simple pleasures

I am a huge fan of positivity.  Often my natural spirit is positive, but not always; sometimes negative thoughts flood my head.  When I'm feeling down I like to think of simple things that bring me joy and help me to remember that life is mostly quite good.  I like to call them simple pleasures.  So right now, in the midst of researching for a paper all about semicolons, I would like to note some small things that bring me so much happiness.

 

 

 

1. chocolate peppermint stick luna bars  2. watercolors  3.  doing homework with a candle burning in this candle holder from my friend Wesley    4. the compline choir podcast from itunes (everytime I'm in Seattle, Josh and I go to this compline service at St. Mark's Cathedral)   5. wool socks

a much needed craft night.

Almost always my Sunday evenings look like this:

 

Reading, writing or studying.  But this past Sunday I was so completely overwhelmed by all the school work that I needed a break.  My roommate, Niqui, and I put down the books for a while to have some much needed craft time.  We spent a few hours scrapbooking our summers, watching Mansfield Park, snacking and talking.  And let me tell you, it was WAY better than doing homework!

   I received one of elisejoy’s summer minibooks for my birthday, but have not actually used it much.  (My birthday is at the end of July, so most of the summer had already happened by the time I started making this scrapbook.) Slowly, but surely I am filling up this book with photos of my summer, thoughts and memories.  I seriously love this minibook.  It is full of cool papers with fun little details and adding my own pictures and words only makes it better. This summer Elise blogged about creating her own summer book as the summer progressed, but since I am late to start this book I am mostly documenting the big things I've done this summer.  Going to Seattle, Josh's visit to Greenville, family vacation in Colorado,  trip to Italy with my soccer team are the major parts of the book, but I add little details when I can.  Hopefully I can finish this before fall is over!

I love the little details:

best life.

I just spent five days in Texas.  Technically, my main purpose there was to play soccer.  (I drove down with my team for a tournament in San Antonio.)  But, actually what was more important to me was a visit from my dear friend Allison.  We met last semester in Costa Rica and since she goes to school just a few hours from San Antonio she came to watch my game and hang out.

It was seriously so wonderful.

We picked up right where we left off and talked and talked and talked.  Just like in Costa Rica.  Being with Allison brought a load of memories from Latin American flooding back and it was fun/helpful/hilarious to reminisce.  I don't know if I will ever be done processing and reflecting on what I experienced in Latin America.  I realized that Allison is one of the few people in this world who really understands what I experienced last semester and who knew my thoughts while I was having them.  Does that make sense?  Anyways, my visit with Allison was a Godsend and I am continually blessed by her friendship.

So. I spent an awesome day and a half with Allison and did not take a single picture with her using my camera.  (She took some with her own, of course, because she is a great photographer.)  All I have are these super cute pictures of Joshua and me that Allison took.  I really must get better at actually using my camera. 

 

 

Notice my tippy toes and the Alamo in the background.

And Alyssa, we wished you were there!