Haircut!

So Good to Me

Loving this song right now!

I [can't] see you!

My vision is getting worse. Naturally, this involves a fashion dilemma. Vote: a, b, c, or d and why?


(A)




(B)

(C)

(D)

Purl

A while back, Tanya introduced me to a lovely yarn and fabric shop in New York called Purl. Lately, I've been looking for design/color/etc. inspiration for decorating my apartment. What fun! I recently ran into photos of the Brooklyn apartment where Purl's owner, Joelle Hoverson, lives. Random, I know, but the pics are quite inspiring.

LeftRightLeftRightLeft

I'm not sure if you all have heard about this yet, but just in case you haven't, I thought I'd let you know that if you go to Coldplay's website (coldplay.com), and give them your email address, you can download this free album of live songs! I remembered that Tanya and Allison went to see them in October and told me how great they were live, and I know its not the same, but these versions are really good and I've enjoyed them quite a bit!!! Yay for free music!!!

Speaking of Healthy...

My brother introduced me to this amazing brand of yogurt. He says its like the yogurt they have in France. And we all know that the French know a thing or two about good food. It's not like the normal yogurty stuff you find in the supermarket for 79 cents. This is 1.29 a cup but delightfully creamy and deliciously sweet. Active cultures never tasted so good. My favorite flavors are the blackberry and this peach and passion fruit.

Sparkpeople

I joined this website called Sparkpeople. You can set health, fitness, and/or nutrition goals and it helps you to meet them by connecting you with a community and (best of all) helping you keep track of what you eat and how much you are exercising. I've been tracking what I eat each day and it's been so helpful! I discovered I wasn't eating enough fat or protein and that I was eating too many carbs because I eat a lot of fruit and fruit has lots of carbs! I went to the beach yesterday and ate a bunch of raisins thinking Oh, raisins are healthy. 500 calories on raisins alone! I would have never guessed...it shocks me to this very moment, in fact.

Check out my page. You can see what I eat each day, which is kind of fun, and even set up your own page with your own goals!

Photographic Evidence

I've been learning about photo retouching through an online course. It's amazing how much you can do to a photograph with the right tools. Check out the photographs below.


But wait, there's more...


Crazy! Amazing even! Ha, nothing is what it seems.

Drinking coffee from my favorite cup

I love having coffee in this cup. My mom got it for me for my birthday from a place in New York called Serendipity 3. I love this cup for a few reasons 1: it's colorful. 2: the lampshades pop out, giving it texture. 3: I think the word "serendipity" is lots of fun to say. And 4: it's got a little something something on the inside (see below)



It's like every sip is serendipitous.

Stir

I have made a summer goal to become more well-read.

I used to be a book lover, but somewhere between Project Runway marathons and twelve page papers I lost that passion. So I am re-igniting it. Sometimes you think you've lost something - but really, it's only become inaccessible because it's settled somewhere real deep in your heart. Picture heavy sands at the bottom of an ocean... you just need to stir it up to get it swirling again.

Some passions might have been for a season. But some passions need re-stirring, I reckon.

Here's my reading list for the summer:

• The Alchemist (check)


• The Catcher in the Rye (check)


• Love's Executioner


• The Screwtape Letters


• The Great Gatsby


• The Count of Monte Cristo


• The Life of Pi


• To Kill a Mockingbird


• Pride and Prejudice


• A Wrinkle in Time

[Stir it up.]

"How He Loves"

I don't know if you've ever heard this, but it is a very powerful song I heard for the first time last year, but I just heard the story behind it today and it makes it even more powerful...

How He Loves

He is jealous for me
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight
Of His wind and mercy
All of a sudden I am unaware of
These afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me

Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so
Yeah He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves

We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If His grace is an ocean we’re all sinking
And heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
That He loves us

Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves
Yeah He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves us
Oh how He loves

Written by: John Mark McMillan

Socially Responsible Businesses

You've probably seen the above commercial before. I'm still trying to make my way to an actual retailer in NJ to give these shoes a try before I purchase them, but I've been incredibly interested in socially responsible businesses these days.



I'm also doing work for Nomi Network -- a non-profit that works to use the marketplace to combat sexual slavery in Cambodia by providing women there with jobs in the manufacturing of fashion goods. What a joy it is to work for a company that does good.

I'm interested in doing more research on socially responsible businesses but I don't really know where to start. Do any of you know any companies worth checking out?

I don't know what my research will culminate in right now, but if you have any ideas I'm interested in hearing from you. I'm considering blogging about it but I want it to be a platform where consumers can learn about and support these companies. Without the AT&T commercial, I probably wouldn't have ever known about TOMS shoes. And without my connection to Nomi Network founder, I probably wouldn't have known what I can do about trafficking in Cambodia.

Charities exist, yes this is true. But I am not in the position to donate money. However if I need a pair of shoes, why not get a pair while giving one too?

I don't know right now I'm just kind of mulling this over in my mind. I'm really interested in your opinions though. Even if it's a company name or a website to check out. Any direction for my research is good too!

Thanks!

Vote Elie Tahari

My Dad works for Elie Tahari who is up for The Popular Vote Award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America! There are lots of designers featured, check out Elie Tahari's line here. And vote for him on the CFDA website!

Soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EBSvFlBoIs&feature=related

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness
And crowned with love
When I see Him
I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I'll be going
To the place
He has prepared for me
There my sin erased
My shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I'll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders
'Round the throne
At His feet I'll lay my crowns
My worship
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb
The Lord of heaven

Picnic

Photo of a picnic similar to ours from the Library of Congress Archives

Yesterday, we had a picnic at Meridian Hill Park in D.C. It was a fun afternoon, despite the rain that forced us to relocate to Love Cafe. We shared sandwiches, cookies, watermelon, potato salad and even cheesecake cupcakes. The park was beautiful and we even caught the rhythms of an African drumming circle on our way home.

Wait

Packing

Yep, that's what I've been doing. I tried to ship the boxes yesterday, but after a long frustrating day of phone calls with UPS, it didn't work out. Arghhh. I hope to ship the boxes today.

Sharin' the Pasta Love

Kelsey prepping the gnocchi

Christina stirring the sauce

Christina shared her easiest pasta sauce recipe with me this week. Let me tell you- it was delicious. She adds ingredients like lemon zest and crushed chili pepper to give it a zesty and complex flavor. She, Kelsey and I prepared gnocchi to go with the sauce (thick soft noodles made using mashed potatoes). I can't wait to make this awesome dish for people in Austin!

On the radio...Thought provoking

"God doesn't call me to be successful, He calls me to be faithful"
-- Mother Theresa

Twitter Madness

You know honestly I don't know how I stumbled upon this woman's blog, but I was so amused I had to post it. It seems somewhat similar to something Allison posted a while ago. This woman lists 20 alternative things to do when Twitter is down... surprisingly, a lot of them have to do with thinking about Twitter, complaining about Twitter and thinking about life before Twitter. The illustration was cool.

My brother makes the argument that Twitter is for the self-obsessed and self-absorbed. I always found that idea amusing (no offense to twitter-ers) not necessarily true, though...thoughts?