LOVE from brynn

cascarones

2012-01-27T18:34:00.001-07:00

When I was living in Mexico, I went to this awesome fiesta...it was an end-of-school party at my host-brother's school. And it is still in the top ten best parties I've ever attended.

What made it so epic? Confetti eggs.

You take these eggs that have been emptied and washed, fill them with confetti, cover the big hole with rice paper, and then run around smashing them on each other's heads.

Makes you want to throw a party, huh?

Isn't it strange how things like that just pop into your head? I'm sitting in the Library, studying for a bevy of mid-terms that are just sneaky-sneaking up on me...and start thinking about Mexico. Funny, but it happens every year around this time. Now that it has started, I cannot be held accountable for the next actions I take. Namely, buying a plane ticket to Acapulco and never coming back. {grins}

Hope you have a homework-free-confetti-filled weekend!

love.

one/two

it is your destiny

2012-01-26T15:12:00.003-07:00

We often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it.

{French Proverb}

Know what happens when you try to avoid destiny? You end up marrying your Mother, murdering your Father, and causing a Plague. Obi-Wan, back me up here! "{insertyournamehere}, you cannot escape your destiny."

Embrace it.

love.
one

haveyoueverseenanythingascuteasthislittlegirl?

2012-01-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

Let me reintroduce to you this little firecracker. She loves getting her nails painted and snuggling and playing airplane and dancing and taking pictures with my iPhone and especially loves running. She looooooves to run.

Best of all she loves me!

But I'm pretty sure I love her more. An eleven-hour-drive more. Skipping out on homework time more. Spend all my money on her more.

{sigh, thank you three-day weekend!}

I think we're going to be best friends for a looooooong time.

LOVE.

girl scout cookies

2012-01-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

I'm currently downing NyQuil and gummy bears as fast as I can to keep pace with my fever and sore throat and sundry other flu-like complaints. I can't taste anything, which makes food somewhat less appealing.

Which made me start thinking about cookies.

Wouldn't it be nice if they sold Girl Scout cookies all year 'round?

Probably not. My guess is that I would get bored with them and not purchase them as often. Kind of like Oreo's. If Oreo's were seasonal, I would make sure to be the first in line each year. But they aren't. So I buy them...hardly ever.

BUT you know, if you DO want GS cookies around all the time...I've found {a few} solution{s}.

1. Bake them yourself. Did you know there are just as many DIY recipes as there are cookies and candy bars? I even saw a homemade Twix recipe the other day! Twix recipe lady: you are awesome.

2. How about these lip balm versions? Best part: zero calorie dessert.

3. Give in and buy some. This year is the Girl Scout's 100th anniversary! Thanks, Huffington Post.

{these are the all-new Savannah Smiles}

And now you know.

7:00 pm bedtime? Don't mind if I do.

LOVE!

one/two/three

2012-01-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

To think of something with a sense of loss; This is the definition of regret.

After a great big hi, hello, nice to meet you again, life moment, I rode the tsunami of disappointment moment. All the while I thought about regret. Is this regret? If so, what part of this? I used to think regret came in the shape of people I met and grew to know, and then grew apart from. I had a childish view of regret then.

On the other side of that tidal wave, I have another perspective. My glasses got wiped. Regret isn't people, it is things you tell yourself. I don't regret the earthquake that caused the tsunami {in my life. This is figurative, guys}. I learned where my fault lines are and how they can and do explode when put under pressure. I learned which way they erupt and what to do about it.

"If we have goals and dreams and we want to do our best, and if we love [people things or places] and we don’t want to hurt them or lose them, we should feel pain when things go wrong. The point is not to live without any regrets. The point is to not hate ourselves for having them." : kathryn shultz

Do I have regrets? Sure I do. But I'm okay with them.

...i even love myself more because of them; where I've been with them, what I've done with them, and even in spite of them.

love!

kool-aid pickles

2012-01-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Add a packet of kool-aid to your pickles, and then a dash of hot sauce...

and you get kool-aid pickles!

Genius.

I had to try one. I wish you could taste what I was tasting...

{my good friend Tina was supposed to take a picture...instead, she secretly filmed me... Awe. Some}

I know how eager you are to rush out and try some.

Here's how you find them: drive south on I-15 until you get to US 89, and then take that all the way past the Grand Canyon and into northern Arizona. Now, once you've passed the Canyon and the Dam, keep going until you're really in the middle of nowhere. You'll see a gas station that looks decrepit, creepy, and abandoned. The wind will try to prevent you opening the door, but don't worry, its not locked. Enter therein and to the right of the cash register you will find these jewels of culinary deliciousness.

You're lucky I give away such close-kept secrets!

Did you try anything new over the three-day weekend?

*clarification: i do not recommend kool-aid pickles. in case my facial expressions were not expressive enough, i will tell you with candor that they are disgusting. it was a spicy/pickle/fruitpunch free-for-all in my mouth. yeccchhhh!

LOVE!

the best chocolate chip cookies

2012-01-15T11:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had an epiphany. "My" chocolate chip cookie recipe really is the best.

The events that led to this conclusion are as follows: I made chocolate chip cookies. Standard recipe. Zero variation. And the cookies fell short of my party-in-my-mouth expectations.

No personality, zero originality, completely bland.

Welcome back "Brynn's Secret Cookie Recipe." I'll never desert you again.

At least I had fun rocking out to my favorite song

{which has been stuck in my head for about a week...you're welcome}.

And eating chocolate chips.

Three day weekend, I love you.

love.

you've got a month.

2012-01-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

Have you seen Tiffany Co's True Love in Pictures campaign?

Isn't that just sweet?

I had forgotten that a certain day is approaching.

In fact, its one month from today!

Time to start planning a party {or finding a boyfriend...ha}. Yum!

Got a head start by decorating my sister's massive blackboard with love quotes.

{awwwwwwwwwww!}

LOVE!

one/two/three

pinteresting wednesday

2012-01-11T11:30:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking about Grace Kelly.

You know how usually we wear pink on Wednesdays? I propose that we change it to Grace Kelly Wednesdays. GKW, for short. Who's with me?

Have you ever seen someone look so classy in a sweatshirt?

And then we'll listen to the Grace Kelly song...

{isn't that a sweet print?}

Oh, Grace.

Class.

love.

one/two/three/four/five

naughty knee

2012-01-10T21:09:00.002-07:00

First "real" run of the year {elliptical doesn't count as running. Neither does the treadmill, but that's just my own preference not a comment on you}...a mere three miles. Right knee starts acting strangely a mile in, and two miles in is frowning up at me. Run this evening: half mile in and I started hurting. Mile one and I stumbled {as gracefully as possible} and limped around for another quarter mile. Two miles and I called it.

I am beyond frustrated. Running is one of my best friends. I run around a track as happily as a hamster for miles and miles. Running outside is even better--but only in better weather. The real frustration is with myself though. Why is it that I can't seem to push through this little teensy tiny ouch? Haven't I endured bigger pain? Ugh.

I put it to you, whoever you are reading. What do you think?

a) Time to buy new runners.

b) No pain, no gain!

c) Stop being a baby, B.

d) Go see a dang Doctor.

e) Run a marathon tomorrow before your knee gives out completely.

love!

now go watch the fireside.

2012-01-08T18:04:00.001-07:00

Bought a Mac yesterday. And I love it.

{creepy shadow behind me, anyone?}

Mostly because of photo booth. Obviously.

{this is my mischief-is-about-to-happen face}

No more distractions. I'm going to go watch the CES fireside!

love.

the new year's resolutions post

2012-01-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

Rather than starting out with a ridiculously long I'm-gonna-do-everything-all-at-once list, this year I've decided to do a goals-in-phases deal. I start out with one goal, and as I keep that one running, I add another, and then another, and another...until I'm perfect and get twinkled. That's the plan anyway.

Ask me how I'm doing so far. Please? Just ask, just ask, just ask.

Well, since you're so interested...I am PWNing it!

I love my resolutions this year so much that I've been adding about one per day.

{one of my many 2012 mottoes}

Here are a few script-shots from my week:

Monday. Wal-Mart at 6:30 am. Organized like a mad woman and still had most of the day left to do other productive things.

Tuesday. Woke up at 5:30 {yes, that is AM}, went to the temple.

Wednesday. 6:30 am. First day of classes.

Thursday. 6:10-ish am. Applied for graduation. Approval for 21 credit hours. Library time.

Friday. 6:00 am. Realization that most tall people at BYU are in athletics. I stick out like a string bean in a pile of kidneys at the gym. And it took me this long to realize that?...

Do you like my crescendo of awesome productivity? I have some more fun things up my sleeve for this next week, and I can't wait!!!

LOVE!
letterpress

{my resolutions might be a little hard to pick out from the melee of a schedule above. my resolutions include: going to bed between 10-10:30, waking up in the 6:00-ish range, temple attendance in the mornings, finishing school and graduation, and lots of other top-secret things I hope I can tell you soon!}

awesome boring day

2011-12-29T14:40:00.002-07:00

Breaks are awesome for bumming around...but after a morning at home watching movies, reading, and solving puzzles with two little brothers and one little cousin, we were ready for craziness in some form.

The answer: Target. The mission: spend less than $2.50 and find something awesome.

Result.

Hot wheels cars, m&m flavored LipSmackers, a Dreyer's vanilla shake, and a sparkly letter D {I'm going to send that to my little sister}.

Boredom cured!

love.

call me fastidious

2011-12-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

Essential in best friends is the ability to tell you your character flaws in a loving and validating way. Or completely harshly, because either way you know they would still at least try to pull your car out of a ditch bare-handed or pretend to love the sandwich you made them even though they loathe peanut butter to their core.

So picture this: I'm on a metro. In Paris. Well, under Paris to be precise. Friend and I are about to part, and I have three line changes to make before getting on the red line home. We're chatting, obviously. And I comment that I really don't like plans and blah blah blah...she looks me squarely in the eye and says, "what are you talking about Brynn? You just checked that metro map at least five times."

Just call me Fastidious.

Hence checking advance homework assignments, my booklist, class schedule, comparing prices on books, calculating, asking opinions on credit hours, and even planning lunches. Prepared? I like to be.

Will I write my papers all in the first week? Not likely. But I will have a Google Doc open and titled, just waiting and ready for whenever inspiration strikes.

And thanks for that nudge, you know who you are <3

LOVE!

one/two/three

on the road again!

2011-12-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

On Tuesdays we wear pink. ~~And drive to North Carolina~~.
{addendum...drive to NC cancelled, but fun plan B I'll tell you about later!!!}

I've still got lots to do before the end of this lightning-fast break...

1. Bake more baguettes.
2. Stalk Honors 303R until the Tolkien section opens up.
3. Avoid the J.Crew outlet as much as possible.
4. Make an awesome New Year's list.

I like lists.

But...for now, ciao!

LOVE!

pajama post

2011-12-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Christmas was wonderful. One more week with these cutie-pies!

[us in our Christmas pj's]

I'm working on my blog...what do you think about my valiant attempt at a time-lapse?

{look to the right under Family blogs}

Hope you're having a lovely break and eating way more fudge than humanly possible!

love.

gets me.

2011-12-24T06:45:00.001-07:00

This gets me every time.

Merry Christmas everyone! I'll see you in a few days.

love.

in or out?

2011-12-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today is my anniversary...and its up to me to decide what we do tonight to celebrate.

Stay in...or go out?

Out it is!

LOVE!
credit

just a wednesday afternoon

2011-12-22T12:58:00.001-07:00

This is what my afternoon looked like...plus Momma-bear and me all comfy on the couch.

Home + Chinese takeout + any film {especially set in Paris} = Yes.

Is it just me or is it not quite the same eating from a flat square styrofoam box instead of the typical pint-sized white boxes with little handles? Did those just disappear?

Disclaimer: I hate Owen Wilson. But Paris + film + food > Owen Wilson. So I'm okay.

Aaaand dessert...

These just don't taste the same any other month than December. Guess that means I should eat a lot.

love.
movie

most popular word in my head

2011-12-21T20:10:00.003-07:00

There is one adjective that comes to my mind more often than others...

Let's play twenty...or nine...hints:

uno. "Per square centimetre, human skin has as many hair follicles as that of other great apes."

b. {insert inane, bigotry-revealing, or just plain sad fb status update here}

trois. Fail. Blog.

iv. "So I need to break up with X. Can I just text her?"

cinco. Wearing hot pink jeans. Surprisingly...or not surprisingly.

6. Yes. That too.

seven. Phone calls from...some...people...get me?

ate. Cowboys and Aliens {the movie}.

ninth:

You've probably thought it more than once by now...

Awkward.

Mmmm hope you feel all nice and fuzzy now. Night!

LOVE!

getting Christmas-y

2011-12-21T14:43:00.002-07:00

Made about a hundred peanut butter balls today, and still have peanut butter kiss cookies to bake

{today was peanut-butter-Christmas-day...}.

Are you feeling like Christmas yet? What did you bake today?

Its raining and 60 degrees here...maybe we'll have pineapple and pretend like its Hawaii...

love.

ohmygoshineedit!

2011-12-20T10:08:00.004-07:00

I'm *slightly* graphomanic, but as I was looking up other manias I came across what may possibly be my favorite ever: gamomania. That's an obsession with odd marriage proposals.

{Soooo its like tourettes, for marriage proposals? Epic.}

Moving on. Where were we? Oh...writing obsessed. Yes.

Pen and paper are a must at all times. Day, night, meals, movies, class...

This little {massive} journal is perfect. Eight hundred pages, my friends. Perfect.

So, uh, Santa...about that list...

LOVE!

i like smiling. smiling's my favorite.

2011-12-16T12:27:00.001-07:00

Over the next two weeks I will...

1. Convert my mother to the movie Elf.

2. Fit Elf quotes into every conversation.

3. Make snow angels.

4. Go ice skating.

5. Eat a whole roll of Tollhouse cookie dough as fast as possible.

6. Snuggle.

Pretty tough schedule, huh?

love.
buttons/print

half-time shows

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Who needs cheerleaders?

Hope that was just the break your finals-addled-brain needed!

via C. Jane Enjoy It.

love.

i'm hippin' you man!

2011-12-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Now you can understand your Grandparents and hipsters!

Mwahahaha...back to studying!

LOVE!

i got robbed...

2011-12-14T10:49:00.003-07:00

After getting robbed last night, I was able to tell the police in detail the contents of the caramel American Apparel duffel that was stolen {I love my duffel}. The duffel that is still packed from my two-weeks-ago return from Paris. Oh, and then they took that information and printed it on bottle of Coke...in seven languages.

Oh, did I mention it was a dream?

A friend commented the other day, "Brynn, you are the most organized person...!"

Correct. I am hyper-organized in fact. Neatness is a totally different thing. Its like accuracy and precision. You can have 100% of the one without a grain of the other. Organized? Absolutely. Neat? Not so much.

So organized that I make lists and remember the entire contents of bags and boxes even in my dreams. Boo. Yeah.

LOVE!
credit

paris's skin

2011-12-13T12:38:00.000-07:00

You know when you are moving a little too fast and then ram your hand into something and the door frame keeps half of your nail? That's the Paris skyline. It is jagged, unpredictable, and it can scratch you if you're not too careful.

From most places in Paris, you can look up and see buildings poking at the sky, the Eiffel tower piercing the cloud cover. But from above, the contours change. The buildings instead of poking, reach into the sky and claim it for Paris. I can hear the shouts of the people below, "vive la France!" they say, exclaiming with the buildings that own them.

Skin. Paris skin. Paris's skin or Paris as skin? Marked by blemishes, some too unsightly to mention. Veins run to and from the spots, sending vital blood flow manifested in hordes of people, who, instead of healing, heightens the building's effect on the city.

As common iconography, the Paris Panorama is owned by all. The most iconic and attention grabbing images of Paris are shots taken from above. Shots from the sky, of the Eiffel Tower, from Notre Dame cathedral. Paris is not Paris without these particular angles. No other entire city has quite this high-angle appeal. It is always enjoyable to look out over a city, but not always recognizable. Paris is the city of lights, romance, and the city seen from above.

A tinkling charm bracelet, the bigger ones droop and dangle from the chain, pulling the other bejeweled trinkets towards them. But they also run into everything whenever you move your wrist. Slightly annoying, but those are the charms you're really proud of and like to show off to your friends.

With the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, Galeries Lafayette, Arc de Triomphe, Montparnasse, all affording beautiful high angle views of the city, I rest my case. Each of these afford high angle views, and each of these is iconic. The view from the Eiffel Tower being less used, as it excludes the Eiffel Tower from being in the actual shots of Paris {after all, what is Paris without la Tour Eiffel?}.

And that, my friends, is Paris.

love.

go to work.

2011-12-08T10:15:00.001-07:00

Interesting thesis, Paulo.

I have been debating the truth, or lack thereof, contained in this statement. Dreaming while awake. Awake dreams. Sounds a bit Inception-y to me.

Allow me to postulate my own theory: You need to go to work if you want to dream.

So I'm gonna go to work now.

love.
credit

notre dame de paris

2011-11-29T13:21:00.001-07:00

{Guess how many pictures and stories and laughs I haven't shared with you yet? I'll give you a hint: its in the thousands range. We'll see what a few days and Christmas break can't do to remedy that situation! I promise I'll tell you everything. Now, moving on!}

Wandered Paris until my feet and fingers couldn't take it anymore {my feet because they are sore, my fingers because they were freezing}. Could today have been more perfect? I ate snails and french onion soup, gawped at the Pantheon, conversed with some french women, and ate a baguette and chocolate mousse and my favorite green soup. Lots of soup. Hey, its COLD!

I wish I could transport you here and just show you everything. I do not have space, time, nor ability enough to convey to you the Haussmann avenues, the tiny shops, the grands magasins, the men hawking Eiffel Towers as big as your face or as small as your thumb, the cobblestones that are never even and always treacherous, the unexpected statues...the trash and dirt everywhere, the gypsies who nearly flatten you with their papers and pens asking for signatures to some unknown charity or petition, the scent of carnival food mixed with unmentionable human smells in the metro, the adventure that every single day is.

I will never be tired of this panorama. See all the major Paris landmarks? From Mont Parnasse all the way over to the Sacre Couer, the gang's all here.

Coming back through Opera/Auber tonight, I watched all the businessmen, coats flying out behind them as they speed walk down the escalators, across the foyer, shovel themselves onto moving walkways, and then scatter like so many black beetles down the different chutes of the metro system. And me, just another scurrier {although slightly more colorful} in the massive maze of Paris metros.

I am just getting to know the city, to bond with it, and it is time for me to go. One more day {cue song from Les Mis}. C'est la vie.

love.

arguments for living

2011-11-23T11:22:00.001-07:00

Bought a pain au chocolat and graced the Rodin Museum this morning. Found my way to the Institute from an entirely untried metro stop. Not a single wrong turn. I recognized bakeries, shops, ate lunch at my favorite Falafel place {definitely better than L'As de Falafel, according to me}, discovered a new chocolaterie. Visited Chateau Versailles, saw the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty {the mini one}. Had more Angelina's hot chocolate. All today.

You know what? I could do this. Live here. Ooooh wait, I did.

Paris, I miss you already.

love.

that empty playground feel

2011-11-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

Nostalgia smells like the heat of 90+ degree weather {that's in Farenheit, friends}, feels like empty playgrounds: vacant swingsets, chains clinking languidly; and it looks like a beach, toes in the sand. That's the feeling that I get at the ends. You know, the end of the school year. The end of a bottle of shampoo. Saying goodbye to someone I love. Unpacking from a trip. Moving.

It is a good feeling. An accomplished feeling. Its a this-is-what-I-am-doing-now-and-I'm-okay-with-it feeling.

Guess how I'm starting to feel about Paris?

LOVE!

{if you're wondering, that's my daddy, me, and my older sister}

one thought for you tonight.

2011-11-14T15:46:00.001-07:00

I love art galleries. Museums. Anything planned with the visual aesthetic of presentation or framing in mind. I suppose that could apply to architecture, gardens, interior design...love it all. The Tate Britain is gorgeous. High, vaulted, but simple and unadorned ceilings. Massive columns.

And plenty of room for the modern art. Does a chandelier who's only talent appears to be dimming, then flicking on, dimming, then flicking on, qualify as "art?" Should we put this in our tax-payer-provided institutions of refined learning? Maybe its just me, but I feel like this would be more at home on aisle five at the local "Lighting Universe."

I'd sure buy it!

love!

early bird special

2011-11-13T20:44:00.001-07:00

I generally happen upon my best inspiration really early in the morning {remember?}. Usually when the morning is still connected to the previous evening, versus a brand new day. Apparently french birds don't sleep...at all. And apparently the "stomach flu" does not go away as easily as drinking a bottle of Sprite.

Inspiration tonight: I have most of my fifteen-minute French presentation in order. All the world's issues are solved {just took a few truck loads of Graham Canyon ice cream...who knew?!}. I have made a list and envisioned several different "when I grow up's;" not the least of which possibilities involve me starting a fashion-aka-this-is-what-i-wear blog. I love my clothes. I love my shoes. I love getting dressed. Its gonna happen. Finally, Adele gets stuck singing in a loop in my head. Even though you {I} were {was} only watching the SNL spoof on one of her songs.

And...play.

Then please, please, pleeeeease go to bed.

love.

indulge me.

2011-11-13T05:26:00.001-07:00

Just a day ago, I was in London. Wednesday evening, and all day Thursday went splendidly. Friday I began a gradual descent into sick-land. It was miserable. I'm still miserable. But it is the most beautiful miserable I've ever {in...six years} been. Wanna know why? Its because this illness has absolutely nothing to do with chemotherapy. It has nothing to do with an immuno-deficiency illness I get every winter like clockwork. In fact, it was just honest-to-goodness-normal-healthy-person-gets-sick-illness. YES! I didn't have to call my doctors. I didn't have to go get extra blood or plasma or sit there while they pumped me full of liquids. I just got to lay there, miserable in my own hostel {...play on words, 10 points for awesomeness} bed. Okay, let's be clear about this. It sucked. I threw up into the trash can, took that outside, and then proceeded to do the same about every hour throughout the night. In a room with fourteen other girls {sorry ladies!!!}. My body was thrashed and my stomach beyond empty. I could barely stand. Getting dressed took a gargantuan effort. It is through the miracle that comes being surrounded by beautiful, caring people, that I am home. This morning I woke up feeling at least 20% better. I drank a half bottle of vitamin water. Listened to some Conference talks. Washed my hair. Successfully walked down the stairs and back up again. Had almost 1/4 bowl of soup and two pieces of bread for dinner. My body is getting better all by itself. And that is a beautiful thing.

love!

perspective is everything

2011-11-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

The smell gave me a headache less than three minutes into my tour of the museum. How can you erase the blood and sweat, the tears and tortures and torment of thousands? Of hundreds, and hundreds of thousands? The bestiality, the meanness of it all...and then as I read a register page under a piece of glass I found a family name. My Mom's maiden name. {Her father's maternal line is from Germany, and Jewish}. Whether or not this particular man is actually related to me I do not know, but seeing a familiar and unusual last name brought it much closer to home for me. Whether or not that man is part of my family, he was somebody.

I learned a lot while in Germany. I understand better the German people. I understand a bit better the meaning of "Concentration Camp," and the propaganda that kept the world from seeing the truth for such a long time. I understand better the poverty and hardship Germans were living under when a certain well-known figure rose to power.

But I will never understand how a human chooses to treat another human as less than human. It is to me, both incomprehensible and disgusting.

I appreciate how well they have done in memorializing and not horrifying. At remembering, but not dwelling. It was a very beautiful memorial.

love.

belgium just for the waffles

2011-11-05T16:34:00.000-06:00

Paris is lovely.

But getting away is lovely too. Meet my travel companion.

A train ride to Belgium takes about as long as the trip from one side of Paris to the other. I had time for my {french} homework on the train, and then by the time I opened up a magazine they were announcing our arrival. C'est style!

While on our epic-ly short ride, I turned to Hollie and said "so, what are we gonna do here?"
Her response: "well, I looked up a few things..."

Yep. Neither of us had looked up where to go or what to see. And you know what? i loved it.

Fast forward to less than three hours later and we ran out of schtuff to do and see. And then the fun started. I loved being in Brussels. Just being there. We weren't rushing around trying to fit everything, or anything, in. We sat in the Place des Martyrs and ate Belgian waffles. We wandered down streets and got assaulted by some young vagabonds. We ate more waffles and some Greek food too for good measure. We talked about life and love and about being whoever it is that you want to be. We talked about Smoothie Saturdays and boys. I bought a sweater. We were hit on and we ignored and laughed. We watched a street performance. We found the Godiva factory. We figured out the Brussels metro. Hollie bought shoes from a store called "Bimbo." We made snack-size friends. We owned the city, and we didn't see a fourth of it.

What is there to love in Brussels? I have no idea; what is there not to love in Brussels?

To quote a well-known piece of art known as the postcard, "I <3 Brussels."

LOVE!

i eat food

2011-11-05T12:31:00.000-06:00

Germany was just too amazing for words...so I have to tell you in pictures.

I promise there will be more of a "story line" in my next post!

Oh boy do I ever love food...

Bratwurst.

Ice Cream.

Mini-bratwurst.

Curry bratwurst.

Thai food.

German food.

And Ritter bars especially.

I am complete. Completely stuffed. Heh...heh...

LOVE!

planking in germany

2011-11-05T01:33:00.000-06:00

Planking is surprisingly...fun.

This is what we call "extreme planking."

Yep. Once I started, I just couldn't stop.

Fun while it lasted...now on to better things!

love.

german 101

2011-11-03T15:27:00.002-06:00

fun facts

{aka "getting you local"}

1. Germany is 140 years old. That's younger than America.

2. Munich was bombed during World War II for 57 days straight. Most of their buildings are younger than 60, but since the Germans rebuilt in an old fashion, it still has a seasoned appearance.

3. Munich is in Bavaria. Which is like a state of Germany.

4. Munich means "Of Monks" in German.

The Italian word for "monk" is Monaco.

5. "Guten tag" means hello, and "danke" is in fact, thank you.

Yay! Now that we are all educated, look at my pretty pictures!

Loving the Fall colors!

Sundial clock! I love this idea!

Beautiful faux-old street.

So much more to share, but I'm off to Belgium in the morning, so both you and I will have to wait.

love.

allemagne

2011-11-02T15:32:00.002-06:00

Allemagne is french for Germany. But it works in English too, because that's where Alle de men live. Duh. Ummm...that's works better out loud...a bit. A bit better.

{heh, heh. Makin' my dad proud, one pun at a time}

I didn't expect to fall in love with Germany. Just wasn't on my list. But, isn't that how you usually fall in love? Right when you are least expecting it. Profound.

Germany...I'll marry you tomorrow.

Meet Michelle, my lovely travel companero!

Can you see the castle in the background? That's Neuschwanstein. The "Disney" castle.

Oh....kay. So just seconds after that pretty picture in a cow field, we start tramping back to the car. A tiny ditch confronts me, I face it fearlessly...and totally fall on my face, then my butt, then my knees. Yes, that actually is possible. I have two witnesses.

This is me, attempting to regain my lost balance and ego.

I'm so cool, it cannot be contained.

LOVE!

they're not korean

2011-11-02T07:37:00.001-06:00

Meet some of my favorite Parisiennes. They also happen to be Vietnamese. Not to be confused with any other Asian country. Seriously.

Aren't they adorable? And aren't I a giant? Sheesh.

After sealing our friendship with our mutual love of Kina Grannis {I thought I had blogged about that...but apparently not?}, we got together a few times for "jam sessions" and it was official.

A few weeks ago, they took us out to introduce us to the yummiest pho to be found in Paris. A few days later, we reciprocated with a trip to an American diner. Also *very* delectable.

Side note: its kind of strange how much I crave hamburgers and fries. Oh well. P.S. you know why they are called "french" fries? Its because the french make them so much better than everyone else.

LOVE!

paris at night

2011-11-02T07:08:00.000-06:00

[i love paris at night]

{left, a dress covered in hand-stitched crystals, middle, Notre Dame, right, Maddie, a girl in the program}

About a week ago, some girls and I decided to take a day trip to a Chateau. After an hour at the train station, attempting to get out to Chantilly {fail} and then getting off the metro a stop or two too early {second fail}...we were definitely ready for chocolat chaud a la Angelina's {epic win}.

We were on the verge of hypothermia by the time we actually got to the cafe, but revived nicely with just a spoonful of sugar.

Winter: you are not welcome. Mostly because I forgot it was going to get cold...aka I left my winter things in Arizona. And if that's not a paradox...

love!

happy list

2011-10-21T04:04:00.000-06:00

trees supercalifragilisticexpialidocious traveling thinking mountains countryside chocolate mousse love Christmas sushi laughter blankets shoe laces cameras nerd glasses Mom & Dad discussion words sales love Daryl Jess JT Colin Auburn Greg Ruby cursive writing windows love tennis shoes hot chocolate museums cookies quotes blonde hair student discounts baking yummies sweaters gifts ice cream movies nice people colors doing something snow boots love hot chocolate books smiles hearts jobs Nordstrom flowers back rubs airplanes dessert parties architecture red hair hearing chantilly cream nailpolish babies fireflies blue bic pens reason baguettes rain love secrets languages Harry Potter fairy tales emotions pinterest lace compliments root beer floats ability pretty dresses warm socks mascara cures cloudy days chubby cheeks dimples a hug dressing pretty and pretty dresses jokes blue eyes perfume glitter shoes lazy afternoons macarons art the Book of Mormon literature family new seasons Reuben moleskines medicine online shopping Monet hot pink lamps temple J.Crew final sale pillows birds love technology penguins cafes love people letters Pride and Prejudice inside jokes life soap curtains spontaneity holidays sticks of butter friends

and music, of course.

hope you have a happy day filled with...

LOVE!

gore much?

2011-10-19T15:59:00.000-06:00

Do you know how Hercules ultimately died? His wife sent him a lion skin {which he had won by slaying a lion} smeared with the blood of a monster who had been destroyed in the act of trying to seduce said woman. It adhered to his skin, and poisoned him, and when Hercules tried to prise it off, it pulled out his organs. Hercules was still alive though, so he had an altar built and was burned to death. Self-martyrdom? Guess so. Super cool, Herc.

Moral of the story: don't wrap yourself in fur painted in ominous-looking poisonous blood.

Speaking of Lions...have you read Mrs. Lollipop's Lion? Its one of my favorite books.

love.
{credit}

gracias

2011-10-16T13:57:00.000-06:00

I am such a polite person. Everywhere I go, I say thank you. Thank you to the grocery store check-out clerk, thank you to the person who held the door for me, thank you to people at restaurants, theaters, department stores! I am the thank you queen!

"Je vous en prie!"
translation: you are welcome.

Epic. Fail.

love.

self-portrait

2011-10-15T16:46:00.002-06:00

Am I too old to be discovering myself? Because here I am, in France, doing just that.

I want to declare to the world is that I, crazy-hair-bought-a-sweater-from-Gap-in-Europe-how-tacky-is-that, am a happy person. I love my remarkable life. I am accomplishing things that matter to me and to God. I love my family, my friends, and even random people on the metro. I like sliced banana underneath my ice cream. I am beginning to embrace my talent {I'm not a prodigy or anything, I'm just good} for sketching. I want to work in retail and open a bakery. Chocolate chip cookies taste better with a variety of chocolates, preferably not milk. I don't like caramel unless it is salted. I like to go to bed around ten and wake up as soon as my body has had enough sleep. I love
eating breakfast for dinner. I do weird things like make up my own lyrics to songs and quote movies at inappropriate times {you're biting my butt!}. Black and blue is my favorite color combination. If I could, I would give a sandwich to every person I see begging. My head and my heart can't stand scary/sad/dramatic movies, so I don't watch those often. I like giving people nicknames, and saying I love you to everyone from my family to the people I just barely met. I will try any food at least once. I wear my "Relentless" bracelet to remind myself of where I have come from and where I am going. Laughing is my favorite pastime. I run because when I do, I am free and it reminds me how grateful I am to have the use of my legs. I know what it is like to lose something very dear to you. I have empathy for those dealing with chronic pain. My favorite part of flying is take-off, and my least favorite is landing. I hate peanuts. Someday I will finish my book, whether or not anyone other than my mother wants to read it. I love boots and sweaters, so you could say that Fall is my favorite season. I observe intently, and ponder deeply. I like to redesign house interiors in my head as I eat my granola in the morning. If I could be anyone for a day, it would be myself. Because I am pretty sure its the best thing for me to be.

LOVE!

you'll never know if you never try

2011-10-14T17:39:00.003-06:00

I have just so many little gems from today that I want to share...but what?!

Do we discuss my apparently hypnotic stare that causes even the least likely of men and women to stop what they are doing, drop their briefcase, lose their dog, drip mustard on their shirt, to watch me walk past {this is just a strange anomaly...what the creepy? Happened no less than four times today}!?

Do we talk about the chocolate museum where I learned that no, chocolate does not, in fact make one fat or "liverish."

{notice the moustachio tea cup. Hipsters, we have a solution for your bearded woes!}

Liverish...

I could tantalize you with descriptions of the "Reuben room" I sat in today while writing an {deeply felt, intensely penetrating} essay for class. But it might be better to tell you about the rooms, empty of "art" towards the back of the "Sully" section of the Louvre. Hardwood floors, painted ceilings, elaborate cornice work, and well-placed benches. All to myself.

Gosh, me and my "blah-ing" and "og-ing."

But instead I'm going to bed. Again. I've got to break this habit!

Ooooh and one last thing...

my glitter shoes! Aren't they pretty?

LoVE!

ps. i love wandering.

the shot you've been waiting for

2011-10-13T16:17:00.001-06:00

What do I do late at night, when my body reeeeallly wants to be sleeping?

[Blog]

Its just that I have to tell you about the lovely little Parisienne who gave me an extra macaron gratis just for trying so hard to speak my little french with my little accent.

Then I simply must tell you that I saw the Eiffel Tower today. Again.

{Okay, not that momentous}

Oh, do you see that itty bitty couple in the lower-middle-right-hand-corner? Wedding pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower! Come on guys, that is soooooo cliche.

What I am trying to say, is that I will have much more interesting things to post about tomorrow.

Yay for boring days à la Paris!

LOVE!

"american"

2011-10-12T15:18:00.000-06:00

You can find anything in Paris.

Even mexican food {surprise!}.

And nothing quite makes you feel American like a dash of Mexico {because that really makes sense}.

I tell you what...

We sat around and ate like Americans and talked like Americans and drank water like Americans. It was so lovely and...American.

After forty days of playing European, that feels real good.

Aaaaand I'm ready for more croissants now, s'il vous plait.

love.

cemeteries & secrets

2011-10-10T15:06:00.000-06:00

I love Oscar Wilde.

<<<<<that's his grave

But that's not my secret.

So how about this?

{I love cemeteries}

Morbid? Perhaps.

Think about it this way. You go to a cemetery because of love. Kind words are spoken at cemeteries. People are their best selves at cemeteries.

Yes, the moss is beginning to cover the tombstones, wind to fade the lettering and water to errode, but the whole point is love. and all those expressions of love; verbal, silent, shown or hidden, they just build and build.

Cemeteries are beautiful.

So there you go. Cool secret huh?

This might also be a good time to admit my addiction to black nailpolish.

Glaaaad I got that off my chest.

LOVE!

fete du automne

2011-10-09T09:29:00.000-06:00

p.e.r.f.e.c.t.i.o.n.

chicken and pineapple skewers

strawberry cups with raspberry coulis and
whipped-to-perfection-cream

legumes verts {green vegetables} soup

brownies with my-own-special-recipe caramel ;)

*and* better-than-starbucks-or-mcdonald's-and-almost-as-good-as-angie's-hot-chocolate

result.

love.

ritual shower

2011-10-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

Each year, there comes a day when my body realizes the weather has changed indefinitely for the colder. And on that day, I make up for all the other short-shower days. I think the entire house was steamed up.

The point: today was the day, and Fall is here. TMI? Okay moving on.

Now I am snuggled up now in an ivory cashmere and feeling oh-so-yummy.

Also hosting an Autumn party today. Weather, that was perfectly timed.

Mmmm sending you wishes of warmth.

LOVE!

ps. make pumpkin buttermilk scones.

pps. apple cider recipe.

ppps. adorbs fall chart.

easily a winner

2011-10-07T10:36:00.000-06:00

Jam sessssh while waiting for Kina Grannis concert.

{and making new friends}

Finding, completely by chance, the same crepe shop I went to two years ago when I was in France.

Getting into the Kina Grannis concert for free.

Oh, and the cherry on top? Seeing honest-to-goodness Shepard Fairey. Yep. That's Andre the Giant.

Oh my goodness loooooooooooove!

series: eco-friendly france

2011-10-03T11:00:00.000-06:00

Since living here, I have become more eco-conscious and eco-friendly.

Example: you simply do not go to the grocery store, market, boulangerie, charcuterie, patisserie, or any other "ie" without bringing your own shopping bag.

{try this do-it-yourself-from-an-old-t-shirt-super-easy version}

{Reduce, reuse, recycle. Funny how they hammer that phrase into us and then never explain how.}

Another example: lights. Les gens {the people} actually turn them off when not in use.

I know. This technique will revolutionize America.

Final observation: walk. Bike. Take the metro. Yes, cars are driven. But feet and kcals are overwhelmingly in use. I attribute added walking to lack of gaining the "France 15" as we like to say. Don't worry, I still have two more months to prove me wrong.

love.

credit.

the one that didn't get away

2011-10-03T10:39:00.000-06:00

There are a few things in life that I hold on to and remember for a very long time...ie, forever. One is every word I have ever spelled incorrectly. {perfectionism at it's finest} The other is, or rather are "the ones that got away."

The most recent were a pair of sparkly Jimmy Choos going for a song that I found at "Last Chance," {the place where all reject Nordstrom everything goes}. Some things are just beyond use, a lot of things ought to be at Good Will, but a few things are treasures. Those shoes...were the shoes. Alas, I decided to pass.

Those shoes haunt me still.

Flash forward: market in Rouen. Wandering around, looking at interesting junk. Junk it was, but still interesting. I see a painting. Not just any painting. A hand painted miniature in a gold frame. Small. Round. Perfect.

"Combien euros, monsieur?"
"Trente euros, mademoiselle."

I walked away.

Sent a friend back to scout the price.

Thirty euros, still.

Sent a second and third friend over to look at the painting.

Finally, I go back myself. He takes the price down five euros {and tells me I am the most difficult woman}, and I cave.

End of the story, this is the one that did not get away, remember?. Do I still love it? Why yes, yes I do.

LOVE!

casting my vote

2011-10-02T16:51:00.001-06:00

We have one more trip as a group...and since the Chief is still deciding, I am casting my vote.

In favor of London.

More coolness proof:

And also this.

These.

And this.

I rest my case.

love.

credit.

brocante!

2011-09-28T11:26:00.001-06:00

You know what I love? Vintage. French. Markets.

And bargaining.

Getting super good deals.

And ooooohing and aaaaahhhhhing over everything.

{me and Éithne waiting for the Brocante to open...morning faces!}

{heaven}

Who needs Ikea or Ethan Allen when you have a place like this?!

love.

no-knead bread

2011-09-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

So you do knead the bread. Just not by hand. I definitely did not know that prior to my class. It almost seems a betrayal of my bread-baking instruction up until now to mix entirely in the kitchenaid...
Old habits die hard, right?

The progression of the slice:

Eh, voila!

According to some chef somewhere, it takes three years of making bread every single day to master the "slice." I might believe him. Although my slices turned out pretty sweet.

The slices are the multiple diagonal lines across the top of bread, specifically baguettes. {are you with me so far?} The slice makes the bread explode the way you want it to go. If you bake bread, you know that there is a lot of air in the dough, as there ought to be. But baking bread without the slice forces the bread to explode wherever it can, leaving you with a messy "It" kind of bread. Not nice.

And there, my friends, is your lesson for the day.

Baguette, consider yourself conquered.

love.

i think we're superstars

2011-09-27T14:43:00.002-06:00

I. Made. Macarons.

{on the RER with one of my roommates}

See that little thing I'm holding with my hot-pink-painted fingers? It is a cherry macaron. See the brown-ish stuff on the outside? Apparently the salted-caramel macarons got a bit too exuberant while rolling around in the same carton. The good news is that cherry is even yummier with caramel.

Next step....make more!

LOVE!

glamorous evening in le vesinet

2011-09-23T13:13:00.000-06:00

The supermarket confuses me. Brownie mix was pretty easy to find, but milk and eggs aren't in the refrigerated section...they are on an aisle next to the sugar.

And the ice cream section is half the size of the cheese section.

{Eithne eating brownie-mix-soup}

{dinner!}

Aaand then we watched a French gossip television channel.

But I think the ice cream was more interesting.

LOVE!

buried in france

2011-09-23T06:55:00.000-06:00

Woke up this morning feeling rather apathetic.

It was difficult to get out of bed.

So I didn't.

I composed and sent emails, wandered around Pinterest.

Listened to Bon Iver.

And then decided it was time for an adventure!

I walked to Vesinet Centre and discovered a great little

boutique called "Love Me,"

{my new dress is on the right}

as well as a Papeterie and a kitchen-utility-and-creuset shop.

Then, on the recommendation of one of the locals I befriended by purchasing some yummy "Biscuit Parfum d'Ambiance" {home perfume} I ate at Côte Marché.

Since I had no idea what to order, I asked the waiter to choose for me.

YUM.

Now am going to bury myself in a book for the rest of the day!

love.

suivez moi

2011-09-22T14:19:00.002-06:00

Do you read me?

Then you *could* follow me too!

Just sayin'.

love.
credit.

metonymic possibilities

2011-09-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

"L'art ne reproduit pas le visible, il rend visible"

"Art does not reproduce the visible, it

makes visible."

- Paul Klee

love.

{merci beaucoup a Professeur Lee aussi}
credit.

awkward racist turtle

2011-09-20T00:30:00.000-06:00

Played a little game in French class today that went something like this: take the question you are given, and go ask it of each student. Afterwards, tell the teacher about each person you talked to. One person was given the question "what do you collect?"

{in french of course}

These are Chinese people (or rather A Chinese person) {chinois}.

>>>Fine china {plat du porcelain}.

Bet you can't guess which one is boxed up and sitting in my Aunt's basement?

I'll give you a hint: It's NOT Yao Ming.

Yes, successfully shocked the french teacher...all in a day's work, my friends.

love.
credit/credit.

angelina's

2011-09-19T14:21:00.000-06:00

I feel the start of an obsession: Angelina's. Period. It really is everything its cracked up to be.

Thank you for not letting me down, Angie.

Le specialité maison: hot chocolate a l'afrique.

Oh, and your waitresses are adorable, even if ours was not very sympatico.

And to the classy lady sitting solo a table away from us: pretty sure you're something famous

{navy blue dress pants and double breasted matching blazer, tres chic tied scarf, chunky gold necklace, with flats and a black quilted bag, drinking Perrier}

-c'est la vie. this is it. the life. my life-

love.

the bane of paris

2011-09-19T13:55:00.000-06:00

Accident waiting to happen.

They are everywhere, and even more bold than the Provo-ite ducks!

Can you say disease? Plague? Infestation? Pandemic?

Cool. Me too.

LOVE {but not really}!

the view from where i sit

2011-09-19T12:06:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Institut Catholique de Paris. This is where I take french.

{this is Hollie on the left, elle est tres jolie, n'est-ce pas?}

Morning face!

Yes, nuns do exist for real and not just in movies.

My teacher either doesn't speak English or she pretends so that we have to try harder to communicate in french. Gonna be a good {short} semester!

LOVE!

lost much?

2011-09-18T14:11:00.001-06:00

This is Mont St. Michel.

And this is St. Michel Notre Dame...the metro stop.

If you are attempting to ask directions, whilst on a train in Paris surrounded by Parisiens, I recommend not mixing them up.

...not that I have any experience in the matter.

love.

credit/credit.

i'll tell you a little more

2011-09-17T10:26:00.000-06:00

You know what I love? France. Duh.

It is morning in Le Vesinet, and I am lolling in my bed simply drinking in the fabulousness of it all. And on top of that, Edith Piaf *might* be giving me a private serenade right now. Okay, so she isn't. But I do have two chairs and one stool and a vanity and a sink and a closet with hangers and shelves and a little stand thingy that I think is called a butler or maid or some such and a bedside stand with a secret drawer right in the middle where I can find it. Yes!

And there may or may not be lace curtains on my window that overlooks the garden.

Oh, did you want to see it? Fiiiiiine.

Tres charmant, hein?

Enough bragging for one day. I'll just be off to the Eiffel Tower now for a little picnic rendezvous.

love.

foodie

2011-09-15T00:36:00.000-06:00

Over the course of the past few days I have eaten enough bread to feed all

the starving French people and keep Marie Antoinette from losing her head.

But I hear that is kind of a done deal, so no apologies.

The French are definitely into presentation. My food always looks so beautiful...

{before I tear into it}

The photos are not great, in fact they are horrible.

No excuses. At least I took the time to snap a shot before devouring my delicious food!

Can anyone spot the black pudding? That was a meal I had in Ireland, and I might be seriously impressed if you can even tell through the poor lighting.

Oh, and I tried foie gras. Aaaaand I am never, ever doing that again.

Three chances and goose liver is definitely out of my repertoire for the rest of my life.

It even made me think vegetarian for a while.

Okay, I'm hungry. Time for another croissant!!!

LOVE!

petite gateau

2011-09-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

See that castle looking thing? Come a little closer...

Yeah. See that little hole smaller than the circumference of Pez? Alternate Universe, just on the other side. But we couldn't find the Transporter which bummer us out a bit.

Moving on...Successfully asked a woman, in french, to take a picture. Ten points!

{this is not the picture. fyi.}

Beautiful beautiful Basque!...Oh, and me.

Made "Gateau Basque" at the Cake Museum in Basque, and were critiqued on our performance. But since the dough was already made for us it was more of an artistic opportunity rather than baking class. Still super yummy, and he gave us all the recipe--c'est chouette!

{this is me saying "yummmm" to my tres jolie petite gateau}

And then at the next town I and my friend forced ourselves up a steep and chunky-cobblestoned walkway Worth it? Oh yeah! {Hope your feet are okay, Amber!!!}

San Sebastien, Spain tomorrow!

LOVE!

more words in color.

2011-09-08T14:38:00.001-06:00

{there are beautiful churches every direction you turn!}

{castle built on a rock in the ocean. nbd.}

{me on a wall. i just had the urge to climb, you know?}

{two of my adorable travel mates + the ocean.}

{oh look! another two of them! also, the museum of chocolate!}

{sunset from the beach in st. jean-de-luz. delicious.}

love.

5,000 words.

2011-09-05T10:55:00.000-06:00

{Pollack at the Pompidou}

{a beautiful fountain...was this in Devil Wears Prada?}

{Kupka!...did you know he was inspired by water lilies too?}

{I swoon.}

{Glace au rose avec un macaron. No bueno.}

LOVE!

just like nancy drew

2011-09-04T15:20:00.000-06:00

You know what makes really old buildings just peachy? Secret passages!

Every old building has at least one secret passage, you just have to know how to find them, or know someone who can show them to you.

Mine would definitely be the latter. I love my friends.

And I'm betting that less than 2% of students at Trinity know of this secret passage's existence.

Which makes you awesome, because I'm letting you share in my awesomeness!

The password is "Early printed books."

And you take a dark-lit passage...

{decorated with really old art prints}

That takes you beneath Trinity, across the courtyard area, and up above where the Book of Kells is lodged. Coming up in a two-person elevator...

Where people sometimes go crazy because it is so squished...

...ha...

{The mirror makes it appear larger than in actuality}

And voila! Here you are!

These books only special people with special gloves are allowed to touch.

Sweeeeeet! I think that makes a total of...five secret passages I have traversed. Now I just need a mystery to solve. C'est chouette!

LOVE!

very first thing

2011-09-04T12:26:00.000-06:00

Straight from the airport I took a train into Dublin, and then after taking a bus, train, train, train, car, arrived in Kilrush.

Solid 40 hours of travelling...not too shabby. In fact, I was ready to fall over. And did. Several times.

I spy with my little eye...something that is green. With boots sticking out one end...

Yep. That's me. Sleeping on the train platform.

Would have loved to jump out and scare someone by acting like a zombie, but I tried it and was too deliriously tired to pull it off.

So of course, the logical thing to do when I arrive at my destination is to change into my swimsuit like a crazy person and go running over the {rock} beach and straight into the Irish Atlantic Ocean.

It was 50 degrees outside.

And the water...might have been 20.

Can't think of a better way to start my Euro-adventures.

Even in spite of the smoker's voice I now have. Helps me fit in here in Paris, hein?

LOVE!

sometimes I make up my own equations

2011-08-30T16:05:00.000-06:00

Hello Blog. For the second time while sitting in the same chair. Neat-o.

If blogging is what you do while waiting for a flight, what do you do while waiting to go to Europe?

European stuff! Duh.

...Orange, Raspberry, and Chocolate Gelato at Frost in Gilbert...

...And dinner at the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas...!!!

I know. You're green with envy. Too bad, you can't have him.

Must say, can't wait for the real deal. But without Boy, the experiences will probably turn out something like this:

fake European stuff {plus} Boy [is greater than] real European stuff {minus} Boy

LOVE!

one giant leap

2011-08-30T13:41:00.000-06:00

Re-(x8)-packed my bags, got a solid two hours of sleep, and am currently chillin' in the

{overcrowded and rather dirty...I have a very strong urge to sanitize everything and then replace the carpet}

Delta Sky Room at JFK. And will be. For. Six. More. Hours. Every child's dream come true!...and good thing I'm still a child.

My co-flyees on the way here were just lovely. I made at least ten snack-sized friends today already.

Good karma indeed!

LOVE!

umbrella art

2011-08-25T18:18:00.000-06:00

If I were staying, this is the next Umbrella print I would purchase.

{yes, I have an umbrella obsession...}

Except I can't seem to find whose photograph it is or where to acquire one?

Help!

love.

fall nails!

2011-08-25T17:05:00.000-06:00

Can you believe Fall is coming? Me neither. I believe weather.com says the current temperature is 92 degrees Farenheit...

Yet, coming it is. So how about some Fall nails? Yes please! Top left is Essie "Lapis-of-Luxury," next is a nail ring! And finally, newspaper nails! Nothing says "Fall" to me like a book on your nails.

Last note: It is the time for you to try some stick-on nailpolish. Works super especially great for difficult-to-take-off nailpolish like anything glittery!

LOVE!

lapis-of-luxury. nail ring. newspaper nails. stick-on-glitter nails.

imagine the possibilities!

2011-08-24T11:16:00.000-06:00

I have been pondering cinnamon rolls. Yum!

And my big revelation went as follows: before any filling is added to the bun, a layer of butter is lathered on first. Why use plain butter? When there are thousands of butter possibilities that could make your cinnamon roll absolutely delicious!? Honey butter! Apple butter! Cinnamon butter! Berry butter!

Can you even begin to fathom the frosting possibilities??!

Its probably a good thing I am leaving for France asap...otherwise my kitchen would be full of multi-flavored rolls of goodness.

Thinking about it...I probably have time for an experiment or two...yes! To the kitchen!

LOVE!

credit.

no.

2011-08-23T10:33:00.001-06:00

You lie, Mark Twain.

Going out on a limb is where you fall on your head and break your heart. Or your nose.

Same thing.

love.

did columbus feel this cool when he discovered america?

2011-08-22T10:59:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking no.

My little bro lent me his Kindle for my Paris "visit." This morning I went in search of free-or-nearly-free books. 87 minutes and 109 books later...it is safe to say I am addicted.

Did you know the Kindle holds about 3500 books? Okay, rephrase: three-thousand-five-hundred books. Savvy?

Okay now go get yourself a Kindle.

LOVE!

Dear Blog &tc,

2011-08-18T18:27:00.000-06:00

Ever so sorry for the long absence. My journal is about all I have kept up with lately. In fact, I may or may not have forgotten your very existence. Boy has been taking up *much* of my evening time, and my days have been occupied by packing. And re-packing. And then going out for supplies. And then remembering one more thing I wanted to purchase and going out again. And sorting and boxing and bagging and D.I.'ing {that's like Good-Will-ing for those outside of Utah}. Blah blah blah.

The good news is, I am in the counting DAYS until I get to ma belle Paris (or is it mon bel Paris? goodness I can never get gender and subject to agree!). Which means there will be a very sudden very great influx of beautiful pictures and entertaining {ha!} commentary.

Hold your breath my friends, this is gonna be good!

LOVE!

let's get real

2011-08-05T12:45:00.000-06:00

I am leaving. For Paris. In {ostensibly} 24 days.

Wanna know a secret?

I am terrified. I am downright paralyzed thinking about it--I have yet to buy my plane ticket, and we're looking at three more weeks. Total. If that tells you anything.

I guess you could say I am "risk averse."

Paris is risk.

Paris is expensive.

Paris is foreign.

Have I ever stepped out into the unknown before?

Yet here I am, about to step, armed with my "French Phrases" book,

{which contains such useful phrases as "I lost my dentures"}

and my irrepressible and unquenchable thirst for travel, exploration, discovery! I will conquer the world!

...maybe.

How about next year?

No.

What terrifies me more than going to France is not going to France.

...stagnation,

torpor,

stalemate,

atrophy...

And to paraphrase Dickens, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done."

If you always do what you've always done...you'll always be what you've always been.

LOVE!

bagel what?

2011-08-02T14:24:00.000-06:00

Eating my bagel with strawberry cream cheese, I realize that I need to check the calorie content of this mystery bagel!

Turning the {wrapper-less} bagel over, it comes to me: why are nutrition facts printed on the food *wrappings*??? What if the dietary information was printed on the food products? That way, you're not just eating an oreo. You're eating 160 calories and 7 grams of fat.

And those facts are staring. you. down.

This brings dieting possibilities to a whole new level.

Partially related note:....who was it that looked at a bagel with cream cheese and thought, "oh yeah, that'd make nice earrings!"

I don't know if I'll ever eat a bagel with cream cheese again.

And on that happy note...

LOVE!

{credit}

grease vs. sugar

2011-07-31T17:39:00.001-06:00

I LOVE baking. So when I found this cute little chart...

The geek in me just...geeked out.

One thing confuses me...I'm baking this right now, but it is definitely higher in sugar than the "bread" section, but does not qualify as "pie" or "candy" either! Oh well. Cinnamon rolls are tricky little devils. Perhaps grouping it with "funnel cakes?"

Anyway...
yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmy Sunday.

LOVE!

P.S. image found on userealbutter.com, but the link appears to be broken :(

owls and hagrid and trelawney and HARRY POTTER!

2011-07-18T19:32:00.000-06:00

Loved going to the Harry Potter midnight showing. Oh. My. Goodness. One of my favorite things is when a group of entirely different and disparate groups come together so intensely over a commonly shared obsession. Some people showed up at 6:00 pm to line up for the midnight showing, and I am positive that there are plenty who showed even earlier.

Some of my favorite shots from the evening:

{Where's...Waldo? I love you whoever you are. Creative.}

{notice how the group is being cursed from behind. sneaky.}

I made a cake in the shape of Hagrid's Hut. Can I just tell you how brilliant it turned out? Ooooor let me show you....:

[but first, look right: Dumbledore!]

Okay now here is me dressed as Professor Trelawney. Awesome glasses huh?
{I'm holding the Hagrid's Hut cake}

Yes, I cried during the movie. In fact, I didn't realize how much water was coming out of my face until I noticed the soaked shirt of the person to my left. I need to go see it again before I can tell you if I liked it. What I can tell you is that I laughed at the very end. Aging young actors...doesn't work very well. That's all I have to say about that.

Oh my I love all these amigos of mine! I would definitely call the final Harry Potter first of anything a success! Yay!

LOVE!

speaking of rebecca black...

2011-07-16T15:05:00.000-06:00

Worth every second of those five minutes. Trust me.

kthanksloveyoubye.

LOVE!

face on a poster...{again}

2011-07-14T12:14:00.000-06:00

Love being famous. Although you know, sometimes its kinda hard...people asking for my autograph left and right...paparazzi...freshmen following me around...*sighs* tough life.

I'm in the corner. The right corner.

And that's Alissa on the left :)

LOVE!

i might be the last one to the show

2011-07-11T12:02:00.000-06:00

House with lots of windows - air conditioning = long, hot, summer days.

Getting dressed in the heat is always hard. Especially on Sundays. This past Sunday was no exception. To say that the weather was warm is putting it lightly. We were melting.

{Yeah, remember when I blogged about feeling like an ice cream cone and nobody got it? Are ya with me now?}

It was so hot that we actually drove to church. Yes, from less than a mile away. We actually drove to the other side of campus and then backtracked on foot to get to the building where our ward meets. All in the name of avoiding the satanic hill that sits between our house and our church building.

Sitting in front of my closet whining, my roommate suggested trying on her maxi dress.

[Digression: WHY is it called a "maxi" dress? Couldn't they come up with a better name? It just makes me think of that other thing often referred to as a "maxi." And no, it is not another dress]

Yes, the maxi dress is the answer to summer. Why did I not jump on this bandwagon sooner???

LOVE!

note to self.

2011-07-07T22:27:00.000-06:00

Thanks for the reminder, self.

LOVE!

thoughts on waiting

2011-07-07T09:47:00.001-06:00

{This post is dedicated to a very dear friend and the conversation we had last night. You know who you are and what we talked about. I love you very much and I hope this helps you}

Sitting in a doctor's office, you wait for your name to be called.

With wet nails, you sit on a couch, and wait for them to dry.

Married, you wait for the right time to have kids [and then for them to grow up].

As a student, you wait to graduate.
In the kitchen, you wait for the water on the stove to boil.
Every Monday, you look forward to the weekend and wait for it to arrive.

Life is waiting.

But that's not the point.

The struggle of life is what you do during those waiting times. The challenge is living while most of the world continues to wait.

Waiting is a passive act. Doing is...well, obviously not.

So what are you doing while you are waiting?

If you are always waiting for what will [or may] be, you will never be happy with what is.

So live. Don't wait.

LOVE!

ps...There are plenty of things worth "waiting" for. Lots and lots and lots. This is about living rather than waiting for the next phase of life or for summer to end or for the Yankees to win a game or for your GPA to be a point higher or for the other person to smile first. YOU know.

can i get a little toast with that cheese?

2011-07-07T00:31:00.002-06:00

I am so very grateful for my fabulous friends. Days like today--not a particularly significant day in any way--I realize that I am very blessed in the friend department. That most likely includes you, unless I don't know you yet. We will be though, just as soon as I meet you.

The number of friends I count as "close" is astounding....probably because it makes up 86.3% of everyone I know.

You are wonderful.

May I enumerate a bit more?

Book Club.

Dollar movies.

Long walks.

Wal-Mart.

Charity events.

Advice.

Sammy's.

Shopping.

Cooking {usually accompanied by a melt-down}.

People watching.

Apartment-hunting.

Studying.

Sun.

Cafe Rio.

Note-Passers.

Harry Potter.

...et al

If you fit into any of those categories, you are on my list.

You know what would be fun? A friend-family tree!

Oh, and thank you for loving me tooooooooooooooooo!

Buenas noches.

LOVE!

mrs. astro-can can and you can too

2011-07-05T11:48:00.001-06:00

I set a lot of goals. I make a lot of plans. I scheme and I calculate and I try and try and try...

And fail.

Are you like me? Then listen up.

1: stop feeling that you just aren't __________ enough.

you know what I mean.

thin enough

fit enough

organized enough

calm enough

happy enough

well-read enough

2: BE who you want to be for ONE hour every day.

you can do that, right?

I [re]started my life yesterday with this motto, and I tell you what, you focus on that one hour, and all the rest will take care of themselves. The entire day just fell into place. Maybe it was magic...but I believe in magic so that's okay.

You can do {insert amazing thing}!!!
[and i can too]

LOVE!

red, white, blue and yummy!

2011-07-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Trying to get some more fourth of July spirit goin' on using these lovely pictures as motivation...

i think it is starting to work...

Here I go,
heading out to the parade!
Happy 4th my loves.

{doesn't this cake look divine???}

LOVE!

confessions of a horrible sister

2011-07-04T00:59:00.000-06:00

Today I...

g-chatted

texted

called

texted again

re-pinned

my sister Jessica.

and forgot one VERY important slightly huge teensy tinsy little detail:

her birthday.

so here it is. an ode to jessica nichol.

{don't you just love her already?}

as if any more reasons are needed, here i go:

1. she remembers everything from my birthday (20x200 art) to race day (when i got a Cliff Bar in the mail!)

2. she taught me how to be crazy

3. how to glow in the light streaming in through windows

3. How to fly a kite...or how to hold a kite after my daddy got it in the air...

4. how to do my hair, starting with, you know, safety scissors.

5. apparently she even taught me how to read!

6. and she stuck with me through the fanny pack era

7. and helped me build my very first snowman

9. she also introduced me to gray, a key shade in my wardrobe

10. Basically she taught me how to be completely awesome.

Jessica, I hope you know I adore you.

LOVE!

once upon a time

2011-06-28T00:06:00.000-06:00

A story is not a good story without an equally good intro; and if that intensely felt, ponderous, almost presumptuous first few lines do not measure up, you know immediately that any further reading will be an exercise in frustration and futility.

Without further ado, some books I recommend and the lines with which they begin.

In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. —F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)

Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty which seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress.
—George Eliot, Middlemarch (1872)

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. —Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story. —Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome (1911)

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. —Charles Dickens,David Copperfield (1850)

Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo. —James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. —Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (1877; trans. Constance Garnett)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice(1813)

{and that is just the beginning}

LOVE!

attempted addictions

2011-06-27T14:40:00.000-06:00

I don't have a very "addictive" personality.

Yes, I am addicted to sugar, but that's not really what I'm talking about.

I also love books, but that's an on-again off-again relationship, pending school work.

Running is definitely an addiction, but not one my knee is allowing me indulgence in at the mo'.

My goal this summer is to get addicted to something. You know, like people who don't miss a single episode of Jack Bauer...thing. Social addictions.

In the running:

The Bachelorette: losing.

Covert Affairs: survived one day (thanks Em!).

Magazines: sporadically.

Gossip Girl: ended a week after I started.

Facebook: I do check that regularly, but only if I KEEP it open.

Gmail: mmmm no. Like FB, I keep it open so I HAVE to check it.

Blog: I love my blog, but again, sporadic.

New Idea:

PINTEREST!

My sister loves it. My friends love it. I gave out a few invitations recently...and today is the first day I am trying it. Pathetic, I know.

What about you? Any "social addictions" you would recommend???

{preferably the zero calorie kind. not looking for an addiction to ANOTHER froyo stand!}

LOVE!

moments that matter most

2011-06-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

LOVE!

i have an announcement

2011-06-24T14:33:00.000-06:00

Summer has arrived!!!

Say goodbye to straight hair;

mine gets frizzy within five minutes of being outside.

Say goodbye to good naps--or sleeping at all--it is just too hot.

Say goodbye to baking anything in the oven.

{but}

Hellooooooo strawberry season!

Hello evening walks!

Hello pool!

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it."

LOVE!