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!

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!]

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]

-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

wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?

the Disney cruise was just what i needed post-finals--laying out on a Caribbean beach, jet skiing, and playing with dolphins. i feel so blessed that i got to go!! I admit, I love anything and everything Disney related [and I'm determined to have my wedding in Disney World. It will happen!]



Between working two jobs this summer, I have a few goals I really want to accomplish:
-Read every single day. [work on the self-assigned book list!]
-Perfect "Comptine d'Un Autre Été" on the piano. Also, bonus points for practicing guitar!
-Practice German on a daily basis so that I'm prepared for German 3 in the fall
-Take more pictures and learn more about photography
-Yoga every day + healthy eating
-Keeping better track of inspiring quotes that I come across
-Only purchasing things that I absolutely love. No settling!