Lust List Monday: StarKid Productions

When I said I was possessed, consumed, etc. I wasn't kidding. I've recently started trying to figure out how I might be able to better budget my money to make room for these wonderful StarKid products. It involved a pretty dire amount of not eating, so... probably not happening. Probably.

The one and only Team Starkid pink retro sunglasses.

Two of my favorite things!

AVPM!

Trust obsessive behavior to kick in right before I need need need to start studying for finals/cramming for MCATs. The only time this weekend I stopped watching StarKid Productions and interviews was to take a practice MCAT, eat, and go out on Saturday night. I've been a bum.

I think I need an INTERVENTION.
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If You Just Smile

Before I came to San Diego for school, I visited with my family to see the campus and get oriented and stuff. We have family friends here, so I was hanging out with my friend when something really inspiring happened; a story I want to share.

We were stopped at a red light and there was this guy on the divider on the opposite side of the road with a cardboard sign. He looked scruffy, and there was a bag on the ground by him. So naturally, I thought he must be homeless. I couldn't see what the sign said because he was waving it at cars on the other side of the road. The fact that he was going up to each car in the left turn lane only made me more suspicious that he was just some drunkard. I felt bad, but I've been to India so many times, that generally, I tend to not have a lot of respect for beggars. So, we're waiting at the light, and the whole time I'm trying to figure out what this homeless man has on his sign. There were some pretty prejudiced thoughts and some equally guilty thoughts racing through my head, but in the end I thought I had to be right about this guy. The light turned green and we started going just as the man turned around to flash the sign at us: SMILE.

Obviously, I felt like a total asshole after that, but it was the perfect lesson in not judging. And it continues to remind me, as I think about it occasionally, that it is so important to show the same amount of compassion and respect to everybody. It's important to be polite and not judge someone for their actions, beliefs, or looks and I think, sometimes, in the whirlwind of life and stress, we lose that. So this is my reminder.

Don't You Want Me

Let me warn you: there is going to be a lot of gushing in this post, because I am consumed, obsessed, and completely enamored right now. Like considering taking up busy bee lauren's fake boyfriend tag and turning it into a feature all its own. This is serious.

You guys, I think I'm in love with Darren Criss.

I'm sure you all know him from Glee, but as a huge huge Harry Potter fan, I've been madly in love since the long curly-haired days of A Very Potter Musical, cutely acronymed AVPM by fans. I mean, yeah, Blaine's supermegafoxyawesomehot, but he played Harry freaking Potter and I don't think anyone else compares. Oh, right, did I mention he can sing? And he plays the violin and the guitar and the piano (the last two, he taught himself). This recent resurfacing of obsession over Darren Criss though, was inspired by Tuesday's episode of Glee. Please tell me this doesn't make you melt into a pathetic puddle:

He totally didn't need to ask. I sooo want him.

Quote-Unquote

In my busy-ness, I often find myself a little lacking in creative inspiration. Sometimes, I really want to learn something new, but mostly, I just don't have the time or the motivation. When this happens, I find that having a long and random academic discussion with friends usually gets me back on track, but when I don't have that mode of inspiration at hand, I like those hipster quote+picture sites. Or just quotes in general. So, I got out the old whiteboard, and I've decided there will be a quote of the day on it at all times (and my housemates will just deal, haha).

To start off, let me share some of my all-time favorites:

"Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

-Robert Frost

"Only in grammar can you be more than perfect."

-William Safire

"A slavish concern for the composition of words is the sign of a bankrupt intellect. Be gone, odious wasp! You smell of decayed syllables."

-Norton Juster

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it."

-Roald Dahl

I don't know what it is with me and children's authors, okay? Possibly, I just like the idea of simplicity and possibility and magic that they present, but more likely, I'm just dying to escape to magical fairy lands and fun fictional places instead of taking the MCAT, my next midterm, and facing the "real world." I like escapism, what can I say?

Back to Prom

I know my prom is long over, but looking through ELLEgirl's Prom Picks for this year has me wanting to go all over again (and wishing I had some excuse already to take out my old prom dress and wear it!).


I remember writing about being totally torn between (to quote myself) "a Disney-influence ridiculous princess dress with a huge skirt" and "something more practical that I could actually sit and dance in." I remember being all nervous and then having things go totally alright, and ending up playing Super Smash Bros Brawl till 3 am. So...overall, I think my prom was a huge success, but sometimes, when I feel like I'm growing up too fast, it's nice to do something silly about it - like look at prom dresses, haha.

We Are Family

My parents have been here all weekend, which has been singularly exhausting. I loved having them, but oh man, was it a lot of work and time and counting to ten before I responded to things. That being said, we did a lot of fun stuff! We visited Coronado, and one of my family friend's parents were visiting also, so we had dinner with them twice and got to cuddle and play with this little sweetheart:

His name's Roscoe. What a cutie, right?

We also went up to LA to the Indian district, Artesia, and had what was possibly the best Indian food buffet I've ever had. They had a ton of Indian-Chinese dishes, which are my absolute fave, so basically I ate until I was literally so full I had to take a ten minute nap at the table just to be awake enough to drive. Talk about bad food coma! But they left this morning after breakfast, and now I need to catch up on a ton of studying I've neglected all weekend.

Happy Monday!
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Alabama, Arkansas, I Do Love My Ma and Pa

It poured the other day, but before we got caught in the rain, my roomie, Loni, who's doing a 365 Project teamed up because she wanted to try out her new camera and I wanted outfit pictures. But, of course, her camera battery wasn't charged all the way, so we ended up having to use mine anyway, hahaha.


Top: Old Navy; Dress: thrifted; Scarf: thrifted; Boots: Wal-Mart; Tights: CVS


I'm imagining this 365 Project is going to involve a lot more teaming up on our part in the future, which I'm so excited about! She can actually take pictures and isn't limited to the few things I can do with my tripod, so look for better pictures in the future. Also, I'm looking up all these fun things to do when my parents get here and realizing that I've never done half the awesome things there are to do in San Diego! That should be another goal of mine*! Now only if it would stop raining so dang much.

* post-MCAT, of course

Surprise Visit

My parents and brother are coming to visit this weekend! I was informed of this...yesterday. So, I really need my apartment to go from looking a little less like this picture and a little more like we've actually cleaned on occasion (which we have!). On the plus, side my mom has decided she's bringing me tons of food because apparently I don't eat enough healthy food (probably true), and she misses me. So, I will be gorging myself on Indian treats for something like the next three weeks. However, while I know I really should be excited, I'm kinda just stressing, because as much as I love cleaning, now's not really a good time for me to try and balance it with everything else. Just gotta channel a little Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and remember:

Don't Panic.

Counting All The Flowers

Dress: Costco (haha); Cardigan: Forever 21; Necklace: A Peace Chain in French


I know you can't see the pendant very well, but it's one of my favorite ones I own; so check the site out. I got it last Mother's Day, when (because I couldn't visit my own mother), I drove up with my roommate, L, to Davis, where she's from. Mother's Day in Davis coincides with the Whole Earth Festival, which is basically huge hippie dippie festival full of fire dancers, jazzy/reggae/just-plain-odd music, and tons of stalls selling every kind of handmade craft and art you could imagine. One of the stalls was this guy who made these cool clay pendants that said 'peace' in a ton of different languages, and he was just giving them out for free! It's such a lovely and generous thought to just give people 'Peace' pendants, I think. I just thought I'd share the back-story because of how much I love mine!

Peace!
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Lust List Monday: LBD

I had a pretty awesome weekend. The trip, which I was a little nervous about turned out to be very laid back and really fun. One of the nights was a semi-formal cocktail for which I had to wear a dress. I bought a little black one (upon noticing the complete lack of cocktail dresses in my closet) and it inspired me to do a Lust List Monday! So many of these little black dresses I would love to have.

This sparkling beauty from eShakti...

...fitted and cute from EXPRESS...

...a fun and flirty neckline from BCBG...

...a simple little dress from Forever 21 that can go day to night...

...or this chic one-shouldered one from Nordstrom
A little something fun to hopefully get you all through your Mondays! Enjoy!

We Are All Born Superstars

I am a great big ball of excitement and scurrying around today! We leave on this trip tonight, so I have about a million things to do, but the most important thing is that Lady Gaga's new single "Born This Way" was just released today!! I even gave in and bought it from iTunes (despite their evil DRM policies). The song's all about being yourself and staying true under pressure. Now, I've met a lot of people who dislike her music, and I'm not going to try and convince anyone otherwise, but this is why I like her. She is new, original, and completely different. I'm not comparing her music to Madonna or anything, but you've gotta admit, that for my generation, we haven't seen an act so fresh and out there since Madonna! Second, yes, she's crazy when it comes to some of the things she says and her attire, but I think without those, she wouldn't be so unique. Some of the lyrics, I will admit, are awful, but hey, you gotta give something to make it big in pop, and pop lyrics are usually the most compromised. Last, but certainly not least, I truly think she's got an amazing voice. The acoustic sets and some of her less mainstream music really show that. Thus, I leave you all (for the weekend) with a clip of my favorite Gaga song to date:

No Floods - Lady Gaga

Enjoy your weekends!
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The Truth About Forever

I hate not having time to read, so when I was sick (and not attending classes), I made the most of that time by reading two books in three days. One of them was a re-read (The Hunger Games), but let's face it, that book is just really damn good, and it'd been a whole year since I'd read it.

The other one was The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. SWEATshirtDRESSshirt had done a post on the book a while back, and since having discovered that one of my roommates had it, I'd been wanting to read it. It wasn't a particularly difficult book to read*, but like 90% of my reading is floofy reading anyway. The main character, Macy struck me as similar to main characters in a lot of other "what is life about?" coming-of-age type stories (ex. An Abundance of Katherines, Prep, etc.) that sometimes I find myself annoyed with. Even in first person, I like mystery in the main character, and while Macy was certainly no Bella, I just didn't like her that much.
That being said, it was an enjoyable read, rife with pithy aphorisms (that I really liked), and full of well-developed characters that all brought a unique charm to the story. The storyline itself is simple enough to be relate-able, yet just out there enough that you don't feel Mary-Sued by it. Overall, I would totally recommend it as a light read.

*Side-note: I learned recently that people with ADD often read books that are significantly below their reading level and capabilities.

Meet Me On Thames Street

Shirt: Something Corporate; Dress: Modcloth; Tights: ? Boots: Ross

I'm supposed to be going to a formal this weekend, but the problem is that it's in the form of a weekend trip. A whole weekend where I'm going to be judged (probably by sorority girls) about what clothes I've decided to wear right down to my PJs and whether I make noises in my sleep (which, unfortunately, I do). That being said, I'm really excited! I've been trying hard to be in MCAT study mode for at least a couple hours a day to make up for all the studying I will not be doing this weekend, but only kind of succeeding. I imagine though, if I don't get as much as I want done, I'll feel super guilty after and amp up the studying next week also. Plus, I just had my last midterm, and I'm feeling like I really need this stress relief.

Relay for Life

When I was in high school, one of my mom's friends was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a lady I'd met many times who made a mean casserole, whose kids I had babysat for, and whose husband was the "cool dad" who could do anything. Seeing the family struggle to tell two young children and also deal with treatments on their own was one of the toughest things I've had to witness. Later, some of the ladies in the neighborhood, including my mom, set up a food service for her family because the chemo had made her so weak. This was my first and closest experience with cancer. Every day I thank whatever fortune I had to not have any direct family affected by cancer.


The year after that, a friend introduced me to Relay For Life. Relay is an all-night walk-a-thon based on the idea that "Cancer never sleeps." Before the event, teams raise money for cancer research and support, and during the event they participate in all sorts of fun events, walking around the track, and in the luminaria ceremony, which honors and remembers those fighting and lost.

One of my favorite blogs is Hannah Grage, by Carrie, the mommy of a lovely little girl, Hannah, who has leukemia. I've been doing Relay for six years, and every year, I try to keep a couple special person in mind when I think about why I'm raising money, and this year, I want Hannah to be a one of them. I don't like to make a big deal out it (hell, I don't even usually tell anyone), but it's nice to have a face in mind; a smile you want to see when someone learns that they've defeated the disease. Plus, she's a total cutie.

Sorry this is so long, but our Relay is in 2 months, and I'm so excited! I'm on the committee in charge of doing the Luminaria ceremony, which is one of the most powerful parts. It's going to be SO MUCH FUN! If you're interested, check out the American Cancer Society website.

Also, for more on why I relay {or to donate (which would rock my socks!)} visit,
MY RELAY PAGE

XLV

I should start with telling you all that I don't watch football. Even so, ever since I can remember, a huge group of family friends would get together and have the most ballin' Super Bowl party imaginable every year, and so I forced myself to learn the basics of the game and invoked my competitive side so I was screaming just as loudly as the next guy at the TV whenever something interesting happened. You think some of that spirit woulda rubbed off, right?! Wrong. Since coming to college, I've barely watched any Super Bowls. Not even the commercials or the half-time show. However, I'm always on the lookout for interesting things surrounding the event. I mean, who could forget the Janet incident, right? It took them SEVEN years before they even dared to get any artists under 50 to perform again! But, a true highlight had to have been this:

Irony at its finest.
Really?! I might be totally un-American (not having watched this game and all), but I definitely know my national anthem! Though, I gotta give props to the people they panned out to after that didn't even bat an eyelash at the error. I kept looking back and forth at my roommate with my jaw dropped in horror all "Oh no she didn't!" And the Darth Vader Kid Volkswagen Commercial totally took the cake as far as those went. All in all, I would have said my favorite thing was the Glee episode after, but even that was sort of disappointing. Must say though, Finn is even adorable as a zombie; kudos to him. Did you guys do anything fun?

May You Stay Forever Young

Cardigan: H&M; Vest: from S. Korea (gifted); Skirt: Banana Republic; Tights: CVS (don't judge);Boots: Charlotte Russe

Today feels like Saturday. Even though I had work and class, I woke up feeling distinctly weekend-ish. A strange thing, seeing as how lately, even my weekends have started at 6 am, with me groggily dragging my butt to Starbucks to take full length practice MCATs for 5 hours.

This countdown currently sits on my desktop, reminding me how little time there is.
But, it is Friday, so I guess I shouldn't be too upset. Have a wonderful weekend, all!

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Centeblogarian

"All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet."
-John F. Kennedy

Let's not make fun of my less-than-awesome photo-editing skills, thanks.

This is my 100th post. I wanted to do some big, meaningful post, but then I realized, that's not that many posts. I would compare it to 100 cents. It sounds like a lot, but in the end, you really just have a dollar. To carry on this ridiculous analogy, I'm just hoping that one day, this blog and the things I've posted in it will, metaphorically (or not, haha), make me rich. I hope it will truly reflect what I've put into it, and the kind of person I want to be. Soon, I'm going to be out in the "real world" and I want this blog to come with me for all the adventures I'm planning on having!

Here's to many more than one hundred!

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I Could...Keep On Dancin' Forever

When I was 4 years old, I took my first dance class. Since then, I've dabbled in ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, and ballroom, but probably spent the most time (8 years) on an Indian classical dance, Bharatnatyam. Now that my university schedule has consumed my life, I've found a distinct lack of time in my life for the dancing that I love so much. Even taking Zumba and having taken a couple rec classes it's been really hard for me to incorporate dance into my schedule lately, which really makes me sad.

Look, it's me in the green!
My school has open gym rooms that people can practice in if there's nobody else using them, so I think from now on, I might go early in the mornings and see if I can't practice dance in them. I've just missed the focus and determination and excitement of choreographing or learning a new dance. I'm adding this to my New Year's Resolutions (starting today!), because you guys, I need dance in my life again. It, more than so many things, makes me really happy. This year, I want to dance more.

What Every Townie Kid Dreams Of

I am pretty set in my ways. I like getting up at the same time everyday, having my morning cup of coffee, eating Cheerios and reading/blogging before I start the day. Sometimes, I think I just need to loosen up and take things one at a time, but I usually end up forgetting something and panicking about it. And then, out comes the planner again. The compulsive planning zone is so nice and comfortable and allows me to be organized enough to enjoy things like Zumba and ballet, whereas otherwise, I would probably fall apart.

Point being, last night I found myself done with all the things I'd planned to do, and with free time. My compulsive planning paid off! It was magical! I listened to music for a while, watched the new episode of Gossip Girl, and felt ready for a new day! I've got another song to share with you guys. Seriously, I've been obsessed with this song for the last two weeks. It's just so pretty and meaningful, and above all, really soothing. Lately, I've been into soothing music, so suggestions are totally welcome.


Coffee & Cigarettes (Acoustic) - Jimmy Eat World