flying spiders. eek!

videos like this one totally bring out my inner geek. so brilliant. but seriously, i will never look at the sky the same. and now i'm slightly terrified that one of them flyin' spiders will come floatin' my way next time i'm outside. ruh-roh!

.

Look Up! The Billion-Bug Highway You Can't See from NPR on Vimeo.

rain, rain, go away.

i'm both an oregonian and a seattleite. i should be used to never-ending rain and permanently cloudy skies. and technically i am: rain boots tend to be my default choice of shoe. i rarely venture outdoors without my handy dandy umbrella. however, there is still a part of me that thinks that, because it is now "officially" springtime, it should be sunny outside. so rain, rain, go away. this girl's ready for some sunshine!

on a completely unrelated note, running uphill in high heels to avoid missing one's bus is NOT a good idea. luckily i didn't miss my bus. instead, i did end up with an ever-so-lovely backache. nothing a little ibuprofen and chocolate can't cure. ;)

{tacoma narrows bridge + raindrops}

set the sails i feel the winds a stirrin'

loving this song right now.

number 25.

cupcake royale.

one word. YUM.

{lemon drop cupcake = heavenly}

the last first.

tomorrow is my very last first day of school. only 76 days until graduation. i think i am finally beginning to realize that i'll be leaving seattle in less than three months. and entering the real "grown-up" world. {how did that happen?}

i'm definitely ready to leave behind the paper-writing, text book-reading, and exam-studying. those things i will not miss. and i absolutely look forward to living closer to my family, my oregon friends. no sales tax or horrid traffic. but it will be difficult to leave this city i've fallen in love with. all my wonderful seattle friends. favorite parks, restaurants, and coffee shops.

the ominous job search looms over me. each day i'm becoming more aware of the fact that i will soon have to make some big decisions regarding potential career paths. kind of a lot to think about. i've recently made a conscious decision, though, to not stress myself out over finding a job. i'm grateful to have fantastic friends and family that support me in all that i do. and i have faith that everything will work out. what's meant to be will always find a way.

for now, i plan on having the best last first day of classes ever! {and i'll be crossing my fingers for sunshine...it's about time we get a break from the seattle rain.} i fully intend to spend the next ten weeks enjoying the company of my friends and all that seattle has to offer. starting right NOW.

{first week of school, freshman year.}

gala. gala. GALA!

saturday evening was the make-a-wish foundation of alaska and washington's annual wish night gala & auction. the event was absolutely fabulous and nearly $1.3 million was raised for some very deserving children. it was so humbling to see the overwhelming generosity of seattle. and i am extremely grateful to be a part of such a wonderful cause.

{fellow intern, rachel, and i}

On a much different note, i am taking a break from the blogging world for at least the next few days. {courtesy of finals week. uggggh}

aftermath.

my thoughts and prayers go out to japan, as it deals with the widespread destruction left behind after yesterday's earthquake and tsunami. the amount of devastation, especially in sendai, miyagi prefecture, is absolutely harrowing. thankfully, my relatives in japan appear to be ok. unfortunately, this is not the case for many families.

{kesennuma, miyagi prefecture | photo credit: the yomiuri shimbun/keichi nakane}

to learn how you can help, visit Six Ways You Can Help Earthquake and Tsunami Victims in Japan.

nostalgia.

today was the last day of classes for winter quarter. geeze louise, time sure flies by! i seriously cannot believe i am only three months away from graduation. so unreal.

at this time next week, i will be completely done with my finals and getting ready to go home for spring break. yay! now to find the motivation to write my theology paper, {the last one ever ever,} and study for exams...which could prove to be a struggle. tonight, instead of beginning to study for finals, i've been watching *nsync music videos from my childhood. much more fun!

gone to the market.

i visited pike place market this past weekend. somehow i always seem to forget how much i love that place. specifically all the yummy fruit stands. they're always so colorful and fragrant. the perfect way to brighten up a rainy day!

a thousand words

i recently discovered this fantastic short film by ted chung. what a unique and creative story...i absolutely love how not one single word is uttered. simply wonderful.

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

put a bird on it.

i'm not generally a fan of birds. i think it's the beady eyes. and the shrill squawk. i do, however, tend to like things that have birds on them. jewelry. artwork. fabric. conveniently, this bird trend is currently in style. {perhaps even a little too much so.} today's etsy finds are all bird-themed:

parakeet clutch - FA2U | singing birds gift cards - annarubyking | vintage blossoms pillow cover - PillowMio | pair of love birds mugs - abby berkson

finally, for your entertainment: {if you haven't checked out the show portlandia yet, do so. it's hilarious.}

number 12.

go to the seattle aquarium.

this was the first time i had been to the aquarium here in seattle. it wasn't as big as i expected it to be, but my friends and i still had a fun time looking at all the sea creatures. our favorite exhibit, by far, was the sea otters. too cute!

{melissa & i posing with an orca fin.}

{sea otter. awwwwww}

{two "nemo" fish!}

saturday evening snapshot.

{beautiful seattle sky on a saturday afternoon spent with friends.}

five things you should know about couscous.

1. it's incredibly simple to make: boil some water, add your couscous, cover, and remove from heat, set timer for five minutes and fluff with a fork.

2. it's a great substitute for pasta.

3. it tastes yummy cold or hot.

4. it can be eaten for breakfast, cooked in milk with almonds and honey

5. it pairs delightfully with veggies or meat, alike.

{couscous and sautéed asparagus, topped with parmigiano-reggiano}

andrew belle.

andrew belle is one of my absolute favorite up-and-coming indie singer/songwriters. i first heard his music when he opened for a concert i attended at the end of last year. oh my goodness. he sounds amazing live. genuine talent and an old soul. his music is honest. his lyrics are creative and heartfelt.

*photo credit to luca venter

one of my favorite andrew belle songs: {this version sounds just as fabulous as, if not more so than, the actual recording.}

ring ring ring ring ring ring ring. banana phone!

something had to be done about the massive amount of bananas collecting in our freezer. what to do with a bunch of overripe frozen bananas? ...make banana bread, of course.

{brown bananas. yum}

here is my go-to recipe for banana bread: {courtesy of simplyrecipes.com}

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

{i also add a lot of cinnamon & nutmeg, and a little ginger & ground cloves + a secret ingredient}

{ingredients}

{the secret ingredient: chocolate chips}

METHOD

no need for a mixer for this recipe. preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). with a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla, and spices. sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. add the flour and chocolate chips last, mix. pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. bake for 1 hour. {i usually bake the bread for slightly less than one hour, to prevent over drying.} cool on a rack. remove from pan and slice to serve.

makes one {delicious} loaf.

{my, it's toasty in here.}

{the finished product.}

happy baking!

facebook is taking over the world.

i have mixed feelings about facebook. on one hand, it can be a great way to stay in touch with friends, share photos and videos. on the other hand, it's a complete waste of time. and an utter distraction. especially when there's a lot to be done in the homework department.

this video demonstrates the cold hard reality of our technology-oriented world. new technology is great, don't get me wrong. but, it worries me that upcoming generations may begin to lose the ability to communicate verbally, face-to-face. that texting seems to be the preferred method of conversation. that some people spend more time in the facebook world, than in the real world.

The World Is Obsessed With Facebook from Alex Trimpe on Vimeo.