things to love

just a few things to love about this week...

1. we finally went to see the Hunger Games. I was a little put off when I finished reading the series [I didn't really like the last book] but the movie was great! they did a good job of portraying all the violence without it being too bloody. the parts they cut or changed didn't hurt the storyline. I also enjoyed having an outside perspective, instead of just Katniss' point of view.

2. wearing my mint jeans. I paired them with my chambray shirt + a skinny belt. and it made me feel like I had just stepped out of a JCrew catalog. [minus the effortlessly tousled hair... mine refuses to cooperate and just looks overworked. we can't all be perfect.]

3. new iPhone apps for editing photos. Katie always texts me when she finds something cool, and I've been loving CameraBag ever since I loaded it. they have a ton of filters and that's where all my recent polaroid-esque photos are from. I also discovered Phonto and SketchBook from this blog post. [I've recently been obsessed with this blog, if you can't tell from my pinterest boards.] Phonto is an easy to use app for adding text, and they have a TON of fonts and you can customize your colors. I used it in the first photo of my mint pants. Sketchbook is a little more complicated, but it lets you draw on photos! you have to go into layers and import a photo, then you use your finger to doodle. it takes some practice on the iPhone, but I bet it would be awesome with the iPad.

4. making steps to launching the Taiwan blog. I've been playing around with headers and finally settled on this one. I still haven't officially decided when to start blogging... does 4 months before we actually move sound ridiculous? maybe I'll wait until I'm unemployed. that would be 2.5 months before. part of me says I should stop debating and just start it already. but part of me is scared that people will get bored with me posting about home and whatnot and stop reading before I even get to Taiwan. that's something I've thought about a lot. I know I should focus on just writing. the main point of this blog is to keep people updated and to record what's happening in our lives, but I'm overly ambitious. I shouldn't be concerned with growing a large readership, but I'm vain enough to want one. I think my success with the baking blog spoiled me. since I'm giving up my food blogger niche along with my oven, I've been considering what else is out there. "lifestyle" seems to be the genre I'm falling into [which is basically what I do here, unless "iPhone nail photos, irrelevant rambles, and lengthy lists" is a genre] I suppose one way to look at it is: I'm a complicated person, with varied interests and hobbies. why should my blog be limited to one thing? and that is exactly why I've always felt weird having both this and the baking blog. I'm one person, not two. time to merge!

 5. and finally, I'm only a few hours away from officially being on vacation. Husband and I are heading down to NC to meet up with my parents and sister and brother-in-law. hopefully I'll be getting in lots of relaxing + beach time. after this I'll be swamped through my last month of work, and then packing + moving will take over my life. I also decided I'm going to reactivate facebook. [this decision was met by several cheers] hopefully I can keep the obsession to a minimum, and since I cleaned out a lot of "friends" before I left the annoyance can be [mostly] avoided. so yes, reactivating. after vacation.

debating the virtues of facebook

lately I've found myself reconsidering my facebook hiatus. tomorrow marks the 2 month point of going without.  I'll admit I was a compulsive facebooker before I deactivated... it was like quitting smoking cold turkey [or so I imagine] at first it was difficult but liberating. now I'm used to it for the most part. occasionally I get a craving for it. it does make me feel a little left out when husband tells me about the giant message chain all our friends have going making plans for a weekend getaway this summer. but on the flip side, when he goes off about some ignorant statement so-and-so made I'm glad I don't have those things shoved in my face anymore.

I think about the fact that we are leaving. I wonder how I will get the word out about my new blog... how I will keep in touch with people after I move and don't have an economically textable phone. maybe I can go back and keep my level of involvement more casual. maybe I could at least try and see if I'm able to restrain myself.

maybe.

something completely different

I'm not really one to openly discuss religion. my mantra for a while now has been "what I believe is between me + God." but this stuff has been floating around in my head and needs to come out. there's a lot I'm trying to figure out in life right now, and I guess theology just gets wrapped into that. I know it's a risk I may come off controversial or offensive. but my intent to be open and honest, and maybe a little brave. so, here it is:

I was raised Christian, Lutheran. I went to church and bible study every sunday, and Lutheran schools during the week from K-12. I had doctrine and doxology shoved down my throat daily. I was required to memorize and regurgitate the entire small catechism and most of the Bible without really thinking about what it said or meant. I was told to follow the rules, so I did. I was meek and repentant and turned the other cheek and believed I had no worth on my own.

there were times when I felt close to God, that I could really feel my faith. but those times are far outnumbered by moments when all I felt was obligation and a sense of duty. the church did not make me feel like I was part of a community. it made me feel like I was continually being judged, and continually failing. I'm sure part of that was my own perception, but it still makes me hesitant to walk into a church.

maybe it was your typical go-away-to-college-and-learn-how-to-think-for-yourself story. but at some point I started questioning, not just blindly accepting what I was told. I stopped going to church, much to the dismay of my parents. and I started to realize that maybe I was worth something. maybe my opinion had value. maybe I didn't have to go through life apologizing for existing. maybe, just maybe, I could actually enjoy being alive.

I actually felt guilty about it for a while. but eventually it occurred to me that God might want that- for me to enjoy being alive. for me to feel good about myself. for me to be confident and healthy and kind and compassionate. I think he would want me to run, enjoy my body and what it can do, to use that talents I have to appreciate the good in the world he created. and I think that maybe out there somewhere I can find something- a church, a doctrine, a people- to align with that view.

at this point in time, I'm not exactly clear on how to define what I believe. I don't trust that the Bible is an infallible document because I don't trust humans to accurately transcribe God's words without putting their own spin on it. I'm not saying I want to deny Christianity. but I don't exactly believe in what I was taught anymore. I need more time to explore my thoughts and feelings, and more information.

the other day Husband and I got into a theological discussion over dinner. one thing led to another and we wound up in the philosophy + religion section of a bookstore. a place I don't think I ever frequented before. I saw this book on the shelf and laughed at the title, and decided to pick it up. I read the description and instantly decided to buy it:

 

"The Buddha Walks into a Bar is a book for those who are spiritual but not religious, who are disillusioned by the state of the world, who are sick of their jobs (and just started last Tuesday), who like drinking beer and having sex and hate being preached at, who are striving to deepen their social interactions beyond the digital realms of Twitter and Facebook. This is Buddhism presented to a generation leaving the safe growth spurts of college and entering a turbulent and uncertain work force.

The Buddha Walks into a Bar is Buddhist teacher Lodro Rinzler's introduction to Buddhism for anyone who wants to ride the waves of life with mindfulness and compassion. You'll learn how to use meditation techniques to work with your own mind, how to manage the pervasive "Incredible Hulk Syndrome," how to relax into your life despite external pressures, and ultimately how you can start to bring light to a dark world."

it just really spoke to me, so now it's next on my reading list. I'm not necessarily converting to Buddhism, but I think there are valuable practices and tenets to be found there. I'm trying to be open minded, since my "world religions" unit in school didn't even touch on anything eastern. please know I feel that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, so long as they aren't forced upon or used to harm others. I'd love any suggestions on books or websites [even Christian denominations] to check out... just trying to quench my thirst for knowledge while I mull things over.

mint green [or teal or seafoam or aqua] jeans

ever since I bought my red pants, I've been contemplating another colored pair. [I went so far as to buy some turquoise jeans from Target, but they were definitely a size too small and I talked myself out of keeping them just because I wanted them to fit.] mint green is all the rage right now so when the other day I stumbled across this pair at Forever 21  it seemed like fate that the TWO pairs left happened to be in my size. that never happens. so for a whopping $15.80 they came home with me. [they are sold out online of the mint but have some other great brights.]

I'm not entirely sure what the color qualifies as. the tag says mint but they're a little bold... but not blue enough for an aqua. teal? seafoam? regardless, I love the color and have already started google-ing ways to wear them. here's what I found:

stripes, obviously. navy + white, grey + white, or even multicolored. I also think these are pretty close to the color of my pants [maybe mine are a little lighter]

a neutral cream or white top. black or solid navy would work too, but the lighter colors keep it springy and fresh. also digging on the nude shoes.

a vintage tshirt. I would never wear it with that much midriff showing, but maybe a little off-the-shoulder action? I DO have an Iron Maiden concert to attend later this summer...

and finally, chambray. to me it seems the most logical thing when you're wearing colored jeans is to wear a jean-colored top, yes?

I'm so ready for spring and sunshine. the past week was gorgeous but the weekend brought in a grey and rainy cold front that looks like sticking for the next few days. no reason I can't encourage the weather along by wearing a little spring...

running, lately

running is a very emotional thing for me. likely some complicated function of high school track, knee injuries, shin splints, physical therapy, and the fact that I'm just an emotional person. as with most emotional things, I don't like to put them out for public display. which means I typically don't like to run with other people.

my usual running spot is the canal. soft dirt and gravel are kind to my knees. if you start at the right spot, you can go 10 miles without having to stop to cross a road. and [in the mornings at least] it isn't very crowded. I also like the scenery. birds chirping, sun shining through the trees, reflections on the water. it's peaceful. calm. private.

last night, I was feeling tired and rather un-motivated to run. I did something very out of character. I went to run with Husband. he took me to a local high school to do a track workout. I have not done a workout on a track since... high school. we did intervals: 400m and 200m. I hate the 400m. it was painful. and the lacrosse team was in the middle of practice and I felt so awkward doing laps around their field. but I did it. and I finished. and that was glorious. [so much that we had to celebrate our victory with a drive up to Chipotle.]

saturday morning ritual

saturday morning ritual. 

breakfast + coffee. blogs + pinterest. 

then blogging + more coffee.

it's a misty, grey morning here and I'm recovering from late night chicken wings and Spartan victory. my bracket was completely destroyed yesterday, but totally worth it to watch both Duke and Michigan lose, and South Florida win. it's certainly an interesting tournament this year. planning to head into the city this afternoon to perhaps watch a few games and get a little Irish. [and by "the city" I of course mean New York City. sorry, I'll probably do that for the rest of my life.]

bracketology

when picking brackets, I say:

 be brave and go with your gut.

Sparty on.

some random thoughts

ok. so the news is out. we're moving to Taiwan.

now what?

I mean seriously, how do you follow a post like that? in lieu of anything with real substance, I bring you some random thoughts in list form:

1. my new passport arrived. it's one of the special ones with the built in chips. I should probably get one of those cool leather passport cases, right? I wonder if people who actually travel use those, or if they just get in the way. I also picked up our paperwork from the consulate... time to mail everything to Taiwan and hopefully get some visas in return.

2. the other day my iPhone decided that it wouldn't update. for NO REASON. email, twitter, instagram, anything. I sortof panicked. and then realized that even though I've banished my facebook dependency, I'm still addicted to these other forms of social media. [but seriously, the most annoying thing is watching that little wheel spin and spin even though I've got 5 full bars of service]

3. I think I'm back on running again. the weather has been gorgeous lately so that helps. I've accepted morning runs will not be happening anytime soon, but with daylight savings I can make it out after work. trying to weasel my way into running the broad street 10 miler in May, so training would be a good idea. I also have this fantasy that once I'm done with work I'll wake up and run every morning. here. in Michigan. in Taiwan. [maybe.]

4. I've been working on our bucketlist, with help from Husband. most of what we've come up with so far is food related. not surprising, but definitely will need to keep running if we're going to cross all that off the list. I also started a pinboard of things to see IN Taiwan. I haven't gotten very far yet but trying to actually do some research into these things first.

5. happy pi day. [now I want pie]

confession.

ok, people. my heart is pounding from the adrenaline of writing this all. I'm so excited to finally be able to share this news!

Husband and I are moving to Taiwan.

[take a moment to breathe.] yes, you read that correctly. we are moving to Hsinchu City, Taiwan. this is the adventure I've been gearing up for and dropping hints about for... a long time. and finally I can come clean about it.

some basic FAQ that I've been receiving about this recent development:

why are you moving to Taiwan? moving abroad is something Husband and I have always talked about, always wanted to do. this particular opportunity came at the right time in our lives... and so we're going. we looked at a lot of locations, but as things progressed it all just fell into place that Taiwan was where we would go.

what are you doing there? Husband will be teaching high school [in English, to students who understand English] and I have no idea yet what I'm doing. there's a chance I could teach English as a second language, or take classes to get a certification to teach middle school or whatever and be an actual teacher. currently undecided, suggestions welcome.

you really don't know what you're going to do? no, and it's both the most exciting and terrifying thing to me. thanks to cost of living and Husband's situation with the school I won't need to work. but if I'm able to, everything I make will be savings for when we come home... aka down payment on a house.

will you be blogging? yes. I'm working on setting up a new blog. I'm hoping you kids will follow me over there once I get it together. still trying to figure out how to break it to these people that I won't have an oven in my new apartment. but I want to take this opportunity to reinvent myself, and of course share our adventures through pictures and words.

when are you leaving? Husband's report date to the school in Hsinchu is August 1st, which means we will have to fly out a few days beforehand. from mid-May to mid-June [between when I leave my job and when husband is done] most of my time will be spent elbow deep in packing boxes or driving down the PA turnpike moving our stuff back to MI. mid-June to end of July we will be hanging out in the mitten with friends + family. exact itinerary TBD.

what next? I'll still be blogging here for a while, so stick around for more updates. [likely I'll spend a lot of time procrastinating packing by blogging.] I have a feeling I'll start some kind of "to-do before Taiwan" bucketlist, and who knows what other kind of projects. I tried to cover the basics here, but if you have any other questions feel free to ask away!

xo

lightning.

I had one of those everything-falls-into-place moments recently. actually, I had three of them.

it's funny how you can overthink a problem to death and never come up with a solution, but if you sit back and let it be... sometimes the answer will just slap you in the face.

I'm not saying that you should just wait and hope that solutions will fall into your lap. that almost never happens. I believe in working to get what you want. but on occasion we want something so badly, we focus in so tight that we blind ourselves to the bigger picture. if you spend all your time obsessing over one tiny detail, of course you won't figure it out. every now and then you have to walk away and get some perspective.

and that's usually when lightning strikes. clarity. an understanding. or at least something to work with.

the discovery of electricity was, after all, 99% accidental.

anthropologists anonymous

I have a problem. [admitting it is the first step right?]

I'm obsessed with Anthropologie. it started a while ago, but took off last year when I realized there was a store close enough to stop by on my lunch break. since then my closet has been accumulating Anthro. it's where I picked up my red pants, a blazer or two, and this killer dress. I try to buy "investment pieces" that are more classic than trendy so they'll last me a while, and watch for sales because it can get pricey. but usually the quality of the piece makes it worth it.

since I just finished a 2-day purge of my wardrobe [nothing from Anthro in the donation pile, sorry Princeton thrifters] I thought it would be fun to share 3 of my recent purchases, which I plan to wear on my upcoming vacation to North Carolina. if you follow me on Pinterest these probably look familiar. [my "dream closet" board has turned into more of a shopping list  / styling inspiration board. more on that later.]

first: this incredibly comfortable and versatile dress. I have another Puella maxi [navy + white stripes] I bought last spring which I absolutely adore. at first I didn't think the maxi trend would work for me but that dress changed my mind. the fabric has held up well, so I knew this basic black number would be a great investment piece. I'm picturing it with a jean jacket + scarf for travel, gold belt + chunky turquoise necklace for sightseeing or dinner. I'm definitely going to be wearing this one all summer.

I also picked up these bubblegum pink shorts. they are super soft and such a flattering length. I've been in a weird limbo with shorts since I graduated college... I'm old enough to realize short-shorts are not appropriate, but bermuda shorts make me look 4 feet tall. these are the perfect in-between. long enough to be appropriate- no cheeks showing- but not momish. [sorry to the moms out there but you know what I mean] I have a feeling these are going to be the summer equivalent to my red pants. stripes, solids, chambray... anything goes. they also have these in regular blue jean which I think I need to invest in as well. right?

and finally, since it is a beach vacation, this newsprint bikini. I fell in love the moment I saw it. a little bit of a splurge for swimwear but once I put it on I knew it was worth every penny. black and white is classic, the pattern makes it fun but not so trendy it will be out of style next year, and the yellow trim pop of color is just... perfect.

vacation is in 3 weeks so until then I'll be dreaming up outfits and keeping my fingers crossed for lots of sun. and trying to keep myself from any more shopping.

stalling...

here we are, another saturday morning. rainy. french press + huevos rancheros. one kitten perched on the bookshelf, peering down on me as I type. another in my lap.

I'm stalling. today I told myself would finally be the day I purge my closet of all those things I never wear but for some reason still keep. I did some work a few months ago, but really that didn't do enough. and of course I've been buying a lot of new things. my sense of self-entitlement seems to manifest itself in wardrobe additions. in fact I was writing a post about that, but decided before I let myself finish it I really should clean the old things out.

 the other thing in competition with productivity today will be the Hunger Games. not the actual Hunger Games, but the book series. I started reading it this week and am 2/3 through the second book. I've been restraining myself. otherwise I would be done by now. the writing is obviously "young adult" reading level, which makes it go all the faster. at least she isn't one of those cruel / genius writers who ends their chapters in the middle of a conversation or event so you HAVE to start the next one. so I've been able to stop myself and not read through the nights.

ok. time to suck it up and get to work. Beau has climbed off my lap and my coffee's gone cold. see you tomorrow, internet.