A Cicada Story

______I happened to come across this little guy this past weekend whilst riding my bike. Actually, "little" probably isn't the best way to describe him, for he was quite large and could have been mistaken for a bird or Godzilla or something as equally large (and ferocious, obviously). Anyway, this formidably-sized cicada didn't really move at all since I was able to pass by him three times and still pinpoint his location each time... so naturally I had to bring him home for some picture-taking.

______And my oh my, was he ever a fabulous model, this cicada-san. Such a good model! Probably because he was half dead, weakened by the sun's hot rays, and was forced to endured some 6+ bumpy miles in the Solo cup on my bike... but hey, he still made for a swell model, yeah?

______Eheh. Whoops.

______No worries. He's merrily resting on a tree now. He'll recuperate. Honest.

Polkamarine

______Whenever I'm in college, it seems like my days are so slow and torturous, and yet at the same time, they fly by so quickly that the next day is already there just as soon as the first one began. Even more so, at the end of the week when I'm finally able to drive home for a day or so of weekend time with the parents, it seems like it's already time to drive back. Honestly, I don't know how to describe it. It's just a constant cycle of day one to day two and back to day one again. Start and stop. Rinse and repeat. Peanut butter and jelly. Wait a minute, that last one didn't quite match up...

______But heeey, I guess a little bit of mental torture isn't all so bad for us. I guess in a sense, it propels us forward, kind of like how procrastination keeps your mind focused on the task at hand. Nerve-wracking, but effective in terms of accomplishing things.

______That being said, you all stay focused this week, my sweet, sweet citizens. And treat yourself to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if you'd like, because as we know, they are truly delicious creations.



Top: Forever 21 (it's falling apart and I totally need a replacement for it, eek...!)
Skirt: via Modcloth
Heels: Liz Claiborne (via TJ Maxx)
Brooch, necklace: vintage
Scarf (as belt): secondhand store
Earrings, ring: Charming Charlie

Art Student

______Welp, tomorrow begins my first day of college as a sophomore! I don't really have all that much to do, and yet I feel stressed to a mess--probably just because of the anticipation and unknown mysteries of the first day of classes. Yep. This always happens, even when I try to not let it happen, even when I am prepared and ready, etcetera, etcetera...

______But! On the bright side, I've got lovely roommates (who I know all from high school, two of which were also my roommates last year) and also have my bike down here this year, meaning that I can ride my bike around campus opposed to working out at the Rec (it's rather depressing being on a machine and staring at the same things for such a long time every single day). I also changed my dorm room around slightly so that my desk looks out my window (and the basketball courts, which has the occasional shirtless Honors college hottie). Also, I'm going to keep the blinds on my window up to let more light in, and I've got my pillow from home here opposed to one I had to buy strictly for college.

______It's odd how these little changes can add up to make everything seem even the tiniest bit homier. Hopefully, they'll help to make this year a lot better for me, 'cause last year I didn't feel like I had a true college experience. One of my roommates said the same exact thing about her first year, so hopefully we'll both be able to do it "right" this year!



PS) This outfit was made for a back-to-school post Linda at Trendy Teal over here. Check it outt!

Top: Modcloth
Shorts, anchor belt: Lotus Boutique
Socks: Forever 21
Loafers: Walmart
Beret: Stein Mart
Mustache ring: ?? I forgot

Creature Feature

______Who would have guessed that there's not just one, but two botanical gardens that aren't too treacherously far away from me?  I couldn't just go to one and neglect the other, of course, and so another gardens trip was in order.  Though this garden was supposed to be more of a hydrangea garden, it is not hydrangea season, and thus not many hydrangeas were found to be in the most photographic of conditions--yup, hydrangeas are currently hibernating.  That's what plants do when they're not blooming, right?  They hibernate?  It only makes sense.

______Though the hydrangeas were busy being in deep sleeps (I will return for them one day!), I did find some interesting little creatures to take pictures of, like turtles, insects, and ducks! And just finding those made the trip well worth it.

Flowers Blooming in the Rain

______I feel like I've been dressing extra girly lately.  Look at me wearing all these ultra feminine pieces. Where is the boldness, Ali?  Where is that brash Viking heritage of yours?  Hiding, it is.  Hiding behind an outfit that consists of a flowery print skirt and a lace peter pan collared top.

______If my Viking ancestors ever saw me in this, they would probably be super ashamed and kick me out of their cool Viking tribe (that, or they would eat me). And even after doing so, I'm sure that they'd still be furious since Vikings really don't have control over their constantly raging emotions, and in turn, they'd probably have to run off to terrorize random villagers to let off even more steam (that, or they would eat the villagers). Wow, Ali, there's so much cannibalism in your post--chill out.

______Oh, I'm sorry.  I've just been a little lost lately.  It seems like I've approached a big old stop sign in my life, and I'm not entirely sure about how to get past it.  I've been wanting to do everything bigger and better lately and just make something great, or do something extraordinary, or accomplish something so I feel like I'm moving forward in life.  I mean, I really do feel like I've accomplished quite a bit this summer, but it still feels like there's something missing, something that must be done in order to solidify those accomplishments and kind of top it all off.  I just hope that I can figure out what exactly it is that must be done to make my summer feel complete--and I've got a week to figure it out!



Top: Charlotte Russe
Skirt: Forever 21, $3 from a secondhand store
Anchor belt, sunglasses: Lotus Boutique
Earrings, chain bracelet: Charming Charlie

An Afternoon at the Gardens

______My mom and I visited the Birmingham Botanical Gardens yesterday for some picture-taking and exploration.  I hadn't been to the gardens for a few years (or with my DSLR before!) so it was definitely something I was glad to be able to cross off my to-do list before my ghastly and inevitable return to college.  Even though it was so humid we felt like we were swimming through someone's armpit, it was still a super fun trip.  I had lots of fun seeing things through the new perspective of a macro lens, too!