Lists: A Release

Four years ago a good friend of mine started to post his feelings in list form. I thought it was odd at first, but then I go into lists myself. Then I watched High Fidelity (now one of my favorite movies) and fell in love with lists. Lists are so helpful in recognizing or organizing thoughts and feelings. Lists tell me things. I'm not quite sure if this is the most excellent way to conduct myself but when I meet people I ask them about their lists. Top 5 favorite songs? The last 3 things you bought for no reason? Top 3 fears? Favorite movies? 5 favorite memories? Favorite colors? Favorite smells? Can I see your iPod? Looking at somebody's iPod is a perfectly good way to get to know them. It's like a mega list. The list of all lists.

Sometimes I'll write lists about people, myself, or things and find my real feelings in my lists; 3 things I love about Josh, 5 places I would want to go with Donnette, best birthday parties, top 3 things I never want to want, places I would want to live, Top 5 songs that describe you, Bands I want to see with Steve, Art pieces I would touch even if it meant getting in a lot of trouble if I were to be caught. The more detailed they get, the better.

Writing lists is comforting. I could write lists about anything and everything.

Here is my favorite list from High Fidelity. I don't own this movie. I haven't found it edited yet. If anybody has any ideas of where I could find a clean copy, please share!

Something Witty

Found these on a Friends blog (Thanks Ayumi).

These are Anti-Theft Lunch Bags by Design You Trust.

I like this idea. It made me laugh.

Sunday Dinner Ensemble

Trying to add variety to my wardrobe is easier than I thought. All I have to do is not get ready until the last minute. Then, I just grab whatever is clean and in reach and let the magic happen. Wearing an uncommon blend of clothes from my closet was very, very, liberating.

Mustard yellow pea coat with a wrap around shirt. It was also warm enough for my dark jean capri's that have not been worn since 2008. They were tight(er), and crisp.

Classic bow.


Did I mention these?






It was a fun dinner.

Chocolate, My Friend

This past Christmas a good friend of the family left large Christmas basket full of goodies on our porch. By mistake, the person who delivered it left a small price tag on the side indicating that the contents, wrapping, and the basket itself totaled around $35. It was because of this tag that my parents refused to open the package in fear that a scamming gift collector would come and ask for the $35 (my parents believe that everybody is out to 'get them'). So, the package remained unopened next to our Christmas tree after Christmas, for most of January, and for a portion of February. That was it. I searched the package and found a phone number for Carol's Gifts on the bottom of the basket. I called and asked if a scamming collector would come hunt my family down for the money. The kind lady informed me that the package was from a family in the Stake, and that the it was already paid for.

I unwrapped the clear cellophane and pulled out some treats. Chips, salsa, cookies, cheeses, crackers and a tub of Stephen's White Hot Chocolate. I. Love. White. Hot. Chocolate. Do you know where you can find white hot chocolate? Nowhere. I have searched all stores and Internet websites and found none. So you can only imagine how excited I was. I would sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon above the steaming drink and share it with my family over a game of Ticket To Ride. I could not imagine more perfect nights than those.

Then my white hot chocolate tub became more tub than chocolate. The sources depleted quickly. I was sure that I was the only one who would make use of that tub and it's insides. One day my dad told me that my mom was eating it too, only she was eating it plain (without milk, or shame). All those spoon fulls of goodness, wasted. I hid the tub from then on until it was finally gone.

I thought the days of white hot chocolate were over. Then my parents got back from a trip to Hawaii and brought me back a small tub of white hot chocolate that they found there! This was especially surprising because my parents are usually the worst gift givers, ever. But this gift was really nice! I guess they saw how excited I was about the white hot chocolate and the next day they bought me a pound of white chocolate. A pound of it. So thoughtful they are, really.

Mix 2 tablespoons in a cup of hot milk. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon. Then, top with grated white chocolate. You will not be sorry.

A close up of the chocolate wedge.

Still life with potted plant.

Still life with fruit and books.

I call this, The Procession

I also pulled down my rich Dark Chocolate mix.


And something a little more modern.

Life is good.

If You Comment...

If you comment, posts will come.

Free Time

Today I had about 20 minutes where I didn't have to do anything. After a long day of practically non-stop academic reasoning the last thing I needed was free time--free time that would require me to reason even more for something to fill those moments with. I decided not to fret about what assignments I could work on. Instead, I found an empty corner of couches, pulled up foot rest and turned on the light screen of my laptop. I wanted to find pictures that could illustrate what my mind was feeling like right then because I was having a hard time describing it. Nothing could get close to what I thought it looked or felt like. I shifted my focus and decided to look for pictures of what I wanted my mind to feel like. Then I found this, and I stared at it for the remaining 13 minutes until my next class.

The picture is by Spencer Finch. And still, right now, it makes me happy to picture my mind as if it were a cloud of clustered balloons: buoyant and breezy.

In This Corner...

To learn more about this picture (courtesy of the New York Times), read this. A while ago, this made my day. I thought I would share it. I promise this blog will get more artistic soon.