AND HOW COULD I FORGET?!

OH ALSO!

Twilight comes out in theaters today!! AHHHH! i SO would love to go and see it immediately... BUT i am patiently waiting until I am home in San Antonio to see it with my twilight book club (just kidding we dont have a club, but we have passed the books down on to each other) @ the Palladium. as much as i want to see the movie LIKE NOW... i am excited to be going with my sister, Lindsey, sister-in-law, Gina, cousin, Stacey and Pamela (the owner of Twilight who lovingly passed it on through linds and the rest of us) and her cousin, Nicolle. I am not sure who else is going with us... but I do know that I will be enjoying Twilight with those loves of mine and with a cocktail... or two... or three.

SO HOOORAY FOR TWILIGHT!

whistle while you work

okay i havent written this week bc i have been super busy with projects. i was exhausted last night and luckily got to sleep in today due to my typography class being cancelled. the reason was unfortunate though, apparently our professor fell down some stairs yesterday, and had to be taken to the emergency room via an ambulance! oh my. hopefully everything is okay.... so despite the reason, i definitely was happy for some extra time to sleep and get other things done.

anyway. i wanted to post this that i saw on my dashboard this morning ----


um. is that snow flurries? what?! well i checked out the weather forecast online, and there is no signs of any snow... so i am not sure what is up with that little widget of mine, but it sure did shock me for a moment!

happy thursday. COME ON FRIDAY!

these are the days when you wish your bed was already made

good luck getting through the week people! a little over a week left until thanksgiving. in the words of my niece.... ' you gotta hold on tight. hooooold tight. you gotta hold on tight. hoooold tight. you gotta hold on tight with all yourrrrr rockin might!'

words for the week

The conversion of the heart that lies at the core of Christian spiritual transformation begins at the cross. It involves meeting God's love in the cross, not simply encountering some judicial solution for the problem of human sin. It must also involve surrender to that love, not simply being warmed by it as a comforting spiritual truth. It must, therefore, involve genuinely experiencing God's love. For only if I have met the heart of God in love can I ever hope that his heart of love might become mine.
David G. Benner
[from his book, Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts With the Heart of God]

one week ago.

last sunday at my mom and dad's house -- after dinner, hanging out in my room, being silly with my niece and nephew.
i love you b & k!!

heidi klum + guitar hero

heidi klum is amazing. i love her new ad for guitar hero. she was on ellen and i think she's great! [[um cool friday afternoon, can you tell im catching up on my dvr's of ellen and oprah??]]

p.s. i wish i could look this good playing guitar hero... or ever... dangit.

oh it's friday at last. what a week it has been. after weekend of playtime (not to mention missing fridays classes) it was inevitable that this week i would be playing catch up. with the semester winding down (4 weeks left...but whose counting?! :D) everything has been gettin crazy. it sounds so nice to think that FOUR weeks of class are left before the holidays... but when i think of that amount of time in comparison to the amount of work that needs to be done in that time -- i can't help but become a little nervous. ahhh.

well with a dreary weekend forecast, and lots of projects to be finished, i think i may make it a low key weekend and get some work done... hmm. well that is the plan as of this moment. so we'll see just how that plays out.

ive been meaning to post this quote from oprah the other day. she had will smith on who was promoting his new movie with rosario dawson, seven pounds [trailer here]. anyhow. will smith was talking about his family and his outlook on life... i really enjoyed this quotation from him, and thought i would share it! i think its an awesome wya of thinking and outlook to have in life. hope you enjoy it, happy weekend friends.

i want my life, i want my work, i want my family -- i want it to mean something.
if you are not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time.
you're life will become better, by making other lives better
- will smith

texas state of mind

"Texas is an obsession.
Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word,"
-John Steinbeck

Oh i had just the greatest time in San Antonio this weekend. From the minute the airplane touched the ground, the warm sun and clear, blue sky made my soul smile. I began the weekend by sharing a bottle of Red Diamond (our fave) at Sushi Zushi with my aunt and mom and getting my fill of all my sushi favorites - which of course included ikura and soft shell crab. After lunch we visited my sister at Wilderness Oak where she is student teaching. We got to meet her class of second graders and the cool teachers she spends each day with. Later I stopped by the Tomaszewski residence to hug Dru, catch up on life, and share jokes with poppa T. I then headed down the street to Tophill to visit Jonathan where I got to enjoy his hugs and conversation before heading off to meet Kirby Elizabeth for dinner. Kirby, along with her fun co-worker Sydney, and I headed to El Jarro where Ashley joined us for the greatest margaritas and some of the best mexican food in the 210. For the evening, Kirby and I had a sleepover at the Marriot downtown, where we got to bed early, but not before some good gossip and stories first - it's what best friends who don't see nearly enough of each other do.

Satuday, bright early, or more like dark and still like night time, we departed the Marriot to head to Brackenridge Park to begin setting up the Got Milk? booth at American Heart Association walk. Then I had the privelege of accompanying Kirby to the Kens5 studios where she was a rockstar at her interview and promoting milk. We spent the rest of the morning at the Got Milk? tent, snapping photos of people with their sticker milk mustaches (photos to come son), taking advantage of the free subway, and having our own mini photoshoots. 11:30 am came too soon, and it was time for Kirby and Sydney to head to the airport. It's always hard to say goodbye to Kirby, especially when I know it will be quite some time (sooner hopefully than later) until we meet again - I've been spoiled seeing her twice in 2 months! Hey, there were no tears this time... haha.

I headed to Jons where I tried to squeeze in a short nap before heading to my parents house where we were meeting some of my family to head out to Wurstfest! We all (uncle art, aunt brenda, mom, dad, auntie, stacey, jon and i) crammed into the suburban, with our cooler packed, and made our way to new braunfels. There is nothing like Wurstfest - the ten 10 day salute to sausage is quite the event. After tons of food sampling (brats, sauerkraut, bread pudding, jerky, ghoulash...the list goes on) with the group and several pitchers of beer later, us party animals decided it was time for home - yep, we made it to about 8pm. We're wild and crazy. I know.

Sunday, Jon and I went to breakfast with Michael and his girlfriend Kira to Le Peep. I was thrilled to have found BagelwithLox on the specials menu after I had just been dissapointed at its lack of presence on the regular menu. The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging. It was just perfect. I headed home around 4 where I got to see my brother and sister in law, and play with my niece and nephew in the backyard. I love just laying in the grass and listening to those kids run around me shrieking and giggling. We also had a pretty fabulous time jumping on the trampoline. My mom made fajitas and we sat in the backyard for dinner. The weather was beautiful.

After J&G and the kids left, me mom and lindsey relaxed and caught up on our tv shows while I packed and got ready to head back to ny. My mom and I left the house early this morning, and went to meet Jon @ Palapas (had to have my fix) for breakfast before my flight. My other sister-in-law, Mal, called me while we were at breakfast. My nephew, Connor, wanted to talk to me - they were on their way to the doctors to get a cast -- the poor baby broke his arm during his football game on saturday! I didn't get to see him or my other two nephews, and tom and mal during this short weekend, but I can't wait to see them during Thanksgiving break!

Now it's back to school and time to face another long, busy week. It's great to be back in nyc, but Oh how i miss Texas already. The good news is I get to go back in two weeks :) Gotta work hard in my classes though for now... this semester is flying by all to quickly.

Goodnight and God bless

sweet southern comfort

in 3 and 1/2 hours i will be in the sky, heading home to the great state of texas. i love new york. i do a whole lot. and i love my friends and my life here. but nothing beats texas. i can't wait to see my family. and i can't wait for the hugs. i can't wait to see the girls. and jon. and kirby. and even that stinky little dog of ours, mia. i am so happy.

so farewell nyc. i will return monday afternoon.

xoxo

TCU gameday

Tonight's game will declare the winner of the Mountain West Conference, and the team that will still be eligible to earn a chance to play in a BCS Bowl game. Tonight's game is huge!

GO TCU
HORNED FROGS
YEAAAAAA

pumpkin loaf.

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."
Elizabeth Lawrence

bethesda fountain with the girls

my nyc texans and i.

p.s. it is an excellent time of year for all things pumpkin... don't think it stops with those jack-o-lanterns! pumpkin lattes, pumpkin ale, toasted pumpkin seeds, and not to mention the delicious pumpkin loaf - i recommend starbucks. it is one of my fav things to get there right around this time of year.

sniffles.

bah i think i am getting sick! that is absolutely no fun. i woke up saturday morning with a sore throat! it was miserable and unbearable. now its just scratchy and itchy. what a pain right. i hate when your throat is itchy. and my coughs are the deep, feel like they're cuttin your throat type of cough. yuck. i couldn't stop coughing during church. i hate that.

i had a lovely afternoon with my sweet girlfriends today. chinae, allison, susie, mo and i had brunch at calle ocho on the upper west side. i took advantage of the unlimited sangria. it was nice to brunch and chat with the girls on such a beautiful sunday. after brunch we headed through the park. the new york city marathon was going on today - and it was absolute madness! it was VERY cool to see all of the people running the race. we stood not to far from the finish line, cheering out to people and encouraging them that they could do it!! it was cool bc people had their names on their shirts, so you could personalize your cheers. we saw some silly costumes too. can't forget to mention the man in the borat thong suit. wow. there is no way that could be comfortable for 26 miles. yikes.

we tried to visit the mobile art exhibit that is featuring a chanel exhibition... but the stand by line was 2 1/2 hours long! yikes. no thank you. so instead, we went to the fountain at bethesda terrace, had a mini photoshoot... then went and frolicked in the beautiful orange and yellow leaves. THE LEAVES CHANGE COLORS HERE PEOPLE! oh texas you knwo i love you, but i sure do love the way fall looks in nyc. it was refreshing and wonderful. i will have to post those pictures as soon as i can snag them from nae.

church was great as usual - "your yesterday does not have to define your tomorrow". i also loved during the closing prayer when the guy said that you can always tell who the tourists are in new york, because they are always looking up.... we should all look up and find a new reference point for our lives. "freedom is found in your relationship with Christ"

well here we go, about to approach another week! i am pumped and motivated to work my t-hiney off this week so that i can enjoy my weekend in texas without worrying about schoolwork! five more days till i can wiggle my toes in the grass, see that big, clear blue sky, drive my car with the windows rolled down, hug my family, see my kirbs, get some good mexican food, and let that sweet southern comfort fill my soul. i am very excited. hope everyone has a good week :D

beethoven's love letter

mo and i concluded our date night by watching sex and the city. ah. i am almost embarassed to admit that it was my first chance to see the movie! insane. i know. but that is besides the matter - i wanted to post about the letter from which big speaks the lines 'ever thine, ever mine, ever ours' from. i wanted to look the letter up and read it in it's entirety. the art of writing love letters and the way beethoven is able to speak his feelings and emotions so eloquently really amazes me. do people write like this anymore?! maybe it is a lost art. but i suppose it's worth it not to give up hope on it all.

The Third Letter - By: Ludwig van Beethoven
((from Immortal Beloved))

Good morning, on July 7
Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us - I can live only wholly with you or not at all - Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits - Yes, unhappily it must be so - You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart - never - never - Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life - Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men - At my age I need a steady, quiet life - can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day - therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once - Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together - Be calm - love me - today - yesterday - what tearful longings for you - you - you - my life - my all - farewell. Oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours

*** you can find the entire letter here - it's worth the read. well i sure did enjoy it.***

date night. practically.

mo and i went for tea at grumpy's - i had french lemon ginger tea and it was perfect. my throat has been hurting and it was delicious and soothing. we sat on the bench outside and just watched the people go by. for dinner we went to cosi's and stayed there for like two hours, talking and laughing about old times and all the crap we used to get ourselves into. it was pretty funny. we were talking about middle school and high school and how it all seems so long ago. can't believe how quickly time has flown by. after cosi we decided we needed pinkberry to round out our date night before heading home. i got a student discount. ha. i think it was the first time i bragged about being a student out in public in the city. whoo discounts. now just hanging out at the apt. going to brunch with some of my faves manana. we're going to calle ocho, and it's their first time... this could get interesting.

sa town in six days. WHOAH.

photos from halloween

1) me at the apt before we went out.
2) trying to take the pic of myself.
3) mo (minnie mouse goes to fashion week) & i @ volstead

[[i will have more pics to post later -- well once tanya posts them on facebook and i can swipe them from there.]]

halloweekend

trick or treat
smell my feet
give me something good to eat
if you don't
i don't care
i'll pull down your underwear

ew. did we honestly say that as children? who creates these little rhymes. anyhow. it's my first halloween in new york city - and it's insane already. the kids go trick or treating from store to store along the streets. the chinese place adri and i were waiting for food at was giving out fortune cookies. HA.

so my outfit for tonight changed like a million times today. and my two favorites were voted out due to money and time. SO. i will post pics later so yall can see what i was.

happy halloween everyone!

you can vote however you like

i had this passed onto me from my friend sara - and i think its great. i really do love that white boy up there in the top corner, just holding his own. haha. you can find the lyrics to their song here. happy thursday people.

a source of inspiration

let's just say i have pulled some inspiration from this classic 1993 hit (with the guidance from my roommate).... and i won't say it yet. but maybe its obvious what i am being inspired by. but that is all for now!

oh. and monkey is back in the freezer.

go out and buy a hat

chinae shared this with me this weekend. and at first i thought it was dumb and thought we obviously don't share the same kind of humor.... then it was really hilarious. and i thought i would share.

a well-rounded weekend. this one is lengthy.

i had such a wonderful weekend. i got to do so much and spend time with so many different friends in the city. thought i would run through all that i got to experience this weeken d- and why im still smiling about it.

fridays classes were the same as they always are - my attention level for the week seems to have been maxed out and i am antsy and ready to be set free. this photo below shows the collaboration of alex and i and our combined weirdness and slight sense of a.d.d. we decided we wanted to do a small collage dedicated to our friend peter. so we drew imgaes of peter and put this little thing together and pasted it on his locker. i wonder if he figured out that it was her and i. i don tknow. but whatever. it got us through the day!

here is tuten with her 'prostitute umbrella' - thats what she's calling it. she has been carrying this in her bag for the past week hoping that it will rain. doesn't she know that i do everything i can to avoid a rainy day in the city!!!


after class, adri, alex and i headed to safran for a late lunch. it is french-vietnamese cuisine and they have a great lunch special. after lunch we decided to head down towards soho to walk around and enjoy the city. this pic is adri trying on a new jacket at g-star. alex and i enjoyed the moment of being his stylists and giving him advice. then we both enjoyed a moment when we decided the way a fancy frou-frou poodle that we saw crossing the street would say if she could talk. once again. easily amused. we headed to houston and bowery for an art exhibit that some of our friends that are first year students told us about. the exhibit was called the outsiders and it was really cool and in an awesome space.





you can see more images than i posted here

when we were walking home - well towards the subway, we saw one of the banksy pieces - it was cool bc we've been talking about his work, but there we got to see one out of no where. i ran across traffic and stood in the median to take this photo for tuten bc i thought it would make her smile.

i wrote the post about seeing chris noth, right after it happened - but that was friday after all of this. me adri and kyle ended up going to public to have wine and appetizers. adri's friend dylan works at the restaurant. it is a really neat place, with such a cool atmosphere. it is themed after a public library. really cool. after dylan got off, the 4 of us headed to double crown/ madam geneva's where i had a really delicious (and slightly unusual) cocktail that tasted like ginger. the bar closed early, and we all parted and headed home.

saturday i dragged myself out of bed and headed to brooklyn to have lunch with chinae. we ate at a cute little mexican place and then got gorilla coffee and walked around park slope. there are the greatest little boutiques and everyone seemed so cheery. it began raining, so we took shelter and headed to nae and bobs apt where nae and i spent the rest of the afternoon facebook stalking and her catching me up on her love interests. yes. that is plural. . being silly and watching you me and dupree.

i hurried back to the city to come home and shower quickly before heading back out with mo to go back to brooklyn, but this time to sunset park. our old roommate kirby was celebrating her birthday. we went to her apartment for dinner, a mini dance party, play time with their cat, and then headed back to the city to go out at the dark room in the LES. we had a blast dancing and enjoyed ourselves at the dark room. always a good time.


my sunday morning was another 'drag me out of bed' moments - i woke up and went ot meet adri at the station to head to the upper west side for brunch with several of our first year friends. we went to the greatest restaurant called 'calle ocho' - the best part was that they had free, unlimited sangria. sounds too good to be true. i know. they had like 8 different flavors, and you could come and go as you please to refill. my favorite (and the only one i stuck to) was the mango,pineapple,honey and lemongrass blend. amazing.

after brunch, adri, stephanie and i opted to walk through the park instead of just hopping on the subway. it was an absolutely gorgeous day. we walked across the park to the east side, and then took the 6 to union square. i got out there and walked home. amanda was shopping in the area, so i met her at shoegasm, and we grabbed coffee at starbucks and caught up on life. it was good to see her and just hang out and talk.

at church last night they spoke about marriage. wow. the heavy stuff huh. it was really good though. and the sermon applied to all of us, each in our own ways. it kept the busy wheels of my mind spinning. our group of friends headed to the village afterwards for dinner and margaritas at bennys.

what a weekend. thats the summary of it all, in the condensed version. all in all it was really nice to get out and about and really try to be social. i got to see so many different friends, make a few new ones, and got to get out and enjoy this city. last week followed up by this weekend was just so perfect for me. i know i've been saying this lately - but it all really was just what i needed.

oh also - even though i had such a wonderful weekend, i really wish i could have gont to tcu's homecoming this weekend. i loved your pics al, and i want to go next year!! i hardly recognize the school and all those renovations. whoah. i miss tailgating. and my tcu girls.