WILW {3.26.14}

this Hump Day’s camel from the co-worker is trying to tell me something, i think — possibly that i either need to start wearing lipstick, or that i should invest in bow ties and tiaras. maybe all of the above. never hurts to stand out and be girlie sometimes.

this week, i’m lovin’:

*love. i really, really enjoy weddings. i love being able to share in such joyful celebrations, and dance and get dressed up and have a genuine reason to believe, as everything else in the world stands still for those precious hours, that love and magic and happily-ever-afters really do exist, after all. and this past weekend, i discovered that i enjoy weddings so much more when i have the wonderful privilege of playing an integral role in such a special day, for two of my absolutely favorite people.

my best best best friend in the entire world got married on Friday, and i was able to be with her for every second of the day (and night before) leading up to their wedding. it was a truly incredible experience, and i was just bubbling over with joy and love for the bride and groom on an unprecedented level. it was a lovely, intimate wedding at a beautiful venue in Lake George, and my bff chose to be hands-on in almost every aspect (which meant i got to be for a lot of it, as well!). from making her own cake to creating our own music playlist and playing MacBook djs, to decorating the tables and having her sister conduct the ceremony, everything was intimate and intentional and personal. it was an amazing day — and also my first experience as a Maid of Honor and a speech-giver. and i loved every single second.

congrats, my once-in-a-lifetime friend.

*outdoor running. i had two great 7-milers outdoors upstate last weekend on Thursday and Sunday mornings. they were very hilly and a wee bit chilly (okay, so one of them was really darn cold and windy), but it just felt so amazing to be running outside again. of course i tackled this hilly course on Thursday and Sunday mornings — the two mornings after long nights of salsa dancing in heels (with a wedding stuck in there on Friday!). so smart. 🙂 i felt pretty good on Thursday’s run, but rather sluggish and tired on Sunday’s. regardless — i was outside!!

Thursday, March 20

Sunday, March 23

 *statement t-shirt. i can’t say i have too many of these (i think my only other one is my “trouble maker heart breaker” fave from H&M), but i saw this adorable “Friday I’m in Love” cropped t and had to have it for Summer (annnd fuzzy pic):

def a fan of the Cure so this was a no-brainer. whether or not i’m in love on a Friday, i’m wearin’ it. and yes, on other days, too.

*messy hair, don’t care. not sure why it took me so long to buy this stuff after reading so many great things about it, but i made a smart (and very off-season) purchase last week about which i’m pretty happy:

Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray. and no, i didn’t buy it solely because my ultimate life goal is to move to a beach and be a surf bum. (and nope, that isn’t a lie. not even an exaggeration. that’s actually what i want to do with my life.) i’ve only used it twice so far, as it’s a million degrees of freezing here in NYC still (not sure what happened to the ole “out like a lamb” business, but March has been totally disappointing), and i’m really looking forward to seeing what it does for my thick wavy/curly hair once the humidity sets in. i think i’m really going to like it: i has a nice light but firm hold, a matte finish and it smells good. score.

although let’s be honest, i think they got me with the marketing on this one. totally a sucker for “beach-inspired” hair. my idea of “doing my hair” consists of a quick towel dry and some sort of wave-holding spray, so this should suit me juuuust fine.

*laughing at myself. this may sound funny, but i’m really appreciating my own ability to take life less seriously and to totally laugh at myself and find the humor in a situation. i’ll admit that i was a total perfectionist as a child and hated doing anything incorrectly or being bad at things — i took personal criticism really hard, and was so afraid of failure. the thought of messing up on anything would send me wanting to cry in a corner.

but lately, i realize i’m really learning to let go of that and just enjoy myself, and it’s my dancing that’s been the most obvious illustration of this for me. when i first started Latin dancing back in 2009, i used to get so upset with myself for sucking, or messing up, or not understanding what my partner was trying to lead, or just being too nervous to dance with people out of fear of being bad. i hate being bad at things. but when i was out dancing last weekend, i found myself cracking up — and having a complete blast — every time i missed a lead, or didn’t spin when i was supposed to, or whatever it might be. and i realize:  so what if i can’t dance in a straight line all the time, or if i dance with someone who’s way more advanced and he tells me he’ll dance at my level so i’m not humiliated. 🙂  i don’t even have an issue with comparing myself to other people — i love to rejoice in others’ successes and appreciate their skills. i would just get so competitive with myself, and want to do better for me, that it would suck the fun out of it. and recently, i’ve realized that this has changed somewhere along the way, and i can just enjoy myself and laugh at my mistakes and hopefully get that spin right the next time. or sometime in the next 10 times or so, even. 🙂 life is so much better when you’re laughing.

xo

Questions:

Is it warm yet where you’re living? What’re you most excited about for Spring?

Anything you do (or want to do) that makes you supremely happy, even if it’s not always easy?

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