happiness is found.

-days spent running errands with the hubby and girls. something about mapping out a list, with a beginning and an end, having a schedule and zipping around to accomplish it makes me completely happy. this usually ends with a treat of some kind in the form of a drink. unfortunately, these days don't frequent themselves as much as they used to.



-half-baked chocolate chip cookies. oh man. the point of gooiness straight out of the oven and warming themselves into a soft pastry delight is just a little too much for these hips to handle.



-thrift shopping. i'm not sure you fully grasp the rush i get from finding a "thrifty deal" {yes, thrift stores even offer "deals" on top of their already-ridiculously-low-prices} and that, my friends, is what makes the whole experience awe-some. awesome, i tell you. for some sacred information, most of the things in our apartment were either free, gifts, found thrifting or on clearance at some of my beloved stores. i hardly ev-er buy full price. that is the glory of true shopping/thrifting, in my opinion.



-a mocha frappucino on a hot texas day. or pretty much any day would do me good. but here's the thing: it needs to have an extra scoop of ice and double blended for the perfect combination of thick, but still smooth. and them being free? even better!



-the warmness felt when you're perched on a new friend's sofa, sharing your lives. where you grew up, who your family consists of, how you made it to where you are today. something sacred is found in building new friendships.



-painting jessa's fingernails. the delight she finds in digging out the perfect shade and the pride she feels when they're pretty, pink and shiny. i love how she announces to everyone her newly manicured hands. there's just something about a little girl's excitement when she feels oh-so-pretty. it reminds me to find the simple beautiful things about myself that i easily {and quite often} overlook everyday.



-a phone call from my brothers. two of my best friends that i never get tired talking to. especially with news from a recent call... josh and dani are having a GIRL! a costa rican princess to be exact. *wink



-a clean kitchen. who doesn't like a clean kitchen {don't answer that - i have a phobia after watching a certain oprah a very long time ago}? but i like, even enjoy, the process in making it clean. i have a weird fetish about wiping down counters, my [dirty] stove top and the sink. i think it's from my days in the restaurant business. i love scrubbing, giving it a little elbow grease with a green-sided sponge in my right hand. pure weird happiness.



-ending an evening with watching a ridiculous show with the hubby. besides having absolutely plenty to choose from, there's something about laughing together over television "reality". again, this doesn't happen often - we usually end up wanting the 60 minutes of our life back when we [quite happily] suffer through a whole episode.



speaking of reality, better go...so you think you can dance's finale starts in nine minutes! *wink



but wait. this brings me complete happiness too:
what kind of happiness is found in you?