Hi! I know I’ve been gone for a few weeks.  I decided to take an impromptu summer vacation and I’m back all rejuvenated with a new look and a bunch of new things to share!

• First, you may have noticed the new design.  It’s just a slight tweak, but I’m so much happier with how much cleaner and organized everything looks.  The about me page is also revamped, and I’ve linked to some favorite posts from the previous incarnation of the blog.  The archives are all still there too, for anyone who wants to go down memory lane.

• Second, I’ve changed the blogging schedule from five days a week to two or three. As much as I liked posting every weekday, by scaling it back I feel like I’ll be able to give you more focused, quality content on a consistent basis.  The format will most likely be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so if you’d like to stay updated I’ll be announcing new posts on Facebook.  I’ve also been digging Feedly for subscribing to my favorite blogs since Reader died, if you haven’t checked it out yet I recommend it!

• Third, I’ll be rolling out a new weekly column where on Mondays I’ll be posting some of my favorite things from life and around the internet.  It’s similar to what I usually post but in a more condensed format.  Personally I love coming into the week with lots of new things to look at, so I hope you enjoy them too!

Without further ado, here are this week’s Monday favorites:

• Food.  All of it.  I’ve been going a little bit crazy with the cooking, baking, and farmer’s market-ing.  From de-stemming ancho chiles to picking green beans from the garden, I just can’t seem to get enough lately.  I try to stick to really simple meals, but somehow end up in the kitchen making enchiladas for five hours.  Yeah… working on that whole time management thing.  Photos from my instagram.

• 365 Days to Dance - Proves that with practice, anything is possible.

• Fork to Fork – This British series called Fork to Fork from 2009 is serious gardening porn.  In my fantasy, their farm is where I live.

• Save The Dates - Holy moly.  I’ve always been a huge fan of Britney Lee but these Jaws-themed Save The Dates that she made for her and her husband’s wedding take it to another level!

• Blurred Lines - This song is my jaaaaaaam right now.  

• Humans of New York - Remember HONY?  This super talented girl made a beautiful song about it.  Can’t get it out of my head.  Also, an inspiring quote from the creator or HONY, Brandon Stanton:

When you’re feeling down, it’s so tempting to focus on your sadness: you wonder why you’re sad, you hate that you’re sad, you wish you weren’t sad. It’s completely natural to do this. But it’s the wrong way to be. No matter how smart you are– you will never change a bad mood by thinking about it. You will only magnify it.

Instead focus on your behavior. Focus on what you can change. Go outside. Exercise. Quit isolating yourself. Interact with friends and family. Accomplish things. Your mind will reward you with happiness.

It is so tough to change your behavior if you are feeling depressed. But it’s the only way. Don’t say: “I’ll act differently when I feel better.”

Act differently, and you will feel better.

Have a great Monday!