Circles

Either it is the massive head ache I am experiencing, the copious mounds of work I have been doing for hours, or I am going to crazy... but today I feel like I am just running in circles. Everything that I am trying to get accomplished is never ending. I keep waiting for that moment when I can check it off my list, but it hasn't happened yet. I am going a million miles a minute and being pulled in so many different directions with so many things to do that I don't know where to start so I am doing three things at once. Not the best idea I have ever come up with. I am not only running in circles I feel like I am seeing circles every where! Maybe I should take a study break? 

"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." 

Albert Einstein

Let's Paint The Town

This weekend I went exploring in Deep Ellum with some friends and found two things. A new coffee shop. I am always on the hunt for a new place to either relax and read  book while sipping on my usual order of Chai tea, or to hunker down and crank out my loads of school work. This place, Murray Street Coffee, is definitely in the runnings. 

When you first enter you are met with three levels of funky furniture, loft-like space, and of course the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

The quirky knick-knacks, large pieces of art, and board games are what got me. 

After we studied, we drove around for a little bit. We found a lot of mural art and graffiti paintings on the sides of buildings. They are literally around every corner that you pass.  

I thought it was fascinating how different each mural was and how they all represented something.

I have always loved art, but I think I created a soft spot for these colorful, personal, and eclectic self expressions of art. 

Deep Ellum is a tucked away place where Dallas embraces its history. This area embraces vintage architecture, energetic music and dining, and cozy hip retail. To give some background, in 1982, Darwin Payne described Deep Ellum in Ilustrated History as "the one spot in the city that needs no daylight saving time because there is no bedtime...It is the only place recorded on earth where business, religion, gambling and stealing goes on at the same time without friction." 

Fro-Yo Frenzy

This is Sarah. 

Sarah is one of my dear friends and she LOVES frozen yogurt. And when I say frozen yogurt, I am talking about the only place that she qualifies as frozen yogurt, Yogurtland. Fro-yo has become "the thing to do" and countless people are getting hooked. It's also another way to be creative! You can get down with your bad self and get as many flavors as you want. Or you can go crazy with the toppings. It is self-serve so you can do whatever you want! Because of this new craze I decided to pick Sarah's mind to see exactly why people love it so much.

Q: About how many times a week do you go to get frozen yogurt?
A:If I am lucky I go to get it about 3 times a week, but on average twice weekly.


Q: Where do you frequent the most? What is your favorite? Why?
A: I believe the only yogurt place worth existing is Yogurtland because of their awesome flavor selection. However, Yumilicious is in 2nd place due to location.


Q: Do you get something new every time or do you have a set order?
A: I have a set order for sure. Vanilla Wafer swirled with Double Cookies and Cream. As for toppings, I get a heap of Oreos.

Q: Do you like the self service aspect of getting your own yogurt and toppings? Do you get frustrated when the workers do it for you?
A: I love the self serve aspect because I am a very picky eater and I hate paying for more than what I actually want to eat. It is perfect! 


Q: How much do you spend per month on frozen yogurt?
A:I probably spend 20-30 dollars a month. Another benefit of Yogurtland is it is the cheapest!!


Q: Can you tell the difference between each shop's flavors?
A: I can SO tell the difference. I Heart Yogurt taste like they bought their yogurt off the street it is so bad. Yumilicious has a distinct flavor that leaves a bit of an after taste and Yogurtland is just perfect.


Q: Why do you like fro-yo so much?
A: I think I like fro-yo because it is new, however it is also delicious and not too expensive.

And there you have it. 

Yum.

"I Was Made For Sunning Days"

Anyone catch The Weepies reference? Ok, and moving on. It is beautiful outside today! I love when the sun tingles on my skin, everything is bright and green, and all you want to do is just be outside. Days like today always make me think of this scene from 500 Days of Summer...

It seems that people are generally in a better mood when the weather is pleasant. They are more optimistic, joyful, and happy-go-lucky. I work in the nursery at my church back home and whenever kids draw suns they tend to always put those cheesy smiley faces in them, so at least the toddlers agree with my assessment!

According to psychologists there is a disorder called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a type of depression that affects a person during the same season each year. I guess some people are more vulnerable to weather changes than others.

As for me, I am going to go procrastinate and enjoy this beautiful day! You never know, we could have snowpacolypse round two tomorrow considering Dallas weather is so bipolar!

Going the Extra Mile

Music has been the runner's best friend since Walkman's, the first personal stereo, were invented. There is something exhilarating about running with music when your foot lands perfectly in sync with the beat. Once you get in that rhythm you know you are about to have a good run. Even if you are tired, music helps you keep going when you are running on empty. Scientific evidence has shown that music makes you run better. People who generally run to the rhythm of music have better performance than those who run without. A song with a quick tempo is going to increase your heart rate and a slow tempo song will decrease it. I have found that contrary to popular belief, soothing music can also pump up your training because you are able to set the pace and enjoy exercise more. Running is a solitary exercise which is why music can be the ideal companion to increase your training. I am a music fanatic, so for me it is motivation to get outside and exercise!

Running is so exhilarating to me and I am so fortunate to live in Dallas where there are some great trails. White Rock Lake and the Katy Trail are two of my favorite places to go. Running is something that is private for me and I don't mind going by myself, actually I prefer it. After you run, you feel so accomplished and energized, I love it! It's a time for me to get away from everything that is going on and just run. There are certain things that cause me to unconsciously do the majority of my thinking and running is one of them. It's a refreshing way for me to reflect and push myself.

My Running Playlist of the Week:

1. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
2. Raise Your Glass - Pink
3. Buffalo Soldier - Bob Marley
4. Merry Happy - Kate Nash
5. Winner - Justin Timberlake and Jamie Foxx
6. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
7. OMG - Usher
8. Give It Up - Jimmy Eat World
9. Ask - The Smiths
10. Forget You - Cee Lo Green
11. Fugitive - David Gray
12. Tonight - Enrique Iglesias
13. Marchin' On - One Republic
14. Something Beautiful - Needtobreathe
15. Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons

Glowing Waterfall

I am constantly in awe by creation and all its natural beauty. I went to Yosemite a few years ago and was amazed when I heard about a certain waterfall that spills over El Capitan. Horestail Fall in Yosemite National Park flows a luminous shade of orange for a few days in February each year. People and photographers from all over come just to see this attraction. The catch is that conditions have to be just right to see the falls in full glow. Experienced photographers say there are about three places in Yosemite Valley that are accessible and provide a good view and angle of the fall. The most popular spot is the El Capitan picnic area. The famous orange glow keeps changing shape and color. Because of this there are about thirty minutes of regular light and then about five minutes of a deep red color. Someday I want to go back to Yosemite and try to witness this!

Free Fallin'

I have always wanted to go skydiving. It is on my bucket list of things to do before I graduate college. A couple of my friends have already done it and cannot stop talking about it once you get them started. I will admit, I am an adrenaline junkie. I love adventures, doing crazy spontaneous things, and pride myself on going against the grain. While I may not readily agree to something, if you challenge me, it's on. My competitive side creeps in, takes over, and I can convince myself to do almost anything!

 

Save The Date!

Anthropologie's Wedding Line is walking the aisle on Valentine's Day 2011.

The dream scenario has been created...a bridal line by Anthropologie. Females all over have been anticipating this moment and it is finally here! Women can now say "I do" to the wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, accessories, auxiliary items (including invitations, gifts, and deocrations) of their dreams from the new store, BHLDN (stands for "beholden"). Every dedicated shopper to Anthro I know of is so excited about this new idea. I think it was a very innovative and smart move to create a wedding line because the store alone already does great business. I know they get enough of my money as it is! If anything people are probably thinking, "it took them long enough!"

[So without further adeu, I present to you, BHLDN]

Anthropologie is known for it's vintage, boho-chic clothing. However, I love mulling around the "at home" section which has kitchen trinkets, bedding, furniture, room decor, and so many other lovely treasures. I can spend hours in this store just looking at the items that adorn the mannequins and shelves. The unique, fresh, and vintage twist is a perfect mix that provides the beauty that is Anthropologie and keeps the shoppers coming back for more. And now they have their new attraction which will keep the females of the world fantasizing for their perfect wedding accompanied by their perfect wedding dress.

Do You Know What I am Thinking?

In my psychology class today we were discussing relationships and my professor brought up the movie, "What Women Want." What if we could hear other people's thoughts like in this movie? 

I think that it could either go two ways. It can either be a good or a bad thing. Sometimes you have that moment where you are dying to know what that person is thinking, but you know you will never find out what it is. But what if they are mad at you? What if you said something they thought was stupid? Then I definitely wouldn't want to know! 

It reminds me of the question you were asked a lot as a kid. "If you had a superpower for one day what would it be and why?"

Everyone would always answer flying or invisibility. Actually, if we are being honest here I think as a kid I answered that question with either flying or knowing other people's thoughts. Looking back I think I would pick flying. Definitely more fun. Definitely not as hurtful. 

Crackberry

This post is for all those Blackberry users and abusers out there. In this day and age we have become so dependent and obsessed with our phones and technology in general. The amount of time we spend on our phones constantly worrying about whether people will call or text us back, checking facebook, or playing games is frightening. I think it's safe to say that sometimes we even use our phones as a scapegoat in order to avoid awkward situations. Don't deny it, you know that you do it! Americans are addicted to being in touch with people via their cell phone. On any college campus you can walk around and almost every student is glued to their phone. What is the first thing you do when you get out of class? You check your phone. People run into each other or have car accidents because they were texting. We are so reliant. Blackberry also has BBM which is another addicting form of text messaging for us to become obsessed with. We are becoming so dependent on cell phones that research shows future generations, and even now, people's social skills and the way they communicate is declining fast. I have a Blackberry and like everyone else, I am addicted. I am going to try and not use my phone for the whole day. We'll see how this goes...

Branching Out

This summer my friend taught me how to make headbands out of fabric. Whenever I had down time I would work on them. They were fun, easy to make, and I loved doing it! My friends noticed them and asked me to make some for them. I ended up making so many that I started trying different styles. Eventually, I taught myself how to do different types, styles, and forms (like clips and barrettes). 

I started making so many that it got to the point where when I would see cute fabric or materials I would just buy all of it because I knew I would be making more soon. I love making them and I am in the process of thinking about opening my own shop on Etsy to sell them online!

WANDERLUST

[won-der-luhst]

-noun

a strong, innate desire or impulse to rove, travel, or explore the world.

Ever since I was little I loved to be independent and wander about. Whenever I would accompany my mom to the store, I always took it as an opportunity to play hide and go seek, whether my mother knew we were playing or not. Which would explain why the manager of the store would announce on the intercom for people to look for a small girl with brown, curly hair hiding from her mom. I eventually had to give in and come out of hiding after hours of being crammed behind shelves or in boxes. It never ceased to amaze my mother how much joy I got out of those moments. I loved to explore every inch that I could put my little hands on. 

 There is something about going to a foreign place and immersing oneself with that culture. In order to get the full experience, I believe you have to adapt and become one with wherever you are. You appreciate the people, their ways, their country and you respect them for it all.

                                          

That same passion for exploration has continued on into my young adulthood. There is this desire within me to discover new places, experience beautiful things, and see history. I like to think that I will have time to travel, roam, and backpack to the ongoing list of places that I want to go to. But time is not always on my side. Life sometimes gets in the way. Everyone has perfected the art of making excuses. However, I will not take no for an answer and excuses will not be made. "Captain Skip," my alter ego as a child, is leaving the port and won't be coming back anytime soon, are you in?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 

Explore. Dream. Discover." 

Mark Twain

"The real voyage of discovery is not in discovering new lands, but in seeing with new eyes." Marcel Proust

Hannah "List" Mitchell

The first thing you should know about me is that I have a problem. I love making lists. I love making lists to the extent that I make lists to remind myself to make lists. The iCal on my MacBook Pro...yup, you better believe that my life depends on it. One of the highlights of my day is crossing things off my list(s). There is some odd sense of joy and accomplishment from doing such a simple task. I am also a very competitive person and am always up for a challenge. So at the bottom of my to-do's I will always write myself a goal.  While I would say that I am an organized and structured person, I sometimes confuse myself with how many lists I have, what I have done, what I have not, and what I need to still do. Like I said, I have a problem. And while you may be thinking, "I don't make any" or "I only make one and it doesn't even really mean that much to me!" Trust me, you are probably the normal one out of the two of us. As a child my parents would give me a pen and paper to keep me occupied and I would be completely content for hours on end. So to start things off right, I thought I would begin this blogging adventure with a list. Here goes!

I am a....

1- List Maker

2- Color Coder

3- Hummus Eater

4- Chai Tea Lover

5- Photography Taking

6- Ex-Competitive Dancer

7- Coffee Shop Finder

8- World Traveler

9- Music Junkie

10- Closet Musician

Goal > Make fewer lists