My word

In Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love she discusses words among other things. The word for Rome is 'Sex.' The word she picks for herself is 'betwixt.'

It made me wonder what my word would be. Off the top of my head, it would be something like 'bookish,' or 'information' or 'knowledge.' This is not to sound arrogant, it's because I can't get enough of it. I love learning, as nerdy as that sounds. And I love learning about all kinds of things. It's never enough.

Thinking about it more, I think my word would, because 'learning' doesn't sound appropriate, would be 'information.' And I embrace the nerdy.

{photo via weheartit}

10 things that made my week

green tea lattes

making friends on the CTA

enjoying the best quiche ever at cafe selmarie

finding new coffee shops with eclectic personalities

exploring new chicago neighborhoods

reconnecting with old friends

celebrating my dad's birthday

making dinner with friends

waking up early to watch the sun rise over the harbor

eavesdropping on old men telling jokes

{image via beeswithhoney}

Blue prints

I have a confession. I often look at blue prints of new houses around the area and abroad and imagine what it would be like to live in those houses. I have two reasons for this habit. First, I used to want to be an architect and am still very interested in the process to the point that if I am ever able to build a home, I will probably go through several frustrated architects. I'm sure my forced input will cause them to quit. Second, I have many friends buying houses now and I can't help but imagine my dream home.

I love looking at the blueprints and imagining how I would decorate each room and add my personal style to the house to make it my home. I am years from actually being able to do this for real, but it's fun to pretend for now.

{blueprint via}

nkotbsb

don't laugh, but i just bought tickets to the new kids on the block and backstreet boys concert on may 25th. i know it's really cheesy but these are two groups that i grew up listening to and while i understand they are not the most musically talented groups, it will be fun. my friends and i saw new kids on the block a couple years ago and it was a blast.

little notes

dear janine.

i was happy to help you move this weekend, but next time, please hire movers. i. am. so. tired.

dear lemon street gallery.

thank you for changing the artwork at my favorite coffee shop. I’m glad the painting of the creepy boy is gone, even if it has been replaced by a disturbing painting of a cat in a dress.

dear common grounds.

we've spent a lot of time together in the past week or so. while i love you dearly, i hope to spend time away from you and your afternoons of textbook-reading and paper-writing.

dear adelyn.

congratulations on your baptism. it's too bad you slept through the entire thing. actually, i was a bit jealous about that part.

dear technology.

i like you, why can't we just get along? did i do something to upset you?

{image via weheartit}

Graphology

My sister has a friend named Lester. Lester is about 70 years old {most likely closer to 80 than 70}. He's the kind of man that would make Studs Terkel foam at the mouth for an interview. In my limited conversations with Lester, I've found out that he makes his own seasonal grappa {the kind that can put a little hair on your chest}, honors the vernal and autumnal equinoxes with parties, makes his own jewerly and other wood-workings, used to manage a Chicago night club complete with "ladies" and is adapt at "collecting people" {but not in the John Wayne Gacy kind of a way}.

He is also every kind of -ologist that you can think of. Yesterday, I found out that he is a graphologist as he proceeded to analyze my handwriting. He said my small handwriting, crossing my Ts low, leaving limited empty space on pages and dotting my Is rather than drawing circles {or God-forbid hearts} above them means I am intelligent, non flighty, not overly self-conscience and am frugal. Yep, that sounds about right. I was a little surprised when Lester began explaining my writing, but I would like him to take a little more time and go over it again. I find it very interesting.

Check out a few sites on graphology here and here. I've been reading up a little more on it lately.

{P.S. Wouldn't you love to talk with Lester for hours about his life? I think he would make a lively character in a book.}

“Looking Into The Past”

Isn't is so interesting to see the differences between old and new?

Looking at these pictures makes me want to try it out. I just came across a huge box of my grandmother's photos from years and years ago taken all over the United States. I think I'm going to try to capture a few of these extremely cool images of my own.

See more images here.

Question of the week

My big sister is a little quirky and fun so it’s no surprise that she is a favorite barista at the coffee shop she works at. She just makes it fun to go in for coffee or a visit. Every week, Maggie asks all of her customers one silly, though-provoking question. She asks some off-the-wall, fun questions that make people smile. Some customers really enjoy playing and come up with some hilarious answers. And some customers take time to really come up with true responses. {Maggie said she asks everyone that walks in the door no matter their apparent mood. “They may just be having a bad day so I don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t play along,” she said.}

Some previous questions with a few favorite answers:

If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?

If you were a tree, what would you be? “If I were a tree, I’d be an Aspen, but sometimes I’m just an ass.”

What is your guilty pleasure? “It requires batteries.”

Who would you bring if you were stranded on a desert island? “The cast of Glee, but just the ladies.”

We were joking that next week she should just pull out a Rorschach ink blot. People already expect some kind of a silly question {most actually now ask her what the question of the week is} so how funny would it be if she just had a picture of an ink blot. ‘What do you see here?’ I would love to answer that.

{image via wikipedia}

the oscars

I admit I am one of the few people who did not watch the Oscars the other night. I actually never do. I get incredibly frustrated when critics tell me to see a movie that is “phenomenal” and they give two thumbs up and I think it’s terrible so I refuse to watch an awards show that focuses on many movies that I’ve never and most likely, will never see. It may be a tad out of spite, but I typically don't watch the movie that won 'Best Picture.'

But with that said, I heard Natalie Portman won best actress for her role in Black Swan. This is one award I completely agree with. The movie was a tad creepy and disturbing, but great and her acting was phenomenal. I also just really respect her as an actress and person.

On another Oscars note, I heard the two other movies I really want to see were big winners: True Grit and The Fighter. I hope to see both this weekend.