Where is my apartment fairy?

Recently I have been unmotivated to decorate my apartment, and with my birthday approaching next month I am really beginning to realize that I need to take the bull by the horns and tackle my apartment. There really is nothing wrong with my apartment, I just wish it looked like this.

or like this:

I think I am channeling all my looks from this amazing book that I found and that I want so badly!

I would love to have a flea market inspired apartment. How fun would it be to go out to different flea markets on weekends and look for great finds! That sounds like so much fun. The only hiccup I see is that I don't know where great flea markets are in Austin, and if I found this great flea market how would I get my stuff home? Cram it all into the back seat of my Jetta? I am not so sure if that would work.

Maybe I should be channeling this look more, since I do live downtown.


I guess that I am a work in progress. I am sure soon I will figure out what I am suppose to be doing with my apartment, and just as my luck would have it I am sure that as soon as I get my apartment to my liking I will be moving.

I think the book I really need is this one.

No one can argue with the fact that CoCo Chanel was one of the most amazing and fabulous women to ever live. Did you know that CoCo was actually her nickname?

I think that the person I really need to be channeling is my lovely CoCo!

Lightning and Thunder

It is no big secret that I am terrified of lightning and thunder. Even as an adult I am still scared of it. Growing up and even through college I would hide in closets or under covers in pure fear. I thought I would eventually out grow my fears, but it seems to still be with me.

Tonight while I was driving home from work it was thundering and lightning so hardly that every time light flashed across the ski and the large crack sounds filled the air I jumped in my drivers seat. Do you have something that you are scared of? Do you think you will ever outgrow it?

I wonder when the day will come that I no longer jump at lightning and thunder.

Textbooks

I thought I would never say this, but I actually miss being in school. I miss the smell of new textbooks, and freshly sharpened pencils. While I might not of been the best writer at Sewanee, but I really enjoyed writing papers. I think what I miss the most is being academically stimulated, and the way that your brain functions when you are learning new material.

One year ago today I walked out of the dupont library after having completed the writing section of my anthropology comp. While I still had my orals in two days, the hardest part was over. I can remember my advisor Dr. Murdock telling us a few days before comps to enjoy them. At the time I could hardly believe what she was saying, enjoy comps? How could you enjoy something that was going to make or break your life? That was determining whether you would graduate or not? She went on to clarify herself saying that when you walked out of your comps you would be the smartest you had ever been and no one could take that away from you.

Unlike many people, I actually enjoyed comps. I liked studying and seeing the end result. I liked making connections between the different classes and I loved when I finally grasped a concept I had been struggling with. Since I am no longer in school I am not longer being motivated academically. I no longer have to read a book and then show up to a lecture class to discuss that book. I am sure that many people have this same feeling and I guess that is why many people join a book club.

I don't think a book club is the answer to my lack of academic stimulation. Recently I have been thinking a lot about returning to school and receiving a masters in nursing. I realize that this would be a long process but I am actually beginning to look forward to this prospect. I would have to begin with taking a lot of pre recs at the local community college and then I would transfer into UT. I know that this is a pretty big and lofty goal, but even if I shoot for the moon and miss I will still land among the stars.

So I soon might be hitting the books once again!

Hello

Things have been very busy recently and I am sorry for neglecting my blog. This past week South by South West (SXSW) invaded Austin. Traffic has been crazy and I am sorta glad that the music festival is over so that things in Austin can return to normal. The weather has drastically changed in the last week. Over night it seems the weather has jumped up to 70+. Which is wonderful, but I am really not used to it being this warm in March. It is crazy that I am able to wear shorts and t-shirts in March and to actually think about turning on the AC. I can hardly begin to think what it is going to be like in June/July/August.

Recently I have drawn more and more to cookbooks, which has motivated me to cook more. I think now that I am not going to be working in the evening I am feeling more motivated to cook. This week I am going to try and make some potato and leek soup which I found in one of my new cookbooks. I will keep you all posted on my progress!

Hope you all are having a good start to the week. I am super tired from the crazyness that was last week, but I promise to bring you photos soon!

It is Illegal!!!

It is illegal to text while driving in the state of Texas. But does that still apply to you when you are sitting at a red light? The reason I ask this is because today I was sitting at a red light about a block from my apartment with my windows down and the man in the car next to me yelled "it is illegal to text while driving!" My response to him was "i am sitting at a red light!" So I ask you - Does the law still apply?

The man was very nice to remind me that it was a $500 fine for breaking the law and that I should not be texting. I think that he does have a good point that it is not very safe while driving. Maybe we should all sign Oprah's pledge what we will neither text nor talk while driving. The man's words have been ringing in my ear all day and I am now trying to be a safer and more cautious drive.

I still find it hard to believe that a complete stranger yelled out of his car window at me while sitting at a red light about my texting.

Eclipse!

It is a beautiful day in Austin TX and I can barely stand it that I am inside and not outside, but work calls. This morning when I got on line to check my facebook I noticed a particular post on my news feed that intrigued me. Someone has posted the newly released Eclipse movie trailer on a friends facebook page. After seeing this post I immediately turned to youtube to find the trailer for myself. Like always, youtube did not let me down. The first search that popped up was the newly released eclipse trailer, and boy was I excited!

I know what some of you are thinking. I don't like the twilight series and I can not believe that people talk about it so much. I must admit I used to be one of those people. I did not read the books, nor did I see the movies. This past thanksgiving I was home in Norfolk for a long holiday and I needed a book to read. I went to my sister's room and took the first book off her shelve and began reading it. I WAS HOOKED! It is not very good English or well written, but I must admit that the plot is very catchy and causes you to keep reading to find out what happens. After reading the first two books I went and saw the movies. But I think I was hooked the moment I opened the first book cover. Now I have become one of those individuals that I used to complain about, who is waiting on pins and needles for the next movie installment to be released.

Presently I am on the last book and so excited to see the ending, but at the same time sad to be at the end of the series.

I am a major weeper

One of my favorite lines in the movie The Holiday is "I am a major weeper", especially because it is said in an english accent. I am not really sure what a major weeper is, but I can only assume that a major weeper cries a lot. Today I am a major weeper. I am having one of those days where I am just feeling very emotional about EVERYTHING. I am sure it has something to do with the amount of stress I am feeling from work and the fact that nothing I do seems to be right. I really hate that feeling when you try to do things right, but instead everything turns out wrong. I guess that is what people call trial by error. If there was a competition about trial by error then I think I would win.

There are somethings though that I can be thankful about. I am very lucky to have the boss I have, who really appreciates all the hard work I do; even if I mess up a lot. He told me that there had to be some type of learning curve to my nob and he is right. There is no way that I could of stepped into this job and immediately known everything there is to know about my position. So the mistakes I am making I simply account to "the learning curve". People keep telling me that you need to get one year under your belt, then everything will be a lot easier. I am sure they are right. Next year I will of done every single one of these programs at least once and I will know what to expect. But for now I am just taking it one step at a time. I am slowly making progress and improving, even though I constantly feel like I am sliding down a slippery slope.

For now I am going to keep fighting the good fight, something my english professor always told me while in college. He would say "Keep fighting the good fight Ms. Conkling." Ms. Conkling here is continuing to fight the good fight, even though I might shed a tear or two along the way. But lets be honest, I have always been a major weeper.

Motivation: where have you gone?

I am feeling so very unmotivated recently. I know what stuff I need to do for work, but I just can not seem to do it until the wee hours of the morning. I attribute this problem to my four years at Sewanee. There were many long nights at Sewanee where I stayed up late into the early hours of the next day procrastinating. As my friend Emily would attest to, your best papers are begun at 4am and due at 8am. While those were long exhausting nights, they are some of the fondest memories of my college experience.

This mentality has unfortunately been a hold over from my college years that has followed me to Austin. I think that my lack of motivation stems from the fact that my job is a very flexible work environment. My boss gives me the freedom to set my own office hours, which causes me to be put off doing my work until late at night. The only problem with doing this is that is causes me to get into a weird nocturnal sleep pattern. I know eventually it will all sort it out, but as of now I am looking for my motivation mojo.

I will miss you John Hughes

WOW, Last night was amazing. Not only did Sandra Bullock win for the movie The Blind Side, they payed tribute to John Hughes by playing a montage of some of his most famous films. John Hughes is known for launching the career of Molly Ringwald, who was very popular in the 80s. He made quotes like "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" very famous. Some of my favorite films, like Sixteen Candles, are the result of this famous writer and producer who was a revolutionary for his time. He was addressing topics and themes that no one else was even mentioning. John set out to portray middle class America from the perspective of a teenager. Many of his main characters were not from the "in" crowd, but were average high school students facing the same issues we all face of trying to fitting in and be accepted.



One of my favorite scenes of all times is at the end of Sixteen Candles when Sam, Molly Ringwald, and Jake, Michael Schoeffling, are sitting on a glass table leaning over a birthday cake kissing. I just love the ending to that film. Sam, an underclassmen, who has had a crush on the upper classmen jock Jake finally gets noticed, and on her birthday gets her birthday wish, a kiss.


In writing this blog I just realized that Michael Schoeffling was also in one of my all time favorite movies, Wild Heart's Can't Be Broken. I was introduced to this disney classic by one of my best friends Katherine. I spent many high school evenings at her house watching this movie. We were in love with AL, Michael Schoeffling, who taught girls to dive horses. Again, another hopelessly romantic film about two individuals who under normal circumstances might never of come together.

I hope you all are enjoying your Monday afternoon. It is raining here in Austin as I try to get some of my work done.

Oscars Night

My FAVORITE holiday has come! THE OSCARS!!! I am sorry my loves for being absent on my blog but I am back to celebrate one of my most favorite nights of the year.

Last year I spent this wonderful evening with my friends freezing on a couch in the German house. This year I am watching it on my own couch in my apartment in Austin. While this year I am not with my closest and dearest friends, I am still with them in spirit. There is something about the Oscars that is so magical. It might be the amazing dresses that drift down the red carpets, the Barbara Walter's special that is a true Oscar tradition, or the underlying stories that come alive transporting us to a magical world.

In my opinion Hugh Jackson did an amazing job last year, so Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have large shoes to fill. There are going to be a few differences this year with a larger movie pool. The academy did this hoping that more films would get recognized and gain national attention. I wonder though if having more films in the mix will actually change the outcome.

One of my favorite parts of this night are the acceptance speeches. Yes, some of them can we long and annoying, but some of them are simply amazing. On cold dark days I have been known to youtube some classic speeches like Julia Roberts, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hanks. Their 1 or 2 min speeches really hit home and you can see the passion and emotion in their expressions. These amazing, talented actors and actresses have the ability to transport you into another world, and that is why I love movies. Every time I watch another film I enter into a different world where new different things are happening. It gives me the opportunity to have new and different experiences that I might not of been able to have.

Looking back over this past year there have been many standout performances, but none in my eyes were as wonderful as Sandra Bullock. This past year she stared in not one, not two, but three films. Each of them were very different but very poignant, which only proves her versatility. I feel like I can relate to her characters, but also I feel motivated to go out and make a difference. While I would love to see Sandra Bullock win I feel sad to see Meryl Streep nominated again and to not win. I think she has been nominated more times then anyone else but she has not won recently, which makes me sad because she really is an amazing actress. But as my friend Megan would say, "It is all about the dress." Those that dress the part, win the Oscar. Kate Winslet won the Oscar last year, and we all knew it immediately when we saw her in her dress, because it was an Oscar dress! So who ever has the prettier dress, Meryl or Sandra, will win.

Tonight is the night when dreams will come true! It is also a night to pay tribute to those films that have made laugh, smile, and even cry. While not all of these films received a nod from the academy, they get top marks in Mary's world.










Mary's favorite movies of 2009 -

Colorado Bound

I am off to Colorado for a mid week trip to see my family and do some skiing! I am very excited about this little break from my crazy life in Austin. This past weekend was really long, and honestly a total blur looking back at it. I was with middle school youth for a retreat and boy was it trouble. Between youth breaking their ankles and jumping in the lake at dusk, there were plans of boy girl late night meetings. I think the thing that I was most embarrassed about was the fact that these youth were so rude. It made me think back to when I was there year and I began to ask this question, "Did I really act that way?". I mean honestly they talked back to the adults like there was no tomorrow. Another interesting observation is that if I had had to guess how old they were I would of said they looked more like 18 then 12. Come on girls dress your age, not like sluts. Is this what our world is coming to?

Well I got to run I have to drive back to my apartment and finish packing all before my airport shuttle comes to pick me up. Maybe there will be some pictures from the slopes of Steamboat in the near future!

ps-Ruth you will be missed but Philip and I know you are having an amazing time in Austria! LOVES