word doodles

chocolatiering

2012-02-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

This guy commandeered a Portland chocolate tour for the two of us this Saturday.

We hit Cacao, Teuscher and Leonidas downtown first. (We would have hit Moonstruck too, but we've tried plenty of their chocolates already.) Each place we had them recommend their top two chocolates and split them. Yum. (Ted will definitely be blogging about them soon.)

Next we took a streetcar to 23rd to find more sweets. We went to Two Tarts Bakery and shared a macaron, then headed to Papa Haydn's, which has a beautiful display of every dessert you would ever want to try.

I enjoyed this Valentine's Day love.

We ended up getting this heart-shaped chocolate ganache wonderfulness, raspberry sauce, gold flakes, and all. We saved it for that night, since we were already on a sugar high and ready for real food (aka two burgers each and some fries at Little Big Burger).

Suffice to say, it was a good day.

valentines box

2012-02-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, I decorated an already adorable cardboard box elementary school Valentines shoebox-style.

Each day I am going to add something new until Valentine's Day.

Glitter glue...

Patterned paper and letter stamps...

and of course, heart doilies!!!!! I was also thrilled to use a couple of my sparkly plastic hearts I had left over from Christmas crafting.

Stay tuned for more crafty cheesiness. Poor Ted. XOXO

love this

2012-01-29T23:17:00.000-08:00

(pinterest)

hearts day approaching

2012-01-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Once I warned Ted that I tend to go overboard with hearts day crafts, he decided he would try to outdo me...

At three in the morning, I got up to go to the bathroom and outside my door I found Ted working on this! On the back of some of them are things to do for the corresponding day.

The next day I retaliated and gave him some hearts day mixes.

For the first heart, we went to go see a movie. We saw The Artist and it was WONDERFUL, SO GOOD, SEE IT NOW, IT EVEN HAD A DOG.

Seriously, go see it now.

I spied some cute Valentines at Powell's.

At dinner (pre-heart door night) I told Ted that I looked back at a girl behind me in line and she laughed at me and it made me sad. I then realized that this heart was on the back of my jacket. Oops.

For the second heart, we had a baking day and made cupcakes! Baking in college is always an adventure, but they turned out pretty good. I used the raspberry heart gummies that I got from Elephants Delicatessen for our movie (I also got us two macarons--yum).

To even out the playing field, I gave him a little gift that I made over break.

Colored, glitter-glued Deathly Hallows wooden pins!

Happy Hearts Day crafting!

snowsnownoowowowowowwww!

2012-01-23T00:42:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday I woke up to my very first snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was all I could have hoped for. I even got to walk to my first class in the snow. SNOW FALLING! SNOW ON THE GROUND! SNOW SNOW SNOW!

Unfortunately it got rained away pretty quickly. I did enjoy seeing more snowfall during my afternoon class though.

FORTUNATELY IT STARTED SNOWING HARDCORE LATER THAT NIGHT.

LAMP POST IN SNOW!

TREE AND BUSH AND BENCH IN SNOW!

MARTY EATING SNOW! (He's from the East coast, so it was no biggie.)

TED BASKING IN THE SNOW!

SNOWWW, YOU GUYS!!!!!!

Up next: Posts containing so many hearts you will explode into heart-shaped confetti. Yes, it's that time of the year again.

to do list

2012-01-19T17:40:00.000-08:00

(slow like honey)

thursday thrills

2012-01-12T23:27:00.000-08:00

(pinterest)

In love with Rue magazine.

Drooling over the food blog A Cozy Kitchen.

Wishing this video was my life (be sure to watch the other two videos too).

Cake pop maker? Yes please.

A beautiful food blog, Kiss My Spatula.

college, man

2012-01-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

In a few days, I am going to embark on the second half of my first year of college. After reading Melanie's list of lessons learned, I thought I would create my own, because that's what college is all about after all!

Going to college gives you a lot of room (figuratively speaking--dorm rooms are tiny) to discover things about yourself and the kind of person you want to become. I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to go to school in Portland, because as far as I am concerned, it is one of the most creative, thriving, beautiful, outright weirdest city ever to live in.

Things I've learned from my experiences:

Netflix Instant can be your best friend or your worst enemy.
Coffee is beautiful. Half coffee/half chocolate milk is a must in the Bon when you need a pick-me-up.
Napping is a necessary pastime.
The paper WILL get written, so there's no need to stress out about it.
Sloth colonies exist, but you need a permit.
It's acceptable to bring a sloth dressed in a girl's pink onesie and bow to a tea place.
Bubble tea is delicious.
Finding a job on campus is easier than you think.
I have a LOT to learn about the theatre world.
Ragging costumes takes hours and may result in injuries from seam rippers.
Sometimes you need to construct a squirrel cape for a show.
Baked goods will cheer up yourself, friends, and strangers.
Laundry detergent is EXPENSIVE.
Grocery shopping holds way too many opportunities to spend all your money on food. Don't go unless you need something specific or have a list.
Leaving the wikipedia page for "Procrastination" up on your web browser is a good way to remind yourself that you have business to take care of.
College is a lot of reading.
Explore the neighborhoods of Portland every weekend, or at least find a coffee place to study at downtown so you don't go crazy being on campus all the time.
Although...sometimes it's better to lock yourself in your room than find somewhere cool to study.
Make sure to find the things that are vital to your existence (macarons).
Making new friends can be rough.
ALWAYS watch Glee with fellow Gleeks on Tuesday nights. (New Girl, too.)
If you find a boy who loves baking and Harry Potter and has a beard, make him your boyfriend ASAP.
Go to school events.
Care packages brighten your day, your week, pretty much your whole month.
Find at least one person you can spill your guts out to when you're homesick or overwhelmed.
Cover your walls with photos, cards, and memories that you accumulate.
Mullets are back. You heard it here first. (And no, I do not condone this trend.)
People can surprise you, in good ways and in bad ways.
Sour Patch Kids are GREAT late night brain food. No regrets.
Stay connected with friends and family and blog often so you stay sane.
Stay warm with copious amounts of blankets, sweaters, and scarves. And bearded boyfriends.
The rainy weather can effect your mood pretty poorly, so be sure to soak up the sun when it's out and stay positive when it won't resurface for days.
Sometimes the best burgers are little.
Smile at everyone, because you will see them at least three times a day walking around campus.
FOOD IS SO GOOD. EAT ALL OF IT.

And so, so much more. It's about time to go back to learn some more...

the perfect lunch

2012-01-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

The other day I had the most wonderful lunch. It consisted of:

ciabatta bread + tomato + mozzarella + basil + avocado

blackberries

naked juice

lovely weather

a good book

fetch with Izzy

pajamas

Life is good.

everyday fancy

2012-01-05T21:50:00.001-08:00

everyday fancy by kayliemarissahatos featuring red heels

first macarons of 2012

2012-01-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I decided to make some macarons. It's been a while, seeing as I've been at college, so I was a bit rusty. They didn't turn out perfect, but they still tasted delicious, especially filled with whipped cream and raspberries.

I was hoping to make them pink, but decided to go with the green paste instead (the red was the wrong consistency). I didn't think about how Christmas-y they would turn out with the raspberries!

For a first attempt of the year, I'd say I did alright. If success was measured with how many I ate, then I did brilliantly.

gleacup

2012-01-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Ted gave me the most adorable tea cup that he custom made through Etsy. Can you say impressive? I can't even handle it. My favorite touch is that when I finished the hot chocolate he poured into it before giving it to me, Darren appeared at the bottom. I almost spit out hot chocolate everywhere! Ted's a keeper.

two thousand and twelve

2012-01-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

On New Years Eve, Rachel, Dahlya, Erin, and I drove to California to stay at Ted's house.

After we settled in, Ted drove us to LA to check out Whimsic Alley. It. Was. MAGICAL.

Why yes, they DID have a Great Hall. Be right back, gonna go book every party I ever have here.

To celebrate the New Year, we had a dance party in the fog (and probably made Ted think we are lunatics), ate delicious homemade latkes that Ted made, watched the ball drop, and then set off fireworks in front of his house. It was lovely!

To kick off the new year right, we spent the first day of the year at happiest place on earth--Disneyland!

Everything was decked out for Christmas. Yay!

Yep, I got soaked on Splash mountain.

It's A Small World was beautiful, sparkling, and inspiring! I loved it. Good fortune even allowed us to be in line just in time to have the perfect view of the parade going on right next to it.

As if that wasn't enough, we crossed the bridge to the front of the castle just in time to see a light show on it. Sparkles and more sparkles! So lovely.

After getting soup bread bowls and doing another round of Indiana Jones, we saw the firework show and Fantasmic, which was FANTASTICMAGICALAWESOME. It made all of us incredibly happy.

Alas, we were pretty exhausted at this point. Since Ted was still going on rides with his two friends, I left Rachel, Dahlya, and Erin in the little museum near the entrance to go meet him to get his house key. As I set off on my way down Main Street, the most wonderful thing happened. I was in the process of putting on Ted's cardigan (which he had lent to Rachel earlier) and talking to him on the phone when I heard someone say, "Mickey!" I turned around and Mickey was RIGHT THERE, going in for a hug. Surprised and flustered, I hugged him back and he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I yelled, I LOVE YOU MICKEY as he turned to run away and promptly disappear behind a door. I exclaimed, MICKEY JUST KISSED ME! HE JUST KISSED ME! into the phone which I had forgotten about. My year is already made.

Happy New Year, everyone! It's going to be our best yet!

12 before '13

2011-12-31T17:47:00.000-08:00

(pinterest)

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. Ghandi

I am going to focus on trying to embody this mantra. As a perpetual dreamer, I constantly have ideas, plans, ambitions, and goals that I want to accomplish. Some are big, some are small, some are serious, but most are silly and fun. I think this is fantastic, but it's also a bit overwhelming having so many dreams that I may or may not be able to bring to life. What I need is some focus with these little ideas and aspirations. One of my favorite bloggers (A Beautiful Mess--I'm obsessed with this girl) makes lists of things she wants to accomplish before her next birthday. I thought I would bring my own spin to the list. Instead of 18 goals before age 19, I am going to make a list of 12 goals before year 2013:

Learn the harmonica
Go camping
Apply for a semester abroad
Learn to knit (and not forget)
Find a summer internship
Attend a concert
Learn how to budget $$
Make a short film
Collaborate with friends on a project
Take a class about something I know nothing about
Design and make a dress pattern
Discover a new passion or obsession

thursday thrills

2011-12-29T23:56:00.000-08:00

(pinterest)

Homemade detergent? SO IN. I was appalled the first time I went to Fred Myer to get myself some detergent. I still complain about it, only half-joking. So much $$$!

Adorable 2012 calendar made from Instagram photos.

It is very vital that I make this delicious-looking peanut butter fudge ASAP.

My mom emailed me this awesome apron pattern a few weeks ago. (Ted and I flipped.)

This duet is just the most precious thing ever.

And this video is just hilarious. Gotta love New Girl.

Happy New Year! xoxo

resolutions of years past

2011-12-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

(pinterest)

I'm already thinking about New Years, which is one of my favorite things ever, because who doesn't like fresh beginnings and a reason to wear sequins?

Instead of making a list of resolutions this year, I'm going to try another tactic. I am going to look back on how successful my past resolutions have been (oh the beauty of blogging) and decide what kind of goal-setting is right for me. Feel free to disregard this post altogether; this is one of those times where blogging is acting as a middle man to my own self-awareness!

Resolutions for 2009: Probably because I was new to blogging and all around more profound as a pretentious middle schooler, I kept my resolutions simple.

~~overcome my fear of dancing in public~~ Proud of this one.
~~keep stress at a minimum~~ Although I can't say with certainty that I rid myself of stress in 2009, I did gradually move toward to where I am now--an unusually minimal-stress person. This is something that at the same time is an awesome thing and a slightly unnerving thing. But mostly awesome.
focus on each moment just as it appears Still working on this. Who isn't, except, like...Buddha?

Resolutions for 2010: I focused on what kind of person I want to be. Which I think is great, because that's what resolutions should be about--improving and building someone you can be proud of.

I want to be the kind of person who is self-sufficent. ~~I will boycott buying clothes this year and sew up my own.~~ (See the product of this resolution here.) Although I'm obviously not completely self-sufficent, after working on this resolution I have become much more aware about the things I buy and the possibility of bypassing things that I could easily make.
I want to be the kind of person that is charitable, all year around. ~~I will grow my hair out long to donate toLocks of Love~~ ~~and continue to try to contribute more to my community.~~ I can always be more charitable, but although I did not donate my hair to LoL in 2010, I did this year!
I want to be the kind of person who takes each moment as it happens, and lets it go as it passes. I will try not to dwell in the past, however sweet it was--it only takes up space that should be full of the present. Only Buddha, man. Only Buddha. I'm trying though. I promise.
And as always, I hope to simplify, simplify, simplify. Always striving to do this, but often take a couple of steps back before going forward!
Also: No more multitasking! All I can say is that I've gotten better.

Resolutions for 2011: This year I had a lot of small resolutions, most of them repeating previous goals, but also including a very important one that I feel that I have made a very big improvement. "~~Think positively (Avoid thinking in negatives and phrases like "I wish" or "I hope." Example: "This year is going to rock!" instead of "I hope this year rocks!")"~~ It seemed a bit silly at the time, but as I look back at that, I have realized how much this has improved my outlook and increased my already pretty consistent optimism. As for my three main resolutions, to sum them up:

~~LIVE.~~
~~EAT.~~
~~CREATE.~~

These are three things that I strive to nourish daily, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. C'est le vie! Although I think that moving to Portland has been pretty successful in nourishing my appetite for life, food, and creativity, while at the same time increasing it, if that makes any sense. Just know: It's a good thing.

As for 2012. Stay tuned.

christmassssss eve brunch!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

under wraps

2011-12-21T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been in wrapping mode since I got home. Here a few ideas for you to try this Christmas. But most importantly, I use what I have (scraps of ribbon, tissue paper, buttons, embroidery floss), so go crazy with what you already have!

Handmade snowflakes with ribbon are a simple and sweet way to wrap boxed gifts.

(I used Santa hats to conceal the identity of these gifts.) Over the years I've noticed that I've come to favor tissue paper over traditional wrapping paper. It's something that if you are a gift wrap hoarder like I am, you will gather a LOT of. Also, if you have the resource, punched-out die cut circles make the perfect gift tags. I sewed a button onto the bottom gift tag to add some extra cute.

I had extra felt from my Ms. Frizzle costume, so I made some holly and a Christmas tree to hotglue to these gifts. I found this cute snowflake tissue paper in my stash, so I had to use one of tiny plastic glittered snowflakes I got at Micheal's for crafting to finish the second one off!

For these two gifts I used more of the sparkly plastic treasures to jazz them up. For the one on the left, the ribbon was too small to tie all the way around, so I taped the edges to the back and made it work. For the second one I kept it simple with some embroidery floss.

I love how being thrifty challenges your creativity! Hope you're having just as much fun wrapping your presents!

xoxo

things to remember (vimeo edition)

2011-12-20T23:20:00.000-08:00

I love my home, the desert. It is so beautiful and unique. I have come to appreciate it even more being surrounded by forest the past four months. It's good to be home to a 70 degree winter!

Landscapes: Volume Two from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo.

Everything will fall into place. I spent a few troublesome days during my first semester trying to pin down exactly what I wanted to achieve academically and career-wise, simultaneously knowing that it's impossible to know this now, or even ever. Typical Kaylie--I don't get stressed out about having to write a six page paper, but I get stressed out about the grand scheme. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

Levi's® Chambray by Opening Ceremony from DANIELS on Vimeo.

Christmas is about sharing the love. This year I am keeping presents pretty low-key, because I can't afford to go crazy. Not only is it more fun to be making almost 100% of my gifts, but it's also more nurturing to my Christmas spirit. Not sure if this video is relevant, but I enjoy it.

Happy Holidays from DANIELS on Vimeo.

I will never get over my Marie Antoinette obsession. Never. The music in this video isn't my cup of tea, but the styling is deliciously pastel. Also, I read in the comments that the costume designer made the dresses in a week?! I'm impressed.

Acid Girls - Lightworks OFFICIAL VIDEO dir. Steven Ilous from Steven Ilous on Vimeo.

Christmas in Arizona is the best. Since the weather doesn't know it's the holiday season, I always overcompensate for it with dozens of cookies, crafts, and decorations. Not to mention a constant stream of holiday wear. This video is the perfect example of keeping the spirit alive in AZ. I love it!

Wishing You an Old Fashioned Christmas! from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

christmas cookies

2011-12-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

What better way to spend the first reading day for finals than with something sweet? After working on a group project, I spent the afternoon listening to Christmas music while baking sugar cookies and decking them out with sprinkles and icing. I was happy to have some help from friends too! It was a magical afternoon. It filled my heart with joy when random people would pass by and become ecstatic about the prospect of holiday cookies or hot cocoa. One girl even said, "This is the first time since I've been here that I've felt the Christmas spirit!" My day: made.

Of course I had to dress as Christmas-y as humanly possible and wear my newly made Christmas apron, complete with ruffles, rosettes, and gold cording.

How are you spreading holiday cheer?

joyeux noel!

2011-12-07T22:13:00.001-08:00

joyeux noel! by kayliemarissahatos
inspired by Rylee.

low quality christmas pictures?

2011-12-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

Ted and I were looking extra festive yesterday...

christmas in my dorm

2011-12-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

When I was packing up to go back to school from Thanksgiving break, I was sure to include the necessary ingredients for the next 2.5 weeks--CHRISTMAS DECOR! My hot pink Christmas tree, lights, and tiny trinkets were a must.

I brought back the needlepoint Santa and the small glittery Christmas tree (previously a gift tag). Add some pom pom snowfall and a pom pom star on top of the tree, and it's a winter wonderland on my own very wall! During Tuesday's episode of Glee I cut out the "Merry Christmas" from a newspaper that was lying around in the lounge. And as I mentioned before, I made the garland!

If it hasn't already been established, I will say it here: I am quite the crafty hoarder. Add a holiday to the mix, and my drawers will be overflowing with gift ribbons, cute tags, colorful tissue paper (oh tissue paper) and the like. Erin might recognize the sparkly paper garland from when she brought it over to my house for Christmas brunch two years ago. As she helped me clean up, I stopped here in her tracks when she was about to throw it away. I know I have a problem.

Essentials: Nutcracker, tons of glitter glue, and Christmas music. Ted gave me this vinyl record from The Bins! I can't wait to listen to it on my record player back home.

I made a mistletoe for above our door with some felt.

Add some glitter glue and it's Christmas cheer all around!

See left for more evidence of my holiday hoarding--an adorable mittens gift tag.

You can never have too many snowglobes, and these are the perfect size for an already cramped dorm room.

For some weird reason, I can never remember how to make snowflakes. Thankfully my friend Mikaela retaught me, so we spent our Tuesday TV watching (Glee and New Girl) getting crafty. Of course, I had to add some glitter glue.

for your information

2011-12-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

I saw The Muppets over Thanksgiving break and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Go see it and smile for 98 glorious minutes.

it's time

2011-11-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

Proof: Today I had a magical Christmas moment when I was in the costume shop working on an apron worthy of Mrs. Claus for myself (we have some down time) and the Glee version of Baby It's Cold Outside came on. And I was wearing my first holiday pin (since I got back to school--you better believe I wore one the day after Thanksgiving) of the season. And I smiled to myself.

Because you guys. Tomorrow is December. It's Christmastime for everyone now, not just crazy people like me.

easy garland how-to

2011-11-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'm in a slow process of Christmas-ifying my dorm room. If I had it my way, it would be completely decked out by now, but it's Ted's first all-out Kaylie Christmas (he's Jewish), so I'm waiting for him to get over a bout of the flu so he can help decorate. Nevertheless, a girl has got to get her craft on. The other weekend I found some awesome sparkly pom poms at the art store when I was stocking up on Christmas gift supplies, so obviously I had to work them into a Christmas project. My first instinct was GARLAND!

All you need: A needle, thread (I used embroidery floss so I could half it into three strands), and pom poms.

All you do: Thread the needle and poke through each pom pom. Space out as desired.

And voila! Super cute and super simple garland.

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:13:00.001-08:00

Today I am thankful for HOME! So thrilled. Hope your day was lovely and tasty!

Time to go nap it up in preparation of Black Friday.

i ♥ color

2011-11-23T18:49:00.001-08:00

today i am thankful for...THANKSGIVING BREAK

2011-11-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

AFKASFLASKLKJ!:KLJ:LKSJF:SALKJFA:LSKFJA:LSKFJ:ASLKFJ:LAKSDL:KSAJF:LKJ:SALKJF:LKZMCZ

today i am thankful for...the desert

2011-11-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

I'm taking this "always raining" thing a little rough. I'm ready to be back in my desert habitat tomorrow night. Thank goodness.

chinese opera

2011-11-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Today in my Theatre & Society class, we had a guest professor teach us about Chinese Opera. It's intense and awesome, but what really got me were the costumes. They are incredible. What is even more incredible is that people actually perform in them. And do acrobatics. One costume he showed us (he dressed up five of my peers) had 20 pieces and enough sequins to make a drag queen blush. 20 pieces! Like, seriously. Craziest thing ever.

There are copious amounts of colorful sequins and silk involved. I am officially obsessed.

(picture)

fall ball

2011-11-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was Fall Ball, which is a school dance held at the Crystal Ballroom (really cool space--I want to see a show there!). It was a ton of fun. Also, a great excuse to buy a vintage velvet dress. Hooray!

today i am thankful for...30 Rock

2011-11-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

This past week has been rough. Homesick, emotional, and now, sick. Woo hoo! Thank goodness for 30 Rock for consistently making me laugh throughout it all. So happy I decided to start watching it the first week of school when I didn't know what to do with myself yet. Liz Lemon is officially my spirit animal. Also, you should Netflix Instant it ASAP.

today i am thankful for...Ted

2011-11-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Warning: May contain loveydovey-ness.

(Our first picture)

Not only is Ted a wonderful, sweet, caring boyfriend, but he is also a loyal, trustworthy, truly Gryffindor-ian friend. I know I can count on him to pick out the best food at a restaurant and comfort me when I am sad. Plus he can bake. What more can a girl ask for?

today i am thankful for...naps

2011-11-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

today i am thankful for...arizona

2011-11-18T23:59:00.000-08:00

I'm homesick. I made above felt heart tonight, if that says anything to you...

I make fun of Arizona a lot (as does the rest of the US), especially my hometown, but it's my home, and I love it. In fact, I love it even more being away from it. I miss it a ton, especially the past couple of weeks because

A) It's freaking cold. It even snowed for ten minutes tonight. (I missed it because I was downtown buying the most adorable vintage little black velvet dress for Fall Ball and cheap oxfords THAT FIT ME--all thanks to Claire. So worth it. Also, I'm cool with holding off for more legit snowfall.)

and

B) I will be home for Thanksgiving very soon. It's killing me waiting. I am missing the most ridiculous, mundane things. I think that's how homesickness works though.

and

C) I MISS MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AHHHHHH!!!!

So yeah. I love you, Arizona.

today i am thankful for...modern family

2011-11-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

I have finally caught up since the first three episodes. Life is good. (Although I wish I could have watched them with my family. Sadface.)

And yes. The above happened when I clicked pause last night. Too great.

thursday thrills

2011-11-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

(picture)

An adorable holiday photoshoot.

More people should do sweet and silly things like this.

I find this documentary trailer incredibly stressful.

Thank the bro in your life with Thanks Bro.

I would be lying if I said this magical situation does not make me want to do the same. (Thanks, Tabitha)

If you don't know about Tattly yet, you should.

Have a wonderful weekend! Hope you are nice and warm!

today i am thankful for...rain boots

2011-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Nicole gave me a pair of Hunter boots for my graduation. This week was the first time I wore them. In fact, this week was the first time I've ever worn rain boots in my life! It felt pretty good, not having to avoid puddles...not to mention fun!

today i am thankful for...my family

2011-11-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today was my sister's 10th birthday, but I got the best present in the mail from my family. My dad made me the greatest video of my life.

Be excited (for me to figure out how to upload it to YouTube and post it here).

today i am thankful for...harry potter club

2011-11-14T01:01:00.000-08:00

Tonight we watched the first act of AVery Potter Musical in one of the small auditoriums. Life is good.

today i am thankful for...food and friends

2011-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a good night. I ate way too much. I watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. I went to the ridiculously hilarious Once Upon A Weekend production (short scenes that are put together over the course of a weekend).

Now--essay time!

today i am thankful for...baking

2011-11-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

Ted and I baked tonight. I made cupcakes (which I forgot to take a picture of, but here is an awkward one of me making the frosting) for our friends in celebration of 11/11/11 and Ted made pecan pies for tomorrow's Thanksgiving potluck. Hooray for sweets!

today i am thankful for...canceled classes

2011-11-10T21:30:00.000-08:00

I got to sleep in until 11 AM today. You better believe it.

today i am thankful for...spontaneous field trips

2011-11-09T22:49:00.000-08:00

(picture)

This week is French week. So, this morning when someone came into French with coffee and a croissant from the breakfast being held in one of the other buildings, I yelled, FIELD TRIP! Someone else agreed and yelled, FIELD TRIP! And our professor said, FIELD TRIP?! and we went to get the last crumbs of the breakfast.

today i am thankful for...tolerant friends

2011-11-08T19:18:00.000-08:00

When this flashed on screen after Glee, I screamed, "CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!" in the most embarrassingly loud scream I have ever experienced in my life.

And my friends here still like me. Enough said.

today i am thankful for...staying in touch with friends

2011-11-07T18:54:00.000-08:00

(picture)

I. Love. My. Friends. So. Much.

I am increasingly more grateful for them the longer we are apart, which is saying a lot, because I've always been very thankful for them. I've made some great friends here, but there's nothing like a great phone call with a bestie from back home. Thank goodness for cell phones, blogs, and Facebook!

today i am thankful for...music

2011-11-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Fantastic Mr. Fox is not only one of my favorite movies, but it is also one of my favorite soundtracks. It reminds me of Thanksgiving, so naturally I have started listening to it repeatedly since November arrived.

It is no secret that I am a sucker for anything associated with holidays. In fact, I go out of my way to associate things with holidays and seasons. Music in particular is the easiest to do this, which is one of the reasons why I love it so much. When it's Fall, I have my standards: Louis Armstrong (and any jazz), Frank Sinatra (although this is more of a gateway to Christmas music as it becomes closer to Christmastime), Sufjan's Age of Adz (I saw him last October when this album came out, so of course I associate it with Fall now), Simon & Garfunkel (especially my vinyl records at home, which I miss dearly), Vampire Weekend....to name a few. I also create playlists to listen to. In fact, I will share with you "Fall 2011 Part 1" here:

Do you have any seasonal favorites?

today i am thankful for... Audrey Hepburn

2011-11-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's for the 34923495823th time and realized I have the entire movie memorized. I am very thankful to have grown up with my love of Audrey Hepburn, because she is one classy lady!

So my daily "today i am thankful for..." posts have been completely lacking this November (see last year's here)... Actually, pretty nonexistent. I will make an effort to start up again, but the truth is, life is busy. But more importantly, life is good.

Mostly today I am thankful for... being so happily busy that I don't even have time to keep up with my blog.

today i am thankful for...photobooth

2011-11-02T02:17:00.000-07:00

So. It's November. Time to be thankful for the little things in life! Tonight it's taking a break from French homework to take silly photobooth pictures. Yeah, I'm in college. I'm mature.

Now, back to that homework...

happy halloween

2011-10-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

My Halloween?

Catching up on Bored to Death (so lovely).
Wearing all black and white with a giant orange and black spider on my cardigan
PUMPKIN SPICE ICE COFFEE IN THE BON! I love seasonal treats in the dining hall. They better put out the pumpkin ice cream again tonight.
Finishing an essay on On the Road.
Listening to my Fall 2011 (I should think of something more original...) playlist on iTunes.
Watching the rain from my dorm room.
Eating obscene amounts of candy like a greedy six year old (My grandma sent me some top-notch treats, plus I still have leftovers from Friday night when small children from the Boys & Girls Club came trick-or-treating at my dorm. There were two Hermiones and a Moaning Myrtle. Also, one of the moms called Ted Hagrid. It was a good night).
Doing scary things like studying for a midterm on Greek tragedy and comedy that is tomorrow morning (pray for me) and trying to convince myself to read more of the creepiest novel of my life for English (I've been trying to embrace it because it's Halloweentime, but after today...It's just back to being really weird).
Trying not to think about how I am not seeing Harry & the Potters tonight in Portland. Why must I be such a Ravenclaw and stay home to study? Oh well. I saw them in Phoenix.

Overall, I'd say life is pretty sweet, literally and figuratively.

Happy Halloween! Hope your day is full of tricks, but mostly treats.

ms frizzle ftw

2011-10-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

I cut out planets and stars and suns and moons to sew onto one of my dresses, added a lizard to my shoulder, accessorized, and voila! Ms Frizzle. And yes, Ted is Allen from The Hangover. He makes the perfect Zach Galifianakis!

Also, this happened. And it was wonderful, especially on a rainy day. (But really, when is it not a rainy day here?)

Happy Halloween weekend!

guess who has a blog now

2011-10-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

TED! You should definitely read and drool over his delicious food blog, especially because he knows all the good places in Portland and also enjoys cooking and baking! Hopefully soon there will be a post all about the pumpkin pancakes he's making for Halloween weekend, of which I plan to eat all of. Be excited.

craftoween

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's almost Halloween! I could not be more thrilled. I have even been eating an obscene amount of Sour Patch Kids in celebration. Okay--maybe that's just because I love Sour Patch Kids.... Anyway, a week or two ago, I decked out my room in orange and black. You know me. It's a holiday. I gotta get my craft on.

Thanks to my awesome grandma, I had plenty of Halloween goodies to get my dorm room in the spooky spirit (especially notice the legos and giant spider barrette). To add a little extra pizazz, I fashioned some pinwheels from the festive tissue paper that was in my epic Halloween package. I was so happy when my roommate asked me to help her make one. She even taught her friend how to make one a few days later! I feel like I have made a positive difference in the world. Hooray for holidays!

P.S. TWO MONTHS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!!!! My friend mentioned this at dinner and it made my day.

nerdfest northwest

2011-10-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, Ted and I went to see Lord of the Rings In Concert. They played the first film on a giant screen and performed all the music live. It was pretty sweet!

Before the concert started, I was showing Ted my favorite blogger and gushing over how awesome she is. When I was on one of her outfit posts, Ted says, (and I quote), "You should put together your cute outfits and I will take pictures! And you can put them on your blog!" (He was anxiously awaiting his new supercool Nikon camera in the mail.) I think I stopped breathing. I said, "TED!!!! THAT IS ALL I HAVE EVER WANTED A BOY TO TELL ME!" I don't know how this happened... I'm not going to question it though. So yeah, Ted took all of the following photos...

Friday night was pretty magical. Ted and I watched the Rocky Horror Glee episode and then got our Gryffindor pride on (Sorry Ravenclaw; I don't have any Ravenclaw attire--this will change soon) to watch Deathly Hallows Part 2 in the Council Chamber with some friends. I sobbed.

Saturday, Ted and I went downtown. Ted needed to stop by the haberdasher (he loves this place; it's pretty adorable) and I needed to get the lovely Melanie a birthday present and myself some material for my Miss Frizzle costume. These were accomplished, and then some.

Had the best cappuccino of my life (so far) at Stumptown. I have very little background with cappuccinos, but this was pretty great.

After passing Portland Design Collective many times, I finally had the chance to go in. It is wonderful, brimming with vintage dresses, accessories, and oddities. Stopped in Josephine's Dry Goods and found some cheap, colorful felt perfect for my costume, went into Crafty Wonderland because you can't just not go into Crafty Wonderland, introduced Ted to Canoe, which he loved, browsed Buffalo Exchange, and probably went in other places that I can't remember...

This is me by a very old door of a very old church, I believe.

LEAVES, YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!

Tedderton.

Bow tie and wolf pin. Can't get much better than that.

Claire and Ted howling at the moon outside of Nicholas'. Had some WONDERFUL food with some wonderful company--Claire, Claire's parents, and Ted. We ate so much good food. This place, you guys. It's delicious.

Life is so good! But now I have to read 3240923094 things.

weekend update

2011-10-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

***You should listen to this as you read this/do homework/do anything, because it is a wonderful playlist.

Just for the record, I am falling in love with Portland more and more each time I explore it. This weekend was no exception. It's just ridiculous. This place is so good! The food, the shops, the people. Just. Lovely.

One of the best parts is how absurdly weird things are sometimes. The craziest thing happened. Siri, Regina, Ted, and I were at Tea Chai Te to get some work done, when we met A BABY SLOTH. With a PINK BOW in its hair and BABY CLOTHES on its hairy brown body. I can't even... What. Only in Portland, man. We were dying at this bizarre scene. Apparently they have a sloth colony. A sloth colony!!!! Who even knows.

After Regina and Siri headed back to campus, Ted and I decided to go see if we could find a cooking pan for him ~~to make me delicious food~~. On our way to Kitchen Kaboodle, I insisted we stop in Paper Source, which was heavenly crafty. I wanted everything. Everything. Especially the Halloween stuff.

While Ted talked to someone about pans at Kitchen Kaboodle, I reveled in the displays of holiday cookie cutters, cake pans, and decorations. The holidays are approaching! I could not be more excited.

Before heading to dinner with our friends Nate and Emily, we went into Moonstruck and bought some chocolates. They were delightful! I can't wait to try their hot chocolate, which Ted claims is awesome.

SUSHI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was unbelievably happy to have some sushi. So thrilled. It has been too long. See below the crazycool Dynamite Roll. It was pretty great. Yummmm!

After sushi, Ted and I headed over to the movie theatre. Ted hadn't seen Midnight in Paris, so we saw that, and it was just as snazzy as I remembered it. SPOILER--I was especially excited for Ted to see it because when I asked him the other day what era he'd most like to live in, he said the twenties. I kept looking over at him and he was grinning so big. He's a keeper.

Sunday was spent sewing in the costume shop, and that night I was sorted into Ravenclaw at Harry Potter club. Life is good.

On a side note, waking up with fog everywhere is the craziest thing ever. Although I do enjoy having the creative liberty to write stuff on my window.

Happy Monday!

it's october and getting a little crazy

2011-10-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This post may last two years. A lot has happened! This is a semi-stressful post, because I have so much to say. I will try to be concise (but that isn't really my strong point, is it?)...

First off, I would just like to point out that I love our school colors here. Orange and black=excuse to think about Halloween all year round. Fortunately, it is actually October now, so I can think about Halloween all I want aaaaand smile really big when I walk past this window display for our bookstore.

Last Wednesday night was the beginning of FALL BREAK! I am having trouble thinking back that far because it seems like 50 years ago, so I will have to break it down.

Wednesday-Friday night my friends and I had themed Disney marathon nights. Wednesday was Pixar, in honor of the late Steve Jobs (Wall-E, Ratatouille), Thursday was Miyazaki (Howl's Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky), and Friday was good ol' Disney (Tangled, Sword in the Stone). Suffice to say, it was lovely!

On Thursday, I spent the day helping the costume shop manager with a project. Upholstered a cushion and some pillows. Made some $$$. Awesome.

On Friday, Tara and I explored the magical street Hawthorne. We were freaking out! It is so cool. We passed 23214 cute stores and cafes and whatnot. Here are a few...

Happy Knits

Really Good Stuff

Lounge Lizard (So in love with this place.)

A real life kitty in the windowsill, just hangin' with a typewriter and plants. No biggie.

1960

I was so excited when we found this outdoor market. Pumpkins are necessary for life. I got two--one for me, and one for my roommate.

Vintage Pink (I got an adorable shift dress and Tara got an adorable dress and rockin' shirt.)

Pumpkins! I had to take a picture next to the owls. Funnily enough, I am realizing I have 39423098 owl things. Apparently that's just another weird collection of mine that I didn't even plan. This makes me incredibly happy.

After a lovely late afternoon browsing the numerous vintage shops, we got food in this area with delicious food carts surrounding wooden tables (which I later found out is called Cartopia) that is near this coffee shop (which I had to take a picture of because my friend Clair calls me Tiny). I got an XS fries with Rosemary Truffle Ketchup from Potato Champion and a Spinach Mushroom pizza from Pyro Pizza. I can not begin to describe the immense happiness these two things brought me. It was rainy, we each had warm 12 inch pizzas to devour, and it was only the second night of break. Tara and I were in food cart bliss. So. Freaking. Delicious. Seriously, man. My stomach is smiling just thinking about it.

Saturday was magical for many reasons. First off, I woke up and made brownies with Ted (which was pretty cool of him, considering he was fasting for Yom Kippur) for the movies. After brunch, group of us went downtown and saw 50/50 (which was top-notch) and then headed to NW 23rd, which is just the most adorable street ever.

While Ted got some life-changing PB&J sandwiches (we're talking a thai PB&J and a jalapeno & bacon PB&J...SO GOOD) at a food cart next door, we ventured into this vintage shop brimming with goodies and oddities.

Yep, that's me. Notice the awesome beaded orange necklace--my grandma sent me THE GREATEST Halloween package OF MY LIFE. It literally made me so happy to open it after brunch on Saturday. I love my grandparents!

Claire looking extremely happy at Tea Chai Te, a heavenly tea place. Literally, when I walked in, the smell was just so LOVELY. For dinner Ted and I went to Pastini, where I had my favorite thing ever, a tomato and mozzarella panini. Yum! I could seriously eat tomato and mozzarella sandwiches every day. And I have.

Speaking of Ted, his birthday was Sunday! To celebrate, a few of us watched Submarine and drank tea in one of the small auditoriums (that has theatre-like seats and a projector) which was just so wonderful. Afterwards I introduced Ted to The IT Crowd (which has the director of Submarine in it) and got some homework done. Suffice to say, it was a great afternoon. For dinner, a group of us went to Nicholas', which is this fantastic Lebanese restaurant. SO MUCH GOOD FOOD. What a great way to end a break.

As you can probably reason, Fall break was a complete and utter success. I ate copious amounts of terrific food, watched eight movies, and explored new parts of Portland. Oh yeah, and Ted is my boyfriend now! You better believe it was a magical break.

Reasons why you should like Ted as much as I do:

He spookily adheres exactly to this list I made months ago. (Seriously. Wow.)

He whistles better than anyone I've ever met.

He understands my many Harry Potter references and encourages them. Also, he has the same golden snitch replica in his dorm room that I have in mine. And he's on Pottermore. And he goes on Mugglenet. And yeah, we are the same person.

He buys stuff on Etsy.

He is obsessed with Emma Watson.

He loves hats as much as I do.

He watches Glee.

He loves music and musicals.

He is going to make me delicious food and I am going to bake him yummy treats!

Like, you guyz. I don't even know how this is real life.

WE ARE SO NERDY/AWESOME TOGETHER. I LOVE IT. THE END.

this is the look of "I was up until 3 AM writing a six page essay"

2011-10-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Except, it wasn't that bad. I planned on spending my entire weekend being lame and only leaving my study coma for the One Acts, but like most plans, they were completely changed. I found out that the One Acts were all performed together each night, so I bought tickets for Saturday night. Well, so much for that.

On Friday night, I went to the DRAG SHOW, which was SO GREAT. I know I shouldn't be surprised at the turn out and participation, but coming from a conservative community, I couldn't help but be awed by how awesome people are here. Gotta love LC!

After the show, we ended up going to the One Acts at 10, which WERE SO GOOD. I loved seeing all the random things I helped out with and saw around the shop in action. I laughed, I cried, I got warm fuzzies. Suffice to say, I was impressed. After spending the rest of the night talking and Pottermore-ing (SO HAPPY I HAVE HARRY POTTER FRIENDS, YOU GUYZ), I finally went to sleep around 2:30.

Saturday was spent at "the bins" which is where the rejected rejects of Goodwill go to be put haphazardly into huge bins. So basically, the most awesome disgusting place you will ever go. I got a wonderful vintage wool sweater and a red skirt. In fact, I am currently wearing the red pleated knit skirt I got there/already washed twice with my Harry & the Potters t-shirt. Success! After dinner, I went into full paper-writing mode. Can I point out a few things?

I finished the paper before I went to bed, just like the angry note I wrote myself in all caps, underlining, and explanation points told me to.
I didn't go on Facebook AT ALL.
I didn't get distracted by all that the magical internet has to offer AT ALL
At one point, I managed to work while Tropic Thunder was on, excessive cursing and explosions included
I FINISHED IT I FINISHED IT I FINISHED IT

Now, I am about to head somewhere to start my OTHER paper--the paper due either this Tuesday or the Tuesday after break. Since I plan on sleeping and baking my Fall break away, I find this paper necessary to ANNIHILATE, DESTROY, FINISHHHHH. Plus, I have this to motivate me to finish it tonight:

THE CLUB THAT MUST NOT BE NAMED! You better believe it.

keep calm and gleek out

2011-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

ONE WEEK UNTIL FALL BREAK. Exciting, right? Well...

I have two papers due before break. (Well, technically one, but I REALLY do NOT want to spend my Fall break thinking about Greek tragedies. Zeus no.)

This comes out to 10-11 pages in total. Welcome to college; I know.

Plus, I ~~really want to see~~ am going to see the One Acts (student written and directed plays that are, you guessed it! One act) on this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night because I've been doing weird things for them like making a loin cloth out of pillowcases and giving pink owl slippers snouts so they look like pigs. I started reading two of them, and literally can not wait to see all the costumes I've been seeing everyday come to life.

I'm not one to stress out, but this is quite the situation, people.

All I can do is listen to the newest Glee songs and dance a little at my desk as I try to get myself to write about Plato and Greek tragedies.

i need you now

2011-09-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

A Very She & Him Christmas!!!!!!

All of this!!!!!

This dog!!!!!

on my mind

2011-09-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

I think the Facebook app "Top Words" (it calculates your most commonly used words in your status updates) sums up the contents of my brain now perfectly.

life - used 37 times
good - used 30 times
happy - used 30 times
love - used 29 times
yearbook - used 22 times
harry - used 17 times
glee - used 15 times
christmas - used 14 times
why - used 14 times
potter - used 14 times

Life is good. Life is also confusing, frustrating, annoying, and sometimes just crazy. But mostly it's freakin' awesome. Especially when I get to see my Izzerton.

Good thing I realized what I wanted to do with my life before college began. That in itself is so relieving and comforting. I love having a distinct visualization of the goal I am working towards.

Happy Saturday! I decided that college-wise, Saturdays are my favorite. I love going downtown for the day. Especially when it involves...

AN AWESOME BOULANGERIE!

It had oodles of breads, desserts, pastries, and arguably my favorite thing in the world, MOZZARELLA AND TOMATO SANDWICHES! Actually, this one had fancy olives too. It was tres delicieux.

This is the sandwich, half eaten.

We originally set out to find Trader Joe's, but instead we found Food Front, which was pretty nice and had some of my favorite magazines (Martha Stewart Living, Dwell, Bon Appetit, etc.) including McSweeney's, which I had never seen in the flesh before.

Also, FINGER PUPPETS!

And this is just the slightly terrifying Portlandia statue on top of a building.

Love Portland. More and more each day. I am enamoured with the green & DIY scene. (Hey, I can rhyme!)

A blurry picture of me NOT in my natural habitat. This was a trail that Siri and I used a couple of weekends ago to walk to the grocery store near campus. TO THE GROCERY STORE, GUYS!

My favorite bench for reading and studying. So. Green. Just don't wear bright red tights or bees will come to say hi. (True story.)

Yearbook, I miss you so. Is it lame that I explained the theme of the 2011 book to my friends at dinner tonight? DON'T EVEN CARE. I miss it. So very thankful I have something creative to be a part of here (costume shop), or I would be so very empty.

Harry Potter references. All day long. Thank goodness I have friends here that tolerate it and sometimes encourage it.

Let's just pretend the Manor House is Hogwarts, okay?

GLEE!!!!! It's on my mind 24/7 now that it is back. Yesterday I received season 2 on DVD in the mail! It was a delightful surprise. Thank you, Grandma!

P.S. Amy sent me that cute crane in a lovely package.

Christmas is just around the corner! I am extremely EXCITED. I thouroughly enjoyed watching the Glee Christmas episode last night before I went to sleep. Christmas songs are my drug. I can't wait to overdose the moment it strikes midnight after Thanksgiving. Also, the Christmas Glee episode is the happiest situation ever.

LOOK AT THE KLAINE! Maggie and I give you full permission to watch this even though it's not Christmas song season yet. I guarantee it will lift your spirits.

Why isn't it holiday season yet? Also, I am literally daydreaming about winter break already. Can you say Christmas party?

"CHRISTMAS PARTY!" says You.

first of many rainy days

2011-09-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

Today Siri, Regina, and I went downtown to explore and (have the intent to) get some homework done in a cafe. Well, we explored...and it was wet and cold.

After browsing Nordstrom for a while, we hurried out so that we didn't have to deal with the feelings we were having about every other thing we saw. Next we went into Cacao, which didn't help much either. The place was small, but filled with beautifully packaged gourmet chocolates. I decreed that we come back and buy ourselves fancy chocolates for Valentine's Day.

We had fun looking around the shops in Pioneer Place, like J. Crew, H&M, and KATE SPADE! Hooray!

Well. That's me on the sidewalk. In the rain. In the cold, wet rain. This desert dweller is freaking out a little.

Regina understands (she's from CA), but Siri just laughs at us in her one layer of clothes (she's from CO). Also, she understands the necessity of Chipotle. Yum!

Being the mature college students we are, we stopped in Finnegan's Toys.

WOO HOO COLLEGE!!!

When we were turning the corner, a wonderful thing occurred. There on my left was a window that said CRAFTY WONDERLAND. I skipped a little and squealed in excitement because I have read about this place (Blogz, you guyz. Read them). I WAS SO HAPPY! When I went inside, I was not disappointed in the least.

Everything was handcrafted by local artists. Wonderland, indeed! I even purchased two adorable Christmas gifts. Yeah, you better believe I'm already thinking about Christmas. In this cold weather, you can't blame me! Also, SO PSYCHED for their Holiday Sale at the Oregon Convention Center! YESSSS!!!!!

Not too far away, I spotted a store called Button Emporium and Ribbonry. I flipped out! Unfortunately it was closed. Sad news. However, I did spot a vintage shop called Living Thread Vintage, which was small, but crammed with goodies. Most of the pieces weren't really my style, because I tend to prefer brighter colors to darker ones, but perhaps that was just because it was the Fall stock.

For a "study" session, we walked to Coffeehouse Northwest which Regina and I had actually passed a couple weeks ago (geez, time goes so fast here) and took a picture of! It was a great place to hang out, especially because they played the entire Graceland album.

Siri's cappuccino was beautiful. She even let me have a spoonful of the foam on top! Now THAT'S a friend. While at the cafe, we only finished an article from our Greek tragedy book for Theatre & Society. Thankfully when we got home tonight we read one of the plays out loud to each other, so yes--today was productive!

Now I am going to get ready for bed, read, and anxiously await Tuesday for GLEEEEEEEE!

back to the old grind

2011-09-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

It's the third week of school, and things are definitely starting to pick up. After a weekend spent writing a paper for E&D and watching too many episodes of 30 Rock, I dived into my first legitimately busy week. I couldn't be happier! Since I haven't really mentioned my classes yet (I'm just here to go to college, no biggie), I guess I will do that now.

French Oh mon Dieu! As much as I love France and the language, this is the class I look forward to least, because still after five years, I have not gained much confidence in my speaking. It's only an hour-long class though, so it's not too bad. I will get better!

E&D I enjoy E&D, because it reminds me a lot of my AP English classes in high school (on discussion days). We basically sit in a circle and talk about whatever we're reading. It was intimidating at first, because it seemed like everyone understood the texts better than I did, but I've gotten over that for the most part.

Theatre & Society My professor is hilarious, and has a Czech accent (which makes things even funnier). I especially like when he calls that freshmen "fresh people". The class is like E&D, but we talk about plays! We actually read a Greek tragedy that we read in E&D, which made my life easier, and made it more interesting to know about the theatrical aspect.

English I looooooove my English class. Its focus is contemporary literature (1950's-present), which is my personal favorite, because I am so fascinated in the historical context. That's what I love--the history behind a novel. Currently we're finishing up Lolita, which like I've mentioned before, is a super creepy (but a wonderfully written and intriguing) novel.

Theatre Lab For some reason I forgot to write T-Lab on my calendar above, which is funny because I am about to leave for that class... Anyway, T-Lab meets every Wednesday for an hour for lecture, then we do lab hours in either the scene or costume shop throughout the week. Of course I chose the costume shop!

Costume Shop Between work hours and lab hours, I spend every Tuesday-Friday afternoon (starting this week) in the shop, which I adore. It is such a magical thing to be a part of the productions in this way. We've been pulling pieces for the One Acts (which are student written and directed plays) and organizing everything on clothes racks. Today I seam-ripped the sleeves off of shirts (blouses?) for the Main Stage production of Caucasian Chalk Circle and learned how to take suit measurements. The resident designers and director talked to us about the play in T-Lab today, so now I feel especially connected to this afternoon's seam-ripping session. I like that. Thank goodness for this opportunity. It's the closest I've come to filling the void that is yearbook!

Well, I have 3049230948 things to do. Good night!

put a stitch on it

2011-09-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

My ridiculously talented and beautiful best friend Erin opened up an Etsy shop featuring her adorable knit accessories! You should give put a stitch on it a visit, and check her blog for updates! Christmas is just around the corner...

moving inspiration

2011-09-10T00:47:00.000-07:00

I will never get over this. Never.

Arguably, what started it all. "It all" being my obsession with everything sweet and pastel.

Kirsten Dunst and Jason Shwartzman are just top-notch, and I love the colors. Also, I have red sunglasses like hers!

Sofia Coppola... What more can I say?

Creepy older dude aside, this scene in An Education is adorable. (My friends and I rhinestoned sunglasses just like hers too... at my 50's-inspired birthday back in 5th grade. How funny.)

This just makes me happy. Something about the blue tones and certain "film noir" quality. Plus, there's dancing. What's not to love?

Just wanna be a cute French girl, no biggie...

mental labor day

2011-09-05T19:24:00.000-07:00

Labor Day was devoted to reading Lolita for English/getting distracted by my surroundings in the grass behind the Manor House. Correction: In the dirt under one of the trees behind the Manor House. Turns out I am literally allergic to the green stuff. My skin is so sensitive to the damp, intensely green blades of grass that I experience a speckled red reaction up and down my legs. Glamourous!

Before finding my cozy circle of dirt, I allowed myself to enjoy the sunshine. I laid down and closed my eyes and almost fell asleep, but the possibility of getting sunburnt in Port-freaking-land (what a laughingstock I would be in Arizona!) made me finally pry my eyes open and find a safe, itch-free, shady haven. Thankfully there was a huge tree that had some soil around it big enough to fit me and my sad, now grossly patterned legs.

In contrast to the gorgeous surroundings, the content of Lolita made me scrunch my face up in disapproval most of the afternoon. It is a truly detestable story, however beautifully written. It's quite the paradox! Reading Lolita has made me fear for my life and the life of every girl under five feet and of a petite nature. Just so you know the extent of my fright, I might point out that I am the same height (4'10) as Lolita. Eeek! Makes me want to dye my hair gray and pretend to be an old lady. But I digress...

I met a myriad of insects and creatures this afternoon. The bees in particular took a liking to me, of which the feeling was not mutual. I met a dragonfly perching on a few blades of grass, giant flies that I took as bees without my glasses on, and tiny ants and spiders that I didn't mind hanging out on the pages of my book. But mostly I made a ruckus out of sitting stone still humming (okay--squeaking, hollering, yelling) my discomfort when a bee buzzed around me. Note to self: Do not wear sweet-smelling perfume when studying outdoors. Lesson learned.

I am constantly surrounded by giant Christmas trees, and I can't help but want to decorate them with baubles and handmade ornaments. I am Kaylie, and I am continually dumbfounded by this green stuff.

sunday goals

2011-09-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I went downtown again with three goals:

Find Regina some shoes.
Eat macarons.
Go into the record store and Lulu's.

I am happy to tell you that all three goals were accomplished, and then some. After finding my friend some shoes, three of us went exploring.

First stop: Jackpot Records. I loved this place! Usually record stores (although always cool) are a little grimy and grungy, but this one was sweet, colorful, and organized. Lovely!

Second Stop: Lulu's. This is a small vintage shop with so many precious finds! The only problem is that everything is around $30 or more, and I am pretending to be broke because I have college student guilt. Of course I fell in love with a pink gingham romper that was probably the most expensive thing there. C'est la vie.

Little Bird was closed, so Regina yelped "macarons" and we trekked towards the nearest bakery that had macarons, which was Ken's Artisan Bakery. (The above photo has no relevance whatsoever, other than it was taken on our walk there.)

Ken's did not disappoint! Regina and Sarah had their first macaron, and I got my macaron fix for the next couple of weeks or so. (Watching Marie Antoinette last night probably didn't help this craving.)

Happiness is a macaron. Or two.

When we were heading out, we noticed they had just put out a batch of salted caramel coffee macarons. Suffice to say, we will be back.

While walking back to 6th Ave (where the bus stop is) we found a few places of note. The first was Canoe, which I was drawn to by its admirable use of fontage. There's something about a good font that says a lot about the aesthetic of a store.

I fell in love with Canoe and its mix of clean, simple, eclectic, and modern ware from around the world. This is my kind of store.

Passed by a pretty bridal shop and this white shift dress caught my eye. Reminds me of the 60's and Erin's style.

The most heartbreaking moment of our time downtown was this adorable lingerie store being closed on Sundays. Must visit Lille soon, especially because I just realized I've been on the website before when looking at a blog! (I'm such an intense blogger, you guys...it's kind of embarrassing.)

Knit Purl is a cozy knitting shop. Some of the yarns are so delicate and beautiful, that they are up to $60 or more! The most beautiful I saw had bits of gold in it. I wish I could knit!

This is just hilarious. Thankfully I'm getting a better sense of direction, or seeing this would probably make me cry.

If you haven't already figured it out, I have found "my city". Phoenix will always be my home, but Portland is my kindred spirit. I don't know where life will take me (hopefully lots of places), but I do know that I now have two cities where my soul is very happy. Portland is officially my home away from home, and I can't wait to share it with my friends and family ASAP!

saturday downtown

2011-09-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Today a few of us went downtown for the Saturday Market and whatnot. I resisted buying 2304982349823904 cute things and found a birthday present for my sister. Here are some silly things I took pictures of there...

That guy was still there!

These are SOAPS, you guys. SOAPS.

Beautiful lamps made of paper!

Creepy clown!

The line was up and down the sidewalk, but that's okay, because I went to two meetings the other day that gave us Voodoo Doughnuts. So healthy!

I just can't get enough of this place.

I was a little tempted to buy a cactus (not to mention everything else) at Whole Foods for my dorm. Maybe next time.

MINI MACARONS! We found this adorable place called Little Bird with macarons in their display on our way back to the bus, so I couldn't go in. Hopefully I will be able to go in later this weekend, in addition to another adorable place called Lulu's Vintage and a record store that I also had to pass up (sadface).

In other news, I OFFICIALLY HAVE A JOB. I get to work in the costume shop! How fun is that? I can't wait to start! Life is pretty awesome, but now I need to go do laundry.

the sorting hat

2011-09-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

As I predicted, I received my Pottermore email the day school started (Monday). Of course I did! The next day, I got SORTED.

Now, where I would be sorted if I went to Hogwarts has always mystified me. I could make plausible arguments for all of them, even Slytherin (which I suppose should have been a hint to where I would be placed). But when the sorting hat on Pottermore decided my fate, I knew that I had finally found my House.

What house is that, you ask?

RAVENCLAW!

I feel relieved to finally know where I belong at Hogwarts. Turns out, it's always been pretty obvious. I was even wearing a blue dress when I was being sorted. FATE.

If you plan on getting sorted, you might not want to read the following bullets, because I'd hate to ruin the magic if you're sorted into Ravenclaw. Here are a few things I've I've learned about Ravenclaw in my "Welcome message" that makes me certain it's my House:

"The arched windows set into the walls of our circular common room look down at the school grounds: the lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Quidditch pitch and the Herbology gardens. No other house in the school has such stunning views."
"Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them!"
"Speaking of eccentrics, you’ll like our Head of house, Professor Filius Flitwick. People often underestimate him, because he’s really tiny (we think he’s part elf, but we’ve never been rude enough to ask) and he’s got a squeaky voice, but he’s the best and most knowledgeable Charms master alive in the world today. His office door is always open to any Ravenclaw with a problem, and if you’re in a real state he’ll get out these delicious little cupcakes he keeps in a tin in his desk drawer and make them do a little dance for you. In fact, it’s worth pretending you’re in a real state just to see them jive."
Famous Ravenclaw Ministers for Magic include Millicent Bagnold, who was in power on the night that Harry Potter survived the Dark Lord’s curse, and defended the wizarding celebrations all over Britain with the words, ‘I assert our inalienable right to party.
"And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts."

Here are a few celebratory Etsy finds.

Owl Post necklace

Ravenclaw bowtie

Ravenclaw Crest sticker

Ravenclaw Quill

Character rings

greetings from the land of the hipsters

2011-08-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

From first glance, the population of Lewis & Clark College looks like a carefully chosen collection of hipsters. Seriously, I haven't seen this many Birkenstocks in my whole life. Almost everyone here looks like they have just walked out of the pages of a Urban Outfitters catalog or from a fruitful day of vintage scavenging. In many ways, this is fantastic and inspiring, but at first it was a bit disheartening and intimidating.

Many of the freshmen I've spoken to about this has agreed to some extent on this sentiment I bring up: Everyone here is unique and different...in the same way. Most of us hail from schools where we were the "original" and "different" kids. We liked different music, we liked different clothes, and we liked different hairstyles. Here, it's all up for game. Let me tell you, there is a rainbow of hair colors, dreadlocks, pixie cuts, and long hippie hair. I felt pretty cool cutting off ten inches this summer, but now it seems long in comparison. I would even argue that most of the girls here have shorter hair than the guys.

Here, we are confronted with the harsh reality of being surrounded with people who are just as individualistic as us, if not more. At first it seemed like a burden, but now I realize that it is the best thing that could ever happen to me and my "individuality", especially since I plan on surrounding myself with a creative environment the rest of my life. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by trying to be the weirdest looking possible (Have you ever had this kind of peer pressure to stand out? Because this is a new thing to me. Everywhere else it would be the other way around.), I have chosen to use this unique experience to my advantage.

For years I have tried (with much, much failure) to evolve my style into something more acceptable for my age. I've banned myself from bows and/or headbands multiple times, only to come back to them with even more ferocity. In the end, I am faced with the same problem of always coming out looking equal parts toddler and thirty year old librarian. And you know what? I haven't met anyone else who can manage to pull that off, not even here. Is it something to be proud of? I didn't think so before. But now? Now I'm thinking yes. It certainly is.

After years of confusion, it's taken me one week at Lewis & Clark to settle into this weird, wonderful realization and I feel like I have grown into myself a little more, if that makes sense. After fighting it for so long, I have accepted my fate as a preschool librarian. I even wore my "librarian" pin from Fred Flare for the first time today in celebration.

Here's to 3249409328 more self-discoveries! College is cool like that.

Dress-Urban Outfitters
Cardigan (my new favorite thing ever)-Anthropologie
Necklace-Great-Grandma's
Librarian pin-Fred Flare
Socks-Kate Spade
Mary Janes-Born (I only have one pair of this shoe brand, but they are so well made and comfortable! I've had them since I got them for my Europe trip and they feel like my "adventure shoes".)

guess what

2011-08-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

My beautiful friend Kate has a beautiful new blog. You should check it out. She will probably hurt me for posting this, but her blog is too quality; I feel selfish not spreading the love. Enjoy!

educational summer camp, part 3

2011-08-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

School starts tomorrow, so I thought I'd try to blog about the rest of my "free days" before I actually have to start doing stuff.

Yesterday night I ventured out to "Narnia" with some people, which is on the graduate campus. The campus was beautiful, deserted (other than another group of people from the undergrad campus) and also had yummy blackberry bushes. Later on, a few student bands played on campus. I have a feeling there will be a ton of shows to go to during the weekends here, because everyone is into that kind of thing. I'm down!

Today a friend from my dorm and I took one of the buses downtown to explore. It was wonderful! We walked towards Powell's, but ended up stopping at a few places that caught our eyes.

We stopped in Ray's Ragtime (above), which was a dream! It had vintage clothes and accessories stuffed to the brim, and made me realize that if all goes well, I will one day retire from being a successful costume designer and own an awesome shop like this. It's funny, because when I googled the place, the link above said that the guy who owns the place (we saw him there intently repairing a necklace) used to work in theatre, performing and costuming, so that makes me very happy!

With Powell's still looming ahead, we stopped at Stumptown, which was a really cool coffee place that I had actually heard of before (because I read way too many magazines/blogs). We sat by the window, which had a great view of an old homeless man. That's downtown for you. We also stopped by this fun boutique (can't remember the name!) with a bunch of local artists and designers selling their (or their friends') work. That was nice.

Finally we found Powell's, which tested my shopping restraint quite harshly. Everything is super cute there; it shouldn't even be allowed. I am already excited for Christmas shopping! To make matters worse, we went into Anthro, where we gushed over pretty much everything.

I already can't wait to go back! Hopefully I'll be able to this Saturday for Saturday Market.

School is tomorrow! Eeeek!

educational summer camp, part 2

2011-08-27T02:17:00.000-07:00

Today was great fun. I purchased a $146 French textbook and was assigned to read a book over the weekend. But wait, IT GETS BETTER. (No really, it does.)

At its worst, college (before classes start, at least) is a lot of free time punctuated by moments of "What in the world am I supposed to be doing with myself right now?" Well, let's just say that I started watching the first season of 30 Rock on Netflix Instant. Thankfully, this conundrum is easy to fix. So easy, that I didn't even get finished with the first episode (although I will probably finish it before I go to bed for good measure). The solution? Step out of your dorm and be more vulnerable than you've ever had the displeasure to experience. This sometimes means sitting next to someone you don't know, or as the case was today, sitting alone at lunch to wait to see who is attracted to your awesomeness vibes. Or you will attract upperclassmen whose job is to make you feel welcome.

This happened today at lunch (Geez Louise, that seems like lifetimes away). I was waiting to save a spot for someone, but ended up being bombarded with NSO leaders who probably felt bad for me sitting alone eating my bean taco. Anyway, it was kind of great that this happened, because they gave me a description of my E&D (freshmen intro class) professor and his mannerisms, which undoubtably came up within 30 seconds upon meeting him. The moment he put his fingers through his "amazing multicolored hair", I had to stifle back laughter. Yeah, I'm mature.

This also happened tonight at dinner. The two girls who sat by me were super nice, so we ended up going to do tie dye which was going on outside my dorm. After that, I headed over to the Co-Op party with a girl from my dorm. It was the best thing ever! There was slam poetry, which was actually really awesome and sometimes hilarious. When that was over, I roamed the campus with a few people before heading back to the Co-Op for the bands to play. Thankfully I spotted someone from my E&D class, so I settled in with her and her friends. The bands were really nice, jazzy, folksy, and a little of everything. There was also face paint! After it was over, a few of us went upstairs where they were having a "Wild Rumpus" which was basically a "Go dance to music that is the opposite of what you were just listening to". Regardless, it was a lot of fun, and afterwards (and after losing and finding one of the girls' cell phones) we went to the Bon for midnight breakfast. In true college fashion, we ended up talking about everything from religion and human rights to Harry Potter and romantic comedies.

Needless to say, I am having a lot of fun. This past week Portland has been unusually warm and sunny, so I am quick to rub my heat tolerance in everyone's face. I probably shouldn't do that, but it's an easy icebreaker (or should I say, icemelter?). Throughout orientation I have extended my vast knowledge of Arizona culture, specifically Mesa culture. What is it that Mesa has? Well, 115 degree weather, Mormons, scorpions, and the author of Twilight. Yeah!

educational summer camp, part 1

2011-08-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

I am officially a college student! The first thing I noticed when I walked onto the floor of my dorm was just about the best thing that I could have possibly noticed (except Darren Criss waiting to greet me with a hug and my Pottermore email). Each door had HARRY POTTER CHARACTERS for their names. You better believe I flipped out hardcore. I mean, what could be more perfect?

This is my door! It got even better though.

I cracked up when I saw this on the bulletin. Especially because Voldemort looks like he is getting his groove on.

This was also on the bulletin. I appreciate these little details, because they make me feel quite at home. It's also comforting to walk down the hallway and read the multiple inspirational Dumbledore quotes.

Everyone's room is named after a Potter place. When I open my door, facing me is a giant poster that says "The Great Hall". If you didn't already put two and two together, all of this makes me extremely happy.

This is my room! I kept finding things to get out, but this is pretty much how it looks! I will be adding more wall stuff as the year progresses, I am sure.

This is my bed! I have a beautiful view. Fortunately, the dining hall/mailroom/everything building is right outside my dorm. Not like getting anywhere around here is very far or difficult! Even I know the whereabouts of most of the academic buildings and I'm no Sacagawea (yes, you did indeed just witness a Lewis & Clark pun). Either way, it's nice.

This is my nightstand! Yes, that IS a golden snitch! Thanks for noticing! Dahlya gave it to me as a going away gift, and it is magical.

Some fun reading, my WWAD? book (because I try to remind myself to ask myself this), and a pretty sketchbook also from Dahlya! Also, the giant contact-looking thing is actually an adorable Eiffel Tower paperweight that Erin's mom gave me a while ago.

This is my desk! I'm sure this is the cleanest it will ever be. On the right is this awesome picture holder that Erin got me for my birthday. It's so perfect for a dorm room!

A drawing that my sister made me a while ago, The Beatles, and a sparkly bird courtesy of Erin.

My sewing box I got at Michael's with Rachel that one time (filled with crafty things), a couple of books, cute paperclips I got from Nicole one birthday in a sake cup from Domenico, my adorable elephant from Maggie's blogger swap package, and my little blackbird Erin brought me home from a trip.

Tea from Rachel, office supplies, cute mug and quote also from Maggie, sweet mug from my parents, my insanely adorable thermos from my grandparents, and a lovely Dahlya original from my birthday.

My parents brought back a dozen donuts from Voodoo Doughnuts, which is great because I would rather eat stale doughnuts for the rest of the week than wake up early to get to breakfast.

This is my closet! Notice the "Keep Calm and Shop On" frame from Melanie.

I'm nothing without my bows, bags, and costume jewelry.

Some paper cranes made by Phoebe and Erin, family pictures, and Glee gum and Bertie Bott's from Dahlya!

Organized accessories (for now), notebook of quotes from my momma goose.

Whew, that was a long post! All in all, I am having a great time getting to know the people and the campus. It literally feels like summer camp with the forest surrounding me at all times. I love it.

repeat after me:

2011-08-23T23:24:00.000-07:00

Don't focus on the lasts.

Focus on the firsts.

Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

(Leaving for Portland in seven hours!!!!!!)

moving here in 30 hours

2011-08-23T01:38:00.000-07:00

This past couple of weeks have made me feel quite emotional, sentimental, and all those other "al"s associated with moving away from everything you've ever known ("Magical" being just another). I'm extremely excited, but slightly upset that I have decided to leave such a wonderful group of family and friends, even though I know I would be even more upset if I wasn't following my dream to live in a new city. And then I remind myself it's only for a portion of the year, and I will be back plenty. Plus, I need some good new stories to tell anyway!

Nevertheless, I have turned to extensive reading as a coping mechanism. After finishing The Help, I have started reading Bossypants, Tina Fey's autobiography, which is a great book for me right now because it is hilarious and reminds me things like, Successful People Take Chances! Successful People Moved From Their Hometowns To Pursue Their Careers! For some reason, this is wildly comforting. I am also resuming One Day, which I was openly cheating on The Help with before I finished it on Friday prior to seeing the movie (which I quite enjoyed along with approximately 25 other gray-haired ladies including Dahlya. They repeated lines as they hysterically laughed and clapped inspirationally).

Between goodbye(for now)s, the craziest finale of The Glee Project imaginable (Rachel and I went NUTS while Erin probably questioned why she was friends with such freaks), copious episodes of House Hunters International with my parents (my dad is addicted) and without, and Glee jam sessions/forced cuddle sessions with Izzy (I refuse to leave that poor dog alone), I am doing my best to remain as normal as possible in these last days (now hours, eek!) before my Big Adventure begins.

Until then! Xoxo

a view from our table

2011-08-21T02:59:00.000-07:00

Instead of doing something productive like packing or sleeping, I have been lured into my iPhoto folders. I couldn't help but post these pictures from my freshman through senior years' (mostly lunch) tables. The thing I love about my group of friends (and oh how I love them, especially after a lovely "going away" get together tonight at my house) is that we welcome everyone with open arms. Yes, we were that kind of table. The table that people stop by to say hi, and end up sitting there every day for the rest of the year. There was something magical about our group that attracted all kinds of people. Sure, some of them came and went after a semester or two, but fortunately the good ones usually stuck around. It all started with me, Erin, Domenico, and Kate.

FRESHMAN YEAR

Last day of 9th grade.

Oh my, look at that goober. I haven't changed much at all.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Erin and Domenico. Have I ever mentioned that two of my best friends have been happily married for five years?

Okay, so they're not married (although I told them after each snapshot I took--and there were many--that it was for their "Save the Date"), but FIVE YEARS, GUYS! The only boy I've liked that long is Harry Potter. Let's give them a hand!

JUNIOR YEAR

Ah, the library. Every morning we would go there to chat, study miniature vocab cards last minute (well, in my case at least), and take silly photos (I was photo editor of the yearbook, so Bernard was my right-wing man).

Dahlya. Some things never change.

Typical Domenico facial expression. Typical Nathan sunglass-wearing.

Rylee and Eric. Cutest couple to come out of Junior year (or at least I think that's when they became a couple? Seriously, I think my group of friends has some of the coolest, longest-lasting couples I have ever encountered...).

Junior year was when I discovered my immense love of hats (and photography, thanks to yearbook). Oh yes, I was soooo artsy. I mean, look at that beret and that thoughtful gaze.

Rachel is just the cutest redhead alive.

SENIOR YEAR

That awkward moment when I accidentally proposed to Melanie... The only pictures from the lunch table I can find are from Valentine's Day, probably because I was all over the place for most lunches due to yearbook (and Bernard, my yearbook camera, was no longer my man). Holidays were special though. My friends and I are a crafty bunch and many homemade treats were exchanged during holidays.

Thankfully, Phoebe shared my extreme love for the frilly holiday. Although she would show up with yummy treats on any given day!

Also, here are some pics from "Bro Awareness Day"...

MORAL OF STORY: Yep, we are awesome.

struck by lightning

2011-08-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

As I anxiously await my email for Pottermore, all I can do is be as patient as possible. However, not receiving my entry to Pottermore didn't stop me from having a magical afternoon. I put on my starry dress and my mom even surprised me with a going away present. She got me, my sister, and herself matching lightning bolt bracelets from Etsy! Inside they say, "Dream big Reach Far Shine brightly".

Sounds like a plan!

betty draper

2011-08-15T15:11:00.001-07:00

betty draper by kayliemarissahatos featuring pearl jewelry

just because i ♥ her style

2011-08-14T23:45:00.000-07:00

Kimbra!

#WhenIWas13

2011-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Twitter is really cool and entices you to break out your embarrassing journal from when you were 13. And sometimes, said journal makes you laugh so hard and loudly that you are gasping for air at how ridiculously (more) immature you used to be.

Here are some real gems (I give you full permission to laugh hysterically) from seventh-grade me:

"If I am going to get into Harvard, I need some rest. Night." Haaaaaaaaaah!

"Girls are feroshus (haha can't spell) beasts." I've never been a good speller, you guys. But yeah, sometimes they are, especially when they are emotional thirteen year olds who can't spell.

"Eww! Boys! Eww! NO!" Wiser words have never been written.

"I painted a heart. My heart. It's light, but surrounded by darkness closing in." I CAN'T. I JUST CAN'T. THIS IS TOO MUCH.

"We'd fix this. You know, like at Disneyland? They renovate rides all the time. It's the same ride it's always been, but hey, it's getting fixed--bettered. Like...Pimp My Ride?" What was I wanting to fix, you ask? A stain on the carpet? A tear in my favorite skirt? Nope, my "love life". Pssh!

"Lately I haven't been thinking about you all that much, but..." But...I was thinking about you enough to write you a letter that I would never send to you. But seriously, I never think about you. Except for this one time I'm spilling my heart out to you in a letter.

"Okay, so now I know why teachers give us so much homework. To keep us sane." Ah, junior high drama. Ah, how I don't miss it.

Although some things never change, embarrassing as I can get:

"What to wear?!!?? Hmm. I wanna wear my new (old) brooch. I'll get my whole überchic nerdy glam girl going on. I'm thinking my lavendar top that is a little tighter at the waist. Hmm. For bottoms? A skirt obviously. But which one?

Scratch that. Something totally new." SO THAT IS WHAT MY STYLE IS! It's "überchic nerdy glam". Finally, I can put a name to it.

"I love old stuff. Old stuff makes me happy. You know what else makes me happy? Sleep." A thousand times yes.

"Ok, so all I needed was a little Starbucks and Arcade Fire and I'm as good as new." Amen to that.

Alright, now that I've sufficiently humiliated myself for the night, I will say my farewell for now. I just couldn't help but share how silly I was then. I mean, I'm still silly, but not in the same ways. Middle school was just the weirdest situation ever, let me tell you... I try to block it out of my memory most of the time, but it's good for a few (dozen) laughs.

i ♥ london

2011-08-09T01:40:00.000-07:00

I know bad, awful, sickening things happen daily, and to be honest, when all of a sudden I feel very strongly about something in particular that is going on in the world, I begin to feel guilty for not feeling so upset about every terrible, disgusting thing that happens every single day. I'm sure we're all guilty of this tendency to tune out such things, mostly because thinking about all of it constantly would drive most to depression. Maybe it's because I'm growing up (aka it's officially unacceptable to try to escape the harshness of reality), maybe it's because it was one of the first European cities I traveled to, or maybe it's because I'm 99.999% sure I'm studying abroad there my junior year, but I'm really upset about the riots taking place in London right now.

It's hard, in the security of our comfortable lives, to not take something as simple and important as our safety for granted, but that's just what Londoners are lacking at the present moment. The anxiety I feel for the people living there has got to be a million times magnified for them. I hope and pray that these acts of violence and crime seize as soon as possible.

There's a lot of messed up things happening in the world (I could name a few now, but that's for another post), but I will leave it at this: Keep London in your thoughts, keep Humanity in your thoughts, and never forget that one of the best things you can do to stop (or at least prevent more of) such atrocity in the world is to practice kindness and compassion, and avoid violence at all costs. Much love to all of you! xoxo

thursday thrills

2011-08-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

(picture)

What Would Don Draper Do? The answer is simple. (I just began watching Mad Men on Netflix Instant.)

Still lusting over this wedding.

Don't you just love weekly posts? (Of course you do!) Check out Amy's Handmade Mondays for a little homespun cuteness.

So in love with Kimbra now--we even have the same hair (more about that later)! (Thanks Dahlya.)

There is nothing more peaceful than a piece of cake.

And this... This is just the coolest unnecessary thing ever.

Happy Thursday, folks! xoxo

thursday thrills

2011-07-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

(picture)

A wedding inspired by one of my favorite movies.

Lovers of typography, lust over this book.

The best of Harry Potter merch.

Visit this site for your daily dose of cute.

It's been a while! Hope your last few Thursdays were wonderful. Xoxo

nostalgic playlist

2011-07-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Some songs just give me the weirdest feeling... in the best way possible.

my ultimate shortcoming (is not making puns)

2011-07-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Surely, you will have noticed a few things about this photo:

I have awesome, adorable friends.
Someone is wearing a bright yellow hat in the bottom right corner.
It's getting dark outside.
I am a whole head shorter than everyone.

Well let me tell you--you're not the first to notice. For as long as I can remember, my identifier has been "the cute little short girl". Hey, I know it could be worse, but it certainly has its drawbacks.

For starters, even though technically I'm an "adult", I still think everyone around me is older than me, because, well, they do look older than me. It's something I can't help, like I have some kind of filter that is preventing me from owning that I am indeed older (I believe I will experience this same sensation when I am middle aged).

Unfortunately I don't usually gravitate towards dressing "like a teenager", so that doesn't help. Let's be honest here--I dress a cross between a six year old and a thirty year old. At best, I can accomplish what Rachel Berry would call "Sexy schoolgirl librarian chic".

And the jokes. The jokes just keep on coming. Everyone has that one thing they can't escape (unless drastic measures are taken--in my case, wearing five inch heels every day for the rest of my life) and that friends, family, acquaintances, and complete strangers have no problem bringing up on a daily basis.

The worst part? To avoid the humiliation and insecurity inflicted by others, I often try to beat people to the jokes. I reason, if someone is going to poke fun at me, it might as well be me, right? It's become a habit, one I loath, because in honesty, it just makes people think I'm okay with them putting me down all the time. Self-deprecation is all fun and charming until you start believing it yourself.

This is why I am making a pact with myself. From this day on, I will not sell myself short. I may be small, but I have a hell of a lot of opinions, plans, and dreams--more than some six-foot people out there, I'd say. The next time someone mentions my height or the smallness of my feet, I am going to either:

Smile, and change the subject.
Tell them to go away.
Punch them in the face.

Since I am soon going to be in a position where I will literally know no one, I think I will try to avoid options 2 and 3. Otherwise I have a feeling I would have a hard time making new friends...

That being said, I encourage you to not sell yourself short (literally, figuratively, or both)!

true grits

2011-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

The things I would do for my Great-Grandma Roxie's cheese grits. And fudge. Oh man, her fudge. I still remember the bitterness I felt when I found out during the summer of 2003 that the last piece had been eaten.

In my eighteen years, I've been lucky enough to have spent time in Alabama two summers, and two fourth of Julys (How American of me!). I remember my first hushpuppy like it was just yesterday. The best part of Alabama, other than spending time with family I don't usually get to see, is the food. Namely... everything. But especially the grits. And fried seafood. If there is one thing that I consistantly daydream about, it's getting my hands on some real Southern food.

As I was searching for something to eat for lunch yesterday, it hit me harder than it has ever hit before. I said aloud, "I WANT GRITS!" into my innocent refrigerator. It was time to fend for myself. I had to try my hand at my own magical cheese grits. Already excitingly thinking of a clever blog post title (I was quite proud of this one), I googled "cheese grits" and found this recipe (and was a bit disappointed when I spotted that the recipe was featured on a episode called "True Grits". I thought I was so clever! And then I saw that the recipe was posted six years before the movie came out and felt supercool again. YES. Edit: I'm not cool at all. It was originally a movie in the sixties. It's still clever though... Right? Right...).

Turns out, grits are pretty simple to make. I'm sad I didn't try to make them earlier. Still, they weren't nearly as magical as my Great-Grandma's.

As I was overdosing on the cheese, I realized that I love cheese more than should be allowed. My cheese intake is probably 2392830 times more than the average human being. So when I noticed this morning that I didn't have any cheese in my breakfast (I had yummy crepes with fruit) I decided to challenge myself to a cheese-free day. It's 8:15 right now and I haven't cracked. Yet.