Hey y’all!

With my birthday just passed,  Emily of The Planking Traveler couldn’t have chosen a better time to tag me for the “10 things that make me happy”  challenge! (See what makes Emily happy here). This is a good time to reflect on all the good in my life! Honestly, I’m sure I could come up with more than 10, but we’ll leave at 10 for the purpose of this post.

My Parents

Ha! Who doesn’t love their mama and daddy? I mean, it’s not mandatory to like your parents because I know that all parents aren’t great, but my parents genuinely make me happy. Without them I wouldn’t be who I am today or even exist for that matter. But it’s not all about them bringing me into the world and all that jazz, but about them pouring into me for the last 33 years. They have sacrificed everything for their family and the example they’ve made for me and my siblings makes me want to be a better person. Love ya mama and daddy! (My mama reads my blog, so I’m really just sucking up for a good birthday gift! Just kidding! Or am I?)

My Bubby

By bubby I mean my hubby! I just love that guy! He is my bestest friend, and after nine years together he still amazes. He is one of the smartest people I know; I’m fascinated by his mind. I thank God for blessing me with him daily because our relationship has challenged me to tap into parts of myself that would have surely remained dormant otherwise. I could write a novel about bubby…he’s awesome!

Cats!

Cats out of the bag! There it is! I’m a crazy cat lady. I love all things with fur, but cats are the cutest to me! I grew up with many cats (many animals actually), but I don’t currently have one. If you really care about me, appeal to my husband to let me have one. Bombard him on my behalf! His phone number is…haha you know better than that! But seriously, leave your comments below and I’ll make sure he sees them.

Fashion

This one might come as a shock (said no one), but I really, really love fashion. I honestly don’t know why I didn’t start my blog sooner. I remember as a little girl creating look books with my cousin. Like who was doing that? Drawing outfits during free time in class? If I knew then what I know now, I woulda been catching a nap! Lol! But it was something that young Qui really enjoyed. Now that I’m older, I’ll go through my closet at random times of night to try on outfits I’ve put together in my mind (Shanna spent many a night watching me try on clothes in our dorm room).  People ask if I ever dress down and the easy answer is no. Just kidding, I’m typing this while wearing a nightgown and yoga pants. However, I don’t feel like me if I’m not put together. Being dressed nicely makes my insides feel like sunshine. Clothes don’t define me, but are rather a compliment to the best parts of me.

Running

I’ve been running for five years now, and I refuse to let myself ever admit that it might suck just a little (unless you count right now). Does it hurt? More often than not. Would I prefer to sit on the couch and eat Doritos? Yes, but the way my body is set up, I’d be headed straight for the next season on my 600 pound life. I may not like the action of running per se, but I like the resulting feeling. I like that I can command my body to engage in this high intensity activity for extended periods of time. I like that the chubby little girl who could never pass the middle school PT test by doing one pull up (and still can’t, ok), has been able to run two half marathons. Can I run a half marathon now? No, no I can’t. But I can say I did and I for that I’m grateful (shout out to God!).

My Fransss

(*disclaimer* Not nearly all friends pictured above) Omigosh! In the friend category, I hit the freaking jackpot. Seriously, I have soooo many amazing friends it blows my mind. Trust me, I tried keeping my metaphorical circle small, but at every stage of my life God has given me all these awesome people I couldn’t pass up. From first grade to now, I’ve remained surrounded by people that I love and adore from all areas of my life. I’m a lucky girl.

My Jaydey Pooh

I’m the bonus mom to the most amazing, talented, handsome little fella around (nobody show him this because we’re also very competitive with each other. I don’t want him knowing I’m soft). When God brought Doug into my life, He showed up and showed out because I also got Jayden. I honestly couldn’t love this child more if I’d birthed him. He’s one of my favorite humans EVER and I’m so blessed to be able to watch him grow and be a part of his life.

Coffee

There’s not really much I need to say here. Coffee has been riding with my since my first real job fresh out of undergrad, and it continues to hold me down to this day. Coffee, you da real MVP.

My Church

I love, love, love our church and the connections we’ve made since we began attending two years ago. I really feel like my husband and I have found our community in CityGate Church. We’ve made friends that feel more like family (we just traveled to the beach with some of them for Labor Day weekend), and a support system unlike any we’ve had in any other place we’ve lived (except home).

My Career

I see lots of people who begin blogging with the intent to leave their 9-5 and pursue blogging full time. At this point, I’m 99% sure I’m not one of those people. I really love what I do in my full time work! My work affords me the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and serve them in various capacities. I’m genuinely happy with the work that I do and whatever change I’m able to affect in people’s lives.

What makes you happy? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, talk to me! If you like what you see, subscribe!

Talk soon,