I like people

This just makes me laugh.

{via We Heart It}

Hope you like it too. Happy Friday!

Also, this video was amazing. I love guys who can dance.

Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!*

*This is a shoutout to an awesome comment Kiki from I Totally Forgot You Go Here made on one of my posts, since she is the one who tagged me.

What is your current obsession? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. For some reason I decided that I needed to listen to, like, everything they'd put out. Before this obsession, I think I'd only heard Maps and Soft Shock. I totally love most of their songs. However, I happened to stumble across their new album cover, and I have to say it totally freaks me out. I can't stare directly at it for longer than like 2 seconds. And even then I risk nightmares. It feels really menacing to me.

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love? Miley Cyrus. I know there are a lot of negative feelings about the girl, but she really just annoys me. The few times I've seen her live (instead of just her image plastered over practically every other square inch of the planet) the way she moves her mouth just bugs me. Which, rationally, I know isn't her fault. But irrationally, I just want to make her stop talking. And her music, I HATE it. So yeah, Miley Cyrus must go. I'm tired of being told about your dating life, maturity level, nude-ish photographs. I just don't care. And no, I do not like The Climb. Sorry if you like her. I won't judge you. You can return the favor later.

What are you wearing today? Gauchos and a t-shirt. What Gauchos went out like 3 years ago? Admit it you still have a pair you kick around the house in. See. I knew it. I got to work from home today so we should all be lucky I got most of the way out of my pajamas. Yay!

What's for dinner? IDK. I'm on the other side of dinner. And asking me to plan ahead a whole day is unlikely. Maybe think maybe pancakes with blueberries. And if not, I've just made you all drool and crave them. Admit it.

What would you eat for your last meal? Sushi. Probably from my favorite local place, Tokai. There might be better places, but they don't have the Lemon Ball--which is like the best invention ever. Or maybe it would be Thai. I love Thai.

What's the last thing you bought? Two books to write my thesis with. Boring, right? After I started reading both of these I could tell these were books I was going to need to write in and mark up. And the library gets so upset when you do that, threatening legal action/expulsion and crap like that. So fine, they're making me shell out a lot of my own money here.

What are you listening to right now? See first answer. But also if I listed everything I was listening to you'd probably think I had multiple personalities. And I wouldn't blame you. Beside the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, I'm also listening to Nirvana, Britney Spears, Outkast, 311, RATM, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Radiohead, etc. But right this very second I'm listening to the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

What do you think of the person that tagged you? I've never met her, but I pretty much totally adore her. Her writing is always smart and funny. All her comments make me laugh. In other words, I have a big fat bloggy crush on her. (Yes, I hate myself as much as you hate me for saying bloggy.) After everything she's been through in the last year, I just want sunshine and puppies and happiness for her. Which I think she's starting to get back in measures. Seriously, though, if I could bottle that and give it to her I would.

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be? London. Probably in the Gloucester/Hyde Park area. Or maybe over by Notting Hill or Borrough Market. Or along the Strand. I love London so much. I was so happy there, I felt alive and inspired and like I could conquer the world. So yeah, any place that makes me feel that good, I pretty much want to live there forever.

What is one of your hobbies? I would love to say something other than reading. Really, really, I would since I talk about it all the time. But that would mean I would have to say my other hobbies are school or work. And neither of those is a hobby. Also that depresses me. I used to be more well rounded. I used to paint (I'm terrible, but I love it), and write, and you know actually leave my house to do things. But not so much anymore. Ask me again after next August (hopeful graduation date). Ooooh, maybe collecting quotes. That's a legit hobby. It is! Especially when you write them down obsessively on any scrap of paper available. Also I've started yoga again. So that could be a hobby too.

What are 3 things that annoy you most? Sometimes I think I'm the most easily annoyed person in the world. Here are a 3 of the things that annoy me most:
1- Treating me (or anyone) like they're dumb. I feel like I'm a pretty smart person, I'm not a Steven Hawking but I'm not Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel either, so it really irks me when someone talks down to me. I might have, in the past, whipped out the full extent of my vocabulary (which let's be honest, when people use $7 words every other breath, don't you just wonder about some of them) and talked circles around the person who talked down to me. It's really satisfying.
2- Using the word robust to describe anything other than a full bodied wine or a sauce. JUST DON'T DO IT. I have similar prejudices against the word bandwidth, which should only be used to describe internet related things.
3- The Good Ol' Boys Club. There are charming ways to belong to this (i.e. being a gentleman), and then there is the way where you exclude and oppress others. It's the latter that really pisses me off. And which I unfortunately am currently battering my head against. Here's the thing that really pisses me off the most, you don't actually have to be a guy to belong to this mentality.

What is your favorite color? I really like green. But I really like orange and purple too.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe? A black jersey dress from Boden. It's hard to describe, but is pretty much the perfect dressy dress. Plus it is ridiculous comfortable. I like to take it out to the opera or ballet any chance I get.

What is your dream job? Anything that lets me think. Even if it means I earn a little less in the long run. I think I'd rather be happy and fulfilled than a little better off and miserable because my thoughts are being dictated to me. Really, I'd like to write books. I think that's my dream job.

Describe your personal style. Casual classic. I like jeans. And t-shirts. I'm also really, really obsessed with this dress lately. I like ballet flats, but I have a huge collection of heels and wedges.

What are you going to do after this? Shower.

What is your favorite "happy hour" at Sonic? I haven't been to Sonic in years. But it's probably a lime ricky (ricki?). I love those things. There is no wrong in them.

What inspires you? Art, history, philosophy, science, nature. I feel like it sounds like I'm pretentious when I say things like that. But really, I just believe that when we limit our inspiration we cut off great ideas. So I try to stay open. Because you just never know where your great idea is going to come from. Plus, I could make a killing on Jeopardy one day.

Which celebrity would you shameless make out with even if the paparazzi were snapping pictures? I love imagining the various answers to this question. (By the way wasn't the original question, but the original would make me launch into a diatribe, and per a previous post I'm trying to be calm about everything that upsets me.). I think, I'd have to go with Zachary Quinto. I'm a sucker for dark hair. And tall. And glasses. And good shoulders. And he has all of that, rolled into one. *swoon* See here. Or maybe the actor who played Riley Finn circa Buffy era. Yes, my answer is changed to him. Mark Bluth? Something like that. Beauty.

What are you currently reading? For fun: The World to Come and The Jane Austen Book Club. For research: The Origin of Stories, Creative Evaluation by Patton, Evaluation Practice Reconsidered by Schwandt, Fourth Generation Evaluation by Lincoln and Guba, Exploring Evaluator Roles and Identity ed. Ryan and Schwandt, Standards-Based & Responsive Evaluation by Stake, and The Art of Case Study by Stake. If you ask how I keep track of all those (plus the various articles I read) the answer is simple: I take really extensive notes. And it takes FOREVER.

What delighted you most today? Watching She's the Man. I love stupid teenage movies. Bonus, this one is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. LOVED IT. Don't judge me.

By what criteria do you judge a person? You know the old standard of how they treat a waiter. I pretty much use that. If someone mistreats another person, then they are not someone I want to weave closely into my life. On a lighter note, my friends and I used to have a theory of pants guys wore which we used as a criteria to judge whether a guy was datable or not. It's surprisingly accurate. Hazel should really blog more about that (HINT HINT) since it was pretty much her theory. When in doubt, I still fall back on it.

Which fictional character from a literary work would you be? Hermoine. I adore her. Plus, I'd get to go to Hogwarts and be a total smarty-pants, and a heroine. And kick-ass. Did I mention the part about being magic. Because that would be AWESOME! (Plus I get a various, undisclosed happiness, which I'm not going to blog about as a courtesy to Hazel who is finally reading the books.)

The rules: 1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.

I tag: Hazel (double tag here really), Mandy, Little Fish, Rebecca, Princess B, Jess, MelRoxx, and J..

I always feel guilty tagging people. Why? I don't know. It's not like a contract or anything. But I have issues, people. Conversely, I feel guilty for not tagging people. So whether I did or didn't tag you, I think you should or shouldn't do it based on what you want to do. There, is that open ended enough?

I am so great*

*Title should be sung in a Homer Simpson voice for full effect. At least that's how I sing it when I say things like that.

MelRoxx recently tagged me in a meme of seven words to describe me. This gave ma chance to think about my favorite subject. ME. Awesome.

Scattered. There's a reason my blog is called Scattered Starlight. (Although recently someone pointed out to me that starlight technically doesn't exist. I'm taking a page from Clueless though, and to them I say WHATEVER!) I digress. Which is my point. I am one scattered girl. Between working full time, being a grad student, and managing all the personal storms I've been through last few years I am in a million pieces scattered everywhere. I love the word, I think it's a beautiful way to say that I'm an airhead. I'm learning to love that state.

Quixotic. I'm very fluid in my emotions and feelings. Some people may call it crazy, I just call it quixotic. It's a more poetic word.

Insatiable. I want to know everything. Having the chance to learn and grow is just ridiculously exciting to me. Being in school and researching is the perfect place for me. Nothing is off limits and people get it when you research a topic that seems to have no immediate value. Everything always comes in handy at some point. Part of the way I fill the need for knowledge is through reading anything and everything that falls in my hands.

Aesthetic. I may not always be able to create beautiful things, but I like to think that I recognize beauty when I see it. That sounds pretentious, but I don't mean it to. It's part of the reason I love studying art history. I get to stare all these amazing pictures done by geniuses. I think in pictures and colors a lot, and I like being in a world that allows me to do that.

Night Owl. I work best from 12:00 - 3:00 a.m. These hours do not fit in with the rest of my life. I don't know what I'm going to do while writing my thesis this time around. I'm screwed. I need to develop new patterns. But after midnight, it's like I can shed all the self-doubt that clings to me in the day. It's an amazing feeling.

Independent. I like to be able to do things myself. So much so that it sometimes this leads to problems asking for help. Independence is not always a good thing, my friends. Especially when you get stuck.

Warm. I genuinely love people, despite brief bouts of misanthropy.

Bonus words that describe me: burnt out, funny, overachiever, shy, bookish, nerd, pusher, believer, quiet, introspective, chocoholic, empathetic, softie.

I tag you if you want to play too. Kiki, I should tag you in this one since you just tagged me. :)

I can't help but remember

{via omigod, that brittany's shameless}

I'm studying (or trying to study) in the room my Uncle last stayed in.

If I had known it would be his last stay I would have cleaned out my school books.

I would have brought him flowers. Even if he thought it was girly.

I would have cooked his favorite foods.

I would have been happy to have him here, instead of worrying about what it meant for the future.

I would have welcomed him with open arms.

I would have told him I forgive him.

I would have done things differently.



I wish I would have. I wish I could have. I wish I had known better.

I don't ever want to say that again ever.

Ever.



So, I promise to tell the people I love just how much I love them.

I promise not to hold onto stupid (or even justified) grudges. Nothing is worth it.

I promise to cook for my loved ones.

I promise to spoil them with love in little ways they don't expect.

I promise to live in the now and not put off things, counting on a later date to come.



Because it doesn't always come. How many times have I learned that in the past year?

You don't always get second chances to say I love you.

Uncle Henry, I hope you know I love you.

I'm sorry it took your death for me to say that.

Dream Big

If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.
-Robert Fritz

{via TwentyThree via Barnies}

I love dance

I love So You Think You Can Dance. Absolutely love it. It's one of the few shows I religiously tune into. On Wednesday, they had absolutely the most amazing piece. It moved me to tears.



It's amazing to see how much emotion is captured in this short piece. I think anyone who has ever cared for someone as they were ill can relate. The most amazing things to me is how without any words this can be a universal communication.

It's just amazing to me.

If you can't tell, I like books

{Cover Illustration by Rob Ryan
Cover skyscape by Alan Schein and Zefa Corbitz}

I just started reading another amazing book called The World to Come by Dara Horn. At least it seems amazing so far. I couldn't stop reading the first chapter. You know how some writers are so confident in their words and the worlds they create that you automatically trust them? Dara Horn is one of those writers. I have a feeling that she's a writer who could make a turnip seem compelling.

So far it has involved the theft of a Chagall painting in relatively modern day. It also has glimpses into the life of Chagall in Communist Russia. There has been some brief description of violence which made me cringe. But mostly lately, I just want sunshine and happiness after everything that's happened in the last year. So, I'm kind of a wimp about that stuff right now.

I wanted to share a brief passage that got highlighted as I read. I'm including a little more than strictly necessary just so I don't have to weigh down her words with an explanation of what is being discussed.

"What's really interesting about Yiddish," Erica was saying, the first courageous soul to break the silence, "is how much humor there is in it."

Her smile, which had seemed so promising just moments before was beginning to sicken him. "No more than any other language," he muttered. But what it really does have, he thought--what you don't know it has, because it isn't in any Woody Allen movies--is a world of the dead built into it, a true fear of heaven, an automatic need to invoke the presence of God whenever saying anything good or bad about anyone or anything, an absolute trust that the other world, if one could call it that, is not separate from this one, that eternity is always breathing over your shoulder, waiting to see if you will notice. (page 13)

Hope you enjoyed it. I'll let you know when I finish (which may not be for awhile--stupid article).

Honestly, I picked this up because of the cover art. I absolutely adore it, and I'm tempted to cut it off the book and frame it.

Proving once again that wedding shows make women crazy actually have valuable insights

When I was visiting Hazel in San Diego we watched Say Yes to the Dress.

If you're like me you just asked, "Why is she blogging about this?" Trust me for just a minute.

I'd never seen the show before, but since it is one of Hazel's favorites I was excited to see it. In case you're not familiar with the show, brides come to a famous wedding dress shop in NYC from all over the country to find their ideal dress.

One of the brides there was from Las Vegas and she had just lost her sister the year before. As a result, the bride wanted her dress to represent her sister. Her sister had been a very free spirit, always trying something new. The bride wanted her dress to be nontraditional so that she could feel her sister's spirit with her while she was being married.

But as she tried on dress after dress, she grew increasingly upset. The dresses were beautiful, but none of them made her light up. She couldn't see herself wearing the dresses on her wedding day. Nearing the end of her appointment she was tired, near tears, and disappointed. The specialist guiding her meeting finally figured out that even though the bride wanted her dress to reflect her sister, the two sister's tastes did not match. When suggested this (very gently and tactfully) to the bride. The bride and her family tearfully agreed.

What's more, the saleslady said to the bride, "You are so tired and worked up right now that even if I showed you the right dress, I don't think you'd be able to recognize it." And she sent her gently on her to find the right dress.

Um. Wow. That lady is a genius. You know how sometimes you hear something for an unexpected source that you needed right at that moment?

Lately, I've been feeling extremely at my wits end about a few different things. Wondering why I haven't had them, you know, like five minutes ago. And as I thought about the problem more, the more upset I got. Until there wasn't a good answer or a way out.

And now, instead of allowing myself to get worked up and upset. I take a few minutes and breathe.

It's a whole lot better than getting upset.

So, Say Yes to the Dress, thank you for the advice I needed.

On healing

But for all the potential tales of woe that they suggest, scars are also signposts of optimism. If your body is game enough to knit itself back together after a hard physical lesson, to make scar tissue, that means you're still alive, means you're on the path toward healing.

- Dana Jennings
via Jezebel

One of many neuroses

{via We Heart It}

You know how we all have weird quirks? Like one of my friends can only turn volume on her tv/radio in increments of 5. So we listen to things at 5, 10, or 15.

Another of my friends can only turn right...no wait that's Zoolander. :)

I'm not funny.

So one of my neuroses is that when I listen to songs on my iPod that I like I have to make sure that they get credit for being listened to on my iPod. Which isn't weird, unless I tell you that before I learned that the iPod doesn't count a song until it finishes I was compulsive song hopper. I like variety, and I like it now. Thank you.

But, if I skip during a song I like my iPod won't count it as listened to. And then it can't move ahead in the race for my favorite when I plug my iPod back into the computer. And that just makes me feel bad for the song.

Why yes, I did have a hard time parting from my childhood stuffed animals. Why do you ask?

Bonus neuroses: I am obsessed with the numbers 4 and 5 going together. Like if something is supposed to be in the microwave for 4 minutes, I'll put it in for 3:45 instead. But if I put it in for 4:05 the 4 and 5 would be too far apart.

I have the same neuroses with red and purple. I just believe they're cosmically fated to be together. Although my mom convinced me and three year-old that doesn't mean they have to be worn together. She was right. But I stand by my conviction.



So I've told you some of my neuroses. Now it's time for me to tell you one of yours.

Wind in the sails

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by te things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream
-Mark Twain

{via TwentyThree}

A movie / Then Me / Then Music

Harry Potter was

AWESOME!

The Half-Blood Prince was not my favorite book, but I think this might have been my favorite movie so far. And who else is glad they split the last book into two movies? I'm definitely not ready for the franchise to end.

It didn't feel long, until my butt fell asleep the last five minutes. But it was totally worth it. And I'm planning on doing it again. This time in IMAX.

WOO!

(I've been saying that a lot lately.But it's just so exciting.)

-----------------------------------------------------

So, I may not have been very strict with my exercise routine lately. May = totally fallen off the bandwagon. And you know how I get back on the bandwagon? By tricking myself to go to the gym. Planning just means that I make excuses and go.

If I surprise myself then I can just go.

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either. But it works.

-------------------------------------------------------

I rediscovered my Jagged Little Pill CD this week when my iPod lost all charge and I was faced by the prospect of having no music for an eight hour stretch while some man-rus (see what I did there, eh, eh) masticated carrots next to me.

It turns out Alanis works as well for angsty 27 year-olds as she does for angsty 14 year-olds.

I really thought I'd be past that by now.

Here you are, Jagged Little Pill in all its glory. I can't believe it's been out for 14 years.

If I could write about anything else, I would

But you know what keeps running through my head?

Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter!
Harry Potter!

I think you get the idea. It's like a nonstop chorus in here. So, believe me when I say that I would love to be able to focus on something else. But! It's Harry Potter! I get to see Harry Potter! Why didn't I decide to go tonight at midnight? There is no good answer to the question. Gah.

I'll see it soon enough. No worries.

In the meantime, let me add my voice to the chorus of women-who-are-entirely-too-old-for-Harry-and-Ron-but-can't-help-lusting-after-them-anyway. I try not to. But their shoulders! Oh their shoulders! Back in the day when I awoke to find that boys had somehow gotten rid of their cooties, the first thing I noticed about them was SHOULDERS! I have never looked back. (Alternately, I have drooled over many a back.)


Aren't they just darling? And Emma Watson is just impressive. I totally adore her like a big sister would.

And let's not forget the Weasley twins. Since they're marginally older I feel slightly less guilty lusting over them.


Okay, I'm going to try to focus over the constant stream of Harry Potter excitement. Wish me luck.

The first of many

I run across a lot of cool quotes while I'm doing background research. So I figure, why not share? We all know I'm a bit of a quote hussy. I think that might be putting it mildly.

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion.

-Thomas Jefferson
Letter to William Charles Jarvis
September 28, 1820

It's coming

If I've been writer-light lately it's because I'm working on an article for publication. A scholarly article. Not a fun, how to get the best pedicure ever while at the beach, article. Guess which one I'd rather be writing.

No, I joke. I really enjoy researching and writing. It's very taxing mentally, but it's also really rewarding to be able to flex the mental muscle (I hate myself for writing that) and produce something that's kind of, sort of halfway decent.

After this comes the thesis. *cue ominous music* I've written a thesis before, as an undergrad. I wrote it on King Lear, which is, I swear the last time I will write about Shakespeare. It about killed me. But in the end it turned out well, not to brag (except that I'm totally going to because that thing sucked away almost a year of my life) but my committee said that it was a master's level thesis. I felt pretty good about myself that day.

Anyway, I'm hoping the process will be smoother this time. I think I have a pretty good idea of how to handle it better. And also a pretty good idea to write about. I'm going to meet with the professor who's guiding me through writing this article to pitch my plan to him.

No matter how well writing the thesis goes, I know that writing it means that I'm going to be increasingly crazy¹ and scattered in the next year.

Let's hope that it makes me more charming?

Okay good, I thought so too.

---------------------------
¹As my mom always says, "You can't drive me crazy, but you can take me to new levels."

Never, ever forget

Ultimately we won't need a word like feminism or women's liberation because it will be, and should be, just life. Because there is still a power difference, we need to have names that make us see things in a new way.
-Gloria Steinem via Jezebel

{via I Can Read}

Sign he is holding reads: Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know and more will come back to you. - Paul Arden

The full quote is:

Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know and more will come back to you. You will remember from school other students preventing you from seeing their answers by placing their arm around their exercise book or exam paper. It is the same at work, people are secretive with ideas. 'Don't tell them that, they'll take credit for it.' The problem with hoarding is that you end up living off your reserves. Eventually you'll become stale. If you give away everything you have, you're left with nothing. This forces you to look, to be aware, to replenish. Somehow, the more you give away, the more comes back to you. Ideas are open knowledge. Don't claim ownership. They're not your ideas anyway, they're someone else's. They are out there floating in the ether. You just have to put yourself in a frame of mind to pick them up. -Paul Arden

You can read two other tips for creativity here.


These quotes struck me so profoundly this week. I hope they do the same for you.

Jealous Much?

Tonight, I got to see Jenny Lewis free.¹

I adore Jenny Lewis, her albums and her work with Rilo Kiley pretty much got me through last fall in one piece. So you could say that I like her a little, or a lot. This is the first time I've seen her live, and she's one of those rare people that almost sounds better live than on her albums. Which is amazing to me.

I took some pictures, and a little video (shhhh), but I'm exhausted from being outside in all the heat and crowds. So instead you get her super cool new music video for See Fernando.

Jenny Lewis "See Fernando" from Team G on Vimeo.

And one of my other favorites, You are what you love:



And a link two of my other favorites she played tonight: Rise Up with Fists!!! and Silver Lining. Okay and Acid Tongue.

Ahhhh, she's so good. I wish you could have all been there too. You have to promise you'll at least listen to Silver Lining. Promise!

Okay, now I can go on with my day feeling okay about life. Don't forget your promise.

(Also, you should really think about listening to Acid Tongue. Seriously. She is amazing live. If you listen to Acid Tongue, you should really listen to Rise Up With Fists!!! And, you know See Fernando is awesome. And I personally adore You Are What You Love. So yeah, maybe just go out and buy her/Rilo Kiley's albums.)

--------------------------------------
¹ Well everyone there did, she came as part of a free concert series. Which includes Sonic Youth (?!?!!) later this summer. I don't know if I can brave the crowds again though.

A post only girls will appreciate

I adore the bag I'm carrying right now. It's a mustard yellow Michael Kors Tote. It holds everything. People offer to let me give it to them all the time. It's a very generous offer on their part, but I have to decline. I'm a little less generous than they appear to be.

Besides I bought matching shoes. (They're super comfy, bonus. This shoe, in this yellow color.) Yes, I am that girl. And yes, I'm happy with that choice.

The problem is that my beautiful, perfect birthday gift to myself is starting to show signs of wear. (I'm not really surprised I have carried it every day for the last six months. And I do pack it full of books.) So I'm starting the hunt for a similar tote that I can pack round everything I need in.

In looking for a new bag, I ran across this little beauty.


Isn't it pretty? I have a feeling it wouldn't last a week with the kind of wear and tear I give my bags. But it's just so pretty. If it were like $50 less I would have totally owned it like 5 hours ago. I'm not joking. You can check it out here. (Or if it's not there anymore, it's called the Nine West Rainbow Large Tote, although it also comes in all white or all black in that same name.)

I'm traveling quite a bit this fall (woo, I get to go here and here and here) and I need a purse that's not going to give out on me, and is roomy enough to be a good carry-on. I'm tempted to buy a Nanda bag (below), but my laptop is a behemoth and the thought of carrying it around on my shoulder kind of gives me the nightmares. (Typing "the nightmares" was an accident, but I kind of like the phrase. It makes me giggle.)

click on the bag for more details

I'll let you know when I find the right purse of my dreams. Or at least the right purse for right now.

Well, okay, I kind of did find the purse of my dreams, but it's way more than I want to spend. But it's so pretty.

Damn you purse designers.

Haiku about being back

Mesmeric ocean,
I would stay if I could keep
my health insurance.

{via TwentyThree}

Yup, that pretty much sums up my feelings. (And I never claimed to be a poet, least of all in the medium of haiku.)

Also, yay for me for condensing everything else I was going to say into 17 syllables. Woo! That was ridiculously hard.

A little late

Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it.
Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer.
-Shinichi Suzuki

{via Mon Fabuleux Monde}

Gone baby, gone

Hi there. If you're looking for me today, I'm over here at Little Fish's place doing a guest post while she's off gallivanting in Europe.

I am a little jealous. But mostly happy for her, because she deserves the joy of Europe.

Besides, I'm about to do a little bit of gallivanting of my own. I'm heading off for the weekend to sunny California to visit some of my favorite people.

Woo!

Have a very Happy Fourth!




Oh, for all of you who asked about the bed in the last post, here it is. Unfortunately, that is not my bed, since I do not have a spare $15,000 laying around to purchase it. Um, yeah.

And if I did, I'll be honest, it would go into my dream of building a tree-house library. I've been on a bit of book buying binge lately. I really need to stop. I am absolutely out of space to store everything and now I just have boxes of books in my room. I need to spring for some new shelves.

I love lamp

The other night I got into bed and thought:

Dear Bed,

I love you. I love you to the depth, and breadth, and height my soul allows.

Sincerely,

Katie


Hmmmm.

Before you ask. Yes, I really do walk around writing letters to things. Usually they're addressed to fashion disasters.

Apparently my brain thinks its a good idea to quote poetry to my bed. In my defense it was the middle of the night, and I was super excited to get to bed. And my bed is very, very lovable and super, super comfy.

But we're just friends here.

It's long been one of my quirks that when I get really tired all my million dollar vocab words start flying. Kind of a weird quirk. (But useful since I do my best writing in the middle of the night.) Now, I can add random poetry verses to the things I'm likely to let fly in the middle of the night.

That's not normal, right?

Funny though.