Hi!

Sometimes I forget about the internet. Well, at least I forget about this blog. In short, the past two months have been spent moving, getting a dog (!!!!!!), traveling, and unpacking. HOW does one person accumulate so many belongings?

Just in case you forgot what I looked like, here's a cheesy photo. #notashamed

2012, in a nutshell.

Better late than never- 2012 in a nutshell

January: I received a hilarious and somewhat sad note from a substitute teacher while I was out of work for an afternoon. 

February: This was an interesting month with a high on Valentine's Day and a low just before my birthday when I wrecked my car. Luckily the year just got better!

March: This was a quiet month but I did manage to see Fun. play a show in Carrboro.

April: I met a few celebrities in NYC and at the end of the month, I got to meet one of my oldest friend's baby girl, Estelle.

May: Another one of my best and oldest friends got married in our hometown.

June: I finished up my first year of teaching, went to DC, and started taking guitar lessons with the raddest instructor around. What a month!

July: I went to weddings and saw lots of good friends. 

August: I spent most of this month in coffee shops applying to jobs and watching the Olympics. 

September: What a busy month! We had our very first book club meeting and I went to HopScotch Music Festival in Raleigh, saw Florence and the Machine and Ben Folds. And my baby niece turned into a teenager...where does the time go?

October: I spent the month working on Obama's campaign by doing all sorts of crazy things. And it was awesome.

November: Obama won the election!

December: A piece I wrote was featured in PineStraw magazine! (on pg. 75, to be specific)

Let the games begin!

{Photo}

Oh happy day! Abby and Guion are here for the weekend and the Olympics begin tonight. Every couple of years I'm interested in a wide range of sports for about two weeks. This year is no different. I plan on spending the weekend in full red, white and blue outfits cheering for team America. And going to my last wedding of 2012 on Sunday (I even bought a blue dress for that). 

On being a vegetarian.

{Source}

Yep, that seems about right. I'm coming up on one year of being meat free (despite a couple of turkey sandwich setbacks around Christmas)! Most of the time it rocks and then other times all I want are some damn nuggets. 

Daytime fun.

What a fun week so far! The top 4 pictures were taken at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh. I'd never been before but took the girl I babysit and we had an awesome time. The bottom 4 pictures were taken at my very first Durham Bulls game. I can't believe it took me almost seven years  to see the Bulls play but I'll definitely be going back soon.

Feliz Weekend

{Photo of the hair I desperately want}

Hope you have a good weekend! I'm housesitting, babysitting, and crafting till my fingers bleed. I'm also thinking about dying my hair a shade of purple but it's likely my fear and sensibility will overpower that urge. 

The 4th and The Pines

   

As usual, the 4th was a good time with good people. And  the weekend at home was almost as good:

Homemade ice cream at the ReDDoor Cafe

Crepes at Betsy's Crepes  

Lara and Kristin

Happy 4th!

4th of July 2010

Rainy 4th of July 2011

I'm heading home to go to one of my favorite parties of the year and hang out with these folks. Hope your 4th is exciting and full of fireworks!

A Pale Girl's Guide to the Beach

Last night, my BFF/former roommate Kristin and I hopped in a car and headed to the beach to hang out today with my current roommate Sarah. But I have to admit that while I love everything the beach stands for, it can be a pale girl's nightmare. Through many failed attempts at warding off sunburn, I've finally learned that there's no such thing as too much coverage at the beach. So here's what I use:

(From left to right)

1.  Olay Complete Moisturizer, SPF 15 : I use this everyday underneath my makeup and apply it a little more liberally before heading to the beach.
2.  Banana Boat Sport Performance Ultra Mist Spray Sunscreen, SPF 50: Yep, you read that right. SPF 50. I apply this to my back, arms, and chest because those tend to be the places that get burned first. Even though I tend to avoid anything in an aerosol can, spray sunscreen is just one of those things that I can't give up. It's a little less awkward to have someone spray you with sunscreen than rub it on you. 
3.  No-Ad Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30: For my ears, neck and when my moisturizer isn't quite strong enough.
4.  Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm: Because lips get burned too. And that little hint of red doesn't look bad either.
5.  Banana Boat Deep Tanning Oil Spray, SPF 4: This is probably the riskiest part of my sun routine. My legs don't often get sunburned, so I usually put tanning oil on them in the hopes of one day getting some sort of color. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that's ever going to happen.
6. (Cheap) Glam Sunglasses: The bigger the sunglasses, the more of your face they'll block from the sun. Xhilaration Round Sunglasses in Tortoiseshell, $12.99 at Target.
7.  A giant tote bag : Pale girls  have to carry a lot of stuff to the beach, so we need a bag big enough to hold it all. Gap Striped Straw Tote, $53.96.

P.S. Some other beach essentials:


+ A dress with sleeves for when you need some coverage
+ A book to keep your mind off the heat
+ A hat to block the sun
+ A big towel to stay off the sand

I wanna be Made.

As part of my campaign to get famous, I began taking guitar lessons this week. When I met my teacher (that's his business card above),  it felt like meeting my Made coach. But I guess it's not too far off, right? I do want to be made into a guitar extraordinaire.