This bodes well, eh? Three weeks into 2013 and I’m already behind? Hey, we’re not going to talk about it. Few things are more dull than reading the self-flagellations of a deficient blogger. I just bored myself right there. YAWN.

So Week 3 was awesome. I spent it in New York City, and it was glorious. I went for Print Source – a trade show for textiles and prints. The booths were great, but the trend seminars were the best part. Trend research is what I spend most of my days doing, so this is my bread and butter. I love, this, stuff. And then my sister flew into town, and my parents were there, and when I was done working, and they were done working, we did awesome things like eat massive amounts of dumplings in Chinatown. Glory.

Mood: The weather in Utah has been ghastly for about a month, the inversion is terrible, and the visibility is like three feet. Ok, maybe a mile or two. To top it off, flu season has hit hard in my ‘hood, and every other person seems to have been struck down by the bug. And….. in spite of it all, I am a bundle of energy. I’ve slept like a rock, been up at the crack of dawn, and have generally felt my best self. I’m pretty thrilled about this, as my experience is that any time I fly my immune system takes a hit. So what’s my secret? No idea. Positive thinking, maybe. I started to get a little paranoid about le germs when I was in New York because the CDC had red dot labeled it as this epicenter of plague. I took all the precautions, used all the hand sanitizers (did you know that if your hands aren’t still wet after 10-15 seconds, you didn’t use enough?) and did all the nutty germaphobic crap that obnoxious people do. And then I took a breath (most likely contaminated, but who knows) and was like… “Self, chill out.” And I did, and I’m fine. These could totally be famous last words. The next time I write to you could be from my death bed. But…. for now, I’m chill. And healthy.

Oh, and a note about the inversion and how it can effect mood. If you’re inclined toward depression, or headaches, or have a weak immune system, consider adding a little extra Vitamin D to your day. Most people don’t get enough as it is. The best source is sunlight, and we don’t get enough sun in normal conditions, much less with this crummy weather. It can help stave off depression, headaches and even help regulate blood sugar levels. Plus, it’s cheap.

Acquiring: One of my favorite new discoveries in New York was the MUJI store. It’s like a Japanese IKEA, but without the furniture. Sort of. And it’s more expensive. Yeah. Anyway, MUJI, in addition to having incredible organization stuffs, has really great office/school supplies. If you know me at all, you know how much I love office/school supplies. It’s so very fitting that I ended up working at a paper company (no, not like Dunder Mifflin). Anyway, I went a little nuts and spent $70 on pens and notebooks. But oh, they are so beautiful. I didn’t take pictures, but I yoinked these off of the MUJI website.

Aren’t they beautiful? And yes, I bought a planner. I had to! It was RED!

Listening to: Medieval choral music. I visited The Cloisters – an offshoot of the Metropolitan Museum of Art located on the tip top western part of Manhattan, up against the river. It’s a huge monastery filled with medieval art, and is really beautiful. It has an interesting history. Read up on it if you’re interested. It is the home of the famous Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries, which are frankly, amazing.

Wearing: This skull shirt. It’s sold out. You can’t have it.

Cooking: Sigh. I’ve gone slow carb/gluten free. It’s the only thing that works for me, and after almost having a full on panic attack on the plane because of the squeeziness of it all, I returned home full of increased motivation to shrink down a few sizes. So I’m making good curries with lean protein and veggies, eating lots of meat + salad combos, and eschewing my beloved toast + butter. The good news, I’m getting tons of fruits and veggies, and I’m allowing myself beans, so things are… moving right along. OH, I WENT THERE.

Wanting: A manicure. I’ve gone all of 2013 without one. WHO AM I ANYMORE?

Vowing: To cut back on not just carbs, but also caps.

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