Inspiration: Humanity

Hi guys! I just wanted to share some inspiring videos I came across this morning. Check them out - they'll definitely make you want to make someone's day.

I'm spending today curled up in bed / on the couch, trying to get rid of a cold before Christmas. I'll use the down time to finish my book, knit some Christmas presents, & watch lots of The Good Wife (I watched two discs of it yesterday - so good!). What are you doing this week? Are you finishing (or starting) Christmas shopping? Working up to Christmas Eve? Or throwing a big holiday party? I'd love to hear what you're up to!

<3

Quite a Quote: Let it go

Difficult words to live by, but oh-so-true.

Bring to mind the biggest grudge you're holding.

Hold onto it for a moment; really feel it.

Then, say good-bye. Just let it go.

Don't judge yourself if it doesn't work the first, second, third time. Just feel pleased with yourself for trying.

<3

Battleground God

image via

I'd like to share a link today. It's to a game called Battleground God, which tests the rationality of the player's beliefs about God & rationality. I consider myself quite open & non-dogmatic about these topics, but even I took one hit & bit one bullet in this game. I loved seeing where my set of beliefs was inconsistent. As the site notes, you may take the Kierkegaardian view that these types of beliefs need not be consistent. And so, please don't be offended if the site deems your views irrational. But I think that it's at least enlightening to see where we are making jumps in our beliefs. Please take a look at this, share it with others, & come back here to tell me about your experience. I would love to get a discussion going on this.

Here is the link again:
http://www.philosophersnet.com/games/god.php

<3

Quite a Quote: Self-Pity

“I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself.”
- D. H. Lawrence


I think I need to meditate on this one for a while.


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Sunny London

London's forecast for the week is all sunny weather, around 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). It is still morning, & it's absolutely beautiful outside. Here is the view from my work spot at the dining room table. Blissful :.)

(Except for the heavy machinery & yelling of the construction next door...)

I hope you're all enjoying summer's lingering this year.

<3

The Philosophers' Song

I've been working nonstop on the course content for an online philosophy class that I'm helping to teach, & this song keeps popping up in my mind & on my computer. Have you ever heard it? As a philosopher, I find it endlessly fun.

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In Love with this Ampersand!

Edie's Lab * via

My birthday is tomorrow... Who wants to buy it for me?? :.)

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Quite a Quote: Ideas

"The idea hovered & shimmered delicately, like a soap bubble, & she dared not even look at it directly in case it burst. But she was familiar with the way of ideas, & she let it shimmer, looking away, thinking about something else."

-- Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

Updates from a Whirlwind Summer

A short update of the past month:
* Last day of work in Sacramento
* Visit to grandma's house in New Mexico
* Visit to James & Denise's new place in the LA area
* Mom's wedding
* Disneyland with the sister, mom, & Doug (my mom's husband)
* Started on an exciting online project with a friend
* Online teaching internship started
* Move to London

A short update of the past week:
* Flew into London Heathrow last Thursday (exactly one week ago)
* Interviewed on Friday - offered the job Friday
* Started work orientation on Monday
* Have been apartment hunting
* Put down a deposit on a place today
* First proper day of work tomorrow
* Lots of work to do on the internship

As you can see, a lot is happening in my life this summer! It has been beautiful but simply exhausting. I have been begged to start posting again by my fans prompted to start posting again by a few blogger friends. (Thanks for missing me, guys! I missed you, too!)

So here we go! I'm looking forward to getting this here blog rolling again :.) I've got plenty of photos and Travel Thursday ideas saved up - I hope you're excited!

<3

P.S. Does anyone use the Blogger app for Android? I tried to start using it about a month back & couldn't get my post up!

Quite a Quote: Sabrina

"You young people are so old-fashioned."

-Baron St. Fontanel, in Sabrina (1954)

Song of the Day: Eliza Doolittle

Lately, I've been obsessed with Eliza Doolittle. She's just such a doll - classy, talented, & unique. I've been playing Pack Up & Skinny Genes nonstop, & Skinny Genes is especially catchy to me. In an interview I watched, Eliza explained that the song "is about a really annoying boy who just has no good qualities in any way, except for one really good one. And that one you might have to ask your mum about." The video has a lot of little insinuations in it that make me laugh.

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Dream Dress

How perfect is the Posh Panache Dress for any & all occasions?!? I would like to purchase it & wear it to one wedding & one wedding rehearsal (I'm attending one & participating in one in June). However, I of course have fallen in love with the most expensive dress on ModCloth... sad face.

I might compromise for the Front and Centerpiece Dress, though:

I wish I had the bod for this one:

But really, I probably need a bit more color for summer weddings. Yay for having something to shop for!

<3

Skype Dating

Long distance can be hard, especially when months can go by without so much as a visit. Jonty & I do pretty well to talk to each other often, send goodies in the mail, & remind each other how much our relationship means.

However, thanks to this little post by a fabulous gal I know from high school, we have taken our relationship to the next level: Skype dating.

Our typical Skype date goes like this: We make a meal (or a dessert) together, then eat it while watching a movie. The above photo was our first one. We made kebabs & rice then watched Equilibrium with Christian Bale. Jonty & I didn't make the exact same thing - I had Mediterranean haloumi & veggie kebabs with mixed couscous, while he had chicken & veggie kebabs with rice - and of course mine was more delicious. But we really enjoyed pseudo- spending time together.

Nothing can replace snuggling up with your loved one, but if you're away from your beau, here are my tips for a good Skype date:

* Try to schedule it when nobody else is at home, so it's just you two.
* Make the same meal, preferably a recipe you've never made before. That way, you can do each step together, rather than just cooking/baking at the same time.
* Pick some good music to play while cooking/baking.
* Sync the films up at the beginning. It will be worth it.
* Watch the film on a TV, not your laptop (if possible).
* Turn down the computer's volume enough to cancel out the doubling effect of the other movie playing but high enough that you can still hear the other person if they want to comment.
* Keep the text chat up as well.
* Remember that nothing can live up to the real thing, but appreciate the experience.

Skype on, & have a great weekend!

<3

Summery Guest Blogging & Remix Reflections

Well, well, well... I have been completely in hiatus for the past month. I guess the combination of catching up on schoolwork after my trip(my class was only seven weeks & ended week before last), working tons, & general life craziness has taken all of my energy.

But today, the fabulously fun and talented Marisa Midori over on Good Good has been so kind as to have be as a guest blogger! Please go check out my post on the lovely things I look forward to this summer, as week as the rest of this week's guest posts on the summer loveliness.

Since I've posted on another blog, I think it's about time to get down & dirty here, too. On another note, I want to reflect on the 30 for 30 Remix that I finished in the beginning of March.

The Remix was quite hard for me for a few reasons:

1) There are several outfits that I wear more than every 30 days, especially my travel outfit (navy dress, leggings, cardigan).
2) Some items (e.g. my gray cardigan) are thrown with most outfits most days.
3) I didn't really wear the jackets at all.
4) I put too many pairs of pants (especially jeans) in my list of items.
5) It was warm in California when I chose my items, then it got chilly & cold, then I went to colder England & then even colder Germany.

Here are the things that I learned about myself & my style during those thirty days:

1) I do not have enough cardigans in my life.

2) I don't often wear jackets for style, just when I need a winter coat.
3) I'm pretty boring when it comes to style. There are a few outfits that I'm happy to wear at once a week, and a few items that I throw in with the majority of my outfits.
4) Cold weather and I are not yet acquainted enough for me to understand how to dress for the cold. When I was in Berlin, I basically just put as many layers on as possible.
5) On a normal day, I do not pay enough attention to accessories. Fair enough, I wear an apron, a hat, & sometimes a chef's coat at work, but from now on I'm going to try to pay a bit more attention to my style on the daily.

The Remix was fun, & it made packing for my trip a lot easier! It also made me thankful for all of the choices I have my in closet.

Thanks for putting up with my absence! I'm happy to be back. It's getting to be my bedtime, but I look forward to writing more soon! Berlin photos & more are coming up. What have you all been up to?

<3

Remix Days 21-30: Graduation etc

Hello, my peeps! Did you miss me?

Oh my. Okay, it has been a while, & quite a few outfits, since my last post.

Here is a short(ish) update:

As of February 22, I officially have a Masters of Arts with Distinction in Philosophy from the University of Bristol! It was a great day. The ceremony was very formal & cool, with organ music & lots of ritual. Apparently, my degree wasn't officially conferred until I went on stage with my hands in a prayer position (essentially begging for my degree, haha) & the Vice-Chancellor cupped his hands around mine. Awesome, right??

My mom teared up when I came out of the robing room; it was so sweet. It was also really awesome to see all of my course mates from last year.

Speaking of graduation, my outfit isn't really on par with the remix, but I was given requirements (that, really, I didn't have to follow) to wear a light top & dark skirt/pants. But I did only choose 29 clothing items, so I think I can get away with skipping a day. [Grad photo to come shortly. That's why Day 20 was skipped!]

After graduation, I headed to Berlin, Germany with Jonty & my housemates from last year. It was an amazing trip - I learned so much & had a lot of fun. I will definitely be writing a few different posts about the city & my time there. Travel Thursday reincarnated, yesss!

Then were a couple of days spent at Jonty's house, watching How I Met Your Mother, making Rice Krispie treats, & just generally spending quality time with my love before leaving for California again.

Aaand now I am back in the US. Just finished my second day back at work, which was also my second day closing. I was supposed to be trained on closing the first three times, but lots of craziness is happening in my department, & so today, my second day closing, I did it on my own. It was crazy, but I had lots of help throughout the evening, so I think it went okay. I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

As for the 30 for 30 Remix, I did continue it through the end, which was yesterday. So, without further ado, here are my final ten outfits...

Notice anything off-kilter? Okay, so I repeated an outfit (teal sweater, black long-sleeved tee, jeans). I completely forgot that I had worn it, & put the same items together two days later! How awkward, right?? I actually had a little mini clothing challenge while in Germany, since I just brought a backpack, so I think I did pretty well, considering.

My favorite 'fit was the bottom one, where I wore my green lace skirt as a tube top! It actually worked out to be super cute.

Well, I am exhausted from working an eight-hour shift & getting off work at 11:00... so I am going to peel myself off this chair & get into my lovely, warm bed. I predict that tonight's sleep will be dreamless & uninterrupted. Ahhh. Good night!

<3

Remix Days 18 & 19: Bristol-icious

It has been really nice showing my mom & Doug around Bristol. I love this city so much. We did it all pretty much in one day on Monday - university area, Park Street, harbourside, ferry, lunch & walk by the water, Whiteladies Rd, my old flat, the downs, view of the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Today, we had yummy cheeseburgers at Gourmet Burger Kitchen with my friend Syano. Then, we wandered around the city centre & did some shopping. Finally, I met up with some friends for dinner & brews at Zero Degrees.

Graduation is in the morning! I'm very excited to see all of my fellow philosophy graduates.

<3

Remix Days 15, 16, & 17: It's like I'm living in a teenage dream

The past few days have been pretty slow-paced: a bit of sleeping in, watching movies at Jonty's house, eating yummy food, relaxing. I'm glad I set aside the first few days to just chill after being away from him for a month & a half. Also, my mom & her fiance Doug came to Jonty's town to have dinner with us & Jonty's parents, which was really cool! (By the way, I didn't slip in a new pair of red shoes - the bottom photo is taken in my socks [& sans makeup] because we didn't leave the house for most of the day.)

Today, we got a pretty late start & got to Bristol relatively late in the day. But we just got back from having dinner (awesome mushroom risotto & a salad with a great homemade dressing) & watching a film (The Fall - which I highly recommend!!!) at a friend's house. The journey back included a pretty stroll down Lover's Walk.

I promise this outfit looks better either with the coat buttoned or off - I usually don't match my coat with what it's going to cover up anyway.

This is the first time my mom & Doug have been to Bristol (Southwest England - where I went to university last year, for any newbies). Tomorrow, I'll start showing them around, yay!

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend as much as I am.

<3

Remix Days 13 & 14: My Travel Outfit

This is my favorite travel outfit. I wear it on all long-haul flights & pretty much any time that I want to be extra comfortable. You really can't beat leggings, a loose-ish cotton dress, & a soft, warm gray sweater.

"Travel?" you may ask. Why, yes. Yesterday, I arrived across the pond in the good ol' United Kingdom. Jonty (my boyfriend) picked me up at the airport, & we went straight to one of my favorite spots in Oxford - The Trout. (Remember my previous visits to this lovely restaurant?) 

I ordered the margharita pizza - arguably the best in the world - tea, & a green salad, which turned out to be even more delicious than I expected. I sort of worried that "green salad" would mean pretty much just lettuce... but actually, it was a gorgeous mix of watercress, cucumber, green beans, spring onion, and a basil olive oil. The weather was actually beautiful as well, & we took a short peek at the river (& the awesome domestic peacock!) after lunch.

By the way, the result of my ten-hour flight across eight time zones means that on Days 13 & 14 I actually wore the same outfit. But I think that's an effective use of my clothing nevertheless.

Stay tuned for more adventures in more outfits!

<3

P.S. RIP gray cashmere sweater... This one won't ever truly replace you.

Remix Days 10, 11, & 12: Something something delve...

Spring came early to Sacramento. The weather was ridiculously pleasant this weekend, & blooms are sprouting up. Which is beautiful, minus the massive hayfever I dealt with yesterday & today. I woke up this morning with swollen tonsils, & my nose is continually running. And then today, it rained. Which one would think would prevent weather-related allergens from entering the air, but I would have to disagree. In any case, here are this weekend's outfits (top two) along with my festive yet understated Valentine's Day attire for today.

I'm glad today was my last day of work for a while - I'm exhausted from the past week! I'm partially prepared to leave for my little adventure tomorrow, but I think I'll have to continue in the morning because I am simply bushed!

I hope everyone had a love-filled Valentine's Day today, whether it was celebrating a spouse, friends, random friendly people, or even just yourself - because you're worth it! Don't let the love stop at midnight!

<3

Remix Days 7, 8, & 9: Doin' Fine

For the past few days, I have been getting trained in opening the department. Which has been great, actually, but it does mean that I've been waking up at six o'clock in the morning - two to three hours earlier than I'm used to getting up. Which means that I haven't been giving a whole lot of creative energy into my work outfits. I think movable & warm were the requirements on those early mornings. Anyway, on days 7 & 8 I worked out after work & then showered & got into sweats, so these photos are my proxies. Anywho, it has been along few days. BUT tomorrow is the Chocolate Fest, & I will be making dessert lasagna - YESSS! Have a great weekend!

<3

Remix Day 7: Lucky Number Slevin

Today was my last day off before my big trip! The next six days will involve getting up super early, working hard, working out, cleaning, & packing. I'm trying to psyche myself up - woooo!

This evening, two girlfriends from high school & I went out to the local(ish) Pyramid microbrewery for dinner & then across the street to a new bar for a drink. The bar, called Dive Bar, had a mermaid in the fish tank! It was pretty cool but also slightly creepy. The Midori Sour, on the other hand, was fabulous.

P.S. Did you ever see the film Lucky Number Slevin? I highly recommend it.

<3

Remix Day 6: Pick Up Sticks

Remember that nursery rhyme that went, "One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, shut the door. Five, six, pickup sticks. Seven, eight, lay them straight. Nine, ten, a big fat hen."? Well, when I was thinking of titles for Day 6 of the 30 for 30 Remix, the phrase "pick up sticks" was the first thing to come to mind.

Please don't judge me if I also use it for eight and ten... good ideas are low 'round these parts.

I wore my black & white tank again today (twice in a row - what?!) because it was absolutely beautiful outside and I wanted to be able to sit out in the sun and catch some rays. But, since it is still summer, I threw a scarf and jacket on for the shade & the evening.

Today, I ran 4.6 miles (longest run yet!), Skyped with the boyfriend over in England, had a ridiculously good Earl Gray with Lavender steeped in milk (try it - heaven in a cup!), & started work for my new class.

This was the first day of the first class of the new program I'm in - the Community College Faculty Preparation Course. It's all online, so it works with whatever my schedule is, & being in England/Germany won't be a problem. I'm pretty stoked about it - very much looking forward to being in school (but with minimal pressure) again.

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Remix Day 5: Five, Stay Alive

Have you guys ever played the drinking game Kings (aka Kings Cup)? In our version of the game (& there are many), when you pick up a 5 card, you say "Five, stay alive," & the last person to put their hands up to their head in moose antlers has to drink.

Today was a gorgeous day. Not that I spent much of it outside, except for this mini photo shoot (Let's be honest, sunglasses would have helped with the squinting & the lack of makeup) & my lunch break. But that lunch break was beautiful. Until I spilled my lunch onto the ground & then dropped my phone into the mess... Luckily, when I told a co-worker about it, she laughed at me, & that made me crack up - & I felt so much better! It's fun to laugh at life.

After work, some co-workers & I went to Peet's Coffee & Tea for a cuppa & then to The Counter for burgers & beers. Although we mixed things up & didn't get either discount we anticipated, we still had a great time celebrating one girl's last day & laughing & getting to know each other in a way that we don't get time for at work. In short, it was a lovely evening.

And I'll be in bed by 11:00 - yes!!!

The necklace & earrings I wore today are my new favorites! Especially the necklace, which is both funky & delicate at the same time - so perfect. I ordered them at a jewelry party I had a couple of weeks ago (don't worry, it was before the Remix began), along with a nice pair of studs & a sweet little necklace with a heart-design key & lock.

They just came in the mail last week, & it's so much fun to have new jewelry to play with!

Do you have a favorite jewelry purchase?

<3

Italian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This delicious dish is made with real Italians. They're easy to catch but hard to tie down. For this recipe, they can be served diced or shredded.

Do you believe me?

I thought not.

Okay, here's the real scoop: This dish takes ten minutes & is ridiculously tasty!

Ingredients:
Portobello mushroom(s)
Leftover bread (or pre-made breadcrumbs)
Marinara sauce (leftover, jarred, or make some from scratch)
Roasted garlic (I got mine from the olive bar at Whole Foods Market. You can do the same, buy it jarred or fresh from a farmer's market, or make your own.)
Cheese (I chose grated mozzarella. Something Italian works best - fontina, parmesan, asiago, etc.)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Grab a portobello mushroom, pull out the stem, & wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
3. Toast some leftover bread, then crumble into a bowl (or use pre-made breadcrumbs).
4. Toss into the bowl: marinara sauce & diced roasted garlic (I got mine from the olive bar at Whole Foods Market).
5. Mix.
6. Spread the mix into the mushroom.
7. Top with grated cheese.
8. Throw in the oven for 13-15 minutes.
9. Enjoy! Goes great with red wine, or, in my case, a yummy Canadian triple-distilled golden ale called Le Fin du Monde.

<3

P.S. Next time, I'm trying this recipe!

Remix Day 4: Four Score & Seven Years Ago

It's close enough to Presidents' Day to bring up Abe Lincoln, right? I may use this title again at Day 7...

I've noticed that I dress a bit more fashionably when I go to work now that I'm doing the Remix. I think it has made me realize that I'd usually throw on just jeans & a tee shirt to work, & when I think about photographing & posting it I realize how boring it is! So I throw on a scarf & feel better all day :.)

I've got some delicious cookies in the oven - vanilla sugar, brown sugar, oats, almond butter, peanuts, dried cranberries, coconut oil - so I better go before I burn them.

I hope everyone has a fun & safe Superbowl Sunday tomorrow!

<3

P.S. My terrible face in the bottom photo cannot be blamed on iPhoto's red eye reducer today. I'm blaming it on bad sun location & no makeup (I was leaving for work & usually pretty myself up in the car in the parking lot). I really don't look like that - I promise!

Remix Day 3: Three's Company

This morning, I woke up & decided that today would be a good day. So I did some yoga, ate an omelet for breakfast, donned a warm, comfy outfit, & headed off to work!

Have you ever heard of laughter yoga? It's the best thing ever. And in the car on the way to work, I decided to try it out by myself. I just started pretending to laugh, & after a few minutes, I was giggling for real. It felt ridiculous & carefree, & I think it definitely helped my outlook today. It might seem over the top silly, but try it - seriously.

And now, I'm so exhausted that I think I might be in bed by 9:00. Is that okay?

<3

Remix Day 2: Two of a Kind

I think today's title is very fitting because this evening I saw Black Swan. Oh my goodness, have you seen it?! *Spoiler alert*, but that movie is messssed up. It was fantastically done, & I'm still thinking about it, which means something, but man... I'm a bit speechless, to be honest.

In any case, I'm leading a double life today. I decided that, rather than cross things off my To-Do List, I would just avoid responsibility by spending a couple of hours at the gym, reading at Starbucks, & having dinner at a friend's house & catching a flick with her. After yesterday's craziness, it feels good.

And tomorrow? I've decided it's going to be a great, productive, pleasant, energetic day. I hope you have a Friday like that too!

First step: Get to sleep at a decent hour (which was an hour ago... oops!). Night night!

<3

P.S. Why do I look crazy in the first photo, you ask? Because of the film. Okay, fine, iPhoto's red eye reducer & I got in a fight, & it won.

Remix Day 1: One Way or Another

I like that Kendi names each outfit, so I'm thinking I'll do the same, though I can't promise to (a) keep it up, (b) keep it original, or (c) keep it classy.

Today has been kind of a stressful day. I felt a little bit overwhelmed at work, & on top of that, I made a snide-ish comment about another Team Member who, as a customer in the coffee bar, was a bit rude to me. I worried all evening that he had overheard me, & I felt a bit childish. After my shift, however, I was assured that he heard none of the conversation.

At any rate, knowing that I was wearing a cute outfit (unlike many tee&jean days at work) made me feel a bit more above it all. The glass of wine I'm currently drinking also helps.

<3

My 30 for 30

Kendi over at Kendi Everyday is starting her Winter 2011 30 for 30 Remix Challenge today, & I've decided to play along.

Her 30 for 30 Remix is a challenge to mix & match only 30 items of clothing (not including outerwear & accessories) for 30 outfits. 30 items, 30 outfits, 30 days.

When getting my items together, I felt a lot of pressure. I thought, I can't possibly narrow it down to only 30 things! I don't know what happened to my math last night while photographing my items, but when I counted the pictures this morning, I only had 22! Wow, I guess 30 items gives more possibilities than I thought. (I also noticed that I must not wear very many items on a regular basis...) So I added a few more... Here we go!

1 skirt:

3 long-sleeved tees:

5 tops:

3 sweaters:

4 dresses:

 4 pants:

2 leggings:

2 blazers:

4 shoes:

You may notice that this only adds up to 28 items. Well, I'm off to exchange some jeans at Urban Outfitters this afternoon, & the last item I'm reserving. I know that Kendi's rules include no shopping, but I'll be in Europe for the second half of the 30 days, so I want to give myself the opportunity for one little treat. Also, I didn't include my work shoes because they're ugly & I don't plan to wear them other than at work, so my outfits will only include the other pairs of shoes. My first outfit will actually start tomorrow, as today is a workout clothes & pajamas kind of day. Happy remixing!

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