lakes

this band is easy to listen to.

i need more of this kind of music in my life.

~~~

today

i was stranded in the freezing downpour with one of our caseworkers because

our uhaul decided to quit on us after a furniture pickup.

we passed the cold 45-minutes of waiting for rescue by so constructively-

i taught him how to make "baby feet" on foggy windows using the pad of one's hand . . .

evidently they don't teach boys in liberia how to do that sort of thing.

{my coworker was also a straight hero

and trekked all the way down the road to flag our rescue truck down . . .

we were already soaked, but he definitely braved the majority of the crumby weather!}

i can't wait to see the sun again.

{via voltron of awesomeness}

dear future-husband.

i was tickled by this today.

i'm of the opinion that you should own one.

and by "one," i mean the bike and the shirt.

please consider purchasing before our first date.

yours truly,

a

~~~

it's raining and cold out,

and my co-worker and i moved furniture into apartments alllll day.

i feel a little like a drowned rat.

but

it's supposed to be ridiculously nice out this weekend.

i might take my little bike out to the river walk . . .

especially since i have Good Friday off.

my poor one-speed has been severely neglected for months.

hurray for working for a faith-based non-profit.

on that note,

i can't wait for Easter.

after all,

this holiday pretty much commemorates the whole basis of my faith.

{ dark cycle clothing via a cup of jo.}

saturday was a great day.

yesterday was

gorgeous.

after my ikea adventure with bestest on sunday,

i went home and played so many phantom planet songs that i shot myself straight back to college summers

{my friends and i were a little obsessed}.

am i the only one dying for weekends at the beach?

~~~

we bounced on a lot of mattresses yesterday,

but ended up buying nothing at ikea.

we did, however, eat.

how convenient is it that their cafeteria is placed halfway through their crazy labyrinth of furniture

{and is the only part of the store with windows to the outdoors}?

crafty, crafty.

by the way, elderflower drink tastes just like tea with a LOT of sugar.

engagement sessions

saw these on a cup of jo

and just about died like every other girl who reads that blog.

i looove wedding photography and engagement pictures are just about as much fun.

i'm loving this couple's pretty shots together.

their look is so fresh.

they make me want to take a brisk walk outside.

check out green wedding shoes to see more!

~~~

bestest and i are off to frolic around ikea today.

it will take us over a hour to get there and we don't care.

i'm super excited.

we're intent on spending the entire day exploring the store.

{and hoping i can ovoid spending a fortune on furniture that i will have to spend my next life time assembling.}

happy weekend!

age confusion

tavi models the miu miu spring collection for her blog.

and i buy my easter dress from the little girls' section of target.

i mean, it's cute, right?

i don't think it looks like a child's dress at all.

i was horribly disappointed with the material and shapes used for the women's dresses .

so, i skipped over to children's and found this little thing from the

liberty for target line . . .

and for only $16.99!

{i can just hear the fashion don'ts shouted from the hilltops about buying kids' clothing . . . perhaps had i been as fashion forward as tavi when i was a teen, i may not be in this predicament.}

{via style rookie & target}

camera doctor

my little point-and-shoot,

which i am completely attached to,

is at nikon getting fixed.

it totally stopped turning on last friday.

brought it to best buy {hurray for geek squad protection plans}

and got the grave look from the man in the black tie behind the desk.

i may not get it back for a month.

sigh.

so, it's just my holga and me for a while, which is fine,

but painfully less instantaneous.

ah well . . .

{via ahc}

health care reform: a perspective

okay,

let's take a moment to inhale.

now exhale slowly.

this will be brief.

well, sort of.

~~~

i know there are a lot of people out there who are very angry about the health legislation that

passed this week.

while our country undeniably needs to shape up in this area,

i'm one of the many who are unsure that this is the best way to improve the system.

no one truly knows how this will pan out in the future.

it's sketchy; i get it.

and no one wants to feel unclear, nervous or even betrayed when such large changes to the way we live are about to commence.

however,

i feel like we need to keep all of this in perspective.

no, not "obama has our best interest in mind" or "it will all work out."

more like,

we live in a country where most children survive the childbirth process.

we live in a country where you can't be denied medical treatment based on your race, religion, etc. etc. etc.

we live in a country where medical professionals are well trained, where facilities are sanitary and where, for the most part, people go to recover and not to die.

we live in a country where

{holy crap}

the government actually is concerned about solving the problem of health care, even if it may be by means we don't all agree with.

that's all.

let the celebration begin.

happy last day of winter!

today was glorious outside.

i walked back and forth from the refugee program offices and the main lobby in a short-sleeved tshirt all day long.

it was a-maz-ing.

~~~

farewell snow.

farewell ice.

farewell shivering in bed in flannel pjs and under two comforters

and suffering for the first five minutes after hot showers.

okay, perhaps this is all premature,

since nh is known to receive a helping of snow well into april.

i just can't help myself!

~~~

{great weekend ahead-

taking pictures with bestest and miss amanda all saturday.

and,

VERY EXCITING,

i get to go to my first bhutanese wedding on sunday afternoon.

i can't wait to see all of my peeps in their gorgeous saris!}

{via audrey hepburn complex}

lovely night of music

needless to say,

bestest and i were mesmerized last night.

the combination of the historic sanders hall venue

and the ethereal notes played

was absolutely delightful.

obviously friendly newsom, wonderfully skilled musicians and lovely audience made for an intimate evening of gorgeous music.

a welcome change from the typical

"make your ears right for two hours after"

shows where we usually find ourselves.

{i also would die for joanna newsom's waist-length hair . . .

c'mon, hair, grow!}

happiness.

happy st. patrick's day!

i've never been one to celebrate st. patrick's day.

except for the occasional guinness here and there

{which, for me, consists of only a few sips as it constitutes an actual meal in my opinion.}

it's a fairly quiet night for me.

~~~

today is a little different.

for st. patrick's day 2010,

bestest and i are skipping on down to cambridge tonight

to see joanna newsom play at harvard.

i'm pretty stoked for this concert.

joanna newsom has been on my list of "must see live" artists

ever since sister introduced me to her music during her semester abroad at oxford.

such unique style.

happy {and safe} st. patrick's to you!

for a tuesday

it turns out phoenix CAN get better.

i've played this eleventy-thousand times over the last few days.

still not old, either.

hello, monday.

woke up ill this morning with some kind of stomach bug.

ugh. monday is a sick day.

i'm spending the morning in pjs,

painting my nails

and emailing bestest to the point of her annoyance.

we're making plans for when this rain {2 days and counting . . .} finally lets up.

first weekend that it's not pouring,

we're going to the beach for a sun-up to sun-down experience.

i don't even care if we have to wear winter coats.

we're going. {via km}

phew. what a week.

{i'm listening to spiralling by keane right now and it totally has me worked up into a very happy mood.

this song is so great for dancing.}

~~~

this week was fun, but a little bananas.

has left me feeling a little like this:

off for a mother/daughter day

and then fun friend things later tonight.

enjoy the weekend, all.

{via kris atomic}

telepictionary

wow.

this game is amazing and hysterical.

i hadn't played in years, until on tuesday night, when a group of us decided it was time to resurrect it.

have you ever played??

if not,

it's kind of like telephone,

but with drawings and words.

you will need:

a group of people

{the more the merrier and easier with even numbers}

piles of paper per player - equal pieces in pile to number of players

writing utensils for all.

creative imaginations.

1. each person writes a word/phrase on the top paper of his/her pile

{you can choose a theme or be random}.

2. pass the pile to your neighbor.

3. look at the word and then place it at the bottom of the pile in your hand.

4. draw your picture representation of the word/phrase you just read.

5. pass the pile to your neighbor.

6. now you will have a picture at the top of the pile you just received.

look at the picture and place in at the bottom of the pile in your hand.

7. write the word/phrase you think the picture portrays.

8. repeat until your pile returns to you.

9. now review the interpretations and show your fellow players.

you will definitely role on the floor with laughter!

{for the record, featured drawing is by a child . . . and outdoes everything i produced that night. evidently, i should never go into art.}

goodbyes

friends from invisible children left this morning.

what a fab group.

totally chill, outgoing and doing some amazing work to make a difference for our fellow human beings.

for the last three days,

my place has been covered in air mattresses,

phone chargers and random socks.

this morning,

they've gone- off to more homes and schools and churches to inspire others to get involved in their movement. it's wierd to have the apartment feel so vacant but i'm thankful for the message they shared and the message of hope and determination they left behind.

i've been too complacent and too lazy.

God, what do you have planned?

converse make everything look cool.

case in point.

i love everything about this outfit.

pretty and completely un-fussy all at the same time.

not to mention,

probably ridiculously comfortable.

{via we heart it}

to the high school boy one row ahead of us at muse

i loved how you beat your chest like celine dion and sang every lyric so passionately.

bravo.

~~~

jokes aside,

muse was fantastic.

while i am not the biggest fan of stadium venues

{they're just not personal, are they?},

matthew bellamy gave one of the most

phenomenal vocal performances i have

ever

witnessed.

classical concerts included.

there were a few moments when my jaw literally dropped.

{side note: very excited for joanna newsom's show at harvard on st. patty's day next week.}

~~~

we've had house guests for the last 2 days . . .

six people staying with us.

the place is covered with sleeping bags, cell phones and journals.

they leave tomorrow morning

and

the house will seem very empty.

wonderland

if anything,

the costumes were fantastic.

alice's dresses were absolutely enviable . . .

bestest and i both agreed that the plot left a little something to be desired.

more backstory, perhaps?

but it was a fun outing

{no valuable life lesson take aways this time, ladies and gents}

for a friday night none the less.

besides,

3d is always a good time.

~~~

prayer at pulse

cleaning

beach

sun

MUSE

today.

invisible children at church tomorrow.

happy weekend to all!

inspirational friends

our girl melissa is back from haiti!

thanks to all who kept her in their prayers over the last week and a half.

so happy to see her the other night, safe and sound . . .

and i'm thankful to have such an awesome friend in my life.

how lucky am i to have this amazing church family?

~~~

speaking of church . . .

i have some delightful guests staying with me for the next few days!

the new england invisible children team

and two ugandan guests

will present at

shiloh community church

and

pulse

this sunday.

i'm so happy they're joining us . . .

it really is going to be a special time.

tonight's shenanigans

alice in wonderland with bestest.

i've heard mixed reviews about this . . .

but i

soooo

appreciate tim burton.

i'll let you know the verdict.

3d is fun anyway, right?

~~~

tomorrow:

best friend day . . . beach? boston?

and then

muse {with silversun pickups!}.

also,

some very special guests are staying with me sunday through tuesday.

i hope you have some fun planned too!

{ via audrey hepburn complex}

juggling act

i love everything about this outfit.

helena sopar's beautiful locks also remind me that i should

not

want to cut my hair this friday.

it would also be cool if i could juggle.

{anyone giving lessons??}

{via garance dore}

vagabonds

i was asked to go on a last-minute trip to see the pacific

by a friend the other day.

alas,

i am unavailable.

{1. because i am park of the m-f & many sat/sun workforce and

2. because i am hosting some very cool guests this weekend, which i shall tell you about later.}

the offer reminded me of a couple summers back,

right after college,

when my buddy hannah {friends since 3rd grade!}

and i fulfilled our childhood fantasy of travelling cross-country together.

we bounced all over via greyhound . . . kinda scary for two relatively sheltered girls from nh!

back then,

i was using film exclusively {still need to fix my poor lil' nikon}

so these are hannah's pics . . .

as i look back,

i can't believe how drastically life has changed.

she was about to start grad school.

now she's engaged to a fabulous guy.

i was still at my studio job.

i've been with the refugee program now for nearly 3 years!

a time for vagabonding will come again . . .

just not today.

for now,

i'm happy for the reasons that keep me here.

and when things change . . .

well,

i love adventure.

new resolution.

no more posting when i'm tired and can't think straight.

it appears that i can't even speak the english language properly.

gah!

post from yesterday edited to reflect well constructed sentences . . .

~~~

sister and i have been texting back and forth like crazy

for the last few days.

she's at school in florida and we miss each other something fierce.

{missing brother too . . . he is still in england, being brilliant.}

i can't wait to peruse book stores, linger in coffee shops and walk the beach with her this summer.

may. music. manhattan.

i don't make it a secret that i absolutely adore nyc.

so, how happy am i that bestest and i

are making another pilgrimage this spring

to go see jónsi???

{i know, it's a long way to go for a show, especially when he's playing two nights a whole lot closer to home.

trust me, there is a logical reason behind this . . .

it's just honestly too long a story to tell right now.}

bestest is seriously one of the best companions for travelling.

we're on the same sleep/eat/i-am-grumpy-at-this-hour

schedule,

which is probably the one of the reasons we had so much fun together the last time we visited the city.

she also doesn't get annoyed with me when i suggest

800,000,000

other things i want to do while we're there.

granted,

we don't get to everything.

but she humors me.

any suggestions for may???

{which just happens to be the month of my 27th birthday . . . perhaps early celebration with cake somewhere fabulous? i think this is necessary.}

~~~

{jónsi image from some site i forgot to mark . . . sorry!}