My Halloween Wish List

Dear Jack "The Pumpkin King" Skellington Mr. Sandy Claws,

Hello, how are you?

You look rather skinny in that outfit. Would you like me to bake you something?

I wish I could bake you something.
Unfortunately I have spent the past week drowning under
midterms, papers, and work events. No time for baking :(

Please, Mr. Sandy Claws, just let me get through tomorrow alive.
I have a Spanish exam that I am not entirely prepared for...
(Si tuvieras un exámen sobre los tiempos precolombinos, como sentirías?)
(DID I EVEN SAY THAT RIGHT. Ughh...)


Once I finish that exam, all I have to worry about is a short meeting with a
professor on Friday and then I am home freeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I am so excited for Halloween! I have some creative costumes planned :)
Also my boyfriend and sissies are coming to visit me :)
And I am going to go into a baking FRENZY!

Oatmeal toffee raisin cookies, snickerdoodles (for you bbgrl),
gluten-free pumpkin pie bars (for Mitch the bitch), and I DONT KNOW WHAT ELSE!

My ultimate wish, Mr. Sandy Claws, is that all my hard work is paying off
and that I will be rewarded with the best weekend ever!

Thank you for your cooperation.

- Marcella ♥

Never Was a Story of More Woe...

Yesterday I went on a very romantic date with Miss Hannah B. 

First, I picked her up from her apartment. I forgot to bring flowers though... 

( I hope that doesn't ruin my chances of a second date :/ )

Our first stop was dinner at Opal in downtown SB. Suchhh an adorable restaurant.

I had the prosciutto, goat cheese, & garlic spinach pizza and Hannah had 

vegetable napoleon with a gorgonzola potato cake and wild mushrooms.

Are you drooling yet?

After dinner we strolled over to the Granada theater because I had a couple of these:

Romeo & Juliet THE BALLET! Which means I accomplished goal

#058: Watch a ballet

 other than The Nutcracker.

Obviously I was psyched to watch Romeo & Juliet because 

I have a strange obsession with all things Shakespearean. 

And when I saw that it was going to be a ballet, I nearly peed with excitement. 

You see, my sisters & I have been going to see The Nutcracker ballet nearly every year since

we were little girls. It is one of my most favorite things in this planet! I have the entire

ballet on my iPod and I can literally narrate the entire thing to you, ya know, if you wanted me to :)

If I could rewind my life and change one thing, I would be a ballerina. I just think ballet 

is so beautiful/magical/ephemeral. I love the concept of telling a story through dance, 

I love how the ballerinas' dresses slowly swirl as they move, and I also kinda like to

watch male ballerinas prance around in tights heeheheh. 

To get an idea of what we watched, here are a few stills I found via Google Images...

 

The performance was just so... romantic.

I was really amazed at how well they told the story without dialogue.

I was sad I didn't get to hear some of my favorite quotes in literature recited, though...

"Did my heart love till now?forswear it, sight!

 For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night"

"the gentle sin is this..."

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do"

"For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo"

We had pretty nice seats up on the balcony, but I suggested to Hannah that we ask the usher

if we could switch seats after intermission (we had our eyes on the open boxes!).

After he explained that we could only switch to seats that were in our level,

Hannah & I kind of laughed at the idea of being upgraded to box seats.

BUT THEN! The usher returned!!! 

He told us that there was a box available and that we could sit in it

if we liked!!!! So basicallyyyy, we got to watch the second act like royalty. 

Didn't I tell you, ladies & gentlemen?? Ask and you shall receive. 

The only awkward parts in the show were when Romeo danced with the dead Juliet 

(necrophila, anyone?) and also when Juliet stabbed herself and fell pretty dang far from Romeo,

which meant that she had to drag herself, as she writhed in pain, over to his dead body.

If anything, those little additions definitely upped the tragic element! 

Sighh. I'm still reveling in the beauty of the ballet.

This, most certainly, will not be the last one I attend.

♥

Election Time!!

Quick post! Yesterday I accomplished goal 

#093: Vote in an election

I know what you're thinking... Wait! Election day is not until Nov. 2, you cheater!

Well, my friends, I voted by mail because, although I go to school in Santa Barbara,

I still feel like a part of LA County. And guess what? I even looked up

each of the propositions/candidates online so that I could make informed choices!

I really cherish my right to vote...
I think I am part communist or something, because I have always felt
very passionate about citizens' rights and not allowing the government to control us.
You can probably guess how I voted, haha.

I hope you all go out to the polls on November 2nd!

I am currently about to head out the door to accomplish another goal of mine
with my amiga Hannah B. I am soooo excited! I will try to update you tomorrow :)

Ta ta for now.

P.S. PLEASE VOTE FOR MY SCARF!

When Life Imitates Art

Ben: So, what I'm trying to say is... What --

Regina: What?

Ben: I'm trying to tell you -- It's not gonna come out like I wanna say it cause I know you'll only change it.

Regina: Say it.

Haha. Ohh life.. I love this song. 

♥

Help me make a scarf!

I decided to start crocheting one (its on my list!) but I am not sure which color yarn I should buy.

I already have a bunch of neutral-colored scarves (black, white, gray, blue, brown, etc)

so I was thinking I should get a color that would POP on those cold autumny/wintery days.

Helppppp! :)

What color should I make my new scarf?
	aqua
	baby pink
	bright yellow
	deep purple
	dark orange

♥

Coffee & Life

First of all, I recently found out that my mother was hoarding TWO Starbucks espresso machines.

Who does she think she is?! And there I was, wasting my precious dollars at the local S-bucks

like a sucker. So when I went home this weekend, she very graciously offered me one of hers.

Thanks Mom!! I am very excite!

I have a goal planned for this weekend... maybe two, depending on how brave I feel. 

It is getting harder and harder to complete goals now -- not only because I am super busy,

but also because I have gotten all the easy ones out of the way and all that are 

left are the ones that require a very specific circumstances or detailed planning.

Can you (yes, you!) please read through my list and tell me which ones I should work on?? 

As a present to you, I have stolen friends' facebooks photos. Enjoy:

♥ ♥ ♥

Hannah B's 21st Birthday! 

I joined them for dinner Thursday night and then 

Hannah spent the weekend in Vegas with some of the friendsies. 

 

My friends are so gorgeous! 

Ashley's 21st Birthday

I put some camera phone pictures up here a while

 ago, but here are some regular photos haha. 

West Beach Music Festival

Soo much fun!! The first night we went to a secret concert on a cruise ship around

 Santa Barbara and the second night we went to see Rebelution at Chase Palm Park. 

Did I mention I talked to Jimmy Jay and he let me WAVE HIS FLAG?!

Yeah. I know I'm cool. 

We ate snickers because it was all they offered to 21 & Under people at the bar. 

That is all. I will update you on my DZP this weekend, PROMISE! 

I Love Love

I try avoid sad blogs like the plague, because who needs more sadness in their lives?

I used to read Nie Nie Dialogues regularly but she and her family are still dealing with the aftermath

 of a near-fatal plane crash and her posts began to make me feel very heart-broken and helpless...

I just happen to stop by her blog today and found this video:

What a beautiful family. Aren't her kids gorgeous??

That post warmed my heart a little bit.

Just wanted to share.

♥

By Popular Request

Pumpkin Candles by Bryan

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The Pumpkin Queen

It is that time of year, my friends... The time for all things pumpkin.

Not gonna lie, I am pretty obsessed.

This weekend I: had a pumpkin spice latte, baked pumpkin chocolate
chunk cookies, bought a pumpkin pie scented candle for my room,
and, lastly, went to a pumpkin patch and bought five baby pumpkins.

Bryan & I got separated in the corn maze at the pumpkin patch. It was actually really scary!!!

I know what you're thinking, "You are going a little crazy there, Marcella.
Maybe it is time you picked up another autumn obsession..."
HOWEVER, a couple weeks ago I bought FOUR cans of pumpkin puree
 (and I have only used one!) so what do you have to say to that?!

The only solution: pumpkin pancakes.

Happy 21st Ashley!

 ♥

An Open Letter to Jill Davenport

Dear Jill,

I know you did not realize it, but, this morning was the last time that 
I will ever kiss your sweet little puppy head. 




 
Today you are moving in with your new family and I can honestly say that
I will never forget the short time we had together! 


Yes, we may have gotten off to a rough start -- you can't entirely blame us for that, though... 
You WERE cross-eyed and twice Jack's size (always hogging mama's milk for yourself!)


anndd you used to poop and pee on people!!! 

Pobre Emily

A baby squirrel Jill killed and dragged into the house

But now you are a fluffy ball of golden cuteness. 


You learned to jump on and off the couch before Jack, because you are not afraid. You let us scratch your belly without squirming and sticking your arms out at weird angles. Even if we aren't petting or playing with you, sometimes you like to just cuddle up next to us and take a nap. 

 
I guess what I am trying to say is: Ashley, Emily and I are really going to miss you. 
I am not sad because I know you are moving in with a new family who already loves you so much! 
I just hope you are happy there and that you will never forget the first family you had.

Love,
Marcella (the blackest one) 

A Helping Hand

I am a very spiritual person. 

The thing issss, I am also kind of hippie in that I believe everybody has a right to believe

what they believe (or what they don't believe) without judgment from others. 

I don't think we can be justified in saying that someone is right 

and someone is wrong because none of us really know... 

That's why it is called faith, right?

For one of my Day Zero Project goals, I decided to

#054: Memorize a bible 

scripture that I love

My dad would probably flip out if he were reading this 

(which, let's face it, he is not because he only just learned how to open his emails!).

To tell you the truth, I am pretty sure he thinks my sisters and I are

 borderline-Wiccan because we never go to church with him!

Not sure about my sisters, but I just don't like the social obligation that comes with

going to church. I don't like the feeling of being watched/observed/corrected

 while doing something which, to me, seems very personal and intimate. 

I guess this goal seems pretty simple. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry could Google "great bible verses" and 

memorize the first one that popped up. I, however, wanted to choose one that I felt really connected to.

And then it hit me like a ton of baby-chicks (I didn't want to say bricks)!!!

Matthew 7:7-8

This scripture is special to me because it relates to two of my most spiritual moments. (Ask me later...)

I also really like this quote because I think that most anybody can learn from it --

whether they are Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic,  

OR WHATEVER!

I have always had trouble seeking help. I think a lot of my generation has the same problem.

Nobody wants to appear inferior, weak, or lost, so they just clam up and continue to struggle

when all they have to do is reach out to someone, anyone, when they need help. 

I think that sometimes the biggest obstacle we face is our own human-arrogance.  

My advice to you is: the next time you are drowning, do not be afraid to ask for a hand.

This hand could be God, it could be your best friend, it could be your favorite teacher,

your crazy roommate, your concerned girlfriend, the kid that sits behind you in Calc.

 that you haven't spoken to all quarter, it could even be your puppy!!

The point I am trying to make is that help is always available -- in many shapes and forms --
but it will never go out of its way to find you! It is up to you go and seek it.
So what are you waiting for?

♥

One of those weeks

Oh hey there. It's me. I am still alive ...barely.

I have been kind of MIA recently because my school/work schedule has turned my life 

I actually think I could manage if all I had to do was go to school and work,

but there are a few things that throw the whole thing out of wack -- 

you know, eating, sleeping, driving, having a social life... to name a few.

I am pretty sure I have bitten off more than I can chew (something I will
rarely admit), but for now I am just going to keep chewing.

 Until I throw up or something. 

Needless to say, I have been slacking on the whole Day Zero Project.

There's a goal that I have been working on, but it is one of those things

you need to work on for a few days. I will try and finish up soon, I promise!

Ta ta for now. I hope your autumn is getting off to a better start than mine.

Can't wait to wake up tomorrow ( at 6 AM...) and guzzle down one of these:

P.S. Does it make it any better that I kind of love all of my classes?

♥