bits of happiness

i used to love doing these bits of happiness lists here on the blog.  it was a series i enjoyed because it reminded me to take a moment to pause and reflect on what was going right instead of focusing on what was going wrong, which is easy to do when things are a bit on the rough side.  i can't believe it's been over two years since the last time i posted one.  today i thought it was a good time to bring it back because of a bunch of craziness lately.

the countdown is on with my dance studio's recital just 9 days away (cue music).  it's officially crunch time now as we finish choreography, make last minute adjustments to costumes and accessories, sell tickets, advertise like crazy, and finalize the programs before they go to print.  it's both exciting and exhausting, but i'm doing my very best to stay positive.  so, here are ten things currently making me happy:

10. finishing a huge project at our house and being beyond happy with the end result

9. rediscovering rice krispies cereal 

8. finding new buds on my orchid plant in my office at work (so glad i didn't kill it)

7. watching the veggies and herbs grow in our new raised garden bed in our back yard

6. eating the leftovers for lunch each day of the very best vegan vegetable soup that i made

5. discovering the show first time flippers (omg, ryan and i laugh our rear ends off at those people)

4. collaborating with a former student turned friend on a fun choreography project

3. seeing all of my dance costumes lined up on my garment rack ready for the recital

2. getting excited for a tv appearance next week to promote our recital (more on that soon!)

1. the fact that leko has not woken us up before our alarm clocks for a few days in a row now!!!

love, laurie

bits of happiness

this week has been a crazy and stressful one since both ryan and i started new jobs on tuesday.  on top of all of the craziness, i came down with a cold this week and i feel completely drained.  i can't say i'm surprised, especially since we were around our two nephews this past weekend for ryan's cousin's wedding.  despite all of the craziness and now the sickness, there are plenty of things going on right now that are making me happy.  so, it's time for a happy list.  (i just love this bits of happiness series!)

here are . . .

ten things currently making me happy:

10. decorating our new offices at work for our new jobs

9. having my very own reserved parking spot at work now for my new position

8. catching up on recorded shows on our dvr

7. enjoying our new car

6. warmer temperatures

5. green grass

4. flowers popping up in our yard

3. cuddling with leko (he is the best medicine when you're not feeling well)

2. visiting nyc this weekend

1. counting down the days to vacation - it's right around the corner!

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness

one of my favorite things that i used to do on my blog was the bits of happiness series.  somehow i got away from it, and it's been two and a half years since i did the last one.  (wow, time sure does fly!)  it's so easy to slip into a funk this time of the year.  with our crazy schedule and all of this miserable, brutal winter weather that we have been experiencing, i thought it was a good time to bring this happy list post series back.

here are . . .

ten things currently making me happy:

10. knowing that the show ryan has been working on for months is finally over

9. rehearsing for our next show which is my favorite thing ever - a broadway musical revue 

8. taking ballet class twice per week - it feels so good to be able to dance

7. the fact that last night ryan figured out how to program our garage door opener into the rear-view mirror in the car!!!  (you are awesome, husband!)

6. trying new recipes and having them work out

5. catching up on recorded shows on our dvr

4. seeing robins in our back yard - a sign that spring will eventually get here, i hope

3. my new haircut which makes my mornings so much easier

2. cuddling on cold nights with our fluffy kitten

1. planning vacation and counting down the days - tropical waters, here we come!

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {fall edition}

it may not be officially fall until this weekend,

but it sure does feel like fall around here!

here are . . . 

ten things that make me happy at this time of the year:

10. apple, pumpkin, and spiced desserts

9. fall decorations

8. colorful leaves

7. dark nail polish

6. apple picking 

5. pumpkin spice lattes 

4. beautifully colored mums 

3. going to the pumpkin patch

2. apple cider scented candles

1. crisp autumn air

. . . 

what makes you happy in the fall?
love, laurie

bits of happiness

we're long overdue for a happy list so here are . . . 

ten things currently making me happy:

10. leko chasing morning shadows across the bed
9. tiger lilies blooming in our yard
8. meals on our back porch

7. ice cream dates

6. walks around our neighborhood

5. sleeping with the windows open at night

4. lots and lots of pool time
3. tiki torches in our back yard
2. fluorescent nail polish

1. fresh summer fruits and veggies

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {christmas edition}

we're long overdue for a happy list so here are . . . 

ten things that make me happy at christmas time:

10. baking christmas cookies with the help of a very curious kitten
9. keeping old traditions and making new traditions too

8. watching old christmas movies over and over again
7. sending christmas cards to our family and friends

6. decorating our house with christmas lights
5. hanging our special christmas ornaments

4. listening to classic christmas songs 

3. sipping warm peppermint mochas 

2. wrapping christmas presents 

1. spending time with the ones i love

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by andrea}

today i'm excited to bring you a bits of happiness list submitted by andrea from four birdies.  andrea lives in canada with her husband, tony, and her two sons, owen and griffin, and she has been blogging since 2008!

here are . . . 

ten things currently making andrea happy:

10. catching up on scrap booking and feeling that creative spark that just doesn't let you stop 

9. anything and everything pinterest

8. sally hansen salon effects real nail polish strips

7. blogging!  reading, searching, and creating my own

6. my wonderful neighborhood and the wonderful friends we've made

5. friday night date night every week

4. anything reality tv

3. ice cream, ice cream, ice cream

2. all things autumn: apple cider, apple orchards, pumpkins, sweaters, halloween, thanksgiving, and the arrival of santa claus

1. my beautiful family

thanks for sharing andrea!
{photo of andrea}

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {fall edition}

since it is now officially fall, here are . . . 

ten things that make me happy at this time of the year:

10. freshly picked apples

9. crisp autumn air

8. fall colors

7. warm desserts

6. cozy sweaters 

5. cornfield mazes

4. autumn decorations

3. dark nail polish

2. falling leaves

1. pumpkin everything

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?
love, laurie

bits of happiness {summer edition}

here are . . . 

ten things currently making me happy: 

10. wearing sun dresses on hot summer days

9. cooling off in the pool after work

8. orange tiger lilies in bloom in our yard

7. brightly colored nail polish on my toes

6. spontaneous ice cream dates

5. spending time on our back porch 

4. long walks around our neighborhood in the evenings

3. sleeping with the windows open at night

2. riding our bikes all over the place

1. finding kitten hiding out in our swimming bag

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness

{yellow irises blooming in our back yard}

here are . . .

ten things currently making me happy:

10. seeing flowers beginning to pop up around our yard 

9. finding new recipes and food blogs online

8. getting back to the gym after an embarrassingly long time 

7. planning fun adventures and activities for the summer

6. wearing my saltwater sandals everywhere

5. grilling in the nice weather outside

4. watching leko explore our screened-in back porch
3. learning how to use my new camera 

2. feeling the relief that school is finally over forever

1. enjoying my new found "free time"

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by kelly}

i just love reading everyone's happy lists because it is so fun to see what is currently making everyone smile.  today's happy list was submitted by my good friend kelly!  

here are . . . 

ten things currently making kelly happy:

10. my daily calendar that has the best quotes on it 

9. catching up on bad reality tv

8. feeling like someone loves me

7. adele's beautiful voice

6. the world wide web: fashion, recipe searching, checking out new blogs

5. using icalendar to stay organized 

4. pinterest 

3. my apple products: iphone, macbook, ipad 

2. my two beautiful bernese mountain dogs: mason and bodie

1. all of my friends and family that make me happy every day

thanks for sharing kelly!
{photo of kelly snuggling with her dog mason}

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by jaime}

it has been a long time since we have featured a happy list over here.  so, today i'm excited to bring you a great happy list that was submitted by the lovely jaime from sparkles and sticks.  jaime lives in california with her husband, and she has been blogging since 2006.  be sure to head over and check out her blog!

here are . . . 

ten things currently making jaime happy:

10. seeing daffodils and other spring flowers start to bravely pop out of the ground

9. visiting friends in san francisco

8. taking photos of my feet when i am visiting a new place, or simply out for a walk around my neighborhood

7. reflecting on the past few years of my life while i stuff photos, ephemera, and memories into my new project life scrapbook

6. reading this book is overdue! how librarians and cybrarians save us all by marilyn johnson

5. painting a coat of sparkle nail polish over whatever color nail polish is already on my fingernails

4. coffee dates with myself and my laptop

3. the knowledge that the hunger games movie comes out in less than one month

2. listening to audio books while i go on long walks in training for . . . 

1. the avon walk for breast cancer in july

thanks for sharing jaime!
{photo of jaime}

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness

here are . . . 

ten things that made me happy this week: 

10. left over birthday cake 

9. my new desk calendar at work

8. seeing clear blue skies in january

7. my mom's homemade raisin bread

6. one dollar movie rentals from redbox

5. wearing a warm scarf on very cold days

4. dancing all around the house in my pajamas

3. my beautiful birthday flowers from ryan's parents

2. the snowflake window decals on the windows in our dining room 

1. seeing ryan sitting on the sofa with our new kitten fast asleep in his lap

yup, that last one pretty much takes the cake!

 . . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {holiday edition}

here are . . . 

ten things that make me happy at this time of the year: 

10. smelling christmas cookies baking in the oven

9. receiving christmas cards in the mail

8. spending time with family and friends

7. carrying on holiday traditions

6. singing along to christmas music on the radio

5. looking out across fresh snow before anyone has walked in it

4. driving around the neighborhood to see christmas lights and decorations

3. watching national lampoon's christmas vacation for the millionth time

2. seeing the look on my husband's face when he unwraps gifts

1. remembering back to when we got engaged on christmas day 2007

. . . 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by ryan}

today's holiday-themed happy list is from my husband! 

here are . . . 

ten things currently making ryan happy:

10. looking forward to christmas vacation

9. visiting friends and family for the holidays

8. christmas music . . . everywhere

7. baking desserts that make the house smell amazing

6. holiday-themed wallpaper on my iphone

5. watching christmas movies 

4. decorating with my new snowflake christmas lights
3. sipping a warm peppermint mocha latte

2. holiday-scented candles around the house

1. cuddling on cold nights

thanks for sharing ryan!
{photo of us taken at a friend's christmas party last year}

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by tanya}

i love reading everyone's happy lists because it makes me feel happy!  i hope you enjoy them too.  to kick off the month of december, here is a great happy list submitted by tanya from mr. taylor and his lady.  be sure to head on over and check out her lovely blog.    

here are . . . 

ten things currently making tanya happy:

10. the newly scented christmas decorations i have added to my house.  adore everything christmas!

9. early morning back rubs

8. looking at old pictures that bring back great memories

7. fireplaces and hot chocolate

6. looking stylish while feeling absolutely comfortable

5. finding new music to become obsessed with

4. being productive

3. skype dates with far away friends

2. that first big snow fall of the season

1. being married to your best friend

thanks for sharing tanya!

speaking of #8: above is a picture of tanya 

and her husband, eric, circa 2007

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness {by jen}

i just love these happy lists!  here is a great one submitted by jen from smoking crayolas.  jen's blog is one of my favorites, and after reading it, i'm sure that if we lived near each other we would be friends.  jen has a great perspective on life and her baby boy, lincoln, is so stinkin' cute too!  

be sure to check out her blog!  

here are . . . 

ten things currently making jen happy:

10. painted toenails

9. finishing an entire chap stick (and never losing it)

8. seeing childhood friends

7. good hair days

6. german pancakes

5. getting five hours of sleep in a row

4. my husband's love texts

3. diet coke (seriously)

2. the smell of new book pages

1. my baby's new "da-da" sounds

thanks for sharing jen!
{photo of jen and lincoln}

. . .

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness

in the spring we planted a green pepper plant in our garden.  it did nothing for months, until just recently . . . we grew two teeny tiny green peppers!   

in keeping up with the happy lists, here are . . . 

ten things currently making me happy: 

10. the fact that i have actually managed to keep my desk plant alive for ten whole months now!  (this is a great accomplishment for me, since i don't exactly have the green thumb in our family.)

9. fall colors: deep red, burnt orange, mustard yellow, and clover green

8. warm flannel sheets on a cold morning

7. autumn leaves floating through the air

6. the smell of our mulled cider candle

5. freshly folded laundry

4. finding exact change in my wallet

3. discovering new restaurants in our area

2. meeting up with friends for a cup of coffee

1. saturday morning road trips with ryan

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie

bits of happiness

{my mom's deep dish apple almond pie . . . yum!}

happy wednesday!  it's a rainy and dreary day today, but i'm determined to not let that get me down.  naomi has a wonderful tradition of posting happy lists and i thought that was such a nice idea.  so, here goes . . . 

ten things currently making me happy: 

10. finally having hot water back in our house (which means we can tackle our ever growing pile of laundry) 

9. wearing bright colors on a rainy day (bright orange and teal to be exact)

8. pumpkin flavored everything

7. smelling campfires in the crisp autumn air

6. melting into the couch at night to watch tv after a long day

5. taking walks together and exploring new parts of our neighborhood

4. vegetables from the farmers market

3. my yellow corduroy ballet flats

2. left overs of my mom’s pie in our refrigerator

1. the fact that ryan voluntarily started dancing with me last night while we were brushing our teeth.  (there is nothing better!)  we are such goofballs, but that is okay. 

what is currently making you happy?

love, laurie