It has been a rough week month year here in the Burrow, but even in the throes of depression, we can still find beautiful things to share. Here are three from the last week:

1. This morning, it occurred to me that, since moving to D.C., I have allowed my personality to become sublimated a bit. (Those of you who only know me from D.C. may find it shocking that this is a paler, quieter version of me. But it’s true…) So this morning, I pulled the price tags off some new shoes, broke open my purple mascara, and dug out the gold sparkly lotion. I’d stopped wearing it when a coworker told me that whenever I wore it I reminded him of the stripper from his bachelor party. But he doesn’t work here anymore and, even if he did, that would be his problem, not mine. Watch out, D.C.; my effervescence could be catching!

2. I haven’t talked to BW since before Christmas, but we finally managed to catch up with each other last night and spent a while chatting on the phone. It wasn’t as good as a cocoa break in person, but it was pretty close.

3. Missing tv episodes can be frustrating because you miss key storylines or character development. I caught up with two favorite shows this week — Ugly Betty in the old-fashioned way on the rebroadcast and Heroes in a more modern streaming fashion. How fantastic to have the choice between waiting for it to come around again or seeking it out online for an immediate fix!