"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad" -Victor Hugo

Gloomy days make me nostalgic.. They always have, and probably always will. It's a mesmerizing feeling, almost like an overwhelming sense of déjà vu mixed in with a sort of preoccupation that makes me feel as though I'm in between remembering and forgetting. Like I'm attempting to hold on to things that are otherwise obsolete. The grey area when things start not to matter as much as they did, and when you want them to matter more than they used to.. Gloomy days are my favorite, although I feel that the past and the present are attempting to mix like oil and water.. The wind chills my cheeks, and I'm quickly reminded that I've felt this familiarity before.

I could remember numerous accounts of which I've felt this way, and numerous memories made on such a day with similar weather..like walking down to the beach and attempting to skip stones, saying I love You for the first time, new relationships and butterflies that come with it..the scent of cherry blossoms while mending a sore heart, moments with friends that used to be, with who I, myself used to be.. Moments of gain and of defeat, all of which shaped me as a person.. Are brought to my memory on such a melancholy day.. Its bittersweet,really.

misANNEventures

Yesterday, ANNE and I went on a search for french macaroons. Being that this is "orange country" there isn't very much of a selection to choose from when it comes to macaroons, or anything out of the ordinary for that matter.. Our choices were limited. We ended up driving to Irvine, to a little place called Layer Cake Bakery. We were pretty ecstatic to find that they had a pretty good selection of macaroons, as well as cakes and tiramisu! In addition to the pastries they also serve breakfast and lunch. Anne and I opted for the prosciutto and pesto panini and a cup of soup, (I had the split pea, she had the cream of tomato.. both delish!) and gingerr iced tea.

Afterward, since we did, after all go there for the macaroons, we each chose a flavor to nibble on: I chose the raspberry and chocolate ganache, which is pictured above.. and Anne chose the Blackberry.

We also got two of each of the other flavors to box up and bring home.

after lunch we perused the party store for some festive decorations for our mini pre-literature class party. We came away with some colorful leis, a plastic tree statuette, a cd of party music, shot glasses of all sorts (namely tiki, fiesta, and bling bling ones to accompany the refreshments of the Jameson and 'Mr.pepper' kind)and some glowstick bracelets. (yes, I am aware that we're adults) Let's just say American Lit was a tad bit more interesting last night. And according to Anne, "Frederick Douglass was a looker".

writing excercises!

I purchased a book of writing exercises, one called Take Ten for Writers by Bonnie Neubauer and its chock full of ten minute exercises to inspire/motivate and encourage brainstorming!You can get the book here: here I was super excited to pick this up from the book store, and even more excited that each prompt makes you choose a number from 1-10, which yields 10 additional variables to consider.. After picking your number, it gives you suggestions such as first liners, words, spoonerisms, quotes, the book instructs you to take ten minutes to write freely, without over-thinking, erasing or crossing out. Editing can be done only after the exercise is over. you can find read an except / preview some of the rules and exercises Here:(I've got a horrible knack for editing, and the left side of my brain needs to be challenged not to do so!)

Anyway, I'm über excited to try some out :) I think it'll be a good idea to write more, and to get the creativity flowing! My goal is to do most, if not all of the prompts.. kind of mixed in with my journaling.. I want to write more fiction, nonfiction, everything, and ANYTHING.. I just want to write more in general! I'm hoping to make it habit to take ten minutes to write.. I'm excited/anxious to share what I come up with.. Feedback would be awesome!!!

as for my first exercise: A Spoon Full of Spoonerisms (No.3)

The challenge is to use a pair of spoonerisms as bookends by starting with one and ending with another. (because of a pack of lies/because of a lack of pies.)

here we go...

Because of a pack of lies, she hurried through the corridor of the Blue Beet Patisserie, and onto the dim veranda of the bar next door. There she sought solace in a bath of neon lights, readily flashing pink, green and violet rays. Her tights were ripped, and smock wrinkled as she listlessly took a sip of a watered-down beverage. At that moment, she felt diluted, dizzy, and diminished. She sat for a while, watching the world of oblivion and laughter pass her by. She felt isolated and insecure, only to find that no one had stopped to console her.. Her aubergine nails were chipped, and her ego, bruised.. She had blueberry stained hands, and mascara streaked down her cheeks. She began cry uncontrollably as the news from earlier hit her like the sack full of flour that had made its way onto the kitchen floor when the Maitre Patissier accused her for burning his creations. The stench of burnt carbohydrates and sweet blueberry topping spewed out of the building, setting off the fire alarms and encouraged discerning looks from the patrons. She had left the pies in the oven for far too long, and her ambition of being a Chef Pâtissiere was destroyed because of a lack of pies.

on self reflection...

I'd like to think that for the most part, I lead a life that I've worked hard to attain..that I've broken away from old habits, and from a past that has been known to hold me back. I'd like to think that I'm more comfortable in my own skin--and more comfortable to become the person I wish myself to be.. eloquent, well rounded, and overall better put together.. less haphazard. Okay, a lot less haphazard. BUT Being busy doesn't exactly help.. and I'm beginning to feel that my life is in need of a face lift.

I'm thinking that the school and work routine has turned me into a robot. Life has been more challenging than ever, having gone from busy to busier in less than 60 seconds. I think my procrastination only makes things worse... but it's difficult to catch my breath without procrastination. It's all a blur these days, and I have to admit that I wish that I had more time to De-stress, learn new things,discover new places, tastes, smells, invigorate the senses.. and I especially wish that I had moremade more time to be a healthier person, inside and out.

I need a change in routine.. and revisions are being made this very moment. I'm thinking that I need some time away from the monotonous-ness, and what better oppotunity than now. Spring is in the air, and I'm in the mood to take advantage of the romanticism..

some of the things that I wish that I had more time for (and will try my best to make time for): Bike rides, reading, nature walks, healthier meals, breakfast at the beach, idle time at the library, farmers markets, music shopping, thrifting, card making, cleaning, collecting random colorful objects of whimsy, blogging, going on drives, for canyons, roadtrips, thai food, holga photos, wind chimes, tea servuce for two, among many many others.

who's in?