walking to dinner at nine at night. . .

Bits of my weekend:

Overall, it was really pleasant. I got to bake, paint, work, meet up with friends, go for walks, etc.

{p.s. If I were an aminal, hands down I'd be a bird}

the small list

- insert random song/poem/movie lines into my life/ daily conversations
- learn to french braid {or just braid my hair like this}
-learn to play the accordion & tambourine
-learn french & sanskrit
-be present
-figure out plans for the future {scary business folks!}
-learn to knit & sew
-save up & buy a bike & camera lens
-learn to use the ae-1
-travel {europe? anywhere really}
-eat like a french lady
-intern with a photographer
-photo-a-day project for a year
-keep up with sketch/yoga journal
-wear a skirt or dress at least 4 days/wk. {depending on the temperature}
-yoga {utkatasana}/ meditation everyday {nothing new here!}
-teach yoga at least once a week {i really need to practice teaching. . . still have no clue what i am doing!}
-dance all the time {more like learn how to dance}
-cook new foods {work towards eating only organic & local}
-walk, don't drive!
-run a half marathon? {ha. . . we shall see about this one}
-rock climb, hike, & camp monthly

-learn to drive the truck
-be awesome, mysterious, adventurous, fearless, creative, & loving

{photo from the glorious snow over the weekend}

i was wrong

ally & jenna {w. SNOW}

{check out demon dog!}

snow covered leafy goodness!

it started snowing on my walk back home from ada today. . . let's just say i looked a bit like the abominable snowman when i made it back!

i did have a good day today too! i did hw, met helen at summit {she's amazing!}, saved a happy pup from getting hit by a car {he came bouncing across the street when he saw me & his poor owner is in a wheelchair & had no way to stop him from running. let's just say i felt loved. i wish that all dogs acted that way towards me!}, went to ada for a few hours, got snowed on. . .

plans for the rest of the evening-

walk to the brickhouse for dinner with tt & juju. make these cookies. do some yoga {sad that all yoga is canceled tomorrow}. watch a movie maybe. read. sleep.

loving it all-

g.

what are the chances it will actually snow?

i kinda hope it does.

{photos from last march}

today will be better

{from igor+andre with love}

p.s. i really want to paint something. right now.

lessons from the bhagavad gita

"the whole world becomes a slave

to its own activity, arjuna;

if you want to be truly free,

perform all actions as worship."

[3.9]

interesting n'est-ce pas?

unpleasantness

i have a lot of unfortunate things to deal with, including the fact, today confirmed that i am not talented in math or english. today in math we talked a lot about how some people are talented in one or the other. . . and then i started thinking. what if you are not talented in either one?

what does that mean? about the only thing i am talented in is color, but even that i get confused by {example: working on this painting for mom's bathroom and i simply cannot come up with the right shade of cerulean blue. i've tried every possible combination and now i am stuck!}

i kind of hope that it snows this weekend, then i can just sit at home and read. i have bikram's bio, crime & punishment, bhagavad gita, the fifth child, the joy luck club, the heart of yoga, the cloister walk, and all of my text book work to read. most of them, at least four of them i need to finish by this week. at least everything is interesting.

one thing is certain though- i am so thankful to be done {or at least mostly done} with college apps! i certainly feel like i have a life again now. all that is left- corcoran college of art & design. my goal is to get it in by the 15th of feb.

xoxo-

g.

homemade headbands!

into arts & crafts again! family & neighbors don't worry, i won't be painting on meat trays or making my own soap for presents anytime soon! { so sorry for that btw. }

For Sarah:

This week's challenge was to write a short story in only six words.

I got a bit carried away. It was 2:30 in the morning and I was too jazzed about everything but homework. . . this is what happened. . .

p.s. none of them make sense!

*Rain. Could not sleep. Too excited.

*Frozen pond. Remembered accident. Walked away.

*Went to a party. Escorted out.

*Hunting. Not animals or people. Bikes.

*Decision made. Five years later, returned.

*Pain. Hurts me more than you.

*Dear stairs- I will always win.

*Waited. Wide-eyed. For the results.

*Broken, but alive. All is well.

*She watched. Confidence played the harp.

*Hazelnut. Memory of that first encounter.

*Held in. Looked up. Smiled. Winked.

& last, but not certainly not least. . .

*Fire burning on the dance floor!

I love you and your letter is coming soon!

{photo from trip to MM & DD's}

what happens when i babysit

let's just say my stomach was lobster-red the next day! painful but fun.

found

as always, missing india today. i found this picture and found love. i don' t think i had ever paid any attention to it before, but it is the perfect image for my day. i love her darling smile, her sari, the colors, but most of all I love the little boy in the background {blowing up a balloon}.

it makes me think of my own grandmother who is going through a lot right now.

meeting with anna tonight was canceled. now my agenda for the day includes french & yoga classes, an apah test, dinner, and more homework. nothing new, but everything is just fine. i really miss my sisters though.

this generation's designers = incredibly talented

i realize this every time i read the nytimes. seriously, there are so many crazy/creative/genius types in this line of work.

weekend recap:

lots of hw & wedding dress/ bridesmaid dress/ reception dress hunting {mom might just get this for the reception. incredible isn't it?} also, i think abby & i also had success {wish i could post a picture of her dress, but i'll wait until may to share it. . .

abby & kelsey went back to school this rainy morning and we all wanted them to stay. goodbyes are never fun, even if we know we will see them again in just a few weeks.

what i hope to accomplish this week:

*meditate every morning for 10 minutes

*hold utkatasana for 10 comfortable breaths {instead of only 5. . . should be making progress, but i am afraid i am not}

*study for my apah test {due monday night!}

*read & write about a book for yoga & other homework {still have not decided what i want to read}

*teach for about an hour

*write sarah a little letter

*meet up with friends/plan out future meeting times too!

*clean the drawers in my closet

*clean beside/ behind my bed

*be nice to my poor ankle

*make $ {realizing i have none & that i have a lot of big purchases coming up}

*paint {start new/ finish old projects}

*keep up with pic-a-day project & journal

*keep up with all my hw {focus this week on french & both math classes}

*rain or shine, i hope to enjoy it! {the weather plays such a powerful part in the outcome of my week. . . it always has an affect on me/ my attitude.}

the sisters are home for the weekend

even though i miss the sun and the heat, i have enjoyed these past few rainy days. as always rainy days= lots of work accomplished.

abby & kelsey are home until sunday morning. nothing big planned except hw, wedding plans {tomorrow we go dress hunting}, & eating.

please keep ma-maw in your prayers.

-g.

{all pictures of rain on the drive to mm & dd's last sunday}

time to share

anjaneyasana

prasarita padottanasana

virabhadrasana II

virabhadrasana I

bakasana

eka pada koundiyanasana

salamba sirsasana

adho mukha svanasana

ustrasana

& what remains of the day.

all of these are from the other morning on the lake. trying to work on the sanskrit, but i'll admit, i'm having a hard time.

hurt my ankle running yesterday. . . starting to think i really was not made to be a runner!

class, ada, yoga, hw, searching for silver shoes, & babysitting today. . . nothing new, but everything is good.

until next time-

g.

today is freaking gorgeous

APW midterm this morning, then math class. . . think I will celebrate the day and the weather with a quick run through town! Maria, maybe I will do a half marathon in September. . . just homework, butternut squash, and babysitting the rest of the day.

how i spent my morning

today=happiness

it feels really good to be this happy. after a shower and meditation this morning, i went to artworks on main for the figure drawing studio. it was so great to see everyone again, and i hope to start attending more sessions this semester. {got me excited about pulling my work together to make a portfolio!} around 12:30, i ate lunch and then went to the y to practice some yoga, then i met up with the outrageously beautiful and similarly-minded olivia at summit.

basically today was great b/c i spent times doing the things i love to do.

now, i need to go read the actual and get a good night's rest.

that's all for now!

p.s. if everything falls through with nat. geo., i want to work with mr. selby. this couple's life makes me sick. aren't they amazing/ everything you want to be?

ADA JENKINS

Going to Ada today!