Music & Words.

Quote Love: "I would say that music is the easiest means in which to express, but since words are my talent, I must try to express clumsily in words what the pure music would have done better." - William Faulkner

Writing again. And doing so to a playlist that sounds kind of like this:

(That was for you, Alessia Santilli.)

[image via We Heart It]

A Very Snowy Halloweekend To You

But really. It snowed last night. In Virginia. In October. And at one point, I took a snowball to the shell...

P.S. We did have a Michaelangelo too. She just went to something else last night. Don't worry - we'll all be together on Monday, for Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn!

Pinterest Inferiority Complex

Currently Reading: Emma, Jane Austen

Y'all, I just need to get something out there. You know Pinterest? And what a big deal it is? And how everybody is obsessed with it now? (Case in point: going on Pinterest was the first thing my roommate wanted to do after getting engaged. I mean, after telling everybody and stuff. And finishing her paper. So it was the third thing, but still, high priority.) (P.S. Love you, Britt.)

Well, I've known about it for months and months and months. I mean, if Pinterest was an underground, obscure band, I'd be the ultimate hipster. And I say this with as much modesty as I can muster.

But I also have a confession to make. Although I've known about and been looking at Pinterest for months and months and months, I haven't joined it. I just look. (Which, when I put it like that, I realize sounds kind of creepy.) The thing is, the joining part has always kind of intimidated me. I think it's because I'm worried that I won't be able to come up with witty board names, or stay on top of all the stylish/crafty/cool/artsy things that go down there. Quite frankly, I am just not that Pinteresting on a day-to-day basis.

So, just curious, is anyone with me on this? Does anyone else suffer from Pinterest Inferiority Complex?*

* Or, let's be real, a tendency towards insecurity and comparison? Because I think those are my bigger problems here, just coming out in website-intimidation-form. Hello again, human nature.  

[images via Pinterest, duh]

O My Soul, Faint Not

 Here's a pretty song for your Monday night:

Here's another of their songs that I've been enjoying today, too. And, as an added bonus, it has Mac Powell in it. Shout out to my mama, who loves Third Day solely because she likes that she can always recognize Mac Powell's voice.

P.S. Don't they remind you of JJ Heller?

How To Have A Good Weekend

Quote Love: "Love God, and do what you like." - St. Augustine

Ways include (but are not limited to):

• Roadtripping to King's Dominion Halloween Haunt with some housemates. (Well, minus the scare zones.) (And 10 points to Caroline for braving FOUR roller coasters!)
• Hitting up multiple tailgates (while not necessarily going to the actual football game...)
• Enjoying the most beautiful fall weather imaginable.
• Camping out in a coffee shop and only sort of focusing on work (but still, somehow, being productive). With a bottomless cup of coffee.
• Having a random, random goodbye party at your house, for a housemate who's moving away
• Successfully installing my new comptuer battery
• Taking a break from working in the nursery and getting to enjoy just going to church
• A good catch-up-with-friends kind of lunch (at my favorite sandwich-shop-in-a-gas-station-feeling-like-a-local place)
• Going to Target.
• Going to dinner with a housemate's parents
• Rounding it all out with a bonfire. And cider. And a guitar. Beneath some stars.

What made your weekend good?

[image via We Heart It]

Silhouettes

Loving this cluster of framed silhouettes today:

It reminds me a little of Northanger Abbey -- 19th century England and a touch of gothic. Plus, it's a little bit cluttered and I like that. Now I'm just trying to imagine exactly what kind of house this arrangement would belong in...

And, on a completely unrelated note, I'm going to King's Dominion Halloween Haunt this evening. It's been many a year since I've been to an amusement park...and I'm wondering just how long it will be before my friends discover just how bad I am at riding roller coasters* and want to disown me...

*seriously. It's an emotional process.

[image source]

Isaiah Is My Jam.

 
Has the Lord ever needed anyone's advice?

Does he need instruction about what is good?

Did someone teach him what is right or show him the path of justice?

Look up to the heavens.

Who created all the stars?

He brings them out like an army, one after another,

Calling each by its name.

Because of his great power and incomparable strength,

Not a single one is missing.

O Jacob, how can you say that the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?

Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

The Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

Says the Lord,
"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

Others were given in exchange for you

I traded their lives for yours

Because you are precious to me.

You are honored, and I love you.

You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,

And understand that I alone am God.

There is no other God -- there never has been, and there never will be.

From eternity to eternity I am God.

No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.

No one can undo what I have done.
  
[Isaiah 40:14, 26-28; 43:1-2, 4, 10]
 

[image via We Heart It]

It's Raining Men, Hallelujah

My four years of college as represented by our annual 80's Party:

I don't regret any of this. Even the teased hair that takes five conditions to get out. Or the last-minute Goodwill runs that yielded $4 puffy-sleeved dresses.

(What makes me really happy, though, is that picture #1 represents the first time I really hung out with those girls outside of small group...we got ready for the party together at their dorm. As of this year, however, all the girls in picture #2 live together.) (So that picture is on our fridge, obviously.)

Born and Raised in a Summer Haze

Exciting News Of The Week: MY ROOMMATE GOT ENGAGED! Yayy, Britt and Evan!

Y'all, I usually like to be ahead of the game with music. But, this weekend, tagging along behind the rest of America, I have been listening to 'Someone Like You' by Adele on repeat. (During the week it was Rihanna non-stop, but once the freakin' weekend actually hit, ironically, things changed. Sometimes you just have to go with it.)

I know everyone's heard this song, but what about this cover of it?

Beautiful. And impressive. And let me just hit play again while I continue working I mean procrastinating...

Teacher Clothes

 

Today was the first day I go to my placement at a local high school for my Ed School practicum this semester. I'll be in an actual English classroom, going twice a week, and I am excited -- because as of now, I've only been doing studyhalls and tutoring. 

So obviously, I had to find a good teacher outfit to wear. And then I looked up all "teacher outfits" on Pinterest, of course. Can we all just say to my future, aka skirts and cardigans? And maybe I should wear my glasses to my placement, just for good measure...

Looking forward to the day when I get to dress completely in Loft and hang out with high schoolers. (If I can afford it, that is...)

[image sources, clockwise from top left: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 ]

Thought Of The Day

Currently Listening To: Bon Iver, Bon Iver (rainy day music.)

- Brian Andreas*

*love him & how effortless and beautiful his words are. you'll be seeing his name around here again, I'm sure...

[image source]

Fall Break

Hello all! I am currently in the middle of my fall break, hence me being MIA the past few days. Fall break was a little funny this year, especially in comparison to the past few years. I've managed to do some pretty epic things -- Chicago with my grandparents my first year; taking Amtrak up to NYC with a housemate I'd only met a month earlier my second year (love ya, Mads!) and visiting my BFF for a weekend of two-stepping and nose-piercing (ha) in College Station, TX, last year. So this year, when fall break was coming ever closer and I realized I had no big plans, no one to make big plans with, and, worst of all, nowhere to actually go (something that my adventures of the past few years had prevented me from realizing), it was kind of a strange realization.

But as things always do, it turned okay, even after my initial mental freak out. I got to visit my big sister and brother-in-law at their home in Rockville, MD, and see their grown up lives. We went to the zoo, of course:

I also got to see one of my friends from high school in Ethiopia. And then I got to come back to La Bamba and relax for a few days (it kind of feels like summer in how empty it is, which is kind of nice...for just a few days.) And today I got to hike with some girls in my small group on the most glorious October day ever, looking out at a view sponge-painted red and gold and orange. Stunning.

And I still have all of tomorrow, too.

So, Fall Break, you weren't as adventurous as I might have liked, but you've been quite alright.

The Repercussions of a British Childhood

 Buckingham Palace with the cousins, circa '98

Even though it's been about twelve years since I lived in England, some things are still affecting me. Particularly that whole difference in certain spellings and pronunciations between English English and American English. Now, really, this does not come up too often at all, and most of the obvious things (colour, neighbour, honour, per ejemplo) were conditioned right out of me within the first year of being back in an American school system. But let me tell you, those elementary years are truly formative and somethings just stick with you, and there are some words that are used just rarely enough that when they do come up it's confusing. 

The word "basil" for example. I know in one country it's pronounced "baaahsil" and in the other it's "baysil," but in the moment it arises I am just never sure if the one I am using is the correct one or if it's the one that will make people look at me and be like, "Excuse me?" And, unfortunately, this happens more often than you would think because there is a delicious restaurant around here called Baaahsil/Baysil and I always have this issue and I always forget which one is right. I mean, American.

My sister struggles with this too. Just last year she called me saying, "Caroline, you know what cling film is, right?" and I told her of course, and she said "Good, because my housemates all laughed at me for calling it that!" (As you all know, I'm sure, cling film is saran wrap.)

I was thinking about this whole situation this week because I realized that I always write "dialogue" instead of "dialog." It's just because I like it better. Even now, just typing those words without the tidy "ue" on the end just looks kind of ugly. (Although, side note, it's always "monologue" and never "monolog." What is with this language of ours??)

Does anyone else have any struggles like this? Any of you other TCKs, perhaps? Please let me know so I'm not so alone in the world...

Sing Out Loud, You're a Symphony

You Should Check Out: my sister's engagement pictures, by Elisa B Photography, featured on this wedding blog!

Loving this song and this video today:

So beautiful! I'm definitely looking up more songs by them right now. And loving what I'm finding.

What's your current song obsession?

(thanks, Kate, for knowing what's up in terms of music and putting this song on your blog a few weeks ago!)

Things I Heart: Turquoise and Coral.

Currently Listening To: Who Are We Fooling, Brooke Fraser 
Lyric Love: Turned twenty-one on the day that we met / terrible shoes and plausible dress

Turquoise and coral are hands down my favorite colors, and I especially love them in combination. So why don't we all just enjoy them for a minute, and think about how we should redecorate our entire rooms/find our lost turquoise earring (sadface) so we can start making cute outfits/find a piano asap and paint it turquoise....

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P.S. Happy Monday, y'all. I have a pretty easy week coming up (especially compared to the past few), so I'm feeling grateful for that. What are your weeks looking like?

It's October and I'm Doing Fallish Things!

Game Plan for the afternoon:

1. FOOTBALL GAME. Where I am breaking out this sweater (see #3). (Yes, it's happening.) Wahoowa.

2. CORN MAZE. This one:

Yes, I am terrified, because it will be nighttime and it will be via flashlight, and I'm not the best with directions in the first place. I'm legitimately planning on holding someone's hand the whole time. Also, I'm counting on the fact that if I get lost I'll be able to shoot red sparks in the air with my wand and someone will rescue me. (Oh wait, that only happens at Hogwarts? Gotta come up with a new plan, then...)

The only thing that would make this day complete would be the addition of 3. HOT APPLE CIDER somewhere in there. 

Please oh please let the maze people have some waiting at the end as reward for surviving the maze of fear.

[image source]