Dear Friend,
Believe it or not, but we've been in college for exactly a month. So much has happened since our last post and to be honest, we're still trying to soak everything in. Nevertheless, Saint Mary's feels like home. We are able to get around campus without getting lost and we've established a weekly routine. Over the past few days we've had some time to reflect over our first month as college freshman and we keep coming back to one central question: Are we doing college wrong? To us, college has always been depicted as an opportunity to start over. We've been told many times that "people change in college." But this isn't the case for the two of us. Yes, in the grand scheme of things, this phase in our lives will help shape who we are, but we aren't purposely reinventing ourselves. We're the same old Kylie and Catherine. We're enjoying the challenge of branching out and meeting new people, and just generally being exposed to the California culture, but we haven't drastically changed. We're not saying that we won't be open to change ever, but for now, we're pretty happy with who we are and we're not going to conform to the stereotypes that are often associated with the "typical college student." This is just a small glimpse into our thoughts on "doing college" and we're positive much more reflecting will be done as the year goes on. We can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings, but for now, here are some updates on our first month in college:
September 2013 at SMC
1. We've befriended many new people who live on the third floor of our residence hall, often referring to ourselves as a "sorority."
2. We've gotten to know our professors and we're getting comfortable with our classes. This semester, Kylie is taking Psychology, Communications, English, and Math, and Catherine is taking Math, Intro to Microeconomics, Chemistry Lecture, Chemistry Lab, and World History.
3. We've managed to use the BART to get in and out of Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and San Francisco without getting lost/dying.
4. We've found the nearest Safeway and Trader Joe's.
5. We had our first Starbucks in San Francisco, which was unfortunately quite disappointing.
6. We've learned to cook a full meal (pasta and garlic bread) in the dorm room.
7. Kylie joined the women's rowing team and Catherine joined the club tennis team.
8. We have a deeper appreciation for Chef Ron and the food services at Forest Ridge- college food is just not up to par.
9. Kylie attended her first concert at the Fillmore in San Francisco.
10. Along with a few other girls, we have our own radio show on the college radio station- we'll be sure to let you know when it's up and running so you can tune in!
We don't consider ourselves to be homesick, but there have been times over the past few weeks where we've found ourselves missing the Seattle area and reminiscing over our HS memories. So to all our family and friends in Seattle, we can't wait to see you soon, and to our lovely class of 2013 girlies, we truly miss you all and hope that all your upcoming adventures make you incredibly happy. Along with other sporadic posts in between, we'll continue to post monthly updates throughout our year at SMC, so if you're crazy enough to read what we have to say, don't forget to check out the blog every once in awhile!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Moving In
Dear Friend,
We made it. We're college students. This post is coming directly from Moraga, CA, home of Saint Mary's, our AMAZING college. Catherine arrived yesterday to move in and go through orientation, and Kylie arrived today (as she already did orientation back in June).
Moving in felt overwhelming at times, but everything went smoothly because the SMC community was super organized and welcoming. When we first drove on to campus, we received our keys and a packet full of important documents. Then, we were greeted by Brother Dominic, who is the most adorable, funny, and chatty Brother you'll ever meet. In fact, he told us, "If you lift a finger, we're going to have to arrest you." When that's one of the first statements you hear upon arriving to campus, you know you're in good hands. After that, we were told to find the "yellow balloons," which indicated our residence hall (oh, did we mention we got placed in the same dorm building?...yea, that happened). Once we found the yellow balloons, we were greeted by a huge group of screaming kids welcoming us. They carried everything up to our dorm room- sticking true to Brother Dom's word.
Many hours later, we finally settled in to our new homes. Our residence hall is set up suite style, which means 3-6 kids share one bathroom, rather than a few bathrooms per floor (score!). Catherine is in a double on the second floor and Kylie's in a single on the third. We each have a closet, dresser, desk, and bed, among many other things we brought ourselves. In fact, Catherine and her roommate have a little snack bar/kitchen area- fully equipped with a coffee machine, fridge, hot water heater, and more! Kylie also brought her fancy hot water heater especially for tea. We are golden!
This adventure is already off to a great start and we couldn't be happier. From now on, we'll be posting a lot about our college experience at SMC, so keep checking in!
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” –C.S. Lewis
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We made it. We're college students. This post is coming directly from Moraga, CA, home of Saint Mary's, our AMAZING college. Catherine arrived yesterday to move in and go through orientation, and Kylie arrived today (as she already did orientation back in June).
Moving in felt overwhelming at times, but everything went smoothly because the SMC community was super organized and welcoming. When we first drove on to campus, we received our keys and a packet full of important documents. Then, we were greeted by Brother Dominic, who is the most adorable, funny, and chatty Brother you'll ever meet. In fact, he told us, "If you lift a finger, we're going to have to arrest you." When that's one of the first statements you hear upon arriving to campus, you know you're in good hands. After that, we were told to find the "yellow balloons," which indicated our residence hall (oh, did we mention we got placed in the same dorm building?...yea, that happened). Once we found the yellow balloons, we were greeted by a huge group of screaming kids welcoming us. They carried everything up to our dorm room- sticking true to Brother Dom's word.
Many hours later, we finally settled in to our new homes. Our residence hall is set up suite style, which means 3-6 kids share one bathroom, rather than a few bathrooms per floor (score!). Catherine is in a double on the second floor and Kylie's in a single on the third. We each have a closet, dresser, desk, and bed, among many other things we brought ourselves. In fact, Catherine and her roommate have a little snack bar/kitchen area- fully equipped with a coffee machine, fridge, hot water heater, and more! Kylie also brought her fancy hot water heater especially for tea. We are golden!
This adventure is already off to a great start and we couldn't be happier. From now on, we'll be posting a lot about our college experience at SMC, so keep checking in!
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” –C.S. Lewis
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Blog Recommendation: The Daily Zen
Dear Friend,
Lately, we have followed a new twitter account: Daily Zen. The Daily Zen is a blog that was started, written, and is maintained by a college student living in New York City. It is a collection of quotes and articles that cove a variety of topics, including happiness, book recommendations, advice on managing stress, relationships, and life's curve balls, exercise, and much more. Each blog post is concise, simple, and full of knowledge. Below are three of our favorite posts.
-10 Top 10 Lists to Write
-Zen and The Dream Life
-Don't Take Life Too Seriously
"Zen takes the attitude of, 'Life is inherently absurd and meaningless and I can basically do whatever I want,' and gives it meaning." The Daily Zen
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Lately, we have followed a new twitter account: Daily Zen. The Daily Zen is a blog that was started, written, and is maintained by a college student living in New York City. It is a collection of quotes and articles that cove a variety of topics, including happiness, book recommendations, advice on managing stress, relationships, and life's curve balls, exercise, and much more. Each blog post is concise, simple, and full of knowledge. Below are three of our favorite posts.
-10 Top 10 Lists to Write
-Zen and The Dream Life
-Don't Take Life Too Seriously
"Zen takes the attitude of, 'Life is inherently absurd and meaningless and I can basically do whatever I want,' and gives it meaning." The Daily Zen
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
How Small are We?
Dear Friend,
Most everyone has had the experience of being outside at night and looking up to the stars and thinking "Compared to everything out there, I am so, so small." Perhaps this experience made you feel insignificant. Maybe when you learn that the Earth can fit into the sun about 1.3 million times, and the Sun can fit into a larger star Antares about 152 million times, and Antares is smaller than a quarter of a pixel when compared to VV Cephei (the largest star known) on the computer, you start to feel really small. Maybe you start to think that all your problems are so insignificant because you just saw the photo NASA released of "The Pale Blue Dot", or you realized that you're one of 107,602,707,791 people who have ever been born on planet Earth, you might begin to get settled into the mindset that your tiny, insignificant life and tiny problems and worries don't actually make any difference in the big scheme of things.
But this is just one way to think.
The way we think about the size of us compared to the size of the universe isn't actually comparative at all. Instead of feeling small and unimportant, try to settle into the mindset that you, dear friend, are part of the biggest and most amazing thing ever created. Van Gogh once said "I don't know anything with certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." Instead of feeling like you're helplessly clinging to a ball of rock and soil hurtling through space with no method or reason, try to remember that you are here for a reason. You are the universe, and the universe is you. Another amazing tid-bit is that the entirety of space can fit inside the human eye and in relation head.
Person A: Can you fit the entire universe inside an egg?
Person B: Do you see that tree? And the moon? And all those stars and sky?
Person A: Yes...?
Person B: Then what makes you doubt for even a second that that universe cannot fit inside an egg if you can fit it all inside your little eyeball?
Sure, the literal universe and all it's bits and pieces cannot fit inside of the human eye, but the fact that our tiny heads can even begin to comprehend just how huge the universe is, is pretty amazing.
Many people who are in the first mindset, or the "Why do I matter?" mindset, actually create a paradox. Simply by thinking that you're so small and insignificant is actually pretty selfish. YOU are an amazing individual and everything you say or do matters, just as the person sitting next you matters, or that stranger with the nice smile matters. You are an individual, but you're also part of something much, much bigger than yourself. The universe. And if you think that you can just remove yourself from that and compare your life to the biggest thing in existence, you're a little nutty.
"Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all." -Van Gogh
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Blessings of Summer
Dear Friend,
Each season has its own myriad of blessings. Fall brings scarves and caramel apple spice drinks, winter brings boots and snowflakes, and with spring comes flowers and the anticipation for summer. Seeing as we are in the middle of our own summer bliss, we just wanted to share in depth what we thought makes summer such an enjoyable season.
Sunshine
"And it sure feels fine, when the sunshine shines..." This line is from one of our favorite songs, "And the Birds Sing" by Tyrone Wells. If you haven't heard this song, we highly recommend that you go listen to it. Not only does this it lift up your spirits, but it also speaks of one of summer's most valued blessings: the sun. When the sun is out, everyone seems to be in a happier mood. In a way, the sun is sort of magical- as it brightens up the world, people tend to shine with happiness and radiate warmth.
Longer days
As we said before, the sun is quite magical. Because of the sun rising earlier and setting later, our days are longer during the summer. This means more activities while the sun is still out, and more activities means more fun! Also, for those in school, the days start to blend with each other. When you start asking yourself, "What day is it?," then summer has definitely got to you!
The Beach
The beach is a popular destination during the summer. It's the perfect spot for meeting up with friends, working on your tan, and cooling off in the water. If you live near a beach, we suggest you make the most of it and hang out there as much as possible!
Picnics
During the summer, you can easily organize a picnic. Just gather your family or call up some friends, pack a couple sandwiches, fruit, and cool drinks, and drive to the nearest park or lake- and voila! You've arranged a nice summer picnic.
Ice Cream and Shaved Ice
These are the best treats to have during the summer. Completely full of sugar and pure happiness, ice cream and shaved ice seem to be extra tasty on those summer days and cool you down instantly.
Rolled down windows
Summer is not summer unless you've rolled down your windows and blast country songs while driving. Having the windows down is guaranteed to make driving much more tolerable when it's hot out and gives you the chance to sing your little heart out to your favorite songs. To put it simply, rolled down windows equals carefree spirit.
Vacation time
Last, but not least, we love summer because it gives us the opportunity to go on vacation. Whether it's a small road trip to the cabin or visiting Disneyland, time off your daily schedule is much needed. Vacations give you the chance to relax and reboot yourself.
What do you enjoy about summer? Keep in mind these are just a couple of our favorite things, summer is too awesome to be limited to these seven blessings!
"Happy as the sun, lighter than a feather..." - Tyrone Wells, "Happy As the Sun"
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Each season has its own myriad of blessings. Fall brings scarves and caramel apple spice drinks, winter brings boots and snowflakes, and with spring comes flowers and the anticipation for summer. Seeing as we are in the middle of our own summer bliss, we just wanted to share in depth what we thought makes summer such an enjoyable season.
Sunshine
"And it sure feels fine, when the sunshine shines..." This line is from one of our favorite songs, "And the Birds Sing" by Tyrone Wells. If you haven't heard this song, we highly recommend that you go listen to it. Not only does this it lift up your spirits, but it also speaks of one of summer's most valued blessings: the sun. When the sun is out, everyone seems to be in a happier mood. In a way, the sun is sort of magical- as it brightens up the world, people tend to shine with happiness and radiate warmth.
Longer days
As we said before, the sun is quite magical. Because of the sun rising earlier and setting later, our days are longer during the summer. This means more activities while the sun is still out, and more activities means more fun! Also, for those in school, the days start to blend with each other. When you start asking yourself, "What day is it?," then summer has definitely got to you!
The Beach
The beach is a popular destination during the summer. It's the perfect spot for meeting up with friends, working on your tan, and cooling off in the water. If you live near a beach, we suggest you make the most of it and hang out there as much as possible!
Picnics
During the summer, you can easily organize a picnic. Just gather your family or call up some friends, pack a couple sandwiches, fruit, and cool drinks, and drive to the nearest park or lake- and voila! You've arranged a nice summer picnic.
Ice Cream and Shaved Ice
These are the best treats to have during the summer. Completely full of sugar and pure happiness, ice cream and shaved ice seem to be extra tasty on those summer days and cool you down instantly.
Rolled down windows
Summer is not summer unless you've rolled down your windows and blast country songs while driving. Having the windows down is guaranteed to make driving much more tolerable when it's hot out and gives you the chance to sing your little heart out to your favorite songs. To put it simply, rolled down windows equals carefree spirit.
Vacation time
Last, but not least, we love summer because it gives us the opportunity to go on vacation. Whether it's a small road trip to the cabin or visiting Disneyland, time off your daily schedule is much needed. Vacations give you the chance to relax and reboot yourself.
What do you enjoy about summer? Keep in mind these are just a couple of our favorite things, summer is too awesome to be limited to these seven blessings!
"Happy as the sun, lighter than a feather..." - Tyrone Wells, "Happy As the Sun"
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Important Updates
Dear Friend,
Once again, we apologize for not writing for a while. We just wanted you to know that yes, we're still here. in fact, we have some really exciting news regarding this blog to share with you!
1. TRAVEL BLOG
We are happy to announce that we have created a sub-blog of sorts. The two of us have done a fair amount of traveling, and we with have caught the wanderlust. dearadventurer.blogspot.com is our very new travel blog (so new, in fact, that it still has the original template and theme, and no posts.) We'll let you know when we post there, but for now just keep in mind that that's our little side project.
2. MUSICAL ARTIST INTERVIEWS
As you probably know by now, we are absolute connoisseurs of new music. We love surfing around on iTunes, youtube, 8tracks, pandora...pretty much any music site that will introduce us to new, amazing music. Anyways, some of our new favorites include Peter Hollens, Nora Jane Struthers, and Pegasus Bridge (which we also learned broke up in 2011). So where are we going with this? We are SO thrilled to tell you that we have interviews lined up with Peter, Nora, and Tommy (the drummer from Pegasus Bridge who recently debuted his EP 'Riots' on iTunes). These three are some of the nicest, most talented people we have been lucky enough to contact and we can't wait to introduce you all. Over the next few weeks we will be posting music reviews of these three artists, along with bits from the conversations we're having with each of them. We are literally so excited.
3. TOP SECRET
We have another super top secret project that we can't tell you about yet, but keep checking back with us, because we'll post it within the next month! Pinky promise.
Thank you for sticking with us through our hiatus. It's nearly over! Also, Catherine is getting her wisdom teeth out on FRIDAY so send her good vibes and energy.
Patience is a virtue.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Once again, we apologize for not writing for a while. We just wanted you to know that yes, we're still here. in fact, we have some really exciting news regarding this blog to share with you!
1. TRAVEL BLOG
We are happy to announce that we have created a sub-blog of sorts. The two of us have done a fair amount of traveling, and we with have caught the wanderlust. dearadventurer.blogspot.com is our very new travel blog (so new, in fact, that it still has the original template and theme, and no posts.) We'll let you know when we post there, but for now just keep in mind that that's our little side project.
2. MUSICAL ARTIST INTERVIEWS
As you probably know by now, we are absolute connoisseurs of new music. We love surfing around on iTunes, youtube, 8tracks, pandora...pretty much any music site that will introduce us to new, amazing music. Anyways, some of our new favorites include Peter Hollens, Nora Jane Struthers, and Pegasus Bridge (which we also learned broke up in 2011). So where are we going with this? We are SO thrilled to tell you that we have interviews lined up with Peter, Nora, and Tommy (the drummer from Pegasus Bridge who recently debuted his EP 'Riots' on iTunes). These three are some of the nicest, most talented people we have been lucky enough to contact and we can't wait to introduce you all. Over the next few weeks we will be posting music reviews of these three artists, along with bits from the conversations we're having with each of them. We are literally so excited.
3. TOP SECRET
We have another super top secret project that we can't tell you about yet, but keep checking back with us, because we'll post it within the next month! Pinky promise.
Thank you for sticking with us through our hiatus. It's nearly over! Also, Catherine is getting her wisdom teeth out on FRIDAY so send her good vibes and energy.
Patience is a virtue.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wendy Davis
Dear Friend,
If you were awake last night around 11-2am PST, you might have been in on the chaos that involved the Texas senate, a woman named Wendy Davis, a livestream, over 370,000 people, and a pair of pink Mizuno sneakers.
What Happened:
Normally, the two of us aren't ones to get excited over parliamentary processes, but yesterday was pretty big. (Please don't just skip over this post because you think it'll be boring.) Tuesday, June 25th, the Texas senate was set to vote on "sb5". If voted yes, 69 of the 74 abortion clinics in Texas would close, and a woman would not be allowed to legally get an abortion after the first 20 weeks since fertilization (which Wendy points out is ludicrous since there really is no way of knowing the exact day of fertilization).
To have her voice heard, senate woman Wendy Davis attempted a 13 hours filibuster. If you don't know what a filibuster is, essentially a member of the senate can talk for 13 hours straight (previously 24) about the topic (in this case, abortion in Texas). She was allowed no breaks including but not limited to: drinking, eating, bathroom beaks, sitting, or leaning against the podium. If this isn't inhumane, we don't know what is. Anyways, after 11 hours, someone else in the senate claimed that she broke the rules, because she went off topic to talk about a previous bill (use your own discretion to decide if that is truly off topic or not). The senate follows the three strikes and you're out rule. Her second strike had been receiving the aid of a back brace. Again...really?
Not to mention that during the 11 hours, 19 male senators were trying to get her off topic, yelling, and trying to rip her apart. Rose Parks wouldn't stand up, Wendy Davis wouldn't sit down. Earlier, Davis had reached out to girls and women in Texas via social media to send her stories of how abortions had really saved their lives. Many of the 11 hours were spent hearing these stories from strong females like herself.
So, at the 11 hour mark, she was cut short. This is when chaos really broke out. By this point, a livestream of the inside of the Texas Senate was posted with over 200,000 viewers (including one of us). Over 170,000 Texas citizens had come to the capital and were essentially rioting against the passing of sb5. Twitter and tumblr were exploding, and everyone watching was so rilled up. The energy was contagious. But through this all, major news sites such as CNN, NBC, and Fox had yet to post anything regarding the events.
In fact, CNN was tweeting about muffins.
So with only a while left to go, some senator started making a big deal about her back brace, and the filibuster was halted. At this point, things started to get really bad, and basically all the men were just yelling at each other (don't forget that 200,000 people are watching all of this online). Someone started to make a commotion about how she had gone off topic earlier as well to talk about another bill. Let's not forget that filibusters in the past have featured men literally reading phonebooks.
Now, the crowd started to chant "Let her speak! Let her speak!" and everyone was pretty much in revolution mode. Senator Wallace talked for a good half hour about how Davis' points were completely valid and on topic (go Wallace!). Then, with 15 minutes to go, the men were yelling at each other again and it was getting bad. Not to mention the crowd's chanting, cheering, yelling, and singing. At this point, a woman named Senator Van de Putte got real mad and tried to call a motion to adjourn the meeting, which, by their rules, should be heard above everything else, but because of the patriarchal society we live in, was overlooked. Finally, after having to literally raise her hand, she said "At what point must a female senator raise her hand and her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues in the room?
At this point, everyone watcing did a collective "OH, SNAP!" This was the tipping point. The crowd was so passionate and rilled up that they cheered and made so much noise for 15 minutes straight that they couldn't take the vote. Watch the 30 second video HERE.
At 12:02 on Wednesday, a vote was taken.
But here's the thing. It was taken on Wednesday. If you were paying attention earlier, a vote taken on any date other than TUESDAY was illegitimate. So does it end there?
No. Because some moron decided to change the timestamp on the law, effectively throwing those 370,000 people into even more of a tailspin.
And CNN was still tweeting about muffins.
Let's also not forget that 170,000 people are filling the capital to shout for their rights, while 19 senators are literally voting for the exact opposite...democracy, anyone? Also, 200,000 people had watched the whole thing happen online, and you BET that video was timestamped.
Note: if you're going to go against your own law and commit a federal crime, don't do it infront of 370,000 passionate people fighting for what they believe in, and try to convince them that you can literally warp the time dimension and don't prentend like a camera of a livestream that you voluntarily set up isn't timestamped.
So the republicans had now voted, and both sides were claiming victory; democrats claiming (correctly) that the vote was unlawful since it had taken place after midnight, and their votes had not been counted. Around 3am in Texas, the bill was finally pronounced dead.
This isn't a blog post about abortion. This isn't a blog post about feminism. This is a blog post about basic human rights, and the people. When you start to lose faith in humanity, because people do stupid things like illegally changing a timestamp on a vote to make it swing their way, try to focus your energy on the good people. Focus on the ones who show up in pink mizuno's, because they know they will have to stand for 13 hours straight to be heard. Focus on the ones that wait to have their hand called on like they're in kindergarten, only to throw a curveball back at the men in the room, after coming from your father's funeral. Focus on the 170,000 people who showed up to stand with Wendy. Focus on the thousands of people across social media joining together in solidarity. Focus on the people.
"It's 2am but I have so much energy I could freaking dismantle a horse who wants to go to ihop with me and talk about Wendy and feminism and stage a freaking revolution this isn't just for women this is for the PEOPLE" -Tumblr
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
If you were awake last night around 11-2am PST, you might have been in on the chaos that involved the Texas senate, a woman named Wendy Davis, a livestream, over 370,000 people, and a pair of pink Mizuno sneakers.
What Happened:
Normally, the two of us aren't ones to get excited over parliamentary processes, but yesterday was pretty big. (Please don't just skip over this post because you think it'll be boring.) Tuesday, June 25th, the Texas senate was set to vote on "sb5". If voted yes, 69 of the 74 abortion clinics in Texas would close, and a woman would not be allowed to legally get an abortion after the first 20 weeks since fertilization (which Wendy points out is ludicrous since there really is no way of knowing the exact day of fertilization).
To have her voice heard, senate woman Wendy Davis attempted a 13 hours filibuster. If you don't know what a filibuster is, essentially a member of the senate can talk for 13 hours straight (previously 24) about the topic (in this case, abortion in Texas). She was allowed no breaks including but not limited to: drinking, eating, bathroom beaks, sitting, or leaning against the podium. If this isn't inhumane, we don't know what is. Anyways, after 11 hours, someone else in the senate claimed that she broke the rules, because she went off topic to talk about a previous bill (use your own discretion to decide if that is truly off topic or not). The senate follows the three strikes and you're out rule. Her second strike had been receiving the aid of a back brace. Again...really?
Not to mention that during the 11 hours, 19 male senators were trying to get her off topic, yelling, and trying to rip her apart. Rose Parks wouldn't stand up, Wendy Davis wouldn't sit down. Earlier, Davis had reached out to girls and women in Texas via social media to send her stories of how abortions had really saved their lives. Many of the 11 hours were spent hearing these stories from strong females like herself.
So, at the 11 hour mark, she was cut short. This is when chaos really broke out. By this point, a livestream of the inside of the Texas Senate was posted with over 200,000 viewers (including one of us). Over 170,000 Texas citizens had come to the capital and were essentially rioting against the passing of sb5. Twitter and tumblr were exploding, and everyone watching was so rilled up. The energy was contagious. But through this all, major news sites such as CNN, NBC, and Fox had yet to post anything regarding the events.
In fact, CNN was tweeting about muffins.
So with only a while left to go, some senator started making a big deal about her back brace, and the filibuster was halted. At this point, things started to get really bad, and basically all the men were just yelling at each other (don't forget that 200,000 people are watching all of this online). Someone started to make a commotion about how she had gone off topic earlier as well to talk about another bill. Let's not forget that filibusters in the past have featured men literally reading phonebooks.
Now, the crowd started to chant "Let her speak! Let her speak!" and everyone was pretty much in revolution mode. Senator Wallace talked for a good half hour about how Davis' points were completely valid and on topic (go Wallace!). Then, with 15 minutes to go, the men were yelling at each other again and it was getting bad. Not to mention the crowd's chanting, cheering, yelling, and singing. At this point, a woman named Senator Van de Putte got real mad and tried to call a motion to adjourn the meeting, which, by their rules, should be heard above everything else, but because of the patriarchal society we live in, was overlooked. Finally, after having to literally raise her hand, she said "At what point must a female senator raise her hand and her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues in the room?
At this point, everyone watcing did a collective "OH, SNAP!" This was the tipping point. The crowd was so passionate and rilled up that they cheered and made so much noise for 15 minutes straight that they couldn't take the vote. Watch the 30 second video HERE.
At 12:02 on Wednesday, a vote was taken.
But here's the thing. It was taken on Wednesday. If you were paying attention earlier, a vote taken on any date other than TUESDAY was illegitimate. So does it end there?
No. Because some moron decided to change the timestamp on the law, effectively throwing those 370,000 people into even more of a tailspin.
And CNN was still tweeting about muffins.
Let's also not forget that 170,000 people are filling the capital to shout for their rights, while 19 senators are literally voting for the exact opposite...democracy, anyone? Also, 200,000 people had watched the whole thing happen online, and you BET that video was timestamped.
Note: if you're going to go against your own law and commit a federal crime, don't do it infront of 370,000 passionate people fighting for what they believe in, and try to convince them that you can literally warp the time dimension and don't prentend like a camera of a livestream that you voluntarily set up isn't timestamped.
So the republicans had now voted, and both sides were claiming victory; democrats claiming (correctly) that the vote was unlawful since it had taken place after midnight, and their votes had not been counted. Around 3am in Texas, the bill was finally pronounced dead.
This isn't a blog post about abortion. This isn't a blog post about feminism. This is a blog post about basic human rights, and the people. When you start to lose faith in humanity, because people do stupid things like illegally changing a timestamp on a vote to make it swing their way, try to focus your energy on the good people. Focus on the ones who show up in pink mizuno's, because they know they will have to stand for 13 hours straight to be heard. Focus on the ones that wait to have their hand called on like they're in kindergarten, only to throw a curveball back at the men in the room, after coming from your father's funeral. Focus on the 170,000 people who showed up to stand with Wendy. Focus on the thousands of people across social media joining together in solidarity. Focus on the people.
"It's 2am but I have so much energy I could freaking dismantle a horse who wants to go to ihop with me and talk about Wendy and feminism and stage a freaking revolution this isn't just for women this is for the PEOPLE" -Tumblr
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, June 14, 2013
We're Back!
Dear Friend,
Wow, long time no blog! Sorry we haven't written in nearly 5 months, but we're back!
Exciting things that have happened while we've been away:
1. We both decided on a college: Saint Mary's College of California
2. We graduated
3. Catherine bought more J-Crew swag
4. Kylie passed biology
5. We were officially deemed the "Middle School Social Committee"
We have re-evaluated our blog, and we're going to go to a more sporadic posting schedule... We'll post as much as possible, but hopefully this way 1) Our posts will be a bit more meaningful and 2) We won't feel the stress or pressure that comes from a daily blog.
"Find something you're passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it." -Julia Child
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wow, long time no blog! Sorry we haven't written in nearly 5 months, but we're back!
Exciting things that have happened while we've been away:
1. We both decided on a college: Saint Mary's College of California
2. We graduated
3. Catherine bought more J-Crew swag
4. Kylie passed biology
5. We were officially deemed the "Middle School Social Committee"
We have re-evaluated our blog, and we're going to go to a more sporadic posting schedule... We'll post as much as possible, but hopefully this way 1) Our posts will be a bit more meaningful and 2) We won't feel the stress or pressure that comes from a daily blog.
"Find something you're passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it." -Julia Child
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, February 7, 2013
8tracks
Dear Friend,
You probably know by know about our love (or rather, obsession) over music. We love, love, LOVE music. We enjoy almost any genre of music, and we love sharing our music with people. We've made a variety of CD's for our friends, and many of them wonder how we discover songs. We usually hear about songs from other friends, movie soundtracks, and internet radios.
8tracks is perhaps one of the best internet radios out there. We love this internet radio because it is very personal. Members pick at least eight tracks to form a playlist to share with other members. As a listener, you are able to listen to music according to the mood you are in. The categories include: study, happy, feel good, dance, sleep, summer, indie rock, etc. You can listen to basically anything. You may find a mix with some of your favorite songs or even better- you'll be introduced to new music!
We highly recommend 8tracks, so next time you are in need of some fresh mixes, check out this internet radio. Enjoy!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
You probably know by know about our love (or rather, obsession) over music. We love, love, LOVE music. We enjoy almost any genre of music, and we love sharing our music with people. We've made a variety of CD's for our friends, and many of them wonder how we discover songs. We usually hear about songs from other friends, movie soundtracks, and internet radios.
8tracks is perhaps one of the best internet radios out there. We love this internet radio because it is very personal. Members pick at least eight tracks to form a playlist to share with other members. As a listener, you are able to listen to music according to the mood you are in. The categories include: study, happy, feel good, dance, sleep, summer, indie rock, etc. You can listen to basically anything. You may find a mix with some of your favorite songs or even better- you'll be introduced to new music!
We highly recommend 8tracks, so next time you are in need of some fresh mixes, check out this internet radio. Enjoy!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Favorite 10 Things: Purple
Dear Friend,
We noticed that we skipped purple as one of our favorite ten things posts (we went straight to black). We can't forget purple! Purple is a mix of our favorite colors combined. However, fun fact: Kylie cannot deal with the colors purple and green together. Anyways, here's our top ten favorite purple things:
1. The OneNote icon
2. Grapes
3. Orchids
4. Eggplants
5. Dora's backpack
6. Yams (yes, there are such things as purple yams)
7. The Purple Heart medal
8. Fuchsias
9. Lavender
10. Bishop's robes
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We noticed that we skipped purple as one of our favorite ten things posts (we went straight to black). We can't forget purple! Purple is a mix of our favorite colors combined. However, fun fact: Kylie cannot deal with the colors purple and green together. Anyways, here's our top ten favorite purple things:
1. The OneNote icon
2. Grapes
3. Orchids
4. Eggplants
5. Dora's backpack
6. Yams (yes, there are such things as purple yams)
7. The Purple Heart medal
8. Fuchsias
9. Lavender
10. Bishop's robes
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Be the Miracle: Lesson 1
Dear Friend,
We could explore Barnes and Nobles for hours. From the best seller's list to the classic novels, there are so many books you can choose from. There is nothing like the feeling of opening a new book and reading the very first page- with a cup of tea by your side (of course). The two of us are making the effort to read more often because we believe you can learn so much from simply opening a book. The most recent book that Catherine bought is called Be The Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible by Regina Brett. In the intro, Regina talks about miracles being extraordinary actions that people take and that it's okay to not be perfect. All she says that we need to do is "make a beginning" in order to make a difference in this world- or rather, be a miracle. So that's what the two of us are going to attempt to do. Along with our Being Peace series of posts, we thought it would also be fun to share our perspective on these fifty lessons on our blog as well. We don't know where these two books will take us, but hey, we'll probably learn a thing or two. It doesn't hurt to gain new insight on life, now does it? So let's begin...
Lesson 1: Start Where You Are
In the first few pages of this book, Regina tells the story of a little girl being kidnapped while she was a newspaper reporter. Thankfully, the police were able to find this girl and her kidnapper with the help of Regina's coworker (who wrote about the missing girl), a convenience store worker (who first saw the girl and the kidnapper), and a gas station attendant (who called the police to arrest the kidnapper). These three people were just doing their jobs, which lead them to saving a little girl's life.
Regina continues to say that the way she looks at people she passes every day has changed because this story has taught her that anyone has the ability to make a difference. The two of us definitely agree with this idea- you don't need to be well-known or have all the money in the world to impact someone's life. There will be times where you may never even know you were a significant part in someone's life. One little daily action can yield a huge effect and the best part is that we don't have to wait around for opportunities to come to us because there are already so many around us. We just need to take the time to recognize these possibilities and act upon them.
"If you want to change the world in a big way, you do your small assignments with greater love, greater attention, greater passion." -Regina Brett
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We could explore Barnes and Nobles for hours. From the best seller's list to the classic novels, there are so many books you can choose from. There is nothing like the feeling of opening a new book and reading the very first page- with a cup of tea by your side (of course). The two of us are making the effort to read more often because we believe you can learn so much from simply opening a book. The most recent book that Catherine bought is called Be The Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible by Regina Brett. In the intro, Regina talks about miracles being extraordinary actions that people take and that it's okay to not be perfect. All she says that we need to do is "make a beginning" in order to make a difference in this world- or rather, be a miracle. So that's what the two of us are going to attempt to do. Along with our Being Peace series of posts, we thought it would also be fun to share our perspective on these fifty lessons on our blog as well. We don't know where these two books will take us, but hey, we'll probably learn a thing or two. It doesn't hurt to gain new insight on life, now does it? So let's begin...
Lesson 1: Start Where You Are
In the first few pages of this book, Regina tells the story of a little girl being kidnapped while she was a newspaper reporter. Thankfully, the police were able to find this girl and her kidnapper with the help of Regina's coworker (who wrote about the missing girl), a convenience store worker (who first saw the girl and the kidnapper), and a gas station attendant (who called the police to arrest the kidnapper). These three people were just doing their jobs, which lead them to saving a little girl's life.
Regina continues to say that the way she looks at people she passes every day has changed because this story has taught her that anyone has the ability to make a difference. The two of us definitely agree with this idea- you don't need to be well-known or have all the money in the world to impact someone's life. There will be times where you may never even know you were a significant part in someone's life. One little daily action can yield a huge effect and the best part is that we don't have to wait around for opportunities to come to us because there are already so many around us. We just need to take the time to recognize these possibilities and act upon them.
"If you want to change the world in a big way, you do your small assignments with greater love, greater attention, greater passion." -Regina Brett
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, February 1, 2013
Reasons to Love Kate Middleton
Dear Friend,
If you are not a fan of the Duchess of Cambridge, we suggest you stop reading because this post sends lots of love to her. Let's face it- Kate Middleton rocks. Here is a list of reasons why she's one of our favorite people ever.
Reasons to Love Kate Middleton
-She is absolutely stunning
-She is the epitome of class and grace
-She is actually the perfect princess
-Her real name is Catherine
-Her sense of style exudes confidence and poise
-She always takes time to greet crowds
-She is an ambassador for Britain's Olympic and Paralympic teams
-She is domesticated and enjoys cooking
-She has lived in Amman, Jordan
-She is very charitable
"He's so lucky to be going out with me."- Kate Middleton
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
If you are not a fan of the Duchess of Cambridge, we suggest you stop reading because this post sends lots of love to her. Let's face it- Kate Middleton rocks. Here is a list of reasons why she's one of our favorite people ever.
Reasons to Love Kate Middleton
-She is absolutely stunning
-She is the epitome of class and grace
-She is actually the perfect princess
-Her real name is Catherine
-Her sense of style exudes confidence and poise
-She always takes time to greet crowds
-She is an ambassador for Britain's Olympic and Paralympic teams
-She is domesticated and enjoys cooking
-She has lived in Amman, Jordan
-She is very charitable
"He's so lucky to be going out with me."- Kate Middleton
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Being Peace
Dear Friend,
This semester, the two of us are taking a World Religions course. Well, in Kylie's case, she has an independent study where she's watching videos through an online course (due to a class scheduling ruh roh). But in Catherine's class, in order to introduce the unit on Buddhism, a class period was devoted to beginning the book Being Peace.
Being Peace is a collection of teachings on peace and meditation by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh. After reading the first couple pages, you are immediately captivated by this book's message. While the book itself is easy to read, the many lessons intertwined on each page hold concepts that can lead to great reflection. The two of us have always been interested in Buddhism- in fact, Kylie considers herself a Buddhist (she went through this whole conversion process awhile ago- we'll save that story for another time). We consider many Buddhist teachings very valuable and relevant to the way the two of us want to live each day.
So as we continue to read Being Peace, we thought we'd share our experience in hopes that we are able to make sense of complex ideas as well as share some meaningful messages. In upcoming posts, we'll be sharing what we've learned- chapter by chapter. We have a really good feeling about this book, and we hope it turns out to be just as eye-opening and special to all of you as it already is for us.
"Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
This semester, the two of us are taking a World Religions course. Well, in Kylie's case, she has an independent study where she's watching videos through an online course (due to a class scheduling ruh roh). But in Catherine's class, in order to introduce the unit on Buddhism, a class period was devoted to beginning the book Being Peace.
Being Peace is a collection of teachings on peace and meditation by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh. After reading the first couple pages, you are immediately captivated by this book's message. While the book itself is easy to read, the many lessons intertwined on each page hold concepts that can lead to great reflection. The two of us have always been interested in Buddhism- in fact, Kylie considers herself a Buddhist (she went through this whole conversion process awhile ago- we'll save that story for another time). We consider many Buddhist teachings very valuable and relevant to the way the two of us want to live each day.
So as we continue to read Being Peace, we thought we'd share our experience in hopes that we are able to make sense of complex ideas as well as share some meaningful messages. In upcoming posts, we'll be sharing what we've learned- chapter by chapter. We have a really good feeling about this book, and we hope it turns out to be just as eye-opening and special to all of you as it already is for us.
"Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment." - Thich Nhat Hanh
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Favorite 10 Things: Black
Dear Friend,
Although there is controversy regarding the legitimacy of black actually being a color, we've decided to include it. No one should ever feel left out, and that includes black!
1. Adele 21
2. Black sunglasses
3. Leggings
4. Little black dresses
5. Black labs
6. Limos
7. The night sky
8. Black Friday
9. Silhouettes
10. Tire swings
"Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It's perfect harmony." -Coco Chanel
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Monday, January 28, 2013
Vine
Dear Friend,
You are probably very familiar with the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words." It is so important that we collect memories throughout our lives and one way to do this is through photos. While photos can mean a great deal to someone, videos are just as valuable. If you are interested in capturing life in motion, we highly recommend the free app called "Vine."
Vine is essentially instagram, but with a twist. Instead of editing and sharing photos, you edit and share videos. The videos are really great quality and not very long. This app is not meant for making documentaries- just little clips. This app is very easy to navigate and it doesn't take much brain power to make these videos. You simply open the app and touch the screen to make a short video. Then, you can share your videos with your followers on Vine, Twitter, or Facebook. We predict that Vine will become very popular soon, especially since it's a fun and simple way to capture those special moments in your life :)
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
You are probably very familiar with the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words." It is so important that we collect memories throughout our lives and one way to do this is through photos. While photos can mean a great deal to someone, videos are just as valuable. If you are interested in capturing life in motion, we highly recommend the free app called "Vine."
Vine is essentially instagram, but with a twist. Instead of editing and sharing photos, you edit and share videos. The videos are really great quality and not very long. This app is not meant for making documentaries- just little clips. This app is very easy to navigate and it doesn't take much brain power to make these videos. You simply open the app and touch the screen to make a short video. Then, you can share your videos with your followers on Vine, Twitter, or Facebook. We predict that Vine will become very popular soon, especially since it's a fun and simple way to capture those special moments in your life :)
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Weird Animals
Dear Friend,
Earth is a really weird place if you think about it hard enough. Actually, everything starts to seem weird if you think about it. Today we're here to give you a list of some of our favorite strange animals that you've probably never heard of. Click on each name for a picture!
- Leafy Sea Dragon
- Pink Fairy Armadillo
- Humphead Parrotfish
- Dumbo Octopus
- Angora Rabbit
- Pigbutt Worm
- Yoda Bat
- Sneezing Snub-Nosed Monkey
- Pink Handfish
"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join them and fall into mutual satisfying weirdness and call it true love."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Earth is a really weird place if you think about it hard enough. Actually, everything starts to seem weird if you think about it. Today we're here to give you a list of some of our favorite strange animals that you've probably never heard of. Click on each name for a picture!
- Leafy Sea Dragon
- Pink Fairy Armadillo
- Humphead Parrotfish
- Dumbo Octopus
- Angora Rabbit
- Pigbutt Worm
- Yoda Bat
- Sneezing Snub-Nosed Monkey
- Pink Handfish
"We're all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join them and fall into mutual satisfying weirdness and call it true love."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Journey to the Center of the Earth Part 2
Dear Friend,
Welcome back to part two of our "Journey to the Center of the Earth" posts with Ariel from Lots of Love, Seattle! In this post, we'll continue to explore the journey of finding yourself by looking at the good and bad layers to the center of the earth, and what it truly means to find your purpose in life- or if you even have one.
Bad Layers
Such layers, similar to the map, are created and laid out in front of you as you go through life. Eventually, these layers will build up and shape your personality, so it's probably a good idea to get rid of as many bad layers as you can. But what exactly are the "bad layers" in life? We believe these bad layers refer to anything that releases negative energy in your life. Such layers could represent financial troubles, social problems, criticism of both others and yourself, lack of confidence, or even those bad days you come face to face with every once in awhile. Bad layers are definitely not good to have in your life, especially those that are impossible to break through. Some layers are so tough and full of obstacles that you can't dig through them with your bare hands- often times, you need to use your handy dandy shovel and rope. In other words, don't be afraid to ask for help. If you get tired of digging or need help escaping a deep hole, your friends and family are always there to help you. Sometimes a simple, positive "Hang in there! Things will get better!" is all that is needed to cheer you up and other times you may just need your friends and family to be sad with you. As long as you have someone by your side, you can get rid of these bad layers and get one step closer to finding the meaning in your life.
Good Layers
The good layers consist of things such as achievements, friendships, good memories, spreading joy, and caring for yourself and others. You will (or already have) reach some, maybe all, of these layers at one point or another in your life. These are also known as milestones; the things you want to remember and not necessarily learn from. For example, achievements can include graduation, starting a family, making a new friend, or even getting a new job! The last item on the list of some good layers (caring for yourself and others) is by far one of the most important. People are taught from an early age to care for those around them: sharing, comforting, empathizing, and sympathizing. Not only should you be caring for others, but also for yourself. This is a huge milestone: accepting yourself, loving yourself, treating yourself with respect, and holding yourself with confidence.
Is it possible to reach the center of the earth?
As we were writing these two posts, it occurred to us that maybe it's not exactly possible to reach the center of the earth. Don't worry though- these two posts were not a complete waste either. The three of us believe that we, as human beings, are not capable of fully understanding ourselves. Our lives are too complex. Finding yourself is an ongoing struggle. There may be a point in your life where you're incredibly happy and accomplished, but finding your purpose in life is far more complex than we could ever imagine. We can't just wake up one day, realize our purpose in life, and then next thing we know- boom! Life is over. If we could do that, we highly doubt life would be as exciting as it is today. Maybe one of these days someone will understand the human being completely, who knows? But for now, just work on creating and following your map and don't ever forget your shovel and rope :)
"In order to find yourself you need to get lost in the forest of life." -Mike Dolan
Yours truly,
Kylie, Catherine, and Ariel
Welcome back to part two of our "Journey to the Center of the Earth" posts with Ariel from Lots of Love, Seattle! In this post, we'll continue to explore the journey of finding yourself by looking at the good and bad layers to the center of the earth, and what it truly means to find your purpose in life- or if you even have one.
Bad Layers
Such layers, similar to the map, are created and laid out in front of you as you go through life. Eventually, these layers will build up and shape your personality, so it's probably a good idea to get rid of as many bad layers as you can. But what exactly are the "bad layers" in life? We believe these bad layers refer to anything that releases negative energy in your life. Such layers could represent financial troubles, social problems, criticism of both others and yourself, lack of confidence, or even those bad days you come face to face with every once in awhile. Bad layers are definitely not good to have in your life, especially those that are impossible to break through. Some layers are so tough and full of obstacles that you can't dig through them with your bare hands- often times, you need to use your handy dandy shovel and rope. In other words, don't be afraid to ask for help. If you get tired of digging or need help escaping a deep hole, your friends and family are always there to help you. Sometimes a simple, positive "Hang in there! Things will get better!" is all that is needed to cheer you up and other times you may just need your friends and family to be sad with you. As long as you have someone by your side, you can get rid of these bad layers and get one step closer to finding the meaning in your life.
Good Layers
The good layers consist of things such as achievements, friendships, good memories, spreading joy, and caring for yourself and others. You will (or already have) reach some, maybe all, of these layers at one point or another in your life. These are also known as milestones; the things you want to remember and not necessarily learn from. For example, achievements can include graduation, starting a family, making a new friend, or even getting a new job! The last item on the list of some good layers (caring for yourself and others) is by far one of the most important. People are taught from an early age to care for those around them: sharing, comforting, empathizing, and sympathizing. Not only should you be caring for others, but also for yourself. This is a huge milestone: accepting yourself, loving yourself, treating yourself with respect, and holding yourself with confidence.
Is it possible to reach the center of the earth?
As we were writing these two posts, it occurred to us that maybe it's not exactly possible to reach the center of the earth. Don't worry though- these two posts were not a complete waste either. The three of us believe that we, as human beings, are not capable of fully understanding ourselves. Our lives are too complex. Finding yourself is an ongoing struggle. There may be a point in your life where you're incredibly happy and accomplished, but finding your purpose in life is far more complex than we could ever imagine. We can't just wake up one day, realize our purpose in life, and then next thing we know- boom! Life is over. If we could do that, we highly doubt life would be as exciting as it is today. Maybe one of these days someone will understand the human being completely, who knows? But for now, just work on creating and following your map and don't ever forget your shovel and rope :)
"In order to find yourself you need to get lost in the forest of life." -Mike Dolan
Yours truly,
Kylie, Catherine, and Ariel
Friday, January 25, 2013
Journey to the Center of the Earth Part 1
Dear Friend,
Today, we have a very special post for you. Dear Friend is collaborating with another blog- Lots of Love, Seattle by Ariel Haynes (check it out here: http://lotsofloveseattle.wordpress.com/). We wanted to do something special to let all our readers know that our blogs aren't fading away and that the best way to hop back on the blogging wagon is to collaborate!
As you may have noticed by now, the title of this blog post is "Journey to the Center of the Earth." You're probably expecting some post about the classic sci-fi novel by Jules Verne or the 2008 movie with Josh Hutcherson in it, but we've got other plans. To the three of us, the journey to the center of the earth is really the journey to finding yourself. So how do people find their way to the center of the earth, or rather the meaning of their life? When you're lost, how do you find your way back onto the right path? The answer is simple.
You need a map.
This "map" will help guide you in reaching your own core- your own purpose in life. However, this map is not set in stone. In fact, it is constantly changing. One factor that affects your map is the choices you make on a daily basis. With the domino effect in mind, one decision can place you in many different situations. The way you problem solve and deal with each situation is up to you. Another factor that affects the creation of your map is your mistakes. Regardless of the size of your mistake, it has the potential to leading to all sorts of consequences, thus altering the paths on your map. And finally, gaining new knowledge can change your perspective. With an open mind, your map will start to fill with all sorts of new paths and adventures. Just like there are numerous ways to get to the center of the earth, there is a unique reason for why each individual was placed on this earth. Everyone's map is different.
Along with this map, you need tools to reach the core. The tools we've decided to focus on are the shovel and the rope. Sure, at first, the thought of a shovel and a rope sound like some tiring endeavor or like the tools used in a horror movie, but don't fret: The shovel is used to dig past the layers. Similar to the earth (and onions), humans have layers. These good and bad layers can help you on the journey to finding yourself. The shovel is used to dig through the bad layers: the bad decisions, the dark situations, the obstacles in life. You have to try to push past these obstacles to continue down our path, to follow the map. Sometimes, though, you dig too deep and get so caught up in the obstacle that you forget the goal of finding yourself. If you fall into this hole, you'll need a rope to help get you out. The rope is representative of your friends and family who are there to lift you up and support you, no matter what.
Since this post is getting rather lengthy, we've decided to extend this topic into two parts. Hopefully you've enjoyed this post thus far. Stay tuned for Journey to the Center of the Earth: Part 2!
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies
Yours truly,
Kylie, Catherine, and Ariel
Today, we have a very special post for you. Dear Friend is collaborating with another blog- Lots of Love, Seattle by Ariel Haynes (check it out here: http://lotsofloveseattle.wordpress.com/). We wanted to do something special to let all our readers know that our blogs aren't fading away and that the best way to hop back on the blogging wagon is to collaborate!
As you may have noticed by now, the title of this blog post is "Journey to the Center of the Earth." You're probably expecting some post about the classic sci-fi novel by Jules Verne or the 2008 movie with Josh Hutcherson in it, but we've got other plans. To the three of us, the journey to the center of the earth is really the journey to finding yourself. So how do people find their way to the center of the earth, or rather the meaning of their life? When you're lost, how do you find your way back onto the right path? The answer is simple.
You need a map.
This "map" will help guide you in reaching your own core- your own purpose in life. However, this map is not set in stone. In fact, it is constantly changing. One factor that affects your map is the choices you make on a daily basis. With the domino effect in mind, one decision can place you in many different situations. The way you problem solve and deal with each situation is up to you. Another factor that affects the creation of your map is your mistakes. Regardless of the size of your mistake, it has the potential to leading to all sorts of consequences, thus altering the paths on your map. And finally, gaining new knowledge can change your perspective. With an open mind, your map will start to fill with all sorts of new paths and adventures. Just like there are numerous ways to get to the center of the earth, there is a unique reason for why each individual was placed on this earth. Everyone's map is different.
Along with this map, you need tools to reach the core. The tools we've decided to focus on are the shovel and the rope. Sure, at first, the thought of a shovel and a rope sound like some tiring endeavor or like the tools used in a horror movie, but don't fret: The shovel is used to dig past the layers. Similar to the earth (and onions), humans have layers. These good and bad layers can help you on the journey to finding yourself. The shovel is used to dig through the bad layers: the bad decisions, the dark situations, the obstacles in life. You have to try to push past these obstacles to continue down our path, to follow the map. Sometimes, though, you dig too deep and get so caught up in the obstacle that you forget the goal of finding yourself. If you fall into this hole, you'll need a rope to help get you out. The rope is representative of your friends and family who are there to lift you up and support you, no matter what.
Since this post is getting rather lengthy, we've decided to extend this topic into two parts. Hopefully you've enjoyed this post thus far. Stay tuned for Journey to the Center of the Earth: Part 2!
"You will recognize your own path when you come upon it, because you will suddenly have all the energy and imagination you will ever need." – Jerry Gillies
Yours truly,
Kylie, Catherine, and Ariel
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Hugs Are The Best Medicine
Dear Friend,
Today was a rough day for us and three of our closest friends, so we aren't really up for writing a long post.
Please do something for us. Go find your parents, or your best friends, or your roommate, or your significant other, give them the biggest hug you've ever given them, and tell them how much they mean to you.
Thanks.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Today was a rough day for us and three of our closest friends, so we aren't really up for writing a long post.
Please do something for us. Go find your parents, or your best friends, or your roommate, or your significant other, give them the biggest hug you've ever given them, and tell them how much they mean to you.
Thanks.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tea
Dear Friend,
We are simply obsessed with tea. It's how we start our day, it's how we end our day. Tea is like a little hug in a cup. Coffee is nice too, but tea is a classier version.
Reasons why tea is amazing:
1. Tea doesn't make your shake or feel as weird as coffee does, yet with the right amount of caffeine it makes the perfect morning drink.
2. Tea has many medical benefits. Studies have shown that tea can help fight heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
3. There is an endless list of tea flavors so you'll never get bored of tea.
4. Tea mugs make the perfect accessory.
5. Tea is hydrating to the body, despite the caffeine (unlike coffee).
Our favorite types of tea:
1. Tazo Zen
2. Republic of Tea Pomegranate Vanilla
3. Yogi Tea Positive Energy
4. Tazo Chamomile
5. Monkey Picked Oolong
Lots of people buy popular store brands like Lipton or Bigelow, because they are cheap. Although they are convenient, once you start really learning about tea, you'll become a tea snob. Kylie's mom is part of a tea club, so the Aberle house gets a shipment of three containers of loose leaf every month.
Tea seems easy enough, but when you actually start paying attention to the way it's brewed, it's freshness, etc, there is endless information and things to learn. For example, many people hate green tea, because of it's bitter taste. This taste most often is due to the fact that the tea is burnt. What you have to do with any green tea, is wait to make sure the water isn't too hot. Amino acids, which contribute to the tea's sweetned, dissolve at 140 Fahrenheit. A good rule of thumb for water temperature is to wait until the water is BARELY drinkable (just a but too hot), but still tolerable. Then put the teabag in, wait for about 4 minutes, and take it out. This will give you a perfect cup of green tea. Bonus points if you "rinse" the tea first. Do this by running water over the tea bag to rinse any of the initial bitterness away.
Happy brewing!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We are simply obsessed with tea. It's how we start our day, it's how we end our day. Tea is like a little hug in a cup. Coffee is nice too, but tea is a classier version.
Reasons why tea is amazing:
1. Tea doesn't make your shake or feel as weird as coffee does, yet with the right amount of caffeine it makes the perfect morning drink.
2. Tea has many medical benefits. Studies have shown that tea can help fight heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
3. There is an endless list of tea flavors so you'll never get bored of tea.
4. Tea mugs make the perfect accessory.
5. Tea is hydrating to the body, despite the caffeine (unlike coffee).
Our favorite types of tea:
1. Tazo Zen
2. Republic of Tea Pomegranate Vanilla
3. Yogi Tea Positive Energy
4. Tazo Chamomile
5. Monkey Picked Oolong
Lots of people buy popular store brands like Lipton or Bigelow, because they are cheap. Although they are convenient, once you start really learning about tea, you'll become a tea snob. Kylie's mom is part of a tea club, so the Aberle house gets a shipment of three containers of loose leaf every month.
Tea seems easy enough, but when you actually start paying attention to the way it's brewed, it's freshness, etc, there is endless information and things to learn. For example, many people hate green tea, because of it's bitter taste. This taste most often is due to the fact that the tea is burnt. What you have to do with any green tea, is wait to make sure the water isn't too hot. Amino acids, which contribute to the tea's sweetned, dissolve at 140 Fahrenheit. A good rule of thumb for water temperature is to wait until the water is BARELY drinkable (just a but too hot), but still tolerable. Then put the teabag in, wait for about 4 minutes, and take it out. This will give you a perfect cup of green tea. Bonus points if you "rinse" the tea first. Do this by running water over the tea bag to rinse any of the initial bitterness away.
Happy brewing!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Blessed
Dear Friend,
There have been numerous days where the two of us wonder what we have done to deserve the people in our lives. From family members who sit down at dinner with us each night to the friends who send us thoughtful emails, we cannot get over the fact that our lives are full of such beautiful individuals. We must be doing something right for God to be so good to us, eh? This whole concept is something that we know we'll ponder for the rest of our lives, but there's one little question that has interested us the most.
Are people part of our lives for a reason?
Brace yourself for this rather long post, but the answer to that question is pretty simple: yes. We believe that people enter and leave our lives with a purpose. Whether that purpose is small or big, people have the ability to change our lives. We can think of many examples. There's the little boy who holds the door open for you at the grocery store- he teaches you kindness. There's the teacher who spends all of lunch walking you through problems you got wrong on your test- she teaches you patience and resilience. There's the friend who responds to your email late at night just to make sure your bad day doesn't get worse- she teaches you compassion and grace. As long as you keep an open mind, every person you meet has impacted your life in some way. In our lives, it just so happens that a lot of the people we meet impact our lives in a very positive manner. If you are reading this post, you are probably one of many people who have touched our lives. We are forever grateful and we dedicate this post to you.
People We Don't Know...Yet
You may think it's silly that we want to thank those we don't even know yet. However, the two of us are firm believers in the colloquial phrase "everything happens for a reason," or as we like to abbreviate as "EHFAR." To make things easier, thing of the domino effect. We know that we are going to become part of so many other people's lives in the future (we are only seniors in High School...) and that they will most likely change our lives for the better. It's just up to us to embrace what they teach us and pay it forward.
Teachers
We can't speak for other kids our age, but for the last eight years at our school, we have been surrounded by the best teachers a kid could ever ask for. Every single one of our teachers has made our learning environments so enjoyable. They are so passionate about what they do- they don't just view their jobs as a way to pay the bills. The two of us know that when we get to school each morning, we'll be taken care of. They have shaped us intellectually and guided us emotionally, and we couldn't imagine our learning experience without them. To be honest, they are more our friends than adults who are just there to make sure we gain knowledge.
Friends
We have such inspirational and beautiful friends- especially those part of our grade. These girlies have truly brought out the best in us. From surviving the awkward phases (also known as "The Dark Ages") to becoming the mature young adults (well for the most part) we are today, our friends have been so supportive and generous. These kiddos can make us laugh no matter what and have shown us what it means to be a loyal friend. However, our friends aren't limited to kids our age- our friends differ in all ages. To those who are older than us, we look up to you greatly. Thank you for being such great role models. Seeing all our friends smile is one of the main reasons we love spreading joy to others.
Family
These folks have been with us since day one. Not only have they shaped our moral values and taught us some of life's most important lessons, they have always believed in us. This is all probably sounding quite cheesy to you, but without our families, we'd be absolutely nowhere. They know what we like and dislike, our talents and our imperfections- and yet they still think we are flawless. We know we can count on our family to love us to the moon and back- to love us unconditionally.
Every single one of these individuals have touched the both of us in a special way. But let's take this from another perspective- what if some of these people are part of our lives so that we can make a difference in their own? This is yet another idea that the two of us are slowly coming to terms with. Maybe- just maybe- the two of us have the potential to play a huge role in someone else's life. Who knows? But whether people are part of our lives to change us for the better or we, ourselves, are part of other's lives to save them, the two of us truly believe we are so, so blessed.
"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know what to do." - Michele Ventor
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
There have been numerous days where the two of us wonder what we have done to deserve the people in our lives. From family members who sit down at dinner with us each night to the friends who send us thoughtful emails, we cannot get over the fact that our lives are full of such beautiful individuals. We must be doing something right for God to be so good to us, eh? This whole concept is something that we know we'll ponder for the rest of our lives, but there's one little question that has interested us the most.
Are people part of our lives for a reason?
Brace yourself for this rather long post, but the answer to that question is pretty simple: yes. We believe that people enter and leave our lives with a purpose. Whether that purpose is small or big, people have the ability to change our lives. We can think of many examples. There's the little boy who holds the door open for you at the grocery store- he teaches you kindness. There's the teacher who spends all of lunch walking you through problems you got wrong on your test- she teaches you patience and resilience. There's the friend who responds to your email late at night just to make sure your bad day doesn't get worse- she teaches you compassion and grace. As long as you keep an open mind, every person you meet has impacted your life in some way. In our lives, it just so happens that a lot of the people we meet impact our lives in a very positive manner. If you are reading this post, you are probably one of many people who have touched our lives. We are forever grateful and we dedicate this post to you.
People We Don't Know...Yet
You may think it's silly that we want to thank those we don't even know yet. However, the two of us are firm believers in the colloquial phrase "everything happens for a reason," or as we like to abbreviate as "EHFAR." To make things easier, thing of the domino effect. We know that we are going to become part of so many other people's lives in the future (we are only seniors in High School...) and that they will most likely change our lives for the better. It's just up to us to embrace what they teach us and pay it forward.
Teachers
We can't speak for other kids our age, but for the last eight years at our school, we have been surrounded by the best teachers a kid could ever ask for. Every single one of our teachers has made our learning environments so enjoyable. They are so passionate about what they do- they don't just view their jobs as a way to pay the bills. The two of us know that when we get to school each morning, we'll be taken care of. They have shaped us intellectually and guided us emotionally, and we couldn't imagine our learning experience without them. To be honest, they are more our friends than adults who are just there to make sure we gain knowledge.
Friends
We have such inspirational and beautiful friends- especially those part of our grade. These girlies have truly brought out the best in us. From surviving the awkward phases (also known as "The Dark Ages") to becoming the mature young adults (well for the most part) we are today, our friends have been so supportive and generous. These kiddos can make us laugh no matter what and have shown us what it means to be a loyal friend. However, our friends aren't limited to kids our age- our friends differ in all ages. To those who are older than us, we look up to you greatly. Thank you for being such great role models. Seeing all our friends smile is one of the main reasons we love spreading joy to others.
Family
These folks have been with us since day one. Not only have they shaped our moral values and taught us some of life's most important lessons, they have always believed in us. This is all probably sounding quite cheesy to you, but without our families, we'd be absolutely nowhere. They know what we like and dislike, our talents and our imperfections- and yet they still think we are flawless. We know we can count on our family to love us to the moon and back- to love us unconditionally.
Every single one of these individuals have touched the both of us in a special way. But let's take this from another perspective- what if some of these people are part of our lives so that we can make a difference in their own? This is yet another idea that the two of us are slowly coming to terms with. Maybe- just maybe- the two of us have the potential to play a huge role in someone else's life. Who knows? But whether people are part of our lives to change us for the better or we, ourselves, are part of other's lives to save them, the two of us truly believe we are so, so blessed.
"People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you will know what to do." - Michele Ventor
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Monday, January 21, 2013
Restaurant: Red Robin
Dear Friend,
Although it may not be the healthiest choice, we know this restaurant is a favorite among almost everyone. If you are not familiar with this place, you should probably hop in the car and make your way towards this typical burgers and fries restaurant!
Red Robin
Website: http://www.redrobin.com/
Where: There are various locations, but the one we go to the most is in Factoria.
What: Red Robin is like a burger heaven. Specializing in gourmet burgers, they are probably one of the best in town. With that being said, they serve other dishes- which, in our opinion, are even better than their famous burgers. From offering salads to wraps, Red Robin encompasses the American spirit in all their dishes. You cannot get enough of their bottomless fries or their milkshakes- you may just cry because you're so happy with the food before you. Also, their service is impeccable. They are very family friendly and quite popular with birthday parties (especially since waiters sing Happy Birthday to you). The atmosphere is just so lively and everyone is so energetic that it's hard not to have a good time!
Favorite Drinks/Dishes:
- Three-for-All (Starter)
- Mint brownie milkshakes
- Kid's Mac n Cheese
-Crispy Chicken Tender Salad
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Although it may not be the healthiest choice, we know this restaurant is a favorite among almost everyone. If you are not familiar with this place, you should probably hop in the car and make your way towards this typical burgers and fries restaurant!
Red Robin
Website: http://www.redrobin.com/
Where: There are various locations, but the one we go to the most is in Factoria.
What: Red Robin is like a burger heaven. Specializing in gourmet burgers, they are probably one of the best in town. With that being said, they serve other dishes- which, in our opinion, are even better than their famous burgers. From offering salads to wraps, Red Robin encompasses the American spirit in all their dishes. You cannot get enough of their bottomless fries or their milkshakes- you may just cry because you're so happy with the food before you. Also, their service is impeccable. They are very family friendly and quite popular with birthday parties (especially since waiters sing Happy Birthday to you). The atmosphere is just so lively and everyone is so energetic that it's hard not to have a good time!
Favorite Drinks/Dishes:
- Three-for-All (Starter)
- Mint brownie milkshakes
- Kid's Mac n Cheese
-Crispy Chicken Tender Salad
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Favorite Ten Things: Blue
Dear Friend,
Blue is Catherine's favorite color, so it was hard to limit our top ten favorite blue things, but here they are:
1. Senior's uniform (navy sweaters)
2. Denim
3. Oceans
4. The twitter bird
5. Blueberries
6. Sully (Monsters Inc.)
7. First place ribbons
8. Dori (Finding Nemo)
9. The sky
10. Robin's eggs
“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.”- Haruki Murakami
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Blue is Catherine's favorite color, so it was hard to limit our top ten favorite blue things, but here they are:
1. Senior's uniform (navy sweaters)
2. Denim
3. Oceans
4. The twitter bird
5. Blueberries
6. Sully (Monsters Inc.)
7. First place ribbons
8. Dori (Finding Nemo)
9. The sky
10. Robin's eggs
“The sky grew darker, painted blue on blue, one stroke at a time, into deeper and deeper shades of night.”- Haruki Murakami
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Consider the Whale Shark
Dear Friend,
This post is the beginning of yet another series: "Consider the Animal." Although this may seem like an unusual idea for a series of posts, we thought we might as well highlight a variety of animals that we're fascinated by. Hey, through these posts, you may learn a thing or two.
Whale Sharks.
We all know what a typical shark looks like, but have you really considered the whale shark? If you're unfamiliar with it, we suggest you look up a picture or put two and two together- it is literally a whale plus a shark. It is the largest fish in the ocean (about the size of a bus) with quite the appetite for plankton and small fish. Whale sharks are known as "filter feeders." When they are ready to eat, they just open their enormous mouths and filters everything in their path. Unlike other dangerous sea creatures, the whale shark is actually quite docile. They are very friendly to divers, who could potentially "catch a ride" on their backs- although this is highly unadvised since you might just get sucked in.
K and C's Reasons to Love the Whale Shark:
1. They love food
2. They are gentle
3. They are legit sharks
"Sharks are as tough as those football fans who take their shirts off during games in Chicago in January, only more intelligent."- Dave Barry
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
This post is the beginning of yet another series: "Consider the Animal." Although this may seem like an unusual idea for a series of posts, we thought we might as well highlight a variety of animals that we're fascinated by. Hey, through these posts, you may learn a thing or two.
Whale Sharks.
We all know what a typical shark looks like, but have you really considered the whale shark? If you're unfamiliar with it, we suggest you look up a picture or put two and two together- it is literally a whale plus a shark. It is the largest fish in the ocean (about the size of a bus) with quite the appetite for plankton and small fish. Whale sharks are known as "filter feeders." When they are ready to eat, they just open their enormous mouths and filters everything in their path. Unlike other dangerous sea creatures, the whale shark is actually quite docile. They are very friendly to divers, who could potentially "catch a ride" on their backs- although this is highly unadvised since you might just get sucked in.
K and C's Reasons to Love the Whale Shark:
1. They love food
2. They are gentle
3. They are legit sharks
"Sharks are as tough as those football fans who take their shirts off during games in Chicago in January, only more intelligent."- Dave Barry
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, January 18, 2013
Run Fast, Take Chances
Dear Friend,
What do you think of what you think about running? Maybe it's a sport, maybe it's an excuse to get our of the house, or maybe you do your best to avoid it. For a local Seattle company called Oiselle, running is none of these.
It's a lifestyle.
We learned about this company from a friend at school who's roommate works for the company. At first we thought "Oh, just another running company," but after some investigation, we were hooked. Oiselle was started by Sally Bergesen, an avid runner, in 2007. Inspired by the fact that the running apparel available to her at the time was too bulky, high-waisted, and generally unflattering, she decided to create a new line of women's running apparel. The Oiselle dream started small, but is growing as they now have a running team made up of women who share the passion for running. With a maximum team size of 125 ambassadors and 25 elites, Oiselle women can be found everywhere from local 5ks to the Olympic trials.
We have recently started following the company on twitter. They are seriously one big family. We love seeing the support that the company and team offers for runners worldwide, celebrating small PR achievements to huge Olympic trial goals. This family-like bond is just one of the things that makes this company so attractive to us. Although we have yet to meet any of these women personally, we can tell that they are all friendly, involved, and passionate people.
Oiselle is a french word for bird (specifically female birds, which is fitting since their company is for women...how clever.) Our fear of birds aside, we've come up with a list of 5 reasons why this is the perfect mascot and namesake for the company.
1. Wings. "Spread your wings and fly" is a common colloquialism. This company really has spread it's wings and spread it's love of running and Sally's original dream across the world. They are still expanding, and we can't wait to see the amazing things that this company will bring to the lives of many.
2. Freedom. Running creates a sense of freedom. Some people run to work off steam, others run to stay in shape. Whatever you run for, you are free. One of our favorite quotes is "I often wonder why, if birds can fly anywhere in the world, they stay in the same place. But then I ask myself the same thing." Birds can fly anywhere they want. One of the company's dreams is to help create this experience of true freedom in people's lives.
3. Flight. One way that Oiselle described running on one of their blog posts was that it created a sense of flight. When you are running as fast as you can and pushing yourself to do better than your best, you take flight. You aren't simply running, but your feet are flying. This might seem a little bit strange, but it's one of those things that's hard to describe. You have to experience it for yourself.
4. Family. Birds fly in flocks. When you look at the sky and see birds, they are flying in a V shape. The birds do this to help each other. One bird goes in the front of the V to take the wind, and the others draft off of the first bird, creating an easier flight. When bird #1 gets tired, they go to the back and give another bird a chance at being the leader. The company is similar. Although running is a very personal thing, and the only person who can beat that PR or make that goal is you, having a support system is so helpful. We love that the company supports it's family, both close and extended.
5. Passion. This 5th reason doesn't directly relate to birds. Passion plays such a large role in the lives of many. Without passion, we have nothing to live for. Some people have a passion for knitting, or blogging, but the Oiselle women have a passion for the run. Like we said earlier, running isn't just a sport to them, it's a lifestyle. Their constant tweets are prove of that. They don't just talk about running during race day, but they relate running to meals, friends, family, hopes, dreams...the list goes on. We love that they all have a passion for running and they chase after their dreams (get it...chase...).
Their motto, and the title of this blog post, is "Go fast, take chances". Go fast is obvious since they are a running team and company. The second part intrigues us. Taking chances is an undertone to their mission. They provide a space for people to push themselves and really challenge what their bodies can do. Running isn't just physical, it's largely psychological. Oiselle encourages women to challenge themselves and open their mind to endless possibilities.
"So in the end, the question became not so much why a new running apparel company, but why not?"
-Sally Bergesen
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
What do you think of what you think about running? Maybe it's a sport, maybe it's an excuse to get our of the house, or maybe you do your best to avoid it. For a local Seattle company called Oiselle, running is none of these.
It's a lifestyle.
We learned about this company from a friend at school who's roommate works for the company. At first we thought "Oh, just another running company," but after some investigation, we were hooked. Oiselle was started by Sally Bergesen, an avid runner, in 2007. Inspired by the fact that the running apparel available to her at the time was too bulky, high-waisted, and generally unflattering, she decided to create a new line of women's running apparel. The Oiselle dream started small, but is growing as they now have a running team made up of women who share the passion for running. With a maximum team size of 125 ambassadors and 25 elites, Oiselle women can be found everywhere from local 5ks to the Olympic trials.
We have recently started following the company on twitter. They are seriously one big family. We love seeing the support that the company and team offers for runners worldwide, celebrating small PR achievements to huge Olympic trial goals. This family-like bond is just one of the things that makes this company so attractive to us. Although we have yet to meet any of these women personally, we can tell that they are all friendly, involved, and passionate people.
Oiselle is a french word for bird (specifically female birds, which is fitting since their company is for women...how clever.) Our fear of birds aside, we've come up with a list of 5 reasons why this is the perfect mascot and namesake for the company.
1. Wings. "Spread your wings and fly" is a common colloquialism. This company really has spread it's wings and spread it's love of running and Sally's original dream across the world. They are still expanding, and we can't wait to see the amazing things that this company will bring to the lives of many.
2. Freedom. Running creates a sense of freedom. Some people run to work off steam, others run to stay in shape. Whatever you run for, you are free. One of our favorite quotes is "I often wonder why, if birds can fly anywhere in the world, they stay in the same place. But then I ask myself the same thing." Birds can fly anywhere they want. One of the company's dreams is to help create this experience of true freedom in people's lives.
3. Flight. One way that Oiselle described running on one of their blog posts was that it created a sense of flight. When you are running as fast as you can and pushing yourself to do better than your best, you take flight. You aren't simply running, but your feet are flying. This might seem a little bit strange, but it's one of those things that's hard to describe. You have to experience it for yourself.
4. Family. Birds fly in flocks. When you look at the sky and see birds, they are flying in a V shape. The birds do this to help each other. One bird goes in the front of the V to take the wind, and the others draft off of the first bird, creating an easier flight. When bird #1 gets tired, they go to the back and give another bird a chance at being the leader. The company is similar. Although running is a very personal thing, and the only person who can beat that PR or make that goal is you, having a support system is so helpful. We love that the company supports it's family, both close and extended.
5. Passion. This 5th reason doesn't directly relate to birds. Passion plays such a large role in the lives of many. Without passion, we have nothing to live for. Some people have a passion for knitting, or blogging, but the Oiselle women have a passion for the run. Like we said earlier, running isn't just a sport to them, it's a lifestyle. Their constant tweets are prove of that. They don't just talk about running during race day, but they relate running to meals, friends, family, hopes, dreams...the list goes on. We love that they all have a passion for running and they chase after their dreams (get it...chase...).
Their motto, and the title of this blog post, is "Go fast, take chances". Go fast is obvious since they are a running team and company. The second part intrigues us. Taking chances is an undertone to their mission. They provide a space for people to push themselves and really challenge what their bodies can do. Running isn't just physical, it's largely psychological. Oiselle encourages women to challenge themselves and open their mind to endless possibilities.
"So in the end, the question became not so much why a new running apparel company, but why not?"
-Sally Bergesen
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Restaurant: Square Lotus
Dear Friend,
Do you enjoy Vietnamese food? Well if you do, here's the restaurant for you!
Square Lotus
Website: http://www.squarelotus.com/
Where:
540A Factoria Blvd. SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
What: Square Lotus is a family owned restaurant that specializes in Vietnamese Cuisine. With over thirty years of experience, they say that all their dishes are full of their "mom's joy for cooking." Their classic Vietnamese dishes include different types of pho and curry. They also have a separate vegetarian menu, which is very good. Everyone who works there is super friendly and accommodating- in fact, they were willing to shut down half the restaurant for Catherine's sixteenth birthday. This restaurant is definitely a favorite of both the Aberle and Kuo families- such quality home cooked meals!
Favorite Dishes:
-Sweet and Sour Chicken (vegetarian menu)
-Wonton Noodle Soup
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Do you enjoy Vietnamese food? Well if you do, here's the restaurant for you!
Square Lotus
Website: http://www.squarelotus.com/
Where:
540A Factoria Blvd. SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
What: Square Lotus is a family owned restaurant that specializes in Vietnamese Cuisine. With over thirty years of experience, they say that all their dishes are full of their "mom's joy for cooking." Their classic Vietnamese dishes include different types of pho and curry. They also have a separate vegetarian menu, which is very good. Everyone who works there is super friendly and accommodating- in fact, they were willing to shut down half the restaurant for Catherine's sixteenth birthday. This restaurant is definitely a favorite of both the Aberle and Kuo families- such quality home cooked meals!
Favorite Dishes:
-Sweet and Sour Chicken (vegetarian menu)
-Wonton Noodle Soup
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Flu Season
Dear Friend,
Let's face it. There's a bug going around- the flu season is a major ruh roh this year. We've noticed that less and less people are coming to school. They are dropping like flies, so we thought it would be a good idea to blog about how to avoid getting sick and what to do if you are sick.
Avoiding the Flu
-Get a good amount of sleep
-Eat three solid meals a day (keep up your energy)
-Keep yourself hydrated
-Buck up and get the flu shot!
-Be conscientious of those who are sick
-Wash your hands
-Wear clothes appropriate to the weather
If You Are Sick...
-Stay home! It's no fun being out of commission, but it is in everyone's best interest if you keep your germs to yourself and focus on getting better.
-Drink tea
-Sleep
-Watch a good movie
-Follow this recipe (it is espoused by our good friend and the dean of students):
1. Take a lemon or lemon juice and put a BUNCH in a mug. Like a bunch.
2. Put a BUNCH of honey on top. Like a bunch.
3. Add just a pinch of cayenne pepper on the top. Just a pinch.
4. Put hot water on top and stir it up.
5. Drink it all.
6. Use a "netty pot." Invest in it if you don't have one.
7. Get tiger balm and put it on your chest and below your nose.
8. Eat some oranges and take Vitamin C
We hope this post was informative! Good luck with the rest of the flu season!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Let's face it. There's a bug going around- the flu season is a major ruh roh this year. We've noticed that less and less people are coming to school. They are dropping like flies, so we thought it would be a good idea to blog about how to avoid getting sick and what to do if you are sick.
Avoiding the Flu
-Get a good amount of sleep
-Eat three solid meals a day (keep up your energy)
-Keep yourself hydrated
-Buck up and get the flu shot!
-Be conscientious of those who are sick
-Wash your hands
-Wear clothes appropriate to the weather
If You Are Sick...
-Stay home! It's no fun being out of commission, but it is in everyone's best interest if you keep your germs to yourself and focus on getting better.
-Drink tea
-Sleep
-Watch a good movie
-Follow this recipe (it is espoused by our good friend and the dean of students):
1. Take a lemon or lemon juice and put a BUNCH in a mug. Like a bunch.
2. Put a BUNCH of honey on top. Like a bunch.
3. Add just a pinch of cayenne pepper on the top. Just a pinch.
4. Put hot water on top and stir it up.
5. Drink it all.
6. Use a "netty pot." Invest in it if you don't have one.
7. Get tiger balm and put it on your chest and below your nose.
8. Eat some oranges and take Vitamin C
We hope this post was informative! Good luck with the rest of the flu season!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Favorite Ten Things: Green
Dear Friend,
Green comes in many different shades and hues. From Christmas tree to daisy stem, there are many green things in our life, but here are our top 10 favs:
1. Green tea
2. Palm frawns
3. The green up arrow on the common app
4. Our school logo
5. Kiwis
6. Tinkerbell
7. Four leaf clovers
8. Kermit the frog
9. Green battery on our iPhones
10. Green jeans
"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its lovliness arises." -Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Green comes in many different shades and hues. From Christmas tree to daisy stem, there are many green things in our life, but here are our top 10 favs:
1. Green tea
2. Palm frawns
3. The green up arrow on the common app
4. Our school logo
5. Kiwis
6. Tinkerbell
7. Four leaf clovers
8. Kermit the frog
9. Green battery on our iPhones
10. Green jeans
"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its lovliness arises." -Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Monday, January 14, 2013
Restaurant: Local 360
Dear Friend,
This is the second post in our Restaurant Recommendations post series. Enjoy!
Local 360
Website: http://www.local360.org/
Where: The corner of 1st and Bell in downtown Seattle
What: Local 360 is all about local and organic food. Everything they serve comes from a 360 mile radius of the restaurant in downtown Seattle. The only exception to this rule is their coffee, as there are not coffee beans that are grown in a 360 degree radius of Seattle (but they are working on it!). Their dairy and eggs are cage-free with no antibiotics or growth hormones. All produce is sourced from sustainable farms and USDA certified organic. The meat is 100% vegetarian and treated humanely. If you aren't into this "Portlandia" mindset, the restaurant honestly has some of the best food we have ever tasted. Lots of times when people here the words "organic"or "local", they assume raw veggies with no flavor, but this place puts all those prejudices to rest. And to top it off, the waiters are SUPER friendly.
Favorite dishes:
-Beet salad, rogue bleu, walnuts, cider vinaigrette
-Mac & Cheese
"When you engage in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach." -Agatha Christie
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
This is the second post in our Restaurant Recommendations post series. Enjoy!
Local 360
Website: http://www.local360.org/
Where: The corner of 1st and Bell in downtown Seattle
What: Local 360 is all about local and organic food. Everything they serve comes from a 360 mile radius of the restaurant in downtown Seattle. The only exception to this rule is their coffee, as there are not coffee beans that are grown in a 360 degree radius of Seattle (but they are working on it!). Their dairy and eggs are cage-free with no antibiotics or growth hormones. All produce is sourced from sustainable farms and USDA certified organic. The meat is 100% vegetarian and treated humanely. If you aren't into this "Portlandia" mindset, the restaurant honestly has some of the best food we have ever tasted. Lots of times when people here the words "organic"or "local", they assume raw veggies with no flavor, but this place puts all those prejudices to rest. And to top it off, the waiters are SUPER friendly.
Favorite dishes:
-Beet salad, rogue bleu, walnuts, cider vinaigrette
-Mac & Cheese
"When you engage in eating, the brain should be the servant of the stomach." -Agatha Christie
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Being Genuine
Dear Friend,
"Be yourself." This phrase is our good friend's motto in life. We hear these two words almost every day and while you think you would get tired of hearing them so often, they are actually a good reminder to stay true to who you are. We often associate "being yourself" with "being genuine," and we thought we'd share some of our thoughts on this through today's post.
Often times in life, the struggle to be yourself stems from feelings of insecurity. If you are uncomfortable and unhappy with yourself, you may find yourself latching on to people who feed off your insecurities. To put it simply- don't do this to yourself! As we've said many times before, surround yourself with people who only lift you up higher. If you find yourself in a vulnerable state due to lack of self-esteem, take a look around and assess your relationships with people in your life. You may think you have a good group of friends, but in reality, they are just taking advantage of you. They rely on you feeling insecure and make you conform to their group- essentially, you become part of this team. The word "team" usually has a positive connotation to it- when you hear this word, you might think of "unity" or "family." However, not all teams are good for you. Some force you to do everything that they do, and to be honest, this does absolutely no good in your life journey to be genuine. You become a reflection of those around you, so choose wisely the people you spend the most time with. We are who we spend our time around because in extent, we are our minds, which are created by our thoughts, which are based off our experiences, which stem from what we do, which is who we spend time with.
Although we become very much like the people around us, we must learn to be our own selves. The two of us often joke around that since we are so "bogo" and "codependent" on each other, we are basically the same person. To an extent this is true, but we are also two separate individuals. We have learned to create our own "filters." This does not mean that you should become a different person when you're at school, work, home, etc. There is no need to create a concrete divide between all these areas in your life. Each part makes up who you are, so embrace them all. In order to do this, we must recognize and strengthen our filters to be different from other's. With our own filters, we can sift through what we believe is good and not good for us- who we should or should not keep in our lives. While creating filters is a great step in staying true to yourself, you must also remember to "clean" the filters- don't let them get clogged or you lose yourself along the way. Being genuine is such a valuable goal to strive for in life. From personal experiences, we know that being yourself can push you towards so many great opportunities and make you appreciate those who have always seen the greatness in you.
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Kylie and Catherine
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Favorite Ten Things: Yellow
Dear Friend,
Yellow is such a happy color. It can brighten almost anyone's day- plus it's a primary color, so that is very exciting. Enjoy another list of our favorite objects that are yellow :)
1. Rubber duckies
2. Daffodils
3. Glow sticks
4. The sun
5. Lemons
6. Submarines
7. Corn
8. Sunflowers
9. Omelettes (in a bag)
10. Taxi cabs
Fun fact:
Bananas did not make this list because they make Catherine quite uncomfortable when they're bruised.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Yellow is such a happy color. It can brighten almost anyone's day- plus it's a primary color, so that is very exciting. Enjoy another list of our favorite objects that are yellow :)
1. Rubber duckies
2. Daffodils
3. Glow sticks
4. The sun
5. Lemons
6. Submarines
7. Corn
8. Sunflowers
9. Omelettes (in a bag)
10. Taxi cabs
Fun fact:
Bananas did not make this list because they make Catherine quite uncomfortable when they're bruised.
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, January 11, 2013
How To Survive The Zombie Apocalypse
Dear Friend,
Do you ever think about the end of the world? Although we did survive the Mayan's predicted date, you never really know when the world could end. We have heard many people talk about the Zombie Apocalypse (Z.A.), and we figured that you can never be to safe. So we present to you, friend, a handy-dandy guide for surviving this inevitable doom. You only have to remember the title of our blog:
D. E. A. R. F. R.I. E. N. D.
DON'T PANIC.
This is perhaps the most useful rule. If you work yourself into a tizzy and think too hard about the fact that the undead are now chasing you trying to eat you alive, you will most likely not be able to preform at your best. And trust us, your best performance will be needed.
EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Eat a nice big breakfast so that you can be sure to have energy to outrun the bad guys.
ALWAYS STAY WITH A BUDDY.
The colloquial "buddy system" will be impertinent to your survival. If you have not done so already, identify and talk to a close friend about being your Z.A. buddy. You will keep each other safe, sane, and smiling through it all.
RUN FAST, BUT DON'T RELY ON THIS.
Start training. You don't have to be a "runner" to survive the apocalypse Although being a fast runner with a low PR is always great, intelligence will be the dominating traits in this speedy natural selection.
FORGET WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
When you are being cornered by a zombie, don't assume that it will be anything similar to the new movie "Warm Bodies" because we promise you, it will be nothing like that. Never ever try to befriend one of these killers.
REMEMBER AN EXTRA PAIR OF SOCKS.
Socks are essential to getting out alive. One of the best feelings is sliding into a fresh pair of socks, and this momentary feeling of bliss may be what gives you that extra kick to push through.
INVEST IN AN IPHONE.
Or a similar device that can reach the internet. That way you can contact other survivors around the world, as well as refer to this blog post for helpful hints and tricks to getting out alive.
ENJOY YOURSELF.
There is no use spending the greatest adventure of your life sad! Put a smile on your face and remember, it could always be worse! You could have 1 leg! Imagine running for a pack of hungry zombies with only one leg! See? (Our apologies if you do actually only have one leg...it could be worse...you could have none.)
NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.
The moment that you have a flicker of doubt in your mind, you will probably die. Although surviving on a planet where most of the creatures want you dead seems like a large feat, there is a first time for everything and to quote our girl Selena, who says YOU'RE not worth it?
DEPEND ON YOURSELF.
Always trust yourself. In the ZA, natural instinct will play a huge role in your survival. Trust your logical instincts and as cheesy as this sounds, follow your heart.
Good luck!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
(Official Z.A. buddies)
Do you ever think about the end of the world? Although we did survive the Mayan's predicted date, you never really know when the world could end. We have heard many people talk about the Zombie Apocalypse (Z.A.), and we figured that you can never be to safe. So we present to you, friend, a handy-dandy guide for surviving this inevitable doom. You only have to remember the title of our blog:
D. E. A. R. F. R.I. E. N. D.
DON'T PANIC.
This is perhaps the most useful rule. If you work yourself into a tizzy and think too hard about the fact that the undead are now chasing you trying to eat you alive, you will most likely not be able to preform at your best. And trust us, your best performance will be needed.
EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST.
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Eat a nice big breakfast so that you can be sure to have energy to outrun the bad guys.
ALWAYS STAY WITH A BUDDY.
The colloquial "buddy system" will be impertinent to your survival. If you have not done so already, identify and talk to a close friend about being your Z.A. buddy. You will keep each other safe, sane, and smiling through it all.
RUN FAST, BUT DON'T RELY ON THIS.
Start training. You don't have to be a "runner" to survive the apocalypse Although being a fast runner with a low PR is always great, intelligence will be the dominating traits in this speedy natural selection.
FORGET WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
When you are being cornered by a zombie, don't assume that it will be anything similar to the new movie "Warm Bodies" because we promise you, it will be nothing like that. Never ever try to befriend one of these killers.
REMEMBER AN EXTRA PAIR OF SOCKS.
Socks are essential to getting out alive. One of the best feelings is sliding into a fresh pair of socks, and this momentary feeling of bliss may be what gives you that extra kick to push through.
INVEST IN AN IPHONE.
Or a similar device that can reach the internet. That way you can contact other survivors around the world, as well as refer to this blog post for helpful hints and tricks to getting out alive.
ENJOY YOURSELF.
There is no use spending the greatest adventure of your life sad! Put a smile on your face and remember, it could always be worse! You could have 1 leg! Imagine running for a pack of hungry zombies with only one leg! See? (Our apologies if you do actually only have one leg...it could be worse...you could have none.)
NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.
The moment that you have a flicker of doubt in your mind, you will probably die. Although surviving on a planet where most of the creatures want you dead seems like a large feat, there is a first time for everything and to quote our girl Selena, who says YOU'RE not worth it?
DEPEND ON YOURSELF.
Always trust yourself. In the ZA, natural instinct will play a huge role in your survival. Trust your logical instincts and as cheesy as this sounds, follow your heart.
Good luck!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
(Official Z.A. buddies)
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Fears
Dear Friend,
We all have different fears. Some of us are afraid of the dark, others are afraid of contracting an exotic illness, and others are afraid of failing a test. Below we have listed 15 of our own fears. It's really healthy to be able to recognize what makes you afraid because once you do this, you gain a bit more control over what you are and aren't anxious about.
1. Death via cheese grater
2. Final Destination 5
3. Getting replaced in college
4. Contracting amnesia (or anyone we know contracting amnesia...)
5. Birds
6. Conformists
7. Nazism relapse
8. Spiders
9. Losing touch with our high school after college
10. Not being good enough to those that we look up to as role models
11. Bruised bananas
12. Having our positive demeanors be mistaken for blind optimism
13. Getting into a car accident with someone that we know
14. Hit and runs
15. C.O.R.B.
"Fear is inevitable, but hope and willpower are conscious decisions used to fight the fear."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We all have different fears. Some of us are afraid of the dark, others are afraid of contracting an exotic illness, and others are afraid of failing a test. Below we have listed 15 of our own fears. It's really healthy to be able to recognize what makes you afraid because once you do this, you gain a bit more control over what you are and aren't anxious about.
1. Death via cheese grater
2. Final Destination 5
3. Getting replaced in college
4. Contracting amnesia (or anyone we know contracting amnesia...)
5. Birds
6. Conformists
7. Nazism relapse
8. Spiders
9. Losing touch with our high school after college
10. Not being good enough to those that we look up to as role models
11. Bruised bananas
12. Having our positive demeanors be mistaken for blind optimism
13. Getting into a car accident with someone that we know
14. Hit and runs
15. C.O.R.B.
"Fear is inevitable, but hope and willpower are conscious decisions used to fight the fear."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Restaurant: Cafe Flora
Dear Friend,
What:
This post is the first of yet another series: Restaurant Recommendations. Today, we're kicking off this series with Cafe Flora, one of our very favorite restaurants.
Cafe Flora
Website: http://www.cafeflora.com/
Where:
2901 E. Madison St.
Seattle, WA 98112
What:
Cafe Flora is a cute and classy restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is unique because it specializes in vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free food. There is a great variety of food- in fact, their menu changes regularly to keep up with each season. Dishes include tacos, quesadillas, soups, salads...the list goes on and on. Their desserts are also to die for. You couldn't even tell if a slice of cake was gluten free or not! We love this restaurant because the food used is local, organic, and sustainable produce. Also, everyone who works here is very kind and accommodating- if you don't like much salt with your food or want the dressing to the side, they try and do their best to meet your needs.
Favorite Dish: Bucket of Yam Fries (Starter/Appetizer)
Bon Appetit!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Favorite Ten Things: Orange
Dear Friend,
Orange is our least favorite color, but we thought we'd share our top ten things that are orange with you anyways.
1. Cheez-Its
2. Traffic cones
3. Oranges*
4. Nemo
5. Pumpkins
6. Carrots
7. Fire
8. Goldfish
9. Blogspot logo
10. The Complete Idiots Guide: Understanding Catholicism
*Here's a question for you all: Is orange juice orange or yellow?
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Orange is our least favorite color, but we thought we'd share our top ten things that are orange with you anyways.
1. Cheez-Its
2. Traffic cones
3. Oranges*
4. Nemo
5. Pumpkins
6. Carrots
7. Fire
8. Goldfish
9. Blogspot logo
10. The Complete Idiots Guide: Understanding Catholicism
*Here's a question for you all: Is orange juice orange or yellow?
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Monday, January 7, 2013
Song Dissection: 22 Part 3
Dear Friend,
This is the final installment of our interpretation of Taylor Swift's hit song, 22.
It feels like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
This is a repetition of previous lyrics. She is feeling that this is the time to ditch the mindset that change is not possible.
It feels like one of those nights
We won't be sleeping
Again, a repeat of previous lyrics. She confidently says that they won't be sleeping. This meant not only during this time, but forever. They will never sleep again (metaphorically) because they are now awake to the life around them.
It feels like one of those nights
You look like bad news I gotta have you, I gotta have you
This part is quite a juxtaposition. She says that you look like bad news, yet she's gotta have you. The you again could refer to a higher power/God. She has seen the effect that God has had on other people, and she sees is as bad news. This does not necessarily mean that it has a wholly negative effect. The only bad news is that the journey to self actualization will be hard once she begins, yet she has to. She repeats "I gotta have you" twice, making the point that she has to have this journey.
Repeat chorus (x2)
We hope that you enjoyed this song interpretation! Leave comments with your favorite songs, and when we need ideas for blog posts, we'll do our best to get to all of them! Also just a reminder, any time you have a post thought, please post a comment. It would really help us :)
Thanks!
"You can never read too far into things...except when you can."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
This is the final installment of our interpretation of Taylor Swift's hit song, 22.
It feels like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
This is a repetition of previous lyrics. She is feeling that this is the time to ditch the mindset that change is not possible.
It feels like one of those nights
We won't be sleeping
Again, a repeat of previous lyrics. She confidently says that they won't be sleeping. This meant not only during this time, but forever. They will never sleep again (metaphorically) because they are now awake to the life around them.
It feels like one of those nights
You look like bad news I gotta have you, I gotta have you
This part is quite a juxtaposition. She says that you look like bad news, yet she's gotta have you. The you again could refer to a higher power/God. She has seen the effect that God has had on other people, and she sees is as bad news. This does not necessarily mean that it has a wholly negative effect. The only bad news is that the journey to self actualization will be hard once she begins, yet she has to. She repeats "I gotta have you" twice, making the point that she has to have this journey.
Repeat chorus (x2)
We hope that you enjoyed this song interpretation! Leave comments with your favorite songs, and when we need ideas for blog posts, we'll do our best to get to all of them! Also just a reminder, any time you have a post thought, please post a comment. It would really help us :)
Thanks!
"You can never read too far into things...except when you can."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Song Dissection: 22 Part 2
Dear Friend,
This post is a continuum from our previous post, Song Dissection: 22 Part 1. Enjoy!
It seems like one of those nights
This place is too crowded, too many cool kids
"One of those nights" refers to the fact that this pattern has happened before. Clearly it is a perfect time to start the journey of self discovery. The word night is not meant to be taken literally. Night merely refers to a time when people can really be themselves, without having the "sun" aka society judging them. The place that the singer refers to is society as a whole, and it is crowded with too many cool kids. Cool kids refers to people who think they have it all together, and are pretentious and exclusive.
It seems like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
Similar to the stanza above, this "night" (or time) is perfect to ditch the whole scene. The singer wishes to separate herself from the regulations and expectations of society. As an adventuresome pirate, the singer wishes to separate herself from the normality and venture into the unknown, again searching for self actualization.
And end up dreaming instead of sleeping aaah
This is perhaps the must important line. Sleeping and dreaming happen at night. We have already reviewed that 'night' represents a place of no judgement; a place where people can be and find and create themselves. Dreaming and sleeping however are highly metaphorical. The "cool kids" sleep. They are stagnant and don't learn anything about themselves. When we sleep, we don't get anything accomplished. On the other hand, dreaming is representational of imagining that more is possible. Instead of being in the duldrums of sleeping, the singer will end up dreaming. Instead of staying where she is in her mind, she is going to really search for herself and dream that more is possible for her.
Repeat Chorus
Read the final installment tomorrow in part 3!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
This post is a continuum from our previous post, Song Dissection: 22 Part 1. Enjoy!
It seems like one of those nights
This place is too crowded, too many cool kids
"One of those nights" refers to the fact that this pattern has happened before. Clearly it is a perfect time to start the journey of self discovery. The word night is not meant to be taken literally. Night merely refers to a time when people can really be themselves, without having the "sun" aka society judging them. The place that the singer refers to is society as a whole, and it is crowded with too many cool kids. Cool kids refers to people who think they have it all together, and are pretentious and exclusive.
It seems like one of those nights
We ditch the whole scene
Similar to the stanza above, this "night" (or time) is perfect to ditch the whole scene. The singer wishes to separate herself from the regulations and expectations of society. As an adventuresome pirate, the singer wishes to separate herself from the normality and venture into the unknown, again searching for self actualization.
And end up dreaming instead of sleeping aaah
This is perhaps the must important line. Sleeping and dreaming happen at night. We have already reviewed that 'night' represents a place of no judgement; a place where people can be and find and create themselves. Dreaming and sleeping however are highly metaphorical. The "cool kids" sleep. They are stagnant and don't learn anything about themselves. When we sleep, we don't get anything accomplished. On the other hand, dreaming is representational of imagining that more is possible. Instead of being in the duldrums of sleeping, the singer will end up dreaming. Instead of staying where she is in her mind, she is going to really search for herself and dream that more is possible for her.
Repeat Chorus
Read the final installment tomorrow in part 3!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Song Dissection: 22 Part 1
Dear Friend,
Here's a song dissection for you. It'll be split into three parts, so brace yourself :)
22- Taylor Swift
It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters
And make fun of our exes, uh uh uh uh
This song begins with a group of people "dressing up like hipsters." This phrase really means that they are wannabe pirates. These people are taking on the characteristics of a pirate by dressing up like one. The "exes" obviously refer to "X"- like X marks the spot. These so called pirates are laughing at where they thought their treasure was hidden. In this case, treasure really means true happiness and self actualization. So, these people believe that their treasure was in the wrong place (most likely in things like alcohol or friends who betrayed them). Thus, this song is about pirates on a treausrse hunt to find their true selves and happiness.
It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight
To fall in love with strangers uh uh uh uh
Yeaaaah
Now, the pirates are defying the normal standards of society- such as meal times. They are eating breakfast at midnight, which isn't what most people do. They believe they do not need to confor to the norm. The next part about falling in love with strangers is basically them befriending people they normally wouldn't. However, they are taking a chance because these new friends can be either good or bad. But since they are being spontaneous about making new friends, they don't really care about whether they are good or not.
We're happy free confused and lonely at the same time
It's miserable and magical oh yeah
These two lines refer to the treasure hunt. "Happy" and "free" refer to their personalities as pirates, "confused" refers to their disguise as pirates, and "lonely" refers to them feeling lonely on this quest for happiness. The "It's miserable and magical" phrase is basically saying that although their journey is tough, it is also rewarding because in the end, it should transform them into a person with good moral values.
Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines, it's time uh uh
Before, they were putting deadlines to their dreams and hopes, making them annoying little goals that they had to rush to achieve all the time. so they are feeling pressure by the concept of time and space, but now "it's time" to forget about time and be that new, happier person they'd be hoping to be their whole life.
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you
When the narrator says "I'm feeling 22," he/she really means that they are feeling strong and confident. The number 22 refers to the element titanium on the periodic table. Titanium is known for being strong and resistant to corrosion. Therefore, this narrator is feeling quite confident on finding the "treasure" of happiness. The "you" in the second line refers to a higher source of power/God. Everything will be alright as long as the narrator is guided by an almighty force.
You don't know about me but I bet you want to
Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we're 22, 22
Again, the narrator is speaking to "God." He/she believes that He has the power to transform their life into something better and once again, everything will be alright, especially since they feel like they're 22.
Find out about the rest of the pirate's journey in part 2!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Here's a song dissection for you. It'll be split into three parts, so brace yourself :)
22- Taylor Swift
It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters
And make fun of our exes, uh uh uh uh
This song begins with a group of people "dressing up like hipsters." This phrase really means that they are wannabe pirates. These people are taking on the characteristics of a pirate by dressing up like one. The "exes" obviously refer to "X"- like X marks the spot. These so called pirates are laughing at where they thought their treasure was hidden. In this case, treasure really means true happiness and self actualization. So, these people believe that their treasure was in the wrong place (most likely in things like alcohol or friends who betrayed them). Thus, this song is about pirates on a treausrse hunt to find their true selves and happiness.
It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight
To fall in love with strangers uh uh uh uh
Yeaaaah
Now, the pirates are defying the normal standards of society- such as meal times. They are eating breakfast at midnight, which isn't what most people do. They believe they do not need to confor to the norm. The next part about falling in love with strangers is basically them befriending people they normally wouldn't. However, they are taking a chance because these new friends can be either good or bad. But since they are being spontaneous about making new friends, they don't really care about whether they are good or not.
We're happy free confused and lonely at the same time
It's miserable and magical oh yeah
These two lines refer to the treasure hunt. "Happy" and "free" refer to their personalities as pirates, "confused" refers to their disguise as pirates, and "lonely" refers to them feeling lonely on this quest for happiness. The "It's miserable and magical" phrase is basically saying that although their journey is tough, it is also rewarding because in the end, it should transform them into a person with good moral values.
Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines, it's time uh uh
Before, they were putting deadlines to their dreams and hopes, making them annoying little goals that they had to rush to achieve all the time. so they are feeling pressure by the concept of time and space, but now "it's time" to forget about time and be that new, happier person they'd be hoping to be their whole life.
I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you
When the narrator says "I'm feeling 22," he/she really means that they are feeling strong and confident. The number 22 refers to the element titanium on the periodic table. Titanium is known for being strong and resistant to corrosion. Therefore, this narrator is feeling quite confident on finding the "treasure" of happiness. The "you" in the second line refers to a higher source of power/God. Everything will be alright as long as the narrator is guided by an almighty force.
You don't know about me but I bet you want to
Everything will be alright if we just keep dancing like we're 22, 22
Again, the narrator is speaking to "God." He/she believes that He has the power to transform their life into something better and once again, everything will be alright, especially since they feel like they're 22.
Find out about the rest of the pirate's journey in part 2!
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Friday, January 4, 2013
Michaels
Dear Friend,
What brings you joy? Perhaps it's going on an early morning run, or long conversations with someone who really understands you, or sitting in front of a computer typing out a story that you've been working on forever. Many things bring us joy, but one that we would like to focus on today is taking a trip to a store called Michaels.
You have probably hear of/been tho Michaels. If you have not, you are missing out. Michaels is a huge arts and crafts store. When the two of us are hanging out and we find ourselves with nothing to do, our go-to outing is a trip to Michaels. We are absolutly in love with this entire store. You can find everything from sequined cat masks to tiger figurines to hands mini boxes to our latest obsession: Modge Podge. We recently completed a DIY for a friend that we were actually quite proud of, and Modge Podge is what make the whole thing come together. Another thing we love about Michaels is that it allows for so much creativity. You can walk into the store at a total loss for creative ideas, and walk out with exciting project plans.
Our most recent trip to Michaels was another success. We bought three things that we can't tell you about since they are a gift for someone, various paints, 49 cent sponge brushes, and two little boxes. The boxes are for an idea we got off of pinterest. Basically it is a daily note card calendar that gets reused every year. Each card is formatted in the following way:
January 1
2013: Thought + something we learned
2014:
2015:
And so on. So each card is a date, and each date has different years so 5 years from now if someone asks what we did May 6th 2014, we will be able to tell them. The boxes are quite artsy and they look adorable. They are also great things for us in college to be able to look back on all our crazy adventures. Should be fun.
And Michaels made it all possible.
We hope that you have had the opportunity to spend a few hours in this amazing store. If you are looking for something specific it can sometimes be stressful, but if you go in calm and relaxed and just let yourself go, you'll see why this store brings us such joy.
"It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life." -Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
What brings you joy? Perhaps it's going on an early morning run, or long conversations with someone who really understands you, or sitting in front of a computer typing out a story that you've been working on forever. Many things bring us joy, but one that we would like to focus on today is taking a trip to a store called Michaels.
You have probably hear of/been tho Michaels. If you have not, you are missing out. Michaels is a huge arts and crafts store. When the two of us are hanging out and we find ourselves with nothing to do, our go-to outing is a trip to Michaels. We are absolutly in love with this entire store. You can find everything from sequined cat masks to tiger figurines to hands mini boxes to our latest obsession: Modge Podge. We recently completed a DIY for a friend that we were actually quite proud of, and Modge Podge is what make the whole thing come together. Another thing we love about Michaels is that it allows for so much creativity. You can walk into the store at a total loss for creative ideas, and walk out with exciting project plans.
Our most recent trip to Michaels was another success. We bought three things that we can't tell you about since they are a gift for someone, various paints, 49 cent sponge brushes, and two little boxes. The boxes are for an idea we got off of pinterest. Basically it is a daily note card calendar that gets reused every year. Each card is formatted in the following way:
January 1
2013: Thought + something we learned
2014:
2015:
And so on. So each card is a date, and each date has different years so 5 years from now if someone asks what we did May 6th 2014, we will be able to tell them. The boxes are quite artsy and they look adorable. They are also great things for us in college to be able to look back on all our crazy adventures. Should be fun.
And Michaels made it all possible.
We hope that you have had the opportunity to spend a few hours in this amazing store. If you are looking for something specific it can sometimes be stressful, but if you go in calm and relaxed and just let yourself go, you'll see why this store brings us such joy.
"It is better to create than to be learned, creating is the true essence of life." -Barthold Georg Niebuhr
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Disappointment
Dear Friend,
Disappointment is a terrible feeling that we're bound to come face to face with multiple times in our lives. Whether it's receiving a low grade on a test or watching a friend drink copious amounts of alcohol, disappointment is everywhere. Unfortunately, we believe that disappointment isn't something we can avoid for the rest of our life because it is strongly connected to our expectations as human beings. Now let's go back to the situation in which your friend is totally wasted. As you watch your friend transform into a totally different person, you initially may feel some shock. You are surprised that they would do this to themselves and let the situation grow into something they'd most likely regret later on. Once you get past this initial stage of surprise, you begin to feel let down- or rather, your expectations are being let down. You expected your friend to be someone you could depend on and look up to. You know that your friend is actually a graceful and classy person- not one who has a glass of wine in one hand while yelling inappropriate things across the room. Viewing your friend as perfect is where the problem is- ultimately, it's where utter disappointment stems from. When things fail to go our way and don't live up to our expectations, we feel angry, betrayed, sad, bitter...the list goes on and on. Essentially, all of these emotions combine together to form disappointment.
Although we can't really erase disappointment from our lives, there are many ways to deal with it. You could begin by altering your expectations. You cannot expect yourself or others to be perfect, so why waste energy thinking that this world is perfect? Another way to deal with disappointment is not dwelling over outcomes. Outcomes are not setbacks. If something did not go your way, it is natural to feel upset, but don't let these feelings control your life. Realize that you can't change how a situation panned out- what's done is done. Finally, face disappointment with grace. Stay composed while facing challenges and exhibit patience. Once you feel like you have a grip on dealing with disappointment, don't forget to forgive yourself, others, and situations you've experienced disappointment in. Forgiveness is key to truly accepting disappointment.
"Don't let today's disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow's dreams."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Disappointment is a terrible feeling that we're bound to come face to face with multiple times in our lives. Whether it's receiving a low grade on a test or watching a friend drink copious amounts of alcohol, disappointment is everywhere. Unfortunately, we believe that disappointment isn't something we can avoid for the rest of our life because it is strongly connected to our expectations as human beings. Now let's go back to the situation in which your friend is totally wasted. As you watch your friend transform into a totally different person, you initially may feel some shock. You are surprised that they would do this to themselves and let the situation grow into something they'd most likely regret later on. Once you get past this initial stage of surprise, you begin to feel let down- or rather, your expectations are being let down. You expected your friend to be someone you could depend on and look up to. You know that your friend is actually a graceful and classy person- not one who has a glass of wine in one hand while yelling inappropriate things across the room. Viewing your friend as perfect is where the problem is- ultimately, it's where utter disappointment stems from. When things fail to go our way and don't live up to our expectations, we feel angry, betrayed, sad, bitter...the list goes on and on. Essentially, all of these emotions combine together to form disappointment.
Although we can't really erase disappointment from our lives, there are many ways to deal with it. You could begin by altering your expectations. You cannot expect yourself or others to be perfect, so why waste energy thinking that this world is perfect? Another way to deal with disappointment is not dwelling over outcomes. Outcomes are not setbacks. If something did not go your way, it is natural to feel upset, but don't let these feelings control your life. Realize that you can't change how a situation panned out- what's done is done. Finally, face disappointment with grace. Stay composed while facing challenges and exhibit patience. Once you feel like you have a grip on dealing with disappointment, don't forget to forgive yourself, others, and situations you've experienced disappointment in. Forgiveness is key to truly accepting disappointment.
"Don't let today's disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow's dreams."
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Zen Cat/New Year
Dear Friend,
Welcome to another short post. We try to keep these to a minimum but sometimes life gets a little busy. We thought we would share 5 things with you that we love about the new year, and we promise to post more thoughtful posts soon. Thanks for hanging in there!
1. New calendars. Basically the possibilities of calendar types are endless. Kylie just bought a new calendar today: Zen Cats. Each month is a different drawing of a cat with a Buddhist quote. Basically it is the best thing ever.
2. Writing the date. We're so used to writing xx/xx/12, and now we get to add a new number to each assignment/check/letter we write! Although to be honest, it usually takes us well into the month of February to actually remember to write 13 and not 12.
3. Fresh starts. There's something about the new year that gives us a chance to start things fresh. Even though each day is an opportunity to start new things, the new year seems to make everything more official. See yesterday's post for our resolutions.
4. New opportunities. We like to imagine years like a books. This is volume 2013, page 1 of 365. When we look back on 2012, we can thing "That was a great year!" or "That was a disappointing year..." or "That was an exciting year!" A new year brings with it opportunities for new friends, new adventures (college), new memories, etc. Make 2013 a good one! You are in charge of writing your own story.
5. Graduation year! As scary as that sounds, we are actually very excited to graduate. We can't wait to make new friends and meet new teachers and see new things and integrate ourselves into a new community. New, new, new. We can't wait to see where we end up going to school, and all the fun adventures that will be sure to follow! Since 2005, we have recognized our class as the class of 2013. In 5th grade 2013 seemed so far away and we convinced ourselves that it would never come, but here we are.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next years words await another voice." -T.S. Eliot
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Welcome to another short post. We try to keep these to a minimum but sometimes life gets a little busy. We thought we would share 5 things with you that we love about the new year, and we promise to post more thoughtful posts soon. Thanks for hanging in there!
1. New calendars. Basically the possibilities of calendar types are endless. Kylie just bought a new calendar today: Zen Cats. Each month is a different drawing of a cat with a Buddhist quote. Basically it is the best thing ever.
2. Writing the date. We're so used to writing xx/xx/12, and now we get to add a new number to each assignment/check/letter we write! Although to be honest, it usually takes us well into the month of February to actually remember to write 13 and not 12.
3. Fresh starts. There's something about the new year that gives us a chance to start things fresh. Even though each day is an opportunity to start new things, the new year seems to make everything more official. See yesterday's post for our resolutions.
4. New opportunities. We like to imagine years like a books. This is volume 2013, page 1 of 365. When we look back on 2012, we can thing "That was a great year!" or "That was a disappointing year..." or "That was an exciting year!" A new year brings with it opportunities for new friends, new adventures (college), new memories, etc. Make 2013 a good one! You are in charge of writing your own story.
5. Graduation year! As scary as that sounds, we are actually very excited to graduate. We can't wait to make new friends and meet new teachers and see new things and integrate ourselves into a new community. New, new, new. We can't wait to see where we end up going to school, and all the fun adventures that will be sure to follow! Since 2005, we have recognized our class as the class of 2013. In 5th grade 2013 seemed so far away and we convinced ourselves that it would never come, but here we are.
"For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next years words await another voice." -T.S. Eliot
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Here's to 2013
Dear Friend,
We're back! We hope everyone had a safe and exciting New Year's Eve...it's finally 2013. The two of us have been looking forward to this year, as it is our graduation year. We know a lot is in store for us this year- finishing up our last five months at our beloved school (Home 2.0), HS graduation, and beginning college. However, we're just taking one day at a time and we've come up with a list of resolutions/goals we look forward aspiring to throughout this year. Hey, a new year means new beginnings, right?
New Year's Resolution- 2013
1. Eat three healthy meals a day
2. Read all of Jane Austen's books
3. Keep up with our blog
4. Make the last few months of HS memorable and enjoy college
5. Avoid amnesia
6. Live with grace
7. Get more sleep
8. Go into every room on our HS campus
9. Make new friends
10. Don't take things for granted and always be grateful
11. Get in shape (for canyoneering)
12. Find what role God has in our lives
13. Maintain our solid friendship
Here's to a wonderful 2013!
"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."- Oprah Winfrey
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
We're back! We hope everyone had a safe and exciting New Year's Eve...it's finally 2013. The two of us have been looking forward to this year, as it is our graduation year. We know a lot is in store for us this year- finishing up our last five months at our beloved school (Home 2.0), HS graduation, and beginning college. However, we're just taking one day at a time and we've come up with a list of resolutions/goals we look forward aspiring to throughout this year. Hey, a new year means new beginnings, right?
New Year's Resolution- 2013
1. Eat three healthy meals a day
2. Read all of Jane Austen's books
3. Keep up with our blog
4. Make the last few months of HS memorable and enjoy college
5. Avoid amnesia
6. Live with grace
7. Get more sleep
8. Go into every room on our HS campus
9. Make new friends
10. Don't take things for granted and always be grateful
11. Get in shape (for canyoneering)
12. Find what role God has in our lives
13. Maintain our solid friendship
Here's to a wonderful 2013!
"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."- Oprah Winfrey
Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine
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