Simple Joys of the Week, August 9th Edition

Fresh off of an AM yoga class, I'm currently sitting on my couch, sipping iced green tea with lemon, listening to Birdy, and writing. Does life get any better than this? The sun is shining, I have a full day and weekend ahead of me, and although a lot is going on in life right now, I feel really grounded. I think this is why I love August (and especially Fridays in August!)...

So, it's from this great place that I want to share my simple, sensory joys of the week with you. What brought you joy this week? Here's what made me smile over the past 7 days...

HEAR: "Yellow" by Scala & Kolacny Brothers
This song has been making me SO happy this month. SO HAPPY. It's my August savasana song, and every time that it plays in class I feel an overwhelming sense of peace. It's so beautiful that I cannot even begin to explain it. Just listen: 

SEE: The New Girl
I'm sure I've mentioned my love for this show before, but it's been a while, so I thought we should talk about it again. Why? Because I think it's one of the funniest shows on TV right now, and I think you should all be watching it. I caught up on it last night and it made me laugh out loud multiple times. I simply adore Zooey Deschanel, and her comedic abilities really speak to me, as I can definitely identify with her quirkiness. If you don't already watch it, I definitely recommend giving it a chance! It's one of about 3-4 shows that I actually care about catching up on these days. 

TASTE: Snack foods for dinner
You know when you have one of those days when you just graze on yummy snack foods/appetizers for hours, and that becomes your dinner? I love that. Not all of the time, of course, as that would be crazy unhealthy, but sometimes it's a really fun way to eat (aka, usually stuff yourself). Anyways, that's what I did last weekend when I had friends over, and I really enjoyed snacking on cheddar popcorn, cheese, grapes, hummus, carrots, and nuts all afternoon. Sometimes, this is the perfect meal! 

SMELL: Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette [By "Belly-to-Belly Dressings," the homemade salad dressing company that Ben and I are going to start one day]
Ben made another one of his famous salad dressings this week. I know I've mentioned his Caesar and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette before, but you guys, his Balsamic is out of this world. The guy is talented! Also, random side note: I think this may be Ben week on the blog. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think that he's made more appearances on Starr Struck this week than ever before. Go Ben!

TOUCH: Mixed media materials
Last weekend, I hosted a little "mixed media afternoon/tutorial" with two friends, and I had a total blast. I love teaching artistic methods to other people, as it's such a different type of teaching for me, and it's SO fun to see what people create with the materials that they're given. As you can see from the image above, both of my friends were happy with their final creations, and I loved the way their work resembled each of their personalities so much. 

So there you have it! I hope you'll take some time to reflect on your SJOTW today, as well. It's such a great way to connect with a sense of gratitude for your everyday life... 

I hope to see some of you at the Business of Yoga Conference here in DC this weekend! I'm off to enjoy some sessions this afternoon, and am really looking forward to it :)

Have a great Friday!