You're Gonna Make It After All...

LAW here again. It's been awhile and the world is beginning to thaw. I have decided to make a conscious effort to rejoin society and enjoy life! I am attempting to take up the fms photo a day challenge, which makes you stop and try to find the little things in life and share them with your friends. I also am going to attempt to get back into the kitchen like I used to. I also plan to share those recipes on this blog! (I have some recipes in the queue to make AND they look amazing!) I have been in a major funk this winter, and am going to shift my focus to things I love and enjoy to do.It may have been a long, hard winter. But we're going to make it, guys!

What better way to begin with an "icebreaker?" My friend Jenny tagged me to blog about myself and I accept her challenge! I have to list 11 random facts about myself and answer the 11 questions Jenny wants to know.

1. I am addicted to buying glass decorative accents. Domes. Candy Jars. Candle holders. Vases. You name it. I'm pretty sure Pat realized there was a problem when I brought home a third candy jar. I don't know what it is. It's shiny? We have a whole hall closet filled with this stuff because I enjoy how light reflects off of it.

2. I have an unhealthy addiction to almond M&Ms. I think of almonds as the fiber-rich, less greasy cousin of the peanut. And because of this, I allow myself to enjoy more than I should.

3. I have very bizarre, vivid dreams. I have a lot of train dreams, which I've been told means that I'm on a journey where l I haven't arrived at my destination yet. The worst involved Justin Bieber chasing me throughout my middle school (which was juxtaposed on a train) from traincar to traincar asking me to be Mrs. Bieber. My most recent was me getting into a fight on game night with Bill Murray at my friend's Emma's house (which was my childhood house, but backwards), alleging he was cheating. The game consisted of pulling a 90s CD out of Emma's freezer, which were hidden under layers of appetizers and the opponent had to list three songs on the album. I pulled the abridged version of the Les Miserables soundtrack and was upset that someone whispered the songs to Bill.  This is my burden. I try to wake up and tell Pat immediately, but it's getting to a point where I'm starting to feel judged by how weird my dreams are.

4. I've never seen Star Wars, E.T., or Indiana Jones. I am a movie fanatic, but for some reason have never quite gotten around to these. And we own them too.

5. I clap very loudly. I don't know how. It could be the engineering of my hands; the shape of them with the placement of the fat pockets. It really embarrasses Pat, which makes me clap longer than a person should. By the time applause is dying down, I'm still smacking my palms. Cut to Pat's eyes darting around the room checking to see who's annoyed as he is.

6. I. Love. Watermelon. Everything about it. I love buying them, toting them up the stairs to our kitchen, cutting them, and eating a whole melon in one sitting. Cutting them is like a puzzle to me. It's very calming. I also will down a whole watermelon for dinner. It's not the healthiest life decision, but it makes me super happy, and I end up having to get up multiple times during the night because... it's mostly water.

7. I met my husband in second grade. I thought he was funny, but didn't feel Cupid's arrow hit. Flash forward to sophomore year in high school, and ZING! He has made me laugh ever since and is the greatest partner to go through life with.

8. I love Starbucks. Actually, it's at a point where I don't know if I love it or simply need it. Multiple Starbucks know my "order" and if Pat goes to the Starbucks in our building without the me, the baristas ask where I am. I have even gotten to a point where I try to take funny selfies with my cup:

9. My spirit animal is Tami Taylor from Friday Night Lights. I consider myself a no-nonsense, sassy woman with a completely supportive husband who doesn't question her love for wine. I also have hair aspiration and love a pair of Ray-Ban aviators. I'm also trying to learn her hands-up hip sway from the opening credits.

10. When I get mad, I get silent. Pat says a silent Laurel is the scariest Laurel.

11. I love giraffes. Probably more than people can understand. They are just so graceful, are generally peaceful animals, and are tall. I at least identify with the tall thing. I own a lot of clothing and accessories depicting giraffes. Because isn't that what you want in an attorney? You go visit your lawyer, who is wearing a giraffe sweater?

And now to Jenny's questions!!

1. What are your favorite pair of shoes you own? It's a boring choice, but I really love my nude pumps. I keep them at work, and they go with everything. They are actually starting to show some wear and tear, but can't seem to replace them.

2. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be? PIZZA! I joke about my addictions to Starbucks and almond M&Ms, but it's not a true addiction. I am actually addicted to pizza. It started in law school, where my bestie Molly and I had standing Thursday night dates at Pitch in Omaha. After moving to Oak Park, I had to fill the void. If I don't have it, I start to have withdrawal symptoms. There is a great place about a block from our place that has the best pizza we've ever had. I get the arugula pizza at least once a week (more if it's the dead of winter). We have a coupon every time, and it's gotten to a point where they see Pat coming and have the pizza out and the bill ready to go. If I don't have it in a week, or if I'm out of town, I HAVE to find a place where you can get a sauceless thin crust pizza with prosciutto, topped with a bed of arugula, finished with a halo of Parmesan cheese. I have been known to eat a whole pizza with a glass of wine on a Thursday night. So, I would elect to have my arugula pizza as my endless supply because it is really close to reality anyway.

3. What was your favorite toy as a child? I was a Barbie fanatic. I loved the outfits, the hair, and the makeup. I loved that you could make stories about best girlfriends hanging out and being sassy. My parents never got me Ken dolls, so it was always a female-centered plot. In hindsight, I appreciate this decision my parents made, because it allowed me to be fulfilled with strictly positive female interaction. My Barbies never fought or judged each other. It really set the scene for my super positive girl power mindset as an adult.

4. What's the best vacation you've ever been on? Pat and I drove from Omaha to Albuquerque a few months before we got married. We went to visit my parents, have our engagement photos taken, and enjoy some time off before going back to my second semester of law school. We love our roadtrips, and this was the first opportunity to really have a road adventure. This trip really set the scene for how our relationship would end up. We love talking in movie quotes, reading Vanity Fair articles to each other, and discuss the questions of life. This trip really affirmed my decision to marry him and reminded me how much I love him, Ella, and the state of Nebraska!

5. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I am an absolute morning person. There is no way I could ever be described as a night owl. Lately, I've been falling asleep earlier and earlier. I get up the next day and Pat lists everything he accomplished after I passed our the night before. This has included cleaning bathrooms, watching multiple episodes of a television show, and eating a whole meal.

6. What was the last book you read? What's a book? If it's a collection of tens of thousands of pages of agreements and disclosures, then the last book I read was today! I have been working on "Dearie," the biography of Julia Child. A woman I admire and try to be more like. I took it with me to Hawaii in October, and I am almost halfway done with it as of March! Add this to the list of enjoyable things to do.

7. Were you named after anyone? Yes. I have been told I was named after the woman who gave my family the land in Nebraska that we still farm today. I was actually expected to be male, because my parents had already had a daughter, and a son would just round things out. Because that's how life works. I was going to be Alexander, which ended up being the influence for my middle name Alexandra.

8. What's your favorite cereal? Reese's Puffs!Who can resist chocolate/peanut butter combo? I was never allowed to have it as a kid, and could only get it when I worked the system. I actually buy it now twice a year to enjoy as dessert. It's actually a pretty sensible dessert!

9. What's your biggest pet peeve? Rudeness. I have no patience for it. If we all have to exist on this planet together, we should at least be civil to each other. How people behave to one another is alarming at times. Also, I have found that people are more likely to help you and get you what you want when you are kind and gracious.

10. What's the best gift you've ever received? Two years ago, Pat got me monogrammed pajamas. I love pajamas, and the fact that they were personalized made it even better. I had just got sworn in to the Illinois bar, and really felt like I made it when I had a law license and monogrammed PJs. Last summer, the movie "The Heat" came out, and Sandra Bullock's character had my same pajamas, which ended up being a running joke in the movie. And in our house. I just really enjoy going to bed in my blue, monogrammed tuxedo.

11. Lastly, what was your AOL Instant Messenger screen name in middle/high school, and what did it mean?

 luciepinky515

Lucie- my name in my three years of french class

pinky- I really loved the color pink

515- my birthdate

Also, we didn't have AOL. I wasn't allowed to be cool. I had AIM.

I am supposed to to tag 11 other bloggers and ask 11 additional questions. My online presence and connectivity is rather sparse, so I will skip this step.

Cheers to a new found devotion to all the fun things in life! I can't wait to starting doing things I enjoy and sharing them with you all.