The Better Part of a Day

For the past month or so, my days have been ideal. I am lucky enough to be in the lucky limbo of employed-but-not-working. I am making travel plans to visit family, going to Jazzercise during the empty-studio hours, and sleeping upwards of ten hours per night. Even with days this great, there are moments that stand out as sweeter than all the others.

The moment when I wake up & realize that Noah made himself at home in my bed sometime during my slumber. Looking over at his sleeping self in my twisted blanket is sweet.

The moment when I hop into the hot, hot, hot water of my post-workout shower. The burning stream melts my tender muscles & I can hardly reach for the shampoo. That moment is so sweet.

The moment when I crack open the can of cat food & announce it "beef time!" {or "chicken time!", or "gourmet grill time!"} & hear "meowmeowmeow!" & scrambling paws in response is possibly the sweetest time of my sweet, sweet day.

What are the sweetest moments in your day?

Portrait

My mother wants me to have a picture taken to send out with my graduation announcements. Silly mother, I already have one.

Have a grand weekend! 

xo.

Boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses.

Well, except boys who wear the salt cap as a monocle...

I wanted to share a picture of my first time wearing my dorky glasses, and I found all these other fun pictures on my phone, like...

my brother & I in front of the Superstitions during his August visit...

the cutie I spent my Saturday night at the cat shelter with...

& two more cuties that I spend allll my time with...

Also, can we just talk about how bummed I am that Courteney Cox and David Arquette split? I loved the phrase they had engraved on their wedding bands- "a deal's a deal". So sad.

love.ari

Dream Jobs

I'm attending a career fair on Friday and, while I'm looking for a position in finance, I can't help but fantasize about my other dream jobs...

{Kept Woman}

While some women's fairytales involve glass slippers and pumpkin carriages, mine involves an investment banker and expensive champagne. It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one, you know...

 

{Etiquette Expert}

It would be a wonderful privilege to help make the world a more proper place. Also, I have grand ideas for the cover of my first best-selling book.

{Real Simple Editor}

While I adore Kristin Van Ogtrop, she's bound to leave her post eventually. 

{Big Cat Keeper}

Like a zoo keeper, but instead of hanging with the monkeys and zebras, I would spend all my time among the lions, tigers, and panthers {oh my!}.

Explosion of Cute

I feel that you should know that I am four cats and fifteen years away from being a crazy cat lady. I know the inclination here is to judge me, so I am going to show you some pictures. The hope is that you will see why I am so crazy about these cats.

 

Cats In Wigs

I'm sure some of you have seen this creative coffee table book:

I have been coveting this book for months, constantly using Google Images to ogle felines in hairpieces. Anyway, for my birthday, my beautiful and creative friend Bridgette made me this:

Yes, she did buy a doll wig and take pictures of our cats wearing it. I think my favorite part of the project (other than seeing what Rick James would look like as a cat) is when Bridgette asked the guy she's been seeing where she could buy a baby wig. If you can think of a creepier question, please let me know.

Progress

I am what one would call a Type A personality. This has served me well on many a term paper and gift wrap job, but less so in the adventure department. I'm one of those who is hesitant to try things out of fear of not being any good (okay...the best). I like things predictable and orderly, like As lined up on a transcript or shampoo bottles facing all the same way. I'm trying to pull away from this, because I realize that perhaps a stack of etiquette books has less value than a picture album filled with memories of wild nights out. I've bought a plane ticket to Europe where I plan to backpack through six countries (nevermind that it took me two months of anxiety to book the three week trip). I'm moving in the right direction, I think. On Saturday I woke up, drove to the pound, and picked out two cats. They are messy and unpredictable and all mine.

Please ignore the fact that I bought a matching set.

(P to the S, my bed is only unmade because of those hyper creatures! Just to clear my good name.)

-a