Snow is falling...

As of 10 this evening, we had reached 16 inches of snow. Record since 1909, when we had 21 inches of snow. There is a possibility we will surpass that overnight. When I first moved here, locals kept telling me, "Philly's winters aren't that bad" "We don't get really bad snowstorms." And then, they would always add, "Just wait, now that I've said this, we will have the worst winter ever." And just for me, their speculations came true. It's quite the initiation I've been given! I truly feel like I'm in a foreign land- this Floridian is not used to this. The last time I saw snow I was 6, living in Germany and I don't remember it too vividly.

I went out in the snow twice today, in order to get the full experience (without actually driving in it). Also, I wanted to get the snow off my car. Between 1 pm and 10 pm my car managed to get buried in several feet of snow. My tires were hidden and snow was piled high on the roof of my car. At that level of accumulation, my long-handled brush/ice scraper wasn't very effective at clearing the snow off my car. As I walked around my car, the snow almost reached my waist in places. On my list of things to buy (asap): Snow shovel. To get to my car, I had to walk through 2 feet of snow, across my complex's courtyard. I laughed the whole way to my car. It was truly an experience.

My car, at noon today. By 10pm, it was buried under several feet of snow.

One of the views from my window (left)

The trees are beautiful when it snows.

Love.

One day soon I'll hold you like the sun holds the moon.

I have found a new love, and they're from Cape Town, South Africa. Civil Twilight is the band's name. This trio is amazing. I heard their music for the first time last week on the radio and was completely mesmerized. Their sound, the lyrics, the vocals. Sweet, sweet music. I find myself in another place when their music plays. I've listened to a number of their songs, all just as good as the one before. I can't wait til they get the recognition and fame they so deserve. Then, I can see them live. Although, I'm not too sure my heart can take it. Gosh, musicians. <3

Letters from the Sky, Civil Twilight

<3

Urban Outfitters is love.

Measuring Cups, Urban Outfitters. Aren't they cute?

'A' keychains, UO

Circle Scarf, UO

Rose Earrings, UO

Hercule Poirot ring, ModCloth online

Mystery and Jude Law

Holmes for the holiday. I can't wait...

Favorite.

I want this shirt.

[palmer cash]

Things I love- Part I

Things I love:

Coco Stick Table Lamp, Z Gallerie

Stormy Seas necklace, Anthropologie (can't find it in stores, only ebay)

Season print, Etsy

Silk print, Etsy

Navy blue Longchamp Medium Nylon tote

There are a lot of things in life that I love.

Could it be love?

I know I'm a bit late in this realization, but I love Vampire Diaries. I haven't been able to watch it consistently as I have class Thursday evenings until 9. But, the two weeks where class has been cancelled (this Thursday being one), I was able to catch the show. At first, I was completely opposed to the idea of liking it because it felt much like Twilight. I was getting some serious deja vu. Later, I found out that the Vampire Diaries books were written pre-Twilight. It was then, that I could fully appreciate the show. Or is it Stefan who I truly appreciate? Probably more of the latter. Stefan is...beautiful. And his physique, even more so. And his brother, initially, I didn't like Damon. Mainly because he's the "bad" vamp. But, his cockiness and an ever-present air of arrogance is starting to grow on me. His good looks don't make it too difficult to like him. With that said, the show is still a little juvenile, a little high school, and predictable, but alas, I like it. Not everything in life needs to be overly thought-provoking. I have enough to think about with school. Sometimes a little eye candy and some vampires suffice.

Stefan

Dark. Pale. And handsome.

The brothers.

They will see us waving from such great heights...

I am sitting in the waiting room of the Mazda dealership, pondering the differences between men and women. And this is why: anticipating a long wait (at least 3-4 hours) I came prepared. I brought my lap top, psychology articles to read, my headphones to listen to music, snacks, and something to drink. Pretty smart. The guy sitting next to me, probably in his late 20's/early 30's brought....nothing. He has managed to read every magazine in the waiting room though, including the ones marketed towards female audiences. Now, he has graduated to killing time on his phone...

I went to Borders this evening. Finding one that wasn't a Borders Express in a mall was more challenging that I had anticipated. Two Borders later, a call to directory assistance, and much yelling at my GPS ("re-calculating" ringing in my ears), I found one. I had initially planned to buy several books, but after much consideration, I came to the sad conclusion that, right now, I have no time to read anything other than psychology journal articles. So I left, no books in hand, but instead, a few ned CD's. Holiday, of course. With that said, I have quite a "want" list of books. Naturally, I went straight to the Bestsellers wall and came across a title that caught my eye, "What the Dog Saw." Much to my excitement (nerdy, yes) I recognized the author of the book from a short clip I watched in my Graduate Research Methods class. Then, I realized that this book was not his first, but he has written several other, very well known books that have made it to the National Bestseller list. Outliers, The Tipping Point, and Blink. He is a very intelligent, dynamic, and funny man, so I imagine his books are equally as engaging. And so my list of books begins...

Book Wish List:

- The Political Brain by Drew Westen

- Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics (I went and saw one of the authors at the free library in Philly last week) by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

- What the Dog Saw, Blink, and Outliers- all by Malcolm Gladwell (Staff writer of The New Yorker magazine)

- The Intellectual Devotional- Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Digest a Daily Dose of Wellness Wisdom

- Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the History of Psychological Research

My list will continue to grow over the coming months. I know I want to read some of David Sedaris' books as well.

And I do believe it’s true, that there are roads left in both of our shoes

I love people who take chances when it comes to fashion. There are way too many cookie-cutter looks out there. I wish I had more time to consider my outfits these days. Regardless, I have tried to maintain my flair- whether it's wearing my leopard print ballet flats as I did today, or wearing a bohemian inspired wide bracelet, a golfball-size turquoise ring, or carrying a plum colored handbag. There is no doubt, dressing is much more exciting now that I'm in a cold climate. I love winter clothes so much more than summer clothes. There is more room for experimentation, cool layering pieces, a wide array of textures, etc. I love coats and scarves. Hats work great with my short hair. And boots- be still my heart. Dad got me a pair of burberry rain boots after my first visit to Philly when it rained for 3 of the 5 days we were here. Best. Purchase. Ever. The Philadelphia weather has managed to break my long loved, leopard umbrella. But, it will not destroy my mushroom umbrella- it's much hardier. Below is a website (courtesy of my friend, Smash), that I love. It has some great inspiration and I'm hoping to start applying some of my favorite looks from the site in my own day-to-day outfits. My life right now consists of little more than school, reading, working, data analysis, and sleeping. I need to try to infuse into my world a few of my loves to maintain my sanity. Otherwise, graduate school will get very old, very quickly.

The shoes some of these girls have are amazing: http://weardrobe.com/featured

My kitchen.

A few snapshots taken in my kitchen. Despite the fact that I don't spend too much time cooking, it doesn't lack style. It's black, white, and red. My dishes are all predominantly black and white (of course). Everything was brand new when I moved in. New refrigerator, dishwasher (although, not without problems), stove, microwave, cabinets, and countertops. I'm *still* getting used to using a gas stove. It's amazing how much quicker everything cooks/heats, or in my case, burns. I'm almost at the point where I'm not burning everything. I have managed to ruin a fantastic pan my mom got me though.

Salt and pepper shakers are from Anthropologie [LOVE]. Red vintage cash register is from an antique fair I went to in Dade City, Florida last year. Dade City is a tiny town, but has some great little antique/vintage stores. Lady bug is from Target, another favorite store of mine. You can never leave Target empty-handed.

A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart.

Manayunk is such a great town. If not for the fact that it's located outside of Philly, which would mean a 20 minute commute and $4 toll to drive to school, I would be living there right now. It's an old, artsy town with a lot of character. The houses are very European and remind me of Germany. Main Street is like the name, the main street in town. It has over 20 restaurants with little boutiques, shops, antique stores, etc. The place practically screams my name. It's so the type of place I see myself living one day. And it's not "the city" either. The streets are lined with tables and chairs where locals sit with their dogs and enjoy long lunches and leisurely dinners. The evenings and weekends in Manayunk are always bustling with laughter and chatter- wonderful scents permeating through the air. Below are some pictures I took of a stone church located on one of the side streets in town. It's a huge church, taking up an entire block. It's very old and majestic looking. There is a cemetery on the grounds and for some reason, I find myself intrigued by it. Not a normal reaction, I suppose. It's guarded by a tall, black iron fence, making it impossible to explore any further than my camera lens will take me.

Sunsets of Philly

My absolute favorite part of my new place is my view. I love being able to watch the sunset. It's truly beautiful. I get to see this out my window on a regular basis. The color is even more intense irl.

Glee is wonderful.

Seriously, I love this show. It's unlike anything on television now. It's so witty and original. And will always make you laugh. This was by far my favorite episode since the season premiere a few months ago. Best scene from last night's episode- had me in stitches! I was surprised at how well the football team danced to Beyonce's, Single Ladies. Pretty light on their feet. haha. Enjoy.

Random thoughts for the day.

I spent my "weekend" reading articles and writing. Welcome to the world of graduate school, baby girl. 

I didn't understand an entire article I read. And it was nearly 30 pages. What was it about? Couldn't tell you. Not even the main idea. Turns out, we weren't supposed to really understand it. So said my professor who assigned it. What. A. Relief.

I missed a vital turn to get home tonight. And by the way, in New Jersey, you can't just make a U-turn. They are pretty much not allowed. And, the road I happened to be on was separated by concrete barricades. I came to a road that was familiar and I needed to make a left turn. A sign was posted, "no left turns." Fabulous. Well, with a little maneuvering I found my way home. 

I love that campus is only 10 minutes from my apartment.

I still missed the first half of the season premiere of House. The episode was so up my alley. It's a shame House was released at the end. I would have liked more episodes like the season premiere.

Be still my heart.

A vintage typewriter has been on my wish list for years. I have searched for the perfect one, but alas, have not found her yet (at least not one I could buy). I found a number of black vintage typewriters at flea markets, vintage stores, and an antique fair in Mount Dora last year. For some time, I thought I wanted an aqua typewriter, but have recently changed my mind. Now, my heart is set on this beauty... 

Truly, it was love at first site.  A seller on Etsy, PoeticHome has some fantastic vintage typewriters (she sold the one above a few weeks ago). She has 1950's typewriters in every color you could ever want (like retro red)- she even has had typewriters that type cursive. Unfortunately, she is way out of my price range. Her typewriters range from $250-600. And of course, the ones I love are in the $500-range. Like a bee to honey. Always. I have expensive taste, just like my mother. 

But, o how I love thee. 

The Marshmallow Test

This is too cute. Made me smile. And shows that children do have the will power to refuse instant gratification for the prospect of bigger and better things. Perhaps I should take a hint from them. Patience is a virtue. Follow link below.

The Marshmallow Test: Cute or Cruel? - ParentDish

Grey

The city today is shrouded in grey clouds and rain. 

An outline of the skyline, barely visible from my apartment window. 

A line, dark mist runs across the sky.

Parallel to the ground.

Rains beats down on my window.

Entering from the skies at a slant.

The trees sway with the wind.

Their leafs and branches wrap around my building.

For protection?

I don't know.

Perhaps.

The world seems quiet today.

Only sweet music in my head.

And occasional car horns bleep outside my window.

Sway, sway, sway go the trees.

Grey, grey, grey day.

How fitting, it is. 

Two words heard 'round the world.

On Countdown Keith Olbermann addressed Rep. Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst where he shouted, "you lie" during President Obama's speech to Congress. Olbermann declared the only thing more offensive and embarrassing than the lack of civility Wilson displayed, is that he was glaringly wrong in a comment that embarrassed the nation.

I frankly don't care that Wilson apologized (sincerity was not a motivating factor) because he shouldn't have said it in the first place. Even John McCain found his outburst disrespectful, stating he should apologize immediately. Republicans all over are giving Wilson the 'thumbs up' for his behavior. Go ahead, be happy for a man who expresses his views in a manner equivalent to that of a 3-year-old. How disappointing. 

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You're awfully small to be so hugely irritating.

Marah Johnson is a friend of mine on Facebook. I absolutely LOVE her work and have always admired her. She is one cool chick, with a funky, kind of dark, but feminine style. She posted recently on her Facebook a Twilight inspired class she planned to teach. Last night she posted the details of her class, contents of her Twilight album kit, the price, and her PayPal address for all those who wanted to purchase the kit (and couldn't make her class...which is in Cali). She gave first "dibs" to all her Facebook freinds which I think is pretty awesome. She posted the class today on her blog after hearing from everyone who wanted the kits on FB last night. I was one of those people. I couldn't resist. I've been very good lately. I haven't bought one kit, not from Label Tulip, Studio Calico, Bad Girls, nada, for at least 6-7 months. And considering the idea, style, and look of the kit is centered around one of my favorite books, I decided I had to have it. She will be shipping out the first batch this Friday. I hope mine is in there!