i'm happy today. why?

1. a saturday of self-centered pampering time, nail polish, ice cream, a fizzy bath and wine. then martinis and doughnuts with my first Chicago girlfriend.

2. seeing an absolutely wrong-for-us condo that gave me new hope for the home search. larger bedrooms and nice finishes DO exist in our price range and desired location. at least more than i was beginning to think. even though they may be encased in terrible aluminum siding staring at the back of a shopping center. but still...just knowing that somewhere there is an 8x8 walk-in closet gives me hope.

3. speaking of closets, mine is like a magician's hat, swallowing things for months at a time and every once in a while spewing up shoes i'd forgotten i'd purchased. crocheted black ballet flats appeared without warning, just in time for the change in seasons. perfect. i think i bought them in january or february, and hid them so i wouldn't try to wear them in the snow. my unreliable memory does good for me sometimes.

4. la dolce vita. we started watching it last night, and we're only half way through, but it is already fastly becoming one of my favorite films. so rich and emotional and perfect in so many ways.

5. i'm going home this weekend to see my family. i miss them. i get to have dinner with my mom, hang out alone in the car for 2 hours with my dad, see my little brother and meet his new girlfriend, see my sister's house and her pregnant belly, and maybe meet my new baby cousin. and see the mountains i grew up around. i miss the east coast sometimes.