Things I Heart

So I totally stole this from someone else's blog, who borrowed it from someone else. But hey, it sounds like a fun way to pass time. Usually I don't make time for things like this but today I've got plenty of it. My hubby has been gone since yesterday. He's in Panzano in Chianti, working for a well-known butcher (Dario Cecchini) at a restaurant there! Soo needless to say I've got some extra time on my hands..

1. I love making lists. Anytime I come across an opportunity to make a list, I'm in!

2. I love that Italy (and other Mediterranean countries such as Spain and Greece) close up shop for the whole month of August. I love that August 15th is a declared holiday and that EVERYone goes to the beach.

3. I love it when I open up an egg crate to grab an egg and see this. Seeing doodle on my eggs used to gross me out (yes, that's poo on the egg), but I have learned to appreciate what the doodle and occasional feather I found that is stuck to the poo means.

It means it's fresh, organic, and NATURAL. And I love that. I love that all my food I eat is natural and that 99.9 % of the time there are no added preservatives and other CRAP included in my diet here. LOVE.

4. I also love that after I hike up 75+ steep, exhausting steps to my apartment that I get to see this, right as I reach our landing. It's like a miniature peek to my neighborhood. I feel so lucky to be able to see the Tuscan hills and an old 14th century cathedral, right out my window. It's like a sweet little applaud, just for me, congratulating me for making it all that way up those stairs!

5. Summer. I LOVE summer, even though we don't have a.c.

I really don't mind that it's 30 degrees celcius (86 F) in our apartment for two months out of the year. It makes me feel tough. :)

6. I love that C and I (he's hiding behind the tree) get a kick out of taking stupid pictures like this one.

7. Magazines and books. Getting a magazine here in English that doesn't cost $9.50 is like finding gold. I love getting lost in a great book, as well.

8. Shopping! I especially love colorful shoes and accessories!

There are many more things I love that I wanted to add (like recycling, cheese, and laughing with friends) but I don't have time to list EVERY little thing I love.

Street art tribute to MJ

The street artists in Florence are even including Michael Jackson in their chalk exhibits.

~*~ Family Circle just named my hometown, Rockwall, TX, as one of the top ten most family-friendly cities in the country!

~*~ Only 14 days till I'll be in Dallas. I will be only be there for one and a half days before we take off for Costa Rica, but I'm looking forward to eating some Mexican food that night and hangin' with the fam before we leave again! (I will then be back in DFW on August 12 for eight more days, though!)

~*~ I've made a personal list of things that I can't forget for Costa Rica:
1. waterproof mascara
2. backpack
3. OFF bug spray
4. rain jacket
5. sunscreen + hat (duh)
6. Nike's
7. Lonely Planet Costa Rica
I'm sure there's tons more that will come to me in the next two weeks but I wanted to jot these down here in case I forget.

~+~ I just started reading my friend's sister's blog, which describes her experiences in one of my most favorite, dearest places of ALL time, the Dominican Republic. It makes me miss the warm and friendly people! She's lucky she gets to stay there for a whole month! Luccckkyyy (in Napolean Dynamite voice).

It's Greek to me

On Sunday I picked up my regular birth control to discover that the days of the week were all written in GREEK. What the heck?! I had to go online in order to find out the abbreviations for the days of the week in Greek. Bizarre!

~*~ Yesterday we had over a hundred students check in for Summer I. This morning we had Orientation at 9 a.m and are convinced that each and every student actually came! We were so impressed about the turnout because we usually are missing a handful when we do the Orientation even at 1 in the afternoon.

~*~ This Saturday will be another day at the beach! This time I think we'll check out Rosignano. Hollerrrr.

~*~ With June just around the corner, we will be in Costa Rica and Dallas in approximately 60 days. Can't wait.

~*~ If you like music by M.I.A (she did a few songs for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack), then check out Santigold. She rocks!

~*~ Next Tuesday is a holiday.

That's all I got.

Eye Candy

Adorable. My friend KS's baby is so sweet.

I love these chairs and adore the colors! (Picture is from decorology).

This last one isn't so much eye candy as it is hilarious. I totally stole this off of JL's blog, which is of me and JL from when we were about 15 years old. I love how I'm holding my books like a total nerd! Good times!