if you need additional inspiration, i have something by art linkletter on my desk
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 @ 11:17 a.m.
I thought I would compile all my old happy stuff lists into 1 big list. Because I’m corny like that, and lists of happy stuff are more fun than lists of depressing stuff. Some of these things will no doubt strike you as strange items to be on a “happy stuff” list (Noxzema??), but I’m just weird like that.1. My fuzzy apple-green mohair sweater.
2. Black licorice.
3. The happy squirrel tarot card.
4. Tonkatsu sauce.
5. Breaking light bulbs to hear the glass tinkle.
6. Vogue.
7. Baoding balls.
8. Maneki neko.
9. Bad Batz Maru.
10. Nutella.
11. Strathmore art pads.
12. Virgin Mary votive candles.
13. Ryoan-ji Zen garden.
14. Orangina
15. Cocoa butter lotion.
16. Lavender oil sprayed on freshly laundered sheets.
17. Liquid eyeliner.
18. Sparkly gel pens.
19. Ham + pineapple pizza.
20. Adult Swim.
21. Juzu bracelets.
22. Bath + Body Works toasted hazelnut body spray.
23. Green tea ice cream.
24. My bangs.
25. Feather pillows.
26. Burt’s Bees almond milk beeswax hand crème.
27. Chopsticks with Sanrio characters on them.
28. “Moonrise over Hernandez, New Mexico” by Ansel Adams.
29. Hoi Tong face powder.
30. Sari slippers.
31. Fried tofu.
32. Mah Jong tile bracelets.
33. Used books stores.
34. Oranges.
35. China flats.
36. Fiji brand bottled water.
37. My favorite café au lait mug.
38. Bunny yawns.
39. Self-curling mascara.
40. Egg salad on white toast.
41. Dried lavender bunches.
42. Noxzema.
43. The Guggenheim Bilbao.
44. “Absolutely Fabulous”.
45. Stuffed mushrooms.
46. “Northern Exposure”.
47. Cross-stitch.
48. Browsing in craft stores.
49. Books.
50. Café au lait + beignets.
51. Rainy days.
52. Old photographs.
53. Foods made with citrus zest.
54. Toe socks.
55. Tomato soup with sour cream.
56. Sharing an apple with Junebug.
57. My electric blanket.
58. Candles, candles, and more candles.
59. Convertible mittens.
60. Japanese incense.
61. Lemonheads.
62. Christmas lights left up all year.
63. Burt’s Bees lemon butter cuticle crème.
64. Raccoons.
65. Cobalt blue glass.
66. Pinstripes.
67. Junebug begging on her hind feet.
68. Butterscotch pudding.
69. “Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson”.
70. A full night’s sleep.
71. 24 hours of “A Christmas Story” on Christmas eve.
72. Burning leaves.
73. Hand-made dragonfly beaded bobby pins.
74. Carmex.
75. Anything tangerine-scented.
76. Bed canopies.
77. Sea salt scrub.
78. The smell of bacon + coffee.
79. False eyelashes.
80. Singing along in my car.
81. Making chawan mushi.
82. Silly emails from my brother David.
83. Sleeping nekkid between freshly-laundered sheets.
84. Adding bhindis to my collection.
85. New, blank journals.
86. New stockings.
87. Franginpani oil.
88. Antique stores.
89. African violets.
90. Ice-cold vodka martinis.
91. Home-made fish & chips.
92. Night-blooming jasmine.
93. Autumn.
94. Baking cookies.
95. Hayao Miyazaki films.
96. Sanrio pencil boxes.
I am going to keep adding to this, at least until I have 100.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And while I am being cheesy, here is my list of 25 things that are good for the soul. This was the subject of a blog prompt I did a few months ago. By the way, the last item is a nod to “Everybody’s free (to wear sunscreen)”, a fictitious commencement address written by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich (and not, as is often claimed, Kurt Vonnegut).
1. Bubble baths.
2. Be comfortable with being alone.
3. Laugh at something every day.
4. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
5. Learn something new every day.
6. Admit your faults, and either be okay with them or be willing to work on them.
7. Work to live, don’t live to work.
8. Coloring books are not just for children.
9. Create something. Cook, write poetry, do crafts.
10. Be responsible for something alive, even if it’s only a plant.
11. Write actual (not email) letters to loved ones.
12. Take pride in your ethnicity.
13. But be open to other cultures.
14. Learn your family’s history.
15. Be sure you really understand things before you judge them.
16. Allow yourself french fries or chocolate sometimes.
17. Read.
18. Dance like no one is watching.
19. Be sure to appreciate nature. If you live in the city, visit a national park every so often.
20. Have artwork. It doesn’t need to be expensive, it could be a print or something you made yourself.
21. Don’t be apathetic. Take an interest in the world.
22. Be passionate about something.
23. Savor your food. It’s not just calories and fat and carbs.
24. Write down your dreams.
25. Wear sunscreen.