Eleven Things?!

How does it work? 
Write 11 things about you.
Answer the questions.
Create 11 new questions for others.
Include a picture of yourself.
(Post these rules on your blog!)

1. //  I've been pretty bummed my whole life that I didn't turn out to be left handed.  I tried to teach myself multiple times growing up.  Never quite worked out.
2. //  The last wooden boat my grandfather built was just under 60' long, and named after my sister.  I'm still slightly bitter that he picked her name over mine.
3. //  As much of a die-hard feminist that I am, I couldn't live without men.
4. //  I've only cried tears of happiness once, when I was five.  I think.
5. //  I have never broken a bone, but always wanted to wear a cast growing up.
6. //  I loathe eye drops.  Passionately.
7. //  I'm ridiculously afraid of the dark.  Thanks to shows like CSI.
8. //  During my senior year of high school, I showed up to school on April 1st on crutches and told everyone I'd sprained my ankle from tripping down my front steps.  Which actually did happen the day before (except without the sprain).  The best part was seeing their faces when I came to school the next day without so much as a limp.  :)
9. //  Horses run in my family.  Someday I want to own my own ranch with at least a few of them.
10. //  I used to think you shouldn't have to change for anyone.  I've since realized that I needed to change for one single person.
11. //  The only reason I'm happy about being 20 is that I'm hoping that people will actually take me seriously now, now that I'm no longer being stereotyped as a "dumb teenager."

1. What's the farthest you've ever been away from home?

3,000 miles east and west, and 2,600 miles north: Maine, Hawaii, and Alaska.

2. Favorite breakfast food?

Hashbrowns.  Hands down.

3. What's the most played song on your computer/ipod/phone?

Pretty much all of Florence + The Machine's most recent album.

4. If you could teleport, where you go right now and why?

I would only if I could go back in time.  I'd go back to the beach, to a time where I was blissfully happy and head-over-heels in love.

5. What's your favorite gift you've ever been given?

That is a really, really hard question.  I'd say my favorite gift as a kid was an amazing beanbag chair my grandparents gave me.  My favorite gift as an adult?  Hard to choose, but I'd probably pick a ticket to John Mayer's Battle Studies concert.  On my birthday.  :)

6. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

A best-selling author and an Olympic swimmer.  But at the same time.  That was what I told everyone.

7. Which celebrity would you accept as your husband?

I wouldn't.  I'm good without a celebrity husband.

8. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

War Horse, I think.  In December.

9. Can you dance?/Do you like to dance?

No, and not particularly.

10. Where's your favorite place to be?

A place that now only exists in my memories.

11. So far, what has been your favorite day of 2012?

March 28th.

  

Here are my 11 questions for you:

1.  How much would you have to be paid to confront your worst fear?  What is it?

2.  Do you prefer to sleep on a soft or firm mattress?

3.  What's your favorite way to travel?

4.  Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

5.  Would you die for someone?

6.  How many hours of sleep do you need every night?

7.  If you could instantly have any skill imagineable, which would you choose?

8.  Do you wish you had been able to pick your own name?

9.  Would you choose to live forever?

10.  Do you believe in past lives?

11.  What would you do today if the world was going to end tomorrow?

As Megan said, most everyone on the blogosphere has already done this, so if you haven't and want to participate, consider yourself tagged!  If you do, post a link to your answers in the comments so I can read your quirky facts!  :)  xx

What's in a Purse

More like, what's in my purse!

1. //  My new favorite accessory!  It's a color block tote from the Gap that I was given for my birthday.

2. //  A mini Klean Kanteen.  It has all kinds of words on it, like "choice," "thrive," "flourish," "voice," and "create."  The only bummer about it is that since I've had it for so long, and because it's been tossed around in my various purses for its whole life, most of the colors in the block text has worn off.  :(

3. //  My iPhone!  I really couldn't live without this thing, with apps like Instagram, Words with Friends, Skype, and Geared!

4. //  My keys.  I have a few lanyards on here that I've made over the years.  My fave is the neon colored one!  Also, that is tie-dye duct tape you see on my VW remote/key - it's the only thing keeping it together.

5. //  Assorted writing utensils: hilighters, pencils, and a pen I got at Staples the other day that is made completely of recycled water bottles!

6. //  Hot pink graphing calculator!  The only thing that makes precalc bearable..!

7. //  Hand lotion.  This one is Secret Wonderland by Bath & Body Works: "luscious strawberry, frosted jasmine petals, and white amber" - simply divine!

8. //  The colorwork fingerless gloves I made in January.  I wear these almost every day driving to school, because it's so cold in the morning!

9. //  My wallet.  I've had this thing for years and love it, but I'm beginning to see the wear on it, so I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a new one when this one dies.


What's in your purse/backpack?  Any must haves?

Drops of Jupiter

shirt & jacket: forever 21  boots: madden girl  glasses: giorgio armani

Exciting news!  Megan over on The Darling Ewe featured me on her blog today!  I'm so excited.  :D  You can check it out here if you like!  Quite a lovely birthday present.  :)

I seem to be on a roll here... two outfit posts in two days!  Today there was no doubt that I would be wearing my new hat, so I sort of compiled my outfit around it.  I was going for a bit of a bohemian look, and it would have had a lot more of that feeling if it had been suitable weather for my flip flops.  As soon as I saw the rain out my living room windows this morning I did a U-turn straight back to my room to change into these boots!  So glad I did: the rain has been coming down sideways for literally all day.  Which is the reason these pictures were taken inside.  Also because the wind was so torrential today that my umbrella broke under the stress of it.  :(

I also apologize for the out of focus picture - I was in a bit of a rush to take these and didn't peer too closely at the back of my camera at them..  That's it for now!  Back to some knitting, and possibly a little food.... xx

currently listening to.... Spectrum - Florence + The Machine

A New Decade

glasses: giorgio armani  shirt: forever 21   jacket: h&m   jeans: the gap   shoes: macy's

Well today has been fun - I celebrated my 20th birthday!  I'm still kind of in shock that I'm no longer a teen...!  Ah, such are the troubles of getting older.  Today had some pretty good points though:  I got excellent parking before class (somehow three cars ahead of me missed the open spot that I ended up taking!), no one stole my usual seat in my math class, my astronomy class was shortened by 15 minutes, I was taken out to eat twice, I received free Starbucks, and my mom gave me a few skeins of lovely hand-dyed alpaca wool that she found in Colorado.  Small things, but they made me smile!  I also couldn't resist buying myself this adorable fedora I found tonight at the mall as a birthday gift to myself.  :)

As promised, I'm offering 20% off in my Etsy shop through the end of the month in honor of turning 20!  All you have to do is enter "20thBIRTHDAY" when prompted during checkout.  Enjoy!  By the way - if you're wondering, this is my natural hair color.  :)  Enjoy the end of your Monday night!   xx

currently listening to.... Crossroads - John Mayer

Spring Break Adventures

I have finally returned from sunny LA county!  I'm sorry I wasn't able to post anything while I was down there - I was too busy doing other things!  As you can see from my pictures..  :)

Here are the highlights:

• I got to visit my cousin Jeff and lifelong friend Megan (four days older than me!) where they go to school at Chapman University!  They gave me a tour of the school, which was pretty awesome.  Such a gorgeous campus.  BTW, they are in the first few pictures.
•  Drove through UCSB where my mom went to school.  Santa Barbara is in a picture, but down the coast a little.  I love SoCal so much - the beaches and palm trees are so beautiful!
• I got two new skeins of yarn, which I just realized didn't end up into my picture collage..!  Eventually I'll get pictures onto here.
• Spent some quality time on the (empty!) Newport Beach, after biking four or five miles along it.
• My mind is about 95% made up that I'll transfer to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after I graduate from the JC.  Total 180º, as before this week I wasn't considering it at all!
• I picked up my new Giorgio Armani glasses today!  Yayy, so happy!

By the way, if you're wondering if I used an automated program to create this photo collage, the answer is no - I did it all by hand in Photoshop!  So that pretty much sums up the last five days of my spring break!  Hope yours were as lovely as mine.  :)   xx

currently listening to.... Over and Over - Three Days Grace

Haven

   
Eeek, it's been a whole week since I posted anything!  I'm super sorry for being so erratic... Besides school, I've been doing extra knitting "shifts" for my Etsy shop, since my boss has me down to working only a few hours a week.  So, here are the projects I've done in the last few days!  The first was a custom order from an Etsy customer - I loved this hat so much I'm thinking about knitting myself one in this gorgeous color!  Very bright and cheerful - perfect for spring.  :)  I've also been eyeing the Roving line Bernat put out that Michael's is carrying - it's to die for: it's 12 ply ultra-thick and ridiculously soft and plush yarn that I can't stop touching.  You just wanna snuggle with it!  I first saw this mint color a few months ago but didn't have spare cash to buy it, and I finally succumbed to its amazingness last week.  From it I made this cowl with an adorable pattern that I (reluctantly) paid $5 for.  On my needles now is a second one, but in a lovely deep cranberry color!

In other news... Last Friday I went out bowling with my Jamba team.  We had such a fun time!  Regardless of the fact that the only reason I went was because it served as a major distraction.... As to what, I won't say here.  Anyhow, we played for hours in the near-dark and under black lights - hence the photos being so grainy.  It was amazing to get away, if only for a few hours, from the dull routine I have of school-work-homework-school-work-homework.  

Speaking of which... I am officially on spring break!  Which means three things: 1) on Saturday my mom and I are driving to SoCal to tour a few colleges: UCR, Cal Poly SLO and Pomona, as well as riding fat tire bikes along the beach (something we've done in the past) and visiting her college roommate while down there.  2) My new glasses arrive next Wednesday!  I'm sso excited.  :D  3) Last but not least, my 20th birthday is around the corner!  I have only 11 days left of my teenage years..  I'm thinking about offering a discount on my Etsy shop in honor of it - keep your eyes peeled!   xx 

currently listening to.... Love the Way You Lie - Eminem

A Sea of Green

Happy Thursday!  I spent my afternoon finishing up most of this fingerless glove - as you can see, I haven't done the thumb yet... it's my least favorite part.  This is the yarn that I bought on Monday, and talked about in my post, which you can find here.  It is a total dream to work with!  It's 51% silk and 49% merino wool, and feels like I'm knitting with a cloud.  So soft!  I'm still so in love with these colors... I'm starting to think my favorite color is blue-green because of my twelve year swimming career, haha!

Tonight I'm going to start on the other glove, and watch a few episodes of Law & Order: SVU.  And perhaps enjoy another mug of my Ghirardelli white chocolate mocha mix.... :)   Also exciting: I ordered a new pair of glasses yesterday!  I'm quite ridiculously excited - I've been wearing the same ones for three and a half years!  I'm not sharing any pics yet, but I will tell you they are by Giorgio Armani.  :)   xx

currently listening to.... Strong - Kelly Clarkson

Once Around

Today I went with my grandmother in Mill Valley to visit one of her friends who is also a knitter, and we spent a few hours chatting about japanese yarns, and knitting stores in the area, and the different projects we've done.  Quite a lovely afternoon!  She recommended we stop by and explore a yarn store that was only a few blocks away, called Once Around, so we did!  And oh, boy, am I glad I did.  This shop is marvelous!  I couldn't believe how comprehensive all their supplies were, which ranged from acrylics and sketchpads, to quilting and rubber stamps.  Every imaginable craft supply was there.  I just wish I lived closer!

I told myself beforehand I wasn't going to buy anything (by that I mean chanting it over and over in my head..!) but that quickly dissolved when I discovered they were a carrier of Malabrigo yarn (my all time fave), and had a few skeins for only $9.  How could I say no??  I finally decided on the teal-green skein below.  I also now understand why everyone is mad about Madeline Tosh yarn.  I'd never seen or felt it in person until today, and it's now firmly on my must-have list.  Anyway, here are some pictures of my adventure in this store!  Enjoy!  xx

PS.  I celebrated 10,000 miles with my vee-dub, Abbey, today!  So, I also attached a picture I took earlier of her.  And a shot of where I call home.  :)

currently listening to.... Edge of Desire - John Mayer

Busy as Bees

Happy Saturday!  I hope yours has been as fun as mine!  This morning I helped my mom set up the food for 'Splash Day' - my old swim team's registration day.  She's run the snack bar for the past eight years, and since she does pretty much the equivalent job for her work (setting up cafes for companies like Nintendo, Amazon, and Myspace), it's always amazing.  Ultra organized!  After that, we met my grandmother, aunt, and cousin for brunch at a local place called Marvin's.  So delicious!  I haven't been there in months, and I was happy to go back.  I got home in mid-afternoon and modeled some of my knitwear for my Etsy shop - I had some fun as you can see!

I also included some pics from my day - what would I do without my iPhone?  ;)  National Treasure is on in a few minutes, and I'm going to be vegging out to that while I knit my mom some fingerless gloves, and munch on some snack food.  Who needs dinner?  xx

currently listening to.... Crushcrushcrush - Paramore