this week...

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This week is flying by *already* and it's only Monday!You might think I'm a crazy person, but truthfully, this week is flying by mostly because I'm only working until Wednesday! That's right, it's time for our annual trip to Auburn, Alabama!

This trip is so much fun for a variety of reasons. We leave after work on Wednesday and head toward Greenville, South Carolina to visit with Beth's aunt, Kathy. After we stay the night there, we'll grab lunch and catch up with her the next morning. Then we only have a short drive (about 4-5 hours) until we finally arrive in Auburn. We'll explore the town all day Friday and then enjoy the football game against Texas A&M on Saturday. After such a short stay, 14 hours in the car on Saturday is usually a raucous time, listening to all the football games we can find.

Either way, this is one of my favorite weekends of the year, so I'm pretty busy over here getting ready! Tonight is all about getting caught up on grading and updating my gradebook. I'm also going to start packing and bake some pumpkin bread for the ride!

The to-do list seems impossible right now, but it will be so worth it in just a few short days!

I hope you're looking forward to something fun this weekend, too!

Book Review: Shopgirl by Steve Martin

You know that moment when you realize you should've paid more attention to your parent's and grandparents' taste in music, film, and books? Maybe I'll never like the same kind of music they do, but there are a few little things popping up here and there that make me think back to my younger self and realize maybe they knew what they were talking about. One of those things I should've paid more attention to is Steve Martin.

My mom and dad used to watch The Jerk by Steve Martin on a regular basis to the point they practically memorized it. I cannot tell you how many times one of them would interrupt a unrelated conversation by saying, "I was born a poor black child." Now, without having developed a mature sense of humor, I always thought the movie was dumb. That's right. Dumb. I just didn't get it. I didn't get the dry witticisms; I didn't really get Steve Martin. 

Fast forward 7-10 years and here I am as a 26 year old strolling through Barnes and Nobel looking for something to read. I should probably spend more time strolling through my bookshelves at home for something to read, as our collection of books is pretty impressive (we own over 500 books--and just donated around 400 to a local used book store about a year ago), but I digress. Anyway, so I see a special table set aside for Steve Martin publications because he had just published his book of Tweets (which is a hilarious concept unto itself, much like Sterling's Gold from the Mad Men producers). Never knowing much about Steve Martin other than he-was-the-guy-my-parents-liked, I flipped through some of the books and did my usual, Should I Read This? process. 

I ended up picking up Shopgirl, because honestly, I knew it had been made into a movie that I had never seen and also because it was the shortest of all his books. I'm never one to grab "the shortest" on the shelf, but I know that it takes much skill for a writer to hone their craft into so few pages. I figure, if Steve Martin considers himself to be a writer, I'll be able to figure out if he's as skilled as he thinks since a writer has to be pretty poignant when working with only 130 pages. 

It took me a few days to finish the book because I would read a few pages before bed here and there. Finally, my first night of Spring Break allowed me a few hours to dig into it. I woke up early yesterday morning to finish the read, because I was eager to see how Mr. Martin was going to tie together Mirabelle's emotional and relational "strings." 

Here's the deal with Shopgirl. We've all been Mirabelle. We've all had the relationships that make you feel icky inside even though you can't seem to leave. We've also had the relationships where you so desperately want everything to work out, but it just won't or can't. We've all had lackluster phases in our lives that we feel will never end. She's real, not a stereotype. I appreciate that.

The other thing I appreciate is the contrast between male and female perspectives that is delicately illustrated throughout the text. Ray and Jeremy's mentality is just as Cory describes the "male brain" to me whenever we're discussion our respective points-of-view with one another. Nothing in Mr. Martin's book shocked me other the very realness of it all. In the end, I'd much rather enjoy a work of fiction that doesn't feel so fictional, than a piece that does. 

Shopgirl is an easy read. It's nice. It's like hanging out with your college girlfriends after a few years apart; you catch right back up and you completely understand each other. Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. Martin is no lackadaisical writer. This isn't smut and it's not contrived. I probably didn't learn any new vocabulary words or get a different view of the world, but I enjoyed my time nestled inside those 130 pages.  

So would I recommend this book? Let me put it to you this way, I've already picked up his most recent fiction publication, An Object of Beauty to add to my to-read pile. 

Want to see what else I'm reading? Go here.

Want more book reviews? Go here.

Happy Reading!

March Madness at Lion Brand Studio!

Last weekend I took a little trip to the big apple with my sweet friend, Karla. We had been planning this trip for months (before Thanksgiving!) and were really excited to celebrate her 30th birthday out of town. Of course, this trip was really awesome for us both because it was the first time all our best friends were together in the same place! As you can imagine, it took us a few hours to get beyond the fact that we were all together in the most glamorous city in the country. We spent the weekend shopping in Union Square, going to Momofuku Ssam Bar for an amazing family-style dinner (so good!), and dancing the weekend away. It was just the right amount of fun that I needed.

Now, you guys know me pretty well, so you know that if I'm going to be in NYC, I am definitely going to Lion Brand Studio. Cory and I were in no rush to leave on Sunday, so Lisa and I walked down to LBS (yes, she lives within walking distance... I know!) for a quick visit. NYC was pretty beautiful last weekend as the trees were covered in blooms. For the first time ever, I could honestly say that NYC smelled fresh. How many times do you hear that? lol

The studio was set up perfectly for spring and for March Madness! I get that giddy inspiration feeling every time I walk up to the door!

The most amazing part of the studio this time around, to be honest, was the front window. The Art of Yarn--so perfect and full of talent! I wish there weren't such a glare on the window, but I tried my best!

Look closely, even the frame on the Van Gogh piece is stitched! Incredible!

During the entire month of March Hometown USA yarn was on sale for 15% off. I have been stitching up some new hats for my shop, so I decided to try out the pattern in that yarn. Fortunately, I was also able to pick up a new Interweave Crochet magazine and a few yarny accessories I've been needing. Since it's always one of my last stops in NYC, the way home is always pretty productive for me in the car as I am full of inspiration! I'm happy to say Hometown USA worked quite nicely with the hat pattern I tried (more on that later)!  

I'm so glad Lisa took an hour or two to visit the shop and pick up some new supplies. I am really inspired and get back into crocheting on a regular basis again. Recently, I've been really obsessed with crocheting new hats. I don't know why? Maybe it's the unpredictability of the weather in Maryland recently? Hmm.

What has been inspiring you?

Roadtrip Must Haves

As you're reading this, I'm waking up in New York City! Hooray! 

I'm not only visiting my BFF Lisa, but I am also bringing together lots of different parts of my little world. Right now, I'm in the middle of a weekend trip to celebrate the 30th birthday of my former co-worker and beloved friend, Karla! I'm so excited to FINALLY be going on this trip as we have been planning it since BEFORE Thanksgiving! I cannot even believe it! 

Other former co-workers and beloved friends, Moira and Ryan, are also attending the trip and I am just over joyed to be hanging out with them again. I miss my old department more than I could even find the words to express. That department means the world to me and they are special, special people. Having an ENTIRE weekend to hang out and explore NYC is going to be... incredible.

Anywho! These are my road trip essentials. A comfortable outfit is imperative for any long car ride, but to me, the most comfortable is skinny jeans and a loose tee with shoes that can slip on and off easily. I just bought the blue shoes (19.99 from Target) and wore them to work on Thursday. They are so comfortable and I got a million compliments on them! I'm planning on pairing them with a pair of strawberry red skinny jeans and a grey top for the trip (the ones above are from Anthro). I'm a big fan of gummies (any kind), but Sweedish Fish are my favorite by far. Pair those with that and a good book (I'm currently reading Shop Girl) and I'm set!

I hope you have a really great weekend! I'll be back next week with a full review of our super-fun-omg-Karla's30-bff-weekend-getaway! What are you doing this weekend?

xo,

A Spring Wedding Outfit

Last spring two of our very best friends decided, on a whim, to get married on their shared birthday, April 4th. By this time they had been dating for nearly a year and a half, and Cory and I felt as if it was so sweet for them to plan an entire wedding (albeit small) within a week.  Cory was already "ordained" from marrying his sister and brother-in-law on the New Years Eve before, so there wasn't much else they needed to worry about. Everything was so perfect on April 4, 2011, that I could hardly believe it. The sun shone brightly and warmly, and the water falls in Great Falls, Virginia were full of life. It was a small ceremony, but perfect for this happy couple.

Fast forward a year. This spring, Rich and Beth are having a more traditional ceremony and reception. They decided to do this so more family and friends could help them celebrate and, most importantly, since the groom's parents weren't in attendance at their impromptu wedding last year. Cory is still going to officiate the wedding and we're truly hoping it's just as wonderful and sweet as their original vows last spring.

Instead of being at Great Falls, Rich and Beth are hosting their wedding at a local vineyard in Virginia and are anticipating about 190 more people to be in attendance than last year!

I'm starting to get extremely excited for April 14th, so I have been thinking about what I should wear on this special occasion. It's not every day your best friends get married TWICE! 

It's been so beautiful and warm recently that day dreaming about spring dresses and light layers is pretty easy. I threw together this outfit (and really love it!) from Anthropologie. It would be so perfect for their spring wedding.

Do you have any dresses you've been eying for spring? I'm trying to establish a strong collection of go-to spring dresses to ease the stress of end-of-school-wind-down. As crazy as it sounds, sometimes a great dress seems to solve all my problems.

xo,

Ending 2011 (photo heavy)

Last year...er... 2010, Cory and I rang in the new year surrounded by family and friends at his sister's wedding. It was so much fun that we knew we wanted to do something equally as enjoyable this year, too. Since we take 3 days to celebrate Christmas (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Day-After-Christmas), our Christmas break was limited to just a week. We headed down to Reston, Virginia to hang out with our friends Rich and Beth for our annual mix swap and Anthro shopping trip. Since it's been so unusually warm in the mid-Atlantic region, the boys were actually able to put their new golfing gear to use and hit the links! Crazy! Meanwhile, Beth and I hung out and ran errands. We had a lovely dinner with Beth's family and played games as well. 

After making it home around midnight on Wednesday night, we decided to take it easy on Thursday by eating a yummy pancake breakfast, taking care of a sick kitty, solidifying our New Years plans, listening to last bit of Christmas music, reading books, and cleaning the house. I put up the new curtains I picked up at World Market with Beth (I LOVE the pop of color they bring to our mix-match living room) and ran a few last minute errands around town with Cory. We treated ourselves to a slice of pizza from a local pizza shop that we adore and hit the sheets early for a full night's rest.

 (those are sneaks of a new crochet project I'm working on!)

Friday morning we woke early, cleaned out our closet and packed for a New Year's trip to New York City! So fun! No, we didn't hit up Time's Square; instead we headed out to Queens to bring in 2012 with a small group of friends. Before the ball dropped, though, Lisa and I decided to go thrifting in her new neighborhood, Gramercy. My oh my, there was a lot of wonderful thrifting. I scored an entire outfit for $30, which made me crazy happy. There was so much furniture I had my eye on, too. We also got a mani/pedi together... a typical Liz & Lisa thing to do whenever we're around one another :) 

We also went to a few neighborhood spots to check out their Christmas attire... like Rolf pub that was so incredibly over the top, I couldn't even focus! CRAZY!

We also went to Molly's, that had a less distracting, more-able-to-focus atmosphere. ha!

For dinner on New Year's Eve, we wanted it to just be the 4 of us in their apartment, so Lisa and I decided use the pasta maker Cory and I gifted her and Kevin (for housewarming in September) and make a home-cooked Italian meal full of pasta, meatballs, and garlic bread! We had so much fun figuring out how to use the pasta maker. I felt like it was the perfect gift for such a lovely Italian couple :)

We headed to Queens around 9 p.m. and had a great time playing the best card game ever, Cards Against Humanity. It is so much fun and totally inappropriate!  I only have a few cell phone shots from the night, but I know there are a ton of photos floating around.. so once my friends post them, I'll share them with you.

How did you put an end to 2011?

Best of 2011 Mix

One of my favorite holiday traditions that Cory and I started a few years ago was going to Reston, VA for a day or two to visit our dear friends, Rich and Beth. You know them from our wedding, from their wedding, and from our annual Auburn University road trips, too. 

Since we're all teachers, the holidays usually push our budget a little tight, so we started a tradition where instead of exchanging gifts, we would make a playlist of the best songs of the year. This is the 3rd year in a row we've done this challenge and so far, I think it will be the best. Last year was really rough for me, because I never really found any songs that hit home for me. So, when it came to making our mix, Cory completed an excellent mix, and I decided to go with what drove me crazy all year long: the worst songs. The end result was "The Worst Songs of 2010" which included a lot of Katy Perry and Ke$ha. This year I'm trying a little harder and I think they'll like it! I have pretty strange music taste, so I'm sure you'll think to yourself, "these songs don't belong in the same room as one another." Which is fine. I get it. However, it's a mix of the entire year, so there's no compartmentalizing!

I would like to challenge you to the same task. Come up with a mix of 10-15 songs that you think are the BEST of 2011. Share them in the comments so I can be sure to check them out!

And, of course, here is my mix. The best songs that were new (either to me, or to music in general) in 2011! I hope you enjoy it!

Create a MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com