Brunch at Julie's: July 2010

Friday, July 30, 2010

Bittersweet

A few thoughts rolling around in this head of mine this evening:

It's hard to believe that this will be one of my last few weekends at home. I'm not quite sure I'm ready for this year to begin, now that I feel like it's all coming up so soon. Loneliness at first seems inevitable, despite being surrounded by so many people. New faces, new classes, new circle of friends. It's almost here. I'm excited, yes, but I can't help tofeel a little down. I'm going to miss the comfort and familiarity of what I have here. Dinners with beloved friends, watching cheesy chick flicks and reality shows with mom, waking up in the morning with coffee already brewed. It's those little things. But then I got to thinking, all those bits and pieces of what I cherish here will only make the memories that much sweeter. I know God has a bigger plan for me out there, high school was a mere stepping stone. My struggle has just been allowing him to give me a peace of mind when I feel alone and a little afraid of what is ahead of me. I've been a little uneasy about what the future will look like for me; I feel my interests are a bit scattered in terms of what I want to study, and I hate not knowing what's next. And it frustrates me that I always seem to reach out to God last after analyzing and analyzing every single anxious thought. But Lord, I'm ready to lay down this worry at Your feet, You can handle much more than I give You credit for.

That was refreshing to get off my chest :)

Alright updates, updates. So I caved.

And ordered a Longchamp bag with my hard-earned paycheck. Bad Julie.

And bought Something Blue to complete my Emily Griffin book set. I'm already on Chapter Eight, and I've only been reading it during the 27 Dresses commercial breaks.

And got addicted to Izzi drinks, thanks to the lovely ANH. Oh my goodness the sparkling blackberry was so good!

And saw Charlie St. Cloud with my dear CNN, even though it got a horrid review. (However, I really thought it was enjoyable!)

And got excited once I saw National Dance Day was written on my calendar for tomorrow. EEK that's awesome! Okay, I'll be the first to admit I'm a complete dork.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Timeless Beauty

Confession: I am captivated by old Hollywood glamour. There's something unique and iconic about their sense of fashion and altogether perfection.

A collection of Hollywood starlets.

Natalie Wood. Some people say I look like her? Perhaps.

The Kennedys.

Jackie O.

Audrey Hepburn.

Quote of the day:

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul Varjak: The mean reds. You mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat, and maybe it's been raining too long. You're just sad, that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid, and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Thursday side notes:
I'm searching for a large Longchamp Le Pliage bag to take to college with me. Any ideas on where I can find one for cheap?
I just found out Pinkberry is opening in Charlotte! Hooray!
And two more lovely giveaways! I desperately want (need) this tray.
College Prep is hosting this Nico and Lala giveaway.
Living in Lilly is hosting this Lilly necklace giveaway.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

"Namaste"

First of all, that tripod/headstand thing in yoga absolutely kicked my you know what tonight. Sure, put me up against a mirror and I can do a back bend fine. Ask me to stand on my head, now that's a different story for a girl with hardly any upper body strength. BUT, I stuck to my intention of trying out this new activity, telling myself to Keep Calm And Carry On (i.e. those cute motivational posters) as I gritted my teeth, squeezed every single muscle in my body, and tried to refrain from screaming out curses. And you know what? I'm starting to get the hang of this thing. I plan on going to a hot yoga class sometime soon with my brother, which I'm partly excited about, partly nervous about. But I'm determined to keep this up through college and hopefully my adult life, especially with my posture issue; however I just don't enjoy failing at anything. I admit, I get a little upset when I struggle and squirm in a pose and everyone else performs it with ease. Gosh I know what you're thinking, what a stuck-up little perfectionist! (Which I'll be the first to admit, I am). Anyway, as a result, I have a new goal. A goal to Keep Calm And Carry On. I'm sure I'll let you know how it goes :)

Alright, and now to the second part of my post. My yoga instructor tonight told us about a recent New York Times article, titled The Yoga Mogul, about her instructor, John Friend.

"His classes are less about toned abs than about self-expression and enjoyment. ('Adjustments don’t make the poses “right,” for instance, they make them “more beautiful.')"

So here's a link to the full article. Personally, I enjoyed reading it and thought it was pretty insightful, especially since I'm a yoga newbie and all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/magazine/25Yoga-t.html

Enjoy and namaste.

Wordless Wednesday

(Except for photo captions, that is)

Some favorite moments of last year. Goodbye high school.

Ocean Isle, most relaxing week of my life.

New York City, in the rain, with swine flu.

Cheerleading, basketball season.

Eighteenth birthday, and sharing it with these girls.

Homecoming, with my daddy.

Party, with the bestie.

Powderpuff, in our zebra bows.

Laughter, with these two lovely people.

And finally, graduation practice, pure joy.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Wrap-up of the Thirty Day Challenge

Keepin' it short and sweet.

Day Twenty Six: A childhood memory

Random I know, but in the two main physical activities I did as a child, ballet and swimming, I somehow found a way to despise the attire. I HATED tights. I vividly remember myself wearing little ruffled socks, being the only girl in the studio with bare, unnormally tan legs as I pli-ed and tendu-ed. (Forgive me, I never took French.) Furthermore, swimming brought a whole nother ball game. Those super tight Speedos that cut into my shoulders and made it almost impossible to pee made me hate the sport. So there. The crazy thing is though, I spent my teenage years glued to ballet tights and now I'm a lifeguard. Funny the way it is.

Day Twenty Seven: A physical feature you love

My big smile. I'm known for it. Although I have large teeth and I can't grin with my mouth close, I love it.

Day Twenty Eight: A scar you have, and its story

Uh. Guessing this means physical scar. (I won't get into the emotional scars of stupid, arrogant ex-boyfriends who have nothing better to do than to terrorize my final two years of high school. Sorry. Just had to say it.) So...okay. I jumped off the side of the pool when I was four and had to get stiches under my chin. Great story, I know.

Day Twenty Nine: Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days.

Live a life of worth, and of legacy. Grow as an individual. Find ways to better others, as well as myself. Step up to challenge. Stay positive. Remain close to those I care about. Meet new people. Experience life.

Day Thirty: A motto or philosophy

Oh gosh. I'm not this deep philosophical person, so I'll leave you with my favorite Dave lyrics and some wonderful images, copyright the notebook doodles.

"To change the world, start with one step. However small, the first step is hardest of all."

-DMB

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Weekend Recap

Saturday...

The J. Crew sample sale Saturday morning was incredible. Basically, you had to hunt through boxes and boxes of sample clothing from past (and current!) seasons. It was almost like a J. Crew black Friday. Or preppy folk scrambling around on crack. I mean, people were everywhere, grabbing clothes and stuffing them into these big trashbags the workers gave out, along with a price sheet. After two hours of mania, I found four dresses, eight tops, two pairs of sandals, ballet flats, two pairs of pj shorts, and trouser shorts, which were all discounted super cheap. I was in heavennnn. And holy moly I'll be going again next year!

Here's some photos from the Tim McGraw concert as well, and despite the heat, it was awonderful night! (And for a 40-something man, hello he is a STUD. And I'll also go ahead and mention that I'm loving Mr.Whoever You Are off his new album. Go listen.)

CNN and me.

My lovely camp girls!

Some pretty swell people if I do say so myself.

What a beautiful backdrop!

Now on to Sunday...

Yeah I'm not going to go into the boring details. But in short, I'm on this clutter-free kick, starting with my closet. Thinking I could knock this organizing-clothes-by-color and getting-rid-of-anything-I-haven't-worn-in-a-year-or-two in a few hours, my room was soon adisheveled mess. So I took a break, went to a yoga class, fixed homemade vanilla chai tea, andnow I'm feeling up for finishing this part of the challenge! (If I can just remind myself that it's OKAY to sleep in really late every once in a while). I think I'll make some sort of de-cluttering goal list to keep me on track. Who knows, maybe my life in general needs some "summer" cleaning, and not just my closet.

And now on to three great giveaways! How would you like to win a Lilly mini agenda? Go visit Sunshine and Summertime!

And how adorable is this Lilly towel? Check out The Company She Keeps!

And last but not least, these items from A Classic Pearl!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Peachy Keen

Happy Friday! (I apologize in advance for my lack of paragraph form writing lately. My mind can't seem to form grammatically structured sentences after being out in the sun for six hours straight!)

But anywho, I am happy today because...

I had a peach and a milkshake for lunch. Mmm, mmm, mmm!

I don't have to go in to work tomorrow.

I'm sitting here in my terry cloth robe listening to Pandora radio.

I have a flip flop tan line that I actually like.

I can start to tell my physical therapy exercises are working! My body feels stronger.

And my dorm gear is coming along quite nicely! Here's a little photo update:

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

How Delish!

Current state: Famished, drained, dehydrated. I drove to work ::counting on fingers:: three separate times today, for various reasons. Thunder, food, bank. So now I'm craving a refreshing summer meal and some John Mayer tunes before I hit the yoga mat, and later crash, tonight.

I've never been much of a cook. My kitchen staples include and are mostly limited to: grilled cheese, waffles, banana cream pie, and putting together salads. Basically, I'm kind of a nightmare when it comes to cooking. (I tend to overcook pasta, and I can't cut with a knife to save my life.) But since I'll be off on my own in a few weeks (ah!), I best to get to learning. (Yeah I know, my grammar and writing skills aren't exactly polished at the moment.)

Here's what I'm fixin' tonight for dinner with a recipe for chicken fried rice; bon appetite!

Day Twenty Four: A recipe

Chicken Fried Rice

4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 small red bell pepper, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4-6 cups cooked rice

2 fully cooked boneless chicken breast halves, chopped (about 2 cups)

5 green onions, cut into 1-inch slices

1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:

Preheat oil in a wok or a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add broccoli, carrots, celery,onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Add rice, chopped chicken, green onions, water chestnuts, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add peas and soy sauce and stir-fry another minute, until peas turn bright green.

Served with fresh watermelon and sweet tea. Mmm!

Now what would just make my night would be to fast forward to Saturday morning so I can hit the J. Crew sample sale in Winston-Salem, chill with my best friends, and then see Tim McGraw. Ready, set, go.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Ooo la la

Giveaways galore!

Lilly dress magnet giveaway hosted by Living Well.

Kate Spade/Lilly giveaway hosted by The Fashionista Diaries.

Mug/tumbler set giveaway hosted by Sweet Carolina Girl.

Lilly bag giveaway hosted by The Company She Keeps.

I ADORE this fabric print. I'm trying to recover my desk chair in a light blue and white print, and I'm having the worst luck finding a good pattern!

Since movies go along with my next thirty day challenge post, I'm really looking forward to seeing this film...but reading the book first is a neccessity. I must get on it before summer's over!

Day Twenty Three: A movie no one would expect you to love

Like I said before, I'm a sucker for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But I also enjoy more serious movies, such as A Beautiful Mind and Saving Private Ryan. Oh and I loved the TV series Band of Brothers! I think I watched all those episodes back to back over just a few days.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

A Slice of Humble Pie

Insomnia at midnight.

I don't know what it is, but I feel God is somehow, and in some way, trying to wake me up from this work-a-holic, living life for self mode I've had over these past few weeks. It's not been glorifying, or edifying for that matter, especially when He's given me beautiful time away from the due dates and assignments and stress of the school year. So what's my deal? Micah 6:8 was my sweet reminder this evening. It's one of those verses I've had memorized for years, but I really haven't given it much thought. But God does require us to walk humbly with Him, living a life for others and devoting ourselves to His name. So much easier said then done.

Thankfully I have people in my life who can call me out and keep me accountable, and in the midst of my faults, they still love me as I am and only want what's best for me. As my mom has always told me, JOY = Putting Jesus first. Others second. Yourself last. So Lord, I need and am willing to find that sparkle in my life again.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Eye Candy

A few things that have caught my eye lately...

Finally watched this piece this morning! And hello. Gorgeous. Travis Wall has such a gift for choreography.

Bought this polish in Dreamy Poppy for 99 cents! You can't beat that. AND it looks much better than some of the eight dollar stuff.

College Prep is hosting a huge giveaway, I adore her blog!

Persians and Pulitzer is hosting a giveaway as well. Go check it out!

This Vineyard Vines UNC tote! Check out the new VV blog too, I believe they have a pretty swell summer sale (nice alliteration, huh?) going on right now. If only I could afford to snatch up all those deals... :sigh:

Date Night? by iluvjcrew featuring J Crew

And last but not least, this entire outfit. How divine. I bought the same J. Crew vintage tee today (in seafoam green and on sale for $10!). But apparently you can't use your college ID to get 10% off of sale merchandise, it has to be REGULAR price? I had my One card out ready and everything, so sad.