On presents

If I could, I'd spend over $100 on presents. Maybe when I can finally get a job...

I'm all about the bundle. The pack of little, normally inexpensive, but also normally meaningful or fun, gifts. Inside jokes or things the person once told me they wanted...

A cousin told me once that I'm a great gift-giver. I'm gonna cling to that compliment.

Today, I'm gonna be mailing two letters and a package, as well as ordering some gifts, but most gifts I'm gonna get while on holiday this winter. I'm itching to start now, though. I've been thinking I might give out cheap pre-Christmas Christmas presents now. Maybe a ton of playlists and cookies.

Until I can actually get the presents I want to get, I'll just daydream about what I could get people.

And study.

Right.

Finals this upcoming week, one lab final already passed

I'm gonna be studying a lot, too.

(Oh, yeah, did I mention I'm almost done with my first quarter in college now? That's a thing.)

Bikers

While I walk to and from classes, I watch the bikes.

I've only been doing this the last two or three days, because I've only had classes since Thursday, and, before that, before campus was busy and dangerous, I biked whenever I could (i.e.: before sundown).

Aside from enjoying seeing the different kinds of bikes, I like watching the riders themselves.

Unlike when walking, they're not really likely to be talking to people around them, even if they know them, and, unlike when walking, they're not in full control of their modes of transportation.

I like watching the varying levels of biking comfort, the looks on peoples' faces as they enter and exit bike circles, avoid pedestrians, cross streets, check their phones, look for a place to lock up. They're not pondering or deep in thought in the same way they may be while walking, while totally in control of their movement; they're thinking, on some level, about biking, at all times. "Turn, stop, slow down, speed up, look left, look right, crosswalk, turn." It's similar to when people drive, from what I've seen, but, unlike looking at other people in other cars, or even looking at someone driving a car you're in, watching people bike is... personal. Vulnerable. You can see their whole body, the subtleties of their movements, every exact and tiny reaction to every exact and tiny action, even those that are unintended. The glancing, the blank-mindedness, the full concentration that they give riding is relaxing, and peaceful, both when you're the biker and when you're watching the biker. And, I think, when you watch someone bike, see them bike by and react and predict and not really think about anything other than their current actions, and at most their very next action, you see a part of them that you don't often get to. You see them almost asleep, hibernating, so to speak, putting their personalities on pause to focus on their actions. They may be slack-jawed, or blank-faced, or maybe their brows are furrowed in concentration, or they're smiling, briefly awoken from the drowsy, near-sleeping state of whole, pure concentration by the presence of a familiar face, or by an expectation to respond with gratitude to kind passerby, fellow bikers, or drivers of cars.

I like that.

That's all.

Fictional reality

Every now and then, it's nighttime, and everyone, or almost everyone, I know has gone to sleep, and I'm still awake, and I'm surfing the internet, or reading a book, but I'm not fully absorbed into something, and my mind wanders, and I notice that I've begun to start picking at things in my life, that I've begun to start seeing problems where everything's fine or good or great, and I force myself to go to bed, I remind myself that it's never good to make rash decisions at 2 in the morning, that what I suddenly feel like I need to "fix" is most likely not even broken, but just seems like it is because it's dark and there are shadows and I can't see things clearly at night.
I think that won't happen as much once the school year starts as it has been happening lately. It didn't really happen last school year, or at least not enough for me to notice and realize what was actually happening. I think it's the free time, the freedom but the lack thereof that comes of not being able to drive, not yet having a working bike, not having many friends who are able to, much less are available to, drive me places.
It gets lonely up in my attic room, but it's so warm up there that I can barely be bothered to just walk down a few stairs to go see my mom or my grandmother, to call a friend, to do anything, and I know that the loneliness will pass if I just wait.
Waiting's not my ideal solution, but it'll do.

I finished Dollhouse earlier today. I'll have to find a new show now that I've finished Buffy and Firefly and Dollhouse. I'll have to find a new bit of fiction to suck me in and keep me from inventing problems that don't exist.

I like a little bit of fiction with my reality. Going too long without a dose of the impossible, without a story with witty characters who have their own "real" problems that may be made up but are still more real than the ones I come up with are, starts messing with me. I need help getting perspective. After all, at least I'm not responsible for an apocalypse. At least I haven't died twice and lost countless loved ones. At least I'm not a leaf on the wind.

Any TV recommendations?

Antsy, artsy, ranty

So, for the past week or so, I've had a post idea ready in my head... But there are still some things I need to do before I can make this post idea post-idea, if you will, and, when I say "I need to do" them, I mean "I'm waiting on them to be done." So, I've been sitting here, ready and a-waitin' to write that blog post, and it's still not ready, and, today, I realized, "Hey! It's been a week since I last blogged! Why?"
Well, I've been waiting on those things to get done.
Each day, I've thought, "Oh, I'll be able to post it tomorrow! I'm sure everything'll be ready then!"
...Nope. A little frustrating, but oh, well.

So, finally, I'm giving up on having that post be this post. That post will happen, but it won't happen now.

Get it?
Got it?
Good.

So, I've been having this antsy "I wanna take pictures and get them developed and do stuff!" thing going on today, as well as an "Ow, why am I so sore? I worked out in the morning yesterday! If this was gonna happen, it should have happened sooner!" thing and an "Aaah, good mornin - it's 1 p.m.. By the time I get around to doing anything, everything will be closed. Give up now." thing going on, and, as a result, I'm mildly irritable and generally a little frustrated. I was worse earlier in the day, though, and, having eaten some an hour or two ago, I'm feeling a bit better, and I've gone from "I can't do anything!" to "I'm gonna do stuff anyways!"

I'll probably do some yoga or some light workout later, and then watch Dollhouse, and then read for maybe two hours, and then go to sleep, but, who knows? Maybe I'll do more.

Here, have a playlist post I put up on tumblr. I figure, since I've secretly always wanted to be a radio DJ, I might as well work on makin' some playlists, right? If I wanna do it (be a radio DJ), I've gotta goshdarn do it!

Sorry this post is so scattered! I'm sure that post will be much better!
What would you five think about me starting up occasional fitness-related posts?

She works hard for the money

So, I recently (accidentally) got a job as a math tutor, and more specifically a statistics tutor, and, my last two/first two sessions were pretty much fine, and at longest 2 hours, but today's session was 3.5 hours, and I. Am. Exhausted.

My cat woke me up 45 minutes before my alarm was meant to go off, and then caused trouble until I pulled myself out of bed.
I ate toast and drank some poorly made coffee.
I got ready, and headed on over.
And we worked on stats.
And worked on stats.
And worked. On. Stats.

I came home, ate (my stomach had been growling so much the last half hour of the session!), and curled up in bed... for about ten minutes, after which I had to move on to my next engagement (which is going on right now, and isn't tutoring or anything I shouldn't be online for, I promise).

After this (two hours from now), I'm gonna work out, sleep, watch some Dollhouse, read, and do some interior design-y things, and not necessarily in that order.

So far, all I've bought with money from my new job is a book, Notes From A Coma by Mike McCormack, which I have yet to start.

Speaking of books I have yet to start, because I got into a certain program at my school, I have to read two books over the summer, and have just recently found out what they are, and have yet to even think too hard about starting them. They sound interesting! I just haven't gotten started on them yet.

My summer will be ending soon, and I've only got so many days left to get done everything I've been planning to do. I know some of the things on my summer bucket list won't happen, but I'm hoping I can cross at least a few things off soon.

Do any of y'all have anything you're trying to squeeze in in these last few weeks of summer?

Another picture from that little camping trip I keep going on about.

ALSO, do any of you have an Instax camera? I've been wanting one for a while, but I'm wondering if they're worth the price and if they live up to the hype.

Things I try to do/things I will do when I can do them more easily

I make lists. Like, all the time. So, here's a list of things I want to do/will do/already do, and, more specifically, a list of things that make me feel good and productive and pampered.

• Make lists (including "to-do" lists that I actually can cross things off of).
• Read (fiction, non-fiction, news articles, blog posts, etc.).
• Find/try something new (a book, a band, a blog, a website, a place, an activity, a recipe, etc.).
• Make something (a drawing, a painting, a song, a cover, a poem, a short story, a screenplay, a blog post, etc.).
• Drink tea (and, more specifically, make loose-leaf tea, because of the extra effort it takes).
• Paint my nails (something I never get around to doing!).
• Work out (ideally: swim laps).
• Put aside the time to watch a movie or an episode of a TV show in one sitting, with no/minimal interruptions (I haven't been doing this much lately! I think I will today! Do you have any recommendations?).
• Cook something from scratch (with a new or old recipe).

What do you guys do/want to do to feel good and/or productive and/or pampered?

Longer blog post coming soon!

Things I'm loving...

Hi! So, as it's currently pretty darn late at night and I'm tired and not really entirely with it, I apologize if this post isn't too great, but... I'm gonna try writin' it, anyways!

• Welcome to Night Vale: Welcome to Night Vale is a ridiculous and funny and clever podcast that is made up of fictional radio broadcasts from a radio station in an unusual desert town.
• Dorm Design: I recently went through all 68-or-so pages of this blog, looking at the pretty pictures for interior design inspiration. The blog features not only dorm room interior design, but also that of small apartments and studio apartments.
• Tapestries, like this one: I've seen some really cool dorms with tapestries hanging in them, and some with tapestries being used to make canopies. (Not loving? The price.)
• Frames: I've recently bought 9 different frames from thrift stores to use in my room next year (and in years to come after). Now I just need pictures to put in them!
• Lattes: I never really had lattes until recently, when, after hearing a woman order a vanilla latte (which isn't on the menu) at my local coffee shop, I decided to try something similar, and ordered an iced hazelnut latte. It was great, and, a few hours later, I got another latte (an iced coconut latte, this time). One of my friends got an iced almond-coconut mocha, hoping it would taste like an Almond Joy (it did!).

Have you heard of Welcome to Night Vale? If so, do you like it? If not, I highly recommend it! It's pretty darn great. Do any of those lattes sound good to you? What's your favorite caffeinated beverage?

7 years

A few days ago, I saw my best friend for the first time in 7 years. We met 8 years ago.

It was surreal and confusing, and it took us a while to get used to each other, especially because, for the first two of the three days, we didn't have much time alone, but we eventually adjusted.

We were in a big ole city not too far from where I live, and we did all the tourist-y things I'd never gotten around to doing. My calves were killing me by the end, and they still have yet to fully recover, but at least I can manage walking downstairs again.

I normally take things slower when I'm on vacation, but I did really enjoy seeing how much my best friend and her family took on in just three short days. We hit most of the many tourist spots in the city. We were out of the hotel by maybe 10 at the latest every day, didn't get back until 10 or 11 at night, and spent only maybe 1 of those 12 or more hours sitting down, and all the rest hiking and walking and running across the street right before the lights changed. While I was exhausted by the end of it and came home ready to sleep for a month, I felt like I'd gotten a lot out of the trip. Still, I think I'll take things a little bit slower when I travel on my own in the future.

Speaking of travelling on my own in the future, on tumblr, I've been reblogging and tagging pictures that come up on my dashboard of places I want to go and things I want to do (camping, hiking, etc) as places and nature, and I'm just constantly daydreaming about going on camping trips and staying in lake cabins and hiking up into the hills and mountains and coming across little rivers and big lakes and swimming and relaxing and eating food cooked on a campfire and wandering through a new city and listening in on the conversations of locals and peeking into shops and sniffing the air around restaurants... But I've only done a few of those things this summer, and not very often. I'm working on it, though! Since I (finally) have a long summer, I intend to squeeze in as many adventures as possible before I leave to start college (almost two months from now!).

And, speaking of college: I'm still as excited as I was before! While I was in the city, I passed by a sidewalk sale, and almost all of the things I'd been looking for while thrifting were just sitting there, cheap and available right in front of me... and I didn't get 'em. Darn.

I'll leave y'all (5 of you now! Thank you!) with these pictures from a recent hiking/sort-of-camping trip.

Thrifty

So, I'll be living in a dorm room next year, and I've spent the last few years daydreaming about decorating one of those. However, I don't have the most money, and I don't want to buy temporary pieces of "furniture" that are just petroleum products, so I've decided I'm gonna get as much as I can from thrift stores. Since my dorm room comes with a desk and a chest of drawers and a wardrobe (or at least I think it comes with both a chest of drawers and a wardrobe, but there isn't a straight answer anywhere online, so we'll see), I don't need to get too much, but there are a few things that I want/think could be useful.

Like what things, Violet? Tell us about your decorating plans!

Well, I'm glad you asked!

So far, I've bought 7 frames, and I already had 3, and I've bought a glass teapot that I'm either gonna scrub for days and then use as a teapot or use as a planter. The 7 frames and the teapot came in at about $7, which was pretty much lovely. So far, I know I'm gonna frame this, this, and I'll probably type up, print out, and frame the simple text: "That wasn't very thug of you." I've also considered buying some pretty floral paper, cutting out the letters of "YOLO," and gluing them to the paper, but I'm not sure. I'm also going to frame a picture of my best friend, my boyfriend, and possibly old pictures of my parents, separately/my parents and I.

But that's still not 10 pictures!

Yes, that's true, but I've also got my eye on a few prints online, and, if she'll let me, I'll probably frame a doodle of my mom's (she's just casually a fantastic artist, especially while on the phone, for some reason).

Oh, I see! Are you thinking about any other wall decorations? I mean, for a whole wall, 10 frames doesn't seem like much...

Indeed, I am! I've taken some pretty pictures of the outdoors, and a few of pretty houses, and added reassuring text on over them, and I plan to print them out. I haven't decided yet if I should get frames for them, too, but, if I do, I'll have to get quite a few more, and preferably small, simple, black ones to compliment the darker tones in the pictures. If not, I'll just pin them up somehow, but I think they would probably look better framed. Of course, I could also always make simple black paper "frames" to make them look classier for now, but we'll see. I also have several posters up around my room now, but I won't be able to bring all of them. I'm thinking I'll bring either just my two small ones (one for Fright Night and one from the Tour de Nerdfighting 2012/The Fault in Our Stars tour), or I'll bring those two, my Beatles poster, Back to the Future poster, and atlas poster. We'll see... If my impression is correct and part of my wall is purely cork-board, that'll come in handy, too, for pinning up a few photographs that I don't want to frame. I'd also like to put up a thin tapestry, but I'm not sure if I'll really have room to hang it up, so we'll see about that, too.

What else?

Well, I've got three strings of twinkle lights, but I'll probably only bring at most two of them. I'll probably bring some of my books, which I can store in the shelves that are attached to some of the furniture. Also, I'd like to get some kind of small silver platter from a thrift store, which I can put beauty/jewelry/everyday items on to keep myself organized. I plan to be pretty organized, so things that'll help with that were things I was lookin' hard for when I went thrifting the other day, but I didn't come across much. The most promising thing I found was $20, so I decided to wait on it and maybe go back and look around there again in a few days. I do have two small vinyl boxes that, I hope, will fit into the drawers in my desk, so I can use one for pens and pencils and the like and the other for beauty items. I'll look for a kind of a box to put the art supplies I use a little less often than I use simple pens and pencils during the school year in, so I can keep them organized and separate. I've considered getting a cupcake stand to put things on, but I'm not sure if that would keep me more organized or just get in the way, as, in such a small space, I could see it doing either. And, if I use those two boxes or a simple silver platter, what would I put on it? I could hang necklaces off the top, and put any other jewelry I decide to use on the top tier, and gloves or sunglasses or the like on the bottom tier, I suppose... We'll see, I guess. I have an old hat box from my grandmother that I've been considering bringing to hold some things, but I've got the same concern there, about it possibly getting in the way. I've also considered getting a pretty mug or something to fill with stones and then stick my pens and pencils in. I've also considered getting a pretty bowl to use organizationally, and I found a few really cute ones while thrifting, but here's the problem: what would I put in them? I don't want them to just be sitting there... So I need to think of what I'll actually use them for before buying them, I think.

Wow... You have a lot of ideas...

Tell me about it.

How about more decorative items that won't be, ya know, hung up?

Well, I've got a succulent that'll be, I suppose, decorative. I also have a potted plastic artichoke that I got from Target ages ago that I might bring. If I decide to use the teapot as a planter, it'll be decorative, too. I've got some vases that I might bring, as well. I've got some cute mugs that I've been given as gifts that, when not in use, will probably be pretty decorative. Other than that? To be honest, I'm not sure. Huh. I mean, not all the frames will be hung: some will be sitting on my desk or on shelves, but... To be honest, I'm guessing a lot of open space won't be so, erm, open when I've got all I need there, so I'm not paying too much attention to getting decorative standing knick-knacks that aren't also useful. I mean, whatever sheets I get to fit the twin xl beds will be decorative, in a way, I suppose, though they'll probably be pretty plain. I'm probably just going to bring some blankets from home rather than buy new ones, and they're pretty pretty. I will probably buy some new pillows and pillow cases, though, so I wanna get some cute ones. I might try to make some, actually, if I can ever get to a fabric store to get some pretty, soft fabric.

Is that it?

Well... Yes.

Oh, okay. Will you let us know if you come up with anything else? And will you show us the finished product when you move in in the fall?

Oh, of course!

Thank you, Violet! You're so sweet and pretty and funny.

Aw, shucks. You're too sweet. I'll talk to you again soon.

Okay! Bye!

A strange sort of inspiration

This is a picture I took on a recent impromptu "camping" trip. It's not related to anything in this post: I just kinda like it.

I've been staying up long past midnight the last two nights, hit with sudden bursts of creativity (and admittedly some fear that someone's trying to break into the house, which is something that I deal with every time it gets late enough that I'm the only one in the house still up and about).

I've written four songs, done some typographical quotation artwork, started following maybe half a dozen new interior design blogs, and, today, started a screenplay for a short film*.

I also haven't left the house since Friday, though. I figure I should at some point before Wednesday, when I start my new job as a math tutor, and then head off the next day to see my best friend of 8 years for the first time in 7 years (!!!). I probably won't, though.


After finishing all of Buffy, I enjoyed not being in the middle of watching anything for a while, but, lately, I've been thinking I'd quite like to finish Dollhouse, and I've realized there are a few supposedly classic modern movies that I've never seen, so I've been compiling a mental list of things to watch. Let's make it not-so-mental, shall we?

Movies (and one show) I want to see/finish for the first time:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Dead Poets Society
Dollhouse
Sophie's Choice
Schindler's List
Fight Club

The Sixth Sense

The Pianist

Melancholia

The Terminal Man

Capricorn One

The Andromeda Strain

Minority Report

The Corporation

Movies I want to rewatch:

Princess Mononoke

12 Monkeys

Blue Gold

Have any movie/show recommendations for me? Do we share to-watch movies? Also, have you heard this cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Fleet Foxes?

*Writing a screenplay for a short film by the end of the summer is on my to-do list.

A headband, a coffee shop, and weird candies (and a playlist!)

Hello, gentle readers.*

So, I don't fancy myself a fashion blogger, but I've decided it's okay to occasionally indulge the part of me that's always wanted to be a fashion designer, that made a full fashion design portfolio a few years ago, and that did a big presentation on just what it means to be a fashion designer, by making it okay to post outfits I like well enough.

Today, it wasn't really my outfit that I liked so much as it was the hair-do I decided to try out. I'd seen a girl at orientation with a similar hairstyle, but her short hair made it look cooler and edgier than my long only-ever-been-cut-thrice hair is capable of looking in up-do's. Still, I liked how it looked, and I especially liked how cool it kept me in this heat. I'd forgotten how much cooler I felt (in temperature, haha) with my hair off my neck in the summer. I think I might actually do things with my hair occasionally from now on, then...! Shocking and terribly interesting, I know.

Ooo, iPhone quality! Yay!

Today, aside from doing a hair thing**, I went to the local coffee shop and met a friend there, and we talked and we got coffees and we looked at stuff on my laptop and it was a nice, relaxing way to spend the afternoon. He left, and I read some of Starship Titanic while I waited for my ride home***. If you haven't heard of Starship Titanic, and, if you like Monty Python or anything by Douglas Adams, I think it's the book for you. Based on a storyline by Douglas Adams, and written by Terry Jones, it's silly and ridiculous and fun and absorbing. Terry Jones has a blunt, dry way of stating ridiculous things that's similar to Douglas Adams' writing style, but is just a little bit less wordy. I'm not very far in it (I've been busy!), but I already kinda love it.

Not related to the coffee shop or the book, but related to the picture above this one: I just recently found these sandals in my house, and they're some of the only sandals in my house, and certainly the best-fitting ones I've ever been able to find here. So I've claimed them. I don't know whose they were before, but they're mine now.

While my friend and I were looking up silly things on my laptop, we came across "Milk Bottle" gummies. They're (apparently) milk-flavored gummies, and they're made by Haribo (and by several other candy companies). Apparently, there's a big-enough market for milk-flavored candy that more than one company has decided to invest money in its production, which is... weird. And also kinda great. And I'm gonna buy some. They may be awful, but I need to try them.****

When I went to orientation, I got on the college radio station's email list. I've always secretly***** wanted to be a radio DJ, but I have no idea if I'd be any good. Regardless, though, I've made a playlist as, I suppose, practice. I may decide I don't really want to be a radio DJ, but maybe I'll get really into it and do it professionally. Probably not, but who knows?

Anyways, here's an on-the-spot playlist:

Whistle For The Choir - The Fratellis

Diane Young - Vampire Weekend

Rock It for Me - Caravan Palace

Lady In Spain - Ingrid Michaelson

Crave You - Daniela Andrade (cover)

Let Her Go - Passenger

*Actually just made myself shudder. Also, I have no way of knowing whether or not you're gentle. You could be vicious, for all I know.

**Yes, good use of the English language, Violet.

***I started Driver's Ed last summer... and never finished it. And, since then, for various reasons, I've become scared of driving. How about I just get a rowboat and row everywhere? Would that be okay with everyone? Wait, no: Nevermind. I don't care what the answer to that is. I'm gonna get a rowboat and just row everywhere I need to go. Transportation problem solved.

**** There are also "Milkshake" gummies!

*****Not so secretly now that I'm blogging about it, but...******

******Are my footnotes getting out of hand? Is 6 too many?*******
*******I don't care.

Liebster award!

I was nominated for the Liebster Award, which helps bring recognition to up-and-coming blogs with under 200 followers. I was nominated by Nicole of Elegance With A Touch Of Glitter (thank you!). Nicole has a really neat blog, with DIY and fashion and beauty and some college advice (love it!), and lots of pretty pictures!

This post explains that there is no real award... The Liebster award essentially appears to be a way to suggest new blogs to other people, and to find blogs with smaller audiences. (So, I suppose, if you're nominated, you've "won.")

Rules:

1. You must link the blogger who nominated you.

2. You must list 10 random facts about yourself.

3. You must answer 10 questions given to you by your nominee.

4. You must choose 10 bloggers (who all have less than 200 followers) to be nominated for the award.

5. You must come up with 10 questions for the nominees to answer.

6. Once you have done this you must go to their blog and let them know you have nominated them for this award.

Random Facts:

1. I have a cross-eyed cat named Kitty. One of my covers features many clips of her.
2. I've moved maybe 7 times.
3. I've gone to maybe 9 schools.
4. I think I want to major in Animal Science, Environmental Science, Hydrology, or Atmospheric Science, with a double major in Film Studies... But I'm not sure yet!
5. I love everything Joss Whedon!
6. I love interior design and daydream about decorating all the time.
7. I really, really, really love rowboats and have since the first time I rowed one, when I was maybe 8 or 9.
8. Even though my name is Violet, my favorite color is blue. (Violet is my second favorite color, though!)
9. For a few years in elementary school, I was a complete tomboy and call myself Joe Tuxedo ("Private Eye"). 
10. I went to the Tour de Nerdfighting (The Fault in Our Stars Tour) 2012! I have two signed copies of The Fault in Our Stars!

Questions:

1. What are your 3 favorite makeup items?

Boudoir Eyes from Too Faced, Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter, and a marbled eyeshadow from MAC that I got as a gift and is no longer sold in stores!

2. What is your favorite store to shop in?

Ooo, toughie... I try to avoid stores that clearly only sell imported goods, for humanitarian reasons, but that's not always possible. I like thrift stores, because I feel good about re-using things, but, when I need something new, I normally go to Target.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The Shetland Islands! Specifically Lerwick! I've been there before, but I just love it. I also want to go to Australia, though!

4. Tea or coffee?

Oh, another toughie! I guess tea, but I've recently found a few coffees I like, too.

5. Do you have any pets?

Yes! See random fact #1!

6. If you could have any job, what would it be?

I'd love to work on something with Joss Whedon, but I'd also love to be in a position to help solve some of the big environmental and humanitarian problems we're facing.

7. What is your favorite dessert?

Frozen yogurt or cheesecake!

8. Do you collect anything? If yes, what is it?

No! I used to collect pins, Pokemon cards, and rubber bracelets, but not anymore!

9.  What is your favorite season?

Winter, but I love all the seasons for different reasons! (Rhymes!)

10. Describe your music taste.

I like "indie" acoustic music, and oldies, but I also love Ke$ha, so...

Nominees:

1. Amy from Seafoam Eyes.
2. Heidi from acciolondon.
3. Natalie from a natalie moment.
4. Alex from Where The Fancy Things Are.
5. Kaylie from word doodles.
6. Lina from from lina.
7. Mayte from anchors.
8. Victoria from The Best Deceptions.
9. Shelby at shelbyisms.
10. Maggie at marvelous meandering.

Questions:

1. What's your ideal breakfast?
2. Big city or small country town? Why?
3. Sunset or sunrise? Why?
4. If you could be any animal for an hour, what animal would you be, and why?
5. Have you ever left your country? If so, where did you go? If not, would you like to? Where would you like to go?
6. What's your favorite TV show, movie, or book, and why?
7. What's your favorite blog?
8. What's your favorite plant? Why?
9. What is your favorite item of clothing? Why?
10. What is your favorite element? Why?

And, now, to let my nominees know they've been nominated!

EDIT: Leaving those comments felt really awkward... Sorry, nominees! Haha.

I done got orientated

I had college orientation from Monday to Tuesday and I'm so excited! I've registered for classes, I've gotten on the marching band email list (I'm considering joining), the radio station email list (I've always dreamed of DJ-ing, but I could also just volunteer some other way), I've asked questions, I want to work on the student farm, in the dining commons, with student housing, as an orientation leader... I want to take this animal science class where I could just work with goats or sheep or cows for three hours, and then talk to their full-time care-taker for an hour, once a week. I wanna join the feminist club and the swing club and maybe s'more clubs. I wanna take kick-boxing classes and swimming classes (so I can finally have GOOD FORM!) and ballet classes at the recreation center. I wanna take a class on water pollution and air pollution and film-making and women's studies. I wanna volunteer in the Sexual Assault Prevention Center and the Women's Resources Center. I wanna ask the lady who came to speak for the Sexual Assault Prevention Center if she's heard of the awesome Vlogbrother-founded YouTube channel Sexplanations, because I think it could be a good resource to suggest to students who don't maybe have the time or guts to go in in person to ask their questions. I wanna take a class by her, if she's a professor (she said something about teaching a class). I wanna use the late-night study rooms. I wanna take part in dorm-wide shenanigans. I wanna do well in classes. I wanna do really well in classes. I wanna eat healthy and be healthy and be strong and be stronger. I wanna get better at biking. I wanna use all the machines at the gym. I wanna maybe take Zumba or a spin class or a yoga class, or at least try them out free for a week, just to see what all the hype is about. I wanna maybe participate in an open mic (and I wanna do an acoustic cover of a Ke$ha song there). I wanna bike and run around the Arboretum. I wanna make friends -- good, fun, close friends. I wanna go to football games (and maybe march with the band for some) and get super into it and be a part of the school spirit club and forget that idea that to be enthusiastic is stupid and dorky and embarrassing, because, ya know what? Being enthusiastic is damn cool. And it's fun.

I wanna do stuff.

So, I'm gonna do stuff.

The end

I just finished Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like, finished finished. All 7 (televised) seasons. It was great, and it was sad, and the finale made me cry kind of a lot, and I'm sad that I got to the end of it (as well as a bit proud), and I don't know what else to say about it.

Wait, no, here's one thing: (BEWARE OF SPOILERS)

so, by the time it was explained that all potential skaters everywhere were given power, I was already crying, but that made me cry harder. The finale (and the entire show) was bursting with female power, and it was so sweet and empowering and I loved it. Joss Whedon is fantastic.

When once asked why he always wrote such strong female characters (Buffy, River, Willow, Zoe, Inara, Kaylee, etc), he replied, "Because I'm still being asked that question."

I will leave you with some pretty pictures from a lake I went to this weekend.

A fair, a hike, and a birthday

A few days ago, some friends and I went to our local fair, and spent the day going on rides (the easy, slow ones for me, the more, um, adventurous for some of my friends). We must have gone on the ferris wheel half a dozen times! I eventually got comfortable enough with the heights and the surprising speed of the wheel that I could pull my legs up in my seat, as shown in the second picture.

A few days after that, a friend and I went hiking. It wasn't a very long hike, but it was a nice one. We hiked, tried geocaching, ate some nice food, played tennis, I rolled down a hill, and then we went swimming for a while and called it a day.

And, yesterday, I turned 17. I didn't do too much. Woke up late, had breakfast, eventually went shopping with my mom and grandmother. They bought me some staple items I've needed or wanted for a while (better toothpaste, new razors), and I got myself a salad and a bowl of banana cream pie/"yellow" cake batter frozen yogurt, and we headed home. It wasn't a terribly exciting birthday, but it was still a very nice one.

I was only asked once if I "felt" 17. I'm not really sure how I feel. Nervous, maybe, because I'm growing up? I'm going off to college in the fall. Soon, I'll be a legal adult.

Life stuff is scary.

How are you?

My first follow-through

In my last post, I promised I'd post pictures of my popsicle-making attempt, and, lo-and-behold, here are those pictures! (I'm not done with the bag yet... I'll finish it someday soon! Hopefully...)

So, I used organic lemonade, frozen blueberries, and organic raspberries to make these. I poured in some lemonade first, and then added three or four (microwaved) frozen blueberries, and one or two (ripped-up, not whole) raspberries to the molds. That was not a good idea. Not knowing how much room the berries would take up, I had poured in too much lemonade, and it came pouring out of the molds onto the table when I tried to put the tops on. Whoops!

Look at that beauty! They look better than they taste, I've decided. I mean, don't get me wrong: they taste great! I just think they'd taste better without the raspberries. They added a sort of, erm, chewy quality to the popsicles that I didn't really love. The blueberries, meanwhile, were great, in my opinion, though they were a taste on their own, separate from the lemonade... I'd like to try making smoothie popsicles next (bananas, blueberries, and either milk or yogurt sound like they could combine to make good smoothie popsicles to me!).

Let me point out that I know that doing a review/how-to of these isn't really necessary, as making them is pretty straight-forward, but, hey, this is my first foray into the world of a) putting pictures in posts and b) talking about things I've made in a how-to-y manner in posts. More (and most complex) posts meeting those categories to come, though, I think!

Listening to: Diane Young - Vampire Weekend

Watching: Buffy the Vampire Slayer season six (just finished the season last night!)

Wanting: to be swimming or hiking

Looking forward to: going on a big road-trip on Sunday, and going to the fair tomorrow

A playlist and a promise

I, Violet Lastnamehere, hereby declare that I will post pictures of the finished product of my current sewing project, even if said finished product is horribly ugly and a complete disaster and actually not really even finished, assuming something goes wrong partway through and I just give up.

I'm making a bag with bunting-like accents hand-sewn on, for my mom, and I'm not using a pattern or anything, and I just really hope it's not too horrifically ugly. I mean, I'm using old shirts and old khaki pants to make it, so it's probably not going to be *~*gorgeous*~* or anything, but, still. Hopefully it'll turn out okay (or cute, even!).

Furthermore, I, Violet Lastnamehere, hereby declare that, when I'm finally able to get my hands on some damn popsicle molds, I will post pictures of the strawberry and lemonade popsicles I've been wanting to try making for the past 24 hours, even if they, too, turn out horribly.

I will now leave you with a link to this playlist, which I love even though I haven't listened to everything on it yet (it's huge!). It's by the girl who runs this tumblr, which is the best.

Compensating and self-motivating

Two posts in one day after months of radio silence? What?

Alright, it's possible I'm trying to make up for all those days and weeks and months during which I went about my merry way with no recollection whatsoever of this little old blog.

But here's the thing: I said in my earlier post that I couldn't promise I'd keep posting on this blog. Well, I'm still not gonna promise anything, but I came to this sudden realization after that last post and before this one that blogger and the blogs I follow really inspire me to do stuff. I mean, after writing and publishing that post, I looked through a few blogs I liked (and a few I have mixed feelings about but still like to turn to for inspiration), and then I suddenly decided I wanted to sew stuff. Now, last summer, I'd look at blogger a lot, and I'd get really, really inspired to do things. I wouldn't always go through with actually doing those things, but I'd at least be inspired to think about them. So, today, I decided I wanted to sew. So I started sewing. I'm nowhere near done with this, my first project (a bag with bunting-like accents for my mom), but I've started, and that's more than what I've been doing while hiding from the heat and recovering from the school year.

I think I'm done recovering! Or, at least, I'm gonna try to be. I'm gonna do stuff and have fun and be creative and be productive and that's that!

Or, well, we'll see.

And I'm gonna keep posting, I think. I'll post things about my projects, about artistic things I've done, purely wordy posts like my old ones, update/thought posts like this one, and maybe I'll even post some things I've written.

Again: we'll see.

Whoops!

Wow, I'd actually forgotten about this blog entirely!

So, since we last spoke (well, since I last spoke to you), I've finished applying to colleges, I've heard back from colleges, I've decided on a college, I've won prom queen, I've graduated, I've gotten scholarships, I've gone swimming, I've gone dancing, I've done covers, I've been happy, I've been unhappy, and I've been happy again.

What've you been up to?

Summer's started, and I haven't done an enormous amount so far. That's going to change, though! I'm going to make lists and plans and go hiking and camping (I've never legitimately gone camping for more than a night) and go swimming and go biking (and get a bike) and take pictures and paint and write and film.

What do you want to do this summer?

(Look at me, asking questions as if I have more than two followers, and as if either of them remember me.)

That's all for now, folks*.


*I'm not going to promise I'll keep posting on here... Sorry!