MAKEOVER!!!

It's time for a blog makeover. In order to encourage myself to identify and appreciate all the great people, places, and things (so...nouns) in my life, I'm going to attempt to regularly share the Best Things I see, hear, remember, smell, eat, make, read...etc. Yes, I was totally inspired by the Food Network's gem of a show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"- it is always so worth watching (well, to me). So, here's the first installment of my recent Best Things.

Over the last week, The Best Thing I...

...Heard (via my sister): my precious niece, Delaney, telling her princess dolls that they needed to "go find that Indian princess, Polkadotas."

...Did: booked a kickass sister trip to Cozumel for Spring Break. Funded by our parents (Christmas gift), it's shaping up to be really drool-inducing. I am SO looking forward to bonding with my older sister...we've gotten super close over the past couple of years, making up for our slightly shaky childhood relationship. Nothing dramatic ever happened, we were just a teeny bit too far apart in age to really appreciate the magic of sister-ness as kids. (That, and I was a brat...hey, I'm working on it.) Unlimited booze, sun, books, water, and sand are a mere 48 days ahead!!!

...Smelled: Cuban pork, while I was walking with my friend Kristen through my 'hood. MMMMMM. Also, her perfume always makes me really happy :)

...Read: I'm reverting back to childhood lately in my schizophrenic reading style. I am currently reading 4 books! I did finish one lately, though, which is absolutely noteworthy: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Do yourself a favor and check it out, seriously.

...Ate: a grilled cheese from Think Coffee- composed of white cheddar and pesto between perfectly grilled, buttery bread. This is the best grilled cheese I've ever had, and I have no desire to know its vital statistics, as Think Coffee is located conveniently between my school department and place of work; therefore, let's just say that this indulgence was not a one-time thing.

...Bought: a fierce dress from French Connection- 70% off and fits like a glove. It's possible that this dress will influence my plans for the weekend.

...Saw: it's a tie between the first few episodes of Modern Family and the first 2 episodes of Spartacus: Blood & Sand. The former is reminiscent of Arrested Development, but not quite as ridiculous (not that there's anything wrong with that), while the latter is basically soft-core porn + gladiator fighting. I don't feel like any further elaboration is necessary.

...Made: I constructed an Ikea-type bookshelf last night. It was very frustrating, and definitely a 2 person job- I definitely looked like I was participating in a strange mix of carpentry and a game of Twister througout the process. Seriously, at one point, I was in "right foot: bottom shelf, left foot: floor, right hand: side shelf, left hand: middle shelf" position. Where was the top shelf? It was resting on my back, doi. Anyway, it came out fairly well, considering that all sides were dented during shipment...and we'll see if I need any of the obligatory leftover pieces. Don't we all learn from our fathers that there should be a bag full of random pieces left at the end, even when the "instructions" tell us that all pieces are necessary? There's NO way that those 8 wooden dowels will really support the structure itself, let alone all the crap that I've already piled on it. I should prepare to get scared shitless when it all comes crashing down, I suppose. (Sidenote: HOW is the word "dowel" in my vocabulary? I just looked it up and it's correct, which is just weird.)