liv tyler

1 2 3 4 5 6 

i think liv tyler is so super beautiful... as per an interview, she's comfortable in her own skin, and i think that comfort shows! she emulates such a natural glow... such a 90s feel. so pretty! i could have posted so many more photos.. but i think you get the picture : )


xx

starting an internship on thursday, excited yet nervous! its always intimidating, going into an office setting. i am working to plan a sustainability summit at yale... so me as a volunteer won't have too many responsibilities.. but enough! eee

On many thoughts... help!

i liked reading this aloud... it started to form in a poetry-slam tone, so it doesn't make too much sense. i was just going along with the sound of it

i thought it was me 

but it was not, it was the snow

this pitter patter

this clatter

this silent grunge and tip-toe walk

pushing veils of winter skies away 

away away, drying and flowing 

and blowing and bowing to the air

and calling, that soft sweet call 

call for night and for silence and soft pitter patter

end winter clatter

in other news, i revitalized my children's book. i think its better than before and i've decided to turn it into a children's novel (if i can manage!) . its really exciting because i went to a sort of convention, where an editor of Harper-Collins spoke about the essence of 'voice' and what it means in your stories. she said at the end that everyone in the room could send their manuscripts directly to her, which is awesome! so besides truly caring about finishing my story for the sake of my story, that factor is my motivation, a bit : )

besides that, did you ever notice how Starbucks has the cutest guys...? haha... as i sat in Starbucks today nestled in a corner (prime seating) with my laptop, i noticed yet another really nice guy who happens to be easy on the eyes. 

still trying to figure out my blog's theme... argggg. i realized you have to have a solid theme, however diversified, so be motivated to blog. so what do you think mine should be? vegan recipes? poetry? cool photos? so confused... : (

xx

On a brilliantly sweet movie! (movie review!)

if you are looking for a movie to pour your heart and mind into, i totally and 100% suggest Restless, with mia wasikowska. i wanted to watch some romance-y movies tonight, so i rented One Day and Restless... i had to stop One Day a couple of times, and contemplate how bad it was. so then i played restless and was hooked irresistibly to the plot and characters.

Restless is about a girl who has cancer and a boy who falls irrevocably for her. the remarkable thing is what the characters say, and the undertone of the movie. both characters have a different input on death and what it means to them, how it fits into the scope of life. i also enjoyed how there is no fluff, know what i mean? no silly script, no fruffy costumes (only really remarkable outfits), and no dragging out of things-- only sweet kisses and words, though obviously there are moments of adversity. i feel like it was a good book, like i could read it again and again and get new things out of it...   anyways! watch it!

1 2 3 4 5

xx

on some very cool things : )

so today is monday...! my first day in the real world! i graduated early from high school on friday, so i am officially done! its actually a really cool thing that my school does... we get our diploma and all the sprinkles on top, but we get 5 or so months to explore an endeavor... i am doing an internship and i am super physched for it and also because... for once i'll finally have time to myself! i wont be too exhausted to read books, or take photos or write. 

i love being a student... so i just think of this time in my life as being a student of myself. i want to see how much i can create and explore and learn. sounds fun! 

i'm thinking... get a babysitting job, find a rock-climbing gym, take some drawing classes... library once a week.. and blog! 

cillian murphy & feist! gahh... he's so cute! and his irish accent doesn't hurt. 

 the hermit: the withdrawl & the return. he is symbolic of finding himself, finding oneself.

i love fishtails when theyre done up, very cool!

this bag... oh my. i hope she posts where she got it! head on over, all the wool inspiration you'll ever need! 

1 2 3 4  5 

                                        

5: THE HOBBIT DIARIES!!  if your'e a fan of LOTR like me, this is the next best thing to prepare for the movie, a year away! (other than read the book, of course!) such an amazing journey

xx
-abi

On alpaca ponchos and Jonsi : )

listen and be immersed : ) 

this is my beloved fair trade alpaca poncho from Novica i got for christmas... its so warm and i feel like i could go on forest adventures with it without getting cold. i refused to take it off the first day: i actually fell asleep with it on mostly as an experiment because i wanted to see how travellers used to fair with their cloaks as blankets... it worked : ) these are also alpaca gloves: i recommend them SO much for warmth and if your'e allergic to wool like i am! 

getting better at taking outfit photos... though not by much. how about you guys? how'd you fare at first? 

finally got snow! i was so happy. it looked like all the world was there to gallop in... everything was quiet and there were no cars. my kind of night.


writing my children's short story... my goal is thirty pages... getting there! going to be a late night.

hope you all have a lovely week! xx

On-wards into the mug of tea

the tea leaves open in the water

and allow to be immersed

they don't coerce 

they coexist

and especially with my taste for stillness

and also with my deep yearning for warmth

they work

but when it is change i seek

the ones, once the cup is dry,

at the bottom

tell me past, present, future

but not how to do it

and after that, more cupfuls seem colder, and i 

put less effort into heating the water

so they just sit and keep the water bleached clean and clear

and it hurts that i can't find the warmth again

On the Kreative Blogger award!

a small little while ago, Jessa from Confessions of the Cupcake Countessa nominated me for the Kreative Blogger award! so sweet : ) 

here are the guidelines for this lovely award:

Link back to the person who gave you this award
Complete the form below
Award 10 other blogs and let them know in a comment or email
Share 7 random thoughts about yourself


FORM TO BE COMPLETED

1. NAME YOUR FAVORITE SONG:
Brother by Matt Corby

     2. NAME YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT:
a well made vegan carrot cake.. yumm!

3. WHAT TICKS ME OFF:
when people refuse to learn in life, just in general, not necessarily in school

4. WHEN I'M UPSET I:
sob like a three year old (big wet tears)

5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PET:
well... i can't really say.. they're looking. i think it would be rafa (aka raf-bear), shes the sweetest goofiest german shepherd mix

6. BLACK OR WHITE:
black

7. BIGGEST FEAR:
parasites, draught ( i just can't think about these things.. though with my predicted major, i'm going to have to!)

8. EVERYDAY ATTITUDE:
intuitive (i observe the little things to predict how things will go)

9. WHAT IS PERFECTION:
being open to every little ebb and flow the world presents you with

10. GUILTY PLEASURE:
a good era film, and chocolate chips 




seven thoughts: 
- the first thing i look at in a new person is eye contact, then smile
- i really really really want to be an arts and craftsy person, but i deep down know that will never happen!
- i am convinced i was a soldier in a past life (either really ancient or 1800s-to world war 2). really, its an uncanny feeling
- a chief aspiration of mine is to adopt a child.. or two, or three : )
- i speak in accents all the time!! it amuses me..
- i hate bras (haha)
- i really want to make an art/literature club where everyone makes cookies and shares views on books and the like


i will pass this award on to 7 other bloggers, instead of ten because these are especially sweet bloggers whom i feel very connected to, even if we haven't had full on conversations,
or the like! 


Leanna Kay (her poetry is rhythmic, beautiful. And her outfits are the cutest!) 


Magic Beans Blog (her photography is stunning!!) 


Bird on a Wire (her photos from the past are awe inspiring, and the quotations which ramble across her posts are really quite endearing)


Indie by Heart (just start with the layout of her blog: its magical. move on to her posts: they are darling!)


Victoria Smyrniotis  (her photography is wholesome and really quite magical)


Waking Life ("searching for that certain something that makes me want to stay up late..." is exactly what you'll find here; her ensembles are wicked cool, and her posts are incredibly endearing)


Sea of Daisies  (she's a master thrifter and creates stunning ensembles!) 

On dwarf-hatting

so here are my pictures of today's ensemble.. it was very cold and winter sunlight is hard to work with but i got some good ones in! i'm cracking up because i originally was going to say how i spent hours trying to figure out how to make my pictures bigger, then i accidentally did and they were HUGE and like pushed my side-bar into an awkward corner.. haha.. annnyyways.. excuse my goofy pictures : )

here's my dog Mota Loba Stargazer.. Mota for short ; ) her sister's name is Rafa Mama Baloo.

i hope all's well for all! much love, abi

On collective inspiration : )

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.6.7

1. 2. 3. 4. 5,6,7

The stars of Downton Abbey were in Vogue for a photoshoot! I typically don't enjoy vogue (nor vanity fair for that matter) BUT when theres a photoshoot with actresses i like... i can't help indulging!!

here are also some photos of a...real.life.hobbit.hole. no seriously, a man set out to build sustainable and lovely houses-- i'd say he succeeded! i vow to create one of these homes in the future! i encourage you to read the article with the link, its tells the lovely details of this lovely home.

in a bit of a transitionary period.. figuring blogging out ever further! just needed to share these photos... xx

On Downton Abbey

1.2.3.4.

well its 11:00, and i'm awfully tired, but i just got finished watching the premiere of Downton Abbey season two, a masterpiece classic on PBS... and my mind..was...blown..!!!! if you haven't seen this show, now's the time! because season two is the best thing i have watched in a long while.

the series follows the family of Downton Abbey, an estate in Yorkshire, i believe. it mainly focuses on mary, one of the daughters of the house, and her struggle to face expectation and ultimately herself. but its more than a tv show... its like reading a novel in which the characters tug at your heart, over and over and over again! you can watch the first season here or if you have netflix, you can watch it there. really, what a stunning show. the episodes are long, but believe me! you'll love it : ) and if you like world war one history, or that time period (like i do!) the second series is the thing to watch!

1. 2. 3. 4.

on hiking and seeing from above

photo of anonymous boy in the castle window

always have to have one of me looking confused...!

i went hiking with my good friend the other day up Sleeping Giant, this fault line, i'm pretty sure. so there are many precipices and actually if you keep going up, up, you end up very up! it was really stunning to see the landscape from a bird's eye view; you realize that you are looking at the surface of the earth-- for a moment there it felt very surreal! anyways, just posting some pictures from that, and some music i've been gushing over lately.

xx, thanks for visiting my blog! i'm hearing some really nice things and i plan to post more often and experiment with different types of posts until i find a style i like. have a lovely evening!

p.s tune in to PBS tonight at 9 for the second season of downton abbey!! greatest show, ever!

click here for a lovely Beirut song : )

here for an indescribable Mumford & Sons song

& here for something we can all appreciate

On plaid dresses

plaid dresses are the best! i got one from goodwill and i am stoked to be rockin' the recyclin'.

and if you like organic clothing (tan shirt) check out Threads4Thoughts, a very giving clothing company, who makes clothes from organic cotton!

its finally getting colder!!! ... well, like as in 20 degrees!! : ) but im happy about it..

On vegan cupcakes! (finally!)

Vegan cupcake recipe, finally! i am so happy about this particular post, because i also guest-blogged it at Confessions of the Cupcake Contessa, a beautiful blog by jessa.

here is the original recipe from Penzey's Spices Spring 2011 magazine (i put my alterations in parenthesis)

VEGAN CUPCAKES:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder (i do a little bit more than this, close to 1/2 cup)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vinegar

2 cups sugar (i do a little less, like 1 1/4 to 1 1/2)

2 cups water (i do one cup cooled coffee, one cup cool water, for flavor!)

2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cups vegetable oil (canola)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 f degrees. Mix all ingredients together until smooth and bake in greased/floured pan as desired. (orig. recipe suggests 9x13 pan). i do cupcakes! Bake for around 25 up until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

FROSTING:

if you would like to do vegan frosting, just follow my easy vegan frosting recipe!:

small standard tub of vegan cream cheese, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

a bag of confectioner's sugar (just keep adding the sugar until the frosting is sweet, i used a hand-held blender)

add your food coloring and decorate! : )

to see how i decorated these for a Hobbit party, see this page!

happy baking y'all!! xx

a.b