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.