GRANDuation

Not only is this upcoming weekend a pivotal moment for me as it is one of the many landmark moments in my life but it is a rather GRAND moment for my parents as well. It will mark the end of 9 years of private college tuition, and as my dad told me a few weeks ago, "I can start living my life now...". Yes Dad you can start living, and I will as well. In addition to all of this I will be the first child in my family to go to graduate school, and that too is something to celebrate. Therefore, with all this celebration I had to have the perfect outfit. After a few weeks of looking I finally decided on this dress and I am utterly obsessed and can't wait to accessorize it from head to toe making it grand just like the occasion ... 

"I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet"

-Carrie Bradshaw 

Adventureland

So after weeks of discussion on how despite growing up with shopping trip after shopping trip and family get togethers in La La Land I had never been to Venice Beach or the Santa Monica Pier I finally made it in a semi-spontaneous day trip. Here are a few snapshots and thoughts from the adventure in La La Land

As we pulled up to park we stumbled upon this little gem, James' Beach from the movie I love you man where we proceeded to get a cocktail paid for by Kit from League of Their Own, no but really. In our conversation with her it occurred to me that after all my bad experiences with people and trust that I my personality most likely often comes off as harsh even if it is unintended, just a little something I should probably start working on ... 

This second image was discovered on our walk from the Venice boardwalk to Baby Blues BBQ and I thought it to be an important hypothetical question with the state of our world displayed ever so cooly on the exterior of a homes backyard wall, answer it as you see fit ... 

On our walk back to the car before heading over to the pier we noticed what appeared to be a sewage outlet with a boa

t floating in it, which just seemed bizarre but upon further inspection discovered this unbelievable community based around a series of canals where you can row a boat from house to house if you so choose under a series of bridges (each one unique), hence where the name Venice beach originated. I would not mind retiring here ... 

I'm 98% sure Ariane wasn't too pleased with my I don't really care to go anymore attitude at the end of the day, but I am ssoo glad she persisted because it was definitely something I needed to see. I loved the old school and classic charm of the pier and even the weirdos that accompany it as the sun goes down. The walk along the old wood planks, coaster, and ferris wheel ride were a great way to end the day!

My latest free time reading obsession ...

Interview magazine ... 

I r e a l l y want a subscription 

(... if anyone needs a graduation present idea this one would be great <3)

Soulmates ...

There are many different types of love and I am so greatful to have found an awesome friend and soulmate who I love. These pictures say it all ... The first one at the bottom said thank you to Diana as the caption ... I immediatly thought of last year and got super sentimental, she knows who she is, and it couldn't be August soon enough ... 

[image f. leloveimage]

"maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with"

- Sex and the City 

Kickin' it in my Cowboy Boots

I've noticed more and more recently the odd stares I get for rocking cowboy boots around campus. While yes, the fashion trend of them has come and gone, I will never let them go. They are a part of me. They've never been much of a "trend" thing for me since my dad always had and still has a pair in his closet. So USD, stare if you must, but I will never give up my cowboy boots!! YEE-HAW!

10 to go ...

So I took my procrastination to a new level today and I guess by writing on this as we speak I'm not helping my cause. I set out to finish this paper today seeing as it is due on Tuesday and we need to have 2 edited drafts and a final copy, yet I am only on page 6 of 16 right now. I have a feeling I'm not going to be making it into work tomorrow and if I do I am going to be a zombie. However, this is the last time that this will ever happen. While I was being all sentimental earlier I'm finding I'm quickly getting over this paper now and just want it to be done. 

Let it Linger

... So I've discovered over the past four years I have become a professional procrastinator, I have learned to take procrastination to a whole new level, it is my art. However, I have also discovered that I thrive under the time constraints I create for myself. I have my final english paper (16 pages) due on Tuesday, I have had 7 weeks to do it and I am just beginning it, and I want to put it off even longer. Typically this is the point when I would just power through it but I am getting really upset over it. Once this paper is done I am that much closer to graduation. True, I'll be at grad school next year but it will never be the same. While I understand what I have to do ... I just don't want to. I will continue sorting through these novels trying to justify why they are considered literary masterpieces and attempt to define the term masterpiece in the process, but I'm going to do it kicking and screaming, and not like I usually do. This is not me simply not wanting to do a paper because it is tedious, this is me not wanting to do it because this signifies the beginning of the end of college and college has been great!

"It's a Climb ... but the View is G R E A T"

Okay so judge me but the Hannah Montana Movie was fantastic! It weirds me out how in so many ways I related to it. This is most likely because it was about a huge changing point in her life, and I'm about to embark on a huge one myself. 

This is exactly how I feel, like I am sitting on the side of the road on top of everything my parents have provided for me, all dressed up, and with an utter look of confusion of my face. People constantly talk about the future and what is to come. Well how do they know? It's the future, there are no outcomes already waiting for us. Everything relies on the decisions we make in the present, one subtle thing we do differently could change e v e r y t h i n g ... 

And while I don't know if what I am doing by staying in San Diego is the best thing or the smartest, I also can't imagine looking back on my roaring twenties and wondering what if? Especially seeing as this is a question I've been asking myself and others a lot lately, it has replaced the two year olds "why?". And as I said to my dad on the phone today amidst signing a lease on my own (one of the scariest things I've done to date) ... "and if I fail, at least I can say I tried" 

"You tuck me in, turn off the light. Left me safe and sound at night. Little girls depend on things like that. Brushed my teeth and combed my hair. Had to drive me everywhere. You were always there when I looked back. You had to do it all alone, make a living, make a home. Must have been as hard as it could be. And when I couldn't sleep at night, scared things wouldn't turn out right, you would hold my hand and sing to me ... 

Caterpillar in the tree, how you wonder you you'll be. Can't go far but you can always dream ... Wish you may and wish you might, don't you worry, hold on tight. I promise you there will come a day ... Butterfly, fly away"

- Butterfly Fly Away Lyrics ...