Today is [Hopeful]

Hope is a beautiful thing; it carries you through rough times and gives you something to hold on to until the end. Hope draws your attention away from the negative and shines a light on the positives and blessings around you. I've been needing some of that lately.

Currently I'm:

Thinking... about new jobs and opportunities. Being a creative professional is difficult. You need a day job because you need money to fund your creative endeavors, but how do you remain inspired and alert when you hate your job?? It's a vicious circle I tell you... I've also been thinking about opening another online store, outside of Etsy, with which to sell some of my products. I feel like it would force me to create more to sell (which I need to be doing anyway!).

Feeling... hopeful about the future. Despite what I mentioned above, I have so much to be happy about! And that's what I'm focusing on.

Watching... Disney movies like Pocahontas and Beauty and the Beast (hehe). Sometimes you just need a little dose of childhood whimsy to keep you going. I'm also watching BBC's most recent adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry IV, The Hollow Crown, with Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons.

Reading... Cinnamon and Gunpowder, a new novel by Eli Brown. It was recommended to me by a woman who attends the book club I'm in a the library and I'm so glad she did. It's written from the diary (for lack of a better word) of a chef who is kidnapped by the dreaded (female) pirate Mabbot and forced to cook a heavenly meal out of the ship's sub-par food supply. If he succeeds in bringing her a stunning Sunday meal, he's guaranteed to live for another week. The whole ordeal draws the curiosity out of the chef and shows him that life isn't always black and white... at least, that's what I've gathered thus far. It's a great summer read. I'm also reading Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.

Excited... about going to California in two weeks! We're heading to the Los Angeles/Santa Monica area to visit my brother-in-law who currently lives there. It's really going to be a great vacation!

Wondering... where this year has gone!? It's already mid-July!

Wanting... a new camera! I've been frustrated with mine for while now. I at least would like a new lens. I also need a new swim suit... hmm.

Eating... I've been on a serious Brie cheese kick lately. Am I the only one who goes through serious food craving phases? Some days I can't stand certain foods and the next week it's all I'm buying. I've also been loving Stoneyfield Organic's new Banilla yogurt. I add some Udi's gluten-free granola and I'm set!

Drinking... San Pellegrino's Blood Orange sparkling soda.... It's heaven in a can.

Loving... the newness that life brings every day. I'm so thankful for family and friends because life would be so hard without the joy that they bring.

What are you loving, thinking, and feeling?