Grooving and Learning.

These are pictures from my friend Ben & his housemates big birthday bash last weekend. It was a blast. The next picture is me with my future roommate, Paige. We just heard back from the realtor this week and will officially be moving in, with two other friends, in June. Big adult type event!

The same weekend involved me working at Vagina Monologues on both Friday and Saturday nights - which was an incredible experience. I am finding it increasingly easier to socialize with my fellow HEART team members, even with my everpresent social anxiousness. My friends came out to the show on Friday night and then we went to IHOP, which was my first time at the pancake chain.

The week itself was spent appreciating the beauty in tiny things, like this chalk art for Eating Disorder Awareness Week - which reminded me to pay special attention to loving my body this week. The library, pictured below, is quickly becoming my favorite place on campus. I'll go in search of one book and end up finding a whole section on sex research or immigration history. Needless to say, I have ten books checked out right now. And look how pretty they look on the shelves.

This weekend I took myself on a me-date! I had bought a ticket to see Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen and Wampire at the First Unitarian about a month ago. I thought I may find someone else to come, but didn't mind the idea of going by myself. It is freeing to get to dance and enjoy music on your own. However I ended up running into some friends, which made it even more fun. Plus, the music was amazing.

Spring break is quickly approaching - FINALLY. 

I promise to do some cute things that are blog-worthy while home next week.

Smiles, Morgen.

Crafts, Cures and California

So this has been February. I know it's not actually the end of the month yet, but I haven't blogged in close to forever. The whole 17 credits thing is definitely an adequate challenge. These first pictures are from a night out in West Philly - which involved my first ever cab ride. Exciting new events in the life of a city girl, I know. 

Here's the hand full of crafty things I've been up to as of late. Starting from the left; I knit a tie for my boy. It was my first time working with that type of string and it went pretty okay - at least he likes it. Then I sewed a pocket onto my friend's sweatshirt while everyone was watching the Superbowl  Lastly, I have gotten into hand embroidery some and needed a feminist fist on my denim jacket pretty bad. I'm working on a lacey vest for my mom, but it's pretty tedious and hasn't gotten the attention it deserves.

Last weekend, I was in bed with the flu for a few days which was no fun - but I recovered on Sunday when we had some unseasonably warm weather. I drank plenty of green tea and then walked to Love Park to read and watch the skate boarders before checking out a female art exhibit and panel at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with an activist pal.

I was still half sick all of last week which was incredibly unpleasant. Runny noses are never fun. But the week was extremely busy and stimulating because I saw three speakers throughout the week. I got an adorable package from my mom for Valentines day and wore heart print tights, but otherwise kind of ignored the holiday. Sam and I are not very into holidays which leads to us barely acknowledging them as couple days. 

After a week full of anticipation and four weeks of not seeing each other, I made my first ever journey out to California, Pennsylvania to see Sam this past weekend. I took the Greyhound express bus and got to Pittsburgh about six hours later just to take three hours more of buses to get to little ol' California. 

It was exciting to meet Sam's new friends he's made over the last semester - but the bone chilling cold and constant snow could have been a little less intense. Nice to have a break from the city all the same.

It felt very normal to be back together - listening to records,watching my boy play guitar, drinking too much coffee and sewing patches on all the holes that Sam magically acquires. We went out and met people in the evenings but otherwise spent the afternoons relaxing.

 We went to the library on Sunday afternoon and pretended that we wouldn't be parting for a whole month in just a few hours. It was peaceful out there in coal country, but not quite somewhere I could see my myself. I'm glad Sam has learned to enjoy it out there and meeting these new people in his life was beautiful.

Our goodbyes were pretty sad this time around, as they seem to get more and more so that way. We are so good at being apart when we're apart, but the actual leaving is so rough. Here's a shout out to all the lovers out there that find ways to get through obstacles, like long distances. It makes us stronger as individuals - which makes for stronger loves.

Have a good week, friends.

Smiles, Morgen.

Return to the city

It's back to Temple, back to Philadelphia, back to semi-adult life, back to long distance love and family separation. That description may make it sound like I'm dreading it, but I'm not at all. My excitement about my new classes is overwhelming and I am anticipating lots of wonderful new experiences over the course of the semester. 

 My mom was the one to bring me back to school this time, so I took her to Northern Liberties. We had 35 minute wait for Honey's Sit-and-Eat where we were eating lunch, so we walked around. Since it was and has been so cold, we didn't walk far but we did find this adorable plant store. I adore having members of my family in the city because I love being able to share the experience with them, especially my mom.

 It was a nice break from the cold and grey to be in this space with bright green plants & fairy gardens. I even picked up  a little baby succulent for my dorm room to keep me happy, because having green plants around is proven to improve your mood. We had delicious food at Honey's - I had berry and granola whole wheat pancakes & my mom had a warm salad with kale, parsnips, sweet potato, fennel and a poached egg.

Here I am, back to dorm life. I added a new wall hanging and my plant to spruce up the place a bit. The thing that makes me happiest is my book shelf - full of books I can't wait to read, including books by: Audre Lorde, Margaret Atwood, Angela Davis, and an assortment of Jewish writers who's books sound riveting. Needless to say, I'll be busy reading most of the semester.

To all my college student readers, enjoy the beginning of new classes.

Smiles, Morgen.

Pumpkin frozen yogurt and planning a future

The weekend was spent mostly with my lovely roommate, and getting some good time to think about what I'm doing with my life. Friday afternoon was spent in Rittenhouse Square with pumpkin frozen yogurt. Can I just say how excited I am for everything to be pumpkin flavored for the next few months, I love it! I wandered around the West Philly/University City area for most of the day on Saturday, spending some quality time with myself and eating Indian food.

I finally did some hemming and started a scarf that Sam picked out the colors for, which I worked on all day yesterday while watching Twin Peaks after my homework was done.

This fall weather makes me feel a little more serious, like I need to be figuring something out and I need to have a plan. So I'm sure within the next few weeks I'll try to over-think it and plan my life out, which will undoubtedly change by next year. For now, I've come into my own as a Women's Studies major who is interested in gaining experience in sex-positive sex education. I'm hoping to start looking for internships soon. It's comforting to atleast have an idea to cling to as far as what I want to do.

Smiles, have a good week!
Morgen

Penguin gummies, highlighters and study breaks.

Well, I think I've read at least a hundred pages of assorted text books today. This is not me complaining though. I'm loving every minute of it - I'm taking Human Sexuality from a professor with a riot grrrl tattoo, a class about the autobiographies of women in radical social movements, and my English class is discussing the politics of disabilities. For those of you who are not social studies or English nerds, this is the kinda stuff us nerds get hot and bothered about. 

Besides my extremely consuming studies, I haven't had too too much time for fun activities. The most creative part of my day at the moment is picking out my outfit for class in the morning. Basically if avoid the dreaded athletic shorts and hoodie, I feel fashionably accomplished. So here's a peak at what I wore earlier in the week - I love this dress because of the color and it has a very comfortable fit with a neat open back detail. The scarf is just the bottom of one of my hemmed skirts - when you cut off a couple inches of skirt, you have an insta-infinity scarf!

As far as crafting goes, I finally caved and got a Pinterest so I could find stuff to do while I'm at school, where my time, materials and space are extremely limited. I hope to get a little crafting routine set up once I find a craft store to buy yarn for crocheting, and a cheap consignment store or salvation army to get clothes for altering. Sorry for letting you down as a craft blogger but I will avenge my love of crafting!

Smiles, 
Morgen

Dorming time.

I've been here since Thursday and it's already been an emotional adventure that I get equally excited and nervous about all the time. I thought I'd take this quiet Sunday off from going out to read some of my book (still loving Anna Karenina a lot) and to post about my living space as of now. It doesn't feel like home yet, but hopefully it does soon.

 I'm not really one of the matchy-matchy types, and my dorm isn't quite as cute as half the others I've seen but it's mine. As you can see, I had to bring my swing music CD and a copy of the Great Gatsby. Also, I have a cute little collage of photos of Sam and I from Prom which is nice for smiles. My jewelry containers have definitely been very convenient. I love my mixtape comforter too, it reminds me of one of my favorite books, "Love Is A Mixtape." If you haven't read it, look it up, I'm thinking of re-reading it soon.

I just started feeling a little homesick starting today. My little brother and I are texting a lot which is nice and keeps me from feeling far away. Living with three girls is much, much different from growing up with two brothers, that's for sure. Of course, I'm also adjusting to not being able to see Sam. It's not quite as dramatic as either of us imagined, but it'd still be nice to hold hands with my best friend. Anyone else going through this transition/remember going through it?

Smiles, Morgen.

See you later, York.

My apologies to anyone that cares that its been a couple of days since I posted but I’ve been all busy with my packing and moving efforts. I don’t anticipate having a very interesting weekend, will most likely just be continuing to settle in. Once I’m feeling at home in my space, Ill do a post about it.

Yesterday was my final day in York and it never felt like I was actually the last day. I went to lunch with my mom and friend of five years, Erin, at the restaurant I grew up in and worked in since I was six. We had a lovely time, joking about our boyfriends college futures and discussing our siblings school careers. But this familiarity and casual conversation is the type of thing I will miss about home. We had very yummy cupcakes after lunch at Just Cupcakes, on Philadelphia Street, which I recommend if you’re in the York area. Mine was cannoli flavored and had a chocolate chip ricotta filling. The goodbye I said to her didn’t hurt too bad because time apart is an integral part of our friendship, and we always come back together as if no time passes. I hope her time in Indiana, Pennsylvania is as lovely as she deserves.

 

That afternoon I picked up Sam and we did very normal things, as if our last day together wasn’t that day. We baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and watched Batman Begins. Easy, laid back days are the one’s I will miss because he makes things like that special. After dinner with my family, we went to Maple Donuts for one last hoorah and were honored to be treated like a couple of regulars. I wish we had started making a habit of going there earlier in the summer because it’s wonderful. Coffee and donuts were consumed and then we sat on the bleachers of my township park and talked about what was to come. We weren’t sad, we were both very stoked for each other. No tear drops feel until it was truly time to go. It felt impossible to say the words goodbye, because I know he’ll be visiting in a month, but that’s a long time to go without hugs and kisses. I am confident that everything will be lovely as always and that this time apart will only give us more strength as individuals, making us an even more kick ass couple.

Coming Soon: More details about the move in and new room.

Smiles, Morgen.

Going Away Present; Dorm DIY

My closest female friend and I have been friends for about five years, ever since we met at middle school cross country practice. Her and her boyfriend became our usual partners in crime all summer and it's been wonderful. She's someone I trust completely and love dearly, so I thought i'd make her something to hang in her dorm. Inspired by the colors and patterns of some of the dorm stuff at Target, i got to work. I took one of my old canvases and painted over it, and then painted this sweet mosaic pattern using some masking tape and acrylic paint.

Dwindling Weekend; Part Five THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

        This is the last one. The final countdowns- cue Gob from Arrested Development. My dwindling weekends are finished. In just three days, I’m moving out of the house I’ve grown up in and into my new life in Philadelphia. My room and life are messes with all these preparations for take-off. There are plastic bins and boxes occupying all corners of my room, and goodbyes are happening every day.

        Thursday was the true beginning of it. One half of our best couple friends, Ian, had to leave a whole week before the rest of us because he is playing soccer at school. We are excited for him but quite sad to see him go. The summer has been all the more meaningful with these friends along for the ride, and we will all be there to support each other as we go through the same thing. After some pool side sitting and pizza eating, we gave hugs and good lucks and watched him go. I’m attempting to master the last look as I go through the “see you laters” to friends. Even to acquaintances or fellow employees, that look seems important. I’m collecting them at this point, like Drew from Elizabethtown. We attended one last party that was hosted before everyone started leaving. Even the people I never cared for in high school will stick in my mind.

        Friday is the day one of our larger local farmers markets is open, so Sam and I bought some produce, fish and a pie and made ourselves some stew for lunch, before I had to work on Friday and then Saturday night. I know Ill be back to work on breaks and whatnot, but the fact that I grew up in the restaurant I work in makes each good luck handshake a little bit more honest and a little more sentimental.

           Finally Sunday came around and I did my first round of packing for clothing. I went ahead and picked out the sweaters and pants I’d need once fall got closer. And then it came to my normal outfits; I packed ten skirts and at least twelve dresses. The first chest is practically full and I haven’t packed tops, workout/lounge clothes, tights…basically I’m not even started. Sam and I got together in the evening. We found the most adorable diner in Columbia, called the Columbia Diner. It’s totally old school, with sassy waitress and great coffee to boot. The yummy blueberry pancakes were enough to fill me up for our last outdoor concert at Long’s Park – Joshua James. This summer is being kind to us and allowing us a sneak peak of cooler weather, so much so that we got to wear jeans and long sleeves to the show. 

          I did a bunch of clothing refurbishing and DIY projects this past week as well! I'll be doing some posts that will go up while i finish packing this week. Smiles, Morgen.

Dorm Crafts: "Jewelry Box"

In preparation for my move to dorm living, I've been doing the normal shopping for big plastic bins, bed linens and school supplies. However, the more pressing issues to me are those concerning how I will bring all my clothes, scarves, shoes and jewelry with me without losing it all in a big plastic bin. So I concocted this remedy for my jewelry. I have an old wooden jewelry box in my room that I love dearly but I wouldn't think to bring it to college because it's a bit clunky. I made my own "jewelry box" out of recycled boxes that I've received jewelry in, and a gift box. Using Modge Podge and colorful cardstock, I decorated each tiny box and labeled them for optimal getting-ready-in-the-morning speed. One tip for using Modge Podge, make sure you cover the surface with a layer of Modge Podge then add the next object before covering it in Modge Podge again. I think it turned out cute and it was fun to do! Anyone else been doing cute dorm room prep crafting?

Dwindling Weekends (Part Three) plus a Monday!

The weekend itself was pretty low key. We celebrated Sam's graduation and his brothers with a party thrown at his house. The most eventful part of this was when the boys played jazz for about twenty minutes at a time. I adore watching Sam perform and play his guitar because he is so happy to do it. Some of our couple friends showed up later in the party and we all ate and had some laughs since we hadn't all been together for a few weeks. After the party we went to watch fireworks at the park, where the boys decided to take their shirts off and we all sang "When My Time Comes" by Dawes at a borderline disturbing volume.

Thanks to Sam's parent's we got to go to Philly for the day and see Good Old War perform at Union Transfer as his birthday gift. It was a new experience to travel together but we made quite the pair since we are both so into planning things down to a tee. We spent the afternoon in South Philly, walking through the neighborhoods of older town houses and grabbing a malt on South Street. After working up an appetite from walking for a few hours, we headed into Center City and Rittenhouse Square. The hot dogs we got from Underdogs on 17th street were fantastic, especially because they were accompanied by great tunes and friendly staff! I will definitely be making this a regular stop whenever I'm in this area. To regain some strength and rest up before the show, we got coffee and pastries from a French bakery and sat around in Rittenhouse park for a few hours of people watching, reading and talking about dogs. We made our way north for the concert before the doors even opened. Good Old War had a great DJ spinning oldies tunes and a pleasantly surprising funky folk band opening for them.  Of course, Good Old War was awesome especially because Sam sang along to every song, since they're his favorite band. We had to leave early to catch our train home, but it was okay because the day was perfect. I'm looking forward to having memories with Sam in Philly, so when I go to school it will feel a little more like home.
Smiles, Morgen.