So Little Time

{Always in motion. We never seem to slow down.}

It recently occurred to me how fast time is going by.  And by recent I mean in the past few days.  It has suddenly hit me in the face how little time I have left with certain people.  I tend to forget that most of the people my age are becoming rising seniors and are starting to plan the next step of their lives.  Most people at my school are in five-year programs, myself included, and we have an extra year to breathe and figure things out.  But I’ve realized how many of my friends at school are four-years and are going to be gone after next year! I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it seems so short to me, too short. I want more time with these people before we have to separate and find new paths to follow.  Before I can even worry about that though I have several friends graduating this year, moving on to bigger and better things so soon.  While I’m eternally happy for them I am so sad that I have such limited time with them.  I’m not ready to say goodbye and have to change my ways, figure out how to live without them present and available.  I feel as though I’ve grown so much over the past year and am able to live on my own, but these people have become integrated into my life and I want them there. Selfish of me? Perhaps. But we all are a little selfish and it just doesn’t seem fair.  All I ask is that the next two months go by as slowly as possibly so I can cherish as much as possible while I still can.  

Surprising Spring

{The colors of spring}

I had to run home to do some things a few days ago and although I don't live in an extremely rural area I am always pleasantly surprised by the amount of green and nature when I return home.  I love Philadelphia in the autumn but it never really feels like autumn until I go home and see all the trees.  Not that it's the fall right now, but you get what I mean.  Being home was sad due to a recent unfortunate event but it was still nice to be there and see all the pretty flowers.  Then I came back to school and had an extremely fun weekend filled with those mojitos, lots of dancing, and some stress-relief baking.  A wonderful weekend and it's been a slow week at work due to the weather.  I think I'm actually getting sick because of the weather too and being outside in it. The amount of tissues I've been through, man.  I really wish someone would make me a hot bowl of soup or a chai latte.  One more day of work though and then I can sit inside and drink/eat all the hot things I want. Amazing how it was beautiful and in the 70s on Friday and yesterday was 50º, rainy and windy.

{White flowers in the front of our house}

{Pretty details}

{Anthropologie bracelet from ninth grade. Gifted Louis Pion watch. And a beautiful new pink wrap dress.}

{Emmy, my favorite cow}

{A little luxe factor}

{OPI "Meet Me on The Star Ferry" nail polish and Essie "A Cut Above" nail polish}

{Blurry and beautiful Ben Franklin Bridge}

{Just because this is only the second picture we've ever taken together}

{A recipe from my mom. There's just something about her handwriting that I absolutely love}

Mojito Mason Jars

{Mojitos in Mason Jars}

One of my favorite people at school is my very cool friend Naomi.  I haven’t seen her in a while though because she was in London, then I was in London and she was living a glamorous life in New York, but alas after nine months we’re both in the same city.  We did manage to meet up in London though for Afternoon Tea, but it’s nice to only live a few blocks away from each other now.  We got together the other night caught up, and made some very yummy mojitos.  If you’ve never had one I suggest you order one next time you’re out, if made well they are delicious.  It was such a fun relaxing night just hanging out in good company.

{Strawberry ice cubes!}

{Blurry Namoi}

Make-up Fun: Lip Edition

One of the most fun things about makeup is playing up one feature, and doing so with your lips is super easy.  I love lipstick, I have a lot of them, but I hate lipgloss.  If there were one product that could not exist, I would pick lipgloss.  I think it stems back to eighth grade when I had to walk from 2^nd period French, which was outside in the mods, to Algebra, which was inside. I had a lot of books to carry between those classes and every girl was super into lipgloss that year (those Victoria’s Secret ones, you know what I’m talking about).  So, I’d wear some then the wind would blow while I was walking to class, getting my hair stuck in my lipgloss and I would be holding so many books I couldn’t get it out.  It’s sticky, tacky, my hair gets stuck in it, and I feel like I can’t eat/drink/kiss anything with it on; I just don’t like it.  Luckily, I own plenty of lipsticks. 

My absolute favorite is Clinique’s Blushing Coral, except it’s discontinued! Look how little I have left! If someone knows a color that’s extremely similar, please share. Clinique’s Raspberry Glacé is another one I like and wear a lot.  All my other colors I tend to wear sparingly.  I wanted a true red statement lip, so I went to MAC and got Russian Red, which is a matte finish.  I like it, and I think if worn correctly it looks good.  However, my ex-boyfriend hated it (funny how he keeps coming up isn’t it? I guess he affected my make-up choices more than I thought. Weird and annoying.), the color just wasn’t his thing, and my best friend recently told me she didn’t like it.  I’m going to continue to try to make it work, but it might unfortunately not be worn much.  Although I do love how the packaging reminds me of a little bullet.  As for chapstick, I have tried many, but my current favorite is C.O. Bigelow's Lemon lip balms.  I currently have the Lemon and Black Cherry one as well.  

{The only lipglosses I own, that I like never wear. C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm}

{Lots of colors}

{MAC matte Russian Red, Clinique Different Lipstick in Raspberry Glacé, and Clinique Color Surge Bare Brillance Lipstick in Blushing Coral}

Food Shopping Fun

{Almost all ingredients thrown together in one delicious meal}

Working at the Zoo is very fun (although my favorite animal is leaving next week!) and tiring.  Thankfully I only work part-time, but I’ve been busy in the lab the other days.  I have also been taking lots of dance classes, which have made me super sore, and hanging out with lots of friends.  This is why I love being back in the city.  This weekend I did all these things and my sister and I went food shopping.  May I reiterate from here how much I love Whole Foods? I do, so much.  We both bought their guacamole on Saturday and I’m already more than half way done mine.  We also spent a good 35 minutes in the produce section before we even thought about the rest of the store.  We make food shopping so much fun.  Then I decided to throw together just about everything I have and I made a hamburger with Munster cheese and put in on a whole wheat bun with guacamole and lettuce. I roasted asparagus on the side. It was delicious. I am so happy it’s spring and things like asparagus and strawberries are in season. I’m so excited to cook lots of yummy things. 

Make-up Fun: Face Edition

{Favorites. And yes that's a limited edition Karl Lagerfeld Diet Coke in the background}

Face:  I’m not one for powder or foundation, although I might try to get into it.  I do however, love bronzer. I love the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends bronzer in Sunkissed.  I’ve been using it since tenth grade maybe? Regardless I’ve been through about five of them.  Last summer I bought Nars blush in Orgasm since it has a cult following and I was very curious to try it.  Well, the cult following is understandable; the blush is fantastic. It’s also the number one best-selling blush across all beauty lines, or so the sales lady told me.  It’s supposed to give you that orgasmic flush and whatnot. The color’s a shimmery pink and it would look good on all skin tones.  Next up, Yves Saint Laurent Touche éclat, which also has a cult following.  As Camilla Morton said, “it is everything you need in a wand - magic”.  Seriously, if you know how to apply it, the stuff is amazing.  Clinique's up-lighting liquid illuminator is really great. I like using it when I'm tan to highlight my cheeks and make me shimmer a little.  If you really want to shimmer and sparkle though The Body Shop's brilliance powder is the way to go.  I often though use a separate brush to get the powder off the actual brush because it's so intense.  I only use that sparingly and for special occasions.  I also tend to use that on my body too, not just my face.  Those would be my favorites face-wise.  I intend on buying Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer soon, since I’ve heard it’s really good and want to try it.  I will let you know!

{Neutrogena bronzer in Sunkissed and Nars blush in Orgasm}

Brotherly Love

{Philadelphia skyline ~6am, a night freshmen year I managed to stay up all night}

I have officially moved back to Philadelphia.  I grew up right outside the city and I lived in the city on campus for my first two years of school.  Actually living here made me very comfortable with the city and I grew to admire so many things about it.  Then I went to London, fell in love and had the time of my life, and then I came back home. I commuted last term for various different reasons and I am now extremely happy to say that I am back in the city, after nine months of being away, and most likely staying until I graduate.  I’m living in an apartment (my first!) in a building that a bunch of my friends live in, and it’s already been very fun.  I am happy to be back and I will upload pictures of my pretty room as soon as it’s all set up.  And conveniently enough, I’m doing my co-op at the Philadelphia Zoo right now, which is not even ten minutes away.  I’ve been there two weeks, and boy do I have some stories already.  Between my several hundred pound cow, Emmy, that I intend on kidnapping to 10 year old half Puerto Rican boys lecturing me on Komodo Dragons and insane Jewish New Yorkers.  By the end of these six months I can’t imagine what I will have seen.  And if nothing else I’ll be an expert parallel parker since I do it all the time now.