp so you can only skate around in circles with a 10 ft. radius. I raise my nalgene to you, Music City Man. You keep us rocking in the hotel lounges and in the streets. Keep on singing. And skating.

Lamp Table

I have needed a floor lamp in my living room for at least 6 months. I am so indecisive about the smallest of things. Seriously. I picked out my condo in one weekend. A floor lamp? Months. And don’t even get me started on the couches. I finally found a lamp that I like at Walmart of all places. Nothing against Walmart, but I didn’t expect to find one there. It is Better Homes and Gardens which makes me feel better about the purchase. Plus it is a lamp and a table so it’s like a two for one deal.

And the table is perfect for my birthday present from my crafty sister. I call her Early Martha (Martha Stewart pre-prison time).  She takes nothing and turns it into something all the time. This time? A Hobby Lobby worthy piece of art with a quote from one of my favorite books, Crazy Love. The quote:  “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Love.

Daddy Date

My dad’s birthday was a month ago, but we finally had time to get together for dinner last week. Restaurant of choice? Red Lobster. We ate endless shrimp, clams, salmon, all of the good things. I decided that 5 cheddar bay biscuits would be excessive so I stopped at 4 (and took 3 home for dinner the next night). Love daddy dates.

In Gulf Shores, May 2011

Hawaii Dress

I am going to my college roommate’s wedding in Hawaii this January. While it will be chilly here in the continental US, Hawaii will be a nice, warm 80 degrees. This means two things. One:  Weddings require cute new dresses. Two:  I must buy said dress now or I will end up only being able to find sweater dresses and boots in stores.  I had looked for a few weekends and found nothing. Fall clothes have already taken over. I was worried that I had waited too late, but my fashion consultant (well, my coworker who always looks cute) told me to try Dillards. Of course, Dillards. You would never let a girl down when it comes to a special occasion outfit. I found the perfect dress there. One problem, it was my correct number size but the fit was way too small. Like, I couldn’t get it past my knees. That’s right. I had accidentally found a dress in the Junior Department. Apparently there are a few things that you need to know if you end up in the Junior Department.  1. Take your normal size and multiply by a factor of two. 2.  Cross your fingers and breathe in while zipping. 3.  Purchase item at a cash register in a different department to avoid looking like a high school girl going to prom. 4.  Before hanging in closet, remove all tags. Trust me. You’ll forget the size over time.

I had to go to a different mall to get “my size”, but the dress is just what I wanted. Coral. Bead work around the neck. Knee length. On Sale. Success.

I have never been to Hawaii before. I am going to the islands of Oahu and Kauai.  If you have any must-sees, must-dos, or must-eats, let me know!

Emily

I have always loved Francesca Batestelli. In fact, her song “Beautiful, Beautiful” was inspiration for this blog. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she paired with another favorite, Dave Barnes, for a great new song. Imagine my jaw dropping surprise when I found out that the song was called “Emily”. And it mentions our stories. Yeah, it’s perfect. I was destined to love it. Take a listen.

Pinterest

I joined Pinterest. Everyone is on that site now. If you haven’t joined, take a look. It’s basically like digital bulletin boards that you can pin different items on – recipes, hairstyles, craft projects, home ideas, etc. I love it because I see things on the internet all of the time that I want to remember or try or make and I always forget about it. When you are on Pinterest, you can organize all of that and see what your friends are pinning! There are so many things on my Craft To-Do list now! I hope Pinterest makes me a craftier, trendier, and a better cook!

Grown-Up

Boo for grown-up, no-fun purchases. 

I finally got new tires for my car. They still have those little tire hairs on them and a marker spot on the side. That is my only glimmer of light.

Incredibly Boring Picture of a Tire

In my spare bedroom I have had a twin day bed for a long time. That’s because I needed a bed for the room and when I moved out of my parent’s house my mom decided to turn my former bedroom into a craft room. Now that these little guys are in Indiana and will need a bed when they come in town, the day bed is going back to where it belongs and is being replaced with a queen bed. I purchased a queen sized memory foam mattress that my dad offered to deliver for me in exchange for a Mexican dinner at El Chico. 

Incredibly Boring Picture of a Mattress

Well, guess what. I decided that I want the new mattress upstairs in my bedroom and my current mattress moved to the spare room downstairs. That is a lot of mattress moving. He got way more than he bargained for.

But I finally have a queen sized bed in my spare bedroom. I want to find inspiration for a headboard on Pinterest to make for this room. My current choice is to turn a door into a headboard.

Spare Bedroom 

Spider

I have had a spider in the same place on my ceiling for about a month. 

She lives by my sky light in the vaulted ceiling and can not be reached by neither a shoe nor a broom. I have even thrown a pair of socks at her. Unsuccessful. So she lives there. I’m starting to think that she may not even be alive. No webs. No movement. It may not be long before gravity gets the best of Charlotte. Here’s hoping I’m not walking under her when she drops.

So there you have it. That's what's been going on with me. Little things. But these little things make up my big days!