The Minnow & The Trout

"Help me out," said the minnow to the trout
"I was lost and found myself swimming in your mouth
Oh, help me, chief, I've got plans for you and me
I swear upon this riverbed, I'll help you feel young again"

Oh, not your everyday circumstance
A hummingbird taking coffee with the ants

And I said, "Please, I know that we're different
We were one cell in the sea in the beginning
And what we're made of was all the same once
We're not that different after all"

"Help me out," said the eagle to the dove
"I've fallen from my nest so high above
Oh, help me fly, I am too afraid to try
Now set up in the fear of heights
I'm praying you can set me right"

Oh, not your everyday circumstance
The elephant sharing peanuts with the rats

And I said, "Please, I know that we're different
We were one cell in the sea in the beginning
And what we're made of was all the same once
We're not that different after all"

We are tied in history
Connected like a family
We are tied in history
Connected like a family, family

So please, I know that we're different
We were one cell in the sea in the beginning
And what we're made of was all the same, was all the same
We're not that different after all

--A Fine Frenzy

Zoya Free Polishes!

Charla

Ivanka

Mimi

I love Zoya. Not only are they DBP, toluene, formaldehyde, and camphor free, they have beautiful colors that wear like iron on me, and they have these great customer appreciation events, like this one :) These were free, and I just had to pay for shipping. So excited for my pretties to come!

2011: New Year's Resolutions

1. Save more money.
2. Find a school-year research position.
3. Instead of buying more clothes, make better use of my current wardrobe. (i.e. wear skirts/dresses more)
4. Get more snacks from the farmer's market instead of Safeway or CVS.
5. Continue chipping away at the 101 in 1001.
6. Play guitar and piano more. Also, practice ear-training.
7. Eat less meat and dessert items.
8. Walk more, instead of biking or driving. Exercise more in general (I say that every year, don't I?)
9. Be more careful about le eczema.
10. Be a better listener. And quit complaining.

I looked back at my 2010 resolutions for inspiration, and apparently I cut my mom's hair the same time last year too. I must say that when I cut it a week ago, it was rather better than last year. It made her head look less flat. Yay.

LATEST PURCHASES (i.e. this is why I'm broke):

1. Seychelles Gypsy


2. Turquoise cami from PacSun

3. Thermal henley from PacSun

4. Maroon sweater from Gap

5. Hot Tools 1" Curling Iron


6. Western Digital Portable External Hard Drive


7. Black robe-sweater-thing from Nordstrom Rack

8. Calvin Klein bra, also from Nordstrom Rack

9. Anthropologie Molded & Melded Tee


10. Simply Vera brown opaque tights (gift)


11. China Glaze Mrs. Claus (gift, swap pending)

12. China Glaze For Audrey (gift)

13. American Eagle Boyfriend Cardigan


14. Aerie Cable Knit Fingerless Gloves


15. Gap button-down shirt from Goodwill


16. Aerie Patchwork PJ Pants


I'm not telling how recently I got these. It's nice to see them all laid out so that I can embarrass myself into not getting anything else in the next few months. Just-food January*, here I come!

*Not really just food, just no clothing, accessory, shoe, or beauty product purchases (Zoya free polishes excepted) without informing the other participants. I may just extend this to Frugal February too.

In other news, I've finally finished adding the side panels to that black pinstriped vest I was working on! I think I got it more than a year ago, just a bit too tight, from Crossroads in San Francisco. It took this long to get around to buying fabric, ripping out the side seams, and sewing in the panels. The process would probably have taken about a day (the whole day, but still) if I was putting my mind to it. This is why procrastination is bad, kids.

Picture-Heavy: My Lust List

Frye Melissa Button Boot (Cognac)


MICHAEL Michael Kors Hamilton Satchel (Black, Vanilla)


Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Clutch (Black)


Marc by Marc Jacobs Baby Groovee (Black)


Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo (Sage)


J. Crew Jackie Cardigan (Breeze)


AE Striped Schoolboy Blazer


Kate Spade Fifth Avenue Stripe Earmuffs


Kate Spade Big Apple Owl Earmuffs


Zoya Charla


MoMA Sky Umbrella


Nikon D40 dSLR

15 x 6 = 90

Stolen (shamelessly) from SN's blog.

6 Things You Cannot Do
1. Hand whistle, the normal way
2. Dance
3. Multitask (not well, at least)
4. Lose weight
5. Self-discipline
6. Converse casually on the phone

6 Things You Can Do
1. Make lists
2. Research music
3. Plan for courses
4. Cook fried rice and stir-fry stuff
5. Make jewelry
6. Organize my closet
(I like how all the things I can do are pretty much inconsequential.)

6 Never-Have-You-Evers
1. Pulled an all-nighter (defined here as 24+ hours without sleeping)
2. Gone on a "real" roller coaster
3. Eaten mayonnaise or any hot dog condiment
4. Had a birthday party
5. Jumped in a bouncy house
6.

6 Things You Have Done
1. Performed in St. Peter's Basilica wearing a sweatshirt and jeans.
2. Watched the sun rise and set over the Grand Canyon. Not in one sitting.
3. Eaten fresh raw oysters.
4. Slept overnight on a beach.
5.
6.

6 Things You Want To Learn
1. Guitar/piano/ukulele
2. Two-finger whistle
3. Chord theory
4. Color theory
5. Flying kick
6. Morse code

6 Things You Know Next-To-Nothing About
1. Negotiating/persuasion
2. Cars
3. Astrophysics
4. Computer science
5. Job-hunting
6. Cable TV

6 Things You Know A Bit Too Much About
1. Nail polish. Actually, I don't think I know TOO much about it.
2. Earwax. Don't ask.
3. Confrontation-evasion
4. Placing holds at the library
5. The organizational structure of my iTunes library
6. Glee

6 In A Perfect Life You Would Get/Have
1. Perfect health
2. A small but powerful dSLR
3. Free music
4. A good singing voice
5. A more normal-proportioned body
6. An iMac, a MacBook Pro, and an iPhone with a free data plan
(heh. actually 8 things.)

6 Physical/Aesthetic Traits of Your Ideal Guy/Girl
(or non-physical traits)
1. Cute smile.
2. Sense of humor (but a nice one)
3. Understanding of moods
4. Dorkiness
5. Intelligence
6. Patience

6 Musicians You Would Like To See
1. Joshua Radin
2. Mika
3. Lenka
4. Regina Spektor
5. Muse
6. Coldplay
(I would add the Beatles, but they are unfortunately half dead.)

6 Musicians You Have Seen
1. Ingrid Michaelson
2. Sara Bareilles
3. Jason Mraz
4. Eric Hutchinson
5. Colbie Caillat
6. Sarah McLachlan
(I would add A Fine Frenzy because I absolutely love them/her, but I only saw half a song of their set at Lilith Fair. Sadface.)

6 Favorite Characters
1. Hermione Granger
2. Lily Aldrin/Marshall Eriksen
3. Pam and Jim Halpert
4. Amélie Poulain
5. Chococat
6. R2-D2
(Yes, I cheated by squeezing in a few more. So sue me.)

6 Favorite Athletes/Teams To Root For
1. My school's football team
2. Yu-Na Kim
3. Shawn Johnson
4. Nastia Liukin
5. Evan Lysacek
6. Carly Patterson

6 Things You Are Looking Forward To
1. Brunch with AK tomorrow.
2. San Francisco trip this break.
3. Going back to school.
4. Zoya free polishes.
5. Spring break trip. Hopefully.
6.

6 Thoughts You've Been Having A Lot Lately
1. Bags. Bags. Bags. (which is strange, because although I would like a nice leather bag, I usually think purses are ugly.)
2. Why is it itching WHY WHY WHY???
3. Blink. Blink. Blink. (result of staring at the computer screen too much.)
4. Don't eat more chocolate cookies. (this usually doesn't work.)
5. I should do something meaningful at school. Like a club or organization or research.
6.

Music Mixes: December Mix

Bruno Mars – Grenade
Coldplay – Christmas Lights
A Fine Frenzy – Ashes and Wine
A Fine Frenzy – The Minnow & the Trout
A Fine Frenzy – Rangers
Ingrid Michaelson – Parachute
Jack Johnson – Good People
Nelly – Just a Dream
Shakira – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show – The Time Warp

Just A Dream - Nelly

Thank you for taking me through two late nights, on replay.

Jake Bruene and Kurt Schneider. My first exposure to this song. Intrigued by the black guitar.


Sam Tsui and Christina Grimmie, produced by Kurt Schneider. Not much to say about this one. Everyone already knows it and loves it.


Nelly. The original. Also good. Don't hate.