The first snowfall

We are finally (finally!!) getting our first real snowfall of the season here in Northern Colorado, and I am just tickled to death about it. I will admit that I'm not tickled about the driving-on-slick-roads piece, but I can handle it. I was truly afraid that Colorado had forgotten that it's Winter and we weren't going to get any fluffy, white powder. Thank goodness I was wrong! Now, I've loved the mild temperatures and the sunshine and blue skies we've been experiencing, but I'm an all four seasons kind of gal, so I've been in need of a little Winter. I love how soft the snow looks as it falls, and I can already tell that I'll be spending the majority of my day staring out my winter at the drifting flakes. The only thing that would make this snowfall better is if I wasn't at work, but was instead reading at home, cozied up in my pjs with several pots of tea!

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?
-J.B. Priestley-

A very merry time of year...

I just wanted to pop in and say (a day late)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday weekend and I cannot wait to read all about yours and to share my own. I love this time of year!

I'm still alive, but...

...my bestie, Jamie, was in town until yesterday so I'd been entirely focused on absorbing enough Jamie-awesomeness to last me until I visit her in Australia in April (fingers crossed!)

...Christmas has continued to sneak up on me and I feel like I am entirely too far behind on wrapping and cards and even some last minute shopping.

...I literally cannot kick my sinus infection/cold, so I'm off to the doctor in the morning.

...I will be back to posting ASAP. And there will be pictures from Jamie's visit.

Water for Elephants

I just watched the movie trailer for Water for Elephants and I cannot wait. Have any of you read this? (Kaity, I know you have). The book took me a bit to get into, but once I was in, I was hooked. It's a beautiful story with a colorful cast of characters that you can't help but get attached to. And who doesn't love the supposed romance and adventure of a traveling circus? I had such vivid pictures in my head while reading the book, and I hope the movie lives up to them. The trailer looks fabulous, so I think I'm going to be happy. Check it out here!

ps- I'm a huge Christoph Walz fan and think he is perfectly cast as August.

All the Same

Do you ever get caught up in a song and then listen to it repeatedly until you, and everyone else around you, is sick of it? Confession: I do. My car stereo has a "repeat" button and I'm addicted to it. Yes, I frequently listen to the same song over and over again on my 25 minute drive to work. And then I keep listening to it on the way home. I've always been a repeat girl.

My current obsession is All the Same by Sick Puppies. I am ob-freaking-sessed! (I never thought I'd throw "freaking" into the middle of a word here on my blog...). I've liked Sick Puppies for a while now, but I hadn't discovered this song until Jamie sent it to me the other day...I love it! Sick Puppies are one of my favorite groups to listen to when I'm at the gym, and now it has found its way to the coveted "repeat" song in my car. There's something about the line: "And I'll take you for who you are/ if you take me for everything..." that I just love.

All The Same

I dont mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
But I dont like illusions I cant see
Them clearly
I dont care, no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually what you'll do
I dont mind
I dont care
As long as you're here

[Chorus]

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again
It's all the same

Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
But in-between it always seems too long
Suddenly
But I have the skill, yeah
I have the will, to breath you in while I can
However long you stay is all that I am

I dont mind, I dont care
As long as you're here

Go ahead and tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
And do it all over again
It's always the same

Wrong or Right
Black or White
If I close my eyes
Its all the same

In my life
The compromise
I'll close my eyes
Its all the same

Go ahead say it
You're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are now
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

What if your imaginary friend from childhood was your one true love?

Has anyone read James Patterson's Sundays at Tiffany's? I've never read any of Patterson's thrillers, but I love his forays into general fiction. I read Sam's Letters to Jennifer every year, I enjoyed Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas and I was on hold at the Library for Sundays at Tiffany's before it was even published. I'm not entirely sure what it is about these novels that sucks me in because they each have their sad threads, but if I had to guess I'd say it's the overpowering theme of hope in each of them that wins me over.

In Sundays at Tiffany's, Jane Margaux is a lonely child whose busy mother only makes time for her on Sundays when they admire the jewelry at Tiffany's. Luckily for Jane she has one best friend, Michael. He's nice, funny and understands her completely, but there's a problem: Jane is the only person who can see him. Yep, he's her imaginary friend. Michael must leave Jane on her 9th birthday, and even though it breaks her heart, she believes Michael's promise that she'll soon forget about him and everything will be fine. But, despite finding love and success in adulthood, Jane is still more lonely than she knows. That is until one day she runs into a familiar-looking man named Michael. He claims to be her imaginary friend from childhood, but they're both grown up and the rest of the world can see him. Who is this man? Is he truly her imaginary friend come to life? And, can he stay forever, or will he have to leave her again just like before?

Well, the Lifetime Network (yes, I'm one of those girls) has made Sundays at Tiffany's into a movie starring Alyssa Milano and Stockard Channing. I'm currently sorting through Christmas pressies and drinking a peppermint mocha while watching it. I have high hopes for this adaptation. I want to fall in love with the characters just like I did in the book, and I must say that I'm already half in love with Michael. We're off to a good start!

Update: the movie was lovely! I think Lifetime did a wonderful job with it.

Fill in the Blank Friday on a Saturday Morning

1. I wish I had endless amounts of money so I could travel the world and be a professional student.

2. Yesterday I entertained my mother while she decorated her tree, had dinner and a margarita with a good friend and played a little trivia with the boy and his roomie. I stayed out entirely too late considering the fact that I'm fighting off a sinus infection, but it was a blast!

3. Today I will try my best to clean my apartment, decorate my tree and sort through my Christmas presents to see what I still need to buy. Jamie's flying in on Tuesday and I kind of need to have these things done before then.

4. Tomorrow I will have brunch with the lovely Kaity and finally have a phone date with my Baltimore Bestie. Corey and Matt are moving back to Colorado from Maryland (yay!) and I need to get all of the details.

5. Maybe I'll hit the jackpot and find some new sweaters this afternoon...I'm in need!

6. Someday I will fall in love, get married and have babies. I'm in no rush and love getting to play with my friends' babies, but one of these days all of the pieces will fall into place for me.

7. I love that I have wonderful parents who surprised Jamie and me with tickets to see A White Christmas at our local dinner theater. This is my favorite Christmas story and I've been dying to see this production for the past couple of years. I cannot wait!

Perhaps not my proudest first

I just survived my first filling. I've never had a cavity before, but thanks to my lack of flossing, it was time for me to join the ranks. I was nervous as all get out and got myself all worked up (as per my usual style) but it was painless and pretty easy. Do I want to make a habit of this? No, thank you! It's creepy to hear the drill and feel some pressure on my teeth, but thank goodness for Novocain. Speaking of which, the drugs are starting to wear off and the feeling is coming back to my teeth and upper lip. Do I dare try my luck at some ginger ale? I'm always afraid that I'll end up drooling all over myself. Lovely image, right?

Does anyone else get themselves entirely too worked up over fairly mundane things?
Please say yes.

"It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see..."

The Denver Art Museum is one of my favorite places to just be.
If I lived in Denver, I'd be one of those people who wanders in for a quick art fix every week. I'd like to say that I'd pick a different floor each time, but I know me: I'd grab a cup of coffee in the new addition, stroll outside to the original entrance and then head up the stairs to the 6th floor. I'm a sucker for the European and American Art collection. I'm awed by scultpures from the 13th century, painted panels that have lasted since the Renaissance and gorgeous Monets. But, with that said, I also can't help but be fascinated by many of the more contemporary pieces. Art is an experience unto itself and each piece tells its own magical tale.
I love that.

*title quote by Anais Nin*

Sunday Thoughts

I still get teary-eyed when Hagrid comes back to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...and I want to be Hermione.

Getting down on my hands and knees and scrubbing the linoleum floors in my apartment is my least favorite thing to do, but makes me feel the most accomplished when it's finally completed.

Showering before noon on the weekend is overrated. Taking an extra long, scalding hot one is not; it's a worthwhile indulgence.

Christmas decorations would be better if they put themselves up...I love having my apartment decorated, but I always drag my feet doing it.

A cup of tea is always calming and comforting for me.

I will never be too old for an Advent calendar. Who doesn't want an excuse to start their day off with chocolate?

Being able to text with Jamie again makes my heart smile!
Yes, she's back in the states.

Drinking mimosas with family and friends in the middle of the day is wonderful.

Welcome, December

Ladies, can you believe that it is already December 1st? I'm completely baffled. Honestly, where have the months gone?

I'm pretty sure it was just the beginning of September and I was prepping myself for a busy month full of birthdays, work and a little travel.

October is my favorite month, but it seemed to pass faster than ever before. Weren't the aspens just starting to turn golden?

And, seriously, did we skip over November almost entirely, pausing only to indulge in family, turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving? I think we did.

Now it's December, there's an underlying chill in the air and if I blink too quickly, it may just be Christmas morning tomorrow.

Happy December!

Ingredients for the perfect Erin Evening

~ 1 trip to Target, including both planned and spontaneous purchases
~ 1 non-fat, spiced brown sugar latte to keep me warm while shopping
~ 2 long-awaited for new books from the Library
~ 1 sweat sesh at the gym
~ A batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
~ 2 little phone calls with my Mom
~ Dinner of homemade quiche and crisp green beans
~ 10 lit candles, spread throughout the apartment
~ 1 small glass of eggnog to start off the holiday season
~ Lots of singing along with tonight's Glee (loved Dog Days Are Over!)
~ Several new quotes jotted in my notebook
~ 1 cup of vanilla tea

A dose of happiness here and there is necessary to every person's life.

Words to Live By

Getting in touch with my inner Domestic Diva

This may not be a long post, but it's been such a lovely Sunday that I just had to drop in and say hi. Usually Sundays are kind of bittersweet because they signal the end of the weekend, but today has been really nice.

I lazed around this morning, watching Season 2 of F.R.I.E.N.D.S and drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee that my Uncle brought all the way from Boston. My theory on this coffee is that it most likely tastes the same as the stuff I could buy here in the grocery store, but thanks to my overpowering psyche, drinking it whisks me away to chilly East Coast mornings; Dunkin' Donuts coffee warms my soul! Along with my coffee, I treated myself to cinnamon rolls and excessive time spent on my couch.

I finally dragged myself off to the shower, ran a few errands with my Mom, picked up some books (gifts) at Barnes & Noble and drank more coffee while Mom and I read all of the latest gossip on the Royal Wedding (I'm totally in love with Wills and Kate, by the way). This little outing was followed up by a nice, long, chilly walk through my neighborhood, and then I settled back in my apartment before the snow flurries came.

This is when I became a football-watching Domestic Diva. That's right, not only did I voluntarily watch the Broncos v. Rams game (we almost pulled off a win!), but I also voluntarily slaved away in my kitchen for a few hours. I had the urge to cook, so I made a huge pot of black bean and turkey kielbasa soup and threw together a quick mushroom, broccoli and bacon quiche. I seriously love quiche, and discovered that I have made this dish so many times that I no longer need to look at my recipe. This is major for me because I am one of those annoying, recipe-following, control freak kind of cooks. I've finally made my way to the top of the quiche world!!

And now my kitchen is clean, I'm FB messaging with my bestie who is currently having an amazing time in Sydney, I'm all comfy in sweats, watching "The Ugly Truth" (love me some Gerard Butler) and drinking a glass of Petit Syrah. Sigh of contentment.

Fill in the Blank Friday: I'm not trying to cop out of posting!

Let's point out the obvious shall we? I haven't posted since last Friday when I played along with Lauren's weekly Fill in the Blank Friday...and let's all guess what I'm posting today. Haha... This past week has been fun, busy and full of work and family, which is why I've been absent. My Uncle flew in from Boston on Saturday and we've been on the go ever since. He heads back East tomorrow and I promise to catch you all up on some of the things we did. Until then, how about some shopping-related blanks?

1. Black Friday is terrifying. I have never been a Black Friday shopper, and even though my inner bargain hunter loves the idea of joining the chaotic masses, my sanity and logic win out. I think I'll stick with being a day-after-Christmas shopper who goes out late on Black Friday and is still able to snag a few good deals.

2. Christmas shopping this year will include picking up whatever I didn't get the day after Christmas last year and throughout the year...I'm a constant shopper.

3. Holiday shopping makes me a little tense. I get tired of the crowds and my patience completely disappears.

4. This year my Christmas list will include new razor blades (is it weird that I get those in my stocking?), maybe a Barnes & Noble giftcard and a new camera. I know my Mom has already picked up a lot of things, and at one point in time I knew what some of them were, but the beauty of being Erin is that I forget most gifts until I open them Christmas morning.

5. Bargain hunter, or full price shopper? Definitely a bargain hunter. It's rare for me to pay full price for just about anything.

6. The best and worst things about shopping are finding a smokin' deal and the crowds.

7. Online shopper or in-person shopper? In person if it's clothing because I always need to try on different sizes; online for books, DVDs, art and jewelry.

I have a mad love for the warmth of brick...

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. My Thanksgiving plans this year will include horseback riding with my mom and Uncle, my Dad joining us for dinner after the ride, wandering around and enjoying the fresh mountain air, drinking some wine and maybe seeing a movie. My family doesn't cook for Thanksgiving, instead we head up the canyon a bit to a local Dude ranch and enjoy their awesome festivities. The 4 of us get to spend quality time together outside of the kitchen...and Dad still usually cooks a turkey later so we can have "leftovers".

2. My favorite Thanksgiving was I'm not really sure. I enjoy Thanksgiving, but no specific one comes to mind. My Uncle always comes out for the week and we spend a lot of time together as a family...you know, trying not to kill each other.

3. My signature Thanksgiving dish is probably green beans. I make a killer green bean casserole, but I'm also good at just cooking up fresh green beans in general.

4. My favorite Thanksgiving food is everything! How can you pick just one? I always eat entirely too many green beans, but stuffing, sweet potatoes and turkey are high on the list.

5. Thanksgiving free association! Turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, waldorf salad, green beans, horseback riding, pilgrims, red wine, swinging by the river, mountains, family, pictures, Mikey the bull, laughter, movies, hot coffee, pie, fireplace.

6. Thanksgiving is always a fabulous day!

7. I am thankful for my family, friends, a best friend who stays up late so we can Skype before I go to work, my education, having a job that I love, my health, the health of my family and friends, the ability to travel, being fortunate enough to live in an amazing state, and every other little thing that makes up my world.

What a lovely weekend

I've slacked again on that whole post-about-your-weekend-at-the-beginning-of-the-week thing. Oh well, I'm pretty sure all of you lovely readers would expect nothing less from me these days...and I certainly wouldn't want to disappoint.

As compared to last weekend's cranky pants theme, this weekend was lovely. It was chilly, there were a few snowflakes and the air smelled like winter in the mountains. There's really no other way to describe the smell of approaching snow here in Fort Collins, much like the smell of Fall is intricately woven with the scent of aspens and the Rocky Mountains. That connectedness to the moutains is one of the things that I love most about my town. It's a lovely comfort to me. Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent, but I hope it's painted a pretty picture in your mind. Come to Colorado! Get lost in the twists and turns of the mountains! You wont regret it.

So, the weekend? Right, back on track...

There was some definite shopping, both for myself and for Christmas gifts. I found the perfect ornament for the lovely Micaela for her ornament swap! I had an idea in mind of what I wanted for her and was lucky enough to find it. I'm still looking for another thing or two to complete the package, but soon it'll be on it's way to lovely Virginia...I hope she loves it! This weekend also involved a few glasses of zinfandel. Cold winter nights call for a glass or two of red wine, don't you think?

I picked up my glass snowflake ornaments and LOVE them! You'll have to excuse how dark the picture is, but it was the best way to show off the iridescent quality of the glass. So cool! I was worried that I'd be disappointed by the final results, but I'm delighted. One or two will go to good homes as gifts, but I think I'm going to have to be greedy and keep the others for myself.

I had a lovely father-daughter date on Saturday. These kinds of afternoons are extremely rare, but lovely when they go according to plan. Dad and I went camera shopping, got hooked in by e-readers (worth it's own post) and finished off our date with frozen yogurt. We both have major sweet tooths and I had owed him a fro-yo date since Father's Day. And even though it started to snow while we were eating our frozen treat, there was a fire going in the shop and the flakes were those gorgeous, fat ones that look very poetic as they fall to the ground.


There was also quality mother-daughter time this weekend in the form of wandering around Old Town, browsing the stores' Christmas displays. While Mom didn't partake, I snagged a hot cup of coffee to keep my fingers warm while we explored (naturlich). I was anti-jacket, because obviously a cardigan is all one needs, right? Hmmm, maybe a coat would've been a good idea...

And, to top off the weekend, my friend Lisa and I met up for a movie Sunday night. She snuck in Starbucks for us, I smuggled in candy (what else are giant purses good for?), we both wore our lounge clothes and we had a great time! I love dates with Lisa!

You all know I'm a big Austen fan...

Goodness knows I am (perhaps) unhealthily obsessed with Jane Austen, but I am not the only one...check out this Pride-and-Prejudice-meets-the-modern-world post found over at English Muse if you'd like a good chuckle on this Monday afternoon.

Fill in the Blank Friday

It's time, once again, for the one constant on my blog: Fill in the Blank Friday! If you want to join in on the fun, head on over to Lauren's little corner of blogland and play along!

1. The most spontaneous thing I've ever done was leasing my car. In all reality this wasn't legitimately spontaneous because my car had been totaled in an accident and I obviously needed new transportation, but the whole thing happened very quickly! And in my world quick = no time to hum and haw like I do = Erin's version of spontaneous. What started as my Dad doing a little car research ended in a test drive and a lease within a few hours.

2. The best gift I've ever received was my amazing friends and family. Maybe that's a cop out answer, but I really do have the best people in my life and I would be lost without them.

3. A time that I was truly and genuinely surprised was when my dad handed me a good amount of cash when I was moving into a new place a few years ago. My dad does not give over money often, and he never announces the rare occasions when he does. He knew that I needed some extra cash and as I was leaving the house he hugged me, put money into my hand, smiled and nodded as I thanked him and we've never spoken of it again. That's his style.

4. I can't leave the house without my purse. It contains all of the necessities including, but not limited to: my cell phone, keys, wallet, chapstick and a book.

5. My favorite day of the week is Saturday because it's a totally free day. Ever since I started working full time I've come to appreciate Saturdays in a way that I never had before. I (usually) get to dictate how my day will go, there's rarely any guilt involved when I end up doing next to nothing, and it always on a positive note because I know that when I wake up in the morning it'll still be the weekend.

6. Something that can always make me laugh is my bestie, Jamie. She's always getting herself into awkward, yet hilarious situations, and hearing her recount them makes me laugh until I cry...and, it's even better when I get to witness them myself. Haha...love you, bestie!

7. My perfect day would include going out for brunch with my girlfriends, drinking entirely too much coffee, shopping downtown with my Mom, going on a long walk, getting lost in Barnes and Noble, going out for dinner and a beer and ending the day cozied up with a chick flick.

Little Letters v.2

Dear Colin Firth,
No matter what, you'll always be Mr. Darcy to me...

and you'll always be sexily stepping out of a lake with your white shirt clinging to your chest.
Love, Me.

Dear Love Actually,
'Tis your season, and I cannot wait to obsessively watch you.

My sappy romantic heart needs a few sighs from time to time.
Love, Me.

Dear Boston,
I'm craving you.

There's simply no other way to put it.

My heart, my soul, my psyche crave your energy.
Love, Me.

Dear Ann Taylor Loft boyfriend cardigan,
You're perfect. You're cozy.
You fit just right,
and combined with a ruffled tank and dark jeans,
you make me feel classically beautiful.
Love, Me.

Dear Mom,
You're the best. End of story.
Love, Me

Dear Snow,
I almost cannot believe it took you this long to make an appearance here in Northern Colorado.
You're truly lovely, but I prefer to enjoy you from the comfort of my couch,
rather than my desk.
Love, Me.

Dear Jane Eyre,
You're being made into a fabulous-looking movie, but I haven't read you yet.
I think it's time to remedy that.
Love, Me.

Dear Chex Mix,
I don't actually like your pretzels,
which is why I pick them out first.
I much prefer your zesty chex pieces.
Please add more.
Thank you.
Love, Me

Belated weekend recap: gloomy days were here...

I'm not really sure what's going on with me, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to my blogging. I constantly have thoughts running through my head, and think, "I need to blog about that!" multiple times each day, but then I get lazy and never put pen to paper (so to speak). So, here we are on a Wednesday and I'm finally sitting down to blog about my weekend...pathetic. Oh well. And to all of you who have stuck with me: Thank you!

This weekend wasn't all that exciting; in fact, I was in a fairly crappy mood for the majority of it. I was wallowing in myself a tad, which is never pretty. I was hormonal (a terrifying thing with a Gemini personality), missing my bestie and questioning what the f*ck is going on with the guy I'm dating (or should it be "dating"...too many questions at the moment). All of these things seem to be perfectly normal occurances in a girl's life, but combined together plus my lack of sleep made for an Eeyore-like Erin. I was snappy, prone to tears and not really up for social mingling. It was a little scary. haha...

Anyway, things are better now and there were some definite highlights to my grey-clouds-hanging-over-my-head weekend:

- Mom and I indulged in pedicures on Saturday! I enjoyed a cup of tea and we flipped through the latest Vogue while our toes were made pretty with deep, Fall hues.

- We wandered into my favorite store in Old Town and I got a little giddy thanks to the Christmas decorations.

- I made glass snowflake ornaments with my mom at the glass studio. This was the first time in a few years that I actually worked with the glass myself, and it felt good!

(the "before" picture...can't wait to see them fired!)

- I got my meningococcal vaccine thanks to my employer's free clinic. Even though a shot isn't very exciting (and has left me with quite the bruise), it did make my parents happy to know that my vaccination is up to date.

- Some very cool bottle decals finally made their way onto my kitchen walls. They've been stashed behind a piece of furniture in my dining room for entirely too long.

- Mom and I found the most perfect lamp at Pier 1...on sale!

- I found out I'm paired up with the lovely Micaela for her ornament swap! I cannot wait to find the perfect ornament for her, and to see what she sends me.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. My last haircut was October 15th. I have short hair that grows quickly, so I normally get my hair done every 5 or 6 weeks. Plus, I love my hair stylist and it's always so good to catch-up.

2. My most daring hair moment was probably when I went super, super blonde a few years ago. I love coloring my hair (I got my first highlights when I was 11) and changing things up from time to time, but I usually stick within the same general spectrum; I rarely go super light or super dark, although I'm feeling the urge to go super dark on my hair...

3. A hairstyle I'd never be brave enough to try is a true pixie cut. I think they're adorable, and I've toyd with the idea before, but I just don't have the guts to do it.

4. I've always dreamt of being a (blonde, brunette or red-head) redhead. See this post. I almost get red of some sort put into my hair when I get color done, and when the weather starts to get colder, I tend to go redder.

5. My go-to hair do is what you see in all of my pictures: my bob. My hair is stick straight, cut short and unless I'm annoyed with my bangs and have them clipped back, my hair looks the same every day.

6. My biggest hair disaster was when I went to a new stylist who didn't listen to anything I wanted and pretty much cut all of my hair off. This was in 9th grade and I don't think I had a piece of hair on my head that was longer than 2 inches. I was so upset after it happened.

7. A hairstyle I am dying to try is pretty much anything you have to have long hair to do. Haha. I'm not really cut out for long hair, but I have those days where I wish my hair was long and full so I could do pretty braids and buns and messy ponytails.

8. My best hair day was...probably when I was 7 and had my hair curled into gorgeous ringlets for my Aunt's wedding. I had really long hair when I was little and it was soft and full of natural blonde highlights, and looked so pretty all done up. Hopefully my next best hair day will be at my wedding or something fun like that.

9. The worst hairstyle I ever had was the result of my hair disaster in #6.

10. My hair is, as I said, naturally straight, pretty flat when left to its own devices and getter darker as I get older. It's also quite soft, which is nice, but it tends to get frizzy if I don't condition it.

Sunday quotes: The Romantics edition

I read The Romantics recently and fell a bit in love with it. I can only hope that the movie lives up to this wonderful book.

'You wanted evidence of change'
'No,' he said. 'I wanted evidence of distance.'

'How can you feel sorry for a poet,' said Tom. 'Is there anything more useless and indulgent?'
'Oh no,' Laura said. She turned to face Tom, insistent on eye contact. 'They were radicals, revolutionaries. More influential than Newton and Darwin. Without them, there would be no point-of-view, no ecstasy, no heartbreak, no novels.'
'The Romantics cannot be credited with the birth of emotion,' Tom said.
'No, but maybe, without their work, we wouldn't know how to express it.'
'That doesn't mean we wouldn't feel it,' Tom said.

That spectrum has no measure for the greatest of all carnal sins, the kind that occurs before skin touches skin, before wondering turns to yearning, yearning to having, having to holding for dear life, when two people cling to each other so desperately that even when they lie, inches apart, neither is fully satisfied until the light between them turns to darkness.

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. My Halloween plans this year will include maybe helping my parents pass out candy to the little ones in the neighborhood. I don't have big plans for Halloween, so probably just sleeping in, working out and cleaning my apartment.

2. My most memorable Halloween costume was either the year I was a gypsy or when I was an elephant. I made a pretty cute bumblebee when I was little, too, but the gypsy costume was my favorite!

3. For Halloween this year I'm going to be nothing. I don't really enjoy dressing up in costume.

4. I've always wanted to dress up as a Venetian carnival attendee. I love the elaborate masks!!

5. Halloween free association! Costumes, little kids, candy, pumpkins, snow (it almost always snows on Halloween where I live), corn mazes and haunted houses.

6. The worst thing about Halloween is people always looking at me like there's something wrong with me when I tell them that I don't like dressing in costume...who knows, maybe I'll get into the costume spirit one of these years.

7. The best thing about Halloween is seeing all of the adorable little trick or treaters! I love how excited little kids get to dress up and show off their costumes.

Red Hair

(via The Sartorialist)

I would kill for this girl's hair.
End of story.

For Summer...

My heart goes out to Summer and her family as they cope with the loss of Daddy Butch.

Happy 101 Award

One of my favorite bloggers and real life friend, Jess at LittleMrsSunshine gifted me with the Happy 101 Award last week. Now, I love this award because it's all about the little things in life that make you happy; and we all know that the little things are often the best things!

Rules for the Happy 101 Award:
√ post who gave you this award.
√ state ten things you like.
√ give this award to 10 other bloggers
and notify them with a comment.

10 things I'm really lovin':
1. Pumpkin Spice tea...it's like Autumn in a mug!
2. The love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta in the Hunger Games trilogy
3. My newly discovered love for Glee
4. Girl's Nights full of wine and laughter
5. Evening walks around my neighborhood
6. Tart apples dipped in caramel
7. Vegetable quinoa soup
8. Pretend shopping sprees at Anthropologie
9. My new running shoes...they're like walking on air
10. Starting up book club again with my amazing co-worker friends

And now I award this to ALL OF YOU! I simply cannot choose just 10 of you lovely readers, so if you feel like playing along with the Happy 101 Award, please do (and make sure to let me know so I can read your happy lists)!

Commencement: Part 1

Remember way back when I told you all about joining a bloggy book club? Yea, I'd nearly forgotten myself, but don't you fret! I read Commencement while I was back in Michigan at the end of September, but just haven't sat down to blog about my thoughts on the book.

I really enjoyed Commencement and found it insanely easy to relate to. Being a (fairly) recent college graduate myself, I understand the different emotions involved with going from spending 24/7 with your girlfriends to navigating your own life while maintaing those friendships. Girlfriends are one of the greatest things in the world, and I know that I made my best friends while in college. They will be my best friends for the rest of my life, but there was still an adjustment period after gradaution. We each went our separate ways with the knowledge that our friendships would last through it all, but we have had to learn to put forth new and different efforts.

Technically, I missed the cut off for linking up with my responses to Book Beginnings and Bookends' Part 1 questions, but that's ok, I can answer them anyway:

1. Which girl do you identify with most?

I'd have to say that I identify most with Celia. I'm not a hardcore feminist like April; or a Southern Belle learning to live with the loss of her mother like Sally; and I'm certainly not a naive, closet lesbian like Bree. That leaves Celia. She's kind of an "every girl", I guess. She was excited to embark on her college adventure, but nervous to leave her family, and once she found her group of friends she was set. After graduation she found a real job that she's not sure is her forever job and she's, sometimes frustratingly, playing the single field. That's pretty much me! Celia relies heavily on her best friends, but isn't entirely dependent; she just knows the true power of girlfriends.

2. If you're a college student or graduate, what similarites or differences do you see between this story to your own college experience?

Similarities: The instant friendships. Mine worked a little differently because I actually met my best friend the summer before classes started, rather than in the dorms, but it was through her and our time spent together in the dorms that I met many of my other friends. The dorms become this kind of little world unto itself with just you and your friends. It's a safe haven, and I think the closeness nurtures a lot of relationships. The culture of college for those 4 years is also something I can relate to: time spent gossiping on the way to class, grabbing countless cups of coffee, studying, fitting in jobs and taking friends home for the holidays is still so very real in my mind.

Differences: Mostly just the big ones: I didn't go to an all-girls school; it wasn't on the East Coast and it certainly wasn't small. Also, ultra-feminism wasn't an every day part of my co-ed college experience, nor was Smith College's stereotypical lesbianism.

3.Which girl do you think has changed the most since her time in college? In what ways has she changed?

I think all of the girls changed after college, but my first instinct is to cite Bree as the most changed since she came to college engaged to her highschool sweetheart and left in a lesbian relationship. Granted that change occured while she was still at Smith, but it greatly affected her behavior and choices after college. It was after college that she faced this decision head-on, battled her family over it and fought for social and personal acceptance.

Look for my responses to Part 2 later this week!
Oh, and if you haven't yet, check this book out; I truly loved it.

Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest hand
This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:
My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand
To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.

Juliet: Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,
Which mannerly devotion shows in this;
For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,
And palm to plam is holy palmers' kiss.

Fill in the blank Friday

1. I am a strong-willed, emotional, tea-loving, book-reading, opinionated, long walk-taking, greatest friends and family-having gal. I'm just me, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

2. I wish all of the political ads would stop. I'm a huge proponent for voting and getting your voice heard, but political ads that rip each other a part are depressing and, in my opinion, unnecessary. And the sad part is that people vote according to these ads, rather than educating themselves on the issues.

3. I like quiet, productive Friday afternoons, complete with a food-filled pot-luck lunch and rain bouncing off of my window.

4. I cannot thank the ladies enough for the most amazing, and much-needed, Girl's Night last night. It's been quite the week and I needed some laughter (and wine) to bring myself back into the realm of sanity.

5. I hope I didn't stuff up my ankle last night even more than it already is. I was sitting on it funny and it's been sore every since. uh-oh...

6. I think my student hourly finds my current obsession with Bath and Body Works' Midnight Pomegranate anti-bacterial hand gel to be completely crazy. I just can't help it; this stuff smells so good!

7. I was not planning on eating as much at lunch today as I did...now I feel over-stuffed and really wish I had sweat pants on.

Fall soup kick

Good morning, lovelies! It is a gorgeous Fall day here in Northern Colorado...the sun is shining, the temps are cool and the sky is a bright blue. It could quite possibly be classified as one of our perfect Fall mornings! Anyway, there is something about the cooling temps and darker evenings that puts me into a cooking mood. Fall is all about hot and hearty comfort foods, don't you think? Warm apple crisps, giant pots of bubbling soup, and baked pasta dishes call my name once those leaves start to change. It always seems like there's something better to do in the Summer than cook, but Fall evenings practically volunteer themselves for time spent in the kitchen.

My latest food kick has been soup. I want to eat it for practically every meal; I feel the urge to pull out my dutch oven each weekend; and I love being able to share some homecooking with my friends. My current recipe obsession? Italian Sausage Soup with Tortellini...give it a try:

Italian Sausage Soup with Torellini

Ingredients

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped OR 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1.In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
2.Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
3.Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

Really, you could throw in any veggies that you have on hand. I'm not a huge zucchini fan, so I increased the amount of carrots and added mushrooms and celery instead, which was wonderful! I also used canned diced tomatoes rather than peeling and seeding my own because I'm lazy like that; and I opted for hot italian sausage to give the soup some zing. This was amazing! I'm seriously considering making another batch this weekend.

Tell me, what are your favorite Fall foods? Care to share any recipes?

Fill in the blank Friday

1. Blogging is one of the best things I ever decided to do. It's a great outlet and has allowed me to meet some wonderful friends that I probably never would've met otherwise.

2. A current fashion trend I wish I was brave enough to wear is skinny jeans. I really hate my thighs in them.

3. My greatest accomplishment in life thus far is graduating from college and finding a job that I love.

4. If I had to choose between a mountain or a beach vacation I'd choose a mountain vacation in the Fall. I'm a mountain girl through and through, and there are very few things that I find more refreshing than golden Aspens, fresh mountain air, wildflowers and wandering through quaint mountain towns with coffee in hand.

5. A talent I wish I had is craftiness. I'm really not a crafty person, but I always wish I was...

6. A talent I do have is editing papers. Sounds nerdy, but I'm a fabulous editor and quite happy when I have a red pen and a fresh paper.

7. This week was busy and stressful, but went well in the end. I had a paper due, lots of invoices to get paid, my performance evaluation and a Microeconomics final to study for. Everything got done in the end, my evaluation went well and the final has been passed! Whew!

(Mostly) disorganized thoughts on my weekend...

I had such great intentions to be productive this past weekend, but in the end, I accomplished next to nothing. Surprisingly, that was/is just fine with me. We all need lazy weekends, right?

Friday

Work sped by, which is unusual for a Friday.
We have a new student hourly, whom I adore, and chatting with her while I worked made the afternoon fly by. I love when that happens!
After work I ran some errands, took an Economics quiz and made pizza for dinner.
Then I went out on a date (not my first with him).
I've become oddly (for me) wiggy about labeling things lately.

I know I haven't really mentioned much about my forays into the dating world here, but, yes, I went on a date.
We played trivia and drank beer.
I apparently do not store very many random bits of knowledge in my brain, at least not sports related ones.
But, I still had a great time.
There was cuddle action.

Saturday

Morning came entirely too quickly.
I spent the majority of the day drinking coffee in an attempt to trick myself into thinking I was well-rested.
I nearly hit a buck that decided to run into the road on the way to my parents' house.
I kid you not, it practically plotted leaping towards my car.
I went for a long walk in the Colorado Fall sunshine, and sweet-talked my friend Chelsae into wandering around downtown for a bit.
I'm pretty sure I spent more time in my sweats than I did in real clothes, which is always one of my favorite things.

Sunday

I woke up to the sound of rain, and immediately opened all of my windows to let the fresh air in.
The weather was perfect for indulging in too much coffee (notice a pattern?) and watching trashy BBC drama.
Has anyone ever seen BBC's Footballers' Wives? I love it!
I have this thing for British television, and have always loved this show.

I finally added the seasons to my Netflix so I could start from the beginning.
I worked out and attempted to start on some homework, but failed miserably.
Mom and I had a coffee date and then wandered around Target.

She talked me into spending entirely too much money, but I love my purchases...there just might be a new polka dot cardi in my closet.
The day concluded with Skyping Jamie and cooking a giant pot of soup.

I'm paying the price now for not getting my homework done, but hey, c'est la vie! I had a lovely, lazy weekend and am willing to kick myself a bit for my lack of productivity. Some weekends just aren't meant for checking items off of my to-do list.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Happy Friday, everyone!! I am in an annoyingly chipper mood, which probably has something to do with the excessive amount of coffee in my system, the possibility of some cuddle action tonight and the general fact that it's FRIDAY! My poor coworkers don't quite know what to do with all of my energy this morning. I think I'll channel some of it into Lauren's blanks this week!

1. The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is make my bed (Courtney, I know you're on the same page as me with this one), brush my teeth and take off my makeup, grab a cup of coffee and check the weather so I can ponder my outfit while I shower.

2. Today I wish I was curled up on the couch at my favorite coffee shop, sipping on an americano, munching on a pastry and reading...in yoga pants, of course. Who, honestly, wears real clothes on cozy days?

3. If I had an extra $100 in my bank account today I'd splurge on a couple of nice bottles of wine for the weekend and let the leftover money hang out in my bank account.

4. Tomorrow needs to involve homework (writing a paper...ugh) and cleaning, and possibly catching up on DVR'd Fringe episodes.

5. Two things that don't go together are naturally flat hair and humidity...because I love when my hair is plastered to my head; it's oh-so-attractive.

6. Something I can never pass up at the grocery store is a new tea that catches my eye. I have so many boxes of tea in my house it's ridiculous! But, in my defense, I do take it to work with me and I usually have a cup or two of tea at night.

7. The last time I tried something new was when I did yoga a few weeks ago. I'm dying to go back, but between dog-sitting, being in Michigan and my currently injured ankle I haven't made it back yet...next week!

Fill in the blank...Monday

1. True happiness is knowing and loving yourself, imperfections and all; and surrounding yourself with others who know and love the true you.

2. The most surreal moment of my life was my college graduation. 4 years of hard work summarized in just a couple of hours. It seemed almost anti-climatic, but it was a wonderful day spent with friends and family and I'm still proud of myself.

3. My favorite texture is dependent upon the season: soft and cozy when the weather gets cold, like ultra soft fleece and cozy cordurouy; and light and airy when the weather gets hot, like a breezy jersey sundress.

4. My signature color is green. It's my favorite color and turns my eyes super green; I love it!

5. My signature style is jeans, tank, cardigan, flip-flops and bright, fun earrings.

6. If I could choose one store to spend my life savings at, it would be, without a doubt, Anthropologie. I want all of the furniture, dishes, textiles, clothes and accessories in that store. My love for that store is bordering on obsession...thankfully I can't afford more than a few well chosen pieces or I would be in serious trouble.

7. My best thing about autumn is the crisp, cool air and how it smells faintly of cinnamon, even when the leaves start to rot. I love that the Rocky Mountains seem to be covered in gold when the aspens turn, but the sky always remains a true blue. And, I love that it's the perfect excuse for cardigans, candles, hot tea and lovely books.

Hi lovelies!!

I'm home, all in one piece. This past week was good, but exhausting and I'm happily settling back in at home. I missed my apartment and I missed Colorado. I'll tell all of you all about my trip (note: I learned I'm not patient enough to be a nurse) tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on how scary the stacks of invoices are on my desk in the morning. For now, I'm cozying in on the couch with a little TV and a glass of red wine.

I missed you all!

Leaving on a jet plane...

Tomorrow I'm off to Michigan with my Mom for a week. I'm very excited to not only have a break from work, but to see family that I haven't seen in years and, surprisingly, to be in the Midwest. Both of my parents are from Michigan and I spent many summers visiting family, so even though I'm a Colorado native, I always feel like I have Midwest roots. I can pull out my Michigan accent and blend in with the best of 'em! In fact, those pesky Michigan "a's" that I grew up working to hide rear their ugly head on a regular basis (big time last night)...and gives my friends fodder with which to mock me for days. I'm going to sound like a true Michiganian by the end of next week, I'm sure!

It's still a bit early to catch much of the Midwest Fall color, but the temperatures are projected to only be in the 60's, so I have high hopes for crisp, cool air...perfect for playing at the Cider Mill, drinking entirely too much Dunkin' Donuts coffee and exploring the Ford family mansions.

I'm not sure how much you'll see me around here, but I can pretty much guarantee that I won't be able to stay away for the entire week. I might not post much, but you better believe I'll be checking in on everyone's latest posts. I hope everyone's week is lovely!

Fill in the blank Friday

I love Fridays for all of the obvious reasons, but also because I love filling in Lauren's blanks each week. Feel free to hop on board the FITBF train!

1. In the story of my life the actor who would play me would be Rachel McAdams. I have to copy Jess here because she pegged it. Rachel McAdams, while looking nothing like me, has the definite ability to play my crazy, Gemini dual-personality self with a lovely air of grace. Plus, Rachel McAdams is totally my celebrity girl crush.

2. If I could change one thing about the world it would be to stop all of the hatred. That's almost as cliche an answer as "to bring world peace", but I don't think anyone can deny that the world would be a better place if we weren't constantly creating prejudices and violently acting out on them.

3. Yesterday was a good day that ended with not enough sleep, but some fantastic cuddling.

4. My favorite comfort food is a warm chocolate chip cookie. Not a soft or gooey one, but one that is slightly overdone with melty chocolate chips. Yum!

5. My new favorite blog find is Summer over at {B is for...}. She's a Southern gal living life with her hubby in New York City, and is endlessly entertaining. Her father also just beat his battle with cancer, and reading about it has been very inspiring.

6. If I could meet any blog friend (who I haven't met yet) in real life, I'd choose to meet my bloggy soulmate Jess (LittleMsSunshine) and my lovely friend Ashley (Kiwis and Cocktails). I love emailing with both of these gals and just know we'd be instant real life friends.

7. My favorite breakfast food is vegetarian eggs benedict with spinach and tomatoes instead of ham. Hollandaise sauce always feels like such an indulgence, and I love poached eggs. Oooh, and a giant biscuit from Lucile's Creole Cafe.

Busy? Yes, but let's add in another commitment.

So, there is a very good chance that I'm either crazy or a total glutton for punishment. You've all read about my kind of busy life at the moment, and even though I have a feeling it's only going to get crazier in the next few weeks, I committed to one more thing today: a bloggy book club. I'm super excited! Not only will it encourage me to keep up with my blogging, but it'll give me another excuse to fit in reading time every day. I love the idea of blogging about my thoughts on the book and being able to link up with everyone else who is reading, and follow their ideas as well. This is less commitment than a real book club (although, I am still hoping my work one will reconvene after fire season) with all of the satisfaction.

Book Beginnings and Bookends is hosting their second bloggy book club, and will be reading Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan.

According to Publisher's Weekly, It isn't quite love at first sight when Celia, Sally, Bree and April meet as first-year hall mates at Smith College in the late 1990s. Sally, whose mother has just died, is too steeped in grief to think about making new friends, and April's radical politics rub against Celia and Bree's more conventional leanings. But as the girls try out their first days of independence together, the group forms an intense bond that grows stronger throughout their college years and is put to the test after graduation. Even as the young women try to support each other through the trials of their early twenties, various milestones—Sally's engagement, Bree's anomalous girlfriend, April's activist career—only seem to breed disagreement. Things come to a head the night before Sally's wedding, when an argument leaves the friends seething and silent; but before long, the women begin to suspect that life without one another might be harder than they thought.


Feel free to check it out if you're at all interested. I ran to the Library on my lunch break and snagged a copy while it was fresh in my mind. I'm heading back to Michigan next week to visit family, and this will be perfect the trip. Hopefully I can keep up with this and not drop the ball too badly (on anything in my life). Wish me luck!