Today's Obsession: Scrabble Pillows

Hello, my pretties, and Happy Scrabble Day! I was browsing etsy and the Internet, because I know there’s tons of cute Scrabble jewelry out there, but then I wondered how often I would actually wear it.I grew up playing Scrabble with my mom, who's a beast. She has a vocabulary that would put anyone to shame. Plus, she has the Scrabble dictionary, which is just unfair.

Instead, I found these hilariously awesome (and oh-so-deliciously shabby chic) Scrabble pillows. The seller makes each pillow individually and you can get a set that spells out anything you like! Adorable, me thinks. I was thinking about where they'd look best, and I have to say that'd probably be back home in San Diego. I have a special outdoor couch that can always use more pillows (you can never have too many) and would look great with some kitchy Scrabble fun.

What if the pillows spelled out "WOOF?" Not only is it appropriate for me and my family, but the letters happen to score a perfect 10. Irony? I think not. Obsessed.

4 Letter Pillows Inserts Included spelling out "WOOF" on etsy, $98

Old Habits Die Hard

I’ve been spending my morning looking up crazy holidays that no one ever celebrates. I love using them as tie-ins for stories and they oftentimes prompt good story ideas, anyway. I know I’m way ahead of the game here, but May 9th is apparently Tear the Tags Off the Mattress Day. I’m loving it.

I never understood why it’s apparently a crime to rip off a piece of fabric. Yet, I’ll admit that I’ve never done it. Anyway, as usual the idea prompted some thoughts annnnd obviously a blog post. I just got thinking… What other useless information do I just listen to and accept as normal even if it isn’t? What habits do I still maintain even though they are no longer relevant?

I’ve had a Word document open on my screen for a bit and compiled a list. In no particular order and just because I want to, here’s a list of all the random habits or silly rules that make no sense to me:

• Look both ways when you cross the street: not as useful when you live on a tiny deserted island with one-way streets.
• I always take the first stair with my right foot. I’ve tried switching it up and just faceplant.
• Knocking on doors: why not kick it?
• The customer is always right: bullllllpucky the customer is NOT always right. I find it hilariously hypocritical that establishments enforce that mentality, yet have signs that say “We maintain the right to refuse service to anyone.” There should be a fine print that reads “but we’ll let you bring in your perfectly fine coffees for free refills even though we know you just go from Starbucks to Starbucks, you lazy bum.”
• Forks: why does the fork go on the left when most people are right-handed and the fork is the most prominently used utensil?
• Cash: for one of my SAT test essays, I argued that we should completely eliminate cash. And I think there’s a case for it. With everything on plastic, we’d save a lot of money we spend manufacturing. And maybe beggars would believe me when I tell them I don’t carry cash (I don’t).
• Say cheese for the camera: say whatttt?
• Picking up the phone: apparently, in 1877, Thomas Edison wrote a letter to the president of the Telegraph Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, suggesting that when people answer the phone, they use the word "Hello" instead of the word "Ahoy" suggested by Alexander Graham Bell.
• Ringback tones: I don’t need to know your (lack of) taste in music.
• Labor Day: what exactly are we celebrating, except the death of our right to wear white?

Fancy a Spot of Tea?

I'm not exactly feeling well today. I'm having nasty hot flashes and feel like my skin might melt off (not exactly comfortable when I'm wearing a down jacket). So during my afternoon slump, I snuck into the Marie Claire kitchen and made myself a cup of green jasmine tea.

I know I'm crazy old-fashioned and all, but I think that tea is completely undervalued in today's society. People loooveee to talk about their dependency on their morning nonfat, extra hot lattes (trust me, I'm a total fan), but an afternoon cup of tea is completely different (Random digression: my summer drink is a green tea lemonade. Tastes like sunshine).

Coffee is about the caffeine and the morning wake up. But tea is about savoring the moment. It's about slowing down for a second, warming up to a steam facial and communing with one's inner self. Cheesy? Perhaps. But my opinion is no different.

Anyway, my little afternoon tea sesh (I just said that in an English accent in my head) got me thinking. Rather than blog about how super special tea is, I should just show. It's also on my Bucket List (Dude... seriously need to put that up here) to host various themed dinner parties. And for one of them, I think I'll do a tea party.

When we were clearing out my grandmother's things several years ago, we found a mismatched set of various tea cups and saucers and I thought they were the prettiest things. I don't throw myself birthday parties (because I generally just dislike my birthday), but I always thought a tea party birthday would be so pretty.

See? Pretty :) Anyway, insteaadddd, I was just thinking how awesome it would be to have a holiday tea party. I could bake holiday cookies and treats and have pretty little centerpieces with dark red flowers and lots of greenery and then we could have an assortment of teas... mint, green, breakfast. It would be a relatively inexpensive party to host because it's only paying for desserts, instead of feeding people.

And all the girls (because I'm assuming tea and testosterone don't really mix) could come in pretty party dresses (and even vintage hats!!) and we could just sit and drink tea and eat sweets and just soak up each others' prettiness.

Keep your eyes peeled for the invite in November.