A little hair worship

I recently cut my hair into a shortish bob somewhat similar to the one above. Except it rarely, if ever, looks as insouciant and effortlessly lovely as this (even though we have similar hair color and texture going on). But a girl's gotta keep trying, right? Le sigh.

{Image via here}

New Beginnings

Happy New Year! I hope whoever reads this has had a pleasant, restful holiday season (I think it's still possible in this day and age). After a season of Christmas caroling and gift opening and hot cocoa swilling and general holiday merriment, it's always disillusioning to get back to the day-to-day grind. Especially amid all this talk of resolutions and deprivation and reality setting in. January can be such a sobering (read: boring) time of year. Or is it? This year, I prefer to think of January as an opportunity to begin something entirely new and exciting, where opportunities are sought and changes for the better are made. Already, T and I have landed a brand-spanking new apartment that has drastically improved the quality of life for us. A little context: I've recently had THE most stressful, negative apartment hunting/negotiating experience of my life that has made my December a living hell. That horrendous apartment situation I speak of ended up not working out for us, and for that I am eternally grateful because it enabled us to find a much better place that is more suited to the two of us. Our new apartment already feels more like home than the previous one ever did (yep, we're already moved in!). So, things are already looking up in 2011.

And what is a new year without a new 'do? I got the chop and am now sporting a swingy and light-as-air bob that I'm still getting used to, but really love (pictures to come).

New year, new apartment, new hair, new decade (not until August...eeek!), and next up: new job. I can feel it! 2011 is going to be a superb year. Hope yours is getting off to fantastic start, as well. x

{Image of Janus, the two-faced Roman god of gates, doorways, and new beginnings, is shown looking both back at the past and into the future. The photo is from here}

Best Valentine's Day Ever

I admit it. I'm pretty spoiled (recognition is the first step, right?). I had quite simply the best Valentine's Day ever. I'm not even a big fan of the holiday, as more often than not it tends to make people feel miserable that they're single or disappointed that their partner didn't do enough to make it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I think the reason Valentine's was so fabulous for me this year is because I've been very good to myself all week (i.e. filling my apartment with flowers and indulging myself with literature from Thomas Hardy and Leo Tolstoy is what I call love), while also spending some quality time with the boyfriend, who just so happens to be very thoughtful. On Friday, I received a lovely Valentine's Day bouquet at work, courtesy of said thoughtful boyfriend. Aren't they gorg? I was completely gobsmacked; I wasn't at all expecting flowers at work, which made receiving them all the more fun and wonderful.

The next day I decided to show myself a little love by treating myself to a hair cut and color. I love how bouncy my hair feels after leaving the salon. Typically, I like to make plans the night I get my hair professionally done because it so rarely happens that my hair looks nice--considering I generally put about 0% effort into it--but I had doubts about it this year since it also happened to be Valentine's Day. T insisted on taking me out to dinner, even though I argued that V-day is the WORST night to go out for a meal: it's more expensive, a set menu is typically forced upon you, and you're robbed of any originality because the place is full of couples just like you wanting to share a romantic meal together and as a result you feel like cattle. T wasn't convinced. He made dinner reservations anyway because he knows me, basically. Turns out my fears were completely unfounded: the vibe at the restaurant he picked was perfectly low-key, there was a healthy mix of couples and families, the menu consisted of plenty of options and the food was really good. We went home, our tummies full, but not full enough to forgo the chocolate chip cookies I had made earlier, sat down on the sofa and watched The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. If you haven't seen this film, I HIGHLY recommend you do so. Amazing (and I don't use that word lightly). The film made me feel very happy and grateful to be alive and to be able to do the things I love with the people I love most. Because that's what truly matters. As I said, best Valentine's Day ever.