i'm excited about posting today! though infrequent, this series forces me to remember to be grateful for what i've experienced. i also credit the long weekend for the optimism.

here's what brought me joy this month.

🎞 Cinderella (1997), a film

March started off wonderfully with this movie. i don't remember watching it as a kid but as an adult, i had lots of fun. a cute romance, great actors/singers and songs in a perfect hour and a half that didn't feel like a made-for-TV movie at all. i watched the credits in a daze, feeling warm and fuzzy. however, that might have been because of Prince Christopher 🤭 1997 Cinderella supremacy!

this also made me realize that, yes, i actually do love musicals. watching several musical theater productions, animated Disney movies, and all three High School Musical movies weren't hint enough, LOL.

🥬 spinach smoothie, a drink

i was sick for half the month and work was busy, busy, leaving me with no energy to cook, but in the last few weeks, i remembered i could drink my greens (duh!). ice, a handful of spinach, ground flaxseed, vanilla protein powder, chia seeds, sometimes greek yogurt, oat milk, and maple syrup. delicious and healthy.

💅 a manicure

last night i set up a bare bones nail salon on the couch while Girls 5eva played on TV. sure, i spilled cuticle softener on my lap but it was fine because scraping off all the gunk and dead skin from my nails was pure satisfaction. i opted for rounded nails and two coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in 141 Arm Candy. the tone difference between the polish (cool) and my skin tone (warm) was glaring, but i preferred a milky look over sheer. my hands have never looked so classy.

🎶 symptom of life by WILLOW, a song

Willow always manages to bring an otherworldly element to her songs (e.g. Female Energy) by manipulating her voice with unexpected riffs. in this song, how she curls in and out of "why?" and "I" in the final lines of the chorus — "Gotta decide how we're gonna heal it, why? / Yeah / Gotta decide how we're gonna feel it / I (desparately) am trying to find out" — is absolute chef's kiss. her voice is truly an instrument. i recommend listening to it with headphones if you want to slip into another world.