Hello and welcome to the Juice, my weekly gratitude list of all the things I am loving right now. Here is what’s been filling my heart this week:
<3 The lilacs blooming in my yard and putting them together in a bouquet which has filled my whole living room with fragrance
<3 Finding a secret beach and getting some new scenery
<3 Getting cute video messages and tours of a friends garden
<3 Clearing out my playlist and adding fresh tunes, including some nostalgic Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs which takes me straight back to high school, in a good way.
<3 Painting to The Black Pumas and Doja Cat and feeling grateful I enjoy my own company
<3 Deciding to wear the C&C California dress I bought pre-lockdown for the day and to run some errands because beautiful and comfortable clothes shouldn’t be wasted
<3 On that note, realizing I’m finally ready to mostly give up tight and restrictive jeans… there are too many other more comfortable and stylish options out there.
<3 Watching cute feel good and nostalgic movies like Julie and Julia, Yes, Man, and Mean Girls
<3 It was supposed to rain all week, but we’ve been blessed with more than a few pockets of sunshine instead
<3 Rolling up to my favorite beach just in time for a killer sunset
<3 Eating a whole papaya, banana and dates for breakfast and incorporating more raw fruit and vegetables into my diet since it all tastes and sounds and feels so good with the weather changing
<3 Having so much energy in the mornings from sleeping like a baby and eating well that I’ve cut my coffee consumption in half– from two jumbo cups to just one followed by a cup of green tea. Progress! And less jitters! After basically a decade of severe caffeine abuse! But can you tell by my explanation points that I still have a lot of energy!
<3 Three books in the mail on their way to me: Steal like an Artist, 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being a Creative, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter
<3 Spending almost an entire bed reading How to be an Artist cover-to-cover. It’s a pretty short book. The only other things I did were yard work, work out, eat, and take a bath. It was fantastic.
<3 Having a tube of paint explode all over my canvas, cleaning it up, and having the outcome actually be a really cool acid-wash effect I’m going to roll with.
<3 Having my cat initiate this game where I chase him all around my house til I “get” him. I realize this sounds like animal abuse, but I swear he initiates it and it’s consensual.
<3 Hilarious and perverted text chains with my aunt, mom, and sisters chock-full of inappropriate emojis, puns, and gifs.
<3 Having so many wild and hilarious women in my life
<3 Surfing (don’t worry, at an open beach) for the first time in over a month, catching the first wave I went for, and just generally goofing off and having a great time in the water including going for my first knee ride.
<3 Watering all my house plants in the tub and seeing them perk up and stand taller days later.
<3 Trader Joes dark chocolate peanut butter cups. Their candy can be hit-or-miss, but these are my the best peanut butter cups I’ve had and I am a taste testing ho when it comes to the PB cup.
So much to be grateful for, so many pockets of fun to be had as we adjust and adapt to this new world. What are you grateful for this week? Tell me in the comments!