Things That Made Me Smile: October

Has it really been since March that I last wrote a post highlighting things that make me smile? Is it only in winter that I find myself reflecting so much? Well, here I am, thankful for the little things throughout the  last month.

• •I'm a part of the museum's Women in Science steering committee! We have a wonderful group of interns every summer, and I'm working on alumni relations to keep in touch with our interns as they further their education and careers. My first project was creating an e-newsletter that we plan to have quarterly, and it was just sent out! After spending weeks searching job opportunities and books that they might like and find interesting, it feels so good to complete it. 
• •My jam lately: D.R.A.M.'s Broccoli feat. Lil Yachty. It's so catchy and instantly puts me in a better mood. I've also been listening to a lot of classic Rilo Kiley lately. I love Jenny Lewis' voice and the things she sings about. Do you know of any other female vocalists that also have such hauntingly relatable lyrics? 
• •After keeping the rumors under wraps, the museum finally announced that we have an actual tattoo shop within our latest temporary exhibit, Tattoo. The spots for appointments were limited, so it booked within a day and all appointments are sold out. However! You can still get natural history themed tattoos specifically for the museum, designed by Chicago tattoo artists in temporary tattoo versions from Tattly! I already have a few lovely temporary tattoos that I can't wait to sport! 
• •We went bar-hopping in our neighborhood with a huge group of Steven's coworkers. A friend was wearing pins that she makes on her gorgeous pink bomber jacket. You can find her at Salad Days Pins. I had to have her Marie Antoinette pin, to go with my other queen pin that another friend gave me, Dr Frank-N-Furter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Steven bought the Mask of Agamemnon pin and the Venus de Willendorf pin from our friend. I'm happily sporting my queens on my camera strap!
• •I've been saving money lately by not going out as much, but with all of our extra time at home, I've wanted to spend my money on things around the house, like rugs! We've wanted a large, patterned rug for our living room for a while, but of course, $1,000 Persian rugs were not in our budget. I came upon the rug section of Wayfair.com and was happy to find some affordable (machine-made), Persian-inspired rugs within our budget! We bought one for the living room, and after being very happy with the purchase, we bought two others for the apartment. It's incredible how rugs really bring a room together and make it feel so cozy. 
• •Steven recently went back to his graduate school and gave a presentation since he is now an alumnus that has been working in the video game industry for a few years. He practiced his presentation for weeks and I was able to watch the live stream of it when he finally presented. I'm so incredibly proud of him! He has heard such positive feedback from the current students, and from his coworkers as well!
• •Lastly, I've been trying to remember this a lot lately. After not getting a job that I interviewed for, I've been struggling a little with insecurities in my every day life, and feeling a bit of impostor syndrome. I try to remind myself to be amazed at how far I've come. I'm really happy with where I work and the work I get to do. I've come so far in a short amount of time since graduating college, and I want to remind myself that. Because it is amazing, and I deserve the success that I have.