Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Snow Snow Snow

2 snow days in a row!

....But I have to go into work today. Elizabeth called and said her car went off the road while she attempted driving to work today (she's from Waterloo, IL), so I'm gonna go in for her. I live closer to the clinic than anyone else that works there - so I fall into this situation a lot. But I don't mind helping I suppose.

I do wish I could stay home and cozy up here. I'm kind of jealous of the adorable little girls that live down the street who are currently sledding down the hills in my backyard!



(one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite movies!)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I <3 accents

Seeing as how I have a fascination/obsession with accents, this website provides me with endless entertainment.
Some of my favorites are the one from Strabane, Northern Ireland one (sort of sounds like my friend Faye), the Scottish one of course (I love how they say Wednesday), and my very own(reminds me a lot of my Grandma Gallaher).
I really like Long Island accents, too, but I couldn't find a good example of one.

And while we're on the subject of accents - this girl is pretty good:

Sunday, January 25, 2009

When You Were Born This Way, Was That Uncomfortable?

I love weekend mornings when I don't have to work, and I can sleep in, get up and make a nice breakfast for myself, have a cup of coffee, and get a chance to flip through the Post Dispatch.


A couple of things I came across in the paper this morning made me happy.


Parade Magazine had an article about Steve Martin (one of my favorite comedians), and featured an interview of him by his own character from The Pink Panther (a movie that was way funnier than I thought it'd be!).


Inspector Clouseau: I can see from your hair and your tan that you are an actor. Tell me about your latest film.

Steve Martin: It’s called Pink Panther 2, and it’s a comedy.

Clouseau: I understand the character you play is charming, dignified, and incredibly brilliant. Is it difficult to portray a character so different from yourself?

Martin: Are you suggesting that I’m not those things?

Clouseau: I don’t know. Am I?

Martin: I think you should move on.

Clouseau: Moving on. Where were you Thursday between 10 p.m. and midnight?!

Martin (confused): I was probably…watching television. Writing. Maybe playing the banjo. Why do you ask?

Clouseau: No reason. (Clouseau eyes Martin suspiciously.) Next question. Multiple parts: 1, how would you describe your method of acting? 1A, does the process vary depending on the size and nature of the part? Question 1A-sub-i, what role does costume play and, question 1A-sub-ii, how does that affect your emotional connection to the film as a whole?

Martin: Yes.
Clouseau: What’s next for you?

Martin: I’m appearing in several films, and I have a banjo record coming out called Beverly Hills Banjo.

Clouseau: You wrote a book about your life called Born Standing Up. When you were born this way, was that uncomfortable?

Martin: I wasn’t actually born standing up. I was born…never mind. It’s a reference to my early career as a stand-up comedian.

Clouseau: I see.

Martin: Do you?
Clouseau: Not at all. One last question: It’s clear that you are a very dashing, handsome man. But tell me— have you ever considered a mustache?

Martin: I’m gonna go now. Nice to meet you, Inspector.

Clouseau: Do not leave New York!


I literally laughed out loud several times while reading that!


The front page of the A&E section was about an upcoming exhibit at Wash U's Kemper Art Museum on modernist architect Eero Saarinen, who designed the Gateway Arch. Looks really interesting and I can't wait to go see it after it opens next Friday!

Some of his work:


JFK Airport's TWA Terminal

Ingalls Hockey Rink, Yale University

St. Louis's Gateway Arch, of course

Good Times Never Seemed So Good

So I just had the most unexpectedly fun night ever, after the worst day of work ever.

The computers all crashed at work, so it was chaotic and my boss lost it and spewed curse words at me (even though I clearly did not deserve it). And I was pissed and upset all day.

But after work was our Post-holiday Holiday Party where my two bosses, and many of my co-workers got very drunk on sake being squirted into their mouths from a Japanese Hibachi chef! Most entertaining thing ever!!! By the end of the night my 50 yr old, usually very crabby and uptight, boss was dancing to the beat of a Japanese drum with a ninja-like strap tied around his head and sake spilled all down his shirt. SO FREAKING FUNNY. When I left he gave me an awkward hug and slurred an apology for yelling at me earlier.

I was supposed to meet up with Claire, but she cancelled on me (which is becoming a trend...). So Mandi invited me out with her. We went to a bowling alley bar (!?) to meet up with her boyfriend and some of the guys who I met last weekend. Strangely enough, it was the most fun I've had at a bar in a long time. And my ego is sufficiently boosted. I think I have a little crush, but ... damn men with girlfriends... hmmm.
Everyone kept telling me I seem so innocent again... seriously why do I seem that way to people??? I don't know if its a compliment, but I guess I'd rather be innocent than told I look like a trashy slut.

Anyway I'm feeling great after such a fun night!! Tomorrow - lots of homework to do. :/

Good night!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Basically My New BFF

Do you ever get the feeling that there are some people you are just meant to meet? I'm pretty sure I met one of these people recently. There's this girl Sarah who is in German with me, and Creative Strategies, and is also a new transfer art history major. After a couple of conversations walking between classes, it turns out we have an eerie amount of things in common. Obviously we both love art, both of our favorite movie is Cool Hand Luke, we both love gin (which not a lot of people do!), we both frequent the same hookah bar (which is sort of a hole in the wall place that no one usually has heard of) and know the owner there, and we both love the Irish tv show Father Ted (seriously, almost no one in America has heard of that!). It's just a lot of random things to have in common!
You just don't meet somebody that similar to you everyday.

We are going to Petra (the hookah bar) together next fri. after going to whatever openings are happening that night. Looking forward to it!

:(

Had my first appt. with Emily of the semester yesterday and it was rough... apparently there are 8 steps to change and I'm only on Step 2, even after 3 months of counseling. This is depressing.
I'm still having this issue of not letting myself cry in front of a counselor/psychotherapist. We are discussing issues that clearly make me upset, yet something in my brain says "don't let them see you cry." And they can probably tell since a person's voice gets a weird tone, and a little shaky, when they're holding back tears.

I skipped two classes so far this semester. Stats and German. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. What am I doing??? Luckily its not yet to a point where I'm missing anything important, and since German is a retake I already know all this stuff, but still -- its a retake because I missed so many classes in the first place.

Seriously, I just want to do well, learn new things, be happy, be sane. Is that too much to ask of myself???

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Buildings


My brain is currently on post-modern architecture overload....I've spent the last three hours absorbing the work of James Stirling...

The weird thoughts that go on in my head...

If you think about it, taking pills is a strange thing. We swallow tiny little hard objects for really big purposes. We think that ingesting something will change us. Which, in many cases it does, but its just a strange thing if you ever stop to think about it.
For example, this morning I a Vitamin E pill because I want prettier, better skin and hair, I took a multivitamin because I want to be healthy overall and not get sick, and I took an Adderall tablet because I want to pay attention in class, be more organized, and I want to be thinner.
People pop pills to be happy, to have sex, to be able to bear children, to stay awake, to stay sane...

Maybe this is a weird post, but its just something I was thinking about this morning as I swallowed my pills....

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Hear What I Say, Girls Keep Away

So I've made an observation lately about the name Bill. It seems to be quite present all around me -- 1) My favorite boyfriend was a Bill, 2) Mine and Ciaran's relationship went downhill due to the girlfriend of a Bill, 3) I have a TV crush on Bill the vampire from True Blood, 4) I can't stop cracking up in German class when a 47 year old Indian man who's name is Ashish reminds the teacher he goes by Bill, and 5) A nice man named Bill helped me at Kinko's this morning.
Hmm a very interesting theme... what does it all mean???

In other news..I can now answer why Ciaran wants to be my friend so badly (as questioned a few posts ago). His girlfriend broke up with him! ha.
He called me to inform me of this while he was at the pub "gettin' shteamed" at 6pm (his time). I feel no sympathy. Maybe I'm a bitch, but whatevs. He's also been bringing up this plan he has to come back over next summer...which is, um, awkward and weird. Sure, it'd be nice to him see, but really, it'd be weird. Not to mention he says he wants to move over permanently after graduation.
Good thing I'm moving to Ireland.

I got my first art project done. (I may post a picture of it soon.) I made it to Kinko's at 8am to get it printed out in color on cardstock before class. And I think it was a hit.

Now I have large amounts of reading to do before my Italian Ren class at 5:30.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama Art

Some Obama art in honor of the day....




























(Artwork taken from obamaartreport.com and artofobama.com)

Down With This Sort of Thing

Dude... why does Ciaran want to be my friend so badly??

It's a little strange...I cannot conceive what is going on in his head that would make him want to talk to me almost everyday lately. He has a girlfriend. And plenty of friends...in the same country as him.

One can never truly know what is going on in the male brain.

Monday, January 19, 2009

People Living Like we Do

Christina and I enjoyed some mochas from Coffee Cartel last night which was hoppin' at 11pm on a Sunday.

Today I must, repeat MUST, get some homework done... specifically Stats problems before going to work at 4.

Still have my crazy Sat. night on my mind....dancing to techno among bonafied ravers (glowsticks & crazy arm/hand movements included) was more than entertaining. I'm sure I was more than entertaining as well by the end of the night.

Now, I'm off to do some math while rocking out to some tunes by The Sounds, Chromeo, & Calvin Harris.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Don't Do It

Last night was fucked up. But fun? Well dancing at Dante's with Mandi was fun. But not after. I was freakin' out, man.

ugh.

Friday, January 16, 2009

What You Have to Do is Break All the Rules

Wind from the Sea, 1947

The Trodden Weed, 1951





Andrew Wyeth died today at the age of 91.


He is one of my very favorite artists.
I have a dog-eared old copy of The Art of Andrew Wyeth that I got at a book fair for $5 a couple of years ago, and it is possibly my favorite art book to flip through. I think his work is simple, traditional, forward-thinking, full of emotion, metaphorical, political, and utterly beautiful all at once.


I like this excerpt from the NY Times' article about him:

"Bucking the liberal art establishment, and making a fortune in the process, allowed him to play familiar American roles: the reactionary antiestablishmentarian and the free-thinking individualist who at the same time represented the vox populi. A favorite saying of his was: “What you have to do is break all the rules.” And as bohemianism itself became institutionalized, Wyeth encapsulated the artistic conservatives’ paradoxical idea of cultural disobedience through traditional behavior."


A big source of pain in my life is the relationship I have with my mother. She is someone I love fiercely, and hate fiercely at the same time. She is someone who can make me feel the absolute best and worst about myself, my life, and my choices.
One of the few things that unites us is a shared love of art. Growing up, she hung a framed print of Wyeth's Master Bedroom in the stairway near our kitchen. I know she loved this painting, both for Wyeth's realistic rendering, and tender subject matter. It has become one of my favorites too, not necessarily for the work itself (though I do like it), but for the memories it brings of my mother, days she took me to the art museum as a little girl, and afternoons spent by her side paging through art books, sharing with me her favorites.




Master Bedroom, 1965

Thursday, January 15, 2009

"That's so Post Modern of You"

LeCorbusier's Secretariat Building in Chandigarh, India
Just got back from my first class of Post-Modern Architecture. My brain is swirling with the vague definitions of Post-Modernism that were spewed at me from a 30 minute British documentary we watched about it. It's such a silly vague term that is only there because there is no other term for it.... sort of. I suppose its all about pluralism, an anything-goes type thing. All the previous styles and "ism"s are ok to use again, and are all jumbled together. An eclectic mish-mash. If that makes any sense at all.
Blah.
I do think LeCorbusier is really interesting though. We watched an hour long video about him, as well. Had no idea he planned an entire city in India -- Chandigarh. He designed all the buildings, and they were built BY HAND by the people of the city. Pretty cool. It looks so strange and out of place though among the land and people.

A Beauty Junkie's Recommendations
















I have gone through an addiction to online shopping in the last couple years (I'm doing a lot better now), but specifically I cannot get enough of beauty products. Makeup, perfume, body butters, hair products, and skincare! There's been times I read a random thread on a board about people's favorite products, and suddenly feel a compulsion to buy many of the things posted about. I once spent $200 on sephora.com in one sitting late at night... it was bad. I am a poor college student - and this sort of shopping is not within my means.

Things are not nearly as extreme as that anymore, but I still love reading about and trying products. I try now to not be such a snob about it, and give drugstore products a chance too, as they are much easier on my wallet. A lot are really just as good--I've had $90 face creams, and $4 face creams, and higher price does not = higher quality necessarily, atleast in my experience.

Anyway, I feel like my "addiction" has given me a lot of exposure to a lot of different products of all kinds - organic, name brands, drugstore, etc. , and I just wanted to share a couple of products that I think are actually very much worth buying, and are indispensable to me.

Possibly my favorite skincare product ever is Zia's Papaya Enzyme Mask. It's organic, which I like, and has a really fresh and unique smell to it. It's a green pasty sort of stuff that you mix with a little water and spread on your face. You leave it on for about 15 minutes, keeping it moist ( I use a little spritzer with water). As long as it stays moist, the enzymes work and will dissolve dead skin cells to exfoliate. After I rinse it off, I feel like my skin is super smooth, my pores are cleaned out, and the surface is so soft to the touch! My makeup goes on smoother, and there is a general glow to my complexion. I try to use it atleast once every week or two weeks, especially now in the winter since my skin dries out and flakes more easily. Such great stuff!!!

EO's Organic Lip Treatment in Grapefruit & Honey is my favorite chapstick! For one, it smells and tastes really good. I love anything citrus, especially grapefruit, and the flavor and scent of honey is delicious, also. This is also a certified organic product. I feel like a lot of chapsticks, lip salves, glosses, etc. just dry out quickly and my lips are dry and flaky not long after, and I have to keep applying and applying it. This stuff really makes my lips soft, and goes a long way. It stays moist on my lips for a really long time after applying it, and even when it does dry a little (no chapstick could stay moist forever), my lips won't flake and dry out, they are soft at the surface and healthy looking and feeling. I am actually out of this right now, but its on my list of products to purchase!

My favorite perfume is Moschino's Cheap & Chic I Love Love. I realize perfume is a lot more subjective, and everybody has their own preferences. But to me this is the most beautiful scent. I've tried a great many different perfumes, but this is hands down my signature scent. I first smelled it when I was dating Bill and I met a couple friends of his, we were in the car and I was like "oh my goodness, somebody smells really great!" It was his friend Sarah, and she told me the name of what she was wearing. I quickly looked it up online, and purchased my own bottle. When I got it, the scent was even better than I remembered. According to perfume.com, it has notes of Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Red Currant, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bulrushes, Tea Rose, Cinnamon Leaves, Tanaka Wood, Musk, Cedar. My friend Simone told me once I smelled like the woods. I mostly notice a fresh citrus-y smell in the beginning (mostly orange), and then a lovely sweet musk when I've been wearing it for a few hours, that just wafts up to my nose. I've had quite a few random people stop me to tell me I smelled really great, and ask the name of what I was wearing. I also had a random (and creepy) guy in a pub tell me repeatedly that I smelled "sooooo goooooodd" and stand a little too close to sniff me continuously while his girlfriend was right there. So, I get lots of compliments on it, but mostly I just love the smell of it myself- it makes me feel sexy, stylish, and sophisticated when I wear it -- love it!

I think the best multi-purpose product I use is plain old Vitamin E Oil! The kind I like is Home Health's Natural Vitamin E Skin Beauty Oil. It comes in what looks like a nail polish bottle. It's great as a lip moisturizer. I sometimes dab it lightly around my eyes before bed as a night eye treatment and wake up with really dewy fresh glowing skin around my eyes. I rub some on scrapes and hangnails to make them heal faster and without scarring. And its a great all-around moisturizer for anywhere. I like that its the pure form of a primary ingredient in so many skincare products. And not to mention, another organic product!

There are two facial moisturizers that I like the best of all I've tried. I think one is better for winter (with dryer skin), and one is better for summer (when my face gets oilier). For wintertime, I love Dr. Hauschka's Normalizing Day Oil. Who would think a straight-up oil would be such a great moisturizer on skin that already tends to be overly oily? It has an herbal, almost medicinal smell, that I like, and very little is needed. I rub it into my skin, especially into the areas that tend to dry out. What's great is that it absorbs in really well. It actually makes the oily areas stay matte for the most part, and the dry areas are soft and smooth. It tends to be a little heavy for summertime, but this time of year it has been so great for my skin! It's a little pricy, also, but I found a bottle on ebay for about half price. It was actually from Germany, and the label is in German, which is fun.
For hotter, humid weather, I like Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Moisture Lotion. This is available at drug stores which I like. It's pretty inexpensive, too. It absorbs really quickly, it isn't heavy at all, and leaves my skin feeling just really smooth and healthy and even. My pores even seem a little bit smaller when I use it. It has a really fresh delicious smell (like a lot of Garnier products). I like that it has a lot of anti-aging, "regenerating" type ingredients in it, too. As said, I tried to use it going into this winter, but it was too light. But it was perfect all summer for me.

I use cocoa butter cream every day after the shower on my whole body and I absolutely adore it. It's the only body cream I will use anymore. I first found this yellow tub by Cococare at a Walgreen's and became addicted! They actually don't carry it anymore, but I get it online easily and at a good price (like five bucks!). Specifically the Cococare brand just has a really delicious chocolate smell. It's not so intense that you walk around smelling like a hershey's bar, but its a light and fresh cocoa smell that I just can't get enough of. The moisturizer is a thick cream which I like, and its not greasy at all. It keeps my skin super smooth, and everyone knows cocoa butter is supposed to help stretch marks. I also think its a good base for putting my Moschino perfume on over, they mix well and the perfume lasts longer on my skin when its moisturized with this stuff.

There are a few others that I love as well that don't quite deserve their own paragraph...
I discovered True Blue Spa's Miraculous Monoi Oil when Claire worked at Bath and Body Works @ the Galleria last Christmas and Ciaran and I visited her there. I sniffed some of the stuff and adored the scent of it! Ciaran was sweet enough then (THEN being the operative word) to buy me a bottle. It's a great summery tropical smell - and not a stereotypical coconut or overly fruity smell. Like the Vitamin E Oil - it is pretty multi-purpose, which is great. According to the bottle label it can be used on the body or hair, and in the bath. I've used it in my hair before as a sort of wave or curl serum, as a pre-shower moisture treatment, and once just on dry hair (before I realized its supposed to be washed out -- but it looked ok.) Mostly though, I just like it on my skin. I like to use a little over whatever regular lotion I'm using for a little extra moisture, sheen, and the great scent. Not to mention, it was a great massage oil too.

I also like Clinique's Turnaround Concentrate. I received a sample tube a few months ago when I bought some other products at the Clinique counter during bonus time, and I use it everyday now. It has lasted this long, and works well. It's a serum you put on after your toner, before moisturizer, that is supposed to help speed up cell turnaround. A few drops covers the whole face. I really like it and feel like it has improved my skin overall, but am debating on whether or not to buy it when the sample runs out, since it's a bit expensive.

Last but not least, I am loving Joico's K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor for hair. A friend at work, who is also a hairdresser got some for me after I asked her for a recommendation on a really good deep moisturizer hair mask or conditioner. It smells like a pina colada, and really does work wonders. Its not thick or heavy at all, so I feel a tendency to use more than I probably need to, but my hair is sooo soft and smooth and shiny afterwards -- I really love it!

A Good Week

This week has been been comprised of very cold temperatures, daily Starbucks, early mornings, NPR, and new faces. And I've enjoyed it. I'm feeling really good about this semester. If this week is any indication of how it will continue to go- then it really will be a good one.

As mentioned, I've begun listening to NPR whenever I'm in my car. And as a result I've suddenly become knowledgeable on things like the history of iTunes, the myth of American Exceptionalism, and the corruption of soccer leagues in African nations. It's really interesting, and I wish I'd started tuning in sooner.

I had some McDonald's breakfast this morning, and no matter how cheap, and unhealthy it is for me, it is undeniably one of my favorite things to eat. Bacon Egg & Cheese Biscuit and greasy little hashbrown-- what would I do without you?

I finished Twilight last night, and am dying to get my hands on a copy of New Moon. This series is not exactly an intelligent read, but the love story between Edward and Bella is just so easy to get caught up into. I think it's a good stand-in for my current lack of boyfriend.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I Need to Get Some

Hmm just realized how frequently I feel the need to point out hot men and who I would like to make out with in my small number of posts...

what does this say about me???

Bite Me (Obligatory post about how hot Edward Cullen is)



Yes, I'm reading Twilight just like all the 14 year old girls of the world, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

And I liked the movie too. I saw it with Christina and she asked what I thought about it after we walked out of the theatre, and all I could say was, "That was like porn!!" What can I say, Edward Cullen really does it for me.

I also would not say no to a threesome with Edward and Bill from True Blood. Pale vampire men are yummy.



Positive Thinking

It is my instinct to go to bed with a lot of stress/anxiety for not having finished (or probably even started) my work for the day. I've literally had the feeling almost every school night for atleast two years.
And I feel like I should be experiencing that now, but everything is done, and before 10:30pm to boot. (I actually hate the phrase 'to boot,' but I just used it anyway).
Around the time i was graduating high school and starting college, I always had the belief that I was gonna turn out to be something really great and unique. Well, for the last couple years I had really stopped believing that. But today, for the first time in a long time, I had that thought again.
Maybe that's beginning-of-semester optimism speaking, but I'm gonna go with it. I don't want to sell myself short. I need practice in time management and organization still, yes, but I truly feel like my attitude and outlook has changed a lot in the last few months. Mostly due to counseling with Emily, I believe. And that change in attitude, and understanding of myself is what is making, and will continue to make, all the difference.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Drama-rama

So people are mad at me???

blah. i don't want to deal with it.

The First Day of School

The spring semester is off to a good start.

I had German (a retake from last semester) and Creative Strategies (also a retake) today. Both went well. I really like my professor for Creative Strategies, she is a spunky older woman with a cropped blonde haircut - she is from New York and her accent reminds me of Jimmy Stewart's. What's not to like about a professor that chooses to kick off a course with a showing of Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Were Made for Walking" on Youtube. (sidenote: I wouldn't mind a pair of boots just like the girls in the video)

German was alright, it should be muy facil (yes, I'm using Spanish to describe German) for most of the semester since I've already done it!

I met a couple people in each class, even volunteered my two cents for a discussion in art, so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone, and liking it.

And the barista at starbucks complimented my green earrings and ring -- so i'm in quite a good mood today!

I'm vegging at home for a couple hours now. I'll be at work from 4-10 this evening.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Globes of Gold

I'm not usually one to go on and on about celebrities... but just watched the Golden Globes, and here are some folks who caught my eye...



So, call me crazy but Borat is hot when he cleans up!
Redhead from Madmen.. I just think she is beautiful, wish I had her hair!

Freida is gorgeous, and Dev is adorable


Love her earrings




Drew looks great! Love her look.

Isn't she glowing? I think she is so beautiful!



Love the deco style of the dress



(Just want to make out with him)






A few more thoughts about the Globes...




Colin Farrell is devestatingly adorable, facial expressions and accent especially. (He reminds me a little of my friend Stevie...)



Slumdog Millionaire deserved every award it got...and Dev Patel was even more handsome all dressed up in a suit and tie.



I adored the looks of Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, the redhead from Madmen, and more (see above photos...)


Loved all the accents heard... Scottish, Australian, Irish, English, Indian, Israeli [I think listening to different kinds of accents is one of my favorite things ever, in any situation or time]




I think I love Sally Hawkins even more after she could barely even eek out a speech through all her emotion! Her award was much deserved!


So excited Anna Paquin got Best Actress for True Blood! Christina got me into this show, and I watched every episode (via OVguide.com) over break. I highly recommend it.



Ok, I think thats all the gushing I have to do.
Back to school tomorrow!!! I feel at once thrilled and scared to death about this. But I'm trying not to make a big deal out of it for myself, just want to learn and have an enjoyable semester.

I was going to also write about things that were on my mind earlier today, but I really don't feel like it now. Maybe I will expand on this tomorrow... but for now positive thoughts, going to bed early, and hoping for a great first day back tomorrow!

Four Eyes

Blah. I'm at work and I had to wear my glasses today.
Last night was weird.
And I have some things on my mind that are bothering me.

More later.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Freitag

(a photo montage of my evening)

Edward Hopper, The Night Window, 1928
Delicious Tom Kha Soup


The Vintage Haberdashery on Morganford

Hindu Elephant Cake, Rachel Getting Married







Yesterday was fabulous for many reasons.



I woke up to a phone call from Ciaran, and we managed to have a civil, even pleasant conversation.


Then Christina and I decided to spend the afternoon/evening doing our vintage shopping. We went to Retro101 on Cherokee, which I loooove, but we were a bit rushed there since they were getting ready to close. Then over to Soulard where we hit Remember Me on Russell, which was cool, but more of a costume shop. Next stop was the Vintage Haberdashery on Morganford, also a good one, but a bit pricy. With no finds and hungry bellies, we decided it was time for some Thai. I'm not usually a fan of it, but Christina wanted it, and I'm not picky. We went to the King & I, which actually had delicious Tom Kha soup and Pad Thai. Maybe I like Thai more than I think.

We realized we were just a block away from this gelato place that I like, so we walked down. After all what Thai meal isn't best followed by some authentic Italian gelato? Inside, the most adorable guy I've seen in awhile was working at the counter. And I decided I must find a way to visit The Gelateria every friday, as I have a new crush! Not to mention I can never get enough italian ice cream. I had Bacio, Marscapone, and London Fog- which was actually delicious- a mix of earl grey tea with vanilla ice cream.



We headed down to The Loop to see what was playing at the Tivoli. We got two tickets to see Rachel Getting Married, which I had been wanting to see every since I saw previews a couple months ago. With time to kill beforehand, we got some hot drinks at Meshuggah (I ordered Rooibos tea, just because I learned the correct pronunciation of that word this week) , and perused the used book store down the street. I flipped through an Edward Hopper book, and remembered how much I adore his work. I love the time period he depicts, the colors used, the way he paints windows, and light coming through them, and the urban settings. He reminds me a little bit of Wyeth too, also one of my very favorites.


Anywho, one more last minute vintage stop was made, I had forgotten about T.A.G. (across the street from the book store) which was open late, and I finally found something! I got an adorable long bright red sweater, which I hope to wear frequently.



Finally it was time for the movie. And I absolutely loved it. I thought it was realistic, relevant (maybe just to me), made me feel all kinds of emotions (but as previously stated, a lot of movies have had that effect lately), and I loved the array of people in it, and the beautiful music. Christina really didn't like it, she thought it was too long, that it could have been edited better, and that it was depressing. Maybe I'm just less picky about movies. But it really made me happy. We did agree, however, that we wanted the wedding cake in the movie! So fantastic!


So, it was a great night! Full of things I love!


Today, I am off work again, so I'm not sure what I'll do. Probably call up Claire to see what she's up to... I haven't talked to her since the other night when I got pissed about Ben.


One of my textbooks came in the mail today. I had ordered it on ebay, as I refuse to pay full price at the bookstore. However, the cover is in CHINESE!!!! I knew it was from Hong Kong, but the listing was all in English, and posted on the US site for ebay-- you'd think they'd atleast mention the cover and some of the pages were in Chinese!!!!!! Luckily it is in English on the inside, I'm just hoping the page numbers match up, and everything. I guess it will be a good conversation starter to meet people in class!










Friday, January 9, 2009

Chilling Art





I love the current poll on ArtBlog by Bob.




I chose Andy Goldsworthy's Icicle Star.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire






Saw Slumdog Millionaire tonight. Absolutely loved it. Lately I feel like movies make me feel so emotional, to the point of tears, not because the movie is necessarily sad, just because I really sympathize with all of the emotions the characters are going through. I'm cheesy, but whatever.




I also think Dev Patel (who plays Jamal, the main character in Slumdog) is incredibly adorable and I want to make out with him.




Also, Indian kids with Indian accents are about the cutest things ever.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Teeth and Bones



(my million dollar smile)


I haven't visited the dentist in over a year, and yet I still have great teeth and no cavities says Dr. West. I am also going to be getting professional whitening for half off, since I've done it before.



I have to go to work in a couple hours, but I'm going to try and work out before I go. I really want to keep working out, but I noticed yesterday how sore it made my knee for the rest of the day. So I'm a little concerned that it's further damaging where the tear in the meniscus is. I keep avoiding going to the orthopedic surgeon since I'm afraid it'll mean surgery and crutches for weeks. ugh. But my knee is only getting worse and worse.

Three's a Crowd...

Tonight I was supposed to hang out with Claire, get some Starbucks, and continue to help her decorate her new apartment. Well when I called her about an hour before, she was eating dinner with Ben. We agreed to all go to Target together. But it just put me in a weird mood. I'd like to think I am a really nice person, open to new people, not a jealous friend, etc. But maybe I do get jealous of Ben. Claire and I have become really close, and a lot of times we do hang out just she and I. But when I hear Ben will be around, I just think "ugh." I don't know, maybe it's not even Ben himself, maybe its more how Claire acts around Ben. Because the two of us can hang out with Jaime, or with anyone else and its all good, but for some reason, I just have a negative association about being around Ben. I feel like she favors him too, a little. We've become so close, and I just hate that she would choose him over me sometimes, as he can be a little bit selfish and shallow. I hate that this makes me seem so needy, posessive, and childish, but I just can't shake my annoyance over it. I don't really know what to do about it....and it will probably start coming up a lot since she moved right by his apartment. Hmmmm.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Ongoing Series of Five Year Plans

This makes me happy.



Today I woke up with an immediate urge to get things done. I think too many days in a row of being lazy around the house just makes me want to get out and accomplish things.

So today I will eat, workout, shower, go to Target for a planner and face wash, pick up my contacts from the eye doctor, return a book to Webster's library, make appt.s for the dentist and knee surgeon, and then possibly go to Cherokee St. like I've been wanting to!

I should probably add cleaning to my list since my room's a disaster, but what's new.



Maybe stopping by Claire's new apartment in the Central West End later to see how it looks by Day 3 and to play with puppy Clementine.

Numero Dos

[I think Post #2 is important because that means I am continuing this blog, right? I don't have a successful track record with keeping up a blog... so I'm pulling for this one. ]

Dinner was lovely this evening...Amanda and Christina called me before I had even had a chance to change and told me they were outside my house and we were going to The Hill! So Italian it was! We split a bottle of Spanish Cabernet, and I had lasagna! We went back to Amanda's to watch movies, eat some chocolates, and snuggle with her dog Charlie. Christina took me home and it was nice not to have to drive myself home. Lately my drives home (usually 20-minute ones from the city) leave me alone with sad thoughts.

So, now its off to bed (it's 2:30 am for goodness sake!).

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Hello World


It's 2009. I've decided to start a blog and here it is. I'm not giving the URL out to anyone I know, I don't want to have to water down and censor what I post.


I'm not really sure what direction this will take - a record of my progress on achieving certain things, a place to post art/music/articles I find interesting, or more of a diary of thoughts I need to express. Probably a combination of all of these. And evidence of me trying to sound really really intelligent, witty, and cultured. :)


Today was spent sleeping in, wearing my pajamas all day, watching TV, and surfing the net -- really a productive day, all in all. Hey- I guess I started this atleast.


And I made a to-do list for the rest of the week:


-Organize clothes & earrings

-Buy a planner and get things ready for school on Monday

-Paint nails/toes

-Create a work-out/being-more-healthy plan (one of my resolutions for '09)

-Go to Cherokee Street to do some vintage shopping (been wanting to do this forever!)


Christina and Amanda just called and I guess we are doing our Christmas dinner tonight which didn't happen before Christmas! I want Mexican, Christina wants Greek, and Amanda wants Applebee's... sigh. I got them each some funky nail polish for Christmas -- hope they like 'em!


So I guess I'm off to put on something other than my pajamas and compromise on my dinner! Adios.