Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happiness Is....



Well, here it is. The post-holiday blues. After all the anticipation and a packed and exciting month, the holidays are nearing an end. We had a wonderful first Christmas with Sammy, and I'm currently debating how tacky it would be to leave our tree and decorations up for the next few months. But in an effort to keep the spirit alive, per se, I thought today's entry would feature a few things that are making me happy this particular week.

(Note #1: I make a lot of lists. The "notes" app on my phone is full of them. My head is full of even more. And lately it appears that each blog entry is transitioning into yet another forum for my lists. I apologize in advance.)

(Note #2: It should go without saying that my son, my husband, my family and my friends make me happy each and every day, and more than anything else in life. However, this list, as well as any "Happiness Is...." posts moving forward, will likely focus on some of the more trivial things that make me happy. Because sometimes we all need a little, um, triviality [is that even a word?] in our life.)

But anyway. Happiness is....

1. ...Seeing Sammy sit up on his own! Okay, so I just provided a disclaimer saying blah, blah, blah, this is going to be about inanimate objects, don't judge me, blah blah blah -- but my boy can sit up! Straight! On his own for ... well, a minute or so! I can't help it - each day as he sits up straighter and for longer periods of time, I just feel very proud. And look how happy sitting up makes him!


2. ...My new dish ware. Both Sammy AND I received lots of fun new dishes for Christmas, including the Emma Bridgewater mug pictured at the top of this post, which I've been drinking tea out of at least once a day since it was received.

Taking after both his mommy and his Queenie, Sammy also received his first set of Emma Bridgewater dishes. I can't believe I once thought boy stuff could not possibly be as cute as girl stuff!



I've wanted this ceramic farmer's market basket for awhile, and can't wait to fill it with fresh berries this summer! How could the thought of that make you anything other than completely happy?




And I already have four of these latte bowls in yellow, which I use ALL the time, but I have a slight bowl addiction, thus, I needed more. In this happy turquoise color. (Luckily my sister was happy to oblige.)





3. ... Visiting with friends. This has been a particularly fantastic week as I've had breakfast, lunch, dinner and / or drink plans with friends - both old and new - every single day. I've especially enjoyed getting to introduce Sammy to those who hadn't met him yet!



(Happiness also is having a husband who is on vacation for the week and does not flinch as each day I list off my itinerary / the times he is expected to watch Sammy by his lonesome, while I go out and visit with said friends!)

4. ... New books! In a year where it seems the new Kindle Fire is all the rage, my Christmas list contained a number of hardcover design and cookbooks. I *love* my new books!

The Perfectly Imperfect Home was at the top of my wish list, and it's just as great as I expected it to be. I'm already 3/4 of the way through, and it is quickly becoming a favorite.



I fell in love with Miette when I first came across the store in San Francisco's Ferry Building. The store had the most adorable cake stands, and quite a selection of macarons. So when the cookbook came out, obviously I had to have it. The photos are just as enticing as the goods in the store, and I can't wait to start trying out the recipes!





Summers in France is another book I've pined for this past year (is an explanation even needed?), even before Kathryn Ireland appeared in Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators (to which I was shameless addicted). I have already thoroughly read this book twice since receiving it. It's basically a pictorial of Kathryn's huge compound in Toulouse, to which she is known for inviting anyone and everyone each summer. This book almost made me completely forget how much I love summers in New England.



And finally, my sister and I both received The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. We, along with my mom, love The Fabulous Beekman Boys (and Polka Spot!), and the photos that go along with the recipes in this book are gorgeous.



5. ... HBO's 24/7 series on the Rangers / Flyers as they prepare for the 2012 Winter Classic.



I absolutely love sports documentaries and HBO has a fantastic series called 24/7 where they follow athletes / teams leading up to a major sporting event. Last year my sister, James and I literally laid on our couch for four hours straight, completely entranced as we watched the series on the Penguins and Capitals, who were competing in the 2011 Winter Classic.

This year the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers are featured, and while I think last year's series was more interesting (perhaps because it featured this guy, who is not too hard on the eyes), each week the show still makes me pretty f*&^ing happy. (Apologies for the language, but if you watch the show - or any professional hockey for that matter - you know that it just had to be done.)

3 comments:

  1. Even little boys like Emma B! and I always thought a birthday was the perfect antidote to post holiday festivities!

    ReplyDelete
  2. loving this fu*%in blog edition! (see hockey talk) Glad you enjoyed all the lovely things I got you this year and more!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. love this !! not you too though...mike is also obsessed with that hockey/reality show...hmm...and would probably not be too happy about my revealing of this on your blog...haha

    ReplyDelete