Did I Mention I Recently Went To California?

The "Father of the Bride" house. I adore Pasadena and its gorgeous neighborhoods.

Riverside Farmer's Market

So many famous British and American artists to take photos of at the Huntington!

John Constable's "Salisbury Cathedral From The Bishop's Grounds". Swoon.

Beautiful, and so reminiscent of something you'd see in a Jane Austen film.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, & Botanical Gardens. My Mecca.

I suppose Ariel is my Disney Princess soulmate since my spirit animal is a mermaid.

It was definitely a jolly California holiday with Mary.

Unreal. Mainly because as a 22 year old this was my first Disneyland experience.

Laguna Beach

Lovely turquoise birds

The sun setting on a fun weekend getaway, made complete by Virgin America setting the mood for us, and a PLU win over Redlands (after all...it was the purpose of our trip).

Bubbling Over

It's October. Can you believe it? Frightening (certainly in 28 days it will be). I had my last first day of school last week. PTL this is my last quarter, otherwise I think I'd simply die (or at least acquire some serious Seattle seasonal depression) having to drag myself back to school after the winter holidays. 

As for autumn, I am fully immersed in the necessary rituals. How so you ask?

I'm up at sunrise, only to sit in dark lecture rooms. Colorfully quirky professors project slides of portraits, landscapes, and history paintings onto the walls, bubbling over with information in enthusiastic fashion.

Textbooks are being read. Dare I say that I am enjoying them? Say it isn't so!

 College football Saturdays are getting the blood and competitive juices pumping through my veins (and maybe conjuring up some nerves as well). The roars of the crowd, the blowing whistles of the referees, and the slightly out of tune wail of the pep band collaborate to surge excitement through us all.

Walking down the street I hear the constant thud of prickly green orbs cracking open and popping out horse chestnuts. Sometimes I give a little start. Other times I get bopped in the head.

My daily wardrobe is starting to take on darker colors, thicker knits, and more layers. Hoorah!

I couldn't take it any longer. On October 1st I put up autumnal decorations in the house. God bless my job at Pottery Barn...and the dollar section at Target.

Speaking of discounts...autumn also means working while I'm in school. I am saving my money, no doubt about it, but I have also found myself picking up a couple extra shifts. Anthropologie is just across the way. Don't judge me. That dress was $188 off. You just can't say "no" to that!

A hankering (no pun intended) to watch "You've Got Mail" has set in...and the other day I sniffed my Scotch tape and freshly sharpened No. 2s.

Veggie soup. Oatmeal. Banana bread. Hot tea.

I go to The Confectionary once a week after work just to look at the Halloween decor and the old fashioned jars filled with sweets. Enchanting.

I'm hosting a harvest party with my housemates in three weeks. Friends, carving pumpkins, and a whole lot of fun!

Another autumnal right of passage? The inevitable cold. But "Swankie Hankies" with cute little jack-o-lanterns makes it a bit more bearable.

Autumn, bring it. I love you. More than you will ever know.

Foggy Mornings

Foggy mornings are meant for taking walks; 

for thankfulness and prayers;

for being literally and figuratively mystified; 

for enduring the cold to see things that sleeping souls are unaware of; 

for letting the visual warmth of turning leaves warm you instead; 

for taking the time to spot the abundance of dew-covered webs of intricate lace that Charlotte and her kin were hard at work spinning the night before; 

for inhaling constantly changing scents that you most likely have never encountered before; 

for coming home feeling refreshed, and your cheeks a bit more flushed than when you walked out the door.

The Early Bird

The early bird? Yeah, it totally gets the worm! Work at 11 and no personal time within sight? No problem! The alarm went off at 7:30 AM and I was up and at em'. An hour and a half later I had walked over six miles. Following my heart, I weaved my way up and down tree-lined streets, past early and mid century homes, and beautifully yet organically landscaped front yards. It was everything I needed. The sun was glittering on Lake Washington as yachts bobbed at the dock and single sculls cut through placid water. An early autumn crisp was undoubtedly in the air. There were houses covered in vines, and an abundance of apple and pear trees signaling the approach of fall. Sunday morning French press wafted through open windows. I took delight in greeting walkers and garden dwellers with a "good morning". One little curly-haired, bouncing bundle of joy proceeded to repeatedly greet me at high decibels with "Hi neighbor!" as I continued to walk down her block. She even went so far as to drag her seemingly amused father out from inside the house and onto the porch to greet "neighbor" too. The entire walk was set to the tune of "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me In St. Louis as I repeatedly sang along with Judy Garland in my head. My heartstrings are zinging and thumping in anticipation for the coming season.

Berry Picking

I have now gone blackberry picking three times within the last month, on my university campus. They are everywhere. Yesterday I went by myself, and I got to thinking about how many life metaphors are present, and the lessons that can be learned from something so simple as the act of picking berries. Let's see if you get what I mean.

Not too many people stop to pick blackberries. They don't realize how much fruit is growing on the bushes.

The best berries are the ones that are most often out of reach.

Just when you're feeling a little upset that all of the good berries are out of reach, you find a cluster of them within reach just down the way.

Many good berries are not obviously visible. You have to carefully look for them, and it takes a discerning eye to discover them beneath the brush. Sometimes you accidentally happen upon them.

Oftentimes when you get too greedy you end up dropping some of the berries from the hand you're reaching with.

You should only take the berries that come off easily, otherwise they're not ripe enough. They'll probably be ready in a few days.

When you're doing something unusual (picking berries on a university campus), people will be curious and ask what it is you're doing. Then you get to tell them you're picking berries, and perhaps why.

Getting scratched by thorns is unavoidable. You may even bleed. The upside is that now your bowl is full of berries. It was worth it.

22 {random} Thoughts For 22 Years

I just turned 22. I have random thoughts. Sometimes they come in the middle of a conversation. I apologize to those of you who have experienced that. Here are a few I came up with today.

You can never have too many polka dots. They are pure joy.

"It's just a walk, Erica, not a marriage proposal." Jack Nicholson as Harry in Something's Gotta Give speaks truth. You should probably always say this to yourself before a date with a new guy. You need to calm down. I need to calm down.

Usually when I don't find something at Nordstrom, or I can't afford it at the present time, I buy myself $10 earrings. It helps. You should try it.

When it's windy, by all means stand outside with your arms open to the steady stream blowing your face and hair. It isn't Titanic in the least, I swear.

Yeah...mom, she's always right.

Smelling the coffee beans in the glass votives instead of perfume is totally normal.

Smiling at people is fun. So is small talk with your barista, cashier, or waiter. I always feel better when I do this.

Lipstick and blush. Lipstick and blush. Keep repeating that to yourself.

Family is forever, and therefore they always come first.

Don't let people give you advice on what to do with your hair. They are wrong, and you probably look better with long hair.

Who invented women's deodorant? Toss that sad excuse of an antiperspirant for the ever-so-handsome scented Old Spice (preferably Swagger). Trust me on this one.

97.5% of the time frosting is better than cake. Don't waste calories on cruddy cake when you can have more frosting!

You can be 5 foot 9.5 inches tall and wear 4 inch colorblocked platform heels. Why should short people have all the fun?

Kathleen Kelly is my hero. Every time I need comfort I just pop You've Got Mail into the DVD player.

Don't show up to things early. Since when has that ever been cool? Yep, never.

It has been tested that making your bed in the morning makes you happier as you go about the rest of your day. Do it!

Will the average death age for both genders significantly decrease for my generation because of YOLO?

Find "your place". Go there and just sit. Not all the time, just when you need it most. You don't have to tell anyone where it is either. That's the fun in it.

When I die, will I actually care enough to ask God about some of life's greatest mysteries? What happened to Amelia Earhart? Are dogs really colorblind? Do dolls talk and move when you shut the bedroom door?

Baking is therapeutic. All those exact measurements and then choosing to throw in an extra 1/4 cup of chocolate chips is healing to the type-A soul in more ways than one. It's also a good idea to pawn off your goods to your family (for reasons of personal health).

Harry Potter Weekends on ABC Family are the greatest thing to happen to TV.

Wake up at a decent time (you should probably go to bed at a decent time to achieve this). Waste not thy hour. Carpe diem. And all that jazz.

...and that is a snippet of how my brain works.

Red, White & Blue: Better Together

I'm starting something new; a series called Better Together. (**I'm random. We'll see if I actually post on a specific day or not, so tune in!) I got the idea from the British business associate of my friend's father. Unfortunately his campaign for "better together" did not take off like he had hoped. Nonetheless, I fell in love with the idea. It's simple, and rather charming. Behind this idea is the basic truth that things take on more unique characteristics when juxtaposed with, or complementing one other. You know, like peanut butter and jelly, or Bert and Ernie. Good when solo; fantastic when paired. 

Red, white and blue. So many things come to mind. For me it's the stars and stripes of Old Glory and the Union Jack. Quite fitting, I'd say. With patriotism having stricken the hearts of fellow citizens as we cheered on our Olympians competing in London, a nod to the tri-colors and wonderful things that have come to represent Great Britain seems necessary to me. Cheers!