Born in the Doorway.

Obligatory Irene Post

2011-08-29T05:44:00.001-07:00

Magically, we did not lose our electricity, but we did get a hell of a lot of flooding. So I gathered all of the candles in the house for no reason.

Pretty Light

2011-08-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

tattoos, pups, plants, and peppers.

Born in the Doorway on EBay!

2011-08-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Do you want some super cute clothes for super cheap prices?
Well in the spirit of new beginnings and a clean closet, I am selling a lot of my beloved articles of clothing that I just don't need anymore.

Born in the Doorway on Ebay will be a growing project, and I have plans to put up some hand-made crochet coffee cozies made by yours truly! In the meantime, enjoy the clothes, and keep your eyes peeled for bags, shoes, scarves, jewelry, and more! The pictures above are just the beginning :)

Where I've Been

2011-08-15T17:38:00.000-07:00

I know I've been very MIA around here, but I thought I'd let you know that I am quite active on tumblr these days. I also changed the URL for my tumblr so you can now find me on cellardoorway.tumblr.com
This blog's namesake was already taken! Sad face :(
I've been posting a lot more of my own photos there and I reblog a lot of pretty things. I hope you enjoy!

Scenes from Newport Folk Fest 2011

2011-08-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

1. Playing catch on Block Island
2. Lobster nets at the Barking Crab
3 & 4. The Civil Wars
5. My franzz
6. The crowd on Fort Adams
7. Moon mats
8. A couple's commute home from the festival
9. The Freelance Whales & PS. 22 Chorus
10. The Civil Wars
11. Charity from the Head and the Heart
12. Freelance Whales & PS. 22
13. The Head and the Heart <3
14. View from the ferry home
15. ...and one of me enjoying myself, for good measure.

Theres plenty more on my tumblr.

Quote of the Week (month, year....I'm a slacker)

2011-08-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Week (month, year....I'm a slacker)

2011-07-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
Azalea Plath to her daughter, Sylvia

Indian Food Cooking Class

2011-07-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Clockwise from top: Kerala Shrimp Curry, Basmati Rice, Spring Vegetable Curry, Coconut Green Beans, Red Lentil Dahl, and Carrot Halva. Oh, and there's some beer.

See this shrimp curry? I made it. #BOOM #DONTACTLIKEYOURENOTIMPRESSED

My sister drinks beer now.

My mom, me, and my sister. We're actually really cute when we aren't making these faces.

See?

My Mom, sister, and I took a class on cooking with Indian spices at the Natural Gourmet Institute last night. I made Indian food (with the help of my family and several instructors) and it was delicious.

Book Review: Henry's Demons

2011-07-12T10:55:00.001-07:00

I can't help it. I like reading books about mental illnesses, and this was a really good one!
Henry's Demons is a true story written from several perspectives: Henry (a young adult diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 18), his mother, and his father. We hear the experience from the first onset of Henry's illness, to the family's struggle with the British mental health care system, and then to recovery.

This story would be interesting even if it was fictional, but the incredible thing about it is that it is completely nonfiction and portrays a struggle that so many families around the world have to deal with. Many families know nothing about mental illness until it emerges in their own lives. I don't want to ruin the story for you so I won't go into great detail, but to hear the story from the different perspectives makes it feel very real.

My favorite narrator in the story is Henry. It was extremely interesting to hear his inner thought processes as he recalls his behavior. Many of the things he did while experiencing delusions and hallucinations were extremely dangerous and could have cost him his life, but in his mind at the time his actions were normal and practical. It is truly a miracle that he survived to tell his story.

I know I am a social worker and maybe my interests are be a little different from most. Actually, it was one of my professors who recommended this book to me. However, this book was not written as a text book. It's written as a readable story that anyone could enjoy and become immersed in. I could not put this book down, and I don't think you'll be able to, either!

Quote of the Week (month, year....I'm a slacker)

2011-07-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Little cosmic girl, isn't it a big world?
Say, don't you worry about the little things,
don't let the daylight rob your dreams.
Little cosmic girl, isn't it a wild world?
There is love and there is sadness,
there are miracles and madness.
And we may never understand,
no, we may never understand.

"Little Cosmic Girl" Brett Dennen

New Girl

2011-06-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm excited! Anyone know when it's supposed to start?

Tumblr Treats.

2011-06-10T08:03:00.001-07:00

My goodness, there are just so many lovable things on tumblr lately! To see all of my favorites, you're just going to have to go right to my tumblr. I'll give you a preview here, of course.

I think I'm going through a nook phase. I've collected lots of nook pictures.

If you were waiting for a sign, this is it.

From Sleepy Hollow, one of my favorite movies.

I don't really go to the movies, but I am dying to see Midnight in Paris. I think Marion Cotillard is stunning.

...and of course we all know I love JGL

Lastly, I'm hungry.

Clicking the images will take you to the source.

Recipe: Gwenyth's Dip

2011-06-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Do you guys read Matchbook Magazine?
It's quickly become a new favorite, because they have a little bit everything, and everything in it is cute. I really enjoy flipping through the (digital) pages and looking at all of the beautiful pictures.

One thing that caught my eye in this most recent June issue is the piece on Gwenyth Paltrow's new cookbook, where she shares recipes that her dad used to make. This dip is one of them. I love Gwenyth, I love dips, and I was able to get all of the ingredients at the local supermarket. It was really a nobrainer to put together.

I used to not-so-secretly attempt to mimic the style of Margot Tenenbaum. It didn't work out so well- I could never get my hair to look like that and I didn't have a floor length fur coat and I didn't smoke cigarettes (still don't, FYI). Mostly I just wore a lot of eyeliner. Making this dip is the closest I will ever be to becoming the next Gwenyth Paltrow.

If you click on the picture of the avocados it will take you to the recipe, but here it is if you're lazy:

1 cup vegenaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
2 finely chopped scallions
pinch of coarse salt
few grinds of coarse black pepper
1 garlic clove minced or put through a press
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped capers

stir it all together. eat with carrots, crackers, on a sandwich, however you want!

Shots from Newport

2011-05-31T06:11:00.001-07:00

Gingerbread house making, ghost stories on the dock, cliff climbing, lots of jumping and zumba dancing. And of course, copious amounts of hugging.

How was your long weekend?

Tumblr Treats.

2011-05-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

...formally known as "a few things on tumblr this week that made me smile."

Just a friendly nautical-themed Octopus.

Julia Stone

Cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love."

Clicking the image will take you back to the source.

The Snuggie Man

2011-05-25T12:17:00.001-07:00

The following is a poem I wrote for creative writing class approximately one year ago. It's about Snuggies. Enjoy. (PS. I got an A+ for this one).

Snuggie Man

I should have invented the Snuggie.

It’s not like I haven’t wished my blanket had sleeves,

But I was too lazy to do something about it.

And you know someone out there

Has a blanket with sleeves

They made to wear around the house

And now they are kicking themselves

Because there is now a Snuggie millionaire out there

Making Snuggies for himself out of silk and gold.

I guess people haven’t realized yet

A Snuggie is backwards bathrobe.

But at least we aren’t wearing Shamwows.

Kudos to you, Snuggie man.

You have balls.

Quote of the Week

2011-05-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

"Do you think I've gone round the bend?"
"I'm afraid so. You're mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."
Lewis Carroll

(image via the other day)

Summer?

2011-05-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Good news!
I made it through my first year of grad school with flying colors :)
It has been the most rewarding year of my life, but I am welcoming summer with open arms.
I am not allowed to post pictures of the kids I worked with for obvious reasons, but I will brag about their cuteness by showing you the beautiful flowers they gave me on my last day. There is also no rule about sharing the cards they made me. The one I posted above is probably one of the highlights of my life.

Here's a list of silly things I'd like to get done today:
1. Treat myself to a manicure
2. Start doing some writing/outlining for my summer job.
3. Transfer summer clothes into my closet (yay!!)
4. Make this lavender crunch hummus. And then I am going to make one of these sandwiches.
5. Enjoy my last day before summer classes start.

I really wish this rain would go away. I am pretty much as pasty white as I was in January.
PS. I will be spending the entire summer in these TOMS.

Elizabeth Bishop

2011-05-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

One Art
by Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.


--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied.  It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.


(image via papertissue)

This poem is on my mind today. Not sure why.  Either way, I thought I'd share it.

a few things on tumblr this week that made me smile

2011-05-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

I hope this is in a tree house.

These windows would be gorgeous at any time of the day and all seasons of the year.

Think I'm going to make these today...

I may or may not know people that fit the description for many of these cities.

Clicking on the images will take you back to the source.

Breakfast Rice Pudding

2011-05-10T06:32:00.001-07:00

I love rice pudding, and I love breakfast.

So why not have rice pudding for breakfast?

How is this rice pudding different from any other rice pudding, you ask?
Well, it's more filling, its healthier, and its sweetness margin is significantly lower.
Meaning, don't expect it to taste like dessert rice pudding.
The flavors are subtle, yet delicious.

These are the things you need:

1 cup arborio rice
1 cup milk (skim or soy is preferable)
cinnamon (as much or as little as you want)
brown sugar (1-2 tablespoons)
vanilla extract(1-2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup almond granola (or any granola you'd like. I used homemade.)
Dried fruit ( I used golden raisins, but dried cranberries could be good.)

Truthfully, you could add anything you want to this pudding to customize for your own enjoyment. You could also play with proportions here. If you want a sweeter rice pudding, then add more sugar, or honey, or maple syrup... you get the idea.

The steps:
Prepare arborio rice as directed (mine said 3 cups water for 1 cup rice).
Once the water has been absorbed into the rice, allow it to sit and cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.

Then, you add the ingredients listed above and stir it in.

Lastly, put it in a container and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, you have delicious rice pudding for breakfast!

The great thing about the arborio rice (this is the rice they use for risotto) is that it is creamy all on its own. There's no need to add any extra cream or anything to get the smooth texture. The one cup of milk will suffice, and if you want to add a little more sweetness, you can always use vanilla soy milk. I just didn't have it on hand.

I can't take credit for this ingenious idea. I recently ordered a copy of Tina Haupert's new book, based on her blog CarrotsN'Cake. It's one of my favorite blogs, and her book has some great recipes!

Peanutty Soba Noodles

2011-05-02T17:18:00.001-07:00

I love Asian food of all varieties, particularly noodles (you may find evidence here). On Saturday I picked up some soba noodles at a local health food store and decided I would find a good use for them. I decided to make delicious peanutty noodles! It was so easy. Here's what you do:

Prepare soba noodles as specified on the label.

While the soba is cooking, combine 4 tablespoons of peanut butter, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 2 tablespoons each of the following: sesame oil, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha, and soy sauce in a small saucepan on low heat.

Stir. Once the ingredients have combined, pour the sauce into a large bowl.

When soba noodles are done cooking, strain them and run cold water over them. Then let the noodles finish draining before adding them to the bowl with the sauce. Toss ingredients together and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. I would put it in the refrigerator because they taste better cold.

Add sesame seeds as garnish, and then eat! Feel free to include vegetables in this scenario. I just wasn't in the mood to go through the effort. A little crunch would actually make this even better- maybe some carrots or baby corn? Snow peas? Yum!

Check me out, two posts in one day!

Quote of the Week

2011-05-02T06:22:00.001-07:00

So I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.
Stephen Chbosky

(image via dirtyprettything)

2011-04-23T14:22:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I like this Robert Frost guy. I've heard this quote a million times, but I really needed to hear it today.

(found via quote-book)

Quote of the Week

2011-04-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

"That's the kind of trouble you get when diverse groups of people actually cross paths with one another. That's why many of the worst things in the world happen in and around Starbucks bathrooms."
Tina Fey Bosslady

I am obsessed with Tina Fey's new book. I can't stop laughing through it, and this part especially made me crack up because I immediately thought about the bathroom at the Starbucks on West 6th and Waverly Place, and the large variety of people you see waiting to use it, most of whom are not actually Starbucks customers.

(image via weheartit)

Life is a Cookie... A Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookie.

2011-04-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Cookies

Yes. This recipe combines the two most wonderful things, chocolate chip cookies and CHEESE. Of course, it's cream cheese so they don't taste like cheese or anything. But the fluffiness of the cream cheese adds some fluffiness and cakeiness to what would usually be the traditional chocolate chip cookie, which is already delicious on its own.

Is this recipe worth a try? YES. Especially if you are a fan of dipping cookies in a nice glass of milk like I am. These cookies are maybe the best milk-soaking up cookies I have ever encountered.
For the original recipe, take a gander at How Sweet It Is, a blog I stumbled upon when in search of an interesting twist on chocolate chip cookies. I pretty much followed her recipe verbatim, except I noticed the cookies needed about 12 minutes of cooking, not 8-10. Blame these high New Jersey altitudes:

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter

3 oz of cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and mix. Stir in flour and salt, just until blended. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 8-10 (12!) minutes or until edges are golden brown. The cookies will remain light in color.

Meal of Champions.

2011-04-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had Prosecco and cheese for dinner. Hope that's ok.

a few things on tumblr this week that made me smile

2011-04-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

Something pretty.
(via girlinlondon)

Coffee! My first love.
(image via palahniukandchocolate)

A baby giraffe is born!!
(from thedailywhat)

A Dr. Seuss quote. After seeing Suessical recently, I have a renewed sense of appreciation for him these days.
(image via quote-book)

tumblr seemed to be a little quiet this week. but as always, here is a link to mine, where a bunch of lovely things are compiled into one convenient location.

Top Chef All Stars

2011-03-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

I rarely write about TV (unless it concerns Anthony Bourdain), but this is kind of a big deal.
Blais or Isabella?
I'm rooting for Richard, I just hope he doesn't choke like he did last time!
He has a unique hairdo and he's not super obnoxious.

a few things on tumblr this week that made me smile

2011-03-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

How could you not love cupcakes in a cup? (via prettyfoods)

I knew they were real! (via thedailywhat)

The most perfect thing about summer. (via booklover)

So simple and so true. (via papertissue)

Click on the pictures for more. But of course, you can always just visit my tumblr :)

Quote of the Week

2011-03-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

All the books we own, both read and unread, are the fullest expression of self we have at our disposal.. But with each passing year, and with each whimsical purchase, our libraries become more and more able to articulate who we are, whether we read the books or not.
Nick Hornby

(image via booklover)

Irony.

2011-03-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

For me, spring has started with the onset of the flu, chicken soup and toast, and of course, SNOW! Is this some sort of sick joke??

(image from weheartit)

Yoga.

2011-03-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

Obsessed. Absolutely. My favorite way to start my Saturday mornings is to roll out of bed, throw on some yoga clothes and head to 9am power yoga. And because I had "spring break" for two days this week, my mom, sister, aunts, and I went on our annual spa trip to Connecticut where I got to work out in their gym, take pilates and yoga classes, and get my "ass polished" as my mother likes to call it. This means I got a massage, and I got a manicure.

We got back last night, and I slept quite soundly, but as soon as I woke up this morning I was ready for more yoga. My mom and I headed over, and who was there but two of my aunts that were on the trip with us! We are all yoga junkies. I have this secret dream of becoming a yoga instructor someday, or at least mastering the crow, the wheel, and the headstand.

(found this picture on weheartit)

A Plan. Because I can.

2011-03-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

So let's be real. This blog has not been so great lately, and I've been trying to figure out why.
Yes, I am busy, but that has always been the case. I still look at my own blog and read other blogs, but I don't post anything besides quotes. I love love love my quotes, but quotes are not substantial enough alone to make this a worthwhile place to visit.

I thought this blog would be a nice place for me to track some lifestyle changes and potentially actually maybe stick to some of them. Everything is going well lately, but I've always been guilty of not sticking to the healthy habits that I should, such as healthy, mindful eating, and daily exercise. The thing is, I'm not really keeping track of myself in a way that I could be.

Remember that time I made a list of things I had to get done and crossed them out periodically? That worked SO well for me, and even though that was approximately a year ago, I've always thought that I should do it again, and perhaps more consistently. I can't promise that's gonna happen, but my goal is to have a more consistent, purposeful use for this blog that I love so much.

I love exercise and I love food, so I'm not trying to restrict myself in any way. It's not gonna be like that. Don't worry. If anything I hope to find more delicious foods to eat and recipes to make, and more effective and enjoyable workouts to attempt. Anyway, this is just an idea I had, and I'm going to give it a whirl. Maybe, just maybe, I won't be the only person to get something out of this.

Anyway, I think I've been inspired recently by other people in the blogosphere who post delicious recipes and track their workouts. I find these things so interesting. Do I think I am capable of creating my own recipes? No. Do I think I am capable of replicating recipes from other people? Yes. And I will. And I will give credit where credit is due.

(delicious raspberries via thingssheloves)

Quote of the Week

2011-03-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have lost friends, some by death...others by sheer inability to cross the street.
Virgina Woolf

(photo via papertissue)

Because I just reread the Bell Jar

2011-03-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

"Do you know what a poem is, Esther?'
No, what?' I would say.
A piece of dust.'
Then, just as he was smiling and starting to look proud, I would say, 'So are the cadavers you cut up. So are the people you think you're curing. They're dust as dust as dust. I reckon a good poem lasts a whole lot longer than a hundred of those people put together.'
And of course Buddy wouldn't have any answer to that, because what I said was true. People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn't see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing poems people would remember and repeat to themselves when they were unhappy or sick or couldn't sleep."

Sylvia Plath
(image via aplathaday)

Quote of the Week

2011-02-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

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

Gandhi

(photo via thingssheloves)

Greetings from the bus.

2011-02-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

It's absolutely disgusting outside today. I had to walk up my very steep hill to the bus in the rain and then wait on the side of the highway until it arrived, and I'm quite pleased to say it actually arrived on time today. Even though my iPod is broken, and that is usually my glued to my ears during my commute to class, I tried to make the best of the situation by putting on my raincoat, pulling on my rainboots, bringing my umbrella, and carrying a cup of coffee in my hand. It was a lot of juggling, but the only way I would survive without ending up in a cranky mood.
After the walk, I discovered I was ten minutes early to my bus stop, so I stood and watched the cars go by, as I do every time I take this particular commute.

Before my iPod broke, I was listening to The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle audiobook, and one concept in particular so far has resonated with me. He says the best way to release tension and anxiety is to treat the present with as much care as you treat your future. He doesn't say it in those words exactly, but he says by practicing mindfulness, you can turn everyday things into a meditation. Without even trying, I began thinking about these things quite often.

My wait for the bus has become a sort of meditation. I try to only think about what's going on at that moment in time. Today it was the sound of cars and trucks whizzing by on wet pavement, the chill, damp air, and how refreshing it was to simply feel that air on my face and not be annoyed about the fact that it is rainy and wet outside today, and that I had to walk through it. Once I sit on the bus, I usually will listen to music, or not, and simply watch the cars and very hideous new jersey scenery go by. I would prefer to be looking at an ocean or snow capped mountains, but I take what I can get.

Waiting for the bus today, it occured to me that the exact situation I was in at that very moment was something that would be very effective in some sort of indie movie. In my black raincoat and black rainboots and breathing out clouds into the cold air, this sort of bleak scenery with the protagonist lost in thought is not uncommon in those films. The one exception, I thought, is that it was not a cigarette I was holding, but a cup of coffee. My drug of choice. I definitely laughed to myself about this. I tend to talk out loud to myself quite a lot, too. I'm told its relatively normal.

This is all well and good, but holy moly I am dying for some sunshine and warmer temperatures.

(photo via weheartit)

Quote of the Week

2011-02-23T11:34:00.001-08:00

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.
Benjamin Franklin

(image via everyday musings)

Quote of the Week

2011-02-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.
-Anais Nin

(image via weheartit)

Quote of the Week

2011-02-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Everything is the way it is because everything was the way it was.
Jonathan Safran Foer

(photo via krisatomic)

Quote of the Week

2011-01-28T06:10:00.000-08:00

Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.

Henry James

(image via weheartit)

I'm Over It.

2011-01-25T07:08:00.001-08:00

I believe it was around this time last year that I was equally as PO'ed about this snow as I am right now. Can't it just be over already? Seriously. In fact, I am not even going to put a picture of snow. I'm putting up pictures of pretty things instead.

(pictures from papertissue and thingssheloves.)

Quote of the Week, Courtesy of The Happiness Project

2011-01-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

To know what to leave out and what to put in; just where and just how, ah, that is to have been educated in knowledge of simplicity -- toward ultimate freedom of expression.
- Frank Lloyd Wright

This quote has been brought to you by Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, which is quickly becoming a favorite blog of mine as well as a favorite book. Both are an easy read with lots of simple, straightforward, "why didn't I think of that?" sort of advice in them. At first I found the book a little bit too self-indulgent, but I promise if you can get past the first chapter or two it's worth it, even if you don't end up doing your own "Happiness Project."

(Image via weheartit)

Snow Day

2011-01-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

Me, Jess, and Grandpa last Easter

So, my grandfather passed away earlier this week after 89 years. Especially after my great-grandmother's death only a few days earlier than that, everyone around here has been wondering what the hell is going on in the universe right now that all of these things are happening all at once. The last funeral I had to go to was my grandmother's over ten years ago, and all of the sudden its one after another. My grandpa was the most loving, hardworking man I ever had the pleasure to meet, and he leaves behind a family that loves him very much. Needless to say, it's been an odd couple of weeks.

Although there's been a lot of sadness, the incredible timing of everything recently has really blown me away. The things that are happening right now can not just be coincidence, there's reason behind it, and I've been spending a lot of time thinking about what those reasons could be. I won't go into specifics, because it would be very long winded and a little too much to share with the world wide web. However, I will say that the snow day we had on Wednesday was my grandfather's gift to us. I think he knew we needed a day off from work to just relax and wrap our heads around these changes. For that one day, it was nice to have nowhere to go and nothing to do. It was a beautiful snowstorm and I took some time out to take pictures, something I don't have too much time for these days.

Quote of the Week

2011-01-12T06:16:00.001-08:00

Think of the long trip home.
Should we have stayed at home and thought of here?
Where should we be today?
Is it right to be watching strangers in a play
in the strangest of theatres?
What childishness is it that while there's a breath of life
in our bodies, we are determined to rush
to see the sun the other way around?
"Questions of Travel" Elizabeth Bishop

(image via msmuse)

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

This year, my New Year's resolution is to not have a New Year's resolution. That sort of thing has never worked for me. And why should a New Year be a reason to do something? I like to think that I try to make self-improvements all year long. I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing.

Also, I am thinking about opening an Etsy shop and attempting to sell some of the stuff I've been crocheting. I doubt anyone would buy them, but I might as well give it a shot. This idea has nothing to do with it being a new year, since I've been thinking about doing it a while and decided to actually do it yesterday.

However, the new year has certainly inspired me to simplify things. I've done a lot of cleaning out and cleaning up, physically and mentally. My room, and particularly my closet, has never been so organized. I've been opening it periodically just to admire my job well done.

ps. You can now subscribe to my blog! This means that every time I publish a post it will be sent to your e-mail. If you're interested click the link in the upper right part of the page.

(photo via thingssheloves)

So This is the New Year. 2011!

2011-01-07T12:44:00.000-08:00

I am going to refer to 2010 as a "clean-up year." All the other years leading up to 2010 were like the days you spend looking at the pile of laundry in the corner and then promising yourself you will get to it later, continuing to go about your day. 2010 was the year that I went through the arduous process of accepting, encountering, tackling, and overcoming. At the beginning of 2011 I feel far more polished, far more settled. 2010 was rough, but completely necessary. I'm happy it has come and gone.

I guess you could say a lot happened, and it doesn't mean they were bad things. They were just intense things, and some of them are great things. For starters, I graduated college, got into graduate school at NYU, and completed my first semester there with my best GPA yet. I have spent a lot of quality time with family and friends, and I have met so many new people who have turned out to be quite influential and special to me.

2011 hasn't been all sunshine and daisies so far, it's actually been kind of difficult. For example, my great grandmother passed away last Thursday. I will miss her very much, she was a special lady. However, because of my experiences in 2010 this difficult time has been easier for me to handle. I can see the good things- I am sad she is gone but I am happy that she can be in a better place now. I've always considered myself to be an optimist, but now I really feel that optimism, too.

It's safe to say that in 2010 I learned more than I have in any other year. I may even dare to say that I learned more in 2010 than in all my other years combined. It was just one of those times in my life. It's funny to think that this time last year I was just starting to go through this whole process, and exactly a year later I've finished my first semester of Social Work school and really feel like I am in the right place, doing the right things for me. I've learned how to do that. Mastered it, even. It feels pretty good to be able to say that.

2011 is a year that I am very much looking forward to. Hooray!

ps. I figured since I put a picture of myself in my post from last year that I should keep up the tradition.

Quote of the Week

2011-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.
- C.S. Lewis

(photo via thingssheloves)

Quote of the Week

2010-12-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

If the moon smiled, she would resemble you.
You leave the same impression
Of something beautiful, but annihilating.

— The Rival, Sylvia Plath

(photo via 500daysofkissingmypillow)

ps. just found my new favorite tumblr: aplathaday

in my humble opinion, a Plath a day trumps an apple a day.

My Favorite Songs of 2010

2010-12-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

This year has been a fantastic one for me seeing concerts and hearing new musicians. I have also rediscovered old favorites. Basically, I've listened to a lot of music, because I tend to listen to it wherever I go. Whether it was walking to class in Boston or New York, driving in my car, riding on the subway, sitting on the bus, running on the treadmill, doing work on my computer, drawing while sitting on the floor in my room... I always have something on. Below is a list of my favorites, in no particular order. A lot of it is folky, and all of it you can sing along to.

Lua- Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch
The Suburbs- Arcade Fire
Sparrow- Scatteredtrees
Ambulance- Eisley
Janglin' - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Pretty Girl at the Airport- The Avett Brothers
Mama Don't Like My Man- Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
It's Only Me- Elvis Perkins
The Only Exception- Paramore
We Used to Wait- Arcade Fire
Home- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) - Shakira
Friday I'm in Love- The Cure
Frankie's Gun- The Felice Brothers
Poison Oak- Bright Eyes
On Her Own- Ben Kweller
Homeward Bound- Ben Kweller
Living Life- Ben Kweller
White Blank Page- Mumford & Sons
Orphan Girl- Horse Feathers
The Gambler- Fun
Awake My Soul- Mumford & Sons
Shampoo- Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Yes there are a lot, but I listen to a lot of music. I'll probably add more. This was a big music year for me. Photos above: The Avett Brothers, Elvis Perkins and the What Cheer Brigade, Ben Kweller.

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Cookie Baking & Tree Trimming

2010-12-23T06:42:00.001-08:00

Baking delicious cookies and taking pretty pictures of a pretty tree with silly ornaments in front of a roaring fireplace with a cute cuddly dog posing for the camera. Yay! So excited for tomorrow and Saturday!

PS. it's extremely difficult to get a dog (and an ornament) to stay still.

Inspiration

2010-12-19T06:55:00.000-08:00

Putting a lamp on a stack of books? Why haven't I thought of this.

Good luck to me for ever having anything like this on a social worker's salary.

sources:
booklover
thingssheloves

The Last Dining Room Day!

2010-12-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

Well this is it, the last day before classes are done for the semester. I have spent many, many hours, sitting in this same spot in the dining room. I can't get any work done in my room. Even so, notice how much more I post during finals season. Because I feel guilty leaving my computer for too long a period of time lately, I have found other ways to occupy my time whilst using the computer. I have found Photo booth and Blogger to be amongst my favorites. Online Christmas shopping is pretty entertaining, too. And tumblr.

Anyway, I woke up at 5:30 today, I guess because I was so anxious to get my last final started and finished. That's right, I have ten pages to write today. I can do it, I've done my research. Also, I don't have a choice. It's now 7:15, and so far I've chosen to spend my time taking pictures of my bedhead hair on photo booth and helping mom load CD's into her itunes library. After this, no more excuses, except, I have to eat breakfast of course.

Here are a few awful pictures of me for your entertainment. I hadn't seen Melina for a long time so she came over last night and helped me study. Right.

Merry Christmas from Zooey, M. Ward & Conan

2010-12-14T04:31:00.000-08:00

Simple and happy! And I love her dress.

Hot Cocoa Pt. II

2010-12-12T17:16:00.000-08:00

Next time I drink hot cocoa, i hope its out of one of these.
Who can help me translate this website so I can order one??

Hot Cocoa

2010-12-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that hot chocolate can fix anything.
What it can't do, however, is write my final exams for me. Guess I'll have to do that on my own.
Oh well. Maybe someday.
What I really want to know is when we'll get some swiss miss in this house that isn't diet or sugar free... Mom?

Quote of the Week

2010-12-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
-Eckhart Tolle

(photo via thingssheloves)

Quote of the Week

2010-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

There is really nothing more to say- except why. But since why is so difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.
Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye

(photo via shehowls)

2010-11-27T08:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.
-Jonathan Safran Foer

(image from tumblr)

Quote of the Week

2010-11-25T06:59:00.000-08:00

I was going to type it out and everything, but I think this image is nice. Found it on one of my favorite tumblrs, thingssheloves. I take a lot of my quote of the week pictures from here.

Keep Calm and Carry On

2010-11-21T07:54:00.000-08:00

This is my foot, with its new tattoo!

Quote of the Week

2010-11-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

"Why, it is preposterous!" he exclaimed, "you a unique artist, depriving the world forever of your art. It is quite impossible. Pray take my advice and prevent such a crime against humanity."

Isadora Duncan My Life

(photo via papertissue.tumblr.com)

Foodie Fun: Blue Hill at Stone Barns

2010-11-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

We finally made it to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for dinner last night. The restaurant is in Sleepy Hollow, NY on a farm, and the menu is changed daily to highlight the best ingredients of the day. The ingredients are from the farm right on premises, and others in Westchester County. The rest comes from the Barber's family farm in Massachusetts that has been in the chef's family for three generations. I'm not gonna lie, I heard about this place on Top Chef one season. The contestants went to the farm and the challenge was to use the ingredients on the farm to create a family-style feast.

We got the 8 course tasting menu, and everything was really fresh and delicious. There were some very interesting ingredients featured, and they explained a lot of them to us before they were served. It was very elegant, but maybe a little too pretentious. My favorite part was probably when all the servers would make eye contact with each other before presenting our plates to us- they wanted to make sure they did it at the same time! And after the plates were down one of them would explain what we had.

At one point, the waiter was telling us there was an ingredient called "tat soy" in our dish, and my father asks, "There are CATS in this dish?" The waiter responded, "That's funny. I usually laugh louder." It was funny, but a little odd since our waiter was actually being a jerk. Unless he's just really good at keeping a straight face.

Anyway, the food was really good, and eventually I stopped taking pictures because I got more involved in the eating aspect of things. But I'll say my favorite dishes were the fish dish, an egg dish, and a beet salad. And my very favorite was a "red fife" brioche with fresh ricotta cheese from the "19 cows on the Barber's family farm" and a green pesto-y tasting marmade. The desserts were also pretty fabulous. Also there was a potato and onion bread with dehydrated vegetable salts made from tomato and fennel.

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, no flash photography is allowed in the dining room, and the room was pretty dark. You pretty much can't see on your way to the bathroom. Our next plan is to visit the farm during the day and go to the Blue Hill Cafe that is also on premises- its much more casual and probably a little less pricey. Also, our dinner was 3 and a half hours long, but it went pretty fast surprisingly!

1) Fresh vegetables from the garden.
2) Jess, Me, Melina.
3) Beet sliders and some potato sticks (foodie fries) wrapped with pancetta and sesame seeds
4) Beet salad
5) Dad with his beet slider. hated it.
6) red fife brioche with black repper, ricotta, and green marmalade.
7) last course: apples (that look like the ones my dogs take off our tree in the backyard) and maple fudge.

Quote of the Week

2010-11-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.
Eckhart Tolle

(photo via weheartit)

The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze

2010-11-07T06:20:00.001-08:00

We spent an evening at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-On-Hudson, NY visiting The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze. It's a Halloween-ish thing, but it was sold out every weekend before this one! It was worth the wait. For more pictures take at the album on facebook. If you live anywhere near the Hudson Valley, I would suggest visitng the Blaze website and taking a drive over. The whole area is beautiful this time of year. I think today is the last day of the Blaze this year, but there's always next year. Plan ahead and order tickets because they sell out fast!

Quote of the Week

2010-11-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

“Writing is a form of therapy. Sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, the melancholia, the panic fear which is inherent in the human situation.”

Graham Greene

(photo via weheartit)

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

Costumes from Halloweens past: a lumberjack, Garth from Wayne's World, and Snow White. This year, a gypsy. Coming soon.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
and don't eat any candy that looks like the wrappers have been tampered with.

Quote of the Week

2010-10-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Flames are flying all around this room tonight.
Now there's nothing we can do
to make each other feel all right.
Instead of trying to tell me how to be
just focus on tomorrow instead of on me.
"Nothing Happening"- Ben Kweller

2010-10-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

(booklover.tumblr.com)

saturday mornings

2010-10-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

Probably my favorite time of the week.

have a lovely weekend :)

2010-10-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

image via frkncngz.com

ps. i've recently become aware of toffee nut skim lattes from starbucks.

What It's About

2010-10-20T11:28:00.001-07:00

The last couple weeks have been crazy. Lots of ups and downs, lots of firsts, lots of new things, and lots of old things resurfacing. I must remember, though, this is what I signed up for. And if I thought that I was going to just cruise my way through this and have everything come naturally, then there would be no point to all of this. But I actually am really really happy with things for the first time in a long time. And even if things happen and I can't be perfect at them, I still feel like I'm doing what I should be. So that's good. That's great.

I've come to conclusion that I put a lot of pressure on myself. Way too much. And I freak out leading up to everything, and then after it happens I think, "now why did I make such a big deal out of that?" Because in the grand scheme of things, this is what life is about. The bumps in the road. When I'm old, and my memory is even worse than it is now, I won't remember the days that ran smoothly. I'll be more likely to remember the big picture. So right now I'm in the process of learning to chill out and laugh a lot of things off. In this life I am planning for myself that is going to be a very important thing to be able to do. I know I am going into this field because I want to help others, but as they keep telling us, you must be able to take care of yourself, too! If you don't, then you are in no position to help anyone else. So, I'm working on that. Being less hard on myself.

Cardboard Love

2010-10-17T07:57:00.001-07:00

cardboard love. Aren't these nice?

ps. like the new header?

Quote of the (last few) Weeks

2010-10-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

For just one chance to find
Love was someone that you loved to find
For just the sense to try
To walk ahead and leave the pain behind
If the days aren’t easy and the nights are rough
When they ask you what you’re thinking of
Say love, say for me love
Say love, say for me love
Living of Love- The Avett Brothers

(image via papertissue)

Fall Clothes on the Sartorialist

2010-10-10T08:04:00.001-07:00

I was just catching up on all the Sartorialist photos I missed, and I must say, some of them make me so excited for fall clothes! Cute and snuggly.

Are these tights? Or leggings? Either way, I want them immediately. I really like this hair style too, I'm going to try to figure it out.

And I love everything about this basically. That shirt underneath the jacket looks so cozy, and that scarf, well, I think I need to make myself a gray scarf like that asap. Maybe that will be a good distraction from the midterm paper I have to write today.

This picture makes me want to start wearing my cute hats. It's finally cold enough and I definitely didn't wear them enough last year. This sweater also looks amazing. I wish I could pull off the short hair look, but I've learned it's just something that will never happen for me again. Everytime I cut my hair short I end up hating it and spend the rest of my life growing it out. Oh well. Rapunzel hair it shall be.

Oh hey!

2010-10-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'm the worst! I have been so so so so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and write a blog post. I really miss it, and I really miss whoever still comes to visit here from time to time. When I don't even have time to put together a quote of the week, that's when you know I have zero free time. Until today! Saturday mornings are my absolute favorite time, especially on pretty October days when I can open my window and a nice refreshing breeze comes in.

Fall is my favorite season. I wish it was longer. It's even nicer because I get to be in New Jersey this year for autumn and it is so beautiful, and you can go to the farms and get apple cider and cider donuts and pumpkins and take your picture by cheesy things (see above.) That picture was taken two years ago, when I still had blonde hair.

So what's been going on in my life? Tons of midterms, lots of time spent at the internship (I've starting seeing my first clients!) and I've also been commuting into NYC to go to my classes a couple days a week. I took this picture of Washington Square Park with my phone yesterday:

Not bad at all for a phone, huh? Those darn droids. I spend a lot of time here between classes.

I also had my 23rd birthday last sunday! Because I took all last weekend to celebrate, I am seriously behind on reading and homework, but it was very worth it. I ate delicious food and laughed with my friends and my family all weekend. That'll be a different post, I think, with more pictures, but my sister put up a little post on her blog about what we ate that day.

This is my birthday cake, artfully decorated my Melina. It's vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and bananas in the middle.

I hope you are all doing well! I will try to catch up on my quotes of the week. I really love making them.

Quote of the Week

2010-09-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

“Love yourself, accept yourself, forgive yourself and be good to yourself, because without you the rest of us are without a source of many wonderful things.”

Leo F. Buscaglia

(image via flickkk.tumblr.com)

Hi!

2010-09-16T06:14:00.000-07:00

I'm alive. I'm surviving the week. I'm doing well.
The first week is always the hardest. I've been waking up at 6:15 for my internship, staying there till 4, and coming home and reading. And by the time I am done with dinner I am ready for bed. I must tell you, it's been a challenge to stay up as late as I have, and I haven't stayed up past like, 9:45 all week. I thought I was an old lady before, but now I really am. I think I have a good excuse though. The good news is, I love my internship! And classes are going well. (Thursdays and Fridays I have all of my classes because they require us to have 3 full days a week of our internship). Its a demanding schedule, but I think it will be well worth it! It's only for two years, right?

Quote of the Week

2010-09-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

"There’s a whole army of women out there who just don’t have the time, the energy nor the DNA to be fabulous 24 hours a day. And that’s where I dwell. I talk for all those single women out there who just aren’t interested anymore in dolling themselves up for four hours in the hope of meeting Mr. All Right as the lights go up at 4 o’clock in the morning in some ridiculously expensive nightclub. I have better things to do. Like sit on the couch in my pajamas, watching bad TV and eating those big, cheesy snacks."
Tina Fey

(image via papertissue.tumblr.com)

September

2010-09-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

So August kinda flew by, huh?

It was a very difficult month for me, so my apologies for not posting, like, at all, the past couple of weeks. I just haven't had the mental capacity to think about ideas for posts besides my quotes of the week.
I'd say things are about to get better, but...
it's about to get really crazy around here.

Tomorrow is my first day of classes.
Monday is my first day of field placement.
I am SO excited, but so much so that I haven't been sleeping well (hence the difficult month I've had).
My life is about to completely change and I think my body is reacting in the only way it knows it will truly get to me.
The good thing about it is that its forcing me to take much better care of myself than usual.
I am sure that once the scary first days are over and I settle into a routine that I will be feeling much better. But then I am not sure I will have much time for posting. Or you never know, I might post more, because this blog has proved to be an excellent procrastination tool.

I had orientation last week, and I learned a lot about the program and I think it's going to be really great. I definitely made the right choice by picking NYU. It's in my favorite part of the city, and I am so happy I can actually go there. Walking around, it occurred to me, that even though I am going to be so busy, I am going to have a great time. And my placement is only ten minutes from home, which is more than I can say for a lot of the other students I met at orientation!
So even though I have to travel to the city two days a week for classes, at least the other three I only have a quick drive.
I'm a lucky girl.

Anyway, right now I should actually be doing homework (eeeek!) so I just wanted to drop in and tell you what's going on.
Or I guess to tell you I don't really know what's going on?

Quote of the Week

2010-09-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
Friedrich Nietzsche

(photo via thingssheloves.tumblr.com)

Shots from Newport

2010-08-31T07:28:00.001-07:00

Quote of the Week

2010-08-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

Forever is composed of nows.
Emily Dickinson

(photo via papertissue)

Last Hurrah

2010-08-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

Day at the beach- Check.
Night on the town- Check.
Day by the pool- Check.
Buying a new lunchbox- Check.
Night with the Food Network and You've Got Mail- Check.
12 hours of sleep- Check.
An entire Sunday to relax/read/eat/cook/clean? Check.

Grad School on Wednesday.
On the verge of some big changes.

My College Graduation Party

2010-08-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

I think everyone had fun.
1) Family, friends and family friends enjoy delicious snacks early on in the night.
2) Ryan, Kyle, James, and Rachel
3) Melina Dave and Michelle
4) If me and Steve had myspaces, this is how we'd pose.
4) Some of the boys
5) Steve with the tambourine he bought me!
5) Rach and Me
6) Normal picture of Steve and I
7) Me and my besties: Catie, Michelle, Me, Rachel, Melina
8) The best cupcakes in the world. And they're all mine.
9) Melina's Mommy and my Mommy.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

"Jade?"

"Alexander..."
"Do you remember that day you fell outta my window?"
"I sure do, you came jumping out after me."
"Well, you fell on the concrete, nearly broke your ass, you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you out to the hospital, you remember that?"
"Yes I do."
"Well there's something I never told you about that night."
"What didn't you tell me?"
"While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was gonna be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you, and I never told you til just now."
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Home

Ben Kweller

2010-08-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are huge Ben Kweller fans. Any time he's in town, whether we are living in Boston or New York, we go see him perform. This time, he was opening for Barenaked Ladies at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Now I must tell you, Barenaked Ladies were awful so we only stayed for like 2.5 songs. Just couldn't take it any more. But Ben was brilliant as always. I really really missed seeing him be the headliner, because that's truly what he deserves. He's so great, and seeing him in intimate venues before like The Paradise and The Avalon and Somerville Theatre, seeing him up in the nosebleed seats of radio city was just not the same. But regardless, I am huge supporter and will always see him when possible. I was going to buy a t-shirt of his or something, but it turns out I already owned everything they had for sale in the BK merch tent. It's love.

ps. that stick is a light up stick they put in my glass of wine so they could charge me ten dollars for it. I made Jess do silly things with it. And we had a delicious dinner, too.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

It seemed the world was divided into good and bad people. The good ones slept better... while the bad ones seemed to enjoy the waking hours much more.
Woody Allen

(photo found via thingssheloves)

Can I?

2010-08-12T08:10:00.000-07:00

A girl in my drawing class last semester had these boots, and she wore them with a lot of cute things. Ever since I have been wanting a pair of my own. The last time I owned a pair of doc martens was during what I call my "Avril Lavigne Days" in middle school, where I shopped at Hot topic and wore sleeves without a shirt attached to them and pyramid belts. However, I think these are edgy, yet feminine and would actually look great with tights and some dresses and skirts. I am not sure if I can pull it off, and they are $120 bucks, so any thoughts? Worth the risk? I've almost went ahead and ordered them twice already, but maybe the fact that they are not my usual thing is stopping me. I just happen to think they are adorable.

* I decided to go a different route, since I really need shoes I can wear with a lot of different things.

Learning to Relax

2010-08-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

The journey to relaxation is a difficult one. I have come to learn that I am not good at relaxing. This can actually be a blessing in disguise. But once in a while, when I have a little too much time, when I have a short list of obligations, I actually start to go a little crazy. Sometimes I daydream about living on an island somewhere, or in the mountains, just spending days left to my own devices- spending time creating, reading, cooking, relaxing. I think how nice that would be.

But then I realize that I would quickly go insane. I need assignments, I need obligations, I need to be needed. I need to have chores, errands, homework, conflicts. Or else I can get cranky. Sure, I can spend a few days just reading what I want to read, sleeping in, being lazy, doing inconsequential things. But as I'm doing these things, there's always a little part of me that's worried about what I am going to do next. God forbid I run out of things to do!

At this point in the summer I'm in limbo. I've had a great summer and I've kept myself relatively busy most of the time with fun things and some work. But now I'm only a couple of weeks away from school and I'm anticipating a time that I am going to be so busy, and life is going to change as I know it now. I'm looking forward to it. But at the same time, I'm looking forward to it, and in the meantime I am a little panicked about the lack of activity in my life at present. It's just a tiny lull, but my mind is humming with activity, a little nervousness, and a lot of excitement. This combination can be a little bit crappy.

It's okay though. I am coming to grips with the fact that I will have tons to do in a few weeks, but there's not much I can really do about it right now. In the meantime, I am doing what I can to burn off my excess energy- working out, and reading A LOT, and generally keeping busy in the silly little ways that I can. I am trying to enjoy it, because I know I'll be missing it soon enough.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

Those who have abandoned belief must still believe in us. They are sure that they are right not to believe but they know belief must not fade completely. Hell is when no one believes. There must always be believers. Fools, idiots, those who hear voices, those who speak in tongues. We are your lunatics. We surrender our lives to make your nonbelief possible. You are sure that you are right but you don’t want everyone to think as you do. There is no truth without fools. We are your fools, your madwomen, rising at dawn to pray, lighting candles, asking statues for good health, long life.
Don DeLillo White Noise

(image via papertissue.tumblr.com)

Horse Feathers

2010-08-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

One great band that I came to love during the Newport Folk Festival was a band called Horse Feathers. The person who introduced them called them a "headache remedy in musical form." Which sums them up pretty much perfectly. We all sat there, became entranced, and then all continue to be listening to them nonstop on our ipods.

Right after their set, we walked back towards the main stage, and my friend Steve spots the violinist hanging out by one of the violin vendors, so of course we took the opportunity to tell him how much we loved their show, and also got a picture with him.

Big Girl Work Clothes

2010-08-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

I am starting an internship AND graduate school in September. Now, I've had jobs and school before, but I think the time has come that I should really present myself as an adult, more than before at least. That being said, I've been trying to find places where I can get reasonably priced, professional (yet youthful) and fashionable attire. So far I have come across Boden. Right now I love jcrew, but let's be real, I can't afford an entire wardrobe from there. And I feel guilty buying something there that I can get for a cheaper price somewhere else. So help?

Keep in mind that I'm going to social work school, and I am interning under the school social worker at an elementary school. I can't be wearing anything too flashy.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

He insists on a version of you that is funnier, stranger, more eccentric and profound than you suspect yourself to be--capable of doing more good and more harm in the world than you've ever imagined--it is all but impossible not to believe, at least in his presence and a while after you've left him, that he alone sees through your essence, weighs your true qualities . . . and appreciates you more fully than anyone else ever has.
The Hours Michael Cunningham

(photo via diamondinthedark)

Home from the Best Weekend Ever!

2010-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Newport! Don't worry, you'll get the deets soon. This photo is from the very end of the festival, when Elvis Perkins played "Doomsday" with the What Cheer? Brigade. If you click the picture, it will bring you to the Newport Folk Fest's facebook page. But for now, I have a John Mayer Concert to attend.

Newport

2010-07-29T13:49:00.001-07:00

I will be in Newport, RI at the Newport Folk Festival until Tuesday. Try not to miss me too much, because I'll be back with lots of pictures for you!

Have a great weekend dears!

My Bike

2010-07-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is me on my new bike that I asked for as a graduation gift. I was riding it around my neighborhood before work this morning and Melina happened to drive by just in time to almost run me over. I look relatively ridiculous, but isn't my bike cute?

Marination Station

2010-07-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

So, what do you do when it's Sunday, you are 22 years old, a recent college graduate, moved back in with your parents in New Jersey, and it's raining outside?

Pickle, of course!

This project became a much bigger fiasco than I intended it to be. On my way home from work there is a farmer's market, and I finally stopped at it last Monday. They happened to have pickling cucumbers for 99 cents a pound. (99 cents a pound turned out to only be 3 pickles).
Then I had to find pickling spices, which I finally discovered at Chef Central, and I needed to find a jar, which I also found at Chef Central. And then I needed to find a good pickling recipe, which turned out to be relatively difficult. A lot of people put up pickling recipes online, and not all of these people are very good at giving concise instructions.

And then my friends found out I was starting a "Pickling Project" and they had nothing better to do, either, and so they helped me pickle and we took lots of pictures.

Anyway, I won't be giving a recipe, because chances are these pickles came out terrible. I couldn't find a great, easy-to-follow recipe for refrigerator pickles, so we kind of made things up as we went along. We did make two different varieties though, and I'm nervous to try out either, but also really excited, in case they did actually turn out to be delicious.

If anyone has a good recipe they can suggest, I would love it!