Goddamn glam

La fille en Rose se rencontre Burberry

Irresistible. Expensive. British... j'adore mes nouvelles lunettes de soleil.

Behind the scenes

We drank virgin mojitos and hung out on the roof while waiting for the party (already an hour late) to arrive. After the party was over we went to our friend's new place and had a bonfire, wine, & pizza. My job & the people I work with couldn't be more amazing. Why do I complain so much when I constantly have moments like these? New rule: No more bitching about work. Also, more mojitos on the job (virgin or otherwise).

I used to be in love

Having recently seen a film on Paris, love, & love in Paris (loving Paris) I've thought a lot about my own love, a former love. It's strange to me now to no longer be in love, there is certainly some kind of palapable void (is this possible?) in my life. I know I am without love, but this is not something I like to mention with a casual ease. I used to be in love...I hate writing that in the past tense. Although I am glad that what was no longer is, I find myself missing the idea of love more then ever. (I miss that constant spark of excitement.) I hate thinking to myself, I used to be in love...I used to be in love...I used to be in love...

(I'm not any more)

The afterlife of students

Lately my life has felt like a bad re-run. I've only had two days off (no more school, no work, my roommates gone, Friend moved) and already I'm stir crazy. It literally only took me two days to go completely batty. I can't handle having nothing to do ('free time' as normal people call it). Yesterday I sat at home bored out of my mind all day (in my own defense it was raining) making lists of things I should have been doing. It was a complete nightmare...I have so much 'free time' on my hands that I've become annoying to myself. I don't know what to do with myself but I feel like being alone in a room for more then one day at a time is toxic.

Luckily today was better. I woke up fairly early and went over to a friend's. We made a delicious summer salad (mixed field greens, grapefruit slices, red onion, pistachios, and a simple vinaigrette...it was divine.) and hung out much of the afternoon. I then scurried home to get ready for work. Perfect. Days like today are just what the doctor ordered. All this sitting around with nothing to do (or plenty to do but no motivation to do it) has caused me to become the world's most lazy-unaccomplished-lame-dull-obnoxious-pathetic girl on the planet (a hard-earned title which I hope to dismantle one insulting word at a time). But I guess I should end this post before I deface myself any more (or continue to shamelessly use parentheses every other sentence).

Of, or pertaining to, Greatness

She is the best of the best. Someone who knows absolutely everything about me & will still listen when I tell more. She knows all my quirks and insecurities. She accepts me as I am, likes me when I'm me. A source of so much strength. She knows when I lie and tells me truth when I need to hear it. She knows when I'm down, She can hear it in my voice. She laughs at all my jokes. She is just like me, but She's still She...which I think I love the most. I'm me, She's She. Together We're 'We'...We make a really great We. She knows me well, We know each other well. We know We know each other well. Even though She had to go...I'm glad to know She's living the life She always wanted to. She makes me proud everyday. They'll never be another She for me, but that's ok. There could never be another. I hope She knows how happy I am when We're We.

London calling

Last night I had a dream that I swam to London. Never mind that I'm from the middle of America...I swam to London. I was with a group of people and the journey was initially quite scary, but I made it. A lovely, lovely dream it was.

Playing grown-up

I think I've always been out of touch with reality. (Ok, I know that I have.) I'm certainly a big dreamer and frequently unrealistic. (Qualities that I consider to be simultaneously my best & worst.) I guess the problem is that I have this bizarre way of viewing my life as if it were some type of game. This summer I plan to go to the beach, ride my bike, and eat watermelon. Of course I'll have to occasionally throw on a funky polyester dress and work a catering event or 2 in hopes of saving a few clams for my trip across the pond. For a change of pace I'll move to France and play 'teacher' in the fall. I've even started to buy my costume so that I can look the part. In my mind so much of life is about looking and acting the part. I've always been a huge subscriber to the whole 'fake it til’ you make it' theory as well as 'all the world's a stage..." When I'm a waitress I wear an apron. Sometimes I carry a lot of plates in one hand, but usually that's only when I'm showing off. I act like I know a lot about the culinary arts and wine pairings with the food. (Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. This is where the acting part comes in.) When I'm a teacher I'll wear a pencil skirt and my teacher shoes*. Sometimes I'll give a test and when I do I'll walk around the room with a ruler in case anyone tries to cheat. Mostly I'll be nice, I think. I'll give out stickers that say "Great Job" or "All Star Student". (I'll also read Dr. Seuss books--I received quite the collection from my parents as a graduation gift.)

Dreams, acting, & faking it aside, I’m pretty sure my playful notion of life will soon change. Yesterday Friend and I talked about being Adults--something that we do not consider ourselves. We discussed what age we'd consider ourselves adults (somewhere around 27ish, 28). We're certainly not adults now, rather we're somewhat caught in the midst of a post-teen-screw off-lackadaisically-unrealistic period in our lives. Unsure of what's next but certain that the decisions we make will determine future options & decisions. We realize that we're old enough to make mistakes, big mistakes. We'll be forced to face the repercussions of such mistakes. Yikes. Despite these somewhat catastrophic realizations I feel like I am still on too much of a high from being freed from the ivory tower of higher education to stop and worry about the future and this whole ‘adult’ thing. I’ve got the whole rest of my life to be an adult and act adult-like (look adult-like). For now I’m only going to focus on the whole riding my bike & eating watermelon part. I need to enjoy the small nothings before this life-game I'm living takes an ugly turn towards adulthood.





*Teacher shoes: I bought a pair of 'teacher shoes' for my life in France. This does not mean that they are matronly or frumpy, however. The lovely buckle detail and small studding made them simply irresistible. Something about them said "Adult-Almost" to me. They're authoritative, versatile, yet somehow stylish (& a little saucy).

Elle commence

Friends, lovers, strangers, I have news. Big news. I am moving to France in September. So far the details of my assignment are thus: I will be teaching at a grade school somewhere in Brittany. (!) You cannot even imagine how happy this makes me. All day long it's all I've been able to think about...I've already begun to think about what I plan on packing and which countries I want to visit. (Answer: all of my dresses, booksbooksbooks, my watercolors, & knitting needles. Iceland, Berlin, Amsterdam, Oslo, Athens, ...Istanbul too, perhaps?)

So it looks like the first decision has already been made in response to the grand and oft looming, "What Are You Going To Do After Graduation?" I'm not one to brag or show off, I'm generally pretty humble about my life. But, I'm going to France to teach English. I'm going to live in one of the most charming parts of the country (near the ocean, I hope). I'm going to earn a livable wage while only working 15 hours a week. I'm going to sit in a cafe all day reading, writing, & people watching. Tough luck. Hope I can handle all the pressure of having the most amazing 8 months of my life.

Grace

I am in love. I bought the most lovely dress to exist ever. Ever. A dainty swiss dot fabric in a faded pale apricot color with a trail of 9 tiny buttons, a delicate collar, and the faintest rufflely flutter of a sleeve. Something about the dress speaks of the 70's to me...makes me want to be a swingin' 70's lady braless & carefree with long flowing hair and amber jewelry. It's the kind of dress that makes me want to run through fields of daisies, frolicking and holding a basket filled with a picnic lunch, go for a bike ride, walk along the shore of the ocean looking for seashells, wear a large sunhat, makes me want to drink iced tea or lemonade or both. Oh yes this dress sure is something & its got my mind off and running every time I think about it. Foolish girl, you say. Well, maybe. I tend to get carried away quite easily, but I swear to you this dress is the essence of bliss. It's summer defined. Careless, simple, pretty, elegant, youthful, etc etc amen.

Sexy boy(s)

Oooooooooooh am I glad I got to see these boys in concert last night. (A special thank you to a special someone for taking me.) The show was pretty solid, I was surprised at how much better some of the songs sounded live. (Specifically 'How Strange is your Love' and 'Run'.) They did not, however, play my favorite song. ('Surfing on a Rocket', although I would've liked to hear 'Playground Love' as well.) Zut. Nevertheless it was an awesome show.

Happy together

My boots & I love when it rains...