Favorite Things: Little Suburban Pleasures

It's been a good while since I have posted anything here. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you! The past week has been pretty busy. I attended my first dance class (for myself) in over two years. I met a good friend out on a weeknight before she jet-setted for a year in London (I am a bit jealous of her at this point ;). And I actually left the house on a Friday night and met a friend for dinner and drinks (at Friday's, aren't we classy). In addition to these small social triumphs, I've been hard at work, at home and the office. I'm beginning to gain feeling and, more importantly, motion in my wounded finger. So though it's been stressful, the week seems to be going pretty well so far.

When leaving the city for suburbia, the first thing one notices is the intense lack of socialization on the street. People driving in cars have much less opportunity for interaction (read: people watching) than those walking down crowded streets. Though in both situations, you will often find yourself spending whole days surrounded by people you don't talk to; in suburbia it's a bit different because you can't even see their faces, only their cars. These are my musings for you on this (still dark) Thursday morning, and it's also my explanation for my favorite pictures of the week so far. These pictures seem to completely lack human interaction. Enjoy! :)

The eery moon greeted me as I returned after work last night; the first time driving home from work in the dark.... Summer's officially over.

Rays from my window

I asked my brother to bring me a napkin with dinner. When he folded it and handed it to me, I said that I wanted it folded like a flower. Instead of laughing at me and throwing it in my face, he decided to do this. Flower?

A beautiful downpour driving home the other night (don't worry I took this picture while stopped. Several drivers stopped on the road while someone had trouble turning). The rain was pouring, but it was bright and sunny.

A mini pumpkin on my bedside table, right next to the perfect pumpkin candle.

Sunday morning

Sunday morning is for relaxing. Sunday afternoon is for working. And Sunday evening is for movies and hot chocolate. When one works six days a week, Sunday is the day to get stuff done, but with three hours in the morning dedicated to muffins and sitcoms, it's really hard to get the rest of the day back.... ;)

Journey's end for Mayo and Donegal

Today is the All-Ireland Gaelic Football final. A beautiful teaser article in the Irish Times yesterday acknowledges the legend that is this match.

Journey's end for Mayo and Donegal

iPod

I can't remember if I told you this already, and I'm too lazy this morning to go back to old posts and check. But I left my iPod on the flight from Ireland to London last month. I didn't realize it until four hours later when I sat in my seat for the flight to the States. I made a quick dashing text message to a new friend I'd met in Ireland a few days before with my email address and my flight number explaining what happened. He called the airline, but they'd already closed for the weekend. But he was also kind enough to forward me some numbers to try on Monday morning. I woke up early Monday, called London, and learned that someone had turned in my iPod. So we started working on getting it shipped to the US.

Six weeks and a lot of money and frustration later, my iPod was finally shipped. I received it the other day, and I really just couldn't believe it. After such long negotiations with every international courier company that exists, I didn't think I'd ever get it back!! But here it is, at long last. And for once, I can't wait to go to the gym! ;)

It arrived the same evening as my beautifully wrapped tea order from Barry's Tea of Cork, Ireland. So it was really just all in all a wonderful day!

Favorite Things

Another week has come and gone, and I ruminate about some things that made me happy this week.

Finally shipping the jersey off to my friend... but one last picture. Ballet in Cork!

 So much sugar and I shouldn't have had it, but I finally found the most delicious equivalent of the irreplaceable Nesquik of the Caribbean!

Finally getting some work done...

The beginnings of a new Autumn Inspirations board.

The absence of the battle-wound bandage and the recovery of movement in most of my hand. Priceless.

Perfect Pumpkin Candle

P.S. We finally found a perfect pumpkin candle to replace my favorite but impossible to find Slatkin & Co. "Pumpkin Patch".

It's also called "Pumpkin Patch" and is made by time&again (Found here: www.timeandagain.com/candles.php). It even has a crackling wick! How fancy!

Local explorations

Today my mother  and I went exploring again, but this time instead of heading out of town, we decided to re-explore our own hometown. We hit up the vintage, the consignment, the gift, and the artisan shops all over town, concluding in a delicious burger at the neighborhood "gourmet burger joint". Who knew that our town held so many treasures?

Unfortunately, two things happened (well, one happened and one rather didn't happen). Firstly, I slammed my own finger into the car door, which though not broken, required a rather grisly procedure at the urgent care center (so you see, we really got all of the local experience today!). Well that was a bit of a damper on the day. And secondly, I took almost no pictures, so I am a terrible blogger today. A true blogger ought to have her camera snap-ready at all times. But the lovely, albeit adventurous and partially traumatic, morning was supplemented by a good book, a lovely cuppa, and a sunset squat with the family. So now, I'm off to sleep away the throbbing of my finger and dream of all the chocolate birthday cake that I shouldn't have eaten (but did) this weekend. Any way, I hope you'll forgive me and all of my typos today as I hack this post out one-handedly.

Burgers on salad?? Yummy!

My gruesome (and excruciatingly inconvenient) wound

Surprise!

For my sister's big birthday on Saturday, I decided I'd try to throw her a surprise party. It's something we always joked about when we were little, and it suddenly occurred to me one day last month that now might be a good time to try it out. I contacted one of her best friends who helped me with the guest list and the keep-the-secret-and-distract-the-birthday-girl part. With ten of her close friends in the kitchen, my sister walked in with the perfect surprised face. Unfortunately, earlier that day we had been randomly hit by a terrible thunderstorm and a small tornado that knocked down trees to every route to my house. All of her friends had had to walk about half a mile to get to our house and sit in the dark for an hour waiting for the birthday girl to show up. But even powerless and soaking wet, they all showed up and we had a great time! It was quite the adventurous birthday. I think the storm made the surprise even more impressive...

Surprise!!

Favorite Things

Good morning! While the rest of the world sleeps, I'm up early for work again. But after a long week, tomorrow I'll be off and updating my blog for you :) Until then, here are somethings that are making me smile this week.

Going through recipe books for ideas

 Late summer blooms

Pumpkin Spice soap

Weekend horseback riding

I also finally have a matching dance outfit (that's right, a skirt and leotard that are the same color!!), but I keep forgetting to take a picture. I promise to get one up tomorrow though :)

Driving Weekend

This weekend was long. I got off on Friday afternoon at 5.45PM and am only going back to work this morning. And my weekend was mostly spent driving and it was lovely.

Saturday I joined the Labor Day weekend crowds at the shops. I made it to the gym as well, and overall it was just a lovely and productive day. Sunday, we all relaxed with food, television, books, and naps. Monday morning, the family drove out to the country for some end of summer adventures. We went horseback riding and had a great meal while exploring some small southern towns.

Tuesday is my regular day off this semester, so Mommy and I went exploring. We drove out of town to explore some small town shopping and find the perfect pumpkin candle. We failed with the candle mission (there's always next week!) but had a lovely outing all the same.

Today, it's back to the grindstone until Saturday afternoon, when I can't wait to do the fun weekend thing all over again :)

Cork Street! (I couldn't resist taking a picture of "Cork")

Movie Star glam