Paint.

Image: here via Joanna.

I want to paint this photograph, if not just to hear the sound of the brush scratching the canvas over and over again. (Of course, it would hardly look like this, but I'd love it all the same.) I remember checking the weather for the whole country in the newspaper in the mid-1990's, and wondering what it would be like to live in Arizona or Montana or Kentucky.

Today I'm woolgathering.

Hello! I'm blogging from the Corporate Coffee Giant this morning. I cannot resist their salted caramel mochas. I've been craving autumn treats and drinks all week. My stomach may or may not be like, "Yo. Are you going to keep inhaling all this sugary crap or...?"

Earlier this week at work (the dessert shop), I asked my boss if we could make popcorn covered caramel apples. Her reply? "You genius! Yes. This is going to be the best dessert ever!" And then there were lots of high-fives and hugs. Just kidding. It was more like: "Hey, there's an idea! We can try it. I'll pick up some popcorn tomorrow." Ultimately we decided on kettle corn and made the treats Tuesday. Holy best dessert ever, Batman. It was so sweet, crunchy - and had a slight bite because of the Granny Smiths we used.

Then, last night, I went over to my friend's apartment and we made apple cider cocktails and watched The New Girl. (My major obsession with Zooey is slightly waning, only because everyone is obsessed with her now. Doesn't it kill you that I am that girl?) Anyway! The cocktail. The base is apple cider, with a splash of gold-spiced rum, a dash of lemon juice, and tons of maple syrup (I'll let you decide what that last measurement means. Maybe I love maple syrup). We drank them chilled, but they would be delicious warmed on the stove, too.

Last week the temperature floated around 65° (and I wore scarves!), so, understandably, I started to get cozy for the fall. Then, bam - today the high is 91°! GO AWAY. But there was this dream of fall last night.

Is anyone like, "Where is this post going...?"

Or is anyone wondering, "What in the world is woolgathering?"

So the dream. I was on a hayride with my boyfriend, and we were snuggled up in plaid blankets drinking warm drinks. The conductor of the hayride started telling spooky stories and it made a little boy cry. My boyfriend and I were roaring with laughter at this poor little boy, and then I woke up. Isn't that so deranged? Who laughs at a crying kid? Apparently we do.

Thursdays are the mornings I get to sleep in, so I snuggled deeply under the covers, knitting my eyebrows at my bizarre dream. My mind drifted and I began daydreaming of hayrides (save for the disconcerted kid), and sitting by a fire place, and the smell of pine cones and the plumpness of pumpkins. Then, I fell asleep again, and I dreamt my boyfriend and I were riding horses in the mountains and the air smelled like autumn. It was the perfect dream and I sleepily grinned at how much fun it would be to go horseback riding against a canvas of orange and red trees. I got out of bed, but kept daydreaming of all the fall things I want to do. Visions of pumpkin patches swirled in my head.

Eventually I turned my laptop on, read a few e-mails, checked my Facebook, etc. And, since I'm a nerd, I checked the word of the day on dictionary.com like I do every morning.

Woolgathering. But of course.

"Woolgathering (n): indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming."

I need a time machine.

K, it's official. I was born in the wrong decade. I was born in 1989, but I should have been born in 1975, because I was definitely meant to be a '90s girl.

It's so easy to picture myself living in Montana, wearing plaid shirts and Doc Martens, cruising around the mountains in a Jeep Wagoneer, and rocking out to Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sublime.

Daydream Thoughts: #2483

All I want to do is travel. There is so much to do and see.

Source: here

Dear-Abby-kind-of-thing...

A question that permeates my mind daily - what will I do?

I graduate this December and I have no idea what I want to do. I actually feel a knot of tears welling in my throat as I sit in the coffee shop munching on a buttery toffee cookie. It scares me. Not knowing what I want, where I'll end up.

There might be an opportunity to live on the West Coast this summer. I am having difficulty choosing to live in same city as my boyfriend, or to pack up and move a million states away to do an internship that would give me in-depth experience in my field. Do I spend a summer with my love or do I spend a summer learning on the Coast?

When I graduate in December, I will most likely be moving to the city where my boyfriend lives. My boyfriend, M, and I have been doing the long-distance thing since May of 2010. And it's hard, especially since we spent the first couple of years of our relationship living together in our college town.

So either way, I will be living in the same city as M after graduation. I just don't know if I should spend the summer focusing on our relationship or focusing on my career.

And speaking of career...that - the whole job for life thing - really freaks me out. I have no idea what I want to do. Event planning? Coffee shop owner? Greeting card designer?

How did you decide? How did you know? How big of a leap should I take?

Advice is very welcome and will be entertained. All I can do now is pray.

[A picture of the Coliseum that my sister took on our vacation to Rome in 2009. Because the Coliseum is a sure thing and that comforts me.]

Daydreaming.

This morning I read the cutest article during my statistics class on The New York Times online. It's a Dining & Wine article about New York City baristas wearing kitschy hats as hair restraints while serving espresso. If I were a barista in New York City (hello, dream job -- seriously!), these are the "crowns" I would wear:

A gorgeous wool cloche cap from Anthropologie in "neutral motif".

A slouchy beanie from Urban Outfitters.

A unique Brixton Fiddler cap from Urban Outfitters.

A winter cap from Target with bright-colored tassels. (I actually got this in my stocking for Christmas!)

Or, I'd e-mail Naomi from rockstar diaries and ask for suggestions, since she seems to always be wearing pretty hats. (She even rocks Krispy Kreme hats!)

Oh, and if I were a New York City barista, I'd get the tattoo I've always wanted. But until then, I don't think "mad skin tags" (SNL reference, anyone?) fit the bill for my little ol' un-cool lifestyle.

There were no endorsements for this post.

Dreaming...

May your days be merry and bright - and may all your Christmases be white.

image

Just throw it in the bag!

Yahoo! Last Friday I was hired for a part-time job in a dessert shop downtown; my first paid job in awhile, considering I worked for free all summer. I am probably going to get carpel tunnel from clicking "add to cart" too many times, but it feels oh-so-good to be able to afford to go shopping again. Plus, I need a few autumn staples to wear to the football games. After picking up a couple of cute things from Ruche and Anthropologie (okay, and let's face it - Forever 21, because after all I am still in college and this is just a part-time job), I will be saving my paychecks. But the savings will be two-fold: some in my savings account, and some in my ADP account. What's an ADP account?, you may ask. ADP is one of my best friends from high school and I told her when I got a paid job I would come visit her in Houston. This is the part where I squeal really loudly.

Excuse me, I just hyper-linked (fake verb) the crap out of this post. Enjoy looking around at Ruche. I discovered it here via A CUP OF JO recently. (More hyperlinks, yay!).

PS: Sorry for the supremely lame post title. It's from that song by Fabolous (no, not Fabulous), where he tells his chic to "meet me at the register, I'm there on the regular". I know, I know.

Vacation.

I desperately need a vacation. Good news: We leave tomorrow morning around the time the sun is coming up. Bad news: I haven't packed one thing.

I'll be hiking, riding bicycles on rocky beaches, touring vineyards, viewing art at the local galleries, and losing myself in quaint neighborhoods. This is unlike most vacations I've taken - we've been to New York, L.A., and Europe - and I am excited for a getaway with casual, relaxed plans.

Hopefully this vacation will pull me out of the funk I've been in.

Coveting mopeds.

I saw you at the market on Saturday, you cute little moped. You and all your candy-colored friends are on my Never Going to Happen Birthday Wish List. (Which, by the way, my birthday is in 34 days. Not that I am counting down or anything.) I wish I had the money for this little beauty.