Accidental Ambivalence

Things I Love Thursday

Baking My last facebook update was "Nic is going to fatten up her family." This is because I keep baking, and if I keep all of the stuff I make in my own house, I will weigh 200 pounds by Christmas (oh god, Christmas baking = love). In the last two weeks I have made sour lemon scones (to be cut smaller next time), sour cream coffee cake (to be made for no less than six people next time), and pear plum crisp (which was perfection in an 8x8). After several perfect and much-complimented batches of cupcakes from a mix, I decided that it was time to branch out and start making things from scratch. The chocolate Guinness cupcakes were a smash hit, and since then I've been branching out even further. My new goal is to have a collection of excellent baked goods to make for myself and for others. I love the idea of people being excited when I mention that I'm planning to bake, of people raving over things I've made and anticipating what is to come. Plus, you know, making giant messes like that is excellent fun. (Read: coffee cake batter all over my kitchen.)


Rain This part of the country is going to end up being a soggy, muddy, dangerous mess, but when I'm sitting inside with a fleece blanket, a tea kettle, pear plum crisp, and various diversions, the rain is pretty fantastic. Not to mention the fact that it gives me a really awesome reason to wear my trench coat, which I'm pretty much in love with. On top of all of that, I adore the sound of rain and it makes me sleep even more like the dead than I already do.


Television Living for nine months with no television whatsoever, in hindsight, made me crazy. The first six months, I didn't really miss it too much. Then I started to miss having the background noise that comes from having the TV on when doing things like reading a magazine or cleaning up the clutter. Then I started missing things like America's Next Top Model marathons that eat up entire Saturdays and falling asleep to The Colbert Report and the forthcoming seasons of Gossip Girl and Project Runway. But now, I have DirecTV and have seen all of the things I listed and more. I have, of course, already become addicted to new shows (Rescue Ink Unleashed, Glee, and Trauma).


Vacation I decided to enjoy some much-needed time off to decompress from the retail headache of Giant Bookstore before jumping into the glorified babysitting of substitute teaching. I think my slight happiness about the fact that it's flu season and I have an exceptional immune system is probably a recipe for disaster, but I'm willing to risk it. The most mentally challenging activity I've undertaken in the last two weeks is playing Mahjong and chess against my computer. Love.


Living alone I sincerely do love my former Roommate; she and I got along beautifully and I cannot imagine having had a more positive experience that came from nothing. That being said, I am so incredibly happy to be living alone again that I'm not even sure I have the words - and I have a lot of words in my brain. Being able to live without worrying about anyone else's reactions or problems is so freeing and lovely.


The laptop There are so many things that I love about this computer. The mobility is even more excellent given that I don't have wireless set up in my house yet. I just go across the yard and steal my mother's. Fab.


Bits and bobs Lady Grey; windowsills big enough for giant white cats; Kennedy week (my own invention); Stephen Colbert; sleeping in a comfortable bed for the first time in years; alphabetizing books; roasted garlic; cooking for myself consistently (tonight is the first that I've eaten something I didn't cook); Vanity Fair; pretty glass cookie jars; pink candles; singing The Beatles a the top of my lungs; Project Runway; beautiful quotations; receiving compliments; homemade passion tea lemonade; in-season pears; leisurely morning coffee; DVRing my favorite manager's local television appearances at my parents'; Mom's chili; reaffirmed beliefs; black eyeliner; beef taquitos; my living room bookshelves; irony; scrambled eggs with Asiago cheese; naked time; extra storage space; autumn nail polish; Tumblr; clean laundry; wearing heels to the grocery store; saving a significant amount of gas; considerate neighbors (read: Mom and Dad).

*All photos, with original sources, can be found at my Tumblr through the sidebar!

Labels: TILT

posted by nicalyse @ 10:38 PM