A Happy 8Tracks Playlist for Your Day From Yours Truly (Oh! And did you see New Girl last night?! OMG!!)

i like you better than everything in the sky from jessjhansen on 8tracks Radio.

One of my favorite websites is 8Tracks.com.  You can listen to user-created playlists based on genre and mood.  Crushing on that cute guy in Chem?  Folk + Love + Happy.  Need some good study music?  Study + Classical.  Cozied up in your bed with a good book while the snow gently falls outside your window?  Winter + Slow + Indie.

Week 1: 8 Reasons I Love My Acer Iconia W510

My new tablet hanging out on my bookshelf.

 A couple weeks ago, I was delighted to be invited by Intel to join the Tablet Crew.  Ever since the emergence of tablets, I've been dreaming of owning one.  Oh, to blog, network, and email on the go!  Sure, you can do those things on a smartphone.  But I'm partial to a bigger screen.  And laptops can be so bulky to carry around.  I've been using a net book for on-the-go use, but the day my tablet came in the mail I knew the net book would be taking a back seat.  

Stellar Weekend: Ramona Falls Concert, Iowa City Exploring, and Amana Colonies Winery + Brewery with Friends

 

This past weekend was full of music, laughter, food, drink, and laughter!  A while back, I discovered that Ramona Falls (one of my favorites!) would be playing in Iowa City.   It also happened to be the perfect excuse for my guy friend D and I to venture east to visit a couple friends G and M who live there.  So Friday afternoon we packed up and hit the road toward Iowa City.  We picked up G in his town, checked into the hotel, and went out for some pre-concert pizza and beers.  M joined us at supper and we all took the bus to downtown Iowa City.  The concert was amazing!  Everything I hoped it would be and more!  (I'll do a separate post on Ramona Falls soonly.)  They opened with "I Say Fever," which began my night perfectly!  The concert venue was pretty intimate so M and I got real close to the stage.  And afterward (as you can see above) we snapped some pics with the band.

Caroline Mathilde: Read & Watch Her Story

I'm a sucker for a good period drama.  The architecture, the interiors, the wardrobe, the coiffures, the customs!  The other night, I settled in to watch A Royal Affair.  I really didn't know what the movie was about... I picked it based on its promising cover featuring a young woman in gorgeous 18th Century attire with two handsome men on either side.  Within the first two minutes, I was struck with memories of a book I read back in 2007: The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist.  I hit pause, went to GoodReads and IMDB.  Sure enough, the book and the film were centered around the same story but not based on each other.  I couldn't have been more delighted.

Easy, No-Bake, No-Yeast, 10-Minute Breadsticks

Okay, first off: I'm the worst food photographer in the entire world.  I snapped this before my camera died and 1/3 of the way through eating.  It's blurry.  It's messy.  But it was yummy!  So on the with blog post.

January: New Year, New Faves

It's that time again... to round up my favorite must-haves for the month.  In the bitter cold of January, these are the five favorites that are keeping me cozy, soft, and stylish.

Life Advice from a 90+ Year Old Woman

 

I rarely enjoyed my previous job working as a phone customer service rep, but once in a while I'd talk to someone really interesting, intelligent, or inspiring.  The terrible, awkward, and weird phone calls are so easy to recall.  So when a good one comes to mind, it's truly a special thing.  Going through some old papers today, I came across some hot pink post-it notes from one of those rare and wonderful conversations.

The phone call was from a ninety-something-year-old woman.  I helped her with whatever she called in about.  (I don't remember that part of the call.)  And then we continued to chit-chat for a bit.  She enjoyed talking to me because I was young and she didn't have many young people (especially young woman) to talk to in her life.  So she wondered if she could pass along some tidbits of knowledge that she'd gathered over her long lifetime.  Of course, I wanted to hear.  And I grabbed my hot pink post-its and jotted down her words as she spoke.

"Don't ever let anyone control you.  Don't let anyone tell you how to feel or talk you into something.  When you look in the mirror, like what you see.  If you fail at something, you'll come back from it.  Tomorrow is another day.  Don't let anyone change you or tell you how to be yourself.  Go out, travel, learn.  You'll never learn everything, but you'll know more than you did before."

Just doing some rough math, this woman would have been around my age in the 1940s.  I loved that she included the phrase, "Tomorrow is another day."  It is one of the famous quotes from Scarlett O'Hara of Gone with the Wind, which came out in 1939. 

Coming across those post-it notes today really made my day.  I wrote them down because I didn't want to forget the inspiring, insightful words of that lovely, ninety-plus-year-old woman. 

And now I've shared them with you. :)

We're often given life advice from family and friends.  It's not uncommon to receive advice from a professor, boss, preacher, or other non-related acquaintance.  But have you ever been given inspiring insight from a stranger?  I only spoke to this woman on the phone for a mere five minutes.  I don't remember her name.  We never saw each others' faces.  But her words moved me. 

Has anything like that ever happened to you?  If it has, I'd love for you to share.  Leave a comment telling me the story!

Music Spotlight: Snowmine

 As much as I listen to music and talk about it, I'm new to concerts and even newer to writing about music.  So I'm venturing into mostly uncharted territory with this post (and others to come).  As I'm sure many of you can relate, music highlights the moments in my life.  Sounds and lyrics inspire my writing, energize me as I get around for a night out, remind me of the past, and make little moments in life unforgettable for the future.  I won't masquerade as an experienced music blogger, but I really want to incorporate more music on this blog.  I want to share some of the artists that play as the soundtrack to my life.  And I'm kicking it off with Snowmine, since I had the pleasure of enjoying them play at an intimate venue Friday night.

The Asymmetrical Lob: A Love Story

So if you follow me on Twitter you might have stumbled upon a tweeted pic or two of my hair before and after a recent cut.  (And if you don't follow my lovely little tweets, you should!)  It's been a long while since I went to the salon for more than a one or two inch trim.  You can blame that on the Hair-Raising Story from November 2010... also known as: The Time a Hair-Stylist Gave Me a Mullet.  Tragic, but true.

Rings on Every Finger

I've adored big rings for as long as I can remember.  My grandma would give me fabulous pieces of costume jewelry.  And I remember an English teacher commenting on my "gaudy" rings back in high school.  The obsession has only grown in recent years... I LOVE wearing a ring on every finger.  Grandma's passed-down costume jewelry, antique store treasures, thrift shop finds.

 

Hey Hey Haleigh and I found a bunch of rings in all their vintage, gaudy glory at a local shop called Tangerine Zebra.  Of course, I had to try them all on for her to snap a pic!  And you can also bet I didn't get out of the store without buying one.  (I bought the big jade one on my middle finger.) 

And I found these three beauties (and that cute little watch) at a hometown antique store over Thanksgiving weekend.  They were cheap treasures, too, for just a few bucks a piece---gotta love a bargain!

Rings are my favorite accessory.  The only problem is that I've accrued such a collection that I don't have enough fingers to display them all on a daily basis!

...And I'm not the only one!

One of my favorite ladies and admired style icons, Florence Welch shows hers off (along with a birdcage tattoo) above.  

Too much?  Never!  I love the gypsy look!

What's your favorite accessory?  And do you prefer one key piece that gets all the attention?  ...Or do you overload in excess like I do with rings?  ;)

Quick Attic Update: Colorful Corner

It's been a while since I posted updated photos of my bedroom.  But that, my lovelies, is because I've been doing some re-arranging and re-zoning of my attic space.  It's almost finished and ready for a full photo (and maybe video) tour!  That'll be coming soonly, yet I couldn't wait to share something I've been extra excited about... my turntable!

DIY Bleach Pen T-shirt Design

So most of my do-it-yourself projects turn out to be for decorating your space, but lately I've been dabbling in some crafty fashion.  You may have already seen my handwritten scarf project or glitter-toe nude flats.  (...And if you haven't, you probably should after reading this post!)  This time around, I got my bleach on.  What?!  Bleach?!  That's absurd.  Well, just you wait...

Wishing You a Lovely 2013!

Just a little post to wish you a very lovely new year!

(And to say I haven't quite dropped out of the blogosphere.)

Lovely Undergrad has been revamped and refreshed for 2013.

I hope you find it aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly. :)

I also hope you all had safe, fun, and blessed holiday season.

xoxo