Some Things to Smile About

My Outfit

Because no matter what is happening right now, there is always something to smile about. Here are a few things that are making me particularly positive:

Spring is in full bloom

Magnolias slowly made way to camellias. Then soon enough it was time for those always-cherished cherry blossoms. And now? It seems like the all the other trees, vines and plants have had an explosion of color all at once. And although purple is one of my least favorite colors (fun fact!), there are few better scents than lilac and wisteria!

Whenever I walk past either, I make sure to take a moment or two to appreciate their beautiful smell.

“Calm is a superpower”

In life, there will always be things that are stressful and oftentimes my gut reaction may be to worry or stress. But after seeing this quote on Pinterest, I’ve come to see that not reacting can be a better reaction. It allows you to walk away, rise above and move forward on your own terms. Realizing that makes me feel empowered.

Going home home

I turned to my husband yesterday as we were walking and said “I can’t wait to go home.” Cue a confused look. “We are home?”

Yes, we do live in London and are incredibly lucky to call the city we love home. But we all know that there’s home home too. A few weeks ago I realized that we had enough air miles saved for a ticket to Seattle, so I impulse booked it. After all, there’s no place like your first home.

Days are longer and temperatures are warmer

The fact that global warming is to blame? Bad. The fact that it seems to make everyone in London kinder, happier and more patient? Good and something to recognize and appreciate!

Keeping a plant alive

After two years of keeping the curtains shut and ignoring the sad state of our garden, my husband and I have finally begun to tackle it. Plenty of Monty Don episodes (I highly recommend ‘Big Dreams, Small Spaces’ on Netflix for some feel good TV!) and trips to the garden center later, we’re well on our way to creating a place we love.

We can’t wait to enjoy the summer months on our patio, looking at project I know we’ll be really proud of. There’s plenty of work still to be done, but giving us motivation is seeing the plants we’ve already gotten thriving—a wisteria vine we bought only last week is already blooming! (and no, it’s not purple—I found a white one!)

What’s making you smile lately?

Until next time,

Brenda