around here lately.

It's been a little while since I last shared an Around Here Lately post, and I thought this lovely Wednesday morning would be a good time to share some of the goings-on as of late.

sharpie pens have been my favorite lately - and this pack aids me in my color-coding missions!

you may as well call us crazy fit-bitters, because we're obsessed with these little gadgets

while having lunch the other day, i couldn't stop admiring this wrought iron detailing

little bursts of pine are currently littering one of my favorite parks, due to recent ice storms

i was on a kick, for a while there, where i was drinking entirely too much coffee

i had a meeting last week at the gorgeous City Club at de Rosset - i couldn't stop admiring it

one of my favorite winter flowers - the camellia - are in full bloom around here

the light pink are my absolute favorites

here's a little peek at our valentine's day restaurant - its so quaint and cute

i've been drinking more tea recently, in an effort to reduce my caffeine intake a bit

we stopped into the library on sunday, and i picked up a couple books to devour

a tuesday night dinner at one of our favorite downtown places, sitting at our favorite corner table

the sunday currently, volume 75.

here is justin with a "tooth" in downtown wilmington yesterday. it's supposed to be a peach.

Good morning, folks! Remember last week, when I said we were going for brunch? Well, we didn't. But I think this week, we are going to, and I think we're going to one of our old favorites, The George. We haven't been in a long time, and I'm really excited about it.

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G hasn't topped the list of my priorities recently. For whatever reason, I was kind of freaking out about this, but I've decided to just let it go until I'm ready to read again, which I'm sure will happen as soon as I'm super busy and don't have time for it again.

W R I T I N G in composition books and planners a lot recently.

L I S T E N I N G to Justin watching various videos, a morning ritual of sorts around here. We like waking up to funny videos!

T H I N K I N G that today is a day for relaxation.

S M E L L I N G nothing at the moment.

W I S H I N G for coffee this morning. But I'm going to stay away from that for a while. I think I've been consuming too much caffeine recently, and it has made me feel a little too wired.

H O P I N G for good weather and safe flights later this week.

W E A R I N G my Fitbit like its my job.

L O V I  N G cozy new pajamas and sweat shirts.

W A N T I N G a nap later, I bet.

N E E D I N G a nap later, I bet.  

F E E L I N G ... well, tired.

this week's posts:

the sunday currently, volume 74

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

Also: want a button to add to your post or blog? Grab the code below!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" title="siddathornton"><img src="http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy248/siddathornton/TSC_button-linescorrected.jpg" alt="siddathornton" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
</div>

the sunday currently, volume 74.

i was going to share our valentine's day photo, but it's quite an awkward one, to tell you the truth

here are the wonderful blue skies and sun instead

Good morning, everyone, and happy Sunday! I hope you have been having a good weekend. Things over at the C Residence have been good and laid back, with yesterday serving as a day for thrifting, having lunch at a diner in Carolina Beach, and dropping in to the antique shops on Castle Street.

Before getting up to write this post, I was having an interesting dream, in which I discovered a whole bunch of long lost cousins. We went out to their country farm lands in a really small town, and we ran around like we were children, exploring. There were two pools, and I wanted to go swimming so badly. But we explored. And when I woke up from this dream, I felt like a kid again. Right now, as I type this, I'm trying to hold onto that feeling.

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G Reddit before bed like it's my job. TSC-ers, do any of you read Reddit? I haven't worked up the courage to actually comment on anything, but maybe that will happen one day in the future. I learn so much when reading, but I think Justin is tired of my every story starting out, "Well, I was reading Reddit"...

W R I T I N G three pages each morning, as inspired by this morning routine. I can't even express to you how much I love the concept of that website.

L I S T E N I N G to the sound of silence. It's very quiet in our apartment this morning, and all I really here is the zooming-by of cars outside, as well as the hum of the ceiling fan, and the on-off of the air conditioner.

T H I N K I N G that it's time to break out the Spring nail polishes! I'm tired of the dark colors and, dare I say it, the glitter polishes. I'm ready for light, refreshing, airy, pastel goodness. I'm easing in by starting with a very neutral pink I recently picked up from the Wet-n-Wild line, called Sugar Coat. The MegaLast line is definitely one of my favorites from the drugstore, and I am really jonesing to pick up 2% Milk, as well as Private Viewing and Haze of Love. Let's face it: I pretty much want the entire collection.

S M E L L I N G ... well, hopefully soon after this post is complete, I will be smelling coffee and pancakes and other such brunch smells. I hope we go to Dixie Grill, although by now it will be packed.

W I S H I N G that Muggles could apparate. It would make living so far away a lot easier, I bet.

H O P I N G the awesome weather will stick around. Yesterday, the sky was so blue, and there were tons of cotton ball clouds in the sky. It was such a welcome respite from the gray, muggy, gross, rainy, icy weather we've been having. Just as I'm typing this, the sun came out from behind a cloud and shined through our window and onto my face. I'll take that as a good omen.

W E A R I N G a lot of pajamas and house shoes lately. Just being honest. Luckily, this week I have a meeting, which will force me out of the house and into adult clothing (hopefully not in that order).

L O V I  N G my dream from last night. See the introduction paragraph to this post if you need reminding. It just felt good to be a kid again, running around with seemingly not a care in the world, just enjoying getting to know some long-lost cousins.

W A N T I N G pancakes and coffee, if I didn't make that clear enough in "Smelling."

N E E D I N G a life makeover... again. But this time, I'm kind of excited about it. That's a good sign, right? I miss being my best self.  

F E E L I N G so excited for Lindsey and Tison and E.M.T. - I cannot WAIT to meet her.

this week's posts:

the sunday currently, volume 73

right now

love

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

Also: want a button to add to your post or blog? Grab the code below!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" title="siddathornton"><img src="http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy248/siddathornton/TSC_button-linescorrected.jpg" alt="siddathornton" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
</div>

love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

right now.

Right now, I'm sitting at one of my favorite Starbucks locations here in Wilmington. It's at the corner of two busy streets, and the flow of cars zooming by is unending. Every time the door opens, I'm forced to realize that maybe I should have added a few layers to my outfit - after all, it is only 29 degrees outside. 

The familiar whirs and sputters of the espresso machines are slowly but surely threatening to lull me to sleep, but bursts of alert, focused energy keep finding their way through the woodwork, reminding me that maybe I should make some use out of my time today.

The truth is, it's hard to get out of bed when the muted light coming from behind the blinds is a gray putty color, signaling the continuance of dreary, cold weather to which you're just never going to grow accustomed. Even now, as I gaze to my right, freezing rain is doing a kind of taunting dance on the large, clear-paned windows. Frost is gathering on the glass of the door. 

And I know that soon, I'll need to leave, and soon, I'll have to worry that the roads may be frozen as I drive slowly on them. 

But for now, I'm inside, admiring my recently-painted candy-apple-red nails. Just in time for Valentine's Day. For now, I'm remembering the little things that have inspired me lately. Unexpected blogs, crisp and refreshing in their simplicity, just waiting to be read. 

And even though right now is a time of waiting with bated breath by the mailbox, for something that feels like it may never show up, I'm happy. I'm happy because my house is clean, my husband is his usual, wonderful self, and I have time to read books. I'm happy because I know that today is treat day, and there is a black and white cookie waiting for me at Harris Teeter. I'm happy because yesterday I cooked both lunch and dinner, and today I'll make lunch for myself again.

And right now, that is enough. 

the sunday currently, volume 73.

Good morning and Happy Sunday, everyone! I hope you're enjoying a nice weekend, like I am. I'm happy to say that this week's Sunday Currently was written out with ink and paper in the corner of our local Barnes and Noble, yesterday afternoon. It was a cold, rainy day, and Justin and I decided to duck into the cafe for a while and read. (This was after we attempted to see the Legos movie, and it was all sold out).

C  U  R  R  E  N  T  L  Y  .  .  .  

R E A D I N G Harry Potter & History. With my re-read of the Harry Potter series, I've decided to intersperse a non-Harry Potter book in between each of the series books. This way, I won't lose interest, & I'll be able to cross some books off my to-read list. Similarly, I've also decided to embark on the mission of reading all unread (and some very-long-ago read) books in my bookshelf. This (hopefully) means finally finishing Wuthering Heights, which I started in 2008.

W R I T I N G a little bit every day through a free-writing exercise. I tried it this past Wednesday, and it actually relieved a lot of stress. This may be something I incorporate into my routine. Sometimes, you just have to get the feelings out.

L I S T E N I N G to Bruno Mars, St. Vincent, and Broken Social Scene a lot lately (see my February 2014 playlist here). I also really love Cider Sky's new single, Flames.

T H I N K I N G that a clean house is a happy house. I deep-cleaned the house while Justin was away in Georgia last weekend, and I maintained its pristine visage all week. This process brought me great joy, I found, and it prompted me to create a cleaning schedule, which I've decided to try out for a few weeks before sharing. I love it when little, everyday things bring about feelings of joy, and I must say, this definitely qualifies. Any cleaning routine tips or tricks-of-the-trade that you swear by? Please do share.

S M E L L I N G with much more ease these days! I've recently added an allergy medication to my daily regimen, and I have to say, it makes me feel somewhat better. I love being able to readily smell things again.

W I S H I N G I could let go a little bit. Lately I've been over-analyzing myself and definitely being over-critical. it is of paramount importance to be kind to oneself. Life is a lot easier when you give yourself a break and when you let your very best be enough.

H O P I N G for blue skies and sunshine this week. Before I knew anything about Seasonal Affective Disorder (which I so clearly have), my friends and I coined the term Lauren Winter Depression - or LWD - because, in the midst of the winter doldrums, I would spend hours in bed, hovering between sleep and wakefulness, in a full-tilt miserable depressive state. Things had gotten better in recent years, with my newfound love of knit scarves and boots, but this has been a pretty severe winter, and my body and I have not responded very well to it. In other words: where ya at, spring?

W E A R I N G a lot of scarves and leggings and boots lately, as you may have gathered from "hoping." I've also found a lip color I've really been loving lately: it is L'Oreal Color Riche Balm in Nourishing Nude. Shout-out to Jen's 2013 Beauty All-Stars video for the recommendation (and read the coordinating blog post here). My other recent favorite lip color has been a lipstick from Estee Lauder in the color Pinkberry.

L O V I  N G time spent in Barnes and Noble. It really is one of my all-time favorite places to be. Our Barnes and Noble here in Wilmington is quite a drive from our place, but I'm going to make more of an effort to get out here. It is the ultimate comfort to fold into a cozy corner table and get lost in a book - or go off on a writing tangent. 

W A N T I N G to do a vlog version of The Sunday Currently soon! I loved Betsy's, and I've been inspired ever since. Maybe next week.

N E E D I N G to take my own advice, as found in this week's "wishing." Hydrating, eating healthful foods, working up a sweat in the gym, getting lost in Harry Potter and History, picking up a pen and free-writing... this is what I want the remainder of February to look like.   

F E E L I N G more and more excited about our impending ski trip to Colorado! I've never been snow-skiing, and neither has Justin, so we've been doing research and watching YouTube videos as a resource. I'm excited to ski, but to tell you the truth, I'm most excited to see that much snow in one place, and also to enjoy a warm drink in the lodge. And, hot tubs! Have you ever been skiing? Any advice for this newbie?

THE PAST WEEK ON SIDDATHORNTON:

the sunday currently, volume 72 | february things

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

Also: want a button to add to your post or blog? Grab the code below!

<div align="center">
<a href="http://siddathornton.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20sunday%20currently" title="siddathornton"><img src="http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy248/siddathornton/TSC_button-linescorrected.jpg" alt="siddathornton" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
</div>

february things.

I was struck by the infectiousness of the new year, this time around.

When we returned to Wilmington from Shreveport, I couldn't believe all the potential that seemed to lie before me in 2014 - this brand new year. I had already tapped out my resolutions, & I was ready to start "living right" - to bring all the planning that went into cultivating my goals & aspirations to fruition. I was ready to be the fantastic person I had built up in my head. And I was ready to take on that person's every different-from-me quality - all at once, of course. 

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that all of this pretty much culminated in a veritable sonic boom of frustration, about two weeks ago. 

Suddenly, it was the middle of January, & I didn't understand where the glittery New Year feeling had gone. Why was I practically stuck to the couch with super-human-strength adhesive? Why, instead of running every day, was I training for a marathon Oreo-eating contest instead? Why was my body actually sore & cramped as a symptom of my lethargy?

It's because I needed to push the "reset" button again.

Every year, we make all these grand plans for the coming 365 days. And every year, we all ask ourselves why, by February, we have fallen back off the wagon. And it's because we are forgetting that that excited, look-I'm-starting-a-brand-new-year feeling is one of the key ingredients in the recipe for success in resolutions.

So, why not press reset each month? Why not come up with sparkly, confetti-dusted February things? That's what I'm going to do. Because we have a new month lying before us, ready to be filled with productive, wonderful things. 

And it doesn't even have to stop there. Why not hit the reset button each week? Each day? Each hour? There is still so much to achieve. And there is still so much time to achieve it all in. I'm going to stop creating my own road blocks. I'm going to barrel ahead, making my way to the future.

FEBRUARY RESOLUTIONS

1. Move. Sweat. Every day. No excuses.

2. Open your eyes. Open your ears. Pay attention to right now.

3. Get lost in books.

4. Indulge in the Type A characteristics you do possess. Schedule the hell out of every day, even if you don't follow it. Clean your house like the Queen of England could pop in for a visit at any moment. Keep records like you're a librarian. Write it all down, just because. These comprise your very own, unique brand of healthy perfectionism. Own them.

5. Stop worrying. Just stop. And just relax. Otherwise, your forehead is quickly going to become a wrinkled mess.

What are your February things?