2012

Well, it's here. 2012. The year that supposedly the world is going to end. If this is the case then I'm going to try to make this year count. I've applied for an internship and have started to pursue other internship opportunities for the summer, I'm determined to throw myself into school since this is the time when I really start to learn about design, and I'm going to make an effort to keep the people who truly matter close to me -even though the majority of those people live 1500 miles away. I don't have a list of resolutions but if I did it would probably include staying on top of classes -even the ones I think are uninteresting, drawing more, listening to more music and taking more pictures (my parents got me a BEAUTIFUL camera for Christmas so that helps with the motivation), and making time for myself as well as friends. The year is off to a good start, I had a fantastic afternoon with two of the greatest ladies I've met here at school -Grace and Celeste, you two are awesome.  I also used a gift card I received for Christmas to get myself some new sheets so I'll be slumbering soundly this evening. I'll try to post regularly... there should be a post coming up with some of my design work so keep an eye out! Here's a sigh of relief that the holidays are over. Now let's see where the year takes me... New York, perhaps? Cheers!

A photo of my bookshelf...I love how Follow Your Dreams is next to the globe. 

Christmas Wishes

So now that we've all survived Halloween and Thanksgiving feasts, it's that magical time of year where snow drifts down from the sky, christmas lights sparkle in the evening, and the smell of peppermint or pine is just about everywhere. If only the holidays were really that peaceful. I swear, stores start decorating for the holiday season earlier and earlier every year. I was kind of disgusted at hearing christmas music in the grocery store the day after Thanksgiving. 


Anyway, with the holidays comes the "wish list." This is not a list of things that are necessarily needed per-say, but a list of things that might make existence a little more effervescent for a while. Here's my wish list:


Nikon 1 J1 - The smallest SLR digital camera ever. Oh. My. So sleek.

Stamps - I love writing letters to my friends in far away places but postage is something that I rarely think about buying. If I had a stash of stamps, a lot more letters written during classes would be sent.


Socks - I understand that this is that "really?" gift. But hey, they're something that I really need and want. My feet are always freezing and lately my sock drawer seems to produce fewer and fewer cozies to slip onto my feet.

Steve Madden Ruckus Boots - These I WANT. I seem to wear out cheap pleather boots at a rate of 4-6 months. But I think that were I to posses a quality pair of boots, they'd last a lot longer. And they're so pretty....

iPhone - Yes, yes. The mother of all phones. But I wants it... and in all fairness, my iPod has been slowly dying over the past year, and phones are constantly being replaced or upgraded....I'd take good care of it!

So this year's list isn't the longest but that's ok. I don't want that much. Gift cards are always appreciated since I love clothes so much... and let's face it, relatives whom you haven't seen in a few years don't always pick out the right thing. December starts tomorrow! I have to say that I'm very excited. Finals are next week and then I work the week after and then I head to my snowy homeland for a few days! 

Couscous

I like to cook. Food is one thing that everyone has in common. So cooking (as cliché as it sounds) brings people together. There's a reason that we go out to eat with groups of people or get coffee with friend. Everyone needs food. 


This brings me to my latest food obsession: couscous. This tiny pasta is absolutely incredible. It takes like five minutes to make (once the water boils) and it's delicious. I've been sautéing mushrooms in butter and mixing those in with the couscous and then adding fresh peppers. It's a really easy and sooo tasty!


That's what I was thinking about on my walk home today. Couscous...I'm going to go make some. 

Thanksgiving

One of my oldest friends flew up here to celebrate Thanksgiving and fall break with me. We had a fantastic time browsing holiday sales (I got two pairs of shoes, jeans, and two shirts...shh.), eating out, making an eclectic Thanksgiving meal, and watching movies, Parks & Recreation, and playing Super Mario. Dinner consisted of mashed potatoes, spinach & feta croissants, cous cous with sauteed mushrooms and peppers, and a delicious salad with green leaf lettuce, dried cranberries, gorgonzola, and poppyseed dressing. We mixed our meal in with the How I Met Your Mother Slapsgiving episodes. If you haven't see them or HIMYM, definitely check them out -so funny.

She'd never before visited the PNW so I showed her some of my favorite spots around town -book stores, clothing stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and the beach, marina, and Boulevard Park. Unfortunately the weather remained stereotypically gray the entire visit so we didn't do a lot of outdoor adventuring like I'd hoped. We did however see the new Twilight movie -it was ridiculously difficult not to burst out laughing for the majority of the film, but I have to say, I'm kind of excited to see the final one. Now that Kat's visit is over, I have to start working on final projects, papers, and studying for exams. Only two weeks left of the quarter! I am so ready to be done with it. Then some leisure time, work, and an overdue trip home for Christmas!


I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday and safe travels. 
Until next time.

Florence + The Machine

I ADORE Florence + the Machine. There are many, many reasons why. Florence Welch is such a unique individual, her songs are intense and beautiful with Sylvia Plath-esque lyrics. I love how she combines elements from pop with rock, metal, industrial, and folk music. Her voice is incredibly dynamic and she has an amazingly unique style. 

We'll start with my introduction to her. Dog Days Are Over had been playing everywhere -on the radio, MTV, Fuse, the internet; her lyrics were Facebook status updates, and I got curious. After going on YouTube, I looked at more of her videos and again, I got hooked. Kiss With A Fist is probably one of my favorite songs. It's empowering, danceable, easy to sing along with, and WAY TOO SHORT. The best songs always are...almost. Needless to say, I was very excited for Ceremonials to drop this fall (her follow up album to Lungs). Here are some videos.

The latest video to be released "No Light, No Light" 

"Kiss With A Fist"

Now Flo's style is another reason that I love her so darn much. She has a fantastic figure and she isn't afraid to take risks with fashion. Thankfully, she hasn't been quite as avant garde as Lady Gaga, if she were though, I think she'd pull off a few of the ensembles better than Mother Monster. I think my favorite thing about Flo's style is how eclectic it is. She's bohemian, preppy, grungy, pantsless...you name it. And she pairs almost everything with an incredible pair of shoes. (Who doesn't love a great pair of shoes, really.)

Fantastic vintage shirt paired with chambray high rise shorts and adorable leather flats. 

Love the hat too!

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this outfit. The leopard print is a little gaudy, and a trend that shouldn't have made a comeback. I do however, love the blouse.

Amazing mini-dress for the red carpet. 

I love how flowy and bohemian this dress is. It has such a Victorian feel.

Dress + Boots = Win

Dear Flo, please keep doing what you do.