today, on my way to beaufort, i decided there are three things (besides jesus & my peeps) that i never want to live without: coffee. dave matthews band. my car (the freedom to travel).

what would you never want to live without?

me: hi! i'm so excited to see you :)Alison: I'm Erin! I get to spend the weekend with someone else's wife. :)
It's hugs. Have fun this weekend!

big day.
new ball joint. coolant gasket. oil change.
plane ticket to nyc.
whole foods & menchie's with T.
pivotal fitness in summerville.
tried to be wireless. fail.

and i finished the romantics today while i was at the dealership.

abrupt. sort of disappointing.

it's not a normal love story, so i don't know why i was expecting a normal ending.

oh well.

alison is coming tomorrow!

i took the stars from my eyes and then i made a map

and knew that somehow i could find my way back.

yesterday, i made chicken soup from scratch. all by myself. and i'm not lying.

i wish i had a larger pot bc i have a disproportionate amount of chicken & veggies to broth, but that's ok. it's a chunky soup.

and it's so easy that you can make it, too!

you just boil your chicken, celery, carrots & garlic together in a pot with water over medium heat until the chicken is cooked. then you remove the chicken and set it aside and throw out the veggies. then you start adding whatever vegetables into the pot - whichever take the longest to cook first. so, for me, that was carrots, potatoes, celery, squash, and tomatoes. i also put another clove of garlic in bc i like it. once that was ready i added in my bouillon and put the chicken (shredded) back in. then i left it sit a few minutes. voila! chunky (bc i didn't use enough water) chicken soup!

let go of where you think you’re going.

and you'll be bright. 
- cloud cult

i played catch up with a friend last week.

friend: so you're pretty much doing the same then...
me: except i'm blonde. i eat meat. i live alone. and i have a new job. the only thing about me that's the same is that i'm not dating anyone inparticular at the moment, but i was not too long ago.
friend: but other than that you're the same.
me: sure.

"We are not the same persons this year as last; nor or those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person." - William Somerset Maugham

so for those of you falling in love, keep it kind, keep it good, keep it right. throw yourself in the midst of danger, but keep one eye open at night. - elephants, rachael yamagata

it's weird how moments that made you so happy can turn into memories that make you feel rather lonely.

i've been going through lots of my stuff and getting rid of it. if i'm moving again this year, then i don't want to have as much to move. also, i read in a magazine that it would make me happier. i don't feel happy, but magazines never lie, so the happiness must be coming. fingers crossed.

on a better note: i got mail. unexpected, joyful (handmade) mail containing a little bird that holds a heart with my name on it. a tangerine dum-dum. and one of the nicest notes anyone has ever written me.

i have a good life. and how can i possibly feel lonely when i look at this bitty bird?

anyway, life is going going going. i've had an odd day. pretty much thought i was dying. it's absolutely true that you can be in so much pain that you feel nauseous. i never believed it before. other than that, days are going by quickly, but january feels like it's dragging, i suppose that's because there is so much happening in february. my last day at bbw is january 29 (although i'll probably still be doing floorsets) and i start at apple on february 3. wow. i'm so excited. slightly nervous. sort of sad. but mostly excited. and, if i have time for a part time job, then i would really like to work at starbucks. really. i miss making coffee so very much.

also, i'm reading a book. the romantics. i blogged about the movie awhile back, but never saw it since it never opened in theatres here. note: this book is not on my twenty eleven to-do list, so that's off to a good start... ha. oy. baby steps!

and last, but not least, i filed my taxes. brooklyn, here i come! but at the end of april when it's warmer!

ok. that's all for now. xo.

ps. there are few things in life that make my day brighter than when i get a comment, message, email or text from somebody who has been reading my blog. i'm glad that you all seem to enjoy reading it as much as i enjoy typing it.

we have nothing if not belief. - reepicheep

i put my hands up in the air sometimes. photo credits : laura bousman

photo credits: jennybunny

well, this certainly took me longer than expected, but i did get snowed into columbia and ended up taking a five day vacay. thank goodness for being an "and guest".  anyway, without further ado, my twenty eleven to-do list:

• I will finish LOST... within two months... go!
• I need to get my address changed at the DMV
• I need a Costco membership. Stat. I hate Sam's Club.
• I will throw away my break up box from 2.5 years ago. It's time and I don't want it anymore. It's just taking up space where handbags could live. Why is this so hard?
• I am going to purge the rest of the stuff in my various closets & my parents attic. It's a lot. This is a really big undertaking. Oy.
• (Again) I will try to wake up when my alarm goes off. Maybe I'll try a bedtime. Hmph.
• I want to finish The Happiness Project and In Defense of Food. Also, I'd like to read Beach Music and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. And maybe I'll actually finish Crazy Love, but I  need to start it again from the beginning.
• I'll take my tax return and pay off my credit card, get new sway bar bushings for the front of my car and buy a plane ticket to NYC.
• I'll take a trip to NYC (if you didn't get that from the previous bullet) to visit Rachel.
• I'll be in my brother's wedding! Ah!
• I would like to join a produce co-op like the Rosebank Farms CSA. Veggies, flowers, giddy goat cheese - oh my!
• I want to cook more. For myself & with others.
• I will throw out all of my old magazines & start fresh with this year's subscriptions. 
• I will move onto pork & beef as I enter back into the world of meat eating.
• I will keep my gym membership and continue to go. And try all the new classes! I am probably at one of the most physically (and mentally) healthy times in my life and I'd like to stay that way.
• I will use my insurance. Regular doctor's visits. Prescriptions. Chiropractor. Therapist.
• I will actually set up my 401k. It's free retirement money. Duh.
• I will keep better track of my finances. I won't buy things unless I need them. I won't use my credit card unless its an emergency. I will spend more on doing things than on things themselves. And I will give money to my church.
• I will look into getting my master's degree in retailing or human resources.We shall see.
• I want to be able to do the crow pose in yoga & hold it for thirty seconds. Heh.
• I will tell the people I care about that I care about them. Sometimes, I forget to show it & say it. Unacceptable.
• I will start a new job! At Apple, Inc. Get excited for new work challenges!

it's nothing fancy, but it's mine and i want to do it all, please and thank you.

this is my new job (starting february 3):

Apple Specialists are at the heart of our reputation for extraordinary customer service. You love people. Have an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Apple. And can translate technology-speak into everyday language. You’re ready to not just serve up information, but also inspire the next generation of Mac, iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV fans.

olivia's first sc snow day.

i'm working on my twenty eleven to-do list.
most people make resolutions, but not me.
i think they're lame because they never get done.
so, get excited, it's on it's way... the big to-do.

listening to: mumford & sons, cary ann hearst, edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros.

I had a character building weekend.

That's what T & I have decided to call life when it's pushy or uncomfortable.

Anyway, it was good! I put my past behind me and I'm now completely ready for a new year.

I want there to be more change & less settling.

Copperboom!

my apartment is a mess.

i'm supposed to be cleaning & unpacking & repacking.

i got distracted by gilmore girls & ice cream.

it happens.

the second week of twenty eleven will be more productive.