happy 101 award!

The lovely Tara B. from Little Girl Big Closet sent the 'Happy 101' award my way, which I'm so happy to receive! Also, I didn't get a chance to snap my OOTD before I rushed out the door and left a wake of destruction behind me. Yeah. I was running late. Sigh, but I guess that's what happens when you're hit the snooze button in your sleep! I love it when my unconscious self tries to sabotage my conscious self. And by "love," I mean hate.

Anyway - this award will have to do for my post of the day. Thanks again, Tara!

Here's how it works: List 10 things that make you happy (then go do at least one of them!). Then tag your 10 favorite bloggers. Be sure to tag the one who tagged you!

1. My friends. I'm not the kind of person who has a lot of friends, but the ones I do have I love to pieces. Even though a lot of us don't talk on a daily (or even weekly) basis because of school or work or whathaveyou, whenever we meet up, it's like we've never been apart. Whether we're going out for drinks or staying in with a movie, I always enjoy seeing them!

2. My family. My family isn't really close, but that doesn't change the fact that when I see my parents and brother and sister happy, it makes me happy.

3. Food.

my giant gyro plate at Greek eatery Niko Niko's. YUM.

Oh man, I love to eat and nothing brings a smile to my face faster than seeing some really delicious food headed my way. I am game for nearly anything, and there is little I enjoy more than finding new restaurants to try and new dishes and flavors to sample.

4. Shopping. Or, more specifically, finding something really awesome, whether it's a top, skirt, dress, jeans, or shoes. When something just looks great in the dressing room, that is a happy time for me! And anyone who reads this blog (or encounters me more than 5 times) knows that J.Crew and Anthropologie have a special place in my heart. And in my wallet.

5. Travelling.

with a friend in New Zealand

There are so many places I've been, so many places I want to go to and so many places I want to revisit. I've been fortunate enough to have a family that took me along on many an overseas adventure, as well as to have had the opportunity to study abroad (see above picture).

6. Dolphins.

at the IMAX theater. not a real dolphin, unfortunately.

I've always loved dolphins and whales, ever since I was a little kid. I wanted to be a whale trainer all the way up until high school. I only changed my mind after inner conflicts of the ethics of marine mammal parks began troubling me, but that's an issue I won't expand on here.

7. Singing.

I don't have much vocal prowess, but what I lack in talent, I make up for in enthusiasm. Anthems of choice? Any Bon Jovi tune.

8. Music. I love music, and I love going to shows. The best concert I've ever been to was The Walkmen's show in a tiny venue called Walter's on Washington. It was crowded and hot, the music was loud, and I reeked of cigarettes and beer afterwards. It. Was. Awesome.

9. Successfully doing something that no sane person would do.

abseiling in the Blue Mountains in Australia

Let's look past the fact that this is a horribly unflattering picture of me and focus on the fact that I'm about to walk off a cliff. BACKWARDS. And out of my own free will. I'm not normally a daredevil, but sometimes the mood strikes me to do something completely insane. And luckily, so far they've all worked out okay for me.

10. Finally, the Boyfriend.

He's only had the Boyfriend title for a few months now, but we've been friends for a long, long time. He's my fellow adventurer, my partner in crime, my papa bear, my love, and all those other fluffy things that taste like marshmallows and clouds and singing baby angels. And he goes shopping with me. Out of his own free will. See? Love.

Here are the lovely folks I'm passing this along to:

e. from i'd wear it

GingerSnap from GingerSnap's Daily Fashion Post

tippy from tres tippy

Maria from Infinite Whimsy

Dina from My Superfluities

Summerilla from Sum Sunshine

Angelina from Angelina's Cafe

Rosemary from Ro Ro Ro Your Blog

Ro from In Search of Ro

Lisa from Respect the Shoes

I tried to tag those who I didn't see tagged in other posts. Visit them, they're all awesome!

EDIT: I'm adding in sarah from a life more exciting. Because I can!