Happy List

Inspired by Christie's attitude on Describe Happy, I've realized I haven't thought about what makes me happy lately. Being trapped in cold, freezing weather in NY (it snowed again today) and having to take public transportation everywhere (rat-infested subway systems) has taken a toll on my spontaneity. Not to mention everyone here drives like a maniac. Having lived in Northern California most of my life, I was used to the freedom of hopping in the car any time on a whim to satisfy whatever craving I was having, no matter the weather (because 99.9% of the time, the weather wasn't bad enough to halt transportation). Oh, and I used to think people in San Francisco were bad drivers. I take that back.

Cable Car - Illustration Print by nidhi
Check out her shop for more beautiful prints of San Francisco and other places!

I've just finished reading The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James, a historical fiction novel about the mysterious love life of the author who wrote such romantic novels. One of my favorite books is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, though I love all her novels, so my interest is always piqued whenever I encounter anything written about Jane or one of her works. This book did not disappoint. It's written in such a similar style to Jane Austen's that I felt like I had discovered one of her unpublished secret volumes! Very similar in style and content to Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, this book is Syrie James' speculation of the relationship between Jane Austen and her rumored secret love, leading to the inspiration behind her beloved novels. What pulled me in so deeply was that it was written in the first person, using Jane Austen's voice, which gave it such a feeling of authenticity that I really wanted to believe the story was real.

Mr. Darcy quote by UUPP

Nothing quite cheers me up like getting lost in Austen's world. But on another note, receiving a blogger award is also quite cheerful!

I've been given the Versatile Blogger Award from the three lovely ladies at To Sew With Love. Thank you so much! I love hearing from my blog buddies and something like this definitely brightened my day :) I'd definitely give this award back to y'all if I could!

,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸-( ✴ thanks! ✴ )-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸


Now, every award has a few rules, so here goes.

• Thank and link back to the award giver.
• Share 7 things about myself.
• Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.
• Let these bloggers know about the award and let the giver know you've accepted the award.

I've already shared 7 things about myself when I received the Stylish Blogger Award, so this time I'm going to share 7 things that currently make me happy! (in keeping with the Happy List theme and identifying positive things I haven't been noticing lately in my life).

1. Finishing The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. It's temporarily given me rose-colored glasses.
2. Living in a pretty nice studio with my husband where the rent is beyond reasonable and the neighbors are amazing and fun.
3. We have Netflix and a Wii, which means we get to play video games and watch streaming movies on our tv!
4. I'm married to a very loving, accepting, and supportive man who's also my best friend.
5. Hamlette, our hamster, is very tame and puts up with a lot our attention. She also puts on an impressive show when guests come over by being super curious and energetic.
6. We are all in good health.
7. Blogging and connecting with others is a form of therapy. I'm really thankful for blogspot and for those who've found their way to this little piece of the internet.

Lizzy Bennet Visits Pemberley by TaraFlyPhotos

10 great bloggers!

• Yeevon's Illustrations - one of my favorite artists!
• Terra Verde Online - really comprehensive blog
• Tatter Beans - amazing photography and an enjoyable read
• Lithuanian Egg Art - beautiful Lithuanian egg etching by an interesting girl
• Describe Happy - inspirational posts remind you to be happy!
• Annemarie's Breiblog - really cute knits and crochets ideas
• Meri-Goes-Round - interesting girl with interesting stories
• The Crafty Cpa - really creative and useful sewing projects!
• Nicole's Homemade Treats - a truly versatile blog
• lovestationary - really eye-catching photos and paper products

Oh yeah, I wanted to leave you with this quote from Jane Austen...

"...why did we wait for anything? Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!" -- Emma

Here's a cheerful treasury :)

'Lemon drop' by Elysemast

organic pillow sham... katherinejlee $60.00	sunbeam peony or de... eclu $58.00	Alphabet Poster, Ye... SparklePower $15.00
key holder vase Sha... OldNewAgain $28.00	French Macaron Coll... KcSoapsNmore $4.50	Dijon Post Earrings... VerreEncore $26.00
Lemon Meringue Dres... amandaarcher $200.00	Rose Pillow in Must... jillybeancraft $38.00	Vintage Russian mec... ClockworkUnive... $27.00
Twin Size Double Ir... FarmhouseQuilt... $250.00	Darling Daffodil Ea... linkeldesigns $11.50	solitude. - mustard... zuppaartista $25.00
Lemon Drop Necklace... petitehermine $38.00	Yellow Gingham Cupc... sweetestelle $3.25	Vintage Pyrex Large... ZellesAttic $20.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.