Day 1 of {Happiness}

Today is the start of a new month, and every day is the start to the rest of your life. For the month of October I am writing 27 posts about how to be happier with life.

You may be asking 2 questions: What do I know about being happier with life? What could I have possibly experienced so far that really tested me?

My background is that of a highly anxious, over-stressed girl. I have had my share of panic attacks; not the kind where you lay awake thinking too much and lose a little sleep, I'm talking about sobbing for hours about ridiculous things that no regular human would waste a blink on. Taking showers just to lay in the bathtub crying about nothing. My bestfriend has driven over in the middle of the night to pick me up off the bathroom floor.

It was always hard for me to feel happy around anyone other than my parents, because I always felt judged by my peers. So when my parents separated 3 years ago this month I felt like I didn't have a home or foundation any longer.

You know what is so great about all of that though? I have learned not to rest my happiness on others. I have learned how to be happy about myself, all by myself. And maybe you have experienced something similar to what I described above or are going through something traumatic . . . this month is for you.

Start today's month of being happier by thinking about how you really want your life and the person you want to be. Just take some time to decide not what you want to do, but what kind of person you want to be.

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
― Mother Teresa

And None For Gretchen Wieners. Bye!

Today is a dreary day in Findlay, Ohio, so here is some sunshine! Also, so far this week I have had too many people not get my jokes or take them too seriously. Hopefully you're a little lighter than my previous audience so far!

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. - Hugh Sidey

Oh, How I Love This Team ...

Yes. My first rugby game was amazing. Who knew so much aggression could be bottled up in this little, [currently] blonde lady? For all of the people who just laughed or rolled their eyes at that . . . you know the look I'm giving you.

The stats (as far as anyone cared to record) : Ashland 15 – Findlay 25. I scored 2 tries, worth 5pts each. Countless tackles, rucks, and scrums. Hoorah! Post-game excitement doesn't quite show how miserable I felt about 10min in to the first half. However, the pain of not being able to breathe is quickly overcome by the thrill of throwing your opponent to the ground, or being smashed to the dirt yourself.

It makes me do this every time:

So. Here are a few amazing pictures and ads I found for rugby, and then after the line are some pictures that were taken at the game of me so that you can share in my excitement.

Rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen. - Winston Churchill

Rugby Cleats!

With 3 weeks of school already done I think I'm in the groove of class. I have, however, started to get an itch for more adventure and travel again. On the bright side (incredible bright, in fact, you could even saying it is blindingly optimistic) I have joined Findlay's rugby team! I have been so excited about it that for the past few weeks I have been able to talk about little more than how awesome practices are. Our first game is actually this weekend, so you can expect an update next week about how hard I got rocked.

In light of this great news, I have a fun project to share with you. As part of my gear for the team I had to purchase some cleats, so I went to Walmart, bought a pair for just $15. Then the unthinkable happened: my friend asked me to spray paint his cleats for him. If you can just imagine me slapping my palm to my forehead, then you know my reaction. Why didn't I think of that!? I spray paint everything! So, naturally, I stole the idea and applied it to my own shoes in my own fashion.

Here are the results.

What do you think? I love them. I think it is really key that if you do this to your own shoes you leave the sole the original color otherwise you run the risk of them looking homemade. This actually turned out far better than I expected; the paint didn't chip or scratch off the next practice, and it didn't look all plastic.

Now I'm working on my friend's cleats and they're posing a few more difficulties. The paint wasn't really grabbing the material like it had on mine. I think the brand of paint really makes a difference. For mine I used Rustoleum, and for my friend's we decided on Krylon. The Krylon didn't want to play nicely so I just painted over the material with a white that would stick first (Rustoleum brand).

Let me know if you try this yourself and how it turns out!

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. - Helen Keller

Fall Clothing Love [Mens]

Though less celebrated than ladies fashion, mens style seems to be making a comeback. Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems like we have turned away from the “styles” that called for less upkeep, and are moving back toward men that do their hair in the morning, and that put more than work out clothes on every day. There is a part in the classic movie, Clueless, where Cherdescribes “90s guys” perfectly, making fun of their baggy jeans and of covering up their “greasy hair” with a ball cap.

I don't think there should be so much heat between the guys who claim to represent class, versus the guys who claim to have swag. If you're polished and stylish, it's probably attractive to the type of girl you like so who gives a hoot?

Anyhow, here are my favorite picks from my Manly Style board on Pinterest. Enjoy!

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile. - William Cullen Bryant

Fall Clothing Love {Ladies}

To celebrate the approaching fall fashion season, I have rounded up a few of my favorite fall looks. I'm really looking forward to getting out all of my cold weather clothing on the 30^th per Martha Stewart's instructions on her website calendar. Laugh all you want, but that woman knows what's up when it comes to homemaking.

So here are my favorites from my Pinterest Oh La La Fashion board. Tomorrow will me men's!

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.- Emily Bronte