Quick Post-Christmas Post

Hello everyone!

I'm at Panera, using the internet, and just wanted to leave a quick post, since I paid $1.87 for this internet and all (I bought an orange juice in a cup smaller than a cell phone because I felt guilty sitting here without buying anything.)

Anyway, it has been a really fun, relaxing couple of days, and hopefully when I have more time I can go into more detail. But for now, here's a short update:

Before Christmas: We bought a tree at home depot at the last minute, right before they were about to throw them out (But they still wouldn't give it to us for free!). We decorated said tree. Well, I did, mostly, and my dad. It was big! Ten feet! And beautiful! And smelled really good. Here's a picture:

Oh, and we also saw the movie J. Edgar, which was EXCELLENT. I would highly highly recommend it. And Ed Westwick has a small part in it, so that's always a plus!

Christmas Eve: We made and decorated Christmas cookies. Here is my favorite one I made, modeled after my teddy bear, who wears a red sweater:

Oh, and we also ate a delicious dinner. My mom made something called Chataubriand. It's some fancy cut of meat. Fancy fancy!

Christmas Day: We opened presents (duh!). I got lots of shoes! And a few UF shirts...and a few books from my dad, one about traveling and one about Paris. I got a few other things...I will post more details later. Oh, and I made these deeeelicious mint brownies. Here's a picture:

After we opened presents, we didn't really do much. Just hung out and tried on clothes we got and stuff. Oh, and watched the movie my brother got as a present (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), which is something of a tradition of ours (watching a movie we get as a present).  Oh, and my brother got really bored late at night and watched a VHS tape we had in our house, a documentary about Hitler and missiles. I can pretty much guarantee he was the only person in the world doing that at that moment.

The day after Christmas: omg possibly better than Christmas. We went to this fancy shopping center in town, and Anthropologie was having an amazing sale, in which all their already on sale items were an additional 50% off. I got this really cute camel dress (see here) and another dress and a skirt and it was all SO CHEAP! I am loving the after Christmas sales this year.

Yesterday: We went to Miami. It was awesome. And weird. More later because now I really have to go.

Here's more pictures of cookies to keep you tied over until I return:

Poem Tuesday: Heigh Ho, The Holly

So, technically Christmas is over (so sad!) but that doesn't mean we have to let go of our holiday spirit right away! So, for today's poem Tuesday, it's another happy holiday poem! (Sort of happy...ish...I'm not sure, really.)
Heigh Ho, The Holly by William Shakespeare

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind 
As man's ingratitude; 
Thy tooth is not so keen, 
Because thou art not seen, 
Although thy breath be rude. 
Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly; 
most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: 
Then, heigh ho, the holly! 
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, 
That dost not bite so nigh 
As benefits forgot: 
Though thou the waters warp, 
Thy sting is not so sharp 
As friend remember'd not. 
Heigh ho, sing heigh ho, unto the green holly: 
most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: 
Then, heigh ho, the holly! 
This life is most jolly.

Just a quick post...and summer plans?

Just a quick post to say that I'm still alive, and have gotten internet. At the public library. Thank God for libraries!

Anyway, I had this whole post planned about my day yesterday, but then I spent all my allotted internet time writing Christmas emails to people, and now I'm getting hungry. Sorry!

Hmm..what can I say to save this post from being useless?

Well, I am starting to think about summer plans. Yep, in December. You gotta start early. But seriously, some jobs for the summer have their first application deadlines in like, November. Ahem, Concordia.

Not that I'll be applying for Concorida again, since they closed (but not really?) the camp I worked at. I say "not really be?" because I'm super confused as to what's going on. I heard from someone who heard from some else that they were shortening the length that our camp site is open, but according to the schedule on their website, it's the same as always. I also heard that they plan to use the staff from the first half in the second half, but doesn't that depend on whether those people are willing to work all that time. I hate to break it to you, Concordia, but not everyone wants to spend eight straight weeks with kids, no matter how much singing is involved.

Anyway. I did toy with the idea of applying to their french camp but...eh. I just don't know. Would it really be the same? The french camp is so much bigger and fancier. But that could be good? Or just different, but not necessairly bad-different? Anyway, I'm just not sure I want to commit to five weeks of camp again.

Actually, that's the problem. I just don't want to commit to anything.  I'm sort of tempted to just make no plans and see what happens. Maybe I'll take a spontaneous road trip? Then again, I could just end up sitting around in Tampa, watching my brother play computer games.

I am also thinking about trying to get a job as a nanny in NYC. I just scanned through some of the ads today on the Nanny agencies, and there are ones like "Family on the UES seeks french speaker" (hey that's me!) (Oh, and UES stands for upper east side. I thought people only abbreviated it like that on Gossip Girl. Apparently not.) and "Travel with us to the Hamptons." So glam! Haha. But really, what would that be like? I'm not sure how much I would like being in New York. I didn't like it all that much last time I was there. It's just...so much. Plus, I wouldn't know anyone. But...it could be fun and exciting and probably provide lots of great material for future blogs. Hmm...

And finally, I will of course be stopping by my beloved hog island, but I don't know for how long, and whether I'll be a volunteer or what. We shall see...

Anyway, that's a long ways off. If you were a hippie yoga teacher (and thank God you're not, dear reader), you might tell me to "be more present." Well, today, in the present, we are going to make Christmas cookies (I hope) and hopefully mint brownies and maybe go to the beach. Life is good. The old people at the public library are so cute. That is all.

Semester Reflection - Everything else

My favorite spot on campus, and a good place to think.

On Monday, I began reflecting on this past semester, thinking about all I had (and hadn't learned). Somehow that spiraled into an in-depth review of all my classes, leaving us no time to talk about life outside class, which is so much more important anyway. So that's what we're going to do today. We're going to think about everything that happened to me when I wasn't in class, what was different from semesters past, what was special, and what was the same as always. Did I learn any major life lessons, or did I just learn about satanic cults and lesson plans? We shall see...

Okay, so something that immediately springs to mind is the fact that this was the first semester in which I actually knew what I was doing with my life. By the time I got back to school in August, I was pretty certain that I wanted to go to library school, and my new job at the library (more on that later) then solidified those plans. (Well, sort of solidified. I still have to get in.) Anyway, that was really nice, because not knowing what you're doing with your life can be a little stressful. I used to get harassing emails from my parents (sorry, but it's true) basically every week, all related to the general theme of "what are you doing with your life." Sometimes they were offering advice, or urging me to consider taking this class or that, or telling me to make a decision, or telling me what they thought of the decisions I had already made. So, no more emails! For the most part. And no more worrying, for the most part.

Then again, deciding to go to grad school comes with its own stresses (but, in my opinion, it's still way less stressful than not knowing where you're going). So that made for another change this semester. I had to study for and take the GRE (ugh) and then fill out applications (and write, as you may remember, many essays). But really, when I look back on it now, it wasn't all that bad. It was way less stressful and time consuming than applying to college. Maybe because I applied to fewer grad schools than I did undergrad colleges, but I think also the applications are generally more simple and straightforward. For example, I remember one college (Kenyon) I applied to had many short essays on its application, and they were really weird questions, not something you could use your generic essay answers for. Like, I remember one was "At the edge of ancient maps, there used to be warnings that said 'here there be monsters.' What does it say at the edge of your map?" Yeah, seriously. Whereas with grad school, the essay is just like "Why do you want to go here and why do you think you should?" Pretty simple, as it should be.

Another big change this semester was, as I mentioned, my job. Overall, the job has been a really positive experience for me, and I still can't believe I got it so easily (if you haven't read that story, go here.) I enjoy making my own money, and I've learned a lot about the inner-workings of libraries. Like, who knew UF had a pop culture librarian? It's true, we do. The only thing that's kind of unfortunate about my job is that it does take up, you know, my free time, as all jobs do, and that's time I could be writing or whatever.

Socially, this semester has been a little different too. I don't go out (like to clubs and bars) as much as I used to (not that I ever went out all that much, but now I almost never do.) The main reason for this is that my friends who liked going out all graduated, and also...I just don't really feel like it. I'm just kind of done with it. I mean, I don't hate it, but I don't have a huge desire to go out. It's so much hassle, what with the parking and all that. Anyway, I've really been enjoying have a low-key semester. I think I am, at heart, a pretty low-key person, although I do like getting dressed up, and having good conversations in nice bars. I just hope I don't look back on this one day and think, "oh man. I should have spent senior year out raging." But I doubt I'll say that, because even though people say that's what you're supposed to want to do, that's not what I want to do.

Also, I do keep having these "senior moments," where I'll be driving along or walking or something, and I'll suddenly realize that a year from now, I won't be doing this, and I won't be in Gainesville, and that everything is going to change. In some ways, it's a good reminder to really take advantage of this time. And it is scary to think that soon I'll have to be a real adult. I look at my friends who have already graduated, and their lives are already so different. But then, just the other day, I had another one of those moments, only this time I felt like, yeah, maybe it's time to move on. Not that I don't like Gainesville anymore. I'm not sure what changed, but all of the sudden, I just feel okay about it. And I think, when May comes, I'll be sad to leave, but also ready to go.

And finally, another big change - This semester, I finally realized that there's more to the internet than Facebook. A lot more, it turns out! I'm not really sure what sparked this change. I guess it started when I got more into Twitter, and then one thing led to another...and pretty soon I was all over the internet. But yes, so anyway, this semester I discovered, first, the joy of Twitter, which really is so useful and fun. It's really great for communicating with new people, without having to share EVERY bit of your life with them, like on Facebook. Also, so many celebrities on there! And I love it when people tweet pictures. Anyway, so then after Twitter, it was a slippery slope really. I started this blog, as you may have noticed, and that has been really great for me. It's nice to have an outlet where I can write something every day, and share it right away, especially since I'm used to working on writing projects that take months, if not years. Blogging is much more informal that the rest of the writing I do, and true, sometimes the stuff on here isn't suuuuper well-written or has typos, but whatever. I like the insta-publishing aspect, and the immediate feedback. It's also like, a little virtual scrapbook of everything I like and have been thinking about.  I would highly recommend it. Anyway, I've also gotten more into reading blogs, and it's cool to see everything that is out there. People really are so creative! And then, of course, I've discovered tumblr, and most recently, Pinterest.

And so, I'm going to end this post by saying that you should really check out Pinterest, because it's so fun. My page is here. I have to say, though, I think I might still like tumblr (a very similar site) better, because on tumblr, there tend to be people who are dedicated to just one thing, and then, if you like that one thing, you can follow them. Whereas on pinterest, most people have a little bit of this, a little bit of that. But maybe I just haven't explored it enough yet.  Also, I keep wanting to pronounce it as Pin-interest. It just sounds so much better to me.

Anyway, so that's my semester. Less going out, more staying in with the computer and my books. Yep, that's a pretty good summation of my life. But really, this semester has been grand. My easy education classes freed up my time, leaving me room to be creative and to work and make money. I've had some good friends and some good times, and I've been enjoying the time I have left in Gainesville, while still looking forward to the future, which is looking more interesting every day. And I'm excited to see what will happen in Spring 2012, the semester I never really thought would come, my last semester of college *cue dramatic music.* And, scene.

PS. Okay, I really wanted to end with that dramatic exit, but I have one last thing to tell you. So, today, I'm leaving to go have Christmas with my family. And there's no internet in the house we're staying at. I know, crazy right? That such places still exist. But anyway, I will try to sneak off to Panera when I can, but just know that posting may be sporadic for the next few days. Enjoy your holidays!

Poem Tuesday: Skating in Harlem, Christmas Day

So, the general consensus on Twitter is that it's Tuesday. I'm going to go with that, since I personally stopped keeping track of time when school got out. Which means it's time for Poem Tuesday!

In honor of Christmas, this week I went searching online for a holiday-related poem. (I couldn't think of one off the top of my head.) I found many, but they were mostly boring ones, traditional, telling the story of the Bible and whatnot. But this one was different, so I thought I'd share. I'm not sure exactly what it supposed to be about, or what's going on, but I like the last line.

So here it is, this week's poem: Skating in Harlem, Christmas Day by Cynthia Zarin

To Mary Jo Salter

Beyond the ice-bound stones and bucking trees, 
past bewildered Mary, the Meer in snow, 
two skating rinks and two black crooked paths

are a battered pair of reading glasses 
scratched by the skater's multiplying math. 
Beset, I play this game of tic-tac-toe.

Divide, subtract. Who can tell if love surpasses? 
Two naughts we've learned make one astonished 0-- 
a hectic night of goats and compasses.

Folly tells the truth by what it's not-- 
one X equals a fall I'd not forgo. 
Are ice and fire the integers we've got?

Skating backwards tells another story-- 
the risky star above the freezing town, 
a way to walk on water and not drown.

If you'd like to see more Christmas poems, you could go here, the website where I found this one. 

Also, I hope my non-Christmas-celebrating readers will not be too offended! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I hope Santa Brings

Apparently it's Tuesday, which means it's time for another top ten Tuesday, inspired by the Broke and Bookish blog. 

Today, the challenge is too list the top ten books you hope Santa brings. Well, that's not too much of a challenge, because there are tons of books I'd like to get as gifts this Christmas. Well, maybe the challenge will be narrowing it down.

1. At Home by Bill Bryson  - I've been meaning to read this one for awhile, but it's quite a big, thick book and therefore expensive, so I haven't bought it. And I think it's too long for me to try to check out of the library and finish in three weeks. Honestly, I'm a little apprehensive about reading it, because I'm not sure I'll like Bryson's non-travel writing as much as I do his travel writing. But, he can make pretty much anything interesting, it seems. So yeah, I'd like to get this book. Plus, the red cover is kind of festive!

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - I think this book has been on pretty much every list I've made so far, but I honestly just can't wait for it. It's been awhile since John Green put out a new book, and from the previews he's posted on Youtube, this one looks promising. I'm actually getting the special edition audio book, read by John Green himself, for Christmas. I'm tempted to order the actual physical book, too, especially since Green signed the entire first printing, but that seems a little excessive. We'll see.

3. The Student's Cookbook by Keda Black - I saw this book at Urban Outfitters the other day and was intrigued. The recipes look good and simple, and the instructions come with pictures, which I always like. I also really like when cook books have pictures of the finished product, which this one does. I only wish it were a little longer. But yes, I would love to get this one.

4. As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway - John Green has mentioned and recommended this book several times, and I've always meant to read it, but I never end up buying it. I would love to get it as a gift, though.




5. Wall and Piece by Banksy - This book is perfect for a gift, I think, because it's too impractical for you to buy for yourself, but it's still super cool and fun to look at. A guy I knew in high school had a copy of it, and I loved flipping through it during our down time in drama class (which there was much of). Also, Banksy is awesome.

6. The Little Prince Pop-up Book by St. X  - I love this story and love this pop-up, which I have seen in Anthropologie a few times.  Pop ups are always fun, right, and I'm so glad someone had the idea to combine them with this amazing story. I would love to get this as a gift, but I would probably never buy it for myself because it's so impractical. I mean, I've already read the book, and I'm not five, so...but still! Great present!

7. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? By Mindy Kaling - I have been dyyyying to read this book, which was written by one of the writers/actresses of the Office, Mindy Kaling. It seems like it'll be really funny. I'm on the wait list for it at the library, but it's taking forever! The library only has two copies, and there are about 20 people on the list. Sigh. Anyway, from what I can tell, it's a book of essays, just reflecting on her life in general, funny stories from her life, that sort of thing. I can't wait to read it!

8. Another book by Kathryn Stockett - Since Santa can preform miracles, maybe he can magically get Kathryn Stockett to publish another book. Ever since I read The Help a few weeks ago, I've been dying to read something else by her. But alas, there is nothing! And it's been so long since The Help came out, too. Come on, Kathryn!!

9. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson - I've been meaning to read this book for forever, but it's the same old story: Too much for me to buy, to thick to check out of the library. Actually, I could probably finish it in time for the library, and I'll probably check it out eventually. But I bet I'm going to like it so much that I'll want to own it, so therefore I would love if Santa brought it to me.

10. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare - Again, I've had my eye on this series for awhile. It's suddenly exploded in popularity. I don't really like the covers of the books (and I do judge books by their covers) but it's so popular that I can no longer ignore it. Plus, lots of people have said it's awesome. AND I just found out that Ed Westwick (aka Chuck Bass aka super hot) narrates the audio version of the fourth book in the series, as well as another one of Clare's other books. So that's awesome. If fact, all of you Ed fans out there might want to watch this video, an interview where he discusses his experience narrating the books. Also, in the video, he says he considers reading "a true treasure" and my heart flutters like a million butterflies migrating to Mexico. Ahh....(Also, it's really nice to see him doing something besides slurring words and wobbling out of clubs, which is most of what you see of him on gossip websites.)  Also, does this mean Ed Westwick is a YA fan? Relish the thought! Maybe we'll soon see something like this with him in it.



So there you have it, the top ten books I'd like to get for Christmas. Oh, and if Santa brought me Ed Westwick along with the audiobook, I wouldn't complain.

PS. If you click on the links to the books, and then decide to buy the book, I will get a small commision from Amazon. But, if you click on the link to the MTV video, I sadly will not get to meet Chuck Bass. So, we're even.

PPS. If you're new here, you might be interested in reading this post, about that feeling you get when you finish a really good book (or movie or TV show) and realize it's not, and never will be, real.  Or there's this post, about the day I met a guy who was everything I didn't want.  Or, for something happier, there's this post, about the treasures of the thrift store.

Semester Reflection - Classes

Ye Oldde Text Books

Hello, everyone!

So, I thought I'd take today's entry to look back on the semester. Fall 2011 is over, final grades are in (but not online yet! Ah!). These four months since August have flown by, but what have we learned? Let's discuss...

I think the best class I took this semester was Personality Psych, which is, if you don't know, "the study of individual differences." The professor, Dr. Heesacker, was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and I felt like the course material could really be applied to life. Except the stuff on Freud 'cause that guy is just weird. I liked learning and thinking about all the things that make people different from one another, and all the ways in which people differ. My only complaint would be that Heesacker was often late, or didn't show up at all, and on those days, the awful awful TA's would lecture. I mean, these people (except one) are the same age as me, and they mumbled and stuttered and got all mixed up. Not worth my tuition money. They also wrote the tests, which seemed like a bad idea. Speaking of tests, though, I liked that the grade was only based on three tests, so no annoying outside class projects or test. At the same time, though, there were extra-credit in class activities, so you could help yourself out if you really messed up on one of the tests. Also, the class was just challenging enough - not super stressful and time consuming, but not out-right boring.

I always feel kind of bad, taking classes like that, which I don't really need to take. As in, they're not part of my major or minor. Then again, we're actually required to take some outside-major classes. Technically, I fulfilled that requirement a few semesters ago, but whatever.  ALSO- I always tell myself that, if it hadn't been for all the AP classes I took in high school, I would've been forced to take tons of stupid, general classes freshman year, which would have been even more of a waste. But I had so many credits when I came in, so now I have time freed up to take classes I like. So this should be my reward, for doing so much in high school. Plus, college is about more than just getting a degree, right? I guess that's up for debate...but that is another blog entry for another time.

My least favorite class was, of course, the infamous Human Growth and Development. Seriously, what is up with that class? My professor spoke in a monotone and read straight from the slides. Also, we were forced to volunteer ten hours at a school, outside of the three hours we spent in class each week. I enjoyed my volunteer gig, in an elementary school art class, but I had a hard time fitting it into my schedule. Anyway, HGD was super super boring. Most of what we learned was common knowledge, like that cigarettes are bad for you and memory deteriorates over time. The class was super easy, though, so I guess I can't complain.

And speaking of super easy classes, this semester, I took a super easy online education class, called Differentiated Instruction, for my education minor. It was so easy that I got a 96% in the class without ever buying the textbook. Enough said.

I also took another education class, focused on using technology in the classroom. I can't say it was my favorite class ever, but it was alright. I think, of all the classes I took, this class is the most applicable to what I actually want to do (library science) because of the focus on technology, and how technology can be used to relay information, and to make information easier to learn. I finally learned the rules of fair use, something I've always been confused about. But, the class was at 8:30 on Monday morning, for a three hour block, until 11:30. Originally, our professor told us we'd be done by 10:30, but that fell through after the first two weeks because the professor just talked so much.

And finally, my fifth class: Cults and New Religious movements. Hmm...what to say about this class. It was definitely one of the most unusual classes I've taken, just because of the subject matter. It was sometimes really disturbing, like when we watched a documentary about gory child murders. The class has proven surprisingly useful in every day life, though - Just the other day I was at a dinner party, and someone was talking about Mormans! Hm. I don't know what else to say about this class. I didn't do most of the readings (whoops). I guess the big take-away point of this class was that people often exaggerate how violent and dangerous cults are, and often jump to conclusions about them, or blame them for things they didn't do, without really looking into what they do and what they believe. So that's cool.

Okay, so I originally planned on talking about both school and outside-school life in this post, but the class stuff has already taken up so much room, so maybe we'll just save outside-school stuff for tomorrow? Or, actually, wednesday, because tomorrow is top-ten Tuesday/Poem Tuesday. (Tomorrow is Tuesday, right? It's hard to keep track of the days over winter break, but a lot of people on Twitter seem to think  today is Monday.)

Alright, so...until next time!

My textbooks from my freshman fall semester.
If I took a picture of this fall's stack, it would be much, much shorter.
 Possibly non-existent.

Thrift store shopping

One of my favorite things about being back in Tampa is going to all the thrift stores, which I used to frequent in high school. (I also loved this used CD store, Vinyl Fever, which is now closed, may she rest in peace.)  There are thrift stores in Gainesville, but they're just not as good. And in Tampa, there are three really good ones, plus an amazing consignment store, all within a five minute drive of my house!

So, of course, as soon as I got back into town for winter break, I had to go to all of them. One of the best ones, The Life's Path Store, even had a sale on Friday, 50% off all clothes and shoes. You can't get much cheaper than that!

Some people think shopping at thrift stores is gross, but not me. I mean, they can be gross, and sometimes they smell weird or have tiny dressing rooms (see this entry). But most of the time, they're pretty nice inside, and are staffed by nice volunteers. And you can find such great stuff! You do have to sift through a lot of junk, but so much of the stuff is really unique and/or in pristine condition. Plus, you're giving money to charity!

One thing, though, is that thrift stores can sometimes be more expensive that you would think, especially if you're in a nicer part of town, like South Tampa. It's still super cheap, but sometimes I am surprised to see a shirt selling for $8 in a thrift store. What happened to the good old days, when everything was 25 cents!? Anyway...everything is still way cheaper than you could get it anywhere else, even Walmart, and probably like 75% cheaper than it was originally. In fact, this week, I've had really good luck and have found some things that I know were super expensive originally, like stuff from J. Crew and even Michael Kors. Here's a few of my treasures:

I have been looking for a chunky sweater like this for forever, and this one is beautiful, although the picture doesn't really do it justice. It's an oat-meal kind of color and is originally from the Limited. I got it at the Salvation Army in South Tampa for $3. (Or maybe less...they gave me 50% off on a few things, things that had been in the store for awhile. That's a pretty common practice at thrift stores, to give discounts on things that have been hanging around too long.) 

I loooooove this sweatshirt, with its scenes of Paris. The colors are great, light blue and yellow and white. It's so unique! It's from a brand called Truly Madly Deeply. I had never heard of it, but I just googled it and found out that this sweatshirt was originally sold at Urban Outfitters for about $50. I got it at the Life's Path Hospice thrift store for $4. (It was originally priced at $8, but they were having 50% off shoes and clothes today!) 

This top was originally from J. Crew. It's a nice coral color, in case you can' tell. It looks really nice on and I think it would be great for wearing to work or a dressy thing, or even every day. Also, it's silk, which is nice but also mean's it's (dun dun dun) Dry Clean Only. Still, it was $5 at the Life's Path store. (Again, it was originally $10, which seems like a bit much for at thrift store, but it is J. Crew, and it is for charity.) 

Another J. Crew item! This wool skirt doesn't look like much in the picture, I know, but it's really cute, and I've been looking for a nice, longer skirt. I guess I can really only wear it in winter, but that's okay, because I only paid $4 for it! That's another great thing about thrift stores: It allows you to experiment more, and maybe buy things that you're not sure you'll wear too much, because it's so cheap. Although I try to avoid buying things if I have absolutely NO place to wear it, or no idea of how I would wear it, because then it's just wasting space in my closet. 

This top I also got at the Life's Path store. It's copper colored and sparkely, in case you can't tell. I wasn't totally in love with this one when I saw it on the hanger, but on a person it looks really cool. I love the sparkles! And it's a color that I don't really have in my closet, so that's nice. It was $6 and is originally from some brand called Draper's and Damon's.

This is another top from J. Crew, which I got at a local consignment store called Triage. Triage is really amazing! They carry mostly designer and higher-end brands. I see stuff from Betsey Johnson and BCBG in there all the time. Their prices are not that much higher than a thrift store, but can be expensive for certain items. This top was originally $12, but I got it for $6 because it had been in the store for more than 90 days (they put dates on all their price tags). Woo hoo! It is also silk and also dry clean only. 

This top I got at the Life's Path store, too. I really like the color and the details on the sleeves. I have a hard time finding plain shirts that I like and that still look interesting, but plain shirts can be very useful, so they're good to have. Anyway, this is from a brand called White Stag, which is sold at Walmart according to Google, so not quite as glamourous as J. Crew. Still, a nice shirt is a nice shirt. Also, it was $3. 

This sweater, originally from Banana Republic, was amazingly $2 at the Salvation Army. Woo! I love cardigans and always wear them, and the bright blue color is nice. 

This shirt was one or two dollers (don't remember) at the Salvation Army. Nothing is better than sequins, I always say! Also, it's a nice color, and it's stretchy, so it fits me, even though it looks like it was made for a child. 

I have been looking for a black and white dress for a while, and I love crocheted-type stuff, so this dress is perfect! It's so pretty. It was about $5 (don't remember exactly) at the Sunshine Thrift Store. 

 When I was a kid, my wallpaper in my room was just like this (pink and white stripes), so this dress caught my eye for that reason. Also, I love the shape, like the sleeves and the top and the little thing at the bottom. It's really fun. And was also about $5 at the Sunshine Thrift Store.

Another great dress from the Sunshine thrift store! This one is originally from Nine West. I guess doesn't exactly fit the season right now, but I can't wait to wear it in summer and spring. Also about $5. Maybe 6 or 7.

This might be my favorite thing I found. It's a Michael Kors top, and it is such a great blue color, and has cute little puff sleeves. I always like sailor-inspired stuff like this. And the bow is nice. Plus, it's Michael Kors! I try not to be too brand-focused, but it does feel, like, a little bit more special when you find something that's designer. It was a whopping $12 at the Life's Path store. I saw it there on Wednesday and decided to just buy it then instead of wait for the sale on Friday, because I thought someone else might snatch it up before then. I mean, $12 isn't really that much. You can't even get a shirt at Target for that, really.

 I have been looking for a good white cardigan for a while, and was thrilled to find this one at the Life's Path store. It has a lot of nice details, like little white stones in the buttons, and it comes in at the waist. Also, it was made by Elle Tahari, a name I recognized from Nordstrom's. I checked, and their sweaters are selling on Sak's Fifth Avenue's website for $200-$300. Whoa. I paid $8 for it. One of the little stones is missing from the bottom button, which may be why this one got donated. By I don't care! It's still a really nice white cardigan, something which is surprisingly hard to find. 

I got these shoes at the Sunshine Thrift store for $2. (Or 3?). It's a nice Barbie pink color. Plus, I like the slight heel on them. 

And finally, I got these babies at the Life's Path store, for $2.50. Such a nice white shoe, and again, I like the small heel. I'll definitely wear them someday with my colorful Nine West dress. 

And that's everything! It has been quite an amazing few days, as you can tell. So in all, I paid about $73. Which is still kind of a lot or money to spend, but look at what I got! For fifteen items, that's about $5 per item. And it's for charity! The only small problem in all of this was that I saw a sweater I liked at the Life's Path store on Wednesday, but I decided to wait and buy it on sale on Friday. It was originally $8, which is not that much, but I was sure it would still be there on Friday. It was kind of young-looking, and it seems like mostly just old ladies shop in there, besides me. But I was wrong! It was gone on Friday! So sad. Ah, well, I guess I can't have every sparkley thing in South Tampa...and I will comfort myself by thinking that it was probably dry clean only (and it was white!). 

So now I bet you're feeling inspired to go on your own thrift store shopping trip. (For the record, I hate the term "thrifting." It just sounds weird.)  I'll give you a few of my expert, insider tips. First, a bit about the stores:

The Sunshine Thrift Store is on Dale Mabry, near Lowe's (way down, almost near Gandy). It's definitely the least-fancy of the three I go to, but it's also the biggest and the cheapest. It smells kind of funny, but they recently updated the dressing rooms. They used to be little holes in the wall with curtains hanging in front of them, but not they have nice ones with actual doors. Hooray! No longer do I have to live in fear of some creep pulling open the curtain. Anyway, as I said, this is usually the cheapest, although nice stuff can still be expensive. Also, it usually doesn't have quite as much fancy stuff, like J. Crew and whatnot, as the other stores, probably because it's not as centrally located in South Tampa (rich people don't like to drive to give their donations, I guess.) Or maybe it's not that there's less fancy stuff, but that it's mixed in with more junky stuff. There is a lot of junk here sometimes, and they will sometimes put stuff out that has rips and stains (or maybe it gets torn by customers), so watch out for that. But if you can get past the junk and the sketchiness, and deal with the grumpy people that work there, you can find some really great stuff. Also, I'm not sure what charity the store benefits. Their website just says it benefits "local charities."

The Life's Path Hospice Life's Treasures Thrift Store (that's its official name) benefits the Life's Path Hospice. This is probably my favorite thrift store. It's also extremely clean and organized, and always has amazing stuff. The store in South Tampa has a little "boutique corner," where they put the really nice, designer stuff (that's where I found my Michael Kors shirt, although the J. Crew stuff was mixed into the regular stuff.) I think this gets the best donations because it's right next to the high school, so everyone sees it. It also tends to be just a little more expensive than the other ones, but still extremely reasonable. Like, tee-shirts might be between 4-10 dollars, depending on the brand and the condition. The best deal I've ever gotten there was a pair of black Coach flats for $4. 

The South Tampa Salvation Army  benefits the Salvation Army (duh). This store falls somewhere in between The Sunshine Thrift Store and the Life's Path store, in terms of prices, quality, and sketchiness. It is moderately sketchy, more expensive than Sunshine but generally cheaper than Life's Path, and has a pretty even mix of fancy stuff and junky stuff. Probably slightly more nice stuff than junky stuff, but you do have to sift through sometimes. Anyway, it's really a pretty nice store. Sometimes it smells funny, but it's generally alright. You can find nice things, although there's all that much designer and brand name stuff like there is at Life's Path. But it's also super cheap. Actually, it can even be cheaper than Sunshine sometimes, and they have a lot of specials and sales. So yeah, it's the middle ground, and it's definitely worth checking out. Also, when you're done, you can pop across the street to Kalupa's Bakery for cubans and brownies. (Cuban sandwiches, that is.) 

Okay, and now some general tips:

• Always check the washing instructions for something before you buy it. It might have really weird requirements, or be dry clean only, which might be why it ended up at the thrift store in the first place. Then again, if I really like something, I'll buy it anyway. I've used those at-home dry cleaning kits before, and they generally work pretty well. Or you could just not wash it that often (which is not that gross as long as you're not sweating a ton or spilling stuff!)
• Everyone says this, but it really is true: You have to dig through everything, and don't get discouraged if at first you don't find anything good. The best thing is probably to look at things, hanger by hanger. But if you don't have time for that, I have good look just looking for colors that I like or that catch my eye. Also, don't waste your time grabbing something that you know, deep down, will be too big or too small
• Then again, if something catches your eye, try it on, even if you're not sure on it. A lot of stuff looks better on a person (or sometimes worse). So try on everything!
• Once you've picked out something you want to buy, carefully inspect it for rips or stains. It would really suck to find that stuff once you get home.
• Oh, also, do a smell test. In my experience, weird smells don't usually come out of thrift store clothes, even after you wash them. Sad but true. Then again, if you really like it, and it's not too much, you can risk it. Maybe Febreeze would work?
• If you see something you like, grab it! Otherwise some other beeyotches might come by five seconds later and grab it, and we don't want that. But really, grab everything you like, even if you're not totally sure about it.
• Don't buy something just because it's cheap. No matter how cheap it is, it's still going to waste space in your closet if you don't wear it. And you have to haul it around every time you move. It can be really tempting to buy something cheap, especially if it's designer and you know it was once really expensive, but don't do it! For example, at the Life's Path store, I saw this BCBG top that had a really bright print. It looked cool on the hanger, but I didn't like it that much when I tried it on. It was okay, but not amazing. I almost got it, just because it would be so cheap, but deep down I knew it would be a waste.   When you try stuff on, forget the price tag and the label. 

Okay, that's all my tips. Hope you have fun and find lots of cool stuff. I'm going to go cozy up in my Paris sweatshirt! Hooray! 

Choreographing

It's that time of year, my friends. The semester has come to an end, and it's time to start thinking about Spring 2012. And for those of us who are in Dancin Gators, that also means thinking about what and if we want to choreograph in the Spring.

Now, for those of you who don't know, Dancin Gators is a dance team at UF, which I am a member of. It's really quite remarkable, because all the dances we do are choreographed and taught by fellow team members. Fw of them have ever been trained how to choreograph and teach a dance. Many of us have been on dance teams in the past, like in high school, or taken dance classes, but not all of us. And the craziest thing: No one gets paid to do this, even though it takes up tons of time and energy and creativity. You have to teach an entire one hour dance class every week, and make sure everyone knows what's going on, and find a costume, and deal with people who don't know what's going on. And yet every semester, at least fifteen people sign up to do it. Just for the love of dance!

Okay, actually, I think "just for the love of dance" is kind of an over-simplification. I think, when you're a dancer, or even if you're not, you can't help but think of dances to songs you really like. You hear a song while you're driving in your car, and you just start picturing a stage filled with girls in flowy costumes, all dancing in unison and making dramatic movements. And then when you see other people making up dances and preforming them, whether its other people on the team or on TV, you just have to do it, too. I think, essentially, people keep signing up to choreograph because everyone has something they want to share, a dance that they picture every time they hear that song they love, and they don't want to keep it to themselves any longer. I mean, dancing around in front of your full-length mirror only gets you so far, you know?

I have only ever choreographed once, and I think once was enough for me. Choreographing is a really tough job. As I mentioned before, you have to teach the dance and make sure everyone knows what's going on. I made the mistake (sorry, ladies, but it's true) of giving my dancers my cell number, so I would get lots of texts every Tuesday, saying "are we still practicing tonight?" or "hey! I can't make it! Sorry!"  And there were only four other girls in my dance, so I can't imagine how many emails people with sixty person dances get. (There really are sixty person dances sometimes!).

But more than just the people problems, choreographing itself is difficult, and more complicated than you might realize. There's all this logistical stuff you have to think about, which I didn't know until I started doing it. Like, you have to make sure no one bumps into each other. And most importantly, you have to make sure that what you want people to do is actually possible. For example, in my dance, when I first choreographed it, I had this one girl moving across the entire stage in about two seconds. It just wasn't physically possible for her to do that, so I had to change things. Also, sometimes movements that seem really obvious and natural to you seem incredibly confusing to other people. There were so many times when I would say "Okay, you just go like this," and I would do the move, and then my dancers would all do slight variations of it, or would need me to break it down really slowly. It wasn't because they were dumb, or bad dancers. It just didn't come natural to them, like it did to me, because I made it up, and they didn't. That's one really fun thing about choreographing, though: You can never be wrong. Well, okay, you can, and I messed up my own dance at practice sometimes, which was embarrassing. But there's never going to be a move in the dance that you don't like or can't get down. You are in total control. Oh, the power...

I probably won't choreograph this semester, because I want to dedicate my free time to other things, like scrapbooking (yes, I am an 80 year old lady) and writing. But even so, I've still thought of a few ideas for dances because, like I said, I hear these songs and I just start thinking of a dance! I don't know about other choreographers, but for me, a good dance always starts with a good song. It has to have the right amount of drama and intensity. And some songs, as awesome as they are, just aren't suited to dancing, like they're too slow or don't have a good beat. Also, I personally prefer to choose songs that are new and exciting, that people haven't heard a million times on the radio, or maybe ever, except sometimes I do go for popular ones. (Can't help it! So catchy!) Anyway, here are the songs I would choreograph to, if I were choreographing, and what my "vision" is for them.  Anyway...:

 

Back to December by Taylor Swift

This is such a good, sad song. And I think it would be the perfect song to wear tutu's to, which is something else I've always wanted to do in a dance. Not the short, 80's tutus, but the long, flowy ones, or maybe one of those round, flat ones like they wear in the pros. (Like Black Swan, even though I hate that movie). I had this idea that, in some part of the some, all the dancers could turn their heads to the side, one right after the other, as if they're all looking at someone who is running by in front of them. (And running away from them....sigh...) But that was really the only idea I had for this one. I'm sure you could fill it up with lots of pretty ballet moves, though.

Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift
I would love love love to do a dance to this song. It's so upbeat and sassy, so I think it'd be a really fun dance. For this, I would dress the dancers up like school girls (Gossip Girl, anyone?), but I'd keep it simple: Black skirts (with shorts under!), white shirts, maybe ties and headbands if they had them. I would sometimes have the dancers split up and doing different things, or maybe like, dance-battling each other. You know, walking around each other in a sassy, intimidating way, showing off their moves, that sort of thing. And then at other times I would have them dance all together. I think it would be fun to not really have like, "good girls" and "bad girls," and instead just have them ALL be sassy girls.

The Stand In by Leighton Meester and Check in the Dark
So I found this song while scouring the internet for Gossip Girl related things. Turns out Blair Waldorf is also a singer, and a pretty good one at that. Who knew? Anyway, this song really is beautiful. I love the melody, and the lyrics, like "What if this were 600 years ago, and you were Juliet and I were...well, you know how that story goes." Yes! So good! This would also be a slow, ballet-y dance, I think. The only problem is that all the recordings of this song are live, so there's talking and cheering in the background. The band (Check in the Dark) has their original, non-live, non-Leighton Meester-ified version for sale on Amazon, but it's faster and not as good. (And sounds strangely like Jack Johnson...) Anyway, I think it would make for a beautiful dance.

Let Me Sign by Robert Pattinson
Continuing with this theme of celebrities-who-also-sing, we have this song, by Robert Pattinson, aka Edward from Twilight. I have been in love with this song ever since I heard it in the first movie. In fact, I think it's safe to say it was my favorite thing about the movie. I went online immediately after I saw the movie, searching for its name and artist, and imagine my surprise when I found out it was written by Edward! Crazy! Anyway, I think it would also be great for a dance, although the long intro in the beginning might need to be cut out. It's a short song,which is sometimes better than a long song. (Also in DG we limit all our dances to 2 minutes and 30 seconds.)  I would like to do something really dramatic at the point where he says "Disrupted the sky," like maybe a big jump or leap, or something. I could see a dance to this song being really beautiful and just a little haunting.

The Numb/Encore Remix by Jay-Z and Linkin Park
I just heard this song on the radio the other day and was reminded of how awesome it is. I don't really have a definite idea for this one, but I think it would make for an amazing hip-hop number. Also, it would be kind of appropriate for me, since this is my last semester and final performance. Also, there's that part where he says, "Go get 'em, J" Ahahaha.

03 Bonnie and Clyde by Jay-Z and Beyonce
Again, no big ideas for this one, but gangster costumes would be a must. Black shorts with cool black jackets, and maybe some gold chains. Haha. Also, I would start the dancers out lying on the floor, and have them do one of those back bend things up, or maybe just up to a seated position. If that makes sense. Also, I think I'd have them mime driving on the floor, but that could look cheesy. It's hard to say.

Meneando la Cintura by Mr. Saik
I would love to do a dance to this song, which I first heard at Spanish camp. I picture the costumes being really colorful, and lots of fun, crazy dance moves. Also, I could pretty much guarantee that no one else on my team would have heard it, so that's always good.

Also, for those of you who haven't seen it, I just uploaded the video of my dance to Youtube, so that the world can see it. The song is "Don't Do Nuttin" by J. Dash, who was a UF student and my brother's roommate for a year, which is how I know the song. J. Dash recently got kind of famous for his song The Wop, but I'll always be able to say I discovered him first (such a hipster!). Anyway, I chose the song because I knew no one else would have heard it, and also because it was just so fun. Also, the lyrics are sort of instructional, so I thought that would be helpful for choreographing. And as a first-time choreographer, I figured I'd need all the help I could get. The first thing I choreographed was the gator-chomp part towards the beginning, and then I built around that a little bit. I also knew I wanted to do the thing during the chorus, where some people go down and some go up. I saw that in Aliyah's video for Are You That Somebody (which we also did a DG dance to) and thought it was so cool. In fact, I got a lot of my ideas from that video, and a few from Missy Elliot, and a few from...well, I don't know where else. Everywhere. Oh, also, I had always wanted to wear those thigh-high socks in a dance, so I finally got to do that in this dance. I knew pretty much from the beginning that that would be part of the costume, and that was actually a big thing that motivated me to do the dance. Haha.

Anyway, here's the video:

Yeah, I bet you're jealous of those awesome socks.

Until next time!

Post-Obsession Depression

I guess technically you can go to Hogwarts...

Do you remember that moment when you finished reading Harry Potter? (If you haven't read Harry Potter, what are you wasting time reading this for? GO!)  You put down the book and sighed with satisfaction, fondly recalling Christmas at Hogwarts and jolly times in the common room with Ron and Hermonie. It was as if the things that you had read in the book were memories in your head now, as if you had actually lived them. The story was so real. It all felt so real. And then there was that devastating moment when it hit you: Hogwarts isn't real. None of it is. You can never go there. You can't even meet Neville Longbottom, for Christ sakes!

It was a depressing moment, wasn't it? Maybe it didn't happen to you, but it certainly happened to me. I think it's inevitable when books feel as real as that series does, when they're so rich with detail. And what can we do in the face of the fact that we will never actually go to Hogwarts? There's not much we can do. It's depressing.

I'd like to call this experience Post-obsession depression. I think it's fair to call it obsession, even if you're not like, dressing up as Harry Potter every day, because even if you're not taking it that far, you're still really into the fake-world. If you weren't, you wouldn't feel so depressed when you left it. Anyway.

I have had this experience many times, like, as mentioned before, when reading Harry Potter. Thirteen year old me was distraught to realize that she would never fly on a broom, or attend the Yule Ball. (Although you can now join one of the many collegiate Quidditch teams. But even that feels like a lame attempt to capture something that will never be. Plus they look dumb, running around with brooms in between their legs.)

I had it again, after I finished reading all the available books in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series. The series, if you don't know, follows a group of girls who attend a super-secret boarding school that actually trains them to be spies. It was such a fun series, and I loved all the secrecy and what-not. I didn't want it to end. Thankfully, there are more books to come in the series. But then again, that doesn't change the fact that it will never actually be real, as in I can go inside the secret-super boarding school and try out all the gadgets and travel all around the world on the trail of a criminal, all while wearing swanky outfits. Sigh.

Then again, as the great (and unfortunately, not real) Dumbledore once said, "Of course it's all happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean it is not real?"

Hmm...ponder.

Anyway, I am once again feeling the POD as I near the end of my aforementioned Gossip Girl binge. Sigh. Why can't I just go live on the Upper East Side and go to different parties every night in different ball gowns and date Chuck Bass? Why not, dammit!?! It really is distressing, to realize that no matter how many episodes you watch, you can never really go there.

So what are we to do about this post-obsession depression? Have any of you ever experienced it? And what have you done?

I guess one thing to do is to find another thing to obsess about. Or maybe I could channel all that obsessive energy into my own writing, for a change...I also find it helpful (and fun!) to look for things online related to the current obession. Unfortunately, in the case of Gossip Girl, 98% of the GG-related stuff online is snazzy, slow-motion GIFs of various characters (Serena and Nate, Nate and Blair, Dan and Serena, and, of course Chuck and Blair) making out, which isn't really that interesting. There is also surprisingly little about the actors in the online gossip columns, and yes I checked, not that that information is very "real" either. (All I found, in case you're wondering, is that Blake Lively is dating some actor like ten years older than her, and Leighton Meester's mom sued her, and a bunch of the cast members have bands and/or Twitter accounts, like so many actors today.) However, one bright spot in the black hole of the internet: I found this really, really funny blog that recaps each episode, highlighting the things that were realistic and fantastical about each episode. They also point out all the inconsistencies and  outrageous twists in the plot. Seriously, it's like they read my mind! (Or this post). Anyway, if you're a fan of the show, or even if you've just seen a few episodes, you should really check it out. Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to go on your own Gossip Girl binge.

Anyway, what were we talking about again? Oh, right. Obsession. Depression. What to do about it. Any ideas? Because seriously, if I don't do something soon, someone's going to find me wandering down Park Avenue in seven-inch heels, hair all teased-out, Serena-style, screaming "Darn that Chuck Basstard!" Really, it's only a matter of time.

More pictures from my trip to Hogsmede aka The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, because I feel like sharing:

An Ode to Gossip Girl

Attention Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here. Oh wait, no, it's just Julie

For those of you have been wondering where I've been the past few days...the answer is: The Upper East Side. At least, I was transported there, through the window of my computer screen, by watching re-runs of Gossip Girl online. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have to say I got completely sucked into the story, and into that glamorous world. My heart actually raced as I waited to see the conclusions the story lines would reach, even though I technically already know where everything is leading. It's made me wonder...what exactly is it about this show that is so appealing to me? But more on that in a second...

So now that I've made through all 4 and a half glorious seasons, some questions still remain: What will happen to Chuck and Blair in the second half of season five? And what about Prince Louis? And the baby? Will there be a season six? Will Dan ever reveal his love or Blair? Will Serena ever stop being so self-centered? Will it be revealed that Nate is Gossip Girl?

But the biggest question...why is it never mentioned that the characters are still in college? Did the writers just forget?
Okay, all joking aside, I do think it's a little irresponsible of the writers to just drop a really important plot point like that, especially since they made such a big deal about college in seasons 2 and 3. I mean, they should at least make up some excuse for it, so we can all feel better, like say that Blair is taking classes online, or Nate takes classes at night, when he's not busy running some big online newspaper/gossip column. It's just weird that it got pushed aside like that. And what happened to Blair becoming a powerful woman? She was on that path for like two episodes and it just got dropped. I guess watching all the episodes together like this makes it easier to see the inconsistencies in the plot. But then again, I guess if all the characters were in college, the show would be just like every other college comedy out there. Blair would be climbing her way up to president of her sorority, Nate would be playing beer pong. Bor-ing.

Anyway, back to the original question: Why is this show so appealing to me? Is it just me? Any other Gossip Girl fans out there? I hear their numbers are down, but I swear, there had better be a season six or I will lose it! In fact, there better be lots more seasons, I don't care if Leighton Meester (Blair) wants to go pursue her film career!

Anyway. I think a big part of the fun of the show is the clothes, and the styling of the characters. They're always wearing such ridiculous, decadent things, and almost every episode has a party scene, so there are always tons of beautiful ball downs. Even their everyday outfits are amazing. The clothes are reason enough to watch the show. For example:

I really wonder what the costume budget for this show is.  Maybe they save money by making Dan wear the same shirt over and over. Anyway, even though I can't really afford anything they wear, and never see anything like it in stores, I've still picked up a few tips from the show. For example, I recently tried wearing white tights a la Blair Waldorf.

Although not exactly like that...

Anyway. Another big pull of the show is the characters. They are all just so ridiculous, over the top, and funny, especially Chuck and Blair.  And yet something about the characters is just so likable. I have even come to like Serena, who used to annoy me like no other.

Back to Chuck and Blair: I think their story, and their individual characters, are the most fun, interesting part of the show. The many twists and turns of their love story - as ridiculous as they may be (like Chuck selling Blair for his hotel? Whaaat?) - are exciting. It's that push and pull, that will-they-won't-they thing. I mean, the Twilight franchise made millions off just that, and unlike Bella and Edward, Chuck and Blair are actually interesting and funny characters. I love how they both always say exactly what they're thinking. They're always insulting people,  but it's done in such a smart, funny way that you can't help but take their side (well, most of the time. Sometimes I think the Blair-Derota dynamic goes a little too far).  And you know, it is kind of romantic how they keep coming back to each other, despite all the ridiculous things that happen (see previous comment about the hotel).  And I think, for some reason, the story of the reformed bad boy is really appealing to us all. It just pops up over and over again: A man who puts up a cold front to the world, but deep down he's just a big ol' softie.  Like when Chuck conspired to get Blair elected prom queen, so she could have her perfect night. Awwww. And usually the bad boy only shows his soft side to his chosen lady, or she brings it out of him, and usually some reason for his evil ways is revealed. Why is that story so interesting to us, and why does it come up over and over again? Hmm....ponder...

So this is where seven semesters of college has gotten me...up at night, dissecting the intricacies of Gossip Girl on my blog. Well...that's the way it goes sometimes.

PS. Actually, I've done this before. Have you seen my other GG post, about the mistakes the characters make over and over again?

PPS. Okay, I forgot to say this before - but by far the worst part of the show is the Charlie storyline. Well, maybe that one is tied with the story of the Spectator/older lady Nate likes whose name I don't remember. I mean, seriously, why did Charlie have to be pretending to be the cousin? Why couldn't she just really be the cousin? It makes no sense. And how could she get away with that? Wouldn't she have to like...give her social security number to someone at some point, or simply show a driver's license? And she's just so annoying. As for Nate and the Spectator, it's just boring. I just don't care. Can't they find something exciting for Nate to do? Such a waste of a cute character. I do feel like the Spectator storyline is setting up for something later, a Gossip Girl takedown perhaps. And that might be exciting. But probably not that exciting, and couldn't the writers think of another way for that to pan out?

Okay, really, I'm done now. Maybe. I might have to do an ode to Blair Waldorf later on...

Is it January 16th yet!?!

Poem Tuesday: Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman

In addition to being Top Ten Tuesday, it's also POEM TUESDAY!!! The first poem Tuesday of Winter Break!! Woo hoo!!

Even though I kind of hate Walt Whitman, and have had a personal vendetta against him ever since I took this awful poetry class freshman year, this poem seemed highly appropriate for today. So I guess I can forgive him...for one day...in the spirit of poem Tuesday.

But seriously, how perfect is this poem? I just drove to Tampa today, so I was out on the open road, and I am done with criticisms (literary, that is) and libraries (for now). Hooray!

So here it is, an excerpt from Whitman's Song of the Open Road (the whole poem is too long and ramblely to post, just like all of Whitman's silly poetry. Sorry, Walt.):


Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself an good fortune.
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing.
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, and querulous criticisms,
Strong and content I travel on the open road.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books to Give as Gifts

Hello everyone!

First off, to my regular readers, I must say I'm sorry for being the lack of posts lately. I'm sure you were all super  worried, probably ready to call UFPD and report a missing person. Except they'd probably be too busy giving parking tickets and investigating assaults on sorority to do anything about it. Anyway. The truth is, I've been in kind of a post-exam coma, rarely leaving the house and watching reruns of Gossip Girl in my bed. It's been so nice. I haven't done nothing in a long time, probably not since last winter break, so it's nice to stop for awhile. I haven't even been spending hours on Facebook chat like I normally do, so you know it's serious. BUT there's nothing like some good book talk and list-making to pull me out of my coma...so without further ado...

Here's the list of the top ten books I'd give as gifts and why, inspired by the Broke and Bookish blog.

1. Room by Emma Donahue. I haven't actually read this, but I've heard it's excellent, so it seems like a good book to give the reader in your life, especially someone who's into more literary fiction. This one has won a lot of prizes and critical acclaim.

2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Everyone should read this book. It's absolutely wonderful. If I ever befriend someone who hasn't read it, I will give it them immediately. Also, the movie adaptation of the book is coming out soon, so it's timely. And I always think people should read the book before seeing the movie.  So..it's perfect!

3. Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. - I think this would make a great gift for a teenager, or for anyone in your life who enjoys fun, non-cheesy love stories. The book is a collection of three short stories by three great YA authors, all set in winter and all loosely connected. The stories are funny and sweet. I like to reread this book every Christmas.

4. Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson - I think this book would make a great gift for anyone who has ever dreamed of traveling around Europe (and who hasn't?!). The book follows Bryson in his forties (or fifties?) as he retraces a journey he took through Europe with a friend in his twenties. But really, it's less about looking back and more about all the crazy, wonderful people and places he encounters along the way. Bill Bryson is such a great writer. He can make anything funny, and European traveling is great material for him.

5. The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe - This is a book my dad gave me and I can't recommend it enough. It's about the men who were chosen to take the first flights into space, and how they were chosen, and what happened to them before and after they got to that point. Even if you're not that interested in space travel (I'm certainly not), it's just a great story, and it gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "great" men in America. I mean, before these men went into space, no one had ever gone before, obviously, so the American government didn't really know what to look for in an astronaut, and the way they went about choosing is both fascinating and surprisingly hilarious. Also, Wolfe is a funny writer with a really unique voice.

6. Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart by Gordon Livingston and Elizabeth Edwards - Continuing with the theme of books my dad gave me....there's this one. It's the most helpful, straightforward self-help book I've ever seen or read, and it has some really great advice. For example: The person in a relationship with the most power is the one who cares the least. So sad, but so true. Give this book to someone you know who is just starting out, like a young adult, or anyone who you think who has something left to learn (read: probably most people.)

7.  Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer - On a totally different note, this is a really fun, colorful book. I love all the Olivia books, actually (Well, all the ones that were written by the original author. The spin-offs are not so good). They're so witty and well-done. The illustrations are beautiful and often very funny. And of course, this particular books is appropriate for the season. It would make a great gift for a child, or for anyone really.

8. Downtown Chic by Robert and Courtney Novogratz- I always love getting big coffee table books for Christmas, ones with lots of pictures, and this is a great one. If you haven't heard of the Novogratzes, they had a show on Bravo and then on HGTV. They're designers in New York with a funky style and a crazy, huge family. But even if someone doesn't watch the show, I think anyone who appreciates colorful, unique design would love this book. It's just so fun to look at, and it could give someone lots of ideas. Give it to someone you know who is just moving into their first place, or who just likes dreaming of their fabulous Manhattan apartment...

9. Dear Mr. Potter by The Harry Potter Alliance - This book is a series of letters written by different people invovled with the Harry Potter franchise, expressing what the series meant to them as an individual. For example, I know the girl who plays Luna Lovegood has a letter in their. I haven't read it, but I think it would be so interesting to see the different ways in which the books impacted people, especially since it was read by people of all different ages and backgrounds. I think this would make a great gift for any Harry Potter fan.

10. This is Water by David Foster Wallace. - This book is a transcript of the speech David Foster Wallace gave at the Kenyon commencement in 2005. I suppose it's kind of a silly present, in some ways, because the speech is available online and isn't that long. I think they stretch it out across a book by putting just a little bit no each page. BUT it is a really great speech, and I personally wouldn't mind having a hard copy around, so that I could pull it out whenever I needed it as a reminder. It's just so full of insight and wisdom, but it's deliver in a really straightforward, simple manner. It's just great. Give it to someone you know who is graduating. Oh, and as long as we're taking graduation books, Daniel Handler's (aka Lemony Snicket) book Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid is another great one.