what have you learned?

-Oprah Winfrey

Annye's last post got me thinking about how valuable other people are in our shaping. Other people's insights, actions, words, beliefs, feelings, etc., help us to learn and grow. That said, I'd love to know from all of you what is the biggest thing you have learned in your twenties so far {or did learn, if you aren't in your 20s}?

You can email smithandemma@gmail.com or use the "Say Hey" tool on the right to send us a message. I'll put together a post with what everyone sends so we can all learn a little bit from each other. {I won't put your name with it, so it'll be anonymous in the blog post.} If you want to take part {and I hope you do!} please email/message us by Friday!

Happy Monday all. And I can't wait to learn from all of your valuable experiences!

"well I won't make THAT mistake again"

-my best friend

my brilliant friend and i ringing in 2013

Last night at wine night, my friend inspired a lightbulb moment...

She said, "Every time I make a mistake at work, I just tell myself, 'Well I won't make THAT mistake again.'"

How refreshing.

And so true. 

Just another reminder that every mistake {no matter how big or how small} is just a stepping stone to a bigger lesson, a better life.

It's all about the learning curve.

Sure, we hope we'll make fewer mistakes eventually. But life is alllll about learning. Whoever claims they know it all, needs to have a lesson in humility and a piece of humble pie. Even if you do make that mistake twice, the third time's the charm right?!

I needed to hear that last night. Even if my friend didn't mean to teach me a lesson, it was welcome reminder that mistakes are okay. We all make them. As long as we're learning something from them, it's all good. 

Practice makes perfect. And I have a feeling we all need a little bit of practice at this crazy thing called living in your twenties life.

here's to friday

{via}

Confession time, y'all!!

Annye's:

1. I confess that this photo has had me laughing for a solid 10 minutes. Oh, Amanda Bynes. Bless your heart. Someone needs to reel you in, stat. 
2. I confess that the three-day weekend on the horizon has gotten me through this week. Nothing like having an extra day off work to motivate you to make it through. Hoping for some sunshine, cold beer and lots of family/friend time. 
3. I confess that paying major bills to get my car serviced this week makes me feel like such an adult that I cannot even handle it. Never mind this isn't the first time I've had to have my car serviced or that I'm turning 25 soon... This was a harsh reminder that I'm definitely an adult. Dang it.
4. Speaking of adulthood. . . I confess that this week I've been daydreaming about closing my eyes and rewinding the clock a few years. I'd give anything to be back in college, living life in Chicago, doing ridiculous things every day. Adulthood is such a routine, it's starting to lose its luster. 
5. But on the bright side? I confess that I secretly like having bills to pay, a job to go to every day, responsibilities and all that jazz. Makes me feel like I'm kind of, sort of doing something right and maybe have a tiny bit of purpose. It's all about perspective, ya know?

Jena's:

1. I confess that on my last week of time off from school, I went into full-blown vacation mode. I went to Crystal Bridges {our awesome art museum}, saw a movie, had at nightly cocktail {or two}, ate some awesome food, stayed up way too late, spent too much money, and event spent a little time plastered in front of the TV. It's been glorious. 
2. I confess that amongst my fun-filled week, I missed reading...just a little. I've never pegged myself for a book nerd, but I've got so many books I want to finish ranging on topics from how to live with gratitude, to Christian marriage, to a female sex therapist's encounters with male clientele. Quite the mix, I know. A girl's got to be well rounded.
3. I confess in a short-lived attempt to not shop at all, I caved and bought a pair of shoes yesterday. I really needed new flats...no I didn't. But they are dang cute. I'm going to keep challenging myself though, I'll keep you posted on my next failure to have self-control. 
4. You know that whole notion that you have to fall in love over and over with your significant other? I confess I may have fallen...again. After weeks of fighting, I did a little praying, asking for some gratitude. Never have I noticed how much he makes me laugh, the ease at which we can spend time together, and the fact he still opens my car door, every time, almost three years later. We may not have it all figured out, but issues are much easier to navigate when you can do it with an attitude of love instead of anger.
5. I bought tickets to see John Mayer in July with my gal pals. I am stoked. I've wanted to see him since high school. Since high school! With all of my escapades this week, and the future fun planned for the upcoming summer months, it reminds me how blessed I really am to be living so carefree. 

to get to C you must leave A

My messily-formed, beautiful family at my brother's wedding.

As long as I'm married by 30. As long as I have my career figured out by 30. As long as I'm happy by 30. As long as I start having kids by 30.

As long as I {enter here anything your life is missing} by 30.

My friends and I put a lot of stock in that two digit number -- and it freaks. me. out. What if our "insert here" hasn't happened by 30?

Today I watched one big, scary TED video by psychologist Meg Jay called "Why 30 is not the new 20."

If you don't have time to watch I'll tell you that her point is something along the lines of don't blow off your twenties as if they don't count -- they do count. A lot of the decisions we make now will have a big impact on the rest of our lives.

That's a lot of pressure, right?

Sometimes it's so much pressure I almost feel immobilized. Until I think of some of the advice my mom gives me that has resonated with me throughout this decade of uncertainty: "decide something." And my mom isn't saying it flippantly, as if what I decide doesn't really matter. It does, and she reminds me of that often, too. But, at some point, she says, we just have to make a choice. And if it's the wrong decision, well, so be it. You pick up the pieces and you make a different, better, more educated choice next time.

When my mom says this, I put a lot of stock in it because it's not something she read, or something she wishes she'd have known. It's simply her lived experience. She got pregnant in her early twenties, and my brother's dad didn't want to have a part in it. So, she did the single mom thing. Then she reconnected with my biological father, who was her high school sweetheart. They married and had me. But he had issues with alcohol, and became abusive. So, she left and did the single mom thing again -- now with two kids. She went back to school and got her associates degree and began working for my step dad as his legal secretary. They became good friends, fell in love, married, and had my baby sister. They just celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary.

I share all of this because her life has been anything but picture perfect. But it worked out. She made some good choices, and some bad, but she was never paralyzed by what life handed her. And most importantly -- she learned as she went along. She learned she needed a better education to get a better job, so she went back to school. She learned she deserved so much more from men, so she gave my dorky, huge-hearted, insanely smart step dad a chance. She took risks. She didn't stay in an abusive marriage. She didn't stay in a dead-end job. She didn't give up on love. She kept going. She kept fighting. She kept learning.

I can only hope I will use my twenties as well as my mom did. Her experience taught me that while life is so messy, it is so good {I mean, look at my awesome family up top}. While we all want to go directly from A to B to C, sometimes that doesn't happen. And so we go from A to Z to J to B, and then, we finally get to C. And that's okay. The important part in our 20s, and I think Meg Jay would agree, is to make sure we leave A. Because if we never leave A, we'll never get to C -- especially by 30.

I read this article awhile back from Relevant mag about what you should know by 25. This part below helped me put my twenties in perspective:

This is the thing: when you start to hit 28 or 30, everything starts to divide, and you can see very clearly two kinds of people: on one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find God and themselves and their deep dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults. And then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. They mean to find a church, they mean to develop honest, intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in kind of an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than they were when they graduated college.

Don’t be like that. Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. Walk away, try something new. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal. Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? What have I learned about God this year? What parts of my childhood faith am I leaving behind, and what parts am I choosing to keep with me for this leg of the journey? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”

Now is your time. Become, believe, try. Walk closely with people you love, and with other people who believe that God is very good and life is a grand adventure. Don’t spend time with people who make you feel like less than you are. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

lesson #1

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Lesson from my twenties: Let your past make you better, not bitter.

Use your failed relationships (of the platonic and romantic variety alike) as stepping stones. Treat them as lessons or road maps to gaining what you want or need.

When something you care deeply about slips between your fingers, there is a lonely devastating feeling that will quickly settle in—channel that. Take those experiences and learn from them.

What do you want or need to change? What can you do better next time?

The best thing I got from my last relationship was the feeling that I knew what I wanted (or didn’t want) and how I wanted things in my next relationship to be different.

Evolution can last a lifetime and hopefully we never stop evolving into better individuals. 

Don’t let your failures dictate your future. 

ps... Our thoughts, prayers, deepest sympathies and good vibes are with the people of Moore, Oklahoma. I had a harrowing afternoon worrying about my sister who works in the city but luckily got the amazing news that she and her family are just fine. Not everyone was so lucky and my heart goes out to those suffering tonight and in the days ahead. xoxox

hey...thanks.

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After my post "cravings" I received a lot of encouragement and support from close friends and even a few people I don't really know.

I just wanted to say -- thank you.

I face a battle with this blog often on how much to share. There is a part of me who thinks...who cares. I shouldn't be ashamed of things in my life that are going on...it makes me, me. But then there is that part of you that thinks...what if I share too much and people think differently of me. Or I hurt someone's feelings that I care about. Or I write inspiring posts that I don't myself live up to...

But every time I find myself "putting myself out there" whether it be about my journey to find God or dishing lessons from my romantic relationships...that's when people are affected. That's when I get a message about a post or a comment saying "I needed to hear that."

One of my friend's sent me a message the other day thanking me for the post and told me I have a gift with putting words to complicated feelings.

I've never really thought of it like that...as a gift. Thinking of it that way fills me with a kind of humility. If this is a God given gift, how am I going to use it to the best of my ability? How am I going to honor it?

Well, I'm going to start by saying thanks. For accepting me with all of my flaws and my oh-so-many opinions. Thanks for reading. Seriously. And thank you for showing me through your kind words and caring that putting yourself out there is worth it.

I once expressed my concerns about over sharing with another one of my friends -- who sent me this. if you have the time, watch it. She talks about the power that being vulnerable gives us. And I've witnessed first hand with Smith + Emma that it couldn't be more true.

I am really, truly, honestly blessed to be surrounded by some seriously supportive, loving women. I feel really lucky to have friends that continually build me up. And teach me, too. Often times I get so wrapped up in building myself up that I forget to build up others. Lesson learned. Cause ya'll, when you take the time to share a kind word with a friend, or a stranger even, you never know the power it may hold.

dishing our dirt

Throwback to June '11. One of my all time best memories. Mumford +  Sons with Annye.

It's Friday, and by the looks of our most read posts, ya'll like to hear us confess. And hey, we like it too.

Jena's:

1. I confess that my first massage was everything I hoped it would be and more. I kept thinking about what an awesome job it must be to be a masseuse. To use your hands to make someone physically, mentally and emotionally feel a heck of a lot better. And feel better I did.
2. I confess that I am really enjoying my time off of school. I've had time every day to work out, to read, to spend time with the people I love, all stress free, without thinking "I really should be studying." I even had the chance to rearrange and update my room. One more week of this glory. I am going to try to take full advantage. 
3. I've been reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, per recommendation of Annye. I bought it a long time ago, and couldn't get past the first few pages. I confess that there was too much about God and Jesus for me to relate to. (Funny how things change, eh?) In my second attempt, I can't stop reading. I have spent a long time overlooking all I do have. So I'm trying to take pause and just sit in what my life is right now, in this moment, as messy and complicated as it may feel and be thankful. 
4. I confess that big hair will never be my thing. Get that teasing comb away from me. It suits many Southern women, but maybe if you're a transplant you just can't pull it off. My friends from home tease me constantly about "being Southern"--my "accent," my affection for a man who wears cowboy boots and my love of smaller town living. But big, curled, gorgeous hair is never going to be a part of my Southern identity. Or is saying "bless their heart" -- we all know what you really mean.
5. I confess that this weather makes me so happy! Thanks, God. Much needed.

Annye's:

1. This has been a depressing week. No sugar coating that. I’ve been down in the dumps, a lot of people I know are going through hard times, and there just seems to be a deluge of sad news lately. But today, on the way to work I heard Wilson Phillips on the radio and decided you know what? It’s Friday and it’s going to be a good day. So far, so good.
2. I don’t know if it’s a result of the aforementioned sadness or what but this girl has not been sleeping. Last night I finally got more than three hours of sleep and am feeling a little more refreshed than I have in a few days. That however didn’t stop me from popping open a D.C. before 11 a.m. Typically not my M.O. but sometimes you just need an extra kick in the pants to make it a better day.
3. On that note, all I wanna do this weekend is sleep. Not going to happen unfortunately, but a girl can dream! {Get it… har har har}
4. I giggled when I read Jena’s fourth confession. She and I are definitely opposites in the hair department—she rocks the cute sleek hair, while I am usually sporting the big ole Southern pouf. I constantly get comments on the “height” of my hair, but I can’t help it if I’ve got great volume and excellent skills with the teasing comb ;) I cannot leave the house without teasing my hair. It’s a problem.
5. A month from today is my birthday. I guess that means it’s officially my “birthday month.” For the next 30 or so days, I get to be that annoying person who keeps saying it’s her birthday month. I apologize in advance.

cravings

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For a few months now you've read my posts about my exploration of God. I've read about Jesus, many blog posts about various opinions of living a Christian life, spent some time in prayer, and simply let myself be open to it all.

I'd love to write a dramatic story about how I felt God's presence, or heard his voice. That I had some magical encounter that restored my faith in God and Jesus.

But...I don't.

To be honest, I'm still struggling to find faith. But the difference now is that I want it. I'm not just open to it. I want to believe in God. I want to trust in God. I want to, dare I write it...surrender my will to God's.

And friends, that's a big thing for me to say.

I can remember, two summers ago, sitting on a patio with a friend who had a newly found faith and debating Christianity with her and her husband. Being pretty dead set against a lot of what they had to say. And she looked at me and said, "You have too much pride." I still remember that moment and how much it pissed me off.

Fast forward to the beginning of another summer. From then til now, nothing too dramatic in my life has happened. But life has been overwhelming. I've been living for the love of other human beings--and that is draining on so many levels. Do they approve of me? Why don't they love me? Why won't they give me what I need?

And as my friend so rightly put it: "I have an awesome, awesome husband. But man, he'd be a shitty God." 

I so strongly believe in the love humans can give one another. How we can help each other change and mold and grow. The power of human love really is an amazing thing to me. And I never want to lose that. But human love isn't the love I should depend on. Because, well, we're humans. We fail each other. We don't always love unconditionally. We're flawed.

But, perfect love does exist in God, through Jesus. And as I write these words I'm still questioning, Do you really believe this? And while it doesn't feel genuine to me yet, as I've spent so many years of my life denying it, my answer is not only do I want to believe it, I need to believe it.

I'm craving it.

A belief that there is something greater. Something perfect. Something bigger I can live my life for. The idea of relinquishing control of my life to God sounds scary and wonderful at the same time. I've spent so many years in my twenties thinking I can figure it all out. That I can do it myself. That I should do it myself. My friend couldn't have been more right--I've been filled with pride.

And the truth is, my pride hasn't totally failed me. I've worked hard, I've found a career I'm passionate about. I have good friends. I love my family. But the catch is, when any of these things go wrong, when my relationships struggle, or my friend isn't there for me, or my family is busy with their own things, I feel broken.

A friend of mine, who has a very strong faith, recently learned her mother has a fatal disease. Ya'll, I look at the way she is handling it and I'm blown away. She is sad, most definitely. But she's at peace. It's not destroying her. She's not broken. When we'd all, of course, understand if she was.

That peace--that is so much bigger than you or me. It is so much bigger than anything I could give her as her friend. It is so much bigger than what she could give herself with pride.

Her faith. Her peace. It is truly something I stand in awe of. The crazy thing is, I can have it, too.

---

“Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.” - Elizabeth Gilbert

Travel with Your Significant Other

Or why I was scared to go on a trip with my boyfriend

As I mentioned, I was just in New Orleans for a long weekend to enjoy Jazz Fest (as well as everything else that beautiful city has to over…namely: food).

The funny thing is, neither of us can remember exactly why we went to Jazz Fest. Other than someone must have mentioned it months ago, and then before we knew it we were booking a hotel and buying tickets and making plans to drive the seven hours together to spend a few days soaking up music and eating as many po boys as humanly possible.

(Aside: last time I was in NOLA, I only consumed po boys. As in, breakfast, lunch and dinner—all I ate were glorified sandwiches and loved every minute.)

Before I knew it, we were off to the Big Easy. Seven hours in the car and five glorious days together. As a long distance couple, five whole days is a novelty that made me excited and slightly apprehensive at once. The last extended period we spent together was around Christmas. But even then we had other people around at all times and it was never just “us”.

Which meant that a lot could go wrong. What if we hated each other by the end of it? What if he got on my nerves when we didn’t have any buffers? What if (God forbid) I got on his nerves? What if we ran out of things to talk about?

Luckily, that last one is almost impossible in a city like New Orleans. With so much going on and a plethora of interesting people, it’s hard to not constantly be talking. In fact, it’s hard to not stop laughing. At one point, we even witnessed an unfortunate and hilarious scene that entailed a pack of unsuspecting teenagers and a friendly Great Dane that just so happened to scare the shit out of them. I’m still laughing.

Long story short… I’m happy to report that not only did we not kill each other… I might like that boy even more. We were able to see each other in another light that traveling provides. He probably would have never guessed that I was the type to carry a folder containing every important trip document printed out (roll your eyes but my mother taught me well). I had a chance to confirm that he can in fact, talk to a brick wall (....strangers love him).

Getting away together gave me a chance to confirm that of all the people I know, he’s the one I’d most like to be stuck in a car with for seven hours after a lack of sleep and not enough po boys. (Seriously, I think I only ate three this trip—not okay.)

since we've been gone

Hello, hello. Long time, no talk! Apologies for our absence…again. One of these days we’ll get the hang of this whole, steady blogging thing. Until then, here a look at what’s been happenin’ since we’ve been away….

Annye:

Most notably, I just got back from New Orleans earlier this week. The "beau" and I went for the last weekend of Jazz Fest and had an incredible time. Saw some great bands (Phoenix, Widespread Panic, Galactic, The Black Keys, etc.), ate some to-die-for food, and enjoyed some time together in one of my favorite cities.

the food is my favorite reason to visit NOLA.... 

It was my fourth time in New Orleans, but I’m stilling finding more and more things to love about that city. The Garden District, Frenchmen Street, the amazing people, live music everywhere you go…. The list goes on.

clockwise: glowing on Frenchmen Street, a very unforgettable Phoenix show,
a muddy weekend at Jazz fest, winning major points at Widespread Panic 

You know how after you visit some places you feel like if you never go back that’s okay because you saw everything there was to see? Nope. Don’t feel like that about New Orleans. I have a feeling I could return again and again and want to keep going back.

clockwise:ladies @ the Arkansas Derby, a night out with the boy,
birthday weekend for our girl MB, "working" hard on a photo shoot

Other than eating my way through the Big Easy… I’ve been working hard, hanging with girlfriends, spending as much time outdoors as I can, drinking copious wine, counting down the days till June {my birthday month, duh} and generally enjoying my downward slide to 25. Bring it on life. I got this.

Jena:

My last few weeks were filled with preparing for finals. Final exams, final projects, etc. The good news is...I'm finally done! (Until summer classes start.) The even better news is...I got all A's! Woot woot. I've also been busy designing a lot of invitations for weddings and baby showers (see below)...my beautiful boss is pregnant and having her second child. I even was a hostess at her wedding shower...talk about feeling like a real adult.

I've also been pretty down lately. And in an effort to do things other than wallow, when a photographer friend of mine mentioned taking some pictures at his studio, I decided it was a must. What's that saying, everything you want is right outside of your comfort zone? So, I stepped out of it. Drank a big glass of red wine before the shoot and I had a blast. 

Photos courtesy of hudsonphotos.com

feel it girl

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I've been learning about group counseling this semester, and part of the class is actually being a counseling group. The purpose of the group is personal growth.

I've gained a lot of insights through the experience, but the one that sticks out with me is this one: Why can't we just feel?

What is with this need to appear as though we have it together all of the time? "I'm fine," "I'm good," "Things are great!" when really you can't stop crying over your oatmeal because your dad is sick or you hate your job or that guy you like doesn't like you back.

Life sucks sometimes. And while I'm all for positive psychology, I think negative emotions have an important place in our lives. And being honest about how we feel has an even more important place.

My group leader made an awesome point on this topic the other night that got my brain racing. What happens when an animal is wounded?

They retrieve. They cower. Others attack.

Either way, animals don't hold back in expressing two of the dubbed "ugly" emotions -- fear and anger -- for purposes of survival.

I'm reading a book that talks about communicating our emotions in a more positive way. But, the author never says to ignore what you are feeling. She says feelings and emotions indicate to us that there is a problem.

What if we think of hurt, sad, mad and scared as mechanisms for survival? Indicators that change is necessary? I wrote in a post awhile back about how I was going to sit with my sadness post-breakup. I was just going to feel it. And I did, for a little while. But, truth be told, that guy I love was struggling with the sadness, too. And now we are finding ourselves back in the same exact spot we were in before we parted ways. Nothing has really changed. Maybe the sadness was there for a reason, and I can't help but wonder if maybe we tried to escape it just a little too soon.

So my point here is this -- so what if you are the sad girl for the day? Or the angry one? If you really are sad or angry? What if it were okay to not be "happy" and "pleasant" 24/7? What if we were honest about what we were feeling? What then? What may change if we just allow ourselves to feel it until we don't need to feel it anymore?

I remember a break up years ago where I truly believed at that time I wasn't going to make it through. I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. But then I made it. One day, I just wasn't sad anymore. And you know what? I have never looked back. I've never missed him or second guessed it. And I have a hunch it's because I let myself go there. I let myself feel all of it.

be afraid. but do it anyway.

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start your week with a little bravery. 

happy monday friends!

nice to see you again friday

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A terrible yet hilarious photo from a Snoop Dog concert last summer.
 Definitely less worry-free right here. ;)

TGIF! Did this week drag on for any of y'all? It seems like Friday took forever to get here, but we couldn't be happier to see it.

Enjoy your weekend lovelies!

Annye's:

1. I confess that I’ve realized this week how weak I am. As in, no upper body strength to be heard of. To be clear, I’ve never really possessed any (thanks to years of dancing) but this week I’ve been lugging heavy boxes for work and let me just tell you it’s embarrassing how sore my arms are.
2. I confess that I hesitantly went to my friend’s band's show all by myself last night. I admit this is definitely a first for me. Not exactly one to do things by myself. I’m a pretty independent lady but being in social settings alone is always kind of awkward, am I right? I can happily report it wasn’t as bad as I assumed it would be.
3. I confess that I’m coming to terms with my Type A personality. I used to deny this side of me—in fact, if you didn’t know any better you’d probably assume I wasn’t Type A at all. Not overly organized, known to be messy, etc. But lately I can see myself needing structure, organization and planning more than ever. Guess I can attribute this to getting older perhaps?
4. Related: I confess that although I do enjoy planning things, I always seem to take a back seat approach in my relationship. It’s sort of like backseat driving. I let him do the planning, but then tell him how it really should be done ;) I like him to take charge, but most of the time I already know what I want to do and have to take over. Ha! 
5. I confess that North Korea is kind of freaking me out. Somehow I don't see this ending well.

Jena's:

1. I feel like I'm full speed ahead into my future as a counselor. Cue interviews for internships and working with real. live. clients. Cue...vomit. I confess that I couldn't be more excited that it's swiftly approaching or more terrified. This work comes with a huge feeling of responsibility, as it should, but am I ready? 
2. I confess that I am terrible at saying no. I was honestly trying to think of the last time I even said 'no' when someone asked me to do something. I can't remember. I've got to learn to be more assertive...like now. 
3. I confess that I carry my stress with me like a dog does his favorite bone. I cannot let it go. So much so that I had to go to the chiropractor for the first time on Monday. When he touched my neck he said, "Oh my" from the build up of knots. When stress starts manifesting itself in your body, its kind of a wakeup call to channel your inner Bob Marley. 
4. I confess that I am calling a psychic on Saturday morning. She lives in Connecticut. I've basically called this woman once a year for the last 2 years -- and she's been right about some significant things. I try not to put to much stock in it, but it's fun and in a weird way -- really calming.
5. I confess I have had a bit of baby fever lately. Makes perfect sense being that I'm not married, or done with graduate school, oh and I barely make enough money to support me...my body and my mind -- definitely not in sync right now. But they are just so darn cute. Tiny little squishy miracles. Some day. Some day.