What we can conclude from this month:
- Allyson only missed one day in April, which means she has done better than every year in the past and still has a goal for next year.
- Allyson likes well dressed boys with british accents.
- Allyson still presses the "new blog" button.
- Allyson likes you guys.
What I did today:
I've wanted to visit Chinatown since fall, but just have never gone. Today I was craving bubble tea, so I said, heck... I'm going. It's awesome. I want to go back.
What I finished today:
(Well, ALMOST) My Secret Garden blu ray project. Fun project, bad bad pictures.
Ps. I didn't make like a NOVEL. It's a 25 page book with five different essays I wrote and designed for my Type class. Don't be TOO impressed. :]
It hit me a few days ago that I've nearly had an entire school year living here in Chicago. It's a funny thing how I still feel like I haven't explored/been to much of the city, when in fact I have done quite much. Here are some of my favorite discoveries of the city thus far:
1) My nutella latte at Ipsento Cafe.
Not only was the latte to die for, but this was probably my favorite cafe atmosphere yet. I must go back.
2) The vegan shakes at The Chicago Diner
This whole place is great (and completely meat free,) but they have seriously the best shakes you may ever taste in your life, and I am not exaggerating to you. Promise. Vegan desserts, as a whole, I find are much more delicious. And the great thing is, you can still eat meat AND vegan desserts. :]
3) Le Creperie
I actually haven't come here since living here, but we used to go here whenever I would visit. I grew up loving crepes dearly, and I still have yet to have a better one in the city.
4) Stanley's Produce
This morning I bought two cartons of strawberries, a bunch of bananas, two heads of brocolli, and three pears for $3.67. Enough said. On a related note, the strawberries are nearly gone.
5) The Dirty Chais at Pick Me Up Cafe
Another new discovery. This diner is heavily hipster but so eclectic and wonderful and 24 hours. Last night I ordered a chai with kahlua in it. Again, enough said.
6) The Chicago Cultural Center
Sounds boring, right? So much not so. I had to write a paper on this building for class and I fell in love. It was Chicago's first library and it is just absolutely beautiful. And it's also home to a peaceful book cafe and an awesome non profit program that's basically an art class for mentally challenged people.
7) Wallaby Australian Yogurt and Hand Ground Peanut Butter
Okay, these aren't unique to Chicago, but they are both absolutely to die for at Whole Foods.
8) Chicago Bagel Authority
The best bagel sandwiches. You will. Ever. Have. And I don't exaggerate this, either. They steam them instead of toasting them.
9) Crossroads
A trendy/vintage thrift store at its finest.
10) The Tapas at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba
When I heard Spanish food, I got nervous. But oh lands, my children. Oh. Lands. Food at its finest. And fantastic Sangria.
Four: I got my book today, if you don't have me on Facebook OR Twitter OR Instagram, then I shall show you a page here.
Five: Sometimes, when I'm tried, I tell stories about penguins and unicorns. This is one of those nights. But no one is here to listen. I don't know what to do with my imagination right now.
"I'm very much a word person, so that's why typography for me is the obvious extension. It just makes my words visible."
Gif:
*swoon*
Blog:
Today was a terrible, no good every bad day.
Idonwannatalkaboutit.
But tomorrow is a new one!
I was so frustrated today that I needed to get my mind off of everything and create something that didn't have to do with school or freelance stuff. So, I whipped up a quick little summerish diddy for the blog. I think I'm going to completely revamp the blog after finals this week. I do have a whole month just to work and play before Dublin.
Who knows, maybe I'll even do a few of yours. :]
Tomorrow I pick up the book I designed/wrote from the printshop. I. Am. Terrified. Our professor told us not to expect it to be perfect, since it is our first one ever and we don't have a chance to overlook the printing/binding process... but I want it to be perfect, guys. :/
PICTURES TOMORROW.
Things:
- I might be going to a legitimate TED talk Saturday morning. This is kind of dreamy.
- I can't stop thinking about chemicals in my food after that documentary on plastic.
- I have a new roommate for next year moving in. And she just finished producing her first cd.
- My mom is beginning to watch Downton Abbey. I'm excited.
- Yesterday morning I woke up to a text from my roomie Jeananne after she read my blog that said, "You tell me to kiss a boy. WELL IT'S NOT THAT EASY."
This is my cousin, Michael. He's a cutie, a hipster, a little absent minded, and seriously seriously talented. He doesn't wear those glasses all the time, I promise. He's also a goof. And a little brother to me.
Anyway, he's hittin' the ground running on his dreams. I have the pleasure to hear his stuff in the beginning stages sometimes, and he's just great. His voice is perfectly indie.
What I'm getting to is that he's entered a contest to perform at a huge music festival in Wisconsin this summer, Summerfest. I am nearly as passionate about him making it as a musician as he is, I swear. I'm like a proud mother. It's pathetic. He's listed as my son on Facebook.
Furthermore, if you could vote (up to five times a day!) whenever you think of it or remember, it would mean the world to him. I know how much self promotion sucks, so I'm just doing what I can to help him out.
When you were a junior in college living in Chicago...
You had to take the train to school for 20 minutes each day.
You had a bedroom light that you never dared to touch, due to the fact that it was possessed.
A train passes your apartment every few minutes. You hardly ever notice, anymore, though.
You work at Gap. This has become a very love not so love relationship. You love the people you work with, but hardly love retail. Don't do retail again. For some reason, this job brings out the most bubbly part of your personality. Figure that out.
You have officially become a girl who drinks coffee every single morning.
This was the first year of your relationship with Dunkin Donuts, and you've finally figured out how to want this coffee. Milk, not cream, and light sugar.
The bagel place across the street is to die for.
There is a very friendly man outside the Starbucks around the corner that greets you in the morning. He makes you happy.
You finally made nerdy friends.
You started to eat a lot more healthy.
You literally always wear skirts. Good girl.
You have to wash your car every other week because the train poops on your car. So much.
You work really, really hard. Good girl.
You live by every shop imaginable.
You shop less. Good girl.
Your room is off the kitchen, just like Rory.
Your house has a blue door.
You had a crush on your English teacher. He was an urban gardener with a giant beard, wonderful eyes, and the kindest most wonderful personality.
All you think about is design.
You're getting MUCH better at waking up, hun. Good girl.
A Song:
I'm not a huge fan of The Fray, but I'm really enjoying this song today.
A Fact:
You know how the Greek language has several different words for love? Well, in the Bible in John Chapter 21, the whole meaning of the conversation God has with John is lost in translation. The original translation mentions two loves: agape, a deep godly love, and phileo, more of an affectionate love.
"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?'
'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.'
Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'
16 Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'
He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'
Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.'
17 The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' "
In verse 15, Jesus asked if Peter agape'd him. Peter said he phileo'd him.
In verse 16, Jesus asked if Peter agape'd him. Peter said he phileo'd him.
In verse 17, Jesus asked if Peter phileo'd him. Peter said he phileo'd him, and broke down.
A Happy:
My phone is officially recovered from a swim in the toilet last night.
So here's what happened. Contrary to former belief, there was no influence involved in my "blog" last night. Quite the contrary. It was the influence of a sleepy girl who had just squeezed into a twin bed with her sister when she remembered she didn't blog. Well, folks, I didn't come this far to give up at that moment! So I decided to blog from my phone. Except blogger literally wouldn't let me type anywhere but the title. Therefore, I told you that via the title. Except when I pressed published, I realized everything was misspelled.
I thought about fixing it for a split second.
But that thought didn't last long.
Anyway, like I said... my sister was over, and we went to a band concert of some of her good friends. And we had delicious pulled pork and tots. And froyo at midnight. AT WHICH I parallel parked. In Chicago. For the first time. This is how badly I was craving froyo. The other Alyson came as well, and well... whenever it's time to go out, this simultaneouslycoincides everyone raid my closet time. So, we all went out as... me. I've gotten much better at taking about 2 minutes to decide what to wear. Two simple steps: 1. Which skirt and 2. What top is clean/weather appropriate/at least semi matches. Matching is not a requirement, however.
Anyway, there was my evening. Um...
Oh, this happened while my roomie and I were playing Pottermore. I was a little behind her, and there was a point where I got to this...
... and squealed. Jeananne laughed. I said, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME OLIVER WAS GOING TO MEET ME?!" She said because she wanted me to be able to discover it myself and hear just that reaction. Oh Oliver, you can meet me anyday.
So that happened. Hmm...
OKAY. Church tomorrow! Car wash tomorrow! Target tomorrow! Sleep well. Thanks for reading. :]
"Jeananne, I don't think I'm going to blog today." "NO! What does BEDA stand for?"
"Blog mummble mummble in April..." "Whaat?"
"Blog evryegbsmdy in April..." "COME HERE AND WRITE YOUR BLOG."
"FINE!"
Hello, kids.
Today I played on Pottermore for a few hours, wore a Harry Potter shirt, and watched Deathly Hallows part two.
Yesterday I deactivated my Facebook to be less distracted.
Oops.
Speaking of, add me on Pottermore. I'm a proud Ravenclaw and MistThestral108. Let's duel each other. Whabam.
In other news, I kind of really enjoy theological type books like those of C.S. Lewis, Donald Miller, Oswald Chambers, etc... and I'm reading one right now called A Severe Mercy about a couple who was friends with C.S. Lewis and I cannot put it down.
Doobeedoo.
This is what made me laugh today:
Harry has a really awkward body twitch going on and trying to be smooth or something, and Niall is like running with unicorns. I couldn't stop laughing.
Tomorrow. I'll love ya. Tomorrow is only... one minute aawwwayyy.
I would love this as a print in my room, and I would love if
Downton Abbey would start its next season. Okay, thank you. :]
Today was a great day. I don't even have any specific reason why. It just was.
Things were just falling into place. And I'm finally to the point where I have relationships to look forward to at work and school, instead of braving everything on my own and hoping I don't have too many awkward encounters. (Although, today, I definitely did have one. I hate being good with remembering people when they aren't with you. Bah. Awkward.)
Projects are taking shape, Dublin is settling in, McDonald's sweet tea is always faithful, trains do come right on time some days, asparagus is delicious, sales kick butt, Dunkin Doughnuts does get your coffee right sometimes, bloggers are awesome, laughing all day at work is delightful, collaborating with other designers is always helpful, and your favorite player wins games for your boys sometimes.
Today's blog is coming at you from the lab. Where I should be working. However, you get this. A pretty form of procrastination.
This day of sorts is full of design work for my blu-ray disk cover of The Secret Garden (upper left,) good weather and good bangs (upper right,) and clean rooms (lower left.)
Is that where the commas should go in that sentence? Seriously. I'd like to know. I love English, but some of that technical stuff bites me in the buttocks.
I think I'm going to buy a chili cheese dog on my way home. Sometimes when I splurge on things that aren't always the most practical or healthy, either the "because you're worth it" slogan or Tom's character in Parks and Rec saying "TREAT YO' SELF" plays in my head. All the time.
The chili cheese dog won't be pretty, but it will be pretty DELICIOUS!
I have been in the lab for... 12 hours this weekend, now. I'm getting seriously loopy, friends. Seriously loopy.
"I no longer imagined my scars as ugly, like I was a monster pieced and stitched together. Suddenly, they were curling and blooming onto a canvas - thorns at first, and then roses. They were a winding staircase into a secret tower. Instead of being long brands and labels, they curved and became the perfect papery imprint on a butterfly's wing. And when those wings hit the sunlight, they looked like a painting.
Suddenly they were beautiful."
- Paperdoll
(remember that one time I said I liked this book?)
This morning... well, afternoon (thanks to a delightful lazy morning) as I was putting my makeup on, I thought about my physical imperfections. I wouldn't say I compare myself to famous actresses, but sometimes I do wonder how they're always so perfect looking. Then I remember that this is their job. It's their job to look good. They have all the money in the world for hair extensions, treatments, waxes, teeth perfecting, etc. Can you imagine how much time they must spend on their appearance? Gosh, exhausting.
Anyway, I have physical "imperfections." Let me tell you about them.
1) One of my front two teeth has been chipped since second grade. I was playing red rover. I was called and starting running towards two girls who decided to let go at the very last second as I was running full force. Unlucky for me, there was a wall close behind. Haven't played Red Rover since.
2) I have 29 screws and 2 plates in my jaw. I had an underbite my entire life until I had jaw surgery at the age of 17. They cracked off both of my jaws and moved them around. I couldn't open my mouth for weeks and weeks.
3) Because of that surgery, I have a numb bottom lip and chin. Well, it's about 70% numb. And no, that doesn't mean you can punch me and I wouldn't feel it, silly. I still have a skull. Many of my nerves were damages from the surgery, leaving much of my face numb. Most of the feeling came back. Most.
4) I have a scar below my lip from where I had a mole removed... twice. It was like an Anti-Marilyn.
5) Sometimes I have really bad eczema... worst around my eyes. Before I had a prescription, I would put moisturizer on 4 times and my skin would still be flaking. Dry skin like whoa.
6) I've had to wear glasses since... are you ready for it? I was three.
7) I am a moley girl. I think I have 8 on my face/jawline. Sometimes, they make shapes.
Anyway, that's my face. And it's perfect within it's imperfections.
Edit: If you're coming via Melinda's flattering post, or Natalie's kind thanks in reference to my Paperdoll post, hello. :] Let's be friends. Also, I promise I don't always talk about nonsensical stuff. April is a long month, folks. Sometimes it's filled with nonsense. But, welcome!
This was a question raised by a few friends upon discovering I blogged.
I said, "Um, poop. Also deep things."
My roommate added, "There's usually an irrelevant picture."
Accurate.
Now I'm going to take a minute and blog about music I've been listening to lately, friends.
... other than One Direction.
While I do homework and design.. or blog... or think... I always always have a Post Rock station on. Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, This Will Destroy You... etc.
While I shower, Top 40. I dance. I dance hard.
While I lay in bed, it's lyric time. William Fitzsimmons, Laura Marling, Greg Laswell, Passenger...
While I want to dance like nobodys watching, Beirut, King Charles...
When I'm feeling complacent... JJ Heller, Andrew Peterson, Phil Wickham, Needtobreathe...
This post comes to you an hour or two late, but with good reason. We just got back from Titanic. For the record, Leo is more attractive in 3D. Truth. Now. This evening I'm just going to show you three videos from my day.
One: A video that inspired me during literally what was one of my most discouraging weeks, creatively. I. Love. This. Watch it.
Two: A video from the game I attended in which I couldn't stop laughing. He needed one out. One out to end the game. I mean, at this point, I was laughing so hard. So hard. He was taken out, then. With one out left in the game. Someone needs to play catch with his pops more often. (Sorry, I don't have this one embedded. Bah.)
1) Designed a chapter of my type book. Professor hated it. Started over.
2) Found out that I was not, in fact going to London this summer. Thought I was going to Prague.
3) Found out I was not, in fact, going to Prague.
4) Found out I officially am going to Dublin. DUBLIN. Come visit me.
5) Because BFF4L with Izzy. But really, she's great. Check out her blog.
6) Bought baseball tickets.
7) Every time I look at the blog from yesterday I want to hug Jonathan, but I can't. He is still in the magical faraway land of dragons and rice.
Remember that one time I said I was going to Greece, and that didn't happen?
Remember that one time I said I was going to London, and that didn't happen?
Well, now I'm going to Dublin. And that's happening.
And I really, really, really want to meet some of you in Europe while I'm there. I know you live there. You can't hide.
Tomorrow I have my first experience with Wrigley Field and Titanic in a theater. Also, skipping my first class of the entire semester. Should be a day, of sorts.
I PRESSED NEW BLOG AGAIN. WHAT PART OF MY BRAIN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
It's that time of the month again, that time when it's time for someone else to write your blog! Guest blogger time! This is my friend, Jonathan. He teaches English in the magical far away land of China. He's also smart and wonderful. However, unlike my guest blogger last year, this won't be a story of a love affair with Ke$ha. It's kind of a novel. Be kind to him.
----------------------
There are some things that people should never outgrow, like candy, Disney films (yes, I deem them films, not mere movies), a sense of awe and wonder when hearing about miracles, and wonderment at small things like how tiny babies hands are (hmm...that is a misuse and proper use of "small things." It stays!) and rolling down hills of green grass. I can't imagine any purer joy than rolling down a massive hill while eating Lemonheads and, when you finally stop at the bottom, pretending that you are Timon and Pumba looking up at the stars, leaving massive body prints in the uncut grass, and trying to grasp how amazing it must have been to see stars be formed. Try and top that. I dare you. (We are talking childlike joy, so coffee is out!)
That being said, there are some things that I am convinced people in this day and age really do need to outgrow. Among many others: Crocs anywhere but the garden, wearing children's clothing sizes when you obviously aren't a child anymore, and picking noses.
But, even more than all of these things, I think we all need to get together and decide to just collectively outgrow labels.
Labels were very useful as children. Parents could deem some people strangers and you knew not to accept candy or rides from them. They could declare some foods "unhealthy" and you knew that, even though they taste like heaven, they must be hell. They could say that some of your friends were bad influences and you knew that your parents could no longer see you talking to them. But, the problem came in when those labels were woefully arbitrary. Case and point, when you were at a party and a "friend of your mom" came up to you and offered you cake. Inner conflict set in. "Don't talk to strangers and definitely don't take food from them. But, this kind woman says she is a friend of my mom. What's more, she's offering me cake when I've already had one piece. Even though I want it (duh!), it's unhealthy. But an adult who claims to be acting on mom's behalf has offered! What to do?" (Too stilted, you say? Perhaps.) The point is, the labels were only helpful to an extent.
We, being creatures that are built by HIM to love laws and rules, then took this principle of labeling and took it too far. Suddenly, everything urgently needs a label so that we know where to file it. Sometimes this can be acceptable because it has no negative ramifications. Nothing bad happens when I try cow stomach and instantly decide "This is not my cup of tea and I would prefer it to keep a safe distance from my plate." But when it comes to people, I can't help but wonder if we chronically let labels interfere with what could be a promising friendship. As a Follower, my original Adam, whose first responsibility was to name (label?) all the animals, needs answers. "Is this person good or bad? Quickly, I need to know right away so I know how to treat them! I don't want to be tempted or, (Forbid it!) labeled as someone who associates with 'those' people!" Now, our habit of labeling has taken a terrible turn. It has gone from helpful and categorical to forgetting the mantra of life: "Serve HIM and love your neighbor." Insert guilty head-bow of shame here.
As if this wasn't bad enough, I'm afraid it doesn't stop there. Not only do we start to label others by trivial things like what they wear, how they talk, where they are from, or what they have done in the past, but we also start to try to alter our own labels. We want to be seen as cool, unique, or trendy. But really, through it all, you find yourself starting to lose who you really are.
You aren't a label. You define the labels.
When it comes down to it, it's pretty degrading to try and reduce a beautiful human being, a precious creation, down to a few words. I love words, but, I'm sorry, they limp when they try to describe people. People are complex, changeable, multifaceted. A word is just that, one word. One definition. One connotation. On the first day of an interpersonal communication class that I took, the prof asked us to say who we were. People tried to use their names, they tried to use adjectives, they tried to use things they liked. He rejected each of them. I loved that. You are more than that. You are all of that at one time and more, because you are loved by HIM.
Sometimes I imagine heaven as a place where, outside the gates, there are trash cans. Mountains and mountains of trash cans. Inside, there are all of those awkward "Hello! My name is:_________" stickers. Just piles on top of clumps of them, because, in order to enter, you have denied everything that you think about what you are in order to accept who you really are. You are HIS.
This turned massively spiritual. That's a habit of mine. I'm not convinced its a bad one, though. When it comes down to it, labeling is something that I just recently have begun to notice, both in myself and others. I think, collectively we need to cast it off. We need to rip off our name tags and rip off everyone else's. We need to stop trying to fit these massive creations into tiny slots. People are better than that. We are more than that. We only cheat ourselves out of relationships, opportunities, and happiness when we apply and chase after these labels.
So, I'm going to do my best to take a page from the Big Guy. When his children asked, "Who are you?" he replied with a name that simply meant, "Walk with me. Take it all in. Then, and only then, you will know." How beautiful.
With that, I think I'm going to head out for a walk. Walk with me? I'm not sure how things will go, but I can promise there will be Lemonheads, talk of animated characters, and a grassy hill!
How sad would it be if I told you I was glad none of you mentioned wanting Harry? Because it makes me happy, knowing he is less desirable for others. More for me, Harry Styles, more for me.
Tonight has got me a bit down. So I'm just going to make a list of things that make me happy.
Waltzes.
Blogging.
Baseball.
Mimosas.
Jesus rising from the dead.
Family.
Chocolate.
Coffee.
Tea.
Catching the train just in time.
Hugs.
Recognizing people on campus.
Late night cupcake runs.
Parks.
Sun.
Letters.
17 year old boys that sing about how beautiful I am.
Tumblr.
Coupons.
Campfires.
When Natalie actually comments on my blog post about her book. Oh my lanta.
Ampersands.
You.
You.
Skype dates.
Fountains.
Boys that hold doors open.
Avocado.
Getting an easy three star drawing in draw something.
You are all seriously so wonderful and interesting and kind.
However, I have this problem. This problem where I can be all super philosophical and have these legit blogs and stuff... and then the next day have the desire to talk about how I ate so much candy today that I'll probably poop funny tomorrow.
Can I tell you a secret? That's a thing amongst my friends. For example, if I picked up dinner mints, I would say, "Oh my gosh, I could eat these until I poop funny."
I just realized this is not a ladylike thing to blog about.
But I like you guys... and anything goes here, my friends.
Also, it's April. April lacks censorship.
ALSO, also. Melinda just told me I should open with the poop thing. So I have peer pressure, now. This makes it all okay.
So, I ask you, my lovelies... what could you eat until you poop funny?
Since this post has zero censorship and I am severely digging myself into a hole, I'm going to throw this out there:
I stayed up late last night fangirling One Direction and have a definite crush on Harry Styles.
"So be that girl. Be the girl who can love outrageously, because she is loved unconditionally."
I'm just going to start this blog off on a super personal note.
So, I have this thing. This thing where I don't really want to be in a relationship, because I have so much independent energy and focus right now... but I'm also terrified of being alone for too long. So, sometimes this causes me to talk myself out of things, while, at the same time, hold on to them.
Anyway, I've wanted to write about this book ever since I first read it, because it was just what I needed to hear at just the right time. I literally read it within 24 hours of a pretty significant leap of faith... a letting go, of sorts.
The book is Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd.
I can honestly say that Natalie Lloyd is one of the women I look up to most. She is lovely, strong, kind, encouraging, inspirational, and... she just gets me. Haha. I was lucky enough to receive this copy from her. Not only did she write me a note in it, but she also sent me a card. She's just great, guys. Go read her blog.
The whole book is a fantastic read. To be honest, picking it up I thought it would be geared more to a teenage girl with the usual insecurities. But it hit closer to home than I ever knew, and shed light on the story of the Samaritan woman at the well that I had never considered before.
So, check her out... but here are a few excerpts from the book. I could blog on this book for a week. But, hopefully it's just the thing you need to hear tonight.
Natalie refers to what she wishes she could have told her college self:
"You are finally starting to dip your toes into a culture with many pristine imitations of love. And those imitations are starting to get to you. You're actually starting to believe that being loved is the same as trying a new identity. But when one identity doesn't work, you tab on another one like some co-ed paperdoll. You keep letting things and people define you. You're disconnecting from the love that you know is real and true.
Don't misunderstand me. It's okay that you're trying to get something from this experience. Go see the world. Read brilliant books that make you laugh and cry. Go to concerts with your friends and sing along loudly. Make new friends. Fight losing battles. Live this moment completely. You're going to be so glad you did all that. But it will mean more if you do it out of the overflow of God's perfect love."
"You are not alone in this, so stop disconnecting yourself from the love that tore through the heaven and earth to find you. Look people in the eye when you talk to them. Move into your life with courage, not fear. Start living your life like a girl who is loved. Don't waste anymore time."
"Living in the fullness of God us so much better than the wells we keep going to for perfect love. He's it. He is the only perfect love. Trying to dig it up from other places to ultimately fill the deepest longings in our heart is a colossal waste of time"
Hebrews 4:15,16 "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
“I think and think and think, I‘ve thought myself out of
happiness one million times, but never once into it.” – Johnathan Safran Foer
I think.
I think I
can’t stop thinking about something.
Forcing
yourself to think about something else may work for a while, but I think that
when the old, undesired thoughts you are trying to override creep back into
your thoughts, they are as poignant and undesirable as always.
I think.
I think that
people who talk less think more. This is ironic, of course, because it is easy
to get the impression that someone who shares thoughts and ideas verbally and
often is a deep thinker. I think this is less of the case than we realize.
I think.
I think if we
are able to change our thoughts, this enables us to be able to change our
attitude. Sincerely. Therefore, I try to think positive often and much.
Thinking negatively does nothing but sprout negative results in your mind,
body, and attitude. Surround yourself with positive people, and ideas, and
positive thoughts will result.
“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything
if we cannot change our thinking.” –Santosh
Kalwar
For the record: I pressed New Blog again. For lands sake.
• I keep buying Naked Juice, but I hate it. But I keep thinking I'll find a flavor I like. But I don't.
• Here's a confession. As a graphic designer, I can say I am well versed in photoshop. As an artist who needs to know the proper editing techniques for photography, I know what is seen as "correct" as far as editing a photograph.
But I still use Picnik.
Not obnoxiously. I'm not one of "those girls." Just... prettily. It's closing on April 19th though. Sad day.
Anyway, what this is really about is for my love of photo filters. You can gather, then, that yesterday was a very special day for me. I'm sure many of you have heard/observed the news: Instagram is now compatible with androids.
*fist pump*
My first gram? Nothing could be more appropriate than coffee, right?
•Can I tell you something about yesterday? It's horrible. I hit a low point. Don't judge.
At work, 60% of our customers are foreign. Many of them, decently attractive. But, I don't find many boys attractive. This sounds strange. But to me, it's just, I don't know. They're not attractive until you know them. But whatever, yesterday there were two highly beautiful French brothers in the store. Like, straight out of One Direction perfection. Yes. They were probably 17 and 19, but still. Beautiful.
You know what comes hand in hand with beautiful foreign boys? Beautiful smells.
So I cleaned out their dressing rooms.
And the shirts they tried on smelled SO GOOD.
So good.
I smelled their shirts.
I'm awful.
I'm pathetic.
But, my.
MY.
I'm destined to cat lady-dom. I swear.
Day 4. Peace.
(Oh, PS. I use Batiste dry shampoo. It's like $7 at Ulta.)
On the new blogger format, how many of you click "New Blog" for a new post on a frequent occasion? Golly, Blogger. The "New Blog" button is in such a prime location for a new post. And I am not smart enough to realize it might mean an actual blog, not post.
Today was awful. I'm just going to throw that out there. To be melodramatic, I feel like a little piece of my future broke up with me. To be optimistic, I am good at trusting. I wish I could expand, but I'm not letting myself tell a single soul. Which might not be healthy, but in my mind it is best. I am stubborn. Therefore, I have chosen a few lucky souls to vaguely "WEHHH" to.
On a brighter note (and any IRL friends are laughing at me right now, because I have literally talked about this with everyone...) I have discovered the secret to life. Well, hair life. Well, my hair life. It involves two things: Not shampooing every shower and also dry shampoo.
Let me explain. My hair is as thick as the sky is blue.
No... no, that doesn't work.
My hair is as thick as peanut butter.
Ew, wait... no. Nope.
My hair is... really really thick.
So, sometimes I wash it... like, HARD... and it still comes out with crap left at the roots. So I shampoo it a lot because of this. Then I started using a cheap Suave cleansing shampoo, because that's the only thing that gets all the crap out. But that shampoo damages and drys the poop out of my hair. (My adjective selection this evening is prime. Prime.)
So I bought dry shampoo. And it's a miracle. A miracle, folks.
Now I take my daily or every other daily showers and only shampoo maybe once every other shower... and use the dry shampoo when my roots get awful.
It's Tuesday night. I last shampooed Saturday. And I don't feel like ripping off every follicle growing off my head.
So, I'm coming back into the swing of things from a wonderful spring break spent mostly in Nashville, my favorite city in the country. Except I can't find my motivation. All I have motivation to do is eat cupcakes.
Remember Stacy, my best of frans/roommate last year? Well, she goes to school in Nashville now. #convenient
We hung out in the sun, drank lattes, shopped, ate froyo, shopped, went out downtown, line danced, met nice boys, splurged, sat in the sun, slept, spent way too long getting ready, drove around, had Target runs, wore a lot of heels, listened to a lot of music, and had plenty of giggles.
There was this one moment when we were sitting on the porch of a Starbucks with perfect weather. Perfect. We just sat there for hours. Careless. Our only concerns were figuring out how to talk to the non-hipster boy who was sitting by himself at a Starbucks reading his book. Or if we also had time to go to the shoe store.
Sigh.
Then I headed to Madison, where I saw one of my favorite artists, William Fitzsimmons. He was the kindest of men. When I got to him I simply blurted, "I think you're WONDERFUL." He told me that one one of the loveliest things I could say to him. I will marry him. Beard and all.
But now, now I have projects and deadlines and work and stresses. Also known as, real life. This is okay. 5 weeks until summer. That's totally doable, right? Thanks for all the lovely comments on my stuff. It means a lot. For real. <3
I'm going to cop out today. Not because I ALREADY don't know what to say, but because I DO have ideas for blogs, but they require a better state of mind. I be sleepy. Therefore, here are some things I've made this semester.
A poster I designed for class.
A boutique logo
and lots and LOTS of advertisements
See you tomorrow! If you're doing BEDA, tell me. Please! I want to know who else is doing it this year so we can all read/share/encourage each other.
