Songs should come with a trigger warning

Today, as I was driving, Rihanna + Eminem's song "Love the Way You Lie" started playing on the radio.
I started singing along- as I do with most songs, especially if I know them and moreso if it's Eminem- and next thing I know, I have to pull over because I'm crying and feel my heartbeat become a suffocating blow all over my body.

This song. This particular song. It had been so long since I listened to it and it had been so long since it took me back.
When this song came out, I was in a relationship that had its ups and downs (oh boy) and scarred me in many ways.
When this song came out I realised the relationship was not healthy and normal; it had finally come to an end.

I can tell you here and now, it is fucking hard to get out of an abusive relationship. But I can also tell you, here and now, that no matter how hard and gruelling it feels, getting out of it is always the  better choice. It's a choice you have to make yourself for yourself.

I knew it was a toxic relationship when I started feeling guilty; mostly from just talking to someone of the opposite sex, and when these innocent interactions made me fear for their safety and mine.
Emotional blackmail was disguised as affection and possessiveness as quality time.
And you start to believe that these are true demonstrations of love and care. You start to believe that sex means they do care. You start to believe that they're the only ones who'll love you because that's what they've made you believe.

When I did eventually break up with him it was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, off my whole body. But it also was the beginning of what I knew awaited me and I was dreading. Blackmail and possession quickly turned into obession.
The night I broke up with him, I had 105 missed calls. I had 80 or so text messages. All in a span of 3 hours. I had one friend escort him home and another escort me.
The following weeks I'd have to make sure he wasn't waiting on my front stoop a block away so as to avoid him and any altercation.
Suicidal threats and drunk voice messages kept coming in.
I'd have to ask the security guard where I worked to keep and eye out and walk me out when I was done with my shift.
The following month I kept getting hate mail immediately followed by "love" mail full of regret from the previous email.
My roommate wanted to file a restraining order on my behalf but I was still too afraid.
I rode it out.

Friends like my roommate kept me safe and busy. Friends like my roommate helped me talk, helped me feel sane and that my intuition was right. Friends like my roommate remind you love doesn't hurt. And that's the kind of love everyone is deserving of.

Because people who say they love you don't train you to fear them.
People who say they love you don't force you into things.
People who say they love you don't blame you for their insecurities and actions.
People who say they love you will understand when you walk away because they respect you.

We all carry our scars and it's our job to take care of them, to live the healing process. We can't judge others by their scars or experiences, and much less wound them in any other way

And so, for the first time in a while, I felt like writing it down. Like letting it out. Like letting it go. For the first time I peel the bandage off this scar.

+1

Mariana, now that you've just turned 29- what will you do next?
*shoulder shrug*

29'll be just fine

• Do more things that scare me 
• Meet more people (and guys)
• Querer algo (mas nunca dejar de buscar)
• Be able to commit to something (see next)
• WORK
• Keep travelling
• BURNING MAN for the big 3-0 
• Write: my goal is to have a draft of something for when I'm 30

Bring it on.

Booya!

Do you think we can fly?

As I sit and write, listening to Limp Bizkit (because where else can you find the courage to sit down and write?), I'm semi-dreading my birthday tomorrow.

That's another year gone by. Another year where so much and nothing has changed and happened.
And as this birthday creeps its ugly head in, with it comes melancholy, nostalgia, a wave of bittersweet memories... A series of last year's events flashing right before my eyes.

The best thing about it? It makes me smile.
Because 28 was what I set out to make it: Great. 

28 Was Great

(in no particular order)

1.  Got my first ballet distinction in an RAD exam
2.  Took my first (of soon to be many) Yoga Certification and became a Certified Yoga Teacher!
3.  Had a college friend visit (and went sight-seeing in the city)
4.  Courage has become a word I've gotten to know more; which led me to open up more, speak my mind and (most importantly & scare-ly) my heart
5.  Re:previous, I've levelled up. Gained experience points. Call it what you will.
6.  Spent another New Year celebration with my grandmother (who is 88) 
7.  Became an owner of something other than a cat: An apartment (and therefore, became a landlady)
8.  Have made some true progress in yoga
9.  I've felt happier than I ever had in a long time (and am off anti-depressants)
10.  Adapted a much more active lifestyle
11.  Went out more (ie. became somewhat more social)
12.  Saw The Rolling Stones and Coldplay Live
13.  Took my first real Solo Trip (to Baja California and it was OSOM)
14.  Keep stepping further outside my comfort-zone (and discovered that the scary isn't as scary as one thinks)
15.  I have a new therapist (who is the bee's knees and the cat's pajamas)
16.  Dance on pointe shoes
17.  Took one (very small) step regarding my 'acting career': photoshoot
18.  Went on my first yoga retreat <3 li="">
19.  Survived and enjoyed another ballet presentation
20.  Dyed my hair blue!
21.  Went on dates and it was.... interesting/good/meh/etc
22.  New friends and old friends; many good times were had
23.  Feel like I'm much more sensible to everything (in a "I feel my eyes and heart are open to the world and see beauty it didn't use to see before" way)
24.  Moved to a provincial town: Campeche
25.  Became more interested in history and anthropology
26.  Have met even more amazing people 
27.  Sunsets. Every sunset holds a special place in my heart and I will never grow tired of them
28.  Reunions and beaches and friends and good times

So I welcome 29 with open arms.
Nothing is absolute. Everything is everchanging.
:)

Yay :)

On this weekend's agenda: Turtle Conservation Camp!

Catch ya'll on Monday :)

It's so daunting.

The white page is still one of my most feared enemies.
It's been ages since I've written (here or for my sake, etc etc) but it's been at the tip of my brain and fingertips, gnawing at me.
I open up a page- a document- and zip. I freak out and immediately turn my mind to something else.

And there's SO much to say. There are so many ideas in my head just waiting to be let out.

Right now it's 6 in the afternoon in what was a sunny Campeche a couple of hours ago, but now is cloudy and cooling off with some rain.
I worked with some kids most of the morning and looking forward to some yoga time soon. These yoga folks I've just met yesterday, but they are pretty nice and welcoming.

Even thunder is an excuse to distract me from writing...

Why Campeche, you ask? Well, it was offered to me and I had nothing to lose (and nothing better to do)... And because what's better than traveling and staying busy to get over a heart break, am I right?

That's me being crazy in the city center cathedral (in other words, me being me).

I'll get back in the hang of blog writing- I know I at least have one reader (Maria, I'm looking at you hehe).

So. Happy Tuesday Evening (or Wednesday morning or whatever you day you're living).

<3 p="">

Far Away

This is what I've felt like for a while now. Ironically, this flat tire (last week) broke me down (no pun intended) even further. 

It's weird. I feel like I'm in a relapse of some sort. I was doing very well for a record time (months!) and I just hit rock bottom. I'm trying to be optimistic, thinking this is just a step back to make a grander stride forward. 

These negative thoughts flood out my brain, suddenly I'm treading on mud and everything is hazy, distant. I start feeling useless and like nothing I do is good enough or even worth it; the "mean me" takes over every situation and ruins it- the worst part is, I believe it. And it's so hard to get out of that hole. I keep crying at the oddest times and places; everything hurts. The air is thick and it weighs me down. I'm an emotional wreck and because of that, I feel even worse being around people- who wants to hang out with someone falling?

And then I take a couple of deep breaths and remember to take it all moment by moment. Little by little. It eases the pain but I can't shake away the suffering. Feeling too much or too little/nothing at all, neither is good. Neither works. And neither bring me back to reality.

I know this is temporary and there is a way out (I've been here before and know it gets better) but some days it's just so hard, it seems impossible. 

Putting this out in the open somehow eases the burden; so if you've been reading- thanks. A lent ear is all it takes sometimes.

I promise a bouncier post soon. 

Howling at the moon

The moon has been pretty radiant this past week. Yellow-y to blinding light, it hangs up in the sky.

So... It inspired me to pop out out into the garden with my ukulele and croak out a tune.

It'd been a while but, man, it felt good.

Don't forget to look up at the night sky from time to time. You'll be surprised at how it can make you feel. 

In the beginning was the image...

The sound. The setting. The character.

A moving montage that reels you in, ready to transport you to the director's vision, another reality.

*

This weekend, out of nowhere, I started to think about my favourite movie openings and what it is about them that makes them stand out (for me, personally). 

Manhattan (1979) dir. Woody Allen

"New York was his town. And it always would be."
The city of New York will always work in your favour. And alongside Gerswhin? Oooof.
Even Allen's neurosis jus feels right- it captures that 'New Yorker' vibe; but it knows when to stop- to savour that last visual orgasm.

Raging Bull (1980) dir. Martin Scorcese

Simple yet powerful. Scorcese's got style.
I'm da boss. I'm da boss.

Trainspotting (1996) dir. Danny Boyle

How does that saying go- Live fast, die young?

Or Choose life?

2001: A Space Oddyssey (1968) dir. Stanley Kubrick

Kukrick in general always made excellent classical music choices. This is just one of the most memorable ones.

Blue Danube and zero gravity, amirite?

Pulp Fiction (1994) dir. Quentin Tarantino

(because you have to hear Miserlou after that...)
Bad. Ass.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) dir. Blake Edwards

Henry Mancini's nostalgic 'Moon River' + 5th Ave + Audrey Hepburn in a LBD

There's a nice anecdote about this scene: the day of the shoot, production was worried about having to stave off passersby and hold up the expected 5th Avenue commotion; to their surprise, 5th Ave was as calm as they wished it would be.

*

Happy Easter!

Because nothing says Easter like Tom Hulce (aka Amadeus) in a unicorn headpiece and a cat with bunny ears.

Amen.

Ye Olde Blogge

Life has been going on at full speed; not that I ever actually do update my blog, but it has been harder to do these past months. 

I went to New York to an incredible workshop where I danced my heart and feet out and met some awesome people. 

I came back home to a Ballet exam and to a performance. 

My last semester has been taking its toll on me emotionally and we are now finally ready to start our final presentation: a full length musical. 

 We had this week off; to Americans, it's Spring Break. For us, it's Holy Week (the week previous to Easter). I'm not much of a religious person, so to me it's just a nice week off (where I'll probably end up watching Jesus Christ Superstar because, well, it's fitting, no?). 

I went off to Veracruz to visit my grandmother and take some days off the web. Reading, eating, sleeping was done- to which I am grateful because it was much needed. 

Mexico City is pretty rad. 

Wednesday, the first day of April; a lazy day. 

Some more reading, film watching, nail painting, writing will be done. And it's days like these that make me happy. 

What is everyone reading? Or watching? 

And how is life? 

Ramble On

There's not much to say- or at least I don't feel like there is- except that I feel the need to write. 

I'm trying to get my life on track. No, that's not it. I'm trying to get myself to keep up with life, or the life I want.

The weeks have flown by already and I feel like there's so much I have and want to do but not enough hours in a day. And more so for me to rest or breathe or stop and take a look around and appreciate all that has happened and is happening.

I guess I am overwhelmed- and a little stressed; something I'm not happy about.

It's strange because I'm doing all I want to do, so shouldn't I be 'taking it easy' and just enjoying it?

I had a huge breakout on my face due to stress; it's a fair warning I'm taking as an opportunity to chill out and give myself whatever I need. Especially time out and time with myself.

In other happy/light news: I'll be in New York for two weeks soon!

Seriously, what am I even stressing about?! 

:)

Boyhood (And The Comeback of the Ish-Reviews)

Let's begin by asking what we've all been thinking (and by we, I mean me):

How is this the first film to do this?!

Followed by: 

How exactly does one tackle and take on an ambitious project?

To be honest, I wasn't very into it when it began. The concept? Yes. Big fan of that, but the beginning felt a little slow and imprecise in a "where is this going?" kind of way. 20 minutes later - after considering I had made a mistake choosing to watch it- I was taken in.

I may be a little biased because I'm a Linklater fan; and once the boy began talking and forming opinions of his own about the world, it was obvious it was a Linklater classic.
He has this way of tackling the ordinary day to day alike and revel in these deep philosophical questions we all ask ourselves about life at one point or another. There is enough and the equal amount of truth/reality and storytelling to keep one entertained and connected to the story and characters.

"You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kind of thinking it's the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes us."

A lot of things can happen and change in 10 years, that much is clear. But watching a little boy grow up to be a young man, a mother making a living and divorcing twice, a father getting his shit together and settling down later in life, a young girl facing and going through with a choice she made at a young age*, etc... It's as if you come to know these people.

The music, the key events in (now) history and the generational gaps enriched it all.

I remember hearing a song and being taken back to that time in my life; it was like a walk down memory lane for me, too. 

*sigh* My, how time flies.

"Everything? What's the point? I mean, I sure as shit don't know. Neither does anybody else, okay? We're all just winging it, you know? The good news is you're feeling stuff. And you've to hold on to that."

It's also refreshing to see a woman age naturally. Kudos to Patricia Arquette, not only for a great performance, but for being and keepin' it real. 

And to be shallow and fangirly, shout out to hottie Ethan Hawke as a father. He's got the charismatic and forever youthful character down. Grrr.

It was sort of like watching Jessie and Celine pre- Before Sunrise.

It is also like every actor's dream work scenario, I think. Working with the same people- who become your family- every year for a short period of time.
I'd be up for that, without a question.

And to answer my opening questions:

I'm sure many have thought it, but only the true adventurers follow it through.

You just do. And hope to God that the crew and cast are visionaries like you and don't give up.

Hey, that's kind of like life.

Have you seen it? What did you think about it?

* Apparently Lorelei Linklater regretted taking on the role as she got older, which is pretty apparent in the change of character and enthusiasm. Either way, it worked out.

The Years Shall Run Like Rabbits

Source

January has been good to me, therefore: 2015, you're too much.

And I like that.

+ I finished yet another semester!
Last night was our presentation and it went very well. There are still a lot of things to work on, but the work and improvement shows. Hard work is all it takes. Here's to more!

+ I did a week intensive dance course and it was AMAZING. Possibly one of the best experiences and fun I've had ever; not to mention learning experience, too. Oof.
February will take me back to it in good ole NYC.

<3 p="">

+ My sister is pregnant and doing well. I can't wait to meet the baby.

+ I feel good and necessary changes coming.

+ Weekends have been fun because they have been all about "Double Features".
I'm taking the Oscar race serious this year.
(I actually have a pending post on Boyhood, hope to post it up soon)

+ I'm happy. Happy, happy, happy. 

2015

via

Yes.

And more blog writing- as I always tell myself I will do. 

But you know what? I have a good feeling about 2015.

I really do.

:)

I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss

No, but seriosuly. Dating in the 21st Century is damn hard.

A Much Longer Book Survey (Or How This Is All I Ever Post)

Yes, this is how I roll. I disappear and re-appear and then only post book surveys. 
And there have been times I've thought about updating this here blog- only to prefer sleepy time to writing time. Or Netflix time. Or just wasting-away time. 
Shame on me, I know. 

Regardless, here I go. Taken from Alley (aka Red) from What Red Read

1. Favorite childhood book:
The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
This was my favourite mostly because I thought it was funny and my parents always called me grouchy (I was a little bratty at times, but nothing too crazy)

2. What are you reading right now?
Oy vey. It feels like I've been reading Peyton Place for the longest time; I have actually really been enjoying it, though. I may look into the series/film when I am done with it.
I have also been reading a book for school (acting related)- it's been pretty darn insightful.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Where I am, libraries are few. And far from where I am. :(

4. Bad book habit: 
Buying them and piling them up at home. I do eventually read them, but the rate I buy them at doesn't compare.
I also tend to read too fast and miss out on action/information in a story.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Nada.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yep. I love a book, physically holding one. But an e-reader really is handy!
I've got both a Nook (1st Edition) and a Kindle Paperwhite. 

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I used to be a "One book at a time" kind of person. Now I read up to 3; they all must be different genres though. Otherwise I can't handle it.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
No. It has changed since I graduated from Uni (for the worse, I'm afraid to say).

9. Least favorite book you read this year:
None. I've enjoyed all I've read so far.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year:
Life of Pi. People raved about it for good reason and glad I finally got to it.

11. How often do you read outside of your comfort zone?
I break out of it every now and then! Mostly with non-fiction (I know, I know...)

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fiction, especially classics. I need to keep my contemporary game up. 

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yep! As long as I'm not driving (even then, I wish I could read while driving)

14. Favorite place to read:
Anywhere I can get into a comfortable position.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
Ay, ay, ay. I've had bad experiences (I still mourn the loss of my "Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey" copy...) so I don't do it. 
There's only one person I lend books to. 

16. Do you dog-ear your books?
 Yes. *cringes* I know and I'm sorry.
I try not to, though. It's just, when there's a really good/lovely/thought provoking passage, I can't help it. 

17. Do you write notes on the margins of your books?
No. I did once or twice when I was in college and whenever I pick up those books I want to scream, "WHY?! WHY?!"
I learned my lesson well.

18. Do you break/crack the spines?
Not intentionally.

19. What is your favorite language to read?
If I can read it in it's original language, then that's my favourite language to read. I can do Spanish, Portuguese and French.
But for those I can't: English.

20. What makes you love a book?
The characters. The story/plot. The writing!

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

The aforementioned; if done well.

22. Favorite genre:
Fiction. All kind. 

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did):
Non-fiction/history kind of stuff...

24. Favorite biography:

Primo Levy's "If This is a Man" and Gene Wilder's "Kiss me Like a Stranger"

25. Have you read a self-help book (and was it helpful)? 
YUP and YUP.
This is also a recent thing. Growing up and battling with depression have led me to these books. 

26. Favorite cook book:
Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson
The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

27. The most inspirational book you’ve read this year:
Viktor Frankl's Man's search for Meaning and The 7 Spiritual Laws for Success by Deepak Chopra
Also Life of Pi by Yann Martel because well, that's what great storytelling is all about. And I want to whip of great stories one day too.

28. Favorite reading snack:
A nice big hot cup of tea and cookies or a fruit or some nuts or crackers

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience:
The Da Vinci Code. Hype or no hype though, I still would've hated the book. Awful, awful. 

30. How often do you agree with the critics about a book?
Eh. About 50/50

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
If I do it's because it really is awful. I'm too nice to give straight up negative reviews.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which would it be?
One that I don't already? Japanese, hands down.

33. Most intimidating book I’ve ever read:
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
But definitely worth it

34. Most intimidating book I’m too nervous to begin:
The Bible?

35. Favorite Poet:
Sylvia Plath, William Carlos Williams, Pablo Neruda, William Blake

36. How many books do you generally have checked out of the library at a given time?
Zilch.

37. How often do you return books to the library unread?
I'll ignore this one.

38. Favorite fictional character:
At the top of my head: Sirius Black, Atticus Finch, Mr. Darcy, Matilda.

39. Favorite fictional villain:
Iago from Othello

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation:
Light reads. This summer I read A Streetcat Named Bob and it was a perfect beach companion.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading:
Hmmm. A month?

42. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Internet and technology.
And if people speak to me directly (I can read while people are talking, as long as they're not talking to me)

43. Name a book you could not finish:

The DaVinci Code. When We Were Bad (Charlotte Mendelson).

44. Favorite film adaption of a novel:
Hmmm. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (David L. Wolper version), The Lord of the Rings, Pride & Prejudice (miniseries & Keira Knightley one)

45. The most disappointing film adaptation:
Emma... Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.
Life of Pi was great visually (and Ang Lee is phenomenal as was the cast) but that is the problem about a story of a stranded narrator in open sea. 

46. Most money I’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time:
Eeeh. Perhaps $60 to 70.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I'll read the first page or so and that's it.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through it?

If I really haven't been enjoying it or if I didn't pick it up in a long time (only to restart it again).

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Somewhat. I have various shelves that are independently organised.

50. Do you prefer to keep your books when done, or give them away?
I've only ever given a couple of books away and it was very difficult for me; that being said, they were for special people. It is not something I do regularly- I get attached to them- but it also isn't something I'm against.

51. Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding?


52. Name a book that made you angry:

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix. I started reading it and putting it down about 5 times before I actually got through with it. I couldn't stand Professor Umbridge and how angsty and teenager-y Harry, Ron & Hermione were.

53. A book I didn’t expect to like but did:

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

54. A book I expected to like but didn’t:
The DaVinci Code- I can't get over it, I'm sorry.

55. Favorite guilt-free guilty-pleasure reading:
YA novels. They're fun, alright?

Museums are the shit (if I do say so myself)

If I do say so myself, If I do say so myself. 

They have also been my soul playground these past two months. 

                   

                                                          ^ mmmhhhmmmm

July and August have been a reconciliation with creativity. I don't ever recall going to so many art museums to creativitate: to cultivate my creativity.

My creative garden was starting to rot- I wasn't taking very good care of it. Life distracted me from it and it began to wither away, a cold harsh winter ravaging it. The garden has always been there; it used to be a Versailles. Now? It's rusty. Unattended, weed infested. 

I'm Mary Lennox has rediscovered her own secret garden; scary at first and somewhat overwhelming. But square by square I can still find some flowers, seeds budding and the birds have come back to sing. The garden is blossoming again.

What I'm saying is: I'm curing my head space once again.

Visiting these museums has been refreshing and oh so necessary. They remind me that it's okay. That it's good to make art. Or that it's good to make, period. 

And now my moleskine has been filling up with museum stickers! 

The outside are mostly all brazilian- the insides have some from Japan, Thailand and the US.

Also a little sketch I made (Gram and Cramps).

i wish I'd drawn that bottom right one- it's from this book below:

1 Page at a Time - go visit and follow him on tumblr *

I bought this book - which is due out in the US on October (the perks of being bilingual *wink wink*) and already  I know it will be a great companion on this renewing journey.  

My birthday's a couple of days away... This new year is already starting to take form. 

Back to museums...

The last one I went to was MAC USP - located in front/next to Ibirapuera Park. Henrique Oliveira's exhibition is phenomenal. I had fun walking in it and taking pictures (will post those up later).

That- however- doesn't stop me from taking and sharing selfies-the light was just right for what I had in mind. 

                                                 This is just the beginning.

                                                                   :)

* http://jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk.com/

Bookish Meme

1. What author do you own the most books by?

I want to say Jane Austen, but I think Stephen King.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

The Little Prince in different languages and versions.

3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

Mr. Darcy, duh. And Atticus Finch.

4. What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children, i.e. Goodnight Moon does not count)?

The Little Prince, Lolita and The Bell Jar.

5. What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?

Probably any Babysitter's Club book. 

6. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

The Five People you meet in Heaven. The premise of the story is great but besides that... 

7. If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be?

Take a wild guess... Yep, The Little Prince. 

8. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?

Margaret Atwood

9. What book would you most like to see made into a movie? 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

10. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts unless it were made into a miniseries and even then... The book is worth reading and living.

11. Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.

I can't read thrillers, mystery, horror or suspense before going to bed. I can't help having nightmares (and not being able to fall asleep). When I read McCarthy's The Road all my dreams were ashen and grey and about survival with a random occasional zombie.

I once started to read Hogan and Del Toro's The Strain, but that wasn't going too well either. 

12. What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?

I guess YA Literature? But why does lowbrow have to be a negative thing- I mean, I get that negative tone in this question (or is it just me?)

13. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

Virginia Woolf is not an easy feat for me- the modernists in general. James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, granted I was 13 when I picked that up...

14. What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?

I don't think I've seen an obscure Shakespeare play. I've read them but not seen them.

15. Do you prefer the French or the Russians?

I am more familiar with the French (and biaes because I love everything that is French). I will have to delve deeper into the Russians. 

16. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?

Contemporary and mostly anything that is not Latin American and from the English language. Oh, and non-fiction...

17. What is your favorite novel?

Ay, ay, ay! To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women and/or Lolita.

18. Work of nonfiction?

See 16. Though I enjoyed The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

19. Who is the most overrated writer alive today?

Dan Brown.

20. What is your desert island book?

All of Harry Potter

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                     "But all I could think about was him... Was he thinking about me?" 

                                    

Birthday Wishlist

We're an exact month away from yours truly's birthday. My, how time does fly! 

My mom has been bed ridden this whole week (she has some back problems) so, to get my mind off cooking and cleaning I decided to window shop online for a couple of items I have been lusting over.

*clears throat*

High waisted denim

Zara / Zara / H&M

Black Booties

H&M

Maxi Skirt

Zara

Black Pumps

Zara

Tops

Zara / H&M

Tote

Longchamp

I have a red one that's starting to look a little battered. I still use and love it though. 

Casual Sneaks

New Balance

Knits

Zara / H&M

Sunglasses

Ray Ban

The Birks

( that's what I'm calling them)

Birkenstock

LBD (Long Black Dress)

H&M

Sport Essentials

The bottoms, trousers that is

H&M / H&M

Etc...

Ultraviolence CD 

Twin Peaks DVDs

Avedon Fashion: 1944-2000 Photo Book

All this to help you pick the right gift. I'm not picky ;)

I kid, I kid. It's funny; just by compiling them all together in picture form on my blog, I feel I already own them. 

That's a little sad, isn't it?

But I guess that's how indulgences work sometimes.

With the month of August still ahead, I have yet to make the best of my remaining days as a 26 year old. Blurgh!

Happy August!

Here is some Louise Hay wisdom- a month affirmation.