A Day In The Life

friday, i'm inspired

2012-02-03T16:33:00.001-05:00

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[Blogger Liz, aka LateAfternoon...new obsession]

The weather has been unseasonably warm and beautiful the past week...I think everyone is on the edge of their seat, waiting for Ohio's nasty sense of humor to rear it's head. It's almost too good to be true. Mid 40s-50s all week, and the SUN has been shining! It's really been a dream week...adding a little cheerfulness to the stress of midterms, papers, and school in general. I don't know if it's the weather or what, but I finally started writing again...I had been in kind of a funk, just couldn't get inspired to actually sit down and put pen to paper. My brother in law, who runs a publishing company in the UK, gave all of us these beautiful bound notebooks (they look like classic old novel bindings) in bright, fun colors. Mine is blue, and for the first time since I received it, I wrote. It's too early to reveal anything about the story I'm working on, but I actually have a good feeling about it. THANK YOU, SUNSHINE! Anyway, I'm going to ignore the paper I have due Monday and write for myself today. I hope you have a great weekend, whether the weather's beautiful where you are or not! (See what I did there?) TGIF!

WEEKEND PLAYLIST

1. SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW-GOTYA, KIMBRA
2. EYES WIDE OPEN-GOTYE
3. I FEEL BETTER-GOTYE
4. CHANGE THE SHEETS-KATHLEEN EDWARDS
5. MELLOW YELLOW-DONOVAN
6. BRIGHT LIGHTS-GARY CLARK JR.
7. IF I HAD A GUN...-NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS
8. LITTLE TALKS-OF MONSTERS & MEN
9. IF I NEEDED SOMEBODY-DAWES
10. HEAVEN GO EASY ON ME-THE HEAD AND THE HEART
11. FEEL IT ALL AROUND-WASHED OUT

[images: tumblr, pinterest]

roses are red...

2012-02-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

happy 26th anniversary to my wonderful parents!

my dad sent my mom 26 red roses today...is that not the cutest?

I love you!

"We live our lives in our families"

2012-01-30T19:27:00.001-05:00

If you do nothing else tonight, read this essay. It's written by a hospice chaplain on what people talk about in the time before death. Whether or not you are religious, this is incredibly moving. Reminds me to tell my family & friends I love them more often and cherish every moment we spend together. At the end of the day family is everything...family is our way of describing our spirituality, our relationship with a higher power. I know that when I die, I will think back on my life...not my accomplishments, career, or material wealth. I will think about my loved ones and the experiences we had together, and I will smile.

My Faith: What people talk about before they die by Kerry Egan

"They talk about the love they felt, and the love they gave. Often they talk about love they did not receive, or the love they did not know how to offer, the love they withheld, or maybe never felt for the ones they should have loved unconditionally. They talk about how they learned what love is, and what it is not. And sometimes, when they are actively dying, fluid gurgling in their throats, they reach their hands out to things I cannot see and they call out to their parents: Mama, Daddy, Mother [...] People talk to the chaplain about their families because that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives. That is how we talk about the big spiritual questions of human existence. We don't live our lives in our heads, in theology and theories. We live our lives in our families: the families we are born into, the families we create, the families we make through the people we choose as friends.
This is where we create our lives, this is where we find meaning, this is where our purpose becomes clear.
Family is where we first experience love and where we first give it"

[good things]

2012-01-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

1. Fred Armisen & Amy Poehler...what could be better?

2. words to live by

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3. Jack & Angelica, pure perfection

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If I Had A Gun..

2012-01-26T00:45:00.000-05:00

If I had a gun, I'd shoot a hole into the sun,

and love would burn this city down for you.

If I had the time, I'd stop the world and make you mine,

And everyday would stay the same with you.

Give you back the dream, and show you now what might have been,

If all the tears you cry would fade away.

I'll be by your side, when they come to say goodbye, we will live to fight another day.

'Scuse me if I spoke too soon, my eyes have always followed you around the room.

'Cus you're the only God that I will ever need,

I'm holding on and waiting for the moment to find me.

Hope I didn't speak too soon, my eyes have always followed you around the room.

'Cus you're the only God that I will ever need,

I'm holding on and waiting for the moment for my heart to be unbroken by the sea.

Let me fly you to the moon,

My eyes have always followed you around the room.

'Cus you're the only God that I will never need,

I'm holding on and waiting for the moment to find me.

If I had a gun, I'd shoot a hole into the sun, and love would burn this city down for you.

...Now that's a love song if I've ever heard one. Very impressed by Mr. Gallagher's new project...it's like Oasis in the golden years, but almost better (did I just say that?). But really, what a song. So incredibly romantic.

& speaking of guns...I think Brooke & I are going to a shooting range (on campus of course) tomorrow night to learn how to become badasses, obviously. Will post about it surely!

I know that I am like the rain.

2012-01-25T00:09:00.001-05:00

Kathy's Song...Simon & Garfunkelpure poetry...the last verses are just too beautiful for words..

"And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.

And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I."

Heaven Go Easy On Me...the head and the heart

'is it that the good life is the simple one? Sitting in the lawn watching leaves go by. Reading books and playing songs. Watching the wind blow through your front yard. Don't follow your head, follow your heart.'

It'll All Work Out...Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

She wore faded jeans and soft black leather
She had eyes so blue they looked like weather

Stephanie Says...Velvet Underground

But she's not afraid to die, the people call her Alaska. Between two worlds, so the people ask her, 'cause it's all in her mind. It's all in her mind.

xx

A Visit From the Goon Squad

2012-01-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

Today it dawned on me...there is really nothing like the feeling you get when you can't put a book down. When you think about it all day because you are so invested in the story and its characters, and all you want to do is go home and read. Seeing as I'm studying literature, I live for this.

Right now I'm having that feeling about A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. If you haven't heard of it, I don't know where you've been. It's been on the NYTimes Best Sellers basically since it was published in 2010, and it just happened to recieve the most prestigious literary award, the Pulitzer. I'm not usually one to get my literary recommendations from the best sellers list, not because they aren't good books, but because there is usually so much hype surrounding them. That's why when I was picking out books to read on vacation this summer I picked Jennifer Egan's first novel, Invisible Circus instead. Now I'm finally getting around to reading Good Squad and let me tell you, it is fucking amazing ('scuse my french...but it's true). I think I'm still going to love Invisible Circus more, but that's just a personal preference.

I suppose it's rather premature to be posting about a book I'm only half way through, but I can't help myself. Jennifer Egan is, in my humble opinion, one of the best writers of our time. Her style is truly effortless...nothing about her prose is contrived or pseudo-intellectual. It is clear she writes how she thinks, or atleast how her characters would think. That is a big thing for me...I don't tend to enjoy books that are challenging on a linguistic level. I don't see the point-most people don't talk in an elevated, extremely deliberate manner, so why would fictional characters who are meant to resemble reality? I have never been able to get into Atonement by Ian McEwan because I don't like the style or voice. Jennifer Egan doesn't make it hard to understand her work on a basic level...the complexities lie in the subtext and ambiguous one-liners of her psychologically complicated characters. I've read three of her novels (these and Look At Me), and none of them follow a linear timeline, which also adds to the complexity of the stories. The plot is built by layers, as are the characters. And really, isn't that how life is?

...

If you've made it through this entire post without falling asleep, I applaud you. Forgive the English major part of me, but this is my journal right? I'm allowed! As odd as it sounds, it's actually hard to find time to read on my own, not for class, which is probably why I'm feeling extra passionate about this right now.

So basically, I highly recommend everyone reads this and Invisible Circus, you will not regret it!

Next I'll be reading Marriage Plot by Jefferey Eugenides, who wrote one of my other favorite books Virgin Suicides. You can expect a post just like this one, I'm sure!

image image

she's like a rainbow

2012-01-22T22:15:00.000-05:00

Watercolor is one of my absolute favorite mediums...actually, it is my favorite medium. My dad is an incredible watercolorist and I grew up with his paintings framed all over our house. There's something so dreamy and soft about watercolor compared with acrylics, which can be much more harsh. I think I just love how in control the artist is while at the same time having none. The paint kind of does what it wants, but the artist controls the intensity and vibrancy of the pigments. Enough of the art history lesson, this artist, Caitlin McGauley is just fantastic. Her prints remind me of the Kate Spade illustrations from her books (Manners has a home on my book shelf!) The prints from that book inspired me years ago to start watercoloring again, and I've pretty much been hooked ever since. Now if only I had a place to put all my prints...enjoy!

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friday in "quotation marks"

2012-01-20T15:09:00.000-05:00

Things I need to be reminded of...

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And there will come a time,
you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart,
but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see
what you find there,
With grace in your heart
and flowers in your hair.

thoughts on a thursday.

2012-01-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

A while ago I found a website called the Thought Catalog. It's basically a user-uploaded essay collection, from what I can tell. The topics span the spectrum, from relationships to Oscar predictions. They have a twitter (that you should follow) on which this was posted today. You don't need to have an experience with the topic or even know anyone who has suffered from an eating disorder to feel the power of the words. I can imagine if you took eating disorder out of it and replaced it with something else it'd be just as powerful. I don't know who Diana Shute is, but she has an incredibly powerful voice that comes through in her writing. I was moved by it, you might not be, but regardless it is an excellent personal account of disease, addiction, and the strive for perfection.

Eating Disorders and the Fear of the Ordinary

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

[water]colorscape

2012-01-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

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My Favorite Products (Drugstore Edition)

2012-01-17T22:59:00.000-05:00

drugstore basics by hannahdcasey on polyvore.com

Neutragena Clear Pore face wash-best I've tried
Neutragena Makeup Wipes-I hate hate hate oily makeup removers, and this feels like baby wipes and leaves my face soft, not dry or oily. And takes off all my makeup, even after shows
Moroccan Argan Oil-this stuff is where it's at, seriously for $8 it is so worth it, my hair is so much healthier!
Baby Lips- the. best. lip. balm. EVER.
Tom's Natural Deodorant- I'm not a fan of putting anything that could possibly have chemicals in it directly on my skin, and this stuff actually works and is natural...also never leaves residue!
Cetaphil- I use this everyday and will use it forever (I use the face scrub in the shower and cetaphil otherwise, using both once a day)
Nivea Creme - The original formula...it has the coolest texture and feels like butter, and as a bonus it smells good too!

cheapy makeup faves by hannahdcasey on polyvore.com

Covergirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation- I've used every kind of foundation, from Clinique to Rimmel and this is one of the best creme foundations I've found. It's almost mousse-like and has just slightly more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, light and airy but has great coverage. And soo cheap! Buy it!
Maybelline Falsies Mascara (Waterproof)- I use this when I need some drama in my life. The formula lasts forever...literally it's super hard to get off (I always have raccoon eyes in the AM) but it's worth it! It doesnt smudge and makes my stubby lashes look amazing. I use this in every show.
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (BIG Lashes in Very Black)- Simply the best, and I dare you to find any magazine that disagrees. I always end up going back to this formula, which was the first kind I ever used. So much length, so cheap, and always comes right off!

Next up I'll show you my favorite department store makeup!

Across the Pond

2012-01-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

I just realized I never posted photos from England this year or Greece (how I managed to forget that, I don't know!)...So here's some of my favorite pictures from England, which was an amazing trip. Since my sister lives there, we could take day trips all over the south, while staying at her house. It was relaxing and fun, a perfect getaway last summer.

my sister's cottage

Noah, my nephew

Sisters.

On a walk around "the block"...aka the estate which my sister's house is on

In the 500+ year old town that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood...everything was made for shorties!

Chartwell House, home of Winston Churchill. Unfortunately I do not know the precious couple sitting under the tree who made this photo look like a painting.

Chartwell

In the gardens of Penhurst Manor...apple orchard!

Giant tree on the way to Petworth House

The Downs

Petworth House

The Seven Sisters

Battle of Hastings...the site of which is now a boarding school

Bodium Castle...amazing, medieval castle with a full moat.

Caught in the rain at the top of one of the turrets.

Finnegan, my nephew, in his school uniform

Red Carpet Style.

2012-01-16T20:44:00.000-05:00

What would you wear if you had the chance to attend the Golden Globes? In a fit of boredom I decided to scour net-a-porter and Bergdorf's sites to find designer evening gowns that I'd like to see on the red carpet. Now, realistically, most Hollywood A-Listers wouldn't dare wear off the rack, even if it comes with a $9,000 price tag. So for us plebians, I chose gowns from Gucci, Roland Mouret, and Marchesa...all red carpet favorites. These dresses could be worn by almost anyone and look amazing, and I would wear all 3 in a heartbeat. Also, realistically these looks would all be paired with earrings, but I just couldn't find any I liked that much. Besides, these ladies wear jewels that are literally priceless, often vintage/antique, and all by the same designer.

Old Hollywood Glam

Gucci Red Carpet Look by hannahdcasey featuring evening dresses

[I can see especially picture Angelina Jolie, Anne Hathaway or Kate Winslet in this gown]

Modern Minimalism

Red Carpet Style by hannahdcasey featuring alexander mcqueen handbags

[This is more modern and focuses on silhouette rather than drama, so I could see Emma Stone, Amy Adams, and Gwyneth Paltrow in it. I'd love to see Michelle Williams do something like this on the red carpet.]

Ultra Feminine

Marchesa Red Carpet Look by hannahdcasey featuring rose jewelry

[This is definitely more goddess-y and feminine, so a young actress would wear this best. Sienna Miller, Emma Watson, and Olivia Wilde could each make this dress look totally different]

The Good, the Better, and the WTF?

2012-01-16T00:54:00.000-05:00

The Golden Globe's were tragically predictable this year, as it seems they have been the past few, but nonetheless I thought it was entertaing, if not for the awkward flubs and speeches. The most entertaining aspect is, as always, the fashion. There were a lot of knockouts this year, so many that I couldn't include them all (Sophia, Natalie, etc) and there were some definite trainwrecks and Why The Face moments as well. Here's my take on fashion GG style.

The Best

Charlize in Dior (but of course.."j'adore dior")...absolutely on point. She manages to make the diamond headband mixed with pale pink combo look grown up and elegant where it easily could've tipped into little girl cutesy territory. Bravo, Charlize!

Jessica Alba in Gucci

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein..reminiscent of Emma Stone's CK dress from last year's Globes

Laura Dern...sister's got a banging bod for sure! Work it. Also, love the emerald tone with her complexion. Tres chic and age appropriate.

Emma Stone in Lanvin (pretty much the opposite of last year's ensemble)

Kate Beckinsdale in Cavalli. She could really never look bad...this is proof of that. I love when presenters and guests steal the spotlight from the nominees by looking this fierce.

ERW in Gucci...despite my hatred for all things feathered, the texture and color scheme of this gown are incredible!

Viola Davis in Pucci. Ow ow! She is a foxy lady and between the color scheme with her seriously flawless skin and the sassy hair cut and thigh high slit, and goddess cut...this is a winner.

Julie Bowen in Reem Acra...this dress alone is a piece of art, but something is VERY familiar about it. I'm sure any girl with a pinterest account knows what...click HERE to find out

WTF Moments

Connie Briton...seriously, what is this? A Junior League meeting? Brunch at the Country Club? No, it's the Golden Globes and your show was NOMINATED! Hire a new stylist, bb...you seriously are so much more gorgeous than this dumpy frock.

Jessica Biel in Valentino. oh my. I know this is going to be a controversial choice, half will say yes to this dress and the other half (and me) will say no. It looks like something out of your Grandma's linen closet. A doily doth not an evening gown maketh. Again, you are a stunner and could wear a paper bag and look good but this is just wrong.

I absolutely adore both Deschanel girls, but man, this is just a bad combo. Emily's dress is ill fitting and matronly for someone with such a beautiful figure (I grant her pardon because she gave birth like 4 months ago). And Zooey's hair is atrocious, even if it were the 1960s right now.

Wait...why was Kyle Richards there?

Piper...WHY?

All images from Huffington Post via Getty

I'm a Seeker...

2012-01-13T17:02:00.000-05:00

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So while I was obviously being really productive today, I stumbledupon a "Visual Personality Test"...now, I'm the first to say this is probably poetic bullshit, kind of like horoscopes. But the thing with horoscopes is that when they even remotely reflect you or your life, it's like the word of God. So if this test had told me that I was an introvert who enjoys building model planes and playing Zelda, I would not think twice. But, alas, just like my usually spot-on Gemini fortune, this test pretty much got me to a T. Or atleast it got the Hannah that I want to be...Just kind of interesting, here's the website-try it yourself! (and let me know if you get a model plane answer)...

You're a Seeker. You believe in living life to the fullest. You're curious and enthusiastic with a bright spirit that is an inspiration to your friends and family. A sensitive soul with an expressive nature, you tend to be quite a romantic at heart. Sometimes you love nothing more than escaping into your very own dreamworld. Spontaneous new experiences can be really inspiring to you and you like exploring your creative side from time to time. Seems like you're in a really good place right now, feeling happy, playful and full of energy. It's great when everything in life seems to flow. Your natural tendency to look on the bright side definitely helps! When it comes to improving things in your life, why would you say no to extra cash? It would be great to treat the family whenever you feel like it. The trick is to be disciplined about budgeting. If you stay on top of your finances, you'll feel a lot more secure and probably save a bit too. It's important to remember to tap into your inner strength and to believe in yourself. Take on new challenges and stay stimulated so you remain enthusiastic and inspired by life. As a Seeker, you get excited by new ideas. You like adventure and original experiences that stimulate and challenge your status quo. Stay inspired with a rich mix of activities, and find time for hobbies that allow you to explore your creative side. Learn to recognize when you need variety in your life, and then incorporate it into your daily plans. You really understand the importance of family. The relationships you have with your nearest and dearest are the most precious things in your life. Make sure you seize every opportunity for quality family time, as it's always such a source of inspiration and comfort for you.

[P.S. I will try to update this more often!...as if anyone reads it, haha]

A Day in the Life: 2011

2012-01-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

2011 was a great year in the life, I must say. 

Here's some photos of the things that made it swell. 

JANUARY

[Weekend in Chi-Town city.]

 FEBRUARY

 [Spring's Awakening as Thea, where I made amazing friends.]

APRIL

 [My cousin Suzanne's wedding shower]

[Easter]

MAY

[Cinco de Mayo]

 [Trip to Alexandria, VA for the wedding!]

[Suzanne & Peter's wedding]

[I turned 20 & was in another play-12 Angry Men...& wore these]

JUNE-JULY

[Ireland & England]

AUGUST

[Bob Dylan concert]

 [Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame]

[beautiful summer day with Claire] 

SEPTEMBER

[Jillian]

 [Jillian's Baptism]

OCTOBER

[Halloween, as a bond girl]

[Victorious Buckeyes]

NOVEMBER

[Brooke's birthday/Claire came to visit]

 [Playing Mary Magdalene in Last Days of Judas Iscariot]

 [Playing an Irish nun in LDJI]

[Delaney's baptism, my first Goddaughter!]

 DECEMBER

 [The HOLIDAYS!]

[Sandwiched between my two preggers sisters!] 

 [Finn & Noah]

All in all it was an incredible year and I feel very blessed looking back on it. 

Some chapters ended, but I've decided to make 2012 a year of new beginnings & opportunities. 

Here's to an even better 2012!

Cheers!

My Mama (and the Papas)

2011-10-31T23:09:00.000-04:00

Apparently my Mom could have been Michelle Phillips' body double.

Mom=left and right, Michelle (of the Mama's & Papa's) in the middle.

As if my Mom wasn't already cool enough? Now this.

Isn't it strange how we can look so much like another person without having any connection to them whatsoever? I've been told I look like just about every blonde actress there is. Obviously I don't. The only ones I've gotten are Amy Smart and Rachel McAdams, and the only one I can even remotely see is Amy Smart. Wonder if I'll look back and see the resemblance once I'm older?

Just a thought.

mylo xyloto.

2011-10-26T00:11:00.000-04:00

I feel bad that I've not been writing anything of substance on here as of late, but there are just so many other things inspiring me that I must share. For example, the new Coldplay album Mylo Xyloto. Fucking brilliant. I don't even know how many times I've blogged about Coldplay and posted their lyrics/videos...but this is definitely deserving. I waited a WHOLE DAY before buying the album, not entirely sure what I was waiting for...maybe for a random stranger to hand me a $10 iTunes giftcard or something, who knows. Anyway, it's an amazing album, once again Coldplay and Brian Eno created a beautiful, innovative, and original piece of art. I literally love every single song, a rarity for me...although I don't think I've met a Chris Martin song I didn't like. One of the reasons I love Coldplay is because they manage to reinvent themselves as a band with every album (or atleast the last few). Mylo Xyloto is definitely a new sound for them, but without losing their "Coldplay-ness" or whatever. I totally sound like "The Girl" when I say this but, sometimes I find it eerie how songs can fit so perfectly with me life, and this is the case with this album. I'm kind of too tired to speak in coherent, full sentences right now--let alone write them. So just let the music speak for itself.

P.S. First I blogged about this song, then this, and now I think my new favorite song on the album is this one. It's actually the most Coldplay-ey song on the album...it's what they do best--romantic, soft, poetic. Almost a lullabye. Also, this is acoustic so the album version is quite different (haterz) Just makes me want to float away on a cloud of pillows...ok I'm definitely going to bed now.

through chaos as it swirls, it's us against the world.

This is why.

2011-10-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

"The road rose again, to a scene like a painted backdrop. Notched into a cut of red clay crowned with oaks the road appeared to stop short off, like a cut ribbon. Beside it a weathered church lifted its crazy steeple like a painted church, and the whole scene was as flat and without perspective as a painted cardboard set upon the ultimate edge of the flat earth, against the windy sunlight of space and April and a mid morning filled with bells. Toward the church they thronged with slow sabbath deliberation, the women and children went on in, the men stopped outside and talked in quiet groups until the bell ceased ringing. Then they too entered."

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

This is why I am an English major.

This is why I love what I study.

This is why I read. This is why I write.

This passage makes it all worth it.

This is art.

late night musing.

2011-10-17T01:16:00.000-04:00

"fem-in-otic"

2011-10-12T00:31:00.000-04:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you http://feministryangosling.tumblr.com/ for this:

ANSWERS.COM

2011-10-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

Tonight while obsessively researching haunted houses in the Columbus area with my roommate, Brooke, (instead of doing our homework or watching the Kool Kute Krazy Kardashian Kwedding), I made a very unsettling discovery about the human race. Have any of you ever stumbled upon the very, very, disturbing questions asked by REAL HUMAN BEINGS to OTHER HUMAN BEINGS on answers.com? Well if you haven't, you are missing out. If I wasn't a total lazy P.O.S. I would scour the interwebs and find the link for you, but alas I am in fact a lazy P.O.S. Anyway, I sort of assumed that the complete absurdity of these compilations of questions were like you know, the exception to the rule. Guess what guys?! I WAS WRONG. After reading a plethora of unanswered questions under the banner of "miscellaneous" I have lost nearly all of the faith I had left in humanity (which was NOT a lot). If there is a person who is literally dumb enough to ask the question: "What important things happened on Ohio?" and there is also a person dumb enough to respond: "nothing," then HOW can we trust people with all the makings of nuclear warfare? SRSLY guys...Also, my other problem with answers.com is why people think that answers.com is the ONLY place they can get answers to their completely inane inquiries (I just did that to sound smart and shit) Seriously, if you are capable of getting on answers.com then how much more difficult is it to google it? I promise, people, a page will come up called WIKIPEDIA and it will have all the important things that ever happened in (or on) Ohio in all of history (I swear).

And without any further ado, for your pleasure (or horror):

Should you go to the casino tonight
Is rue21 open on Sunday's? (unanswered...can't. even. also, rue21? ew.)
Why do you need to show people that you care? (sociopath)
What percentage of people dont like chocolate?
How do you get your parents to buy you a smartphone when they have lots of money? (lose-lose)
What happens in August in France?
Why broken neck can be so deadly?
Is there a filterless backpack vaccum? (Is there a NON-filterless backpack vacuum?)
What easily you get mad? (Who is the subject of this exactly?)
How do you find someone in colledge? (Good luck getting in to colledge)
Where do pumpkins originate from?
What weapons are easily concealed? --->ATTN: HOMELAND SECURITY
What is the point of life? (if you need to pose this question to the internet, there is no point)
What is the word for someone who lies then forces themselves to believe it? Real answer: You can call them George Costanza
Will someone punch me in the stomach?
What is the constitutional right to speek? (You don't get one)
How do you makes someone to loves you?
When did the recent blizzard happen? (You really need someone else to answer this for you?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Random things that happened/I thought while writing this post:

1. My roommate Pizza just literally spoke the words: "I wish apple juice delivered."

2. It's a good day when my hardest decision is what color to paint my nails. Guys, like, I have A LOT of nail polishes to choose from. Ugh, probably going to paint them black again, because I have a black soul.

3. I really don't like football, shoot me

4. This post was way easier to write than the paper that's due tomorrow...maybe I'll drop out of "colledge" and pursue professional sarcasm blogging

5. When living with 4 other females, the phrases "I need sweets," "brownies sound so good right now," "I really want wendys/mcdonalds, "my diet starts tomorrow," and "why am I so fat?" are heard pretty much on a nightly basis

6. Real Steel is supposed to be like reely steely good, but I just refuse to believe that.

7. I need a restraining order from Wheat Thins, they are dangerous to me, like crack to a hooker (without a gold heart) Also Nabisco, having "thin" in the product name is FALSE ADVERTISING and totally misleading. I should probably sue.

8. The end.

"Time is all I own"

2011-10-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

"Wait right here",
Is all she said to me
And so right here I stay

Time has reached our home
And I've been left alone
It's carried her away

And everyone keeps saying,
"Nothing helps but time"
Time is all I own

And time won't stop replaying
Over in my mind
I watch the hours slow down

So I crawl underneath my blanket
Where I can hide away, I know I can't take it
'Cause I see now, it's just one of those days

Now a year has passed
Alone I stay inside
And I await the rain

To wash away your face
So I don't have to hide
The sight of you is painful

So I crawl underneath my blanket
Where I can hide away, I know I can't take it anymore
'Cause I see now, it's just one of those days

And I can't stop seeing your face
I can't stop seeing your face every place

So I crawl underneath my blanket
Where I can hide away, I know I can't take it anymore
'Cause I see now, it's just one of those days
Yeah

In the night, the stormy night, away she flied.

2011-09-21T00:21:00.000-04:00

When she was just a girl, 
She expected the world, 
But it flew away from her reach, 
So she ran away in her sleep.

Dreamed of para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Every time she closed her eyes.

When she was just a girl, 
She expected the world, 
But it flew away from her reach, 
And bullets catch in her teeth.

Life goes on, 
It gets so heavy, 
The wheel breaks the butterfly.
Every tear, a waterfall.
In the night, the stormy night, 
She closed her eyes. 
In the night, 
The stormy night, 
Away she flied.

I dream of para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh.

She dreamed of para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh.

La-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la.

Still lying underneath the stormy skies.

 She said oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh.
I know the sun's set to rise.

This could be para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Para-para-paradise, 
Whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh.

"Paradise" by Coldplay off their new album Mylo Xyloto, out in October.

9/11/01-9/11/11

2011-09-10T13:38:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about what to say about tomorrow for a while now. Over the past few weeks I've been reflecting on life after September 11th, 2001. The images seared in our memories, the countless stories from Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania. Of course every year on 9/11 we reflect and remember those who perished and risked their lives to save their fellow Americans, but this year is difference. A decade has passed since the world stopped. The day America became stronger than ever before. The day that change our lives irreversibly.

I was 10, sitting in my fifth grade classroom when my teachers told us something terrible had happened at the World Trade Center. I could tell from their faces that it was far worse than a 10 year old could imagine. I remember my classmates not knowing what the World Trade Center was, and I was able to tell them that they were the tallest buildings in New York City. I know this because I had been standing on the very top exactly two weeks, 14 days, before. My brother got married in New York at the end of August that year. My sister and her husband had just been on a trip around the world, stopping in the states in time for the wedding. My entire family was there. After the wedding we went into New York City for a few days. It was my first time in NYC, and I don't have vivid memories from the trip, which is rare for me. I think the excitement and hugeness of the city was overwhelming to my 10 year old self. What I do remember, more than anything else about the trip, was going to the World Trade Center. I remember looking up at the towers from the sidewalk, completely in awe of their size. They were truly magnificent. I had never been in a skyscraper like that. We took an elevator up to the floor where you got your tickets and took a picture with a backdrop of the Towers. Then we took another elevator up to the roof. It was like nothing I had ever experienced, and nothing has compared since. It was really windy, I remember. You could see the entire city, it was incomparable. I literally felt like I was on top of the world...I think I was. The Twin Towers represented the power and greatness of the United States of America. We were unbeatable, feared and respected.

Sitting in that classroom I don't think I could comprehend or connect the emotion and fear I was sensing with the Twin Towers. I just just been there, standing on top of the world. I remember kids whispering things about bombs, I think by this point my teachers knew it had been a plane. One girl's mom came and picked her up from school. I recall thinking that was very strange, still unaware of how incredibly horrific everything would become. I don't remember anything else about that day. I don't remember my parents' reactions or the rest of the school day. I think that signifies just how innocent and naive I was. Despite the fact that I knew something very bad had happened, I was too young to understand the significance. Later, I remember watching "A Tribute to Heroes" with my mom and dad. They were both visibly shaken, and I remember crying, listening to these incredibly sad songs and seeing how somber everyone was. I remember Bruce Springsteen playing "The Rising" and watching my mom cry. I remember U2 playing "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own," a song that both my mom and I cry hearing to this day. There was a cloud overhead, a reluctance to laugh, an deep, seemingly inpenetrable silence and sadness in the wake of September 11th.

I have came to a startling realization in the wake of the 10 year anniversary. Basic math tells you that if I was 10 on 9/11/01, I am 20 today. Basic math also tells you that half a lifetime ago, the world changed. This tells me that half of my life we have been at war. Of course the War On Terror didn't officially begin until 2002, but that day we were attacked by terrorists and the world knew we would have to retaliate. This is an incredibly sad reality for me and my peers. Half of our lives, the half that saw us become teenagers, learn to drive, graduate high school, go to college, vote, we have been at war. When will it end? When will we be able to know what peacetime is like? When will our troops come home? When will American lives no longer be at risk? I sit here, 10 years later, and it feels like a lifetime has passed since 9/11, yet the emotion is still so fresh, so raw.

I think we owe it to the victims of 9/11 to relive moments from fateful day, to watch the footage, to hear the stories again. To think about our lives since, and all the things we've experienced that those people will never get the chance to. We owe it to the children of the victims, who have grown up without a parent. We owe it to ourselves to know what happened so we can be sure it never happens again. I hope today we can all put aside our differences and unite, once again, in their honor.

"Long Road" performed by Eddie Vedder

With Labor Day Comes...

2011-09-05T10:59:00.000-04:00

A U T U M N

I'm a serious sucker for anything and everything fall. I love the colors, the clothes, boots, the cool (but not cold) weather, football games, back to school (which hasn't happened for me yet), bonfires, Halloween, caramel apples (I don't even really like the taste!), cider, sweatshirts, hats, scarves...I know this is getting redundant, but I just love EVERYTHING about the season. Here are some photographs from Pinterest get me in the mood for some Autumn lovin', and it helps that it's 62 degrees out right now! 'Tis the season for all things Autumn :) Happy Labor Day!

P.S. If you'd like an invite to Pinterest, let me know!  

Source: desdemventana.blogspot.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: imgspark.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: gabriellekaiphotography.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: becauseimaddicted.net via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: lucylaucht.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: whatsaybeauty.tumblr.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: thesimplyluxuriouslife.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: toryburch.com via Hannah on Pinterest

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-08-30T16:11:00.001-04:00

 Here's a few things that I'm loving lately...enjoy!

My very first pair of Sperry's.

 Kombucha...It's a fermented tea that is supposed to be extremely good for you, with tons of antioxidants and vitamins. It kind of tastes like vinegar at first, but the taste grows on you and now I'm obsessed! I always feel energized when I drink it...which could be purely psychological but I definitely suggest it!

 WTF sticky notes...just too perfect for words. Get them at AE!

 New spray from Bath & Body...I love their sprays, they are light and sheer-not heavy like perfume. The name is pretty perfect too! 

 The absolute best body butter I have tried. 

Ralph Lauren blazer I found for way less than retail price! Love a good find and can't wait to wear it this fall.

Not pictured: my iPhone...too perfect for words!

"it's not your fault it gets this hard"

2011-08-27T01:33:00.001-04:00

So, I'm under the distinct impression that I'm the only person in the world who actually enjoyed the movie "Charlie St. Cloud"...I read the book (It was a vaca read, forgive me literature freaks!) and I loved it, and while Z.Efron's is by no means Brando, I love the story. What made me think of this, you ask? Well, tonight I caught the tail end of the movie, you know when it makes you cry the most, and one line stuck out like it does everytime I have seen the movie:

"You hurt because you're alive."

Not to be macabre as I may tend to be, but that is a concept that is oft overlooked. We concentrate on the negative in our lives and forget how lucky we are to be living. Life is never going to be perfect and it is sure as hell not fair, I'll be the first to say that. But, despite our misfortunes, human beings possess the incredible quality of resilience. We are programmed to fight back, to keep going, to push through the shit no matter what. Sometimes that is the hardest part...remembering how strong we really are. I've seen some truly horrible things happen to other people that I wish I could change for them, but at the end of the day, I trust that they will remember their own strength and know that things will work out one way or another. Pain, frustration, disappointment, disaster, tragedy, and injustice are all a part of life and make us who we are. In the end we are here and so full of life...we just need some help along the way.

lyrics: Made of Steel by Our Lady Peace (don't judge me...I saw them at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when I was 11)

"Waging wars to shake the poet and the beat"

2011-08-25T01:07:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day. I spent time with people I love and got outside in the fresh (albeit humid) air. I was having a good day, until I wasn't. You know those days when you go from 0 to 60 emotion wise? It wasn't like I was on a hormonal rollercoaster or anything like that-I truly had a great day, I just ended up getting overwhelmed and frustrated towards the end. I think it's important to stay in tune with your emotional state in order to live a happy, healthy life. I realized I haven't been listening to myself the past week or so since I've been so busy with work and getting things ready for school. Sometimes you just have to let it out...all the pent up frustrations and hurt feelings from dealing with bitchy customers, long days, rude people, other people's problems...all without paying mind to your own. I think tonight I just really needed to let go of all of that because, man oh man, it wiped me out. I've been in my bed since 9pm...which is literally unheard of for me (obviously since I've writing this at 1am). I probably could've fallen asleep but naturally I'm still awake because it'd be weird for me to actually get enough sleep. Last night we had a terrible thunderstorm...I can pretty much sleep through anything (literally, my mother is afraid I'd sleep through a fire alarm). Last night was an exception. I didn't actually try falling asleep till after 2, and ended up being woken up by booming thunder and shaking walls at 4. If you wake me up between the hours of 4 and 7, even if I've been asleep for 30 minutes, I will be AWAKE...not like "get up to pee" awake or that early riser grogginess. No, I am so not tired I could probably run a marathon. Now, if you wake me up between the hours of 8 and 11, it is a whole other ball game. I am not a happy camper and would rather you die than rouse me from my slumber. Seriously. ANYWHO I couldn't fall back asleep last night, and now I'm sitting here at 1 am WIDE AWAKE and have to get up in 7 hours to go babysit my sweet niece (no complaints there...I'd pay my sister to let me hang out with that baby, for reals.) In the end, I've learned that I need to remember to take time for myself despite how hectic my schedule is, otherwise it'll come back to bite me in the ass.

On a different note, I was looking at my blog stats today (lame, I know) and realized I have more readers than I had thought. I wish I knew who some of you are, then I could tailor my posts to all ya'lls' tastes more. If you're worried I'll be creeped out, don't worry--I follow plenty of blogs belonging to complete strangers. I do this because I want you guys to read it! If we've never met, comment and tell me a little about yourself! If you have any questions for me or suggestions of blog topics, get at me, I'd LOVE your input! Don't be shy, please! :)

happy thursday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBzcOUOY5YY

xoxo.

we wear the mask.

2011-08-22T00:07:00.000-04:00

We wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes--

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile

And mouth with myriad subtleties,

Why should the world be over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

We wear the mask.

We smile, but oh great Christ, our cries

To Thee tortured souls arise.

We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile,

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

-Paul Laurence Dunbar

***

A diamond of a morning

Waked me an hour too soon;

Dawn had taken in the stars

And left the faint white moon.

O white moon, you are lonely,

It is the same with me,

But we have the world to roam over,

Only the lonely are free.

-Sara Teasdale

I wanna run...

2011-08-17T01:16:00.000-04:00

I have an unrequited love for U2. Ever since I can remember, U2 has played an influential part in my life. I grew up listening to all the albums, from "Boy" to "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb." I can remember asking my mom who her favorite band of all time was (besides the Beatles) and assuming (correctly) she would say U2. I've always found the music transcendent....before I even knew what that meant. The songs are spiritual and haunting, with echoing melodies that can bring me to tears in a few chords. Now, I know there are many people my age who think U2 are "overrated" or just plain think they're shit...I liken these folks to those who dislike Coldplay. Just because a band is immensely popular doesn't mean they can't make influential and inventive music. Let's put it this way: if you are one of those close minded people when it comes to Bono & the gang, you can stop reading right here...I respect your beliefs, I just plain don't agree.

I have seen some of the most prolific musicians live in concert, including, and not limited to: Sir Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks, Bob Dylan, and CSN. I have not, however, seen my guys U2, which happens to be one of the only concerts my mom has not attended either. There is a long drawn out story behind this, but let's just say we have tickets to the 360 tour for June 2010, which got cancelled, so we got tickets for June 2011, after which my dad decided we were going to Ireland instead. I really can't complain, I mean I got to go to the homeland of U2 which is kind of like seeing them live...right? Cricket? Oh well.

AnyWHO, this week my parents & I went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Excitingly enough, one of the exhibits at the museum right now is a film called "U23D," which is a 3D (duh) presentation of a concert on the Vertigo tour in Buenos Aires in 06. I had kind of suppressed my excitement after missing both chances to see them in the flesh, but this would have to suffice. Well...let me tell you. It was absolutely exhilarating, I felt like I was on a cloud watching this other worldly sound be created by four lads from Dublin. Every song saw my mom and I turning to each other in delight, big shining smiles on our faces. We knew every song...every word. We also seemed to be the only people in the audience who felt like they were at a concert, but that's besides the point.

It's no secret that U2's music is often strongly politically charged, as Bono is a champion of human rights and freedoms. One of my passions is the research of and fight for human equality. I am a huge believer of art as a vehicle for change. The music of U2 is powerful in that it is brilliant as well as thought provoking. I sense the presence of a higher power in every song.

If you've kept up with my posts this summer, you'll know that last month I was fortunate enough to travel to Derry, the sight of Bloody Sunday, the horrific event epitomized in the U2 anthem of the same name. During this rendition, Bono donned a handdrawn headband with COEXIST written on it...if you aren't familiar with the symbolism associated with this, look it up. He spoke to the audience about religious peace, to which the audience responded with deafening cheers and peace signs held high.

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At the beginning of "Pride (In The Name of Love)" a photo of MLK Jr. flashed across the screen. It gave me chills to see so many people sing along, peace signs and all. The kicker was that the concert was filmed in South America...the unity among the crowd was so tangible, you'd have thought they had experienced the death of Martin Luther King first hand. I kind of lost it at the very end when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was read aloud on the screen, a document I have devoted much time to studying. That went immediately into what I consider to be one of the greatest songs of all time: Where the Streets Have No Name. The beginning is iconic, it just gets me everytime. I was overcome with emotion, feeling so energized and inspired by the music, by the people...next time you listen to this song, notice the beginning. You don't have to be religious to feel the spirituality of the song. It is a hymn to change, to peace, to unity of the human race, to freedom, to equality, to living without worry. "I wanna run, I wanna hide, I wanna tear down the walls that hold me inside." I tear up just thinking about the immense impact this one 5 minute song has had on my life. I honestly can't even explain it.

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<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uDkBzkA9L4s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>

Finally, I'll close with one last song. "With or Without You" is dear to me. I must preface this by explaining something. I have a semi photographic memory, so I have an intense visual collection of memories that are sparked by songs, smells...etc. I can't believe how pretentious that sounds, but often times I'll explain a strange, insignificant sounding memory and some people just can't comprehend how or WHY I would ever recall it. Anyways, before I make myself out to be the next Einstein, I can remember being in the car driving down the main street in my town, I believe on the way home from the library with my mom. It was at the red light by the cemetery, and "With or Without You" came on the radio. Of course I'd heard it hundreds of times, but this time signfies a turning point for me. I can remember just being completely overwhelmed by the words, how impossibly romantic, gorgeous, and perfect they were. I could not get over the brilliance of this line:

"Slight of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait."

I mean seriously people, it's practically Shakespearean. To me, that line is so utterly original yet so completely obvious at the same time. I heard those words combined like that and just went, "Huh, well thank God someone came up with that." The song itself is sexy and real...it's truly one of the most romantic songs I can imagine. You give yourself completely to another person which is just about the most vulnerable and terrifying thing a human being can do, because you are giving up control. Your soul belongs to someone, who can take what the want from it. It's the truth of love and life. It's not all roses and chocolates...it's pain, heartache, torture, bliss, heaven. We constantly want more from each other, sometimes more than someone can bear to give. The haunting cries at the 3:00 mark are just that---cries...not notes, not scales, it's the embodiment of a primal urge. I think they pretty much summed up the human race in 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Pretty remarkable if you ask me.

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Perhaps I'll do my thesis on the prolific effect of U2 on the world over the last 30 years...or maybe not, this might be what I've wanted to say on the matter all along.

**It must be said that I wrote this at 1 am and do not reread or edit my blog posts...this was written stream of consciousness, I tried to get these thoughts out there as fast as I could, so bear with me, this is no Rolling Stone article...just a meditation on life from a girl whose own revolves around music and the written word.

peace on earth.

Emma vs. Blake

2011-08-08T12:20:00.000-04:00

So I have a confession...I have a huge, whopping, major girl crush on Emma Stone. The girl just hits it out of the park with everything she does. This got me thinking today...in a world where beauty is often confined to a rather square image, would I rather be known for my face or my brain? Okay so putting it that way makes this seem like a no brainer, obviously I'd go with face (JUST KIDDING!) I boiled this debate down to two Hollywood ladies I admire...Emma Stone and Blake Lively. Now let me just clarify, I think Blake is great...but I mostly admire her style, not so much her talent. Whereas Emma Stone is the whole package. She's absolutely hilarious, has perfect comedic timing, is a great actress, and with all this said, is a total hottie. What I admire most about Emma is that she doesn't appear to take herself too seriously. I like her self depricating characters, they are realistic, I could actually see having a friend like Emma Stone. On the otherhand, Blake Lively is naturally gorgeous, but doesn't really show much personality (and when she does it seems preeeetty ditzy.) I mean, let's be honest, she really is the incarnation of Serena van der Woodsen. She's the image of what women should be: tall, slim, big chested, mysterious, and overall out of pretty much everybody's league. It's great that she's friends with Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Louboutin and all, but does any of that seem REAL to you? I think Emma Stone is the kind of girl whose personality is the first thing you notice about, then after you realize how funny and cute she is, you realize she's a bombshell. She is funny and nerdy...something you almost can't imagine Blake Lively being. In a perfect world, that's what I'd like people to think about me. Let me get something straight--I am in no way comparing myself to or setting myself on the same plane as these women. I guess I started contemplating this after seeing "Crazy Stupid Love" (which was fantastic, by the way). Ryan Gosling's character is a playboy, and Emma is a young lawyer who rejects his foolproof seduction skills. While all these model-type girls are going home with him no questions asked, she looks beyond his GORGEOUSNESS (seriously, girl, so hot) and respects herself more than to give into him. Not many girls could say they'd honestly say no to Ryan Gosling, but hey. To take a line from the movie, she's the perfect combination of sexy & cute (now I sound like kind of a creep...I just want to be friends with her, swear!) Emma can be a bombshell when she wants to be but I get the sense that she doesn't consider her looks to be her defining feature. I think this makes her more interesting that just another pretty face. What I like most about Emma Stone is that she's a natural blonde. That's right, she dyed her hair after getting rejected hundreds of times in Hollywood...the next audition she went for what "Superbad." Now, coming from a tried and true blonde, I can honestly say I don't know if I'd have the balls to do that. Okay, yes I would but it'd take a lot of convincing. She went the opposite direction of "typical" Hollywood actress types and ended up with more success in a year than a lot of actresses have their whole careers. She's a knockout, a complete TKO...brains, beauty, charisma, humor...she's what more young girls should strive to be. At the end of the day, I'd rather be an Emma than a Blake.

"take me back, it's amazing what a minute can do."

2011-08-08T11:07:00.000-04:00

happy birthday, Jaryd...miss you everyday, and i wish i could celebrate with you today.

can't stop crafting...

2011-08-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

The only bracelets not made by me are the Tiffany's one and my watch! Why buy 'em when you can make 'em?

It's craft-city over here peeps...

So between working, dogsitting/housesitting this past week, and sleeping I've been crafting...crafting up a storm. For atleast the past 2 weeks a day hasn't gone by that I haven't made time to do something creative and cute! Although I've never thought of myself as an ahh-tist, persay, I consider myself a very creative person, and nothing makes me happier than making something out of nothing. My best friend Olivia, who happens to go to art school summed it up...she said that even though I don't go to "art school" I still appreciate art and make it on the reg. Okay so I took some creative liberties with that quote but it was a few weeks ago, okay? Give a girl a break. (Also you could make a drinking game out of how many times I've used the word "creative" in this post...take a shot!) Usually my "art" consists of drawing and painting, but lately I've been branching out. I've always loved making bracelets...I learned to make them at camp many moons ago, and pretty much a summer hasn't gone by that my wrists aren't stacked with embroidery floss creations (that counts...shot.) Well, Olivia and I decided to extend our capabilities as bracelet artisans and got to work. I'll do a whole post dedicated to them later. Anyway, a few days ago I decided to try something I've wanted to do for a while now...pom pom necklaces, a la Anthro. Alas, I found a great tutorial online and got down to business. They ended up looking like a lot more time, skill (and money) went into them than did! Super easy...I dare you to try it...or I'll make you one! (email me if you're interested: hdcasey231@gmail.com or comment...srsly!) From there I took the same principles and applied them to pins! The ones pictured are only a few of the flowered gems, I plan to keep 'em coming! The best part was I recycled old clothes and didn't spend any money on fabric. The denim necklace started out as an old pair of A&F jeans (from like 8th grade, my god why do I even have these?!), an ugly necklace that I have been dying to reinvent, felt I had in the basement, and a glue gun! It's kind of time consuming, but so mindlessly easy I did it while watching Shark Week...nerd? Yeah. Alright well if you've successfully made it to the end of this monstrous post, congrats! (creativity ;)

Now get crafting :) TGIF!

Playlist for the Soul

2011-08-05T01:24:00.000-04:00

I believe you can see into a person's soul through the music they listen to...especially the music they listen to when no one's around. Now, I'm not saying that just since someone listens to depressing songs means they're clinically depressed...but there is a reason we listen to what we do. It's cathartic, it's escape...it's like trying on someone else's life for a little while. Every word might not fit your life persay, but the song transports you to that reality. Here are some songs that have been on my mind lately...

1. Just Like A Woman--Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico

2. When I'm Alone--Lissie

3. The Light--Sara Bareilles

4. Pyro--Kings of Leon

5. The A-Team--Ed Sheeran (Heard this in the UK, such a beautiful song...didn't listen closely enough till I watched the video)

6. Send Me The Moon--Sara Bareilles

7. Rise Above--Reeve Carney ft Bono & The Edge (from Spiderman...it's good. Reeve Carney has a sexy voice)

LUCK O THE IRISH

2011-08-04T13:01:00.000-04:00

I was lucky enough to go to Ireland this summer, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I'm Irish through and through...I mean, my name is Hannah Dalton Casey. My great-great grandfather, James Casey was from Northern Ireland (before it was divided)..and the Dalton's were from County Westmeath. I had always wanted to go to Ireland, I've been fascinated with my ancestry as long as I can remember. I'm so proud to be Irish, with the history of their bravery, hard work and spirituality in my blood. Ireland is otherwordly. I have never seen a place so beautiful, every inch of the country is dazzling. You can understand why the small country inspired so many brilliant authors, playwrights, musicians, and artists. It truly is magical...if a fairy had popped up on my shoulder, I honestly wouldn't have been surprised. We drove a lot, and I don't think I ever took my eyes off the landscape. It's entertainment in itself. You can't imagine what it's like to be in a place so dense with history, ancient cathedrals next to sheep farms, Celtic ruins next to coffee shops. Not only are the vistas gorgeous, but so are the people. The Irish are some of the most friendly and kind I have ever met. With so much pain in their past, the optimism and good-naturedness of the Irish is inspiring. I completely fell in love with Ireland, and I can not wait to go back. Since we mostly explored Northern Ireland (my parents had already been to the south), I am anxious to explore the rest.

On the way from Wales to Dublin!

Kilmainham Gaol, a very humbling experience. Where the leaders of the Irish Rebellion were executed. It's really unlike any other place I've been. It's not creepy, more so just eerie. You can almost feel the immense courage of those men. It took a lot to sacrifice themselves to escape the oppressive reign of the Royalists. As an Irish Catholic whose family was predominantly from Northern Ireland, it was incredibly moving.

Oh James, we have a fickle relationship, but I do still love you. Now about Ulysses...

Molly Malone statue on Grafton Street. My dad used to sing this to all us kids before bed. It's actually a really depressing story...she's basically a poor girl forced to sell herself, and ends up dying of TB. "In Dublin's fair city, where the girls are so pretty, I first set my eyes of sweet Molly Malone..." Look it up.

The Hills of Tara (pronounced Tar-ah). Considered one of the most sacred places places in all of Ireland. It's widely thought to have been the seat of the Celtic Kings until the 6th century. Absolutely stunning. Fun fact: This is the namesake of Tara Plantation (GWTW, anyone?)

Strange little mound that looked like it was the set of the evil Teletubbies!

Tara.

Standard cannon photo--I swear I probably have 400 of these.

Cutie parents!

Kind of looks fake...so beautiful!

Trim Castle, pretty gigantic!

Awesome restaurant in Dublin that we thought was called Balzac, but had changed its name 2 weeks before to "The Dining Room"

Cute little seaside town

Now we're in Northern Ireland, the top photo is of Carrickfergus Castle outside of Belfast, the bottom of the a Glen on the Antrim Coast

Carrick-a-reade Bridge...100m above sealevel, it honestly looked like it could've been Tahiti.

Absolutely stunning.

Giant's Causeway

Giant's Causeway is famous for its octagonal shaped rods that make up the coastline, there's very mysterious and strange looking but pretty awesome!

Padre!

Derry, where strife between the Catholics and Protestants is still rife. One of the primary locations of "The Troubles," Bloody Sunday occurred here. Sad.

One of the many murals on the Catholic side of Derry, memorializing Bloody Sunday and the effort for peace in Ireland.

This photo sums up Derry. The protestant church with an armored compound directly behind it. This cathedral is thought to have been the inspiration for the song "Amazing Grace." Very moving.

Titanic Memorial at Belfast City Hall

Armored police cars in Belfast. This is just the standard cruiser, because of the violence in the past. We were there just a week after a riot broke out...sad/scary.

Vingette of Summer in Suburbia.

2011-07-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

It was for nights like this that books were written, movies were scripted, love affairs commenced. The air was thick, sticky with desire and the Midwestern humidity that remained rivaled by few. The cicadas droned their familiar call, harmonious voices rising in an eerie crescendo, then falling back as quickly as they began. Even with a fan, the heat was nearly unbearable. Only the brave of heart ventured out, even as dusk set in. Runners, glistening with sweat, faces red from over exertion. Walkers, bating reluctant dogs to keep going, the dogs sensing the ungodliness of the temperature. Men standing in their yards, vigilantly watering their grass, turned to yellowy straw in the sun's glare. It was like standing on the precipice, the air was ripe with possibility. It was too hot to be outside, yet too frigid indoors, airconditionings working overtime to keep the manses between 69 and 72 degrees, always. Inside was a dungeon, boredom and routine played out endlessly. Outside there were endless opportunities for adventure, new stories waiting to be told. The sound of a siren lofts past, small towners wondering what it could possibly be for. At night the streets died, suddenly the only company was the fickle street lamp, mostly covered by a tree, glowing faintly with age. With the temperature not dipping below 80 even in the middle of the night, there was a sense of anarchy. What was done in the dark, damp, summer night seemed inconsequential in the day. This summer was peculiar, it seemed to reveal the true identities of its prisoners. Ladies skipped the blowdry, frizzy curls emerging that had been pressed, straightened, and tamed for years. Makeup was scarce, what was put on in the morning was gone by noon, masks created with the help of Madame Estee Lauder and Coco Chanel, melted away like wax in fire. The temperature seemed to ignite something in the male population. A primal, testosterone-filled mission was set out upon by each "head of household." 98 degrees and sunny? No problem, the gutters still need to be cleaned. Why pay some 18 year old to reseal your driveway when you can do it yourself? No one was spared. Cars overheated on a regular basis, an airconditioner malfunction was near cataclysmic. It was a Midwest Indian summer, and it was far from over.

oreos & cake, what could be better?

2011-07-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

Behold, the sacred Oreo.

What could possibly make this wonderful creation BETTER?

Cake, that's what.

So, in order to combine these two divine entities, I decided to make these:

I'm my own harshest critic when it comes to my baking, but let me tell you, these beautiful little cakes are divine...and very easy to make! I'm all for taking shortcuts when shortcuts can be made. This means I used regular old white cake mix, but made my own cream cheese frosting. I am not a huge fan of regular chocolate cake, so I didn't want make choco cupcakes. I figured the white cake would be less overpowering and would bring out the delicious oreo tastes! Also, using white cake means you can really see the oreo on the bottom of the cupcake, a perfect little treat! Make these...they'll make you look like an All-Star baker without all the hassle of a difficult recipe!

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix (I use Duncan Hines because it uses less oil)

1 box reduced fat Oreos

For frosting:

1 8oz package cream cheese

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups confectioner's sugar SIFTED*

*you may want to use more depending on how sweet you like your frosting!

1. Use two ungreased cupcake pans, placing cupcake foils in each. I use the silver foils because they don't show grease and are much cuter than the paper kind! Place one half of an oreo in the bottom of each pan, "Oreo" part faced down, cream side up. I used a knife to scrape the stubborn cream off one side so the cupcakes have enough of the filling! Don't throw away the cookie sides, you'll use those in the batter/crumb topping.

2. Make white cake mix. Attention! Do not put the egg yolks in the batter. This is an oft-overlooked part of white cake mix directions, and the batter will be yellowy if you use the whole egg. Once batter is fully combined, add the oreo pieces (I used pretty chunky pieces). Put as many in as you think is right, you don't want too many or it will overpower the cake! Pour batter into cups and bake.

3. Let cupcakes cool. This is super important. I've ruined many batches of cupcakes by icing them too fast. I made my cakes at night, let them sit in a cake stand over night, then frosted in the morning. They turned out perfectly!

4. For icing, let cream cheese & butter soften. Again, don't get overzealous and try to mix the two before they're soft, it will only create problems (and a cramped hand if you're hand mixing!) Mix the two until they are creamy (no chunks of butter!). I used a hang mixer, but if you're using a standing mixer I recommend using the paddle attachment for this part. Next add the vanilla extract, then the *sifted* confectioner's sugar in batches. Mix until creamy, then refrigerate for a few minutes so it doesn't get runny as you're working with it.

5. Frost the cupcakes. Don't be afraid to take a break and let the frosting sit in the fridge if it gets too warm. Warm cream cheese frosting=problem. If you're a more skilled baker than I, pipe the cakes generously. If not, use a small spatula to spread the frosting. I prefer the latter because it's imperfect but still pretty! Top the cupcakes with oreo halves (both cookies, w/ cream) and sprinkle oreo crumbs on top.

you mat need a volunteer to lick the bowl!

Voila! A perfect little treat, literally! I recommend bringing them to work, giving them to friends, etc. They are ADDICTING and having them in the house will only tempt you :) Just kidding, eat as many as you like!

Feel free to tweak this recipe, and let me know how it goes!

Happy Baking!

p.s. In honor of one of my favorite movies, The Parent Trap, I may tweak this so I can add peanut butter! ;)

Leavin' On A Jet Plane...

2011-06-23T00:34:00.000-04:00

Source: google.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Au revoir, mes amis!

I am jetting off to England & Ireland so won't be posting for awhile.

I'm off to have a splendid time with my family, enjoying the beautiful sites the UK has to offer!

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(my sister's yard...I know, right?)

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Source: 16house.blogspot.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Colorful life.

2011-06-20T17:09:00.000-04:00

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes."

I wish I had written this. It's perfect in its entirety. So truthful. Found here.

would you leave your life and ride?

2011-06-17T00:08:00.000-04:00

Today was a profoundly good day. I spent the day laughing and making a "documentary" with my cousin Claire, which I will share tomorrow probably. I went to a nature foundation, the farmer's market, sat on a dock, walked by the river, explored the field behind my house, went to see "Super 8" with my dad and Claire, then finally started my novel. Oh, and we made a pizza from scratch. I'm in a good place...and I leave next week. I crave the peacefulness I get from turning my phone off for 2 weeks and really being in the moment in that place in the world. The sky is beautiful tonight...the moon is the biggest and brightest it's been since that incredible moon last March. I have some clarity right now...driving with the top down on a clear night like this will do that for me. I feel inspired but unfulfilled. There's something out there waiting for me, I don't know what it is but I'm on my way. I really need to clear my mind and figure some things out this summer. I'll probably have another existential moment on the flight across the Atlantic like I always seem to have. Something about flying thousands of feet above the earth looking down at the "infinite abyss" really gets to me. Everything is finite, we are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But as insignificant we are, we have the incredible capability to bear significance to other souls. That's what it all boils down to I think. That's why shit gets done, why we are driven to succeed, why we do what we do. Because somewhere out in the abyss, someone is watching, waiting. Someone cares. Everyone is significant to someone. Without that we have nothing.

'Scuse my ramblings, but really, this is why I have a blog right? To document my weird, philosophical, innermost thoughts.

fly me to the moon.

2011-06-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

There's something so sensual and romantic about the Standards. They make me wish it was the 60s again and someone could take me dancing. I just don't think anything will ever beat dancing (really dancing...not this grinding/awkward shit we do now) to Frank Sinatra in a party dress with a handsome boy.

With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

2011-06-14T22:44:00.000-04:00

This is how bored I am right now. I'm waiting for these to finish baking. I swear I actually accomplish blowing the bubble...and it's pretty good if I do say so myself. Today I got my hair done, I painted for hours, ran errands, and made $67 by sellling some clothes. Last night I made these. Seriously who wants to be my friend now?

Anywho, I don't have any ideas to write about. I wish I did. I need to be inspired. Inspire me.

Actually, like they so often do, Mumford & Sons is inspiring me right now...in an emotional kind of way.

I swear anything I am feeling--Mumford knows.

"After the Storm"

And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.
Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won't rot, I won't rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won't rot.
And I took you by the hand
And we stood tall,
And remembered our own land,
What we lived for.
And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.
I will die alone and be left there.
Well I guess I'll just go home,
Oh God knows where.
Because death is just so full and mine so small.
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before.
And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

***

i hope you are having a good day/night/tomorrow.

monday recipe!

2011-06-13T10:47:00.000-04:00

I'm a bad blogger lately. But I've taken exams, aced exams, packed up, moved out, and arrived at home for the summer. And I leave for vacation so, so soon. Just wanted to share really fast a recipe I tried last night, and let me tell you, it was delicious. Absolutely great...best salad I've ever made. It took all of 20 minutes to make the dressing and cute up all the ingredients, so quick and easy...and healthy! I think making your own salad dressing is a great way to control how good your salad is for you. If you look at the ingredients of many dressings, they basically take away everything healthy in the salad! This one could easily be made with a light EVOO to cut some fat calories. The great thing about this salad is that it is full of good fats like olive oil, avocado and mango. This helps you get fuller faster so you only really need to eat the salad for dinner, nothing else! The flavors mesh perfectly. At first I was a little weary of the dressing taste (very vinegary) but it just worked with the salad. Yum!

Source: ivillage.com via Hannah on Pinterest

The awesome thing about iVillage is that it basically gives you a powerpoint of the recipe so you follow along on your computer while you are cooking!

Happy cooking! xx

mhmm.

2011-06-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

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Source: oohs-n-ahhs.tumblr.com via Hannah on Pinterest

these are so beautiful & simple. lovely thoughts and images.

feliz cumpleaños, mamacita!

2011-06-07T11:08:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my Beautiful Mother!

My mom is pretty cool. She knows more about music than you do, has the best laugh, makes friends wherever she goes (even the doctor's office), reads like a fiend, cooks like no one else, is patient and always kind, drinks her coffee black (that's pretty awesome), tells the best stories, does the best tickly scratch, gave me the coolest childhood, always sang me to sleep, lived in Mexico, has been to Bimini, rocks at double solitaire, and is my best friend.

Have an amazing day, Mamacita, te amo!

"I'd rather be a comma than a full stop"

2011-06-07T10:34:00.001-04:00

I'm a huge Coldplay fan. I don't care if some people think they're lame, I think they're brilliant. And for people who think all their songs sound alike? I beg to differ. X&Y and Viva La Vida were completely different albums. I like that they have concept albums, I think it pays homage to greats like the Who and The Beatles. I saw them live in summer 2009. It was one of the best show I've ever been to, and I've been to A LOT of concerts. They played "Glass Of Water" in the audience and it was so sick, completely amazing. I'm loving their new single "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall." It's got the same vibe as "Lovers In Japan," but better. I found my new favorite line from a song, "I'd rather be a comma than a full stop." Listen to this song. Can't wait for the album! It's been too long since, Mr. Martin & company.

say what you need to say.

2011-06-06T00:32:00.000-04:00

I don't believe in the words "The End." I don't think endings exist. Yes, there comes a time when everything has run its course, but I honestly don't believe that anything is ever over. Tonight I was watching "Moulin Rouge," like usual it would seem, and it got me thinking. If someone you love died tomorrow, what would your last words to them be? I know it's a morbid topic, but in my experience it's better to face these realities than hide from them. Things do happen. Would it make you realize what they had meant to you? Did they know this before it was too late? Would there be things left unsaid? If you can imagine what you would say, how you would describe your love for them, then they should know this in life. I think we take each other for granted. We aren't as open about our emotions and our appreciation for our loved ones as we should be. Often we don't get a chance to say goodbye. Nothing is worse than never getting a chance. Be good to those you love. Keep them close. Tell them how you feel. Because if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you say?

happy, happy birthday to my dad!

2011-06-05T20:06:00.000-04:00

Today is my dad's birthday. He's a pretty cool guy...superlawyer, father of 4 (awesome kids), grandfather, veteran, husband, paddle tennis super star, convertible connoisseur, crossword puzzle magician, knows more history than Ken Burns, Jack Nicholson's twin, world traveler, collector of miliary stuff that freaks my friends out, lawn mowing extraordinaire, walking advertisement for Polo, iced tea aficionado, probably smarter than you, and my dad.

In short, my dad is probably (definitely) cooler than you are. He can't help it...he's just PRC III.

Love you Dad, Happy Birthday!

"we read to know we are not alone."

2011-06-05T19:55:00.000-04:00

C.S. Lewis said that. I think it pretty much sums up my love affair with the written word.

Books are a collection of reflections on the human condition, our experiences, what it means to live. My mom was an English major, and both my parents instilled a strong appreciation for books when I was very young. My mom read to me all the time...during baths, before bed, in the middle of the day. I have very fond memories of my dad reading books like "The Wizard of Oz" to me as a child. It's safe to say I'm a big old nerd when it comes to reading these days (thanks mom & dad!) I'm such a book fiend that I even decided to devote my college career to them. For my birthday this past week, my wonderful parents gave me a Kindle. It took me a while to convince myself that I could still appreciate physical books even if I have an e-reader. Nothing will replace the great feeling of a plastic-covered library book or the distinct "library" smell that comes with old books. BUT, let me tell you. This Kindle may be one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I've been reading nonstop, finally putting my many, many, book lists to use. It's a pain to lug books around especially if they're brand new and in hard cover. I often am reading 2 or more books at a time, so this way I don't have to make an executive decision before leaving the house of which one I want to read that day. Also, since I'm going on vacation in a couple weeks I can stock up on good reads...and if I run out I can just download more over there! This is especially nice since I usually take 3 books with me on vacation and have them read within the first 5 days. I've started a very extensive "wishlist" of books I want to read but don't want to buy just yet...I've even finished one book! Here are some that made the cut:

I can't say enough about this book. It is fabulously written, absolutely laugh out loud hilarious, and even manages to sprinkle some life lessons and sage advice in there. Tina is my hero, I will read this book over and over.

"A controlled, photo shoot environment is where extensions belong. Places that are less ideal for hair extensions: the grocery store, women's prison, a water park."

read it. now...GO!

Next up:

The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf (Virginia's sister lived in the cottage down the road from my sister's)
The Celtic Twilight by WB Yeats (To read in Ireland)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (Why haven't I read this?)
The Hunger Games (I know, I know.)
One Day by David Nicholls (a movie with Jim Sturgess & Anne Hathaway in the works)
The Paris Wife by Paul McLain (About Hadley Hemingway...so obviously it'll be good)
King Richard III by Shakespeare (Love me some Princes in the tower action, plus I'll be revisiting the Tower)
The Beautiful & the Damned and This Side of Paradise by F.Scott Fitzgerald
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Pearl: A Novel by Mary Gordon
A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Now, what to read tonight? hmmm....decisions, decisions.

the mask I polish in the evening by the morning looks like shit.

2011-06-04T22:04:00.001-04:00

i started doing this over a year ago and never got around to posting it. i went through and added some things but overall, a pretty interesting test.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? half the time i feel like an old soul, but i think my personality is youthful, so somewhere between 12 and 50.

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? never trying. failing only means you have to try harder next time. how will you know if you don't try?

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? because I think sometimes we're afraid to live, because we're conditioned to believe some things are unattainable. they aren't.

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? i'm living my life to avoid that.

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? The skewed perception of who does and does not deserve to be treated equally and with love and compassion.

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? making people laugh.

7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? making a point to DO instead of just talk.

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? i'd probably have lived in Paris, London, Italy, New York, LA, the beach, and the woods...maybe the moon.

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? my parents taught me to make my own decisions and learn from the consequences on my own-i'm very independent but i need people.

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? doing the right things...not everyone agrees on what it means to "do something right."

11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? tell them that they are hurting me by hurting my friend. i've learned that it is worse to hold your tongue when witnessing injustice than to put yourself in a position of judgment.

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? i would feel very uncomfortable talking to a newborn who understood me, but nevertheless, i'd tell her/him to slow down. take life as it comes, enjoy your childhood because you never know when it could be gone. it's not a right, it's a priviledge. Also, cherish your family, especially your parents. I mean, you're here because of them. Give them the credit they deserve.

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? absolutely.

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? Oh definitely. I think some of the greatest minds have had a little insanity in them. everyone does. i do. i'm surrounded by brilliant people who are all a little bit mad in their own way.

15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? write. i hold my writing utensils differently...apparently no one noticed in the 1st grade. I do many weird things though.

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? because everyone has different beliefs, they don't have to agree with me and i don't have to agree with them. we can still live in harmony, people.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? seen the Pacific Ocean...I just haven't quite made it out to Cali yet! i'd also really like to skydive. I think it'd be the ultimate rush.

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? always, always.

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? Probably England. I adore the country and culture, and my sister lives there.

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? always...I'm antsy and find elevator rides to be an incredibly uncomfortable and awkward experience 99% of the time.

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? hmm, probably joyful, but then again i've found that I tend to create inner drama when there is no need to. i don't think i'd know how to function without it.

22. Why are you, you? because no one else can be me.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? yes.

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? losing touch, it hurts because it's more of a choice.

25. What are you most grateful for? my incredible family, who never ceases to amaze me..and that i am alive. and for wheat thins, those things are like crack to me.

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? lose the old ones...it'd be sad and your life would never be complete, but it's better to live for the future.

27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first? absolutely not.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? yes...and no, it's not birds that i'm thinking of.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? What? no, so obviously it didn't matter in the end. oh i see what you did there...good one.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special? gosh, i don't know. I have a really good memory, so there are many. being with my family, but i couldn't pick just one time. i had a storybook childhood, it was really the best.

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? every single time i am on stage or creating something new.

32. If not now, then when? as soon as possible-each day is not a gurantee

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? hmm, depends

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? yes, too many times to count.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? because religion is the foundation of many people's entire being...and when that is compromised, reason is often disregarded.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? no.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? probably not, i love the sense of accomplishment I get from having my own job. i've worked since I was 15 because I love to. besides, i'd be bored without anything to do. but if at that point my job wasn't fulfilling to me, i'd quit and do something i love.

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? more work.

39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? nope! today was amazing and new.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? everyday.

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? the ones I love.

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? absolutely not, no no no no no.

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? doing what makes you happy and treating others with love and respect.

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? you should ALWAYS do what you know is right. otherwise you're not living.

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? because we've been taught that failure is always negative by the sheer definition of the word.

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? absolutely anything i wanted to.

47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? just now.

48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? i am passionate about many many many many things. so, yes. i love making people laugh, something i've really began to notice recently. i love laughter. laughter=happiness.

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that? actually probably yes. today was a good day, and this was a good weekend.

50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? I do what's in my heart, but I think it's important to live your life in relation to others...not worrying how people think, but considering how your actions will or will not affect others. the problem is this is extremely difficult to actually do. i think lately i've let other people control my decisions more than i'd like to admit. i don't feel sure about anything right now, i guess i'm just scared.

Music Experiment: Part Deux

2011-06-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

(see previous post)

16. Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly

· This song will forever be about my mom, Miss Peggy.

17. Love The Way You Lie by Eminem

· I went through a phase where I watched this music video like 5 times a day. Not for the song, but for the video. It’s really awesome…even if I hate Megan Fox.

18. High Flying Adored from Evita

· “Evita” made me want to become an actress. End of story.

19. Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin (Live)

· If you didn’t already know I was a weird person, this will affirm it. Instead of dancing to Disney songs, I used to put on performances in my backyard to the Bobby Darin’s Greatest Hits album. I had one of those Fisher Price microphone tape players, and I’d dance and sing to Bobby Darin on my picnic table. Most people my age don’t even know who Bobby Darin was, let alone knew the words to his songs when they were 3. I’m a freak of nature. Also, listen to this song…it’s a play on Jack the Ripper. Which makes this whole situation that much creepier. I might as well have been in drag.

20. If I Die Young by The Band Perry

· My best friend, Katie Monroe, first played this song for me. I remember being bowled over by how pretty and sad it was. What I really love about this song is the truth of it. “It’s funny when you’re dead how people start listening.” This couldn’t be more true, and someone needed to say it. I always want to put these lyrics in my statuses and stuff, but it’s sadly one of those songs that can be easily misunderstood if you are unfamiliar with it. It is not a suicide ballad, it is a beautiful song about the reality of life. Sometimes we experience tragedy, sometimes good people leave us before their time. This is a fact of life that should not depress us but instead make us focus on living in the present.

21. Bright Lights by Matchbox Twenty

· When “Unwell” came out, my dad had this running joke with me that every song on the radio was by Matchbox Twenty. But this song makes me think about my future. The uncertainty of what I want to do with my life. Get out of town. Go somewhere big. Do big things. Be someone. And sometimes that means leaving things behind.

22. Ohio by Damien Jurado

· My brother introduced this song to me on his “OHIO Rocks” mixtapes (CDs.) This song is so beautiful and simple…one of those songs that was just meant to be written. Once you hear it you’re like, “right, bout time someone wrote that one.” I hope I never feel like the girl in the song. Ohio is my home, I’ll always have a home here. That will never change no matter where my family moves in this world.

23. The Show Must Go On from Moulin Rouge

· This is quite possibly my absolute favorite song from MR. It’s such a fantastic scene, with Satine sacrificing her own happiness to save her lover, Christian’s life. It’s originally done by Queen, but honestly, I like this version 100x better. It really captures the darkness of showbusiness. Sometimes you just have to put on a smile and get through the day. Life is hard in theatre, you give your life to your work, and sometimes certain other aspects of your life fall by the wayside. I can’t count how many times I’ve walked home from a rehearsal late at night listening to this song on repeat. No matter what is going on in my life…the show must go on. So must clichés, everybody loves a good cliché.

24. Oh by Dave Matthews

· Some songs are sacred to me and will always be sacred to me. This is one of them. “I hear you still talk to me, like you’re sitting in that dusty chair. Makes the hours much easier to bear. I know despite the years alone I’ll always sing your sweet song, and if it’s all the same to you, I love you oh so well.”

25. Smile by Tony Bennett

· Originated by Charlie Chaplin himself, this song is as heartbreaking as it beautiful. This has the same theme as #23. This song is one of my mottos. I smile a lot…sometimes too much, I feel. Smiling is a coping mechanism for me. It’s easier to trick myself into a good mood by smiling. I smile through the tears, I rely on humor to get me through life. I believe a smile can change someone’s life around. This was also Michael Jackson’s favorite song, which is just the saddest if you ask me. Poor soul.

26. Feels Like Home by Linda Rondstadt

· This song still makes me cry. This was the theme song during my Pathfinders years at Camp Storer. I met some of the most incredible people I’ll ever know at camp. Those people changed my life, and will always be part of it no matter where we are, no matter if we haven’t talked in years. Pathfinders was one of the single best experiences of my life, something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

27. Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional

· I don’t care how cool you think you are. This song will always be epically good. Besides the fact that it was the theme song to SPIDERMAN (nerd boner…hey it’s not the nickelback song), it’s just a sick song in general. I will never ever be too cool for this song, and if I ever claim to be I give everyone the right to fish slap me.

28. Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World

· I’m kind of taken aback that this song came on while I’m doing this. This is another thing I can’t put words to. Sacred to the nth degree. I still get chills whenever I hear it, probably always will. Actually, I hope I always do. To me, this song is a prayer.

29. Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin

· Classic 90s song. I lump this song in with “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone” by Paula Cole. This is one of the first songs I can distinctly remember knowing every word to and singing along with in the car as a kid. It’s a complex song, I’m still not sure I truly understand it. As is the case with some of the best songs out there. It also made me love the word “vengeance.” God, I just love it.

30. America by Simon & Garfunkel (Live in Paris ’70)

· Just let me have my Almost Famous moment with this song. Best roadtrip song ever written. I transform into Penny Lane when I listen to this, especially if I’m in the car. I wouldn’t be the first and certainly won’t be the last to say that S&G are lyrical geniuses. This song is truly poetry set guitar.

this has been really cleansing and interesting for me. to actually put down in writing what goes through my mind everytime I listen to these songs is part soul searching, part nostalgia.

One good thing about music...

2011-06-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

is when it hits you, you feel no pain. -hendrix

Tonight I decided to do an experiment. I may continue this for a while, just to get my thoughts out and really get down to bare bones. Music is everything to me. What a cliché. But in all seriousness, most of my life has been shaped my music. My mom weened me on The Beatles and Tom Petty. Every stage of my life has its own soundtrack…everyday of my life has a soundtrack. There’s a soundtrack playing in my mind at all times, even if there is no music playing. Singing is one of the greatest joys of my life. There is nothing like it for me, singing instantly puts me in a good mood, or atleast helps me work through one. Some songs remind me of pain, some of utter happiness. I have exactly 7,133 songs on my iTunes. I am going to go through shuffle (not going to lie…some songs are not worth writing about) when a memory is triggered, I’ll write it down. Welcome into my mind…

1. Learning To Fly by Tom Petty (Live Anthology version)

· Like I said, my amazingly awesome mom made sure I would grow up to have a firm appreciation for music by making the classics a staple of my childhood. Feels like every Sunday I’d wake up to Tom Petty blaring from the kitchen. This song is especially meaningful for the two of us. During the spring and summer of my freshman year of highschool I went through some pretty intense things in my life. I was so young and trying desperately to find my own way, while getting lost sometimes along the way. That summer my parents took me to an outdoor Tom Petty concert. Tom played this as the entire audience echoed the words throughout the summer night. My mom leaned over to me and whispered, “That’s why I want you to learn to fly right.” I don’t think she realizes how much that sentence changed the course of my life. I was at a crossroads and her words gave me strength to take the high road. Some say life will beat you down, break your heart, steal your crown. So started out, from god knows where. I guess I’ll know, when I get there. I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing.

2. By Heart by Sylvie Lewis

· Some die hard fans may know this already, but this song was featured on the first season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” which was my favorite tv show in high school. While IMHO the show has gone too far downhill to be salvaged (musical episode, really?) the music is still incredible. A lot of my “grownup” tastes in music were shaped by shows like the OC and Grey’s which actually featured obscure alternative and indie music that is as beautiful today as it was five years ago the first time I heard it. I fell asleep listening to this song for about 3 years straight. There’s something calming but melancholic about it. For me, it’s a lullaby. Listen to this song, you won’t regret it.

3. Gimme Shelter by the Stones

· This is one of my favorite Stones songs. While I have seen it performed live, I associate this song with the Vietnam War. Obviously I wasn’t born at that time, but this is an anti-war song, and one of the best at that. I can just picture young men being helicoptered into a jungle war zone when I hear it. Not to mention it’s been in pretty much every badass movie ever made…seriously, look it up. So cool.

4. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing by Jack Johnson (Live in Barcelona)

· This song for me is about uncertainty in relationships. Sometimes things aren’t black and white, and it takes mistakes to learn in life. “Loving somebody don’t make them love you.” This is a great life lesson, right here. I am a famously indecisive person when it comes to my life, and I can totally hear someone singing this song to me. And that’s not necessarily a good thing…but it is a fantastic song.

5. Teardrops On My Guitar by Taylor Swift

· I’ll be honest…I was a 15 year old girl at one point. Of course this song reminds me of just about every boy I ever had the slightest crush on. Even when I was in a relationship, if I heard this song it was as if Taylor was singing to me...despite the fact that I had nothing to be depressed about boy-wise. This does remind me of one boy in particular, who I pined for. I guess that was my first real taste of rejection. Oh to be fifteen again and as overly dramatic as I was. Just kidding.

6. Mellow Yellow by Donovan

· Mrs. Peggy Casey gets all the credit for this. I can literally hear my mother singing this song to me everytime those first chords play. And I can’t help but whisper when I sing it still. I remember wishing my name was Saffron or something sexy and mysterious (and British). Weirdly, my sister ended having a friend in England named Saffron, who I thought was the coolest ever when I was nine.

7. Vienna by the Fray (Live)

· Another one of those songs from the dark ages of my youth. This song is seriously depressing (well, it is a Fray song I suppose). I picture my 14 or 15 year old self with her head against the car window watching the road outside her window. I was too dramatic for my own good, and probably brought on a lot of my angst myself…okay, I know I did. I also remember seeing the Fray perform this in the Newport in 2006.

8. Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin (yes, this really came up.)

· A seminal track from my childhood. When my parents went to Europe for the first time since I had been born, my mom was devastated leaving me and cried daily. My nanny, Katie, always sang this song to me. So, when my mom called me from Paris, three year old Hannah sang her this song. Let’s just say it didn’t make my mom STOP crying. I was apparently a very wordly and mature toddler. What can I say?

9. Bullet And a Target by Citizen Cope

· Listened to this song intently while I was in Turkey last year. Ended up writing the lyrics out (since I could’t look them up) on a coloring book page…yes, I brought one with me. The words are beautiful, and I listened to this on repeat in order to take the effect of the song in.

10. This Town by OAR (Live)

· Friday night lights of senior year of highschool, one of the happiest times of my life. There’s really nothing like getting all decked out in spirit gear, driving to the stadium with your best friends, then watching your boys under the lights. I miss it…kinda.

11. Alive With The Glory Of Love by Say Anything

· PHS hockey seasons 2007.

12. Were You There by Johnny Cash

· This song played when we mimed the stations of the cross in 8^th grade. It was a huge deal at my tiny Catholic gradeschool. And yes, I meant to say “mimed.” White makeup and everything. I was Veronica. It wasn't actually the Johnny Cash version, it was an ancient tape of my music teacher singing it in like 1980 (I was in 8th grade in 2005, so it really was ancient by those standards...cassette tapes? Relics.)

13. Across The Universe from the film

· This movie. One of my favorite. The Beatles version reminds me of driving to Chicago to visit family when I was in 7^th or 8^th grade with my mom. We only listened to the Beatles on the way there, and I remember being captured by these words. “Pools of sorrow, waves of joy, are drifting through my open mind, possessing and caressing me.” That first phrase has just stuck with me ever since. It’s unparelelled beauty if you ask me. If anyone needs proof of the Beatles’ genius, this song is it.

14. All You Need Is Love by the Beatles

· My childhood, what else. One of the greatest songs ever written, no anthem has been ever been as good since. Lennon & McCartney perfectly summed up an entire generation’s point of view in 3 minutes and 47 seconds.

15. When The World Ends by DMB

· DMB concerts, summers with my friends in highschool, driving in Jaryd Gilts’ car. This song just puts a smile on my face.

The next ones wouldn't load, I think I exceeded my blogging limit. More to come!

they say it's your birthday...

2011-05-30T10:28:00.000-04:00

Source: tumblr.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: sprinklebakes.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Happy Birthday to Me!

My favorite day of the year.

xoxo.

(a Casey birthday tradition)

"live unbruised."

2011-05-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

Live unbruised, we are friends.

And I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Sign no more, no more.

One foot in sea, one on shore.

My heart was never pure.

You know me.

You know me.

Last night I had a dream I was free falling from a cliff,

Then I realized I was actually skydiving

Off a cliff...

& had a parachute.

It was absolute freedom, but then I was safe.

But was I?

Questions I can not answer.

masquerade, hide your face so the world can never find you.

2011-05-20T00:13:00.000-04:00

you know those days when you just need to do something just for you? today has been one of those days. i went to class, totally forgot i had reading to do in both of my classes, but got it done anyway. then i finished up my honor's contract, meaning that i had to "commit" to all the classes i'm going to take the next 2 years. weird. it feels so good to get it off my hands and mind, though. i have a french test tomorrow, but i got a 98.8 on the last one, so I honestly don't really give a hoot at this point (this is new territory for me). so after running around campus all day from 9-4, i decided to draw for a while, watch snl, make a yummy thai curry rice dish, eat a little red velvet cake, stumble, and finally watch Phantom of the Opera. you know, i just needed a few hours to sit in my bed, indulge, and sing my bloody heart out (perhaps that was not the most appropriate usage of "bloody," ehh). while it's not the greatest movie ever made, man do i love that show. it gets me everytime, i cried at the end despite that i've seen the show atleast 3 times live. i connect with Christine in a weird, existential sort of way. she's put in a pickle when it comes to love and life, and it gets pretty messy. and man, do i love singing along. "masquerade" is my favorite scene...someone take me to a masked ball, please. preferably in the late 19th century...no? you say you can't do that? pish posh! i also watched the kissing scene from the notebook on youtube...okay, so before you scoff, i'm too tired to watch another movie right now, and something about Phantom made me ponder grand romantic gestures, and what is more romantic than that scene? honestly. every girl likes to be swept off her feet. tomorrow is going to be great...no, not great, super! i'm going to get up early, study my little tush off, ace my french test (fingys crossed) then lay out in the sun with my friends, and finally go see OAR for the first time!

***

sometimes i live like i'm at a masquerade. i'm all done up but hiding behind an exquisitely crafted mask, refusing to let it slip. and sometimes, when i do let the mask fall just a little, i immediately shut off and run in the other direction, leaving only the mystery and none of the truth. as much as i am open, i am terrible at saying what needs to be said, when i need to say it. just think of me as the girl at the ball, my eyes betray me.

Music Thursday: Mumford Edition (etc. etc.)

2011-05-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Source: s88.photobucket.com via Hannah on Pinterest

this is how i feel at the moment. i am evolving and changing every day, mostly due to the fact that i'm living my life the way i want to, not based on someone else's bullshit rules. there are many things in my life i wish i could take back or change if i had the chance, but i do not regret-i can't regret-anything. everything happens for a reason, even if that reason isn't obvious right away. i believe that at some point things work out, and if they don't, well, good riddance. people change, time goes on, not everyone is meant to be in your life...there are a few people i wish were still in mine, and it's probably my fault that they're not, but at the end of the day i sleep just fine and if i wasn't important enough to them to remain, than i can move on and find people who cherish and respect me.

i wear my heart on my sleeve, i'll never deny that. my mysterious lies in my obviousness.

i feel a bit like James Joyce, everything I just wrote was organic and stream of consciousness...not rhyme or reasoning to this madness.

there's just something about this song. its simplicity and overwhelming complexity. i'm not quite sure what gets me about these words, but they really register with me. there's anger, love, sadness, hopefulness, and disappointment wrapped up in one beautiful tune. you gotta love a crescendo too.

"you desired my attention, but denied my affections, my affections."

please excuse the "fanvid"...I actually watch skins (the british, good version), and this video actually goes really well with the song and the relationship it's about.

sha la la la la...

2011-05-18T11:08:00.000-04:00

dear ms. kate spade,

i have to tell ya-your stuff gets me everytime.

i love all your beautiful party dresses and bright accessories,

but what I truly love about your stuff is your brilliant ads!

they are so fun and make me want to have a life worthy of a kate spade photo.

Source: azcentral.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: justtryagain.tumblr.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: galadarling.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: katespade.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: leblahg.com via Hannah on Pinterest

happy wednesday, everybody!

I've got a new obsession...

2011-05-17T16:17:00.000-04:00

pinterest.com

now, you may be wondering...what, pray tell, is "pin-terest"?

it's this wonderful little website that literally allows you to "pin" things that interest you (get it?) onto little "boards" that you can categorize and add to. For someone like me, who is always looking for inspiration and also always feeling like my harddrive is filled up with pictures and things that I come across, this is amazing. Instead of having to save these pictures, then eventually forgetting about them, this way I'm being stimulated (such a strange word) visually but also being super organized! I keep track of recipes I think look good because when you see something on a website or blog that you like, you just click this little tab and pin it to one of your boards. This way it saves the original link info, so all I have to do is go back to the picture and click! Let's just say I have a lot of things to make this summer. It's a great way of finding fun new blogs, recipes, fashion ideas, party ideas, travel destinations, and just generally pretty things!

my pinterest is: http://pinterest.com/hannahdalton/

even if you don't want one of your own, check it out!

update on this weekend's glorious activities, coming soon! :)

happy days are here to stay.

2011-05-12T09:45:00.000-04:00

Here's a little update on my life lately...Spring has finally come to the 614! I spent all yesterday and Monday in the sun, and it felt super. I mean besides all the obvious reasons that I go to the best school in the country, in the hot weather our Oval (basically just the green in front of the library in the middle of campus) becomes "Beach Oval" where thousands of students lay out, play games, and even DJs and ice cream trucks stop by occasionally! After all the dreaded rain Ohio's gotten in the last two months, it was a much needed break. Like everything about Columbus, I feel like the weather's motto here is "Go big or go home." So when the sun's out...it is out! In a few minutes I'm leaving for Washington D.C. for my cousin's wedding, a much needed family weekend (all the Casey kids reunited!) and break from school.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, enjoy yourselves :)

my twin cousin Jane & I at the bridal shower!

Dalton girls (plus Reilly!)!

my cousin Claire and I on Easter

My niece Jillian Juniper, the cutest.

Cinco de Mayo

my roomski Brooke!

Countdown:

2 days until the wedding

8 days till O.A.R.

18 days till my birthday

27 days till summer

about a month & a half till vacation!

Mama, my friend.

2011-05-08T12:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

Nothing I can write can express how much I love and appreciate you.
I don't know what I'd do without you.

Thank you for making me the person I am today.

Thank you for being my mom.

& Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mamas in my family,

especially my sisters, Grandma, & BaBa.

It's Official...

2011-05-03T18:34:00.001-04:00

This summer...

I will be leavin' on a jetplane to England & Ireland!
I can't even surpress my excitement...I'm even listening to irish music as we speak (shh)
My sister Emily lives in Southern England (with her husband and two sons) and it's pretty difficult for them to get back to the states multiple times a year like they usually do, so we're coming to them!
The last time I was at my sister's was Spring Break 2009, before I graduated high school.
My sister Liz & I hopped over the pond to have SisterFest'09, one of the best weeks of my life.
Needless to say, I'm dying to go.
This will be my 4th trip to jolly England,
and I'm looking forward to revisiting some of the places I saw when I was really little
(the first two trips were when I was 8 and 11).
But more imporantly (not really) is that I'm going to the land of my ancestors, IRELAND!
Those who know me probably know that I'm Irish, like, really Irish (see my last St. Patty's post).
My grandfather was 100% Irish, and my great-great grandfather moved to the states when he was a teenager.
I've always been kind of weirdly interested in my heritage, and I've been fascinated with the Emerald Isle for as long as I can remember.
And of course I have a weakness for Irish accents...so sexy.
My parents went to Southern Ireland when I was in 8th grade, so this time we're doing Northern Ireland.
You know what's there? Belfast. You know why that's super cool? The Titanic was built there.
Hello, Titanic tour!
We've got our tickets and I'm raring to go. I can assure you there will be many more posts about this trip in the future as we plan more!

Belfast, Northern Ireland

at my sister's in the countryside

Of course I can't have a post regarding the United Kingdom without commenting on the Royal Wedding.

I thought Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, looked absolutely stunning and regal. Her dress screams Grace Kelly, one of the most iconic wedding dresses of all time. I think Kate's will go down in the same category. There was nothing overdone or trendy, Sarah Burton did a brilliant job. It is truly a timeless gown that will always be sophisticated and stylish. Unlike many brides, I doubt Kate will look back on her wedding in 20 years and say, "what was I thinking?!" Love it. Also, I'm just a big supporter of wedding gowns with lace sleeves. Funny tidbit, Kate's mom wore a dress (not the coat) by the designer who did my sister's wedding gown, which was absolutely gorgeous! Fun!

Princess Grace

Bluegrass Thursday.

2011-04-21T10:44:00.001-04:00

I just had to get this out there. I'm a big fan of bluegrass, it's just a good time. Everytime bluegrass comes on it puts me in a better mood. Bluegrass is my kind of "country music." It's got soul, Southern twang, and doesn't loose site of the music. Helps that bluegrass is the foundation of rock & roll. Just ask Keith Richards. I have always wanted to learn how to play the banjo...Just one of those things. Someday! Happy Bluegrass Thursday!

I think I'm going to start Music Thursday on here. Every week I'll share some new (or old) music that I'm listening too. So I suppose this is the inaugural post! Check back next week for some more tunes...

This version of "Born This Way" is so fun and original, it just made me smile. I also love how impromptu it is.

Old Crow Medicine Show is a family affair at the Casey household. Everytime I'm home they are playing. My parents got to see them last year and ED HELMS (Andy from the Office) got up and played the banjo with them. I was just a little jealous. One of the members is from Toledo, and my parents are friends with his family. Pretty cool. Even Toledo has soul. If you're unfamiliar with Old Crow you probably have heard their song "Wagon Wheel"...a staple, feel good time song. Enjoy@!

xo

Blog Guilt

2011-04-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

Dear "A Day In The Life,"

I have been suffering from a strange condition as of late. You've probably heard this a million times, along with "sorry my dog ate my...internet?" but, I beg of you, Blog. Please understand. It's not you, it's me. Really. I've been suffering from Blog Guilt. For those of you who aren't the proprietors of your own self-absorbed website, here is a handy textbook definition:

Blog Guilt: It's when I feel really, REALLY bad for neglecting my posting duties.
Hannah had a bad case of blog guilt when she realized her last 2 posts were on St. Patrick's Day (a month ago) and the beginning of April.

I'm telling you, it's all consuming. I was literally driving back from my job the other day, and as I merged onto 670 it crept up on me like that weird friend whose hugs always last a little bit too long. I realized I had not posted in ages. And I felt so bad! I'm sure there are loads of people out there who have my blog linked in their ultra special bookmark TOOLBAR (way better than the menu). I'm also pretty positive these people have been crying themselves to sleep daily to the sound of "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan, in mourning for my poor, neglected blog. I mean seriously, someone from Blog Protective Services should really look into me. I'm a terrible parent...I never hesitate to leave the stove on when I leave my blog alone at home when I go to work. I always leave bleach and glue in reach of my blog...I'm telling you.

In short I suppose this is an apology. I could tell you I haven't felt inspired lately, but then I'd sound like a total douche. I could tell you that I've been suuuuper busy with my uber-exciting life, but then I'd be the kind of person who says "uber." No, thank you. I won't tell you those things. I'll simply try to mend all of your broken hearts by telling you what made me write this tonight.

Sincerely,
Hannah D. C.

Now, some of you might be thinking, "Wait, did she mean to upload that picture? It is really colorful..." And yes, I did mean to upload it. Fruity Cheerios, aka the best thing to happen to cereal since...apple cinnamon cheerios? ugh whatever...Anyway, these are my new obsession. And if you know me, you know I don't take that word lightly. I'm kind of OCD, okay I'm actually obsessive compulsive, and these things are just out of this world. When I was a kid my mom was not into sugary, candy-esque breakfast foods (poptarts, Capt' Crunch, Reese's orbs-see never even eaten them!) She was not a "cool" mom in that sense (I LOVE YOU MOM!) I could pretty much do whatever I wanted when I was little and I ate pretty much nothing, but that's how I liked it. If it wasn't a variation of chicken nuggets, bread, or crackers, I wasn't having it. I guess what I'm saying is that I missed out on the Fruit Loops boat. When I was babysitting a few weeks ago I discovered Fruit Loops in all their glory. I was a goner...then I discovered these suckers. They make me feel like maybe I'm getting some nutrition since they're "naturally flavored" and Cheerios. How can you go wrong? I'll tell you how...I eat these like they are going out of style-literally. When I sit down with the box you'd think there was a government ban on Fruit Circle Cereals. I swear I might as well be in a speak easy. They can't get into my mouth fast enough....okay, you get it. I'll stop. This is ridiculous. Why am I still talking about it?

I don't have a lot else to say because my mind is still on those damn cheerios, but I will leave you with this.
I tried to upload this picture to facebook last night in hopes that someone will get me one of these little buggers for my birthday. One can dream, am I right?

Well, this is what I got in response from Facebook:

I was shocked at the audacity of Facebook to try to tell ME that my picture wasn't "good enough" for their ridiculous standards. SORRY not all of us can be average sized, Mark Zuckerberg! Even hedgehogs have image problems, you don't have to make them feel worse about it. They can't help that someone decided to put them in a vertical photo montage. Not their fault! Well, I heard that Facebook's parents (Mr. Myspace & Mrs. Friendster) are sleeping in separate bedrooms...but shhh, you didn't hear it from me.

If you made it here you get to pass GO and collect your allowance or something...get out of here.

"I cannot side with hatred, my truth nature sides with love."

2011-04-06T14:35:00.000-04:00

Troy, Turkey

Pergamum, Turkey (just a little bigger)
Sits up to 10,000...easily

Cheesing at Pergamum

Theatre at Ephesus (can you see me, I was in shock...it was gigantic)

Ephesian Theatre, largest theatre in Turkey, seats 25,000)

Theatre at Delphi...outstanding.

Athens Theatre where the first Greek tragedies were done at the festival of Dionysus

Delphi, Greece

Theatre of Epidaurus, Greece (15,000 capacity)

Sitting in one of the original seats
(Yes, I'm theatre-geeking out)

One of the most well preserved ancient theatres in the world.
They still have performances here from time to time...I'd die.

I am in Theatre 100 (honors) right now and on the first day of class, my professor showed us a picture of the Theatre of Epidarus (pictured above). I was obviously excited because I was there this summer, and actually got to sit in the the seats...I had a Sophocles moment, I assure you. I decided to compile the photos I took this summer of ancient theatres in Turkey and Greece. Nearly everywhere we went there was an incredible (and incredibly preserved) theatre. I just finished Antigone by Sophocles for the 4th time, and could literally imagine what it would have looked like seeing it performed thousands of years ago in the hey day of one of these theatres. I count myself as lucky that as an actor (and person in general), I have experienced first hand the true wonder and legend of theatre throughout history. These pictures do not do these sites justice, they are bigger and more grand than one can possibly imagine. They are heavenly, the work of gods.

Luck O' The Irish

2011-03-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

Casey is a common variation of the Gaelic cathasaigh, meaning vigilant or watchful.

At least six different septs used this name, primarily in the Counties of Cork & Dublin.

I'm Irish, in case you didn't know. I'm 50% Irish in fact. I even have two Irish names, Dalton & Casey.

My family is very proud of our heritage, & we take St. Patrick's Day very seriously.

My family is Irish Catholic to the core--stubborn, loud, extremely tight knit, & fiercely loyal.

Whenever St. Patty's Day rolls around, I feel like I should let everyone know how Irish I am. I mean everyone is kind of Irish on St. Patty's, but it's kind of awesome to have a super fun holiday just for your nationality.

I've always wanted to go to Ireland (my parents went without me when I was in 7th grade!), and today always makes me want to go even more. I'm really interested in my heritage, since it is so rich with history.

The Irish are resilient. We have experienced some pretty harsh things over the years,

but, hey, we're still here. I think there's a lesson in that. My dad used to sing Irish lullabies to me when I was little & I always end up listening to them today. So here's some tunes to get you in the mood!

photo credits: here here here

the essentials

2011-03-16T16:08:00.000-04:00

With warm weather on the way, shoes are one of my favorite things about spring! It's time to dust off your wedges, sandals, and cute light colored pumps! Two styles I absolutely adore are the brown leather wedge and nude in any style! Both these styles/colors elongate the leg and make it look as if you go on for miles!

These wedges are all kind of to-die-for. Like I said, the light brown helps to elongate the legs, not bring attention to where they end! Especially in the warmer months, when we're all a little bit tanner, these suckers do the trick.

If you are naturally tan with warm undertones, go with a rich mahoganey like #3.
If you have paler skin and cool undertones, go with a light tan closer to your own skin tone, like #4.

I have always been a little self conscious of my muscular calves, as I know many women are, so if this is the case, don't go with a style with a strap right at your ankle (#4) this cuts off the leg and draws attention to your problem area.

Instead go with a style that wraps around the ankle without fully cutting across.

I love 1,2, & 3 because the criss cross bring the eye even further down your foot!
*A word of warning: wedges are much easier to walk in since your weight is more evenly distrubuted, but do NOT choose a style with no straps over the top of the foot, or in the back of the ankle. These straps act as extra support and keep you front stepping out of the wedges, clunking around noisily, and breaking your ankle. Wedges are usually pretty heavy, so choose a style with as much help as you can get!

1., 2., 3. (only 39.99!), & 4.

If you've read my blog recently, you'll know that I adore nude patent pumps & flats. I think they are timeless, chic, and super sexy! Again, they make your legs look like they go on for years, even if you're wearing flats. I own 1. & they are definitely one of my favorite purchases this year! Any occasion--a wedding, dinner date, night out, prom--are a perfect time to break out your nude shoes!

Platform pumps are all the rage right now, and you can't walk into a department store without seeing a bunch of nude platforms. Some of them are outrageously high, but keep your eye out...I got mine at Kohl's on sale from $70!

The platform has its advantages because, like the wedge, it helps to more evenly distribute your weight so it's not going straight to the ball of your foot!
The same rule applies with skin tone as with the wedges: If you have a darker complexion go with a rich, warm shade. If you're more on the pale side, go with a light, cool shade! Match your shoes as best you can to your skin in order to elongate as much as possible!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

happy spring & happy styling!

--hdc

"Don't look back"

2011-03-14T22:01:00.000-04:00

sister & me at our old house on Hickory Street. can you guess who is who?
my sister & me at our old house on Hickory Street. can you guess who's who?

Today I wrote...and I wrote, and I wrote.

And I feel good.

And I'm not stressing about the paper I have to write,
or the exam I have at 7:30 am tomorrow.
I'm just high on life.
I'm slowly taking off the mask, bit by bit.
It can be scary, but the foundation is finally cracking...
but in a good way.

Yours truly,
HDC