dog days of summer.

it's august.

the month when i think to myself "wait, where did summer go?"

hold on summer, stick around a little longer!

there's so much i want to do!

but, here we are. summer is ending. 

i feel the pressure even more because my summer session at work is in its final week. 

then just 2 weeks off. 

then it's back to the normal routine. 

whoa.

i guess i should give a little summer update, right?

i mean little. 

i can't possibly talk all about my entire summer in this post. 

first, no one cares. 

second, it would be too long. 

let's just say it was full of hot days, projects, good food and baby smiles. 

oh baby smiles, how you melt my heart.

  

blueberry picking with special girls. they made this summer so sweet, and filled a hole in my heart. 

nieces are a precious gift. so is a kind sister-in-law i am so lucky to have.

farm fresh ice cream. farm fresh fruits and veggies bought in the town i love.

sweet snuggles from the sweetest girl. i miss her.

most of my precious family. how i miss the days when we all lived so close. 

new ink. i want more.

still to come: a much needed week of relaxing with my love. 

i can't wait.

i want to post here more, too. 

more about life. 

more about health. 

i'll try.

named.

the etsy shop has a name.

the etsy shop has a twitter.

the etsy shop has a pinterest.

the etsy shop name is named after my blog but does not have the same name as my blog. i'm sticking with a theme of figuring out life and finding my wings so to speak.

this blog is about my life. my life with my husband. my life as a woman. my life as someone who creates. someday i hope to mention a kid on this blog once and awhile (this will not be a baby blog).

i am so excited about this and i cannot wait to share everything here with you.

for now, follow me on pinterest and on twitter to get the latest updates for everything. i will be posting when the shop opens and when i have a sale, but that's about it for the shop promoting on this blog. there will be links on the sidebar so it will be linked to this blog.

this is a huge deal for me. i'm so excited to share this here and hopefully grow my audience.

happy weekend!! i'll hopefully be back to a regular blogging schedule next week. 2012 has the potential to be great.

best friends.

"I don't want to hear about the endless struggles to keep sex exciting, or the work it takes to plan a date night. I want to hear that you guys watch every episode of The Bachelorette together in secret shame, or that one got the other hooked on Breaking Bad and if either watches it without the other, they're dead meat. I want to see you guys high five each other like teammates on a recreational softball team you both do for fun. I want to hear about it because I know it's possible, and because I want it for myself." 

- Mindy Kaling, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

***

there are times when ben and i are laughing so hard our stomachs hurt, or sitting talking with each other, or cooking together that i remember "he is my best friend." 

whether i'm sitting and watching some ridiculous manly show on the discovery channel with him, or i'm making him watch a girlie movie, or we're shopping at target together, or eating dinner together, or taking a road trip, i know that we're really enjoying each other. 

it's important to enjoy each other in marriage. it's not about the heavy stuff, it's about being friends. 

yes, i love ben. a lot. but i also like him. 

i love being around him. we make each other laugh and do really embarrassing things together that create a stronger bond. 

take the photo for example. 

we were goofing around, taking tons of pictures. during this picture we didn't know what the other was doing. we know what the other finds funny, and so we did that. 

it's moments like those that make our marriage great. 

obviously we're only a little over a year into this lifelong journey, but i'm glad we have a large part of the battle understood. it's about having fun and liking the person you're married to. i'm lucky and thankful to have that.

say something nice.

i've had quite an interesting week so far. some very bad, and some very good.

amidst all the events of this week i have yet to have time to write out some decent blog posts. so, instead of a more lengthy post today i decided to share this video with you!

isn't it amazing what people will do with an opportunity for kindness? this video really makes me love people.

the first day.

yesterday was my first day at my new job.

this isn’t just any job. it’s the job i really want to do. not just the 9-5 this-pays-me-money kind, but the i-feel-a-sense-of-purpose-and-belonging-here kind. the kind of job i know that i’m perfect for and was made to do. my career

yes, my job will change within this field, but it’s where i’ll be when i'm working.

the beginning of the day was inspiring. as i sat in an auditorium full of district-wide staff from the superintendent, to teachers, to secretaries, to me, i felt like i belonged. i looked around and felt inspired to do more to contribute to the lives of children.

and not just any children.

the children who need help, who need guiding to learn simple tasks like numbers and colors and to look someone in the eye. the kids with autism.

those are my kids. they are where i belong.

i have only met a few of these children, but on tuesday i’ll meet all of them. i’ll meet their parents. how amazing.

i am so excited to learn so much this year from these littles, and about how to help them.

i can’t wait to learn what steps i can take to further my career.

have i mentioned i’m so excited and i feel purposeful?

i’d like to say i’ll update, but my job is confidential so i can’t. i might talk about what i learn myself, but i won’t be mentioning any specifics.

to learn more about autism and how to help visit autism speaks. 

happy.

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i’ve honestly been having a really rough couple days. i’m just feeling as though nothing is working out the way i need or would like it to, and with one step forward i make two steps back. in an effort to remain focused and grounded, i’m listing off the things that have made me happy today.

• a husband who hugs me when i’m feeling discouraged.
• chocolate chip cookies.
• feta cheese on my salads.
• sewing something new in spite of 3 broken needles.
• my pandora station.
• ben not having to work until noon, meaning we got to sleep in and enjoy our morning together. normally we don’t even see each other until after work.
• the anticipation of a day off tomorrow with ben and a trip to boston.

thinking about the things i have to be thankful for and happy about really helps on days when i’m feeling less than happy and thankful.