The Life of Jenny

Oil face cleanse? trust me.

2011-06-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

As I was checking out blogs on my phone in the back seat of my car one day while bored with the Kentucky scenery I came across the oil face cleanse! I saw it on Carynn Mae's blog in her Food on Your Face Friday post. And I was like um ew, oil cleanse, yeah right not on my skin that you could mine for oil on. (ok that was kinda gross, sorry...but for serious it's bad.) But I was curious so researched it some and it started to make total sense! And my skin has been so bad since last August that I'll try anything lately, especially when it's natural! Now being a child blessed with the bad skin gene (as was my big brother, but strangely enough neither of our parents had bad skin growing up, rude) I'm no stranger to acne, I dealt with it all through high school but finally had it under control part way through college and was totally fine and nice clear skined until last summer. Then it came back with a vengeance. Who knows, I given up trying to understand the ways of the body a long time ago, especially mine which doesn't seem to like to work like normal persons. Getting away from the point!

Oil cleanse! So what you do is mix together castor oil (this is the base of any oil face cleanse because it's the oil that draws out the toxins and dirt) and whatever other oil you like, olive, jojoba, grapeseed, sunflower etc... And if you have super oil producing skin like mine you want more castor oil than the other, but no more than 75%, it can actually be a drying oil. But you can do anywhere from 25% to 75% castor oil, you want some in the mix because it's the one that does the cleansing.

So mix that up, put it in a little bottle or whatever you want for easy daily use and put a nice blob in your hand and massage it on your face for a good minute! Guess what you guys, since oil dissolves oil it'll get rid of any blackheads you have! AMAZING! Ok after you've massaged get a wash cloth good and steamy-almost-can't-stand-it-hot and wring it out and cover your face with it until it's cool. This will open your pores and let the castor oil do it's thing!

I do this cleanse morning (mornings I put it on in the shower and let the steam do its thing until I'm done then wipe it off with a wash cloth) and night, and you guys my skin isn't nearly as oily as it was a month ago!!! I don't have to constantly blot during the day! Who knew oil could help with oil! ha! also my skin is starting to get clearer (also thanks to finally getting my face meds again...I'm hoping it'll be back to being pretty skin again soon!) and my mom said my face seems less puffy, I guess castor oil also helps with swelling! It's been so amazing, I love it! I don't think I'll ever use harsh soaps again that strip my face of all it's natural oil so then it produces even more to compensate!

Also I started using a natural toner, I mixed apple cider vinegar with witch hazel and a few drops of lavender essential oil. I love that too! It's not so harsh as store bought toners and makes my face feel light and happy and fresh. And I don't even use a moisturizer anymore! The oil is just enough! Talk about money saving huh?!

Go research it before you try, but I had to share because I am just in love with my new face routine!

4 more days!

2011-05-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

I only have 4 days of this quarter left! I couldn't be more excited to be leaving it behind, it's been stressful and exhausting, and when it's over it means I get to road trip it back to the West coast (the best coast). This will be my 4th or 5th time driving cross country...I can't remember, I think 4th. Ashlee and Heather are flying in today to ~~help me pack and clean~~ hang out until my classes are done and we leave Friday! I haven't seen them since before Christmas so I'm pretty excited! I'll only be home for a few weeks then I have to come back here for a couple weeks for the beginning of Summer quarter and my final thesis project. But I'm doing most that at home since it focuses on my town there! Hooray! More time in Washington and less time in Georgia (so glad to I don't have to spend most of the summer in the sweaty humid heat of the South)! Well better get back to studying for my art history final.

Happy Summertime!

weheartit.com

Hooray!

2011-05-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

After weeks and weeks of anxiety I finally had my M.A review for candidacy tonight, and I passed! I didn't think I wasn't going to pass exactly, it was just the unknown and there's so much riding on that one presentation! I'm so glad its over!!! Luckily our two profs on the "panel" (we only have two in our program) weren't too harsh on me, just some suggestions for my final project next quarter which I'll gladly take and try to integrate into it!

It's just a huge relief to have this presentation and process over with! And now I can focus on classes for the next three weeks and not have this looming over me! Except now I'm having minor anxiety about my final project, but that will all sort itself out as it goes. Now I'm just looking forward to when Ashlee and Heather get here in two weeks (almost) and then a few days after that we leave on our road trip home!!!

Hope everyone has a good weekend! Mine will be full of contextual research (gross) and writing a research paper on the homes of Jane Austen (fun).

Celiac awareness month.

2011-05-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

This month is Celiac awareness month. I was diagnosed with Celiac disease 9 years ago. I actually have Celiac sprue in which gluten not only attacks my gut but also my skin. Hooray! Celiac is an autoimmune disease and is genetic.

It is NOT an allergy to gluten, a Celiac's body literally cannot process gluten, it attacks us! And the only cure is to go on a gluten free diet. Its not as bad as you think, I always laugh when people exclaim to me "WHAT DO YOU EAT???" I say well the same things you do! But it was hard in the beginning, I won't lie.

It was a tough road. I was still a teenager when I was diagnosed so once I moved away to college and I didn't have mom to feed me and I cheated on my diet a lot. It took it's toll on me. After college I became very sick and the doctors couldn't figure it out. I eventually got better after being diligent on my diet and taking tons of supplements and vitamins. But two years later I again got really sick but luckily this time the doctors finally figured it out, I developed another autoimmune disease, eosinophilic esophagitis. Being that Celiac is an autoimmune disease my immune system is always going to be compromised so during times of high stress on my body it's very easy for me fall sick or even to develop new autoimmune disorders as in this case. Fun. My tummy doctor, as I like to call him, was amazing, and I was one of the lucky 50% who went into remission from eosinophilic esophagitis after being on medication for 6 months.

I haven't intentionally eaten gluten since 2007 and I really don't miss it anymore. I did miss it the first five years (because I was cheating so still couldn't get the loveliness of wheat flour out of my head) but since going completely gluten free and never ever cheating (seriously I haven't even once! my tummy doctor was impressed with how clean my gut was last year! I was pretty proud of myself) I don't miss it at all! I can't even remember what a cookie made with wheat flour tastes like, or what "normal" bread tastes like! There are such amazing gluten free products now, and I've learned how to bake gluten free that I don't need that poison!

If you think you might have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance please don't wait to get tested! I promise it's not that scary! There's a huge community of us out there with recipes and tips and insights to share! 1 in every 133 Americans have Celiac disease, don't be one of those who get misdiagnosed or don't get tested, it can be deadly if you don't (it can result in cancer if not treated) and who wants to go through life with a constant sick stomach and diarrhea and low energy and headaches and who knows what else! not me!

There's much much more to my story than I wrote about, but I hate talking about my health and I don't want to bore you with the details. I just want to encourage those who think they might have Celiac to get tested and those who don't have it please be sensitive. Believe me, we are not trying to just be difficult people by not being able to eat certain things, and we hate having to be the ones to veto a restaurant or meal choice. I can't stand it when I have to speak up about my diet, I literally hate it, but there are times when i need to so I can eat. We aren't trying to be party poopers, and if you are a true friend (like mine are, luckily) you'll care more for your friends health and just being in their company than where or what you eat.

Happy May and happy Celiac awareness!

Faith-not emotion

2011-05-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

I liked yesterdays My Utmost for His Highest. It was a good reminder. Basically it's saying we must walk by faith with God and we can't just sit around and wait for him to make things change. He won't do anything if you aren't doing anything. But if you have faith and start taking steps and moving he will light the path and move your feet in the right direction.

It was a good to read this when I'm starting to think about jobs as I will graduating on September 1st from my Master's. I have no idea what I want to do with this degree and sometimes it paralyzes me with fear because what if I hate a job I end up getting or I can't find a career job right away (we all know its not a great job market out there) and have to just toil away in a retail job or something? But I know that if I go by faith God will steer me toward the perfect job for that time.

My Utmost For His Highest
Oswald Chambers
utmost.org

For a while, we are fully aware of God’s concern for us. But then, when God begins to use us in His work, we begin to take on a pitiful look and talk only of our trials and difficulties. And all the while God is trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are becoming obsessed with the moments when God did come and speak with us, and we are insisting that He do it again. But what God wants us to do is to “walk by faith.” How many of us have set ourselves aside as if to say, “I cannot do anything else until God appears to me”? He will never do it. We will have to get up on our own, without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God. Then comes our surprise and we find ourselves exclaiming, “Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!” Never live for those exceptional moments— they are surprises. God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life— our work is our standard.

Its no secret...

2011-04-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

That I love anything British (as in I seriously should have been born in England...and probably in the 1700's), so it's not surprising I'm super excited about Prince William and Kate's wedding tomorrow! Yes I'm waking up at 4 to watch it. And no I'm not ashamed at all. I think the whole royal lineage of England is so interesting! I'm a total dork and have read this,

My mom loves history too and we have had many conversations about who reigned when and how they came to be king or queen.

And one of my all time favorite movies is this,

Its so romantic, she and Prince Albert were so in love with each other, and I think she was a great queen even though she was a bit stuffy in old age.

And even though it was rather racy I LOVED this show

I'm in love with Henry Cavill who played Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

Oh and this movie was wonderful,

I think King George was one of the greatest kings of Britian, he knew his duty and wasn't going to give up no matter what it took and no matter how much he was told he couldn't do it.

So yeah, I'm pretty excited for the first Royal Wedding of my lifetime. Its quite a fairy tale and is lovely to dream about (even though it makes me laugh when they say Kate is a commoner when her family has a multi million dollar business, I'm sorry but in the US that's not a commoner, but I know in Britain technically it is).

And here's a wedding picture of Queen Elizabeth for good measure.

(I've always thought Prince Philip is very handsome, even now.)

So happy wedding day tomorrow!

2011-04-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

"Loneliness does not come from being alone, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important."
Carl Jung

via

Homesick for LA.

2011-04-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

I turned on The Hills today while I am doing homework and I suddenly found myself so homesick for that city. Its just been a year and half since I moved away, it feels like yesterday and yet it feels like a lifetime ago I lived there! Sometimes it seems like it was a dream too. But it was the best time of my life! LA was where I grew up and learned who I was and what I can take and how strong I am. I remember that time for all the good things that happened, not the bad (a boy who broke my heart, a job I absolutely hated etc...); all I remember is that one 4th of July we spent at Crystal Cove and all came home burnt to a crisp. Our first Hollywood night and how my middle toe was numb for a month because of the shoes I was wearing, the night we stayed in a hotel after a concert so we wouldn't be late to work the next day, weekends spent screaming and laughing at Disneyland, days spent on the beach, seeing the Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory, driving to San Diego on a whim for a concert, Ashlee and I driving home together from work on days she was in the city, seeing Wicked with all the girls, going to The Oscars (well watching the stars arrive from far away anyway), Halloween on Santa Monica blvd, walking around the town we lived in every night... Life has been pretty tame since we moved away, living with the parents and being poor while in grad school kinda cramps your style. I know I'll have other times in my life that will be awesome, like getting a job after this degree, whenever I get married and have kids, but I'll always remember my life in LA and I'll always have a soft spot for that city (don't ever dis SoCal around me!).

sorry for the random post, I'm just procrastinating from reading about a history of gardens and villas and I was dreaming of running away from this quarter to California. Happy weekend, hope you are doing something fun! I think I'm going to go to a roller derby competition with the girls tonight! I've never been to one before! So it shall be a new experience!

M.A or M.F.A

2011-03-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

So I came to SCAD because the Design for Sustainability program was only a one year master's (M.A). I didn't even know they were waiting to get the two year master's (M.F.A) approved. Then Fall quarter I learned that and I heard that if you ever want to teach ever you HAVE TO HAVE AN M.F.A. And I was like well I don't know what I want to do when I'm done with this degree, maybe I want to teach I should probably do the M.F.A if it's approved! But it wasn't approved all Fall quarter and wasn't last quarter so then I was like nope I don't want to do it even if it is approved before I'm done. I'm so ready to be done with school and just get to working (and lets me honest make some actual money so I can pay down credit cards and not be living off of borrowed money). And then over Spring break lo and behold the M.F.A was approved. When I got the email I had a moment when I though should I do it? I should probably do it. But that moment soon passed. I've talked to people who have gone through grad school and they said in the real world there's not much difference between a M.A and a M.F.A. The only world it would probably matter is at a design school who requires a M.F.A to teach, and I don't think I want to teach, at least not at the collegiate level. But honestly I have no idea what I want to do with this degree. When people ask I just say oh I probably will get into consulting, and I have no idea what that even means, it just shuts people up with the "what do you want to do with your life" question.

I also can't stay in the South for another year, I would die. I'm a West coast and Northwest girl through and through! I still have two quarters here left and I'm going to try and get it approved that my last quarter can be at home in Washington; my final project (which is the only class I'll have during summer) is going to focus on my small town where my parents live so hello it only makes sense that I'm there! So hopefully that will approved in the next couple of weeks so I can start planning my road trip home with Ashlee and Heather for June and not September! I am so so so so so so ready to be back in the West!!!

Anyway I have no idea what this post was about, just thoughts for the day. Sorry I'm such a bad post-er as of late, I just didn't have time to do anything fun last quarter and this quarter will be the same. Someday I'll be a good blogger, just not now, not until I'm done with this degree. Well anyway, off to read and get ahead for one class that looks like it'll be reading heavy this quarter (which is fine by me after all our crazy projects last quarter, I will gladly read and not do projects!!!).

So happy Monday, happy almost April, happy Spring quarter.

Earth Hour 2011

2011-03-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight at 8:30 is Earth Hour. So turn off all your lights and celebrate our beautiful Earth!!! If we all do it we can change the world.

New bike!

2011-03-15T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've never been so excited to get a bike before!!! When I was little I always had a bike, we were a lets go for a bike ride kind of family so I kinda just took it for granted. I mean I did love my purple banana seat one, with streamers on the handle bars. And sure it was fun going to get a new one when I grew out of my old bike. But I was never like jumping for joy over it. But now I'M SO EXCITED!!! I hate having to drive to classes that are across town and our buildings never had good parking so it takes forever and you run the risk of parking tickets. Anyway I was talking to my parents one day about saving money to get a bike here but my dad being the type of dad said that he is going to pay for a bike! He got a bonus for some reason so has a little extra! I'm going tomorrow to Walmart (gross, but they have the best prices and I can't be picky when someone else it paying and I'm poor) to get a bike! hooray!!! I'm gonna get a cruiser because I'm not a serious biker, I don't care about all the bells and whistles, i just need it to get me to class and look cute and have basket to put my bags in (and yes a cute bike is very important). But I feel like a little kid going to get a new bike! I can't wait to ride to the park and around town and whatever else you do on bikes. I'll show you a picture of it when I get it!!!

Oh also this quarter ended today! I. am. ecstatic. Seriously, this quarter was so much work, not hard work or bad work ever, but just a lot. It was never ending and I hardly even had weekends to relax, it was the busiest quarter I've ever had in all my school career. So I am so glad to moving onto a new quarter.

So with that happy Spring break to you! I will soon be lazing on a beach, reading just for fun books and listening to music and sleeping in. amen.

Fruit flush

2011-03-12T20:03:00.000-08:00

I decided that starting Wednesday and going until Saturday I am going to go on a fruit flush diet! This quarter has gotten me so stressed and I've been eating like crazy and I've NEVER been a stress eater before, it's the weirdest thing!!! Also with my crazy class schedule I just didn't have as much time as i did last quarter to work out! I can tell I've gained weight, I hate it. All my clothes still fit so I know I haven't gained that much, but I can just tell I'm not in shape anymore and I have been feeling gross. Soooo I was thinking yesterday of what I can start doing besides just working out more (thank goodness for a better schedule next quarter that will allow daily power walks and dads who buy you bikes so you don't have to drive to class) I decided to look into some sort of cleanse diet. I've heard of the master cleanse/lemonade diet and I know that's not for me, i don't do well on liquid diets without any protein, my body needs true food and protein to function. Then I remembered reading about 3 day fruit diets to help kick start getting healthy again so I looked it up and here's what I found!

Day 1 (Pre-flush)

Every two hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Drink a 6-ounce protein drink (void of any sweeteners, artificial colors, or other ingredients listed below), followed by 8-12 ounces of water

Dinner: 3-6 cups of raw vegetable salad, with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive or flaxseed oil or 1/2 avocado, plus half a lemon or lime

3-6 ounces lean protein or egg whites

Days 2 and 3

Every two hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Eat one serving (approximately 100 calories' worth) of fresh fruit and drink 8-12 ounces water

Dinner: 3-6 cups of raw vegetable salad with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive or flaxseed oil or 1/2 avocado, plus half a lemon or lime

1 protein drink

Protein powders should NOT include:

Casein
Calcium caseinate
Sodium caseinate
Fructose
Aspartame
Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame potassium
Sucralose
Sugar
Sucrose
Evaporated cane juice
Artificial flavors and/or colors

This diet is by Jay Robb. I think it sounds healthy and not extreme at all which is unusual for a cleanse type diet! Wednesday morning I'll have to go stock up on all my fruit and veggies! And I have a protein powder that is from brown rice so it's totally vegan and safe for me! so anyway I'll keep you updated on this when I start. I think it'll be a great way to start a new quarter, get all energized and cleansed and ready to get going again!

Three more days.

2011-03-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

I have three more days of this quarter left. God help me. I'm not sure if I can make it. I can't wait until Spring Break!!! The 'rents and my Aunt from Boston are coming here and we're going to Hilton Head for a week! wooooo!!!! Beach and sun and reading fun books and listening to music and doing nothing and SLEEPING! I can't wait to not be tired! I can't remember the last time I wasn't exhausted, probably sometime back in January. This quarter has been hellish to say the least and I can't wait to wave goodbye Tuesday night when we're done presenting our container building design. But I met a new friend this quarter and we had a good time working on another project together all quarter, so it hasn't been all bad I guess; it was just non-stop. Well anyway I'll stop whining and just be glad it's all over on Tuesday!

Hope your weekend has been great so far!

Regional dialect

2011-03-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

I've seen a few blogs do this regional dialect thing and being that I am a Northwest, West Coast girl currently living in the South (don't even get me started) I thought it was interesting to do. I'm not gonna video myself saying the words because I can't stand my voice on video so I'll just write out how we (in the Northwest) say them and write the answers to the questions.

Say these words:

Aunt (I say it like my East coast family, "Ont" most west coast peeps say "ant")

Route (root)

Wash (uh wash...how do you say it??)

Oil (oyl), Theater (thee-a-tur)

Iron (eyern)

Salmon (samon, don't pronounce the L people, its a Northwest fish so we know best)

Caramel (car-mul)

Fire (fi-yer)

Water (wah-dter, we're not good at prounouncing our T's on the west coast)

Sure (shurr)

Data (day-dta)

Ruin (rue-in)

Crayon (cran...with a little bit of a y sound in there but not much)

Toilet (toy-let)

New Orleans (new orlens)

Pecan (peh-cahn, haha muffins anyone?)

Both (bohth)

Again (agin)

Probably (exactly how its spelt)

Spitting image (again, exactly how its spelt)

Alabama (is there another way to say Alabama?)

Lawyer (loy-er)

Coupon (q-pon, I hate when people say coo-pon, drives me crazy!)

Mayonnaise (mannaise)

Syrup (surup)

Pajamas (well jammies mostly or pj's, but puh-jamas)

Caught (cot)

Now answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house? tp-ing! what other things do people call it??

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball? well if I'm thinking of the right bug, those little gray ones that live under rocks in the garden...potato bug

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called? POP!!!!!!!!!!! But my mom says soda like her East coast family so soda comes out sometimes. But it's pop. always pop.

What do you call gym shoes? tennis shoes, well we say tenna-shoes really...

What do you say to address a group of people? hey guys! (hey you guyyyyyssss)

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs? daddy long legs

What do you call your grandparents? one grandma is "Nanny" and one was "Grammy" and my great grandma was "grandma". And the grandpa I knew was "papa". But all my friends call them "grandma and grandpa"

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket? cart

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining? rain....is there a special name for that??? we have tons of names for rain in Seattle but i don't think we have a name for that, it's just rain.

What is the thing you change the TV channel with? remote! I can't stand "clicker" gross.

Bad Mood.

2011-02-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

I need to play the glad game real bad this afternoon! I'm in a bad mood, and it's not often I'm in a truly bad mood. I think I'm just overly tired. Two more weeks left. Two more weeks, I can do this. I can do this, right? So what am I glad about right now, glad it's only two weeks left of these classes. Glad I have my photography project done (I probably shouldn't but I had to just be done with it for sake of time). I'm glad its warm and sunny out, makes for nice laps about the park. That's all I can think of right now. Ok going to watch Oprah, then back to homework that needs to get done for tomorrow.

Girl Scout cookies

2011-02-24T17:19:00.000-08:00

I have a confession. I have never ever eaten one Girl Scout cookie. It's true. Growing up none of my friends did Girl Scouts and we never bought any from the kids selling them; and then I found out I have celiac when I was 17....so I didn't have a chance. I've always felt a little left out because everyone exclaims at how amazing they, and really I'm not a huge boxed cookie fan, I like homemade so I can't imagine that they're that great, but sadly it is something I will never know. Unless of course the Girl Scouts open up their marketing to include us gluten intolerant people (hint hint Girl Scouts)! Seriously, they'd tap into a huge market, gluten free peeps would DIE if they could eat Girl Scout cookies. But they can't just do it willy nilly, make sure to get a true gluten free baker to come up with the recipes so they aren't crap. I hate when companies start doing gluten free but they don't take time to make it good. We like to enjoy our treats too, just like the average eater. Anyway, this was just my random thought for the night.

Happy Thursday!

The Glad Game.

2011-02-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about Pollyanna tonight (Swiss Family Robinson is on tv and the little brother who plays the annoying little boy in Pollyanna made me think of it....just so you know), and thinking of her made me think of her "glad game."

You know the game where she takes an unhappy situation, or an annoyance and finds something to be glad about! In the movie she says her dad read through the whole bible and found 800 verses which tell us to rejoice or to be glad or happy, and if God told us that that many times it must be important. So we should find the happiness in everything.

Well I decided that in the next three weeks, my last three weeks of this quarter I'm going to play the glad game. I'm usually a pretty optimistic person, but I can be a whiner, especially when I'm tired. And I'm tired, this quarter has worn me out. So anyway, instead of being a whiner over the next three weeks I'll make myself find the happy instead!

So here I go. I'm glad that its only three weeks until this quarter is over! I'm glad its less than a month until my parents and aunt come and we go to Hilton Head for a week! I'm glad I'm halfway through my program! I'm glad I got to take a photography class this quarter. And I'm glad its cancelled all week so I get to sleep in tomorrow and Thursday! Oh and I'm glad I had to make floor plans for class tomorrow because it keeps my CAD skills in check. And I'm glad to live somewhere warm and sunny in February so I can go for walks around the park in the afternoons.

So there you go, all the reasons to be glad tonight.

I'm already feeling lighter and happier! And I needed that after the last weeks.

photos from weheartit

First time for everything...

2011-02-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

You guys! I got pulled over for the first ever today!!!! It was pretty funny, there were three of us in my car and we were piled high with recycling because we were on our way to make recycled art with kids! Ok and here's the weird part. As we were driving we saw a cop on the side of the road in the median and three cars on the other side then he starts walking into the road and motioning me to stop or something and then to go to the side of road, we were all so confused. And then he's all you were going 50 in a school zone, which none of us knew it was school zone but I was like whatever here's my license. And then they proceeded to take there sweet time writing tickets for each of us pulled over while taking turns using the speeding gun on cars coming! Another girl got pulled over while were sitting there. Finally the cop came over and goes um did you know your license expired? I must have looked really shocked because I had no idea and he was nice and didn't make a huge deal out of it, just said to get it fixed (it's only been expired since my birthday, for some reason I thought it was next year). Anyway they ended up just giving me a warning probably because we were three cute girls in a car and it was my first ticket. But thank God because I have no extra money to pay a ticket!!!! And THANK GOD they didn't take my license away or anything being that it's expired!!!! Do you see what you do to me grad school, you make a total space case when it come to normal life things!!!!!

But anyway our art project with the kids went pretty well. They had fun anyway, we didn't have much time to do it but it all turned out, and will look great in our space at the strip mall.

Still counting down..but looking forward

2011-02-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm still over this quarter but this last week was much much better! We finally made some headway on our project that is trying to make a gross old strip mall into a sustainable eco-tourist attraction. Well headway as in we have a scope of our project (my team anyway) and are getting contacts and are moving forward. The other project is still as confusing as ever but I'm just trying to go with the flow. My poor photography class is getting pushed to the back burner, I'm just happy to come out with a B in that class haha! Don't worry I always go for an A, but since that class has nothing to do with anything in my program and it's just for fun I don't really care what grade I get (well as long as it's a B or higher which won't be a problem).

I register for Spring quarter classes next week and I'm so excited for the classes I'm going to take (well two, my required class is going to suck according to others who have taken it already but that's only one out of three)! One is an architectural history class called "villas and gardens"! It sounds super interesting and is a lecture class so hopefully won't be project intensive, I need a project break after these past two quarters. I'd be happy to write a paper! The other is a historic preservation class called "conservation and the creative city" and its about like how historic preservation fits into the way cities are designed and the way they work today! It sounds really awesome! Again hopefully not project intensive...we'll see. I kinda had this sudden calling to do historic preservation, as in this could open doors to a cool thesis project perhaps meshing sustainability and preservation! It was like a light bulb last week so I searched out book on green preservation and am hoping to get them from the library soon to start delving into this subject! What better place than Savannah to work on historic preservation?? I've always had an interest in it (I'm kinda a historic design nerd...well history nerd in general...) so I'm really excited to see what it's all about and what I could do as a project! AND thinking ahead to jobs I think Seattle has a pretty good historic preservation presence so perhaps there are job opportunities to marry sustainability and it together for a job. But we'll see, I still have no idea what I want to do when I grow up.

But anyway, I'm still ticking off days until Spring Break! I can't wait! Although I wish my girls were going to be here for St. Patrick's Day (which is two after classes end), apparently it's a HUGE DEAL in Savannah. Who'd a thunk it, Irish people in the South. hm. But I'm so excited to go to Hilton Head for a week with the 'rents and my aunt from Massachusetts! I have all sorts of plans for us already...ok not really...just kayaking with dolphins so far. And sleeping. Lots of sleeping. But with an early rising dad and aunt who knows how much sleep I'll actually get....

Wow rambling post huh? Oh a good thing from this quarter is that a new girl started the program this winter and we've really hit it off! So I finally feel like I have a friend to hang out with, and she's going to try and get into the historic preservation class next quarter yay! We all are doing electives next quarter so unless we choose one of the same none of us will have classes together. :( I like going into a class knowing who will be in it, but no such luck next quarter. oh well. Hopefully we'll all stay in touch and abreast of each other's progress in the program. Ok I'll shut up now.

Good bye and good night.

Is it March yet?

2011-01-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

This quarter started off so exciting! I thought my classes were going to be awesome and the projects were going to be awesome and life was going to be awesome and everything was awesome.

And now, a month into it, I'm done.

Our projects feel like they're just going in circles and we can't really get anything done and people are just talking and getting anywhere and there's no organization or directions from our profs, it feels like we're just doing their dirty work and figuring the stuff out so they don't have to. And yes I know thats what its like in the real world and when I get out there I'll see it blah blah blah blah blah but I'm in school now, and we have ten weeks...TEN WEEKS...to actually make something "meaningful" (as one prof likes to say) happen!

Going into a project in which you have such limited time you need some direction not just a starter gun that says ok go, you figure out what you want to do and how you'll end up doing it, and oh and by the way there's not enough time for you to do primary research AND get something done so have fun! Doh, I have no idea what I'm doing, and usually leave class more perplexed than before! And now we have less than six weeks and we're supposed to know the scopes of our projects and we're supposed to be able to present our ideas and present to experts but we don't even have a design yet so how can we present if we don't know what we're doing?

I just am finding myself endless frustrated by these projects! Luckily my team mate on one feels the same way and luckily we came up with an idea for that project that should be good enough and one that we'll actually be able to get done (hopefully) by the end of the quarter. But i'm just so tired, and I just kinda don't care anymore and I'd like to sleep for three days straight at this point.

So that brings me back to my initial question, is it March yet? Please God let it be Spring break now because I think this quarter is going to kill me.

Which brings me to another question, why did I think grad school was such a great idea? Oh right because I want to actually make a decent amount of money and have a meaningful (there's that word again) job. Damn.

Savannah birthday

2011-01-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Last week on thursday night my mom and her best friend Deb came out here for my birthday! We had a busy busy weekend touring the city. It was fun to show them around, it made me appreciate this city more! It was also nice to have family here for my birthday! But today I'm sad, I dropped them off at the airport a couple hours ago and they are on their way home now. :( But anyway it was a nice birthday week and we had a lot of fun! Once I get pictures from my mom I'll put some up!

Happy hump day!

26.

2011-01-25T06:20:00.000-08:00

Today I'm 26. What a strange age to be. Happy my birthday to you.

source: weheartit.com

Feral kitties

2011-01-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

For my photography class I'm documenting feral cat colonies around Savannah. Its no secret that I love animals, all animals, but especially cats. I think that stray cats get forgotten about in many ways so I wanted to document the cats to tell their story. Here's my first set of photos.

Sustainable fashion and Livia Firth

2011-01-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

This is awesome. Livia Firth (Colin's wife) had a "green carpet challenge" to find a sustainable dress for the Golden Globes this year! She ended up choosing Jeff Garner of Prophetik to design a dress for her! You can read the article here all about it and the "peace silk" he used! He even grows his own indigo and hand dyes the fabrics!!! So awesome! (synthetic indigo is one of the worst dyes for us, very unhealthy and full of bad chemicals!). I think the dress is gorgeous, and if anyone is going to be married to the love of my life, Colin Firth, well than I'm glad it's an awesome eco conscious gal like Livia!

MLK Day Parade

2011-01-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

I'm still here.

2011-01-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

I didn't feel like blogging over my Christmas break and I just plain haven't had time since getting back to school! This quarter has started off crazy busy and it's only going to get worse! Today I left at 10:30 for class and basically didn't get home until 8pm. Had to work on a group thing in between classes...I'm happy with my classes though, and pretty excited about my three projects...it's just a lot!

In one class we're picking up where another class ended and redesigning a boring old strip mall to be sustainable. At least we're proposing the design and changes...hopefully we'll see some come to fruition, but who knows. In my other class we're designing a new "building" or extension of our school of design building our of shipping containers, and making it totally sustainable! It'll be a student hang out/eat/do homework place as well as hopefully have a classroom and a couple offices for the sustainability profs! I REALLY hope this one happens while I'm still here, it's going to be SO AWESOME! And it's fun because our class is combined with the undergrad sustainable minor and they're super gung-ho about it so we're all getting along great! And then finally my third class is a total departure for me and it's a documentary photography class! its my elective. I'm the only not photography student in it. gah! But I'm going to document the feral cat colonies around Savannah for the quarter as my project for that.

I'll try and get on here and show updates on our project. But I won't have any time really to blog for real, this quarter is just too too busy! I know, I know welcome to grad school right?

Almost done.

2010-11-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

I have my last final presentation to give this afternoon then this quarter is over! phew! Have I told that this has been the most intense quarter of my life? Because it has been. I think it was just everything, moving to a totally new place and starting a new school with people I don't know and living alone and figuring out new professors and navigating this area we call sustainability. I have never been this exhausted or brain dead at the end a quarter before! I literally can't even think anymore, it's amazing I've made it through this week at all. I'm so excited to be home for six weeks and to have a break! Next quarter is going to be crazy too, I'll have three classes two of which will be huge projects the entire quarter. One class is for fun though, it's a documentary photography class, I'm looking forward to that! A girl from my program decided to take it too, so I'll have a buddy which will be nice!

I can't wait to get home tomorrow night! And its supposed to snow this weekend! I think I'm the only person in Washington who absolutely loves the snow!!!! Everyone else complains and complains but I can't get enough! Its so pretty and fun to play in and I love being cold, I'd much rather have to bundle up than have to sit sweating in shorts and a tank top! I think its because I'm a January baby, its my nature to love Winter!!! I'm so sick of this 70 degree weather here, and people complaining that its cold when it gets into the 60's. Warm weather people are such pansies! It's November, it should be cold! Anyway. Well I need to go buy tape for finish up my project for this afternoon.

Happy Thursday!

le sigh.

2010-11-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

So I never heard from the my school today about my request to cancel my housing. I decided that even if they said yes and let me know tomorrow it's just too rushed and I'm just too tired and stressed to be able to move in a day and half. So I emailed the school tonight and said forget it, you didn't get back to me in time and I leave in two days to go home for break so I need to just keep my current apartment. Thanks a lot school. Now I need to call the nice couple with the apartment tomorrow and say sorry it won't work. boo. But my mom and I were talking and she said maybe in January I can put in my request again and see if the apartment is still vacant and move then. It'd be better timing and I'd have my next loan check so would actually have money to move unlike now. So I will. I'm just bummed because I thought for sure it'd all work out this week. But I always live in a happy dream land where everything happy and right happens...real life kinda sucks...a lot...anyway off to try and get my presentation for my materials class done and then to eat ice cream and to write a note for my roommates asking them to make sure they clean up before they leave (I really don't want to come back to a bug invasion in January)!

oh a good thing today...

2010-11-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

I finished one class! Well not technically, I still have to go Wednesday to hear the other four presentations, but I gave mine today and got nothing but good feedback on it! Hooray! One class down, one to go. This has been most intense quarter of school in my life, I am very ready for it to be over and to veg at home for a while. I've had a constant headache for the past two weeks, yeah, awesome. And I barely sleep anymore, speaking of which I've like become this morning person, I don't know what happened but i'm up at 8 everyday and I'm like usually pretty awake! I used to hate mornings...still not my favorite, but I don't mind them so much anymore, and I get so much done when I'm awake early! Amazing. Not that I haven't had my times of having to be up super early for work...5 am wake up call everyday for a year when I lived in LA...yeah that sucked a lot. But anyway...where was I....oh yeah class...yeah I'm done with one, yay! Now I need to finish (and by finish I mean start) my final presentation for Thursday...oops. But no one else has started theirs yet either so thats good. Ok shutting up now. bye.

And the saga continues...

2010-11-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

So I went into the campus housing office this morning to say I would like to cancel and the lady at the front desk, though very sweet, made it sound like a lost cause saying I signed up for it for a year blah blah blah. I said yeah but I can't afford it now, I really need to find cheaper housing. So I filled out the form and sent them my official request of cancellation letter. And said I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!! Well they're all oh well it takes a week normally for the request to go through, I said not good enough, I leave Friday to go home for the Holidays, I need to know today or tomorrow so I have time to move out before Friday when our stupid apartments close! And they were all oh well we'll do our best. Not good enough, I mean really how hard is it to say yes or no your campus housing is cancelled. and really if it's that big of a deal just charge people a housing cancellation fee so you get your dear money. ugh.

Also, is it just the two graduate schools I've been to or do all schools treat grad students like crap? My undergrad college was amazing!!! They were so nice and helpful, but these last two schools are not helpful AT ALL and just don't want to work with the students! I'm so tired of it! I'm paying you a ridiculous amount of money a year, you work for me so be nice! humph.

Anyway hopefully I'll hear tomorrow from housing and then I'll be able to move! The couple was so nice today, I called and said haven't heard yet do you want me to run over a check to hold the apartment and they were all oh no that's not necessary just let us know when you hear. I really hope this works out because they seem like they'd be great landlords! Anyway, just needed write out my frustrations. hope you're monday is going well!

I found it!

2010-11-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

So today I found an amazing apartment! Its a carriage house behind a larger house and it's just a few blocks from where I live now! The couple who owns it is super nice and they totally renovated the place just a month ago and it's never been lived in. Oh you guys it's perfect! But of course the housing office for campus apartments isn't open on weekends so I have to go in super early Monday morning before my class (which I have to give my final in too) and ask to cancel my housing for next quarter. I'm praying hard this weekend that the office will be gracious and just let me cancel without making a fuss. I need to move this week before I go home for break on Friday!!! I'm so anxious about Monday! I'm gonna go crazy tonight and tomorrow! oh and I would have an off street parking spot all to myself so I wouldn't have to pay for parking over break!!!!! GAHHHH!!!! I just really can't come back to this apartment, I can't stand it. So prayers that the school will cancel my housing for the rest of year would be much appreciated! Well anyway, that's all. Hope you have a nice weekend, and that its not as stressful as mine!

If it's not one thing it's another...

2010-11-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I do these things to myself. As most of you know I hate where I live right now. My roommates are just messy and never clean up after themselves leaving me the one who has to clean up after four people, and I just don't feel comfortable in my own place! And I can't have a cat and I need a cat, seriously, I've never lived without kitties before. So I was talking to my mom today, and we were talking about my apartment and earlier this week I had said I wish I could just move out now but I don't have furniture. She was like well you can always get cheap things from Goodwill so why don't you just look and see what you can find. So I am. I started looking today to find a good one bedroom. The one place I really wanted, and that's been listed for a few months (yes I've craigslist dreaming since I got here) of course just was rented today...of course. But I have few other options I'm waiting to hear back from this weekend. We'll see what happens. It'd be nice to only have myself to live with and to find somewhere cheaper than school housing! Oh and this all has to happen in a week. I leave on Friday to go home until January...oi vay.

winter breakitis

2010-11-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have senioritis! Its worse than senioritis! I wasn't this bad before being done with four years of college and this is only winter break! I'm seriously going crazy though, I can't think about anything else but getting out of here and being home for 6 weeks! Ok one week to go. I can do this. I think. Maybe. I might just fly home tonight I'm so anxious to get home!!!!! Ok no I won't, I have presentations to give next week and A's to get, darn.

Australia

2010-11-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Have I ever told you I almost moved to Sydney for two years for grad school? I was in Sydney and had an apartment and everything...but one thing led to another and I left after three weeks. The school was not the right fit for me and there were other reasons that are personal that I won't get into (I don't talk much about it because I know no one but my family can truly understand my decision). I was lucky that my mom and brother went a long with me, dad had to stay home and work...someone has to I guess. So the day I made the decision I wasn't staying they helped me pack up my apartment (it was a studio) in an hour flat and we got a hotel room for our last four days in the city. The decision to leave was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, actually it was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I felt like a failure. But i've never once regretted it. Ever. I would have been miserable there and probably would have gotten super depressed and being so far away from everything I know would have made it worse.

But now whenever I see Australia commercials, you know the "come to our country we're awesome" commercials, I want to go back! It LOVED Sydney and the people are awesome! I want be able to see more of the country and go to Steve Irwin's zoo (I know I know). Its my goal to one day go back, I want to take a whole month, or more, and travel as much of the country as I can. And I won't rule out the possibility of moving there again (I won't rule out the possibility of moving anywhere in the world), who knows where this degree I'm doing can take me!

The three weeks I spent there were some of the worst and best of my life. Now when I have a challenge in front of me that seems impossible I'm not scared because I know I'll be ok no matter the outcome. The time in Australia taught me a lot about myself and how strong I am and to listen to myself.

This was a random post, I was just thinking about it today. Anyway, thats all. Happy Tuesday!

check out.

2010-11-08T05:45:00.000-08:00

I'm really trying hard not to check out this week. Its our last week of classes before final presentations, and oh boy am I so done. But I can't be. I have to get a presentation ready for next Monday and then for next Thursday. Luckily I don't think either will be too hard to get together but I'm just so unmotivated! oi vay. This week should go fast though and hopefully next week will too! I leave on Friday the 19th and am counting down the days and hours and minutes! I don't think I've ever had such an intense quarter of school. And I've really had to break out of my shell since moving here which is hard for anyone, so I'm looking forward to being home and just being with people who know me and I know and just being with people at all! Unless I'm in classes or sitting doing homework at the coffee shop I'm not around people here and I'm a person who feeds off others around, even though I'm quiet I'm very social. So this has been a really hard couple of months for me and I'm just ready to be home. But I'm focusing on getting my presentations done this week, I can't lose sight of that A I want see at the end of this quarter!

The Amazing Race.

2010-11-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

Ok I know I'm a dork for loving this show, but I think it's awesome! I love traveling with a passion and I love that all the challenges are different and require different talents! But one of the things I love the most about this show is that it's kinda my dad and mines show. We started watching it together way back when it started in high school! In college when I was home on weekends I'd stay until the Amazing Race over so I could watch it with dad. We always root for the same teams and we're like ch we could totally do that when there's a detour that's taking everyone forever to figure out. Its my dream to one day go with him on the show. I think we'd travel well together and we're both pretty level headed...although we both have a tendency to get frustrated easily...but overall I think we'd do well. Maybe one day we'll try out.

p.s. this season I'm rooting for Brooke and Claire! they are so positive all the time and never whine or fight with each other and encourage other teams! I love when there's teams like that in the race!

two and half months...

2010-11-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

until I turn 26. This birthday is freaking me out a little bit I'll admit. I feel like at 26 you're a grown up and I sure as hell don't feel grown up. What do I have to show for my life? Nothing. one and half degrees? go me. I guess I just feel like at 26 you should have your life figured out and know what you want to do with it and I don't. But I think with each passing birthday I'm learning that it's never what I think it'll be. I thought in high school for sure by age 24 I'd be married because thats so freaking old! HA! In college I thought by now I'd have my own design business and being traveling the world making beautiful buildings! HA! And now, on the cusp of turning 26, I've come to realize that I can't plan my life at all, it never happens how I think it will. And I've learned to be ok with that. I just take it as it comes. So here's to the last two months of being a 25 year old, you've been an ok year, not great, but not bad.

My Utmost, Nov. 1st

2010-11-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.

The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?

Best weekend ever.

2010-11-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Oh you guys, this weekend was such a breathe of fresh air! I think I would literally be going crazy and pulling my hair out right now if it wasn't for this weekend! In case you forgot, my three bff's, Ashlee, Heather and Janelle came out here to visit me for a few days! It was just so nice to have people around me who know me and I know them and I can just chat with and talk about things like horrible roommates with! I've missed friends so much here! I was really starting to get depressed feeling like I wasn't going to make it through the next three weeks of school without going crazy! But having a weekend off with my besties was exactly what I needed to refresh me and to make me feel like I can go on and like three weeks is nothing!

We had a great time exploring the city and browsing shops and dressing up for Halloween and just hanging out! I thank God so much for my friends, I don't think I'd be able to live without them!

one of our famous arm pictures

Little Edie, raccoon, flapper, and Edie Sedgwick

I had a raccoon tail, but you can't see it in the pictures...

At the beach. yep the beach. in November.

Ah the perks of living a warm climate again.

Although this week is finally cooling down, like

almost real fall weather and I think its amazing!

But thats my Seattle blood, I love cold weather!

Happy Tuesday!

Halloween!

2010-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of Halloween, not because its creepy and scary but because I LOVE DRESSING UP!!!!! Yep I was that little girl with a dress up clothes chest and came up with a new character everyday so Halloween was like amazing because I could dress up even more! GAH!

My favorite costumes were a picnic table (complete with food) and a cheetah (mom made me a cheetah jumper and a cap with ears. It. was. awesome.). I never went trick or treating a ton though, we didn't live in a neighborhood, we lived out in the boonies, so we went to our "harvest festival" at school...I went to a Lutheran school. But as I got older friends and I would start meeting at their houses and go trick or treating in their neighborhoods. We trick or treated all through high school. I'm not kidding. I love candy and dressing up that much that I made my friends go every year! They liked though, don't let them tell you otherwise!

In college we didn't do a ton, our school would open all our dorms for the professors kids to come trick or treating through and that was pretty cute, but that was about all we did. Then I moved to LA. Halloween there is AMAZING!!!! We heard that Santa Monica Blvd was the place to be so were like ok we'll do that. We heard it was crazy, but didn't know that it was CRAZZZYYYYY!!!!! Seriously! insane. But so freaking awesome! All you really do it walk up and down SMB and see all the crazy and drunk people dressed up. But we had so much fun the two years we lived there!

The first year I was a bumble bee (by far my best homemade costume of all time), Heather was Hannah Montana and Ashlee was the Hulk!

That costume was so hot! It'd be perfect for cool weather Halloween, but not for a California Halloween! I had to take it off before we drove home, and by the way I had to have two people help me into and out of it. The first time I tried it on the girls were helping me out of it and we had the biggest giggle fit and couldn't get it off of me for awhile, I was stuck in my bee costume!

Anyway last year our girls from Seattle came down to see the madness. Heather, Ashlee, Bethanie and I dressed up as the Jonas Brothers. Again, awesome. Jessie was Janice Joplin and the rest of the girls were roller derby chicks. We had a blast, it was great to share the craziness with our girls because its not something you can describe accurately!

I wish I had pictures of Santa Monica Blvd, but the few we managed are too dark to see anything well. Just trust we it's crazy. If you're ever in LA for Halloween you have to go!!!

I can't wait for this Halloween, have I mentioned lately that my bff's are coming tomorrow? they are. It's gonna be so fun! I have no idea what its like here for Halloween, I've heard fun. So we shall see!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

(Thursday are my Friday so that's why I'm a little early in saying happy weekend, just btw)

Happy Halloween!

Playing hooky

2010-10-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in every school career you just need a day off. Today was that day. I've been feeling melancholy all weekend and just need a mental health day. I just knew I couldn't sit through two and half hours of class today. I think I'm really ready for this quarter to be done with and to be home for a while! But Thursday evening my bff's are coming for the weekend so I'm very much looking forward to that and to having people to talk to! But I'm missing my Seattle really bad, they're having the autumn storms this week that come this time of year and I'm stuck in gross 80 degree weather. But only about three more weeks! I can make it through this!

I miss fall color,

and real rain.

source

LIZA!

2010-10-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Have I told you I'm gonna be Liza Minelli for Halloween? I was in a vintage store looking for a present for someone and I saw THE MOST AMAZING Liza shirt ever! Think red sheer and feathers! Oh it's gonna be fantastic! The only thing I haven't figured out yet is my hair. I'm blond and haven't seen a wig that works and don't want to spray my hair black...hmmm...I may just be a blond Liza. We'll see.

source

just some days

2010-10-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

There just some days when all this sustainability talk really gets me down, I literally cry about it! You can't talk or learn about sustainability without some doom and gloom, its just the nature of it. But there's just some days when it seriously hurts my heart! I ache for this planet and for the people of it and for the future generations to come! What have we done? And why? Didn't we notice what was happening to the environment and to the people and to society? How could we have missed it or overlooked it?

Can we really make the changes that we so desperately need to get our planet back to working order? Can our planet ever really sustain all the people on it? Does anyone really care? I mean do people care what's happening and what has already happened? Isn't it easier to just turn a blind eye to all the problems and not deal with them because we'll probably be gone from this planet before it's complete and total chaos anyway?

But then I remind myself that huge issues in the past have changed! The tobacco industries. Women's and African American rights. And those weren't easy fights. They took a long time. Sustainability or "green" or whatever you want to call it is going to be a hard fight and its going to take a while to change! And I believe we can do it! In fact I know we can do it! I wouldn't be fighting for this change if I didn't. God gave us one planet that sustains life for the people he created, and he left the care of it up to us, how can we not want to make it a better place than we "found" it?

2010-10-23T06:38:00.001-07:00

I've grown to strong to ever fall back in your arms.

2010-10-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

I know I can't take one more step towards you because all thats waiting is regret...
Who do you think you are running around leaving scars collecting your jar of hearts tearing love apart you're gonna catch a cold from all the ice in your soul...

where was this song when I needed it? haha!

cafe dreamin'

2010-10-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Heather and I started dreaming tonight of opening our own little cafe one day (I must graduate first, but that will be in August so not too far away)! I talked about how I want to open one a while ago and seriously I can't stop dreaming about it lately! I just think it'd be so fun! So I found some inspiring cafe pictures for us tonight. :)

Me and my big ideas...

2010-10-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting in class today I was day dreaming (as usual) and I suddenly had this idea for my thesis project, which will be this summer. I would love to see if my home town in WA would be on board with the idea of me coming in as a sustainable facilitator to help create some new systems and come up with ideas to make the city more sustainable! I have no idea if this will even work, I'm going to contact city officials and see if they are even open to this idea and I'll think up some ideas to present just as a starting point. I just think this would such an awesome project to end this degree with because it'd be actually meaningful and make a difference! It'd also be hard and take a lot of perseverance to get people on board with it! But I think it has potential to be something that will work and make my home town a great model for others! We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

Silly East coast.

2010-10-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

Why doesn't the East coast have mountains? What is wrong with them? I miss my mountains, even LA has mountains! (betcha didn't know that did ya?)

Its so strange to live somewhere where you can't see...well...anything. In Washington you always have a view of mountains or of the water. Same with LA, we lived right in the foothills so always saw the pretty...ok brown (except in winter)...mountains. But anyway I'm sick of not having any pretty scenery to look at! I want my mountains! Stupid East coast.

source

And if you're an East Coast person don't try and tell me you have mountains, you don't. They are hills. They take less than 5 minutes to drive to the top! Seriously, until you've seen the West coast mountains you haven't seen mountains at all (well unless you've seen like the Himalayas or Andes or something but that's not the point)! Anyway, just another reason why West is best. End of story. Oh and guess what, only a month until I get to go home for winter break! wahoo!!!

Happy Monday!

What I Wore: blushing pink

2010-10-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

I guess I have color themes happening this week!

I couldn't help myself when I realized how well my shoes and top matched!

Top: Target

Jeans: JCrew

Shoes: Linea Paolo

Necklace: JCrew

Missing LA.

2010-10-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

I've been missing Los Angeles really bad the past couple of weeks! I'm not sure why, its just been on my mind lately. In about a month it'll have been a year since I moved away. It doesn't seem like it's been that long, and yet at the same time it seems like it was a lifetime ago.

My life there never stopped, it was a whirlwind of awesome Hollywood nights and work days in downtown and fun kid like days skipping all over Disneyland and sun soaked days on the beach.

I miss it a lot. I don't think anyone can truly appreciate LA until you lived there. There's so much there that you could never find or have time to visit on a vacation. If I ever lived there again I'd go back to the little town we lived in, Claremont. Or I'd want to be right in downtown, in one of the awesome art deco houses!

What I miss most at this moment is Pinkberry, the California beaches, Disneyland, Mani's cafe, The Grove, driving through downtown and seeing all the different types of people, Halloween on Santa Monica Blvd., and that gorgeous golden sun.

Disneyland

Love that skyline

Laguna Beach

LACMA

Hollywood (Grauman's Chinese Theater)

View from Griffith Observatory

Halloween last year

The beach on Nov. 1

Disneyland in November

If you're ever in LA go here! Its so yummy!

(just past Fairfax and Olympic)

Going home on the 10 freeway

sources: weheartit, myself and Ashlee

What I Wore: teal love

2010-10-14T10:41:00.000-07:00

Shirt: Target

Jeans: Forever 21

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: Forever 21

Getting into God's Stride.

2010-10-13T07:24:00.000-07:00

This was yesterday's My Utmost For His Highest. wow. I love the last sentence.

The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (seeJohn 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.

It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.

What I Wore: Monday blues

2010-10-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

This week is full of homework! I have a midterm project/presentation due next Monday. I was sick over the weekend so was feeling pretty sleepy and out of it and decided to just throw on an easy outfit. Its also gotten hot again here, its back to the high 80's so shorts are coming back out. I miss real Fall weather! (please excuse the messy room, I haven't had time to think about tidying up for awhile!)

Shirt: Men's Hanes v-neck

Shorts: JCrew

Shoes: Converse

Bracelet: by an artist in Whistler, BC (present from mom)

no clear path

2010-10-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I should have gone into a medical profession! Or into something like teaching. Learning how to work in one of those professions has a formula. You know what you need to learn and what you're going to learn and there is a definite end goal in sight.

Sustainable design has no formula for learning. None of us doing this degree have any idea where its going to take us when we finish in a year. Its a scary scary place! We come into this degree and think we know what sustainability is...but we don't. We have learned so much new stuff that our heads are going to explode! And the problem is there isn't much to see from what we have learned. Being that this area is so new there aren't always things to see that have happened. People have been working to open the doors of sustainability, but its been for the past twenty years, and even way beyond that. So those of us who are going into the world of sustainability have to now figure out what the hell we do with these open doors! What does it actually mean to be sustainable? how to we get average Joe to respond to this crisis? how can we make people see that its not just a trend that the world and future generations depend upon action? And how do we apply all this to our area of expertise in design? There's so many questions in this area that can't be answered but by just getting your hands dirty and doing it and hoping to God it doesn't fail! But I think in sustainability we are all going to fail, we are all going to come up against a lot people who don't understand what we are doing and who will "slap us around" as my prof put it so eloquently today. But we're also going to push the envelope of what design can do, of how design responds to people and what design means for people!

Somedays I still think though, wouldn't it have been nice to have gone into a degree where you more or less know what to expect! Where you're studying things that have been studied for decades and centuries? No one thinks a medical person is crazy or a teacher is super liberal hippy just out to save trees. And they can say oh I'm a teacher or oh I'm nurse and everyone know exactly what they are. When people ask me what I'm studying I say I'm in designing for sustainability and they just look at me and say oh thats nice. So I have to say you know the "green movement" thats kinda sorta a little bit of what we are doing. And they say oh so like recycling.

yeah. recycling. thats what we study.

total meltdown.

2010-10-08T17:32:00.000-07:00

It was one of those super stressful weeks and it all suddenly came crashing down on me tonight. I had to order a new power cord for my computer, it came today and of course it doesn't work! ARGH! It was the straw though that broke the proverbial camel's back, I had a total sobbing couldn't breathe melt down.

So I'm putting myself to bed early (I'm starting to get sick too) and hopefully I'll wake up with a new outlook (and no more sore throat) in the morning! The stress isn't going to stop anytime soon either...presentation next week and a midterm presentation the week after that, along with a book/journal thing due the same day. oi vay.

But then, soon after, I'll have a mini vacay when Ashlee, Heather and Janelle visit for Halloween! I am so looking forward to that weekend! I can't wait to have friends here, people to actually for real talk to! It'll be amazing! And we're staying at a swanky hotel, so it'll be like a pamper weekend! yay! I hope you have a nice weekend, I have to go to Design Ethos all day tomorrow (had it today too), its a sustainable design conference my prof put together. Anyway, happy weekend!

Somedays...

2010-10-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

I'm in such a food rut lately. Part of the problem is this kitchen in this apartment is designed so horribly. You'd think a design school would do a better job! Anyway, there's no storage and as any gluten free person knows you need lots of storage for flours and other random goods. I have two shelves to myself, I even had to put food in my room because I ran out of space! Also its a horrible kitchen to cook in, it just doesn't lend itself to its most essential job! There is absolutely no counter space, and any counter space free has drying dishes on it because apparently my roommates don't believe in using a dish washer!

Somedays I dream of dropping out of school and opening a small cafe/bakery, all gluten free and vegetarian of course! It'd be so fun to come up with new recipes and different versions of old ones! But considering I only have a year left of school (so silly not to finish now) and no money it won't happen. Wouldn't it be funny if after all this education I ended up opening a place like that?? My mom says she can see me doing that, like the girl in stranger than fiction. It would be a lot fun, also a lot of work. I just think it'd be so nice to have to cook everyday for people, sounds weird, but seriously then I'd have to be creative and I wouldn't eat the same thing all the time! Maybe someday I'll start a little cafe of my own. Jen's Cafe? Jen's Place? And it'd so cute, either super modern or very vintage feel...considering I'm an interior designer I don't think I'd be able to help myself. Also it'd be totally sustainable...after all I am getting a degree in sustainable design...but not just design but the food would be sustainable as well. Local and organic!

Hm. Could be fun. Ok well, enough day dreaming, back to homework. Happy Wednesday!

Morning walks at Forsyth Park

2010-10-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

My puppy dog

2010-10-05T16:10:00.001-07:00

I've been missing my doggie Birdie really badly lately.

So I thought I'd put her picture up here. This was just a few days before she passed away, even to the end she had a smile on her little face! You were the best puppy ever Bird Dog! Miss you!

around town

2010-10-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Bay Street

Broughton Street (where all the shops are)

Broughton

Pulaski square (I think its one of the prettiest, besides Forsyth park)

Another shot of Pulaski

My walk to class everyday

My building (its the design building)

My apartment complex

And my little bitty tiny room. Sorry messy looking, I can't keep my cords organized and its hard to keep my desk clean too.

Its small, but its my space. I really don't use the rest of the apartment at all, I just hang out in here when I'm home. But this weekend I finally made myself go do homework at a small coffee shop in town and its quite nice! I've never been a do homework at a coffee shop girl, I never did in undergrad. But here I just need to get out of my room and apt, so it was nice. I think I'll do it a few times a week. Plus I'm really productive when I'm there!

Well I'll try and get some pics of town this week. When I walk Forsyth I'll bring my camera, its a pretty park!

What I wore today: new dress

2010-10-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was searching for a present for my brother I happened upon this dress and had to have it! I love the color the flowers the cut everything...ok the top is a little big but I can deal with it until I can fix when I'm home for winter break.

dress: vintage (from Civvies)

shoes: Nine West

Ticket for one please.

2010-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

I took myself to a movie last night, and I'm going to another tonight! I just got so sick of being in the apartment and couldn't take it anymore! I've actually gone to movies on my own a few times before this! Granted its not as fun as having friends you can talk about the movie with afterwards, but its not so bad either. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do...like anything to get out of the apartment to avoid going crazy!

Today after working out, I decided to go hang out at a cute coffee shop in town and do some homework. Well of course the internet there wasn't working today, great (my chai tea was super yummy though). So I walked around town instead since I had two hours of free parking, I couldn't let it go to waste! I was on the hunt for a birthday present for the brother, he turns 30 on Monday. Thirty! 30! THIRTY!!! Man it makes me feel old that my big brother is 30 because that means soon I'll be 26. oi vay. Anyway, I was hoping find him a cool tie or scarf at one of the vintage stores in town, but no luck so I gave up and went to Urban Outfitters and found an affordable scarf there! Its a nice gray with a tiny bit of red plaid.

I of course found an amazing vintage dress for myself that I so should not have picked up, but I couldn't resist!!!! I never find good vintage! Well there's no good vintage stores near me at home so I really don't have a chance. So I got it (I'll wear it to church tomorrow so I'll post pics of then!). I also found THE BEST Liza Minelli shirt for Halloween! I was planning on being a 20's girl, but then I saw this shirt and I was like THAT'S IT! I'M BEING LIZA! I'm so excited! I'll have to get crazy false lashes and maybe find a wig...or I could just be a blond Liza...we'll see.

Ok well back to my linoleum presentation. Only an interior designer could be as in love with linoleum as I am. :)

Happy weekend!

A good reminder.

2010-09-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have such self doubt about myself! Mainly about school. I know I'm smart, but I just am always doubting myself as to why I'm in grad school and can I really do this (even though I've been doing grad classes for over a year now)? Tonight in My Utmost for His Highest it was talking about the call of God. When God calls you to live for him and to share Him. I know that this degree is part of my call from God, I'm being called to be a steward of his earth and in the process to share him with others! And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't in God's plan, and everything will come together and I can do this! I am a smart woman with good ideas and thoughts! And I have God on my side, who can be against me if he is for me?

"If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony."

~Oswald Chambers
My Utmost for His Highest
September 29

Food allergy bullying, are you serious?!

2010-09-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

I read this article this morning from CNN. First of all how awful that these poor kids with food allergies (especially peanut being that its one of the most common allergies and usually one of the most deadly) have to go through this! Kids are so mean and intolerant of anything different! What does it say about our society that children aren't learning to care for each other and watch out for each other, instead they "tease" others with things that could potentially kill? Its so disturbing! I'm glad I didn't have any food allergies until high school when I could understand my allergy and stand up for myself! These poor little ones can't be expected to know everything about their allergy, sure than can learn what they can and can't eat, but they should be expected to have to stand up for themselves just for a simple thing like a food allergy!

And then I read through the comments on this article. Oh my gosh, I was disgusted by what people had to say! Kids with allergies is just natures way of getting rid of the weak ones?? Are you kidding me?? Kids have no right to be in public school if they have allergies?? Again, are you kidding me?? A child has every right to go to any school! And allergies are recognized under the ADA 1990, so schools have to accommodate. Believe me I know, I had to work with my college to get gluten free options in the cafeteria just so I could eat something besides salads!

Also food allergies are a medical condition that a child or a person cannot help! They don't intentionally say oh I'm gonna be allergic to peanuts or to gluten or strawberries. Its just something their body cannot tolerate! They're not looking for attention! I HATE when people point out that I can't eat something! that is one of my biggest pet peeves, yeah I know what I can and can't eat, I hate being singled out for my diet restrictions! And these poor kids being bullied are just trying to not only deal with normal kids problems but also with diet restrictions which is a very stressful thing, and unless you have them you can't know how stressful sometimes!

I just was so disgusted with what this article brought to light and then I when I read the comments, oh my Lord, I couldn't take it! People with food allergies are not weak or sick, we are just like any other person! We just can't eat a certain thing! We don't want special treatment, we just want to be able live our lives like every other person wants to!

I'm sorry, I just had to have my little tangent about this issue, I just couldn't hold it in after reading all that! And being a person with diet restrictions, this issue is very dear to my heart!

What I wore today: presentation skills

2010-09-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today was my second presentation this quarter. It was a group one so I wasn't as nervous as I was for my first one last week. It went really well, the class loved it. Anyway I thought I'd throw on something cute since we were up in front of everyone talking, nothing fancy, just cute.

Top: H&M

Cami: Target

Jeans: !it

Bead Necklace: hand painted glass beads from Kenya (present from sis in law)

Silver Necklaces: Tiffany (the K was my 21st birthday present and the love knot was Christmas present) (I always wear these two necklaces, they seldom leave my neck)

a quick visit.

2010-09-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last night my big brother and his wife stopped in Savannah on their way home to Seattle (they are moving back there from DC, lucky ducks). So we had dinner at a restaurant on the river last night. Then this morning we did early breakfast before they took off for their next stop. It was so nice to have familiar faces even if it was only for a little bit; and nice to have people to talk to about stuff other than school! I still haven't quite connected with anyone here, so its still a struggle, but I'm staying positive because I'm here for school, thats what this year is for. I didn't make it to church today because I didn't sleep at all last night so after breakfast I came straight home and fell asleep for a couple more hours. So next week I'll try the church right in down town, I think there will be a lot of people my age there so I might see about signing up for a small group. Anyway, thats all. Just a blog to check in. I'll try and put up some outfit posts this week, I was so exhausted last week for reason so kept forgetting! Hope you all had a great weekend!

I need to see it and do it!

2010-09-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, this theories of sustainability class is going to be a tough one. I can't stand theories classes, or philosophy classes. I don't learn by discussing and talking. I learn by seeing and doing something. Hence why I went into a creative career path. I also hate talking, so hate discussing everyday because I can't think of things to say fast enough because I like to absorb what others say around me and think about it, then I might have something to say or I might not. I don't think I'm the normal graduate student. I think I learn very differently from the others in my classes and this quarter is going to be a tough one. I'll be glad when its over and I can start doing classes that actually use my skills as an interior designer and I'm actually creating something. ok back to this reading that is making absolutely no sense at all.

homesick for my babies

2010-09-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

I think the hardest part of not living in Seattle is that I don't get to see my kitties. In LA we got two kitties almost immediately after moving there so I had them to fill the kitty shaped hole in my heart. But I can't have cats where I'm living now. I hate it, I've always had animals in my house so it weird to not have any around! I wish the US had cat cafe's like Japan! Then I could get my fix of kitty loves.

Stella

Sven

Tibby (my baby boy)

I wish I had one to cuddle right now. :(

Do you think I could hide a kitten in my room?

Or maybe mom will send my Tibby, he'd be happy just lazing on my bed all day!

Peace

2010-09-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

source

What I wore today: Sunday best

2010-09-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I hadn't worn this dress yet, and I got it way back in the winter! I think because when I was in Seattle it was still too chilly to wear it and then I forgot about it! I love it though!

yeahhh I don't know what that face is...

dress: Modcloth

Shoes: Nine West

The beach is always the answer.

2010-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

After feeling discouraged all week, I took myself to the beach today for a few hours! Being at the beach always clears my head, and today as I was sitting there thinking I realized that this next year is going be a year of learning to be ok with myself. I've never really had to truly do everything on my own before. When I lived in LA I always had the girls to go do stuff with, even simple things like running errands. And before that in college of course there was always someone around! I've never had to always be with just myself before. So I think that is my challenge from God for the next year, learn to be ok being by myself.

I think it'll help me in the future as more and more of my girlfriends get married and start having kids because I'll have to be ok sometimes just being with me. I don't foresee myself being married even within the next 5 years. And not like I'm choosing not to be, I just don't foresee that in the near future, one day, but not soon. And thats ok, I'm learning how to do things on my own! I took myself to the beach today which I would have never done even just a month ago! And I was fine just sitting and reading my homework and listening to my ipod! I was ok!

This will be a challenge though, not having people always around, even though I'm quiet I thrive off others around me! And I'm not saying I won't try and make friends this year. of course I hope to! But the main thing I'm focusing on is getting this degree done as fast as possible and getting good grades, so that won't leave a ton of time for socializing. So I'm starting this next week with a positive outlook! And my goal is to go sit at one of the coffee shops in town for an afternoon while I work on homework! One way to keep my spirits up is to just get out of my apartment!

Hope your weekend is starting out nice!

p.s. commenters, if you don't have anything nice to say, please don't say anything at all! I don't care for your opinion on my life, because you obviously don't know me at all!

one week down...nine more to go.

2010-09-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Is it bad that I'm already counting down how long it is until I go home for Winter break? Its fine here (I think I like the classes, although I wish the program was geared a bit more towards just architecture/interiors and not general design but what can ya do), I just don't know anyone and its been really hard to meet people, even having small classes and being in the same classes with most people hasn't helped much. I try really hard to engage people in conversations but I'm not the greatest small talk/chatty person, so putting me in rooms with totally new people isn't just outside my comfort zone its like twenty thousand bagillion comfort zones away!
And I just haven't connected with anyone in the classes, you know how usually there's like one person you just kinda click with, but that hasn't happened. So anyway I'm feeling terribly lonely at the moment and missing everything familiar! I have moments each day when I just start crying for no reason really. I think I'm going to be brave and go to church alone Sunday, hopefully there will be people in their mid twenties there that I can connect with. I'm planning on going to the beach tomorrow because I just need to get out of my room! If its not a good beach day I'll head downtown and hang out at a coffee shop for a bit I guess and do some homework.
I'm just feeling so lost and don't know what to do with myself! I only have one class each day so my days don't get filled up and leave lots of time for me to just sit in my room all alone. At least I'll have good grades this quarter from having tons of time for homework! heh. I'm trying to stay positive about all of this, and I know this is the right program for me, its just hard being somewhere with anyone you know and with nothing familiar. But I'm here, and I'm trying.

What I Wore Today: 2nd first day of school outfit

2010-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my second first class...if that makes sense. So here's what I put on today!

Top: Forever 21

Shorts: Ruche

Sandals: from Florence, Italy (present from mom)

What I Wore Today.

2010-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

I want to try and start posting more of my outfits on here! One of my goals this school year is to dress cute everyday, or as much as humanly possible, I'm sure I'll have my jeans and tee days. I also thought it'd just give me something to do while I have nothing to do until I start meeting people and what not.

So here is my first outfit. Its my first day of school outfit. (when I was in elementary and middle school my mom always took a first day of school picture in the morning, so I thought this was a nice nod to her).

dress: Marshalls

Shoes: Bellagio Italy (present from mom)

Bracelet: hand crafted in Whistler, Canada (also present from mom)

Sorry for the bad pictures, but I only have myself to take them...I'll try and figure out a better way to do it. :) Oh and sorry for the messy room, I'm still organizing it all. Hope all of you who are in school like I am are having a great time! I'm feel overwhelmed and excited and scared and lonely all at once here in Georgia. Hopefully in a couple weeks things will fall into a routine and I'll find my place here. For now its all new and I don't have anyone I know here so its all feeling very big! But I'm staying positive because I know this is where I'm supposed to be!

Things to be thankful for today:

2010-09-13T06:51:00.001-07:00

I get to have slow mornings getting ready for class!
My classes are in the building right next to my apartment!

First night in my new place.

2010-09-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am so exhausted from the past week of craziness!!! Driving for 5 days then getting into Savannah and exploring and shopping and moving in yesterday and finishing today! I just hope I sleep well tonight in my new room! I'm glad classes start tomorrow, I wouldn't know what to do if they didn't! Mom and dad flew out tonight which was kinda scary just because being left all alone in a new place is always scary! But I'm going to meet all the people in my program tomorrow so hopefully there will be some friendly ones! And in just two weeks my brother and his wife are coming to visit for a day or two on their way driving back to Seattle! And then in just a month and half Ashlee and Heather and Janelle will be here! yay! Then I'll be flying home two weeks after that! phew! It'll be a busy quarter, but thats good, hopefully I won't be lonely at all! I'll try and get pictures of my little room up soon, its looking about as good as it can I think. Well anyway, I'm probably going to crash soon, at least I don't have to be up super early for classes (my 8AM was changed to 11AM)! hooray!!!

Goodnight all, hope your weekend was awesome!

Finally some pictures...

2010-09-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

But my mom's camera has all the exciting ones...and it won't let me download her pictures. humph. Anway tomorrow I move into my apartment and have my orientation for school. Its still all very surreal, it won't sink in until my parents leave on Sunday, then I'll freak out! lol.

Montana

Uhhh Kansas City?

St. Louis

Tybee Island (Savannah)

yeah I'll be at the beach if you need me! ;)

Once I can get mom's pictures I'll put up the good ones!

Hope you all have a good weekend, mine is going to be crazy! And then classes start Monday! Oi Vay!!!! It's been three years since I've sat in a real class room! This will be weird!

road trip pt.1

2010-09-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

So we've been getting into our stops rather late each night and its just wayyyy too much work by that time to upload photos. Lol. Hopefully I'll have the energy/brain power tomorrow to put up some pictures. We'll see...

So far we've come through Washington (duh), Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa and now Missouri. Tomorrow night is Nashville then onto Savannah Wednesday! yay!

Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Road trip!

2010-09-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately that I'm moving? To GEORGIA!!!!! We leave bright and early tomorrow morning for our five day drive across the country. I'll try to put up pics each night when we stop, hopefully all the hotels will have internet!

I've been so busy packing and cleaning these past couple of days! And I think everything is going to fit in my car! I was super worried I'd have to leave a bag of clothes behind, I would have cried because yes my wardrobe is that important to me. But dad and I got all the major bags in last night, so now its just last minute things and a few other odds and ends here and there! I'm hoping the trip will be nice, I'm sure there will be moments when I'd rather get out of the car and walk than ride with the parents; but what kid doesn't have those moments? Mom and I do well on road trips together, I haven't been on one with dad since I was little, so we shall see.

I'm already getting sad about leaving my baby kitties. Yes I know I total cat woman, but I seriously don't care, they're my babies and I'm not ashamed! I will proclaim my love for my cats anytime! I really wish I could bring Miss Stella with me, but no animals in my apartment. :( I always miss my Mr. Tibby, I'm the only one who truly understands him (she's says as he attacking her hair). And Sven and I have become quite good friends this time 'round (we used to have irreconcilable differences). I'm an animal person so hate when I have to live without them.

Well anyway, off to run last minute errands then back to pack up the rest of my stuff! I'll hopefully be back tomorrow night with a run down of our first day!

Georgia here I come!

Mom's baby quilt makeover.

2010-09-02T16:51:00.000-07:00

So when we were cleaning out the attic this past weekend we found mom's baby quilt. It was so sad and the quilted front was falling apart and the back had huge worn out spots, but I figured we could find new fabric and applique the old patches to it and then just sew it on as the front! I couldn't let all that awesome vintage fabric get thrown away! So we found some really cute fabric as the front and then got some more to patch up the back with. Unfortunately I forgot to take before pictures because I'm a total space case this week with packing and everything, but just imagine the front of the quilt with poor sad little squares hanging on for dear life and huge, gigantic holes everywhere! The back wasn't as bad, it just had some holes but we kept that fabric since it was still in pretty good shape.

It's not perfectly sewn, there's some wonky areas because I haven't really sewn something this large before so had a hard time keeping it straight! oh well, it still looks way cute and it saved the quilt from getting thrown away! I LOVE the cowboy fabric on the back, I think its hilarious that mom's great aunt used that for a baby girl! Plus its just plain awesome. And I think the cloud patches on the back look cute, and the blue fabric really sets off the red well and works with all the old fabrics well too. Anyway, that was my project this week before moving. I think I'm really starting to enjoy this whole sewing thing! I'll have to buy myself a sewing machine after I'm done with school next year!

Tomorrow we finish packing everything up (that God it's all going to fit in the car) and then Saturday morning we are off! GAHHH!!! Its so crazy, but I'm excited! Hope everyone's week is going well.

Happy Project Runway night (Thursday)!

one week

2010-08-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

one week and I'll be on the road driving to the other side of the country. I still can't quite believe I'm moving...to Georgia..GEORGIA! GEORGIA!!!!! Who moves to Georgia?? Its just so bizarre! But I'm excited. I just need get packed up, my least favorite thing in the world.

Hope your weekend is going well. Mine started out great with drinks and dessert for a friends birthday, then continuing the party this morning at brunch! But I had to say goodbye to my girls too which is sad. :( Anyway, off to start figuring out what I need to do to get my life to fit into my little car. Happy Saturday!

Ruche Fall look book!

2010-08-26T20:45:00.001-07:00

I basically want every outfit in there! So gorgeous!

I'm home.

2010-08-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Its good to be home...in blond land that is. I went back to my normal blond today and I'm feeling SO much better about my hair. I also got the cut fixed just a tad, I no longer feel like a soccer mom circa 1997. phew! I'll put up pics soon!

Ok off to make pizza for dinner.

Happy Thursday!

Shampoo free..whhhaaaatttt???

2010-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

So I just came across a question on Chemical Free Skinny today about going shampoo free. First I was like um gross. then I read the question and what they had to say. Apparently you can use baking soda to cleanse hair and use apple cider vinegar as a sort of conditioner! (lemon works as well because it too is acidic)

Who knew?!

So followed a link in the comments which brought me to here.

It seems like a pretty cool idea! I also followed some of the links that Simple Mom put at the bottom of her post and found a cool one that tells you how to do an herbal rinse for your hair!

here it is

So you basically make a tea from an herb that is good for you hair (rosemary and sage, chamomile, rose, mint etc...) strain it add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and pour it over your hair. Let it sit for a good few minute then rinse it out! I think I'll have to try this!

I'm intrigued about this going shampoo free and using baking soda and apple cider vinegar, but I'll have to think about it and do some more research on it. I want to make sure it won't dry my hair too much. But I suppose too I'll just have to try it sometime. I'll let you know what else I find out!

Happy Wednesday!

I'm starting to breathe again

2010-08-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

So I know I said I was starting to like my new cut...but I'm not. I was just frustrated with it, and it didn't look like how I imagined and it just wasn't me. I was trying...am trying really hard to like it and be happy with it, but its slow going. My mother, bless her heart, is trying to help me make it through this hair identity crisis I'm going through so called another hair salon in town thats super cute and modern...but is a little bit pricey...for me so they can hopefully help me out.

I'm feeling so much better this afternoon, yesterday was horrible, this morning was bad, and now I can breathe again. The girl who is going to do my hair called this afternoon so my mom as telling her about my hair crisis and she was like oh we can totally fix it, no problem! phew. And their specialty there is color, and since thats the main thing I can change about this do thats what I'm focusing on. So I'm gonna go back to my comforting blond, I've been dark long enough, but I'm just a blond at heart. And I actually took the pink out already, I'm not a colored hair person, its just not my style. It was fun for a few weeks, and I have a tube of the stain so I can put some in again if I feel like it; but I just want to be myself and try to be something I'm not. Especially with moving to a new place where I don't know anyone I want to feel like me and feel good about me...which I'm having a hard time doing with this new cut. But I think changing the color will help a lot, and hopefully they can fix the shape of the cut a little to make me feel better about it.

I'll letcha know how it goes. I'm just feeling like such a dumb girl about all this! I've never had such a girl freak out hair identity crisis before! I'm usually pretty ok with how I look, so this whole thing has thrown me for a loop! But I'll get through it and over it, it is just hair after all.

Music Monday: Mumford and Sons

2010-08-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Caitlin told me about Mumford and Sons this weekend, I already love them! Enjoy.

how my goals are coming along.

2010-08-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

I thought before I move/make a huge life change in a couple weeks I'd check in on how my 25 goals for my 25th year are going! I have four and half-ish months left until my birthday (gross, 26...just gross...it sounds so freaking old!). So lets see what's left.

Start an Etsy shop--check!
Make a painting
Fall in love with cooking again!!!!--check-ish? I tried really hard to like it!
Be inspired by school, not frustrated!--check!
Work out everyday
Wake up before 9 every morning--check-ish (hey I did online school, it didn't require a wake up time)
Go skiing at least once this winter
Go on a date!-check
Learn how to crochet a hat--check-ish (crocheted a huge bag and a dinosaur and a Curtis Stone doll)
Visit Ashlee and Heather in Idaho this spring!--check check!
Adopt a kitten!----CHECK!!!!!
Go on a trip--uh does Idaho the second time count? if not then I've been to Whistler twice so, check!
Design a real room (not just for school)
Smile at people everyday (I'm usually pretty good about this already)--check
Sew something awesome (a skirt or a dress)--check check check check
Buy a new car (ok maybe this should also be called my dream list...)
Buy a really really great pair of jeans!
Find another job in the design industry (even just part time)
Move back into Seattle
Dye my hair a CRAZY color (ok not like blue or purple, I don't think I could be that crazy)--Pink! BAM! check!
Do something I never thought I'd do (i.e. getting my tattoo last year)--check! Moving to freaking Georgia!
Start an interior design blog
Buy a pair of Louboutins (again dreams)
Become a better phone caller/talker
Keep my style I developed in LA (even if I stand out a bit in small town WA, who cares, I like to dress how I like to dress!)--check!

13 out of 25, not too bad with four months still left to go!!

I got a hair cut!

2010-08-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

So I took the plunge this week when I went back to get my pink redone. I went short! I finally found a few pics I loved, and I was ready for the change, so did it! At first I was like oh my Lord, I look like my mother, but now I'm really starting to dig it! I think I'll be able to rock this look for awhile! Plus its super easy to style!

Hope you're all having a nice weekend! I had brunch at my place with the girls today, kinda a goodbye brunch except that I'll see most of them this next week as well. But it was nice to hang out for a bit!

Happy Sunday

A dress for Miss Mabel.

2010-08-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

Mabel is my next door baby neighbor. In other words our neighbors daughter. Her and I have become good friends since I moved home in December, my mom and I are her regular baby sitters. Whenever her mom needs a Mabel break I gladly take her for a bit! We have fun together, her new game (now that she's crawling) is to chase Sven the cat around the living room.

Anyway, about a month or so ago I made a little skirt for Mabel with left over fabric from one of my skirts. And I finally had time this past week to sit down and sew a dress for her with more left over fabric. It turned out so cute, its a bit big, but thats fine because she'll grow fast so it'll fit in no time!

I am really proud of myself with this dress because its the first time I've done pleats! And they are pretty darn good pleats! My mommy, the seamstress, showed me how.

They were actually quite easy!

Here's the finished dress! I love it! I want for myself!

Here's my little Miss wearing it! How cute does she look in it!

I found this dress tutorial on Rachel Denbow's blog, she's an awesome sewer! And this really wasn't a hard dress to make, I was surprised how easy! (and believe me I am so not a master sewer, I'm totally a beginner...who had a few lessons from mom back in the day)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes on.

2010-08-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Apple honey face mask.

2010-08-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

My face needed some lovin' yesterday thanks to hormones making it go CRAZY this past week! oi vay. So went online to find a good acne mask that I could make at home. A lot of places gave a recipe for an apple honey mask, so I gave it a try! Apples are a great detox fruit so I'm thinking they probably do the same for your face, pull out the toxins! And honey is good for moisturizing dry skin! So here's what you need.

1 apple

4 tablespoons of honey

a grater

and a bowl to put it all in

So cut the apple in half, and grate half of it into the bowl. You can do what you like with the other half. I ate it. Then add in the honey and mix it all up.

It'll look something like this. I made a mess with this, I kept finding sticky spots all over the counter last night. So be warned. Ok so I was a dummy and tried to put this on while standing up, yeah that doesn't work. So when I took my bath I brought my little bowl of honey and apple gratings with me and slopped it on then. I just made sure to really get it on the areas of my face that need help. Then I sat really still and attempted to read for 15 min. Its going to fall off a bit, I ended up bathing with apple floating around me, haha! Also the honey drips all over so I ended up all sticky and had to keep washing off my neck and hairline, so I suggest take a shower after doing this mask! But my face felt all nice and supple afterward.

Happy face masking, and happy wednesday!

The best weekend ever!

2010-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

I had the bestest, most wonderfulest, funnest weekend ever!!! My parents and I were planning on going to Whistler in Canada this last weekend, a few months ago I had invited Ashlee and Heather but kinda figuring between work and the cost of plane tickets they probably wouldn't be able to come. They said they'd try but weren't sure if it'd work. So anyway I wasn't going to tag along with the parents by myself, but then last week I decided I might as well go, because if anything I could sit by the pool and read.

Well on Thursday night I asked my mom what she was doing the next day because I needed help with a sewing project and would she be around. I saw on her calendar that she had some appointment in Seattle in the morning and she was like oh yeah well I have to go to a meeting but I'll be back by noonish, but she was really vague about the details, which is unusual for her. So I was like ok whatever, I'll wait till the afternoon. So I got up that morning an did some editing and photoshop work for mom and then was starting to work on the baby dress I'm making, and I heard mom get back and she came upstairs and was showing me some new shorts she got and just as I was asking her what she was doing in Seattle (because I'm a nosey kid and like to know things) I heard people behind me so turned around and who was standing there but Ashlee and Heather!!! It took me a second to realize that it was them and they were here! I thought I wasn't going to see them for a few more months, when they visit me in Georgia! Needless to say I was super excited!!!

Luckily we were able to meet up with Janelle and Megan that night for dessert. We had an absolute blast, we were those annoying loud girls in the restaurant laughing too much and talking too loudly! But we didn't care, we were together and having fun! That evening I was like we should tell Janelle to blow off any plans and come with us! So anyway we were leaving the next morning for Whistler and as we were all sitting at breakfast who shows up but Janelle! The parents and the twins invited her along too!!!! Oh sillies.

I must say they did a good job of surprising me, I normally end up finding out about surprises somehow, but these two were total secrets! Anyway, we had a blast in Whistler. We went up both mountains, did the Peak to Peak gondola (which was a little too much for me so I will probably not do it again, but I did it once so thats what matters) and lounged by the pool and went out on the town...er village...and just had a great girls weekend! None of us were ready for it to end and to see real life once again.

Whistler weekend

2010-08-16T20:44:00.001-07:00

This is a video of the rest of my weekend! My parents and the twins were in on getting Janelle to come along to Whistler with us! So surprise to me again! haha! Oh and the end of the video is ode to The Hills, in case you don't get it...

Surprise video!

2010-08-13T15:07:00.001-07:00

BEST SURPRISE OF MY LIFE!!!!

2010-08-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought I was going to have to spend a long weekend in Whistler with just my parents my two bestest friends in the world, Ashlee and Heather, walked into my living room!!! They and the parents were all sneaky and surprised me with their visit this morning!!!!! WEEEEE!!! More to come on our Canadian adventures this weekend, stay tuned!

4 simple goals

2010-08-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Elsie Flannigan came up with the idea to do a goal challenge and blog about it! The idea is to make 4 simple goals to accomplish before the year is out! I have my 25 goals I did for this year on my birthday, and I actually think I've crossed off quite a few so far! Some are ones that just aren't possible to accomplish because they are more a dream than reality (like buying a new car), so I thought doing this along with my 25 goals would be fun! Also these goals are ones that make your life better, whether for your health or happiness. It's not just about results, but about making you a better person! Ok so ready for my 4 simple goals for the rest of the year?

source

1. Eliminate eggs and dairy from my diet. I really really want to try and go vegan, I just feel like my body would really appreciate it! I know people think vegans are crazy, but who cares, I know my body and they don't. I want to be healthy and fell amazing all the time, I don't want to always feel like a 5 (on scale of 1-10) I want to feel like at least an 8 in my daily life! And just know going vegan will help me feel better! So the first step is avoiding eggs. Once I get that down I'll move onto dairy which will be much much harder but doable.

2. Do a craft project once a month. I know once school starts next month my life is going to be classes and homework non stop! But I really would love to create something at least once a month just for my own mental health! Focusing on school all the time is so wearing, and even though my degree is a creative one I still need an outlet to get my hands dirty and my creative juices flowing.

3. Organize my bedroom. In Georgia I'm doing on campus graduate housing, because its much much easier than trying to find my own apartment and moving all my furniture etc with me! So the only space I will have to myself is my bedroom (grad students are in 4 bedroom apartments). And thats where I'll be doing everything, especially homework and projects! I can tend to get rather messy in my bedroom, and weirdly keep the rest of my home pretty organized, so I really really want to try and keep my room organized this next year! It'll make working much easier and keep me feeling relaxed and not overwhelmed with stuff lying everywhere. I also tend to misplace things easily, so keeping an organized and happy room will help with that.

4. Stick to my budget. I will be on a super tight budget while in school due to some extra loans not going through, basically I can pay my bills or eat, at least my tuition and housing is completely covered, its just the living expenses etc. Luckily my parents are super amazing and are going to help me out. They didn't have the resources to help me a whole lot during undergrad due to my dad getting really sick for awhile, so I paid my way through undergrad (back when private loans were no problem to secure). But this time around, being that I am an adult and have life to pay for, and being that getting private loans is basically impossible anymore, I don't have much to fall back on. So I need to make a budget, figure out what bills are each month, what I can spend on groceries, and try and find a little bit of fun money in there if at all possible. But I really need to stick to this budget! I'm not much a financial planner and haven't really had to make a budget before, I just kinda knew what bills would cost and kept it in my account to be paid. But this year I am going to have to budget everything and give myself an allowance and STICK TO IT! No going over, no seeing the most gorgeous top ever and its ok to take some of next months money to buy it, NO! I don't need extra stress while in school, so will try my hardest to stay in my budget.

Gluten free fad?

2010-08-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

There has been so much talk lately about celebrities going on a gluten free diet. And while I think that's great and they are getting the knowledge out there about gluten free I have to say I really feel it downplays the severity of the medical diet many of us are on! I have no idea what celebrities actually have celiac and which don't, but from my understanding many are doing it to lose weight. I'm sorry but for most people on a gluten free diet its not about losing weighting its about being able to eat and live essentially.

Reporters keep talking about the gluten free diet being a fad, um yeah its not a fad in my life! I'm on the diet for life for my health! I'm just worried that when the next new Hollywood diet rolls in restaurants will blow off gluten free items and it won't be as easy to purchase things in stores. Also with many people thinking this is just a trend diet I'm worried about the attention paid when cooking gluten free, especially at restaurants! I, thank God, don't have much of a reaction when a restaurant kitchen doesn't have a designated gluten free area for cooking, but most celiacs do! They can't even eat fried things because the oil for frying is the same oil used to fry items with wheat!

So I guess what I just really want people to understand is that most people on a gluten free diet aren't trying to lose weight or to make things more difficult, most people on a gluten free diet are on it because thats the only way they can eat! If they were to eat any gluten at all it would literally be killing their body! So its not a diet to take lightly for most, its the only treatment we have for celiac disease.

Here's a video clip the Today Show did about gluten free diets.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The List

2010-08-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The List by Marian Jordan (one of my favorite authors). The book is about learning that its not our expectations of out life that matter but it's God's plan for us that does! We have to learn to let go of our "list" for life and give it over to God and put our hope in him that we'll be ok regardless of what we have in life.

I have to say I've never had much of a "list" for my life, just kinda the normal, get married, find a job I love, have a family someday. But I didn't know how much I was holding on to those things until the past couple of years! In high school I thought for sure I'd get married by age 24, because at the young age of 17 and 18 that seemed SO OLD!!!! And I remember as that birthday was approaching and I saw tons of friends getting engaged I kinda had a freak out! But I've learned that what I think is the right time might not be in God's plan for me! And his timing is perfect! It always is! Also when I start to freak out about not having a boyfriend or being anywhere close to getting married I remember um duh I don't even want to be married now!!!! I have way too much to do with myself before I get tied down! silly me!

Also I thought right out of college I'd find the perfect job and make tons of money right away. HA! I worked for my mom's business for the year after college, then moved to LA with my friends and found what I thought would be THE JOB...yeah no...I hated it! HATED IT! But I know I learned a lot and gained a lot of confidence from that job, and that's what matters! My perfect job is still in the works because I'm still in works! God has me doing school now so I can have my job someday!

And I've also learned that just because you "have it all" doesn't mean you're going to be happy! If I were to be married, I'd just be married, I wouldn't instantly be happy all the time! The only way you'll be at peace in life and have happiness is if you live by Jesus' example and put your hope in him!

This book was a great reminder that my list doesn't matter! It's God's list that does! And that doesn't mean I give up my desires, but I don't hope in them, I hope in God that those things will happen and they will happen with his perfect timing!

Music Monday: Sondre Lerche

2010-08-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Why I'm not a chef.

2010-08-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

As I'm sitting watching Food Network I often think why didn't I go to cooking school?? Food is kinda my life because of all my restrictions! But then I think, um duh because, although its my life, I hate food! I know that's weird, but I just get tired of it, and I get tired of thinking of what to make for dinner, and oh don't even get me started on lunch! I HATE lunch! I'm not a sandwich person and who wants to cook in the middle of the day? so I never know what to eat.

I do however rather enjoy breakfast...I've always been a pancake freak. My parents like to retell of the days of old when I would sneak into their room on Saturday mornings at 6 am(...SIX AM!...I can't even wake by at 8 anymore....) and head to my dads side of the bed and whisper "dad, dad, dad (until he was awake), dad, I want pancakes." Then he'd tell me to go watch cartoons until he was up, so I'd trot out to the living room and turn on Captain Planet (hmm maybe that's what inspired my love of sustainability) and eventually he'd make his way out of the bedroom to make me pancakes! Anyway I digress.

I am incredibly interested in nutrition though. Since being diagnosed with celiac sprue almost 9 years ago I have had to pay attention to nutrition to make sure I was eating the right thing and not making myself sick. I'm a label reader by habit now, I pick up a package of food and the first thing I do is turn it round to check the ingredients. In the past year since food became my enemy and was making me super sick I've become even more interested in nutrition and have read like 50 books just since June about food. Its taken me a long time to become friends with food again, just this summer in fact I've been able to eat and not feel sick. Going vegetarian has been like THE BEST decision I've ever made! I've never felt so good stomach wise, and I can think again and I feel lighter and happier! Its amazing!

The past few weeks I've been reading a lot about Macrobiotic diets. And while I totally get it and understand them its just too intense for me right now. Although one thing I did take away from learning about that diet is the importance of eating more whole grains! So I've really been trying to eat more grains everyday, and not just in bread form, but like real whole grains. I also try to balance it out with lots of fruits and veggies, I have a fruit smoothie every morning and I love it! I need to be better about getting more veggies in my diet though.

Well anyway, I don't even know where I was going with this. I guess I was just thinking about how I've often thought it'd be fun to be a chef, but I think no, I'd hate it. Food and I have had a roller coaster relationship I never know when I'll love it or hate it or when IT will love me or hate me. We've travelled a long road together. And just the past two months I've finally felt like food is loving me back for the first time since I figured out my gluten intolerance. The thought of eating doesn't make my stomach turn anymore like it did just this winter. I don't feel sick after every meal anymore, and I can't even tell you how amazing that is! I'm finally eating to make me feel healthy and whole, not just eating to survive.

So I suppose in conclusion as to why I didn't become chef, food is more about nutrition to me than it is about fun and love. I don't remember life by food like many people do, I don't travel for the food like many do, and while I have dishes I like to eat I don't live my life around food in that way. So while my life revolves around food, its not because I like to have fun with it and taste new things, its because I have to eat to make myself healthy and feel like a real person. Perhaps one day soon, now that I've found a diet that works for me, I'll be able to really enjoy food again. But for now its all about the nutrition and health.

My new baby girl

2010-08-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

So this weekend a new kitty showed up at our door step. I'm pretty sure the neighborhood cats direct all stray and lost kitties to our house. Mom and I gladly accept all and offer food and water. Some go on their way, others stick around, like Black Bart our now outside kitty who found mom while I was living in LA. The new kitty who appeared this weekend is a super sweet little girl who we can tell had a home at one point in her life. So we've put up some flyers that we found her and told the local vet and dog groomers in case people go looking there, but so far no one's called about her. Mom and I decided, much to father's chagrin, that we are keeping her (ok so mom's keeping her since I move out soon)! Since Birdie dog passed away the house has felt horribly empty, but we weren't quite ready to go looking at a new kitten yet; so when Stella showed up (thats what I named her) we just knew she was ours!

isn't she adorable?! I love her!

I told the parents that if I was going to an apartment in Georgia where I could have kitties I would steal her and drive her across country with me...but I'm not...so I can't.

She's just a little love and follows me around the house all day and talks to us non stop! She's a bit miffed she can't go outside right now, but we don't want her to get lost again. Although this morning she did sneak out and so we let her stay out all afternoon but she stuck close by; so thats good.

I mean seriously how cute is her little face? gah!

Mr. Tibby cat is doing very well with her, at first he was like um guys whats going on? Then he was like whatevs and went back to sleep. The first day though he wouldn't let Stella out of his sight, it was pretty funny. Miss Sven cat on the other hand....oh boy. I'm actually surprised I'm still alive right now, I thought for sure Sven was going to murder both mom and I in our sleep the first night. She saw mom bring Stella inside and was all oh hell no. So she's been looking disgruntled for the past two days and walks around the house like a mini panther in kill mode. But she doesn't actually do anything, she just likes to be pissy....which really isn't anything new, we're used to bad cat attitude and her accusing glances.

So that's my new kitty! I'm sad I have to leave her in a month and wish I could just take her with, but no such luck.

oh, p.s. I got my hair done today, its awesome!!! I'll make mother the photographer take pics tomorrow for me so I can share!

night night. Hope your Thursday treats you well!