What I’m Into: January

 

General Highlights:

I wish I had a snow photo to top this post, but despite a whole month of bitterly cold temperatures, Memphis remains snow-free. Aside from that, for me this has been the best January in recent memory. Nothing monumentally great has happened, but I’ve stayed pretty clear of sickness and winter blues. That’s something to celebrate! I also haven’t pushed myself to go out as much, and it turns out I’m very happy at home with my books.

In keeping with this low-key contentment, my January highlights aren’t very exciting. I had several good, intentional conversations with friends that encouraged and energized me. I attended a Praying Life conference with Paul Miller at my church – if you ever get a chance to hear him, go. We celebrated my dad’s birthday. I was present for several Tiger wins (and two losses), and also went to a Grizzlies game with several friends. I met with a freelance writer acquaintance and got some good advice from her. Oh and we got a new Whole Foods! They opened a new, expanded store right next door to the old one, which had been there for several years. It is AMAZING.

 

Read and Reading:

I was on track to set a recent high for books read in a month, but then it took me forever to finish my latest Netgalley. Here are my three favorites for January. Stay tuned for the monthly book post.

 

TV/Movies:

The 200th episode of How I Met Your Mother, in which we finally got to see the Mother’s backstory, totally slayed me this week. Expect posts inspired by this show as we head into the last eight episodes.

The only movie I saw in January was Frozen, and I’m a little bit obsessed. The cats are already tiring of my rendition of “Let It Go.”

Music:

The sisters of HAIM are rocking my world. In typical fashion, I “discovered” them a little late. Their summery sound is a fresh blend of Debbie Gibson at her peak, and modern-day Tegan & Sara – in other words, Brenda Crack.

I also got Ben Folds’ three-CD The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective for Christmas, and it’s in heavy rotation. That man is a genius.

Cooking/Eating:

I bought a new coffee maker to kick off 2014! My mini coffee maker has always been fine for me, but a slight pain when company is over. Plus, I liked the idea of programming a machine the night before, leaving me one less task in the morning (I am not a morning person). This Hamilton Beach model is everything I wanted. It has two separate filters – one for a 12-cup carafe, one for a single-serving travel mug. I love it!

Although the recipe isn’t new to me, this month I’ve made at least three batches of Shauna Niequist’s Everything Muffins (as I call them). You can tweak them to your taste, and they’re delicious yet contain NO oil, butter, or refined sugar. Tip: if you mix in frozen berries, don’t thaw them before baking – they bleed into the batter a lot if brought to room temperature.

Wearing:

I found the perfect quilted faux-leather miniskirt at Express for 70% off! I’ve wanted one for a while, since the style seems both trendy and classic. However, once I got it home, I realized I had no idea how to style it without looking like an extra from Grease. Most people suggested a big blousy top, preferably neon, but those aren’t flattering on me. I welcome ideas.

My Tiger basketball wardrobe is expanding! This knitted tiger hat (a Christmas gift from my parents) has been keeping me warm on the walk to the Forum, and this pretty blue ring classes up all my team shirts.

In beauty news, I tried out Drew Barrymore’s Flower line this month. (It’s only available at Wal-Mart, so you know I was really interested if I was willing to go into the belly of that beast.) After checking out some beauty blog reviews, I got the lip butter in Haute Honeysuckle and the creme eyeshadow in Awesome Blossom. I’m pleased with both! I’d never tried creme eyeshadow before, or such a reddish tone, but it’s fun to apply and looks beautiful on. I’ve been pairing it with olive green shadow in the crease.

Random Happiness:

These great pictures of my niece from Christmas. She loved her recorder!

On The Blog:

I relaunched on WordPress this month, a move months in the making. So far it’s totally worth it. I feel refreshed and inspired in this new space!

I’m still floored by the response to my post A Letter to the Separated, which has so many hits I thought there must be a stats error. I wrote this post straight from my heart, in about half an hour, after a conversation with a friend who’s beginning to navigate a divorce. Knowing that it’s touched and helped many is so fulfilling to me. This is why I write, and what I want to do with my life. So thank you.

Posts I Loved:

Lindsay Tweedle: When My Greed Told Me I Was Afraid

Cara Strickland is killing it this month: Life As A Crepe and Divorce Optional

Katie at Skunkboy: The Tale of Cats (cute and charming)

Conversion Diary: 22 Things I Learned In My First Ten Years of Parenthood

Letters From Scarlet: Candy and Nuts

Donald Miller at Storyline: How I Learned God Cares About My Fear

Enjoying The Small Things: A Rekindled Romance

The Messy Middle: Changing The Rules of The Game

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