questions

& i was hoping

you would creep in with me

put your arm around my shoulder

& it was as if the room got colder

& we moved closer in together

started talking about the weather

said tomorrow would be fun

we could watch a place in the sun

i didn't know where this was going

[when you kissed me]

are you mine? are you mine?

'cause i stay here all the time

watching tele, drinking wine

who'd have known? who'd have known?

when you'd flash up on my phone

i'd no longer feel alone

the comic preview

thank you, karen, for making my day when i read this.

might i add that i read it at work, and tried so incredibly hard not to laugh out loud so the guys sitting next to me wouldn't wonder what i was looking at. :)

numbers

13 days - alison comes home [!]
19 days - taf 2009
31 days - work ends
32 days - phyllis&dan's wedding & pittsburgh
55 days - nso begins

60 days - michigan vs. western
61 days - move in day
63 days - fall semester 2009

where is my summer going? i don't know.

pure michigan

this makes me laugh every single time.

the uniform project

The Idea

Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for slum children in India.

-----

Learn more here.

vampires & wolves

so last night i finished breaking dawn, the fourth/last book in the twilight series. i originally wasn't planning on reading the series -- i'm not that into vampires and that genre of books. i've gotten multiple nudges to read the series, though, and when i even got one from my boss & multiple coworkers at work, i decided to give them a try. i ended up borrowing them from a friend, and settled down to read twilight.

... i finished in a week and a half, and i probably would have finished MUCH sooner if i didn't have to work.

i can see why so many people are obsessed about the series, to the point where they're even ready to board a cruise for it. however, i do agree with many that the writing tends to be subpar, but the attention to detail is amazing. if anything, i kept reading just because i wanted to find out what would happen to edward and bella.

i'm not ready to jump on the bandwagon any time soon, nor do i see myself claiming robert pattinson as the sexiest man alive in the near future. i don't regret the time i spent reading because the saga really is quite good... most of all i love how honest stephenie meyer is with her fans. her website addresses so many fan questions and seems to be consistently updated, which i love.

so for anyone that's still on the fence about twilight, i definitely recommend giving it a try. it'll be worth your while, or at least, the first twilight book will be.

but if we started dating...

[from the onion]

-----

But If We Started Dating It Would Ruin Our Friendship Where I Ask You To Do Things And You Do Them

I really like you. I do. You're so nice, and sweet, and you listen to all my problems and respond with the appropriate compliments. But, well, I don't really see a relationship in our future. It would be terrible if we let sex destroy this great friendship we have where I get everything I want and you get nothing you want. Don't you think?

I knew you would understand. You always do.

We're so perfect as friends, you know? I can tell you anything, and you know you can always come to me anytime you need to hear me bitch about work or how ugly I feel. You wouldn't want to ruin a friendship like that just so you could be my boyfriend, and have me look at you with desire and longing in my eyes, if only once—would you? Of course not. Well, if we started dating, it would only complicate this wonderful setup I've got going here.

It's just…you're like my best friend, and I would hate for something you desperately want to change that. I mean, sure, we could go on some dates, maybe mess around a little and finally validate the six years you've spent languishing in this platonic nightmare, but then what? How could we ever go back to the way we were, where I take advantage of your clear attraction to me so I can have someone at my beck and call? That part of our friendship means so much to me.

No. We are just destined to be really, really good friends who only hang out when I don't have a boyfriend, but still need male attention to boost my fragile and all-consuming ego.

Anything can happen once you bring romance in. Think about how awful my last relationship was at the end, remember? The guy I'd call you crying about at 3 a.m. because he wouldn't answer my texts? The guy I met at the birthday party you threw me? I had insanely passionate sex with him for four months and now we don't even talk anymore. God, I would die if something like that happened to us.

Plus, ick, can you even imagine getting naked in front of each other? I've known you so long, you're more like a brother that I've drunkenly made out with twice and never mentioned again. It'd be way too weird. And if we did, then whenever you'd come shopping with me, or go to one of my performances or charity events, or take me for ice cream when I've had a bad day at work, you'd be looking at me like, "I've seen her breasts." God, I can't think of anything more awkward that that.

Oh, before I forget, my mom says hi.

Anyway, you would totally hate me as your girlfriend. I'd be all needy and dramatic and slowly growing to love you. If I was your girlfriend, I would never be able to tell you all about the other asshole guys I date and pretend I don't see how much it crushes you. Let's never lose that. That's what makes us us.

Don't worry. You're so funny and smart and amazing, any girl but me would be lucky to date you. You'll find someone, I know it. And when you do, I'll be right by your side to suddenly become all flirty and affectionate with you in front of her, until she grows jealous and won't believe it when you say we're just friends. But when she dumps you, that's just what we'll be.

Best friends. Friends forever.

postsecret sunday

wild olive tees

romans 11:17, "but some of these branches from Abraham's tree, some of the Jews, have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, were grafted in. so now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and His children, sharing in God's rich nourishment of His special olive tree."

while reading my charming kids, there was a post on wild olive tees. these three amazing women create tshirts that are visually gorgeous. even better, it's all centered around God, and each verse has a verse on the back. but wait, even going beyond that, not only can you proclaim your love on your shirt, but a portion of the money that you spend for the shirt gets donated to charity. 

the newest charity is Love Without Boundaries... [from wild olive tees]

Our new Give It! charity is Love Without Boundaries, a worldwide group of volunteers dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned and impoverished children in China. We at Wild Olive have a similar passion for caring for the orphan and, cumulatively, our families have been blessed by a total of 9 children adopted from China.

Love Without Boundaries began in 2003, after a group of adoptive parents realized that people united by a pure love for impoverished children truly can make a difference. In just five short years, the foundation has grown from providing a handful of surgeries to touching the lives of thousands of children today through foster care, medical, education, and nutrition programs. In 2007, LWB delivered over one million dollars of direct humanitarian aid to children, while maintaining an overhead of less than 3%.

i highly encourage anyone and everyone to check 'em out here

    sing praise & beloved are two of my favorites [hint, hint!]

lucky girl

this weekend consisted of...

fast friday of work

pay day!

new dress arriving in the mail

kicked out of my room for the week

     [my uncle is in town]

finding out 696 was shut down 

     [... i seriously love my gps]

olga's with grace

trip down memory lane

home made dinner

    pork chops, mashed potatoes, vermicelli, peas/carrots

    oreo ice cream [but made by breyers, haha]

fast drive back to troy

bravo for my mom's birthday [!]

new shoes

strawberries & watermelon

& to top it all off, 

tiramisu <3