Exhaustion

Tonight feels like the pinnacle of tiredness for me. I’m sort of delirious but I want so desperately to stay on top of the blog posting goal and avoid my homework. This seems like the natural option. I wanted to let all my lovely readers know how I’m doing on my 2010 goals.

GREAT!

I really am! I’ve been following my 5k training schedule closely and I’ve never even cheated! (You know, like pretending like I ran 7 minutes when I know I only ran 5, or something like that.) I’ve already used up my two fast-food passes for the month and in spite of the traveling I’ve done I haven’t stopped again! That, my friends, has been a challenge. I’ve saved $100 this month, donated $100, sent 4 letters, and mastered the single stitch crochet! I found a delicious sounding buttermilk squash soup recipe from Martha Stewart (we’re close) for my cookbook that I think I’ll make when my beautiful best friend Jillian stays in Springfield in a few weekends and the reason I’m so exhausted tonight is because I drove home from Columbia this morning because I had an orthodontist appointment yesterday afternoon. Your girl’s getting a grill! The past three weeks have been full of changes and growing and productivity and I’m just so proud of myself. Through all this I’m learning how to love myself and love those around me. I’m more appreciative of my friends than ever and so very grateful for the blessings that abound in my life every single day.

Cheers Comrades, and I hope 2010 is being as good to you as it is to me!

X.O.X.O.

Review: (500) Days of Summer

By and large Brett is the cinematic authority in this relationship, but he's taught me thing or two (continuity error!) since we've been dating and I've started to look at movies in a different way. It's nothing revolutionary, but I'm more appreciative of the movie as a whole, rather than just the good looking actors or funny dialogue. So, anyway we all know I have great taste and I think a fun way to keep myself blogging would be to do a review of some sort of media at least once a week.

Today, it's for indie, fan favorite (500) Days of Summer. As we know, anything Zooey Deschanel touches turns to hipster gold and I don't think (500) Days is any exception. Joseph Gorden-Levitt makes a return from his Third Rock From the Sun days, looking as adorable dishevled as ever. I won't bore you with the details of the director/producer/yadda yadda because quite frankly I don't know and it wouldn't mean anything to me if I did. What I will tell you is this: the story line is sweet, if not captivating and the predictibly unpredictable plot twists in the final scenes may leave you a little uneasy. However, for me the film was redeemed from a somewhat floppy plot by its visual element. There are some really beautiful things happening in the film, from the lighting to the use of animation and split screens. It's quirky and cute and kept me rapt for the entire movie. Add drool-worthy sets with adorably decorated apartemtns and envy inducing wardrobes and to me, you get a memborable flick. Check it out if you aren't bothered by gratitutious references to uncool cool music and vintage apparel cream dreams. Here are some images from the film:

Cheers Comrades, and may you find something beautiful to fill your life today!

X.O.X.O.

Monday Monday

Well I made it through my last day of the first day of classes. I showed up to my only class late, but I was there dern it and that counts for something. I spent all day yesterday setting up The Vintage Book Blogge and I'm going to try my darndest not to forget about my brainchild over here on Blogger. However, since I have limited access to the goings on up in Kirksville, after the intial set up, I probably won't have much to say on the Blogge until I move home. As far as juggling the two blogs then, well, I'll just cross that bridge when I get there.

I think it's going to be a really great semester, full of sunshine and sparkle. In addition to my 5k training schedule, I'm making time to do two group fitness classes on campus, a cycling class and a yoga/meditation class and I have work out buddies for both! It's going to be a challenge, but I have such a different attitude about everything lately that I want to ride out my motivation before it wans! I just feel like I've been in an icky funk since Brett moved away last May and now that I'm on the final stretch, I might as well cheer the hell up. I'm tired of feeling badly about my circumstances and I'm certainly tired of feeling badly about myself. A narcissist with low self-esteem? You've seen it here folks.

I'm really using the next few months to focus on myself and accomplish things that I'd like to get done. I can't wait to start crossing things off my 2010 goals list (I already bought crochet needles and I can make a chain... I'm having trouble getting to the next step though, any help?) January is just cruising by and before I blink I'll be a college graduate and a new business owner. I feel incredibly lucky and more blessed than ever and I'm so glad so many of my friends and loved ones are willing to ride along and share it with me!

Cheers Comrades! and much love.

X.O.X.O.

I Want That

Have I mentioned how much I love the new year? Because I love the new year. For 6 whole days 2010 has treated me right. My new year's eve was appropriately low key and was spent relaxing in Brett's newly unpacked apartment. My cousin Jer has this theory that however you spend new year's day is how you will spend the year and aptly enough, Brett and I spent it with my Grandma at the bookstore knee deep in books, sawdust, and scheming plans for change. My mind and subsequently my blog has been full of things I'd love to accomplish in the new year, things I'd like to learn, ways I'd like to grow. In a few days it might be faux pas to keep talking about resolutions and goals, so I'll use this one last opportunity to do a new year listing. This time- all the things I'd like to have in 2010! (Hey- I never made a goal not to be materialistic!)

1. Braces

(source: Getty Images)

Yeah, I realize you're supposed to get that kind of thing taken care of in like junior high but I need some major headgear and that shit's expensive. Besides, Brett's mom is a dental hygenist and she had braces like, last year. So it's totally in vogue. While my teeth aren't horribly mangled, I'm a little self conscious and I'm really eager to eliminate that element of my life.

2. A Beautiful Bedroom

(source: Apartment Therapy)

As I've mentioned here before, Brett and I are headed in a pretty clear stylistic direction for our living room, but the bedroom remains more of a mystery. We aren't really sure what we want. I mean heck it took me an hour to even select this picture to use on the blog. We are leaning towards blues, greens, and whites, but shades of which we are uncertain. I really like teal/aqua blues and mint greens but Brett has pointed out deeper tones, like an olive green, so who knows what we will end up with ultimately! I'm very excited about the journey of filling our new home with treasures.

3. A Colorful New Bike With A Basket

(source: We Heart It)

Moving back to Kirksville is going to afford me the opportunity to be within walking distance of almost everything I need: my job, some members of my family, restaurants, shops. For everything else, I'd love to start biking. I want a cute little basket so I can ride up the street to Hy-Vee (yay!) and make little grocery trips.

4. A Pretty Party Dress And A Reason To Celebrate

(source: We Heart It)

I just love dressing up. I love to pull up some jazzy tunes, and bop around in my bathroom for like two hours showering and washing my hair and putting on all sorts of lotions and perfumes. After such a ritualistic cleansing, I always feel like a new person and I'm inevitably ready to celebrate the night away. And I have a feeling I'll have plenty of reasons to party this year: finishing my first 5k, celebrating 3 years with the handsome love of my life, or owning...

5. A Gorgeous And Successful Bookstore

(source: We Heart It)

I haven't mentioned a whole lot about my plans with the store here, because I'd like to keep that reserved for the forthcoming website and blog (yip!) but it'd be totally obtuse not to admit that it's what's on my mind about 80% of my day. I've been given an unrivaled opportunity of a lifetime without question and am lucky enough to be inheriting a creative goldmine. The store is already successful, has been in business for 6 years, has a steady clientele and a postive reputation in the community. Uhm, shit people. Money can't buy that kind of thing. Lots of exciting changes are on the way, including expansion into the basement, more community events, a stronger online presence, and luckily for you Kirksville readers, longer hours for you to come in and enjoy your time there. Since my grandma opened the store it's held a special place in my life and taking it over is a dream come true. Not bad for my first job outta college, eh?

Welp, Cheers Comrades! and may you be blessed with everything you want in the next year (and a few things you need too!)

X.O.X.O.

Florida

I really really really miss Florida. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of a house or a stretch of road or something that reminds me of the place and I know it's totally unrealistic, but I really think I could live there. My grandparents lived in Vero Beach for about 6 years or so and I took a trip every single summer. I'm not really a beach girl myself and I have serious aversion to being in any state of relative undress, and furthermore I'm even willing to admit the Atlantic is not the most gorgeous piece of sea, nor does it have the most alluring beaches, but I still love being at the ocean. And it's not just the beach. The orange groves along the highway, the ranch-style homes that sit on acres of land lined by palm trees, the retirement communities- I mean it! It has this wildlife that is just gorgeous. I love Disney World, I love the touristy shops, I love the sandy sidewalks. So much of it is ultra-campy and I can't get enough. I can't really adequately explain my persuasion for it, but I get really nostalgic every now and then. One of my grandma's friends is getting married in June and I'm crossing my fingers for the chance to fly down and be there for a while again. One summer my grandma gave me a book about Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish conquistador searching for the Fountain of Youth- he ended up in Florida.

Here is a feast of images that make me fall in love all over again.

 

(images found on Getty Images and Google images, except for the last which is my own :] }

Baby It's Cold Outside

so I'm inside the hotel taking FULL advantage of our complementary soup option tonight which is chicken noodle soup and which is also totally delicious. Here are some soupy images to keep you warm (and hungry) wherever you may be tonight:

Cheers Comrades! and as always, much love.

X.O.X.O.

PS: Doesn't that second soup from the bottom look just delish?! I found the recipe here.

(images from Getty Images and Google images)

Some Things I Never Thought I'd Say

HOLY FRACK, here are some things I've admitted to

publically or privately lately that I never thought I would say:

1. I really want a Snuggie.

2. I would kill to go on a Disney Cruise

(perferably on their newest boat,

Disney Dream. Yes, I researched.)

3. I like running in the snow.

I'm sure this list could be longer, but I'm just now coming to terms

with some really embarassing elements of my personality.

Like that fact that I will never, ever be able to spell "embarassing" correctly

(unless that's right in which case, nevermind.)