(teen) dreams come true

teen dream, the latest album from the baltimore duo
beach house, is a sweet, sweet treat for your ears.
their lo-fi jams will make your cochlea rejoice. trust me.

you say you want a resolution

i finally finished reading vladimir nabokov's lolita after having
put it down some months ago. (one of my resolutions is to finish
reading books i've only read half-way through.) next up? faulkner's
as i lay dying. and after that? what is the what (eggers),
bel canto (patchett), life of pi (martel), etc.

oy vey! i'll get through this in a year, right?

in other news, my sister ginny came for a visit this past weekend.
we had a delightful time hanging out with my co-workers
(as evidenced by alex's photos below), and i can't wait to see
her and her hubby jesse again soon soon soon!

*sisters "talking" on the pay phone

{photos courtesy of alex}

that's my jam

i started working on this mixtape several months ago. the first draft had a much less cohesive feel, so i decided to weather the storm until i found the most perfect blend of indie pop/rock/electronic jams. without further adieu, i give you mixtape #4. hope you enjoy!

1. Vampire Weekend - "Run"
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Soft Shock"
3. Dirty Projectors - "Cannibal Resource"
4. Alberta Cross - "Taking Control"
5. The Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition"
6. Au Revoir Simone - "Only You Can Make You Happy"
7. Atlas Sound [with Noah Lennox] - "Walkabout"
8. Real Estate - "Beach Comber"
9. Akron/Family - "River"
10. Papercuts - "Future Primitive"
11. The Antlers - "Bear"
12. Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
13. Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
14. Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension"

never too early

i stumbled across these swimsuits today on anthropologie.
i realize it's a tad early to be thinking about summer,
but it's hard not to when it's so gosh darn cold outside.
i'm adding these gems to my wish list.

note: i'm 60 years old at heart :)

highs, lows and uh-ohs

while 2009 certainly had its ups and downs, i'm more than ecstatic to have ended it on such a high note. what could be better than ringing in a new year with some of your nearest and dearest?

my sweet friend jocelyn (who is quite the talented designer--graphic, jewelry and otherwise) took a couple snapshots to remember our night by.

{photographs courtesy of jocelyn negron}

for several years now, my friends and i have played this game called "highs, lows and uh-ohs" (which originated during our weekly family-style dinners in college). we would go around in a circle and share the "high," "low" and "uh-oh" moments of the week.

in keeping with tradition, we did the same for the year 2009. my "high" moment of 2009 was hands down starting my new job at the new school; the "low" moment being the dark time when i was sad about my old job; and the "uh-oh" moment being eviction from my month-old apartment situation in late september (and, consequently, being homeless for three weeks until we found a new place) because my landlord failed to comply with city building codes. sheesh! some year, huh? t.g.i.2010!

2010: stay in your lane

an adorable co-worker of mine has taken to giving every new year a theme or motto. the idea behind it being that you apply said motto to everything you do, like her 2008 motto "balls out" wherein she (for lack of a better definition) grew a pair and did things she might not have done otherwise.

my office was chatting about themes for 2010 and came up with some great ones (my personal favorites being "stay in your lane," "bump it" and "what's in my box?"). does anyone have any suggestions for mottoes to live by in 2010? would love to get your input!

i was also trying to set some realistic resolutions for myself this year, which is something i've struggled with (like many people) in the past. last year's plan to be vegan lasted only a month or so (my birthday's in early february, and i couldn't resist eating a tasty morsel of animal product goodness).

this year, i'm hoping to resolve the following:

• finish reading any books i've only read half-way through
• eliminate as much of my debt/loans as is humanly possible
• learn french and swedish
  
• and...?

that's about all i have for now, but i'm working on more. those are some very big undertakings, but i'm ready to tackle them. bring it on 2010.

here today, gone tomorrow

i've been on the road traveling for work for about two and a half weeks already, and i'm nearing the end of my last leg. i'm currently hiding out at a coffee shop in winston-salem, nc, crossing my fingers that the worst of hurricane ida's rains have passed. my trip south started off on a good note: highs in the 70s with clear, sunny skies. that all changed yesterday when our friend ida decided to beat the carolinas with all she's got. eek!

i'd be lying if i said i wasn't trying to prolong my stay in winston-salem for fear of bordem in the hotel room that awaits me in charlotte. i've mostly enjoyed my solo adventures (read: recruitment travel), but i'm ready to get home at this point. i still have a few more days left of my north carolina travel... once saturday rolls around, though, i'm heading back to le city. mmm can't wait to finish the sewing projects i left behind (new curtains and [gasp] an anthropologie-imitation quilt, perhaps?).

i swung through athens this past weekend to see my family (my sister and brother-in-law were down from baltimore, and my brother lives there now). what. a. treat. i stayed with my dear friends nathan and bridget, whom i've posted about previously. i always laugh about it, but the only thing i really ever feel like doing when i visit athens is eat at all my favorite restaurants... go figure! my friend andrew even told me that if someone was on the hunt for me in athens, they'd know exactly where to find me. my route is much too predictable, i suppose :)

alright, time to brave the weather/drive/boredom (in that order).

before you go: i just put together this slideshow for my friend katharine, who recently left to teach english in tolosa/san sebastian, spain for a few months. her birthday is coming up, so i made this little gem for her... set to the tune of "only you can make you happy" by au revoir simone.


happy birthday, love.