Day 3

Happy 12th Day of Christmas!

Tudors are my new fave!

Towards the end of high school and into the beginning of college life I was completely obsessed with Philippa Gregoria's books especially The Other Boleyn Girl. I loved her books so much that for Christmas my mom would buy me her books on cd so I could listen to them while I drove the long 11 hours to and from Sewanee. Then during my sophomore year in college her book The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a motion picture. Now don't get me wrong I am a complete sucker for Eric Bana who played Henry VIII in the film. But I personally think he was too hot and attractive to be the man that Gregoria was describing. Some of my favorite films staring Eric Bana include The Other Boleyn Girl, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Troy.

Recently I discovered a newer remake of the Tudors, in the showtime series The Tudors. I was walking through target just recently, and as we all know I am such a sucker for discounted dvds so when I saw this series on sale I just knew I had to have it. So I have now completed the first season and bitting at the bit to start the second season. In this interpretation of the life of Henry VIII the king is played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. JRM has a special place in my heart because he was the soccer coach in the movie Bend it like Beckham, a small indi film from England. I was immediately obsessed with that movie and have seen it so many times I can quote it.

Well I hope you all are having a very positive day and get to enjoy watching some of your own man candy!

Positive Project Day 3:
-i am paying my tuition today for next semester
-i get payed today at work
-i am going to have a fun evening at the gym with the medicine balls, which are my new favorite stress reliever.

Picture Day 2

View from my office window - the two year old playground

Harder then I thought

It is barely lunch time in Austin TX and I already have had to change many negative thoughts in my head into positive thoughts. I guess I am making some progress in that I just thought the negative ideas and did not say all the ugly thoughts that were running rampant in my head. So I might have to take up one of Anne's ideas for how to stop the negativity by accessorising every outfit with a rubber band permanently attached to my wrist.

In high school and sometimes in college I would write NO on my left hand in permanent marker. I thought it would be a constant reminder that I was not suppose to eat lots of junk food and I thought that when I would go to reach for it I would notice the NO and put the food back. Surprisingly that worked really well, the problem came in that I had to explain to people why I had NO written on my hand. I was very embarrassed to admit that it was to keep me from eating so instead I would make up a lie about how it was to keep me from getting on facebook or something silly like that.

Writing things on your hands has actually become pretty common placed over the last few years, so who knows if anyone would ask me anymore why this is a NO on my hand. Taylor Swift is known for having the number 13 on her hand whenever she performs. Personally I find that a little weird, but then again who am I to judge?

So the positive project survives another day~!

Day 2:
-i woke up this morning to my ihome playing one of my favorite songs "Strawberry Swing" by coldplay. listen to it if you are not already familiar with it, because it will change your life.
-a cold rainy front has come into Austin and it is finally acceptable to wear sweaters again and that makes me very happy!
-this afternoon i have a coffee date at starbucks with one of my youth and that means i get to have a peppermint latte!

Picture Day 1

Old family photos on my side table.

Positive Project

Welcome 2011! I know you are going to be an awesome year filled with lots of fun adventures, meaningful time with family, and lot of laughs with friends. Last night I planned a lesson for the youth in which I talked about the meaning of Epiphany. Epiphany actually means manifestation. With old magazines in hand, the youth and I cut out words, phrases, and pictures of things we wanted to achieve and change in this new year. Later in the evening I was talking to one of my best friends from college Anne and we both realized that we have been viewing things through a very negative lens.

So in the spirit of the new year the two of us have taken on the Positive Project. Everyday we are going to find three things in our life that are positive. While this is not a very difficult project, the challenge is going to be to do it daily and continually. In order to encourage me to be successful I am going to try and also do a year long photo project where I also post one picture everyday to my blog. This will definitely be more challenging, because I have a very bad history of not uploading pictures. But it will be rewarding years to come to have a year of my life documented in photos.

Anne and I are on a mission, so wish us luck!

Day 1:
-going on a long walk around town lake
-the newest season of The Bachelor starts tonight
-truly enjoying a day off from work

Waiting for Superman

This is one of the most amazing movies I have seen in a while. As I walked out of the alamo drafthouse thinking that I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be one of those amazing teachers that I had just heard about. But then reality set in. I am not a teacher, nor do I think I possess the skill to be one. Even though this may/may not be true I want to help make a change. Watch the movie, and tell me what you think.

Is there ever enough time in the day?

This is a question that I constantly ask myself. Is there ever enough time in the day for sleeping? Is there ever enough time in the day for getting the mountains of work done that you need to tackle? Is there ever enough time in the day for simply going on a long walk?

The answer is that there is NEVER enough timein the day to get everything done. So, how do you decide what take priority. Recently sleeping has not been high up on my list of priorities and because of that I am truly feeling exhausted today. I sometime dream of being able to crawl under my extra large desk at work and take a little cat nap. But unfortunately today that is not an option, because there is so much to do!

Don't you remember those days when you were young and you resisted your afternoon naps. Why did we not understand or realize that one day we would cherish those naps and grow to love them? Until the time I am able to once again take long afternoon naps (a.k.a. quiet with fan time) I will just wish I could be like these people.





and of course there must be a fan!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

It really is no secret that I am horrible about putting pictures up online. I am not sure why I am so bad about uploading the pictures. I think it has something to do with the fact that it is a very slow and tedious process, and I would rather be spending my time doing something else. But for all you out there that are waiting on me to upload pictures I promise to do so soon, and I mean very soon.....but please don't hold your breath!

When I moved into my apartment I knew that I did not want to paint the walls, because it would be a huge pain to repaint them when I was ready to move. So instead I opted for covering my walls in pictures. Like this one -



I choose to buy these inexpensive frames from IKEA because I wanted to spend more money on being able to get nice prints to put in the frames. In order to keep some continuity I choose only black frames, but they do vary in size and shape. Ideally I would love my apartment wall to look like this:



or even this



I can remember the first time I saw anything like this was on an episode of Tori Spelling's show with her husband. They were shooting in their house and Tori had this wall of black photo frames, all shapes and sizes covering an accent wall in living room. Not long later I was filling in for my sister when she could not babysit for her regular family and they too had a wall covered in an assortment of picture frames.

So when I began to think of a way to decorate my apartment I decided I wanted to hang picture of all the places I had traveled. Now every time I look at the wall I am filled reminded of amazing experiences and filled with happy memories.

How would you cover the wall of your apartment?

New Computer New Start

Wow, where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that it has been six months since my last post. A lot of wonderful and exciting things have happened, and over the next couple of weeks I hope to share with you all some of the fun adventures I have been on.

Last weekend my computer had a sad sad death. It was five years old and was nearing the end of it's life. After a few panicked hours of wondering whether it would come back to life, and another handful of panicked phone calls to friends near and far which included a suggestion to submerge my computer in bags of rice, it became apparent that my computer needed to be replaced.

So here I am blogging from my brand new macbook pro!



This computer is really inspiring and amazing, and it is motivating me to get back to blogging. So WELCOME BACK! I am here to stay and can't wait to share all thoughts, inspirations, and ideas with you all.

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 -