I know it's not even Thanksgiving and the whole Christmas thing in November is ridiculous but I'm being bombarded with it in store emails and websites so it's hard to avoid. Because of this, ornaments in particular have been on my mind. When we moved out, my best friend and I started to give Christmas ornaments to each other for Christmas so we could each start building up our collection. My grandmother also made a point to give each of her grandchildren an ornament each year for the same reason--usually the ornaments came from wherever she had traveled that year so there was a great variety.

In any case, I've been obsessively looking at ornaments lately. I don't typically buy any until after Christmas when they're on sale but it's nice to look and dream. I especially like simple ornaments in whites and silvers. A variety of textures--felt, ceramic, pearl, wood, etc.--but I like them to be clean-looking and simple. I think this might be because my childhood tree was always a little too busy and too colorful so I'm trying to counteract that. I have fond memories of my childhood tree but I think it's ok that I want my own tree to be a little different. Sorry, Mom!

This is Griffin, my new kitten. He's a 6-month-old Manx with a little stubby tail. He was a stray and immediately went in to foster care with a bunch of other cats so he's kind of feral (not much human attention) but I'm hoping he grows out of all the crazy running around, eating my plants, clawing my feet in bed and waking me up at 7am (no matter what the day).

I love him, though, and he's gotten a lot more affectionate and is doing well. He's definitely quirky and is the strangest cat I've ever had but that's what I wanted in getting a Manx--they are sort of like having a dog-rabbit for a pet. At the moment he's the perfect size--not a kitten but still smaller than most cats. I hope he stays this size because he's so adorable!

Indian food is definitely up there in food heaven. It's spicy and creamy and is accompanied by rice! What more could food need? My favorite Indian food is of the milder sort. I like tikka masala, butter chicken (of course), tandori chicken and chana masala the most. And, of course, naan! Naan is definitely my favorite thing about Indian food--it's just perfectly fluffy and delectable while still serving as a great "tool" for dipping and scraping and wiping up all the sauce leftover on a plate. Yum!

I like mango a whole lot. It's sweet and tart at the same time. The texture is yummy and it's good for you! My favorite way to eat mango is in frozen pieces. I'm sure I could make my own but I like Trader Joe's Frozen Mango Pieces--a lot easier and a good price! I just eat them right out of the bag. I also like mango in smoothies and ice cream--especially gelato. Such a simple, fruity, clean taste. Makes me feel good about satisfying my sweet tooth!

Actually, I love-hate it. Pinterest, if you don't already know, is a great image bookmark sharing tool. Essentially, it revolutionizes how you bookmark things you love--not only are you making a memo to yourself but you can share all the things you like, love or desperately need with others! It's a great way to share your taste and see that others like the same things you do.

I've recently become addicted (thanks, Laura...) and can't stop. There are so many cool things people are sharing and it's so much fun to pretend shop, putting things away for your closet, home, or table. So take a look! If you'd like to see some of the things I like, then feel free. Click on one of the "boards" to see what I've "pinned."

I am very lucky to have a job that allows me the flexibility to work from home three days a week (if I choose to). This allows me to do all kinds of things like go to appointments, have service appointments at my house, work when I'm sick, etc. I don't work quite as well at home as I do in the office so I don't do it often but I have an office space set up in my apartment so, when I do work from home, I can be almost as productive. I love it and I'm so glad I get the opportunity!

Bookcases are so essential. I've been an avid reader all my life (until college sucked all joy out of it) and so I've accumulated quite the collection of books. Since moving into my new apartment, I've dreamt up many bookcase solutions that I plan to implement. My plans are nothing as full-bodied as the built-in bookcases above but I'm excited about them nonetheless.

Bookcases are, of course, ideal for storing and displaying books but they are also a great way to add personality to a room by displaying other things. I plan on using my new bookcases to display all my fun, vintage odds and ends. Small framed pictures, ceramic animals, brass birds, butterflies pressed between glass, and other little things that will draw guests to my bookcases and allow them to get to know me a little more. I'm so excited for this step--I just need to save up the money now! I have the bookcases all picked out and ready to come home. Soon!

My old car was killed by a tree while I was away in Colorado. Luckily, I LOVE my brand new car! It's small but still has a ton of both leg room and cargo space. I love the color (shown above) and almost everything about it. So, while it sucks that my car was killed, I am fortunate to have found and be able to afford a new car I love.

Thrift stores are fantastic. There is such a wide variety of things. There are things that make great jokes, things that are awesome treasures and just things you'd never expect to find. I love to look for really unique pieces, whether they be clothing or furniture. I'm moving out soon and I look forward to using thrift stores to help me purchase all the things I need (so much!). For clothing, though, thrift stores are a lot of fun to find statement pieces or things that are just a little different. Especially for costumes! Thrift stores, here I come!

Levi's jeans are all I wear. They may be a little more pricey than I'd like but they are good quality, long-lasting and fashionable jeans. Not to mention they do good things for one's body! I am glad to have found a favorite style and color (though, of course, they almost immediately went out of production as most Levi's styles do...) but I'm always on the hunt for the next best pair. I am a faithful Levi's customer and will be for life!

There are a lot of reasons why Johnny Cash's music resonates with me. His sound is so soulful and singable and really just strikes a chord within me. I love the lyrics, the subjects and especially the duets with June Carter. What more is there to like?

Who doesn't?! They are buttery and crispy and easy to make. What more can someone ask from a frozen breakfast item? I think they are the most perfect things in the breakfast world and am delighted whenever I get the chance to have them. My mom thought the Nutri-grain ones would be better for us but we never ate them and so we were deprived the glory of a fresh, hot, buttery, syrupy Eggo until we went over to a friend's house or, of course, until we could buy them ourselves. So now I treasure my Eggo moments and look forward to the next time I get to have them for breakfast!

Recipes make my life so much easier. I'm the kind of girl who likes instructions to follow, especially when doing a process she's never done before. So you can imagine how recipes make me feel better about cooking and baking. I feel much more confident and assured about cooking and baking when I have someone who has tested the process and the final product for me.

When I graduated from college, my Mom, my aunts and my grandmother (and, eventually my step-mother will as well) all contributed to a recipe book for me and I can't tell you how much it means to me. Though I still don't really enjoy cooking, I hope to be more excited about doing it now that I'm equipped with very good suggestions about what to do. Or maybe I'll marry a boy who likes to cook (score!) and then I'll give him the recipe book to use. Who knows! The possibilities are endless.

I am so lucky to live amongst dogwood trees. They surround my house and populate my neighborhood and I can't imagine Spring without them. When I have a house, a dogwood tree will be one of the first additions I make to my garden.

Sweet potatoes are incredible. They have so many different, delicious applications and I just love them all (well, most of them). Sweet potato fries, chips, casserole, pie, waffles, pancakes, bread, ice cream, you name it. My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is oven baked to sweet, caramel-y softness with a little butter and salt and you can regularly find plain ol' sweet potatoes  in my lunchbox. Many people like to sweeten them up with brown sugar and marshmallows but I think they are just sweet enough the way they are and don't really enjoy the sweeter preparations (casserole, pie, or anything involving brown sugar and marshmallows). Either way, you have to admit that these starchy-sweet babies are awesome and easy to make and eat. Yum!

I literally wear jeans everyday. Unless I wear a skirt or a dress, of course. My workplace is pretty casual so we wear jeans but I try to dress it up and wear dark-washed jeans with a cute blouse or shell/cardigan combo. Either way, you can usually see me wearing jeans for all occasions. I work in jeans, hike in jeans, ride horses in jeans and even sometimes go to the beach in jeans (it's true).

They are just so versatile and work with almost any top. I love that I can wipe a little dirt on them and you can't tell (perfect for being at the barn). Mostly, though, I love how they make me feel: confident, stylish, sexy, and yet still modest.

I currently have three plants in my cubicle at work and they make me really happy. They sit there all friendly and welcoming and make the space seem less sterile and boring. AND they give me something to take care of! I like that. I tend to go for plants that are closely-packed because they seem heartier and less high-maintenance than ones that bloom or have leafy leaves. I always look for plants that need a lot of light (the lights in the office are almost always on) and little water (weekends!) and so far, so good!

I had my car fully detailed yesterday and it morphed into a totally beautiful car (exactly like the one pictured, of course). I had a gift certificate from the graduation gift two of my awesome aunts gave me so I took it in, left it for 6 hours and came back to a spectacularly clean and shiny car! The downside of the car being so clean is that now I can notice all the imperfections in the 12-year old, white paint coat and so I might need to head to the dealer and get some touch-up paint. But other than that, I am so excited and proud of my car! It's all grown up now (except for the bumper stickers I put on in high school...). It rained today so I got a treat and was allowed to put it in the garage! Woo, high roller.

Here's to hoping it stays in beautiful condition for a long time!

Probably another one of those weird things I post about but it is particularly relevant seeing as I went on a frame shopping spree today. Michael's was having an awesome sale when my Mom and I went to buy a couple of frames so I headed back later in the day and bought even more. I think I bought a total of...12 frames? Yeah. AND I framed everything I bought a frame for. It took some work (and money, though not as much as one would think) but I love the end product. I'm all ready to move into the future house and put stuff up on the walls! After they're painted, of course.

P.S. I actually used this cool frame in a digital art class project and found it again while looking for a picture for this post! You totally care.

I still like to listen to the radio. It makes it so I don't have to be responsible for entertaining myself--it's the DJ's job to pick out music I'll like or I'll change the channel. Luckily, I have some pretty good stations around me that play the music I like (indie rock ish?) and feature a lot of new songs/artists in the genre as well.

When I drive, I can't stand silence so I always have the radio running. I don't have a CD player (old car...) but even if I did I think I'd still mostly listen to the radio. Sometimes I'll get sick of that and put my iPod on but I'm usually more sick of the music on my iPod than the music on the radio. You just have to know where to find it! As a backup, I'm always a sucker for classic rock so even when I travel outside of my radio's range, I can find something. Let's hear it for the radio!

This is my new lunchbox for work. It was a gift (which I picked out) from a friend and she got it off Amazon. It is made of neoprene so it's nice and flexible and insulates heat and cold very well. There is a zipper to keep all everything in there and it is surprisingly large, especially because of the flexible material. It is machine washable AND folds flat. There are a couple of different patterns and they price is right--just $16! I love it! Thanks Carole!

Just thought you guys should know about this awesomeness. Also, I was definitely NOT paid or rewarded for this post endorsing a product.

My favorite fruit plus my favorite sweet? Yes please! What's not to love? Unless you're allergic, of course.

Perhaps sofas are a strange thing to like but lately I have been particularly interested in sofas. Maybe it's the "nesting" instinct (to have a nest, not to put any baby birds in it...no thanks) or maybe I just really want my own place but, either way, I cannot help but mentally decorate my future space with all sorts of furniture. My styles are all over the place, I like modern and vintage and a little country farmhouse and I just cannot decide!

What I can decide on, though, is that I will have to have fabulous sofas and not in any dull colors. I love teal and would LOVE to have a teal sofa. And a teal car but that's probably another post.

It's my city. No more explanation needed.

Boy could I go for a muffin right now...

I know that, as a kid, I was supposed to hate carrots. But I didn't. I've always loved them. They are a fun color, have a crisp snap to their bite and are refreshingly earthy! I love carrots in just about anything--they'd even probably go well in an omelette, now that I think about it (omelettes are usually my test to see if a food would action go well "in just about anything). They are just so yummy and have such a distinctive taste--nothing else tastes like a carrot. And lucky for me, too, because they give me an easy thing to eat for lunch in order to get closer to that ever-elusive 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. That bring me up to a daily total of...2? Yikes--I'm going to need more carrots over here!

Henri Matisse is my favorite artist. I love his bright, bold colors, the black contour lines and the simplicity of his abstracted perspective. It's hard to tell how this woman is sitting since the perspective and proportions of things is warped. I like this though, especially as an occasional artist (when I take art classes, which I love to do). I like to be able to paint or draw or create without having to worry about things that aren't as important to me, like perspective. I think it's beautiful that there's something a little "off" about Matisse's paintings. Her gaze and the fun surroundings are enough to make this piece beautiful and captivating.

Someday I hope to make it back to Nice (went there during my Italy semester) and go to the Musee Matisse de Nice. A whole museum devoted to Matisse? I think that sounds awesome.

I started work last week and getting my desk organized has been a little hard--I don't have my own computer yet so I've been taking my laptop to work and, hopefully, will have my own within the month. I also got a new, HUGE monitor so I had to rearrange things to make room for it. I have a list of things I need to get the area more organized and hope to get to Office Depot next weekend to get them. But it's looking better and better everyday--I've moved my purse and laptop bag into a drawer in a little unit I have so the area isn't so cluttered and I have a plant to make the space a little happier. Oh! And I have a calendar to add some visual interest (Tuscan countryside) and there are some artsy magnets on the way to stick on the metal cubicle file storage doors. Yay for desk spaces!

This is hilarious. I love the Internet, creative people and nerdy humor so this is really ringing all my bells. Found here for purchase, if you're interested.