Things I'm Loving Friday XXVI

I'm not sure how it's already Friday, but here we are again! Time for another rendition of Things I'm Loving Friday. I apologize for my absence these past couple of days, but I have just loved being lazy and doing things that I want to do and seeing friends that I want to see and not being glued to my computer. Or if I am on my computer, I am doing things like scrolling through Pinterest and catching up on all the BuzzFeed quizzes I've missed over the weeks. Productive and quality things, you see. Anyway, I've had one dynamite spring break, and I don't think this time off could have come at a better time. So, without further ado, continue on for Things I'm Loving Friday.

Scrunchies

No, it's not Throwback Thursday. When my volleyball girls told me that scrunchies were back in style, I was elated. I was the scrunchie (and bow and ribbon) queen in elementary school (okay, in middle and high school, too), and they told me that American Apparel is the place to go for scrunchies. And they were right. I drove down to the Montrose location one afternoon and I'm not kidding when I say they had every color and pattern under the sun. It was so hard to choose, but I knew I'd be back. I wear (practical) hair accessories - if scrunchies can be considered practical - hair accessories like a champ.

Brown Bag Deli

This place has been on my to-eat list for a long time. I love sandwiches, and I've heard nothing but good things about this sandwich shop. So, when Lindsay suggested meeting for lunch at the Brown Bag Deli downtown, I was all in. This place is much like Which Wich, in that you get to build your own sandwich, marking what kind of bread, meat, and toppings you want on a brown bag (hence the name), but I am going to have to give the edge to Brown Bag Deli. Why? For one, the bread. Oh, the bread is so fresh and full. And they are far from skimpy on the meat and vegetables. I ate every last bite and was left feeling full for hours. I'll certainly be making a return trip very soon.

March Madness

You can see my full bracket here. One reason why I love having a spring break is that I don't feel bad about sitting on my couch watching basketball game after basketball game after basketball game, cheering when the teams I picked win, and groaning when the inevitable upset happens. Especially when a team that I don't-really-like-but-picked-to-win loses. When will I learn to always trust my gut? Anyway, I love the excitement and chaos of March Madness, and though the big guys will win a seven-game series nearly every time, you just never know what will happen in those 40 minutes of play.

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Volleyball

I mentioned that one of the items on my Spring Break To-Do List was playing volleyball. And on Tuesday night, just after a walk at Hermann Park with Sarah, I headed over to Spike Sport Volleyball Club for their Tuesday night open gym. I was right to be intimidated, because at first, I wasn't sure about my decision in going there alone and joining a random team. While many of the people I met were competitive, but still in good spirits, there were a few people who were a little bit too into it for their skill level, if you catch my drift. These people mellowed out toward the end of the evening, and I eventually found my groove, with a few people coming up to me and complimenting me on my sets. It's like riding a bike, isn't it? And though I was absolutely exhausted at the end of it, I had the best time getting out there and playing my favorite game.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

I'll admit that I had a harder time really getting into this book than I did Scary Close. The book didn't immediately captivate me, until I got about halfway in. After that, I absolutely flew through the book. All I can say is that Donal Miller just gets it. This one basically talks about living a great story, and how the best stories include conflict. And though conflict is inevitable, "there is no conflict a man can endure that will not produce a blessing." I have a whole page full of quotes from this book, and I highly, highly recommend giving Don Miller a read.

Spiral Slicer

Do you remember how one of my spring break goals was to try two new recipes, one of them being an actual meal? Well, I headed up the road to Sur La Table and purchased a (on-sale!) Spiral Slicer, that would make recreating this recipe so much easier. I'm not a huge pasta person. Not because I don't like the taste, but because I don't like how it makes me feel after I eat it. But pasta made out of vegetables? Sign me up! This device made slicing up a zucchini into thin spirals so incredibly easy, and I can see myself using this a couple of times a week, as the possibilities are endless. It's such a versatile machine, with three blade options - thin spirals, ribbons, or thick spirals, and the best part is probably how easy it is to use. One of my better kitchen purchases, as of late.

And that's all I've got for y'all today! I'm off to enjoy my last spring break weekday, or just sit on the couch and watch March Madness. Either way, it's sure to be a great day.