Project Life: Month Completed/On to the Next!

I have to be honest, I’m actually kind of excited that February is such a short month. As soon as I finished putting together my January PL pages, I was ready for more! It took a while for me to finally have some time to put January together after coming back from Mexico (work has been giving me a lot more hours, which is nice), but I was a machine once I sat down with everything. Here’s a peek of January!
 
 
 

And here’s the little mess I set up for February’s pages!

My collection of scrapbooking materials has grown in the last month.
Archival ink pads, a label maker, 8 different colors of archival journaling pens, and so many stamps.
The best thing about Project Life is that you don’t really need to embellish…the cards are decorative on their own.
However, adding your own flare is one of the best parts!
I have over 100 photos for February…this should be interesting.

P.S. For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you probably saw that Becky Higgins, the creator of Project Life, regrammed a photo of my nail art, inspired by the Kraft edition core kit. Such an awesome moment!

Come on, get Happier

About a week before we left for Mexico, I wasn’t doing much. I had been given 8 hours of work that week.
THAT WHOLE WEEK. So I had a lot of time on my hands to do, well, nothing. During one of my morning iPhone binges, I saw a recommendation for an app called Happier on my Facebook News Feed. I usually skip these suggestions
(so often dating apps), but this one stood out for me. I clicked on it and became a convert.

What is Happier? Immediately, I would liken it to your Twitters and Instagrams.
It’s social media, however it is specifically focused on happiness, gratitude, and appreciation of life.
When talking about it, I feel like I may come off a little preachy and annoying, but I think that’s because we are so used to our social media outlooks focusing on the negative. I know this because I DO IT.
If I feel like publicly bitching, I go to Twitter and rant for 140 characters (and sometimes more, in additional tweets). I think of people I follow on Instagram, celebrities or models or nail artists who get hateful comments or get reported just because. For some reason, people see social media, a place meant to share things we love, as a place to dump on people.

Not Happier! Happier is actually meant to be a practice in gratitude.
The more you focus on the things around you, on the positive of even the most negative situation, the happier you might find yourself being. This is something I needed. Many people need, but I know that I especially did, for myself.
I am the queen of worrying about what hasn’t happened yet. I get lost in moments that I feel will never end.
So I decided, why not?

What do I love about this app?
You don’t have to post if you don’t want to, obviously, but when you do, there is a little “confetti celebration” for posting. It might sound super cheesy, but it seriously will make you smile.

As you can see on the screencap, there are a few different pages to look at. On your personal page, it shares your name, a little profile pictures, and what makes you happy. What I really love about it is that there is nothing about how many followers you have. I don’t keep track of this on my Instagram or Twitter, but I know many people do. A lot of people care about how many people like their things (hey, I use tons of hashtags for my nail art posts, hoping people will like it!), but this makes it hard to. You’re notified when someone starts following your little page, but there’s no number count. Happier is not a popularity contest, and that makes me a little happier!

There’s absolutely no pressure to post multiple times a day, or once a day for that matter, but there are push notifications three times a day (you can change this in the settings) that remind you to look on something happy that happened to you that day! It’s a nice reminder to ponder the good things.

The community is really lovely. Everyone just wants to share their little moments or pictures, some share inspirational quotes (and there’s always one on the Featured page, a different one every day from the Happier crew, along with a tip on how to be happier, from complimenting people to exercising for 20 minutes), and when you enjoy their moment you “smile” it. You can comment or even share it if it makes you happier, too!

If you’re ever scratching for something to say, the Today page will list a little happy challenge. Name something about the weather you love. What was the last beautiful thing you saw? Et cetera. If anything else, it will remind you of something great, even if you had a bad day.

I truly feel like this app has helped improve my outlook on life. I got this before Mexico, and while I had some wonderful things to be happy about over there, I also had to leave. Instead of feeling sad about coming back, I was excited to get into projects that were put on the wayside (like my Project Life, which is currently finished for January!), or nail art I got behind on, and, of course, seeing my family. It has helped me look at the bright side of the situation. It’s also a great reminder that we are all looking for a little bit of happiness, and that we all have it, we just have to actually look at it.

There and Back

Mexico was only the third time I’ve traveled by airplane (counting the round-trip). The first was to Florida when I was super young, and I don’t remember any of it. The second was for my time in London, a lonely and anxious trip there.
Finally, Mexico. I got to sit with my boyfriend and I had a window seat! Needless to say, it was pretty great.
The best trip I’ve ever had on an airplane so far!

I mentioned this before, but I think everyone who likes taking photos wants some flight shots to add to their collection.
I’m so happy I finally have some!

 
 

Sneak peeks of ocean between the clouds!

On the way back, we flew into the nighttime. So I got some interesting photos of the sunset sky.

  
 
 
 
 

I can’t wait for my next plane trip, whenever it may be.

Bits and Pieces of Happy Things

Just some photos of things that have been brightening my days lately.

On a recent Michaels binge, I purchased this label maker for 3 bucks. I was nervous, because it was on clearance, it’s not the strongest looking thing, but I figured why not? It is EXACTLY what I’ve always wanted in a label maker.
So excited to go bonkers with it!

I love these men’s socks I got before Christmas. Comfortable and warm, perfect under sneakers or boots.
I only wish I could’ve gotten every color!

I love receiving snail mail. Since I started sending it out, I have gotten a few responses and, as I intended it for other people, it brightens up the depressing stacks of bills and junk. This one, from my friend Erica, included a two page letter that I can’t wait to respond to!

I’d look through past posts, but I don’t think I showcased my nail polish rack yet. To be honest, I could really use another one, because I have a lot of polish. I’m still using the lazy Susan Brad made for me, which showcases my most frequently used polishes. But I love looking over and seeing the organized bottles. It makes planning a manicure so much easier and it looks great, too!

So, both of my Instax cameras have broken in some way. The big guy bit the dust after I dropped it (on carpet, but not for the first time) and the photos wouldn’t feed out. The mini’s only flaw is that the flash doesn’t work. This means I can’t really use it in darker settings, kind of a bummer. However, I tested it out in natural light and it still looks lovely.
I guess this means I don’t need a new one, after all? Not that I’m opposed…

Since Brad set up the record player, I’ve made it a goal to get modern music into his collection, specifically my favorites artists and albums. I got these bad boys in the mail, and I can’t wait to play them. I now have both of Lana’s releases (LP and EP), Toro Y Moi’s Causers of This, Radiohead’s amazing In Rainbows, and Minus the Bear’s re-issue of Highly Refined Pirates, which is especially awesome because the record is an opaque white. My Amazon wishlist is chockfull of more albums, but they aren’t exactly the cheapest things, so I’ll slowly build the collection over time.

Valentine’s Day in Paradise

I’m not going to be one of those people who complains about Valentine’s Day. I love getting into most holidays, probably as a by-product of my sister’s enthusiasm for decorations and themed sweet treats. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, I think it’s fun to celebrate the love you have in your life. Obviously, you should do it all the time. And I don’t think you should ever have to feel obligated on one day to show that, because it usually sets you up for failure. Since I was in Riviera Maya for the holiday this year, it wasn’t a priority at all.
However, Brad had requested that we get to have dinner alone and spend some time just to ourselves.
The day started off perfectly with a nice breakfast and a flower from one of the kind waiters.

 
 

One of the “a la carte” restaurants that we were able to attend for free was a steak place, so we decided to make that our date night pick. It’s an open-air place by the pools, and it was the perfect night to enjoy the breeze. When we walked over, I got to see a full moon hanging over the ocean (I know the last picture is blurry, but I still love it) and enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing. I had to take some pictures. Brad was in line to put our names in, so I experienced this myself. It was a great moment of appreciating my life and my surroundings. 

 

We decided to purchase a bottle of wine, a tasty cabernet sauvignon that was perfect with our meal.
A toast, some conversation by candle light, and paradise surrounding us.
What more could you ask for on Valentine’s Day?

Recent Reads, 5/40: Real Happy Family

Before my trip to Mexico, I knew I wanted something fluffy and light to read on the beach. Of course, when you’re actually searching for a type of book to read, it can be hard. I knew I wanted something on my Kindle, to keep packing light. I also wasn’t sure whether or not I’d finish a book and need back up (I didn’t, but it was good to have backups without the excess baggage). Enter Kindle Firsts.

A while back, I joined a mailing list, as part of a Kindle Prime membership, that would allow me to choose one of four books for free before they are released the next month, every month. I haven’t downloaded one until
Real Happy Family by Caeli Wolfson Widger. The palm trees on the cover and quick description (plus the price tag) were enough to prove to me that it would be the best book for my vacation.

Real Happy Family tells the story of the Branch family and some of it’s extended members.
Since Lorelei Branch, the 22 year old daughter of Colleen and Carl, ran away, the family has been falling apart.
Carl can’t seem to keep a hold of his steadfast parenting ways as Colleen spins out of control without her daughter, her best friend. Lorelei ran to escape the embarrassing live TV antics of her mother, and it lands her in Reno with an addiction to meth. Meanwhile, Carl’s son Darren is facing small marital problems as his wife Robin (a talent agent who represented Lorelei before she disappeared) struggles to get pregnant. Once a solution to their fertility woes is found, Darren is offered the chance of a lifetime to be the director of photography for a prominent indie director. As it coincides with Robin’s most fertile moments, it causes a strain as each tries to achieve their dreams.
As the story goes on, the reader sees the immense downfalls and webs the characters get involved in.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this book, but I wasn’t pleasantly surprised. It was an easy read and it kept me interested. Each chapter tells the unfolding story of a different character (focusing heavily on Colleen, a stage mother unaware of her selfishness, and Lorelei, spiraling into oblivion with her addiction), and it all comes together very nicely. While the topics of addiction and infertility are dark, there is still an ease to the way the story is told.
It’s a train wreck, but you keep hoping for the light at the end of the tunnel. 

A Goodbye For Now…

Things are changing around these parts. Some of the most important people in my life have either moved away or will be moving away, and I can’t help but feel the teensiest devastated. A lot of my friends have moved…some are still within the state and some are in completely different time zones. Still, I’m not sure if I’ll ever get used to people leaving.
Not too far from now, Brad and I will practically be the only people left here.

Anyway, my dear friend Lauren got a job offer (so excited for her!) that is taking her to a new home in New Jersey.
She moved when Brad and I were away, so luckily we were able to squeeze in a little movie night at home and she had a little shindig at a bar, where we enjoyed food, horn music, and way too many drinks. It was some of the most fun I’ve had in a while. Of course, I enjoy an adult beverage, but I don’t usually go crazy. It was fun to act out a bit.
(All photos with the iPhone, most edited with VSCO cam)

Lauren surprised me with a painted mason jar vase filled with pretty flowers and some yummy baked treats! We laughed about the fact that her little reserved table had it’s own centerpiece. So lovely.

A toast to new ventures!

The ladies at dinner, April, Lauren, and I.

Fireball shots (yeah, when shots are involved, you know it’s going to get crazy) and the cute little band that played flawlessly. I love when the music at a bar actually compliments the vibe as opposed to overpowering it. No need to scream over this music. I got a little video of them playing. It was great.

Before I left, I had to squeeze in one more photo with just the two of us. You can tell I had some fun.

Miss you, Lauren! But I’m wishing you the best and I can’t wait to come visit your new place.