Tea Stains on Parchment

New Year, New You! Time to get back into shape! Take up a hobby! Reinvent yourself! Self-help specialists and newspapers everywhere bombast us with phrases like these. A new year is approaching, and with it, is evidently a new you. Because the some numbers on a calendar change, apparently we must, too. Apparently a method for counting human existence equates progress in our own little lives. Well, here is a "demotivational" post, it doesn't. So, we're approaching 2019—what an accomplishment! A new year seems like a new horizon, like we must be getting closer to something. And yes, sometimes change is great and making a better life for ourselves, but I think that people are just using a new year as an excuse to get their life together. Before I tear into New Year's resolutions, let me preface this by commending us for wanting to make our lives better. It's important to be able to see a problem or point of improvement in our lives and want to change. And that ...

Ever since Instagram, there has been a flood of colorful, photogenic, and unique foods. But, these chic food trends have taken a turn for the outlandish. I mean, drinks served in lightbulbs, burgers covered in marshmallows, and don't get me started on "unicorn" or "rainbow" foods (most things should never be rainbow!). Thriving in this technicolor, toddler—designed food world is the very antithesis of color: black foods. Somewhat unnatural, these black foods are tempting. Dark and mysterious, filled with activated charcoal, could they possibly be any good? Well I never turn down trying something new...especially ice cream. It seems that if I ever go out, it is always for ice cream. So it is no surprise that it was ice cream that brought me to the black food trend. I had heard of the ice cream from one of my favorite shops Franklin Fountain. It was a unique flavor, black, and limited time. How could I say no? Before I outline my adventure on the dark side, let ...

A lot of you here are in school, probable college, and you have a lot of work coming up (you can actually see it on the syllabus). And maybe you're not in school, but you still have a busy life full of stress I'm sure. Honestly, trying to navigate your way through a grocery store can be extremely stressful. There is always something to be cleaned, something to be prepped, a paper to be written, poems to be read--that sentence alone was stressful (because it's true). When there is always something to do, it's hard to allow myself to do nothing. Well, I'm here to tell you, or rather myself, that you can and should  do nothing. OK, stop what you're doing. Sit, curl up under a blanket, diffuse some oils, and breath. Now get back to reading this blog post. I'm not going to tell you to stop worrying because I know that that isn't going to change how you feel. But remember, whatever you're stressing about is only one moment, so take a few moments for you....

About a year ago, I visited Big Gay Ice Cream in Philadelphia. Maybe you remember that I wrote a review about it in a post called "Overrated?" I believe that I said something about this soft serve famous ice creamery was slightly better than McDonald's or some other standard soft serve chain. Well, I do still like soft serve. And the store front is one of the most adorable that I have ever seen. So, I went back, and I think I need to give my updated opinions and thoughts. So, review 2, here we go. First off, I got the "Burnt." A somewhat questionable name just because you sound kinda stupid going up the cashier asking for "a burnt." Obviously I put my awkwardness aside and ordered a burnt in the middle of a technicolored, unicorn emblazoned store. I was intrigued by an ice cream sandwich with chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two cakey cookies, brushed with Sriracha and rolled in orange and red sprinkles. It was both sweet and savory. Confusing ...

You ever just love to read about murder? That sounds a bit, well, concerning, but most of us, if we're answering honestly, would say yes. And don't try to tell me that you don't love to read about murder and only psychopaths want to read about people dying because numbers don't lie. The most widely published works, excluding all those English class required readings of Shakespeare and, of course, the Bible, are none other than the novels of Agatha Christie. In other words, the queen of mystery. So obviously, we all have a sweet spot for murder. But despite Agatha's (yes, we're on a first name basis) inventive murder mysteries, there is so much more to this British writer than strangers on a train or chance encounters. I love Agatha Christie, and I feel a certain connection with her as a fellow INFJ. And if she could think about crazy, creative murder scenarios without being creepy, then I can, too, right? RIGHT? And with my little friendship with this fellow w...

Coming back to college this summer, you may have seen that many of your friends got some sort of "prestigious," unpaid internship while you lounged around in your house all summer. While you sit around and hear about people in the same boat as you, fresh out of freshman year, going on about galavanting through L.A., New York, and San Fransisco, try not to feel discouraged that you wandered the aisles of the grocery store every week. I know it can seem overwhelming, because that person that says they did "nothing " this summer is me. One of many ice cream adventures My summer was one that featured many enriching activities. From binge watching How I Met Your Mother to waiting until that jean jacket at Target got clearanced to $10 (from $35!), I truly learned a great deal this summer that will definitely  help me get an amazing job out of college. But in all seriousness, I don't think that I would trade my summer at home for even the most exclusive internshi...

A year and a half ago, I discovered one of the best restaurants. This restaurant wasn't in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, but quaint, unassuming Bentonville, AR. But the cuisine here rivaled what had been the best meal I'd ever eaten at Tom Colicchio's Craft Bar in NYC. Modern Ozark Dining (MOD) brought an urban and eclectic perspective in food to my hometown, and I couldn't have been happier. To create food this delicious, this creative, requires a chef with passion. Someone who is unafraid to experiment with new flavor combinations and dining experiences. I am the kind of person that will go to a restaurant and choose not what I "feel" like eating, but the most outlandish, and honestly, weird dish I can find--I will try anything once (tip to non-adventurous eaters: a restaurant isn't going to put something on a menu that isn't delicious. That would be stupid...). The menu at MOD has always been a foodie playground for me, making my decision on w...

The heat index here is currently 115 F, and sometimes air conditioning doesn't cut it when I want to cool off from the suffocating humidity outside. Sometimes I need to cool down with something crisp, light, refreshing, and bubblier than iced tea. Introducing my new obsession, gourmet soda. Here is a list of all of my favorite flavors and the ones that I think are better left on the shelf. Belvoir My first *artisanal* soda--Belvoir elderflower and rose lemonade. Also, excuse the Christmas tree. Clearly, I have been sampling these sodas for several months. I had to try this soda because 1. the packaging and shape of the bottle is adorable (perfect for a casual vase) 2. Mary Berry says just about every other episode of The Great British Baking Show that elderflower is her favorite flavor. I wanted to know if it lived up to the baking legend's hype. I was a bit skeptical, as rose flavors can often overpower, crossing the line of floral undertone to Grandma's perfum...

I've dreamt of French patisseries filled with croissants, mille-feuille, and, of course, macarons. I don't think I am going to France any time soon, but I have always thought I was pretty good at baking. That is, before my many failed attempts at macarons. For such a small cookie, they offer an unnecessary amount of work. And there is a steep learning curve; so many things can go wrong: hollow shells, no feet, flat shells. Macarons are impressive, delicious, and beautiful. Though everyone wants a batch on their table at their tea party, no one wants to pay the often $2+ price tag or fail at making them. Let me help save you from both of these fates and teach you everything I have learned making macarons professionally the past few months. 1. There are a lot of recipes out there, but to know that the recipe is decent, the amount of powdered sugar is double the amount of almond flour. Some recipes work more than others, but t his one is my go-to, though I do have a few alte...

Few people have read Gone with the Wind , but many have watched the movie, hailing it as a classic piece of American cinema. People, myself included, get swept up in a love story filled with swishing Southern belles and chivalrous gentlemen, but the story is one that isn't exactly always sweet. Scarlett O'Hara is named by many as a heroine, a strong female character that is as beautiful as she is independent. Well, there is some truth in this, but it is also filled with many, many flaws. Firstly, the opening line of the novel actually says that Scarlett was "by no means beautiful." She was charming, so let's all be honest and say she was charming and seductive because that speaks more to Scarlett's character than genetic beauty does. Scarlett uses her charm to catch husbands. Notice the plural! She marries one man to make someone else jealous, steals her sister's beaux to save her beloved Tara, and marries Rhett to live a more lavish life. This sums up t...

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I had never really realized that people placed so much emphasis on lip color. It wasn't until watching "Cake Hunters" that I heard that red lipstick was somehow suggestive or inappropriate for a 16 year old (but any other shade was perfectly acceptable). This seemed silly to me. I wear lipstick everyday, and I had never put much thought into what the color supposedly "said" about me. I only thought "does this match my outfit?", "does it look good?", "is it too bold or outlandish on me?". I never once thought that light pinks made people assume I was kind or flirty, that oxblood meant I was sultry. Color doesn't define a person, does it? When choosing lipstick colors, the only "feelings" I thought about were the vibe or mood of my entire ensemble. I might choose bright red if I was going for a vintage look, calling to mind Victory Red. Or plum if my outfit consisted of dark colors,...

On July 11, 1960 Harper Lee published her first novel. In fall 2011, I read To Kill a Mockingbird. Who knew my life would be changed for the better? It was seventh grade, and one of the assignments in my English class was to read a novel every two weeks or so and then take a little reading quiz. Early on, I decided to read To Kill a Mockingbird  because I had heard such good things (meaning I had heard somewhat meaningless blurbs like "great book" or "one of the American classics"). The first copy I found was a large print addition, which made the book slightly larger, which allowed me an extra two weeks to read it because it was a "long" book. This may have been a bit of a loophole...Anyways, I set out to read this book. I remember absolutely loving it, being captivated by the story, being drawn to every symbol. I wanted someone, some person in my grade, to be reading the book so that I could talk about it-- a good book makes you want to analyze and dis...

Happy World Chocolate Day! I hope all of you celebrated with some form of chocolate, but I doubt many of you celebrated a day as chocolate filled as the one I had at Markham & Fitz. Markham & Fitz is a local chocolate maker that sources cacao from all of the world, curating unique flavor combinations in the form of bars, truffles, desserts, and beverages. I had been familiar with the expensive chocolate bars of this company formerly known as Hello, Cocoa, but I was excited to see a new storefront and cafe. What had once been just chocolate and a very tasty cocoa tea had expanded to include three sipping chocolates and a few pastries when I visited for the first time a few months ago. Coming back to Markham & Fitz for world chocolate day, I found a chic cafe filled with a much wider variety of treats. The world chocolate celebration began with a tasting of chocolates made with cocoa beans from different countries, highlighting the differences in taste based only on whe...

I'm sure we've all heard about the Laura Ingalls Wilder's Award being renamed to the Children's Literature Legacy Award, but I am here to tell you why that is a mistake. Surprisingly, books were not always my entire life.  In early middle school, I didn't really consider myself a reader. I didn't dislike reading, but I felt like I was slow, so I never really picked up books for fun. Eventually, this changed, and I think that I have Little House on the Prairie  to thank for this. I remember my mom handing my a thick, hard covered collection of the first Little House on the Prairie  books. She told me that when she was little, she loved these books, and always wanting to please, I started reading despite the daunting size that a collection of novels can pose to a young reader. Of course I loved them. They were the first books that I really loved. The first books that made me want to read more. Every trip to the library, from then on, led me to the next Little Ho...

This was my first year at college, and although I would say that it ended on the positive side, not every moment was wonderful or even just good. Going to Penn was a big change. I had never lived in a city before. I had never spent more than a week on the East coast. I had never spent more than two weeks away from my family. Though these things all meant that my life would be different, I knew I could overcome them. The hardest obstacle would be leaving my family, but this seemed all the more difficult given that I knew absolutely no one going to Penn. I try to be optimistic, and I was looking forward to this new, exciting moment in my life. But I always underestimate my introvertedness. I do not think that being introverted is something that is a deficit to one's personality, but it definitely can hinder my ability to feel comfortable connecting with strangers. My first days at Penn, alone, I chose to stay in my dorm room most of the time. I had no friends to invite anywhere. I ...

I am a book snob. There, I said it. I don't even take that label as an insult; I wear it as a badge of honor. When someone called me a book snob three years ago, I took it as the highest of compliments. I have strong opinions of lots of things, but being nervous and introverted to a fault, I rarely share my thoughts. But I will tell anyone what I think about a book. When it comes to books, I have lots of opinions and somewhat controversial stances on everything from YA to bookstore layouts. Which I cannot mention without telling you my feelings...books, aside from children's novels, have no real age range if they are a book of quality . I hate YA, too. They are all the same. You can fight me on that one. And bookstores shouldn't be laid out by genre. The only sections should be children's, fiction, nonfiction. How can you separate by genre? For example, is Agatha Christie literature/fiction or mystery? Is To Kill a Mockingbird literature/fiction or YA (ughk). Yea...

It has been a couple of days, and I think that there is something that I would like to say. It is no secret that I put great care into how I look, not out of vanity, but rather, out of creativity and personal choice. I feel more comfortable in skirts and dresses. I prefer to have my makeup fully done. I simply feel half dressed if I wear "comfortable" clothing or rush out the door without so much as mascara and lipstick. As I have said before, this mindset often makes me feel like I'm strange or standing out, but there have always been a few sources of inspiration that remind me that it is ok and someday, maybe, I'll be admired for it. One of these such icons was Kate Spade. Generally, celebrity deaths do not sadden me. I did not personally know the person. Nor did I really keep up with their day to day lives. I know them through TV screens or magazine covers--things that I can easily rewatch and make them alive again. But as the dust (or perhaps glitter would be ...

I started watching the Tony's about 3 years ago, so this year was my fourth Tony Awards, but I have never been as excited or invested in these awards as this year. As I have made very clear in my last post, I saw The Band's Visit, and I loved  it. I was so excited when I saw that they got 11 Tony nominations (though I think they should have had 12, and the other three new musicals had around 12 too many, but no shade here...). Anyways, I was invested. I wanted to watch the Tony's anyways, but now I needed to watch the Tony's. Leading up to this much awaited Sunday, I was actually beginning to get worried, as if I was nominated, which given my lack of talent, I am clearly not. I kept having this nagging fear that somehow, through some twisted joke, a musical about Spo ngebob would actually beat this well-reviewed, beautiful, essential musical about human connection triumphing over hate. About three days before, another fear set in. What if my hero, the man who autogra...

You may not know this, but I adore  musicals. I cannot act. I cannot sing. But I honestly think that I have the most important role as audience member. Without us theatre aficionados, actors would just be a bunch of crazy people pretending on stage (wait...). Anyways, that being said, I love to go to shows and I love to listen to soundtracks and I spend my fair share of time on broadway.com reading up on the new musicals on Broadway. This year, the new show that I was hearing so much about was The Band's Visit . Yes, I hear about show openings and all that jazz, but the real reason I knew about this show was perhaps strange for a teenage girl. To understand fully I think I need to go back to when I was maybe five and onward. My parents raised me to watch Monk, a crime show following an OCD detective named Adrian Monk. Monk was played by the brilliant Tony Shalhoub. Enter The Band's Visit . Tony Shalhoub plays the male lead (a general in the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orche...