Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Beware...this is kind of a happiness countdown again...

No, I didn't do anything special. There is a bar just behind our house called the Leprechaun Inn and even at noon, the parking lot was overflowing. They do a very good business on St. Patrick's Day.

The only thing I did was go for my final appointment for my permanent makeup. Some of you may and may not know that I decided to get permanent makeup done. Due to an increasing amount of allergies to eye makeup and a huge increase in laziness, I decided to get permanent makeup done, especially full lips (since mine are originally the color of my skin almost). I had my eyebrows, eyeliner, lash enhancement and full lips done and haven't regretted it for a moment. I will post before and after pics soon. I was not smart enough to document the process as it went by as it happened in 3 treatment sessions. Needless to say, I'm extremely happy and will go to Malibu and not ever have to worry about my "makeup" coming off as I play in the ocean or wake up in the morning and stagger out of the tent still half asleep. Not that I ever really cared before, but it's nice to not to have to worry about doing your makeup all the time (though I love makeup and will still play...the stuff I had done was just a base and I can always build and play with it, which I love even more).

The countdown is on for Malibu and seeing the California Greens! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! Whenever I think about the trip, little butterflies arrive in my stomach I'm so excited! This is going to be such a good trip and I'm glad I found a way to make it. Plus, spending some quality time on a beach (which I've only really seen in passing up 'til now) will be a novel and fun adventure. I'm a mountain girl through and through because I grew up with them, but I think I could very easily be transformed into a beach girl. There is something about the wildness and wind and the saltiness in the air that I like. Meh, I'll get to explore it more and maybe be able to put it into better words later.

My brother and sister-in-law celebrated St. Patrick's Day in true form, which I find so adorable I can't even contain it. They had a whole green day which started with green milk for their cereal, a hunt for four leaf clovers and a leprechaun (seriously, why didn't we do this when we were kids, huh?), a trip to Austin for the nephew, which included the good news that he is now on the kidney transplant list (I cannot donate because I'm too fat first, but also because I have the wrong blood type and my heart condition, otherwise, I'd be first in line for testing), playing at a green park, dinner of green pancakes and green eggs and ham and finished out the night for the two oldest with a green bath. This family is so cute I cannot put it into words. They make sure to make every day special and do the cutest things to make sure days are memorable, especially after having spent so much time in a hospital. Reminds me to enjoy the days, not just the special days.

In otherwise unnotable news, I have changed up some medication and it's amazing the difference I feel. I no longer feel like just laying in bed all day and sleeping. I don't feel like crying all the time. I don't find myself watching sad Lifetime movies all day long. Heck, I even feel like getting up and showering, which is a huge leap for me, trust me. It's amazing how a little change can make such a difference in how you view things. I'm happy again...after many months of my pity party. Yeah, it was a pity party and I still fall into it, but at least it's passing kind of like a storm. I highly encourage someone who is taking medication that just doesn't seem to cut it to ask the doctor to change it. It can make the difference in how you view everything and make a huge difference. Small changes, I tell you.

And lastly...I purchased a Kindle. It's an electronic book notepad that has wireless connectivity. I'm a huge reader and wasn't looking forward to lugging a suitcase full of books for the vacation and stumbled across this Kindle. The initial price is steep at about $260 (thank you tax returns), but the cost of books are so much cheaper than physical books and there are tons of classics that are free. I'm glad I purchased it. Best luxury purchase ever. Highly recommended.