Happy Day List!

Today was a super make-me-happy day!

Here are a few reasons why:

*It was blustery all night long last night-enough to wake me up a few times but in a good way. We sleep with our bedroom windows open (and sometimes the ceiling fan on too) all year round. We also live on over an acre of wooded property. Filled with tall, tall trees. Which, for those of you who have not witnessed the majesty and wonder of a tall, and I do mean, TALL tree, means that some days the sun does not rise about the trees until a few hours before it sets again. Tall with a capital T. And the sound they-mostly fir and pine trees-make, oh...it's the loveliest of lullabies. Throw in a ferry horn or train whistle every once-in-awhile and you would sleep with YOUR windows open too. It was a dreamy slumberland last night, absolutely.

(this photo is from a few weeks ago,we are currently snow-free, darn it!)



*My man was sweet enough to get up about 2 hours than his usual natural wake-up time today just to get me to St. Vincent DePaul Thrift Store the minute it opened. Because if you get there a minute or two after it opens on ninety-nine cent clothing Sunday, you will not get a shopping cart. And if you do not get a shopping cart, well, let's just say that it can ruin the thrill of yanking piles of cheapo clothes off their hangers (to wear, give to someone, sell or craft with) and becomes about as fun as Black Friday shopping to try to carry the pile, browse the racks and squeeze by other clothes laden thrifters down the too narrow aisles. So yes, thanks to him, today I got a cart. Which made it possible to proceed to spend almost 3 hours (and $28.00) on thrifty treasures! (including 2 bags of 4/$1 books, 4/$1 stuffed animal toys (for the dogs!), and some 4/$1 VHS tapes. Yeah I know, you just go ahead and laugh at my behind-the-times entertainment technology. But do YOU own your very own copy of "Old School" (starring my comedic crush Will Farell!)? Well, I do, and I definitely think it was worth a quarter to be able to watch whenever I want to (even though I may never watch it again!)

* I didn't cook a thing today.
~Breakfast? a bottle of water and an energy/granola bar (while shopping, of course!)
~Mid-morning snack? half a banana with sunflower nut butter, another bar, a homemade skinny caramel latte, and handful of Cinnamon Quaker Oat cereal.
~Mid-afternoon snack? a few Triscuits and some delish cheese I forgot the name of.
~Late afternoon snack? (I'm not tellin' 'cause it was so bad!)
~Early evening snack? the worlds best caramel latte at Vivaces in downtown Seattle (see photo below)
~Watching "Desperate Housewives" snack? garlic olives, roasted garlic, hummus, eggplant spread, spicy almonds, pita chips, raw broccoli, goat cheese, flatbread and green tea.
~Late night reading in bed snack? likely a handful (or five!) of melted-in-the-microwave M & M's...!
~ (Tomorrows breakfast? GREEN SMOOTHIE PLEASE!!!)

*My man was bouncing-off-the-walls happy and excited about his new manly home con/destruction accessory we went back to the Home Remodeling Show downtown to pick up today.
The details are probably another blog post. But I'll give you a hint: it will greatlinassist him to no longer being referred to in photos I post of him on Facebook as "Edward Scissorlegs".
I love seeing him so darn happy about something he wanted and got 'cause he rarely wants anything and he gets me pretty much every little thing I ever mention thinking about wanting. So I am happy that he is happy with his new work "toy"-he deserves it!

* I got to see Pike Place and the Space Needle again while we were downtown-second time in 3 days! And in case you were not aware, I am a bit completely obsessed with the Needle. Not for sure why-but probably for the symbolism it holds for me- as an icon I associated with Seattle, and then I visited here and then all our dreams came true and I moved here and, well, now I am living happily-ever-after with my Prince Charming here (who i moved here to be with...another loooong story) and I sometimes have to pinch myself to believe that it is true and possible and real. So the Space Needle makes me pinch myself. In a good way. *sigh*

(a taken-while-zooming-down-the-highway photo!)

*The houndie herd got a big 'ol group shower with daddy tonight! They smell SOOO good again! Max is all manly with Axe or something, i dunno...no wait, it's Drakaar...like his i-heart-the-eighties daddy!
And the girls are all dolled up and girly smellin' in mommy's  Bath & Bodyworks-Cherry Blossom for Dottie and Sensual Amber (!) for Annabelle!
Too bad that by this time tomorrow they will again smell like big slugs from being outside in the wet grass and mud of the yard! But that's ok-they are happy and that matters more than smelling like people.


* And, as mentioned above, while downtown, we went to Vivace for coffee. ahhhh...Vivace.
I had only ever drank like one cup of coffee in my whole life before moving to Seattle. Likely Folgers with about 4 teaspoons of sugar in it when I was about 12 years old.
Jeff insisted that I would start liking it and drinking it alot once I moved here 'cause it is just such a part of the culture here.
Nah, I said. I just don't really like the taste of it...
It is so annoying how often he is right.
He has made me a latte almost every single morning since I moved here (3 years ago this coming May).
And on the days he has not, I get reeeeeallllly whiny for one.
Pleeease?...can you make me one now...? pllllease?!
NOW PLEASE!!!



And Vivace coffee is so far beyond and above anyones usual experience of coffee. I'm so hooked.      
I suppose it's a good thing (for our wallets) that they are not located very close to where we live.
And lucky for me, I have no caffeine issues. Meaning I can drink a latte at midnight and fall asleep reading 10 minutes later. Hmmm...latte & M & M's (and clean doggies!) in bed tonight...

That would be a pretty great way to end this great day as

Happy Me-Laurie Z!