Mothers.

I know that being a mom has to be hard. I can barely keep it together around strangers’ screaming children…and they’re not even my responsibility!

And yet, I’ve been lucky to have three women in my life who make it look easy.

They look constantly put together and can garden like crazy people!

They are always the life of the party, even when caring for a true gaggle of kids.

They dress so stylishly that I would steal this outfit today. And, more than anything else, they support me no matter what, especially with this blog. So much love for these strong women.

Those Summer Days.

It’s the first Monday of summer break…and I completely forgot to post. Like, didn’t even think of it until 2 pm. Whoops.

And I wish I had a good reason! I mean, if I was out sunning myself or on a road trip, that would be one thing…but no. I was at my archives job and then came home to eat apples and peanut butter while watching a classic 1989 episode of Roseanne (John Goodman is my homeboy). This is real talk, y’all.

So, what are the things that I’m excited to do this summer?

•  Eat my weight in cherries. Immediately regret it.
• Marathon the new season of Arrested Development while eating frozen bananas!
• Outdoor concerts. What up, Hollywood Bowl?! And outdoor movies! Heyyy Hollywood Forever!
• Baseball games! Astros, Dodgers and Angels, at least.
• Lying in the sun at the beach…and somehow managing to avoid a sunburn while I do so.
• Finding more fireflies in Austin! I’ve only seen them once, but they are pure magic.
• Cold smoothies for breakfast on hot mornings.
• Picnics wherever, whenever.
• Road trips, both solo and with friends.
• Celebrating the marriages of some dear friends and family members.
• Fireworks and birthday cake.
• Exploring all the fresh fruit options at the farmers market.
• Daisy dukes (well, as close as I get to Daisy Dukes) and short skirts. It’s summer. I DO WHAT I WANT.

What about you guys? Anything I forgot?

May Currently.

April has been the prettiest month I’ve seen so far in Texas. Wildflowers absolutely everywhere! Abnormally mild weather! Cute fuzzy little caterpillars crossing the road! And tonight, my first firefly sighting! I swear, fireflies are more magic than insect.

And, more importantly, I was able to figure out what exactly I’m doing with the next three months of my life! It may have taken almost all month, but I have an internship. I have a plan. As school ends tomorrow, May is my month to relax before I head back into the working world.

Alright May. Let’s do this.

I’m currently…

Craving…

Really good Chinese food! Dim sum, dumplings, hand stretched noodles, green onion pancakes, and my favorite, custard tarts! I haven’t been able to find too much of that here in Austin. I am fully prepared to gorge myself when I get back to California.

Listening…

I made a California playlist on Spotify a few days ago that I can’t leave alone. Some of the highlights:

“The Only Place” by Best Coast

“I Love LA” by Randy Newman (Can I just take a moment to acknowledge how awesome this music video is? 1980′s LA at it’s best! I would go to any beach party that Randy Newman throws.)

Planning…

My move into a studio apartment! This will be the first time that I live entirely alone, and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s all very adult. I’ve been scrolling through Apartment Therapy and a whole bunch of small space interior design blogs for inspiration, because, although the place isn’t too small, there will be a few storage issues. Teeny tiny kitchen, I’m looking at you!

Also, I’m getting excited for my road trip back to LA. Yes, west Texas is big and boring, but I’m hoping to find some cool stuff along the way. Marfa, perhaps? Visit a friend in El Paso? Food cart food in Tucson? It could be great! I’ll stock up on an audiobook or two first though.

Discovering…

New to me country singer Caitlin Rose. I saw her at a fun country concert at the Mohawk, and she was absolutely fantastic. The girl has an old soul style, complete with country belting power. Plus, her mom won a Grammy for writing with Taylor Swift. I like this fact.

Loving…

Warm evening runs, counting down classes until summer vacation (um, I’m at 1 now); HAVING a summer vacation; the movie Safety Not Guaranteed; new episodes of Mad Men; re-runs of Sex and the City on tv during my lunch break; recording a rap for a class presentation and blowing all the other presentations away; meeting new, nice folks; going on dates that are so bad that you win the worst date ever award from your friends (looking on the bright side here); and visits from old friends, even if they are only for a night.

An Introduction.

Hi everyone!

My blog was advertised on Yes and Yes this weekend, meaning I’ve seen a ton of new traffic around here. I figured it’d be a great time to re-introduce myself!

Mandy…in list form

• I’m a student in Austin, Texas. I’m getting my masters degree in Information Studies (library/archive/museum stuff). It’s weird to be a student again. Seriously. I don’t write too much about school here, but feel free to send me any questions you have about it!
• I’m originally from California, and I lived in LA for about nine years before packing it up and heading to Texas. I love LA. LA is the best. That’s why I write about it a lot.
• My old roommate and I shared custody of a little black and white kitten named Trixie. Trix is special. She has sass and a half. I left her behind with the roommate when I moved away, but I still like to post pictures of her.
• I also read all the time, both for school and for pleasure. Sitting on my patio with a good book and a cold lemonade on a summer evening is one of life’s great pleasures.
• I love to travel, and I have lived abroad for two extended periods — both times in the UK. In the UK, I learned how to drink cider like a pro, how to not be hit by a car when they’re coming from the opposite direction than you’re expecting, how to understand some craaaaazy accents (Bristolians…why you sound so cray?!), and how to be an independent person. I miss it all the time.
• The weirdest foods I’ve ever eaten are pork blood soup at a market in Chang Mai, Thailand, and buffalo style pig tails at the restaurant Animal in LA. Neither were that bad.
• My favorite Bill Murray movie is What About Bob? A guy on my program was wearing a t-shirt his wife had made for him with a What About Bob? quote. When I asked him about it, he said I was the first person in the five years he’s had the shirt to recognize the quote. I’m so proud.
• I’m one of those weirdos who love both hip hop and country music. Like, I REALLY love both of them. I think it’s the LA meets Austin thing.
• Over the past year I’ve gotten into running. I just ran my first 10k, and I just started training for a half marathon. Running keeps me calm and strong. Plus, it means I can eat more ice cream than I would be able to otherwise. And I love ice cream.
• I use y’all with the best of the Texans now. I’m such a poser.

What about you guys? I’d love to know more about the people who read my blog. What’s your favorite food? Music? Bill Murray movie? Book? Tell me everything!

What I Want.

There are some nights when, against all better judgment, I start thinking about all the things I want RIGHT THIS MOMENT.

Yes, it is much more zen to focus on what I have already, but let’s be real. I’m not the zennest of folks.

So, as of April 2013, here are the things I’m dying for:

• The power to apparate. I’d visit friends in LA, the UK, NYC…all without going into huge amounts of debt or feeling guilty about my carbon footprint. Also, I’d be able to sleep an extra fifteen minutes every morning. Who doesn’t want that?
• A diet that involves only eating cookies and peanut butter. Oh, and ice cream sometimes. And salami.  And all the cheeses. Yes.
• Jessica Pare’s bone structure…and her ability to pull off the side boob look. Yeah, I can’t do that:

 

• A getaway in the mountains for a week in this A-frame cabin.
• Two-stepping skillz. I feel like I’m at the level where I’m too good for the guys who are literally counting every single step out loud, but I’m not able to keep up with the guys who spin you around the floor like true cowboys. I need to get better to meet the cowboys, gosh darn it!
• This flowery dress. And this polka-dotty dress.  And this picnic-y one!
• A foot and back massage. I ran the 10k route that I’m racing next Saturday, and wow. I’m tired.
• A robot that only has the purpose of putting away my laundry. It’s amazing how much I hate doing it. Why does it take so long? Why do things constantly slip off of hangers? Alright robot engineers, hop to it.
• A pet puppy that always walks itself and cleans up its own messes.

This is all totally doable, right? Please don’t leave me feeling like the only selfish lady in the world. What things are you guys hoping for right now?

Petty Fear of the Week: Hills!!!

Way back when I started this blog, I would every so often write about one of my sillier but totally true fears. If you want to look into my psyche, you can see these posts about evil swans and having my workout playlist investigated after I unexpectedly die.

This week….hills.

Dun dun duuuuuuun.

Looks tranquil, right? Peaceful? Lovely?

OH YOU ARE SO WRONG.

Sure, I can admire them from afar, but if you get me driving in a car and then make me stop on one of those hills…no good can come from it. My chest gets tight; I may hyperventilate; and I will definitely hate you. Maybe it comes from having a not particularly powerful car, but I’m always terrified that it’s going to slide backwards, careening into other cars and people and exploding into a ball of fire. IT COULD HAPPEN.

Honestly, this is one of the main reasons why I hate driving in San Francisco. There’s way too much hilliness going on there.

Proof? This is me standing on the street outside the house we stayed at in San Francisco for New Year’s Eve.

I may be smiling, but I’m dying a little bit on the inside.

Even being a passenger in a car that was trying to park on that street made me want to just die. I still don’t understand how the car didn’t roll down the hill. It makes no sense. None.

So the next time you see a girl with panic in her eyes sitting at a stop sign at the top of a steep hill, take pity. It just might be me.

April Currently.

Gorgeous image by KristenMcCee on Flickr.

I am currently…

Planning…

Things are getting serious about my summer internship. I need to figure out where exactly I’m going, what I’m doing with my new to me studio apartment (more on that later!) while I’m gone, and how I’m going to finance the whole darn thing. Nope. Not stressful at all. I’m sure that this will be a cakewalk compared to next spring though when I’m job hunting. Yikes.

Running…

Not nearly as much as I should! I signed up to run my first 10k in two weeks, and yet I can’t seem to get myself together to train nearly as much as I should. I keep sticking in a mile or two before Zumba class, but I’m not sure if that’s really going to do it. If anyone has some awesome songs to add to my running playlist, I would appreciate it. I need the pep!

Eating…

TRADER JOOOOOOOOES! I made the trip down to San Antonio yesterday, because every so often a girl needs her Trader Joe’s delicacies! New favorites? Roasted coconut chips! So coconutty, so satisfying, and not all that bad for you! Also, those sea salt and turbinado sugar chocolate almonds are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth. It’s one of the few candies that I can eat in moderation. Well, mostly. I also picked up coconut oil. Um, how exactly do I use that?

And good news! The Trader Joes that was supposed to go into downtown Austin seems to be perpetually stalled, but a Trader Joes is going into Rollingwood, a super close Austin suburb, in August! No more driving an hour and a half to get to a Trader Joes! Life changing!

Listening…

Kendrick Lamar. Man. He played a few shows at SXSW, and I couldn’t get into a single one, which was a major bummer. I’m still getting into the whole Kendrick ouevre, but I’ve had “Swimming Pools (Drink)” and “The Recipe” on repeat for a couple months now. “The Recipe” has particularly become my theme song. I mean, it is pretty much has everything I like — LA pride, a great sample, a driving beat and some dirty lyrics. That’s pretty much all I want in a rap song.

“Swimming Pools (Drink)”:

Okay, now open your mind up and listen to me Kendrick/
I am your conscience, if you do not hear me/
Then you will be history Kendrick/
I know that you’re nauseous right now/
And I’m hoping to lead you to victory Kendrick

“The Recipe”:

When you discussed your love for lust, just make sure you visit here first–

CALI!

Watching…

Documentaries! So many! Jiro Dreams of Sushi is just magical and makes you soooo hungry. First Position, which follows a few kids hoping to win a world class ballet competition, is fascinating. How are they so bendy?! Why are some of those parents so insane?! And How to Survive a Plague was a sobering look at the political activism that surrounded the AIDS crisis of the late 80′s and early 90′s. I thought I knew a good amount about that time, but apparently I was completely ignorant. I highly recommend all of them. And they’re all on Netflix Instant! Woo!

And if you’re looking for a non-documentary recommendation, check out Safety Not Guaranteed. Sweet, funny, poignant…and time travel.

Hoping…

That everything works out. I mean, that’s always the hope right? But wow. I really hope it right now. Who knew that your twenties were so uncertain and unsettled? Oh yeah. Everyone.

Holi!

Holi! I’m all for a spring festival that involves throwing water balloons and colored powder on happy strangers. What could be better?

This Hindu festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the beginning of spring, aka the season of LURRRRRRVE.

The Hindu Students’ Association at UT put together a celebration on campus, and when a friend invited me, I knew I had to check it out.

Before the madness…and after.

Students were corralled into orderly lines and given scoops of powder…then told to go crazy. I had blue thrown all over my shirt, yellow smeared down my cheek and purple hurled into my eye at full speed (thanks, friend. Thanks.) After the mayhem, my friend and I looked like Pollock pieces.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to be finding color in the nooks and crannies of my body for a very long time.

A whole bunch of colorful, excited undergrads with the UT Tower in the background.

The Big Picture blog posted some fantastic photos of Holi from around the world back in 2011.

And if this seems familiar to you, could it because you saw me all colorful back in December when I did the Color Me Rad color run?

Happy Holi, y’all! Hope this spring has brought a bit more color into your lives!

28 New Things: SXSW!!!

Ahhh SXSW. Every March, more than 2000 musical acts, a ton of new movies and about a billion dorky white tech guys flood into Austin, and things go CRAZY. Streets are closed. Churches, bike shops, and door steps become concert venues. People wearing alien masks and leopard print unitards rollerblade around the streets. IT’S AMAZING.

And best of all for me, two of my best dude friends came into town to enjoy it. This is their third SXSW, so we made a good team — they knew how to navigate the madness, while I was able to direct us without a map.

So, how what should you do to have a successful SXSW even if you don’t have a festival badge?

1. MUSIC. Be open, flexible and enjoy.

There are way too many acts in too short of a time. You know probably won’t get into that the big name acts (Justin Timberlake, why didn’t you put me on the list?!), but that’s ok. You’re going to see acts you’ve never heard of. Some will suck, some will rock, but it will all be an adventure. And free.

Looking for some guidance? Start hitting up NPR music the weeks before SXSW. They love it, and often have some really great suggestions. This year, Stephen Thompson from NPR music put together “The Austin 100,” a downloadable batch of 100 songs from acts performing that is well worth listening to.

If you’re flexible, you may see a “Japanese Action Comic Punk”  band like Peelander Z in a small bar.

Or a trio of English sisters like The Staves singing gorgeous folk inspired songs inside a church.

Or see acts like Toro Y Moi, who you’ve always kind of meant to see, but probably would never actually get it together.

Oh, and don’t worry if singers start hanging from ceiling beams. Apparently this is normal for SXSW? At least it is for Mac DeMarco.

2. Freebies/SWAG SWAG SWAG

I don’t really have pictures to illustrate this, but you have to believe me. SXSW is all about swag. The best swag? Two free drinks from the Hype House venue (duh) and free poutine from the Montreal tourism folks who were hosting a bunch of Canadian acts. I also met a tech guy, UCLA alum who gave my friend and I light-up, motion sensor bracelets. A fashion statement piece if I ever saw one.

3. TLC 

SXSW is a marathon event. You are walking all day long in the sun. As someone who has a horribly burnt back right now, don’t forget your sunscreen! Wear comfy shoes, even if they don’t really go with your hipster SXSW ensemble. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Find places where you can just sit down for a while. It will feel sooooo good.

Do you see how happy we look? That’s because we found CHAIRS and free WATER in this church. It was the best.

4. Foooooooood.

So, uh, there is a lot of delicious food in Austin, and a lot of it comes out during SXSW. Believe me, it’s well worth putting any calorie counting on hold for the weekend. I’m going to write a special post about our trip to Franklin’s BBQ, aka THE BEST BBQ IN THE WORLD, but we ate so much more than just that. Tacos, breakfast tacos, more tacos. Queso. Ice cream. Food truck food including amazing lime tator tots and Korean quesadillas. It’s allllll good.

Um, my friends love me and won’t hate me for posting unflattering pictures, right? Because I feel like this picture sums up how we went crazy on the food at Torchy’s Tacos.

And Amy’s ice cream makes us happy. Obviously.

5. Be open. Meet people. Adventure.

In line for BBQ, we met a guy from Montreal who was playing somewhere later that day. It just happened that he was playing after a band we were trying to see, and very sweetly put us on the guest list so we didn’t have to play. That’s SXSW magic.

We met two sweet 20 year old guys who, after asking my friend for all sorts of girl advice, gave us a rap performance right there at the bus stop. Amazing.

Getting to my house after a long day was rough, but we caught a bus back to campus with a MILLION undergrads, including a very drunk, newly 21 year old and her whole crew. Recipe for disaster? Oh yes. But you know what, it was also one of the silliest, most fun moments of the whole she-bang.

Yes, it was that packed. And yes, I was that excited. Also, I apparently couldn’t remember which way to turn my hand to do the UT Longhorn thingy. Whoops.

6. Friends.

They make it amazing. Let’s do it again next year, yes?

Spring is here.

Amazing photo by Study the Stars on Flickr.

Yesterday I woke up and it was spring. Blue sky, 80 degree weather, low humidity, singing birds, chirping squirrel spring. Yes, I live in Austin where the winter isn’t all that cold, but still. Yesterday was different. It just felt spring-y.

This spring, I can’t wait for…

– Perfect bike riding weather.

– Some crazy Texas rain (goodness, we need it!)

– Reading on the patio, beer in hand.

– Skirts all the time. And sandals.

–Overly complicated braided hairstyles.

– Flowers, flowers, flowers.

What about y’all? And if you’re still snowed in, I’m sorry for all the spring weather teasing. It’ll come to you in time. Promise.