February Lovin'

It's Valentine's month, and however you feel about a Hallmark holiday apparently intended to ostracize and humiliate people who haven't coupled off, while at the same time making people who have coupled off feel obligated to spend money on material things like flowers and jewelry that encourage the exploitation of human laborers and consume a vast number of fossil fuels when they are imported from around the globe, February is also a month for lovin'.

So here are some things I am loving this month:

* The 22-ounce Starbuck cup.  I got this idea from Keleen, and I am obsessed with this thing.  I left mine at my parents' after visiting them for the weekend, so I had to buy another one to get me through.  Since then, my mom has returned it to me and now I delight in having two of them.  I fill one up every morning before I leave the house, I fill it up again at lunch, and I try to drink a third refill at dinner time.

 (I also pee every thirty minutes or so, which is awesome.)

* Ryan Gosling.  Marky-Mark will always make my heart go pitter-patter, but Ryan Gosling has totally charmed me.  And by "charmed," I mean I love his slim fitting suits and his airbrushed abs.  Netflix just sent Drive our way and I've never been so excited to see a movie full of car chases.  I also like the way he frequently shows up on Pinterest saying things like this:

Makes you hungry for Skittles, doesn't he?

* Tums.  This really needs no explanation.  I don't want to go anywhere without a bucket of these.

* Craigslist.  I just scored a mini-fridge for my office (David picked it up yesterday) and I'm getting ready to list our GORGEOUS PLAID COUCHES

See the GORGEOUS PLAID?  It could be yours!  Not for sale:  husband and puggle.

So if you're in the St. Louis metro area and you want two GORGEOUS PLAID COUCHES, just let me know.  I can give you a really good deal.  Cash only.  No delivery.  (Not to worry--I'll throw in the cream-colored Pottery Barn slipcovers, pictured here, for free!).  Yes, yes.  We're biting the bullet on new living room furniture (after years of trying to convince David this is a good idea, he's suddenly all in--mostly because it looks like this purchase is going to include a recliner... aesthetically, I am adamantly opposed, but DAMN those things are comfortable).

* The Iliad.  I'm such a nerd, but I freaking love the Greek and Trojan war, the way the gods and goddesses take sides, the fact that it's all about arrogant men bickering over beautiful women.  I love teaching it and I love seeing my students get interested in it.  It's so good.  (And yes, I will show my class a little bit of the movie Troy.  It's not exactly accurate to the plot, but oh, the eye candy.  Even without Ryan Gosling or Mark Wahlberg, it's totally worth 20 to 30 minutes of class time.)

* Purple gel pens (as pictured in the Starbucks cup picture).  I've decided that purple is going to be my signature grading color this semester.  It's friendlier than red, jazzier than black, cuter than blue.  I bought two purple gel pens and it's almost enough to make me look forward to marking freshmen essays.  Almost.

* Scarves.  I've been a fan of scarves ever since we went to Paris in 2009 and every chic European woman was wearing one.  Now I love the fact that they help disguise the belly (no conversations with strangers!), that they offer a little variety in my nothing-fits-and-I-don't-want-to-shop-for-maternity-clothes wardrobe, and that they make me feel like I look pulled together and somewhat competent even when I feel like I'm spinning in circles.  I especially am into circle scarves these days.  I'm digging this one, currently for sale at Overstock.com (no, they did not pay me to say that):

So that's my February Love-List.  I'm always looking to expand it, so tell me what you're loving these days.