the outlook

In 2009, I resolve to....

• eat better, give up soda, yadda, yadda, yadda
• write for me more, even if it kills me
• figure out what i want to do with my life
• be more social
• quit biting my nails
• form better relationships
• make my bed daily
  

Tomorrow I am ending my year, at the spa, with my mom. After my one hour, full body massage I plan to get all gussied up and spend NYE 2008 with some of my best friends.

What I have to look forward to in 2009:::

• Going to PARIS next week (!!!)
• First trip to Asia
  
• Graduating college
• Spending the summer in New York or Florence
• Turning 21

I am determined to make 2009 one of the best years yet, and from the looks of that list, it should not be too hard.

outfit post #4

merry belated Christmas! I'm home for break, my life has been taken over by a vampire (more on that later), so I haven't really had much time for blog posting. butttt i thought i'd kick things off with my Christmas outfit. I first found the skirt, and knew it I had to wear it. but it took me awhile to find the top to go with it. the day before the event, to be exact. in the end, i love the outfit and want to find something to wear it to again...!

top, bottom and shoes: forever 21, tights: can't remember!

Christmas was fantastic, I am so happy to be home. Can't wait for New Years now and Paris in January! 2009 is going to be greattt!

outfit post #3

Today was the kind day I have been missing. I met with a teacher regarding a summer trip and then went shopping. Didn't have to worry about schoolwork {because I'm done for the semester!}. So I dressed casual. Please excuse my hair, I took these pictures tonight. It needs a cut, so my go-to style is to throw it up. Anyways, on to the photos!

Scarf: my mom's closet {originally Old Navy, I believe}, Top: American Eagle, Grey Camisole: Can't Remember

Jeans: Refuge by Charlotte Russe, Boots: Charlotte Russe

tis the season

picture from my senior year of high school
inspired by grey's anatomy
with two of my best friends
take me back

Dear Chicago Winters,

Hi, I think we've met before. You've probably seen me shuffling down State Street on my way to class, going as fast as possible--which is really not that fast at all due to the ice that is coating the sidewalks--because I'm about to be late to class for the 5th time.

I'm also the girl who forgets her umbrella when you decide its an appropriate day to dump all this wet, snowy crap on us. Yes, I can call it crap when all it does is accumulate slushy puddles on the sidewalk, that seep into my boots and make my socks wet.

I'm starting to think you need to learn a thing or two from the south. Their winters, well, they are polite and have manners. When winter rolls in there, it is at least middle of November, early December-by that time people are ready for winter, they want to show it a little hospitality. Here? You like to knock on our doors as early as late October. And I'm all, can't you see we're still celebrating Halloween here? It's not even Thanksgiving yet- and so I slam the door in your face. But you obviously can't take a hint. Which makes me believe you are a little bit of an attention whore. You like as much face time as you can get.

Which really, I don't blame you for, because Chicago is a lovely city and all. But let me tell you, if you came a little bit more quietly, you'd be surprised by how well received you may actually be. Instead, you come barging in with fifteen degree weather and winds that keep me up at night worrying that I might actually be carried away in them. Can you imagine that for one second? I'm loosing sleep. Because of inclement weather.

This is just not healthy for my sleep cycle. Or my sanity. I'm afraid to say this may be the last year we spend together. I think I have just come to my breaking point. Somethings gotta give.

xoxo
Annye

making an exception

i'm usually a staunch opponent of dressing up animals (read: dogs) in human clothes. rarely do i find it cute, in fact it usually just strikes me as quite creepy and ridiculous. maybe its because my pup is not of teacup proportions, and therefore the clothing options are limited. or maybe its just because they are damn animals and hundreds of years have passed before we got the genius idea to dress them up in pink, rhinestone infested outfits. (don't even get me started on the booties some are forced to don)

i mean, i almost feel bad for the poor mutts. can you imagine how much crap they must hear from their other four-legged friends? their street cred is seriously tested. i mean, how tough can one look in an argyle sweater that probably cost more than the shirt on their owner's back?

anywho, i digress. my aunt has seriously tested my theory. let me explain. my aunt has a gigantic golden lab, named max (or maximus, or maxwell, or even maxi-pad-if you're feeling daring). he does nothing but slobber and is very hyper for a dog his size. yet we love him anyways. my grandma also has a gigantic pooch, aptly named bubba. he is a rottweiler. (i know what you're thinking-a little old lady with a rottweiler?! whattt?! but let me tell you, my gram- she holds her own around that pup.) bubba is gram's best friend. they are more like roommates than owner and pet. it really is a site to see.

well, auntie got the crazy idea to dress them up for halloween. i heard about this, before i got to see evidence. so i thought it sounded a little goofy, but nonetheless typical. i mean, dog costumes for halloween are never that great. (unless you've seen this picture. how funny is that?!) that is, until she put pictures of this little adventure up on facebook. i now take back every belittling thought i ever had about her halloween-dress-up antics... the woman deserves her props.

and so, i leave you with evidence that dogs can play dress up and still keep their street cred in tact.

max wanted to remain anonymous on the internet.

bubba is a womanizer-ala britney spears.

people puzzler obsession

i am addicted to people crosswords. in fact, my cousin and i have sort of a game we play. it goes like this::::: my aunt subscribes to people. i'm too poor, or else i would as well. once she gets done reading them, she gives them to my grandma to read. at that point they are free game. i visit my grandma about twice a month, if i'm lucky. my cousin and i compete to see who can get to the magazines first, because that means you get first dibs at the crossword-which is obviously more fun than coming in behind someone and only getting to fill out the ones they didn't know.

my mom recently bought she and i the people puzzler book. i swear it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. i spent about four solid days filling it out. now, i have to go back to waiting for the magazines however. so unfortunate.

the one where i ramble about britney spears

I watched Britney Spears' documentary on MTV tonight. I was looking forward to it. I am so fascinated by celebrity culture. Not in the way where I want to stalk them. But I've always had a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that they are so much like each and every one of us, yet so different because of the life they lead. You know, I would be fascinated about a doctor's life just because that is a life I'll never get to lead, yet "celebrity" just seems like it should be so much more glamorous and exciting then my own life.

Anyways, I watched the documentary- expecting to like it. Of course I loved it. But only because I now respect that girl so much more than I ever have. In the way she spoke and her nature, one couldn't help be just love her and her personality and her demeanor.

Everyone says when you are a celebrity, you sign up for that lifestyle. But when she was just starting out as a teenager, celebrity culture wasn't like it is today. Today, the world thrives on creeping into other people's lives-invited or not. Blogging is one instance of this. We love to read about other people's daily lives. Following gossip sites has never been as popular as it is today.

Watching the video, and the hoards of people that would just hound her and follow her while she was out doing the most uninteresting things, really baffled me. I found myself feeling genuinely sympathetic and sad for her and her kids. You could tell all she wanted was to be with them, and be able to raise them in a quasi-normal atmosphere.

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I have a new found respect and admiration for Britney (its weird calling her that-as if we're on a first name basis). She's been through a lot and she is still determined to keep a positive outlook on her life. She refuses to feel sorry for herself and to let the world she is surrounded by, keep her down. She is doing amazing things and will continue to rise. I just hope things start to settle down for her.

it's beginning to look a [little] like christmas

spent my afternoon listening to christmas music and making necklaces [my new OBSESSION]. i managed to squeeze in some time to put up a single strand of christmas lights. as much as i love the holiday, that's about as decorated as it's gonna get around here. i'm going home for christmas in two weeks, so i'm feeling pretty lazy about the whole deal. i do love the ambiance they add to my apt.


p.s. a bit about the polaroid, tomorrow!

808s & Heartbreak

rode the train back to the city.
with a screaming baby on board.
really feel bad for those mothers.
but kanye sure did a great job of drowning out the wailing.

opposite reactions

realized tonight that watching people consume mass quantities of food makes me sick to my stomach. sitting at the table, i seriously could not focus on the mass amount of foods we were taking in within a 30 minute period without wanting to run to the toilet.

cheers to thanksgiving!

xox

one of lifes greatest mysteries

happy thanksgiving blogland.
and to put you into the feasting mood
i present you this....

great things about this picture:
a. a whole website dedicated to bacon...today
b. TURBACONDUCKEN:
not only did i miss the existance of a turducken...
but add some BACON to that, and you've got magic

i think i will be spending the next few hours convincing my family of its greatness...

outfit post #2

what i wore tonight for an early thanksgiving "feast"

dress: h&m, tights: gap, boots: payless

i wore this exact outfit for christmas last year,
so its all a little dated.

outfit post #1

i think i'm gonna start putting up pictures of my outfits.
probably only if i feel especially cute.
and today was just a day where, i don't know if i looked cute,
but i felt good about what i was wearing.
which is always nice.

wore this to class today.
top: forever 21, jeans: old navy, socks: target, boots: charlotte rousse, glasses: thrift store

a bit about the glasses....
i never have the courage to wear them out the front door.
but i do love them. and looking at them in this picture,
they are kind of cute, no?

winter music

found the perfect song for this weather.
it is aptly named "winter song."
by the fantastic duo of sara bareilles and ingrid michaelson.
perfect lyrics, that aren't christmasy at all. but very wintery, and cozy.
its so melodic, i could float into dreamland listening to it.

off of "the hotel cafe presents winter songs"
which is also a cd i recommend
filled with other lovely female voices.
you know, if that is your kind of thing.

"is love alive?

this is my winter song.
december never felt so wrong,
cause you're not where you belong;
inside my arms."

uncle buck

uncle buck is possibly one of my favorite movies.

and this is definitely the best scene.

my dad loves this movie.
every john candy movie, for that matter.
i obviously get my good taste from him.

arrrgh!

i watched the ama's tonight.
apparently eye patches are in.
i mean, if i could pull it off as cutely as rhianna..
i'd probably wear one, every day.

and so i went on the hunt for my own.


in case anyone forgets what it's covering


now, that's just classy

sailor-chic

found here

its the little things

new themes at gmail, make my email checking experience just that much better.


ps, who the heck is lord chesterfield?

just read

just got done reading this book.
i'd give it four stars.
a little frustrating at times, bc the plot didn't always move along at the a pace i was happy with.
but it was an honest read.
find it here.

and so it begins

our slow decent into winter
for the next four or five months
has begun

the woes of a four year old

i walked home tonight, after class
right passed a kid, not older then four
who was standing in front of an ATM on the street
stood as tall as the cash dispenser
frantically started saying
over and over
"i need money"

yea, you and me both kid.

commercially yours

perfect commercial.
is it the music?
the family?
whatever it is, it makes me miss my own family.

hard news

Mike Hucakbee has a show on FOX News. Although I vaguely remember hearing about this a few weeks after his bid for the presidentency fell through, I did not hear that it would involve a house band. That's right. A band. Comprised of Huckabee himself and other people that work at FOX News. I was flipping through the channels when I discovered this. All I could do was sit there, stunned, with my mouth agape.

oh I think this is unique to several other news stations as well.

love love love

love the trench
love the tights
love the sunglasses
love the heels
love the hair color
love the bike
love the satorialist

november fourth, two thousand and eight

within the next four years....
i will graduate college.
i will be able to drink legally.
i may get married.
i will probably move.
i will start my career.

and we will have a new president.


i can't tell you how excited i am for this. i am ready for change. i am ready for a new beginning. i am ready to make this country the best it can be. and i think with the right leadership we can do this.

yes we can.

happy belated halloween

(my poor future children...)
via

i have a crush

a hair crush that is.

on the one and only,

ashlee simpson.

i would give pretty much anything
to have her golden copper locks.


via.

i scream

ice cream at the end of the day is a must.
reminds you that life is sweet.

two scoops of vanilla, chocolate sauce and lots of rainbow sprinkles please.

november 4th comes early for me

got my absentee ballot today.
couldn't be more excited.
hip. hip. hooray!

october playlist

I am afflicted by the funny phenomenon of musical tastes changing with the seasons. Some artists are just meant to be played only when the leaves are in full glory. I tend to lean more towards male artists during this time of year. Psychological issue perhaps?

OCTOBER PLAYLIST**
1. "Free Fallin'" by John Mayer
2. "Deep Inside of You" by Third Eye Blind
3. "I Try" by Ben Taylor
4. "Better Than" by John Butler Trio
5. "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver
6. "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" by John Mayer
7. "I Can Feel A Hot One" by Manchester Orchestra
8. "Handlebars" by Flobots
9. "She Is" by The Fray
10. "St. Patrick's Day" by John Mayer

As you can probably tell from this list- I am a big fan of a) covers, b) MEN, c) slow jams (handlebars being the exception), d) 'oldies but goodies' and d) John Mayer.

**List is subject to change.

lookie what i got

there's nothing like a new pair of shoes to get your mind off things

there is something to be said when my life is in shambles and all i can do is miss the one thing i ruined.

who knew it would feel like this?

i can feel a hot one

I could feel a hot one taking me down
For a moment, I could feel the force
Fainted to the point of tears
And you were holding on to make a point
What's the point?

I'm but a clean man, stable and alone man
Make it so I won't have to try
The faces always stay the same
So I face the fact that I'm just fine
I said that I'm just fine

I remember, head down,
After you had found out
Manna is a hell of a drug
And I need a little more, I think
Because enough is never quite enough
What's enough?

-manchester orchestra

the natural state

last summer i coined the term 'arkansassy', [okay maybe not coined, because i'm sure someone else thought it up before me] which of course means, the act of being sassy in the state of arkansas. a little play on words if you will. i love that state. so. so. much. and the things you find there. and the way people are there. and most importantly the person i am when i'm there [see- arkansassy].

and guess freaking what. i am going home. in two weeks. but i couldn't be more excited. not one bit. i am so excited for many reasons. all of which have to do with the things that are only found in arkansas. let me show you...

1. most importantly, my family. oh how i love my family. they are the cherries on the my sundae called life. :) i forget how much i love/miss them until i spend months away from them at a time. theres just nothing like being around my sisters and brother and parents. nothing like it at all.

2. friends. more specifically, my friends. because, well, to keep it short... they.are.the.best.

3. this little thing called chik-fil-a... or chicken-fil-a if you are me. have you tried their chicken in a biscuit? probably not. because that means you are up at an ungodly hour, simply because they only serve them for breakfast. but let me tell you dear friends. they are so worth losing a few hours of sleep for. they just melt in your mouth. i am going to pass out just thinking about them.

4. happy hour at sonic. oh dear lord i hope they are still doing happy hour at sonic. i could really go for a watermelon slushy right now. especially if it is half off. [because lets face it, that makes it taste ten times better] and okay, i know that this and the aforementioned chick-fil-a aren't only found in arkansas, but they don't have them here.... so i think it counts!

5. my dog. the light of my life. the love of my life. the apple of my eye. the speaker to my soul. i miss her so freaking much its ridiculous.

6. and finally. just being home. there is something so nice about being in a place that you know is home. so comfortable. and cozy. i always say how much i can't wait to get out. but the truth of the matter is, that once i'm out, i can never wait to come home. i love my home, my town, my state, everything about it. it just feels right.

Wanted: An Umbrella That Doesn't Suck

I've been through approximately eight umbrellas in the past two years. I'm always torn between staying dry and the actual practicality of a not-so-sound device. Especially when I live in a city that boasts winds that are infamous for being strong enough they could possibly carry a unsuspecting small child far, far away.

In the wake of our friends Gustav and Ike's slightly abrupt visit, I'm left yet again with a broken umbrella. [By the way, I'm all for visitors but is it just me or is it a little rude of them to be so downright imposing? Maybe its my southern roots but I was taught to always be a gracious and polite guest and I hate to say it, but Gus and Ike are anything but.] So now I am left to either search for the impossible: the indestructible umbrella, or forget about staying dry and warm.

Decisions, Decisions.

the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree

I just purchased my first plant. There is something about growing up and living alone that makes me want to turn into a crazy plant lady.

I don't know what makes me think I am responsible enough to take care of another living and breathing thing. How presumptuous of me, really.

And what really makes this whole situation ironic is that, growing up my mother always had an array of plants around our house and I always told her I would never do that. Look at me now.

Mobile Posting

Hakuna matata bitches!

a series of unfortunate events

my birthday was last tuesday. i'm one of those people who loves birthdays. i think they should be done right. i love celebrating everyones birthday. except my own. my birthdays usually seem disappointing. i have such great expectations for the par at which birthdays should be held, yet mine always seem to slip slightly below the par of excellence into the realm around.. sucky. case in point? last year i got mono on my birthday. how's that for luck?

this year was going to be great. and before i go any further, i would like to say i was mildly surprised in that it was quite great. i got to see my boyfriend for the first time in a month. my friends came over. my cousins were in town. we ate shish-kabobs (is that how you spell that?) and drank margaritas. ate beautiful petit fours. i mean, what more could a girl ask for? nothing. it was bliss.

yet one slight little thing did happen that i have to admit, almost pushed me to the verge of crying... on my birthday! okay, okay, maybe a tear or two or three were shed. but not lightly. what happened was tragic. inconceivable. i take that back...i kind of suspected this was going to happen the moment i hit play to listen to the messages on our home phone.

let me back up. about a week and a half ago i dropped my macbook pro. it was a life or death situation. perhaps not that dramatic. but lets just say it was my integrity in a sundress against the wind. my integrity won out, prompting me to throw up my laptop only to have it crash on the hard asphalt of the parking lot at work. one can only imagine what a toll this takes on a poor little laptop only protected by a centimeter of thin nylon. lets just say it did not bode well.

getting back to the story, it was on my birthday that i got the fateful call from the apple care support team informing me that fixing my computer would run a cool $970, that which i don't have. so as i write from my sister's compaq presario (i can't believe i am related to to her, either), i ask you to hold a moment of silence for my poor like macpro that won't be fixed. and instead shipped off to wherever they ship computers that their owners give up on.

i hate to say it. but not only am i giving up on my poor little long lost notebook, i am sort of cheating on him as well. i mean i don't know what else to call my decision not fix him, but instead to buy a newer, sleeker version... with leopard! (with the money that i don't have to fix him....)no, he probably won't be replaced with another pro, probably just a macbook. which is how i justify it... for only a few hundred dollars more i can have a brand new computer. thankfully my parents are gonna loan me some money because frankly, this girl can't get along without out her computer. i mean, i need it for school!

needless to say, he will always hold a special place in my heart as my very first, very own computer. we had a good two years run, and now i think its time to have a go at it again. with a fresh, clean slate, i will start the second half of my college run. and hopefully, cross-my-fingers, this run will last a little longer, eh? (and yes, now i know that next time i should just forget about my integrity and hold on tight to the $2000 piece of hardware in my arms, or maybe better yet.. buy a better case??)

so i guess, now that i think about it, maybe that is a nice little birthday present unto itself. i had a good birthday all in all...

(oh, except for the sunburt back i received at my party this saturday...like i don't know if God is punishing me or what but seriously just my back sunburt? and no color on the other side of my body? i'm walking around look like i fell asleep on my stomach at the beach... and i can assure you, i didn't! i was in a perfectly upright position all day long!)

ooh i think i'm in love

its not everyday i fall in love.

but today it happened.

please meet the new object of my affection....

i want it.

step 1: admittance

at this point in my life i find myself living in a house infested with animals. no, not rodents. i really do wish it were that easy. because then i could set out a few traps and in a few weeks they'd all be gone. instead i have these big furry animals called cats and dogs taking over what was once my serene home. you know, the place i came to for refuge. the place i came to at the end of the day for peace and quiet.

not anymore. not since my sister moved back home and brought her two dogs and two cats home with her. add those to the dog we already had, and that is what i like to call a madhouse.
now i don't know where the term madhouse originally derived from. but i like to think it was from someone who had to live in a house with 5 living, breathing, shedding, ridiculous, enormous animals. because really, until you have to do that, i don't believe you could hold a candle close to my madhouse.

in light of this circumstance, one would think that any individual exposed to such treachery would say one big "hell no" to even the thought of more pets. but folks, that is where i go against the norm -into uncharted territories if you will. in fact, instead of running in the other direction and swearing off anything with four legs for the rest of my life... i have developed an obsession. what sort of obsession? well. an obsession so bad, that the only cure is to look at cute kittens. an obsession so bad, i have a website bookmarked on my computer that not only features cute kittens, but cute animals of all sorts. {www.cuteoverload.com seriously.... how cute is that URL even??}

i have become the woman i always said i would hate to be. you know, the one who coo's...at animals no less.... and talks in wittle kiddy voice. yeah. i hate her too. but i mean, if you looked at these pictures half as much as i do, i'm sure you'd be struggling with the same problem.
and yes, it is a problem. a problem that may even have its own 12 step program.

best.movie.ever.

"There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money."

don't judge a book by its a cover

confession::: i have awful taste in books. i'm not really into the whole classic book that your father and everybody you've ever known has also read. naw, i'm into the books that although they may be at the top of new york times bestsellers list, it was the housewives in suburban america that got them there. and that, my friends, should speak volumes.

i don't think i'm giving the authors very much credit though.
there is clearly a reason they are at the top of every list... because once you pick them up, you can't put them down. they captivate your attention and won't let go until you've read every last word through page 211. it is then that you realize its two o'clock in the morning and you have to get up for work in the morning. and then, when you wake up for work, you can't wait until your lunch break because that is when you can finally read again.

and then lunch comes, and you are suddenly too embarrassed to take out your book and read it in front of your colleagues, for fear that someone will judge you by the cover of your book.

(i just read the manny by holly peterson. i cannot recommend it enough.)
(that is, if you like that sort of thing)

the end of something good

you know what i hate?

i hate when all of my favorite tv shows have their season finales within two weeks of eachother. simply because i'm left trying to get into other shows that in any other case would not live up to my high standards.

(okay, who am i kidding, my bar is pretty low.)

but after this week i will be left to fend for myself. i will be forced to like mediocre shows that will admititely capture my attention for a few weeks. that is until i come to my senses and just decide to give up tv altogether, and enjoy my summer nights elsewhere.

shows that are ending this week:::








thats a lot of shows.
(please don't laugh about the lack of quality)
i'm wearing black all week just to commemorate.

post one

i don't know why i am doing this. well, i do. but i'm afraid to sound too conceited on my very first blog post. i would hate for my [two] reader(s) to get the wrong idea. no, this post should be about how excited i am to start this blog and to catalogue my life. this post should be about how great this blog is going to be and what i plan on doing with it.

but secretly, what i'm really excited for is having a place to write my ideas and musings. is that vein? ah well. i'm going to write about whatever i feel constitutes a blog post. but let me tell you, my standards are pretty low. i will write about anything and everything. try not to worry though, i will do my best to keep the posts about how cute my dog is down to a minimum.

she is pretty cute though, huh?