days of grace - ten

1. almond brittle
2. a husband who makes breakfast
3. dreaming about being a dog owner
4. loving my job
5. making new friends

days of grace - nine

1. new inspiration
2. Will & Grace re-runs
3. running - and loving it
4. Eclipse
5. making lists

V-days of grace - eight

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you're spending time with all the ones you love. Last night Sara and I celebrated our friendship with a romantic dinner date and the Oklahoma Ballet. It was a wonderful evening! And today is movies and makeup. Don't worry...Tim and I are celebrating v-day a week late. He has a deadline for school that he has been feverishly working on.

So here is the list:

1. Nona's Creme Brule

2. Awesome people watching at restaurants for v-day dinner

:Sara and I were practically witnessing a soap opera behind us at Nona's. In the hour we were there this couple went from lovey dovey, to discussing who would sleep with someone new first if they ever broke up, to the girl crying at the table, to her confessing that she has or had (we couldn't really tell through the crying) a brain tumor. It was intense. We didn't know we were getting a show with dinner and our bottle of wine!:

3. Celebrating the fact that girl friends are just as important if not more important than our "man" friends. These relationships deserve just as much effort and attention.

4. Finally being able to enjoy watching ballet again. After so many years of dancing and quitting when I kind of didn't want to but was burned out, it has been hard for me to go to the ballet. But now I view it as warm memories and an additional knowledge about the arts.

5. Perspective - it is a valuable thing.

days of grace - seven

I had my solo recital this afternoon. It was wonderful and well received. A long post with pictures in on the way I promise, but now I'm tired and watching the boob tube with YoMama.
So here is the list for today:

1. Enjoying performing again

2. Extended friends and family

3. BCBG everything

4. A very helpful husband (Thank you Tim!)

5. Catching up with oldie but goodies friends at Delta Weddings (Congrats Whitters!)

days of grace - six

1. Pedicures with Elise

2. Fun trivia lists on Facebook

3. Smelling like dryer sheets in an effort to combat static cling

4. Adventurous fashion

5. My new Michael Kors skirt - Lovezit!

days of grace - five

1. Muddy kitty prints on my windshield

2. 5 hours of shopping with Sara

3. Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona

4. Getting a hair cut

5. Feeling loved and appreciated by the people that you love and appreciate

days of grace - four

1. "well i should probably go catch the metro cause there's going to be a strike soon and i don't want them to shut it down before i get there" - monica's excuse to get off facebook chat with me

2. reading in today's Dear Abby that 30 years ago when a woman first saw a thong in the lingerie department she thought it was a jock strap for transvestites.

3. Oklahoma City looking like Colorado - brilliant white and snow covered

4. Gym dates with Tim

5. Beating Halo 3 in one week

days of grace: three

1. quality time with Tim playing video games

2. songs that make you smile and cry at the same time

3. feeling happy and terrified that 30 people have RSVP-ed to my recital

4. hot tea with honey

5. friends that tell you that you're not a failure if you stop reading a book half way through because you feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall with every page turn

***
I promise that I'm not going to use these days of grace lists as an excuse to not write "real" posts. Give me a couple of days for the novelty to wear off. OK?
***

Day 2 of 365 days of grace

1. Skyping with Monica in France

2. clean clothes

3. Tim scrubbing the bath tub

4. Watching the Miss America pagent with friends for the 4th year in a row

5. the smell of freshly brewed coffee...mmmm snickernut!

365 Days of Grace - Day 1 of 365

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.
- Dalai Lama

So lately I've been feeling empowered. No particular reason really but I'm just "in a really good place right now". (*Sorry for the use of an annoying cliche phrase*) I was in cycle/circuit class on Wed night and had an epiphany of sorts. I just couldn't believe that I was enjoying being tortured for one solid hour by getting on and off a spin bike to lift weights. I couldn't believe that I am excited to study for the LSAT and go back to school, or that I couldn't wait to go to work the next day and close the lease negotiation that I was working on. It is just weird! I am so grateful for every day and every moment! (I know this is getting ridiculous...I promise I'm almost done...)

Along with my fitness schedule, my reading schedule, my singing schedule, my dates with Tim schedule and my TV watching schedule...I decided that although I enjoy running around with my iPhone filled with lists and schedules I want to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and savor the flavor (to use another cliche) of my life. Live in the moment (last one I promise) if you will. But often when we start listing what we are grateful for it usually ends up being a monologue about how great we are individually...see paragraph above ;). This time will be different.

***
I stumbled upon some bloggers I read posting Day whatever of 365 Days of Grace and looked in to what it was. As you know I have an affinity for list making, so what better way to fulfill #32 and be a little more optimistic about life in general. I will strive to NOT make a list about myself. So join in or not... a little optimism and gracious perspective never hurt anyone...

1. Oscar nominations

2. Netflix on xBox to watch Oscar nominated movies

3. coffee and peanut butter power bars

4. productive department meetings

5. friends that you can be honest with