"success is so forbidding but it makes me think I'm winning" - clap your hands and say yeah

I have never grown accustomed to waking up very early in the morning just to have the whole day ahead of you. I think being sick for the entire week has made me depressed and I realized I wasted perfectly good days in bed. Around 5am, I decided to compile my "morning wake up call" playlist and make coffee and drink it from a cereal bowl. I find satisfaction in cupping both my hands around the bottom of the bowl to feel its warmth. Yes, coffee & music in the morning, this day has potential...

life.

my favorite thing to do in my apartment is listening to my neighbors upstairs play loud & dramatic opera. it gives me chills sometimes.

projects for january

after much consideration, I'm starting the dress project back up again. My excuse used to be graduate school but I need something to keep me balanced and I love sewing and creating things. I'm inspired to start designing my own dresses too, so stay tuned.

Also, as a favor for a friend, I'm painting something for her fabulous apartment in LA.

Maybe this why I moved to Seattle, rainy day activities...

i just need to keep telling myself this:

"people do it all the time".

Trinh fact #132

Sometimes it's not about the destination. I look forward to walking or driving somewhere/anywhere because I get to listen to music through my headphones or on the radio.

Your Get-Happy Checklist

I read this article on the plane trip to Seattle and it made me smile. I believe one of the most important things in life is self care. People often forget about that. Here are a few things on the checklist I appreciated:

Speak up
"Being assertive enhances self-confidence and shuts down feelings of helplessness"

Do less
"There's too much doing. We need to do more nothing-just take time to be"

Go Outside

Face your challenges
"Actually doing the things on your to-do list"

Be grateful

it's when you slow down that you start to notice the scenes of silence

as a child i've always been fascinated with animals. social culture has always portrayed animals in such a whimsical nature. Nursery rhymes. Fairy tales. Noah's ark. Zoos & circuses. Mother's Circus Animals cookies...

i'm anticipating the adaptation of Life of Pi on the big screen but it seems like that project has been delayed. When I first heard that Jean-Pierre Jeunet was directing it, I was ready to be swept away by his charming cinematography but now it all lies within the hands of Ang Lee.

My favorite animals are zebras and giraffes because of how artists portray them. The mix of playfulness and their natural form reminds me of my childhood:

Rithika Merchant:


Amy Cutler:

time of my life

Now that I can officially make New Year's resolutions, I only have one: to continue to be happy.

I have nine best friends. I know that sounds a little much and defeats the definition of "best" but these people have continuously reaffirm my self worth, challenge my doubts, embrace my antics, and most importantly, inspire me to be bigger than life.

Who I am today are pieces of nine best friends. I'm a very complicated and complex person and I'm blessed to have friends that bring out every side of me. They remind me of what's important in life:

1. Falling in love and being rescued by music including driving with the car top down and rudely changing the music to what we like. Only speaking by using music lyrics.

2. Wanting to live a meaningful life and having profound conversations

3. Random dance parties

4. Creating beautiful things

5. Acting like a little kid but enjoying aged wisdom

6. Ignoring rules and getting into trouble

7. Indulging

8. Understanding how spontaneity works and going with it

9. Be fancy: Being extraordinary and understanding self worth

10. Knowing what you want and getting it

Oh, 2011, we got you down.