the magic formula for happiness.

do you ever feel like me, and you finally get sick of all the worry and stress... and you just sit down and decide, not to give up, but to just enjoy life for a second?

there are far too many reasons not to love life.

today i decided that biochemistry was far too stressful, and that i needed to sit still and just STOP WORRYING for one afternoon. while surfing netflix, i found the "happy" movie.

what makes you happy? 

when it comes down to it, a lot of things make me happy.

(i'm quite easy to entertain, actually...)

1. cuddling on the couch makes me happy. 

2. a hot cup of tea with a good book.

3. buying something random. especially from the dollar store.

4. fuzzy things.

5. feeling healthy.

6. learning stuff.

7. getting tips at work.

8. having someone remember your name.

9. inventing something for dinner that actually turns out. 

10. compliments. especially from strangers.

11. starting something new. a cause.

12. fruit.

13. having a clean room. (is it just me, or does having your room organized just make it feel like the rest of your life will just fall into place?)

14. finishing something.

15. sunsets.

16. holidays.

17. pinterest. and even better than pinterest: having someone ask you if you found something cute on pinterest, and saying "heck no! this was 100% jess!!!

18. having my toes painted and

19. having time to wake up in the morning and feeling drop-dead gorgeous when i walk out the door.

20. spending time with my family.

what did i learn from the happy movie?

life changes so quickly. unless we are truly happy and content with the person we are right now, we will be chasing an idea for the rest of our lives. 

we can choose to be happy.

accepting yourself completely comes as a part of the healing process.

there is no such thing as pleasure without pain.

"what do you want in life? to be successful, to be happy, and to live a long, healthy life."

what is it to be successful? and at what cost?

there is a lot of talk about a "toxic lifestyle" - the way that we live, trying to be more successful, and earn more money, and be more... just more.

i think it's time that we slowed things down.

take some time to sit down and read a book without feeling like you are wasting time.

i don't like to get too deep on my innermost thoughts here... but i had a thought the other day. i had basically failed a biochemistry test, and was thinking that my life was pretty much over because i need that class to get into grad school. 

so i called my mom. (aren't they just great? especially when the world seems like it is coming to an end.)

and after i told her how my life was ending, and feeling dejected, inadequate, and completely stupid, she just said, "it's gonna be ok."

is it bizarre that my whole day changed after that little comment? 

so grad school might have to wait a little while, but does that really mean my life is over???

no.

so when you are feeling like the world is ending, just think to yourself: it is going to be ok.

until there is an alien invasion, or an asteroid hurtling directly towards earth, i think that i'm going to keep moving on, keep moving forward, and just be happy.

even then, who knows?

:)

***

on a different note, this is my newest obsession/phase.

for the next 30 days, i doing the whole30 challenge!

find out more here.

i'm shining!

(this is my random thought for the day...)

there are so many times that i get so busy, trying to make sure that i get everything done, that i am the best friend, sister, daughter, whatever to everybody. but there are times when i get so caught up in doing things, that i forget the people that i am doing it for. there are times when we just need to sit back a little. there are times when we might need to drop something that is "important" for something that means much  more to us. 

there are times to shine. 

feel motivated yet?

you should

;)

because...

you are beautiful!!!

(i was informed by my sister that i hadn't posted in forever... and that she had actually managed to catch up on ALL of my blog posts. this is no good. so here ya go whittus.)

hmmmm.

a haiku (from a friend)

I’ve come to hate boys

You know what’s underrated?

Owning lots of cats

You Are Tired (I Think)
You are tired,
(I think)
Of the always puzzle of living and doing;
And so am I.
Come with me, then,
And we’ll leave it far and far away—
(Only you and I, understand!)
You have played,
(I think)
And broke the toys you were fondest of,
And are a little tired now;
Tired of things that break, and—
Just tired.
So am I.
But I come with a dream in my eyes tonight,
And knock with a rose at the hopeless gate of your heart—
Open to me!
For I will show you the places Nobody knows,
And, if you like,
The perfect places of Sleep.
Ah, come with me!
I’ll blow you that wonderful bubble, the moon,
That floats forever and a day;
I’ll sing you the jacinth song
Of the probable stars;
I will attempt the unstartled steppes of dream,
Until I find the Only Flower,
Which shall keep (I think) your little heart
While the moon comes out of the sea.

— E.E. Cummings

everything's gonna be ok.

is this the real life? is this just fantasy?

can't you just tell today is going to be a beautiful day?

it's fall, there isn't any snow yet (knock of wood), i slept in, i'm going to ride my bike to d.i. today, and watch football, and make FALAFEL! i don't know if it really can get any better...

we started the weekend yesterday with a date. (yes, i actually did get a date... if it is only the one date that i get of the semester, i will consider my dating life a success!)

here's the crew:

and yes, it was a masquerade.

aren't those guys studly?

can you believe we got those at walmart?

they have reaffirmed my belief that they really do carry everything.

for dinner, we had fajitas - which we absolutely amazing. and that was followed by what we lovingly refer to as a "cookie monster"... which i have seen other places called a "pizookie." 

they were the cutest things that i've ever seen!

we each got out own individual cookie that was in a skillet that was about the size of the top of a mason jar. oh my lanta - i think i died and went to heaven!

(and it even came with the cute little hot pad for the handle!!!)

i want.

and when i do get some... cuz i shall!

this is what i'm going to be making. 

and then it is going to go for a very looooooong swim in an ice cream bath.

right before it all ends up in my tummy.

oh happy day!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10″ cast iron skillet lightly with vegetable oil. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat about 2 minutes.

Add in the egg and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes longer.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Press the dough into the skillet as evenly as you can.

Bake about 40 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Transfer the skillet to a wire rack to cool. When ready to serve, cut into wedges. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top while it’s still warm!

if i might quote my idol, rachel ray...

{YUM-O!}

do you ever feel like your cookie-cutters are under-utilized? 

i mean, the poor things get to shine only once a year when you decide to make sugar cookies!!! it is a sad, sad existence if you ask me. 

so i think it is time to let the cute little cookie cutters out of their stereotypical role as a "cookie" cutter (here and here) 

i think that would make an interesting movie plot...

"the cookie cutter that wouldn't cut cookies."

i mean, they've got to run out of ideas for movies eventually...

today i love:

sweats after wearing a dress all night long

showers - since i ran out of time yesterday... (and yet my hair doesn't look that bad!)

farmer's markets. i caved and bought a honey bear. (my last one suffered a very horrible death in the microwave.)

writing. stuff. (no you don't get to see it yet!)

food. i'm currently soaking chickpeas for falafel for a picnic this afternoon!

going to school. and not having to worry about real life. yet.

did anyone else think that this was meant specifically for them?

absolutely amazing.

i shouldn't be allowed to post this late

...but i am going to anyway!

i guess you'll just have to put up with the ramblings of a fatigued mind.

whatcha gonna do 'bout that, huh?

i love to collect things.

this might seem odd, because i also don't like excess.

i simply like the little odds and ends that i have.

the random dishes

the books from thrift stores

the insane amount of clothes in my closet

(all of which i wear... so i can't condone getting rid of any of them!)

...i probably could get rid of a few of my shoes...

i wonder what it would be like to be ascetic.

i honestly don't think i would survive.

i think that every single one of my dishes in my cupboard has come (1) from the dollar store or (2) from D.I... which, let's face it, is one of the coolest places on earth. the unfortunate part about living in a college town full of poor college students is that the good stuff is always gone. really fast. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! as mad-eye moody would say. my roommates and i have found some of the cutest things there, hidden inside of other things, and buried beneath piles of junk - voila! you find a gem. my sister spends hours looking at clothes... yours truly is drawn to the books and the dishware. yes. i am pathetic and should probably get counseling.

which reminds me - i got the cutest mustard-yellow dishes there the other day!!! not really the cutest... but i love the color! it makes me happy just looking at them.

:)

the only down-side is that there were only two. not that i needed a whole set or anything like that. but it would have been awesome nonetheless!

(i promise that one day you will see these amazing dishes! i am still currently missing my camera though... that means that (1) my room ate it (2) my car ate it (3) someone "borrowed" it and probably won't ever be returning it or (4) i lost it. which would make me very sad.) i will definitely have to send out the search parties tomorrow... or maybe just decide to clean my room for once! where is my mom when i need her???

i found this little gem yesterday. which made my morning this morning even better when i "accidentally" slept in until fifteen minutes before my class started. which resulted in messy hair thrown into a bun/no makeup/sweatshirt day... i must have been shinin' real bright! har har har... (and you wanna know the best part about the whole morning?)

murphy's law loves me.

super-cute guy right? the one that i've only talked to like two times (ever)... not that i wouldn't be 100,000,000% ok talking to him more...

on the one morning i don't look cute, and i don't have time to shower or have time to get ready - who else would i see? and looking very fine driving a white truck. wowza.

and he honked at me! followed by a wave. eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

(squealing and happy dance ensued)

but still no number.

fail.

possibly followed by a few tears...

mom says i'll have to work on that. (and how may i ask, can one accomplish that? without resorting to ridiculous amounts of facebook stalking?)

and moving on... (i'll keep ya posted on the boy developments... mayyyybe...)

this is what i feel like on a daily basis.

people say they like curly hair.

they do not realize that curly hair has a mind of its own.

but i love my hair. even though it drives me crazy sometimes.

kinda like a boyfriend... but this looks better. ;)

----------------------------------------------------------

i'm grateful for chocolate

banana-cranberry sticky buns

pretzel rods

...

and GREEN APPLES!

(if i haven't told you how i am obsessed with them... just wait...

there will be more on this later. i promise!)