Every time I open up a new window for a blog post, I get sentimental and sad. Mostly because I know that what I want to write about is going to take a lot out of me. In an effort to distract myself, I started looking through my iPhoto collection. It’s crazy how pictures from three or four years ago feel like they are a lifetime away. It’s not good to linger on the past, but there are moments I wish I could relive. Days, minutes, seconds that I want to hold onto forever in real time. Looking through the photos has made me realize that I’ve lost a few things since then.
It’s back to work for me in the morning. I’m feeling pretty happy about being a productive member of society again, but I’m sure going to miss sleeping until 7:00. Yes, this is what “sleeping in” means for me. Since my cousin has been here, I’ve been a busy bee. Along with the chats and laughs, we’ve spent time checking out some local spots and venturing into the city. The weather has been so lovely and it’s been nice to be outside enjoying it.
One place we visited was Nyack, New York. I’ve written about Nyack before, but I wanted to focus on one specific place I discovered: Archive Home. The shop was closed the last time I visited the area and I was so excited to stop in and take a look around. Archive Home carries a wonderful collection of finds. Some new, some thrifted, all fabulous. Everything is artfully arranged and there’s a nice sense of history to many of the pieces available. I found at least twenty things that I wanted desperately, but I think I’ll have to wait until I have a proper space of my own to buy them.
Here’s a little taste of Archive Home! If you’re in the area, be sure to visit their shop and like them on Facebook.
How gorgeous is this display? Because of the nature of the store, I’m sure the staging is constantly changing, but this looks like an art installation.
Hope you all have a great week! (P.S.-Thank you to Going Going Studios for my fabulous new layout! I love it! ♥)
I’ve spent today catching up with one of my very favorite cousins. Sarah lives in Canada, so we don’t get to see each other often, but when we do we wonder how two people who didn’t grow up together (and are two years apart) could be so darn similar. It’s uncanny how similar we are–from our sense of humour down to our speech patterns–and I’m happy to have her in my life, even if it’s just via the occasional Facebook message. (Sarah, I know you stalk me like a stalking thing. I hope you enjoy this.) She passed along a lovely poem written by her three year old nephew, Gideon. He wrote it for his cousin, Clover. It’s too good not to share.
Poking Clover on the Belly Button by Gideon
I like her to paint pictures on the window with ice cream
I like her to cut apples with a hand saw
She looks like a real girl
She wears pretty dresses, kills a fly, hit a goat
I am a worker and a bucking bronco man
I like her so much that I might tickle her on the nose.
I can’t even pretend to follow that. Hope you’re all having a fantastic Thursday. ♥
I have my Monday Night Digs post from last week saved in my queue. Like the failbot that I am, I never actually posted it. Oops! I started my spring break last week, so I’ll use that as an excuse. I’m entering week two of my “staycation,” which has been pretty nice so far. I’ve been able to sleep beyond 5 a.m. which is always a luxury. I’ve had some nice cuddles with my dog and have spent a lot of time with my grandma and aunt (85 and 94, respectively). I’ve missed being available to them during the day for errands and doctor’s appointments, so I’m happy to be helping them as much as I can. More on that later this week. Here’s what I’m digging now!
I wasn’t familiar with the name, but after consulting Google, I found out that he was the lead singer of Godsmack. My knowledge of Godsmack is limited to a handful of songs. Especially this one: Voodoo.
Who knew that this brooding, chanting dude would be very funny and personable? Sully released an album called Avalon a few years ago and he played some of those tracks along with Godmack songs and new material at the show. I was pleasantly surprised by the tunes, his amazing band, and the number of socially conscious tracks he performed. Here’s a taste of his solo material:
Sinner’s Prayer
Television: Not watching anything new, but certainly anticipating the return of Doctor Who! I love following the Doctor on all of his mad adventures. Also excited about the new companion. Oswin? Clara? Who is she and why is she so adorable?
He is perfect.
And if you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about, Entertainment Weekly has a helpful post all about the good Doctor and his show.
Books: I really liked this article: 22 Things Happy People Do Differently. I would say that most of the time, despite what you may see on this blog, I’m a pretty happy person. I like to smile, I like to enjoy the moment (when I pull my head out of my butt for long enough), and I love seeing people who are happy, too. A lot of these rang true for me, but the most important point was about treating people with kindness. A simple “thank you” can work miracles.
Things that make me happy: Coffee and a bestie. (Congrats on the new job, Liddy! ♥)
Internet: Digital media+Jane Austen=The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. The finale is coming up and I’m not sure that I’m ready to say goodbye to everyone, but I’m glad that this was a part of my life for the past few months. (This series deserves a heck of a lot more than the sentence I just wrote about it, but I’m super tired and not fully capable of forming coherent sentences at the moment. Just trust me. It’s good.)
I’m not actually antisocial, nor do I dislike most people. I mostly wanted to use a quote that a few people would “get” and smile about. I have times when I think I am that way, but it’s more about liking alone time and not always being excited about meeting new people. It’s silly because I actually love talking to different people and finding out their stories, but only under specific circumstances. If I’m on my own and I meet someone to chat with, there are no expectations. If I interact with people who are new to me, but friends and/or family of the ones that I care about, it’s a whole different story.
Last weekend, I felt a rush of the Oh no, I have to hang out with people that I don’t really know and I’m freaking out about making a good impression, gahhhh crazies. I think most people feel those things at some point in their lives and it’s probably dreadful for everyone, right? That doesn’t make it easier. On St. Patrick’s day, I went with my boyfriend to meet up with his good college buddies. I was excited, but also very nervous. I didn’t think I needed to go out of my way to be something I’m not, but I wanted to know that I would go into a new social interaction feeling confident. Feeling like I would be able to fit in. Partly because I want to fit in just like everyone else does and partly because my boyfriend cares about these people and I love my boyfriend, so I wanted to make sure that we could all hang out in the future without it being weird. It’s kind of like hanging out with a good friend’s good friend. There’s a tinge of awkwardness and maybe a little jealousy because someone has experienced your friend in a way that you haven’t. There are inside stories that you’re not a part of and you just hope that everything will go smoothly. There’s also that element of I need to show this person that I am a good fit for their friend. Oh, Cristina. Reign in the madness.
Of course, I was freaking out over nothing because I had a fantastic time and I loved spending time with my boyfriend’s friends. I need to remember this in moments when I find myself getting worked up over meeting new (to me) people. I also need to remember that most of the time, it’s my boyfriend who is in this position–meeting my three thousand family members, real life and Internet friends. Bless his heart.
Enough writing. Onto the pictures!
We met up with Steve’s (so much easier to say that than “my boyfriend” all the time, yes?) in Astoria, Queens. This was the first image I was greeted with.
We went Bud’s Ale House for some St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans! I had a pint of hard cider to brighten my day. So delicious. It’s also important to note that our waiter was very Irish and very amusing. The food was great, too!
I really loved this sign and the colors of the brick.
Steve pointed out this nifty (kinda creepy) mural.
Hi there! I'm Cristina--a book reading, blog writing, kid teaching, music loving, picture taking gal. My blog is a mix of the personal, the professional, and the ridiculous. Welcome!
