savoring my happy moments

I had planned to do a quick post about a silly happy moment I had in the car yesterday. BUT I've had a few other happy moments since so I wanted to share.

HAPPY MOMENT #1.....I WON! I WON! I WON!

(Pic taken from From Chaos Comes Happiness without permission!)

My dear bloggy friend Leanne at From Chaos Comes Happiness just celebrated her 200th post (WOW!)and had this wonderful gem to giveaway. Well I won! Really truly won! I had just mentioned this movie in a recent post and I'm so happy to finally get to see it! If you ever need something to brighten your day and put a smile on your face go and visit Leanne and say hello. You'll love it there.

THANK YOU LEANNE!

HAPPY MOMENT #2......Positive reinforcement from the Universe!

Remember my post about doubting my creative passion?
I've had nothing but wonderful positive feedback from you guys and even today I got a lovely comment on my paper dresses and wardrobe that really cheered me up. On top of that I seem to keep noticing the same message popping up everywhere:

If you're willing to learn and work hard you will succeed.

It was even on Dancing With the Stars last night when Olympic Champion Evan Lysachek's coach said he wasn't the most talented skater but the hardest working and most willing to learn. That really struck me.

The realization that I might not be a natural born artist but a very creative person that's willing to learn helped to put my doubts into perspective. It pushed me to create a game plan and find direction which I've started to implement with the first project from Kelly Rae Robert's book Taking Flight. When those doubts creep up I tell myself that I'm actually starting to do something about it now.


HAPPY (SILLY) MOMENT #3......Rocking out to Cajun music in my car,
not caring who's watching and even waiving to 1 or 2 of them.


Last summer I developed an obsession for all things New Orleans, Creole and Cajun. I don't know where these obsessions come from sometimes but when they do I let myself be completely consumed by it. I borrowed all the books about New Orleans from the library. Read heartbreaking stories about the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Fell in love with the architecture and of course the food. I watched every episode of Emeril and learned how to make Gumbo from scratch (from a roux even!) and even tried to devise a plan to be at Mardi Gras next spring which happens to be on my birthday.


The former Garden District home of author Anne Rice


People who don't know me find this peculiar. I have no genetic ties to New  Orleans. Being of the Asian American/Filipino with a sliver of Spanish variety and married to the son of British expats (lovely Harry Potter accent, devonshire cream and all) there is nothing in my genetic makeup that connects me to NOLA. (Maybe some of the Spanish colonial bit but really no.) Yet I have such a love for this city and culture. I just feel like I need to visit there one day. I also developed a taste for Cajun music. The upbeat, foot tapping, French country songs from the Acadian people who migrated to Louisiana from Canada. Listening to it puts me in a silly happy mood all the time. I like to listen in my car when I'm hunting for a good sale.

So if you happen to be driving around Tomato Land and see a seemingly middle aged dark haired woman with sparkly glasses and dangly Stevie Nicks earrings, rocking out and singing along in French (phonetically that is so I have no clue what I'm singing) wave to me and say hello. Maybe we can go grab a beignet and cafe au lait!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

congrats on winning! You are going to enjoy that movie very much; I did! Don't feel bad about loving all things New Orleans. The other day I went to Starbucks and they had this Mardi Gras compilation and I bought it. I was rocking in my car too!

Melissa said...

Lovely! Your happy silly moments are making me happy, too! Your art is amazing, so I hope you don't doubt yourself. I love your comment about maybe not being a natural born artist, but a creative person. If you haven't read Twayla Tharp's "The Creative Habit," I HIGHLY recommend it.

Petunia said...

Uh-oh. I think I'm getting another phantom post. It says I have 2 comments but only 1 shows up. Last time this happened the mystery post appeared after I posted so here goes....

And I see it for a split second then it goes away!!!

BadPenny said...

Lovely post. I really want to see that film & I think I could get into Cajun food too !

( I have a bit of a Harry Potter accent - but not as posh as Hermionie Granger ! )

Amber said...

Whenever I am having a blah day or just need a laugh I put this movie on. It was this movie that got my creative juices flowing and made me start decorating cakes again...it's one of my faves. I wasn't even expecting to really like the movie and loved it! So happy you won! I really enjoy your blog and I love those curtains! Oh and one more thing...I was told one day after I said I didn;t think I had a real talent that I could think of that "being creative IS a talent"...kind of a jack of all trades. I get my hands into a little bit of everything and can't say I am fantastic at any of it but I sure enjoy myself and I figure that's the most important thing.