loveyoutoogoodbye

new post...

2011-12-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

I check this blog everyday in hopes that maybe Becca decided to log on and give a quick update on life in paradise. Instead i see the picture of the girl running; and only the picture of the girl who is running perfectly, shows on my screen, so i don't even get to chuckle for a second at the silly girl beneath her.

It's the middle of hockey season and my life has been spent at the hockey arena so, unless you're a hockey fan, there's not too much exciting to share. If you are a hockey fan then my update is that the Panthers are currently 1st place in the southeast division. Who knew? A south florida NHL team in first place? So while I'm working 70+ hours a week, at least I'm doing so for a winning team.

Bec is too busy snorkeling, rescuing 3-legged pigs, zip-lining, spending tons of time with our brother, climbing trees, drinking Hawaiian coffee, and chasing rainbows to ever get on here. She's happy. I'm happy for her. and only a smidgen jealous.

Sis, in a truck, at sunset, in hawaii...

Our Christmas tree.

With Gus-proof, shatter-proof ornaments.

late night in the office

Merry Christmas! Mele Kalikimaka! Happy Holidays!

running...

2011-10-26T08:49:00.002-04:00

I fully intend on starting to post more than once a month...and I plan on those posts being more than one single picture. But its Wednesday, we're all tired, its still early on the East Coast, and nothing helps an early, middle of the week, morning out like a laugh...

via

Good day...

2011-09-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

Well said Nathanial, well said.

Happy Weekend!

2011-09-17T11:59:00.000-04:00

Do something awesome.

Dear Noah...

2011-08-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

Source: besottedblog.com via Rachel on Pinterest

hello lovely

2011-08-23T22:12:00.000-04:00

I have one very very beautiful purse and I am very loyal to it; like almost every single day loyal to it; regardless of outfit, weather, season etc. Its English (Ted Baker), gorgeous, and timeless and I absolutely love everything about it. The English know how to make a good bag. Which is why I'm ready to expand my very small collection of very very beautiful purses to one more English purse. Once its back in stock, (I'm on the "notify me" list), I'm going to snap up one of these beauties. Hello lovely Modalu purse, aptly named the "Pippa" after the one and only was spotted toting two different versions of what used to be called the "Bristol"...

My current lovely purse is black so I have my eye all over the tan Pippa. Perhaps I'll get the "notify email" by my birthday in October. I'm a big believer in giving myself birthday presents....

"shark" ...beautiful. definitely my 2nd choice

Black Croc. Only needed if my Ted Baker were to be lost in a freak accident...

ahhh....there she is. You will go great with my eyes. and my arm.

top photo from a sophisticated Google search of "pippa with modula", all other pictures from Modalu website.

Bec's a farmer now...

2011-08-22T09:39:00.000-04:00

in Hawaii.

Becca moved to Hawaii last week for a 3-month internship/volunteer program/job at Hawaiian Island Retreat as a Wwoofer. Wwoofing stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms; a service that employs people of all ages on organic farms across the world for anywhere from 1 month-6+ months working and living on a trade basis. Becca was responsible to her flight to Hawaii (no interest in Wwoofing in NC apparently...) and other than that expense she's taken care of. Hawaiian Island Retreat is providing her with a single yurt, meals, and paradise in her backyard. In exchange, she will work for 30+ hours a week milking goats (I will keep you updated on that adventure), watering the gardens, planting, harvesting, and weeding among tons of other things I'm sure.

We've only spoken a few times since she's left (a 6 hour time difference is hard to adjust to) but I do know she's had a pizza party with her new Wwoofing friends, eaten some sort of coconut lemongrass tofu meal, seen our big brother (also living in Hawaii), had a composting lesson, had a giant wild pig run across her path at night and seen several sunsets & rainbows.

I'm very very proud of my sister. It was only a little over a month ago that she was stuck; unsure of her next move following graduation. She had a few plans. Plans that would keep her comfortable and somewhat close to home. Jim is actually the one who suggested Bec try Wwoofing. She literally looked at the website and starting making moves. She was placed only weeks later. Go Bear go!

Right before Becca left she bought a new camera to capture her Hawaiian adventure. The following pictures are not from that camera. I'm hoipng she'll eventually post an album full of pictures, but for now, via blackberry, here's what we know about Becca's new life...

She tweeted this pic last week..."My backyard"

Hawaiian sunset she caught the other night

Her sweet little yurt

Airy & spacious inside.

oh, you know, just a giant rainbow in her backyard...

perception...

2011-08-16T23:30:00.000-04:00

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.

The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly..

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

*this story is completely, 100% copied & pasted from jeffbridges.com but i loved it and saw no sense it attempting to re-write it in my own words. well done jeffbridges.com*

Keeps me Stargazing

2011-08-02T16:47:00.001-04:00

With about two more weeks left on the continent, I'm trying to enjoy all my little moments in this comfortable bubble. I probably won't be coming back to Wilmington, so I also want to do all of the things I've been meaning to do these past four years (mainly skinny dipping in the ocean, and eating out at lots of restaurants!) In the meantime though, I'm trying to hang out with the love of my life, Beowolf, and make lots of monies so I can live in Hawaii, stress-free- for at least a little bit.

People keep asking me if I'm getting nervous about leaving and I say 1. You don't know me very well, and 2. No. I am so excited to go on another adventure. When I do feel a little nervousness creep in, I just refer back to a passage from Conquistadora.

"How can you know what you are capable of if you don't embrace the unknown?"

So- just a few more weeks til I embrace this next step in my life and find out just what I'm made of. Not that I'm worried ;)

Well I gotta go back to work, but here is a picture of my love, and here is a nice song as well if you want some inspiration.

*pretty stars

weekend wardrobe...

2011-07-25T22:30:00.000-04:00

Maybe i can own all these pieces by friday....

via

Shane gets it...

2011-07-22T08:52:00.000-04:00

Shane, the little boy, seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.” Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life – like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."

story & picture via

Catch-Up

2011-07-18T22:42:00.001-04:00

So I think a month and 12 days between posts is just long enough. I'm going to blame my lack of posting on work. The majority of my day is spent at a computer; when i get home i rarely want to sit back in front of the computer. I'm more into coming home and playing with my puppy, doing a bit of yoga, soaking up the last few minutes of sun, and making dinner.

So much has happened since the last post...
I'm going to make a list. Everyone enjoys a list! in no particular order the following things have happened in the last month or so...

-Becca graduated. college. cum laude. with a double major. in other news...i became 100. when did my baby sister grow up enough to even go to college?

-Olive died. My sweet sweet baby Olive. I won't go into this too much as its way too sad. But Marvin & i loved that little hammie and a part of my heart is missing. I know, just a hamster. But no, not really. Not to us. She was so much more. She was very old though so i find some comfort in knowing she lived a long, happy, and healthy hammie life full of travels, sunflower seeds, rolls in her balls, and the occasional appearance on cuteoverload.com.

On to happier things please....

-Took a quick long weekend trip (bit of an oxymoron, no?) out to Denver with one of my best friends in the world to go visit our other best friend in the world. My darling Emily is spending 2 years in Mozambique Africa with the Peace Corp and she just happened to get a 3 week break to come home to colorado to see both her brother get married and her dad get remarried. oh and also to be surprised by Kristin and I. such an amazing moment. Kristin and I are both terrible at keeping secrets but somehow we managed to book flights, schedule joint layovers, and coordinate with Em's wonderful mom a pick-up at the airport that was one of my Top 10 moments ever.

-Spent the July 4th weekend in Cape Coral, Florida at an amazing resort with great friends. Ate way too much, drank a lot, got some sun, and oh, you know, pet a manatee! Chillin' with a manatee has been on my bucket list for years. I spent some quality looking-through-the-glass time with a manatee many years ago at an aquarium (SeaWorld actually...during some super-awkward phase...6th grade maybe). Those giant sea-cows fascinate me. I've always loved "so-ugly they're cute" animals. Anyways, I could ramble on about this encounter for pages but as it turns out, I'm finding others just aren't as interested. I'm going to try to add a video for those who are interested...or for those who just want to humor me.

-I bought sheets online for $10 each. $10! king size. from garnett hill. buttery yellow. They go beautifully with the slate gray duvet cover. i love them. Get in on the action here. hurry though! there's no way this can last long.

-Saw the following in concert: Taylor Swift (loved), Sade, & John Legend. (job perks)

-Gus turned a year old. He partied with his sister.

-Both my brother and recently graduated Becca are moving to Hawaii. Jim's going this weekend, Bec's going to more than likely make her way out there in the next month or so. umm...this i am very jealous about, so Bec will just have to sign on and tell you all about it. They'll be working in paradise, eating fresh fruit, and doing yoga on hawaiian beaches and i'll be just hanging out in the office, working towards the Panthers Home Opener and the 43 games that follow, and slowly contributing to my 401k. i am exciting.

This list has gotten too long and i realize that new sheets just made my list, so i should really go.

100 Workout

2011-06-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

I found this little gem on Pinterest and it kept showing up; repin after repin...taunting me. Enough is enough you crazy evil little sign. So tonight, in the name of fitness and so perhaps it won't seem to keep repinning itself over and over, I will attempt the 100 workout...

If I'm able to move, I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow...

(p.s if you know how to embed an image and center it, any tips would be appreciated. I'm a bit worried it involves fiddling with all that code)

Pinteresting...

2011-05-31T10:25:00.000-04:00

A huge thank-you to Jessi over at Freshly A-Stoot for getting me more than a bit distracted with Pinterest. This lovely little site lets you collect images from all over the internet and store them in your own organized (some more than others) folders. Gone are the days of mulitple desk-top folders saving images and attempting to hold onto the correct citing details. Pinterest does it all for you. What's even better is you get to peek at other boards, draw inspiration, pin their images to your boards etc.

I highly recommend it.

Here are just a few images I've pinned recently...

via

See all my boards..and create some yourself!

Have fun...

What are you listening to...

2011-05-27T17:57:00.000-04:00

I love this video. Its so easy to get lost in your own little world when you have headphones on. i love that so many people answer and don't seem to mind answering.

Dear Monday,

2011-05-09T15:16:00.000-04:00

via

Congratulations America...

2011-05-02T09:02:00.001-04:00

"Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

-President Obama (on the confirmed death of bin laden. 05.01.11)

This is your life...

2011-04-25T09:20:00.002-04:00

Monday morning inspiration via Facebook...

The Tragedy of First Position...

2011-03-29T08:47:00.000-04:00

This video is so stinkin' cute Bec & I agreed we had to re-post it.

Bless.

My life feels like getting in first position sometimes.

Everyone gets it and is around me catching raindrops and I keep stepping in puddles.

originally found on Cup of Jo

On my mind...

2011-03-08T10:19:00.001-05:00

On my mind this Tuesday morning...

22! I'm 22!
Today is the International Day of the Woman. Huge day everywhere else in the world, yet the U.S. has some catching up to do...
LOVE ALL THE WOMEN IN MY LIFE AND EVERYWHERE
YAY GO GIRLS!
I love my family and my friends
And I really like my boyfriend ;)
March is a great month full of celebration
I love getting birthday messages on facebook in different languages. It reminds me of all the fun I've had
Stop by Mom's blog so that she'll be forced to celebrate her great life all year long!
I wish everybody loved glitter as much as me
I wish I hadn't eaten that piece of pizza last night, but lets just say it never happened- so is the magic of birthdays
Let's move out West and continue the celebration
This test I have in a few hours, sure ain't gonna study itself
But I think I know enough about NATO the UN etc. anyway
Besides, they aren't based in San Diego so I am not interested
Cupcakes in the fridge just might be my breakfast along with just a wee bit more coffee
Remember when the meal I would always want for my birthday was Red Beans and Rice?
What a strange child...
I get to play with refugee babies today! What more does this birthday girl want? NADA!
And now it is study time friends
Then snuggle the baby time
Then more celebration time!
Seriously though, thanks to everybody for making my life so extra special

pretty from here silly from here
**also, thanks lilbee for making blogging so easy

Thumper

2011-02-11T16:51:00.001-05:00

Gossip is bad and gossip is hurtful, and actually doing the gossiping becomes toxic. Other peoples lives are not my business. I think just because I'm a very low-key (boring) person, I feel safe because there isn't much for people to say about me. Other people have very exciting lives, or weird lives, or whatever- but speculating about them and -gossiping- about them doesn't accomplish anything, or make my life any cooler.

Therefore I resolve to stop. I will not talk about people now matter how scandalous their actions seem. I will not pry into peoples personal matters. I will not talk about anybody that has never done anything to me (again with my boring life...). That's it- simple. "If you can't say something nice...don't say nothing at all."

Thanks Thumper.

-Becca

Resolutions

2011-02-01T21:58:00.005-05:00

I decided right around 3:30pm on New Years Day, that my resolutions will all have a delayed start. I officially claimed February 1st as the first day of the New Year. There was no way I could start/stop all the things I planned on starting/stopping in January. We had hockey games almost every other night, which means 14+ hour work days mixed in with our regular work schedule every single day. It just wasn't possible.

But we start February with away games, so nows the time. I have 8 days until our next home game, which gives me 8 days to get these resolutions going. They are as follows:

have a good phone conversation with some of my dearest friends who i just don't talk with as much as I'd like.
eat more veggies and fruits
eat less sugar. much less.
see a new dentist. get a second opinion on my 2010 dentist's evaluation. that guys lost his mind. i have perfect teeth. pretty excited for 2011 dentist to confirm this.
have Gus' manhood removed. sorry monster.
20 sit-ups a day
brush up on my photography skills and put them to use
get a new computer (let's pace ourselves with this one)
get that 401k and retirement fund really going (i have to say this in case mar's reading...but i do plan on doing it. really)
stretch daily
track my commissions much closer
-blog more than 1x a month. i'm going to shoot for 3 times a week. maybe more...
do some sort of real exercise at least 3x a week; tv yoga, run a bit, pilates class, crossfit with brie. i mean for crying out loud i have a free gym membership. maybe take advantage of that?
Mass! Go to mass! saturdays at 5pm shouldnt be too difficult. gotta make it happen.
teach myself/learn something new daily. this doesnt have to be a major skill; not learning italian over night, just little things; how to hem pants (this would save me a decent amount of money), how to carmalize onions ,teach Gus to roll over, understand whats going on in politics, get a grip on basic finance stuff.
pay off my student loan.

ok, that seems like alot. but i have a full 11 months to accomplish it all. done.

Happy belated 2011!

-Rachel

Daily Affirmation

2010-12-03T13:24:00.004-05:00

You guys!

I am having just the best day ever. I mean, its only 1:30, and I've only been up for like three hours, but they have been a jam-packed three hours! I really am so excited, and I've already told Sis, and I want to share with more people, so I chose the whole world. (This post is obviously all about me, seeing how I've used "I" way too many times already, but just roll with it)...

-First! I wake up, and I have an email saying that my favorite professor had his baby last night! I've been taking the hardest class ever by him this semester, so I've been dropping in all the time and getting regular updates of his wife and their pregnancy. It's their first baby and I am just so happy for them all. So welcome to the world baby girl, Alexandra Danielle, you have an awesomely smart father and even though I'll probably never meet you but I am so happy for your arrival!

-Second! I get on my computer to send said professor a congratulatory email, and of course wander over to Facebook, only to find that I had won the daily prize from a wonderful boutique downtown! I wore a dress for them in the Dance4Liberation fashion show and they are adorable. So I call Sister to share the good news and have a serious gigglefest of a phone conversation (which is great in and of itself) before I go in. You know, I should have put my 40% off the entire purchase (OMG best deal ever!) towards some Christmas presents, but hey, its been a hard semester and I've been stressing lately so I treated myself to a great grey cardigan and some pretty handmade earrings. The boutiqe is called Aqua Fedora- I can't find a link, but I highly suggest becoming a fan of theirs on facebook. They have the cutest things and are reasonably priced!

-Third! I might lose some of you guys on this, but... For a class I'm taking next semester, Great Decisions, a core group of students are in charge of locating and inviting experts on certain topics to come and speak to UNCW students, as well as anybody else who is interested about the topics. I was in charge of locating an expert on the Horn of Africa (I volunteered for that one -duh- because we all know I l.o.v.e. Africa, and with a mess of a situation that it is over there, I am more than excited to learn more...). Anyway, its been a huge struggle to locate somebody that is willing to come down to beautiful Eastern North Carolina and I've been getting quite frustrated. The good news though is that I got an email from the former Ambassador of Kenya (!!!) saying that he will come and speak on my topic. Ambassador Bellamy seems absolutely perfect for the topic and actually seems excited to come! A lot of weight off my shoulders now that I've found somebody, plus he is all but over-qualified.

So yes- it is now 1:45, and there is a lot of the day ahead of me, but with a start like this I'm bound for greatness!

I do have a Literature Review for Senior Seminar due at five, and I do have to be at work at six, but hey, as Jessica says..."I can do anything good!"

Though this was a little overly self-absorbed, I hope that you too, are having a great Friday and that at least we can all agree its almost the weekend and that is nothing but great!

DagNabitt. I still havent figured out how to post a video but if you haven't seen Jessica, smile and click

-Becca

compliment.

2010-11-16T22:10:00.005-05:00

"Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children's letters-sometimes very hastily-but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote "Dear Jim: I loved your card." Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, "Jim loved your card so much he ate it." That to me was one of the highest compliments I've ever received. He didn't care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it."

-Maurice Sendak

-Rachel

2010-11-08T20:00:00.008-05:00

Hi there,

I know its been about a million years since a post, and trust me, I have about a million other things to be doing besides posting, but! I have just encountered the most amazingly beautiful things during my "congratulations you worked on your paper for 15 minutes, so now look at beautiful images for 15 minutes". So far this technique been working well. And I've bought TWO christmas presents online! Talk about multi-tasking. So here are the treasures that I found during my celebration... aka procrastinating...

So fluffy!

This can be my wedding ring fellas

My eyes go cross-eyed in the most wonderful way

Ill be back soon I'm sure with more wonderful things to share as I work myself through an obscene amount of homework. Maybe its loveyoutoogoodbye revitilization time!

Images: touchpuppet.com and jamesandelizabeth.com

-Bec

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T20:42:00.001-04:00

2010-10-14T22:53:00.000-04:00

‎"i made myself a snowball
As perfect as can be.
I thought I'd keep it as a pet,
And let it sleep with me.
I made it some pajamas
...And a pillow for it's head.
Then last night it ran away,
But first - It wet the bed."
— Shel Silverstein

Danny & Annie

2010-09-06T21:20:00.002-04:00

Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

Cohen's Day

2010-07-01T20:19:00.001-04:00

Smooooth

2010-06-16T11:58:00.003-04:00

Im sure everybody has seen this commercial, but I thought I'd share it anyway. Really listen to the words. It's really just too funny. I love this kid. Plus- I didn't know who to tell about it, without them thinking I'm a huge weirdo, but I trust that you guys know that already...

I dunno how to make the video show up here. Sissy fix it?

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T20:52:00.003-04:00

Love you Mar! It's your day...take a load off.

Hi there

2010-04-16T05:25:00.003-04:00

Hello all,

Im not even going to try and make excuses for not being around. Im in Spain, living the life, and we'll just leave it at that. I'll be back in the states at the end of May, and the season is over for sis (even though I dont think that means less work...but still) so, hopefully in a bit we'll be back and better than ever. Lordy knows Im still obsessed with food and clothes and life, so I have plenty to talk about....

But in the mean time, lets talk about how beautiful the Olsens are. Love them to the moon and back. Everything about them is chic, and strange, and somehow always just on point. MK is my cup of tea, but Ashley is just about always perfect (maybe thats why MK is more my style...I could totally see myself rocking the Ozzy shades...). Anyway, Im obsessed with these next few photos and I want to recreate the hair and eyes and you know, of course the designer dresses would be nice too please.

This is my personal fave I believe. I really really want Mary Kates hair. But that center part just doesnt work on my silly widowpeak.

They just ooze awesomeness dont they?

All these pics are from olsensanonymous.blogspot.com and im obsessed....

21

2010-03-07T21:09:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday to my baby sister and best friend! Bec turns 21 today (ok, tomorrow, but its the 8th in spain already and I'll probably work late and not get around to a post tomorrow so tonights the official bday message)

Sis! Happiest of birthdays my sweet little boobear! Love you more than you know and I miss you terribly. Hurry home by way of south florida.

Bec was born 21 years ago and I don't remember much of life before her. Mostly because I was 4 and whats there to remember and hold on to at 4? I don't remember being jealous of the attention becca got when she was born (she was the 3rd kid, so maybe she didn't get much attention?) I don't remember life changing much either. She just became part of me. Part of my identity. I was no longer a little sister, but now also a big sister. She loved me. And she would have had to considering all the things I made her do...kiss a boy when she was only 5 or so, marry that same boy in a mock-wedding (very real at that time....), act in countless, well-written and stunningly directed plays, wear sandwich boards advertising during lemonade stands, attend "summer-school" every summer, and im pretty sure she endured a dislocated arm and busted lip at some (though different) points.

At some point she became more than my sister; she became my best friend. How lucky I am. She's crazy; an unstable, emotional, gorgeous goofball who keeps me on my toes, keeps me grounded, is painfully honest, and can always make me laugh.

It'd be nice to spend a birthday with her; or at least have her in the same country for her birthday...
18-Argentina
19-Cuba
20-Dominican Republic (heeeeeeey i was there for this one!)
21-Spain.

Hey, sis, celebrate your birthday in english one year.

Love you more than you know. Thank you for being you. Celebrate. Stay Safe. Skype me.
(p.s. sis, that commercial where the puppy rolls across the screen just came on...)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAR!

Gone again...

2010-03-04T20:04:00.004-05:00

Marvin left today. We had almost 4 weeks together and it was absolutely wonderful. I worked 75% of his time here, but knowing at the end of the day I'd come home to him and we'd get in comfy clothes, curl up, and spend the night together made all the work okay. He's always been so supportive of everything I do and he didn't complain once about all the late nights and weekend work stuff. I'm a very lucky girl. But, tonight, I am a very lonely girl. My room feels very empty, my drawers look very empty, one whole side of the bed looks very empty...

Counting down til I get him back again...

Men in Tights...

2010-02-21T13:52:00.006-05:00

So in my few free minutes from work, I've been squeezing in some serious Olympic viewing. My boyfriend is in town visiting and we're both almost embarrassingly into the men's figure skating. The intensity, the drama, the costumes...

The costumes. Um...I don't remember men's figure skating being so, um, glitzy? I know its not the most masculine looking sport but when did these guys start becoming one with bedazzlers? I mean, handsome, straight, all-american Evan Lysacek won the gold medal with a swaroski-encrusted anaconda around his neck.

Bedazzled or not, those guys are amazing. And whats the deal with the bitter Russian silver medalist? sorry buddy, you didn't step up when it mattered. Accept silver graciously and move on...

Coming soon...

2010-02-08T22:03:00.007-05:00

Work is my life. The good news is I'm happy. I'm very happy. The bad news is finding any time to blog is an art I haven't quite gotten down. But, please stick around...I'm going to figure this whole thing out. I'm guessing that all 73928743 blogs out there aren't done by people who never work, so it's possible.

Learning

2010-01-25T12:55:00.005-05:00

You think I would learn my lesson, no? You think I would guard my feelings a little more?

OH HEAVENS NO.

Thats not me at all. Im loving Spain with all my might but things feel out of place for me. Trying to shake the complacency that was overtaking my life in Wilmington. Ya know whats not helping? The supposed Ciudad de Sol has been cloudy and rainy like 75% of the time weve been here. Its just biding its time I hope til the hot weather comes upon us Valencianas in full blast. (I fully realize how bratty I sound, complaining about being in cloudy spain when gazillions of little babes just had their homes destroyed. For shame, for shame. Te Quiero Haiti, I wanna come ASAP and adopt about 7 of you.)

Anyway, I should probably keep this in mind. Buy it and hang it over my bed or tattoo it on the inside of my eyelids 'cause its so beautifully put and oh so smart! Not to mention I actually love the piece of art that it is.

Originally found on me.melodia, and its been saved in my favorites since then.

Actual artist is this creative genius.

Valentine's Day

2010-01-20T22:33:00.005-05:00

Seriously. Can. Not. Wait.

Chick Flick? check. Funny? Check. Romantic? Check? About 15 "big names"? Check. Will probably make me cry at least once? Check. Intermingling story lines? Check. Similar to Love Actually? Check. Rachel in line on opening night? Check.

Obsessed.

2010-01-20T10:58:00.005-05:00

Before the vampire craze, and I mean really a long while ago, I became obsessed with vampires. Ask the highschool sweetheart, what I always said when he asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Ask my beautiful friend Margaret what our favorite movie was (other than Coyote Ugly) she'll say Interview with a Vampire. Not to mention, I am obsessed with True Blood and watched it religiously and think about how awesome it is all the time (ohhh Eric...). I love everything about them, nevermind that they're supposed to be bad and drink blood and kill people. I love everything else about them. So, if you love me, you'll get these for me.

2 days.

2010-01-19T22:38:00.005-05:00

Yay! Bec's safe, happy, and in Valencia, Spain. I'm safe, exhausted, and in Florida. I made it through my second day of work and my brain is overloaded with hockey, arena, and group sales info. I still need my GPS to get to work which is less than a mile away, I've drank (drunk?) about 8 diet cokes, I've asked about 3405 questions, taken about 10 pages of notes, and met like 80 people (most of whose names I forgot almost immediately (nothing personal)). I'd love to write more, but I just don't have it in me today. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. I've been through alot this past year trying to find a great career, and I believe I've found one, but dang, this "real job" stuff will wear a girl out!

{image via beautiful things to share}

This picture in no way relates to my post, but it's making me crave pink lemonade so badly I could cry.

Espana!

2010-01-16T17:35:00.002-05:00

I made it! So far we’ve done a whirlwind tour of Madrid and Toledo and walked about 3 million miles. Tomorrow we meet our families! Im very excited about that.

In Madrid we visited el Prado and el Palacio of their king. And then of course we took a siesta and went out. Quite a good time from about 130-430. Then we spend all day today walking around Toledo. A beautiful little city enclosed within this massive stone wall. Very much a fortress. Needless to say that we are all beyond exhausted at this point, but still so excited for the next few days of actually getting into Valencia and meeting the families and Spaniards and starting school. Wish me luck!

Since Im safe and sound, its time to send good wishes to Rach and her first days of work with the Panthers.

Thinking about you Sis and I hope you love it!

Packing...

2010-01-12T11:21:00.003-05:00

Bec & I are eyeball deep in our to-do lists. Bec leaves tomorrow for 6 months in Valencia, Spain and I leave Friday for my new job in Ft. Lauderdale. I've spent the morning sanding and priming my bedside table (though I may end up not even taking it to Florida) and Bec's been making a loooooong packing list for the last hour. Our "itinerary", as Bec calls it, is absolutely packed right up until we leave for the airport tomorrow. In fact, I have to write this quickly because if she catches me veering off schedule there will be yelling.

{image}

Hope you all have a great week! Posting will probably be sporadic (shocking, i know) over the next week or two, but we'll both be back soon. I'm hoping sis shares alot from her "studies" in Spain. Encourage her; maybe she'll listen to you all.

Have a Wonderful Weekend...

2010-01-08T23:55:00.006-05:00

I have a million things to do this weekend prepping for the move to Florida. That to-do list I mentioned a few posts back...yeah, that has to happen this weekend. Also, is everyone else freezing their bums off?! Enough Winter. Enough.

{image}

Have a good one. xoxo

I'm Moving!!!!

2010-01-06T14:05:00.004-05:00

...back to South Florida!!

We'll take a cup o' kindness yet...

2009-12-31T15:58:00.005-05:00

Not heartbroken that we're bidding '09 farewell. I keep thinking its been a fairly crap year, but then I remember, this past year, I...
Lived in Pittsburgh.

Watched countless Steelers & Pirate games.

Lived in London.

Watched my boyfriend and his team, win the Super Bowl.

Watched it from the 3rd row. In Tampa. For free.

Then got to sport his Super Bowl ring. (for about 5 minutes)

Spent several weeks this summer with one of my best friends.

Welcomed my sweet hammie Olive into our lives.

Got in shape enough to run a few (a very few) miles at a time.

Spent an amazing week at Figure 8 Island.

Celebrated another fantastic Thanksgiving in the teepee.

Went to the Dominican Republic with my mar & Bec.

Got my gorgeous Danny Roberts painting. (thanks mar, sis)
Learned how to make the perfect carrot cake.

Saw Wicked...and loved it.

Drank my weight, several times over, in London's amazing Cherry Diet Coke (trumps the US version by far)

Spent more time with my grandmar & pappy than i have in years.
Made intense eye contact with Bill Belichick at the NFL Int'l game when I was on the field during warm-ups.

Discovered Peanut Butter/Strawberry m&m's.

Spent a wonderful holiday with my family.

So yes, while I applied to about 300 jobs (i wish i were being dramatic), was flat broke, didn't buy any new clothes, and felt kind of lost and down at times, 2009 truly hasn't been so bad. I have my super supportive family, friends, and boyfriend to thank for making this final year of the decade one of my most memorable.

Here's to what I intend on being the beginning of a successful, back on my feet, 2010! Cheers!

Super Short Term Goals

2009-12-30T01:21:00.007-05:00

Like I mentioned yesterday, I should be relocating by mid-January. The location is yet to be determined (just a few days and I should know...) but regardless of where I go I have a nice little stack of goals I'd like to achieve.

via absolutely beautiful things

1. I have this super cute bedside table that is a not so-super cute shade of blondish wood. I am going to ("I am" statements work better than "I want to" statements in goal setting (pretty sure i heard that once)) strip the current finish, sand, prime, and paint the table.

2. I am going to learn what "stripping", and "priming" means.

3. I am going to go through all my clothes I've collected over the past few years and make a nice big ol' pile for BUCM. I've already done a primary sweep and have one bag full. I can do so much better so it stays on the list until I'm satisfied.

4. Write Christmas thank-you letters.

5. Buy stamps to send said thank-you letters. (Some goals are bigger than others...)

6. Throw out old underwear. Because the undie drawer is out of control and I'm pretty sure vintage (just fancy-ing up old) undies aren't okay to donate to charity.

7. Have my car inspected. Like really really inspected. Belts, batteries, transmission stuff, levels of everything that should have a level etc. I don't, however, have to check my tire pressure and put in air because sis and i did that tonight. heeeeey

8. Buy a new computer power cord. My poor grandpa of a laptop is on its last leg. About a year ago the battery died. Unrechargable. So now it has to constantly be on laptop life support (i.e. his power cord). Well last night, the power cord up and died. Fortunately Bec's laptop runs off the same kind of power cord, so we're good baby! Until I move.

9. Help Mar pack away Christmas 2009. I hate taking down the Christmas tree. The house seems so sad and bare once all the sparkly lights are off, the ornaments are packed up, and the tree is hauled to the street. I'm going to hate it even more this year since Mar & I put up 7 different trees.

10. Eat a huge bowl or two of Daddy's spaghetti and meat sauce. By far one of my favorite meals and one of the most difficult to replicate (seriously, Daddy should jar and sell this taste explosion) All the times I've lived alone my eating habits become pretty terrible. There were never many nights where I would sit down to a fancy, well-rounded meal for 1. So, as much as I want that to not be the case this time around, I should have a recent delicious meal to look back on while I sit alone in my new place eating Ants on a Log. (that's celery and peanut butter with raisins. I won't actually be eating insects while sitting on a log).

Olive Eats...

2009-12-29T00:25:00.006-05:00

I have so much to post about that I'm actually a bit overwhelmed. Alot of stuff going on in my life right now. Nothing sad or terrible. All job-related actually! I'm going to have to make a big decision very soon and will be in a new place by mid-January. I want to fill you all in, but just thinking about starting to talk about it wears me out. So instead, you get a series of Marvin and I's hammie Olive.

You lucky dogs you.

A to B

2009-12-22T22:44:00.010-05:00

Have you ever felt blue for no reason at all? Have you ever been about to embark on one of the most exciting adventures of all time and then realize that there are too many decisions to make and instead of making those decisions and being excited you'd rather just shut down and snuggle into a comfy-cozy bed without the worry of cellulite multiplying due to the laziness? Well folks, thats where I am. Now how do I get from snuggly & kinda down to excited and motivated?

-Becca (making an appearance!!)

So I need to try and figure out how to get from this bed...

To this beautiful city... (going to Valencia in January!!)

With these nice cellulite-less legs?

Books to Read, 2 Jobs, Cake Balls, and a Blizzard

2009-12-22T01:20:00.004-05:00

I took a serious vacation from my little corner of the www. So, for those of you who stop by regularly, first off, thanks for that, and secondly, sorry for the super long break in posts. I really plan on posting more often, and probably about those books to read, my current jobs (that won't be an exciting post), some over-the-top baking, and the big ol' blizzard that hit our little town.

Tonight, we'll hit the Books to Read chapter in my catch-up posts. I used to love to read and when I was in college I just kinda stopped. Way too busy. And after alot of reading for class, in my smidges of down time, the last thing I wanted to do was sit down and read some more. Lately though, I've been doing alot more reading by choice. And have come across some pretty great books. May I suggest...

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Lovely story about a sweet (er, kinda cranky) old man and his life, in his 20's, with the circus in the late 20's/30's-ish era.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This isn't exactly a page-turner that leaves you on the edge of your proverbial seat but I loved reading a chapter of two before bed. It's just beautifully written in the style of letters and telegrams and just transports you to this picturesque island outside of London at the end of WWII.

The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum. I loved this book! I read it in like 2 days while I was in London. I sat out on our little balcony and just read and read and read. I didn't want it to end but I didn't want to stop.

From Caucasia with Love by Danzy Senna. Another great book I discovered in London. Story about a little girl and her older sister, growing up in the 60's, whose mom is white and whose dad is black. The youngest sister looks more white while her older sister appears more black. The parents separate and move far apart and because of the racial issues in that time, the mom takes the sister who appears more white and the father takes the other sister. This story follows the youngest sister on her journey to understand race, her family, and her attempt to find her sister.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Currently reading this. Heartbreaking and beautifully written story about a young girl during the Holocaust who was part of the rarely spoken about round-up of Parisian Jews and a current-day American journalist, living and raising a family in Paris who has been assigned a piece on the Vel' d'Hiv.

Ok, so I think it goes without saying, that I would be a crap book reviewer, but if you're craving some quality reading time and aren't sure where to start and just aren't into vampires or wizards (kk, em, bridgey, mich...) then I definitely recommend the few books above. If anyone actually reads all my kick-ass reviews, chooses a book to read based on them, please let me know what you thought (unless you hated it and now are pissed I made you waste your time...)

Simple. Beautiful. Holiday.

2009-12-14T21:43:00.006-05:00

*Love this*
All this gorgeousness here.

I Do Not Care...

2009-12-11T00:54:00.004-05:00

Love this. From one of my absolute favorites.

I'm a Beauty...

2009-12-08T23:47:00.004-05:00

Um, should I be insulted that my boyfriend said this little guy reminds him of me?

Well, I was.

According to him this is what I'm like in the morning. All saggy-eyed and unresponsive until I've literally been handed my morning Diet Coke. (He doesnt have to straw it to me...)

Thanks bug.

(and I can't credit this picture to anything...the bf sent it to me...word is its from a bad real bad 80's movie)

Gorgeous. in HD.

2009-12-07T18:51:00.004-05:00

If you love weddings, romance, glamour, a beautiful song, are emotional in any way and are patient enough to let this video load (i suggest clicking the link, going back to whatever you were doing before for about 10 minutes and then returning...), then you really should watch the clip below.

It's the wedding video of model/actress Roselyn "I'm painfully attractive" Sanchez and model/actor Eric "I, too, am painfully attractive" Winter. They were married at dusk, in Puerto Rico, with a fairly intimate crowd (as far as celeb weddings go) in a rustic open courtyard. Not sure why I'm telling you all this. Watch the video. If you like what you see, good, because I'm pretty sure if you're coming to my wedding (um...not that im planning one) this is what you're going to get.

My new wedding inspiration found aqui.

Library Note.

2009-12-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

Found this sweet nugget here. Original note was found in the univeristy of chicago's library. loveit.

To all those students out there, especially my boobear sister, a little note of encouragement. Wrap that paper up sis & come home!!

Teepee TwoThousand&Nine

2009-12-03T22:29:00.005-05:00

I really intended on not posting these yet but the Word and Idea creating portions of my brain are on a serious vacation. I imagine they're walking hand in hand along the Mediterranean sea; Idea forming an idea about what delicious place they're going to eat tonight, while Word finds the words to fill in Idea; and between the two of them, they find a quaint little mom & pop type Italian bistro and are currently munching on super fresh bruschetta. Darn those two.

Anyways, enjoy a little sample of Thanksgiving in the Teepee.

Decking our halls...

2009-12-02T00:39:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow (er...today I guess) Mar & I are going to do a little holiday decorating. We have good intentions, but there is a chance we'll end up a bit like the house on the right.

image via tumblr

Having some serious bloggers block lately. Ever feel like you have nothing interesting to say? Anyways, this probably means a series of pictures in the next day or so. Maybe some from Thanksgiving in the teepee? stay tuned...

It's Teepee Time Taters!

2009-11-24T23:09:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow we drive 8 hours to Pittsburgh. We get in, we all meet at Grandmas, we eat a hot italian sausage or two then we cram into about 6 cars and take over Vincent's Pizza. We eat pizza for about 2 hours. End day 1.

Day 2 means stuffing into those same 6 cars and driving to the Teepee. Oh, before stuffing into those 6 cars, we get dressed. As pilgrims. Or indians. Then we go to the Teepee. Yes. My family celebrates Thanksgiving in a teepee in appropriate (or inappropriate) garb.

Don't hate.

Happy Thanksgiving taters!

Be Like Mommy...

2009-11-23T13:17:00.002-05:00

Click to enlarge...

Image via Tumblr {Audrey Hepburn Complex}

Ain't No Shame in a Small Town Social Calendar...

2009-11-20T23:12:00.008-05:00

Heeeeeeey...So, here I am in little ol' Morganton and darnit if I don't have almost an entire weekend of plans. Mar & I started the weekend out by baking about 3 dozen of my Big Fat Ugly Cookies then heading up the mountain to hike to the top of Table Rock.

(Very likely that I'm very sore tomorrow).

Saturday is starting way too early for me. I'm meeting my Grandmar & my Pappy for a pancake breakfast raising money for United Way. Then I have a volunteer meeting for Burke County Friends for Animals.(may or may not bring home a dog). Perhaps shooting pictures with my favorite photographer in the afternoon? And then Saturday night means a crazy night at Morganton's bar.

(ok, we have more than one, but barely).

Then Sunday, I get to celebrate my sweet baby Kensley's 2nd birthday! ooooh i do love my niece! And I do love that she's learned to call me Ray Ray and that she loves to play chase with me and that she giggles almost all of the time, and that she said "sun-shiney in my eyes nani" the other day to my stepmom. Bless her little almost 2 year old heart.

So, yes, it is a culture shock of sorts coming home to a small town after 3 months in London, 10 months in Pittsburgh, and a year in Miami, but, apparently life happens here too. (just don't tell my mom. I have to keep whining about being stuck here.) (also, mar i know you're reading this. and don't think im ok with being here. later tater as of January 1st baby!)

London-calling.

2009-11-18T14:49:00.004-05:00

I'm curled up in bed with a massive headache, an achy tummy, and a case of bloggers block. And when writing is being blocked, pictures will always come through for you. So here are a few pictures from my wonderful 3 months in London.

Note.

2009-11-14T14:36:00.003-05:00

A little note to restore your faith in humanity.

via tumblr

Short question, Long Answer...

2009-11-12T11:46:00.008-05:00

Sorry for the gaps in posts but I was out making the most of my last few days with my guy in London. Then there was the long day of traveling back across the pond followed by a serious day of laziness which involved several diet cokes, about 12 fresh baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (thanks mar), and a super cozy pair of sweatpants. Now, back to life, which means intense job searching, more networking, running and stretching again, and visiting Bec & I's lovely blog daily.

Now, about this short question...
One night Marvin and I were curled up just talking and he asked me if I could live in decade which would I choose? I love the simplicity that seemed to exist before the onslaught of Super Technology (i consider the internet and cell phones (and using one to access the other) to be Super Technology). I think the internet, though i do love and appreciate it, is mostly a negative thing. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE what its done for me and many many many people; it brings me gorgeous photos from all over the world, it produces every bit of information I could ever need, it gives me 1000 uses for Vaseline, 2 words: online shopping, how to make homemade hamster treats (yes, I've searched that), and connects me with pretty much anyone I've ever met.

But the internet (and how its accessible via phones) bothers me as well. There are over 420 million pornographic pages online, over 100,000 sites for child pornography, online scams and identity theft runs rampant, and websites like AshleyMadison connect over 4 million people looking for extra marital affairs. But my biggest problem with Super Technology is that while its said to bring people closer (hello Facebook) it seems like it just hinders our ability to interact face to face. The art of handwriting is dying, people are uncomfortable making small talk, does anyone know phone numbers by heart anymore?, and the generation gap between grandparents, parents, and kids just seems to keep getting larger.

Dang, girl can ramble.

My point is that I often wish I knew life when it was much simpler. So, waaaay back to M's question, I would have chosen either the20's, 30's, 40's, or early 50's. Not very decisive am i?, but still, simpler times. Yes there were struggles; the Depression, WWII, deep racial divides and ignorance concerning race, but family was a focus, communities rallied for the youth in war, and the world just seemed safer.

Maybe you love every aspect about 2009. Maybe the idea of living at a time when you couldn't connect to someone across the world instantly makes you cringe, but still, doesn't everyone appreciate pictures of way back when? Hope so because I found this amazing project through Flickr, (i know, i know, couldn't have done it without the internet), called The Commons. It provides access to publicly-held photography collections from institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, and the Getty Research Institute. And the images are stunning. So, from your wireless, 3G, ultra-slim, touchscreen, 12 megapixels camera, phone, computer all-in-one, get over The Commons and escape to the past.

Welcome back welcome back welcome baaaack

2009-11-09T11:09:00.005-05:00

Dearest Rach,

Welcome back to the United States of America! The greatest country on the whole earrrthhh!!!! We may not have tall spiral-y buildings (or we may?) and our house in little po-dunk nowhere may not have an adorable market right outside, and granted our slang isn't as cute as in London ( that sucks v. thats bloody horibble ...though im not sure if they say that. but i do fully plan on incorporating 'proper' into my life) but hey, welcome back to the land of the free and home of the brave. The dollar is unstable and your b/f is over there, but at least you can make dollars over here by means other than passing out flyers. And you can still talk to the b/f with your really neat headset and microphone. How different could it be?

All I'm saying is, you may not thoroughly overjoyed to be back but let me remind you of why its GOOD to be back here and not over there...

1. Sweet Snuggly Baby Olive
2. Being able to call me anytime you'd ever like
3. Thanksgiving in TeePees
4. More sunshiney days. Less dreary rainy days (gotta get that Vitamin D)
5. Dads meatballs
6. Moms chicken salad
7. Overall just not cooking for yourself (Thanks Mom & Dad!)
8. You-time. Face masks and eyelid greasing and whatnot...
9. All the time in the world to become an awesome blogger and even open an etsy shop! Hello M&M cards
10. Play with sweet baby Kensley.
11. Really, just being only 5 hours from me instead of 55.

Im so glad you're (almost) back. Im going to help you through your sad/lonesome/near madness due to Morganton times. Cant wait to see you!!!!

My bigger body of water...

2009-11-06T21:33:00.004-05:00

I'm leaving London in 3 days. I've had the most wonderful 3 months here with my amazing boyfriend, but come the 10th, I fly back to the states. Alone.

I think I'll be a little like this fishie.

Just trying to get use to breathing without my bigger body of water.

{gulping goldfish via Pretty Lovely}

Remember, Remember the 5th of November...

2009-11-05T21:24:00.009-05:00

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd (or by God's mercy*)
With a dark lantern and burning match...
God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

So tonight is/was (kinda late here) Guy Fawkes Night in London. Its this huge tradition here that I had never heard of until I dated my M. He knew I would love it because it involves fireworks and sparklers and, though we kind of missed the fireworks (London transportation be damned (i take that back. its usually great.)) we had a wonderful night. For all the details on Guy Fawkes Night head here; but I'll give you an abbreviated version.

In 1605 (um...like over a hundred years before the US even existed free of English rule) a group of Catholics, including Mr. Fawkes, attempted to burn the Houses of Parliments. The little turds were caught and taken care of the good ol' fashioned London way. Tortured. and killed.

It's celebrated (or remembered/honored?) every year with big bonfires, fireworks, and burning of effigies (some of Guy Fawkes, others of annoying celebrities (Katie Price got it this year) (and yes, that's supposed to be her below. I appreciate their thought, but that's not quite right)))

We went to this gorgeous park in Clapham Junction, and yes, while we missed the majority of the actual fireworks we did get to witness, (via walking against the flow of traffic) the 40,000 people in attendance, kids waving sparklers, and the old Victorian houses lining the streets. AND my M pointed out the most adorable super puppy (like really really little) pug for me.

I didn't take my camera and the super puppy was walking pretty fast but I'm pretty sure if you propped the one we saw into a little pug desk chair, it'd look pretty darn similar.

It was pretty cool to be around for a celebration I knew nothing of until this year. I feel a smidge more cultured now, and now, having read this, so can you.
Later taters.

images from here, here, & here

Down?

2009-11-04T07:18:00.009-05:00

Feeling kinda down because it's only Wednesday and you woke up thinking it was Thursday? (That used to happen to me all the time in college which freaked me out. Being in London, with the time change and the whole not-working thing, it happens all.the.time. but it doesnt bother me. No missed deadlines, no being late to meetings, etc. Ohhhh but how I long for it to happen again. I miss being super busy. I miss working. I miss emails and deadlines and (im sure i'll regret this later) I miss stress.)
Back on track...

If you're feeling a little down I've compiled some links, pictures, and video cheer-you-ups.

1000 Awesome Things

Postcards from Yo Momma

1001 Rules for My Unborn Son

Sorry for the giant gaps between videos, links, etc. Not sure yet how to fix that.

Images from tumblr & videos from youtube.

The Gherkin

2009-11-03T08:26:00.005-05:00

Just a fun tidbit for you this morning...

That swollen twisty building to the left of the Tower of London is London's Gherkin building. It was built (construction was completed) in 2004 and has changed the landscape of London's skyline. It's one of my favorite sites in London due to its out of the ordinary shape, its massive size, and the fact that its visible from so many locations in London. It's also one of the "greenest" skyscrapers in the world. I won't get into all the green details but something about air trapped between floors heats and/or cools and the windows provide immense amounts of natural light cutting energy costs in half as compared to buildings of similar size.

Anyways, in my opinion, the most fascinating thing about the Gherkin (or 30 St. Mary Axe; its given name) is that there is only ONE piece of curved glass in the entire structure; the glass cap that tops the Gherkin. crazy, right?

Gherkin info courtesy our rotund London bus tour driver. Images found here, here, and here.

Selfridges Mystery

2009-11-02T21:10:00.004-05:00

We had a pretty uneventful weekend so no crazy Halloween pictures here. We did, however, have a scary movie marathon. I wasn't a fan but I'm just one of those wonderful girlfriends who sits through hours of tummy-aching terror for the one i love. (and yes it did give me a tummy ache. scary movies always do.)

Today we woke up early(ish), got our workouts in, cleaned up, & headed into London to do some shopping on Oxford Street. We went to Selfridges, which has the MOST amazing window displays (Trina, I thought of you) and did some serious browsing. The only things I really fell in love with (though i saw about a hundred things i fell in lust with) was this over-sized grey sweater with this big ol' shimmery mouth on it (tried SO hard to find a picture because that description makes my taste sound a little wonky) and this too perfect to try to describe leather poofy jacket. The problem was the sweater was like 300 pounds (not ok for a sweater) and the jacket was 795 pounds.

I did try on the jacket though which was a huge mistake. Marvin was crazy about it. I was crazy about it. We did some math (he can get a discount) and when we realized it was still more than a months rent we put it up. But we keep talking about it. After we left Selfridges we talked about it. During dinner we talked about it. One the train home we talked about it. We decided to research it a bit online to see if it was available cheaper in the US. Ahhh conundrum. We couldn't remember the label. Boo. How do you fall in love with something that is close to 800 pounds and NOT remember who made it? So we've Googled the crap out of "puffy leather jacket", "Selfridges Winter 2009", "Selfridges London" etc. It's bothering us enough that we're going back to Oxford Street Wednesday just to put our minds to rest.

Speaking of Oxford Street, they just unveiled this newfangled crossing. I was reading about it on the train ride in, so I was super excited to see it in person. Crossing it was pretty scary though. Apparently it's more pedestrian-friendly but I'm pretty sure one car running one red light would wipe out people in all directions.

Crazy Oxford crossing picture from Sky.com

Pigs in costume.

2009-10-30T12:07:00.004-04:00

Im not sure whats wrong with me. I'm sitting here replying to emails and I get the sudden urge to google "pigs in costume". I figured I'd share with you all. Consider this My Official Halloween Post.

Funny that they're mostly guinea pigs.

Anyone doing something exciting for Halloween? We carved a pumpkin last night which turned out pretty badass and I think tonight starts a scary movie marathon (M's idea, not mine). More later. Enjoy the pigs.

Help me run.

2009-10-29T11:20:00.005-04:00

I've been training for a 5k for a few months. I haven't signed up for a specific race yet and I feel like with all the months of training I should bypass the 5k and go straight to a 10k but I'm really not in the mood for running more than 3 miles at any given time. Also, I haven't done much (er...any) running outside since I've been in London (well, I did one day but I almost got hit by 2 cars and people were all over the place so I'm not going to be doing that again). Point is I'm not sure how training on a treadmill will translate into running on the road outside. When I do sign up for that 5k I plan on making it one thats nice and flat, so I'm hoping that running on a treadmill at a 2-2.5 incline will make it seem easier in the end. Man, I ramble. My whole point for this post is music to run to. I have a pretty great playlist in rotation right now but running to it everyday has started to make me gag. However, one (wo)mans trash is another (wo)mans treasure (thats the saying right?) so I will share my current running songs for anyone who may be in my same predicament. And if anyone out there has suggestions for me, I'll glady accept them!

Respect by Aretha Franklin.

I feel like this is the girls version of Eye of the Tiger when it comes to motivating workout songs. Boys do the Rocky thing; I do the Aretha thing.

Toxic by B. Spears.

Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners.

One of my favs to run to. Its a solid 4 minutes of one-hit-wonder goodness. Also the tempo changes a few times which I change my speed to.

Call the Shots and Sexy! No No No by Girls Aloud.

These are perfect for running to, especially Sexy! No No No. I felt like I had to jump on the Girls Aloud bandwagon being over in the UK.

Hate on Me by Jill Scott.

Power anthem. Try NOT moving to this.

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen.

If Queen didn't want to stop, well hell, neither do I.

We Are Golden by Mika.

LoveGame by Lady Gaga.

I find alot of her songs get the job done.

Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon.

Spazz by N.E.R.D.

I've Got Soul but I'm Not a Soldier by The Killers.

This is the only song to listen to as you're approaching that 27th minute. You're in pain, you just want to stop, you're cursing, but then this comes on. Instant motivation. Seriously. I finish every single run with this song. Its 5 minutes so its a great song to say "if i can just make it through this song..." because hey, 5 minutes of running is fabulous but it still is just one measly song.

Bec & I actually have run together but I don't have any pictures of that so instead, please enjoy a picture of a super cool dance that we do have a picture of us doing.

Let's Talk Art.

2009-10-27T18:30:00.006-04:00

As soon as I get that job that I love, in the city that I love, (see Birthday Goals) I plan on decorating my place with at least two pieces from one of my new favorite artists. Danny Roberts does the most amazing work. I'm in love with pretty much everything I've seen of his. It's super feminine, simple, and just stunning.

I love his stuff so much that I did some creeping. Creeped on his website, his blog, and even his Etsy shop. Then I did the ultimate creep and emailed him. To be fair I emailed him about a specific piece but I did gush a little. I had seen one of his works online but it wasn't for sale in his Etsy shop and it's the one I really want (i realize i'm out of money and who cares how bad i want it because until I have that job that i love, in that city that i love, i can't buy it). But, I had to know if, when I did get my act together, I'd have a chance to buy it. Well, darnit, if Mr. Danny Roberts not only wrote back but also put the piece up on Etsy for me. He was super sweet in his email and I feel bad for not linking right over to Etsy and buying it with my emergency credit card. I worry he's sitting at his computer just waiting for the confirmation that the piece was sold and then hoping for an email from me saying I bought it. He's not. I mean I don't know he's not. But I'm guessing he's not. Ahhh...but what if he is?

I digress. Here is a small sampling of his work. Back off of the second image. That one is all mine.

2009-10-26T08:17:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the post hiatus; guess I was so psyched about sis writing two in a row that I forgot to post myself. It's Monday morning here in London and I'm coming off an amazing weekend (maybe a post for later today) so I'm kinda sleepy and kinda unmotivated to write. So instead I'll just leave you with this picture and the question; Are these acceptable Halloween costumes for tids? (That's kids in Bec & Rachel). This is Miley Cyrus' younger sister Noah and an unidentified creepy blond angel of death thing at Jamie Lee Curtis' Halloween party and well, I just didn't realize kids were dressing like this. Am I super out of touch with the tween crowd?

Image from the delightfully untasteful dlisted.com

lusting

2009-10-21T08:22:00.003-04:00

Hello most beautiful room ever. Oh how I wish to encapsulate you and then pop you open to be in my house some day.
Chandalier. White table and chairs. Most wonderful display of art. And then those heads. I love those heads.
This is a real live picture of a real live girl that I know. I met her in Argentina, but I dont really keep up with her except to live vicariously through her fb pictures, but goodness she has an envious life.
Anyway, thanks Anna for giving me inspiration.

Drowning in a Sea of Shoes

2009-10-20T16:29:00.013-04:00

First and foremost- I am and always will be a flipflop girl. If those toe socks weren't so nerdy, I can promise you I would wear my rainbows 365 days a year. But.... Im realizing that I must eventually grow up, and that means accepting that cold weather even comes to the beach. Which means I need to dress appropriately.
So this is my shoe wish-list (cause lets be honest, winter is more expensive than summer what with all the layers. I wish that since I have to hibernate under 15 layers to be warm they could at least be cheap layers. Moving on...)

These are the shoes that i just got the other day. they are super fun and cozy. and really dont require much work from me. Paired with warm socks, I hopefully wont get numb toes.

These boots I love. Not as much as a few to come, but they are only 85 dollars! That makes me love them a lot more.

Im not tall, cute, trendy, or fashionable enough to wear over the knee boots but i do like 'em and they're like a second pair of pants almost! Helpful in keeping warm. Especially if you're going out in tights or leggings, a lot less leg is exposed to the bitter windssss.

Oh goodness. I swoon. These are beautiful. They might make my shortness more apparent, but I love them anyway.

These are almost a bit too orange for my taste, but I like the height as well as the buckle. Gives it a little somethin' somethin' special. And there is a heel that is almost cowboy boot-y but not so much so as to seem clunky-western. Still very chic and prettyyy.

These might be my favorites. I cant make up my mind. I like the rounded toe and the height is perfect with that extra tier being snuck in. And chocolatey brown is so cozy. Byyyy the way. Im glad black is allowed to be worn with brown now. So delicious.

Just another beautiful boot. Maybe a bit too equestrian-esque for me but Im not that picky.

A black boot to throw in the mix. Already a little worn looking, good height too (would it hit right below the knee?)

Now comes the problem. Do I splurge on a beautiful pair of boots to take with me to Spain next semester? Or..... Do I wait and cross my fingers and try to find an authentic pair of Spanish boots while over there for around the same price? Pickle x3.

Next time Im procrastinating from writing my 40 page paper Ill let yall know what I want in my winter wardrobe clothes-wise.

all these beautiful boots came from piperlime. (by the way, how come nobody has shown me that site before?!) and the vans came from vans.com.

My First Carrot Cake

2009-10-19T15:56:00.004-04:00

I was in a super-domestic state this past Saturday so I got it in my head to bake. Marvin and I both love carrot cake and seeing that it's fall and the season for all things warm and cozy, it seemed like the perfect thing to bake. But before starting I had to find the perfect recipe (it's below...and, yes, it is perfect) and we had to shop for pretty much every ingredient. We headed out into Croydon with our carrot cake shopping list and started what we expected to be a quick errand. Fast forward 3 hours, two arguments, and about 15 shops, stands, and grocery stores later and I was set to start baking.

My super sought-after ingredients. Apple sauce is incredibly hard to come by here as is cream cheese icing (almost impossible to find really. In fact, some people we asked had never heard of it. No worries, we did the from-scratch icing recipe. Simple to whip up & puts Betty & Duncan to shame).

My golden raisins soaking in pineapple juice. I read this plumps them up even more than just baking them does. Just drain the juice when you're ready for the raisins.

Yup. Crushed the pecans by hand (er...knife).

The batter trying to fit into our mixing bowl.

The finished product, which we deemed "Award-Winning" before the first taste.

Then we just got carried away. Giant spoon? check. Vince Lombardi trophy? check. Picture of our sweet little hammie, Olive? check.

My First Carrot Cake turned out better than I expected. It really was amazing. I'm usually pretty modest when it comes to being in the kitchen (mostly because I'm really not that talented in there) but holy crap this cake was delicious. The icing was so simple to make and so tasty and smooth. The textures and flavors in the cake were mouth-boggling. If you get that domestic urge one lazy Saturday I highly suggest whipping this baby up.

My First Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 cups flour (all purpose)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 (8 oz) crushed and drained pineapple

For the icing

2 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

How-To

Grease & flour pans.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, & cinnamon.
Make a well in the center & add sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, & vanilla.
Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in carrots, pecans, raisins, and pineapple.
Bake at 180 degrees (Celsius) for 35-40 minutes.

While the cake is baking and stinking up your kitchen with the most delicious smells, mix up the icing. I didn't refrigerate the icing before i iced the cake and it got all warm and gooey (not necessarily a bad thing) but it was hard to spread evenly. So if you're into the aesthetics of a pretty iced cake, you may want to cool the icing first.

Cute...and Sweet...Proposal

2009-10-18T20:00:00.015-04:00

I've always wanted to witness a romantic proposal like the ones you see in movies. The ones where the guy gets down on one knee in a crowded restaurant or in a busy train station or under the Eiffel Tower or at sunset on a pier etc etc. The type of proposal where everyone stops to watch, everybody in the room seems to collectively hold their breath, and then everyone cheers after the girl says 'yes'.

Well, I have yet to witness one, but tonight, over at Bakerella's site, I feel like I got kind of close. There was no crowd, no collective breath holding, no group cheering, BUT it feels awfully public in the most romantic way.

New Fall Bag

2009-10-15T17:09:00.008-04:00

I love fashion. And I can really appreciate designer labels, couture, haute couture, and high fashion but I do draw the line somewhere. And I'm pretty sure its right here...

This little guy is actually a bag by designer Rick Owen called The Fur Toad Bag. It's 100% mink (a no-no in my book) and retails at $925. wh...wh...what? and it's selling out.

So, yes my line is drawn but, I would like to see this nugget in action because I'm not 100% of its size or how its meant to be carried. Is it a clutch? Is it a change purse? If anyone has seen pictures of it in use or has actually (I won't judge) bought the bag, let me know, because while I'm completely not into (largely in part to the fur and price), it has piqued my interest.

How Now Brown Cow?

2009-10-15T09:20:00.004-04:00

mmmm brown

Good things come in brown; chocolate, brownies, my Uggs, puppies, hair color, diet coke, eye color, skin tones, chocolate milk, earth, and these two rooms.

creamy brown deliciousness courtesy of porterhousedesigns

I will...

2009-10-13T08:40:00.004-04:00

My official birthday is over and all of the sudden I feel REALLY old. 25, for someone who was just 24, never even felt 24, and still feels 19, seems really really old. I'm going to keep celebrating through the month, like many of you know I do, but it feels a little different this time.

25 is such a milestone. 24 was just 24, 23 was just 23, and 22 was just 22. 21 meant I could legally drink, but other than that life wasn't drastically different. But 25, daaaang, I've been dreading having to say this but thats a quarter of a century. My dad even mentioned the fact that I was over half-way to catching up with him in age. Anyways, this means its time that I got my life on track. Like really on track.

This is the first birthday I've ever treated like a new year. Time to set some goals.

In my 25th year I hope to, no, scratch that, I will,

Land that job I truly love...in a city I truly love
Get my own place (in said-city)
Do some serious research and make some serious decisions about grad-school (this is somewhat contingent on the job-situation)
Have my monthly bills come out of my account without it being painful
Lose 5 pounds
Run that 5k (a K for ever pound lost...works out well)
Realize I'm kind of a grown-up. Try to sit still when its appropriate.

2009-10-12T00:13:00.005-04:00

Happy 25th birthday dearest Sister. 25 and 7 minutes to be exact :/ ... I wish that you could have been here so that we could have celebrated correctly. I mean, I'll take a 10 minute phone callif thats all I can get, but it would have been nice to hang out. Make a cupcake tree or two. You've joined the birthday abroad club. Its fun. I cant cant wait til you get home and then we can celebrate again. We shall continue your birthday month into November so that we can birthday party. I think Im rambling...what is important here is that Im so glad that you are still alive (remember when you thought you would never make it past 20? whew...glad that notion was wrong) and that Im glad youre my sister and best friend and I honest to goodness cant wait til you get home. So hurry up already!!!

hippphiipppphooooraayyy!!!! thaaanks google images

2009-10-06T12:13:00.004-04:00

I think everyone should see this video.

Takes only a little over a minute to watch but its an amazing message about perceived beauty and our self-image.

I'm starting to think the beauty industry and advertisers could save millions of dollars on models booking fees and just design the entire thing on the computer.

2009-10-05T17:47:00.002-04:00

This makes me laugh everytime I see it.

I'm very mature.

Monday Morning Color

2009-10-05T08:28:00.005-04:00

Have you ever noticed that most people complain about Mondays? And what I find even sillier about the Monday whining is that I've heard it from people who love their jobs and even from people who don't have jobs. Um...why the complaining fellows? I guess I kind of get it; the whole end of a weekend, which for most symbolizes complete freedom, a break from routine, and a time to be lazy or to do whatever you want, whereas, employed or unemployed, hate or love your job, the week symbolizes responsibility, routine and being more dictated by others schedules versus your own desires. Yeah, ok, I guess I do understand.

Well this Monday morning I woke up to one of the first truly rainy days we've had here since I've been in London. Its a proper gloomy day. (That was a super-English sentence. I should have been holding a cup of tea as I wrote that.) If anyone else is facing a gloomy, I-don't want to do this today-Monday, indulge yourself in this shabby-chic, super colorful beach cottage for a quick pick-me-up.

How perfect is it?

perfection found through Country Living

2009-10-02T08:57:00.002-04:00

Love this. Via One of My Favorites...

2009-09-30T18:43:00.014-04:00

This morning I was having another one of these days...

I slept funny, some man started hammering what I can only assume were empty tin cans to a steel roof, right outside our window around 6am, and then once I managed to fall asleep again, it seemed the alarm went off 10 minutes later. I was running late for a quick meeting with this lady I'm helping out with marketing her business. I threw on leggings, a sports bra, tank top, giant hoodie and running shoes. I figured after our super brief meeting (really, she needed me for 5 minutes) I'd go directly to the gym to fix my pug pile morning. (I'd really like that to catch on) So cranky Rachel left the apartment looking like a hot mess.

I had my super quick meeting. Still cranky at this point. But then I ran into a new friend I had made a few weeks ago, Greg. He asked me to get coffee, his treat. Um...yes please. Starting to feel a little better (not about my poor choice in outfits, but about life in general) at this point. So Greg and I went to Starbucks and I love Starbucks. We chatted for a bit and then decided to take our show on the road and shop while chatting. (For anyone starting to worry about my commitment to my amazing boyfriend, Greg is gay.) So we shopped. Well, he shopped. I browsed. We went into Lush where we sampled like 52 new products, had hand massages, and made great friends with the store manager. Then my new wonderful friend bought me my first birthday gift. Woo-hoo! Big ol' box of Lush goodies.

After Lush, and Topshop, and H&M, and like 523 shoe stores we went to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. We stuffed ourselves silly and then parted ways. My day was 100% better.

Then I got home. My boyfriend and I argued. Not about my new wonderful friend, (Marvin (once he was assured of Greg's sexual orientation) was excited for me) but about something completely unrelated. And maybe it was the belly full of Chinese or my chapped lips (they've been hurting for like 2 weeks now. wth?) but I just didn't feel like properly fixing our argument. So I went into typical girl shut-down mode. I said I was "fine" and "over-it" and even threw in a "whatever" or two, but other than that, I didn't speak. So Marvin gave up and went to work out. (um...what I was supposed to do about 4 hours and 1000 calories earlier).

He was gone for about an hour. I felt it necessary to maintain my sour demeanor while he was gone to make sure he knew when he got back in, that I, contrary to what I had said earlier, was, in fact, not "over-it." When he got back, noted my disposition, and got in the shower, I finally went to workout. Crap workout. Because I wasn't actually still all that upset, I didn't have much rage or energy to put into my run. And, dang, that Chinese food was sitting heavy. I gave up after about 45 minutes, came back to the apartment, gave the boyfriend the cold shoulder, and showered.

I decided while I was showering that I would still be fully practicing the Silent Treatment when I got out (such a girl move, I know. I was annoyed with myself at this point for carrying it on this long, but I don't like to half-ass when I've made a commitment to being difficult). So I got in comfy clothes, grabbed a diet coke (the last in the fridge. gonna be pissy tomorrow morning because of that. im a delight in the morning), and curled up on the couch.

Then, darn it if The Break-Up didn't come on TV and completely turn my night around. I can't be Impossible Girl when my favorite movie is on. So I wasn't. I gave in. I spoke. And smiled. Even offered Marvin a sip of my diet coke. Because you really can't be a turd when you're watching The Break-Up.

So, that was a super long story, which I started, soley with the intention of telling you all that my favorite movie is The Break-Up. Seriously.

Saturday Market

2009-09-28T17:51:00.005-04:00

This weekend my boyfriend was off coaching and winning the Brit Bowl with his team the London Cobras. An incredibly exciting weekend for him but a pretty dull weekend for me; mostly because I was all alone in this big city and still on that silly, er...necessary, no spending spree. Fortunately, it was a beautiful weekend so I took advantage and did free things. I started out at the library where I returned four read books for four new books. After that I spent a good half hour just wandering through the Croydon market taking in the sights and sounds. I shot a few pictures but I kept getting looks from vendors. I felt like I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures. That's the thing about Croydon...London-proper, is full of tourists, so cameras are everywhere. But Croydon is more of a "real people live here" kind of place. People don't take pictures. Seriously...I was the only person with a camera. Trust me. Once I saw the looks on the vendors faces I started looking for other cameras. Nope, just me.

How Sloan Peterson from Ferris Bueller's Day Off Taught Me How to be a Good Girlfriend...

2009-09-26T18:57:00.006-04:00

I can't take credit for what you're about to read. But I sure wish I could. Found it here. Anyways, I learned alot from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was one of the three movies we had in our house growing up. I learned how to taunt batters, how to properly get someone to leave "why are you still here? it's over. go home", how to fake sick (the key is the clammy hands), learned about the Laffer Curve and Voodoo economics, that 9 absences is one too many, and of course that "life moves fast. If you don't stop to look around once in awhile you could miss it."

Then there was this little lesson....

THE GUIDE TO BEING SO CHOICE:

How Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Taught me how to be an Awesome Girlfriend.

Get along with his friends if you don’t get along with his friends you are done. seriously. That is number 1. Even if you think his friends are uptight weirdos or hypochondriac freaks, HEY, he is friends with them for a reason, so cut the shit. You’ve probably got some weird and crappy friends too.
Rein him in, but only when necessary you are his girlfriend, not his mother. If he wants to sing to the city on a giant float, let him do it. He’s a big man and he can deal with the consequences. You can nicely remind him, Look, if you do that there might be trouble, but if you throw a bitch fit and give him the silent treatmeant you will look fucking ridiculous when he has a new girlfriend on his arm from the impressive stunts he’s pulled.
Be funny “He’s licking the glass and making obscene gestures with his hands.” simple as that.
Be confident. Look, one of the reasons Ferris loved her was because she was cool and classy lady, she didn’t stress. She uttered the words and believed “He’s gonna marry me.” She probably knows if her boyfriend was running through a backyard and saw 2 girls tanning he probably would stop and say hello, but she also knows that he would spend hours of stress and risk his neck to get her out of school to just see her. Relax. You have him. He’s not going anywhere, and if he talks to other girls who the fuck cares YOU are the one he wants to marry
Say Eloquent Shit. Did Sloane ever use the word “like” as much as you do in your daily conversation? No. Drop the habit that makes you seem like a dumb valley girl and trade it for stellar vocab terms like “warmth & compassion” and “devastatingly handsome.” Once you’ve mastered talking like an adult, you’ll be able to spew pearls of poetry like “The city looks so peaceful from up here…”
Pack lightly ever notice how tiny Sloane’s purse was? The bigger the purse, the lamer the girl. Its called baggage for a reason.
Be able to keep up with the boys. Hey, if you’ve got cramps, take a midol and strap in. You don’t ever wanna be the girlfriend who is a drag and never wants to go out. A girl who can say she cruised with the top down in a convertible, swung by the Stock Exchange, and took in a Cubs game all in one day, is sorta girl who you wanna keep around.
Look badass in a jacket with fringe.

New Goal...

2009-09-24T14:18:00.006-04:00

So I have a goal. And it may not be the most exciting of my goals, like riding an elephant, skydiving, owning a beach house or going whale watching, but its a goal that, hopefully, once achieved, will help me in my future.

I am going to make this....

make sense.

I am going to learn to read, understand, and use HTML and CSS. And I'm going to do it without Dreamweaver or any other fancy website encoding program. I actually found a great online tutorial that should help me get the major basics down. So, why am I sharing this all with you? Well my hope is that as I actually learn this stuff, you all will see some changes to the blog in the form of cuter fonts (blogger only provides 8 including webdings), better colors, spacing, borders etc.
If any of you out there understand and love talking HTML I'd really appreciate your insight and any tips, hints, or suggestions you may have.

Now for all of you that read that pretty boring post I'd like to make it up to you by sharing a picture of Waffles the cat. Waffles stepped on a bee. Bless.

Waffles came from cuteoverload.com and the boring html pic was from lulu.com

Dear Sister

2009-09-23T11:11:00.003-04:00

Dear Sister,

Since you have been gone it has really sucked. I mean I knew I called you a lot before you left, but now I realize I called you probably too much. But hey, whatever. I would just like to let you know that in the past 48 hours these are the reasons I have wanted to call you and get your advice.

- Roommate was suddenly without reason mad at me and I would have appreciated RA guidance. she got over it with no problem.
- I wanted to drop a class. I did, and feel so much better.
- I was studying for a different class and needed a distraction. I just studied. ugh.
- I went shopping and needed help with fall basics. Went shopping. Got a white long sleeve shirt and a black skirt. Not quite a successful trip, but we wont talk about it since your last post was so sad.
- Im hungry and wanted food ideas (thats now and what inspired this sad post). Im up for suggestions still. My creativity is running out when it comes to making delicious food.
- Its been raining for 2 days and Im sad my bubble umbrella is broken. R.I.P.
- Nevermind all the silly things I would like to call and tell you. http://thelilbee.com/ makes me laugh so hard I cry.
- And! who do I call when mom is busy and dad is at work? Nobody. Lonely life I live. Its the truth!!!

Look how much fun we used to have...

And remember when I almost passed out you nursed me back to life

My sad face and wrinkly neck every day since you've been gone.

So sister, how bout you just come back already. Bring Marv, I dont care. If Im this sad, just imagine poor Olive.

I think thats a sad hammy face.

Since May...

2009-09-22T16:10:00.008-04:00

I'm having another pug pile day but I'm going to make a sad attempt at a blog post for our few readers and to remind myself that even unemployed I have a little something going on in my life.

Since being unemployed, my spending habits have taken a HUGE hit. I've gone from shopping lots to shopping absolutely none. Seriously. n.o.n.e. I havent truly been shopping since May. May!!! At first it was rewarding; to know that I was doing what i needed to do in the face of this set-back, and has since gone to absolutely verge of tears difficult for me. I would like to take a moment to place some of this "verge of tears" blame on my mom. (sorry mar...) but really, when I was packing for london she kept telling me to pack light and she was all "Do you really need 3 pairs of skinny jeans and 15 t-shirts and more than one pair of leggings and the same pair of flats in 3 different colors and more than one pair of cozy pants...etc" So, at her urging/nagging I unpacked and repacked much lighter. So, did I really need all those things I took out?

Well, Mar, turns out I really did. I have recycled the same 5 pieces over and over since I've been here. It was funny at first. Laughable then to downright frustrating now...hence the verge of tears. My boyfriend actually took me shopping the other day for black flats (the sole of my one pair was falling off) and I starting crying in H&M. (my boyfriend was so great about it too...though very unlikely to take me shopping again anytime soon). We live right off the high street here so we can't go anywhere without passing Topshop, H&M, 2 gimungo malls and about 75 shoe stores. I digress...the point of this post was to tell you that while being physically around shops is hard, online window shopping is still a go. So here is todays wish list.

Forever21 skinny jeans

Coach Invanah heel

VeraWang Pre-Fall 2009

Splendid via Piperlime

Forever21 Ruffle Top

J.Crew

Coach Kira Bag

p.s.
Mar, despite my hostility towards you in this post, I do love you. And as much as I regret taking all those clothes out of my suitcases, both suitcases weighed 49lbs at the airport and you & Pappy had already driven off soooo I guess it ended up being for the best.

It's been one of those days...

2009-09-21T17:30:00.003-04:00

I have a serious case of the Mondays. Back tomorrow for a real post.

I just wanna scoop this pile of pug up.

Please may I live here?

2009-09-17T19:43:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I was absentmindedly clicking through facebook and came across an "update" of an old friend from high school. He had just updated his profile with pictures of his apartment. I fell in love with his place. Matt, who I haven't seen for ages, was always incredibly humble, so smart, creative, friendly, and generally a great person. Hoping he was still as I remembered him, I contacted him and we ended up chatting for quite awhile. Good news-he hadn't changed. He's living in New York City teaching young impressionables and doing some freelance writing. I asked him all about his apartment and discovered that it was all him. I could NEVER pull this off without the help of like 672 idea books, a pro or two, and well me generally being out of the way.

I'm crazy about his color scheme. The red and black is modern, sleek, and generally a great look; but I love how Matt's taken it a step further and introduced that gorgeous shade of robins egg blue.

Hello beautiful bookcase.

Isn't the light incredible? Ahh...livin' the dream Matt.

This little tater tot is Nubby.

And oh my goodness...this is Maleficent. If Maleficent turns up missing Matt, try not to panic. I'm sure she'll be in good hands wherever she is...

Perfection.

Dream staircase. I'd fall down, and probably up, it at least once a week but so worth it.

Love this.

Flawless. Absolutely flawless. The light, the bed, the couch, the colors, the pillows, the touches of softness with the rugs...

All these pictures are from Matts Flickr photo stream. Like I said he's incredibly creative.
Thanks Matt for letting me splash your bedroom all over the internet.

Remember Me?!

2009-09-16T23:10:00.008-04:00

Hello all,

Im Becca. Im part of this blog too i swear! Working 5 days a week, plus homework plus just having a life (all of which sis is lacking (hehe just joking)) blogging isn't really in my plans, but then again, neither is anything really worth blogging about (which is were rachel beats me by a lot). But, I thought I'd come by to tell everybody how much I appreciate people kinda starting to follow us/just rachels adventures. I suppose I can update life since Im here!

Im going to Spain in January for about 5 months and then (tentatively) I am going to go to Haiti for 2 weeks-ish with one of my bestbest friends Kelly to do some volunteer work. I am so excited to get the ball rolling on these adventures!

Im still vegetarian and really enjoying it. Cooking as much as possible, loving my co-op in town. Just feeling overall healthier. Im really trying to get into running, but late nights with work and early mornings with class are making that hard. Or maybe Im just making excuses...

On an entirely new note...I think I just got a mosquito bite in my ear. ew.

love all of you guyssss. As soon as I get something exciting to post about I will! I promise! Til then... here are some pretty pictures of timeless people (my favorite kind) from thesartorialist. I like to go to his website to pretend like I could be this fashionable and chic and someday live in NYC or Sweden or somewhere equally lovely...

Oh!!! I forgot about my new favorite song. Its in french. But thanks to memelodia, I know the chorus and I amore it :D

Je suis un bébé requin
Au ventre blanc aux dents nacrées

Dans les eaux chaudesJe t’entraînerai

Et sans que tu le sache

Avec amour avec douceur

Moi vois-tu bébé requin

Je veux te dévorer le cœur

[ ♫ ]

I’m a baby shark,White-bellied and pearly-toothed,

Into the warm waters I’ll take you

And without you noticing, lovingly and smoothly,

I, pretty baby shark,

Will eat up your heart.

Best online "stumble on" lately...

2009-09-16T16:19:00.006-04:00

I spend alot of time online since I've been unemployed (no longer "f"unemployed for those who were wondering. the fun part ends after a few months). Anyways, its recommended that when you're between jobs (sounds so much nicer than unemployed) that you should stay on top of your career path in any way possible; maintain your network of contacts, research new developments in your field, read articles, stay creative, and stay positive. Ok, so this is all well and good. And I do this. My twitter account "follows" professionals in PR, advertising, and professional sports. My Linkedin account is helping me steadily extend my network and I've even created a sleek looking "Visual CV"; I keep on top of teams community relations events, I stay on top of major brands and their new marketing campaigns, I scan the NY Times online and especially since I've been in the UK, I watch alot of the BBC. Go me.

However, it seems as though, when I'm bouncing from my Linkedin account to the NY Times I seem to do alot of meandering about the www. Which brings me to why I even began this post. The other week I stumbled upon a new favorite website. Tastespotting is this amazing website chock-full of drool-inducing pictures of food collected from blogs all over the web. Click on the picture of said drool-inducing food and you're linked to the recipe and the blog it came from. I've compiled hundreds of recipes in my "favorites" folder available to registered users (free to register, so silly not to really). I'm not exactly a foodie in the sense of cooking or baking or in classy and fancy-pants tastes, but either way, I'm making it a new goal of mine to get a recipe on their site. ...why hello Monster Cookies...

A little sampling below of Tastespotting at its best...

Pan seared tuna with wild rocket salad

Coffee & Doughnut Cupcake

Berry Shortcake

A delight called a Pink Lady

Crab Quesadillas

Homemade California Rolls

I ate two pickles too quickly after getting to his house...

2009-09-12T19:22:00.007-04:00

Lame Saturday night you ask? Why yes. No other excuse for posting a grammar chart. But seriously, these are huge pet peeves of mine. I've accidently sent out emails with "to" and "too" used incorrectly. I usually catch the mistakes about .05 seconds after the email sends. awesome.

P.S.

Since I've been in London I've met Marvin's mom, dad, an aunt, an uncle, and 2 cousins. Tomorrow I meet a whole heck of alot more people. There's a big family party. Nervous? ummm...just a tad. But I guess it's only fair. I did do this to Marvin this past November when he first met my family.

what? Your family doesn't dress up like pilgrims and indians then eat in a teepee for thanksgiving?

9.11

2009-09-11T17:52:00.003-04:00

“Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew. “

President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

If You Have One Free Minute...

2009-09-10T14:56:00.003-04:00

I thought it was turtles that had problems when the ended up on their back?

Nice little nugget to tuck away..

2009-09-09T16:41:00.002-04:00

Free Museum Trip #2

2009-09-08T19:30:00.005-04:00

Today was absolutely gorgeous so the boyfriend and I decided to take a little trip into the city. In our constant efforts to save money we opted to go to one of London's free museums; The Imperial War Museum. It works out well that it also happens to be one of Marvin's favorite places in London.

Looking directly onto the museum. Seriously, it was beautiful today. I almost didn't want to go inside.

I loved all the old signs.

This one is my favorite. I feel like its a message you're hearing alot today due to the recession.

This is Tirpitz. What a fascinating pig.

I wonder what the day was like for this man. For me I was learning about history. For him, I'd imagine he was reliving a part of his life.

No googled images this time. All my own shots. Go me.

I could be anywhere in the world today, but i wish i was with you...

2009-09-07T15:23:00.008-04:00

Happy Labor Day! Not such a big celebration over here in the UK (ok, not even known of over here) but I took the day to be super lazy in honor of all my fellow Americans. I also managed to eat a cheeseburger (not grilled out the proper Labor Day way) and to be out in the sun (though not so warm here). While I am having an amazing time over here & i love being with my amazing boyfriend, theres a certain group of people I miss today more than usual. An amazing tradition, which seem to keep missing these past few years, is our big Labor Day weekend at the River.

My favorite people. Lots of sun. Jet-skiing. Boating. Wakeboarding. Bob's Crepes. Grilling out. Batches upon batches of brownies. Daquiris. Lots of beer. Alot more pina coladas. Dancing. Late night cruises for ice cream. Ja spilling drinks. RyRy forcing me to take shot after shot. There's been bad dancing. Some good dancing. Hot seat. Sneaking cigarettes.

Next year my friends. Really. BALDB2K10.

BALDB2K6(or was it 7)

Hantah & Ja.

My girly-poos.

Em sleeping.

Debauchery.

Love you all & miss you very much. xoxo