Bmore does Nola

The Tulane football field right now! Ravens are practicing at Turchin as I type

Mmmmmm

The first time I ever tried snowboarding/aka realized skiing was the way to go, a few of the 8th grade girls from my school hitched a ride to the mountain with us. They made my parents play this the entire way, and every since then... anyway, when did this song get soo soo good again. It turns out an octave does really make a difference.

Empty Calories

Blech

Mardi pardi season is in full swing. To be honest, I've always thought of King Cake as extra doughy circular shaped hot dog buns covered in copious amounts of bizarrely colored sugar and equally sugary icings. Now, for some reason am craving some of these pecan and cream cheese stuffed circular chewy hot dog rolls! What is wrong with me!

Open Minded

The Undiscriminating Rubber Duck, by Florentijn Hofman

So many lessons. Apparently the rubber duck is undiscriminating and appropriate for all ages, as well as being able to define and heal mondial tension. Meanwhile, why has this not sailed into City Dock? Also, all I want to do it put the tree back up! Even for another few days, it would be completely worth the effort, and it must be getting even more moisturized and back in fighting form outside in the rain right now. Should I?

Guilty

Just found this article online. Definitely am guilty of this one, I actually wonder every day what it means, unfortunately, now I know...

PJ's

Every now and then, it becomes completely apparent just how related my brother and I are. For example... earlier tonight, the merits of flannel pajamas were discussed. I have been a fan ever since my first Paul Frank pair from the Nordstrom Brass Plum department for a sixth grade sleep over (bought for the occasion, it was clearly one of those social mile stones and deserved a new pair so as to be recognized appropriately/aka they were super sick and I felt so cool). It turned out that both my brother and I were in full agreement that Olatz should make at least one such pair, instead of only sticking with silk, linen and cotton. Until they do, I'm sticking with my Victoria's Secret's in pink toile (bought with many a leftover gift card!), but meanwhile, it's nice to know that strange obsessions with bizarrely knowing about incredibly out-of-our-price-range pj's are something we can always have in common in our not always predictable family values.

Love Will Be Amazing

                         Crystal Fighters - Champion Sound
                                SUCH A GOOD SONG

Meow

Simonetta Wool Hat

                       It's (obviously?) for kids, but it's kindof rad.

Tree Hugging

Tree in Newport

Today is Epiphany, and also... the beginning of Mardi Pardi season! Christmas is over, but that only means it's time to change the tree.

Typical Mardi Tree

Not very many things make me sadder than people who rush Christmas to be over, and am currently sitting in the living room with my (still Christmas) tree letting it know how much it's loved. Don't laugh.

What A Lovely Day

Favorite House of the Day 

It's days like today that make me love real estate. It's not about getting excited about commissions (that's like a watched pot/counting chickens scenario all in one. It's never going to happen if you just stare at it, and counting chickens before they hatch is always a terrible idea) but there are other ways that it is just fun. I did six (SIX!!) showings before noon allll over Anne Arundel, and it helped me learn my way around a lot, as well as gave me the opportunity to finally see houses I'd been really intrigued by. My client is super sweet, and I think I'm definitely starting to get a feel for what she wants, and we really liked 4 out of 6. Also, I didn't get lost once! That is not a small win for me, it's pretty major actually, even with google maps, and somehow didn't even totally screw up my timing. So I have no idea where this will go buying-wise right now, but I got a lot of good experience showing houses, and got some practice on my serious lack of directional skills, and also how to show houses. It was a much needed morale booster, whatever the outcome. There are only so many frustrating days in your career that you can take before you're just totally strung out. 

Real Estate Essentials

Sloane Ranger Soft Tablet Cover - Rugby iPad Case (only in womens now...) - Shearling Gloves from an old leather store downtown - Sick Shades - Pencil Case - Sentrilock with Pepper Spray (Just in case) and Nola Couture Fob - Business Cards! - Smathers Crab Flask  (Kidding! Not for work, but for the Skins game later)

I keep a jade Chinese good luck charm on my cowboy hat  (TEXAS!) next to the bedroom door now; maybe it'll do/is doing something...?

The Lucky Hat

Listening to: People Say - Portugal. The Man

    

Lightness

It's 2013, and this must be the latest new years post, but honestly, I have had absolutely nothing to say. Zip. Nothing that needs to go out into the world. I'm grateful for so many things, I'm frustrated to tears with so many others, but I'm alive, and healthy, with a select group of people who mean the world to me and who I know feel the same. Life is confusing sometimes, but the simple things really mean the most, and make it as good as it is sometimes. To start, sometimes the absolute best way to make your day is to have a clear, to the point conversation with someone who you just need to clear the air with. Another way is to write a list of all the things that have to be done, put them on a timeline, and try your goddamdest to check at least a few off every day. Finally, just do something good for someone who matters! Just try to make a difference in their day, no matter how big or small, to show that you actually do care. It may sound cheesy at first, but it's so easy to get caught up in life and forget to do that last one. These three things in particular are what I want to focus on in the new year. Just doing them in some way every day makes me feel much lighter, and on the way towards what I have to accomplish to make myself a more successful, independent, and happy individual. Literally, I just want to be a feather;   floating and wafting, but always in the sun. Just going where the wind takes me, and not staying stiff and trying so hard to keep still, but still somehow managing to nimbly dodge anything that comes my way. It's a tall order, I know, but there could be worse role models. To stay light and airy, and flexible and not tied down to something for no reason.

Something that keeps running through my head is the phrase, "you're someone's sunshine; lighten up." This definitely goes with the feather mantra for me. To just be shiny and feathery and soft and bright and easy like Sunday morning. Not like easy easy of course though. So yes, this is a bizarre post, but sometimes absence just makes it all come pouring out when you do return. I'll return to the musings on whatever J. Crew article I desperately need (read: want) soon enough I'm pretty sure, but this just came to me after my short hiatus from writing. Finally, this song has been stuck in my head. Just the lilt of the words reminds me of the feather again. Also, if you look closely, she has one of those terrifying vintage alligator bags where it is honestly a baby alligator (with head!) turned into a bag! I actually have one too, tucked away in my closet. It was a gift, but I can't bring myself to touch it so it's just one of the many bizarre treasures I've acquired and would never even dream of getting rid of, no matter how much it freaks me out.