Little Things V

What I've been up to lately...

Listening to chamber music

I've been listening to oodles & oodles of chamber music like the baddest 18th century bitch in town. You should try it, you'll like it.

getting into The Strain??

I have no idea why I like this show. I really don't. A co-worker of mine really likes it too and she has no idea why either (she's a 40-something mother of two, just for reference). It's mostly gross and often has me questioning the competence of the characters, but I like it still?? Ok, well I can definitely say that I like Corey Stoll. And his wig, which is quite convincing most of the time. (He also had a pretty magnificent wig as Hemingway in Midnight in Paris.) I think my favorite is when he's wearing a beanie though, because you just know baby is bald under there.

obsessing over the knits on Outlander

Why oh why haven't I learned to knit? I want the whole range of Outlander knits, plus one Scottish Highlander hunk please.

researching eats in New Orleans

I am going to visit New Orleans at the end of the month, a city I've wanted to explore for ages. My friend and I are going, and as two foodies we will eat & drink our way through the city. Beignets will be devoured. Absinthe will be tried. Commander's Palace will be conquered. And it will be glorious. If anyone out there reads this and has some recommendations for food or sightseeing TELL ME.

Little Things, III

How I've been spending my week...

drinking chocolate chili chai tea

One of my pen pals sent me a sampler of chocolate chili chai from David's Tea because she's amazing. I love chai tea, but I prefer getting it from a cafe in latte form, because I love the creaminess of it that way. If I make it at home, it usually just turns out disappointing (unless I make it from scratch). However, this chai was really quite delicious! And such a funny coincidence, because I recently got a big order from David's...

going a bit mad on the David's Tea website

Ah, now I'm set for months! I got eight different kinds of tea, including 'Movie Night' (green tea with maple and apples), 'Love Tea #7' (black tea, dark chocolate, strawberries, rose), and 'Amaretto' (lapacho, almond, apricot, orange, rose), among others. I wish I could try every kind they offer, because they all sounds so delicious!

getting a job!

I've been looking for a while, hoping to find something that allowed me to use my writing skills and maybe even be a bit creative, and I finally found something! It's for a local clothing shop, writing for their fashion blog and filling online orders and such (the photo above is from my cubicle...glam-O-russ, ain't it?). It's very very nice to see money going into my bank account, and not just out!

reading The Diviners by Libba Bray

I read the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray a few years ago, and liked it a lot, but I kind of forgot about her so I didn't realize she had released this book months ago, otherwise I would have read it right away. I mean, it almost couldn't be more within my interests unless I had written it myself: set in 1920's New York, characters with supernatural abilities, an adventurous heroine, numerous mentions of Rudy Valentino... I'm trying not to read it too fast, because I don't want it to end! At least it's book one of a trilogy, so I have something to look forward to. I think I'll do a proper book review once I've finished it!

having too many feelings about fictional characters

Which isn't anything new, really. One problem I have as a writer (and perpetual dreamer) is that I'm always obsessed with someone who doesn't exist, either of my own creation or not. A lot of people might think this isn't a healthy thing, but I say pfffft to them. I'm currently obsessed with Boyd Crowder from the television show Justified. I just love everything about him; the way he dresses (pocket watches and waistcoats!), talks (never has a Southern accent sounded so lovely to my ears), and even the way he walks...gah, just everything. He's perfect.

What have you been up to?

Little Things, II

How I've been spending my week...

having tropical tea time 

This tea is one of my favorites: mango ceylon. It's just the perfect blend of black tea and fruit for me. And the cookies are coconut chocolate chip, which I made with coconut oil instead of butter. The oil imparts a yummy hint of coconut flavor and makes them slightly healthier.

reading Flowers Rediscovered

I have kind of a bad habit of 'collecting' hobbies, and one of my newest interests is in flower arranging. I really love the look of a natural, almost wild looking arrangement, which is not something you can find in most shops. This book has some lovely photos that I find very inspiring. I hope to maybe start growing a few varieties myself, but mostly I'm looking forward to summer farmer's markets so I can start surrounding myself with flowers (however poorly arranged they might end up).

watching the Oscar nominated short films

I went and saw the Oscar nominated short films with my friend K, and like every year I'm always very impressed with them. They're just like short stories--brief snap shots of a character's life, in which they must make a change, however minutely it might be. My favorite was Curfew, about a suicidal man who finds something to live for when asked to care for his niece. I also really liked Death of a Shadow, though both K and I were confused by certain bits. (K is one of my very few friends left in the area by the way, and I just found out that he got a job in the Bay, so I'm very happy for him but also feeling more lonely now than ever...)

adding to my stamp collection

They're mostly bunnies, as you can see. ^.^ I need to figure out a good way to store them though, because they keep getting ink all over everything!

walking to the mail box

This is the mail box across from my house. As you can see, I certainly live among the trees! Just one day after I took this a small snow storm hit, covering everything in white. I was feeling a bit under the weather, but I had to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and take a quiet stroll, camera in tow. When I get the film developed I'll share my snaps.

preparing for a book swap

This is for a swap on swap-bot.com--my first book swap! As a newbie I haven't been able to sign up for one yet, so I'm very excited. I'm way ahead of myself though, because the swap doesn't start for a while. I was just excited to wrap it up all nicely with string and cute stamps.

What have you been up to?