29 July 2011

Battle of the Books

Salutations most excellent readers! I don't know if you, like me, are a book whore, but I love everything about books. I find it particularly difficult to read a book that I have to read when I have books I could read of my own choosing for my own desires. That is currently my issue. A few weeks ago I got my required reading in for Richmond and I've starting leisurely reading one of the books, but now that I have a month left I really need to get a move on. In reality I only have about two or two and half weeks left for reading. I know that my last few weeks will be devoted to packing, organizing and seeing my friends and family as much as I can.
The highlighter is proof that I have been reading!
 The problem is the other day after doing, what Daryn and I think is, one of our greatest photo shoots ever I was given a look book on photography and so I just want to read it and work on my photography. (while it is getting better. It still has a long way to go!) Then yesterday I received a package from Amazon and one of my friends had purchased 2 books off of my wishlist for me. I'm beyond stoked, but yet I again I must refrain. I have some serious reading to do for school and I can't let my other books intruded. 
The contenders for my attention.
I'm very excited to read these books and I'm sure they'll be coming to London with me. Earlier this month I wrote about Brad Warner's European Tour and the two books on top are his first two books. You may be thinking, why is she so excited to have his first two books if she is already excited to see him speak...or vice verse. (something like that...)I haven't read his first two books, yet.I actually started reading his books in reverse. I read his 4th, then his 3rd and I think I'm just going to keep with that and read the 2nd then the 1st, because, well why not!  After reading his last two books I started to listen to his podcasts because I didn't have the funds to buy his other books, but now I get to read them...after my homework. Which I should be doing now. Have an incredible weekend, do good and be kind to yourselves! 
♥monica

28 July 2011

Waiting on my hair


Sorry I haven't blogged since my birthday. I haven't been busy, so I can't use that excuse, but I'm here now and I found something that I hope it fun to talk/ read about. I tweeted a very silly and obvious comment earlier "Waiting on my hair to grow it's kinda like, well, waiting for my hair to grow." and thought.....hey I could blog about hair, why not? So, here are my stories.

Growing up I always had really long hair, my mum used to tell me that she would just keep it trimmed up enough so that it wouldn't get in the way when I used the toilet (gross, but smart and thoughtful) and growing up all  through elementary school and middle school I always wore it somewhere in the general range of long, stringy and blondish-brown. The turning point in my hair story was in the 10th grade when I decided I was going to chop it all off and donate it to Locks of Love. (for those of you not familiar, check out the link) I opted for a "flippy above shoulder length cut with swooshy bangs". I didn't really know how to style my hair very well so it wasn't as chic as I had anticipated it being, but I wasn't very girl in my younger years. Through high school my hair went through few shifts, the most exciting being a big chunk of purple in my bangs until my senior year when I decided that I wanted a girly mohawk. 
I wore my mohawk to the homecoming dance, but my date's was bigger. lol
 I rocked that for a while, but I didn't really keep up with it and I slowly let it grow back into a shaggy bob, which really became my look. I eventually polished it into a cute kinda signature look with asymmetrical bangs. Then in college, when I was living on my own I went back to the mohawk for quite some time and the sides slowly got closer and closer until one day my roommates started joking about shaving the sides off. I said let's do it, so we did. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of my shaved mohawk, but trust me. That thing rocked! It didn't last long though. I thought it made my face look fat, so I just decided to shave it all off and start from scratch.  
My favorite comments where all related to Natalie Portman or Sigourney Weaver.
I let my hair grow out and I've kept the shaggy bob that I like; I've attempted multiple times to grow it long, but I've always give up when it gets to that length. You know the one, when you can't do anything with it. It's too short to pull up and too long to lay neatly. It just sticks to your neck in the summer and and refuses any shape until you get so desperate that you chop it off again. I've finally made it past that point and so I'm in it for the long haul now. I'm not sure how long I'll let it get until I just keep it trimmed at one length, but I'm very excited to have a new look after years and years of it getting shorter and keeping it that way. I'm also a little nervous about getting my hair done in a few weeks. I'm just going to back to my natural color, but I've gotten so used to red, teal, purple and blond hair that I'm worried I'll look dull as a brunette, but with Ryshelle as my hair dresser I shouldn't worry. She always does an amazing job, so I really don't have anything to worry about. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and the last few remaining days in July! I think I'll start a grad school countdown in August and keep y'all posted on my exploits leading up to my departure (I guess I'm a little superstitious, because everything isn't set in stone yet and I don't want to jinx myself and have something mess up.) I'm still waiting to get my UK visa; I've had a few snags in the process, but I'm hoping it's all squared away now and that leaves a plane ticket as the last thing I need to get before I can leave.  Take care and be kind to yourselves! 
♥monica

22 July 2011

Birthday Recap

Margaritas and Cupcakes!


Happy Friday! I hope you guys have had a wonderful week so far and that you’re looking forward to a marvelous weekend. I’ve had a really wonderful week and I can’t believe that my 23rd birthday came and went so fast. I remember as a kid I used to count down to my birthday for several months in advance. I knew it was coming and I just couldn’t wait for it, now it isn’t that I have less zeal for life than I did as a child and it certainly can’t be attributed to a busy schedule, at least not this year, but rather as I have matured I have started to realized the importance of every moment and everyday rather than having a fixed point in the distance that I’m excited for. I guess I should clarify that though, I DO get excited about future plans. Leaving for London at the end of August is one and this past spring when I was saving up to go to Harry Potter World (really it was Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure...but who really cares?)

I had a great birthday and spent it with my family and friends. I don't really have a narrative structure for any of this so I guess I'll just get to posting pictures and let them tell the story. Most of the photos in the post where taken by my lovely and generous friend, Blair, and the photos of the flowers where captured by yours truly.


♥♥♥♥♥

I received the prettiest bouquet! 
I made cupcakes for everyone & Blair gave me a fondue set. 
Guac, my favorite! I sure will miss mexican food when I'm in London.

Chocolate and Strawberries!

Very excited about my owl pillow from Carl and Renay,
my brother and my soon to be sister in law.

I don't have anything else to say, so I'll leave you all with a quote. A little something I try to live my life by, take care and be kind to yourselves and those around you. -monica

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” -The Buddha