Sunday, November 29, 2009

I made it back to Boulder last night in one piece. Thanksgiving break is never long enough. Right when you get into the groove of things, it's time to go back. I spent Thanksgiving at my aunt Leah's house. There was a lot of family and a lot of booze. I always get overwhelmed at Thanksgiving because it's the one time of year that the whole family gets together so distant cousins, aunts, and uncles ask you the same questions over and over again ("What are you going to do after you graduate?"). By my third glass of wine, I was almost convinced that I was going to spend time at an elephant sanctuary (you have to start switching it up so you don't get bored with the same response over and over again).

Anyway, it's "crunch time" now. Only 2 more weeks left of classes and then finals. It's my least favorite time of the year.

I'm going to spend the day running errands and getting organized for the week ahead. If there is a little time left, I might do some sewing.

Have a lovely day!

~D

Friday, November 20, 2009

Midterms are over and Thanksgiving break has finally arrived! I feel like I'm going to be one of the last people left in Boulder (I don't go home to San Diego until tomorrow). I am left here with a whole day with absolutely nothing to do and it feels great! Unfortunately, I managed to contract a nasty little head cold a couple days ago, so I think I should take it easy today and work on getting myself healthy.



Hope everyone has a pleasant Thanksgiving!

Love,
Daryn

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

20 Questions

1) Do you have any pets?
Delilah (a.k.a., Beasty, pictured below) and Samson (a.k.a., Sweetyman)


2) Who is your best friend?
Mr. Noel Churchill (who also happens to be my boyfriend...fancy that!) and Ms. Morgan Grimm



3) I drive...
This:

And this:


4) Do you collect anything?
Elephants! Here is a picture of my elephant humidifier:


5) I love to wear...
Nothing.


6) I've been told that I look like...
My mom:

Penelope Cruz:

Emmy Rossum:


7) Tell a secret.
When I was 13, I had back surgery. This is what my insides look like:


8) Who/what inspires you?
Devendra Banhart, MKO, and old photographs, amongst many things.




9) What are you doing this weekend?
Going home to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I can't wait!

10) My hero is...
My dad:


11) What room are you in right now?
My bedroom.


12) What is your favorite store?
Whole Foods, Target, and thrift/antique shops, especially the Antique Warehouse on Cedros

13) What's on your wish-list?
A new I-pod! I'm all out of space!

14) Where did you grow up?
San Diego, CA - born and raised, and there's no place like home!


15) What's your favorite color?
I don't have one. They're all my favorite!


16) What's your guilty pleasure?
Eating in bed, watching old episodes of 90210, listening to Disney music in my car (and singing along)...shall I go on?

17) In your opinion, what is your best feature?
My hurr. It's thick and Jewish:


18) What are your hobbies?
playing music, singing, crafting, drinking wine, taking pictures, making up names for constellations, eating cheese, dressing up, wearing sunglasses that consume my whole face, primping, lucid dreaming, watching nature-shows, and colorology (the therapeutic utilization of color)

19) Do you have any reoccurring dreams?
Yes - riding a giant-sized Samson through a field of lollipops...and it looks something like this:


20) I am looking forward to...
graduating, traveling, and seeing what comes next!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Whatever You Like

I downloaded the most amazing torrent the other day... it's a compilation of over 120 cover songs by contemporary artists. Here are some of my favorites so far:

First Aid Kid - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song (Fleet Foxes)

Bikini - 1234 (Feist)

The Morning Benders - Lovefool (the Cardigans)
*If you like this one, head on over to The Morning Benders' blogspot. You can download the album, The Bedroom Covers for FREE (they do a great rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams)!

Anya Marina - Whatever You Like (T.I.)

The Kooks - Kids (MGMT)

Lately, I've been on a French movie-watching binge. I'm pretty much convinced that they do it better in France. The other day, I watched this delightful little Pierre Salvadori film starring Audrey Tautou (from Amelie) and Gad Elmaleh. Audrey Tautou plays a manipulative gold-digger who entertains the idea of a romance with an average Joe. Hilarity ensues. If you are a Netflix member, it's actually available to watch instantly. I actually watched this with Noel (we have long-distance date nights once in awhile where we watch the same movie at the same time and talk on the phone while we watch) and we could not get over how striking Audrey Tautou looks in this film.





I decided to go thrifting this past Wednesday. I didn't realize that it was Veteran's Day - everything at Savers and Salvation army was 50% off! This Jew can't complain. Here is what I found:


These brooches - I particularly like the white sailboat on the right :)

This adorable vintage tea-cup.

Dior for $2??! Snatch.

Another unicorn figurine - because you can never have too many.

Today is smelling like a craft day...After my 2'o'clock class, a Michaels run might be in order...
Enjoy the day!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Quote of the Day


"Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain."
-Carl Jung

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Hot Topic

Hot Topic: The Mapleton sandwich at Whole Foods.

I love Whole Foods. The instant I walk into any Whole Foods, I feel at peace with the world. I feel like skipping as I frisk the shelves for wasabi pea and chocolate covered mango. I take my time at the soup bar. I use the salad dressing containers to sample each one - carrot ginger, creamy tomato basil, minestrone - every one is unique in its own way. I make sure to sample the Kombucha on tap and ask to try a sliver of Greek pesto pizza at the pizza station.

No Whole Foods excursion is complete, however, without the Mapleton sandwich, made fresh to order in the sandwich bar. This sandwich was actually called "the Eldora" last year. Here's the breakdown:

-fig spread
-smoked turkey breast
-spring mix
-brie cheese
-red onions

Let it be known that I am the queen of sandwiches. I only make and eat the best sandwiches. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to a sandwich and this one almost made me fall back in my chair. Smokey, crunchy, creamy, sweet - all of my favorite flavors neatly packaged in a ciabatta bun? You have got to be kidding me.

Try this sandwich. You won't be disappointed.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

It's Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

My Facebook newsfeed has turned into a Halloween party! It's been fun checking out what everyone was for Halloween last night (and the night before). I did, in fact, put my Sherlylock Holmes costume to use on Friday night. This time, I stayed on my feet and off of the ground. Sadly, however, I lost my magnifying glass that night. It seemed that it was National Hangover Day yesterday morning...at least in the town of Boulder anyway. I guess that's what happens when Halloween falls on a Saturday. It was hard to muster up any amount of energy to go out again last night, but after watching Hocus Pocus and drinking a few glasses of spiked apple cider, I got more into the Halloween Spirit.


The first time I saw Hocus Pocus was in Kindergarden I believe. All I remember is that it scared the shit out of me the first time I saw it...I hesitantly admit the fact that years later, I still get scared whenever I watch it.

I decided that for Halloween '09, I would be a mime. All in all, I was pleased with my costume, although I'd often forget throughout the course of the night that I had painted my face and whenever I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror or a reflective surface, I got a little startled. Here are a few photos:







My two favorite costumes I saw last night on the streets of Boulder were Powdered Toast Man (from Ren & Stimpy) and a Jellyfish. The most repeated or abundant costume I saw was either Max from Where the Wild Things Are or Kanye West wearing a Taylor Swift T-shirt toting around a box of fish-sticks.

It's strange to think that this was my last Halloween in Boulder...I can't believe that there are only 5 weeks left before beginning the last semester of my collegiate life. I have a feeling that from here on out (since the time always seems to fly by after Halloween), I'm going to be measuring a lot of events in terms of "my last". I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that yet. There is a part of me that is so anxious to be done with it all and to just move on with my life, but deep down, I know that things aren't going to magically change as soon as I graduate. Change is a process. Of course it's bittersweet. I have met so many people here and I'm not going to see most of them ever again. I am also starting to feel a sense of mild panic and shock because this is finally starting to feel real and it is forcing to me to face what I have been trying to avoid for awhile: my future. Then, I start thinking about this thing they call responsibility. Luckily, I have a few more months before I have to fully embrace this plethora of feelings I have begun to experience and try to make some sense out of it all.








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