On My Spring Wish List

Yooooohoooo! It's almost April.  Isn't it about time we get excited for Spring? Easter? Florals & Pastels? Sun past 5'o clock? Green grass? Picnics? Bike rides? Dining al fresco? Outdoor concerts?  I have created a list to incite some excitement about the Spring season that is upon us.  

1. First thing first, I want to wear my hair in a single braid. Braids are flowy, flirty, and girly. Perfect for Spring. 

2. Lacey Shorts 

3. Magazines- tis the season of periodicals, you can take them to a cafe, read them in the tub, and fold them, tear them, cut them to shreds for art projects.  Hard cover books are so winter! 

4. A bright blazer. My navy, houndstooth, dark brown, and black blazers are just so tired when I compare them to this tangerine number at left. 

5. Concert tickets- I just got some to Washed Out in May! 

6. Ice cream cones

7. Maxi skirt- The maxi dress was so last year. I feel this is the year of the skirt instead of the dress. 

8.  Fresh fleurs to keep your house nice and cheery! In the spirit of the season. 

On Party Favors

Even though I didn't run my best race, I had a good experience at the LA marathon this past Sunday. The best part of the whole sha-bang you ask? 1. feeling fit and trim from all the training and 2. all the freebies! 
Marathons have got swag, major free swag! 
My loot includes, but is not limited to:

 Countless power/nutrition/trail bars
Energy shots/blocks/beans/goo
A long sleeve tee in flashy colors
A bag of jasmine rice (uhm, don't ask? What kinda marathoner has time to cook up some rice on the course?)
Animal crackers and chocolate grahams
A bunch of bananas
A few water bottles
a slew of unflattering photos
An assortment of fliers for upcoming races
A subscription to Women's Health, Outside Magazine, and Runners' World
Oh and a heavy finisher's medal (now that's bling)
Not to mention two bouquets of lovely flowers my spectators brought to me.  
Friends, thanks for all the love and support!
I just signed up for the San Francisco/LA challenge so that means redemption run in SF mid summer. 
Run, run, run!

On The Fruit of the Moment

Remember that old adage,"an apple a day. . . . "
Well fudgetaboutit!
A pear a day and you, my friend, are invincible. 

On The Little Things

Things have been intensely busy for me lately, but I am still trying to take time out of my day to stop and smell the roses.  On the Metro ride home from work today I caught myself thinking of all the little things that make life so wonderful and satisfying.  
Things like:

 +Discovering a new song that you want to put on repeat. 

+Getting to the train platform exactly as the train pulls up.

+Vanilla yogurt, berries, and almonds for breakfast. 

+Shoes without socks

+ Good color coordination

+The feeling of running

On Living the Multi-Purpose Life

Oh glory! The Los Angeles River.

I wasn’t even expecting it, but I just witnessed one of the best lectures of my USC career.  There were many memorable thoughts that will stay with me, but the most resonant was a citation from the former Dean of the USC School of Architecture, Bob Harris.  He says nothing should be made for a single purpose.  This has sustainability, community development, and quality of life implications.  If we ever make planning mistakes, it is most often when we plan something for a single purpose.  The local example would be the LA River.  We controlled the once natural resource to avoid flooding, but thought of nothing else.  No wonder the LA River is now a concrete mess of sewage and chain-link fence.  We had one thing in mind when we make a plan for it, and that, is why we failed to come up with a comprehensive solution.  Just some urban planning food for thought!

On the Color of the Moment

I own these. Cafe au lait bowls.

Best welcome mat ever!

I would certainly strike up a conversation with a man in this tie.

The best when paired with well, everything.

Bold pair of heels

It is bright, electric, and shocking. It goes pop. It goes by the name of Chartreuse.

On What to Pleasure Read

Slowly but surely, I have been reading novels for pleasure. Despite my tight schedule (work, school, marathon training), reading for pleasure is a necessity. The hammock in my apartment is intended for balling up into with a book. Lately, I am so computered-out by the time I get home in the evening, a book is the only thing that will help me unwind and get to sleep. 

That said, I just finished a very, very good book.  The Art of Fielding. Baseball is a backdrop for the story, but you don't need to love baseball to love the story. I just happen to love both.  It is the story of an athlete that chokes.  It is everyone's story.  It is about failing. It is not redemptive and triumphant, but too many sports stories are, it is about the disappointment that follows the downfall of greatness.  It is about giving up on yourself.  It is written so that you witness the narrative in the characters' heads.  It makes you think of your own mind-narrative.  The thoughts that your mind constantly tumbles around.  Not only about baseball, the novel touches upon where our minds take us and what our minds keep us from doing.

On the Spring Fling

Well February just came and went-- even with that extra day, poof up and gone. Last month I had a birthday, experienced Valentine's day without a Valentine, got the last of my midterms out of the way, and continued doing what I do.  Moving into March I have decided to really take it upon myself to celebrate being young, single, and in a city. Spring is coming. Errr seasons don't even matter in Southern California.  Regardless, dusk will fade into night at a slower pace and I will make it a point to be out on the town with friends, on my own, or perhaps on a lighthearted date.  Keyword: lighthearted.  I have decided not to get into another relationship until that special someone is husband worthy and I mean it!--I just can't go through the emotional turmoil of a long relationship that amounts to nothing. So I am off for a sun-soaked afternoon walk.  I am happy that florals are finally appropriate to wear and that pink lipstick is all the rage. 
Xoxo, 
More soon from a very delighted twenty-something single lady.