amanda's musings

bye for now.

2012-01-16T23:47:00.000-05:00

i have come to a decision regarding this small slice of the internet.

i feel obligated to write.

when i don't write, i feel guilty.

and there's enough guilt in this life without something so inconsequential added onto it.

so, for now, amanda will not be musing.

i just started a new semester.

i am already overwhelmed by many things.

15 credit hours.

1,000 page novels.

32 hour work weeks.

a 12-25 page original short story due february 28th.

the last one is the biggest deal to me.

i want to be a writer.

up until this point, i've been too scared to commit a story to virtual paper.

{for some reason doing so in a critique class with 22 other people seemed like a good idea. second thoughts, party for one.}

but now it's do or die.

i plan on doing.

i'll miss the blog.

but for now, my energies belong elsewhere.

{also there's the fact it's been dying a slow death over the past year. so there's that.}

i'll be back eventually. i'm just not sure when, at this point.

but i wish you all the best.

and leave you with this cool blurry lights picture.

found here.

New digs.

2012-01-08T22:56:00.000-05:00

as i mentioned somewhere on here or twitter at some point, i moved into a townhouse (i learned to stop calling it an apartment. sort of.) with a friend back in november.

while i realize i've had plenty of time to get settled, it took me a while to get things where i wanted them and even longer to put stuff on the walls.

probably that has to do with the fact that i moved a week and a half before finals last semester.

that's my story.

i'm sticking to it.

all that being said, i thought i would share a few photos of my new living quarters!

to the left is a closet door.

photos, lamp, candles.

the basics.

my favorite yellow chair.

lots of pillows.

i just love the owls by my curtain!

i still need to put some things up over my bed.

but i'm super paranoid after the whole shelf on my face ordeal.

i have flannel winter sheets and a fall quilt.

apparently matching isn't on the top of my priorities list.

& do you like my owl sleepy mask?

it works like a charm at keeping the sun out!

this is my favorite wall in my room.

the david sedaris poster bee ~~stole~~ politely asked for on my behalf.

flapperdoodle print.

book lovers postcards.

nancy drew & hardy boys prints.

wuthering heights print. {thank you, bee!}

print of "fog" by carl sandburg.

quibbler. from the wizarding world. {thanks, bee. i owe half this wall to you, i do believe :) }

now playing: tangled.

jewelry. perfume. makeup. shoes.

standard.

jewelry cork board.

small bookcase for school purposes.

& because i needed a place to put my printer.

bookcase.

it stays a little messy, but i love it.

also that's the best place i could find for my hair dryer.

i love seeing other people's stuff, so hopefully this wasn't too boring.

& i hope that didn't sound too creepy...i'm not a creeper.

pinky promise.

go confidently.

2012-01-05T17:54:00.001-05:00

honestly, i'm surprised blogger still allows me to log in.

especially since i haven't been anywhere near a legitimate blogger in, like, an eon.

{i'm amanda, and i believe in the power of exaggeration.}

but the good 'ol blog still exists in internet land, and i still exist in real people land, so here we are.

i'm not going to call this a recap post because, well, that's cliche, and i'm five or 6 days past the point of being able to get away with that anyway.

but i do feel the need to share that 2011 was one of the best years of my life.

`wes was around (& still is) for the year in its entirety.

`i transferred schools and am one step closer to my english literature degree.

`i also (finally) figured out what the heck i want to do after i graduate.

it involves more school for a degree in information science.

after finding the job i have now, i realized the library atmosphere is one i never want to leave.

`i turned 21 and my family gifted me with the best gift ever.

`my dad found a new job. and while things are still hard, they've gotten a lot better.

`i moved out of my parent's house and into a townhouse with a friend.

it took me a long time to make the decision, but i'm so glad i did.

it's a new and different thing to get used to, but it's exciting.

and made me realize just how much i love my parents.

`i actually managed to read a shakespearian play.

and to not hate it.

he was a pretty funny character.

`vainly, i managed to not chop off a lot of my hair.

and it's now past my shoulders, something that hasn't been the case since my sophomore year of high school.

`i finally met david sedaris (my favorite author) and attended a reading he did locally.

sounds inconsequential, but it so wasn't. you'll just have to take my word for it.

`realized certain members of my family (hi uncle layne!) have discovered i share my life on the internet.

it was bound to happen sooner or later.

i'll just have to make sure i don't share super secret things anymore. like that time i...

`watched ALL the big bang theory episodes.

oh. wait.

that's not an accomplishment? or a secret? my bad.

all things considered, 2011 was a pretty big year.

but 2012 already has stuff on its plate.

this is the year i'll finish my undergraduate college career.

i'll take the GRE and determine whether i'm smart enough to keep following my chosen career path.

i'll read my first dickens novel (bleak house). hopefully i'll survive the over 1,000 page count.

i'm sure it has more than a few exciting things waiting in the wings i just don't know about.

so happy new year, five days late.

i'm nothing if not honest.

{via}

and i honestly hope it's our best year yet :)

2012.

2012-01-01T17:54:00.002-05:00

this post will be a running list of all the books i read this year.

check the sidebar for past years!

for fun

1. fated - s.g. browne

2. smokin' seventeen - janet evanovich

for school

1. Mary Barton

2. Persuasion

3. Bleak House

slip a sable under the tree?

2011-11-17T20:23:00.000-05:00

please ignore my gratuitous christmas wishlist post.

in my mind, this is classier than emailing it to people.

namely to parents, grandmas, and boyfriend.

so here we are folks.

if you care to read along, the more the merrier!

1. the david sedaris box set

i love david sedaris.

i love his work, i love his voice, and i loved the bow tie he was wearing when i finally met him.

so what could be better than having all of his books - and then some - in one place?

probably nothing.

2. harry potter and the chamber of secrets

i'm slowly building my hardback harry potter collection.

and by slowly i mean i only have the first book in a form that's not falling apart.

so i should probably get on that.

3. harry potter refrigerator magnets

i'm moving (!) and will have a refrigerator to place these wonderful magnets on.

so i can make cool sentences like "and the hippogriff fell in love with the dementor."

4. food network magazine subscription

i like to cook.

i like the food network.

i like new recipes.

i love to eat.

the end.

5. page to screen

me? love harry potter?

i don't know what you're talking about.

this book looks dang cool.

so i probably need it.

6. book & a light print

this print is so sweet.

and would go perfectly with the all the other literary art i've managed to accumulate.

7. boy meets world season 5

i'm also working on owning all of this series on dvd.

number 5 is the next in line.

8. kindle cover

i'm getting kind of tired of the blue snappy-on case my kindle is currently living.

and i think this one is super spiffy.

9. before a statue of hercules

a book david sedaris compiled and wrote the introduction for.

obsessed? me?

never.

10. anchor ring

i have a love for anchors.

and although i wanted an opal ring for christmas, i haven't been able to find one i love.

so i think this one would stand in quite nicely.

so there you have it.

the list i spent my evening at job number two compiling.

i included links.

be sure to take advantage of free shipping from amazon on orders over $25!

i think everything i added from there was eligible ;)

i like to help ya'll out when i can.

halloween & happy birthday!

2011-10-31T20:51:00.001-04:00

today is my 21st birthday!

so i spent this weekend {& today!} celebrating in various ways.

it has been awesome; easily the best birthday of my life.

saturday night wes & i went to a costume party at our friend's apartment.

allow me to introduce: hipster professor & librarian.

sunday was family and friend day.

wes came over, and so did bee and her new man, drew!

while we were waiting on everyone, wes and i took pictures in the pretty leaves.

i promise he likes me.

i think.

fortunately, everyone showed up and rescued him from the camera.

i requested chicken and dumplings & homemade biscuits.

my momma was nice enough to oblige me, along with a pumpkin and cream cheese log.

now, the fact that i made it to the day before my birthday with absolutely no idea what my present was a miracle.

mom isn't so hot at hiding things well and i'm normally rather skilled in accidentally finding them.

it wasn't until i opened the box that i found out i was being gifted with a quilt.

in fall colors, which are my favorite, in my favorite quilt pattern, and with pumpkin fabric in the middle of the squares.

i was blown away.

from the end of august to just a couple of days before, an entire quilt had been made under my nose.

a couple of days wes carried the sewing machine to mom while she was at work.

my grandma helped buy the fabric and sewed as well.

my dad figured out how many pieces, what size, and how much fabric to buy.

and bee kept the secret.

it's beautiful, and i love it, and i still can't believe it was made without me even knowing a little bit about it.

{sorry, mom. i just had to. you know i love you, right?}

that pumpkin roll looks a mess, but it tastes awesome.

today i saw bee, had lunch and a birthday brownie with wes, watched the slutty pumpkin episode of how i met your mother, and legally purchased myself a bottle of wine that is currently being consumed through a straw because i don't own a wine glass.

this has been the best birthday, and it all has to do with the absolutely wonderful people in my life.

i love you guys, & thank you :)

alive.

2011-10-25T19:06:00.000-04:00

hi.

yes, i'm alive.

no, i don't think you were worried.

no, i'm not upset that you haven't missed me.

the same thing happened that always happened: life.

tons of reading, writing, but fortunately no 'rithmatic.

so please, enjoy my photo bomb post of randomness.

that would by my boyfriend.

canning tomatoes.

the tree that fell on jenny.

it was a sad night.

with lots of wind and rain.

waaaaay back when {we're talking august} wes won tickets to the local roller derby.

i was excited. for about 5 minutes.

when i realized that "roller derby" is synonymous for wearing strange clothing and knocking people over.

and gratuitous yelling.

so in short: cool, but only if you go for free.

bored at roller derby.

to your right is jesse. we like him.

even though he has red hair.

a few weekends ago, wes and i went camping.

it definitely wasn't cold and we definitely didn't pack an electric blanket and we definitely didn't come home early.

doubters.

anyway. we went here.

let's not talk about how many pictures i took of this cow.

it was a lapse in judgement. but i was proud of it for escaping its fence.

the scenery that you're supposed to go for.

apparently the main attraction isn't escaped cows.

who knew?

we managed to not kill the tent in the process of pitching it.

success!

wes built a nice fire.

view from the hammock.

the semicolon.

2011-09-29T09:21:00.000-04:00

remember how i mentioned i had started a new job?

i'm...tutoring at a local community college on tuesday and thursday nights.

i use the word tutoring loosely, because i've been answering on average one question a night.

and since i've worked two days there, that's two questions.

go me!

but while this job is nowhere near the level of teacup human funny, it has its funny moments.

let's look at my first day:

i'm walking around, trying to figure out where all the people are i'm supposed to be helping.

oh, here's a nice looking gentleman.

oh, and he has his hand raised!

he had a question.

it went like this:

"can i put a semicolon here?

i like semicolons because it means i don't have to capitalize as much.

i don't like using that shift key."

ah ha.

i'm not a big fan of the semicolon myself {i've made friends with the shift key in real life} but isn't this necklace super cute?

{via}

saturday slowdown.

2011-09-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

i kind of feel a better post title would be "the saturday speed up" but i'm not really one to break a trend.

especially when it's a trend i started.

my blog is being neglected

(along with keeping my room clean and sleep and other such unimportant things)

simply because i do not have time for it, or anything else really.

i turned in two papers last week, and have one due on monday (that's currently only half finished).

i have my first midterm next week, and two more the following week.

so i'm studying for those.

plus the reading i have to keep up with.

and the group project i still have to do research for and write my portion of that paper.

then there's the fact that i've started a second job.

so i'm working close to 28 hours a week.

sometimes i can do homework at work, but it's kind of hard to understand Shakespeare when people keep asking me why the printers are out of paper or if they're using semicolons properly.

my friday night looked like this, as posted on the twitters:

this weekend i have a to-do list almost as long as my arm.

what happens?

i woke up sick this morning.

i forced myself to take a break.

i bought myself an iced pumpkin spiced latte, watched 'while you were sleeping' and crocheted some.

i'm feeling much better.

almost like i can successfully tackle all i have to do.

happy weekend, lovelies!

{if you get a chance, have some fun for me!}

saturday slowdown.

2011-09-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

yesterday was a best friend date day with the bee.

i drove and she prowled through the catch all box in my car.

you know what i mean.

that spot, close to the dashboard, that collects everything from change, to receipts, to lighters.

unless you're me.

in which case that catch all box holds:

-tissues

-a pencil

-eyeglass cleaner & cloth

-hair clip

-dental floss

no, i'm not a nerd.

whatever do you mean?

oh. right.

i'm one pocket protector away from being exiled to the not-cool kid lunch table.

good thing i definitely don't eat lunch by myself in my car between school and work.

just remember, kids:

{via}

happy weekend, lovelies!

saturday slowdown.

2011-09-10T13:35:00.000-04:00

all he wants is for the cat to love him.

some days, he gets lucky.

other days...not so much.

happy weekend!

sunday slowdown.

2011-09-04T13:20:00.000-04:00

we skipped right over saturday for a sunday version of the slowdown.

i promise it comes with a good reason.

a year ago today, i re-met a boy named wesley.

& thus i present:

how to date a boy named wes.

1. the day before labor day, go to starbucks with your friend allie.

she'll try to suggest that you date wes.

whom you haven't seen/spoken to since you had a class with him sophomore year of high school.

2. a couple hours later, set off for boomsday with allie.

and some other people.

surprisingly, you chat with the boy named wes.

what about?

eminem.

i kid you not.

3. watch some fireworks.

take a picture:

4. end up at a party thrown by a girl named carly.

whom you went to second grade with, but haven't seen since your senior year of high school.

sip on the ~~margarita~~ coca-cola someone gives you.

sit yourself on the couch because you are clumsy and don't feel like falling over.

5. when the boy named wes comes over and sitsrightnexttoyou...

immediately accuse him of only talking to you because allie put him up to it.

6. don't actually believe him when he says she did no such thing, but decide to go along with it.

7. you chat.

you tolerate the girl you've never ever met before telling the two people sitting on the couch 'you guys make a cute couple.'

poor, misguided girl.

didn't she know we weren't together and that i really had to pee and was about to ruin the moment for the next 3 months?

8. you leave.

and that's the end of the boy named wes.

9. until halloween weekend.

where it's still the end of the boy named wes because he shows up with another girl.

whom you find obnoxious but no one is asking your opinion.

10. tell allie to quit harassing you about dating the boy named wes.

at this rate it'll be new years before you even have a shot at seeing him again.

she backs off.

11. have the brilliant idea that you 'need help' with a paper/project for one of your classes.

enlist his help. obviously.

12. occasionally text.

13. in early december, you go to lunch with him.

and then when a couple more weeks pass and no other invitations arise, think 'well. that was fun.'

14. when you get invited to his birthday dinner, decline.

because you don't know who the heck else is going and you're not good at making awkward conversation.

cave and go to the party after avoiding the awkward dinner.

15. and the rest, ya'll, is history.

because this is us today:

even if it did take us awhile to get here. :)

happy labor day weekend!

saturday slowdown.

2011-08-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

thoughts from the past week

1. i don't hate shakespeare like i thought i did.

i know you're all "how dare she think she doesn't like the bard!"

the difference is in having it 'splained to you.

which hadn't happened before this semester.

2. 19th century art...

{via}

is all about some curvy women.

and i am such a fan.

it's also a big fan of n-i-p-p-l-e. for which i don't have a comment to make.

{if you don't read jen lancaster, you won't understand the above joke.}

3. i witnessed my first drug deal

i kid you not.

i was leaving class.

it was executed in the classic "bro handshake" exchange method.

which may or may not be classic or standard. i've never been involved in a drug deal.

4. i still am not a fan of herman melville.

but i am reading 'benito cereno' and so far i haven't wanted to throw anything.

perhaps that's progress.

happy weekend, lovelies!

hide your hiney.

2011-08-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

waaaaaay back in the day i wrote a post about automatic bathroom facilities.

apparently one bathroom related post is not enough, mainly because i say so.

and there's no way to NOT share this.

for starters, the bathroom stalls at work are branded 'hiny hiders.'

i giggle at this every time i see them. it's funny, clever, yadda ya.

good branding.

what's not funny:

having someone start talking to you while you're doing your business.

this is how it went down.

i locked myself behind a hiny hider door in order to pee in peace.

the bathroom door opens, and this chick just starts talking.

{maybe she thought she was alone, but still.}

she-stranger "i hate the noise that thing makes."

{the drain in the floor does this weird thing where it makes sloshy noises. you get used to it.}

*crickets chirp*

*they chirp some more*

is she talking to me? does she expect an answer? what the heck is the social protocol for this?!

i finally come up with the brilliant "it is annoying."

i'm thinking this is the end of it. oh no. we're not done with the awkward.

she-stranger: "it's just not a pleasant noise to listen to."

me: "noooo. it's not."

at this point i'm wondering if she's going to pass me her phone number so we can be besties.

i continue hiding my hiney because i do NOT want to see this she-stranger face to face.

fortunately, she washes her hands and leaves.

and i immediately compose a blog post in my mind.

the end.

falling.

2011-08-23T11:25:00.000-04:00

i thought i felt it while driving home last night, but i wasn't sure.

this is one of those things you have to be sure about.

but after my drive this morning, and my walk into work, i can say this without fear:

i felt the first of fall.

it's not much. it's still hot outside.

but it's a little less humid. and a little less hot.

{via}

bring it on, fall.

i've been waiting for you.

research posters sound dumb.

2011-08-22T07:59:00.000-04:00

thoughts from the first 3 days of school:

it's relatively easy to find a parking spot, even though i have later classes than normal.

the bathrooms in the art building are awesome - in one stall, there's a shiny deathly hallows sign.

my shakespeare professor is a justalittlebitnuts but i can deal with nuts.

i can also deal with reading 100ish pages of fairy tale variations.

i can't, however, deal with reading over 100 pages of criticism on said variations.

one professor has an irish accent. and i think it makes kafka sound better.

i have friends! in my classes! i still find this exciting.

probably taking an art history class wasn't such a good idea.

note to self: look up what 'baroque' means.

homemade bread is delicious.

yeas, i'm aware this has nothing to do with the semester. but i have a bread machine now.

and it's awesome. the end.

saturday slowdown.

2011-08-20T07:00:00.004-04:00

as a fair warning, i will be cursing in this post.

so if you're offended by such things, feel free to leave.

as i was walking to my car on thursday, i started thinking about a word.

bitch.

generally when used it is to reference a rather hateful female.

but why on earth does it carry this connotation?

bitch.

so basically, i'm a dog.

that's cool, if you think i have a fur and bark at cars.

{i don't.}

i still don't see how that could be interpreted as hateful.

maybe my breath smells bad?

dogs eat some nasty things.

still not seeing how this makes me mean.

in my experience, most dogs are rather friendly.

and in the cases of dogs that are not friendly, i guarantee you there are male dogs in that category as well.

so to sum it up:

you call someone a bitch & you're basically saying:

-you have fur & bark too much

-you or your breath smells a bit rank and could you please do something about that?

-your toenails click on the tile floors and sometimes it's a little bit obnoxious

-you're actually likely to be really nice, if people could get past all the other bits

if someone actually knows why this word carries such a negative connotation, feel free to inform me.

this is just what my mind came up with while walking to/finding my car.

and subsequently trying to figure out how to get out of the parking garage.

{via}

stay cool this weekend, lovelies!

another guest!

2011-08-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

i'm still off getting used to the new semester {i'll be back tomorrow!} so i've arranged another guest blogger.

this time you'll be hearing from DeVan. i hope you enjoy what he wrote as much as i did.

visit him here & wish him luck while he finishes undergrad and moves on to law school!

Excuses are more painful than failures.

As members of a society that bases everything on wins and loses there is nothing worse than failure. When one fails, it is thought, there is a weakness that could not have been overcome. No one wakes in the morning, starts a pot of coffee, and thinks I’m going to fail today. Failure is bad or so I thought.

Failure, while devastating, is not the worse thing that can happen to us. Failures are many things above all they are temporary. If you fail at a feat today it does not mean you have to fail tomorrow. Excuses on the other hand are permanent. If there is a reason why you cannot do a particular task now the same reason, if not removed, will be there thirty years from now.

Excuses are more painful than failure because it is the excuses that keeps us from growing, learning, and becoming better. Even in a moment when failure is done in a epic fashion one can learn from there mistakes and move on. That is not the case in excuses. No growth can happen when excuses are present. Excuses keep the weak from being strong; the sad from being happy; and the dream from becoming a reality. And there are few things in life as painful as a dream that refuses to come true.

Excuses are more painful than failures.

guest post.

2011-08-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

today i'm swapping blogs with angela. i hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out what i wrote for her!

Money vs. Payoff

I am a thrifter at heart. I breathe frugality. Calling me money conscious is a bit of an understatement. So today, when I had to decide between two job offers, I surprised myself with my decision.

Though I enjoy saving money and getting the best deals, I don’t equate money with happiness…but I ain’t Mother Theresa either. In fact, more than I’d like to admit, money, or the lack thereof, affects me, it stresses me out. Money too often plays the role of a comforter, a safety net, and a way that I give myself value. Unfortunately, if we’re all honest with ourselves, I think a lot of us would put ourselves in that category.

After all, money buys us food and clothes and shelter. I’ve lived on my own, I’ve paid my own bills, life is expensive (is anyone arguing here?). We all need money to survive, but the fact is we can survive and be happy on a lot less than we think. We can thrift, we can save. We can stop buying stuff we don’t need. We can stop buying stuff to make us happy. That’s why I picked the job I did. It’s a job I will love and be passionate about, but I will pay for that pleasure, in the thousands.

The real question here is: can money or possessions give us long-lasting, authentic happiness? I believe the answer is no. I believe happiness comes from friendships, community, love and relationship with God. And I am putting my money where my mouth (…or they are putting their money somewhere…their mouth in my money…? …whatever, you get it).

But, this doesn’t change who I am: a thrifter always and forever.

I will still get pissed off when I get ripped off. I will still hunt for the absolute best deal down to the dollar. I will still find my clothes cheaper than you and love every minute of it. But I will hopefully continue to follow my heart instead of making decisions according to my wallet…and hopefully, in the long-run, it will pay off in the form of contentment.

back to school.

2011-08-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

today i go back to school.

and i'm lousy for not having a guest poster set up so you're stuck with my boring self.

{BUT, I have posts set up for tomorrow & Friday!}

the next couple of days are going to be used to get back into the swing of things, working, learning my new schedule, and planning study times and lunches.

and so on and so forth.

point being: i'm not quite sure when i'll resurface.

that being said, i think my guest post for erica may pop up sometime today -

be sure to check it out!

if any of you are gearing up to go back to school, or are already there, i wish us the best of luck!

& for all my complaining, i do believe i'm ready to get my smart on.

{via}

impasse.

2011-08-15T08:24:00.000-04:00

yesterday, i thought i might attempt some back to school shopping.

nothing major, just some denim.

should be easy enough, right?

wrong.

so very, very wrong.

without fail, one size is too small, the next is too big.

it doesn't matter the brand, store, fit, cut, barometric pressure outside, nothing ever fits just right.

it seems i am in a constant state of needing to lose {or gain} 5 pounds.

i know this is a first world problem.

i should be grateful to live in a country where i have a bounty of denim offered up for my perusal.

and i really am. really.

it's just that sometimes, i wish some jeans would throw me a bone and actually fit.

/end rant.

so tell me, lovelies:

what brand of jeans do you wear that don't make you want to throw something?

{via}

saturday slowdown.

2011-08-13T11:24:00.001-04:00

while i wish i could say i had big plans for my last free weekend before i go back to school, i'm rather sure i do not.

on the to do list:

-finish 'beauty queens'

-finish 'the merchant of venice'

-organize school supplies & schedules

-make some time to be a little bit lazy

i thought i would leave you with a few of my recent favorite pretty things:

{via}

{via somewhere on tumblr}

{via}

happy weekend, lovelies!

'you is kind, you is smart, you is important.'

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

last night, mom and i saw 'the help.'

i...can't even.

it exceeded my expectations and did the story absolute justice.

casting was outstanding, and the emotion conveyed was absolutely real.

seeing the movie broke my heart all over again (i tore through the novel last year).

please, do yourself a favor and read the book.

and then go see the movie.

{i just love skeeter's glasses - i've been searching for a pair of cat eye specs but have yet to find any.}

{sorry some of the pictures got a little fuzzy in the resizing - i couldn't find excellent screen shots.}

college drop out.

2011-08-10T17:34:00.000-04:00

i go back to school next wednesday.

next wednesday.

how did this happen?

i want a refund on summer.

even though i hate summer.

{but that's a whole other story}

thus, i've compiled a list.

it's known as:

reasons amanda can't go back to school

1. mental health

i'm incapable.

there is no excuse, but that doesn't change the facts.

even though i've been on break from most things for the past month, there's no escaping the fact that this very morning i tried to use shampoo as soap.

clearly i'm in no state to complete an assignment (however simple it may be) if i can't even get the hang of showering.

2. intelligence

my intelligence is already on shaky ground.

especially where numbers are involved.

for instance, i left work at 1:30 today. work closes at 6.

minor construction work is being done, and we were both hoping it would be finished before the day was out.

i said "they have 5 and half hours to finish."

except that's not right. my boss made sure to inform me.

and then she said i needed to go home.

which was true.

3. time
my dear, dear professors whom i've yet to meet:
between 4 of you, you've assigned:
4 novels & 1 play
7 Shakespeare plays
18 novels & 4 children's books
{& one art history book, but that's seeming like small potatoes right now.}
even i, the non-math whiz knows that's a lot.
a whole lot. my brain wants to explode just thinking about it.
which leads to my next point...

4. sleep
is this not required?
is there some hush-hush governmental experiment for a patch that allows college kids to function on no sleep?
how do i sign up for that? will they come to me?
they need to hurry up. i'm starting my fourth year of this nonsense.
all i want is what i have coming to me. all i want is my fair share!
{points if you can name that reference!}

it's been nice knowing you.
pray for my soul.
or for, you know, the people who will have to put up with me beginning next wednesday.

{via}

{in much happier news, next wednesday you'll be treated to a post from a blogger i've never even met before! it's a surprise for you and for me - i signed up for the 20 something blogger's blog swap. i'm really excited!}

trademarked.

2011-08-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

lately i've been wishing more and more that i had a trademark.

something it could always be counted on about me. a constant.

my bestie bee always tries to wear something blue.

it wouldn't be hard for me, considering how much of the color i already own, but it's taken.

i could try to incorporate an owl into every outfit, but i kind of already do, thanks to mr. wrist tattoo.

i think i want something bolder. but i'm scared of it.

i think it would be awesome to be known for wearing bright lipstick.

goodness knows i own enough colors to knock anyone's socks off.

but i'm not sure i have the confidence.

i'm a college kid.

the uniform for what seems like 90% of girls on campus is some variation of t-shirts, leggings, messy ponytails and it's-supposed-to-look-like-i-just-got-up-but-who-am-i-kidding type makeup.

and sometimes i am one of them.

what will it look like when i wear UT orange with hot pink lipstick?

people will probably think i'm nuts.

i'll probably feel whoa out of place.

i'll probably sometimes regret the bright colors on my face.

{i just can't resist a rhyme.}

i don't have the best skin.
so bright red or pink lips just make me feel as if the red splotches are that much more noticeable.
that much brighter.
the goal is to draw attention away from, and not to them.

all these things, but i should probably do it anyway.

maybe i'll start with once a week and go from there.

what do we think?
do any of you have a trademark?

why's being alone make you afraid?

2011-08-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

i spent the majority of the weekend wearing the shirt boyfriend gifted me with before i drove him to the airport.

while it was pulled from the floor of his room, i was assured it originated from the 'clean' pile.

it's probably the softest shirt i've ever been in possession of.

i'm also determined this one stays in my closet, unlike the UPS shirt i tried {unsuccessfully} to commandeer.

i tend to enjoy the little things.

and while i enjoy cute outfits as much as the next girl, i love shorts and t-shirts.

especially comfy ones.

i don't talk about wes much in blog land other than the occasional reference to 'boyfriend.'

i don't want to be obnoxious and all 'LOOK AT ME AND MAH BOYFRAAAAN, WE SO CUUUUTEE!'

because that's just not how i roll.

but today i'm making an exception.

he deserves to be talked about.

he always opens the car door. always.

he tells me i'm pretty. even when my face hasn't seen a makeup bottle in days.

he's one of the smartest people i've ever met.

he is always nice to my cat. and to my parents.

when a tree fell on his truck while he was parked in our driveway...

he came back the next day instead of running away from our bad luck in terror.

and he still says he loves me, even though i believe in hand sanitizer and he doesn't.

{i think maybe our joint belief in chap stick makes up for it. maybe.}
he lets me tickle him. and he doesn't even get that mad.
he's been known to show up with flowers when i'm sick. or upset. or just because.

i see love in simplicity. in small gestures. in happiness found simply by being in another's company.
it's not possible for life to consist of one grand gesture after another.
& that's okay. i'll take simple over grand any day. ♥

saturday slowdown.

2011-08-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

this morning i drove boyfriend to the airport at some unmentionable hour before 5 in the morning.

the rest of the day will most definitely involve a nap.

other plans for the weekend include:

-getting a head start on homework assignments for the upcoming semester

{bless/curse the professors with the kindness to post their syllabus early}

-working on a couple crafty things

-reading on 'this is where i leave you' which is already proving to be a gem of a book

-possibly venturing into tax free weekend. if i suffer from a temporary lack of sanity, it's always a zoo

-vainly wishing my pottermore hogwarts letter would get here already

{did anyone else get beta access? i'm 'erisedqueen128'}

& don't these look so fresh & delicious?

{recipe here}

happy weekend, lovelies!

owling.

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

recently, i learned about owling.

{apparently it's the new planking. which i also didn't know about until recently.}

but, in my opinion it's whoa cooler than planking could ever hope to be because it involves owls.

what better way to owl than in the owl corner from this past weekend?

what do we think?

am i a convincing owl?

& just in case you were wondering:

owling: For those not in the know, "owling" is a brand new activity where people pose for pictures by crouching like an owl in unusual places, such as on top of a car, fountain or a staircase.

planking: is an activity consisting of lying face down in an unusual or incongruous location. The hands must touch the sides of the body and having a photograph of the participant taken and posted on the internet is an integral part of the game.

yeah. i don't know what the world is coming to either.

how to: be an insomniac.

2011-08-03T07:50:00.001-04:00

-plan on getting at least 8 hours of sleep.

-take a natural sleep hormone {melatonin} in preparation.

-talk to the boyfriend when he calls, but ultimately tell him 'hey, i have sleeping to do.'

-roll over.

-decide it is very, very cold. procure an extra blanket.

-ultimately end up with three.

-roll over again. readjust the pillows.

-have to pee.

-realize it's an hour later. and that sleeping is still not happening in your bed.

-move to the couch. hear the fan sounding like a cricket downstairs. turn that mess off.

-another hour has gone by and you're not asleep.

-should you try reading? don't they suggest that? but then, what if you're just seconds away from sleep?

-move back to bed.

-notice the bugs outside are extremely loud.

-roll over again.

-make the mistake of looking at the clock.

-your 8 glorious hours of planned sleep have dissipated to less than 6.

-finally, finally fall into a restless slumber.

-wake up an hour before your alarm is set to go off.

-possibly mutter some less than stellar sounding phrases.

-attempt dozing until you can't stand it any longer.

-give up the ghost and start getting ready for the day.

{via}

harry potter: the withdrawal version.

2011-08-02T11:37:00.001-04:00

we all know it's "over."

and i put over in quotation marks, because the tale of our favorite boy wizard will never truly die.

but i digress. this tale begins about a week before the last movie was released.

my mom, bee, and i decided it was necessary to re-watch all the movies.

unfortunately there wasn't quite enough time to find time for all 3 of us to fit in viewings together.

and thus, the idea of a withdrawal party was hatched.

i planned it for this past weekend, to coincide with harry's birthday on july 31st.
and we watched all the movies that are on DVD.

i turned the basement den into the gryffindor common room {slash the great hall, but nothing is perfect}.

the sign on the basement door.

this is clearly the sweets table. with plenty of candles. because, how can you not have candles?

my yard sale apothecary jars came in super handy.

and we won't talk about how long it took me to make those dang frogs.

or the pumpkin pasties below. recipe found here.

there's an app to give you a computer fireplace. so i had to have it.

we enjoyed a cozy fire with sound effects and all. and no ashes to clean up!

granted...it's not much in the way of heat. ha.

this is a better example of how cozy it really was. i just wanted to showcase my wand sign.

the owlery. the two little guys in the front are candle holder owls. and i love them.

hermione was hoping to recruit some guests. it's a cause she hasn't truly given up on.

mom made this adorably awful S.P.E.W. hat. {bee and i firmly believe SPEW shouldn't have been cut from the films.}

a few of the enchanted candles didn't want to cooperate. mom obviously got frustrated.

she said "LUMOS" dadgumit!

what's hogwarts without a lesson or two? the pot with the earmuffs is my favorite.

this is probably my favorite prop.

i had so much fun with the graffiti!

i know some of them are hard to read, so here you are:

"watch out for nargles - they're out in full force this year." - L.L.

"W.W.W. for all your joking needs! (Fred & George made me write it - Ginny)"

"Dean T. for a good time ;) Send owl to 867-5309."

"P.C. ♥'s P.W." {5 points to Gryffindor if you figure out whose belongs to these intials.}

"C.O.S. entrance NOT in this loo. check another floor."

"Gryffindor RULE, Slytherin DROOL!" {clearly i was in middle school when writing this one.}

"Don't forget to study for O.W.L.S.!" "3 guesses Hermione wrote that nonsense."

"L.B. ♥'s Won-Won 4-Eva."

all in all, it was a wonderful weekend.

there was also butterbeer. but no picture, because we weren't that patient.

and my basement den is going to stay a common room for as long as i can get away with it.

mischief managed.

august goals.

2011-08-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

i'm not a very goal oriented person.

i have high hopes at the beginning of the year, but my so called goals never make it out of my mind and into reality.

so maybe if i start smaller, i'll be able to get somewhere.

and thus, for the month of august, i present:

goals

-write one page a week

-go to the gym 17 times...so it will cost me less than one dollar per trip

-finish 'the magicians' before school

-read 1 for fun book...after school starts

-blog at least 3 times a week

-crochet 2 more skeins of yarn into my afghan

-try 2 new recipes

-find some new {& obviously awesome} tunes

and because i love pretty things, i leave you with this.

doesn't it just look so cozy?

saturday slowdown.

2011-07-30T13:01:00.000-04:00

happy weekend, lovelies!

here are a few sneak peek photos from the awesome happening at my house this weekend!

i can't wait to share the rest!
this is the most excited i've been about a weekend in a while - and not just because our favorite boy wizard's birthday is tomorrow.

enjoy your weekend!

aftermath.

2011-07-28T18:50:00.000-04:00

remember when a shelf fell on me?

& i had stitches?

well, this is what my left eyebrow looks like now:

it's not quite so noticeable when covered with foundation, but i'm not sure it will ever completely fade.

i would show you a before-the-stitches picture, but it's a little bit gross. so i'll refrain.

in other news, i picked up this book:

per bee's recommendation.
it's sucking me in. which is a very good thing.
i need some distraction before the fall semester and all its crazy arrives.