SMILE!

Time to spread some happy!

Kudos if you participated in the High Five Challenge I posted on Facebook the other day!  Our world can use a few high-fives and fist-bumps.

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It's all well and good to spread the joy, but sometimes you need some yourself.  Since wearing a signboard and ringing a bell asking for kind words doesn't seem to be a socially accepted option we've got to figure something else out.

My answer = Pillows

For starters, pillows are huggable even if they don't hug you back.  Also you can sleep on them, cry on them, throw them against the wall, bury your laughing face in them, stifle a scream of terror when watching Jurassic World previews, cling to them in glee as you dance around the room because that super unexpected but happy thing happened that day.

Pillows are happy and comforting.

{Next, they can be anything but a boring sad sack of down! }

They can have bright colors to pump you up

neutral colors to calm you down

ruffles to make a space feminine

rope edging to be cowboy

pocketed for tissues/phones/remote/tiny teddy bears

quilted

indoor/outdoor

square

round

rectangular

donut shaped {ooh donuts!...focus Abigail}

And my personal favorite option at this juncture in time...

Embellished with words!  

{We all know Abigail loves words after all}

Found this little treasure at Marshall's back in Roseburg and it is the one decorative thing I brought with me to AZ.  Even a temporary home has to feel somewhat like my own.

It's bright and awesome nautical red on one side with white letters and then MAGICALLY it is reversible!  

If I'm feeling super stark and minimalist, the white side is up.  If I'm feeling like I need a peppy reminder to smack on a grin then the red side comes up!

Confession: I have a hankering to add a bright yellow one to the collection.

Things to Be Thankful For

Season started in Arizona and I'm on week 3.  Lots of training, exhaustion, frustration, and pain in these weeks as we get ready to go, go, GO all summer.  When things get really rough in life it's easy to wallow and be bummed out and lose the pumped up attitude. When performances aren't what we'd hoped or the direction you're going might need to change, or you learn a new limitation you have...well...it's the pits.  ​

When you know that quitting is the worst failure but you just can't imagine going on...how do you get your mind set to persevere? How do you keep from whining? How do you put one bloody and bruised foot in front of the other?​

Here's what I do. 

I think over the joys in my life. What am I thankful for? What have I got to look forward to? ​

My List

1. My Jesus and His Mercy to me. Without Him I'm literally just dust blowing in the wind.

2. My Mom and Dad who pep talk me when I call home. After all it's their fault I'm as stubborn as I am! 

3. The skin that is still on my feet after a massive PT hike. {So that's what feet without skin look like}

4. Essential oils for healing and soothing my sore bod. Natural healing at its best.

5. My body that can heal from the beating it takes at work. {I won't limp forever right?}

6. Getting to stand up in my bestfriend's  wedding. The sweetest human alive got married. 

7. A sweet housemate who is sharing her ultra feminine home with me for a few month. With pretty doilies on the table!

8.  A wonderful library just down the road. #booksfordays

7. A solid church with a night service so I can attend. Hallelujah!

8. Shania Twain who sings me to work and back. { "That Don't Impress Me Much" anybody?!}

9. he joy of being artsy and learning hand lettering. Oh it's fun to create pretty words!

10. My electric blanket. 'Nuff said.

What is on your list? What reminds you to not wallow and whine?

Happy Tunes and Kindness

I asked y'all to shoot me some song selections over on Facebook this Friday to make an encouraging,  happy, upbeat, playlist.

Seing as how Pretty Subsistence is new, there wasn't much feedback...BUT we do have enough songs for a super quick pump-up sesh :) It's an eclectic mix and I hope you enjoy it.

Here's the PS HAPPY collaborative playlist.  We shall add to it with time and as new happy songs come along.  Feel free to post more in comments and I'll add to it!

This week I'm finishing my last minute details before moving to AZ for my seasonal firefighting job.  Lots of new people and encounters coming my way in the next 6 months and I've been trying to come up with a focus or mantra or something simple to stick in my brain for the slow/fast/hectic/monotinous/stressful/scary/nerve grating/joyful/sad/lonely/confusing/exhausting summer ahead.

Kindness has been popping up in my thoughts, either from noticing a lack of it around me, or feeling the need to apply it more in my life.  Then I came upon a quote over on  Pinterest, made it pretty on Canva and decided this would be my summer motto {and really applied year round}

Check out what Julianne Hough had to say over on her blog.  She's an ambassador for kind campaign which is a movement that takes a stand agains girl-on-girl crime.  Basically though, I like to follow Julianne because she seems like a sweet lady, exudes happy energy, and has some fantastic hair tutorials for us short haired girls.  She promotes kindness so I'm sharing her with you.

Anyway, if you'd like to join me in pursuing a posture of kindness this summer let me know and we can encourage each other through the failures and cheer on to the successes!

Here's to a happy week :)