Vote for my photo!!!

I entered my landscape photo for a local calendar contest and I would really really love it if it got into the calendar! So if you could please vote for it I would dearly appreciate it and love you forever!

It's the 36th row down. In the Autumn category. And it's the center photo in the row. It looks like this:

This is the link to vote: http://www.nypennysaver.com/doSomething/calendarphotocontest/votePhoto.aspx

Thank you soo much darlings!!!

Kate McGill

I think I was searching for covers of songs by the weepies...and that's how I found this musician.

She doesn't even realize how good she is. I love her voice and her guitar playing and everything. I hope she can someday get herself on a record because I would definitely get myself a copy!

Check out her cover of "Kids"...this is probably my favorite..mostly because of the acoustic guitar:

Buttercups...

Have you ever decided to collect something? Maybe it was a few pet rocks when you were a kid, maybe it was baseball cards? I've always been a collector. Ever since I was little I could never walk past something "shiny" or "bright" without picking it up. I actually have a bunch of ziplock baggies full of little treasures I used to pick up on the playgrounds during recess. They were full of literally anything, I think I even have like...tiny doll heads or random pieces of pink plastic in them.

Anyways, recently I've started collecting teacups and teasets. I figured since I want to travel in the future, I could take home a teacup from whereever I decide to go.

This is the teacup I got from Ireland. It's a thin porcelain one with a golden orange hue and handpainted teeny flowers. It was only 7 euro. So how could I resist?

I dated it and wrote the place of origin on the saucer.

I like to make things too..

Check out my etsy!

It's full of handmade, handpainted, and ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE creations I made with tons and tons of love!

Chinese Blooming Tea

I just recently stumbled upon these very interesting little clusters that are plopped into hot water to make tea. The fascinating part is that as they steep, they bloom! Check it out:

By the way, I'm not trying to advertise for whatever company posted this video..it was just the best one I could find that demonstrates the blooms.

Bon Iver- Woods

Although I just recently calmed my excitement about the arrival of Autumn (the best season ever..by the way), I was listening to some Bon Iver and it got me all wishing for winter.

I often overlook this song and go for more popular favorites like "Skinny Love" and "For Emma", but it's different than his other songs, so it's beautiful with its auto-tunes:

Doesn't it just get you craving icicles and frostbit noses?

All the Trees of the field will clap their hands..

On a chilly Sunday afternoon, October the 4th, I saw Sufjan Stevens.

He was in the Bowery Ballroom and the show started quite later than I had expected, when the ticket said 7:30 yet he was on stage around 9...after Cryptacize opened for him.

He is just about as wonderful as I had imagined him to be. He has these gorgeous eyes and this heavenly voice and who could resist the banjo?

He played a bunch of his new stuff from the BQE, which had more electronica and rock sounds compared to his older tunes. But I was glad he alternated with what he called "real songs", which were a few of his oldies, including Chicago, The Dress Looks Nice on You, To Be Alone with You, Enjoy Your Rabbit, Casimir Pulaski Day and Jacksonville. After a massive applause he performed an encore #1 of one of my personal favorites, "John Wayne Gacy Jr.". And after leaving the stage for a second time, the applause refused to cease, so he performed a cover of the Innocence Misson's "Lakes of Canada".

I was extremely excited that he chose "Lakes of Canada", because it had been introduced to me by a friend a few years ago as a "secret" cover Sufjan sometimes did. And then later on that same day in Boston, we passed by a guitarist on the sidewalk who played it for us when we requested Sufjan songs.

Anyways, the concert was fantastic and I'll dearly miss Sufjan's beautiful face and forever hold it in my heart. Awww.

Now here's some pictures I snapped of him:

There's plenty more of that deliciousness at my flickr.

Also, here's a video someone else took so you can get a taste of it:

An uncommon tree in the forest

About 5 months ago, for five months, I lived in Ireland. I went to school at the University College Cork, and to say the least it was one of the most liberating and wonderful experiences I've had. It's funny, because my decision to study there was a bit impulsive. I hadn't really had any special desire to go to Ireland in particular. I wasn't Irish, I didn't know much about the culture, and I think I was just looking for a quick escape from the life I was living at the moment. But I filled out the paperwork, got accepted to the school, and soon enough I was on the plane to Cork.

Almost every day, on my walk into the city, I would pass this gorgeous park right by the river Lee. It had a lovely pond in the center, colorful gardens, a playground, and plenty of places to sit and ponder. One part that I found particularly fascinating was this giant tree covered in tiny square-cut mirror pieces. It was interesting how it was randomly placed in the park, with no explanation. I'm sure it was just a piece of local artwork or something..but to see something so whimsical and out of the ordinary was lovely:

If you'd like to see some of the pictures I took from my adventures in Ireland, you should check out: http://itsallsmilesintheemeraldisle.shutterfly.com/1145