A Few of My Favorite Things

Today was a bit stressful. Actually, this week is turning out to be very stressful, due mostly to the amount of things I need to accomplish and the lack of time with which to accomplish them. To top it all off, I am growing more impatient by the hour that nobody has come to look at our house since we listed it last week! Of course, tonight I find out that the realtors are bringing a "caravan" of other realtors through tomorrow morning . Tomorrow morning. This. Is. Very. Bad. Timing.

I have to meet the harpist I have hired to play at tomorrow's event at 8:00 a.m. so she can deliver her harp to the venue to allow it to properly adjust to the temperature of the room (oh the things you learn when you're an event planner!) then I have to race back to the loft to be here when the caravan shows up to remove Muggsy until they leave, then race back to work and get everything done in time for my event set-up. Uggghhhh. And of course, Jarrod is out of town and though he returns tomorrow, it will not be in time to help with any of this scheduling nightmare. And it ain't like the schedule gets any easier the rest of the week either!

So I got home from my junior league meeting tonight* and decided to chill and reflect upon the things that give me comfort. And really, these are things that can brighten my mood just about any day because they are some of my favorite things.

In no particular order, here they are:

• Swatches - paint swatches, linen swatch books, etc. I love swatches because they entice me to think creatively. Today I was trying to pick linens for an upcoming event but I felt hampered by the fact that my venue has truly heinous (and I do mean HEINOUS) carpet. Fornately, I pulled out my handy linen swatchbook and the next thing I knew I was lost in my own little world of thinking about all the linen combinations and possibilities. Yes, I know I am a big dork, but I also enjoy spending time on the BBJ linen website. I also make a beeline for the paint section whenever we go to Lowe's or Home Depot, just so I can swipe as many paint swatches as I can grab. Don't worry - it's legal people! They WANT me to take lots of swatches, I promise!
  
• Edamame - Little soybeans that you have to suck out of the pods which if properly prepared to my liking are steamed and then coverd with sea salt. Yum! Part of my dinner tonight!
• Cake Batter Ice Cream from Cold Stone Creamery - Do I need to explain this?
  
• Muggsy - Seriously, he is so happy to see me when I get home...even if he should be ticked that I've left him alone for eight hours, it is like he forgets about his anger the minute I walk through the door and can't wait to cuddle up with me on the couch or play some game involving a slimy dog toy that he has chewed to a barely recognizable state. So adorable...do devoted...so welcoming at the end of even the worst days.
  
• Hypothetical Furniture Shopping - You know, this is what you do when you're getting ready to move and know you will have a lot of space to fill because you have almost no furniture that you didn't have in college! I truly enjoy browsing crate&barrel.com, ikea.com, restorationhardware.com and random interior design blogs and sites.** The problem is, I don't have much time to do this right now!
• My Fake Purple Orchid - This plastic and silk plant sits in my office window and much to my delight, it elicits numerous compliments from office visitors. "How on earth do you keep that beautiful orchid in such good condition Becca?" "That is blooming so well!" Ha ha ha - if they only knew that I've never owned a real plant I haven't killed. Well...that's not entirely true. I have kept a bamboo tree alive in our loft, but that is because it is nearly impossible to kill a bamboo plant. Anyway, the purple orchid makes me happy because it always looks perfect.
• Shoe Shopping - Total therapy. You can never have too many shoes, and the perfect pair can make even a bad hair day or ill-fitting outfit (ill-fitting due to temporary fatness of course) seem like no big deal. (Ha - temporary fatness.)
  
• Wedding Planning - Today a student stopped by for some unofficial non-UGA sponsored wedding planning advice. I love it. It is so fun to help someone plan such a huge day in their life. So rewarding and so invigorating! And...another reason to pull out the linen SWATCHBOOKS! :)
  

Alright, I'm feeling better already. Time to clean the house...AGAIN...for the circus...I mean caravan...of realtors.

*Tonight I found out that I was placed on the public affairs committee for next year. I was one of only six women who got this placement, and honestly it was probably because only six of us requested it. But whatever...despite my good fortune, it won't matter because I won't be here next year and since I wasn't in San Antonio when they chose committee placements for 07-08, I'll probably end up on some terribly boring ways and means committee when I transfer to the SAJL.

**On the other hand, this activity can backfire when you realize you have no money to back up your grandiose decorating plans.