The Very Best Friend A Lady Could Have

She'll hate that I used this picture, but it captures her perfectly

The woman pictured above is a manic over achiever, diabetic baker, and someone I'm so lucky to have in my life. Andrea has literally been in my life since my very first day at The College of Wooster. This woman is so sweet that when I was lonely fall semester of my sophomore year, she came and spent many nights in my room keeping me company.  Sometimes we've even been known to refer to each other as life partners because,  let's face it, I can't quit her.

Even though we've both been really busy lately and haven't been able to Skype,  we both know that the other one is out there.

I miss you, Andrea. Keep kicking ass at Wooster.

Roommate Date

Did you know that no matter how many roommates you have ever had none of them compare to MY roommate, whom I affectionately refer to as Camilla Bear.This past Tuesday after turning in papers and having a long week before we decided to treat ourselves.

 First there was froyo at Pinkberry in Oldtown. I even tried something new beyond the plain flavor and got coconut. So fresh and yummy. Perfectly sweet and tart. We literally squealed with delight as we ate our treats on the way to the next location.

 On the way we say this happening. Both of us knew our dads would have loved to have seen these guys in concert.  Between Roommate and I we have four dads, and we love them all.

We were sad we missed it

Then we made our way around to our destination of City Target.  I know what you're thinking "these girls are in the most fabulous city in the world and they 'celebrate'  by going to Target?" Yes , that's what we did and we loved it. It's really nice to just pal around and talk about all the things going on in our world. We make a pretty good team us too.

Later there was grilled cheese and tomato soup.

It was overall a very sweet night.

A Quick Update

Life at the Newberry is.....

• Cold, nay, Freezing
• Full of great people
• Seminars that run for three hours. That's just 30 minutes too long for me

Here's what my world has been like lately

Timberly is a bit camera shy

Elevator photo shoot

Taking pictures of books is how I do work from home. More on that later.

This sweet little lady captured both mine and Boyfriend's hearts last Sunday

BLT + Fried Egg+ Arsenal= Nice Sunday Brunch

Salmon patties and salad

Emily is a hot dog

Zoe is a hot dog

My Crowning Glory

So maybe I haven't made it totally clear to everyone, but here it is: I have lovely corkscrew curls and cherish them every moment, even in the humidity. These ringlets are truly my crowning glory as the old saying goes.

So many curls

     But what about that time, around fourth grade, when you prayed for straighter hair?

Sure my  hair pride hasn't always been perfect, or even existent, but I'm not perfect nor is everything I do. Also, it's hard having curl pride when puberty hits. Due to my past of less than hair pride, I've spent these past few years making up for lost time be loving my hair and taking care of it.  This has meant a grueling search for curl creams, deep conditioners, and any other lotion or potion all with my trusty Mombie by side. It was never easy, especially in the mid nineties when curls were thought to be a relic of the eighties, not the natural wonder that they are. Though I have found many things that work, never have I considered the search over for the perfect product, but I think I've come very close. Here's story

For the past few months my hair has needed a cut and some new products, but I was just a bit shy to go to any old salon to get the job done.  See, even though Mombie is a former hair stylist and my only long term stylist, I felt at this stage in my life I wanted, nay, needed to find someone out in the world who could cut my hair and not make me look like a poodle. It's sad to say, but cutting curls just isn't focused on in cosmotology school, like it should be, in my own opinion.

So like any good 21st century kid to the internet I went. However after weeks of searching and coming up with nothing, Boyfriend happens upon a Groupon for a hair cut  at Cally's Curls and Company, right off of the Howard red line stop.  Was I skeptical? Yes, but after lots researching on what methods they use, Yelp reviews, and asking lots of questions to the receptionist over the phone I felt more confident.

So I took the plunge! I knew could trust Laneeta, my stlyist at Cally's Curls and Company, and she didn't let me down.  She dry cut my hair first by going to each curl individually and cutting it very carefully so all of my ringlets would work together to create an overall shape and style.

I look pretty wild mid- dry cut

Next, Laneeta washed and conditioned my hair while accompanying with a scalp massage. Let me just say, this was the best head rub of my life. My stylist has magic fingers and I think she's the bees knees.  Then it was time for product all by Deva Curls and a little hair dryer action to firm up the curls. Lastly, my cut was touched up to make sure each curl felt right into place.

The drying portion of the hair cut

To be frank, my hair was bouncin' and behavin' when I was finished in the chair. I felt like a new person. This salon was pure magic/

My crown in all its glory waiting for the red line

So a big thanks to Laneeta for making this the best salon experience I've had in my short adult life and making my curls look and feel lovely. Cally's Curls and Company is now officially my spot. Chicago really does have everything I need.

Before I go, I need to thank my Mombie for not being grumpy with me, even when I go outside of her expert hands for hair care. I love you Mombie

5 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

1. Autumn weather
2. Getting closer to this lovely blogger. 
3.  The sassy table-scape from dinner last Tueday
4. Receiving late night calls from my mombie (that's mom in non-moppet speak).
5. Watching my professor stifle a giggle when I told him that "no one should think of Thoreau as some perfect beautiful little nature boy" 

I'm really proud of how yummy this dinner was

Fresh to Death... Market!

What happens when you wake up to the sounds of trucks banging around and lots of people? There are three things happen that must happen.

1. Curse living in a city (but you really don't mean it).
2. You wake up both Roommate and Boyfriend.
3. Look out the wind to discover a fresh market right at the end of the block.

While the noise was originally really horrible and possibly the worst thing to wake up to on a Saturday, it then turned into the most lovely excursion of the weekend! I couldn't believe my fortune. A fresh market every Saturday and right at the end of my block. Though I don't always have to the means or choice to, eating as locally and seasonally as possible is value I hold very dear. Four generations of women in my family have shown me the value of working soil to produce meals that nourish more than just the body. Fresh markets give me the chance to honor these values, even when I don't have my own garden.  

After some groggy good mornings exchanged between Roommate, Boyfriend, and I out we went to a gorgeous spread of a market. However, there was much more than I could ever photograph. 

One thing that I didn't manage to capture on film was Boyfriend eating a fresh tomato like an apple. Oh the Sacramento runs deep in that one.

As we sauntered through the market we came across these lovely fresh flowers, which of course I gushed at ( I'm a sucker for pretty things) . 

That's when Boyfriend reminded me that he wouldn't be here for our two and half year anniversary. I didn't think much of it until he started asking me about what flowers I liked best. And in one swift romantic move, I was the proud owner of a lot of lovely flowers. 

I really am the luckiest woman in the world

At this point with the flowers getting heavy, along with the other produce, we all went back to the apartment and I made some nice arrangements.

Thanks for the owl vase, Mom!

Even though this was only my first Saturday in the city, I would it was the best....yet.

Warm, Wet, and Wild City

It's the close of day 3 in my lovely Gold Coast apartment, and let me just say that the past three days have been some of the most jam packed of my life. This isn't to say that they weren't completely fun. So let's have a quick recap, shall we?

Day 1 September 3

 Moving in was by far the quickest one ever, however this was for multiple reasons. Firstly, I packed way less stuff than normal, and secondly, I had an extra person helping move in.  Who is this moving guest star you ask, none other than my rock star of a roommate, Camilla.

Pretty sweet, no?

Not only did she help move me in, but this lady has been my partner in crime the past few days (more on that later). She was even pretty cool about hanging out with Boyfriend when he came over later that afternoon, since he was in town for a wedding.  Even though I haven't known Camilla long I feel such a kinship with her kind soul and willingness to explore. 

As we unpacked all of our stuff  into our tiny apartment, that has not a lick of wifi or air conditioning, it dawned on me that my parents essentially dropped off my stuff and left me. No good bye hugs or advice. What gives people?!?!?! I'm your only offspring. Where's the pomp or the circumstance for that matter? I guess this means I'm a grown up now... or something like that.

After the get to know you love fest, we met the rest of the people in our program and went to dinner at one of our instructors homes in the North Halston area.  On the way there guess who I spotted on the sidewalk; none other than Boyfriend who I'd left just a few hours before! It was nice to see him one last time before he left for Madison.  After we got to Brian, our instructor's home there was a lovely spread of ban mih sandwiches and cookies. 

However this is where things took a turn for the awkward. As our group got around to introducing ourselves and talking about our summers one of my peers mentioned that he worked on Mitt Romney's campaign directly after I said I spent the summer working for the Obama campaign. The tension was palpable to say the least. Then in a surprise turn the Republican fellow said it wasn't a big deal and things went swimmingly from there. Everyone in the program is not only nice, but also genuinely interesting. I'm glad to be here with all of them.

I know I said this was going to be a full 3 day recap, but I'm too tired for all that. more next time.

Racine Is For Lovers

In the few short days I have left before I officially begin my Chicago adventure I've had a lot of time on my hands. So much,  that aside from waking up, eating, and working out my days are completely free.

As a reader you might be thinking "Your life must be soo hard, Princess.  Call me when you have a couple screaming kids and you wanna take a nap.

Yes I know this is the most privileged whine moment ever, yet it makes me long for what I can only say was the most hectic and lovely past summer of my life as an Obama campaign organizing fellow.  Essentially from May 21st to August 17 I worked in Racine, Wisconsin helping out with the recall election and building support for the President during the summer months.  

      So basically you got coffee and door knocked for a few months... sounds like "big fun." Tell me another joke.

While getting coffee and doing other office drudge work is what I expected to do for the campaign, in reality they wanted me to be a\ functioning member of the team. This meant I was expected to do the same work as the paid staff and work the same hours; however, that was mostly because my boss and I carpooled to work. Can you say 80 hour weeks, because before this summer I thought they were a myth. I was so wrong. They're real, People!

 Because I came about two weeks before the Wisconsin recall election, the office had so much organizing to do and so many more people to reach out to. So instead of the usual trainings and slowly working yourself into office culture, I was immediately thrown into making calls, learning how to set up events, cutting turf (this was my favorite), what makes great volunteers want to come back, and much much more. Though I was a little scared at first, with some quick googling and elbow grease I was able to get most tasks done competently without any major melt downs.  I was even a little proud of myself for not goofing up too much. 

Much to my surprise, I was able to be a part of organizing a rally with former President Clinton. He wrote me a thank you note for helping out and let me have a picture with him, even though I did accidentally  call him 'Bill'. *Insert audible gasp of horror here* The former President didn't make a big deal out of it though. He was warm and kind to this oblivious intern. 

He's a really wonderful person.

 

This whole trial by fire culminated in me getting the responsibility  of organizing all of the walk and cal packets for our pre-election Get Out The Vote (GOTV) event for the entire region. So this wasn't just a few packets for Racine, but it was also packets for Kenosha, Burlington, Walworth, Mount Pleasant, and Strutevant.  Did I mention that every packet had 3 copies, and all the copies had to be put into different boxes in a special order. This is what campaign workers lovingly refer to as Packet Land, where nothing seems to add up and the fetal position is the only thing that will comfort you. Did this hot mess make me wanna quit? Yes, but I didn't. I got angry and then I ( along with the help of my lovely office mates) Got the job in a just a few hours; sometimes it can take days.  It was a pretty great moment for everyone.  

So even though there were many long days and trying times, I miss campaign work. I miss all the people in Racine even more. Everyone there welcomed me with open arms and really taught me what it means to love what you do. Even though it seems silly, I really enjoyed knowing that what I did all summer was give my time to a cause I care deeply about.  Racine stole my heart this summer and haven't given it back yet.  I miss you guys. Keep up the great work.

They call me Ms. Packman

Funfact: I could and probably should be a professional moving packer

Like every other college or boarding school student, I move all of my most important earthly belongings (gosh, I feel uber materialistic saying that because surely there are many things more important to me) twice a year: to and from school. However what makes me professional quality is that I not only do this but I also moved in and out of my aunt and uncle's house, which they graciously let me stay in this summer while I did a fellowship, and I spend my weekends doing little mini moves to and from Boyfriend's place. Plus I helped Boyfriend move into a new apartment too.

I know you many be thinking "Really? Packing for a sleep over at Boyfriend's place does not count as a 'mini move.' I bet she doesn't even have a boyfriend"

But to this I say it totally counts, and I know some ladies and gentlemen will back me up on this. Here are some reasons why.

1. Packing for any type of weather can be stressful. Plus I run cold, so trying not to pack all my sweaters can be a really hard thing to do. After all who doesn't want to be toasty warm when it's already 90 degrees outside?....Oh I guess I'm alone on that one.
2. Boyfriend likes to golf and have me golf with him, so not only do I have to plan for cute outfits for causal wearing but also golf outfits too.
3. As a woman of color who rocks natural curls, let me just say that hair product packing can be a rough thing. Do I take only the bare minimum and risk a bad hair day, or do I take everything and feel bad for only using 2 products.  Don't even get me started on the 3 ounce bottle rules in the airport. *insert first shaking at TSA* (Just kidding TSA gods! Please don't smite me with awkward pat downs) .
4. This is Boyfriend. He's not always so serious. Just reference my profile picture. See, totally real

So as you can see I know a thing or two about packing up my stuff and getting it somewhere else. So with just a little time left until my move into Chicago I must start packing again.  And you know what that means...

SPACE BAGS!

I know it seem silly to get so exited about industrial plastic bags, but they make packing go so much easier. Also, for me the symbolize going to either school or just a new place. Luckily, this time they mean both. Plus I really like to watch them shrink. It's better than magic, or as Boyfriend would say " It's SCIENCE!"

Now back to making lists of what to pack and what to buy. 

Cheers!

Who is this moppet and why is she so wily?

So here are the most basic need to know things about me at this point.  As a Junior in college I'm a proud native of the Chicago suburbs who's getting her big break to live in the big city (of Chicago) and study the metropolis around me.

              But wait..... what makes any of that wily? That just sounds like a small town girl going to the big city. Hasn't that movie been made already, like 34 times?

Okay some of that is true. I am a girl from a town smaller than Chicago AND I am indeed moving to the big city, but there's more to it. Let's back track a tick, flesh all this out, and really get the story all nailed down so it doesn't sound like such a bad movie pitch.

I am not just some small town girl. In fact, I am a type A over achiever, big dreamer, first born, multi-racial, foodie, and dog lover from a small town in Illinois. Don't get it twisted! Sure, that's a lot of adjectives; and no, I don't think that covers even half who I am, but that's where this story starts. 

            But how does one little lady find herself in the big city anyway?  

Well, after  two grand years at The College of Wooster, I decided it was time to put all my fancy training as a History major to good use and go do some academic research at the Newberry Library with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.  

Now that everyone's caught up on the basic outline of the story, here's the nitty gritty:

• I have about a week left with my family and I'm going to make the most of it.
• I gotta figure out how to be better at posting things and get this blog thing looking less wonky.

Lastly,  I realize I didn't explain the wily part here, and that's okay, because that will come soon enough.