Wandering/Wondering

To me the words wondering and wandering have always been synonymous. They both lead to exploration of some sort, whether it's in a physical dimension or a more cerebral capacity; exploration leads to understanding, which leads to growth. The last few months have contained a lot of introspection, which in this day and age, I think younger adults are afraid of -they run to facebook or social events without leaving time for themselves. I digress, last Saturday I had a day that was pretty devoid of social contact but it fit my restless mood perfectly -I went for a walk and snapped some photos, spent the afternoon exploring nooks and crannies of my mind as well as my neighborhood. Wondering/Wandering...

Tiny Kitchen Tales: Apple Chips

It's fall in Washington and that means that apples are in abundance. So I took a few of mine that were verging on going bad and attempted to turn them into apple chips -yum. These were pretty easy to make -just slice 'em up really thinly, soak them in some water and apple juice and various spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) for ten minutes, strain, lay flat on a baking sheet (if you have a cooling rack, put the apples on that on top of the baking sheet), and bake in the oven at 200 degrees for a good while. Make sure you flip them and keep an eye on them. I flipped mine every ten to fifteen minutes. They're tasty!

Feeling Fall-like

After a weekend spent in Seattle where the weather ranged from hot and sunny to cloudy and breezy, and waking up to a particularly damp, gray morning, I'm feeling kind of ready for fall. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that as soon as the sun starts shining again, I'm going to be glad that it's still summer and that there is still plenty of time for bikinis and lakes and shorts and rolled up sleeves; but for now, I'm day dreaming about the crisp PNW fall -scarves, boots, puddles, coats, hats, and hoods and hot lattes and caramel apple cider keeping chilly hands warm. Here are a few fashion-y things I'm wishing for.

a minty blouse -i'm adoring all of the fun details on blouses: studs and metal tips on corners (not together) are my favorite.

camel booties -maybe without the wedge, the rain would be harsh to the suede

over-the-knee socks to keep cozy and to peek out over the tops of boots

awesome sweaters to be paired with t-shirts, skirts, over dresses, or with a classic button down

boots -i've had my eye on hunters since the spring... they're perfect for the weather up here

the biggest, coziest scarf

Sleep Is a Symptom of Caffeine Deprivation

I love coffee. It tastes good, it warms you up on cold days, gives you an extra boost of energy, and you can enjoy it a number of different ways. I love how versatile this beverage is. It can be flavored with syrups, chocolates, through the process of roasting the beans. It can be potent or neutralized by some milk. Even a bad cup of coffee can be made pretty delicious with the use of vanilla, cinnamon, milk, and some sugar. I thought a lot about coffee today. I had time to get a cup before my first class (third day in a row!), and it was probably one of the better cups of coffee I've had on campus. A few weeks ago, they forgot to put the espresso in my drink at the on campus Starbucks, so I've started avoiding a few of the cafes. 

I love the holiday cups at Starbucks, and how they have fall and holiday flavors. Pumpkin spice lattes tend to hit the spot on chilly fall mornings. I also love the coffee culture of the Pacific Northwest. I have yet to visit the original Starbucks in Seattle but I've heard that there's usually quite a crowd. It's always nice to hear friends catching up over a cup of. 


Cafes are another thing I love about coffee. The smell and the atmosphere are always comforting. There's always newspapers or books being read, some form of studying going on, and quiet conversations that drift through out the air, intertwined with the music that quietly plays in the background. 


My favorite thing about coffee though, is that a good cup usually makes me happy. If all it takes to be in a good mood is a cup of coffee, then I think sacrificing a few dollars a day is a pretty good trade off. 


My least favorite thing about coffee is how I almost always spill it on myself at some point during the day. 

Sunny With a Chance of Freezing

It's supposed to snow Friday. I hope it does. Today was freezing cold! I ran home between classes to grab a bite to eat and a warmer scarf. But it was sunny. Sunny Bellingham is like a completely different city than rainy Bellingham. People sit outside (no matter what the temperature) reading books, talking with friends, talking on their phones, or occasionally gathering around "that one guy" who always seems to have his guitar. 


I don't like the cold here. It's a humid cold that cuts right through you, no matter how many layers you have on. Where I'm from, it's a dry cold; bundle up and you'll be toasty warm. Today may have been a sign that it's time to break out the shearling lined Cabella's boots I picked up for $5 at a garage sale last summer. I'm sure my feet will appreciate it. 

So besides being cold, today was also pretty productive. I (again) had time to get coffee before my 8am design class, I got my hair cut, and I wore a new shirt. We'll see if the productive trend continues into the evening. I have an extra credit paper to write and some posters to continue working on as well as a video response about how Disney movies are racist. 

I am in love with this flowy shirt!

Today Was Good

Hello! Welcome to my blog. That's so weird to type...I never thought of myself as someone who would really write about anything. But, last night I was laying in bed and I thought to myself, "I have interests, albeit varying interests, maybe I should create something where I can share those with other people who might share a few of the same." So here we are. Monday night, sharing our...my...interests. Instead of letting you in just like that, "Hi, I'm Meghan, I love blah..blah..blah...," I'm going to tell you why today was good.

Trying to take a decent picture with photobooth is quite difficult.

I caught the bus this morning. I RARELY catch the bus in the morning. In fact, I never really have to. But today, I walked to the bus stop, arrived there at approximately 7:12 am, unsure of what time I could expect the next bus, I looked at the schedule, and wouldn't you know it, the next bus arrived at precisely 7:13. That was the start to a good day. I think that generally, when days start off well, it's really difficult to make them worse. You're not late, rushing around, bustling to get to class, forgetting your coffee on the kitchen counter, only half of your face made up (that may be an exaggeration); instead you get to take your time getting ready, you get to listen to Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, blow dry your hair, and put on an outfit that doesn't consist of tossing on yesterday's pants, a clean shirt, and a cardigan. Yes, today was good. I had time to get coffee before class, the lectures were interesting, and work passed by pretty quickly. I did a bunch of homework over the weekend, so I get to spend the evening creating this project, listening to good music, and discovering the modern-day Sherlock Holmes tv show on Netflix.

Ok, now that I've bored you with my day, I'll tell you a little bit about me (just this once though, that's what the About Me section is for). I grew up in a ski town, I love winter and snow. I love the calm that gently falling snow instills in people. I love the landscape after a fresh snowfall, it's so clean and untouched. I love making fresh tracks in that pristine powder. I also love summer and spring and fall. The flowers that spring brings, the heat and sun of summer, and the crisp air and crunch leaves of autumn. Of course, in the Northwest, crunchy leaves are in kind of short supply. But, I don't mind the rain. It almost has the same effect of snow -at least the sound of it does. Standing in a rainstorm leaves you a lot soggier than a snowstorm. (Can you tell that I'm excited for it to snow?)

I love photography. I think that people who take pictures capture their unique perspective of the world and that photograph gives us a glimpse into their mind. I also think that being able to capture a moment is beautiful.

I love clothes and how they are an outward expression of individuality.

I'm learning to love graphic design. Actually, no. I LOVE graphic design and I can't imagine studying anything else. I'm learning about why I love graphic design -fonts, layouts, colors, brush strokes, happy accidents- it's a complex field but it's so fascinating.

Ok, I think that this first post is plenty long. I'll try to update this with artwork I like, projects of mine (a.k.a. my portfolio), outfits of mine and clothes I'm lusting after, and my general thought on things. Until next time, happy trails!