Some of My Favorite Things

26. Watching Hallmark Christmas movies while my dogs are keeping me warm

27. Wrapping Christmas presents

28. Watching Doctor Who with Josie

29. Preparing my Christmas Eve dinner menu

30. Turning on all the Christmas lights

31. Doing random acts of kindness for people

32. Leggings

33. Being able to curl my hair with a straighter (big accomplishment for someone like me!)

34. White Chili

35. My "Be Yourself Unless You Can Be A Unicorn" phone case

36. The smell of Christmas trees

37. Playing Super Mario Bros. with Nate

Beautiful People and Best Moments

"You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? Then there's other people, when you meet them you think, "Not bad. They're okay." And then you get to know them and... and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful."

-Amy Pond (Doctor Who)

There are few people in my life who fit this description, but as I let those words roll around in my mind their faces burn brightly. I wonder who in your life has "turned into something so beautiful"? It's a pretty awesome experience and since it's rather rare for me, the experience is noticed and treasured even more.   


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I've always been horrible at keep journals. I start them and then eventually I stop. I started a private blog online for all my journalling needs and that lasted awhile...but, it has been three years since I've written in it. Wow. But I have started a new one and hopefully I'll keep up with that. I have been doing something rather different in a beautiful journal N gave me a couple years back. It's one of those gorgeous Italian old world journals. I've written non journally things in it. Stuff like a letter to my future son (hopefully there will be a son in my future so he can read it), a scene from my story, etc. But lately I've been writing in it every night. Not pages or paragraphs. Just a sentence or two. 


When I was on Pinterest a month ago, I saw there was a journal that was for you to record your "best" moment of the day. It stuck with me. I kept thinking about it and finally decided that I wanted to do that. I started a new page and titled it "Mal's Year of Moments". And for about a month I've faithful in writing down what I considered the "best" moment of the day. Some days it's really easy. And on the bad days...well...it's really hard to find something beautiful in the midst of the chaos. And for that very reason I have been determined to do this for a whole year. 


It's so easy to remember the good days. And it's so easy for me to slap a "bad" or "shitty" label on a day and throw it away discouraged and angry. But when you have to sit down and find a "best" moment from a chaotic or crap day it becomes a treasure hunt. Sometimes I've just wanted to give up and write "bad day...no good moment.", but I haven't and I'm glad. Whenever I sit there and quiet myself and slowly rewind through the day I am amazed at what I can find. "Best" moments don't always look like crazy happy or jumping up and down moments. Most of the time a "best" moment for me is a moment that is easily forgotten because it's quiet and thoughtful...or me just soaking in something beautiful. Sometimes a "best" moment in a bad day looks like me realizing that amidst the bad I was able to be kind to myself and I didn't think twice about it. 


Doing the Year of Moments Journal has felt kind to myself. And it's given me a different perspective at the end of each day. It's weird that I seem to find out more about myself when I give myself a "challenge" of sorts and I am wiling to stay dedicated to that challenge. 

R.I.P. Sarah Jane

Yesterday one of the Doctor's companions died. Her name is Elisabeth Sladen, but Doctor Who fans know her as Sarah Jane Smith. She was the companion to the 3rd & 4th incarnation of the Doctor back in the 70's and made special appearances for the 5th, 10th & 11th Doctor.

Sarah Jane & the 3rd Doctor

Sarah Jane & the 4th Doctor

Sarah Jane and the newest Doctor

Sarah Jane Smith was an investigative reporter who stumbled onto the Tardis and from that moment on her whole world was changed. Her character become the most favorite companion along with Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor) who become the favorite Doctor of that time. She went from being a "Yes, Doctor" "No, Doctor" girl to a well developed character who later earned herself her own series "The Sarah Jane Adventures".

An emotional goodbye between Sarah Jane and the 10th Doctor (my favorite Doctor)

K-9 was a gift the Doctor gave Sarah Jane.

K-9 was an incredibly intelligent and faithful companion for the Doctor's most faithful companion.

The Doctor Who world won't be the same without you Sarah Jane.

You'll be missed.

Lots.

Save a bookcase, buy a book.

Tomorrow Nate & I are going to a used book sale. If you know anything about us then you know that the words "used book sale" make us very happy and excited! It's going to be at the Blossom Athletic Gymnasium. The whole gym is covered with tables (front to back) and on those tables are tons of books. They have every book imaginable! Sigh. It's amazing!

Anywho, I was thinking about all the books we are going to be bring home. And then I started thinking that all the bookcases we have are already filled with books. Which means that we'll need to buy another bookcase. And then I'm going to have to figure out where to put our new bookcase. Upstairs? Downstairs? I'm thinking upstairs because Nate has a bad habit of taking books upstairs and never bringing them back down. So I'm hoping that if there is a bookcase up there than our bathroom and his nightstand won't be overrun by piles of books (and yeah, I said piles.) We love to read.

Someday when we get the chance to build our own home there is definitely going to be a library room. There will be one big window and a window seat. And then every other wall will have built-in bookcases. Floor to almost ceiling bookcases with a sliding ladder (just like in Beauty & the Beast!!). I say almost ceiling because we want molding up there that has famous author's last names going all the way around the room. And in the middle of the room comfy furniture that invites you to curl up and read all day. Oh! And blankets are a must. We even want to spice up the door! We to make the door look like the Tardis. Everytime you walk up to the door to go inside of the library you'll have to open the Tardis doors. The idea that you'll be transported to any world you want is so perfect for us!

The Tardis doors. When we do it, it won't be a cutout. It'll be the legit thing!

Thinking about bookcases makes me think about other people's bookcases. I've seen bookcases filled with books. Old books, new books, famous books, and books I've never heard about. I've also seen bookcases with a mix of books and decorations. But the ones that confuse me the most are the bookcases that don't have any books at all. They usually just have pictures, vases, etc.

Like I said, this confuses me! Why do people use their bookcases for things other than...books?! Haha! Our bookcases are filled with books. Before we moved they were overflowing with books. Since the bookcases were in a different room we didn't care about that, but now that they are in the living room where everyone can see them we thought it might be nice to keep it a little organized. :-)

It makes me sad when I see a bookcase without books. I literally want to go buy some books and sneak them in so the bookcase won't be "lonely". Poor bookcases. There should be a refuge for bookless bookcases.

Save a bookcase, buy a book.

Valentine's Day!

This Valentine's Day was wonderful. *sigh* It started off with me finding little love notes around the house. Each one was a sentence long and each one made my heart feel so romanced. One of them was even a clue about what my presents would be about:

"If I were the Doctor I would take you with me."

I love the tv show Doctor Who. It's about a Time Lord called the Doctor who travels through time & space in his spaceship called the Tardis and usually travels with a companion. It calls to the very geeky side in me and also pulls at the adventure seeking heart strings. There are few shows that I can watch over and over, but Doctor Who is definitely one of those shows. Nate always tells me that he knows which shows mean the most to me if I end up crying while watching it. Yeah, I've cried while watching it. Don't judge! Everyone's heart gets tugged at with different things...mine just happens to be shows filled with adventure and friendship and the impossible.



Anyways when I saw that card tears filled up in my eyes. To have the Doctor ask you to join him is something special and rare. It's hard to describe. I already think of my hubby as the Doctor...and I am his Rose. (You really need to see the show to understand).

okay...tears again...

When my hubby got home he had hoped that my flower delivery would have gotten there, but it hadn't...and then ten mins later we got a call from the delivery guy asking how to get in the complex. Nate went out to just get the flowers and I personally think that it was more romantic to see him standing there holding this awesome arrangement rather than some stranger.


We usually do presents late at night, but we changed it up this year and gave them before we left. I got him the movie he has been dying to see every since the trailer. When we got back home later that night we curled up on the couch and watched Despicable Me. It was hilarious. And both of us want minions. It was my turn after his gift and OMG!!!! He got me a Doctor Who Illustrated Companion book and...wait for it... a Sonic Screwdriver!!!! You will never see the Doctor without one. I'm not going to try to explain in...go google it haha. I just want to say that this was the best freaking Valentines gift ever! I don't need diamonds or chocolates...just give me geeky toys that inspire me to dream and play! :-) Oh lordy...I am such a geek!



After presents we headed over to Tycoon Flats. If you've never been there please go! Their burgers are freaking juicy and unbelievable. And you need to try their Sweet Potato fries. O.M.G. Once we were full we headed over to a frozen yogurt place that we had a gift card to. It was yummy and instead of sitting inside we walked and talked and oohed & awed over our dessert.
It was a very romantic night...and very us... :-) We've had five V-day's together and I'm so looking forward to many, many more... *sigh* I'm a happy girl right now...and yes, I'm sitting here with my Sonic Screwdriver. Don't judge ;-P