Michelle Gets a Better Li-iiife!

Hello, all!

As mentioned in my previous post, my 2015 Reading List goal made me realize that I was in a bit of a rut, so I did a couple of things recently to give myself a kick-start (well, three things; I also wrote down some financial goals, but that's not what this post is about!).

One: I rewatched the entire Emma Approved series on YouTube. I know that sounds weird, but something about that series just makes me want to be more productive and take care of business. She's just so upbeat, and something about seeing her fancy outfits always makes me want to try harder and be more creative. For those who haven't heard of Emma Approved, it's a web series based off of Emma by Jane Austen, with a modern twist. I really like it. Emma is a tad annoying at first, but she grows on you pretty quickly. Just watch this video! This is actually the second episode, but I shared this one because there's this lovely moment around 1:00 where she does her Oprah impression: "You get a better life! You get a better life! Everybody gets a better li-iiiife!" So great. Actually, you could stop after that if you don't want to get confused by the storyline, having missed the first episode. But then go back and watch all of them!

Wasn't that fabulous? Accomplishment number two: I rearranged the furniture in my bedroom! The past few days have been sort of rough, and I really needed a project. I originally tried to just turn my bed so it was facing the other direction, but the spot I was trying to fit it into wasn't wide enough, and then I was covering up a vent...so my room looked a little like this:

Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to take the picture when my mattress was up and leaning against the wall all crazy-like and the bed was at an odder angle. But you get the idea.

So I sat there, feeling slightly defeated, when I realized that I kind of liked having my bed diagonal. Why not, right? So now it looks like this:

It's sort of a metaphor for life: sometimes you have a plan and think you know exactly what you're doing, and then BAM! It just doesn't work. But then you realize that maybe a "diagonal bed" is just what you need! Or at least you figure out a plan to create awesome with what you've got. Sometimes it's more that...

But getting back to the literal diagonal bed: it feels so fancy somehow, and I love it! I'm particularly excited about using the shelf sitting on the left side of the picture. I inherited it from my paternal grandmother. I used it all the time in past residences, but since moving into my current apartment and getting bookshelves to hold all my knick-knacks, it's been just sitting and collecting dust. Until yesterday! I gathered a few things sitting around, including some things that were sitting on that filing cabinet to the right that I'd been using as a night stand.

I also have a few nightstand things on the very bottom: my water bottle and rice bags, and my scalp massage thing one shelf up, stuck like a pen into a colored plastic cup with fancy rocks inside.

So I'm feeling pretty good about that. It's good to get up and get things done when days are rough, and I love the feeling that I'm accomplishing things, especially since I'm still trudging through Anna Karenina...

Thanks for reading.