Stuff Wot Makes Me Happy

There are lots of things that make me happy. These are just a few that I thought of whilst lounging around on a Sunday afternoon...

Ethan's new toy: a rattling lion from Mamas & Papas.

This is just cute to me. And of all the toys in the store, it's the one E picked out himself.

A free Sephora make-up bag.

True: I already have a make-up bag that I bought four years ago in Camden. (And holy cow does it feel weird to think that my semester abroad junior year was now four years ago!) But when I bought some lovely red lipstick at Sephora while we were visiting my dad and step-mom, I got this bag for free and I really like the bold black and white pattern. I sort of want to use it as a clutch for snazzy dates. You know, the kind where we actually get a babysitter and I shave my legs and put a dress on. We really need to have one of those dates.

The perfect shade of grey paint.

I know I already told you about when I decided to paint my front hallway, but I just can't get over how awesome Valspar's Number 10 looks every time I go in or out of our front door. Sadly, it has yet to photograph right, so I've hunted down a better shot of the colour on Valspar's UK website. Even then, the image does this colour no justice. It's a gorgeous sort slate grey with dusty blue hints to it. Very dignified and clean-looking for a grey: not at all muddy or dirty or smokey or anything.

Perhaps it'll photograph better in another room. I'm considering having an accent wall in the bedroom, and I may carry this colour through from the hallway. I mean, even the Husband commented several times on how much he liked it.

The way babies sleep.

I love how Ethan sleeps. He throws his body in all directions with what looks like wild abandon: back arched, head back, occasionally arms splayed out to the sides or thrown up onto his pillow so that they surround his big baby head like a set of parentheses. I especially like it when he sleeps in my arms with his head cradled against my chest or my shoulder. He rests his fat little hand on my collarbone and it melts my heart. I know I'm biased because he's my son, but he's so freaking adorable!

Bright red nail polish.

I'm not much of one for bright red on my fingernails, but my toenails are an entirely different matter. I think they look brilliant with a coat of fire-engine red. (Or, as this Rimmel is so aptly named, double decker bus) No matter what I have on, the red nails go with pretty much everything. Plus, nicely painted nails make it less of a hardship to look at my freakishly stunted toes. (I'm not joking; my toes are ridiculously short. For years I just thought everyone else had creepy monkey toes...nope: I'm the weird one.)

Another thing that makes me happy is baking, and with a Munch & Mingle after church on the 15th, I get to do exactly that. I volunteered today to make a cake to bring along, so not only do I get to bake something fun (Pinterest, here I come!), but I get to break out my beautiful glass cake stand. It was a wedding present that I've made far too little use of. But you just wait, I'm having babies now, so soon there will be cause for birthday cakes to be made so they can be eaten at birthday parties. Sure, it's been literally half my life since I was seriously invested in developing this particular talent, but I'm going to decorate cakes like a boss. For realsies. For my first effort? Something out of an Eric Carle book...obviously.

Creepy marshmallow frosting aside, this baby is my current cake of choice for the 15th.