... and the pickles!

You know how sometimes you love a somewhat obscure band, and when they start to become famous and more successful you almost want to not like them anymore? Like you were one of their select few fans, and now they're just plastered all over MTV and it's not special anymore, even though you want them to flourish and make lots of money?

I can't believe I'm comparing pickles to music groups. Also, the more I think about it the more the comparison doesn't even make sense. Whatever.

THESE PICKLES ARE AMAZING.

Since I am a weakling, this jar took me like a day and a half to open. Every time I went into the kitchen I'd give it a try. Finally, late yesterday afternoon I pried it open and quickly gobbled up two pickles. Yum.

I know, a pickle is a pickle is a pickle. I used to feel the same. But these are awesome.

101 ... ?

The countdown is over. Yes, the 100th thing is stupid, but honestly I expected nothing less of myself.

So I'll still be blogging here from time to time, when inspiration strikes and when I have time between law school studying! Because I have a lot of favorite things and plenty of thoughts about them all.

Some current favorite things:
- Colored denim
- Design blogs and websites
- Long baths with the James Taylor Pandora station and a magazine

Cappuccino from Schulzies Bread Pudding in Venice Beach, Calif. ...  I had bread pudding for breakfast. It was divine. 

So stay tuned :)

100. The End ...

And my 100th favorite thing is ...


A well-timed fart.

Thank you, Eric Bolton. For inspiring my blog!

99. Reading & Books

Books to the ceiling,
Books to the sky,
My pile of books is a mile high. 
Oh how I love them!
Oh how I need them!
I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. 
- Untitled poem written by me in the 4th grade

I have always loved books. And reading. I still do.

Fact: The summer between 3rd and 4th grade I read 105 books.

One of my July goals was to read two books. Two! I did it though. (The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, and Isabel Allende's Portrait in Sepia - I highly recommend both).

But between law school, my Google reader and staying out late at night, reading for pleasure sadly falls by the wayside.

And I realize now how picky I can be when it comes to books. Over the past few years, I've read a lot of so-so books. And very few I cannot put this down books. And seriously, reading so-so books just isn't that much fun when I could be watching Netflix.

But last week I read Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol (yeah, I'm a little late to the party) in about three days. And I COULD NOT put it down. It had been so long since I'd just holed up by myself and read a book. Like plowed through, not just reading ten pages before bed and calling it quits.

So maybe not the most sophisticated of reading materials, but it reunited me with my love of reading. Of the balancing act of wanting to slowly savor every word and blaze forward to see what happens next.  Of staying up late for just one more chapter. And then another.

98. Smoothies

Ok, ok so yes I said I was going to get deeper. And I did. But I just have to have to say how much I have fallen in love with smoothies. Which is something I never thought I would say.

Do not be alarmed. This tastes AMAZING.

I love these first of all, for the taste. But it's such a good way to get lots of healthy stuff in early in the day. And I like these it's a breakfast that's not carb-based. I love carbs, but this way I can feel less bad about eating a ton of them the rest of the day, ya know?

Here is my favorite smoothie recipe. Nutritious, filling, delicious and beautiful :)

Layer the following in a blender and blend away:
- a frozen banana
-1 -- 1 and 1/2 cups soy milk (depends on how creamy you want it) (I'm sure cow's or almond milk is just as good) (Also I think vanilla soy milk makes it taste fab but plain is just as good) (what's up with all the parentheses?)
- ~tbsp peanut butter
- a sprinkle of cinnamon
- lots and lots of spinach (If you blend it up enough you cannot even taste it. Promise.)

Green Monster with a side of the Hills - my favorite way to start the day

I also like to switch it up and add some blueberries in. Beware though - that version tastes yummy but looks like sludge.

97. My Dad

Dad (aka Dabbles):

I love watching Seinfeld and laughing with you.

You're the best for taking me to get frozen yogurt (even if you only get samples).

Thank you for giving me the best education possible. Thank you for always supporting me and giving me help when I need it.

Love you Daddy :)

96. Getting It

As I get closer and closer to No. 100 I need to get a bit deeper. I could go on and on about my love of colored denim and cupcakes and many more things that are wonderful but albeit somewhat superficial. So let's chat about Getting It.

I love that good feeling when that lightbulb goes off and I can say "So that's it!" When everything starts to fall into place, the dust settles and everything makes sense. Or, at least a little more sense than it did before.

In yoga a few weeks ago, all of a sudden I realized how to go from chaturanga to upward facing dog. I've only been taking yoga classes for almost ten years now, but all of a sudden I knew what to do.  Now if only I could do the same with crow pose ...

OK, so figuring out a yoga pose isn't the most mindblowing realization, but for me it was. It can be as simple as that, or as finally understanding something I've been struggling with all semester in law school and finally makes sense.

I truly believe that life is about the journey, not the destination. A bunch of Getting It moments all strung together.