break of the spring

A happy spring break 'twas.
A pretty accomplished one, too.
Here's what I did:
- Baked strawberry yogurt scones, carrot cake egg-shaped cupcakes, chocolate-cherry-oatmeal cookies, and eclairs. In my pretty floral apron.
- Sewed the most beautiful green rose-print sweetheart princess-cut Easter dress with Madre.
- Watched "August Rush" with my best friend and her beau.
- Attended sunrise service and regular Easter church.
- Saw extended family for Easter lunch!
- Changed my nephew's diaper, played with him bunches, and kissed him a gazillion times.
- Went backpacking and camping with my Padre.
- Danced crazily to my favorite music.
- Decided on a new swimsuit to pine for... a blue sailboat-print balconet and hipster from VS.
- Went to Paducah to hit up the shops downtown and see two of my aunts.
- Wrote a huge linked cohort paper for American Government/Psychology.
- Drank some nice orange spice tea.
- Had my darling Julianna over for spaghetti and conversation.
- Made and devoured a delicious Belgian waffle (and a half). With maple syrup. And strawberries. And chocolate chips on the half.
- Read specifically gorgeous parts of "Atonement".
- Cleaned my parents' house numerous times. Laundry, dishes, vacuuming. It's therapeutic and my self-assigned duty when I come home.
Here's what I pretty much adore:
- Birthday cake, for one.
- Paninis!
- Small dark chocolate "buttons". I am addicted to chocolate.
- Baskets. (It's my mother's fault.)
- The idea of a tennis bracelet.
I think I might possibly want some Sperry's.
And I need some stationery.
When I get married, I'm going to use all my fine china. All the time.
I love the idea of mint juleps and the Kentucky Derby, because it reminds me of my favorite teacher, Mr. Metzger, who taught me senior English.
Must read: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Must try: Swiss muesli for breakfast. Mmm. I'm always looking for new delicious breakfasts.
So, here are some pretty elaborations about my break:
Strawberry yogurt scones were the bomb. Should've taken a picture. I took one to (best friend)Laken, stuck a candle in it, and gave it to her as part of her half-birthday present.
Carrot cake cupcakes were the bomb as well. Martha Stewart + my tweaking = DELICIOSO!Oh, and cream cheese icing can totally work with cocoa to make it chocolate. But so rich.
Chocolate-cherry-oatmeal cookies were quite good, but I won't make them again. Too much competition between the chocolate and the cherry. Takes away, really.
Haven't tried the eclairs yet. It was a Sunday afternoon project with Padre.
My dress is gorrrrrrgeous. Mom really made the better part of it, but I did help out. I'll post pictures. Oh! And Mom gave me her killer leather strappy t-strap sandals that I had convinced her to buy to wear to my sister's wedding last July (she only wore them once, at the wedding), and they go perfectly with my Abercrombie woven leather belt (which I finally figured out how to fasten properly) to make the dress look super-cute and casual. But when it's dressy, it looks fabulous with my nude patent leather flats. So cute!!
"August Rush" was a good movie. I don't know if I'd watch it again, but it was enjoyable.
Easter lunch was nice. A good portion the family (a cousin, her husband and two kids, her father and his wife) were gone to DisneyWorld (jealous!), but I did get to see my grandmother and one set of uncle-aunt-and-kids.
I freaking love my nephew.
Backpacking was glorious. So pretty. Not as challenging as I thought it'd be, but very enjoyable. Plus, I can brag about it to all my adventuresome boys.
Paducah: Ooooh. So, I went there the day before I had to leave to go back to college over Christmas holidays, and the cutest antique stores were closed (they close on Sundays and Mondays). I told Mom earlier over spring break that I wanted to go back at some point to finally get to see them. Well, I had also read to her about some awesome store on West End that sells Betsey Johnson dresses for $50, and told her I wanted to spend Friday with her... well, I had thought we'd be going to Nashville, but she misunderstood me and told her sister (my Aunt Charlotte) that we were going to Kentucky on Friday after she called her after work one day, and so we ended up going to Kentucky after all, and it was very nice. I got to go to all the cute little antique stores and eat lunch (a delicious Tuscan sandwich at this little German bakery called Kirchoff's... it was ham, portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers, and provolone on foccacia; Mom and I split one) with my two aunts (Charlotte and Betty, who just recently moved up there). The little Victorian antique place was the neatest; such pretty things, and the shopowner was from Switzerland and she talked the whole time we were there, about her meteorology-studying brilliant child and the winter wedding she had in Switzerland (snowflakes falling... soooo pretty). I got these GORGEOUS vintage rhinestone star-shaped earrings that look like some I saw from Tiffany's for $19, and a cream-colored pearl beaded clutch there, and some rhinestone drop earrings and a silver heart-shaped metal bowl from other shops, and I FINALLY got my beautiful little heart-shaped rhinestone shoe clips that I fell in love with in January but didn't buy because they were broken. I'm determined to fix them now, but I was too enamored to pass them up a second time. Kentucky was a success.
Spring break has been lovely. I'm sad to see it go. There are still some things I'd like to do, and places I'd like to go, but I suppose I can make it this one last month of my freshman year... crazy how fast it goes by. I wonder how much I've changed since it started. I know it's been a lot, but it's so hard to pinpoint it. I hope I don't have regrets about any of it; I know I've done some EXTREMELY stupid things this year, but I've learned a lot, and chilled out a lot, and grown up a lot. I could always do to grow up some more. I still have major food neuroticisms to overcome and I could definitely do to be nicer and more respectful (especially to my Father, who I just really often clash personalities with), but I'm on my way. I don't know who I'll be taking to my theatre prom (I'm SO glad I get a prom in college!!!!!), but I do have a killer dress (my black lace Betsey Johnson number I got for Christmas) and killer shoes (black kitten heels with cream polka dots and bows) and a couple of prospects. I'll probably end up bringing my darling but platonic friend Drew and have a ball with him, but it's just a little disheartening to not have any romantic potential with your prom date, you know? Hmm. I have my first college play to be in this month, which is super-exciting.