Into the Woods

I have a thing for the woods: its allure, its darkness, its secrecy, its magic. My childhood is a blur of memories from various camping trips, of steam between the trees in the early morning, of hikes through nettles and ferns. It still attracts me--this summer I went on a backpacking trip up on Mt. Ranier and I love that feeling of being a few days out and knowing you're so far from civilization...the animal instinctual feeling that one reverts to in the wilderness is my high.



I remember the first backpacking trip I ever went on was the summer between 6th and 7th grade. It was only a day in, and on some lake up in the Cascades. That night, setting up the tent, breathing in the smoke of the campfire along with the clean mountain air, drinking water filtered directly from the lake we'd made our home from the night--I felt so independent. The sky was spectacular and clear and we counted satellites and memorized the stars.



Its funny that the time of year I most want to run away into the woods is in the winter, when the trees are naked and the air is bitterly cold. It doesn't deter the dream, however. Wouldn't it be wonderful to live like a deer, free to wander the forests forever?



I am in an interesting mood, as the year draws to a close. I want to escape more than ever right now.

outfit deets: dress from Target, jeans from American Eagle, cardigan is thrifted

"Into the Woods."
-watership down richard adams

Little Heart

"It'll warm his little heart for once."
-watership down richard adams

Every Human Has Seen

The holidays are practically upon us, and I haven't even started wrapping! Although what I love even more than wrapping presents or decorating the tree is making cards. I always make them handmade and it's so much fun, personalizing them for each of my friends. I strongly recommend it!


Red top: Hollister. Vest: thrifted. Capris: Gap. Socks: bought at a convention is PA. Scarf: mom's closet. Earrings: mom's jewelry box.

Alright, now I'm no history buff but with all this business over the "Aribet macht frei" sign stolen (and now recovered) from Auschwitz has really stirred me up. Actually, all historical-type thefts do. I mean, how incredibly selfish is it to take something that belongs to everyone--especially, in the case of the Auschwitz sign, take something that represents a people's history. Yeah, yeah, I understand the profit matter and I know that there will always be people who look beyond the social value but hearing the sign got cut into three pieces really makes me cringe. That's a sign I want my children to see and to understand the significance of. It's a sign I someday hope to see, too--it's something every human should, I believe.


Kick back and relax. No school for two weeks!

The whole issue of the National Museum of Iraq makes me feel the same way--but maybe that's because I sort of have a thing for Ancient Mesopotamia. I'll have to do a "I love Nineveh" post one of these days...


I love the pattern of this chair. It was my great-grandmother's.

Lastly, about my outfits...
I'm trying to keep in touch with the fact that this blog really revolves around my life at 17, and the literature I'm reading. From now on I'm making my outfits inspired by the novel I'm reading at the time. Today's outfit and photo shoot are inspired by the colors on the cover of my next novel, Watership Down.





Does this scream "rabbit" to you? :)
Happy holidays, everyone!

"They have two natural gaits--the gentle, lolloping forward movement of the warren on a summer evening and the lightning dash for cover that every human has seen at some time or other."
-watership down richard adams

With Her Hands

We got a dusting of snow last night--wasn't enough to close school but was more than enough to send my little pickup truck fishtailing down the road. I arrived to English late, missing Chinese completely...


Art by me, quote from Jeff's View: On Science and Scientists by G. Schatz, Elsevier Science, copyright 2005

By that logic, all I need is for you to hold my hand to rid me of this winter chill...

Also, updated my music section with my current obsession:

"Her face was inundated with an angry colour and she looked as if she would attack someone with her hands."
-dubliners james joyce

Peaks of Glory

Picture from wearemeadowlarks

How could any self-respecting blogger with a title derived from a Beatles song not take a moment today to nod towards John Lennon today?


Okay, so maybe I should have posted 'Imagine' but this one really touches me every time I hear it.


All we are saying is give peace a chance.
-John Lennon



John: Sorry girls, he's married.

Today is the 29th anniversary of his assassination. He would have been 69 years old today. Although I'm a "Paul" girl, I have this genius to thank for 'Imagine,' 'I Am the Walrus,' 'Revolution,' 'I'm Only Sleeping...' Oh, and so many more!

Love always, John!

"No sound of strife disturb his sleep!
Calmly he rests: no human pain
Or high ambition spurs him now
The peaks of glory to attain."
-dubliners James Joyce

the friends

Never Fear

Tolo was incredible. The dance was in a hallway and there wasn't a huge turn out, but I had a lot of fun despite this. Plus it snowed! Nothing stuck, but it just made the winter dance that much more magical.


Candid laugh during tolo photos.

I'm torn two ways about winter. In one sense, I just wish people could hibernate and I could wake up when the world comes alive again. On the other hand, I love (however morbidly) watching the world ice over, seeing my breath in the air, snuggling close, the smell of spices and trees.

"-O, he'll pay you. Never fear, he said."
dubliners James Joyce

Saturnine

Happy December!

It is so so so very cold outside! They've predicted snow for next week, and I'm absolutely thrilled. If there's one thing about winter that I love, its those exciting mornings waking up to white outside--and no school announcements on the TV too, of course.


Girl, now don't you go getting lost. Dress: thrifted, jeans: American Eagle, boots: thrifted.

There are some exciting transformations going on here at home. My musician brother is getting our uninhabited living room as a studio/bedroom which leaves his old room empty. Dad's agreed I can have it--and my plan for my *second* room? To make a library/study, of course! I'm so excited to get started. I have some ideas in mind...I wanna make it look like this or this or this!


I dream these dreams.

I've become quite infatuated with the word "saturnine" after reading it in Dubliners today. What a neat word, right in there with my other favorite -ine words: serpentine, elephantine, corvine, ursine, canine, feline, falconine*....

Okay, and for those of you who haven't quite caught on yet: Saturnine refers to one whose ruling planet is Saturn (mine, alas, is Mars...too bad we don't have such a cool word to describe us!) I adore this concept so much. I'm feeling so into astrology today, and even though the rational part of me is disgusted (its all made up) the romantic in me is enthralled (how thrilling!)

*of or pertaining to serpents, elephants, crows, bears, dogs, cats, falcons...


Walk this way, walk this way...

I'm also going to make a friends "post" and start filling it up. I'll be sure to put a link (raccoon-ish in look) over to the right for y'all. I just find it to be so much cleaner than a list of links, and be sure to take a look! There's SO MANY wonderful blogs out there that inspire me endlessly.


Do I look unhappy? Maybe a tad. These pictures were shot in the pouring rain.

Before I leave you, I just wanted to leave a hint as how I'm spending tomorrow evening...


;-)

"A midæval doctor would have called him saturnine."
-dubliners James Joyce