Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Coffee and Gilmore Girls


I've been re-watching Gilmore Girls from season one lately and I have noticed a dramatic increase in my daily coffee intake. There's something about watching that show and being able to appreciate their love of coffee while holding a delicious and wonderful smelling cup in your own hands.



Since moving home, I've gotten used to making coffee in the Keurig. I don't even think I've ever actually made a pot of coffee in my parents coffee maker before today. Santa happened to gift me with a bag of Starbuck's Holiday Blend this year and I was pleasantly surprised (or not really that surprised) by how good it tastes. A whole eight cups might have been a bit much for only me, but now that it's made someone has to drink it.


I feel like this mug would be the perfect pairing for a Gilmore Girls marathon session. Lorelai and Rory always make me feel like I'm not making enough cultural references during my day to day interactions.



Also I just really love and miss watching Gilmore Girls. I love Lorelai's snappy bits, Luke's plaid shirts,  and the fact that Rory never leaves the house without a book. I love the Inn and Stars Hallow. I love all the men on that show. I love Max and his 1000 daisies and the fact that Luke is always around fixing things. I love when Rory visits Harvard. I love Lorelai and Rory's relationship and their relationship with everyone in town. I love the strong females that inspired me when I was younger and made me want to be and do so many things.

Basically Gilmore Girls is one of my all time favorite TV shows ever (if not my favorite) and I think every person should watch it at some point. Preferably while drinking a strong cup of coffee.

What's your favorite TV show? Can you relate to my coffee addiction?

-S

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Keep Moving


Allow yourself to keep moving. Don't put limits on your dreams. You're the only one that can hold yourself back. Wake up. Get pumped. Say yes. Don't look back.

-S

Friday, January 24, 2014

5 Songs I Can't Stop Listening To

It's time for a music update. Here's some songs that I haven't been able to get out of my head lately.

1. Stay The Night by Zedd
Also I really love the dancing in this video.

2. Grown Woman by Beyonce
Absolutely love this song. It's a good confidence boost. Also if you can find it on tumblr check out the version with the clip of Eartha Kitt at the beginning.

3. California (Cast Iron Soul) by Jamestown Revival
A recent band discovery thanks to iTunes suggestions. Good job iTunes.

4. Satellite Call by Sara Bareilles
This song was on The Vampire Diaries a while back. I remember checking it out and deciding not to buy it. Then I heard it on Pretty Little Liars this past week and finally caved.

5. XO by Beyonce
Another Beyonce song because I've been Beyonce obsessed since the release of her most recent album.

Enjoy!
-S

Thursday, January 23, 2014

She Reads Books...


Today I was able to get out of the house and into what seems to be infinitely cold and blustery winter. For some reason I thought it'd be a great day to grab a coffee and pop into the used book store. I don't know why I thought buying books would be a good idea (especially when it's freezing out) since I already own way too many books I have yet to read, but it happened anyway.

I'm sitting here looking at just one of the stacks of books I own that I've been meaning to get to and feeling slightly guilty for buying two unnecessary books today. But are books really ever unnecessary? I mean it's not like I don't read any books, it's just that I'm a slow reader with an extremely long to-read list. A list that seems to multiply by the second. I've definitely been taking advantage of these months of unemployment by crossing off more books on my list than I probably ever have in years past. Often I worry that I measure life from one book to the next and wonder if I'm appreciating each story enough. Sometimes I catch myself thinking about my next book within the first ten pages of the one I'm reading.

I just finished two books that I borrowed from a friend (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Night by Elie Wiesel) and am currently reading one of my mom's books (Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart). I also took the time to start Walden by Thoreau (one of my purchases today) while sitting around at the bookstore drinking coffee. The other book I bought today was Wild by Cheryl Strayed.

Part of me just wishes I could read everything all at once. I want fill myself to the brim with worlds and words and characters and all the experiences that one can have through reading. I hope there never comes a day when I get remotely close to zero books in my to-read pile, for that would be that I have stopped caring about books altogether.

-S

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Don't Change My Movies


I went to go see The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug with my mom yesterday. I have so many mixed feelings about the movie. I finally read the book last year, which was after I had already seen the first movie so I didn't realize how many liberties Jackson took with the story line. I understand wanting to make more money and splitting the story into three movies (even though I'm not fond of that decision), but adding so much extra stuff was totally unnecessary. For one, The Hobbit is supposed to be a children's book and is very much written as one. The book is shorter than any of The LOTR trilogy and, although the story is complex, the writing is simple. Adding all this fluff to the story seemed to distract from what I loved about the book to begin with.

Seriously go home. We don't want you here.

I know movies aren't always going to be exactly the same as the books, which makes it particularly difficult to judge one without comparing it to the other. Yes The Hobbit itself was a good movie, but not when compared to the book. The story has plenty of action on it's own without adding in all the orc battles along the way. Not to mention all the extra characters Jackson seemed to think were necessary. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Tauriel (and all the extra action Aidan Turner got during this movie) but if she wasn't needed in the book she shouldn't have been in the movie.

I can't deny that she kicked serious ass.

I guess for me the thing I care about most when it comes to book to movie adaptations is staying true to the main story line. I envisioned certain things like the woodland elves and some of the settings differently, but everyone imagines fictional worlds in their own ways. I don't mind if little details are changed or if you leave parts out because they would make the movie too long, or it's too hard to explain everything within the confines of the film. But I will automatically distrust a movie that changes important endings (cough My Sisters Keeper) or adds in completely random main characters.

This part was breathtaking.

Spoilers: My two favorite parts of the movie were when Legolas is fighting the orcs in Lake-town and he stops to look at the camera to wipe the blood from his nose. All I could think of at this moment was the line from Dodgeball when Ben Stiller's character says "no one makes me bleed my own blood." And the part when Smaug is just waking up and Bilbo turns around to take a knee.  I about lost it laughing in the theater during both of those scenes.

Have you seen The Desolation of Smaug? What were your thoughts on the film?

-S

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Words of Wisdom: Secret of Change


How is everyone doing on their resolutions? Have you started slacking off yet?

Since I didn't set specific resolutions this year, like I have in the past, I've avoided the feeling of failure when things inevitably slip up. It's been kind of nice. I do miss having some sort of set goal though. Change doesn't come without knowing what you have to do in order to move forward, or more specifically, knowing where to focus your energy. 

I'm a big believer in taking the small steps. Big steps are difficult and leave too much room for failure. If you set small short term goals, you seem more likely to accomplish them. I know that when I make daily to-do lists I end up getting way more done in the day then when I don't plan anything. That's just a strategy that works best for me. Knowing I can finish my small term goals helps me gain confidence in my ability to finish my larger, more complicated goals.

Everyone is different. I set big, long term goals for myself all the time. I am a dreamer; I always have been and always will me, but I haven't reached a lot of those goals yet. It's much easier for me to look at my lack of current success in my long term goals as failures rather than seeing them as on going accomplishments that can be reached in the future. Keeping yourself grounded in the present is important, but looking ahead can occasionally be beneficial.

By remembering to stay hopeful, we gain much more from life. I think that's why I choose to focus my energy on feelings rather than things. If something makes you feel good, pursue that. Set goals that expand the good will inspire change all on its own.

-S

Friday, January 10, 2014

It's Too Cold

As you're probably aware, it's been absolutely freezing in most of America this week. Since I've been using this as an excuse not to leave my house at all, it's given me extra time to read and catch up on TV shows. I thought I would just catch everyone up on my current state of entertainment.

I finally started reading Gone Girl this week. I'm not far into it, but I'm super intrigued at this point. I love trying to predict twists before they happen.


I also started reading the Merlin Trilogy by Mary Stewart. This one will probably take me a while to get through. I'm the slowest of readers and the 3 in 1 hardcopy that my mom owns is just over 900 pages long.


Since I get restless reading too much, I've been using this opportunity to catching up on seasons of Castle. I used to watch the show quite a bit and then started watching too many other TV shows, so this one got put on the back-burner. Watching all the seasons from the beginning has been a nice reminder of how much I love the show.

Eeeek I love them.

And because I can never do one thing at a time, I've also been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the first time. I'm only on season one, but I am surprised by how much I like it. When I was younger I never thought I'd be the kind of person to watch Buffy (that sounds bad, but I swear I don't mean it in a bad way). I never saw myself as someone who found supernatural beings interesting enough to get invested in a show that revolved around them (oh how our minds change). I just didn't understand the appeal when I was younger, and by the time I had even heard about the show it had already been around for a while. That's the nice thing about having stuff like Hulu Plus and Netflix, we now have a way of watching shows from the beginning without investing much into them.

These outfits sum up 90's television pretty accurately.

After days of reading and watching TV inside(which has basically become my life), I was feeling the need to get out and visit civilization on Wednesday. Luckily my friend Sandy called to ask if I wanted to grab coffee and maybe hit the mall. I love girls time and have some of the best friends a person could ask for. Anyone who cares enough to listen to me complain (and possibly whine) about the current state of my bank account and lack of employment opportunities available deserves some sort of award. I think I might write a separate post soon about how much of a life failure I am (not that you guys care), we'll see.

Anyways, I hope everyone else is staying warm. This cold has definitely made me more seriously consider moving.

-S

Friday, January 3, 2014

2014

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you guys had a wonderful New Years Eve! I had a fun time hanging out with friends, watching the cherry ball drop downtown TC, consuming one too many glasses of alcohol, and welcoming the new year with an open heart and a head full of hope.


It was freezing (in the negative digits with the wind chill) downtown so my thoughts were far from cute dresses and heels for the night. Instead I managed to rock a pair of jeans, booties, and some essential winter accessories. I'd much rather be warm than cute (although I think I managed to do both).

So true!

I didn't officially make my own list of resolutions this year, but that doesn't mean I don't plan on making my life a little better in certain areas. I found this list on Polish My Crown of 25 New Year's Resolutions Every Person Should Actually Make for 2014. Since they all seemed pretty appropriate, I thought I'd just adopt that list for myself this year.

I also liked this graphic I found on Pinterest.

Here's to 2014 being a year of a positive state of mind and personal growth!

What are your New Years resolutions? What did you do for New Years Eve?

-S