Inspiration Strikes

On Saturday, I went home for the first time all semester to spend the night at my house, get some work done, and pick up a few things I needed from home. I've really started to love driving on the highway, especially by myself, and I was in such a good mood driving back to campus on Sunday. There was no traffic on the roads, I was listening to Vance Joy, it was snowing out, and I was suddenly struck by the idea that I needed to do something with my life.

This is nothing new. I have this sort of epiphany - this sudden sense of wanderlust, this ambitious desire to plunge headfirst into something - pretty often. But for some reason, cruising down Route 1 in the snow singing along to Riptide, the urge to change my life suddenly felt really, really real. Even though the weather was less than ideal, the fact that it was March 1 really made me think of spring and upcoming adventures in store for me as the weather gets warmer. It inspired me to make a post of, well, things that are currently inspiring me, to keep my spirits up until the warm weather gets here for good! 

This is probably the best picture I've ever taken

The High Line: I can't wait to get back to New York City over spring break. The last few city trips I've taken have been freezing, so I'm looking forward to sunny, mild weather. Wandering through Chelsea Market and strolling along the High Line are some of my favorite city activities when it's nice out. How amazing is that artwork up there? 

Archaic Torso of Apollo: This is one of those poems that always gets me right in the feels, even though every time I read it I'm not entirely sure I've grasped its meaning. Rainer Maria Rilke is a literary genius, though, and this is one of my favorite poems. The final line just gets me every time I read it: You must change your life. 

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Wild: I am so into Cheryl Strayed's memoir. It's a remarkably inspirational tale of one woman's impulsive decision to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, alone, with no previous hiking experience. Her courage, not only on the trail, but in all facets of her life, is truly uplifting. This book makes me want to drive off to some mountain somewhere in the hopes of rediscovering myself. 

Hopefully I'll be able to direct some of this blind ambition toward accomplishing something important this spring! What's currently inspiring you?

New York, New York

Les Miserables; Dom and I brave the cold at Rockefeller Center

My friend Dominick has inadvertently become my unofficial Broadway buddy. In November, he and I went into the city and rushed tickets for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which was hilarious and had an amazing soundtrack, not to mention an exceptionally talented cast. We had such luck getting tickets then (plus getting autographs and a picture with one of the lead actors after the show) that this Saturday, we decided to try our luck again.

Dom strikes his best 24601 pose; I pose with the exquisitely talented Ramin Karimloo

We had our sights set on Cabaret, because Alan Cumming and Emma Stone make a duo you just can't refuse. Unfortunately, they weren't selling rush tickets that day, so after hustling from Penn Station to Studio 54, we had to turn and run back nine blocks to the theater where Les Miserables plays. We luckily got tickets, even though we had to sit on literal opposite sides of the theater from each other. 

I think I have to move Les Miz up the ranks of my top favorite musicals. Seeing it performed live was beautiful. Ramin Karimloo, as Jean Valjean, was everything I had heard he would be and more. Dom claimed that the rendition of "Bring Him Home" that we heard was the best version he had ever heard, and I agree - the applause for that song went on for ages. And I cried during the final scene. I couldn't help it. The beautiful final message of Les Mis - "To love another person is to see the face of God" - always chokes me up, and the actors had me so invested in the characters they played that I couldn't stop the tears from coming. One of my friends insisted that your perception of Les Miz depends entirely on the cast you see, and I have to say the entire cast I saw was truly exceptional. 

Dom has only been to the city a few times, where I've spent more days there than I can count, but I always have a blast when we go. We get cookies at Schmackary's bakery (delicious!) and hit the touristy sites like Times Square and Rockefeller Center. (Dom has a particular soft spot for the arbitrary Matt Lauer cardboard cutout in the NBC Studio store.)  

Visiting the city always gets me in a New York state of mind. When I go with my friends, we stick to familiar areas, but when I visit my brother, we venture into areas of the city I don't frequent. I'll be so sad when my brother and his girlfriend move out of the city this summer so my brother can attend med school, because I'll be losing my city tour guide! Still, I know I'll live in the city at some point in my life - it's been a dream of mine for years. So, until then, here's to my first city trip of 2015 and here's to many more! 

2015 - The Year of Words

I decided long before New Year's Eve that 2015 was going to be an important year for me - the year of words. Now, this isn't much of a shock to people who know me - I had my first article published in my town's newspaper when I was in third grade, I won the English department award when graduating high school, I'm an English major, and I own no less than four literary-themed shirts. Of course 2015 is going to be a year of words - every year in my life is a year of words.

But 2015 is going to be the year I focus on words, and making words count:

• I made it a goal to write every day
• While interning at CollegeFashion.net, I'll be writing a lot anyway!
• I've determined to settle for nothing less than high A's on all my papers this semester (not that I've ever slacked off in class, but I want a 4.0 GPA, not the 3.9 I got this semester)
• I've decided to minor in marketing, which will hopefully help me learn how to market my words...or something.

But even more importantly than writing words, 2015 is going to be the year of me reading words. Last year, I was horrified when Alyssa asked me if I had read any good books lately, and my answer was a shocking no! I had gotten so caught up in reading books for my classes, I hadn't read for fun all year! Alyssa's most recent post on her 2015 Reading Goals, not to mention the following picture I've found on Pinterest, has inspired me to read much more this year and remember to read more than just the assigned reading for my English classes. 

This list is pretty ambitious, but if you're up for the challenge, head over to PopSugar and download a copy of the 2015 Reading Challenge! Whether you have a set number of books you'd like to read this year or you're just hoping to pick up one new book, good luck and happy reading! 

A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I had the most wonderful Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations this year! Nothing but wonderful relaxing time spent with my closest family and friends. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the amazing holiday season!

On Christmas Eve, my parents, my brother Chris, and I attempted to take a selfie on my mom's iPad, then headed over to my grandparents' house for our Christmas Eve tradition: Polish 7-fish Christmas Eve dinner (complete with lots of pierogis), then Christmas cookies and present opening, followed by my brother and I seeing who can count the most Christmas lights on the drive home. (We've been playing this game probably since I was old enough to count, and we used to use this opportunity to search the skies for Santa! Even though we're in our twenties now, we still get competitive.)

On Christmas Day, my brother and I woke up extremely early to open presents with our parents and enjoy a Christmas breakfast before cooking and getting ready to go to my aunt and uncle's house. Another tradition, Christmas day is always filled with aunts, uncles, my other grandparents, and as many cousins as we can wrangle from our various spots in the country. Above, I have a great picture of my mom and all her siblings (sans one sister of hers who lives in Florida) and my grandparents! I don't have a copy of the annual cousin picture (which we all gripe about every year), but I have a picture of me and all my girl cousins (except the oldest, who lives in Missouri). I'm the baby of the family and I'm already 20 years old, so it's really cool to get together every year and see what everyone is up to. Plus, there's tons of food and dessert, which makes this annual gathering even better. (My uncle is a fantastic cook.)

Finally, there's New Year's Eve! My friend Catherine (on the left) threw a huge fancy dress party at her house with all her closest friends from college and our hometown. I got to see all my friends from high school I hadn't seen in years, and it was amazing to spend the night with my best friends: Catherine, Tara, who goes to school in North Carolina, and Joanna (on the right in the bow) who goes to school in Alabama. I couldn't have asked for a more fun night or to spend it with better people. These girls are truly my best friends and I was thrilled to ring in the new year with all of them.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, no matter what holidays you celebrated!

Decking the Halls

Finals are over! Christmas is here! I'm thrilled. I love everything about this time of year - the crowded malls, the bursts of red and green glitter and lights everywhere, the scents of peppermint and gingerbread, the air cold with the promise of snow, and the feeling that everyone wants to be a little bit better, this time of year. A little cheerier, a little kinder, a little warmer.

I was super excited to decorate the tree this year, since last year I was so sick with mono I could barely take part in any yuletide festivities before I'd need to go lie down for a nap. But this year I insisted on watching Elf and eating Christmas cookies while we trimmed the tree (just me and my parents, as my brother currently lives in New York).

My Christmas tree has a definite theme - New York Giants ornaments for my dad, ballet ornaments for me, and lots of Disney ornaments, since my whole family loves Disney! Of course, we all have our favorites, like the Pinocchio ornament from one of our trips to Disney (my mom adores Pinocchio!) and the Power Rangers ornament that's been on our tree since my brother way a toddler.

Also, this skirt. Can I just talk about how I've been looking for a nice plaid skirt since August? I wanted something I could style through the fall and winter, something without pleats so I didn't look like a schoolgirl, and something in a more muted color so I didn't look like I was trying to revive the red plaid, Avril Lavigne-esque look of the early 2000s. Then I found this gem at Forever 21, took the plunge, brought it to the register, and found out it was on sale for $13. Crazy, right? I've already planned so many outfits with it in my head, and I love this wintery look (even though today I had to add tights for warmth!).

Are you super excited for the holidays, like I am?

Happy Birthday, Miss Swift!

This is a picture of me headed to my second Taylor Swift concert - only 16 years old here!

I remember when I was in middle school, headed to my first Taylor Swift concert. I was wearing a sundress, cowgirl boots and, of course, I had painted a 13 on the back of my hand. Every true Taylor Swift fan knows, of course, that 13 is her lucky number! Today, on her birthday, December 13, I want to celebrate my reentry into the Taylor Swift fandom by wishing the superstar a happy birthday and counting down my top ten favorite Taylor songs (you know, the ones that don't always get music videos or make it to the radio - the underdog songs).

10. Crazier (The Hannah Montana Movie Soundtrack) - Because it was such a pretty, sweet, slow song and I adored the Hannah Montana movie on its own, but throw in my favorite singer making a cameo as herself? I was hooked.

9. Clean (1989) - Because there's nothing quite as difficult or refreshing as getting over your ex, and Taylor proudly celebrates that in this pretty melody.
8. Sparks Fly (Speak Now) - Because when I was a sophomore in high school, my crush had green eyes, and that made this catchy, upbeat song super relatable.
7. I'd Lie (Taylor Swift) - Because this was the first song I'd heard by Taylor and, subsequently, the first song I taught myself to play on the guitar (back when I knew I was going to be the next Taylor Swift).
6. Change (Fearless) - Because it's often forgotten in the wake of her countless hits, but nonetheless inspiring (especially to hear as a middle school girl, which is one of life's most difficult phases).

5. Haunted (Speak Now) - Because there's a version with just piano as the background and it's hauntingly (no pun intended) beautiful.
4. Treacherous (Red) - Because I heard this song when I was on the brink of my first relationship, and nothing captures those early butterflies like this song.
3. Style (1989) - Because it's totally different from her early works, and it's so blatantly written about Harry Styles, and Taylor is unashamed to name a song after her ex, and it's so darn catchy.
2. The Last Time (Red) - I might claim that Red is my least favorite Taylor Swift album, but the few songs I do like really resonate with me. The passion and power in this melancholy song make it truly unforgettable, and Gary Lightbody is truly phenomenal.
1. All Too Well (Red) - One of my favorite songs (of all time!?), this song is soft and sad until it builds to its powerful, aching bridge. This is the poetry that makes me love Taylor Swift, people. These lyrics ("You call me up again just to break me like a promise") are what I'm here for.

Of course, as an artist with a repertoire as enormous as Taylor's (at only 25!), it's impossible to pick just ten favorite songs. Other notable tracks include Long Live (which is probably number 11 on my top 10 list), The Other Side of the Door, Invisible, Last Kiss, Dear John, Wildest Dreams, Mary's Song...you get the idea. I could have a top 20 list and still not name all my favorite songs, especially since my musical choices really depend on my mood. Luckily, there's a Taylor Swift song for every occasion!

Would do you think of her new album? Are you a fan of her former country tunes? Do you love her transformation from country princess to pop queen? Are you thrilled that there's now a Taylor Swift song for just about every genre you could think of? I know I am!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Now that classes are winding down and I have some time to breathe (and maybe even write some more posts! What a concept!), December is going to be the month of "how many overused Christmas lyrics can I recycle into post titles?" I can feel it.

Early in November I caught one of the earliest Christmas commercials on Youtube completely by accident. I was listening to a playlist when suddenly an advertisement came up, and the song was so beautiful I didn't even  realize I was listening to a commercial! Eventually I learned it was the Burberry commercial, "From London With Love," starring the adorable Romeo Beckham. The song accompanies a fantastical winter wonderland filled with stunning ballgowns, beautiful choreography, and of course the classic Burberry scarves. It's such a classy brand with a classy commercial to match, but let me stop talking about Burberry and show you the actual video I'm talking about:

Christmas has unfortunately become a time of commercialism, of course, but a lot of advertisements for merchandise are actually bringing with them a wake-up call about the real values of the holiday season. This iPhone commercial, for instance, always made me tear up when I saw it last year:

How beautiful was that? Am I the only one who gets a little choked up when I watch it? I know a lot of advertising during the holiday season is just directed at getting people to buy products, but it's nice to see a commercial that actually shows the important things about this time of year, like family.