Thursday, December 3, 2009

i'm obsessed with john mayer's new album, battle studies. for those who know me, the fact that i am obsessed with john mayer in general is not news. when i was 16 i bought room for squares and after i got over listening to "your body is a wonderland" on repeat (i was 16, okay?!) i decided to listen to the rest of the album and "3x5" hit me like no song ever had. since then i've hurtled down a slippery slope of john mayer fandom, to the point that during the release week for battle studies last month, i saw the man play 3 times. in one week. you say "excessive", i say "incredible."
ANYWAY. since it was released i've been completely addicted to battle studies. i could go on for far too long about each song, but i'll spare you.
i mostly wanted to share that last night john did a really cool thing. as a thank you to his fans, he recorded "edge of desire", which is one of my favorites on the album (watch me talk about it and giggle awkwardly here) in his apartment at 3am. then he posted it on the internet for people to download, for free. check it out, buy the album, and go see him play if you're ever able because your mind will be blown.
(photo taken from my incredible gift-from-the-universe, front row seat at his album release show last month. i am grateful beyond belief... talk about minds being blown? mine is still recovering.)

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

GULUWALK!

On October 24, an event called GuluWalk will be taking place in cities all over the world. The goal of GuluWalk is to raise money to build a cultural center for the youth in the district of Gulu in northern Uganda. As I've written before, a rebel army known as the LRA has been ravaging northern Uganda and the surrounding nations for 23 years now. The LRA abducts children and forces them to serve as soldiers. Because of this ruthless, senseless rebel army, northern Uganda, which used to be rich farmland, is now devastated, with many of its people forced to live in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. The cultural center will provide a place for children to learn, express themselves through the arts, and receive necessary support to recover from this war. To rebuild northern Uganda, we've got to start with the children and they need a safe place to develop the leadership skills that will carry this area forward in peace.
So! Please consider donating, or if you're a real superstar, sign up for a GuluWalk in your city! Or join me at the New York City walk, that'd be cool too.

Monday, October 5, 2009

i just read AM/PM by amelia gray. i chose it for two reasons. 1. i liked the cover (i judge books by their covers all the time, it usually works out fairly well.) 2. i opened it to a few different pages to get a feel for it, and one of these pages was written to a john mayer concert tee. this was my kind of book. i thoroughly enjoyed it, and want to share my favorite part:
They were in love! Carla wore her hair up and Andrew saw everything as a sign. They spent an entire afternoon sitting side by side in a coffee shop, taking more meaning than necessary from the world around them. A man wearing boxing gloves walked down the sidewalk in front of them and they took it to mean that they would be together forever.
the whole book is really just a wonderful little piece of art, but i keep going back to that page and reading it over and over. "...taking more meaning than necessary from the world around them." yes.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

apart from being a big geek at school and feeling like a fish out of water at my internship, this is what i've been obsessin' over as of late:

-fanfarlo and wildbirds & peacedrums. my roommate, tj, interviewed fanfarlo last monday, so he asked if i'd like to go along to their show that night. it was one of those decisions where i had a ton of other things to do but i just felt like i should go. it was FANTASTIC. the opening band, wildbirds & peacedrums, have to been seen to be believed. they're a gorgeous husband and wife duo from sweden. he plays the drums like no one i've ever seen, she sings her heart out and plays a number of instruments. i don't know all of the fancy music-reviewer words to use to describe them, but if you ever have a chance to see them play - DO IT. trust me. fanfarlo is a band of 6 (7? i forget exactly) multi-instrumentalists who are all so talented and adorable that, as i told tj, i just want to go on a big date with the entire band. i'm in love with them. we ended up buying tickets for their show in brooklyn the next night. and we're going to see them during cmj next month. cant get enough fanfarlo.

-our roof. we have the most killer view of manhattan, ever. i just like to go up there and stare at the skyline and thank the universe for letting me live here.

-my macbook. i've had my shiny beautiful macbook pro for a few weeks now and i am very much in love with her. i haven't named her yet, though. (i like to name things.) this is my first mac, and i'm slowly slipping into the steve-jobs-worshipping-apple-cult. i might even put my little cult-stickers on a notebook or something. whoa-oh.

-washington square park. i. love. this. park. i can sit on a bench and people-watch for hours. i have loved this park for a long time. i have said in the past that if i could live anywhere in the world, it'd be in one of those townhouses along the northern border of the park. it so happens that the NYU school of social work is housed in a few of those very townhouses. so good.

-coffee-shop-hunting. i've been jaunting all over the village checking out coffeeshops. i tried jack's coffee last week and loved it. it was a comfortable place to sit and read, and they put the little milk-swirly on my latte. i also had an incredible zucchini-chocolate-and-cranberry muffin. mmmm. mud's coffee was delicious, but i haven't had a chance to spend time there. i want to try joe - the art of coffee, but there are never any tables free. this is probably a good sign.

-brooklyn lager. new favorite beer for sure. every bar in brooklyn should be required to have it on tap. local pride, c'mon people.

-john mayer's "who says"
. i am a huge fan of mr. mayer, and i'm so happy to hear his album will be coming out soon! (november 17) the single took a few listens to grow on me, but i found it's especially good late at night, accompanied with the aforementioned brooklyn lager.

-moleskine's new york city notebook. it's a guidebook that doesn't look like a guidebook! so i don't end up looking like a tourist while i try to figure out in which direction i'm headed. i can also write in all of my own favorite places. (i have sections just for coffeeshops and bookstores.)

-learning. seriously. i have been learning a lot about myself in addition to geeking out over social work. it's sometimes difficult to swallow, but really wonderful.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

just a quick post, but i am big time obsessed with michael franti & the spearhead's song "say hey (i love you)". it's just so much FUN. i dare you to hear this song and not smile. it's impossible. a little dancing is also completely irresistible. i have never heard of michael franti before, but this song has me wanting to buy a cd, go to a show, profess my undying love, the whole bit. youtube won't let me embed the video, but search it and watch it and dance and smile and smile and dance.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

i am loving life in brooklyn, here's what i'm obsessing over at the moment:

-world pulse magazine. tagline: "global issues through the eyes of women". hello, perfect! it's published quarterly, and features stories on what women all over the world are doing to address issues that matter to them. this issue they had a story about fair trade companies and they featured bead for life, which sells handmade paper bead jewelry made by women in uganda. a friend bought me a bracelet from them a while ago and it is beautiful. world pulse's website features an online community that connects women globally and allows women to have a voice which may have been historically quieted in their communities.

-move about myrtle. in my new neighborhood, on every sunday in september, they're closing several blocks of myrtle ave to traffic and turning it into a street fair with vendors selling awesome art, free dance and yoga classes, food, live music, and even a roller rink in the street. i checked it out last sunday and loved it, i'm already looking forward to this sunday.

-chipotle burritos. there is a chipotle way too close to NYU, i've been there twice within a week. today i found myself daydreaming about burritos while in the middle of orientation for a job. ain't no good.......... but mmmmmmm.

-the union square barnes and noble store. i could (and do) spend hours there. two of my favorite sections, women's issues and religion and spirituality, are right next to each other and i can easily spend hours browsing just in that area, let alone throughout the 4 floors of this wonderland.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

laura is awesome!

meet laura.
laura is from mexico. in april, laura was living in new york city. she heard about an event called the rescue, held by an organization called invisible children. the event was intended to bring an end to a rebel army from uganda which abducts children to use as soldiers. laura went to the event, and was so touched by this cause that when she heard about a bus that was leaving from new york to continue to other cities' rescue events, she jumped on, no questions asked. that is where i met laura, and we spent an incredible week traveling from new york to harrisburg, pa; richmond, va; and chicago, il, where we ended up getting oprah's attention and she even put us, along with a few hundred other "rescue riders", on her little television show.
now, that little adventure wasn't enough for laura. she'd been bitten by the invisible children bug, which is pretty hard to shake. she applied to become a roadie for them. roadies travel all over the country in an IC van, showing films about the crisis in uganda and surrounding countries. she got the position, and is now in san diego preparing for the fall tour.
here's where you, reader, and whoever else you share this story with, come in:
tour costs MONEY. roadies are not paid. (invisible children is a non-profit, they run on enthusiasm and donations.)
please consider donating so that laura can spread the word about this crisis!
also, consider booking a screening with invisible children at your school, church, community center, etc.
laura is an incredible person who is truly living the invisible children motto: "jump first, fear later." please help if you can! even a dollar or two helps so much.

Monday, August 31, 2009

i moved to brooklyn on saturday, it took a couple of days but i've got everything set up how i want it, and am loving my new digs. today i wandered down the street to the bank, and on my way found a yoga/dance studio, a thai restaurant that delivers, and a great looking cafe. i will be hitting up all of these places asap. i may even go for a yoga class tomorrow morning. i am a happy new brooklynite! i will post a few pictures of the apartment in a few days... i just attempted to take some and found that my camera's batteries are dead.
my soundtrack while moving and settling in has mostly been the spring standards' album "no one will know." i hadn't listened to them for awhile and i just got this off itunes a few days ago. it's excellent!

Monday, August 24, 2009

i went down to the bay to take some pictures with family and friends today, one will end up in our christmas cards this year. i'm soaking up as much time with them as i can before i move in just 5 days! i am loving the sunshine, the laid back evenings, the ice cream, and everything else about living at the beach. even finding sand between my sheets isn't so bad, it's a reminder of sunny days by the ocean.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

my amazing friend gabi recently spent two weeks caring for children at an orphanage in uganda. she's going back for a 3-6 months starting in january to continue volunteering at hope children's home. she is a positively wonderful person with a lot of love to give to these incredible children. she needs to raise over $6,000 for the trip, and would appreciate any donation, no matter how small. there are several ways you can donate:
1) Directly through PayPal to: dickinsonbarbara@hotmail.com (Just please make sure you write in the notes section that the money is for Gabi for Africa. Thank you!)
2) Directly into my missions account online. The link is:
http://www.showmercy.org/donate/index.php?categoryID=81
And you’ll need to add a note simply stating that the money is for Gabi Dickinson
3) For those of you in the U.S. you can mail a check directly to:
Show Mercy International
PO Box 607
Albany, Oregon 97321
Again, making sure to state that the check is for Gabi Dickinson.
even if you can't donate, please send her some big hugs via her blog!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

recent obsessions:

-mango gelato. a new gelato shop opened up a few doors down from my summer job this season, and oh. my. goodness. i tried a different flavor on every visit until they started stocking mango, and i am HOOKED. the shop owner knows it is my favorite and let me know yesterday that they only have one batch left so i should eat it while i can! it's creamy and perfect and even has tiny bits of mango throughout. so, so amazing.

-september issues of fashion magazines. i am a bit of a magazine junkie, and the fashiony-fashion ones (think vogue, elle, and the like) are a little too stuffy for me typically. however, september is like january in fashion, so the issues are huge and chock full of beautiful pictures. i bought elle yesterday, and i keep flipping through it and finding new gorgeousness every time. also some of my favorite ladies are featured in ad campaigns: marion cotillard, bar rafaeli, miranda kerr, scarlett johansson... ahh i love it.

-TOMS shoes. i night have mentioned them before but they are worthy of two posts. for every pair of shoes sold, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need. i bought a pair in june and have been wearing them nonstop. the other day i wore a different pair of shoes and my grandma said "i've never seen those shoes, i only ever see you wearing your toms!" my sister also got a pair recently, my mom ordered a pair this morning, and my dad is thinking of getting some, too. i'm going to pick up a pair in tweed or corduroy for the fall and winter. they are SUPER comfy and come in tons of different prints.

- cape may crabcakes. i got some for dinner at the west cape may farmer's market last week and they are so incredibly delicious! i'm going to pick up a box (or six...) of frozen ones to take up to brooklyn with me. they also ship frozen ones!

Friday, August 7, 2009

j. crew's crewcuts! too cute!


yesterday i was flipping through the online version of j. crew's latest catalog and i couldn't help but notice how awesome the styling of their crewcuts kids' line is. look at these outfits! so cute! i never thought i'd be taking fashion inspiration from the 10-and-under set but they're just irresistible!
who says a grad student can't dress like a kindergartner?! bring on the foofy skirts and flower headbands!!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

i feel like lately all i've been talking about is how much i can't wait to move to brooklyn. i am excited, but i want to appreciate the last month i have to spend in beautiful cape may, nj. so, i want to focus a few posts on some of my favorite things in this town. first up, one of my favorite stores, the flying fish studio. a few reasons this place is awesome....

1. good vibes! the flying fish studio has a funky, positive vibe that comes through in the clothes they sell. i have this shirt, which says "optimism". i'm a big fan of optimism.

2. cape may pride! they sell these awesome tshirts that are inspired by different beaches around cape may. this one is for the cove, i might have to buy it before the end of summer.


3. local artists! this is probably the coolest part. the flying fish studio does their own screenprinting, using images from local artists. GOOD STUFF. i have this einstein tee, and another by the same artist... i can't find a picture of the other one but it is just as great. they're two of my favorite things to wear... always on my back or in the laundry.

Friday, July 24, 2009

dominican loves, and brooklyn excitement!








i miss them all so much!

in other news, i am getting PUMPED to move to brooklyn. just a little over a month left! i recently came across the brooklyn skillshare and i am stoked for that already. i am gonna learn how to bake yummy vegan things and burlesque dance and brew kombucha... i don't know what kombucha is, but i'm gonna do it. it's october 10, the day before the national equality march in dc. what an amazing weekend that will be!

Monday, July 20, 2009

today i bought the newest dave matthews band album, big whiskey and the groogrux king and i am love love lovin' it. i've been waiting for my own little summer anthem, and i think it's arrived in a song called "dive in". i'm obsessed with the chorus:
wake up sleepyhead,
i think the sun's a little brighter today.
smile and watch the icicles melt away and see the waters rising,
summer's here to stay, and that sweet summer breeze will blow forever.
go down to the shore, kick off your shoes, dive in the empty ocean.
i plan on doing exactly that tomorrow.
here's a live video of the song, complete with a sweeeeet outro:

a dominican republic update is on its way, complete with pictures of the sweetest little kidlets you've ever seen. prepare for the adorableness.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

HOLA de Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic! I'm here on a mission trip, playing with the most gorgeous children, building a clinic, eating amazing mango, and sleeping out on the roof under the big Dominican sky. Check out updates at http://wpcdr09.blogspot.com, I don't have much time to update things and check email and whatnot.
Mucho Amor!!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

how it ends.

this past monday and tuesday, i was in washington, dc for how it ends - lobby days to end the longest running war in africa. it was sponsored by invisible children, resolve uganda, and the enough project, all of which are incredible organizations. i was blessed to hear from some amazing speakers, including luis moreno-ocampo, the prosecutor of the international criminal court; stephen lewis, former deputy of UNICEF and canadian ambassador to the UN; and john prendergast, humanitarian all-star, author, and all-around amazing guy. prendergast is one of my heroes, and i was able to meet him and talk to him about how to start my career as a social worker in international child welfare, which was kind of amazing.
this experience led to the following obsessions:
  • democracy! 1,600 of us had about 400 meetings with congressmen and staffers, and already the numbers of cosponsors on the bill we were lobbying for are skyrocketing. amazing!
  • live music! tuesday night we celebrated with a concert in front of the white house including bryce avary of the rocket summer, aaron gillespie of the almost and underoath, nada surf, and anthony green of circa survive and saosin. all of them were great, we danced like mad during bryce's set. parks and recreation officers shut us down before anthony green could play, so we moved down the street to a tiny park and he played completely unplugged in the middle of a crowd of sweaty kids. it was remarkable.
  • capitol hill in general. how everyone and everything there seems so important!
last but absolutely not least, "pride (in the name of love)", the U2 song, as sung by the soweto gospel choir.
we sang it to oprah in chicago:


and when they played it in DC, this happened:



such an amazing experience.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

i've written about how incredible zach williams is before, but his new album, "story time" was released two days ago and i've been listening to it nonstop. this album warrants another post. he's one of those live performers who is just amazing to watch, he's so passionate and energetic onstage... it's unreal. sometimes those performers don't translate well when recorded, but he's gotten it so right on this album. that passion was captured and comes through in every song. please buy it on itunes, check him out on myspace, and if you ever get the chance, GO TO A SHOW. seriously. since i first saw him last fall, i've been telling everyone "you gotta hear this guy."

Monday, June 8, 2009

i have made chocolate chip cookies from this recipe twice in the past couple of weeks and they are amazing, soft and delicious.
yesterday i went to visit my new apartment in brooklyn and i am in love with it. (background: i'm from new jersey but in september i'm starting grad school at NYU and moving to brooklyn.) i can't wait to grow plants on my balcony and make breakfast in my kitchen and decorate my bedroom, from the window of which you can glimpse the manhattan skyline.
i got mat kearney's new album, "city of black and white," recently. to be honest i haven't given the entire album the attention it deserves, mostly because i can't stop listening to the title track over and over. it's so beautiful.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

gratitude list!

today i am grateful for:
my rescue rider family
my seton hall family
cuban food
sangria
gorgeous views of the brooklyn bridge and east river
time spent reminiscing and chatting at an outdoor table at starbucks
nice weather!
sundresses
adorable children
serendipitous wandering
mraz-g.love-bushwalla-k'naan summer tour
sleeping with the windows open
those moments when can't help but exclaim, "i can't believe this is my life!!"

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

1. you have to check out the 4fives' blog. the 4fives are the members of a 4th and 5th grade self-contained special education class at a public school in brooklyn. they just started their blog and i love it! make sure to watch the video in today's post, it's guaranteed to make you smile.

2. today my boss and fellow intern gave me my graduation gift, a copy of jason mraz's polaroid photography book, a thousand things. it is WONDERFUL and i am so so grateful.

3. on my rescue-riding invisible children adventure, i saw more pairs of TOMS shoes than i have ever seen before. i've been wanting to order a pair for a while now, but can't decide on a color. seeing so many varieties in person made me sure that whichever i choose, they'll be awesome. also, TOMS has an awesome commercial with AT&T that always makes me smile.

4. i don't know how i went this long without hearing girl talk but after a 3am dance-party-in-the-car riding from munster, indiana to chicago with a group of kids from st. louis, i finally heard and I LOVE IT. i plan on playing girl talk for the next 5 days and having a continuous dance party until i graduate. so fun.

Monday, May 4, 2009

i am back from the biggest adventure of my little life thus far, with amazing new friends, hilarious stories, heaps of inspiration, and a renewed sense of passion. starting last saturday, i traveled from new york city to harrisburg, pa, to richmond, va to chicago, il, and back. the rescue was the most incredible thing, ever. we were on oprah. invisible children was the number one google search yesterday. 40 members of congress showed their support, and the obama administration made a statement about the LRA for the first time. we are getting things done! go to nightof.therescue.invisiblechildren.com and check out the updates, pictures, and video from this amazing event.
go to www.invisiblechildren.com to watch "the rescue", order some merch, make a donation, or leard more about what you can do to help uganda!

right before leaving penn station to start this crazy adventure, i saw this quote on a greeting card: "this is your world. shape it or someone else will." - gary lew

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

one track mind

once i get stuck on a cause, a subject, or anything - i don't let it go. (hello, i have a blog based on being obsessed with things.)
recently, i've been talking about invisible children like it's my job. i've also emailed rachel maddow, CNN, perez hilton, and faxed mayor bloomberg. (i'm an idealist, humor me and pretend that they may actually read these messages!) maybe my friends are a little annoyed, but they sure do know what's going on this saturday night in 100 cities around the world.

the event:
contact celebrities, media outlets, and politicians in your area. show up at your city's "abduction site" at 3pm on saturday. walk with everyone to the "LRA" camp. stay overnight until you are "rescued" by the media, politicians, and celebrities. once you're rescued, you can either go home or join a caravan to the next city that hasn't yet been rescued.

WHY THE HECK WOULD ANYONE DO THIS?


Search and Rescue from Invisible Children Europe on Vimeo.

"injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - MLK, jr.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

current obsessions:

1. play-doh. i bought a 4 pack at target for $1.89 and i can't believe i got such an amazing thing for less than 2 dollars. i'd almost forgotten how awesome the stuff is.

2. gorgeous weather. it was 77 degrees today! perfect day for ice cream and laying out in the grass with a book. there was a wedding on campus today and i kept thinking of how lucky the bride and groom must have felt having such a perfect day for their wedding.

3. country music. i was feeling nostalgic tonight, and country music always reminds me of home and family.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

i've been hanging out with invisible children roadies all evening... they came to campus to show their newest film, "the rescue", and talk about the upcoming event on april 25, happening in 100 cities worldwide. it was an inspiring and all-around awesome time.

check out the rescue - watch the video, sign up for the city nearest you and go! i'll be at the new york event... we made a video to send to anderson cooper tonight to try to get him there to rescue us... you know i want him to come.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

currently obsessing over:

-zach williams. saw him play at rockwood on saturday night and the guy is just tremendous.

-chicken salad sandwiches on multgrain bread. i just realized the cafeteria has both of these items. awesome.

-rooibos tea. mmmmm.

-boys in boat shoes. every guy should own a pair.

-apartment hunting. a couple friends and i are looking for a place in brooklyn or upper west side. we're visiting one this weekend, and i'm stoked!

-online-window-shopping for things to furnish said future apartment, mostly at ikea and target. this also includes lots of browsing the selby for inspiration.

-getting psyched for grad school. this also includes moments of "holy crap NYU is expensive" but more often it's "i can't believe i get to go to this school!"

-swell. i wanna do all my summer shopping here. cute and beachy!

Friday, March 27, 2009

it's been warm, sunny, and absolutely beautiful today. i ate delicious margherita pizza at the best brick oven pizza cafe ever for lunch, and enjoyed the sunny walk there and back with a wonderful friend. i am obsessed with good weather, good food, and good company.
i'm also obsessed with the summery playlist i've been playing nonstop since about a month ago - lots of jack johnson, dispatch, jason mraz, dave matthews band, john butler trio, tristan prettyman, and other mmm mmm good music.
i'm reading "the red book" by sera beak and LOVING it.
this past week has been hectic and stressful but this weekend is going to be just what i need. i'll be wandering the city and going to see zach williams play tomorrow night and it's going to be wonderful!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

i was listening to my fellow save-a-seed coalition blogger, jason mraz, the other day and his song "only human" reminded me of superforest's mission to save a seed with the millenium seed bank. read about it and donate if you're able! you can also join the save-a-seed coalition and blog about the millenium seed bank if you want to be super awesome. also, check out my fellow bloggers who are working on saving a seed! they are awesome.

Up in the major's tree, the one he planted back when he was just a boy, thinking 1923
Thirty meters and a foot, take a look, take a climb
What you'll find is the product of a seed
The seed is sown, all alone
It grows above, with a heart of love
Sharp and shelter of the animals of land and cold weather breathing
We're all breathing in

Sunday, March 8, 2009


i celebrated international women's day (thank you jason mraz, for reminding me of this fabulous holiday) appropriately by visiting cape may with my mom. we walked around town and on the beach and had a delicious lunch. i also visited one of my favorite women in the world, a woman i work with at my summer job who is like a grandmother to me. it was wonderful and i feel like one of the luckiest women in the whole wide world and i am so grateful to all of the talented, strong, kind, beautiful women in my life.

Saturday, March 7, 2009


i bought the big ole spring fashion issue of vogue today. i am not usually a big fan of vogue, it's generally too pretentious-high-fashion for me, and i prefer nylon or foam magazine. but! my girl michelle obama was looking fierce on the cover, and it's a huge issue so i figured there would be some pretty pictures. i was right! there is an editorial called "boy meets girl" with sasha pivovarova looking beautiful and fresh and happy. it's sooo summertimey and i love it. here's one picture i found, there are a few more at invogue. check it out in the supermarket checkout, it will make you want a fedora asap.
i'm also obsessed with the weather today! in the 60s and sunny! i'm going outside to read on my front porch!

Monday, March 2, 2009




i watched the "sex and the city" movie with my sister this weekend and realized (again) how absurdly gorgeous carrie's wedding gown is. can you imagine wearing something like that?! and with a bird on her head! i love it!










really i think i'd like a simple beach wedding in cape may, with me wearing something simple. i love j crew's wedding gowns. i sometimes daydream about having a huge, ridiculously extravagant carrie-bradshaw-style wedding, though. and then sometimes i daydream about not getting married at all, and instead having a big party where everyone dresses up and hangs out on the beach and drinks and dances. for someone who has little interest in being married, and especially not in the foreseeable future, i am oddly obsessed with weddings. it's probably the 8 year old "i wanna be a princess" little girl in me.

Friday, February 20, 2009

like i needed another reason to love twitter

i recently got a notification that relief beads was following me on twitter. the amazing thing about twitter is that i have no idea how people find me, but when they do it is AWESOME. otherwise i never would have heard about this amazing organization. they sell beautiful beaded bracelets handmade in africa to benefit the only women's center in darfur. i can't wait to order some. check them out - www.reliefbeads.org. clicky the gallery to see pictures of the beautiful women and children at the center in darfur.
i'm super grateful for relief beads and for twitter, tweet tweet tweet.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009


today in my perception class, we were talking about how the brain responds to music. we watched a video lecture in which the lecturer mentioned a study on how the brain reacts to music that gives people chills, how cool is that! i thought immediately of brandi carlile's "the story". it's incredible.
then i went to work, and in my inbox was a ticket alert about ms. carlile playing in new york. i googled the venue and found out it's a gorgeous concert hall at the society for ethical culture. i went through the ticketmaster runaround (those captcha letter things make me feel incredibly stupid) and ended up with a fourth row ticket! ahh! i will be witnessing this amazing woman's performance on april 4!

Sunday, February 15, 2009

spreading the love.

went into manhattan with a friend to spread the (biodegradable) love to soho early yesterday morning:it was a good time, despite the bitter cold. coffee and bagels at murray's afterward made it all worth it.

today i read this little bit of love on jason mraz's blog:
And as for the Best Male Pop Vocal Awesomeness, I’d like to acknowledge John Mayer for being so generous with his gifts in music, but also for being so outspoken regarding his admiration for I’m Yours. I am blessed just to participate in music, but even more blessed to do so at a time when the music community is so loving and encouraging. Thank you John. It is a great honor to be recognized by one’s peers. You deserve every bit of acclaim that’s out there. Hope to see you and your giant heart on the road again soon.

so i hopped on over to john mayer's site and found this:
I think Jason Mraz wrote, recorded and SANG one of the best songs of 2008, and I hope this makes it back to him...

my two favorite musicians showing some love for each other's work... fabulous!




Tuesday, February 10, 2009

love, love, love.

this morning i was watching music videos as i got ready for the day, and this new one from plain white t's came on called "1, 2, 3, 4". now i am well aware that this is probably one of the cheesiest love songs in existence, but i am completely in love with it! it's sweet and catchy and the video is made of 100% precious. it makes my heart feel all bouncy.



i am excited for valentine's day. this is strange to most of my friends because i am single and have no "valentine" in the traditional sense, but who says love is just for couples? i am all about sharing chocolate, love notes, and hugs with friends and family and loved ones of all varieties. i love love! that's why i love that video, it celebrates love in many forms - between not only couples, but brothers and sisters, friends, even dogs and their owners. toooooo cute.

my valentine's day morning will be spent in downtown manhattan doing a little project with newmindspace nyc. it is kind of secretive... but if you are available at 5:30am on saturday morning, let me know... or just stop by broadway anywhere between houston and canal around dawn on saturday morning. it should be amazing.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

comfort music

today i have been ricocheting back and forth from feeling like i can do anything to feeling like i can't keep up with everything going on in my life. what i want is a couple hours of a break to do some yoga and read, but since i don't have time for that i've got my "comfort food" playlist on repeat. it's a collection of songs that bring me instant comfort, slow my pulse and feel like the combination of a hug and a cup of tea. they change every so often, but right now these are the songs keeping me together:

1. 1,000 things - jason mraz
2. breathe in, breathe out - mat kearney
3. times - tenth avenue north
4. keep breathing - ingrid michaelson
5. when the time comes - the classic crime
6. a beautiful mess - jason mraz
7. carolina in my mind - james taylor
8. details in the fabric - jason mraz feat. james morrison
9. 3x5 - john mayer
10. everything'll be alright (will's lullaby) - joshua radin
11. the heart of life - john mayer

Monday, February 2, 2009

obsessing over...

1. the color red. i recolored my hair today and it is bright, bright, bright! the color i used this time was called "hot tamale red", haha! also the color red for the arizona cardinals! i know, i know, they lost. but! i picked them about a month ago for two reasons - they were the underdogs, and larry fitgerald is the cutest with his awesome hair and dazzling smile. i only really learned how to understand and appreciate football over winter break, and i think it's something i could get into! it was fun to root for the underdogs tonight.

2. green tea. as usual, but after the craziness of this weekend i am drinking it en masse to relax and detox.

3. yogatoday.com. i've been starting to get into yoga and i am loving it. this site puts up a new video every day. awesome!

4. the weather today - it was sunny and beautiful and a good 15-20 degrees warmer than it has been lately! i wore flip-flops just because i could, although i felt a little funny when i realized there was still quite a bit of snow and ice on the ground.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

diggin' on excitement.

i am so excited for so many things! one of my favorite people is celebrating her birthday tomorrow, and i can't wait to celebrate life with her. i'll be spending some time exploring the city with friends this weekend, and that is always a blast. the invisible children screening i'm organizing on campus is officially happening. i'm getting the ball rolling on a trip to the dominican republic this summer, to help build a church, play with some adorable kids, and enjoy time with new and old friends. i have actual spring break plans for once in my undergrad career - it's about time! i'm making plans to move to new york with friends next year, THAT is exciting. i'm almost ready to send off my second grad school application, also exciting.

i am obsessed with making exciting plans! i love having great things to look forward to.
oh, and as far as the present - i'm sitting in my bed with a cup of tea and books. lots of tea and books lately, i'm loving both. besides my reading for classes, i'm reading "the creative habit: learn it and use it for life" by twyla tharp, and it is quite good so far.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

k'naan

i've been obsessed with this guy since sometime this summer. i was watching a youtube video about a program in cape town, south africa, and i fell in love with the song they used as a soundtrack. after some googling, i found that the song was "in the beginning" by k'naan. he's a rapper from somalia, and i am super picky about rap music but k'naan is amazing. refreshing, fierce, and just all around incredible. i just checked his myspace and he's announced a release date for his next album (feb. 24!) and a US tour with a show in new york on feb. 25. I AM SO GOING TO THIS AND I CAN'T WAIT.
"in the beginning" isn't on his myspace page and it's too fierce to not share, so check out this youtube:


yes!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

saving seeds!

awhile ago one of my favorite blogs, superforest, had a post about the millenium seed bank. what in the world is a seed bank? that was my first question. they collect seeds and save them to keep plants from going extinct. if plants go extinct, we're never able to know what cool scientific developments they could have been used for, like medicine and who knows what else. this is kind of a clumsy explanation, you should probably check out superforest for a better one.

the reason for mentioning the seed bank is the fact that it's in big financial trouble. superforest is trying to raise $3,000 to save a seed. if you'd like to contribute, that would be amazing. if you'd like to pass the message about the seed bank on to your blog readers, or facebook friends, or whoever else, that would also be awesome.

in celebration of seeds and plants and all things green, check out this cool tree!

last tuesday, i may not have been at the inauguration, but i was blessed to celebrate the event at bowery ballroom with fiction family, jon foreman (switchfoot) and sean watkins' (nickel creek) new project. it was an incredible time, and i just watched the video for their first single, "when she's near" - it's adorable!

Fiction Family - When She's Near from ATO Records on Vimeo.

also, last night i finally finished reading "extremely loud and incredibly close" by jonathan safran foer. i read most of it while i was at home on break, but i put it down for the first couple weeks of class. i picked it back up last night and couldn't put it down until i finished. after, i was so shaken that i couldn't sleep for over an hour. it's really an amazing book and i recommend it to everyone. i will happily loan my copy to anyone who wants to read it. it's just so, so good.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

when i got an email from spring awakening about duncan sheik releasing a new album next tuesday entitled "whisper house", inspired by a forthcoming theatrical release, i was ecstatic. then i found this video for "earthbound starlight", a song from said album, and i was absolutely floored. it's BEAUTIFUL. breathtakingly, heartwrenchingly so.


Duncan Sheik - Earthbound Starlight (Official Music Video) - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Wednesday, January 21, 2009


obamicon.me is absolutely GENIUS! check it out, i wanna see more obamicons! i don't know if this is new or not but i just discovered it and i think it's the coolest ever.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

o-ba-ma!


on the first day of 2007, i was on my way back from a family vacation in the bahamas. on the plane, i had read an article about senator barack obama. i had never been into politics, but obama's vision and energy caught my attention. i remember telling my mom as we walked around miami's airport on a layover -
"can you help me look for a book? it's called 'the audacity of hope' and it's by barack obama."
"by who?"
"he might run for president."
"with a name like that?!"

i read about obama and the other candidates and weighed them all against one another, and decided to support obama, surprising a lot of my friends who assumed i'd support hillary clinton. in september of 2007, i stood in a crowd of over 20,000 in manhattan's washington square park at a rally. he spoke, and i had goosebumps, honestly. this photo is one i took that evening, an incredible moment that i am greatful to have been a part of.

i am so proud to call this man my president, and i cannot wait to see what he can do for not only this country, but this world. today i am so very proud to be a part of this nation and a part of this beautiful planet.

happy inauguration day!!!

Saturday, January 17, 2009


i got matt costa's album "unfamiliar faces" yesterday, and i'm loving it. this is the perfect soundtrack to keep me from being grumpy on days that are too frigid to do much beyond staying inside with books and something hot to drink.

one of my new year's resolutions is to practice yoga at least three days a week. i've done it twice this week, with help from the videos from yoga journal's website. they are easy to follow and so far my favorite pose is warrior II, and my least favorite is chaturanga dandasana (four-limbed staff pose, pictured.) my shoulders have been sore the day after both times i've practiced so far. it's a good kind of sore though, the kind that feels like i'm doing something for my body. i miss that from my dancing days.

tomorrow is a day i have been waiting for since october, the closing performance of spring awakening. i am incredibly sad to see such an amazing piece of art come to an end, this show has meant so much to me over the past two years. however, i'm so very greatful to have the opportunity to see the final performance. it will be an emotional day, to say the least. if you're not familiar with the show, listen to some of the music on the myspace page. i'd especially recommend "don't do sadness/blue wind". the show will go on through the national tour and various international productions, so see it if you can.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

awhile ago i came across the concept of ubuntu, and i was immediately fascinated. here is how desmond tutu explains the idea:

Ubuntu is a concept that we have in our Bantu languages at home. Ubuntu is the essence of being a person. It means that we are people through other people. We cannot be fully human alone. We are made for interdependence, we are made for family. When you have ubuntu, you embrace others. You are generous, compassionate. If the world had more ubuntu, we would not have war. We would not have this huge gap between the rich and the poor. You are rich so that you can make up what is lacking for others. You are powerful so that you can help the weak, just as a mother or father helps their children.

"We cannot be fully human alone." wow!

in completely unrelated news, i'm in love with this video:

Sunday, January 11, 2009

spirituality and dorkiness!

i found an awesome blog today! spiritual cowgirl is written by sera beak, an incredible woman who studies and experiences religion and spirituality and writes beautifully about the things she learns. she is basically living one of my dreams. i love her description of the difference between religion and spirituality, two closely related fascinations of mine: "I generally use the term “religion” to mean a structured socially-driven organization and institution with set belief systems, doctrines, rituals, and dogma. Spirituality is more self driven, intuitive, and personal. It recognizes that you don’t need religion to connect you to the divine, because it’s right inside you. You are free to know the divine through your own experiences, in your own way, under your terms, with no restrictive definitions. Spirituality is not about morals or rules, but about ethics and energy; it’s about recognizing the same spiritual essence in all people despite outer appearances or beliefs. You can be spiritual within or without organized religions." i dig it!

i am also obsessed with fresh starts. it's a new year, and tomorrow begins my last semester of undergrad. i love starting off fresh over and over again, it's one of the many things i love about being a student. new notebooks and folders (made of recycled materials so i don't feel so guilty about buying new ones) still excite me. yes, i know i'm a dork, and i love it.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

rooibos tea!


a few weeks ago, my mom and i went into philadelphia to see "a chorus line". she won tickets from a radio station, which was cool because everybody loves free stuff! before the show, we were wandering walnut street and popped into a store called "ten thousand villages", which i was ecstatic about because everything was fair traded from nations in africa, south america, and asia. so cool! they had gorgeous jewelry, pottery, little home-stuffs. it was fabulous and i wanted to buy everything. mom bought some crazy christmas earrings made in kenya, and this tea, organic rooibos from south africa. i had forgotten about it, but i started drinking it earlier this week and it is absolutely delicious! i'm going to go make a cup now... and i think i'm going to swipe a few bags to take back to school with me.

check out this tea and other products from equal exchange here.
and scope out the gorgeous whatsits on ten thousand villages' website.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

music doing good things!

one of my favorite bands, mae, just announced a new project for 2009 and i am in LOVE with it. visit their website for the complete details, but here's the basic idea: each month, they'll be releasing a song via digital download. you can get the song by donating $1 or more, and the donations will fund a variety of humanitarian projects, the first of which is to build a home for a family in virginia through habitat for humanity. how absolutely cool is that?! the first song, "the house that fire built", is up now. you can listen to it, donate, and download at mae's website.

Friday, January 2, 2009

friendship!

i've spent the last few days, including new year's eve and day, with two of my best friends. we spent most of our time together lying in bed, eating yummy food (chipotle! mmmm.) and watching, oh so appropriately, DVD's of friends. i am so greatful to have begun my 2009 surrounded by love and laughter.
i'm reading jonathan safran foer's extremely loud and incredibly close, which i have wanted to read for awhile now. i just started it, but i am loving it so far. this passage made me tear up a little in the middle of the borders' cafe - "We need enormous pockets, pockets big enough for our families, and our friends, and even the people who aren’t on our lists, people we’ve never met, but still want to protect. We need pockets for boroughs and for cities, a pocket that could hold the universe."

wishing you a 2009 with plenty of love, gratitude, and enormous pockets.