Chickens
We started keeping backyard chickens in 2012. I never thought I could love something so much. They are cute, hilarious, and they make eggs. Just watching them chickening about is so therapeutic. I highly recommend that everyone get some.
Shoes
I love shoes! For me, they are like art. Like a collection. There are so many different styles, shapes, and colors. They are beautiful. You can be very expressive with shoes. And when clothes refuse to fit, like they do so often with me, shoes will never let you down. No, that doesn't mean I run around naked wearing nothing but shoes (although that might be fun! No wait, nobody needs to see that!) It's just that when you're out shopping and you find some cute clothes to try on and they don't look as cute on you as they do on the hanger, or you can't even get them on, you can always turn to shoes. They will still fit. They will be there for you when your clothing or your body have betrayed you. I have worn the same shoe size for most of my life. My clothing size is another story. I think this is why I have around 70 pairs of shoes. And this is after several rounds of purging my closet. Maybe I need another purge. I've really cut down on buying new shoes though, because I stay home most of the time and either go barefoot or wear flip flops, but it's still fun to go to the store and look at them.
Shopping
***EDIT*** Wow this is old. I don't love shopping as much as I used to. I realized a few years ago that I have way too much stuff and have been trying to not buy as much. Also, with my anxiety the way it is, sometimes it's hard to make myself go out. I still get the urge once in awhile, but not as often as I used to. I do enjoy wandering around stores still, I just usually don't buy anything.
(I'll leave that old paragraph here just for memories)
I have heard shopping referred to as "retail therapy." This is really true. I love to go shopping. Not necessarily to buy things, but just to go out and look at what's there. There is something therapeutic about it. It's relaxing, calming, uplifting. Unless it's Christmas time! Then it's just pure torture! But under normal conditions, just wandering through a store with no time restraints and hopefully no sales people bothering me is one of the most relaxing, enjoyable things I can think of.
Chocolate
The darker the better. Need I say more?
Baking
Especially with the above mentioned chocolate. :)
Vinyl
Yes. I am old school. I LOVE VINYL!!! Glad it's making a comeback. If you are not familiar with vinyl, it's what music used to come on WAAAY before it became invisible. Before MP3s and iPods. Before CDs. Before cassettes. Big round flat black things with a small hole in the middle. Know what I'm talking about now? OK. Good. Vinyl is cool. Not only is the sound quality great, but there's a kind of sweet nostalgia to it. It takes you back to a time when things were simpler, happier. Maybe that's just me. I used to be fascinated by my parent's record player. I would just watch the record spin and the arm getting closer and closer to the center. I thought it was the coolest thing when my dad showed me how to put a record on and work the turntable. I think I was about 5. I think this is what started my obsession with the next item on this list...
Audio Equipment
I am fully aware of the fact that I am a big giant nerd. I get goosebumps at the sight of cool audio equipment. This love apparently started when I was very little. I have vague memories of various things: playing 45s on my grandma's portable record player, my uncle having DJ equipment, learning how to work my parent's stereo. My mom remembers me playing with an old mini reel to reel that she used to have. I guess it was like the first Walkman. I don't remember this. I wish I did. I think all this is why I fell in love with radio. All the buttons and knobs and lights are just fascinating. I learned multi-track recording on a 4 track reel to reel at the radio station I worked at. I would stay there til all hours of the night just playing and learning how to do different things. And not to sound pompous or anything, but I got to be really good at it. Then everything went digital and at the same time I started working in a different department. I never really learned how to do the whole digital thing. I just kind of lost touch with my inner audio nerd. I really miss that time of my life. I wish I had all that cool equipment at home. The old school equipment. I like to be able to see and touch things. All this invisible digital stuff is just weird. But even so, I wouldn't mind learning more. Now all you need is a computer and some software, which I have, and not a huge room filled with expensive toys. But I still think the toys would be more fun!
Crafty Things
I love to make stuff. I just need more time to do it. And a dedicated space to do it would be nice too! I'm working on one. I love making jewelry, drawing, painting, knitting, crocheting, sewing, scrapbooking...the list is endless. I have so many supplies, I could open my own store! I keep coming up with new ideas, too. It drives me crazy! I need more time in the day so I can play! I have an Etsy shop set up, but there's not much there yet.
Weather
See? I told you I was a big nerd! I am fascinated by weather. Not just if it's going to be sunny or rainy tomorrow, but what is behind it being sunny or rainy. The high pressure, low pressure, jet stream. The way the weather patterns shift at certain times of the year. Here we have the monsoon during the late summer. It's the summer rainy season. I remember when I was little, it would rain every afternoon at about 2:00. It was almost like clockwork. Every day for about 2 weeks. Now it is much different. It's more hit and miss, but when it hits it really hits. We can have some really crazy thunderstorms with tons of rain. Or nothing at all. The lightning these storms produce is amazingly beautiful. I am terrified of it, though, and if a storm is too close, you can probably find me hiding in the closet. Seriously. I have done it.
I took a weather class in college thinking maybe I could turn my fascination into a career. It turns out there is a lot of math and science involved in predicting the weather. I don't do math and science. My brain just doesn't work that way. And I didn't really learn anything new that I hadn't learned from watching the weather on TV. What I did learn is that I'm not cut out to be a meteorologist. I got a C in the class.
Nail Polish
Since I am an artsy creative person, I love color. I recently made that connection to my obsession with nail polish. I love nail polish. So many pretty colors! What better way to express your love of color than by painting your nails? My grandma is to blame for this. She used to have really long nails and she used to let me paint them. This started my obsession. Every season, cosmetic companies come up with new fashionable nail polish shades. Every season, I would buy tons of new nail polish. I know. That is insane. If I come across a color I especially love, I might buy 3 or 4 bottles in case it's ever discontinued. I know I am crazy. I won't deny it. But I've been a lot better the last few years at not buying ridiculous amounts of nail polish. Husband gave me a nail polish rack to hang on the wall. I filled it up with 116 bottles and still had several that wouldn't fit. Oops.
Fonts
Yes. More nerdy stuff. Fonts are just cool. Almost like art. Different ways of expressing different ideas. I probably have too many. You get the idea.
India
I love India's jewelry, art, music, and clothing. Everything is just so beautiful and unique. I haven't tried the food yet. I've heard it's really spicy and I can barely handle Mexican food spicy. I would love to go to India, but I have trouble with large crowds of people. I think the entire country is one huge crowd of people. All the Xanax in the world probably couldn't help me. So I will just enjoy India from afar.
British Accents
If everyone spoke with a British accent, the world would be a much better place. I'd like to go to England someday too, but I don't know if I could handle flying over the water. Maybe if I hire my own personal anesthesiologist to knock me out before I get on the plane...Hmmm
