Practically Perfect In Every Way :)

On a scale from 1-10 this weekend was a radiant 10! I don't know how it happened! Sometimes the heavens smile upon me and allow for a miraculously perfect series of events to occur. This is the case for my weekend. It felt like vibrant summer within my soul during an otherwise cold wintery weekend!! So here is what made things glorious:

1. Friday at work we had a tea party for my boss. She's moving on to another position. The tea party was a surprise and she loved it! It was delightful to sit with my coworkers and laugh and have a magical tea time together. *There's something special about tea parties*

2.Went to the Washington DC Temple on Saturday and when we were finished the sun was setting and the temple was glowing and it was a glorious sight to behold!



3. Amber and I ate sushi for dinner. Mmmmmm.... My favorite was the "Vegas Roll" (anything related to that city belongs inside my soul)...it was the best roll I've eaten to this date! Biased? Probably! :)

4. Amber, Janell, the McDonald sisters and myself went to the best concert in the world! Ever! We went to see FICTION FAMILY. And for those of you who don't know what Fiction Family is, let me tell you. Jon Foreman of "Switchfoot" and Sean Watkins of "Nickel Creek" got together and created and album! What! Could something so wonderful happen? Oh yes! It DID happen and on Saturday night I got to enjoy this love-fest at a great venue (Jammin Java)! My heart was beyond happy! I firmly believe that artists should try and collaborate as often as possible. There is amazing synergy and magic that occurs when two people take the best that they have and work together to create something new and beautiful...that's how art should continue and grow!


5. Amber and I stayed at Ann Marie's new house in DC. Before we went to bed we all got in our pj's and had tea and crumpets. This was a nice and delightful way to end the most perfect night ever!

6. Going to the Langley singles ward was simply wonderful. It was so refreshing to go be in a singles ward rather than a family ward. It just felt like the "right" place. There's something wonderful about being surrounded by trench buddies...people who are going through exactly what you are going through.

7. Went to the McDonald's sisters for dinner and a movie to close off the sabbath day. We watched "Sleeping Beauty" (which I haven't seen since I was 4 years old) and I realized that my doppelganger is Meriweather the blue fairy. I think that I might dress up as her for Halloween!

8. Lastly AM made us a wonderful dinner meal of pineapple chicken curry and rice. It was balm to my soul. She filled us with dessert (orange chocalate cheesecake bars) and then told us animated stories from her mission. Good times!

....so, all in all, life this weekend could not have gotten any better. It was practically perfect in every way! It was a nice foretaste of what hopefully lies ahead. *happy sigh*

I just finished this wonderful book. It was a perfect gift from my dear friend Ann Marie. Thank you AM for the wonderful little journey it took me on. In some ways I could very much relate to Sophie and her awful curse. In other ways I wish her story was mine. *sigh*  It's a good little read. I highly recommend it...but you don't have to take my word for it! :) 

Juxtaposition

I am hesitantly excited. Infact, I probably shouldn't even be putting this on a blog... however...I need to embrace it....so I will. Here goes. For nearly 8 years now, I've been slightly obsessed with a designer. ORLA KIELY. I simply love her designs. They are retro and vintage all at the same time. And, much like my love life, I have admired Orla from afar and have never made an official move. She's always been too good for me. Too expensive. In the last year I've noticed more of her stuff in high end magazines and that made me happy to know that the rest of the world could love her as much as me!

So, here's where the rubber hits the road: The other day I was moseying amongst some of my favorite blogs and noticed an ad for my sercret crush: Orla. Apparently she is starting an affordable line of stuff at my favorite Meca: Target! Can you imagine the joy I felt in my soul when I found this out!? I can finally be in direct contact with my crush...at Target! This is a good idea. Admittedly, I have also started to have mixed feelings about this callaboration. This means that EVERYONE is going to be in love with my Orla AND they will be able to affordably enjoy her too!

Pretty much, I'm jealous! I know, I know...it's petty. Can you see where I'm coming from? I've had a crush on an untouchable designer for years and years. I've dreamt of a day when I could afford her stuff. Now I can. But somehow the "mystique" that Orla had before is lost. Maybe, I should just be happy. Okay then...I'm happy now. I'm ready to share now.

Farmshow 2009

Question: Why don't people like the Farm Show as much as me? 

Answer: I am a hobbit from the Burg. 

You know how Samwise goes back to the Shire to lead a happy and normal shire-life whilst Froto decides to go off on the ship to some far away magical place? Welp...just call me Samwise. I love my Mechanicsburg. I love my Pennsylvania.  I am finally willing to admit it...There's no place like home. Infact I've always been this way. All my siblings went to pre-school. I didn't. My mom asked me when I was 3 or 4 years old, "Sara, do you want to go to pre-school?" My retort was, "No, I just want to stay at home." There you go. Pennsylvania/Mechanicsburg/402 James pumps in my blood. I can't help it. 

So, it surprised me this year to encounter people who don't like the Farm Show. What? How could this be? How could you live in PA and not love to go to the Farm Show? However, I've learned in my vast years of experience that I can't expect people to see things the way I see them. Just because someone else's heart doesn't burn passionately to see the cow's, gorge on farm food, pet the bunnies, and watch rodeos and square dances doesn't mean that they are not a worthwhile person. It's like Samwise and Froto. They have different paths, different passions, and different plans. I like my shire-life.