[ checking in ]

Well hello there bloggie land! I'm alive! The trip is fantatical so far... I'm currently in Baltimore, MD, staying with friends from college. Just thought I'd say HI!

[ the unthinkable has happened ]

I have become more of a girl than I ever thought would happen.

Not only am I bringing actual make-up on vacation (more than just concealer and chapstick, I mean)... I couldn't decide what shoes to bring.

So I'm bringing FIVE pairs.

FIVE.

What?

When did this happen?!?

I also threw a dress in my bag, just in case.

Mom... I hope you're happy! You and Sarah's evil plan to make me girly seems to finally be working! ;)

[ it's vacation time ]

I am officially on vacation!

I leave tomorrow night on a red-eye to Boston, and then I'm having three solid weeks of no-work-bliss. Where am I going for three entire weeks, you may ask?

Well....


All over the damn place!

I'll be in Massachusetts Friday morning through Tuesday morning (in a different city each day); New York City Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday evening; Baltimore Wednesday evening through Saturday morning; Raleigh for Saturday; Greenville, SC from Sunday through Thursday; then back to Raleigh from Thursday to Tuesday. Then back to Phoenix on Tuesday, July 15th.

I'm so incredibly excited for this trip. I'm going to be seeing a ton of my friends... most of whom I haven't seen in over a year... some of whom I haven't seen in three or more years. Plus, I'll be seeing pretty much my entire extended family, whom I haven't seen since my sister's wedding last March. It's gonna be freaking awesome.

So, if you notice a long lapse in posting here, for once I will have a legit reason. I still haven't decided if I'm going to bring my computer with me or not. I barely have any space left on it, so I'd have to do a bunch of frantic moving-files-around and backing-shit-up tomorrow before I leave in order to have space for any pictures I take while I'm gone. But if I don't bring it, I'll only be able to take photos until my cards fill up, which will probably be really really fast, because I'm going to hopefully be shooting a lot.

So, I guess I should probably do the frantic moving-files-around and backing-shit-up tomorrow, so that I can bring it, so that I won't have to watch how much I shoot. I am bringing several cameras... a couple film and two digital. But, if I bring my computer I won't have to worry about it at all.

Therefore, thank you blog, for letting me argue with myself on you, because now I've made a decision.

If I don't post for three weeks, see ya in three weeks! Have a rockin' Fourth of July!

[ photo proof ]

Well, I promised to show some photo proof of my escapades shooting a wedding from a roof. And now, I've got it. I don't have the close-ups that my boss shot of me, but I do have one that I shot of the wedding from the roof, and one my boss shot that you can see me all tiny-like. Enjoy!

[ gilmore girls makes me sappy ]

So, I'm sure I've mentioned before that I absolutely love Gilmore Girls. It remains my favorite television show of life, and I have the entire series on DVD. Every once in a while, I pull it out and watch random episodes or entire seasons.

So I watched the last two episodes of the series and then watched parts Season 4 recently, and I gotta say... it makes me so damn sappy. I freakin' well up like once an episode! What the hell?!? I've never ever been much of a crier before... why is Gilmore getting me weepy? When Rory graduates Yale, and Richard tells Lorelai to just enjoy the moment, I get teary. When Rory gets her job and says "What about the rollercoasters?" and Lorelai is clearly trying not to cry, I do it for her. When Richard has a heart attack, I'm a freaking disaster. When Luke and Lorelai finally get together (both at the end of Season 4 and at the end of the series), I get so sentimental and gushy. When the whole town is cheering for Rory at the party in the last episode, tears are racing down my face.

Whaaaat is wrong with me? When did I become a sap? Now that I think about it... I cried when I was watching the Sex and the City movie, and Carrie confronted Big in the street and thwacked him with her bouquet. When did that kinda stuff start making me cry?

A few years ago, it would have been hard for me to remember the last time I had cried. I mean, I kind of giggled when Kate Winslet dropped Leo to the bottom of the sea in Titanic. Now, I'm afraid to watch the whole movie, just in case I finally do get weepy when that happens. Where did my cruel, hardened heart go?

Maybe I got sappy and sentimental at love and loss because I lost love. Stupid love life being nonexistent right now. Bah.

I'm going to go watch some more Gilmore Girls, before I have to go to a photoshoot. Maybe I'll make it through an episode without crying like a baby.

[ one whole year ]

Today is my one-year blog-o-versary!

One year ago today, I started this sucker. We've had good times and bad together. Sometimes I have neglected it. Sometimes it's felt like my best friend.

Let's see... how has my life changed since starting this blog:

+ I moved across the country
+ I planted the seeds of starting my own business
+ My longest romantic relationship to date ended
+ I visited the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas for the first time
+ I took large strides towards making friends in a new place
+ I lived in two different, but equally awesome, apartments

I'd say that overall it's been a pretty good year. It was my twenty-third year of life; my first year on my own; my first year being away from my college friends; my first year as a college graduate; my first year as a real adult; my fifth year knowing that photography is what I want to do with the rest of my life; my fourth year of not calling Sandwich home; my first year of not worrying about exams and tests and due dates; my third year of being a twenty-something.

It's pretty fitting that I started this blog just three days after my birthday. With every year that I get older, this blog will be another year older too.

I wonder what this year will bring for me. I've officially started living my twenty-fourth year of life. Is it right to say it's my twenty-fourth year of life, when my age is twenty-three? I've been alive for twenty-three years, as of three days ago, so now I'm starting the twenty-fourth year, right? I'm going with it.

Anyone else's blog-o-versary coming up? How long have you been blogging? What's changed in your life since you started?

[ yesterday was my birthday ]

Yesterday was my 23rd birthday! Woot!

I stayed home from work, and basically just bummed around and relaxed all day. I did some reading (Harry Potter One in Italian and a few chapters of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier), playing video games (old school Mario on Super Nintendo), and movie watching (Amelie, although I fell asleep part-way through... must have been tired).

Then Jesse (yes, my ex-boyfriend) took me out to dinner (not on a date, for those of you who thought, "What?!?") to this Mexican restaurant called Sam's Cafe that's right near my apartment, and has amazing Southwest Shrimp Quesadillas (shrimp, goat cheese, roasted corn, rice... soooo good) and tasty margaritas. And our waiter was wicked cute, and carded me for my margarita, and then gave me free cheesecake because it was my birthday! Score!

Overall, it was a good day. I got a bunch of emails, Facebook messages, text messages and phone calls wishing me a happy birthday.


In other news, My Boys is back tomorrrrrrow night! So excited... I finally get to find out who PJ brought to Italy. I'm pulling for Brando or Alex. I really hope it isn't the baseball player or Thorn. You should watch it!

In other, other news, I love working at the office downtown. We share the space with an architecture company. Three really cool guys work there, and one of them has taco nights pretty frequently. Hopefully I'll be able to go to the next one. And another one owns a coffee shop a few blocks away, and frequently brings us back free coffee. Today I got a delicious iced coffee, for absolutely zero dollars. Awweeeesome!

Happy Hump Day :)

[ the search for the perfect bathing suit ]

I am on a quest for a bathing suit that I like and that flatters my body. Unfortunately, I have a weird body type. Whenever I read articles about the best bathing suit for your body type, I'm always a combo of several different types.

I'm relatively short... 5'3" to be precise. I'm relatively athletic, with some extra cushion in the stomach area that I'd love not to be on display. I've got a really short torso, paired with pretty long legs... my legs are actually over half of my height, from heel to hip. I've always been lucky with the muscle in my legs... no matter how much soccer I played or how much weight I could lift with them (when I was at my peak fitness level, pretty close to twice my weight), my legs have always stayed pretty lean. I have a small butt. And to top all of that off, literally, I'm a D-cup.

I'm definitely not willing to rock a bikini. I'd prefer a one-piece, but will probably need to end up going with a tankini of sorts, because of my tiny butt and big boobs.

Anyone have any tips? Know any articles that will save my sanity on this issue? Because the only bathing suit I own is a probably six-year-old Speedo one-piece. You know, the kind with the circle cut out of the back. And it's a crazy green pattern that officially hurts my eyes. And I live in Arizona now, and it's damn hot. I'd like to be able to take advantage of the pool that is literally right outside my window, without feeling like I look like an absolute idiot. And without looking chubby.

Help!

[ on attempts at green living ]

A while back (in November), I compiled a list of ways I was attempting to live my life as greenly as possible. I still am making attempts, and thought it was about time for an update.

What I Do To Live Green:

• I have CF bulbs in all of my lights
• I moved to a much smaller apartment: I use less electricity, water, etc.
• I've started bringing bags everywhere I shop, or refusing bags when I can easily carry what I've purchased
  
• I try to take short, quick showers
• I open my blinds instead of turning on lights
• I'm still a vegetarian, with the exception of seafood
• I still rarely eat out
• I still never use plastic utensils or paper plates
• My air conditioning is at a comfortable 85 degrees, which is quite cool compared to the three-digit weather we've been having for weeks already
• I make sure to turn the a/c off when I'm not at home or when I just don't feel like I need it
• I not only turn off my computer when not home, but flip the switch on the entire surge protector -- vampire electricity is a bitch
• I also unplug my television and dvd player when I'm not using it, as well as any and all chargers
• I now ride my bike to work, as it's only a half-mile away -- I can now go days without getting in my car
• I dry almost all of my clothing on a drying rack, and those that I don't, I dry on the Energy Preferred setting on my dryer

What I Am Hoping To Do To Live Green:

• Get a basket or one of those towing-thingies for my bike so I can take it to the market instead of my car
• Take advantage of the farmer's market I've discovered that is only a few blocks from my apartment, twice a week
• Find a way to start recycling again -- my apartment complex doesn't have a recycling program, but I'm sure I can find one

I like feeling like I'm making an effort. Just one person making a small effort won't change things... but if everyone made small changes and small efforts... the change would be incredible!

What do you do to live green?

[ guest bloggers wanted ]

Hello out there in blogland!

I'm going on vacation for a little over two weeks at the end of June, and have made a promise to my dear little friend, the blog, that I would not continue to leave it unattended for weeks at a time.

Anyone want to guest blog for me?

(Anyone know precisely how the guest-blogging-action works? 'Cuz I don't. But I wanna!)

[ dangerous occupation ]

Anyone who thinks being a wedding photographer isn't dangerous, listen up:

This weekend, I second-shot at a wedding with my boss. For the first ten or fifteen minutes of the ceremony, I shot from on top of the roof of the resort.

On top of the roof, people.

And to get on said roof, there wasn't a staircase or a ladder or anything. Nope.

That would be easy.

I had to duck through a couple overgrown trees, and hop across a small gap onto the roof.

And every single step I took made the roof make scary noises.

And the roof was of course, not flat, but sloped. So my worth-shit-absolutely-horrendous-balance had to actually work for me. Luckily, I only almost-fell once. Maybe twice.

And of course, my boss got a total kick out of me being up there, and snapped a few photographs of me. In at least one, I look absolutely terrified.

Photographic proof coming once I gank the pics from work.

[ update on life ]

Once again, it has been forever since I've posted. Almost three weeks. Myyyyyy bad.

I've actually been really busy. To prove my point, check out this tiny screenshot of my calendar for this month:


So it's been a busy couple of weeks. I've been working down at the studio three days a week; there have been a couple weddings recently; I've actually had quite a few of my own clients recently; I've been having events with my Meetup group pretty regularly, as well as hanging out with some of the members outside of the group; and I just started working with another business, a health product that has actually been working wonders for both my back pain and my allergies since I started using it, and will also help me get out of the rat-race before I hit 30.

I also recently decided to make a serious effort to do more reading, less television-watching and less random-internet-surfing. Reading more and having more to do has equated to less general time on the computer, with means less blogification. I used to read voraciously when I was younger, and it recently came to the point that I couldn't actually think of the last book I had read. I have definitely successfully changed that: since the middle of April, I've read six books, and I'm working on a couple more.

One of the books I just finished (as in about an hour ago!) is The Bounce Back Book, by Karen Salmansohn. It is a great little book of 75 tips on "how to thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks, and losses." The tips are amazing for helping you through hard times in your life, both small and huge. It's a really quick read, and totally beneficial. Some of the tips are the types of things you should incorporate into your daily life whether or not you are in a particularly tough spot.

Some of my favorite tips, which I'm going to work on bringing into my everyday life:

#10: Happiness is a choice, not just a matter of genes or good luck.
#22: Give yourself 120-second recharging sessions.
#35: Don't just write a "To Do" list. Write a "To Be" list.
#55: Sing your heartache out.
#58: Cultivate the habit of zest.
#70: View change as chance.

(All quoted from The Bounce Back Book)

Obviously there are sixty-nine more amazing tips, and lots more detail to the six I shared with you. I highly, highly recommend picking it up. It's less than $15, and worth every single penny.

So after that crazy tangent, I'm once again apologizing for being away so long. And once again, I am promising to try to be better. I should post about the fun things happening in my life, instead of just doing the fun things, right?!? Indeed!

[ takes me back ]

I've all by given up watching television lately. I only have basic cable, so there isn't too much to pick from beyond news, various sitcom reruns, and shitty reality shows. I've started listening to my vast iTunes library and reading instead, and I've noticed specific memories are cropping up when certain songs come on.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
When I was studying abroad in Italy, we were in Rome at the end of the semester, and had our final dinner at a really cute restaurant, tucked into a side road, off a large piazza. We ate outside, and were serenaded by a man playing guitar and trying to think of American songs to sing us once he realized we were American. His fly was also open the entire time. He started singing Bohemian Rhapsody, and our whole group started singing it at the top of our lungs. We even, without any planning, sang the different parts correctly (the Galileo part, mostly). Now every time I hear it, I feel like I'm back in Italy, practically yelling Bohemian Rhapsody, probably pissing off everyone within earshot, loving every second of it, and being insanely sad that the trip was over.

Listen To Your Heart by DHT
Reminds me of almost every single party we had in our senior year of college, because we always played it at least once, and every single person sang along. But in particular, I remember driving around with one of my closest friends, Brent, and we were randomly calling people. When Listen To Your Heart came on, we turned it up insanely loudly, and called our friend Hot-Dan, and proceeded to sing the entire song to his voicemail. Why? No idea, but it was fun as all hell.

Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy by Big & Rich
Another case of belting out a song with Brent. I agreed to drive to Wilmington with him to buy his gigantic television our sophomore (or was it junior?) year of college. After bickering the entire time we were in the store, we hopped back in his car (a bright red pick-up truck, lovingly named Little Bitty), and were jamming to a country station. We were pretty much the only ones in our group of friends who really loved country music, so we always listened to it together. Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy came on, and we rolled down all the windows and started screaming it. And when the "and we made love" line came on, we yelled it especially loud... and totally freaked out a guy next to us at the stoplight. Goooood times.

I Love Rock & Roll by Joan Jett
Our senior year, most of the parties I went to were at my apartment. We had an awesome party apartment. And one of the most fun parts of the parties we had, and several chill evenings as well, was that one of our friends had the XBox Karaoke game, and was actually willing to bring the entire game system over so we could play it. And two of our guy friends, Aaron and Scott, were so incredibly determined to get a perfect score. But after trying on one song maybe four or five times, they gave up for the time being. Kelly & I decided to sing I Love Rock & Roll... and totally got a perfect score on the first try! It was absolutely fantabulous.

Cecelia by Simon and Garfunkel
One of the a capella groups at our school sang this song as their alumni song at every concert... any alumni from the group who were at the concert would get on stage and sing it again. I think I actually prefer their version to the real version. It was so much fun, and always so good.

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows
My friend Darrell, who I had known since our freshman year, was in an a capella group in college also (same one as Jesse), and finally got a solo song our sophomore year. He's an incredible singer, and would also sing to us whenever we asked him. When he found out he got a solo, he came sprinting to my room, and was so excited he could barely tell me. And then I made him sing the entire song to me, standing in my doorway.


Maybe I miss college or something. All those memories are from college.

What song takes you back?

[ on ladylike behavior ]

How in the hell do you ride a bicycle in a dress? A sundress, that's kind of flowy, and comes down right to your knees?

How do you ride a bike without flashing the world your underwear?

I've adopted the riding with one hand on the handlebars, one hand holding down the skirt approach.

Do you just say screw it and walk? Do you just say screw it and throw on a pair of shorts underneath the dress?

Although, I suppose saying "screw it" wouldn't be very ladylike either...

[ angry at the television ]

I am ticked off at TBS at the moment.

They keep showing me little tiny commercials about how My Boys is coming back in June.

JUNE!

That's in, like, forever.

I have been waiting to find out who PJ brings to Italy since AUGUST!

I want My Boys back now.

They won't even show me old episodes now.

Bastards.

[ checking a few off the list ]

Just a quick update to my 101 in 1001 list.

009. Read one business book a month
I'm just over half-way done with The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber. It's about the three distinct personalities that everyone has (usually one way more-so than the others) when starting a business: the Entrepreneur, the Technician and the Manager; and about finding balance between those three. It's also about treating your business as a product that will be reproduced a thousand times, and how to make it error-proof, and able to run without you.

019. Go back East to visit friends & family at least once a year
I haven't gone yet, but I am knee-deep in planning my East Coast extravaganza for this summer. I'll be hitting up Boston, Cape Cod, Baltimore, Raleigh, Greenville and possibly NYC to see friends and family. Most of the friends I haven't seen in almost a year (over a year by the time I get there), and a few friends I haven't seen in several years. It's gonna be awesome!

043. Drink 64 ounces of water every day
I'm officially a camel. Some days I feel like I'm about to float away. And the craziest part... I'm still frequently thirsty! Living in a desert really takes it out of you, huh?

049. Start shooting one roll of film or 50 digital images every week
I've actually been able to do this thanks to my own clients! Week One was the Ladies Who Launch Bio Makeover Party; Week Two was an infant shoot with an tiny and oh-so-freaking-adorable four week old; Week Three was a fashion shoot for my friend's children's clothing line; Week Four will be a shoot with two little girls on Saturday; and Week Five will be a corporate head shot session next Friday!

055. Explore Phoenix - one new place per month
This month I ate breakfast at Matt's Big Breakfast. It's a tiny (literally maybe seats 20 people at a time) building, just a short walking distance from my apartment, and it's highly praised out here. It's even been featured on the Food Network. The food was absolutely incredible! And by the time we were done (I was with my parents), there were about 20 people milling around outside waiting for a table!

056. Learn to enjoy wine
I tried a Pinot Grigio from Italy that I really really liked. Of course, I can't for the life of me remember what it was called. However, I know what the bottle looks like, so if I see it again, I can buy it!

070. Build a stylish and professional and FUN wardrobe
I got a few new, really nice, pieces. A fabulous black cotton dress from GAP, and a few nicer tops from Old Navy. Does anyone have any recommendations for places I can find nice, but fun, clothes, but for not too much cash?

084. Watch one classic movie a month
The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. I picked it because (don't laugh!) it's mentioned a lot in Gilmore Girls. I had never seen it, and I like it when I know what the hell they are talking about on the show. So now I get all those references. Plus it was fantastic. And double-plus... Robert Redford is freaking HOT! I mean, I always thought he was attractive (Have you seen The Great Gatsby? Hoooly moly!), and this just solidified it. Yummy.

086. Meet a famous person
I met several at the Phoenix Film Festival! Read about it here.

093. See a cultural event once every six months
Jesse & I went to see a ballet at the beginning of the month. It was performed by Ballet Arizona, and was called Mixed Repertory: A Celebration of Dance! I really liked it a lot... I've always though ballet was just incredibly beautiful. Seeing The Nutcracker is my absolute favorite thing to do around Christmas time.


Yay! Slowly chipping away at it!

[ my middle name should be random ]

And now, a random sampling of the haps of my life:

I know I'm wicked late to jump on the bandwagon, but I finally saw Juno. And I heart it just as much as every other person who has raved about it. I watched it two times this weekend, and contemplated letting Blockbuster charge me the extra $20 for keeping it. In the end, my desire to actually have money in my pocket led me to return it today.

As much as gas prices suck, I'm actually pretty okay with it. Mainly because my car gets rockin' gas mileage. I kept track this time around, and since my last fill-up, my little Suzy got an average of 29.64 miles to the gallon. GO SUZY!

I named my bike Lily. For absolutely no reason. She's a blueish green, and doesn't even look particularly feminine. But I looked at her and said "Lily." First thing that popped to my head... sometimes shit just goes down like that.

Speaking of names, how do you refer to yourself? My whole life, I've been Becca to my friends and Rebecca to my family, teachers, professors and bosses. But now, I always introduce myself as Rebecca, so that's what most people I know in AZ call me. But I called a couple old friends from good-ole-Sandwich today, and I actually stuttered when I was saying who it was... "Hey! It's Rebe... Bec... Rebecca. Becca (last name)!" I didn't know my own name for a minute. It was weird.

And lastly, I know I already mentioned this once, but if you haven't checked out She & Him, Volume One.... DO IT NOW!

[ grand canyon ]

A few weeks ago (okay... like three weeks... so I'm a little slow posting), my mother and father were visiting for their spring break, and for one day, we went up to the Grand Canyon. We took a really nice tour, so didn't have to do anything but sit back, relax, and see the big ass canyon. None of us had ever been there before, so it was pretty awesome to see it.

I took some of my fun cameras with me, but don't have those pictures yet, so you'll just have to enjoy some digital ones!

Now, I knew the Grand Canyon was big. The word "grand" is in the title. But seriously... it's HUUUUUUUUUGE. I was in complete awe.




Possibly my favorite picture that I took digitally. I'm a dork, I know:







For about 50 more images, check out my Flickr Page!

[ phoenix film festival: the people i met ]

So, at the Phoenix Film Festival, I got a chance to talk to a bunch of producers and directors. But I alsooooo got to meet a few actors. No one incredibly hugely famous, but it was still pretty cool.

First off, Johnny Messner. Now, the only thing I knew him from was a few episodes of The OC, so I won't be shocked if you have no idea who he is. On The OC, he was Julie's ex-boyfriend from way back, and one day he showed up with a porno starring Julie, and then Caleb had him killed. Rockin'. Anyway, he was in The Art of Travel, which I looooooooved.

I actually had two separate, ten or fifteen minute conversations with him: one right after I saw his film, and one during one of the parties. His voice scared the shit out of me, because it's wicked low and gravely, but I wasn't expecting it to be SO low and SO gravely in person. He asked if I liked the movie, and because I did, we talked about it for a little while. He was really nice, and wicked stoked that so many people liked the movie.


Secondly, and probably the one I was most excited about, Jonathan Schaech. If you've ever seen That Thing You Do, he played the lead singer of The Wonders. He was in a horror film called Organizm at the Festival, which I didn't see, because I'm not too big on horror films.

I basically just exchanged pleasantries with him. He was going into a film that I was taking tickets for, so I tore his ticket and told him to enjoy, and he thanked me. After the movie, he left the theatre first, and I got to actually meet him and introduce myself. Woot!


Next is Pras, from the Fugees. He did a Q&A session after his documentary Skid Row showed. Everyone asked questions, and he answered them. I was practically unconscious because it was two in the morning, so I didn't so much meet him as be in the same room with him.


And lastly, Shane West. What I actually knew him from was A Walk to Remember and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but he was also on E.R. for a few years. The first time I saw him, he was coming out of the Q&A session after his film, What We Do Is Secret, but I didn't say anything to him because he was completely surrounded by practically-fainting girls, and I didn't want to add to it. So he just hung out in the hall for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, and all I did was smile at him as I walked past to leave.

Later that night, I was working the Awards Party, and he was there too, so I did get to say hello and introduce myself. I didn't have too much to talk about, because I didn't really want to say that I only knew him from those two movies, neither of which I particularly liked, and I hadn't been able to see the film that was in the Festival. But we chatted for a few minutes, and he seemed really nice and genuine.


So, yeah... I got to meet a few actors and a rapper. Goooooo me. It was pretty cool. I was proud of myself for not acting like a moron. I was able to string whole sentences together, and not act star-struck, so that's good!

[ found the pictures through google ]

[ phoenix film festival: the movies i saw ]

For the past week and a half, I've been volunteering at the Phoenix Film Festival. I mostly took tickets, directed people to the right place, and answered questions. Because I volunteered at least 20 hours (I think I ended up logging closer to 30), I got to see as many movies as I wanted to for free. I ended up having time to see five films, as well as a collection of College-Student-made Short Films. I highly highly highly highly recommend all of them!

Son of Rambow
This movie was absolutely incredible. The person who described it to me said it was about "two British boys who decide to make a Rambo movie after seeing Last Blood." And I thought, "Oh dear lord, why am I going to see this?!?" But it was so so much more than that. It was an incredible story of friendship and boundaries and coming into your own. It's extremely funny and extremely heart-warming.

Mongol
I never ever in my life thought my brain would create the thought "I feel bad for Genghis Khan," but this film made me think it. I have to admit it. It's a biopic about Genghis Khan's life, before he was Genghis Khan. It covers his life from the time he chose his wife and lost his father, at around age 9, up through the battle that sealed his destiny. It really is an amazing and beautiful movie. It makes you remember that everyone is human.

The Art of Travel
This is one of my new favorite films. It follows a young man named Connor, who is about to marry his girlfriend and go off to college, when his whole life turns around. He ends up in Nicaragua by himself, with no money. When he eventually makes it to Panama, he meets two people who will change his life forever. It is an exquisitely done film, starring Christopher Masterson. The scenery is just amazing, the story is so well-done. It made me want to go to an airport and get on the next international flight, no matter where it was heading.

Skid Row
This one was intense. Pras (from the Fugees) lived on Skid Row in LA for nine days, with no money and no help from his crew or friends, filming the entire experience with hidden cameras. There is just no way to describe this movie. All I can say is it was at once intense, terrifying and heartbreaking. I actually had to turn away a few times, because I simply couldn't handle what was shown on the screen. It was really well-done, just really horribly sad.

On Broadway
This one actually won the Audience Award at the festival. It stars Joey McIntyre (yes, of New Kids on the Block) and Eliza Dushku, among others. It's focuses on an Irish family in Boston. When Joey McIntyre's character's uncle dies in an accident, it inspires him to write a play about the traditions and connections within the Irish community. Basically everything is against him, but he knows in his gut that he needs to write the play and get it on stage. This film is absolutely beautiful. Heart-wrenching, really funny, incredibly touching, extremely inspiring. I absolutely loved it, and it definitely deserved the Audience Award.

Really great films, all of them. Others that I wanted to see, and were highly recommended by others at the festival: What We Do Is Secret (couldn't find a trailer); Take (which won Best Film); The Life Before Her Eyes; The Visitor; Dakota Skye (which won Best Screenplay); and 11 Minutes Ago.

Stay tuned for a report on who I met!

[ someone thinks i'm excellent ]

Holy mackerel... someone thinks I'm excellent! I actually was awarded an Excellence Award, by the fabulouso Kat! I'm kind of bummed that she was the one who awarded it to me, because she's definitely one of the people I would give it to! So definitely check her out... her blog is greatamundo!

But yay! I got a blogging award from someone! Yay :)


The Rules: By accepting this Excellent Blog Award, you agree to award it to 10 more people whose blogs you find Excellent Award worthy. You can give it to as many people as you want but please award at least 10. You deserve this! Feel free to award people who have already been awarded.

Therefore, I lovingly award the following people with an Excellent Blog Award:

Tiff at Truth Bombs
Sadira at Foolsewoode
Jen at Simply Breakfast
Sarah at Sarerinthal
Jessica at How About Orange
Chelsea at Chelsea Talks Smack
Candace at Big Cheeks
Katelin at Gorgeous Footsteps in the Sand
Nicole at More is Better
Elle at The IT Girl

Go visit them all! Now!

[ happy april ]

Happy April!

I know, I know. You're thinking, "Wait!?! A real post from Rebecca?!? No freakin' way!"

It has indeed been a while since I have posted something that wasn't a list. I have been unmotivated. It has been pathetic. I've had plenty of time to post, I just haven't wanted to.

However... now I am busy.

I am currently the type of busy where the only way to survive is to be insanely productive. I am the type of busy that I love and crave and seriously can't live without. I am busy with work stuff, fun stuff, volunteer stuff.

I am busy.

I'm the fruit loop who hates having nothing to do. I was the weird kid in grade school who hated summer vacation because after a week of hanging out and doing nothing, I was bored. I was the kid who played on four soccer teams at once, just to have something to do. I was the high schooler who got up early to do some extra homework, went to school for the day, read during lunch, stayed after school until 5 o'clock to help with the theatre company's production of South Pacific, raced home to change into practice clothes, drove 45 minutes for a 2 hour soccer practice, drove 45 minutes home and then did homework until midnight.

And I'm the kid who loved that.

I like having stuff to do. I am insanely productive when I have an insane amount of things going on. I am at my best when I have too much happening. I am happiest when I'm running to and from things. I am blissful when I don't have time to watch television. I am ecstatic when I have to spend all my time doing something.

And now I am busy. I am happier than I've been in a while.

Simply because I'm busy!

And you, my dears, have the following posts to look forward to (I guess I'm still in list mode!):

1. My new decision on what the most romantic part of a movie is
2. My mother's insane jewelry making skills
3. My first-ever visit to the Grand Canyon
4. My new soccer team
5. My insane LWL meeting on Monday night
6. My first-ever blog award (which I'm so excited about!)
7. The Phoenix Film Festival, at which I'm volunteering this weekend

And probably more that I can't think of right now, or which haven't happened yet!

Now I've got to do some work, before I head back to work! (I love this!)

PS: If you haven't already, check out She & Him! AMAZING!

[ march 31: 101 in 1001 ]

New and improved! I actually managed to completely write the list before posting it... and even categorize it!

Start Date: April 1, 2008
End Date: December 27, 2010

Bold = Complete
Italic = In Progress
Linked = Posted About

BUSINESS
001. Legally establish FiveGoodGoats
002. Enter local art shows
003. Create a portfolio book: a real, bound book
004. Get to the point that 5GG is my main, if not only, source of income
005. Self-design & publish a book of my photography
006. Have a table of photographs for sale at Downtown Phoenix's First Friday
007. Update 5GG.com once every three months (0/11)
008. Go to a Ladies Who Launch LIVE event
009. Read one business book a month (1/33)
010. Photograph a famous person
011. Get a part-time job or internship a few hours a week in graphic or interior design

TRAVEL
012. Road trip Western America
013. Visit Hawaii
014. Go back to Italy
015. Take advantage of cheap Southwest flights
016. Visit San Francisco
017. Visit London
018. Go to LA
019. Go back East to visit friends & family at least once a year (0/3)
020. Plan a backpacking trip across Europe to go on before I turn 30
021. Visit a National Forest

LEARNING / EDUCATION
022. Research a new photographer every week for a month (0/4)
023. Take one art class a year (0/3)
024. Expand my literary influences - one new author a month (0/33)
025. Increase my fluency in Italian
026. Learn to make jewelry
027. Read 100 books (0/100)
028. Learn how to screenprint at home
029. Learn to sew
030. Learn to cook: at least two new recipes a week (0/66)
031. Take classes in three different, and extremely varied topics
032. Read all of the Harry Potter books in Italian without referencing the English versions (0/7)
033. Take a cooking class
034. Get a library card at the Phoenix Public Library
035. Make a decision about Grad School - what to study
036. Learn basic car maintenance
037. Take a class in or self-teach myself more about web design & HTML
038. Learn about one new and entirely random topic a month (0/33)

HEALTH
039. Start hiking regularly
040. Create an exercise plan and stick to it
041. Go rock climbing (indoor or outdoor)
042. Do 50 push ups in a row
043. Drink 64 ounces of water every day
044. Try skiing (again) or snowboarding
045. Run a 5K, preferably for charity
046. Fix my posture: stop slouching!
047. Buy all fruits & veggies at a Farmer's Market for one month
048. Run a mile without having to walk

PHOTOGRAPHY
049. Start shooting one roll of film or 50 digital images every week
050. Scan all my negatives
051. Teach a photography class
052. Photograph my shoes
053. Write emails or letters to 5 photographers I admire

FOR ME
054. Get over my fear of deep water
055. Explore Phoenix - one new place per month (1/33)
056. Learn to enjoy wine
057. Buy and wear a bikini for the first time
058. Track my spending for a month and use it to create a detailed budget
059. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy
060. Send a secret to Postsecret
061. Back up all important files regularly
062. Complete a Sudoku puzzle every day for a month
063. Create an inspiration board
064. Save at least $50 a month; up it to $100 a month when/if possible (0/33)
065. Do something nice for myself every day
066. Make a list of 50 things I enjoy doing alone, and do each and every one of them (0/50)
067. Spend one evening a week without watching television or using my computer
068. Go to a spa and get completely pampered
069. Refinish or paint my dining room table and chairs so they match
070. Build a stylish and professional and FUN wardrobe
071. End my day with reading, not television at least twice a week
072. Get a watch that works or fix the two I have that don't
073. Make my bed right after waking up
074. Decide if I really do want a tattoo; if yes, decide where & what
075. Stop using plastic bags completely

FOR OTHERS
076. Send handmade or self-designed cards only for holidays and birthdays
077. Participate in Habitat for Humanity
078. Find a non-profit that I am passionate about and volunteer with it
079. Purge my closet - things that haven't been worn in 6 months or more go to charity
080. Send real mail to a friend 10 times (0/10)
081. Send a care package to someone who needs it
082. Leave a 100% tip for a particularly good waiter or waitress

FOR FUN
083. Go bowling
084. Watch one classic movie a month (1/33)
085. See a movie at a drive-in
086. Meet a famous person
087. Take photos in a photo booth at least 3 times (0/3)
088. Have a picnic
089. Fly in a hot air balloon
090. Put all one dollar bills I receive as change in a "do-something-fun" fund
091. Ride a roller coaster
092. See Jimmy Buffett live
093. See a cultural event once every six months (1/5)
094. Go to a hockey game

BLOGGING
095. Be a guest blogger for someone
096. Participate in at least three of NaBloPoMo's monthly challenges per year (0/9)
097. Become a better blogger: blog at least two times a week
098. Become a better commenter: comment on at least one post a day

AT THE END
099. Donate $1 to charity for every item not completed
100. Put $1 in my savings account for every item completed
101. Create a new 101 in 1001 list

[ march 30: favorites ]

A month of lists wouldn't be complete without a list of favorites! Here are some of mine.

MY FAVORITE:

Color: Orange
Song: Now & Forever by Richard Marx (the ultimate love song... it never gets not-good)
Pet: PUPPIES! (Although I've never had one)
City: Florence, Italy
Country: Italy
Meal: Breakfast (especially pancakes)
Item of Clothing: My orange and blue New Balance sneakers that I bought in Siena
TV Show: Gilmore Girls; My Boys (comes back in June!!)
Film: The Princess Bride
Book: The Hobbit
Scent: Pomegranate Martini from Bath & Body Works
Vacation Spot: Italy
Type of Weather: Sunny and warm, with a slight breeze
Body Part (on the opposite sex): Arms
Body Part (on me): Freckles (not a body part, but still my favorite)
Drink: Coffee
Season: Winter
Time of Day: Dusk
Holiday: Christmas

Any favorites I didn't reveal that you'd like to know? Ask away, my dears!

I can't believe that March's NaBloPoMo list-making craziness is almost over! I've got to get to work finishing compiling the big doozy list: a new and improved 101 in 1001 list! I also have about half a dozen non-list, real-life posts in the line-up, that I haven't had a chance to post... seeeee you tomorrow!

[ march 29: movies i've watched too many times ]

So, I love movies. I really do. It's a weakness of mine, up there close to my weakness for music. I just love movies. I like most types of movies; pretty much everything except for horror films. I'm not a huge sci-fi enjoyer, but I don't hate it either. And I'm slightly embarrassed to say that not many of the movies on this list of films I've seen more times than I probably should have are really that good. Most of them fall more in the category of so-bad-they're-good. I love them, and own them all!

1. The Princess Bride: As my all-time favorite movie, of course this one is on the list. Can't get enough of it. I can quote a lot of it from memory, and when watching it, can come close to reciting it verbatim.
2. National Treasure: What can I say... I love Riley! This movie just cracks me up, and is so much fun. I totally loved the second one too... "Oh no, God save the Queen!"
3. The Transporter: So incredibly falls in the category of so-bad-it's-good. Completely and utterly ridiculous. It has some very fun music, and is just so fun to watch.
   
4. Gone in Sixty Seconds: Another Nicolas Cage movie, which is kind of funny, because I don't necessarily like him as an actor. This movie is just great though... I love the cars and the characters... the cast is great!
   
5. Super Troopers: I was introduced to this movie at the very end of high school, was told that I wouldn't like it unless I was high, refused to get high to watch it, and absolutely thought it was hysterical. It is one of my favorite movies, if only because it never gets not-entertaining.
   
6. Spaceballs: Just flat-out funny. Cracks me up every time I watch it. I particularly like when they comb the desert.
   
7. Robin Hood Men in Tights: Again, just hysterical. Love the dancing, love the singing, love all the innuendos. LOVE when Patrick Stewart shows up as King.
   

And two movies that are climbing the list, considering I've watched them both several times in only two weeks (and these are actually great films!):

1. Across the Universe: If you haven't seen this, you are completely insane. It has rocketed into my top two favorite movies, second only to The Princess Bride. It's just so visually interesting and stimulating; the musical arrangements and the singing are amazing; the acting is great. I just freaking love it. Yay for the Beatles bringing us so much fantastic music that such a great movie was able to be crafted from it. It makes me want to flesh out my Beatles music collection.
   
2. Stardust: It's just fun. It's a fun and interesting story; it's got some great actors in it (Ian McKellan narrates at the beginning and end; Peter O'Toole has a few minutes of amazingness as the King; Michelle Pfeiffer plays a crazy, scary witch; Claire Danes is the Star; and Robert De Niro plays an incredibly flamboyant pirate named Captain Shakespeare).
   

What movies have you watched a squillion times? Any you're slightly embarrassed to admit?

[ postdated because i was out of town! more on that soon! ]

[ march 28: where i got my buddhas ]

As I've mentioned before, I collect Buddha statuettes. I've been collecting them since I was about 15, and now I have sixteen of all different sizes and colors. One is even an incense holder! And here is where I've gotten them all, in absolutely no particular order, with stories if they have a fun one:

• Cape Cod, MA: This is the largest one. It's actually a garden statuette, and I got it at the Christmas Tree Shoppe! If you know what a Christmas Tree Shoppe is, you know the amazingness. If you don't, I am so very sorry. Get to Massachusetts quickly and go to one!
• Siena, Italy
• Newark, DE / UDel (2): My friend ML gave me one that is multicolored, and kind of looks like it's humping a fish.
• San Gimignano, Italy
• Phoenix, AZ (2)
• Barcelona, Spain: The incense holder! Which I've never actually used as an incense holder.
• Vittoria, Spain
• New York City (2)
• Connecticut
• New Zealand: I actually got this one for free! I found it in a store in a teeny tiny town, and it was supposed to be part of a set that was maybe $2. Someone had pulled apart all the sets, so they were all scattered around the shelf. The guy who owned the store couldn't remember which ones made up a set, because there were a lot of different kinds. And since one of them would have been about thirty cents, he said "Merry Christmas!" and gave it to me! Nice guy!
• Raleigh, NC
• Rome, Italy

My goal is to get one wherever I go. It's a fun challenge, although you'd be amazed how omnipresent Buddha statuettes are!

[ march 27: weirdo habits ]

Soooooooooooo... I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I'm kind of a kook. And, although you're supposed to blend into the crowd and be like everyone else, I've decided to proudly list some of my weird habits and tendencies. Because it's funnnnnn.

1. I rarely eat peanut butter on bread or bagels or anything... I prefer to just eat it with a spoon.
2. I can't eat food with chunks in it. At least, food that is supposed to be smooth. It's mostly yogurt and baked goods. I cannot eat either with fruit chunks. It totally grosses me out, and I actually physically can't swallow it. That shit is nasty.
3. I always freeze chocolates with caramel centers. They're so tasty like that, plus the caramel doesn't really freeze, just kind of hardens, so it's a much neater way to eat caramel!
4. I like to organize my movies by category. Some of the categories are legitimate genres, like comedy or genre. But some are fun and random, like: epics (Harry Potter, Indiana Jones), chick flicks (Love Actually, Prime), superheroes (Spiderman, Transformers), musicals (Across the Universe, Guys & Dolls), 80s movies (Flashdance, Footloose), and parodies (Spaceballs, Robin Hood Men in Tights).
5. I always eat corn on the cob from end to end, in rows of four kernels.
6. I'm always 15 or 20 minutes early for everything... I hate that embarrassed feeling of being late for something so much, that I leave almost double the time to get there than it should take. I spend lots of time sitting in my car, waiting for things to start.
7. Because of #6, I always bring a book or two with me everywhere I go.

I like being kinda weird. Life's more fun that way. Do you have any kooky habits?

[ postdated due to serious internet issues the past few days ]

[ march 26: places i've travelled outside of the country ]

I love traveling. If you couldn't tell from my places to travel list earlier this month, I have a crazy insane desire to travel basically everywhere. I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit, between soccer tournaments and study abroad programs in college.

• Jamaica: Second grade with the family. I don't really recall much of the trip, but I did get those tiny little braids with the beads at the end. And the accompanying sunburn on my entire scalp.
• Amsterdam: I played in a soccer tournament with a spin-off of my MAPLE team. We sucked. It was embarrassing. But Amsterdam was pretty cool. I'm sure it's much cooler when you're not 14 and on a strict curfew.
• Rimini, Italy: The next summer I played in a tournament in Italy. We actually ended up doing pretty well, and placed third. Which was especially exciting because we were all 15 and 16, and we were playing against semi-professional women in their 20s. This is where I scored the PK.
• Nice, France: We took a bus from our tournament in Italy to our tournament in Spain, and we spent one day in Nice. It was beautiful, and it was the first time my feet touched the Mediterranean!
• Vittoria, Spain: My last soccer tournament in Europe. We whooped ass and won the tournament. We actually showed up in the local newspaper, with a headline under the picture that said (in Spanish, of course), "The Americans have become the main attraction of the tournament." It was awesome. Everyone was rooting against us at the beginning, but then our games drew the biggest crowds!
• New Zealand: My sophomore year of college, I spent five weeks studying abroad in New Zealand. It was amazing. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. You can go for five blocks in a major city, not see a single garbage can, and also not see a single piece of trash on the ground. It's incredible. I hiked a volcano, walked on a glacier, kayaked across a major sea channel (which I will never do again!), and got to do it all with my camera. Awesome.
• Italy: My junior year of college, I studied in Italy for a semester. Four long, amazing months immersed in Italy. We went all over the country, saw amazing things that I had only dreamed of, ate incredible food, and learned a beautiful language. I really need to get back into Italian.
• London: For spring break of my semester in Italy, my friend Krista and I split the week between three places, and the first was London. We had so many issues getting there, ended up arriving at 2am, splitting a cab with another American student we met at the airport whose flat was right around the corner from our hostel, and getting to our hostel at about 3am. London was the type of place that I felt completely at home the second I got there. I was only there for three days, and now I'm dying to go back for a longer period of time.
• Barcelona: After London, we went to Barcelona. Although I saw some amazing things, like an incredible Van Gogh museum and the buried remains of a city from the time of the Roman Empire, and the weather was incredible, I didn't really like being in Barcelona. I felt really uncomfortable the entire time. I could never figure out what it was... maybe the language barrier. Not sure.
• Paris: After Barcelona, we went to Paris for a few days, and although it rained the entire time we were there, it was still one of the most amazing places I've ever seen. We tried to see as many things as we could, but we were only there for about two and half days. I'm definitely dying to go back to Paris too. There was so much I wanted to see. I was incredibly comfortable there, and felt like I could just spend weeks wandering around, seeing everything.

So I've been incredibly lucky. I've been able to travel some amazing places, see some incredible things, and meet some awesome people. And I can't wait to travel more and see more! Travel rocks!

Where have you traveled? Care to share any pictures or stories?

[ postdated due to serious internet issues the past few days ]

[ march 25: cameras i own ]

One of the things I collect is cameras. I have some that I use regularly, some that I use for fun, and a few that I just own because they're beautiful!

1. Canon Digital Rebel XTi: Probably my most-used camera. It's a great digital SLR, and I love it!
2. Nikon N55: My old film SLR. Yes, I still use it occasionally. There's something about film cameras that I still love.
3. Canon Powershot: The camera that's with me most of the time. Small enough to fit in my purse; awesome enough that I love using it.
4. Oktomat: This amazing camera shoots eight frames on each negative. So cool.
5. Holga: A classic film camera. It's amazing. It shoots medium format film, and the light leaks are so interesting.
6. Fisheye: Gotta love a fun camera. Another fun film camera... you get sweet rounded images from it.
7. Supersampler: Another cool film camera. It shoots four long, narrow frames on each negative. You can make people look really really tall!
8. Kodak Brownie: My grandfather found an old Kodak brownie in their basement, and gave it to me a few years ago. I'm not sure if it still works, but hopefully I'll find out soon.
9. Polaroid Land Camera Automatic 103: An awesome vintage camera, that has bellows when you open it and everything. It sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, but I still love it. I got it at an estate sale in Connecticut for $5. Score!
10. Polaroid Land Camera Model J66: I recently got this camera at an antique store close to me. I haven't been able to test it out yet, but it's in great condition, so I'm really hoping it works.
11. Kodak Brownie Bullet: A teeny tiny old brownie. It's freaking adorable. I haven't gotten a chance to test this one out either. From what I can tell, the shutter sticks a bit, but I'm pretty sure that's not too difficult to fix. Hopefully!

I love love love cameras. Amazing things, they are.

[ march 24: favorite days ]

This list was actually really hard, and is still really short, even after a lot of thought. I wanted to pick days that I can remember being totally and completely blissfully happy. Unfortunately, I have shit for memory, and can't remember very many specifics of my childhood. So, I have only seven examples of days I was blissfully happy, in no particular order.

• The day I found out I got a scholarship to UD. My mom called my high school, and had the whole office searching for me because they all knew who I was (for being a good kid, not a trouble maker!). I seriously thought someone had died or something, because such a ruckus was going on. But then I found out that it was good ruckus -- I got a really amazing scholarship to a really amazing school.
• High school graduation. I was totally the kid who was absolutely dying to get out of my small hometown. I couldn't wait to get out of high school and move on to bigger and better things. I was so happy the day of high school graduation, because I knew that it meant only three short months until college.
• Scoring a penalty kick in a soccer game in Italy. I played soccer most of my life before I got hurt. Hell, it was my life before I got hurt. One summer, when I was fourteen or fifteen, I played two tournaments in Europe, one in Rimini, Italy and one in Vittoria, Spain. I had played defense for most of my soccer career, so I never got many goal-scoring opportunities. But for whatever reason, my coach picked me to be on the the kickers on PKs at the end of a tie game, and I actually scored! I can't for the life of me remember if we won or lost in the end; all I remember is that I scored a PK.
• College graduation. I was so excited to start a new life. I was also so incredibly bummed to leave all the amazing friends I made in college, because I was basically the only person to venture of the East Coast. But I was so ecstatic that I had finished college. I got a degree in something I absolutely love, I managed to learn a second language pretty well, and I met some of the best people on the planet. College was amazing, and graduation was so much fun.
  
• The day I got a job out here in AZ. I had flown out from Delaware to Arizona for about 36 hours, specifically to interview with the wedding photographer I work for now. It was a couple days before I heard from him, but when I got the message saying that I got the job, I was jumping up and down and could barely contain myself. I was actually at a movie theatre, and had to leave the movie to listen to the message. I'm pretty sure I cheered and yelled out loud, and possibly scared a few people. I was excited!
• Homecoming Day, senior year of college. Started the day bright and early with beer and bagels, went to the game for a bit, came back and just chilled all day with some of my favorite people. I think beer pong was played for about 14 hours straight. We watched cartoons, and movies. We napped. We went to get coffee and play on the Green. We wandered around campus taking ridiculous pictures, and hanging with the UD goats, Chloe and Lucinda. It was just an amazingly perfect day.
  
• The day I landed in Italy for my study abroad. I had been dying to go back to Italy since the soccer tournament. When I figured out I could fit an entire semester in Italy into my schedule, I was beyond thrilled. But nothing can compare to how I felt landing in Rome... knowing I was going to be there for four whole months. Just thinking of it now gives me goosebumps. And makes me want to go back again!

What days in your life stand out as completely blissful? I'm talking happiest you can remember being.

[ march 23: fictional character crushes ]

You know when you watch a movie or television show, and you think to yourself, "Man, I want to date a guy like that!" This list is for you, my friends. Fictional characters that I have had a crush on. I can admit it. It's not wicked weird... only slightly.

• Luke Danes (Gilmore Girls): Holy moly, I want a Luke. He was always so thoughtful and caring... he made Lorelai an ice rink; he cooked at the inn when Sookie had to be on bed rest; he pined for Lorelai for like eight years; he wanted to beat the crap out of Logan for kissing Rory. I heart him.
• Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls): Every girl has got to love a bad boy, and he was mine. He was so angry, but then he came back in the end, and he was the one who kicked Rory in the ass. Gotta love the reformed bad boy.
• Seth Cohen (The OC): Such a dork. Such a good heart. So freakin' cute.
• Matteo Carati (The Best of Youth): Just because he was hot. And only until the point when he went nutty angry. And then nutty sad. But he was great up until the nutty hit.

Did you ever have a crush on the fictional character? I promise I won't laugh!

[ march 22: #1 songs on june 10th ]

Have you ever wanted to know what song was number one when you were born? Well, I'm definitely the type of person who wants to know random stuff like that! And if you want to know, I used this site to look up the number one song on my birthday every year since I was born! And because I like to share, now you can know the number one song on my birthday every year since I was born!

1985: Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears
1986: On My Own by Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
1987: Always by Atlantic Star
1988: One More Try by George Michael
1989: Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
1990: It Must Have Been Love by Roxette
1991: Rush Rush by Paula Abdul
1992: Jump by Kris Kross
1993: That's The Way Love Goes by Janet Jackson
1994: I Swear by All-4-One
1995: Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams
1996: The Crossroads by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
1997: I'll Be Missing You by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans
1998: The Boy is Mine by Brandy & Monica
1999: If You Had My Love by Jennifer Lopez
2000: Maria Maria by Santana
2001: Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink
2002: Foolish by Ashanti
2003: 21 Questions by 50 Cent
2004: Burn by Usher
2005: We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
2006: Ridin' by Chamillionaire
2007: Umbrella by Rihanna

Pretty good selection! Minus JLo and Chamillionaire I like all these songs & singers!

Were any great songs #1 on your birthday?

[ march 21: books i own but haven't read yet ]

I need to read more! I officially own too many books that I haven't read yet... it's wrong!

• Ovid - Metamorphoses
• Janet Evanovich - Two for the Dough
• Clive Cussler - Dragon
• Barbara Kingsolver - Animal Dreams
• Robert Ludlum - The Bourne Supremacy & The Bourne Ultimatum
• Gian Mario Villalta - Vita Della Mia Vita
• Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca
• Neil Gaiman - Stardust
• Jane Austen - Persuasion

I need to get going!

[ march 20: classes i loved in college ]

I went to the University of Delaware, and I took some really great classes there. Some of my favorites were:

• The Sixties: Culture & Counterculture: One of my first classes in college. We watched Low Rider, read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and basically talked about sex, drugs, and rock & roll. And one of the best parts, I met my ML!
• Logic: Yeah, yeah. I'm a big dork. Logic was one of my all-time favorite classes, and had it not been so damn time consuming, I would have taken the next level too. I just loved it... proofs were always my favorite part of math class in high school, and this was like proofs to the extreme!
• Beat Generation Literature: Read some Kerouac, wrote a paper about the man who brought acid to America (Ken Kesey), had another fun semester with ML.
• Screenprinting: I waited four years to take this class, and it finally fit into my schedule during my senior year. It was so great... I ended up printing what was basically a "We Love Our Bartender" shirt as a class project! Team Schmidty!
• History of Rock Music: One summer session, I took this class, and basically got to sit and listen to amazing music for a few hours a week, and then had to answer some questions about it. Awesome!
• Arts of the Islamic World: One of the best professors I ever had taught this class. The art we learned about was so beautiful and inspiring, and my professor was insanely intelligent. Even if the art had sucked, I would have been totally fascinating. He was a great lecturer.
• Neorealist Italian Lit & Film: Probably the best Italian class I took. We read some great books, and watched some really interesting films. If you know Italian or can find some translations, you should definitely read some Italo Calvino. He's a genius.
  

Those classes actually represent most of my favorite interests: reading, math, art and music.

What were some of your favorite classes you've taken, college or otherwise?

(PS... I do have some non-list-posts in the works, but I've been a little all over the place. I'll try to post for real this weekend!)

[ march 19: places to live ]

If I were a squillionaire, I'd have houses in all of the following places (at least!):

• Anywhere in Italy... probably Florence or Siena
  
• San Francisco
• Boston
• Somewhere tropical... maybe Fiji?
  
• New Zealand
• Seattle
• New York City
• London
• Paris
  

Where would your homes be?

[ march 18: favorite tv shows of childhood ]

I've got to admit, I've been known to say, "Television was sooo much better when I was a kid." And I genuinely believe it. TV was great. Saturday morning cartoons were normal: Scooby-Doo, The Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry. Nickelodeon's shows for younger kids weren't completely inane. Stupid reality television has killed the joy.

Here are some of my favorites, from various years, with links to videos of their theme songs or a clip if I couldn't find the theme... enjoy!

• Scooby Doo
  
• Doug
• Captain Planet
  
• Welcome Back Kotter
• Gummi Bears
• Boy Meets World
• Daria
• My So-Called Life
• Clarissa Explains It All
• Saved by the Bell
• Hey Arnold
• The Secret World of Alex Mack
• Salute Your Shorts
• Animorphs

Really, nothing of insane quality. Just really fun entertainment. What were your favorite shows when you were younger?

[ march 17: books to read ]

First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm barely Irish, so I don't have anything exciting planned... but I did wear green!

I'm linking to another list today, instead of copying it over here. It's actually two lists of the 100 Best Novels, posted at The Modern Library. One list was compiled by a board from The Modern Library, and the second was voted on by readers. From what I can tell, the list was compiled around 1998 / 1999. There's also a 100 Best Nonfiction list, if that's your thing.

I've always wanted to have a list of great books that I need to read available to me, so I was wicked stoked when I came across this one. I have read a handful of them, but there's still quite a chunk that I haven't read yet. Good list to chip away at!

So here it is: The 100 Best Novels.

[ march 16: bodies of work to see ]

There are some people that do such amazing work, that you just want to see every single thing they've done. In the case of television and film, these are those people for me:

• Gary Oldman
• Jack Nicholson
• Morgan Freeman
• Woody Allen
• Denzel Washington
• Julie Taymor
• Audrey Hepburn
• Lucille Ball
• Carol Burnett
• Angelina Jolie
• Diane Keaton
• Meryl Streep
• John Travolta
• Bill Murray
• Scarlett Johansson
• Dustin Hoffman
• George Clooney
• Johnny Depp
• Joaquin Phoenix
• Audrey Tautou
• James McAvoy
• Marlon Brando
• Humphrey Bogart
• Gene Hackman
• Cary Grant
• Judy Garland
• Edward Norton
• Grace Kelly
• Michelle Pfeiffer
• Julianne Moore
  

Well... the list was pretty short, but then I started looking through all my movies, and searching the internet, and it kinda grew. There's probably a hundred more, but I had to stop myself. The links go to the person's IMDb page, in case you want to start a "To See" list (and for my own reference).

Who do you want to see in everything they've done?

[ march 15: places i've lived ]

I never really thought that I'd lived in a lot of places. I mean, how many places can you possibly have lived when you spent 19 of 22 years in one place? But I did manage to squeeze six different places into the list!

• Sandwich, MA: Born and raised. I lived there all through growing up, middle school, and high school.
• Newark, DE: I went to college there, so I'm counting it. For four years I spent more time in Newark than anywhere else, so that counts as living there, right?
• Siena, Italy: This is probably the biggest not-really on the list. I studied abroad there for a semester, and lived with a family in town. That totally counts. I swear.
• Raleigh, NC: Raleigh was my home address for three of four years of college. My parents live there still. I actually only lived and worked there for a summer, but it's where I go when I see the fam!
• Peoria, AZ: The first seven months of my post-collegiate experience.
• Phoenix, AZ: Current. Living right downtown. Still liking it a lot. Starting to explore more, which is good.

Where have you lived? Anywhere exotic?

[ march 14: people born on my birthday ]

I was born June 10, 1985. The following people were also born on June 10th:

• John Edwards, Politician: 1953
• Judy Garland, Singer & Actress (The Wizard of Oz; A Star is Born): 1922
• Elizabeth Hurley, Actress (My Favorite Martian; Austin Powers): 1965
• Tara Lipinski, Ice Skater: 1982
  
• Maurice Sendak, Author & Illustrator (Where The Wild Things Are): 1928
• Leelee Sobieski, Actress (Here on Earth): 1983
• Shane West, Actor (A Walk to Remember): 1978
• Keven Corcoran, Actor (Babes in Toyland; Pollyanna): 1949
  

Anyone nifty born on your birthday? I found my list by googling "people born on june 10."

[ march 13: fictional characters i'd want to be friends with ]

For a part two of sorts, some fictional characters, if real-life people, I would want to be friends with:

Lorelai & Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
So who isn't shocked that they are at the top of my list? If I could jump into one television show, Gilmore Girls would be it. I love Lorelai & Rory. I want to be them. They're freaking great people. Nonexistent people, but freaking great.

Summer Roberts (The OC)
Again, anyone shocked? I loved her character, and the way she changed from the beginning of the series to the end of it. She was pretty much the reason that I kept watching it during the last season, when it got really wonky.

Dirk Pitt (Clive Cussler character)
He's just so freakin' badass. Plus, if I was ever trapped in pretty much anything, he would figure out some insane way to save me. And no matter how insane and impossible the way, it would work. Because it's Dirk.

Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
I don't care that she's supposedly a few years younger than me. I love her. She's so smart and sassy, and totally kicks all the boys asses. She's fantabulous.

Amy Stone (The Family Stone)
She's just enough of a free spirit, but just grounded enough, that I think we'd get along. She's awesomely sarcastic, and totally down to earth.

Lindsey (Lucky Number Slevin)
She's a total nut! I would love to just watch her exist, because she's so kooky. She's on fast forward all the time, and jumps into things with her all.

Amelie
Don't need to explain this one. Anyone who's seen the movie loves her.


If you could jump into a book, movie or television show and fraternize with the characters, who would you most want to chill with?

[ march 12: celebrities i'd want to be friends with ]

I didn't pick anyone particularly meaningful. No one Ghandi-esque. No Oprah. No world-changers. Just people I think it would be fun to chill with.


Lauren Conrad
I love The Hills. Totally love it. It's so great. I don't know if Lauren Conrad is exactly like the way MTV portrays her, but I think she'd be a cool person to chill with.

Jim Sturgess
This one is totally a "would want to date." He starred as Jude in Across the Universe. And I am totally crushing on him. He's got a freaking hot accent, and he can sing like nothing else. Yummy.

Lauren Graham
Maybe it's just because she played Lorelai on Gilmore Girls, but I would love to meet her and hang out. She just seems so freaking cool.

Rachel Bilson
She's my girl crush, so of course she's on the list. She's so chill. And freakin' cute. She just seems fun, and friendly too. Love it.

Reese Witherspoon
Again, she just seems so chill. Like someone you could really count on. Someone who could totally be your best friend, and really easy to talk to.


Who would you want to be friends with?