#coffee marijuana sunshine and cigarettes

[plakatierenverboten]

Brandon Birkedahl: Coffee, Marijuana, Sunshine, and Cigarettes

#youtube #brandon birkdahl #coffee marijuana sunshine and cigarettes #2023 music #country #nashville

[recreatd]

⊰ ♡ ⊱ &. she’s a vessel of sunshine, love, and fight !

tagged by : @chaordiic !! tagging : @dinosaved , @wrldwrn (claire!!) , @raptorraised , @ofdearing , @o188 , @battleincarnate (ruby!!) , @cursedkind + if you see this, pls do it ! 

body.

long legs. short legs. average legs. slender thighs. thick thighs. muscular thighs. skinny arms. soft arms. muscular arms. toned stomach. flat stomach. flabby stomach. soft stomach. six pack. beer belly. lean frame. slender frame. muscular frame. voluptuous frame. petite frame. lanky frame. short nails. long nails. manicured nails. dirty nails. flat butt. toned ass. bubble butt. thick butt. small waist. thick waist. narrow hips. average hips. wide hips. big feet. average feet. small feet. soft feet. slender feet. calloused feet. calloused hands.soft hands. big hands. average hands. small hands. long fingers. short fingers. average fingers. broad shoulders. underweight. average weight. overweight.

height.

shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm to 150 cm. 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 170 cm. 171 cm to 180cm. 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m.

skin.

pale. fair. rosy. olive. dark. tanned. blotchy. smooth. acne. dry. greasy. freckled. scarred.

eyes.

small. large. average. grey. brown. black. blue. red. green. gold amber. hazel. violet. doe-eyed. almond. close-set. wide-set. squinty. monolid. heavy eyelids. upturned. downturned.

hair.

thin. thick. fine. normal. greasy. dry. soft. shiny. scruffy. frizzy. curly. wild. unruly.straight. smooth. wavy. floppy. cropped. pixie-cut. short. shoulder length. back length. waist length. floor length. buzz cut. bald. jaw length. vermilion. mohawk. white. platinum blonde. golden blonde. dirty blonde. ombre. light brown. mouse brown. chestnut brown. golden brown.chocolate brown. dark brown. jet black. ginger. auburn. dyed red. dyed any “ unnatural color ”. streaked. thin eyebrows. average eyebrows. thick eyebrows.

tattoos / piercings.

full sleeve. thigh tattoo. shin tattoo. wrist tattoo. lower back tattoo. hand / finger tattoo. foot tattoo. neck tattoo. face tattoo. chest tattoo. one tattoo. a few here and there. multiple. no tattoo. monroe piercing. nose piercing. septum. nipple piercing(s). genital piercing(s). industrial piercings. earlobe piercing. prince albert piercing. eyebrow piercing(s). tongue piercing. lip piercing(s). tragus piercing. angel bites. labret. stretches out ears. navel piercing. inverse navel piercing. cheek piercing(s). smiley. nape piercing(s). no piercings.

cosmetics.

light eyeliner. heavy eyeliner. cat eyes. mascara. fake eyelashes. matte lipstick. regular lipstick. lip gloss. red lips. pink lips. dark lips. bronzer. highlighter. eyeshadow. neutral eyeshadow. smoky eyes. colorful eyeshadow. blush. lipliner. light contouring. heavy contouring. powder. matte foundation. shiny foundation. concealer. wears make up regularly. wears makeup from time to time. rarely wears make-up. never wears makeup.

scent.

floral. fruity. perfumes. aftershave. cocoa. moisturizer. natural soap. shampoo. cigarettes. leather. sweat. food. incense. marijuana. cologne. whiskey. wine. fried food. blood. fire. metal. rain. grass. ocean. autumn leaves. baked bread. freshly baked cookies. smoke.campfire. lavender. trees. pumpkin pie. musk. rose. gingerbread. peppermint. oak. honey. lemon. vanilla. coffee cake. mint. rawhide. chemicals.

clothes.

jeans. tight pants. overknee socks. tights. leggings. yoga pants. pencil skirt. tight skirt. loose skirt. tight / formfitting dress. cardigans. blouse. button up shirt. band t-shirt. sports t-shirt. sweatpants. tanktop. cut off t-shirt. designer. high street. online stores. thrift.lingerie. long skirt. miniskirt. maxidress. sun dress. tie. tuxedo. cocktail dress. highslit dress /skirt. t-shirt. loose clothing. tight clothing. jean shorts. sweater. sweater vest. khaki pants.suit. hoodie. harem pants. basketball shorts. boxers. briefs. boxer-briefs. thong. hot pants. hipster panties. bra. sports bra. crop top. corset. ballerina skirt. leotard. polka dot. stripes. glitter. silk. lace. leather. velvet. chemise. patterns. florals. neon colors. pastels. plaid.black. dark colors. fur. faux fur.

shoes.

sneakers. slip-ons. flats. slippers. sandals. high heels. kitten heels. ankle boots. combat boots. boots. cowboy boots. knee-high. platforms. stripper heels. bare feet. loafers.

#my clone baby!! wow i love her #the ones i crossed out were just cause she's 10 #lol #that icon tho like!! #have u ever seen such a precious face?!? #&. you've got the battles and the scars / babe you've got heart › about ! #&. the gold glow of both honey and fire › aesthetics!

[cksmart-world]

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

Oct. 29, 2019

SAVE THE RICH, TAX THE POOR

& SHUT UP AND GET THE COFFEE

The Utah Legislature has a good idea — tax the poor. Maybe they got it from Republicans in Congress. See, here's the deal: poor people are ripping us all off. They drive Cadillacs and eat free government cheese. They want free health care, free bus passes and free tents and sleeping bags when they become homeless. As you probably already heard, President Trump last year shepherded the best tax cut ever — $984 billion — so the rich and corporations could keep us free. Sure, the deficit ballooned by 26 percent. But that is easily fixed by cutting social programs, like food stamps and medicaid that poor people use to rip us off. Well, monkey see, monkey do. Now the Utah Legislature will follow suit with its own tax cut. According to that bastion of soothsaying, The Salt Lake Tribune, 40 percent of the tax relief would go to the top 20 percent income earners in Utah. To make it all work, the Legislature would increase taxes on food and gasoline, so that them poor people won't slide. Their main diet is beer and cigarettes, anyway. In the end, the middle class gets screwed by those slackers. The rich and corporations, by contrast are just good Americans who have pulled themselves up by their golf shoes and really do deserve a big tax break.

SHUT UP AND GET THE COFFEE

Women, you should be “polished, have a good haircut, manicured nails and well-cut attire that complements your body type,” according to an employee guide from Ernst & Young, the giant accounting firm. “Don’t flaunt your body ― sexuality scrambles the mind.” In the age of #MeToo, Ernst & Young apparently wants to make sure its female employees don't tempt men to — well, you know. According to Huffington Post, which obtained a copy of the 55-page epistle, the company's executive females got the low-down during a day-and-a-half seminar on “leadership and empowerment.” When women speak, they shouldn’t be shrill. Clothing must flatter, but short skirts are a no-no. The brain trust at Ernst & Young may as well have said something like this: This ain't “Mad Men,” ladies. No more sleeping your way to the top, so dial back the cleavage and no come-on looks. But the guide didn't stop there. It says that women should wait their turn and raise their hands before speaking and then “speak briefly” and not ramble on, as they are prone to do. And, by all means, don't be aggressive, like men. Women should display feminine traits that are “Affectionate,” “Cheerful,” “Childlike,” “Compassionate,” “Gullible,” and “Yielding.” You've come a long way, baby. Can you get us some coffee.

MIKE LEE: FEDS RUIN PUBLIC LANDS

There has been a Mike Lee sighting. Utah's senior senator was thought to have gone missing. But it turns out Mike was just hiding under his desk so reporters wouldn't ask him stuff, like, Do you think it's right for the president to use U.S. foreign policy for personal political gain? Mike materialized at a town hall last week to rage against federal management of public lands. Ah yes, the tried and true strategy of demonizing the feds and public lands because, well because they just ruin everything. “The federal government is one of the least environmentally responsible stewards of the land imaginable,” Lee said. “It’s not that anybody wants to install a drilling rig underneath Delicate Arch,” he added. Oh, no, of course not. “It's not the wealthy and well-connected who suffer from excessive federal land ownership.” Of course not. “It’s the poor and middle class in our state, particularly those in rural communities who are hardest hit.” And Trump's tax cut that Lee championed was all about helping the little guys, too. It's actually the BLM, Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that are the enemies of the people. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report reveals that at least 360 threats and assaults against employees of those agencies occurred from 2013 through 2017. Gee, wonder why anyone would want to harm them. Maybe it's because they're enemies of the people.

BASEBALL FANS CHEER TRUMP

Ah, yes, nothing like the World Series, the fall classic that puts the icing on the cake of the baseball season. And although President Trump didn't throw out the ceremonial first ball, like most presidents before him, he did grace the Washington Nationals Sunday evening with his presence in the nation's capital during their losing effort to the Houston Astros. It was a rare public appearance by our commander in chief and the first lady who arrived at a special executive box in the third inning. When the couple's likeness flashed across the jumbo-tron, the capacity crowd erupted in cheers. Well, not exactly. Trump was greeted with 41,000 boos followed by a thunderous chanting, “Lock him up. Lock him up...” (Could be a bumper sticker.) To some it may seem like just deserts to the man who would stop at nothing to defeat Hillary Clinton. At his rallies, as well as the Republican National Convention, Trumpers were led in choruses of “Lock her up. Lock her up,” ad naseum. Yes, Hillary the criminal should go to jail forever for doing something with emails. She stole them. She hid them. She used them to murder babies. And who could vote for such a monster? Whether turnabout is fair-play or not, the cleat was on the other foot as the fans at Nationals Park gave the president the Bronx Cheer. Don't you just love baseball.

Post Script: Holy moly, what a week it has been here at Smart Bomb. Our president is really getting P.O.ed. He traveled to Chicago to tell the chief of police what a loser he is. He told Shifty Adam Schiff, who is running the impeachment inquiry, what a loser he is. He told the acting ambassador to Ukraine, William B. Taylor, what a loser he is... well, you get the picture, there are a lot of losers who keep insisting that Trump screwed the pooch. Wilson and the band have had enough of the wall-to-wall Trump news coverage, so they've gone into a cone of silence of sorts. Every time the subject of Trump comes up, they start singing “Sunshine Superman” by Donavon. We're not exactly sure why they chose that instead of something like, “I'm An Ape Man” by the Kinks, which seems more apropos if you think about it. Maybe it's because they keep thinking about marijuana and beaches and Spanish women. For the rest of us, there's always football — Go Utes!

All right, Wilson, we know you and the guys are dying to do it, so take us out with a little Donovan: Sunshine came softly through my window today / Could've tripped out easy but I've changed my ways / It'll take time, I know it but in a while / You're gonna be mine, I know it, we'll do it in style... Superman or Green Lantern ain't got a-nothin' on me / I can make like a turtle and dive for pearls in the sea...We stood on a beach at sunset, do you remember when / I know a beach where, baby, it never ends / When you've made your mind up forever to be mine...

[ofjanuaryembcrs]

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Beverly Martha Marsh

NICKNAME(S): Bev, Bevvy (do not fucking call her that, it reminds her of her dad and that is not something she wants to think about), Beaverly, Slut

AGE: 18

DATE OF BIRTH: February 13th, 1976

HOMETOWN: Derry, Maine

CURRENT LOCATION: Derry, Maine

ETHNICITY: English, Irish, Scottish

NATIONALITY: American

GENDER: Cis female

PRONOUNS: She/her

ORIENTATION: Biromantic bisexual, though she’s never really discussed it with anyone. She kissed a few girls at parties back in Portland, but she’s never gone further than that. She does like girls though.

RELIGION: Agnostic. No one in her family has ever been really religious - her father and aunt were raised Catholic, though, while her mother was raised Methodist. 

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: While she definitely has left-leaning beliefs, she doesn’t follow politics enough to have a specific opinion on every issue. She identifies as a liberal democrat though.

OCCUPATION: Student, a clerk at the fabric store in the strip mall

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Bev currently lives with her aunt in a tiny, two bedroom apartment near the one she used to live in with her dad. It’s older, but Bev’s never been one to complain as long as she’s got a roof over her head. 

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: English

ACCENT: Maine

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Sophia Lillis (younger), Abigail Cowen (older)

HAIR COLOUR: Red

EYE COLOUR: Blue

HEIGHT: 5′7″

WEIGHT: 120 lbs

BUILD: Slim

TATTOOS: She has a collection of seven small birds on her rib cage. Bev got it on her eighteenth birthday - before she and her aunt moved back to Derry. At the time, she wasn’t sure why seven felt like the right number, but now she knows that there’s one for each of the losers.

PIERCINGS: Bev’s had her ears pierced for as long as she can remember. When she was sixteen, she got her cartilage pierced. A few weeks ago, she also pierced her nose because it’s the 90s and everyone’s got a nose piercing.

CLOTHING STYLE: Okay so fashion is actually Beverly’s favorite thing in the world. Growing up, her father always restricted what she could or couldn’t wear and now that he’s dead, she wears whatever the fuck she wants. Bev’s style is eclectic; some days she’s in a black, ripped crop top with a bright red plaid skirt and combat boots, and then the next day she’s in a soft summer dress with sandals and a flower crown. Beverly makes most of her own clothes, or she tailors and alters things she finds at the thrift store. She does wear makeup, mostly because it’s fun to put on.

USUAL EXPRESSION: Her lips are almost always turned up in a soft smirk like there’s some sort of joke or secret that only the two of you are in on. Her dark eyes are warm and loving unless you give her a reason why they shouldn’t be. 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:  Freckles scattered across her face, shoulders and arms, as well as a scar on the palm of her hand.

HEALTH

PHYSICAL AILMENTS: None

NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (undiagnosed) 

ALLERGIES: None

SLEEPING HABITS: Beverly is usually more of a night owl than an early bird. She sometimes struggles with falling asleep, which means she usually stays up listening to music or flipping through magazines until she gets tired. If she’s really restless, she’ll sneak out and visit a friend or go to the quarry to look at the stars.

EATING HABITS: Honestly, Bev’s eating habits aren’t great. Her aunt works ridiculous hours and Bev is horrible when it comes to cooking, so she lives on a diet of takeout and meals that are quick and cheap to make. She does try and eat a balanced meal most of the time, though, and she doesn’t go crazy with sweets. Junk food isn’t something she gorges herself on, really. 

EXERCISE HABITS: She doesn’t work out regularly really, but Bev walks or bikes most places. She does run sometimes if she’s feeling stressed or upset, but her stamina isn’t great due to the fact that she’s smoked cigarettes since she was twelve. 

EMOTIONAL STABILITY: Pretty high. Beverly still has nightmares about different elements of her childhood, but usually, she can calm herself down afterward. She’s not too distressed most of the time, at least on the outside. Bev’s good at letting things go, or at least ignoring them until they’re a serious problem.

SOCIABILITY: High. Bev’s a very social person. She doesn’t like be alone, really, and tends to surround herself with people she loves and cares about. Making new friends isn’t her strongest suit, but she’s okay at it. Bev’s kind to strangers, and can usually make small talk with people.

BODY TEMPERATURE: Bev’s usually cold, even when it’s pretty warm outside. She tends to wear layers just for this reason.

ADDICTIONS: Cigarettes. She picked up the nasty habit when she was twelve and hasn’t been able to quit for longer than a month since. It’s not something she’s proud of, but she also can’t seem to let it go. 

DRUG USE: Recreational marijuana use, though she only smokes it with friends. It’s not her favorite stress-reliever, but it’ll get the job done. 

ALCOHOL USE: Beverly is a social drinker; if her friends are drinking, so is she. She’s a giggly drunk who can sometimes be a little flirty, and she rarely throws up. Her hangovers can be pretty brutal, though. 

PERSONALITY

LABEL: The Empath

POSITIVE TRAITS: Compassionate, Forgiving, Creative, Loyal, Tenacious, Brave

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Impulsive, Stubborn, Sarcastic, Distant, Rebellious

GOALS/DESIRES: More than anything, Beverly wants to work in fashion. She loves designing and creating her own clothes, and would love to do that on a larger scale once she graduates. It’s unlikely that she’ll get a scholarship to any school, but she’s still applying to places with fashion design programs. If she manages to get in one, she’ll take out loans to go. 

FEARS: Her father, though she does have some peace of mind now that he’s dead. Anyone that majorly reminds her of him scares her a bit too. Beverly’s aware of the way men stare at her, and that troubles her a lot too. Sometimes she can use their leering to her advantage, but most of the time, it just creeps her out. 

HOBBIES: Bev likes making her own clothing. She spends a good deal of her time at her sewing machine, making new things from scratch or altering things she’s found at a thrift store. She also makes things for her friends, for holidays or their birthdays. Most of the time, she doesn’t have money for a gift, so she makes them something instead. Sketching out designs for her own clothes takes up a portion of her time too. If she’s bored in class, Bev will begin drawing out a new dress or skirt or something that she wants to make one day. When she isn’t working on clothes, Bev can be found reading. She developed a love for poetry when she moved to Portland, though she didn’t understand why until she moved back. She also likes murder mysteries and true crime books. Weirdly enough, gruesome stories fascinate her. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism. 

HABITS: Beverly plays with her hair a lot. She’s kept it short ever since she was thirteen, though now it falls to her shoulders. If she’s stressed or nervous, she’ll play with it even more than normal. Smoking also helps calm her nerves. If she’s trying to quit, she’ll chew a lot of gum.

FAVOURITES

WEATHER: Overcast weather is Beverly’s favorite. Sunshine is nice sometimes, but she thrives in cloudy, slightly chilly weather. That’s why Fall is her favorite season. She loves being outdoors when the air is crisp and you can taste the rain.

COLOUR: Bev loves pink. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being feminine, and Beverly will make sure you know that. She loves red a lot too, though.

MUSIC: Bev loves both pop music and alternative stuff. She loves Whitney Houston (though no one can love her as much as Eddie), and she used to be really into Madonna. Now, she listens to Green Day and some girl bands. She likes some rap too.

MOVIES: Honestly, Bev can watch pretty much any movie; she loves romantic comedies, though. Because she’s friends with the losers and the party, she’s developed a taste for sci-fi and adventure movies. Bev also likes horror movies, but only if they’re slasher movies. When the antagonist is human, she’s fine.

SPORT: Sports aren’t Beverly’s thing. Her lungs are terrible after smoking for so long, so she can’t really play much. But, she’s in the stands at every game Mike or Ben are playing in. She wouldn’t miss that for the world. 

BEVERAGE: Coke or coffee

FOOD: Pizza with green peppers, mushrooms and sausage 

ANIMAL: Bev’s always liked otters a lot. They’re adorable, and they hold hands to stay together. What’s not to like?

FAMILY

FATHER: Alvin Marsh, an actual piece of shit (Deceased)

MOTHER: Elfrieda Marsh, not a great mom when she was alive (Deceased)

SIBLING(S): None

PET(S): A kitten from Richie the Cat’s litter, given to her by Mike Hanlon

FAMILY’S FINANCIAL STATUS: Bev has lived with her aunt since she was thirteen. They manage to make ends meet, but they certainly are far from being wealthy. Bev doesn’t like to talk about it, but she’s definitely poorer than most of her friends. She can’t always afford to go bowling or go to the movies every week, but she never wants her friends to feel sorry for her. 

EXTRA

ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius

MBTI: ENFP

ENNEAGRAM: Type 1w2. Bev wants to make a difference, but she also wants to help others. 

TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Gryffindor

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good

PRIMARY VICE: Wrath

PRIMARY VIRTUE: Charity

ELEMENT: Air

#( I WANT TO RUN TOWARDS SOMETHING | MUSE )

[wildravenheart]

Ron and I are officially in our new place, it is truly amazing living here! It’s peaceful and quiet. The only sounds we do hear once in a while are the planes that fly out of Davis Monthan, coyotes, screech owls and the train. We live about 2 blocks east of the Davis Monthan base, which for me is totally awesome!! I love it so much living here!! No more police, fire, ambulance sirens. No more swat teams running around. No more hearing the traffic from the road or businesses behind that old place we were in. No more hearing dogs fighting in the dog park. No more seeing people walk behind the building and peeking in my windows, making my girls bark. No more people running over my head day in and day out. No more smelling marijuana or cigarette smoke. It’s so peaceful, calm, drama free and less stressful here.

We are in a two bedroom, two bath townhouse with a fenced in backyard. It has a carport within the fenced yard so when we are going out or coming home we need to hope the gate, I feel much safer. It is truly awesome! This house is amazing for us to be living in, we are all so happy, all meaning Ron, myself, Chloe, Kona and Moca, yes even Moca our cat loves it here!! In fact, Moca was out and running around the first day we moved in, which is not normal for her, normally she hides for at least a month.

The backyard is facing east so we get the morning sun, the front door is facing west so in our living room we get to watch the sunset. In the early mornings, before the sun is up and before I go to work, I bring the girls out into the fenced backyard. When we go out in the early morning before the sun rises, we see the stars, I mean really see the stars in the sky. It’s such a beautiful sight to see and it makes me even happier to be here. The last time I saw the stars in the night sky looking this beautiful was when I worked at the Tanque Verde Ranch, where the night sky was never affected by lights. In the Arizona room that faces east, we have a beautiful old high bistro table from an old hotel out here that a friend of ours sold to us, it has a slate top with wrought iron base. I have two chairs which will need to be replaced for higher ones, that way I can sit out there with my coffee and laptop to write. This just makes this house even more amazing for us to live in. This is how a home should be.

I will have all kinds of bird feeders outside, along with my garden, this is so exciting for us to have and a dream come true. We did order landscape rock for the dirt areas of the backyard, that arrives Monday, this is so exciting for us, our landlord/landlady are so awesome they are letting us just have fun with this place. in fact, they are impressed with what we have done already.

It’s a really nice quiet community that we are in, I can say we have a neighbor who has a fountain of some kind running, it’s so nice to go out into our yard, hearing it bubbling, I will be getting our yard one as I always wanted one even when we lived in an apartment. We have seen this really pretty red bird called a vermillion flycatcher in our front yard in a tree and I heard woodpeckers in our trees out front. The first day we moved in we had 5 ravens in the eucalyptus tree outside the living room window. I put my bird feeder in the backyard on a hook, however, it is getting moved to the front of the house, right outside my office window. I am hoping to see some pretty birds at it. The hummingbirds found my hummingbird feeder in the backyard, Ron said there were all different colored hummingbirds at it the other day, I have one more feeder to put for them too.

I do have to remind myself that we are in a house instead of an apartment as I keep tiptoeing around, speaking in a low volume when I can just talk in my normal voice, laugh out loud and enjoy my life here. It’s nice being able to go to bed and not hear loud neighbors who sound like elephants above you all hours of the day and night. It’s nice to get up and not worry about people peeking into your apartment. It is nice to go to work and not worry about the noise from outside or above my head or the girls barking at people getting to close to the windows when I am working.

The house is bigger than the apartment. I was making hot tea for Ron and myself, every night we have Sleepytime tea to help us fall asleep better. So I asked Ron if he wanted some sleepytime tea before bed to help him sleep, he was in the bedroom, I was in the kitchen, he never answered me, well he didn’t hear me, our home is that big!!! I walked to the bedroom and laughed at how big the house is compared to what we had. I said, “This place is huge compared to the apartment!!” He laughed and agreed with me. I have to say it again, we love where we are.

This past week we have been getting lots of rain as well as cold weather here for us, I am honestly tired of the rain now, I feel waterlogged. It was really neat to hear the rain on the skylight and roof though when we were in the house. We both slept so well hearing the rain on the roof, it was comforting. On Sunday we had crazy downpours, Monday was sprinkling, Tuesday was a crazy cold rain, Wednesday through Friday was sunny and cold. I am ready for the heat now. I miss the heat now. I won’t complain when summer gets here that is for sure. I don’t have enough winter clothes for this, I own mostly t-shirts, jeans, and lighter clothes.

The funniest thing that has happened is when I go to leave our kitchen, I always try to turn off the kitchen light, mind you, it is not the electric light that needs to be turned off, it’s our skylight in the kitchen. It’s so bright you think it’s the light that needs to be turned off. It makes us both laugh. Also in the kitchen, we have a window that looks out into the Arizona room.

  Now that we are moved in, most everything is unpacked, we have stuff on our walls, I have a chance to see what is needed to make this more of a home for us. I have so many ideas and am more excited to be living here. I have a wish list made up on Amazon, Kirkland’s and a few other websites. We are having a house warming party on March 3rd, I posted that on Facebook so if anyone who is not in Tucson can send gifts or gift cards if they want to do so.

For our kitchen I need to get new pots & pans, the Red Copper set we bought last year sucks!! It’s already fallen apart and everything sticks in it, I am going back to T-Fal as I never had issues with my sets in the past. I need to get new bright colored utensils. I want a new knife set as well, ours is 12 years old. I bought some new flatware by Oneida at Ross and need to find another set similar to it. I will get a new plate set as well and new glasses. So basically, I want to upgrade our kitchen stuff as we upgraded our life, we deserve to have better things and get rid of the old stuff that no longer fits us. Our awesome landlord/landlady gave us permission to paint the kitchen cabinets so I am thinking a nice peach or sunshine yellow color just on the outer part like doors and drawer faces, the rest would be white would really make the kitchen pop. We already started with putting some handles on the doors of the cabinets and on the drawers. What makes things even better is that we have a full refrigerator. 

The dining room already has a ceiling fan with lights. We also hung up the painting we had in the other place up, so I am going to play off of that for the decor of the dining room. I want to get a nice hutch for in there as well.

In our living room, we have our sectional, our coffee tables with accent tables, the altar I made myself, a little makeshift media center from a bookcase I bought and an old wooden office chair. I would like to get a new entertainment center for the living room, maybe a surround sound system, maybe a bigger TV now. I do need to get area rugs as the living room floor is tile, we need at least two rugs I think due to the large living room. I plan on getting some houseplants that hang from the ceiling as well, there is much light in the living room that they would be amazing here. I want to get a few shelves for the walls and beautiful wall art for the walls. I want to keep with the country style that I have always loved and adored in my home. I thought southwest but everyone does that here, I need to be different and stand out.

My office does need to have some shelves on the walls. I need to get a nice area rug or desk mat preferably bamboo. I also want some motivational, inspiration, fun wall art so that is where I am eight hours out of the day. I would like to get a little wireless speaker for my office too, the total silence in there kills me, I can play the music quietly and I don’t listen to offensive music at all. I want my office to have some nice plants. My intention is to make it natural looking, fresh looking and yet maintain an air of professionalism in there. It will help me get focused again on my career and my goals.

I have decided to keep my bedroom with the country style bedroom that I have always loved having, at first I thought I would go with bohemian, that just doesn’t fit me or my style. I am more a country style person or shabby chic than Bohemian. The closet is a mirrored doored closet with so many shelves and built-in drawers, so no need for a dresser here. I am going to be buying those really cool floating shelves for the walls and a nice painting for above our bed as well. I want at least one more hanging plant in there as well. It helps with the air and oxygen in the room. We also need to get an area rug or two small rugs for both sides of the bed as it’s a cement floor. I will also get Kona a bed as she is officially out of the kennel.

We have two bathrooms, one that is off our bedroom with a stand-up shower and the other bathroom is located near the living room, as you go down the hallway with a bathtub and of course, both have sinks and toilets. Those will both be a country garden setting, complete with candles and plants of some sort in there. I do need to get bathmats for the “guest” bathroom as well as better towels for both bathrooms.

Please excuse the messy looking photos, this is only our first week and I am yet to get it all in order, what with working I use the time I am not working to get my home in order. It will get there and I will have this place looking even more amazing than it already is.

This house has so much potential and it’s ours to have fun with.

This is our home finally and we are so much happier being here.

We have lots to do here, I am feeling so inspired to really have fun with my creativity here. I know I can really make this a wonderful home for us. I feel that anyone who comes to visit will love it here too.

I am feeling very inspired living here, so much as that I feel I will have time to write.

Here is to a much better life, an amazing year filled with great new potential and opportunities and our amazing home.

Inspired Happy Living Ron and I are officially in our new place, it is truly amazing living here! It's peaceful and quiet.

[viinewhiip]

BOLD what applies to your muse, then tag others to do the same! Repost, don’t reblog.

Tagged: Nobody

Tagging: @ anyone who wants to do it

BODY

Long legs. Short legs. Average legs. Slender thighs. Toned thighs. Thick thighs. Muscular thighs. Skinny arms. Toned arms. Soft arms. Muscular arm(s). Toned stomach. Flat stomach. Flabby Stomach. Soft stomach. Six-pack. Beer belly. Lean frame. Beefy frame. Muscular frame. Voluptuous frame. Petite frame. Lanky frame. Short nails. Long nails. Manicured nails. Dirty nails. Flat ass. Toned ass. Bubble butt. Thick ass. Small waist. Thick waist. Narrow hips. Average hips. Wide hips. Big feet. Average feet. Small feet. Soft feet. Slender feet. Calloused hands. Soft hands. Big hands. Average hands. Small hands. Long fingers. Short fingers. Average fingers. Broad shoulders. Narrow shoulders. Underweight. Healthy weight. Overweight.

HEIGHT

Shorter than 140 cm. 141 cm-150 cm. 151 cm to 160 cm. 161 cm to 172 cm.173 cm to 180cm. 181 cm to 190 cm. 191 cm to 2m. Taller than 2 m.

WEIGHT

Less than 100lbs. 100–125lbs. 125–150lbs. 150–175lbs. 175-200lbs. 200–225lbs. 225–250lbs. 250–275lbs. 275–300lbs. 300–325lbs. 325–350lbs. More than 350lbs.

SKIN

Pale. Rosy. Peaches & Cream. Olive. Golden. Dark. Tanned. Freckled. Blotchy. Smooth. Acne. Dry. Greasy. Soft. Rough. Flawless(aside scars). Nonhuman/Other.

EYES

Small. Large. Average. Grey. Brown. Black. Blue. Green. Blue-Green. Gold. Hazel. Doe-eyed. Red. Almond. Close-set. Wide-set. Squinty. Monolid. Epicanthic fold. Heavy eyelids. Downturned. Upturned. Full lashes. Thin lashes. Straight lashes. Curled lashes. Pupiless.

LIPS

Pink. Red. Brown. Purple. Dark. Full. Thin. Full upper/thin lower. Thin upper/full lower. Pouty. Plump. Cupid’s bow. Soft. Rough. Smooth. Chapped. Dry. Moist. Warm. Cold.

NOSE

Duchess. Fleshy. Upturned. Downturned. Roman. Aquiline. Bumpy. Snub. Hawk. Greek. Nubian. East Asian. Nixon. Bulbous. Celestial. Smooth. Sloped. Refined.Large nostrils. Average nostrils. Small nostrils.

HAIR

Thin. Thick. Fine. Normal. Greasy. Dry. Soft. Shiny. Curly. Frizzy. Wild. Unruly. Straight. Smooth. Wavy. Floppy. Cropped. Pixie-cut. Shoulder length. Back length. Waist length. Knee-length. Buzz cut. Undercut. Bald. A bit below the jaw length. A bit above the jaw. Mullet. Mohawk. White. Platinum blonde. Strawberry blonde. Orange blonde. Golden blonde. Redhead. Dirty blonde. Blondette. Ombre. Light brown. Mouse brown. Chocolate brown. Chestnut brown. Dark brown. Jet black. Ginger. Auburn. Copper. Other Color (Dyed). Down. Pigtails. Ponytail. French braid. Bun. Updo. Thin eyebrows. Average eyebrows. Thick eyebrows. Groomed eyebrows.

TATTOOS / PIERCINGS

Full sleeve. Thigh tattoo. Neck tattoo. Chest tattoo. One tattoo. A few here and there. Back Shoulder. Multiple. No tattoo. Monroe piercing. Nose piercing. Septum. Nipple piercing(s). Genital piercing(s). Industrial piercings. Earlobe piercing(s). Prince Albert piercing. Eyebrow piercing(s). Tongue piercing(s). Lip piercing(s). Tragus piercing. Angelbites. Labret. Stretches out ears. Navel piercing. Inverse navel piercing. Cheek piercing(s). Smiley. Nape piercing(s). No piercing.

COSMETICS

Eyeliner (occasionally). Light eyeliner. Heavy eyeliner. Cat eyes. Mascara. Fake eyelashes. Matte lipstick. Regular lipstick. Lipgloss. Red lips. Pink lips. Dark lips. Bronzer. Highlighter. Body wash. Moisturizer. Aftershave. Eyeshadow. Neutral eyeshadow. Smoky eyes. Colorful eyeshadow. Blush. Lipliner. Light contouring. Heavy contouring. Greasepaint. Powder. Matte foundation. Shiny foundation. Concealer. Perfume. Cologne. Deodorant. Wears make up regularly. Wears it from time to time. Uses only light makeup. Never wears make-up.  

SCENT

Floral. Fruit. Perfumes. Spices. Aftershave. Shampoo/Conditioner. Cocoa. Vanilla. Coffee. Sweets. Moisturizer. Cigarettes. Leather. Sweat. Food. Incense. Marijuana. Alcohol. Sunshine. Cologne. Whiskey. Wine. Fried food. Blood. Fresh Linen. Musk. Nature.

CLOTHES

Jeans. Tight pants. Overknee socks. Tights. Leggings. Yoga pants. Pencil skirt. Tight skirt. Loose skirt. Tight/formfitting dress. Cardigans. Blouse. Button up shirt. Band-T-shirt. Sports tshirt. Sweatpants. Tank top. Fur. Faux fur. Leather. Designer. High street. Online stores. Thrift. Lingerie. Long ski rt. Miniskirt. Maxidress. Sun dress. Tie. Tuxedo. Cocktail dress. Highslit dress/skit. T-shirt. Loose clothing. Tight clothing. Jean shorts. Sweater. Sweater vest. Khaki pants. Suit. Hoodie. Harlem pants. Basketball shorts. Boxers. Briefs.Thong. Hotpants. Hipster panties. Bra. Sports bra. Crop top. Corset. Ballerina skirt. Leotard. Polka dot. Stripes. Glitter. Silk. Lace. Velvet. Chemise.Patterns. Florals. Neon colors. Pastels. Black. Dark colors.

SHOES

Sneakers. Slip-ons. Ballet flats. Slippers. Sandals. High heels. Kitten heels. Ankle boots. Combat boots. Knee-high. Platforms. Stripper heels. Barefeet.Loafers. Oxfords. Gladiator shoes. Wedge heels.

JEWELRY / ACCESSORIES

Earrings. Hats. Scrunches. Hair clips. Sunglasses. Flowers. Necklaces. Bracelets. Brooch. Tie. Bowtie. Gloves. Scarves. Veil. Headscarf. Bandanna. Belts. Rings. Tiara/Crown. Circlet. Bindi. Purse. Backpack. Fanny pack. Headband. Headphones. Earbuds.

#about Aster

[cathilde]

survey (intoxicated and bored)

baby’s breath: 5 things you associate yourself with: schizophrenia, cigarettes, marijuana, black coffee, literature bleeding heart: what makes you heart go mushy? the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen that stared back at me before I ever learned his name. he is sacred. bell flower: what’s the title of the song that makes you want to jump around out of joy? kept - crystal castles evening primrose: what’s your sleeping playlist (give me 5 songs)? i will let death metal lull me to sleep, even. over 100 songs play every night when I sleep.  forget-me-not: who is your favorite blog who isn’t following you? i don’t know. daffodil: what is one plant that you want to have but can never get? i want a venus flytrap. i don’t know where to find one where i live or if they even exist here. calla lily: are you more of a sunny day or a rainy evening? sunny day, when i take my extra dose of serotonin. zoloft is a good antidepressant. foxglove: what is your favorite color and in what shade? purple. dark. lavender: what is something that you’ve always wanted to be/have/get but can never have? the full truth about my life is something i can never have or get. love in a mist: what is the latest dream that you remember? being stranded alongside a river, running away from a house that is constantly on camera, waiting for a car to pick me up from a roadside where officials are looking for me and I am just so tired wandering that road, serial killers working in the meat section or bakery of a grocery store, it’s recurring, these images in my sleep daisy: what is your favorite flavor of cotton candy, ice cream, and juice? all cotton candy tastes the same to me. fireside s’mores. apple cider. painter’s palette: are you more of a singer, dancer, painter, or instrumentalist? none of the above. more of a writer. tulip: what is your most favorite make-up product? do you like it more natural, dark, or etc? red lipstick. dark. waxflower: are you a bee or a butterfly person? a dog or a cat person? i love all of them. sugarbush: do you have sweet tooth? if yes, what’s your favorite sweets? if no, why? hershey’s chocolate. because it is the best chocolate ever. sunflower: would you like to be a fairy or a mermaid? fairy. sweet pea: what would you like to call your significant other? whatever he wants me to call him. sea lavender: can you swim? which strokes can you do? not very well. windflower: list 5 of your favorite blogs and explain why i like them: i follow so many good ones golden rod: are you more of a baker or a cook? all i can cook is scrambled eggs or bake crescent rolls bloom: what is something that you would like to tell your children? i will never have any in this lifetime. peony: what is something that you wish your parents could’ve told you? the truth about my life.  prairie gentian: do you have a significant other? i worship him. september flower: are you more of a sunshine or sunset person? sunset bird of paradise: do you wake up early? do you sleep early?  either, it depends marigold: what’s your favorite tea? i like coffee more peruvian lily: what are the names of your pets? coco and rudy are the family dog and cat hyacinth: do you name your plants? i have none. just a fake tulip made out of pink feathers. i love it. lilac: would you rather sleep and be cozy or hang out with your friends? either. poppy: do you like to dip your fries or do you like it as is? in ketchup. dandelion: any special talent that you have? doing bad poetry.

[prague-lematic]

wow wow wow! This weekend has got to be one of my most favorites. Matt Hollis, Corbin Elliot, Kellie Seitz, Olivia Scrivner and I headed out to the Netherlands for our “gals weekend” as we ended up calling it. Olivia and I had planned just enough in Amsterdam so we’d have some structure and just a little that we’d feel free and go with the flow- the perfect mix for a weekend trip. We left Thursday evening and arrived at the house around 10:30 PM. The airport was about 45 minutes away from the house, so we uber vanned to the house which by the way, was a magical experience. 10/10 recommend the uber vans. So much room! We were all pleasantly surprised and happy when we came upon what would be the house we’d be staying in. Shout out to Olivia for having the coolest family friends of them all, who live in Noordwijk, Netherlands (a city in the west of the Netherlands), just an hour from Amsterdam and right on the beach. It was down this little beach street and was by far the most modern house on it. As we stayed through out the weekend, we noticed more and more bikers down the road stopping to point at it or take pictures. We stayed in the guest house/room, which was above their garage. The family was nice enough to leave us breakfast for every day and chardonnay (bless). We made mimosas and had croissants and found snacks on the second day which was the best. She even left us stroopwafels (YUM YUM YUM). That first evening though, we really just admired the place we got to stay in and peeked around. We had our own kitchenette and bathroom and it was spacious. Felt like a little home. The next day bright and early we took the bus to the train station and trained into Amsterdam… we underestimated how much time it would take to get there so when we arrived in Amsterdam at 10:20 and had Anne Frank house time slot ending at 10:15 you can imagine us sweating, literally running through the city of Amsterdam to be able to get inside. We were lucky enough to get inside after being 20 minutes late. It was absolutely surreal getting to walk around where the Frank family hid for 2 years. You could see her magazine cut outs on her bedroom wall and more. You weren’t allowed to take pictures, so I did buy a few postcards. It was just crazy what this family did to stay alive and how quiet they had to be. You could see family grocery lists and at the end of the visit, you even saw her actual diary. Through out the visit, each room had a quote or two from Anne’s diary. Absolutely crazy. It was amazing to live through this young girls life and perspective at this time, knowing her and her family would be living similar lives to those people if they hadn’t been hiding. The diary makes Anne so normal and so young, but so brave too. She writes about so many big world things and issues at that time. It was truly amazing and sad to be there and be able to see it all and all the history along with it. I think one person at the movie at the end said it best: “Her (Anne’s) would haves are our opportunities.” We must feel so lucky and so fortunate to live how we live today and to be free. We must do everything and see everything we can, because she would have liked to. It just makes you feel lucky and saddened for the history. After the house, we all caught our breath and got brunch on a canal. FIRST OF ALL, the canals are everywhere and chained with bikes along them and so beautiful. I could’ve sat at the canals all day and most people did. Lots of people were sun bathing on the edge of them. Just lovely. We all ate up some big meals and headed back towards the center/Dam Street where the carnival was. There was carnival food and traditional Dutch desserts. Yum. And endless rides. We chose to hop on our river/canal cruise. There was so many that it was almost hard to find ours but low and behold, there it was! the orange canal cruise boat labled “Lovers Canal Cruise.” My crew wouldn’t let me live that one down though I swear it wasn’t called that online. It turned out to be mostly families and just regular tourists so it was great. It was the most glorious day with the sun peeking through the clouds and the water shining and a light breeze off the water. Perfection. We learned about the different buildings and the architecture there. We learned about the tilting buildings along the canals, which were the end results of them being built in mud and more which ended up rotting. It was interesting because not all the buildings lined up because of this, but it was oddly beautiful and different. Amsterdam was already one of my favorite places. The air seemed fresher, though of course marijuana was everywhere but the air was cleaner (didn’t smell any cigarettes! hallelujah!). The people were SO SO kind. The ladies who printed our “boarding passes” for the canal cruise were so warm and honest and wanted to know how we liked Amsterdam. I could’ve sat and talked to them forever. After the canal cruise, we all headed back to the carnival in Dam Square and indulged in the desserts. Olivia got little pancakes, Matt got something dutch and Corbin and I got warm waffles with strawberries and chocolate. YUM. Ugh I can just taste it all now. We walked around for awhile, saw some coffee shops and cafes and then Matt and Corbin went on a carnival ride. After this, we went to a bar and just hung out. We were all pretty tired so around 10 PM we hopped back on the train and did backwards what we had done transportation wise this morning. What a long day! We all passed out when we got back, of course first watching the boys play “Magic.” Some guy they’re obsessed with! None of us had wifi that night so we talked for awhile and just enjoyed each others company before passing out. The next day we slept in a bit and then figured out our biking situation. With the help of the housekeeper (love him, miss him and his sass) he got the bikes from the garage for us. We quickly realized the garage had a car elevator AKA coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Olivia and I were able to fit on the two bikes and the rest of the crew headed to a bike shop and got bikes for the entire day for just 10 euros. We were ready for Lisse to see the flowers. Today was the most scenic day in awhile, probably ever when I look back at my life. It was like a painting everywhere you looked through out the 40 minute bike ride there and back. I couldn’t biked around forever if it wasn’t for how sore my legs were on the way back hahah. First of all, thank you Netherlands for being the most beautiful and having the most amazing bike paths everywhere literally and also for letting the bikers have the right of way. So crazy to me! Not a single car blew by me at any intersection- so sweeeeet. We enjoyed the fields of flowers and the sunshine and the glorious breeze before stopping at the first restaurant we saw right on the edge of Lisse. We all got some grub before heading back. Everyone who rented a bike had to rush back to get it there on time, so Olivia and I took our time getting back, stopping once again at the flower fields and just enjoying the peacefulness of the ride. When we all caught up by the hotels in the center of Noordwijk we decided it was beach time. Naturally, I was the happiest little clam of them all once we arrived there. We’d passed it numerous times, but feeling the sand in between my toes and hearing the crash of the waves and the lapping was unlike anything else. I ugly cried for about 10 minutes before composing myself and dipping my toes in the nippy ocean. Wow, had I missed that. After a long bike ride in the warm sun there is nothing like the cold ocean. I walked into my knees, not caring that my jeans were getting soaked. Olivia coming from Cali was also the happiest on the beach. We both ran around for awhile before heading back to the house. We all headed back to get all dressed up for our beach dinner reservation. We had the nicest dinner of all time- but seriously. We planned it perfectly for sunset and man oh man was the peachey-orange/pink/light purple sunset the most beautiful over the ocean. There were dangly lights outside and couches and swings. I was in love. The staff was super chill and beachy too. I could’ve sat there all evening. We all got drinks and dinner and talked for hours there. It was candle lit as well so, so cute. I miss the beach already!! Sunday was our last day in the Netherlands, so after our scenic day we opted to head back into Amsterdam to do a few more touristy things and grab some souvenirs. When we first arrived, we decided it was time to head to the all famous iamsterdam sign! It was about a 30 minute walk from the central train station. It was strategic planning how to climb the letters and then make sure you all got on before other tourists. It was tricky and busy! I climbed to the top of the A happily, but with a little help from my friends of course. After that, we walked around to find the Fault in Our Stars bench. It had locks on it and people had signed it with quotes from the book/movie and just lovers initials. It was adorable. Kellie and I got the tacky picture of us pretending to be the characters. Gotta love us. Then we headed to this cute Heineken outdoor seating café/restaurant and got the BEST TOASTED SANDWICHES EVER. It was another perfect day and I actually even got a little sunburnt. Felt good though. I need more sun! After that, we stopped for souvenirs and for the carnival. I loaded up on souvenirs, because this was one of my favorite places I’ve been. Bring me back!!!! I hope to bring my family here one day, that would be great. At the carnival, Olivia, Matt and I decided to do the swings. Though, they weren’t just ordinary swings. They went 60 meters high up into the air, looking over all of Amsterdam. They didn’t appear to be going fast, though you’re up there for a good whole 5 minutes which is a long time when you get up there and realize how scary heights actually are. Olivia and I sang some Christmas carols to make it through and often just repeated back and forth “i’m scared” but Matt got a good video of the view while we were up there, so it was worth it hahah. All in all, a cool experience. After that, we sat at a bar where the bartender asked me if I was from New Zeland and then Canada once he heard my accent (weird) and we got yummy strawberry margaritas. So good. Wish we could’ve stayed longer but our flight was calling us. We got there with about 20 minutes to spare and then off we were to Prague. The sunglass squad/gals weekend was incredible. I will remember it fondly. Amsterdam, I love you with my whole heart. Noordwijk, you are just beautiful and made it feel like home. XOXO I will be back!

[nrdynarwhal-blog]

Yellow Brick must (also) be Bad Luck … (Entry 7)

When we first started dating, my husband, Justin, would never use or carry a yellow Bic lighter. He claimed that they were bad luck – every time he was in a car accident he had a yellow lighter in his pocket; when he flipped his car doing donuts on a gravel road: yellow lighter on the floor board; when the police kicked in our door to “investigate” our house for drug activity (based upon a rumor they got from a junkie): yellow lighter on the coffee table; when he found out his parents euthanized his childhood dog in secret: yellow lighter in his pocket – every bad thing that has happened to him was attributed to the color yellow.  And as I sit on our porch with Tristen and Gemma enjoying this fluke moment of sunshine, I am starting to think he was right.  

The Abandonment is surrounded by yellow – the row houses that create its left and front most sides are made of yellow brick, our sunflowers will hopefully (the seeds go in the ground May 20th unless climate change gifts us a late Spring frost) cast their golden reflections on the cement, tattered yellow caution tape still flutters in the burnt-out house across the alley to our right, “Cory” glitters warmly golden on the garage facing our yard, the grassy areas will soon be stippled with fluffy dandelion heads, Tenth street is paved with yellow brick, even the tiny flowers on that will bloom on the tangled mess of vine swallowing our house have yellow centers.  

As if to complement all this yellow, someone has added a new piece of graffiti to the far left row houses, on their side facing one of the many paper streets that thread through – I am not sure it if says “goRe” or “EoRp” or some new tag that I am not gangsta enough to know, but it is black and yellow. The characters appear to be filled with turbulent holes and are surrounded by a black bouncy-looking cloud-shape.  I hope it says “goRe” because then it would at least provide a commentary for the burnt out house which it faces.  The same house they removed three bodies from and have not been back to since that day in December. “goRe” complements the caution tape and the too-decayed-to-be-of-any-use buildings that inhabit the abandonment and its un-killable plants that form its jungle ground cover in the summer months – a four-foot high welter of arrow-head shaped leaves, red-purple thick stalks with knobbed joints and deep roots, sprigs of green vine, ruffled purple leaves, burs, skunk cabbage, thorns, wild strawberry, coal, concrete, broken glass, railroad rocks, scratched marbles, brown-black city dirt.

“goRe” with its lower case ‘g’ and upper case ’R’ suit the abandonment as if to reflect its imperfections – its television grave yard, the ever-flooded marshland that will soon support McKees Rock’s entire mosquito population, landscape of scattered tires and liquor bottles, the rare shopping cart.  

The Abandonment owns “goRe” as if a fragrance.  With the weather warming, I cannot help but remember the summer smells: cat poo (its mostly cat poo) and dirt and decay and that moist rotting smell and mud and green – that smell that foliage has that just smells green and alive – and stagnant water and rust and wet wood and alcohol and marijuana and cigarette smoke and pizza and baking bread and car paint and spray paint and car exhaust and concrete.  It is nature in the city. It is city in nature. The Abandonment is where they meet and eddy together like how the Allegheny meets the Monongahela to form the Ohio – blue churning together with brown to form turbulent green waters. Here the city churns together with nature to create this brown-black dirt – this mixture of what humans made and what made humans.  

#abandonment #blacknyellow #cat poop #bic lighters

[prague-lematic]

Noordwijk, Netherlands, Amsterdam, Netherlands & Lisse, Netherlands

wow wow wow! This weekend has got to be one of my most favorites. Matt Hollis, Corbin Elliot, Kellie Seitz, Olivia Scrivner and I headed out to the Netherlands for our “gals weekend” as we ended up calling it. Olivia and I had planned just enough in Amsterdam so we’d have some structure and just a little that we’d feel free and go with the flow- the perfect mix for a weekend trip. We left Thursday evening and arrived at the house around 10:30 PM. The airport was about 45 minutes away from the house, so we uber vanned to the house which by the way, was a magical experience. 10/10 recommend the uber vans. So much room! We were all pleasantly surprised and happy when we came upon what would be the house we’d be staying in. Shout out to Olivia for having the coolest family friends of them all, who live in Noordwijk, Netherlands (a city in the west of the Netherlands), just an hour from Amsterdam and right on the beach. It was down this little beach street and was by far the most modern house on it. As we stayed through out the weekend, we noticed more and more bikers down the road stopping to point at it or take pictures. We stayed in the guest house/room, which was above their garage. The family was nice enough to leave us breakfast for every day and chardonnay (bless). We made mimosas and had croissants and found snacks on the second day which was the best. She even left us stroopwafels (YUM YUM YUM). That first evening though, we really just admired the place we got to stay in and peeked around. We had our own kitchenette and bathroom and it was spacious. Felt like a little home. The next day bright and early we took the bus to the train station and trained into Amsterdam... we underestimated how much time it would take to get there so when we arrived in Amsterdam at 10:20 and had Anne Frank house time slot ending at 10:15 you can imagine us sweating, literally running through the city of Amsterdam to be able to get inside. We were lucky enough to get inside after being 20 minutes late. It was absolutely surreal getting to walk around where the Frank family hid for 2 years. You could see her magazine cut outs on her bedroom wall and more. You weren’t allowed to take pictures, so I did buy a few postcards. It was just crazy what this family did to stay alive and how quiet they had to be. You could see family grocery lists and at the end of the visit, you even saw her actual diary. Through out the visit, each room had a quote or two from Anne’s diary. Absolutely crazy. It was amazing to live through this young girls life and perspective at this time, knowing her and her family would be living similar lives to those people if they hadn’t been hiding. The diary makes Anne so normal and so young, but so brave too. She writes about so many big world things and issues at that time. It was truly amazing and sad to be there and be able to see it all and all the history along with it. I think one person at the movie at the end said it best: “Her (Anne’s) would haves are our opportunities.” We must feel so lucky and so fortunate to live how we live today and to be free. We must do everything and see everything we can, because she would have liked to. It just makes you feel lucky and saddened for the history. After the house, we all caught our breath and got brunch on a canal. FIRST OF ALL, the canals are everywhere and chained with bikes along them and so beautiful. I could’ve sat at the canals all day and most people did. Lots of people were sun bathing on the edge of them. Just lovely. We all ate up some big meals and headed back towards the center/Dam Street where the carnival was. There was carnival food and traditional Dutch desserts. Yum. And endless rides. We chose to hop on our river/canal cruise. There was so many that it was almost hard to find ours but low and behold, there it was! the orange canal cruise boat labled “Lovers Canal Cruise.” My crew wouldn’t let me live that one down though I swear it wasn’t called that online. It turned out to be mostly families and just regular tourists so it was great. It was the most glorious day with the sun peeking through the clouds and the water shining and a light breeze off the water. Perfection. We learned about the different buildings and the architecture there. We learned about the tilting buildings along the canals, which were the end results of them being built in mud and more which ended up rotting. It was interesting because not all the buildings lined up because of this, but it was oddly beautiful and different. Amsterdam was already one of my favorite places. The air seemed fresher, though of course marijuana was everywhere but the air was cleaner (didn’t smell any cigarettes! hallelujah!). The people were SO SO kind. The ladies who printed our “boarding passes” for the canal cruise were so warm and honest and wanted to know how we liked Amsterdam. I could’ve sat and talked to them forever. After the canal cruise, we all headed back to the carnival in Dam Square and indulged in the desserts. Olivia got little pancakes, Matt got something dutch and Corbin and I got warm waffles with strawberries and chocolate. YUM. Ugh I can just taste it all now. We walked around for awhile, saw some coffee shops and cafes and then Matt and Corbin went on a carnival ride. After this, we went to a bar and just hung out. We were all pretty tired so around 10 PM we hopped back on the train and did backwards what we had done transportation wise this morning. What a long day! We all passed out when we got back, of course first watching the boys play “Magic.” Some guy they’re obsessed with! None of us had wifi that night so we talked for awhile and just enjoyed each others company before passing out. The next day we slept in a bit and then figured out our biking situation. With the help of the housekeeper (love him, miss him and his sass) he got the bikes from the garage for us. We quickly realized the garage had a car elevator AKA coolest thing I've ever seen. Olivia and I were able to fit on the two bikes and the rest of the crew headed to a bike shop and got bikes for the entire day for just 10 euros. We were ready for Lisse to see the flowers. Today was the most scenic day in awhile, probably ever when I look back at my life. It was like a painting everywhere you looked through out the 40 minute bike ride there and back. I couldn’t biked around forever if it wasn’t for how sore my legs were on the way back hahah. First of all, thank you Netherlands for being the most beautiful and having the most amazing bike paths everywhere literally and also for letting the bikers have the right of way. So crazy to me! Not a single car blew by me at any intersection- so sweeeeet. We enjoyed the fields of flowers and the sunshine and the glorious breeze before stopping at the first restaurant we saw right on the edge of Lisse. We all got some grub before heading back. Everyone who rented a bike had to rush back to get it there on time, so Olivia and I took our time getting back, stopping once again at the flower fields and just enjoying the peacefulness of the ride. When we all caught up by the hotels in the center of Noordwijk we decided it was beach time. Naturally, I was the happiest little clam of them all once we arrived there. We’d passed it numerous times, but feeling the sand in between my toes and hearing the crash of the waves and the lapping was unlike anything else. I ugly cried for about 10 minutes before composing myself and dipping my toes in the nippy ocean. Wow, had I missed that. After a long bike ride in the warm sun there is nothing like the cold ocean. I walked into my knees, not caring that my jeans were getting soaked. Olivia coming from Cali was also the happiest on the beach. We both ran around for awhile before heading back to the house. We all headed back to get all dressed up for our beach dinner reservation. We had the nicest dinner of all time- but seriously. We planned it perfectly for sunset and man oh man was the peachey-orange/pink/light purple sunset the most beautiful over the ocean. There were dangly lights outside and couches and swings. I was in love. The staff was super chill and beachy too. I could’ve sat there all evening. We all got drinks and dinner and talked for hours there. It was candle lit as well so, so cute. I miss the beach already!! Sunday was our last day in the Netherlands, so after our scenic day we opted to head back into Amsterdam to do a few more touristy things and grab some souvenirs. When we first arrived, we decided it was time to head to the all famous iamsterdam sign! It was about a 30 minute walk from the central train station. It was strategic planning how to climb the letters and then make sure you all got on before other tourists. It was tricky and busy! I climbed to the top of the A happily, but with a little help from my friends of course. After that, we walked around to find the Fault in Our Stars bench. It had locks on it and people had signed it with quotes from the book/movie and just lovers initials. It was adorable. Kellie and I got the tacky picture of us pretending to be the characters. Gotta love us. Then we headed to this cute Heineken outdoor seating café/restaurant and got the BEST TOASTED SANDWICHES EVER. It was another perfect day and I actually even got a little sunburnt. Felt good though. I need more sun! After that, we stopped for souvenirs and for the carnival. I loaded up on souvenirs, because this was one of my favorite places I’ve been. Bring me back!!!! I hope to bring my family here one day, that would be great. At the carnival, Olivia, Matt and I decided to do the swings. Though, they weren’t just ordinary swings. They went 60 meters high up into the air, looking over all of Amsterdam. They didn’t appear to be going fast, though you’re up there for a good whole 5 minutes which is a long time when you get up there and realize how scary heights actually are. Olivia and I sang some Christmas carols to make it through and often just repeated back and forth “i’m scared” but Matt got a good video of the view while we were up there, so it was worth it hahah. All in all, a cool experience. After that, we sat at a bar where the bartender asked me if I was from New Zeland and then Canada once he heard my accent (weird) and we got yummy strawberry margaritas. So good. Wish we could've stayed longer but our flight was calling us. We got there with about 20 minutes to spare and then off we were to Prague. The sunglass squad/gals weekend was incredible. I will remember it fondly. Amsterdam, I love you with my whole heart. Noordwijk, you are just beautiful and made it feel like home. XOXO I will be back!