Right Now:

Reading: Still too many books, I'm still beginning new books before finishing old ones. I've just recently acknowledged that book buying is my personal addiction. Right, right now I'm reading the novel Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon. Its apparently about fairies? I'm just on chapter two, I'll let you know. I'm hoping it will be a haunting page-turner that keeps me up, shivering my spine and enthralling me, way past my bed time. Because thats what Joshilyn Jackson said it would do.

Eating: Watermelon. Why didn't I crave it during the heat of the summer? Why are they so big? Miles hasn't wanted any watermelon at all, so when I buy one I have to eat at least two giant bowls of it a day before it goes mushy. So I chop em all up like I'm Dexter.

Listening to: A lot of NPR. Sometimes I'm not so sure that thats the best way to start my day. Also, pop fitness radio at the gym. I just heard Call Me Maybe for the first time two weeks. And then had it stuck in my head for another week.

Planning: I feel like...nothing. Which makes me sad, I love planning. I feel like Miles and I have been so busy with working and house stuff, we're too tired to do anything else. This week especially, I've been falling in the bed at 9 and hitting snooze on my alarm for as long as I can.

Wearing: The one sweater I have that isn't packed up with winter clothes! Oooh fall, I can feel you coming. 

Watching: New tv pilots, and getting giddy over Parks and Rec's return tonight. Miles and I also had an unintentional mini Wes Anderson marathon this week. I want to get two dogs and name them Ari and Uzi. Mark my words. 

Loving: The cold (okay, cool) mornings this week. These past few days have been ah-mazing. I sat out on our deck the other day after work, wrapped up in my sweater, with my fairy book in hand. I think I love the change from Summer to Fall more than any other season change. I feel so optimistic and refreshed. The cool breeze makes my skin tingle and my heart flutter. I drive around with my windows down and feel like I can take on the world. I'm not sure why this is exactly...My spirit just seems to respond to the relief from summer heat, to the anticipation of bonfires and s'mores, of changing leaves and crunchy lawns, of everyday sweater and boot wearing, of haunted houses and warm apple cider, of Thanksgiving and family and then, glory be, Christmas being right around the corner. So yes, I am loving that Fall is only two official days away..and that we got a sneak peek this year.

Also, I love my Rowan kitty.

Wanting: Three day weekends with Miles every week. Labor Day weekend was just too stinkin' good. 

Confessing: I've been living in my head a lot lately. Mostly over-thinking things that I really shouldn't be thinking about, getting frustrated over things that I shouldn't be frustrated by, worrying about things that are too far off in the future or completely out of my control. While I have loved begin a nanny, I think my in-head-living tendency has really grown a lot over the past 15 months. And with 8 more months to go, I don't really know how to break that, or if I even can.

I'm not a social butterfly, I don't need, nor do I want a million people around me or in my life all the time...but I've finally come to realize that I need, and want, to have more people in my life than I do currently. But I feel like I've fallen into this weird place where I can't remember how to increase that number of people in my life, aka "make new friends", or at least be a better friend to the friends I have. Sorry friends. Sowreh.

Life List

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about things I would like to learn how to do/do more often/make a habit out of.

Learn How To:

Sew.

French braid. I really have no idea...

Use my DSLR without it being on automatic.

Use Photoshop. (Elements or Lightroom? Which one should I get--aka, which one is easiest?)

Press flowers. Surely its not that difficult.

Source: rebeccacaridad.typepad.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Do More Often:

Stand up publicly for something I believe in. I'm shy, y'all. And a master excuse maker :(

Learn about, and get involved in, local politics.

See more musicals. Actually, can I just see Les Mis every month?

Spend more money on less clothes. aka, stop buying so much cheap junk.

Visit relatives in neighboring states.

Be more adventurous with my weekly meal planning. We eat a lot of the same things every week.
My B.

Go in to the salon for free bang trims instead of chopping them myself.

Eat at more family owned ethnic restaurants in our neighborhood.

Plan dates with Miles so we don't end up watching Netflix and eating pizza doing the same thing all the time.

Get out of Nashville for a weekend away with mahboo.

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: classy-in-the-city.tumblr.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Make Them Habits:

Plan ahead & buy more gifts on Etsy.

Don't go to Target/ The mall/Trader Joe's/Bookstores just to wander around with the nanny bebe on a rainy/hot day. (Ahem, ex-pen-sive)

Farmer's Market produce shopping.

Once In a Lifetime:

Be at a live NPR show taping.

Join:

A gym. Like woah.

The Belcourt--we really have no excuse for not having done so already

Source: belcourt.org via Bethany on Pinterest

Right Now:

Reading: Too many books all at once. I'm afraid that I've become a serial book starter/non finisher. Also, my Amazon wish list is out of control. Things aren't looking up for me.

Eating: Too much, apparently. I just downloaded a new app that helps me record calorie, carb, sugar & protein intake. Let me tell you, its not looking too pretty. Its also supposed to help me track exercises and to meet a weight goal. We'll see. When my string bean husband wants pizza (or heaven help me, Mexican food), I can't say no. And therein lies my problem. 

Listening to:

Dear The Shins, I will always love you. Miles too...He will always love you, and I will always love him. And you.
 (album image via)

Planning: Our impromptu (its still impromptu for us if we decided a week in advance) getaway to Chattanooga this weekend. I can't wait to get away with Miles! I can be pretty stingy with money when it comes to...everything, normal life and vacations, but we've promised to stop thinking about it just have fun this weekend. I'm actually really looking forward to it. And its Chattanooga, we can't get into too much spending trouble there. I've scoped out restaurants, just booked the hotel, found a movie theater where we can see Titanic 3D...yep! And Miles thought I'd forget about that. Well, he hoped. Sorry fo'ya, boo. Jack and Rose are falling in love again, this weekend, in Chattanooga, on the Titanic, in 3D. And my tears will be 3D, too. (aka, real. and a lot of them)

Wearing: No more jeans until the fall. After dying from heat yesterday in the park, holding the nanny baby who only wanted down, whilst trying to coax a two-year old out from a teeny tunnel (as in, no way I could ever go in after him, even without the baby on my hip) he found in the shrubs...I'll pass on the jeans. At least the black skinny type. Also, maybe I should've put my hair up...

Watching: Still Gossip Girl. Still. And not even really ashamed of it anymore. Also, I started The Killing this weekend. Who killed Rosie Larson?!!

Loving: That I am going to mail my great-grandmother's birthday card later this afternoon. She will be 101 years old next Sunday (yes, she was alive when the Titanic sunk. Mind=blown)(I done told you I was obsessed). And my nanny baby turns 1 the day before. Oh, life. Oh, time. This is a photo of my Grandarling playing the piano in her crown of flowers at her 100th birthday party last year: 

Wanting: The weekend to be here, for it to be completely wonderful and exactly what Miles and I need.

Confessing: We feel change a brewin' in our little household. No, not babies, as far as we know. But we're dreaming for ourselves and our life together in a way that we haven't before and it feels really liberating. 

Third Thursday

Yeah, I know this is a day late. And that I've completely forgotten to do this since I first resolved to. But I'll try to do better, knowing that I have no excuses...

Here is a little list of things that I am thankful for, I fell asleep thinking about them once I realized I forgot about this post. It really was a wonderful way to fall asleep, even if I had weird dreams all night. (Correlation?) Anyways, I am thankful for these things:

• That we didn't end up buying the first house we fell in love with. It probably would have been a disaster.
• Miles watches Titanic documentaries with me, and that this week, it lead to him watching the first Downton Abbey episode. And liking it. 
• He also reads books that I love just so we can talk about them later.
• Discovering the Draw Something app. Is that a silly thing to be thankful for? So fun for me during my nanny days.
• After 4 days of me begging and pouting, Miles begrudgingly got the Draw Something app so I could play with him
• The way Miles cleans the kitchen up. 70% completion*, 100% effort.
• The nanny babe officially gives real hugs now. And they are the absolute best.
• Also, sometimes it sounds like she's speaking Parseltounge. She's the real HP. With parents and no scar. 
• I wore maxi skirts and sleeveless tops almost every day this week.
• Eating kale. Always.
• (and since this post is a day late) I am thankful for beautifully rainy, non-tornado-y stormy days.

Can I also reiterate how thankful I am for Miles? That he loves me, and likes me, and thinks I'm funny (but really, duh), and wants to spend time with me. I would like to say thats a given for husbands and wives, but he and I know that it isn't, and that makes us all the more grateful for what we have with each other. Boo, I crazy love you.

p.s. you're goofy.

*He cleans everything within his direct line of vision when he's standing in front of the sink. Even if the sink is piled high with stuff. Except, he'll move things over to the right of the sink so he has room to wash dishes, and then he forgets about the things he's moved. And if there is anything on the stovetop, it will stay there. Same with the coffee table (we still don't have a dining room table). In his defense, the coffee table isn't in the kitchen...

Right Now:

I saw this list of things on another blog that I recently began to read, and liked the idea of taking a given day and writing about the basics. I think mostly because my dorky, sentimental self will eat this up months/years from now. I like reminders of specific moments, likes, thoughts that I once had. This blog has been perfect for that. I can re-read and remember things that happened, and remember them so well. It gives me a wonderful sense of connection to the little things that make up the big things that make up my life. I journal, and have for ages, but I think I allow for more structured thoughts/comments/memories on this blog, knowing that its "out there" should others stumble upon it. This also serves as a reminder to me when I feel like I'm kind of defined by being a full-time nanny and not much else, that there actually is more than spit up and baby giggles and snotty noses and cuddle times. That is, until its my baby's spit up and giggles, and nose and cuddles. Then yes. That is all there is :) 

So there is my introduction (wow). This is what my life, days, moments consist of right now. 

Reading: One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp 

Its really making me re-think the way I go about my day and how cultivating a spirit of thankfulness can make a huge impact on everything else I do and any relationships that I have. 

Eating: Black olives. All the time. Its like I forgot they existed (and that I love them) up until a week ago...

Planning: Furniture arrangements in our (hopefully) future house. And possibly an anniversary trip, if we could ever deiced on a place to go. Yosemite!

 right? am I right?? (image found here via bbene on you guessed it, Pintrest)

Listening: To this song. Still. I jumped on the bandwagon a little late, but have held on for quite a while.

Wearing: My cozy Christmas present poncho that my mother-in-law initially bought thinking it was a scarf. Twas a wonderful surprise as I kept unfolding it. Really. My exclamations grew louder and louder the more it unfolded, and then it got kind of ridiculous when we all realized it was a poncho. 

Watching: Season 2 of Gossip Girl for the first time. Chuck Bass. So...I can't even find the words.

Loving: This idea from A Cup of Jo. Meeting Miles at the restaurant for a date, rather than getting ready together. Honestly. I can't remember the last time that happened. Even before the "getting ready together"ness. He'd always pick me up/wait for me to be ready and then drive. I pinned it so I'd remember. I'm also still loving Pintrest. I don't think that will ever end. My organizer's heart is full of organizing joy.

Wanting: Apart from closing on a house...a general personal shopping spree. Its been a while. 

Confessing: As mentioned in "listening", I only finally heard Somebody That I Used To Know after probably 20 of my facebook friends posted it onto their pages. And at least 100 (or so it feels like) friends posted about Kony 2012 before I finally watched it.* There is something in me that steers away from watching/listening/reading/wearing the newest things. Someone else signed me up for facebook in the beginning because I was so resistant. I have a twitter account, but don't remember what it is, and think I've only tweeted twice. With about a year's gap in between them. I don't think I consciously shy away from bandwagons (that is apparently the metaphor I have chosen to go with) for any specific reason, I guess I just want to like something because I like it and not because everyone else does? I was so the opposite of that mentality for most of my life, but now I'm pretty comfortable with being on this side of things. That being said, I'm sure I also miss out on stuff! I know I miss out on music. I'm so behind that it kind of gets overwhelming? In high school I was obsessed with finding and listening to new artists, it was actually really time consuming. Then I went to a music school for college and was half intimidated by everyone's knowledge/desire, half burned out by it. And I haven't ever really recovered. Now that I think of it, Nashville probably isn't the best place to recover from that...So yes, I know I miss out, but I am also kind of okay with that. And always being behind. Miles really only listens to old music (as in 30+ years old), so I'm in good company. 

Phew. First official (superficial) blog confession over. 

Hopefully I can think ahead to have some pictures to go along with these in the future.

*Although I think the video has several really good points, I have some slight reservations about Invisible Children that I could ramble on about, but will refrain. But to be fair, I am 100% supportive of raising awareness and taking action--but the right kind of action, effective action... Yikes, I've begun to type and deleted several more sentences. I really could talk about this for a while, it leads me to so many other things, I love having conversations about this. But I didn't even intend to have an asterisked part of this post. So. Fail. THE END!

Wait, here  and here (opinion #4)  are quick articles to read to give a hint of my hesitations about IC.