I swear that is the last time I am getting sick. I’m still not 100% over it but I’m getting there. Being sick has made me realize some things that I need in my life.

1. Husband
(for chicken soup making/orange juice providing purposes)
2. Snuggie
(so I can play with my phone and stay warm)
3. Dog walker/entertainer
(because it only takes one look at Harlow to see she’s bored silly)
4. TV in my room
(because I haven’t left it in a week)

Okay, so these are all things I’d probably only want on a temporary basis (well, besides the husband) but I really needed them this last week. I’ve never been very good at being sick. I’m pretty much a baby. I came across this journal entry from when I was living in England and was feeling pretty miserable. It sort of makes me laugh:

I must be really and truly ill because I walked into the chemists to buy medicine today and burst into tears. Who DOES that? I have been sick for the past month – first it was a sinus infection, then inflamed tonsils, then stomach flu, and now whatever I have. My throat is on fire and I can’t swallow but I’m not coughing. And then I was standing in front of a shelf full of medicine for things I’ve never heard of. I mean honestly…what is “catarrh”??? None of this means anything except I’m tired of being sick. I want to feel like a normal person again.

helpful… very helpful…

If you ever want to see my cry just come up to me while I’m sick and say “catarrh”. You’ll get your wish.

I promise to appreciate how good normal feels if I can just get back there. And maybe Harlow will stop looking for a new family to live with.

photo credit

It’s in the air!

I’m not getting a puppy. I’m still completely smitten with the one I have. But it seems like everyone else I know is thinking about getting one and has asked my opinion. My response? DO IT!

Of course it is a responsibility but one with lots and lots of benefits. Take Harlow for example. She keeps me warm when she snuggles on my lap and looks ridiculously sweet when she sleeps. She is always happy to see me and she gets really excited about silly things like twigs and dryer sheets. I am proud when she eats her dinner and drinks lots of water and learns a new trick like “shake” or “roll over”. She is proud of me when I leave a sock on the floor or take her on an extra long walk or give her a tiny bit of cottage cheese with her puppy food.

When it comes to puppies I vote yes.

I decided to sponsor one of my very favorite blogs: The Rockstar Diaries. Yay! I even made my own little ad. That part took way longer than it should have but you can take a look at the finished product if you like.

Why do I love The Rockstar Diaries so much? Okay, I’ll tell you.

They love Polaroids
They love each other
They like to paint things
They go to the temple
They wear silly hats
She wears red lipstick
They love Utah
They love love happy lists

Honestly, Naomi and Josh’s blog makes me very happy. I love reading their little adventures. I dare you not to become addicted.

Photo property of The Rockstar Diaries of course.

I haven’t had much time for blogging this week… I must still be exhausted from my lipstick search. It really is not for the faint of heart.

One of my co-workers is leaving today for 2 weeks in England & Wales and I am doing my best impression of a not-at-all-jealous person and so I am going to have a very, very good weekend. Too bad Chelsea’s not around.

I love this site full of attractive office supplies. (found by Suann)

You Are My Fave is still one of my fave blogs to read.

You have until the 16th to enter Cassie’s first giveaway

Joanna has been roaming the country in search of all things all things Parisienne.

Tina of The English Muse led me to Emilie79’s Flickr site – full beautiful Polaroids of Paris.

Susannah wrote a beautiful piece called Allowing Dreams that everyone should definitely read.

photo from lolita.se

Steven Wiltshire was diagnosed as autistic at age 3 and was 5 years old before he started speaking but today at the age of 35 his art sells for thousands of dollars.

Most recently he has drawn a 20-ft panoramic view of the New York skyline after a ride over the city that lasted only minutes. Drawn completely from memory every building and street is correct and drawn completely to scale. The New York panorama follows those done in Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem and London. Stephen Wiltshire was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2006 for services to art. In September 2006 Stephen opened his permanent gallery in the Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London.

You can read more about Stephen and his art here.

Feeling inpired by a few magazines, a few friends and a few blog friends – I set out on a quest to find a red lipstick. I’m pretty sure the girls in the Nordstrom’s cosmetics department are sick of seeing me. To be honest, as nice and helpful as they are, I hope I don’t see them for awhile either.

I started searching for the perfect red about two weeks ago. I just wanted a fun red that could be casual and not look scary or trashy. I’ve seen plenty of examples of great red lipstick. Just look at Naomi’s blog – she is often rocking a red lip. Emily totally found the perfect red. And Joanna keeps blogging about red lipstick.

I’ll spare you the details but the last two weeks have involved several trips to Nordstrom’s, Sephora, and Long’s drugs. Here are some of the ones I tried:

Lady Bug, Ruby Woo and Lady Dager (Mac)
Cruella, Rouge d’Enfer, Fire Down Below and Spanish Red (Nars)
Red, Burnt Red, and Slopes (Bobbi Brown)
British Red and True Red (L’Oreal)
Red-y to Wear (Clinique)

They were all certainly red but either too bright, too orange-y,or too purple-y for my skin tone and my liking.

I’m not the most patient person and I was ready to call it quits last night when the super-patient girl at the Nars counter (I love Nars, p.s.) pulled out a color that wasn’t with the testers: Forbidden Red. The heavens opens, choirs of angels sang, and I finally went home with my perfect red. Whew! I also picked up a Clinique lipliner in Chili that I love.

Mission accomplished.

I love my new lipstick.

1st image and 2nd image

I found this in The Daily Mail and was incredibly touched by this little girl’s story.

When Elena was only 5 years old she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. During the 9 months that she fought the cancer she hid notes, hundreds of them, throught her parents home in Wyoming. She left them in cupboards, between the pages of books, in drawers, bags … everywhere.

Elena passed away in the summer of 2007, but her parents and her little sister Gracie have been finding the notes she left for them ever since. They currently have 3 large boxes full of them. She even left love notes for her favorite dog, Sally.

Some of the notes simply say, “I love you” and some have pictures. Many of the notes are for her little sister, Gracie, one of them reads, “I love you Gracie, Go Go.”

Her parents said that they don’t ever want to find the last note and so they each carry one unopened note from Elena in their briefcases.

I couldn’t read this story all the way through without my eyes filling with tears. Maybe because my own little sister is named Elena. Maybe just because no 5 year old (or anyone) should have to die from cancer.

Her parents have compiled a book, Notes Left Behind which is available at Amazon and all of the proceeds are going to the Cure Starts Now Cancer Foundation.

You can read more about Elena and her family at Notes Left Behind

all photos credited to Keith & Brooke Desserich

Dear Future Husband (in case you’re reading this),

I just thought I should let you know in advance that I really, really hate making beds. This probably doesn’t seem like a big deal but it is to me. But I really, really love clean sheets. So, the chances are you will hear me complaining about making beds a lot. I’m sorry. I hope can forgive me in advance and that we’ll still be friends.

Also I hope you love Polaroids, because I really, really do. Oh, and macarons. I love macarons too.

Love,

Your future wife

photo credit

I wanted to show you my faves from this week’s {Pola}roid week but there are just too many. So here are a few and I’ll post some more later.

I really, really love this first one. Cupcakes + Polaroids = LOVE

Rebecca Pepperell

Tony Soko

Keksofant

Polaroid Mandy

Erin

Lilie Melo

P.J. Taylor

Instant Satisfaction

Mironabside

Okay, so maybe that was more than a few.