a happy day for me and norway.
Yesterday i woke up and remembered (after michael's reminding) that I was in Norway 2 years ago that day. I couldn't believe it had been two years. Two whole years since I had had taken 4 flights and 2 bus rides through those beautiful mountains. Two years since I had seen my friend, Signe. Two years since I'd spent my summer there learning about her life and her family and how small everything was in her grocery stores. Two years since she'd taught me so patiently how to drive stick in her black Volkswagen up and down her dirt road and cutting out too many times to actually call it driving.

Two years since Norway.

I met Signe on the Mercyship.
and one year later I went to spend a summer in her country.
Norway and I share a day together.
That day is May 17th.
Norway's Independence Day.

My Birthday.

Yesterday I turned 22. I didn't even remember my birthday was coming in the hu-bub of exams, packing, moving, summer classes, and starting a new job. It sort of surprised me and peaked around the corned at me like a friend you'd been counting down the days to see and made me giddy with excitement. It all started with a trip to Atlanta. Michael's band, Coral Castles, had their first show there on May 16th and right around midnight the bands were still going strong and my birthday was brought in with music, dancing, and an oh so lovely vodka and redbull (my new favorite drink!)

But the next day was the best even though that show was pretty darn hard to beat. Michael told me "a couple" friends were coming over for dinner and it would just be really informal. Which it was... But then he bought me a balloon! (I LOVE balloons), got tons of food, and tons of cars started pulling up! Lovely friends came to my door, one after another, with different hot dog toppings and hugs and I felt so loved by each one of them...

I didn't mean for this to be sappy but there is just nothing more heartwarming and humbling then people gathering around you on your birthday just to show you that they care and they love you. Kara brought the onions. Elea brought a card and her fabulous smile. Will brought the cups. Brian brought the chips. Someone else brought the ketchup. and another brought the mustard and they all loved me.

and last but not least Michael surprised me with the best ghetto birthday cake yet... zebra cakes with a candle!

The only thing missing was my dear Norwegian friend but she's flying here in July!

Happy Norwegian Independence Day!!!

little buddy

this little necklace is the cutest! I've known my dad makes lego necklaces but this is the first pink one I've seen and i just love it!

get yours at The Fingerpost Shop.

only 6$

i think he's the cutest boy in the world

besides michael ;)


(kyrie's gets to watch this wee one for the month of may. They call him "ish". so adorable!)

my guilty pleasure: Beyonce

and karin's, kate's, and lisa's too!
but really we just love "halo".
and our awkward dance moves. :)

Check it:

THe Best song/video Ever!

On the subway I can read the ads, count the stops,
study faces---
white faces, pink faces,
brown faces, black faces,
old faces, new faces,
and my own face's face in the train window.

I can be a conductor (if I'm the first car
or the last) and look out the window at
the darkness wizzing by.

I can think thoughts---my very own secret
subway-ride thoughts
And I ride and ride
Until it's my turn to get off.
Then I leave it all to someone else.

-Lee Bennett Hopkins

Hopkins is "one of America's most prolific anthologists of poetry for young people," as one article puts it beautifully. I'm reviewing his child's poetry book, "This Streets For Me"
In a couple short lines this man illustrated what it is to be on a subway, a train, a bus... and just listen.

make your friday even better

Train Station Turns into a Musical Scene! (CLICK)

my dad sent me this link this morning and it's incredible.
click it.
don't miss out!

i'll like you for always.

i'll love you forever.
as long as i'm living

my baby, you'll be.

thank you chris thorton! honestly, you're amazing.

picture of the year

this one makes me laugh.

strange little couple. we are.

last month of school.

i think this says it perfectly.

little dazed.

tense.

dreaming of summer (michael).

trying to stomach great hall food (me).

oh covenant.

*photo taken by James Harrison.

meet chalice. spring. and dear annie.

Michael and I were driving down the mountain this evening. He on his way to Coral Castles practice to keyboard away until 10 or 11pm and me to a coffee shop to play on facebook too long, listen to the weepies and write a paper about one my classroom observations. (I found the school I want to teach at. And I just adore it!) We were driving though trying to remember the theme tune to the Brigadoon movie because the overlook at the top of the mountain always reminds me. As we drove purple colored specks painted the sides of the road. The trees were just barely starting to change and purple buds had decided to start the trend. They were so warm and so wonderful. And Michael said something like... "oh man... i forgot about the mountain during the spring." With a smile on my face and a little jump of excitement I agreed with him and hoped it would give us just enough energy to finish the semester.

Then I got to my coffee shop.
went on flickr.
Clicked "Annie Huntington" and found this glorious picture that expressed the happiness I felt to a tee about those purple buds and michael's comment.
and saw my dearest little sister that I so love and miss.

Visit Annie's flickr. She's captured Spring's beginning quite well.

kate lines. aka the coolest.

this woman is apsolutely amazing. I just ran across her on a random blog that my very cool internet cruisin' friend: Chelsey, found. I've been scrolling through her photos, her world of detail, color and expression, practically hyperventilating becuase i love her work so much and want to record like she does. look through her work... it's just so wonderful.

http://katejill.blogspot.com/

my kyrie came to town.
i just wish it could have been longer...

(photo by helen murial miller.)

our secret sport...











is sKATING! this is a rare find. a sport we have in common, are both good at, and could do for hours on end. this find was such a needle in a haystack. me and him. together on a rink with speed and ease and smiles. I don't think we would have ever found out if it wasn't for Covenant's "80's skate night" from 11:30pm to 1:30am. dj, photographer, strobe lights and disco ball included. This was our second year to the event and this year michael n' I and our friends wanted some extra time, some race time, some this-is-so-fun-i-don't-know-why-we-don't-do-it-every-weekend time, not just a mere 2 hours. so we got there 30 minutes early and stayed on the rink until they made us get off... around 2am.

I laugh because for the 2 and a half short hours that we're out there we are continually being surprised at the others strange talent for skating. and then i'm oh so happy that i've found a boy that secretly loves skating just as much as i do. we've basically been on a high since then and I now know that anytime we hit a bump in our relationship, we're gonna have to head to the rink to get back in sync.

80's + skates + disco ball = perfection

why oh why. (is this so funny?)

at first I was appalled. even disturbed. why is this child taped to the wall? It was the backround to my roommate's laptop. I too quickly dismissed it with a "oh, she's an art major..." conclusion, figuring she must see some symbolism in it or something. then promptly slapped myself remembering one of my professors making a similar comment to me last week and i felt a bit boxed. I shouldn't put people "in such small boxes." I said to myself. "i'm an artist...why am I dissing another artist?" ... I wonder.

and then the photo caught my eye again. the child's spiked hair, the tape around him mimicking a car seat, and the not so minor detail of the favorite stuffed animal beside. this is funny! "Who thought of this?" I wonder.

this is not stupid. not even appalling. and definitely not disturbing.
it's really quite humorous and rather brilliant if you wanted my 2nd opinion on it. and the much needed "eye break" from my textbooks.

ps. i apologize in advance if this offends anyone. :)

michael n' me

one and a half years ago...

a new favorite. for so many favorite reasons.


this is my new oh so very favorite picture to look at. and for quite a few reasons:

-i love kelly green.
-i love vertical lines.
-i love piano keys & their sound.
-i loved chipped paint.
-i love michael kendall.
-and i love my little sister, kyrie, who took this beautiful shot.

oh oh man. some day when I have a house i will be able to take whatever picture or painting I like and hang it for the world to see on a very real and live wall... as opposed to this computer screen where though I can write and write and write, when I show images some of the raw beauty is apsolutely lost. it's a pity.

but i love kyrie. and i love this photo!

oh how i love them...

merry christmas!

woke up with the same!

and didn't even plan it... funny morning.

thelegonecklace(!)


isn't it genius!?! My very own Papa came up with the idea and gave Michael and I one (wiht multiple lego pieces for different combinations) when we visited on Fall Break. I just think they're so brilliant and wonder why they haven't been thought of before. I love my daddy's mind and his ideas... so cleaver and sweet! If you want one (fun little stocking stuffer or xmas gift) let me know.. he's a got a little lego workshop going on in Cambridge.

Merry Christmas!

introducing...

cutie butt!!!

This is hopefully the newest addition in the Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Howard household... they found this disgustingly adorable creature roaming the streets of st. elmo about 3 days ago and no one has claimed her yet. We think she's caught a bit of a cold fending for herself in the cold streets cause her breathing and sniffing is hilariously loud and intrusive. But you can't help but fall in love with this bundle of fun within the first second you lay eyes on her. We hope you stay, cutie butt!

happPy fankSgivin!

we did the turkey trot this morning! (can you believe that, family?!)


Michael n' I completed 3 miles in 54 minutes... 5th and 6th to the last! woohoo!


and we went to get a tree last night...


at food lion!