Hello! So, next Wednesday (July 8 to be exact) I’m turning 23. I guess I’m rather “meh” about the whole thing. After you turn 21, I feel like there’s not really anything to look forward to. I mean, I’m not one of those people that feels depressed about getting “old” & I realize 23 is still considered pretty dang young. Regardless, I’m not overwhelmingly excited about my actual birthday. However, I am excited about a little get-together I’ve decided to host in honor of my birthday next Friday. It’s going to be a wine/cheese/bread/etc themed party! I’ve actually never hosted a proper party at my apartment before, so it should be interesting. It’s not going to be anything extravagant– just a small gathering of good friends & (hopefully) good conversation. I’ve been spending the majority of the day making the playlist for my party. I plan on posting it here for you to download when it’s finished! Should be pretty great by the time it’s finished.

Anyway, all of this “party planning” business has inspired me to look for some interesting & lovely party decorating ideas out there in the black hole that is the internet. Here are just a few of my favorites:

These little nightlights are so freaking cute & would give the perfect ambiance to an evening party. (via marthastewart.com)

These are awesome because (a)I love cupcakes & (b) I love putting faces on inanimate objects.
So, combining those two things = DOUBLE WIN. (via aashdown)

Polka dots everywhere! My dream come true! (via camillestyles’ photostream)

The morning of my birthday, I’d like to wake up to this. Just sayin’. (via 20×200)

What about you? Have any inspiring birthday images/links/decor ideas/etc. to share with me?

Wow, my life has been a rollercoaster lately– a very fun & exciting one that I want to keep riding over & over again! I am feeling guilty for the lack of updates, but I suppose worse things could happen than me being too busy enjoying my life to remember to blog about it. Anyways, I am going to give you a crash course on what’s been going on lately. Allow me to indulge myself.

• I graduated from college! I am a college graduation. Huh, what!? How weird is that? Seriously! I now have permission to impart my infinite knowledge & wisdom on the young impressionable minds of teenagers. In other words, I got my English teaching degree! Huzzah! I still have to do an Internship in order to receive my teaching license this coming fall, but I will be in my own classroom & be responsible for teaching a room full of unruly high schoolers. It totally freaks me out– in a really, really good way! Oh yeah, check me out in the sea of graduation gowns below. Can you find me? I’m the one in the middle waving & smiling like crazy. I love this picture because I’m all like “Oh hey, what’s up?”

• I’ve been learning how to cook. I made the most delicious chicken & brown rice casserole the other night. All. By. Myself. You guys, this is a big deal. I don’t cook. Ever. So, for me to make something that was not only edible– but good– is a huge step in the right direction.
• I’m enjoying summertime with my friends. Every Tuesday, a group of friends & I take off work & go to my friend’s aunt’s pool. It’s like a mini vacation. I adore it.
• Reading, reading, reading. I am taking this time to read as much as possible. Currently, I am reading the memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. I’m trying to read more non-fiction books. I often get so caught up in fiction novels that I forget that there are so many other wonderful genres out there to explore. Any recommendations?



• Planning, planning, planning. I am spending every speck of time that I’m not hanging out with friends or working (I work in an office four days a week doing clerical work) planning for my class this coming Fall. I am going to be teaching them Beowulf. I have been running my Google search ragged looking for resources and so forth.

I felt like there was more to tell, but I guess not? All I know is that I am in a very exciting/scary time in my life. I am definitely going to keep up with this blog, but I just wanted to let you know what I’ve been up to so you might have an idea as to why I haven’t been posting more! I hope you are all having a great summer thus far & are keeping yourselves inspired in some small way every day!

Music is something that I don’t write about often (or really at all) on this blog which is odd considering how endlessly inspiring I find it. So, I’ve decided to write ten thumbnail reviews (consisting of 50 words or less) of albums that I love for one reason or another. These aren’t new albums or artists. In fact, most of these albums have been out for several years. They are just albums that I seem to always turn to when I need something familiar– something that I know I can listen to all the way through and know all the words.

I must admit, having only a 50 word limit was more difficult than I thought it would be. It really made me have to think about what was most important about the album that I wanted to convey to you. Feel free to leave me a comment with your favorite “comfort albums”. I’m always up for discovering new music!

Sufjan Stevens
Illinoise (Asthmatic Kitty)
A truly magnificent album: inspiring, intense, and stirring. Stevens has created a propulsion of songs that seamlessly flow into one another. His instrumental compositions are breathtaking in their breadth and delicacy. Stevens’ artistic vision is so complete. This is music in its purest and most beautiful form.

mewithoutYou
A to B: Life (Tooth & Nail)
One word: relentless. mewithoutYou bury listeners with weighty guitars and pounding drums as vocalist Aaron Weiss screams out his hauntingly poetic lyrics. The fervor in his voice makes it effortless to connect with him and his words. Not many albums can make you sit up and take notice like this one.

Mates of State
Team Boo (Polyvinyl)
This husband and wife duo relies on an organ, drum kit, and back-and-forth conversational vocals to create a buoyant flood of sound. Their voices are filled to the brim with emotion and heart-squishing goodness. The harmony created is unique in its ability to be both severe and alluring simultaneously.

Cursive
The Ugly Organ (Saddle Creek)
An enthralling, emotional powerhouse that rips your head off and then gently sews it back in place. This album’s sum is much greater than its parts. The music reminds me of walking through some dense forest in the middle of the night: dark and impenetrable.

Death Cab for Cutie
The Photo Album (Barsuk)
This album makes me homesick; for what, I’m not entirely sure. Gibbard’s voice has just the right amount of sweetness to it as he croons about different vivid memories he has encountered over his life. The entire album is like looking at a stranger’s photo album: intimate yet ambiguous.

Regina Spektor
Soviet Kitsch (Sire)
Biting, ironic lyrics are driven by forceful piano melodies. Spektor skillfully sings about divorce, death, and suicide making the topics somehow seem beautiful and charming.  Her voice resembles a young girl’s: giddy and raspy in all its messy, fluctuating loveliness and using cute little vocal noises to convey her feelings.

Minus the Bear
Highly Refined Pirates (Suicide Squeeze)
This is the soundtrack to late-night summer parties. Swelling rhythms of dizzying time signatures are driven by mathy guitars and tenacious percussion, and topped off with a pinch of electronic beats. Witty and sharp lyrics round out this flourishing revelry that is anything but refined.

Rilo Kiley
The Execution of All Things (Saddle Creek)
A quintessential indie-rock album framed by Jenny Lewis’ deliciously sexy vocals. The lyrics beg to be sung along to at the top of your lungs. The music seems a bit too measured at times, but over all this is an album you will want to listen to again and again.

Copeland
Beneath the Medicine Tree (Militia Group)
Unbridled emotions are strewn together by sweeping guitars and surgical drumming. Punctuated by engaging piano solos, Beneath The Medicine Tree drips with sincerity. Aaron Marsh methodically crafts rich melodies with his soothing voice that will keep you captivated from start to finish.

Pretty Girls Make Graves
The New Romance (Matador)
Both daring and neurotic, this album uses colorful vocals ranging from whispers to screams in the span of a few seconds. The music is wonderfully complicated; with layers of sound effortlessly building atop one another. If nothing else, it’s worth keeping around for those impromptu dance parties in your bedroom.

Who knew that upside-down houses and dilapidated buildings could be combined to create something so beautiful? Amy Casey’s work certainly proves that it can absolutely be done– and done well! Casey brings together all sorts of visually-interesting elements to create pieces that are captivating in their complexity and composition. Casey’s paintings have an obviously noticeable theme: crumbling structures and  chaos. What initially drew me to Casey’s paintings was her ability to create something beautiful within the chaos of her paintings. I was curious to find out whether there was anything more to these paintings than what initially meets to eye. I was pleased, therefore, to find a sort of artist statement on her website. Here is a quote from Casey about her work that I found especially interesting:

For about the last eight years, I have been experiencing a sporadically recurring dream about the end of the world. Animals stampeding and buildings falling into dust around me. I wake up in a panic and with a heavy sense of inevitability. Although I’m not trying to recreate this dream in my work, I think that like my dream, my paintings reflect my view of the nervous state of affairs the world seems to be in. Inspired by natural and unnatural disasters, personal fiascoes, and the never-ending stream of bad news coming from the media, the world inside my paintings has been turned (sometimes literally) upside down.

Casey goes on to discuss what it is that truly inspires her and her work; these things include: anxiety, vulnerability, community, the illusions of safety, and the resilience of life. After reading about what it is Casey was attempting to convey in her artwork, I find the pieces all the more intriguing. I am glad there are artists out there like Amy Casey that are willing to explore these issues. If you would like to see a few more of Casey’s paintings, click on any of the thumbnail images in the gallery below. An extensive body of work may be found here. Casey also has a blog that allows you to see the process she goes through when creating her paintings. I highly recommend you checking out

Amy Casey Gallery:
[Click on the thumbnails below to view larger image:]

Teacher Outfits by Chriztine featuring J Crew

There were so many amazing contributions to my Teacher Outfit contest! It was extremely difficult for me to choose just one winner. But, since I don’t have enough Polaroid film to go around, it had to be done. SO, I chose Christine’s set ( shown above) because I thought they were absolutely teacher-appropriate and showed a wide range of options. Also, I think that they all are just my style & I could easily see myself wearing each one of them in the classroom. Plus, I absolutely need that navy blue blazer on the right. So, congratulations Christine! And, thank you all for participating. I am including some of my favorites in this post because they were just too good not to share.

Teacher by kate rose featuring Paul Smith shoes

emily abigail by alyson210 featuring Marni accessories

Emily Abigail Teacher Outfit by janiep featuring CHANEL earrings

For Emily Abigail by queenmelike featuring Dorothy Perkins

I love these t-shirts designed by one of my favorite artists Betsy Walton. I told myself that I would stop buying t-shirts, but these are just so tempting! You can purchase them here for $28. I also really like the tote bag that she designed. Check them out.

P.S. Don’t forget about the Teacher Outfit Contest! You can still enter to win Polaroid film until Monday, June 1!

*Note: Do not try to post a photograph of your set in the comments as it will not show up. Please just post a direct link to the set you’ve created.

(Credit: “geeky” by kris atomic)

Some of you may recall a post I made a while back confessing my love for girls with glasses. Well– being a fairly nerdy glasses-wearing female myself, I decided to ask some of the girls at blackcigarette to share their favorite frames. The response I got was too great to keep to myself! So, I’ve decided to compile a few [there were so many good ones–it wasn’t easy] of my favorite frames & share with you what these girls had to say about being a fabulous four-eyed female!*

This is what the above girls had to say about their glasses:

1. “i got these in 2006 and i still love them. they are from prada.” ~cheapcheapcake

2. “Mine are from the cheap-o section of the no-name chain of glasses stores in the mall. I know a lot of people who have gotten really cute frames from their local generic eyeglass store. It’s such a pain to dig through all those zillions of frames, but I’m sure there’s sweet nerdy gold in there somewhere!” ~reconnoitere

3. “I got these 2 years ago at a Savers.” ~owlsss

4. “i’ve had these glasses for about a year. They are orange and red tortoise shell and I love them. I just got them at Lenscrafters though.” ~handzfirst

5. “have what some people have called ‘lab glasses’ or ‘goggles’, but i love them to bits. this was the day i got them, so i was super happy.” ~jinology

6. Photo from undrthenightsky

7. “I recommend going to a thrift store & finding some cool frames. It doesn’t cost much to get your ’script put in!” ~ladymoz

8. Photo from thatspecial

9. Photo from autobotamy

10. “these are mine! they’re Chanel and they were 50% off ;) I have prescription glasses since I was 4 and I absolutely hate people who wear them without needing them.” ~fluweel

11. “[these are by] tom ford! i was ridiculed so much at school when i got these last year cos they are “manly” and “geeky”, now they’re so trendy?! i am so so blind and i wear contacts most of the time but i think it’s still important to have a good pair of glasses, these have a subtle brown and black stripe design on the actual frames (like tortoiseshell but a bit different!) and rose gold inserts on the arms. ~stratagems:

12. “probably more old man lawyer than hot geek chic, but these are mine. i want a big geeky pair next!” ~ notsolaconic

Here are a few more excellent comments & tips on the subject of glasses:

“I used to take $10 sunglasses frames to Walmart and have them filled with my prescription. If your health insurance doesn’t cover lenses, that’s the cheapest place to go that I’ve found, and sometimes they’ll even do it while you wait.” ~ novimnet

“Sometimes I wear fake glasses because I think I look way cuter with them…Unfortunately I don’t have a picture, but I looove glasses and occasionally curse my 20/20 vision” ~sweetrainfalls

“I love finding great old pairs of eyeglasses on e-bay. It was really cheap to do the whole thing. My pair cost me 15 bucks then another 35 to get prescription lenses put in them.” ~thegreatmollusk

I am specifically looking for a pair of vintage frames. I had never thought to look at Ebay or Etsy for them before. The only thing you need to be careful of when buying vintage is getting the measurements right as well as the actual quality of the frames. I believe this suggestion by thegreatmollusk is important to keep in mind: “I took measurements of my favorite glasses and tried to find pairs that were similar in demensions. It’s hard but possible to find frames that fit. Just know your measurements and what your face can carry.”

Another interesting thing, I believe, to point out is the changing feelings towards girls that wear glasses– both in mainstream media and fashion. Celebrities such as Chloe Sevigny & Zooey Deschanel are seen wearing wonderfully nerdy spectacles out & about the town. Zooey Deschanel even helped design some glasses for Oliver Peoples. This is all to say, I feel like the world is finally starting to embrace girls with glasses– seeing them as intelligent, unique, and even sexy instead of frumpy, geeky, or unappealing. It’s about time! 

* Note: If I have shared a photograph of you & would you like me to take it down, please email me & I will do so ASAP. It was not my intention to share anything against your consent & I am more than willing to take it down if you wish for me to do so. 

You may recall me posting about Kareem Rizk’s prints before. Well, lucky for us all he is having a 20% off sale on his Etsy shop now & throughout the entire month of May.

Also check out his blog to see his latest work & find out what he’s up to.

Yes, that is me in the above picture. Sadly, it’s probably the most recent picture of myself I have on a bicycle. That probably goes to show you how much expertise I have on the matter of bikes and biking in general. Regardless, I have been mulling over the idea of riding a bike as an alternative mode of transportation for a little while now. There are a few reasons this appeals to me. First of all, with the fluctuating price of gas and the economy in the midst of a tail spin, biking would leave me with a little more spending money in my pockets. Secondly, although Cincinnati is not notorious for being the most “biker friendly” city– with its many hills and its lack of appropriately designated bicycle lanes– I still feel it is a shame to live at the heart of a city and not own a bike! I also would be remiss if I left out the whole “going green” and getting healthy motivation for biking.

Although, I must admit, one of the main reasons I want to get into biking is the sheer “coolness” factor that comes along with it. I have always thought that people riding their bikes to the grocery store looked pretty bad ass; especially when biking up next to me whilst I’m driving my (totally the opposite of bad ass) white Hyundai Elantra. I have always found the whole “bike scene” to be very appealing– albeit slightly intimidating. Therefore, I have decided to go on a quest to discover what a “wanna be” biker needs to know in order to make the transition with ease.

I began my research by posing a question on Bikeforums.net which is an excellent source of information about all things bike-related. I received several responses to my question in which I asked what sort of information I need to know before purchasing a bike and/or beginning to bike as an alternative mode of transportation. One member gave me some good, practical advice:

I was also curious to know what types of things I should look for when purchasing a used bike. I don’t want to be swindled into purchasing a “lemon” used bike. Here is what one article said on the subject:

Next, I was worried about sizing. It seems to be the number one reason as to why people struggle to purchase a bike. I know it’s one of the main reasons I have had trouble finding a bike.  A member on Bikeforums.net told me this little piece of information: “If you’re 5′6″ to 5′ 10″  a 19″ frame should fit pretty well. Taller? Try 21″. Shorter? Try 17″. Seeing as I am barely 5′5″, I think this means I am going to need between a 17″ to a 19″ frame. Here is a link to another excellent resource for more specifics on finding a bike that will fit you properly. I believe another excellent and practical piece of advice that I received was simply to test ride the bike. If it doesn’t feel right or comfortable, it is probably not the right one for you.

Consequently, May is Bike Month. There are a lot of events going on around Cincinnati in order to advocate and help get people out there riding. Below is a short video that aired on the local news featuring some avid bikers in Cincinnati:

Although I haven’t found a bike quite yet, I believe I discovered a lot about the “nuts and bolts” of purchasing as  bike from the feedback on the discussion board. I plan on keeping you posted and letting you know how my progression is going. I know there is still a lot to learn. Do any of you have any advice?

Here are a few helpful resources if you are interested in getting connected with the bicycling community in Cincinnati as well as some other basic and important information in regards to bicycling in general:

Bicycling life - (Practical Cycling tips
Cincyrides.com
Cincinnati Cycle Club
Queen City Bike