<3
i love my new diana mini 35mm camera! now i just need to find some film so i can start shooting...
13.8.10
meet holden...
the newest addition to my family!
<3
i love my new diana mini 35mm camera! now i just need to find some film so i can start shooting...
<3
i love my new diana mini 35mm camera! now i just need to find some film so i can start shooting...
12.8.10
reason #73 why i'm a nerd
all i've wanted to do these last weeks of summer is read Anna Karenina, listen to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and play Lego Harry Potter on wii. oh, and drink lots of this:
i have three days left of working as a nanny and then i'm only going to be tutoring until i graduate. its kind of crazy, i've been a nanny for the same family for over 3 years [4 summers!] and its going to feel weird not taking care of the kids anymore. but i know when its time to move on, and it will be nice to have my life back...my schedule has been dictated by another family and their needs for the entire time i've been at university.
back to school season is one of my favorite times of year. its so much fun finding new school supplies and clothes, and its the start of fall! thank goodness. here's to hoping that the weather here in Texas will cool down a bit! just thinking of walking the couple of miles to class everyday in the heat is daunting.
blogspot is being lame and not letting me upload my France pictures. fingers crossed my skills will manage to find a way ^.^
i have three days left of working as a nanny and then i'm only going to be tutoring until i graduate. its kind of crazy, i've been a nanny for the same family for over 3 years [4 summers!] and its going to feel weird not taking care of the kids anymore. but i know when its time to move on, and it will be nice to have my life back...my schedule has been dictated by another family and their needs for the entire time i've been at university.
back to school season is one of my favorite times of year. its so much fun finding new school supplies and clothes, and its the start of fall! thank goodness. here's to hoping that the weather here in Texas will cool down a bit! just thinking of walking the couple of miles to class everyday in the heat is daunting.
blogspot is being lame and not letting me upload my France pictures. fingers crossed my skills will manage to find a way ^.^
26.7.10
liebe: Bensimon shoes
due to the sheer number of pictures taken in France (800+), any posts about my trip are definitely going to have to wait!
i admit, one of the first things that i look at when i'm people watching are the shoes that they're wearing. and in France, i saw so many girls wearing Bensimon shoes! They're basically the French version of Converse, and i really wanted a pair. despite looking for them in stores, i wasn't able to find my size [besides being substantially shorter than me, apparently French people also have tinier feet.] i came back home, thinking that they just weren't meant for me.
fast forward to yesterday. i stopped in at Madewell, and they had Bensimon shoes! in my size! in a Liberty print! basically they were the best combo of French and British influences, and i was in love. i am definitely a champion for flat shoes, heels are so bad for your feet!! plus when you're walking over a mile to class everyday, you need to aim for comfort.
successful shoe shopping trips are always fun. besides the Bensimons, i had to pick up a new set of TOMS...i love the fact that they donate a pair of shoes to a needy child for each pair that they sell...as well as being the most comfortable shoes in the universe!
i'm coming to terms with the fact that its ok that i love shopping. for me, its not about greed or trying to compensate for something else, its more about the quest to find items to edit my environment with, to be constantly surrounded by things that spark my creativity and make me happy.
i admit, one of the first things that i look at when i'm people watching are the shoes that they're wearing. and in France, i saw so many girls wearing Bensimon shoes! They're basically the French version of Converse, and i really wanted a pair. despite looking for them in stores, i wasn't able to find my size [besides being substantially shorter than me, apparently French people also have tinier feet.] i came back home, thinking that they just weren't meant for me.
fast forward to yesterday. i stopped in at Madewell, and they had Bensimon shoes! in my size! in a Liberty print! basically they were the best combo of French and British influences, and i was in love. i am definitely a champion for flat shoes, heels are so bad for your feet!! plus when you're walking over a mile to class everyday, you need to aim for comfort.
successful shoe shopping trips are always fun. besides the Bensimons, i had to pick up a new set of TOMS...i love the fact that they donate a pair of shoes to a needy child for each pair that they sell...as well as being the most comfortable shoes in the universe!
i'm coming to terms with the fact that its ok that i love shopping. for me, its not about greed or trying to compensate for something else, its more about the quest to find items to edit my environment with, to be constantly surrounded by things that spark my creativity and make me happy.
6.7.10
obsessive consumption
we are not the sum of our material possessions. although i completely believe in this statement, at the same time, i am a collector of things...books, vinyl records, CLOTHES, jewelry, cameras, magazines...the list goes on and on. however, i do not think that i have these things for the sake of having them. this book, Obsessive Consumption is a compendium of Kate Bingaman-Burt's purchases over the course of several years. I looked through it the last time i was in Barnes and Noble and thought that it was groundbreaking--are we simply our belongings? can a person be judged on what is in their shopping cart?
so many people follow these complete extremes--either being attached to objects is selfish and unnecessary, or an obsession with things is exaggerated.
i enjoy surrounding myself with beautiful objects that inspire me and reflect who i am as a person. while clothes and fashion can appear shallow at best, how i dress is a daily creative outlet--a vehicle for me to express myself and my personal aesthetic. the same goes for my collections--i like the ongoing hunt to add to my collections, and experience joy when a record i've been searching for or a novel i've wanted is found. silly? probably. but manifesting something you like is always a blessing, in my eyes.
it does make me a little sad when people feel a need to have things merely for the sake of having them--or being able to brag about them on Facebook. i do not think that you should purchase any article of clothing, or accessory, or newest Apple product just to be able to say that you own it. in all reality, who cares? it really doesn't matter if you've acquired the newest designer purse or iPhone...it does not make you a better, kinder person, and boasting about it via the Internet...just trashy. this is not to claim that you cannot speak about the good things in your life without sounding rude and bragadocious, but to say things in a manner where you are trying to instigate jealously has been more and more common online, and i sincerely hope that i never come across this way, as it is not my intention.
i'm aware that this is essentially a rant, but i am not speaking about against materialism or anything of that nature. things should be purchased out of their own merit because they bring your personal happiness, not based on who is going to be envious of your owning it. i just think that material possessions do not alter the person you are in the inside--they are accoutrements, not your identity.
so many people follow these complete extremes--either being attached to objects is selfish and unnecessary, or an obsession with things is exaggerated.
i enjoy surrounding myself with beautiful objects that inspire me and reflect who i am as a person. while clothes and fashion can appear shallow at best, how i dress is a daily creative outlet--a vehicle for me to express myself and my personal aesthetic. the same goes for my collections--i like the ongoing hunt to add to my collections, and experience joy when a record i've been searching for or a novel i've wanted is found. silly? probably. but manifesting something you like is always a blessing, in my eyes.
it does make me a little sad when people feel a need to have things merely for the sake of having them--or being able to brag about them on Facebook. i do not think that you should purchase any article of clothing, or accessory, or newest Apple product just to be able to say that you own it. in all reality, who cares? it really doesn't matter if you've acquired the newest designer purse or iPhone...it does not make you a better, kinder person, and boasting about it via the Internet...just trashy. this is not to claim that you cannot speak about the good things in your life without sounding rude and bragadocious, but to say things in a manner where you are trying to instigate jealously has been more and more common online, and i sincerely hope that i never come across this way, as it is not my intention.
i'm aware that this is essentially a rant, but i am not speaking about against materialism or anything of that nature. things should be purchased out of their own merit because they bring your personal happiness, not based on who is going to be envious of your owning it. i just think that material possessions do not alter the person you are in the inside--they are accoutrements, not your identity.
30.6.10
july, july!
i've been looking forward to july 2010 for a long while. my much-awaited journey to France and Monaco is finally almost here! June was kind of an odd month--the days seemed to go by quickly, but it feels like June lasted much longer than it should have. Strange.
I do have some goals for the beginning of a new month!
-Read all of Jane Austen's wonderful novels. She is one of my favorite authors, and i haven't had the pleasure of rereading them for fun in years. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite [how typical!]--most likely because of Elizabeth Bennet's biting wit and Mr. Darcy ^_^
-Eat more fruits and veggies--i've even found some great recipes for green smoothies, so now i can make my own instead of buying them from Whole Foods!
-Keep practicing my guitar
-Dust off my sewing machine and make something
-a possible trip down to Austin, TX
This is still one of my favorite movies:
it reminds me of Salinger's novel Franny and Zooey so much. love.
and i cannot wait for this one to come out!
i love kids' movies like this. I saw Toy Story 3 last week and it was amazing. It was very poignant, bringing up issues of abandonment, the process of growing old, and loyalty. and yes, i admit that it made me shed a few tears. i completely recommend it!
I do have some goals for the beginning of a new month!
-Read all of Jane Austen's wonderful novels. She is one of my favorite authors, and i haven't had the pleasure of rereading them for fun in years. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite [how typical!]--most likely because of Elizabeth Bennet's biting wit and Mr. Darcy ^_^
-Eat more fruits and veggies--i've even found some great recipes for green smoothies, so now i can make my own instead of buying them from Whole Foods!
-Keep practicing my guitar
-Dust off my sewing machine and make something
-a possible trip down to Austin, TX
This is still one of my favorite movies:
it reminds me of Salinger's novel Franny and Zooey so much. love.
and i cannot wait for this one to come out!
i love kids' movies like this. I saw Toy Story 3 last week and it was amazing. It was very poignant, bringing up issues of abandonment, the process of growing old, and loyalty. and yes, i admit that it made me shed a few tears. i completely recommend it!
14.6.10
young adult fiction, i love you
Usually, when someone mentions young adult fiction, visions of trashy Gossip Girl books and "vampire romance" delusions come to mind. It seems like the common consensus is that young adult fiction cannot be classified as legitimate literature. I took a class on the topic last semester, and although some of the book choices (like Forever--shudder) did nothing to end the stereotype, other novels I've found recently, like Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins have not only been page-turners, but also contained aspects that warranted actual literary merit.
[does anyone else see the resemblance of this cover to Ann Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged? Anyone?]
these novels hold classical archetypes--the hero archetype, the epic conventions, the theme of good versus evil, with good triumphant. The Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series embody age-old themes and motifs--almost as a modernized and more relatable Iliad or Odyssey. Besides exposing teenagers to Classical ideas, they put them in an interesting format. To sum it up, I feel that the young adult fiction world is taking a turn for the better, and giving young adults more credit--why fill their heads with catty girls spreading rumors or forbidden love with werewolves when they can learn about Greek gods and 1984-esque distopias?
[disclaimer-i realize that this blog exposes me for the English major nerd I am. But ever since the 12 year old I babysit recommended these books I've had this running through my head!]
[does anyone else see the resemblance of this cover to Ann Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged? Anyone?]
these novels hold classical archetypes--the hero archetype, the epic conventions, the theme of good versus evil, with good triumphant. The Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series embody age-old themes and motifs--almost as a modernized and more relatable Iliad or Odyssey. Besides exposing teenagers to Classical ideas, they put them in an interesting format. To sum it up, I feel that the young adult fiction world is taking a turn for the better, and giving young adults more credit--why fill their heads with catty girls spreading rumors or forbidden love with werewolves when they can learn about Greek gods and 1984-esque distopias?
[disclaimer-i realize that this blog exposes me for the English major nerd I am. But ever since the 12 year old I babysit recommended these books I've had this running through my head!]
12.6.10
Samstag Lieblings
This week's inspirations and a few of my favorite things:
-delicate gold jewelry
-Ancient Literature [currently rereading The Aeneid by Virgil--its beautifully written and even more enjoyable when its not for a class assignment]
-La Duni's amazing iced cappuccinos and pastries--the nutella cupcakes and pistachio cookies are so good.
-Madewell's slim slouch jeans [boyfriend jeans are a nice change from the skinny jeans i've worn for 5 years]
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-Cute hats--the perfect solution to bad hair days
-Paper Source. every single time i go there i leave with the most unexpected treasures--a vintage looking London poster, a paper flag craft kit--basically everything i never knew i needed until i saw it there!
-collections. i love the never-ending search to expand my antique camera, vinyl record, and book collections!
-oxford shoes
-delicate gold jewelry
-Ancient Literature [currently rereading The Aeneid by Virgil--its beautifully written and even more enjoyable when its not for a class assignment]
-La Duni's amazing iced cappuccinos and pastries--the nutella cupcakes and pistachio cookies are so good.
-Madewell's slim slouch jeans [boyfriend jeans are a nice change from the skinny jeans i've worn for 5 years]
-Cute hats--the perfect solution to bad hair days
-Paper Source. every single time i go there i leave with the most unexpected treasures--a vintage looking London poster, a paper flag craft kit--basically everything i never knew i needed until i saw it there!
-collections. i love the never-ending search to expand my antique camera, vinyl record, and book collections!
-oxford shoes
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