home, sweet home

#45 - Blog Once a Week for Six Months

2012-01-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

This was the HARDEST challenge I've done so far. I started on June 19, 2011 and my original end date was December 18. Unfortunately, I missed some weeks, as you may have noticed. But I decided, rather than start my six months all over again, to expand the challenge until I blogged the equivalent of six months. This put my final completion date at January 29th.

And I have made it.

It wasn't easy, and sometimes it wasn't fun. But I did learn something about myself - blogging is not for me. Maybe it's the impostor syndrome talking, but I just don't think that I'm all that interesting. The pressure is too great with how busy my life is right now. And I just don't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

So I have decided that, now that I have reached my goal, this blog will only be used to document the rest of my Day Zero Project journey. Mainly so I have something to go back to and see my accomplishments all laid out in one place. It's been real, and it's been fun, but I'm a bad blogger!

Thanks for reading, feel free to keep an eye out for Day Zero posts in the future.

Love, Kelsey

NY vs. TX

2012-01-28T18:15:00.000-05:00

As you all know, I'm a Texas girl. I've lived in Texas since I was seven years old, and moved up to New York in August 2010. Since I've been here, I've grown to really appreciate things about Texas and, in turn, really miss those things. But I've also fallen in love with a lot that New York has to offer. My typical activities have also changed since living here. I bring you a comparison of my life in Texas (mostly in College Station, during college) to my life in New York:

Typical weekend activity:
Texas: eating, $4 movies (always!), sometimes dancing
New York: wild brunch, sleeping, going to bars, lots of dancing

Favorite hangout spots:
Texas: Sweet Eugene's (warning - plays music automatically), the 212, Halo
New York: Pranna NYC, Bar Social, Public House

Quick meal:
Texas: Chick-fil-A, Blue Baker, Rosa's, McAlister's, pasta
New York: falafel, cart food, pierogi, hummus

Preferred place to study:
Texas: library annex, Sweet Eugene's
New York: Hauser on campus

Parks:
Texas: Research Park (CS,TX), Andy Brown West (hometown)
New York: Central Park

Commute to school:
Texas: 10 minutes via bus
New York: 30-45 minutes via car

Extreme weather experienced:
Texas: over 100 °F high temperatures, hurricanes, tornado warnings
New York: lows in the teens, hurricane, tornado, earthquake

Accessories/clothing of choice:
Texas: Toms shoes, jeans, cardigans
New York: heels, boots, tights

Friends:
Texas: choir kids (CS love), seester
New York: I/O people

I love both places. And I can't wait to make Texas my home again after I graduate!

When you've moved to a new place, have your tastes and activities changed? For better or worse?

Impostor

2012-01-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

[via Threadless]

Do you ever feel like you're totally making things up as you go? Like at any minute, your boss is going to realize that you have no idea what you're doing or talking about? Like you should never have gotten into graduate school? Like you're an impostor?

You are not the only one! I spend half of my time wondering how I even got to where I am right now. "How did I ever get into grad school?" "Why did they even hire me?" "Soon everyone's going to realize that I'm making this up and I have no business being here."

This is known as Impostor Syndrome. Basically, someone experiencing impostor syndrome cannot internalize their own accomplishments. They believe they are not capable of what they have accomplished, and have done so by sheer luck. The term was coined by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in their 1978 paper, "The Impostor Phenomenon Among High Achieving Women: Dynamics and Therapeutic Intervention" (PDF available here).

In an article on Science Careers, Lucas Laursen summarizes:

They gave this name to high-performing but inwardly anxious women who were among the professionals attending Clance's group-therapy sessions. "These women do not experience an internal sense of success," wrote Clance. "They consider themselves to be 'impostors'" despite scoring well on standardized tests, earning advanced degrees, and receiving professional awards. Early on, this phenomenon was associated with women, a belief that persists today. But subsequent studies, including another by Clance, have shown that men are affected in equal numbers.

So why does this happen? There are many beliefs as to what causes this impostor syndrome. This is often seen in individuals who were placed in remedial classes as children, who, in spite of their later success, still believe themselves to be underachievers. It is also seen often in women and minorities, likely due to stereotypes of intelligence (e.g., "women aren't good at math" and "black students are not as smart as white students").

The author offers suggestions for overcoming your impostor syndrome. These include keeping track of positive compliments you receive rather than blowing off praise, and simply talking to other people who feel the same way!

So read the articles, and let me know what you're doing to work on your impostor syndrome. I personally am practicing the art of taking compliments sincerely, rather than blowing them off. When someone compliments my work, in my head, I remind myself - "yes, I am AWESOME. I deserve that compliment. So thank you, friend. Thank you."

[via Kevin]

List Wednesday: Things I Collect

2012-01-11T23:08:00.001-05:00

Oh hi, blog. I'm sorry I haven't written lately. Have you missed me? I'm in a bit of a blog funk, so until I work it out, here's a brief List Wednesday post: Things I Collect. Plus, an owl video.

1. Owls
2. Glass jars
3. Crosses
4. Cross-stitch wall hangings
5. TV on DVD
6. Pretty patterned plates
7. Mugs
8. Inspiring photos and drawings

New Light Fixture

2011-12-16T00:09:00.000-05:00

Upon hearing a strange noise coming from the bathroom, Kevin went to investigate. There, he discovered that Kyle had found a new perch:

Now how do I get down?

Final Countdown

2011-12-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

My third semester of grad school is almost over! As of Friday, it will officially be Christmas break. Needless to say, not a lot of blogging happens when you live and breathe school/work/gym.

Some recent photos from around here:

Yes, our cat owns me. Hopefully I'll have a real post to go up after this week!Have a great week, friends!

The Dystopian Lit Review, Part 1: The Hunger Games

2011-11-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

I was recently talking to Kevin about books, and I realized that many of my favorites fall into the dystopian genre. I found this rather surprising, because I guess dystopian novels can be a bit of a downer, or perhaps a little too similar. But regardless, the heart wants what it wants. This is the start to (hopefully) a series about the dystopian books I've read, either in the past or recently. And let's start with one of my current obsessions:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my new favorite books. (The trilogy as a whole is supremely excellent, but for our purposes today I'll be talking only about the first.) If you haven't read it, here's a synopsis via Daily Blam:

THE HUNGER GAMES chronicles a dystopic Capitol which requires its twelve subjugated districts to pay tribute in the form of a teenage boy and girl, forced to participate in the annual “Hunger Games,” a fight-to-the-death live televised event. Katniss Everdeen’s little sister is chosen in the lottery to participate and Katniss volunteers to take her place. Although persevering through hardship is commonplace for Katniss, she must start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love in order to win the games and return home.

Don't be mistaken - this is not the same as Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. You can read about the differences here.

So why do I like The Hunger Games?

I think it's very well-written, and for a piece of young adult fiction, Collins does not pull any punches. It's a brave book and it really does make you a little uncomfortable.
Katniss is a strong female character and a role model for young girls. A lot of people compare HG to Twilight, but I think that, aside from a main female character and a love triangle (one which is much more emphasized than the other - guess which), you can't get much different. The difference between Bella and Katniss would need its own post, however. I like Katniss because she's young and hot-headed, but she fights for what matters to her. And just like any other teenage girl, she doesn't always know what she really wants, but she moves forward anyway.
It's a social commentary (as most dystopian stories are), but with a new twist: reality television. The Hunger Games in the novels are televised for all of Panem to see; citizens of the twelve districts and the Capitol city itself tune in to watch these children kill one another. How far off are shows like Survivor, Fear Factor, and Real Housewives? Is this the future of America?
I'm also intrigued by the Roman influences in the trilogy, with the fight-to-the-death event itself and the country's name, Panem.
I always love a series with a good following. I think that's what makes Harry Potter so great - the community that surrounds it. I feel like, with the help of the movies coming out starting this March, the Hunger Games community is really growing. And who doesn't like having a bunch of people to talk about books with? (Oh, is it just nerdy people like me? All right then.)

Hunger Games Extras:

Visit The Capitol here to be placed in a district. I'm a member of District 3 (the Technology district):

Check out the trailer for the movie (out March 23, 2012) here!
Hunger Games Wiki - if you're really hardcore about this whole thing.
And I'll leave you with some character posters for the movie, because they look totally badass (see all eight here):

Did you read Hunger Games? What did you think?

Cake Walk

2011-11-26T23:56:00.000-05:00

Blogging is tough.

This month has been incredibly busy, and blogging has been the last thing on my mind! I will obviously have to extend my day zero six months of blogging again, but that's okay. Some photos from around here, edited with Little Photo on my Android phone:

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I'm hoping to get into a better blogging groove for the rest of my "6 months." I have a couple of ideas, so it's just a matter of sitting down and writing them out. I already have an idea for my last post in this challenge.

Now it's time for me to go listen to some Christmas music. First up? A Charlie Brown Christmas on vinyl.

Do you listen to Christmas music? What's your favorite?

Day Zero Fail

2011-11-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

Yes, I made this in Paint.

I realized today that while working on #45 on my list - Blog Once a Week for Six Months - I actually missed a week where I did not post at all.

The purpose for my Day Zero Project was to have fun and try new things, and while that is definitely happening, I'm finding that a lot of my tasks are harder than I initially anticipated. While this is good, and I do want to challenge myself, I realize that I don't really like the goals that have a time limit on them. I love "Read 10 books I've been meaning to read," but I don't like "Cook dinner twice a week for a month." The unfortunate thing about goals like that is, if you miss one week, or one night, you lose all your progress and have to start over.

Blogging once a week is really difficult! Especially when you work 30 hours a week, go to school for another 6, go to the gym 4 days a week, and have an hour-long commute each way. By the time I get home, I have no more energy left to spare.

I have decided that, instead of losing all of my progress on this task and starting over, I am going to extend it one week to make up for the one I missed. I started this task on June 19, and the new end date is December 25.

I will not let this task defeat me! Here's to two more months of blog posts.

Birthday!

2011-10-29T14:40:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday. I am now 23!

Also, it's snowing. In October. Thanks, Mother Nature!

Taken from our balcony!

Hey, Arnold!

2011-10-21T20:41:00.001-04:00

Vondell Swain hypothesizes where the "cast" of Hey, Arnold is now:

[via The Mary Sue]

List Wednesday: Words I Like (To Name a Few)

2011-10-05T12:26:00.000-04:00

List Wednesday is a series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

Pottermore: I'm a Hufflepuff!

2011-10-03T14:54:00.000-04:00

Have you been on Pottermore yet?? Maybe you're not as obsessed with Harry Potter as I am, but it's a magical thing. Once I got sorted I found out to what house I officially belong:

I'm a Hufflepuff! I'm not gonna lie, I was a little sad at first because I always imagined that I would be a Ravenclaw. But I've decided that Hufflepuff's not a bad place to be. Even if we do have a reputation for being unremarkable...

If you're on Pottermore, add me! CharmSpell20. But comment here with your username so I know that I know you first!

Are you on Pottermore? Even if you're not, which house do you think you belong to?

List Wednesday: Countries I've Visited

2011-09-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

Epidaurus, Greece. May 15, 2008

1. Bermuda

2. Mexico

3. Jamaica

4. Haiti

5. Grand Cayman

6. Greece

7. The Netherlands

8. Norway

9. Denmark

10. Estonia

11. Germany

12. Russia

13. Finland

14. Sweden

List Wednesday is a series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

A Day Zero Twofer

2011-09-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend I completed TWO things on my Day Zero list!

#68 - Read in the New York Public Library

Have you been to the NYPL? It is the most gorgeous building! I knew I wanted to read in the reading room and after wandering around for a bit, we finally found it:

The library.

The reading room ceiling!

Cheesin'.

#88 - Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find

Maybe it's cheesy, but I thought it would be fun! So if you're ever in the New York Public Library, be on the lookout for secret messages in your books.

Yes, I left it in a cookbook...

Thanks to my mom for making me do more on my list!

How're your goals coming?

So Long, Summer

2011-09-22T11:15:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the first day of autumn! In honor of the last day of summer, I would like to show off smoothies that Kevin and I made for breakfast this season.

I'll miss you, summer. But I'm really looking forward to fall...

Why My Boyfriend is the Best

2011-09-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Last week, I had a bad day at work.

Isn't that the worst? When you feel like you can't do anything right?

Luckily, I had a wonderful Sunday to look forward to: Kevin and I had already made plans to stay in bed the whole day while watching TV and computer-ing. In order to remind me of these plans, he made me this:

Yes people. This is a cake. Shaped like a bed(!!!). Our bed, in fact. See photo below for reference.

He made the fondant himself, and dyed it with food coloring until it matched our colors perfectly.

It totally made my week so much better. I'm so lucky to have such an incredible boyfriend!

What do you do on a lazy Sunday?

List Wednesday: Favorite TV Shows

2011-09-14T12:36:00.000-04:00

1. Friends

2. Sex and the City

3. NCIS

4. Psych

5. The Office

6. Glee

7. So You Think You Can Dance

8. Gilmore Girls

9. The West Wing

List Wednesday is a series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

Sorry Friends...

2011-09-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

I apologize for my lack of interesting posts of late, friends. A bunch of lists, not exactly good times reading.

Until I get my act together, please enjoy this video of Rives, an incredible slam poet, speaking about "Deaf Poetry Jams."

List Wednesday: Pets I've Had

2011-09-07T12:47:00.004-04:00

Magic, Dante, and Kyle

Saki - Big black cat, had it when I was a baby, don’t remember much about him.
Darth Beta - A gift from a family friend, lived for five years or so.
Darth Beta II - After Darth I died, Darth II was a gift from another friend.
Annie - Named for Little Orphan Annie, a tortoise shell shelter cat we adopted and gave away when she wouldn’t stop peeing on the carpet a few years later.
Maui - Black Labrador Retriever, named for the island in Hawaii because that's where Dad decided he needed a dog.
Magic - A black cat we took in from a family friend. He was an outdoor cat who went out one night and never came back.
Dante - A long-haired blue Chihuahua who loves people more than any other dog I’ve ever seen!
Kyle Field - Our new Mackerel Tabby, with whom I am completely obsessed. (You may have noticed.)

List Wednesday is a series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

List Wednesday: What's In My Bag?

2011-08-31T13:50:00.007-04:00

List Wednesday is a new series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

Take a peek inside my purse!

Purse from Fossil

Contents:

1. Ladies Emergency Kit - a bridesmaid gift from my friend Jenna

2. Burt's Bees Chapstick - this one is pomegranate flavored

3. iPod Classic - a high school graduation gift from my father, still works great!

4. Phone - Samsung Impression

5. Kindle - my favorite toy!

6. Liberty of London for Target wallet - tri-fold

7. Wayfarer Sunglasses - in tortoiseshell (I can't remember where I got them)

8. Camera - Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS

9. Keys - with a cute Poketo owl keychain from Target

And as a bonus, here's an outtake from the purse photo shoot, courtesy of Kyle Field:

What's in your bag?

Linked In: Women's Issues Edition

2011-08-29T11:39:00.002-04:00

[source]

Sexuality and gender are two topics that I'm very passionate about. Here, some links I've found recently covering topics in said realm.

"NY Times to YA Publishing: Stop Being So Girly" - an excellent article on The Mary Sue in response to Robert Lipsyte's "Boys and Reading: Is There Any Hope?"

From Jezebel: "New Children's Book Encourages Young Girls to Diet." - This book has been floating around the blogosphere a lot lately. Please educate yourself on how to promote positive body image in young girls.

On victim blaming - from Fbomb: "What Is Rape Culture?" and from Teenagerie: "A 'Don't Get Raped' Campaign (maybe) Reduces Rapes; A 'Don't Rape' Campaign Reduces Rapists."

Hilarious: "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Pooping During Childbirth."

Video: Ritchard Ludlow on being a male feminist. [via Fbomb]

A long, but relevant article from Etsy, The Tyranny of Trends. [via Adored Austin]

What do you think? Any articles you've come across recently?

Bad Lip Reading

2011-08-27T12:04:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty sure the next big YouTube sensation is a group called Bad Lip-Reading, who take videos from various artists, read their lips, and create new (sometimes even better) songs with the lyrics! Here are some of my favorites:

[via The Frisky]

List Wednesday: Places I've Lived

2011-08-24T13:55:00.001-04:00

The Kappa House at A&M

List Wednesday is a new series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

Mom's House - Pink brick house in a Texas suburb. Wood floors, canal in the backyard, crepe myrtles.
Dad's House - Red brick house in another Texas suburb. Old swing set in the backyard we rarely ever used.
Commons Dorms at Texas A&M - Central campus dorms, food downstairs, cinderblock walls and a suite-style bathroom.
Kappa House - Four girls living in a very small room, sharing a bathroom with four more. Weekday meals prepared by a kitchen staff, no windows in the room = lots of sleeping in.
Horseback House - A brand new house for the summer with two female roommates and a live-in boyfriend. Large black lab that left hair all over the couch, pond in the backyard.
College Station Apartment - Typical college apartments, two bedroom, fully furnished
Queens Apartment - Two bedroom, relatively affordable, same live-in boyfriend and one more male roommate. Wood floors, pristine off-white walls, huge patio.

Cat Scans

2011-08-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

[via The Cat Scan]

See also: Scandy Bars, Scanwiches.

List Wednesday: Favorite Books

2011-08-17T12:41:00.001-04:00

List Wednesday is a new series of personal lists. The idea stems from Listography, a website and book series that you can use to keep any lists you could possibly want!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Giver by Lois Lowry
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

I realize that my favorite book choices make me look like a 15-year-old girl. But I can't help what I love!

What are your favorite books?

Texas, Our Texas

2011-08-09T11:26:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned before, I just spent a week back home in Dallas, Texas. It was such a wonderful trip! I got to see a lot of old friends and ate a lot of good food. I got my Chick-fil-a and Sonic fixes, and had a lot of frozen yogurt. And tacos. Many tacos. Plus my mom made lots of yummy things to eat, as well. (Can you tell I love food?)

I did not do a very good job of taking pictures, though. Here are a few from my week:

With Courtney and Sarah at Tappy's Yogurt

At Daddy's, on his two computers

Lunch with Mom (and Dante): Turkey, Apple, and Brie Wraps

A visit to Jenelle's house with Courtney

I also got to play with my Dad's iPad 2! I took several photos of myself with it. I'm so vain, I know.

What do you do when you go home? What foods do you like to eat? What people do you like to see?

Linked In

2011-08-06T11:23:00.000-04:00

Texas friends! Courtney, me, and Jenelle. Can you tell it's over 100 degrees?

Hi friends! I apologize for the brief absence on the blog. I went home to Texas last week! It was a marvelous trip, and I'm hoping to do a blog post about it soon. This week, however, I only have some links for you. Back to content soon.

Sarah Von had a great post promoting self-love last week you should really check out!

Have you ever looked at The Best of Craigslist? This is a very entertaining ad for a cello. If I lived in Los Angeles, I would totaly get it. [Thanks, Jaime!]

The most ridiculous advertising campaign since, well, ever. [via The Mary Sue]

Have you heard of Caffenol? I may be a little late to the party, but it's a way to develop film at home with coffee and vitamin C!

Cute DIY for making Tiny Polaroid Magnets from Ambrosia Girl.

Oh man. Neopolitan Gooey Cake Bars from Picky Palate. If only I weren't on a diet...

And for your viewing pleasure, if Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were a teen comedy. [Thewlis Rox, via Kevin]

I Love Him.

2011-07-27T11:05:00.000-04:00

Linked In: Harry Potter Edition

2011-07-25T11:30:00.000-04:00

Harry Potter Mustn't Return to Hogwarts! [via Reddit]

For those of us experiencing Post-Potter Depression, I bring you Harry Potter links, most of which I came across right around when the final film came out.

Neville Longbottom: WILF. [via The Mary Sue]

Kevin did a post on Harry Potter cover art from around the world!

Lucy Knisley created adorable abridged Harry Potter comics for all seven/eight books/movies. [via Buzzfeed]

Harry Potter characters invade famous album covers. [Next Movie via The Mary Sue]

J.K. Rowling's new project, Pottermore, is taking email addresses now to notify fans when registration opens. Needless to say, I signed up.

I think one of the best remedies for Post-Potter Depression is to watch the actors in other films. You can check out what the supporting cast is doing next here. [via Entertainment Weekly]

Did you see the final movie? What did you think?

Dee Caspary

2011-07-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

Once again, I bring you amazing choreography from So You Think You Can Dance. Dee Caspary joined the ranks of SYTYCD choreographers in the seventh season of the show, last summer. He is a contemporary choreographer with excellent taste in music.

His dances always receive high praise from the judges, and the dancers always receive enough votes to stay out of the bottom three couples after performing them. Here is one of my favorites:

Melanie and Marko (Season 8) - Skin and Bones (song by David J. Roch)

Many of the videos have embedding disabled, so I encourage you to check out all of his incredible choreography from the show:

From Season 7, Ashley and Ade - Cosmic Love
(song by Florence + the Machine)
From Season 7, AdéChiké and Kent - You Only Disappear
(song by Tom McRae)
From Season 7, Lauren and Robert - That Home
(song by The Cinematic Orchestra)
From Season 7, All-Star Group Dance - Drumming Song
(song by Florence + the Machine)

From Season 8, Sasha and Alexander - Belong
(song by Cary Brothers)
From Season 8, Half of the Top 16 Group Dance - Poison & Wine
(song by The Civil Wars)

There you have it! I hope to see a lot more from Dee in future seasons. His dances are incredibly beautiful and his music choices make wonderful additions to my iPod.

#86 - Adopt a Dog or a Cat

2011-07-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, meet our newest roommate, Kyle Field!

Kevin and I adopted him from Purrfect Pals, Inc. this weekend and we are in love. He is a three and a half month old mackerel tabby, and he is SO cute. We may be biased, but I'm pretty sure it's just plain true.

Gratuitous cat photos commence.

He doesn't always sleep, it's just the easiest time to get pictures of him.

A.V. Undercover

2011-07-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

The A.V. Club has a series called Undercover 2011, where various artists pick from a list of 25 songs to cover and record it in the A.V. Club studio. This is the second year they've done it, so I'm a little late to see it, but still very cool! This was one of my favorites:

Rocky Votolato and Matt Pond PA cover The Human League

Other covers include Cars by Gary Numan, Tubthumping by Chumbawamba, and Africa by Toto.

[via Mama Tarlow]

#10 - Make Someone a Birthday Cake

2011-07-11T14:30:00.000-04:00

As you know, Kevin's birthday was on the 4th. I took the opportunity to make him a cake and cross #10 off of my list!

It was also his friend Masha's birthday, so I wrote both of their names on the cake.

Cake = Funfetti + Chocolate Fudge Funfetti Icing!

So maybe I cheated a little by using a box cake, but I had never made a cake before that I really enjoyed (I think because I always make chocolate cake, and I recently realized that I like white cake better). So yay for another one down!

Linked In

2011-07-11T11:30:00.007-04:00

[via "Bloom" - see below]

Hello dear friends!

So we were without internet for the past week, and only my already-written blog posts were able to be published, which means I missed a link post last Monday. Never fear, we're back on schedule! Here are some links I'm loving:

My Daguerreotype Boyfriend: Where early photography meets extreme hotness (via galadarling).

My new favorite food blog is Healthy Food For Living - since I'm on Weight Watchers and she lists all nutritional facts, I can calculate how many points any meal would be! Plus, Lauren's recipes look delicious and sensible.

A really cute lace braid tutorial from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.

Thought-provoking article on Huffington Post on how to talk to little girls (via Smart, Pretty, and Awkward).

Saw this video on multiple blogs recently - "Bloom" by Pogo, a mix of Disney audio and video clips. Very cool. (via /Film)

And finally, Google+. I have joined and right now I'm mulling over how I feel about it.

I hope you had a great weekend! I know it's back to the daily grind, but you can do it!

Wishlist

2011-07-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

Some things on my wishlist...

From top, L to R: Tikkr Watch in White Collar with white face; Yellow Owl Color Wheel Pendant; Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton SC Bag Suede in Chataigne; Tikkr Watch band in El Diablo; TOMS Cordones in Charcoal Chambray; TOMS Classics in Olive Canvas; Converse Chuck Taylors in Grey; TOMS Cordones in Linen Pinstripe.

#51 - Read a Non-Fiction Book All the Way Through

2011-07-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

As promised, a post dedicated to reading a non-fiction book!

Ever since I was a kid, I hated the words "non-fiction." I associated it with biographies and therefore with history, which was one of my least favorite subjects in school. I understand that history is important and we learn from past mistakes, et cetera, but I just can't get on board. It's too much memorizing and not enough fun.

Because of my aversion to history, I have never read an entire biography or non-fiction book. This is why I added it to my list. But I got lucky - instead of reading something about a World War or an American president (both good to know about, but not exactly light reading), Tina Fey came out with her book

[source]

Tina Fey is hilarious. Seriously, at multiple points in the book, I was literally laughing out loud and reading passages to Kevin. If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend it. You will laugh, you will cry, you will watch 30 Rock on Hulu. My favorite quote, on magazine photoshoots:

"It's hard to take because it's more positive feedback than you've received in your entire life thrown at you in fifteen seconds. It would be like going jogging while someone rode next to you in a slow-moving car, yelling, 'Yes! You are Carl Lewis! You're breaking a world record right now. Amazing! You are fast. You are going very fast, yes.'"

Read it. It's awesome.

Nappytabs

2011-07-06T16:00:00.002-04:00

Can we take a moment and talk about Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo?

As I have said before, So You Think You Can Dance is my favorite summer television show. I have been watching since season three, and it was in season four that we met hip hop's husband-and-wife dream team.

Joshua Allen (the winner of season four) and Katee Shean's (who placed third) first dance as a couple on the top twenty episode made my life. This was also the first dance choreographed by the duo, and I'm pretty sure that all of America was in love. Their dance to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis (danced by Chelsie Hightower of Dancing With the Stars and Mark Kanemura of every Lady Gaga video ever) was nominated for an Emmy.

Seasons five and six were a little slow for Nappytabs, but Mad by Ne-Yo (danced by season five winner Jeanine Mason and Phillip Chbeeb) was pretty awesome, as well as I Can Transform Ya by Chris Brown (danced by season six winner Russell Ferguson and runner-up Kathryn McCormick).

Then it was season seven. And Nappytabs was ready to make a comeback. Enter Alex Wong, ballet dancer and season seven favorite. The format of this show was different, and every contestant in the season danced not with each other, but with "all-stars" from previous seasons. So Alex was paired with Stephen "tWitch" Boss, runner-up from season four, and they worked out this little number with Nappytabs to Outta Your Mind by Lil' John (embed disabled, check it out on youtube). This was followed by another powerful one to Fallin by Alicia Keys, danced by AdéChiké Torbert and season four's Comfort Fedoke:

Can you see why I'm in love? Season eight is happening right now, and Nappytabs is continuing their streak of amazing dances with Melanie Moore and Marko Germar's dance to I Got You by Leona Lewis:

The story for this video is that Marko has just been left at the altar, and his best friend Melanie picks him back up. Then he realizes who he should have been with all along. Precious, right?

I think that's what makes Tabitha and Napoleon so great - the stories in their dances are so rich and diverse. No two dances are exactly alike. They're happy and they're sad. They're inspiring and they're fun. Their stories are so different from one another, and their style is so unique.

Check out Nappytabs on twitter, and their clothing line.

Happy Birthday!!

2011-07-04T04:30:00.000-04:00

Almost three years together, and I can't believe how lucky I am.

Happy birthday, Kevin! I love you to the moon and back!

Takin' Care of Business

2011-07-01T17:07:00.000-04:00

I'm a real girl!

My grown-up badge!

My first week of work went really well. Thanks to everyone for the nice thoughts and kind words this week. I'm excited about my new job, but it'll be a lot of work! In December I'll be taking over for a co-worker going on maternity leave, so a lot of it is teaching me her job as well as my own. Yay! Everyone I work with is incredibly nice and I even have my own desk and computer and voicemail. How cool am I? (Answer: very.)

I hope you had a good week, too. Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Day Zero Progress Report

2011-07-01T15:53:00.007-04:00

Well it’s been almost a year since I started my Day Zero project! I’ve had a lot of fun with it so far, and I am currently 11% done! Now that’s not a lot, but that doesn’t include all of the things that are “in progress.” Since a large reason for this blog is to keep track of my list in more detail than my Day Zero profile, I wanted to write up a progress report and include those things on the list that are too small (or too boring) to warrant their own blog post.

Completed tasks:

#11 – Find a type of wine that I like –

I now drink Riesling! I'm still an amateur wine drinker, but it's a start.

#14 – Go apple picking –

Posted on October 10, 2010

#48 – Back up and clean out all of my files on my hard drive and computer –

Boring, but done!

#51 – Read a non-fiction book all the way through –

I read Bossypants by Tina Fey. She is absolutely hilarious! I may actually do a post on the book later.

#64 – Get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer –

A Christmas gift from my dad!

#67 – Go to the FAO Schwartz store –

On November 24, 2010!

#70 – Take a walk in Central Park –

Posted on September 20, 2010

#74 – Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab –

Posted on October 31, 2010

#75 – See a show at Radio City Music Hall –

We saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! On November 24, 2010

#79 – Go to Cape Cod with Kevin –

Posted on June 21, 2011

#89 – Buy and use reusable shopping bags –

Another one that's rather boring, but done! Now we have fewer plastic bags floating around our apartment.

Tasks in progress:

#17 – Get to my goal weight –

Started Weight Watchers last week. I'm keeping the numbers to myself, but so far so good!

#21 – Take my vitamins every day for a month –

Started on June 22, a week and a half down so far!

#37 – Send 10 “Just Because” cards –

Six sent so far, more to come. If you like to get mail, let me know and I'll send you one!

#39 – Get my MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology –

Finished my first year and passed my comprehensive exam, second year and internship to come!

#45 – Blog once a week for six months –

Partially the reason for the increase in blog posts lately. It will probably slow down from posts every day to posts every few days as my internship picks up. I'd currently guess I'll probably aim for twice a week, unless it gets to be too much.

#46 – Make an iTunes playlist of 101 of my favorite songs –

I've picked the songs, but until I actually make the playlist, it's not official! I'll post the list when I'm finished.

#49 – Read 10 books I’ve been meaning to read –

I've read five so far, and two are on deck (both are Harry Potter books)! This has been one of the most enjoyable tasks on the list.

#53 – Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen – one for each letter of the alphabet –

I've watched 17 so far! This one has also been a ton of fun, one of my favorites on the list. I can't wait to show you all the final list! (You can see the partially completed list on my DZ profile)

#54 – Watch every episode of NCIS in order –

I've finished seasons one through three, started season four. I love this show.

So that's how it's going so far! If you like the idea of this project, take a look at the Day Zero Project website and blog for more info.

So Quotable

2011-06-29T11:00:00.000-04:00

I love quotes. I love it when my friends say hilarious things and I like to remember them. What better way to do this than by writing things down? I have what I call the "quote book," where I take down anything funny my friends say. It serves other purposes as well, such as writing in poems I like, making lists, and placing stickers I want to hold on to.

The notebook itself. Last names removed to protect the hilarious.

I've been writing down quotes since my freshman year of undergrad (fall of 2007), and it's only just over halfway full! That leaves many pages for more hilarious things to be said. Here are some of my favorites:

"Ya'll's friendship sucks. Wait - can I say that?" - Mary, my high school Sunday School teacher.

"I'm so existential. I'm so I ♥ Huckabees right now." - Jeremiah, a friend from undergrad.

"Orthopedics... I had braces once." - Andrew, my current roommate.

"A comedian was making a job about it on TV and I was like, 'oh my God, I can't spell restaurant.'" - Sasha, a friend from grad school.

"I'm so original when I'm not with you." - Jill, my darling sister.

"I was this close to saying 'make me a sandwich woman.' ...That never works out well for me. I'm always making my own sandwiches." - Chad, a friend from grad school.

"It's super. Thanks for asking." - Jaime, a friend from grad school.

"He was like stale dough and now he's risen." - Lisa, a friend from grad school.

"The only thing I don't like about this camera is that I can't play Angry Birds." - Paul, Kevin's father.

"They all have their big ideas, like sparkling vampire! And dystopian bloodsport!" - Kevin, my boyfriend, on fantasy fiction.

Do you and your friends have inside jokes like these? Do you ever document them? Or am I just weird?

Linked In

2011-06-27T11:30:00.003-04:00

Love Roald Dahl. [via weheartit]

How was your weekend?! I hope it was filled with sunshine and rainbows. Here are some links I'm loving.

Super-easy DIY Beaded Necklace from P.S. - I made this.

Stunning art from Meera Sethi's Firangi Rang Barangi series. [via flygirlblog]

Shameless plug for my other blog, Humsick, where I post videos of the songs I have stuck in my head at any given moment. I've been a bit out of the habit, but I'm working on it!

Adorable glitter cupcake stand DIY from The Sweetest Occassion. I'd like to spray paint them in fun colors.

So You Think You Can Dance is my favorite summer show, and this was my favorite dance this week - Caitlynn and Mitchell dance a Stacey Tookey contemporary routine to Adele's "Turning Tables."

What looks like the most delicious cookie baked in a cast iron skillet.

Have a great week! I'll let you know what it's like to be working 9 to 5 like a grown up.

Working Girl

2011-06-26T17:00:00.001-04:00

Look out, Melanie Griffith - Kelsey's employed!

I start my internship tomorrow at a hospital on Long Island. After filling out a ton of paperwork and getting a physical (which included having blood drawn - ick), it's official! I will be the Human Resources Intern; I can't wait to start. I'll be working with the recruitment team as well as employee education for a year while I finish my MA.

Wish me luck!

TOMS: One for One

2011-06-25T11:30:00.002-04:00

Some people think they’re ugly, and some people think they’re the best shoes in the entire world. I am most definitely in the second camp. TOMS Shoes are possibly my favorite footwear.

I got my first pair during my last summer in College Station at Texas A&M. After coveting my friend Jenna’s for a long time, I finally purchased some of my own. I got the Ash Canvas Classics:

For Christmas of this year, I got a TOMS giftcard from my mom! I was really excited about getting another pair, but I was worried about being able to wear them, since it’s so cold in New York. My solution was to get the Grey Wool Fleck Botas! They have a faux fur lining and are very warm.

My friend Sasha had a pair of grey TOMS, the right one of which ripped while she was on campus at Hofstra, and the left one of which her dog chewed. I convinced her to let me have the two bad shoes (she had them replaced, care of Hofstra), and with the help of a patch and an iron, they’re good as new! Now I have two pairs of grey, but my first pair are practically brown now that I’ve worn them so much.

Can you believe those were once the same color?!

And finally, this summer as a gift to myself for finishing my first year of graduate school, I purchased a pair of Coral Linen Classics. They’re very light and airy, perfect for the summer! I’m in love.

This brings my total to four pairs, and all I can think about is getting more, more, more. I may have a problem.

Image from toms.com

TOMS donates one pair of shoes for every pair purchased. And that’s pretty awesome. They also now sell sunglasses, and for every pair purchased, they give the gift of SIGHT! And that’s really awesome.

I think that may be the best part about owning TOMS - knowing that because I wear four pairs, four other people wear a pair as well.

Do you wear TOMS? What kind do you have?

Mameshiba!

2011-06-24T10:15:00.000-04:00

My friend Justin, from Ecology lab in undergrad, introduced me to the world of Mameshiba. What, you may ask, are Mameshiba? According to the website:

They're not quite a bean, nor a dog but rather a hybrid of both. They love to appear out of nowhere and offer random bits of trivia whether you asked for it or not...

Take a look for yourself. Who knows, you may learn something.

DIY: Yarn Covered Headphones

2011-06-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

I found this DIY a while ago on LDC designs, and I finally finished mine! It's a really easy one to do while you watch So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday and Thursday nights (or your personal equivalent), or while enjoying a lovely summer day on the porch.

Here is my finished product!

I think if I ever do it again, I would try multiple colors, like Lindsay - two yarns put together or multi-colored yarn! I also really like how hers is fuzzier than mine... maybe I'll go rough it up a little.

Let me know if you do this too, and send me a picture! I'd love to see it.

Everything is a Remix from Kirby Ferguson

2011-06-22T11:06:00.023-04:00

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Kirby Ferguson just released the third piece of his four-part Everything is a Remix series, a fascinating look into human originality.

[via swissmiss]

How do you feel about remixing? Any examples you can think of that they didn't mention in these videos?

Google Doodle - Takashi Murakami

2011-06-21T14:06:00.001-04:00

Who does't love the Google Doodles? Did you see the one where it was a guitar you could actually play and record for Les Paul's birthday? Or the one where a dancer spells out the doodle in honor of Martha Graham's birthday?

Well today's doodle isn't really interactive, but as I'm interested in Japanese culture, it caught my attention.

Today's doodle is in honor of the Summer Solstice, drawn by Takashi Murakami, a contemporary Japanese artist known for blurring the boundaries between low and high art, similar to Andy Warhol in the 60's. He is known for founding the postmodern "Superflat" movement.

Some of his work that I thought was really cool:

Tan Tan Bo Puking - Takashi Murakami [source]

Tongari-Kun by Takashi Murakami [source]

What do you think of his style? What about the blurring of high and low art?

#79 - Go to Cape Cod with Kevin

2011-06-21T11:35:00.004-04:00

At the end of May, Kevin and I went with his family to Massachusets for his cousin's wedding! While we were there we got to go to the Cape, and I got to check off another thing on my Day Zero list. We spent a day in Provincetown, MA and it was delightful.

Crazy house in Provincetown with the coolest art in their yard.

Because we all know Kelsey has an owl obsession...

Pictures from whale watching! I didn't get any great ones of whales, so you'll have to be satisfied with one of us instead.

I can't wait to knock #78 off the list - Travel with Kevin out of the country!

Linked In

2011-06-20T11:30:00.005-04:00

Right now I'm obsessed with all things braids. via weheartit

Inspired by Sarah Von, links for your viewing pleasure:

Have you heard of Jukesy? It's a site that uses YouTube and last.fm to create genre playlists. You can pick a genre, anything from 80s to vocal trance, or type in an artist and get a channel.

If you were anything like me in 5th grade, you made more friendship bracelets (and necklaces) than you had arms (or necks)! Honestly WTF has a great Friendship Bracelet DIY so we can make them again.

If you're into Tarot, or want to see what it's all about, you can get a free reading here.

Have you ever used Amazon.com's mp3 store? It's really easy to use and very compatible with iTunes, if that is your primary music player. Give it a try with free downloads!

Bake It in a Cake: the website that makes me wish I hadn't started a diet.

A very informative and hilarious science presentation - Physical Impossibilities in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. (About 10 minutes long, but definitely worth the watch.)

Have a great week, friends!

A Hiatus of Sorts

2011-06-19T23:39:00.002-04:00

Hi Blogland, remember me?

My last update in October = pretty sad. I hope to get back into blogging here now that I have the summer on my side. Some updates on my life here:

Finished by first year of grad school AND passed my comprehensive exam
Making great progress on my 101 in 1001 list (it will soon be updated on the blog)
Started Weight Watchers (and I've already lost 2 pounds!)
Bought Harry Potter 7 tickets for the midnight showing on July 14!!
Read (and loved) The Hunger Games trilogy

Get excited for more 101 in 1001 posts, as well as things I like. I leave you with a picture taken by that cute little boyfriend of mine on our trip to Connecticut.

#74 - Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab

2010-10-31T12:38:00.003-04:00

Friday was my birthday! Kevin and I went into the city for a day of fun!

First stop, we got student rush tickets to see A Life in the Theatre with T.R. Knight and Patrick Stewart! Student rush is man's greatest invention. The morning of the show, they sell any tickets they didn't sell for full price at a super reduced rate. So we went to the box office when it opened to get some super cheap tickets. More on that later.

Then we hopped over to the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, to fulfill another thing on my 101 in 1001 list! It's completely free, all you have to do is go and get a ticket for an entry time.

When you go in, they give you a card that you use to "log in" to each exhibit. It's all interactive and each exhibit looks at different types of technology and how they work. It would definitely be cool for kids who are into computers.

Some pictures from the trip:

Yellow wall.

Group photo!

Kevin wondering in the Wonder Lab.

Our key cards to log in to exhibits

Screen dropping little nuggets on our shadows.

After the Wonder Lab, we went to Jamba Juice for lunch, followed by a wonderful afternoon in Barnes and Noble. Possibly the largest Barnes and Noble I've ever been in. Here's a fun sign from the store. The restrrooms were in two different places, so they had a very helpful sign to show us the way:

After a dinner at Shake Shack (amazingggg burgers), it was off to the M&M store to kill time! It's really weird to walk in Times Square when you're not a tourist. I loathe getting heckled into buying tickets to comedy shows or double decker bus tours of the city. But it was worth it to make our autumn mix of M&Ms at M&Ms World.

The green ones are the leaves that haven't turned yet.

And finally, the moment we have all been waiting for. It was time for A Life in the Theatre! It turned out that we had seats in the front row, thanks to student rush! We were off to the side, and at more than one time, both actors were literally two feet away from us! And at the end, when they were talking to use about Broadway Cares, I risked it all for this:

Patrick Stewart (and a bit of T.R. Knight) in the flesh! I promise they were not performing the show at this point!

After the show, the actors were taking donations at the door, so I got to meet Patrick Stewart and tell him I love him. It was awesome! I had the best birthday EVER. And, I got another thing done on my list!

#14 - Go Apple Picking

2010-10-10T22:05:00.002-04:00

Last weekend, Kevin and I went apple picking at Fort Salonga Farm!

Kevin and me at the start of our picking adventure! (Notice the still empty bags.)

Two photos above taken with Hipstamatic iPhone app.

Kevin in the rows of trees.

SO fresh and delicious!

After picking, at Sunken Meadow Park.

It was a total blast, and we picked about 16 pounds of apples! Please don't judge us when I tell you that we finished them this weekend (a mere week later). The folks at Fort Salonga Farm were incredibly nice and very helpful. They had three types of apples up for picking while we were there: Jonagold, Mutsu, and Red Delicious. (The first two were our favorites, but they were all yummy.) After we picked, we grabbed some of their flavored honey straws in clover, lemon, raspberry, and blackberry. They were also incredibly tasty.

We ate the apples as is, in slices, and in two different kinds of applesauce! And enjoyed every minute of it. We're trying to decide if it's possible to make one more trip out there before the season ends, maybe grab some Fuji and/or Granny Smith. Needless to say, we WILL be doing this again. I'm addicted!

Thank you, Fort Salonga, for making my #14 come true!

(Reblogged at Lemons as Big as Diamonds)

#70 - Take a Walk in Central Park

2010-09-20T23:27:00.007-04:00

On a lovely Sunday afternoon, Kevin and I took a walk in Central Park! We climbed some rocks, watched a couple of innings of a softball game, and ate over-priced hot dogs.

101 in 1001

2010-09-20T21:56:00.007-04:00

I'm excited to be back to blogging and ready to go!

On September 5th I started my Day Zero Project. You can follow it here. I'm going to keep track of my completed tasks on this blog! I'll put up pictures when appropriate, talk about my experiences, whatever I feel like doing! You want to see the list? Inspired by Caitlin, I've arranged my tasks into categories.

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of work on my part).

Start date: September 5, 2010
End date: June 3, 2013

Why?
If you set a goal and acknowledge it (say it out loud/ write it down), your brain processes it as something that is already yours. Your psyche counts it as a loss if you don’t achieve your goal.

Items in bold are completed
Items in italics are in progress
Related blog posts are linked where applicable
See all posts in the category 101 in 1001

Be Creative

1. Learn to knit or crochet
2. Make at least ten 12x12 scrapbook pages and put them in an album
3. Put my printed photos into equal-sized albums
4. Build a snowman
5. Paint a canvas until I’m proud of it
6. Make a quilt
7. Take a Red Velvet Art online class

Food and Drink

8. Make a four-course meal
9. Cook dinner twice a week for a month
10. Make someone a birthday cake - Completed 07/04/2011
11. Find a type of wine that I like - Riesling
12. Make/bring my lunch every day for one month
13. Shop at a farmer’s market
14. Go apple picking - Completed 10/02/2010
15. Make up a good recipe

Fitness

16. Wear a pedometer every day for a week
17. Get to my goal weight
18. Use the stairs instead of the elevator for one week

Health and Beauty

19. Find out my blood type
20. Get 8 hours of sleep per night for two straight weeks
21. Take my vitamins every day for a month - Completed 07/21/2011
22. Figure out and implement a natural make-up look
23. Drink 8 glasses of water a day for a week
24. Discover a new hairstyle for myself
25. Get a weird spa treatment (like a mud bath)

Family

26. Ask my living grandparents to tell me about their lives
27. Take my mom to a nice dinner on me
28. Have a drink with my dad and talk about his life
29. Go on a trip with my sister

Friends and Relationships

30. Get engaged
31. Take a picture together with Kevin once a week for three months
32. Have a Lady Gaga themed party
33. Carve “kt♥ks” on a tree
34. Host a game night
35. Send out Christmas cards
36. Read Kevin’s favorite book, no matter what it is
37. Send 10 “Just Because” cards
38. Organize a game of Hide and Seek with 10+ people in Ikea

Career and Education

39. Get my MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
40. Get a job after graduation
41. Put 10% of my paychecks into savings (starting after my MA degree is complete)

Finances

42. Save all of my change for 1001 days and cash it in when the challenge is done
43. Put $5 into savings for each completed task
44. Pay back $3000 of my graduate student loans

Computer and Internet

45. Blog once a week for six months
46. Make an iTunes playlist of 101 of my favorite songs
47. Get to 3,000 pictures of me tagged on Facebook
48. Back up and clean out all of my files

Culture and Television

49. Read 10 books I’ve been meaning to read
50. Re-learn sign language (and add to it)
51. Read a non-fiction book all the way through - Bossypants by Tina Fey
52. Attend a live taping of a show
53. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen – one for each letter of the alphabet
54. Watch every episode of NCIS
55. Go one week without watching any television or movies (including on the computer)

Music and Expression

56. Send a secret to Post Secret
57. Audition for a musical
58. Learn how to play a song on the piano, then perform it for someone
59. Attend a dance class
60. Sing karaoke at a bar
61. Go back to see at least one Century Singers concert as a former
62. Find a personally inspiring quote and apply it to my daily life

Home

63. Visit a flea market (purchasing optional)
64. Get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer - Gift from Dad for Christmas 2010!
65. Downsize – get rid of extra, useless junk
66. Buy 5 original/handmade art or craft pieces from local creators to display in our home

New York City

67. Go to FAO Schwarz store - Completed 11/24/2010
68. Read in the New York Public Library - Completed 09/25/2011
69. Eat breakfast at big Tiffany & Co. store
70. Take a walk in Central Park - Completed 09/05/2010
71. Go to Top of the Rock observation deck (topoftherocknyc.com)
72. Go on a Scott’s Pizza Tour (scottspizzatours.com)
73. Update my voter registration to New York address
74. Visit the Sony Wonder Technology Lab (wondertechlab.com) - Completed 10/29/2010
75. See a show at Radio City Music Hall - Completed 11/24/2010
76. Visit the Bronx Zoo
77. Go to a New York City street fair

Travel

78. Travel with Kevin out of the country
79. Go to Cape Cod with Kevin - Completed 05/30/2011
80. Visit South Carolina again
81. Drive down the California coast

Spiritual

82. Find a church home in New York
83. Reread Blue Like Jazz
84. Memorize James 1
85. Do another Beth Moore bible study

Give Back

86. Adopt a dog or cat - Completed 07/17/2011
87. Donate $1 for every goal not completed
88. Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find - Completed 09/25/2011
89. Buy and use reusable shopping bags
90. Adopt an Angel for the Salvation Army
91. Give a 100% tip
92. Praise a good customer service experience to the person’s boss
93. Donate blood

Et cetera

94. Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011
95. Buy a lottery ticket
96. Go without speaking for an entire day
97. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day
98. Get a tattoo
99. Find a place to practice archery
100. Buy some piece(s) of archery equipment for recreation
101. Get through the whole list!

New Design and New Posts Coming Soon!

2010-07-12T16:48:00.001-04:00

I'm gearing up for my last Texas summer before my move to New York City! Once I finish visiting family, unpacking, repacking, and moving, this blog will start up again, I promise.

Things to come:
- My Day Zero Project start-up
- New York news
- Pretty things to look at

I hope you're having a splendid summer, and that it is nowhere near as hot as it is down here.

Today's the Day!

2009-10-21T01:20:00.002-04:00

So I can barely contain my excitement - Kevin is coming to visit TONIGHT!
I've been counting down the days since he bought the plane tickets and now it's finally here. I'm charging up the camera and making a list of everything we simply MUST do together. Here's what I have so far:

1. Hug for a long time

2. Eat dinner at Cenare for our anniversary and my birthday

3. Go to Austin to visit his family

4. Watch GLEE!

5. Hang out with our cool friends

6. Swap music

7. Eat at Spoons Yogurt

8. Sleep all day on Sunday

9. Watch Friends together

10. Carve pumpkins!

I can't even tell you how thrilling this week(end) is going to be. It's been two months since we've seen each other in real life and it's so exciting. He leaves New York after his two midterms and he should get here around 9:30 tonight! I'm super bummed out because I can't pick him up at the airport for the epic "Welcome Home!" embrace in public, but our dear friend Jenna is doing the honors (just no funny business). This will give him an hour to get used to being on the ground again before I get home and take care of #1 on the list above.

Did I mention how stoked I am?! Are there too many exclamation points in this post? Well I don't care, because my boyfriend's coming home!(!!!!)

What are you excited about this weekend?

Things I Love

2009-10-07T00:46:00.000-04:00

So many exciting things are about to happen!
Some things I'm loving right now...

1. My New "My Little Pony," Scootaloo. She has a side ponytail:

2. Mail from Kevin (love of my life):

3. My new headboard my mom made me for my bed, along with my cool reading lights on the wall (the fabric on the duvet cover and headboard is from an Orla Kiely tablecloth):

4. My pencil sharpener/paper shredder hybrid (shaped like an elephant):

5. The "Couple's Couch" at Mugwalls, along with the cool lamp above it:

6. My fun shelves with even more things I love on them:

7. FoundPaperCo's beautiful and spunky vintage paper:

8. Owls - any and all:

(cred)

9. The countdown to November 13th, when I get one of these babies(!):

WHOOP!

10. Everything the month of October brings!

ACL (done!)
My sister's 18th birthday
Kevin's visit home from NYC!
HardChord DynaMix's mid-semester gig: "It's Pronounced DyNAMix"
My 21st birthday (!!!)
Hopefully some autumn weather

What do you love? Anything you're looking forward to?

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-09-29T11:40:00.003-04:00

I can hardly wait for October 16, when Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are finally comes out! I loved the book as a kid, even though I found it a little scary. Thankfully, I've grown up quite a bit, and am no longer afraid, but looking forward to it. In honor of the film, here are some Wild Things-inspired links for you to enjoy:

The Film

You can check out the trailers, some stills, and download a poster, if you're really into it.

The Book

If you've never read the original Where The Wild Things Are, you need to. Not only because it's so wonderful, but because you've been living under a rock!

The Art
I found this site (via Twig and Thistle) with beautiful art inspired by the book. You should definitely take a look. Here's one I liked:

The Artist

Gregory Maguire, responsible for the book Wicked, wrote Making Mischief: A Maurice Sendak Appreciation. It basically talks about Sendak's genius and drawings, and it looks wonderful.

I hope you're as excited for the film as I am... I think it will be beautiful! Enjoy your Tuesday.

Kurt Halsey

2009-09-21T02:57:00.001-04:00

I can't sleep. I tried going to sleep with the tv on in the background, but I just found myself imagining what the picture looked like judging by the noises being emitted. I can't listen to my iPod due to the fact that it is going to be waking me up in the morning from the iHome. I tried looking up suggestions for falling asleep but nothing grabbed me. I have decided to remedy this by blogging.

I still don't know what exactly I want this blog to be, so for now I'll just jump around until I find its calling.

I like to save photos and art I find online to my computer so I can enjoy it whenever I wish. My friend Jenna suggested that I share the things I find, and promised that she would read it. So here is my first attempt - there will be a quiz, Jenna.

An artist I've been crazy about for a long time is Kurt Halsey. He paints, draws, and creates loveliness. A while back he had a set of prints stretched on canvases that Urban Outfitters sold, and I now own. So I get to have a couple of his pieces in my home, which is nice. His work is largely of the portrait variety, though not strictly so. Some of his work for you to enjoy:

[All pictures by Kurt Halsey]

Hello, Old Friend

2009-09-18T02:53:00.000-04:00

It's been a while. The last time I wrote was back in July, and then lots of crazy things happened. I took the picture above in St. Petersburg, Russia on my trip to Northern Europe at the end of July/beginning of August. Once I returned, it was all about spending as much time as possible with the boyfriend before he was off to NYC, then recruitment, and now school. Needless to say, it's not easy getting back into the swing of things. Hopefully I will have a real post for you soon, but for now here are some random tidbits for you.

Not to totally disgust you or anything, but I am so in love.

I have been spending a lot of time lately in a little coffee shop new to the area. We prefer to call it something different every time we mention it (MuggleWumps, MushyWizards, MistyWhiteout, etc.), but normal people call it MudWalls. It has been a delight to spend my time there with some of my dearest friends.

Also, new, incredibly ridiculous song I heard on the radio today that I think everyone deserves to hear: "LOL Smiley Face" by Trey Songz. You can see one of those Youtube videos with the lyrics here. (And you want to - trust me.)

Classes are in full swing, and it is my final and senior year here at TAMU. I've got big plans, let me tell you. Big plans.

help I _______

2009-07-21T17:21:00.002-04:00

Possibly one of the cleverest sites I've seen, Help offers simply packaged remedies (by ChappsMalina and Little Fury) for various health maladies. Try clicking all of the packages on the site's homepage and making them disappear. Or find out what Help Remedies offers to combat boredom under the "help I'm bored" tab.

I love the look of the product and the site, and I had a blast clicking on everything!

Via Twig and Thistle

My Very Plushie Boyfriend

2009-06-28T23:10:00.000-04:00

Updating on a Sunday again! It was yet another great weekend. As we speak my adorable boyfriend is boiling water to make us tea. He's just the best. We're watching Friends (Season 4 - The One With Chandler in a Box) and enjoying what's left of the weekend before it's back to school/class.

On Friday, we had a lovely double date night with our dear friends Jenna and Nick! Nick goes to school at UT and he came in for the weekend. We made dinner together - chicken sandwiches on the grill, corn on the cob, and brownies! Then we saw The Proposal, which was fun. Totally predictable, of course, but cute. Here are some pictures from the evening:

The adorable couple.

It was a delightful evening. We should most certainly do it again. Also, notice my attempts at being a food photographer.
Saturday was spent on running errands, watching the O.C. and Friends, and eating greasy Chinese food. We were trying to find The Time Traveler's Wife so we could read it together, but we couldn't find it anywhere! The movie is coming out on August 14th, so everyone is buying it up to read it ahead of time! It is one of my favorite books in the world, I can't wait to see it.
This week is "finals week" of Summer I. I have a Skills Test in Strength Training tomorrow and a test on Wednesday. My Educational Psychology paper is due on Wednesday as well, and my Psychology of Adjustment final is on Thursday. Then I have a whole three days before Summer II starts, hooray!
Next weekend is Kevin's birthday, America's too! Here is my favorite picture of him from this weekend, posing as one of my plushies:

I think I'm in love.

Good Weekend

2009-06-21T20:41:00.000-04:00

This weekend Kevin and I were very productive. On Saturday we went and did a little shopping of the grocery, book, and vinyl variety.

After lunch at Blue Baker, our first stop was Barnes and Noble (of which I am always a fan). I had a specific purpose in mind - Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith. This journal is super cool. Every page gives you instructions to literally destroy it! Kevin and I both bought one so we could do them together. The first pages I did were "Color the entire page" and "Burn this page." You can view a gallery of many people's journals here.

Then we went to Office Max so I could buy some colorful pens for scrapbooking. I haven't gotten the opportunity to use them yet, but I'm very excited.

Then we went to Half Price Books. Kevin bought two records (West Side Story and something by Frank Sinatra) and the O.C. Season 2 on DVD for only 20$! Awesome deal. Good thing, too - we're burning through the first season. We only have 5 more episodes left!

Finally we went to HEB and bought groceries galore. I love food shopping. I need to learn how to make more things, though. Bleh. I do love Lean Cuisines, though.

That evening we went to dinner with some friends at Ozona before returning to the house to get our fill of the O.C. So wonderfully addictive.

Today has been a cleaning day. I completely cleaned my room and it is marvelous! Isn't it so much better when your space isn't messy? Too bad I'm too lazy to keep it this way!

I emailed my mom the other day and asked her if we happened to have a typewriter, because I've really been in the mood for one. I just love the way they look. It was perfect timing, too - she is at my grandfather's house for the weekend and he has an adorable 1958 portable Royal! And he is letting me use it. He said that as long as I want it I can have it, and I only need return it if I'm no longer using it. My mom sent me a picture -

No idea if these are the colors or not, but either way I am so excited! I cannot wait to have it.

Happy Father's Day, everyone! I called my Daddy today and he and my sister are coming to visit me soon. I am very much looking forward to it. I love him very much - he is the kind of dad that all of your friends think is really cool and he's just as silly as can be. As he would say, sometimes he "just thinks funny thoughts."

Time is going by very fast... I have a paper due in less than two weeks and it's not long before this summer session is over. I hope your weekend was great, too. What was your favorite thing you did?

Happy Weekend!

2009-06-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

The best part about not having a job is that my weekend starts on Thursdays. We finally named Babo's Bird - its name is Cameron. Not sure if it's a boy or a girl. It might be both. Date night on Tuesday was a success. The food at Luigi's was super good - Kevin and I both had lasagna and it was really unique. We got dressed up all cute:

Time for fun things:

1. What is your favorite color?

1. green sea of chairs 2. Green apple 3. Green and Wet 4. The green selfportrait revisited 5. Behind the Green Door... 6. green up 7. Green, Green, Green... 8. A Green Life 9. my green illuminated way home

2. What is your current obsession?

3. What is your favorite flower?

4. Do you collect something?
I collect stickers, plushies, anything Hello Kitty, and owls

5. What inspires you?
Other's scrapbooks and minibooks, fred flare, Kevin, music

6. What are you listening to right now?

7. What are your favorite movies?

8. What's your favorite book?

9. What do you like most about yourself?
My eyes! And my sparkling personality.

10. What's your dream job?
Food photographer.

Tuesday Night Love!

2009-06-16T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited about this evening. Kevin and I are going to work out when he gets off of work (we're so athletic right now). Then after we're going to dinner at Luigi's! We like to dress up and go to pretty restaurants. I cannot wait. I love going out and being cute.

Other fun things coming up:
- So You Think You Can Dance tomorrow and Thursday
- A do-nothing weekend
- More scrapbooking
- The end of Summer I and seven hours of class
- Baltic Cruise!

Okay, so the last two are still kind of far off. But they're still fun!

Time to go to the Rec. Yay, fitness.

The Joy of Toys (The Innocent Kind)

2009-06-14T23:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went with Kevin to his parents' house in Austin. After living there for ten years, they're moving into an apartment closer to work, so he wanted to go help them pack everything. He's such a good son.

We left after he got off of work and arrived around 8.00pm. It was looking real stormy and scary, like we might get a tornado. The sky was full of clouds that looked like this:

Which I have now learned are "mammatus" clouds, only less defined as some photos I've seen, like this:

Eerie! But it pretty much didn't even rain where we were, which was fortunate.

The next day we were off on a mini-adventure. We went to Toy Joy, which, if you've never been, you should check out because it's just too fun. And lucky for me, they're an official Sanrio distributor! So I bought a few goodies for myself and Kevin bought me an Uglydoll! He's adorable. He's "Babo's Bird," but he doesn't have a name yet. I also got a Pandapple plush among other things, as you can see!

We then went to Kerby Lane for lunch and then saw The Hangover. It was... funny. But I really don't like movies where everything goes wrong and so it stressed me out too much. Then we went back to the house while Kevin packed and I played Spider Solitaire on his computer. I've won two suit solitaire twice now! It's really difficult! But I'm working on getting better.

Today we had to get up early (okay, at 9.00) and drive to Houston for our friend James's graduation party. After six years he finally got a degree! Good for him. But Houston is not fun at all. The driving stinks and it's too humid. I'd take Austin or Dallas any day, thank you. It was lots of fun, though. A bunch of friends were there and his mom made enough food for a small army. So we ate as much as we could and took the rest of it home. I only just now realized that I left it in the car. And we got back a few hours ago. Awesome.

We have since returned home and I'm avoiding homework by writing this. But it was a really fun weekend. I like spending time with the boyfriend, and he takes such good care of me. We had lots of car time, which as we all know is good for bonding (and napping). He's moving to New York City in the fall to go to grad school at Columbia. (Basically, he's mega-smart.) This is the summer to get in as much face time as I can with him before he goes far away!

This week is pretty low-key - I have a "test" in Strength Training and a bunch of reading to do. Perhaps I'll get to work more on my scrapbook and my super-kawaii stickers will arrive so I can make all my pages just a little more Asian-inspired. Hopefully there's a dinner date at Luigi's this week with Kevin as well. We like to get dressed up and show off how great we are together.

And how modest!