Less than a week!

That's right. Six days from now, I will be hanging out with three of my favorite people in the world (I'm talking to you Sara, Phil, and Noah), AND I'll be watching Grizzly Bear perform. How did I get so lucky??

And it just so happens that they are the perfect music to fit this rainy, gray weather.

What's that you ask?

What else have I been listening to lately?

Great question!

(Gloomy)* Rainy Day Playlist:

Deep Blue Sea (Grizzly Bear)

Fake Empire (The National)

Cello Song (Nick Drake)

Jesus, Etc. (Wilco)

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths)

These Days (Nico)

Brackett, WI (Bon Iver)

The Dress Looks Nice On You (Sufjan Stevens)

Say Yes (Elliott Smith)

Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan)

*Sometimes, it's fun to have music fit the mood of the weather outside. But other times, I like listening to something to contrast it. In the near future, I might be making an upbeat rainy day mix....hold on to your butts.

changes

I’m sick and tired of being a Christian in name only.

For a while, I’ve been afraid to follow God - to really and truly follow Him. Observing the world for the first time has made me very aware of the way Christians are viewed, and I’ve been oh-so-careful not to slip into that mold that others have created. For a long time, I was so vigilant about being the “right kind of Christian” that I forgot what I really believed in. I became this watered-down and lukewarm believer that I would have been disgusted with, not long ago.

Tonight, I came across Galatians 1:10, where Paul says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?...If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

As God tends to do, He used those words to get into my little brain and and reinforce the message that I've needed to hear for a long time: you are not living for the world!

If I'm going to be a follower of Jesus, as I say I am, I want to follow Him body, mind, and soul. There are things in my life that need to change, and it’s time I not only listen to God, but time I actually start obeying. It's a scary thought. I have no idea what this could entail, but I've selfishly lived for myself long enough to know that I'm nothing without God.

What I'm trying to say is that I can no longer be afraid to live openly for Christ. If that means being viewed as a religious nut, so be it. I just pray the Lord starts working in me as only He can, and that I may be an honest example of His love.

colors and flow...

I'm still in love with this spread from V magazine I saw months and months ago.

There's just something about flowy colorful fabric that makes me want to be 8 years old again, if only to spin around my living room singing Disney princess songs.

My New Kitchen Life

Hello hello, cyber world. How long it's been!

Maybe it's because of my abundance of time, or maybe it's just because I'm just a huge fan of food, but I've taken an interest in cooking and baking as of late. I know, I know - we all thought the day would never come. It's that housewife in me that's finally trying to establish her place, I guess.

Here's some things I've whipped up in the last few months:


Fantastic ravioli I found on 101 Cookbooks.

The New York Times' 36-hour chocolate chip cookie...well worth the wait.

Simply delicious brownie/chocolate chip cookie mix that Bakerella inspired me to make. Seriously, people, AMAZING.

And lentils (first time making 'em) with mustard and bacon from Amateur Gourmet. You have to trust that they tasted way better than they looked!


So is this going to be a new chapter of my life? A food-filled, calorie-heavy, and extremely-satisfied-stomach chapter? We'll see. All I know is somebody better have some holiday parties pretty soon, because I've never made pumpkin pie before, and I'm feeling adventurous.

A girl can dream, right?

Well, dear blog, it looks like I didn't abandon you after all. I have to apologize for my absence. I really have no good excuse other than my busy schedule and the lack of interesting occurrences in my life lately. But tonight I found something I can safely say is blog-worthy.

Because of the state of my current funds, I really haven't bought anything but food and gas lately. I thought the lack of new clothes would get to me, but truly, I've been doing fine. I had found that as long as I didn't tempt myself, I didn't have any desire to go shopping. I was becoming satisfied with what I have, which is something I've been striving for.

But then I HAD to look at Anthropologie's spring stuff.

As I looked through these dresses, I began to have fantasies of living the life of an Anthropologie Girl. Is it so wrong to want that kind of sickeningly sweet lifestyle?

I could sip lemonade on the porch, wear this cute dress, and love life. For Easter, I'd show up for church in this adorable thing. In the summer, I would ride my bike, with an incredibly chic hairstyle, might I add, while wearing this. For those times I happen to be in Brazil, and I need something to go dancing in with my gorgeous foreign boyfriend, I would whip out this little number. When I go to New York City for a fun and spontaneous week with my girlfriends, I'd wear this dress when we go out to eat after walking through Central Park. I would lounge by the pool at my country home, making martinis while my hot, Jon Hamm-looking husband barbeques, in this.

Can't I do that? Can't my bank account somehow make room for that kind of life? Won't the universe give me that???

It's not safe to digitally window shop when I have so little money. It wreaks havoc on my sanity.

a tribute

Yesterday it finally happened. I knew it was coming for about 2 months now, but the truth finally reared its head yesterday. On Friday, January 23rd, 2009, at 11:01 am, while speed-walking to class, my faithful watch fell off of my wrist. It was a long time coming, seeing as it only cost $10, and I really got my money's worth (maybe more). We had a good run; I showed her the world, and she consistently showed me the time. I'll miss that good little watch, and for her faithfulness, I owe her a lot. Or at least this flattering picture.

the beginning

Do I have what it takes to survive in this insane blogging world?  

We shall see.