"These Things Make Me Happy" by Alyssa Lawson

Wishful shopping online for expensive hats, wearing slippers accidentally, lack of makeup, messy-ing up my hair with my fingers and calling it a style, not having anywhere near the amount of money it actually takes to buy the things I crave, laughing it off, ending up at discount stores-wise choice, endless indie music track lists, knowing that I couldn't remember the name of the band for my life, most of those "nameless" bands-I call my favorite, feather pillows, my father's endless honey-do list, my envy of the lead singer of Fly Leaf, and the fact that I will never admit to actually being in love with their songs, freshly shampooed hair, that first bite of every cheesecake-it's always sweeter, the sound a soda can makes when you pop the tab, the color orange, the smell of chlorine and fresh pool towels, salt, the 90's, reflections, shiny things, scotch tape, thank you cards-not!, how much surprises drive me crazy, but how well worth it they turn out to be, the fact that I'm a horrible gift receiver-I try my best, a good hip-hop beat, secrets, oatmeal, lists, straight teeth, boys with girl hair, that pucker face every girl makes when she poses for a camera. The last bowl of cinnamon toast crunch, and the sugary coating your spoon gets when you dip it into the milk, brand new notebooks, the sound a book makes when you crack the binding for the first time, summer, chlorine, the look he gives me: it hasn't changed, large printed font, flashing lights, soft music, driving with the windows down, the headache you get when you eat so much sugar all at once, vowing you'll never do it again, but then the next day your promise is as good as gone, long books, reading slow, blue eyes, tennis-any newly found sport for that matter, trying new things, my checking account balance, crying so hard you just have to laugh, calculators, my fish: princess, magazine cut outs, outlet malls, chap stick, tape, book marks, sitting on the floor, not being alone, being left alone, Audrey Hepburn, white lies, the moon, thunderstorms, lame prom themes, my fingernails, that feeling you get between your toes when you walk on the beach, natural exfoliates, white, hot days, cold nights, running in the rain