Note: Eye Candy: Store Inspiration will run tomorrow.
It’s a lovefest on Effortless Anthropologie this week! For the next several days we’ll be celebrating that warm fuzzy feeling with guest posts, features and — of course — contests. I’ve asked a ton of people to contribute their own personal things they love tales and I hope the community will share in the comments over the course of the week. Valentine or no, EA wants to help celebrate the loves of your life.
Some community members have written to me with their stories too! I’ve immensely enjoyed reading your tales (and will be sharing my own tomorrow). A couple of the tales are included in today’s roundup and Sylke posted another tale here.
This post, which will run each day, contains personal stories from community members and blogs. I asked each person: what is something you love? Could be serious, superficial or sublime. Here are some of their stories.
Maria
infinitewhimsy.blogspot.com
I don’t get to write about this on my blog too often, but I’m so glad that I have an opportunity to write about this here on Effortless Anthropologie. For the past year and a half, I’ve been in the most difficult relationship of my life. Some days we adore each other, some days we detest each other, some days are so great I feel like spinning on a mountaintop (Sound of Music reference, yes), and some make me want to cry, scream, and punch a wall. I’m not talking about my fiance, James, here. I’m talking about my relationship with 120 kids between the ages of twelve and sixteen. As their eighth-grade teacher, I couldn’t expect anything else. Last year, which was my first year teaching, it took months and months before I saw my students as relatable, pleasant, well-meaning individuals. For a long time, they fought me, I fought them, and we were never in a state of understanding. Ever-so-slowly, throughout the course of the year, I found myself singing songs to them about math, sharing stories with them, becoming the resident french-braider for the spring softball team, and fending off hugs left and right. Since this took the course of a whole year to achieve, I expected that this year would be the same.
At the very beginning of the year I missed last year’s students terribly and wanted to have them back. Then, something interesting happened. Within a couple weeks, my relationship with my new students had the same feel as the end of last year with my old students. They wanted to… hug me. More significantly, they wanted to talk to me about their lives. Every day at “break,” I have students telling me stories about their moms, dads, friends, and cousins. Girls will bring in style magazines to have me describe how I feel about certain pairs of shoes. (“Ms. L! You describe shoes the same way you describe math! You break it all down.” *peals of laugher*) One student in particular stays after school every single day… just to talk to me. They’re still honest to the point of frustration, (You have dandruff in your hair/ your have a hole in your tights/ your nail is chipped/ your hair looks like the girl from The Grudge) but I love them for it. Some days they make me feel like total crap, but when I look back on this experience I know I’ll remember all of them warmly for their honesty, their vivacious spirit, and their constant ability to make me laugh.
Kathryn
inpursuitofprettythings.com
When Roxy asked me to write about something I love, I didn’t have to think very hard to know what I was going to write about. To put it simply, I love my mother. Though she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease nearly four years ago, she is still able to smile at me and tell me that she loves me. My father captured this photo of us on Christmas day, and to me it shows that the bond between a mother and her child can never be broken. Actually, I don’t have much to write because I feel the photo speaks for itself. I love you, Mama. Forever and ever.
Carol
inpursuitofprettythings.com
Dear Public Radio,
Will you be my Valentine? I know, it’s not the usual sort of letter you get from listeners, commenting on the proper pronunciation of the word “detritous” or asking why Robert Siegel seems to have totally overlooked the latest Gallup polls when reporting on this or that latest move by Congress, but well, I’ll write that letter next week. This week, I’m writing you a love letter.
I love you, Public Radio. And I think we make a great pair!
It’s true. When I’m in the car, and I’m sick of listening to the kids’ music, you’re always there for me. You keep me current, with programs like All Things Considered or Morning Edition or Fresh Air or Marketplace. On the weekends, during long drives to Orange County to visit the family or short drives around town to run errands, you make me laugh or cry with shows like Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! or This American Life, or Car Talk. I’ve memorized the station frequencies for several different listening areas, so as to always have access to one of your broadcasts, no matter where I am. I’m the one Ira Glass is talking about, when he points out that there are listeners who are tuned in to you, even during pledge drives.
When I’m in the office by myself, and feeling lonely, I stream you over the internet, and you lay the world at my feet. You get that I’m a giant geek, and you don’t judge me for it.
I mean, where else will I learn about collateralized debt obligations, quasars, and the latest Janelle Monae album all in one place? Who else is going to take the time to explain to me what was wrong with the concrete that BP used to build its disastrous gulf oil well, or give me concise but thoughtful summaries of the latest rulings by the Supreme Court? Who else will interview Jason Segal in such an intelligent and engaging way?
Who else will let Garrison Keillor tell me which authors’ birthdays it is today and read me a poem from a recently published book of verse?
You, Public Radio. Only you.
I love how smart you are, how insightful you are, how funny you are. You even helped out my husband last Valentine’s Day, when he gave me an NPR mug and an NPR t-shirt as a gift. ^_-
Happy Valentine’s Day, Public Radio. You’re the best!
xoxo,
Carol
Sara
youmeandanthropologie.blogspot.com
One of the things that I love and treasure most in my life (besides my family and friends) is my disc of wedding pictures. These pictures bring a huge smile to my face every time I look at them and they take me right back to that amazing day that was filled with so much love and happiness.
My photographer captured tons of amazing moments that day, but my favorite picture on the disc by far would have to be this black and white shot that she took during our “First look” moment. I love it not only because it’s a gorgeous photograph, but also because it exudes all of the emotions we were feeling at that very moment. Love, passion, relief, happiness, desire, anxiety, surprise, and trust…they were all there right at that moment and I feel them all over again every time I look at this picture. Isn’t it amazing how powerful a single photograph can be?
You know the question “What one thing would you grab on your way out the door if your house was on fire?” Well my disc of wedding pictures would definitely be my one thing >:)
Jessica
breakfastatgigis.blogspot.com
What is something I love? Well, being a true girlie-girl at heart I
LOVE to dress-up. I take full advantage of any excuse to wear a dress
and some cute high heels.
Ever since I quit my full time job to be a stay at home mom, one of
the things I have missed most is being able to wear a dress or skirt
everyday. Now I wish it were practical for me to take care of my
little baby, Gigi, while wearing a dress and high heels, but then
again I don’t want baby food or baby spit-up all over my pretty
clothes! And let’s not even discuss diaper blow-outs. So for now, I
have to wait for a special occasion.
One of my favorite dresses from Anthropologie is the Drifting By Dress
because whenever I put it on I feel so feminine in it. It’s the
perfect little black dress for me that I can style a multitude of
different ways. This dress certainly holds my heart and makes it go
pitter-patter.
Tricia
tricias-take.blogspot.com
“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”
– Abraham Lincoln
All of my life my greatest desire was to be a mother, I wanted to stay at home and raise children who would grow to become good citizens of the world. I love my job of being a mother it brings me the greatest amount of happiness and hardship all at the same time. I had no idea 8 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, Dorothy, how much having a child would change my life.
I had always dreamed of having a little girl (and luckily got two!) so I could dress her up and do her hair! I love shopping with my oldest daughter and dressing her for any and all events.
As a responsible mother, I often worry about the effect my fashion blog may have on my daughters. I always tell them, “It is much more important what kind of a person you are on the inside, than what you are dressed like on the outside.” I think looking our best is very important and as a stay-at-home mom, I think it’s important to take pride in myself and how I look, and hope to impress that upon my daughters. It is my deepest desire that they will grow to become beautiful women on the inside and out!
Rosa
loveatfirstshop.blogspot.com
I truly believe that one of the many meaningful connections you can have in life is with a pet. The instant my sister & I brought Savannah home, it was love at first sight. When we were looking around, cooing over different kinds of adorable puppies, and we almost walked right by her. Her hair was long and fluffy, she looked like a mop, you couldn’t even see her cute face. But when we played with her, we could tell that she had a real personality and was just begging us to take her home.
Savannah is full of unconditional love and lots of snuggles. She is so much fun to just hang out with, and she’s always up for a nap together. Even though we went through some rough patches while training her, she is just too cute to be mad at ever. I can say that I really, truly, love my puppy. Boys may come and go, but your puppy will always be there for you. She will be by your side through thick and thin, even if she occasionally chews up your favorite & irreplaceable pair of shoes. She is a friendly face that is always so excited for you to come home! (And she never judges you for taking photos of yourself and putting them on the internet.)
I love, love, love the ocean. The harmony of wind, sun, birds & waves is a perfect concert. The sound of the waves alone resets my spiritual clock.
When my mind is a puzzle that can’t be solved or I feel I’ve lost my way, to the ocean I go. I take my troubles to the water’s edge. The ocean lovingly rushes up to pull them away from me. And I am grateful.
When my mind is full of joy or I’m embarking on something new, to the ocean I go. I bring my hopes and dreams to her, trusting that she will accept those as well. The waves dance around, smoothing out any worries on the peripheral.
Sometimes I have to settle for the ocean on mp3 and that’s fine by me. My mind fills in the details. The gentle heat of the sun, a light breeze and the texture of the sand. I float away just the same.
When I am at the ocean, I am at peace.
Midory
community submission
I love to make a difference.
I grew up doing community service ever since I was 11; from missionary work in Mexico to volunteering every week at orphanages in Tijuana, to putting together a play for raising money for the poor and even selling pies. You know what the most ironic part of this whole experience was; that my family was poor in Tijuana. Having been evicted from multiple homes and having to wear hand me downs throughout the majority of my childhood only motivated to help kids not go through the same dismay.
Ten years later, in Architecture School, I was presented with a yearlong thesis assignment of designing anything I wanted, when I mean anything I mean anything! You dedicate your blood, sweat, tears, and shopping for a whole year! I know how dreadful, specially the shopping part. For the longest time I asked myself, what should I design? Where should I make the coolest new mall? But then my questions sounded more like; Who should I help? How can I make a difference?
I decided to design an after school facility for children in an impoverished neighborhood in Tijuana. I wanted to design for kids, not just because they lived in poor areas, but because a child’s development is so highly impacted by their surroundings and their environment. Learning and designing for children in need, made me feel like a little kid all over again. I would see myself as that 11 year old selling pies on a busy street in Tijuana. But at the end of the day I wasn’t a little kid anymore, I was far from it, I was a grown up finding herself one more time but now through her profession.
Every day I wake up with a smile because even as an architect I was able to create a solution that can make a difference in an area that was in need, how can I not love that?
