I Believe and I Have Found...: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #446-450

446. Meryl Streep in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
447. Meryl Streep in HEARTBURN
448. Meryl Streep in MANHATTAN
449. Meryl Streep in DEATH BECOMES HER
450. Meryl Streep in THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Friday, December 30, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #441-445

441. fearlessness
442. turkey noodle casserole
443. resolutions
444. feelings
445. being an uncle

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #436-440

436. going to bed at 730p
437. cookies for breakfast
438. NPR's World Cafe
439. mud masks
440. Breathe's "How Can I Fall"

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #431-435

431. endings
432. beginnings
433. an excellent shampoo
434. letting go of grudges
435. finding a new path

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Thought For The Day

The whole universe is change and life itself is but what you deem it. [Marcus Aurelius]

Reasons To Be Happy #426-430

426. Erin Sprow
427. Connor Russell
428. Lindsey Hedberg
429. belting
430. engagements

Monday, December 26, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #421-425

421. the Sprow Family Christmas Orchestra
422. mac & cheese
423. love
424. cute British accents
425. Andrew Lincoln's character in LOVE ACTUALLY

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #416-420

416. The Carpenters' "Merry Christmas, Darling"
417. Joni Mitchell's "River"
418. Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)"
419. Tom Waits' "Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis"
420. Kat's adventures in London

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #411-415

411. sci-fi movies
412. security
413. the smell of freshly laundered clothes
414. Natalie Merchant's OPHELIA
415. wearing sunglasses in December

Friday, December 23, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #406-410

406. Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic"
407. photographs
408. "high fiving a million angels"
409. Earl Grey tea (with a little splash of milk)
410. spoiling yourself

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #401-405

401. holiday cards
402. St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub
403. office potlucks
404. sequins
405. Amanda Ghost's "Silver Lining"

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thought For The Day

No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all. [Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman]

Reasons To Be Happy #396-400

396. remaining calm
397. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
398. eggnog gelato
399. geeking out
400. moisturizer

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #391-395

391. change
392. Satsumas
393. street scarves
394. a much needed night off
395. the wisdom of Ron Swanson

Monday, December 19, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #386-390

386. fantasy
387. a helping hand
388. French jazz
389. keeping calm
390. carrying on

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #381-385

381. sleep
382. sleep
383. sleep
384. sleep
385. oranges

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #376-380

376. catnaps
377. rest
378. Amazon.com
379. brunch
380. ginger ale

Friday, December 16, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #371-375

371. Miss Nancy Wilson

372. applause

373. shenanigans

374. frivolity

375. pot stickers and "crack chicken" from Wild Ginger

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #366-370

366. successful opening nights

367. Nutella brioche

368. The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks

369. dedication

370. book recommendations

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #361-365

361. street style blogs

362. Dave Brubeck's TIME OUT album

363. being prepared

364. laughably bad karaoke

365. Michael Adler

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

My Favorite Records of 2011

1. Bon Iver Bon Iver

2. James Blake

3. Florence + The Machine Ceremonials

4. Kurt Elling The Gate

5. Jay-Z & Kanye West Watch The Throne

6. Lady Gaga Born This Way

7. James Vincent McMorrow Early In The Morning

8. Adele 21

9. Washed Out Within & Without

10. M83 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Honorable Mention

THE BOOK OF MORMON [Original Broadway Cast Recording]

The Civil Wars Barton Hollow

Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues

Paul Simon So Beautiful or So What

Benjamin Francis Leftwich Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm

Thought For The Day

Don't wish me happiness. I don't expect to be happy all the time... it's gotten beyond that somehow. Wish me courage and strength and a sense of humor. I will need them all. [Anne Morrow Lindbergh]

Reasons To Be Happy #356-360

356. bagels & cream cheese

357. eyeglasses

358. trust

359. a good moisturizer

360. longevity

Monday, December 12, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #351-355

351. Frank Sinatra's phrasing

352. Frank Sinatra's personal style

353. Sinatra At The Sands with The Count Basie Orchestra

354. The Best of Frank Sinatra: The Capitol Years

355. the color orange (Sinatra's favorite color)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #346-350

346. Bill Hader's "Stefon" character from SNL

347. Christmas cookies

348. froyo

349. peppermint hot chocolate

350. the Bluth family chicken dance

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #341-345

341. cold pizza

342. Bill Evans

343. rewatching LOST

344. marshmallows

345. Liz Lemon

Friday, December 9, 2011

Reasons To Be Happy #336-340

336. Mary J. Blige's MY LIFE

337. books that you want to stay up all night reading

338. the baristas at "my" Starbucks

339. guilty pleasures

340. ABC's REVENGE

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. [Marilyn Monroe]