THIS IS YOUR INNER CHILD. DRESSING YOU.

This is what my ten-year old self wants to wear every gloomy February day, and sometimes my misanthropic day-after Valentine's sugar crash twenty-two-year-old self indulges that desire.

I think every February 15th should be Misanthropic Inner Child Fashion day. Break out the patterns, dresses over skirts, and the cute sneaks, and roll your eyes at people's cheesy facebook profiles. It's what St. Valentine really wants.

THIS IS DIVINE INTERVENTION.

I was feeling down, and then this song came on pandora. And I didn't feel so bad anymore.

Chorus goes:

Hold on, one more time with feeling.
Try it again, breathing's just a rhythm.

THIS IS WHY COLLEGE IS OK.

You get a lot of (sort of) free time. To do stuff like:

Try the NYT crossword(especially if you wear a mickey mouse watch):



Mix stripes and flowers (while being patriotic):


And listen to gems you forgot you loved (he's pretty cute too!):

THIS IS FRIDAY.

Discovering a new breakfast nook with friends. Patterns and textures. And pancakes. And this song playing as we sipped coffee and watched the world get ready for a blizzard:

                                   

            

   

THIS IS NOT A TEST.

I really like this little song. That's all, folks!

THIS IS SAPPY.

A special friend is coming to visit today.


Here is an amazing love song to celebrate. Seriously, listen and be hooked for life. (Hint: expect a top ten love songs post in the days to come.) Happy Tuesday!

THIS IS KEEP IT CLEAN.

Directions for a nice saturday afternoon:

1. Watch blue snow out the window.

2. Sip thermos of hot coffee.

3. Now, unpeel orange.

4. Listen.


5. Mix well, serves one. Sprinkle with new books, friend's swim meets, and sourpatch kids to taste. Garnish with cute belts and beaded earrings as desired.

THIS IS FRIDAY.

A foray into food experimentation, since I am so done with dining hall food. My first new concoction: raspberries and crumbled oreos in plain yogurt. 

In a similar vein, coffee infusions. I tried cinnamon and honey (incredible) and soft-serve coffee today. (add chocolate and vanilla ice cream to black coffee). 

And, a new musical obsession, Ms. Elle King. Free streaming, ch-ch-check it out!

THIS IS THE ART CLUB.

I spent a lovely afternoon writing in the art club that some dedicated and imaginative students set up at my school. The light was perfect, and there was something so soothing about smelling glue and paint and crayons. Take a gander: 

THIS IS A TREASURE HUNT.

I had never really listened to this Dylan song before. It's incredible. Some sample lyrics:

"Your gravity is down and negativity won't get you through...they got some hungry women there, and they really make a mess out of you.

So choice. So effecting. The whole song is just as awesome, lyrically. Enjoy this spectacular 1966 live version:

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues



And for an Eat The Document (Dylan's documentary film foray) trippy, sort of awful, fascinating take on it, with other clips. He says, "I can't believe that everybody makes it so difficult." Preach, Bob.

THIS IS FINGER-LICKING GOOD.

My obsession with slightly cheesy and always awesome country music continues.

First, a classic, performed by the greats. Just try not to hum along, I dare you. A favorite shower song of mine, if that helps.





And, let's hear it for the ladies:



Then, let's hear it for them in an entirely different way:



And finally, Mr. Waylon Jennings, who made the cogent and dirty observation: "Garth Brooks done for country music what pantyhose did for finger-fucking." Wise words from the heart of country.

THIS IS FRIDAY.

Friday is for eating candy and playing this game. Look at me thinkin'.

Ah. Sweets, procrastination, and words. Three favorite things. 

THIS IS A TOP TEN LIST.

The Top Ten Reasons New School Years Rock*

1. Well, there's the learnin'. And new pens and pencils. And cracking the binding of a new book.

2.  A clean notebook with nothing written in it yet. 

3. Playing hooky. (here's to having no interests. except to get my hands on that flipping sweet white jacket.)

4. The smell of library books.

                                                                               

   

                                                     

5. 

6. First day of school outfit. 

7. Making perfect eye contact with a kindred spirit when people say silly things in class. 

8. The instant do-over for new year's resolutions. 

9. When professors say funny things. (more on this later).

10. Stockholm Syndrome and the friends that make it all ok:

*even when it's not fall. 

THIS IS THE CURE FOR THE MULLEYGRUBS*

 Last night I was feeling unproductive and needed a break from my work. I didn't want to get sucked into watching tv. So I promptly got up, did ten push-ups, and limbered up my vocal cords. Let me explain: Lately I have been obsessed with fantasizing about doing karaoke, though I have neither the chops nor the balls for such an activity, and being on the wagon, nor the alcohol. Then I remembered Garageband. Hijinks ensued in which I downloaded some 99 cent karaoke songs online and then recorded my attempts at singing them. It's especially hilarious since I have a cold, so I have that sexy rough throat thing going on. (And by sexy I mean funny). I primarily experimented with this harder-than-it-sounds classic:

Bonnie Raitt - Something To Talk About

One thing led to another, as performing for your mac tends to do, and, inspired by the indomitable Bonnie and her red lipstick,  I busted my procrastination blues further by gussying myself up and opening photobooth. 

Well kids, there you have it. Fun was had by all. Try it sometime. (note, I was wearing clothes despite the bare shoulders. sorry to offend anyone's delicate sensibilities.) 

If low-tech or no-tech is more your style, I am always reminded of this rather fabulous poem when I am feeling down n' out or just bored: 

The Cure

Ginger Andrews

Lying around all day

with some strange new deep blue

weekend funk, I'm not really asleep

when my sister calls

to say she's just hung up 

from talking with Aunt Bertha

who is 89 and ill but managing

to take care of Uncle Frank

who is completely bed ridden.

Aunt Bert says

it's snowing there in Arkansas,

on Catfish Lane, and she hasn't been

able to walk out to the mailbox.

She's been suffering from a bad case of the mulleygrubs.

The cure for the mulleygrubs,

she tells my sister,

is to get up and bake a cake.

If that doesn't work, put on a red dress.

*apologies to those without picture or music recording macs or pcs. 

THIS IS NEW BEGINNINGS.

And now...back to your scheduled programming! I'll try not to ever leave you in the lurch like that again, loyal comrades in my quest for existential equilibrium, jokes, and snacks. What follows are some tokens of my affection, coming attractions, and my usual sterling wisdom:

New school supplies are as good as an hour at the shrink.  (look at my crafty thermos!)

 

Nice new words are also useful:

Once you get over the fear, it's a cinch, she said. And then she leapt into a mountainous and unexplored region of her heart. -Monique Duval   

And finally, an apology straight from the vault (cause everybody needs a little time away):

THIS IS IMPORTANT THOUGHTS.

This song has been in my head all summer. Also, I have been missing my twin sitter (not as in baby, as in sister without the s) all summer too. They are on my mind. And therefore, on this blog. My favorite thing about my twin is that we always want to do the exact same thing when we hang out: belt music in the car, go get coffee and candy, and talk about boys and tv shows. I love her more than anyone else in the whole dang world. We're turning 22 in the fall and we'll be back at school together and it makes me so so happy.


This song is great. It makes me feel better singing it in the shower, getting out of bed in the morning, when you get stuck in the rain, and when you're waiting for a train or late for something. (funny points because time is not on your side then).

THIS IS TWEE, ER, TUESDAY.

Ok, so it's Wednesday. But get prepared for some seriously cute alliteration...Wednesday brings you the Where the Wild Things Are trailer. This. looks. so. amazing. It's not even twee or precious, just honest-to-goodness heartwarming and dangerously adorable. You know it's gonna be good when the trailer gets you all choked up. And the music! Come on!

THIS IS FAVORITE WORDS.

This is favorite words, from girls whose names start with A:

“I ordered a glass of champagne on the plane today, and the flight attendant asked, ‘Are you old enough to drink?’, I was like, ‘I’m old enough to worry about being infertile, so yes!" -Amy Adams


"One of my favorite phobias is that girls, especially those whose tastes aren't routine, often don't get a fair break... It has come down through the generations, an inheritance of age-old customs which produced the corollary that women are bred to timidity." -Amelia Earhart

I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman. -Anais Nin

THIS IS TWEE TUESDAY.

I came across this video a few weeks ago, and I was actually gonna see them by coincidence in NYC but plans got changed. Anyway, completely adorable. Makes me glad to be a girl, and miss days when you wake up hungover with friends, throw on grungy cute clothes and assure each other of your adorableness, listen to music, and go on adventures. Mmmmm. I love being a kid. For me, subtract half the cuteness and all of the musical talent.

THIS IS THE CATCALL HALL OF FAME.

Street courting rears it's ugly, unintentionally hilarious head once again, as we knew it would. You know the saying: if you don't laugh, you'll go on a homicidal killing spree. Wait, that's not it? Silly me, I must be so busy being pretty that I just forgot. Whoops!

For posterity:

Me: Digging through bag for cellphone at subway stop near home.

Dude: Conspiratorially and uncomfortably near as he comes up the stairs: Hey, beautiful stranger.

Pause for groans and the gnashing of teeth.

Dude: Can't even say hey back?

Me: Hey. With goofy fucking smile that involuntarily appears due to the absurdity of times like these.

Dude: Approaching with renewed energy. How are you? What's your name?

Me: Silence.

Dude: Too tired to talk?

Me: I'm exhausted. Searching desperately for phone.

Dude: Simultaneously saying: Come on, what's your name? Can I give you my number? Would you call?

Me: No.

Dude: I don't see no ring on your finger.

Me: I have a boyfriend (a completely necessary lie). Phone found, begin walking away.

Dude: Really? You've gotta be kidding me.

Me: Yeah. Shrug, walk faster away.

Him: Calling after me. What about a man friend?

This shit happens every. damn. day.