Simple Joys of the Week: July 29th Edition

What a wonderfully busy, quick, and yoga-filled week! My brother and his adorable girlfriend, Caitlin, are in town this weekend, so although I'm just wrapping up my simple joys of the past week here, I'm also very excited about all of the fun times ahead this weekend...

What brought you simple, sensory joy this week? My faves are below:

Photo via relevantmagazine.com

Hear: "I've Got This Friend" by The Civil Wars

After class last week, one of my students came up to me to talk to me about my playlist (we have a lot of similar musical interests) and told me that I should check out The Civil Wars, her current favorite band. So of course, I did, and I'm COMPLETELY smitten with them. They're kind of like The Swell Season with a bit of a country twang. Their songs and voices are beautiful, and I can't wait to add a few of their songs to my next class playlist. Listen to one of my favorites, "I've Got This Friend" below...

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Photo via www.borderstan.com

Taste: Zorba's Cafe in Dupont Circle

I've walked by this restaurant hundreds of times and never gone in, but I met some friends from CrossFit DC (miss it so much!) there this past week, and it was delicious. Hummus is one of my favorite foods of all time, and Greek food is one of my favorite delicacies, so I was completely taken with Zorba's right off the bat. I'm so sad that I didn't start going there sooner, when I lived in DC :( Oh well, at least I have a new favorite spot in Dupont Circle! Highly recommended.

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See: My brother, Patrick, and his girlfriend, Caitlin :)

Yay for visitors! My brother and his girlfriend got in last night, and it's been SO wonderful to see them, to meet Caitlin, and to catch up. It may be hard to imagine, but once he gets going Patrick can rival me in the conversation department--a fellow fast-talker with LOTS to say--so I have a blast being around him and hearing his stories :) Plus, I've been dying to meet Caitlin and totally love her! On our agenda for the weekend? Yoga (of course!), kayaking on the Potomac, Benefit for the Animals at TS tonight, doubles tennis (should be interesting...), lots of eating out at our favorite restaurants, and a trip to Georgetown Cupcake, of course (total love/hate relationship...). There's nothing like seeing family after a long time away! Makes me so happy :)

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Touch: Laughing Lotus Yoga Pose Poster

I know, doesn't exactly fit in here, but I framed it this week and hung it up, so dealing with the poster was a tactile experience (and I'm really excited about it) so I had to share. I picked this poster up at Laughing Lotus Yoga on my trip to New York back in May (we have the same poster framed at Tranquil Space), and have been excited about framing it and hanging it in our "den" in our new apartment ever since. I finally found a large enough frame this past week and finally got it up yesterday. Why do I love the poster so much? It shows almost all of the yoga poses (the ones they teach at Laughing Lotus) with their Sanskrit names and adorable pictures and quotes. A fun, must-have for any female yogi :)

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Smell: Lavender

I picked up a bunch of dried lavender on our first trip to the Trader Joe's in the area last Sunday, and when we got home I separated the bunch and began putting it in vases and sprinkling throughout the apartment. I'm addicted to the smell of lavender now (another thing for which I can blame Tranquil Space), so enjoying the lavender has been a wonderful sensory experience this past week. I love walking by and getting enveloped in the relaxing, soothing scent. Plus, I think it's really pretty and like how it looks (decoratively). I love all the finishing touches after a move! Each little detail makes things look a little more homey...

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And that's it for this week! The next time I write a SJOTW post it will be in August...INSANE! Thanks for sticking with me over the last 5 months of blogging! So. much. fun.

Have a glorious weekend!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine