The moment I became an adult

Yesterday, I became an adult.

"How?" You may ask.

I bought a second set of sheets for my bed.*

via

Do you know how mature that is?

One of my married friends recently told me that even she and her husband do not possess a second set of sheets for their bed!

Sure, these sheets might be bright pink and from Target.

But let's not be fickle here.

*Currently no photo available since they're taking a trip through the washing machine and dryer in hopes of losing their enchanting chemical scent and possibly even gaining a new level of softness.

"No more breakfast!"

This morning, I met my school project parter for brunch at Panera.

via

We set an 11AM meeting time, and I arrived a few minutes early.

Breakfast food definitely sounded good, and I found myself overwhelmed with the menu possibilities.

Ah, I always enjoyed their souffles! But which flavor to choose?

Although...what about the power sandwiches? I could use some power!

The mediterranean sandwich looked delicious, but hadn't my coworker just told me how much she didn't like that one?

via

"I can take you right here," one of the Panera employees smiled, probably wondering if I was actually just a loiterer trying to escape the cold.

"Still deciding! So many options!" I replied.

Of course, the moment after I said this, a family of seven trooped in and (rightly so) took my place in line.

I looked at my watch anxiously.

10:59!

Panera stopped serving breakfast items at 11 on weekends!

Finally, the family had been served, and I stepped up to the register.

"No more breakfast!" One of the male employees shouted quite aggressively. "Breakfast is over!"

What? Noooooooooooo!!!!!

"How can I help you?"

I looked back at the Panera employee and sighed, "I'll take the pick two with French onion soup and the Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich, please."

"Chips or baguette?"

Did it even MATTER? I wanted a breakfast sandwich!

"Baguette...oh, and can I please get an iced coffee?"

I at least wanted some breakfast aspect in my meal.

From now on, I will be scanning my menu options before arriving at the restaurant.

And I'll also be keeping a close eye out for any families of seven.

46 Days of Christmas

Remember how I fell down the Target Christmas decorations rabbit hole yesterday?

Apparently, I had fallen so deep into Christmas mode that there was no saving me.

When I arrived at my desk this morning, there was the most adorable gingerbread girl ornament and Christmas mix CD awaiting me!

My coworker is just about the sweetest person you'll ever meet, and she always has her grandma sew us these crazy cute ornaments. I just love my gingerbread girl, and the Christmas mix CD she also made?

28 songs of AMAZING.

After work, I found myself pulling into the parking lot of HomeGoods (How did that happen?), and I bought a few more holiday decorations while I was there.

Look at the state of my bedroom.

...and it's only November 8th!

I have also switched out my Leaves candle for Fresh Balsam.

I feel like some sort of Christmas-crazed monster!

Thursday Target Trip

Believe it or not, it had been a few weeks (okay, it had been about 5 days) since I had leisurely perused my local Target, and I decided that strolling around my favorite store was the number one thing I wanted to do after work this evening.

I knew I was in for a good trip judging by the goods in the dollar section.

You can always tell how successful your Target trip will be based on what the dollar section currently has to offer.

I picked up a bunch of fun office supplies and headed off to the personal care department where I had to get some Cetaphil facial moisturizer. 

After tossing some kitchen garbage bags, a birthday card, and a box of Kashi breakfast bars into my cart, I was looking over the Vitamin Water selection when I suddenly heard something magical.

Christmas music.

It was probably playing all of the store, but it was definitely originating from the back corner.

Almost hypnotized, I walked towards it.

Closer, closer.

Louder, louder.

And there it was- all of the beautiful, glorious, magnificent CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!!!!!!!!

There was so much glitter and sparkle and joy!

I threw a green reindeer into my cart -why not?- followed by two sets of Christmas towels.

I decided that I wanted a menorah for my front windowsill until I saw that the one I liked was $20 and figured I would survive without it.

At that point, I was able to finally pull myself away.

"I'll be back for you," I wanted to whisper to the stuffed snowman and the wreath made entirely of ornaments. 

I added a snowflake pillow to my treasures and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and headed toward the check-out.

"Oh! Oh, shoot," I sighed, remembering that I had only brought my Target RedCard inside with me. "I don't have my ID!"

The cashier, who has checked me out with wine probably 1121293812983 times, merely set the wine back behind the register and kept scanning!

He may as well have been the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld and snapped, "No wine for you!"

Oh, well.

At least I have my Christmas decorations to enjoy tonight!

Homage to My Hips

So.

Sometimes?

I don't like my body.

I can remember being younger and praying to God for thinner eyebrows, curlier hair, less freckles...and most of all?

Smaller hips.

Man oh man do I have wide hips. 

Nearly every woman on my mom's side of the family does.

I've always been a bit embarrassed by mine until one day, my professor in my 20th Century Women Writers class passed out a poem by Lucille Clifton titled "Homage to My Hips."

And suddenly?

I was proud of my hips.

My hips were powerful.

They were beautiful.

They were strong.

Now, whenever I'm having an "I feel ugly" day (Aren't we all prone to those?), I think of the poem and I hold my head a little higher and sway those wide hips confidently.

Because these hips...

go where they want to go
they do what they want to do
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.

Comfort

I spent the night at my parents' house last night since I was on their side of town for my cousin's wedding.

I wore a new black and white striped dress I had purchased from The Impeccable Pig down in Nashville and had such a nice night drinking Dirty Shirleys and catching up with family.

My cousin looked so handsome, and his new wife was absolutely stunning.

The toasts by the maids of honor and best men were so heartfelt and wonderful that I had tears in my eyes! Eeeeep!

This morning, I woke up after a wonderful night's sleep.

A 12 hour (!!!) night's sleep.

I am seriously le tired when the weekend rolls around.

I felt so cozy in my childhood bedroom, the ceiling fan gently blowing air across my face as Ellie snuggled against my side.

I looked out the window to see another gorgeous autumn day.

I swear...I haven't experienced a fall this beautiful in years!

When I opened my bedroom door, I could smell pumpkin and hear my mom cooking downstairs.

This is comfort, I thought happily, as I sat in the kitchen, watching my mom prepare lunch for my dad's side of the family who spent the afternoon with us.

There is just something so peaceful about being at my parents' house. I feel taken care of and sort of hidden away from the world and my responsibilities. It's easy to feel as though I am back in grade school or high school when my biggest worries really weren't such big deals, after all.

As Jane Austen would say, "There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort."

Autumn Glory

It is 1:09 this Saturday morning, and I'm still in bed.

Last night was spent reading followed by drinking wine and hanging out with Melissa and her boyfriend, Derek.

Taylor the Tool Man stopped by after work bearing a Topper's buffalo chicken pizza and Topperstix, which we all most definitely enjoyed.

I didn't set an alarm as I usually do on Saturdays (by set an alarm, I mean one for 9AM...sooo I know, I know, little sympathy for me) and found myself sleeping well past 11.

After I had waken up and spent a few minutes thinking about my dreams from the night before, I reached for the novel I've been reading, the final book of the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and just read and read for hours.

Despite the mountain of obligations I have ahead of me this weekend (homework assignments, workouts, chores), I don't feel stressed.

It's a beautiful autumn day outside, and I feel more relaxed than I have in quite a while.

I have been struggling to adapt to my many life changes since I graduated college in 2012.

A few more big changes this past year sent me into one eternal, wound-up ball of worry and discontent.

This morning though, it's suddenly dawning on me all that I have to be thankful for.

And I am overwhelmed with the feeling that I am going to be just fine.

More then fine, actually.

I'm going to be fantastic.