20 Ingredients to a Happy Life

About a week ago a friend asked me if I would be willing to help him with his senior thesis. For the project he has recruited a group of people to put together a collage of sorts. Chris asked me to take a picture of 10-20 items that I either really like, use everyday or an object that has sentimental value to me. Once all of the pictures have been collected they will be compiled into a book. As someone that was always willing to lend a hand to my not-so-popular self in high school I was more than happy to help. Also, I would be a bitch to say no. I mean, how hard is it really? 
Today, while a  certain patient boyfriend waited for me to have dinner, I threw together the picture. In the ten minutes it took to round up twenty items I didn't think to double check and see that I didn't need all twenty. The seventeen (my lucky number) I was stuck on would have sufficed. 
If you know me you know that I am a stickler for finding the positives in life. Recently, life has been a rainy, cold, cloudy mess. (Literally and metaphorically speaking.) I think forcing myself to find objects in my daily life that make me smile was just what I needed. It also got me thinking- what would other people have for their twenty items? Here are mine! 

ONE// Running shoe for when I need to escape. 

TWO// Laptop for shopping and writing. Maybe a little homework, too.

THREE// A Red Sox cap for my favorite time of year.

FOUR// Sunglasses for the glaring sun.

FIVE// Tea for restless nights.

SIX// A coffee mug for sneaking ice cream into bed with Netflix.

SEVEN// Coffee beans for late nights spent studying for finals.  

EIGHT// A candle for a inspiration. 

NINE// A cell phone for constant connection. And tweeting. 

TEN// A wine glass for the end of long days  everyday.

ELEVEN// A hand weight for the summer months. Swimsuit bodies don't create themselves. 

TWELVE// Naked 3 eyeshadow for when natural me doesn't feel like enough.

THIRTEEN// A mitzvah (my papa has the other half of the necklace) for when I'm missing him a little extra.

FOURTEEN// MAC perfecting powder to keep my makeup from running like a clown.

FIFTEEN// Pearl necklace for when I'm missing my Nana. 

SIXTEEN// A phone charger for when my connection times out.

SEVENTEEN// Pointe shoes for when I want to pretend I'm the ballerina I always dreamed of. 

EIGHTEEN// A yoga mat for when my mind and body need to reconnect. 

NINETEEN// A flower from my boyfriend for when I need an extra smile in a day.

TWENTY// A vineyard vines whale for when I need to tell the world I "Whaley" love VV.