Calm before the Crazy

 A little calm for the packing frenzy/insanity.

{via i am blessed via doinwork}

Procrastination

My room is in complete disarray right now.  It's past embarrassing.  It's not dirty, just a jumble of stuff, like clothes to donate, books and notebooks from college (and high school... and grade school, oops!), and random housewares from my apartment.   I'm trying to transition from college to real life and it's hard.  I have no idea what I need to take, what to wear for javascript:void(0)work, and what I should just toss.  Only 15 days too.  I better get a move on it, but right now, I'm procrastinating, finding hilarious and adorable youtube videos, looking through etsy sites, and listening to new music.  I'll get everything else done eventually, don't worry mom!  But in the meantime, keeping with the theme of making lists of everything else in my life (Thank you notes, packing lists, emails to send, etc), I've made a list of my current favorite things:

1. Babelgum, Kids Reenacting Jersey Shore. (also watch the Hills and the Real Housewives of New Jersey)



2. Eminem ft. Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie"

3. Flo Rida ft. David Guetta - "Club Can't Handle Me"

5. Lo Bosworth, from "omg, guys, this is like our last prom ever" to almost engaged, she's one of the best (and seemingly most normal) Laguna Beach/LA girls.  and she's gorgeous.

 4. Iker Casillas' interview by girlfriend Sara Carbonero after his World Cup Victory



5. 43 Things.   The creators decided that people need obtainable goals and that 43 was the maximum you should be thinking about at once.  You can create your list and see how many other people have the same goals.  You can also see their tips on achieving similar goals, root for others (and they can root for you!), and be inspired by others hopes and dreams. 

6. Anchor Charm Necklace, $16, urban outfitters.  Nope, I'm not over the anchors yet (delta gamma is for life, so it's ok : )  And the envelope says, "only you can hold me down".  So cute.

 7. Dear Girls Above Me,  Hilarious thoughts of a guy living below some 20-something girls.  He makes me worried about some of the stupid stuff I might have once said.
 

8. I'm maybe falling in love with tumblr.  It's a perfect way to waste an afternoon scrolling through page after page of pictures.  Not that I ever waste time looking through blogs.... Anyway, two of my recent faves: twentythree:  and Just be spLendid

9. Forget Me Knot ring, MoMA, $65.

10.Quotable Cards I think I could read these cards all day everyday and never get bored.  Only very very inspired.

11. Nicholas Sparks' Dear John.  He's fantastic at capturing the emotions of a LDR.

 12. Personalized Silver Ring, $32, tinahdee on etsy.

13. My Growing Heart necklace, $25, onelifejewelry on etsy.

14.Dear Blank, Please Blank.Short little letters you want to send so badly, but could never really send or say.  Examples:
"Dear energy saving co-worker who religiously turns off the lights after leaving the restroom,
You might be overdoing it.
Sincerely, I'm still in here."
"Dear film industry,
Please stop with the 3D craze.  The movies aren't better, I get headaches, and no one will look good in those on dates.
Sincerely, Step Up 3D? Really?"

15. Lovely Engagement Photographs.  I'm addicted to looking through blogs of engagement pictures.  I think it's amazing how much love and personality can be captured in photographs.  Like these taken by Shannen Norman:

But I can't help but think about the statistic from senior year religion class that fifty percent of engagements don't actually end in marriage.  That's a lot of money to spend on pictures that you aren't going to want to keep.  Hopefully that rate has decreased since then?  It seems so high!


Yay!  Now that I've posted some of these things, I can close the tabs on my firefox windows.  I had about 30 tabs open at the start of this post and it was getting a bit too overwhelming.  like my messy room that I'm still staring at...

Happy Friday!

Spread some love this weekend!

Listening to: The Script, "Man Who Can't Be Moved"

Thought of the Day: "Go into the world and do well.  But more importantly, go into the world and do good."  -Minor Myers, Jr.

{Image via: Just be spLendid}

Words of Wisdom

from the streets of San Francisco

 

Architecture Love

I think one of the best things about going to be a big city is seeing the architecture.  I love how it changes from region to region, depending on things like the cultural influences and the resources available.  In San Francisco, buildings obviously have to cope with the scarcity of land and the plethora of hills.

 

{I would hate to drive these streets in my manual car}

 

{those corner offices must be gorgeous}

{I want to curl up in those window seats with a book}

{compact!}

{these owners must have a very sunny outlook on life}

{Tiffany's-esque?}

 {blue doors and window boxes}

Thought of the Day: "To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."

Listening to: "Magic"  B.o.B. 

California Here We Come

I don't know where this summer is going.  All I know is it's going super fast.  I was going to be so much better about blogging regularly, but that obviously didn't happen.  But hey, according to Wikipedia, only 12% of people achieve their New Year's Resolution goals, so at least I'm in the majority for not sticking to it, right?
I'm going to be taking a more official break with Carrots and Chocolate though because in 31 days, I will be on a plane to San Jose, CA for JVC training, after which I'll be moving for a year to Los Angeles!  I just received my Casa assignment today and the names of my community members.  I'll be living in East Los Angeles with 4 others all volunteering a year to serving those in the Latino community there.  I'm so excited!!
Before this though, I'll be taking a trip to Kansas to see my grandparents, having a family reunion, figuring out what I need to take to LA, working in as many trips to St. Louis as possible, and trying to see everyone before I go!
Before I leave though, I thought I should end with some amazing pictures of the trip my sister and I took to the Bay Area to visit our brother this past week as well as some helpful things we learned along the way :)

Tip #1: the SF Pride Parade is not very exciting.  Even the Backstreet Boys only played for 25 minutes. lame.  For the real fun go to the party/celebration the night before.

Tip #2: Watch out for sketchy guys at the parade selling brownies that guarentee to make you happy.  If you wouldn't normally eat something in a zip-lock baggie out of a random guy's backpack, don't start now.  (I don't have personal experience with this, but as a sane person who watched it happen, it doesn't look too legit.)

{one of the more exciting floats}

Tip #3: Be selective about touristy places in San Francisco.  For example, Chinatown was cool to look at for half an hour max.  Ghirardelli Square was a complete waste of time and the one measly sample of chocolate did not live up to expectations. 

Tip #4: If you decide to go to touristy places in the Bay Area, you might think about learning some other languages, such as French, Spanish, or Chinese.  You will probably be the only American-born tourist there.

Tip #5: When in Chinatown, follow the locals; they might lead you to a Dr. Pepper truck off of which you can get free Diet Dr. Pepper.  yum!  

{Chinatown}

Tip# 6: If you go to Yosemite National Park, be sure to look for trails outside the Valley unless you want paved trails with hundreds of foreign tourists.  We backpacked around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

 {lovely Reservoir}

 {Annie under a pretty rainbow from the waterfalls}

{we didn't have a pack animal... we had Joe}

Tip# 7: If you go to Sequoia National Park, don't listen to your older brother on any trail-related information.  If he says it's only .2 miles more, assume it is 5 more miles.  If he says California doesn't have mosquitoes, bring tons of DEET 40 repellent.  And if he says it is a flat trail, expect to hike straight uphill for a few miles.

 {halfway there!}

 {we climbed over 4,000 feet and went through snow for these views and...}

 {...to sign this book at the top of Alta Peak!}

Tip # 8: Pack warm clothes.

Tip # 9: Enjoy diverse foods.  Some of my favorites: Taste of the Himalayas, Fentons Creamery (when you want a lot of deliciousness), Tara's Organic Ice Cream (when you only want a little, but want some crazy flavors), Cafe Gratitude (go for the experience), and Tropisueno.  

Tip #10:  Drive on Highway 1, but avoid being behind a semi-truck.  

Tip #11:  Despite locals sunning themselves in parks and on beaches in bikinis and speedos, do not get the idea that it is warm enough to pack a swimming suit.  It is not, nor will it probably ever be.  

Tips #12: Take a drive up into the mountains and stop on some of the pull-off areas around dusk.  They're worth it and you might pick up some good date ideas, like setting up a little table and having a candle-lit dinner with your lover.  Adorable.    

 {view of the Bay Area from the Berkeley side}

Listening to: "Honey and the Moon"  - Joseph Arthur

Thought of the Day: "Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could.  Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day.  You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."  - Emerson 

Pull On and Go

Constantly on the hunt for "easy, breezy, beautiful" summer dresses, I've been hitting up T.J. Maxx quite frequently because they're cheap and usually have a lot more character. But then I found this store online and I am so super bummed that it is online only. I am so fickle when it comes to dresses and usually end up buying every 10th one I try on, so I don't really want to order any and end up having to constantly return. But the prices, styles, and varieties offered on Asos makes it very tempting.

{nautical: Vero Moda Samba Stripe Vest Tulip Dress, 30.44}

{Westernish: Vero Moda Belted Cotton Dress, 57.49}

{girly: ASOS Frill Front Strappy Sundress, 30.44}

{soo comfy: ASOS Contrast Cord Hoodie Lounge Dress, 33.82}

Listening to: "Wonderwall" Oasis
Thought of the Day: "Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have." -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Breakfast in Bed

What I want for breakfast right now:

{Wouldn't this best the best Monday morning?}

Listening to: "Maybe I'm Amazed" Jem
Thought of the Day: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." -Herm Albright

{Image via I heart stolen images}

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! I'm going to be volunteering all next week at a camp so I won't be around, but I have some scheduled posts for you to enjoy! I've never been to this camp before, so wish me luck! The tree houses in the picture above is from the camp that I absolutely loved in junior high. Camp Ondessonk was the best ever and I am so excited because Pete will be going there for the first time this summer too!
I hope you have some lovely weekend plans and have some time to be outdoorsy :)

Listening to: "If You Leave" -Nadasurf
Thought of the Day: "One can acquire everything in solitude - except character." -Marie Henri Beyle

{Image via: Camp Ondessonk}

Defining Pretty

So, I'm sorry for all the videos lately... I don't know what's up with this new addiction, but here's one more.

A couple of days ago, I was watching While You Were Sleeping on Oxygen, trying to keep my mind off my sore throat. Usually, I just mute the commercials and they don't phase me at all, but since my 10 year old brother Pete was in the room too, I started to notice more of what was being advertised. I know Oxygen is a "women's channel" but still, their commercials were crazy - almost every single one was for a diet plan, exercise machine, or some other product geared toward making women thinner, tanner, and more "beautiful". I'm all for being healthy, but do we really need this overload of the extremes? And then I saw this Dove commercial. It's scary to think of what little kids who watch this TV are thinking.



Listening to: "Wedding Dress" Taeyang
Thought of the Day: "What you do, the way you think makes you beautiful." - Scott Westerfeld

Making Four-Eyes Cool

I'm getting over strep throat right now and since I've just been laying low, I've been wearing my glasses a lot. And while they aren't ugly glasses that cover your cheeks like those ones I wore in grade school, I still feel weird wearing glasses all day. Maybe I should blame it on that Arthur book where Francine called him "four-eyes" or the fact that I have the worst eye-sight in the world without actually being blind. But then I saw this adorable video over on Kaylen's awesome blog, Happy Notions, and I love it and it made me feel so much cooler wearing my glasses.



I can't wait to see The Girls with Glasses' future shows which you can check out here on their website, their blog, and their vimeo site. Enjoy!


Listening to: "California Song" Brooke White
Thought of the Day: "Now I know why someone from our past has to come back... to remind us how much we've grown." -Paano Na Kaya

p.s.! - want to see the coolest glasses ever? Check out Warby Parker. Not only do they donate a pair for everyone you buy to someone in need, but also you can "try on" every pair online! So much fun! Read their story too - they're trying to keep the price low (only $95!) to work against artificially high prices. Oh, annnddd they sell monocles (which are "the perfect accessory for budding robber barons, post-colonial tyrants and super villains")! They're pretty cool in my book.

World Cup 2010

I don't understand how people can watch most sports on TV. While I like watching in person, the idea of watching 2+ hours of basketball, football, golf, etc. on TV sounds like death to me. But I make a major exception for soccer. I used to be super obsessed in junior high and high school, but since we didn't have cable, it was really hard to watch any games other than the major ones. I have to admit though, I haven't watched much soccer since then, but I'm getting pretty pumped for the World Cup this summer, especially after I saw this awesome Nike ad, "Write the Future". Check it out:


Listening to: Katy Perry "California Gurls"
Thought of the Day: "We need men who can dream of things that never were." - John F. Kennedy

Please Mr. Postman

I've been home for a little over 2 weeks and I really really miss my friends. It's weird to think that I will never be able to have almost all of my best friends within a 2 block radius, but yet, it's also strange to think that a thing like college exists where we can have such an amazing time surrounded by so many friends. Anyway, one of my worst faults is my inability to keep in touch with people. I'm going to be trying my best to turn this around, especially in August when I leave for a year as a Jesuit Volunteer in Los Angeles. I hoping to have a blog chronicling all of my thoughts and experiences, but I also want to get much better at letter writing to keep in touch with friends and family.
Maybe something like these adorable envelopes will help me out. On this website, you enter your location, either a specific address or a landmark, and they create a printable envelope with a Google Earth picture of where you are (like Hawaii... I wish!) and a little message like "Wishing you were here with me :("


I found this idea on Black*Eiffel along with some other cool options of map envelopes.

Listening to: "Polaroid" Shwayze
Thought of the Day: “When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?” -Sex and the City

Finally Summer

Some things are just meant for summer. Just like that rule about white and Labor Day, it seems wrong to enjoy snow cones anytime other than summer. This past weekend, packed with baseball, snow cones and friends was the perfect way to usher in the season.

{St. Louis Cardinals game}

{Tropical Moose snow cones - mine was pink champagne fizz with nerds!}

{swinging in the park - not just for little kids}

Listening to: Robin Thicke "Sex Therapy"
Thought of the Day: "To those we love the best, we say the least." -John Ray

{Images via: Cards, snow cones, swings}

Graduation!

This morning I went to the baccalaureate mass for SLU and I sat down in a pew and realized that the family sitting next to me was that of a girl who lived on my floor freshman year. Four years ago, she and I took a walk to Forest Park together and walked for hours, talking about our dreams and hopes and where/who we wanted to be when we grew up. Both of our visions included SUVs, perfect families in suburbia and white picket fences. I don't know if she remembers this conversation, but I have thought about it frequently as I reflect on college, beucase I think it really demonstrates how much SLU and the people who make up SLU have changed my life. No longer do I dream of being a housewife (not that there is anything wrong with that!); instead I'm not really sure what I want. I just know I want to make a difference, experience life, and keep growing and learning. Not to much to ask right?

p.s.: hopefully I'll hear some amazing news today so that I don't have to wear this shirt!

Thought of the Day: "It costs a little to light the world." -Fr. Valentine Peter
Listening to: "Graduation (Friends Forever)" Vitamin C

{Image via: SLU}

Domination Dreams

With graduation right around the corner, plans and dreams for the future are constantly on my mind. I don't know where I am going to end up or where my friends are going to be. Regardless of our locations, I know that we will keep in touch and will be scheduling regular visits. What better way to chart my travels than with a Places on Earth map? I especially like the subtitle of "A Self-Congratulatory Guide to Personal Global Domination". So maybe I don't actually want to dominate the world, but fill the poster with pushpins makes an awesome goal. Some locations I'll hopefully be checking off this summer: Iowa, Kansas, California, Mississippi, and Michigan. Yay for fun visits and memories!

Listening to: "Baby" Justin Bieber
Thought of the Day: "All things work together in the tapestry of life." - Dove wrapper

Spring Frocks

Tonight was my last sorority chapter ever and my roommate reminded me this weekend just how close graduation really is. I will be a college grad in just 18 days. Meaning 18 days until I'm officially done with this amazing place I have been lucky enough to call home for the last 4 years and only 17 days until I need two dresses for the actual SLU-wide graduation and my college's pre-commencement ceremony. Yikes! Back in high school, I remember being so freaked out about finding the perfect graduation dress, which I never did and consequently ended up buying one the night before the ceremony. It's a really awesome feeling though this time around that I am not so concerned about it. First because this means that I realized that I'll be wearing a gown for the majority of it and secondly, because I am not focusing nearly as much on the image/materialistic things in life, but instead on the people around me - friends, family, people I have never met, but are sharing in this special day of a loved one.

However, this didn't stop me from eyeing some lovely spring dresses like these which are each adorable in their own unique way:

{AE's Fireworks Ruffle dress, $44.50}

{J.Crew's Ginny dress, $148}

{Anthro's Silken Pathways dress, $168}

{Mod Cloth's Cute as a Clover dress, $49.99}

Listening to: "Graduation" Kanye West
Thought of the day: "This is your world. Shape it or someone else will." -Gary Lew

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend's springtime adventures in St. Louis...

{trip to the MO Botanical Garden with my family}

{When we were little, we always took daffodils and tulips to our teachers}

{Trivia Night}

{2! Cards Games - I'm so ready for summer}

Thought of the Day: "If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits." -Don Ward
Listening to: "Break Your Heart" Taio Cruz

{Busch Stadium image via: alz.org}