TOMS style.

I am a hoarder of TOMS. I have 8 pairs, and I'm in love with them all. They're my babies. I'm pretty sure in high school everyone knew me as "that girl who is obsessed with Harry Potter and TOMS." They're just so wonderful! They've started carrying them at the motherland (Whole Foods) and I'm pretty sure I'm in need of another pair.



On another note, the day after tomorrow I'll be leaving for Colorado/Las Vegas... I'll be sans computer while I'm there, so I won't have a new post up for 8 whole days! Frankly, I'm excited to be unplugged. But I will miss all of you lovelies. I'll be back tomorrow with a way to upcycle your old and worn out TOMS, and after that it'll be really quiet over here. However, you can follow my adventures on twitter and instagram... @slowphie11

I hope you all had a loverly, splendiferous day!


                                     

5 reasons why I am awesome. or crazy.








This is the result of having too many crazy hats, too much time on my hands, and too much sugar in the form of Cheerios. 

Boredom at its worst. Or best. You decide.

carnies smell like cabbages.

Today was for...


-sundresses and ballet flats.
-having frozen yogurt* for lunch. I'M AN ADUUUUUULT. (I did not throw it on the ground.)
-thrifting. I found three dresses, and a pair of shoes. My mom bought one of the dresses for me, because she's an angel. I bought three things, and combined it was ten dollars. It was magnificent. Also, did YOU know that Target donates brand new adorable things to Goodwill all the time? I did not. I got a most wonderful pair of sandals that are usually $20, for FOUR DOLLARS. HECK YEAH.
-stopping at a carnival... not to ride any rides, but to take pictures of all the fun colors. duh.
-snuggling up in bed, listening to Sucré, and reading about the love of my life. Abraham Lincoln.
-cleaning and organizing, and gettin' crafty with my bad self! I love the little space that is my room. It's so cozy and lovely.
-going to my (not so) little brother's baseball game. It was such a perfect night for baseball.
-having a phone interview for a job that I want super really a lot. I have a real interview on Wednesday! Cross your fingers, say a prayer, wish me luck! 


What was today for, for you?

**my frozen yogurt was vegan friendly. so frozen not yogurt? Either way, it was so yum.

photo taken by me, using instagram.

all things abe lincoln, all things wonderful.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. You've probably heard of it. It's that seemingly random movie that just came out. Like really, what kind of crazy comes up with a screenplay about a beloved president SLAYING VAMPIRES? WHAAAAT?

Au contraire, my friends. What I've been finding out is that a lot of people don't even knows that it was actually a book first. I can hear all of you saying "oooohhhhh, now that makes sense." Yeah, it's much less bizarre in book form.

I'm in the middle of reading this phenomenal book right now. Like, it's worthy of a song. In fact, I just made up a song about how much I love this book. I'll spare you though. Back to my point. IT'S AMAZING AND I WANT TO MARRY ABRAHAM LINCOLN. THERE, I SAID IT. I've heard people say the movie is laughably bad, BUT that's probably because they didn't read the book. You always read the book first. That's like the number one rule in the Sophie Guide to Living Book.*

I have yet to see the movie, as I am in the middle of the book right now. But expect a full in-depth movie review from me when I do see it.  I am just eating this book up right now. Lincoln is such a cool cat and I want to give him the biggest hug. Since that's impossible, I will parade around in a Lincoln shirt, and hang pictures of him on my walls. And also declare my love for him to any poor soul who can't get away from me in time.

Most girls in my age group are crazy, insane fan girls for Bieber, but me? Lincoln. Always Lincoln.
I took this bad boy when I was in D.C. in March.
It was incredibly moving.

Awesome points awarded for this: 100 billion.
I see a sequel in our future... "Abraham Linoln: T-Rex Tamer."


I'll take five of these, thanks.

There's also one that says "Honest Abe." My
future children are such luckies.

CUTEST. PRINT. EEEVVVEERRR. I will promptly be hanging this in my room.

A portrait of young Abe. Is it just me, or is he completely handsome and debonair? 

*Watch out for this book, coming to Barnes &Nobles near you. ONE DAY IT WILL BE A REQUIREMENT FOR EVERYONE TO CARRY THIS AROUND. IT. WILL.

**all photos taken from etsy. if you search "abraham lincoln" you can find them, easy peasy. except for the first. that's mine. all mine. 


                                                                                                                                                                       be sure you put your feet in
                                                                                                                                               the right place. Then stand firm.


                                                                                                                                                                don't worry when you are not
                                                                                                                              recognized. But strive to be worthy of recognition.


                                                                                                                                                      whatever you are...be a good one.
       
                                                                                                                                        and in the end, it's not the years in a life, it's
                                                                                                                                                              the life in the years.

a look into the big ball of crazy that is my head.

(I'm really sorry about this. Just sorry.)

-why does my yoga instructor look so peaceful?

-wait a minute... EVERYONE looks like they've reached their zen place...

-IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME?

-Why is this pose making me flail.

-And why is the lady next to me making that face.

-That's a really unfortunate facial expression.

-My foot itches. 

-I wonder if I make crazy faces while I do yoga.

-I think too much.

-I'm hungry. 

-My zen place will consist of Harry Potter becoming my bff and cantaloupe.

-I'm starting to feel zen-ish. 

Namaste.

"simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

My life is cluttered. I'll admit it. My room perpetually looks like the Tazmanian Devil had his way with it. I get it clean, only for it to look like a disaster a few days later. Whenever I get it looking clean, I always pledge that I'll never let it get the way it was before, again.

What a load of poop.

It always ends up being a mess again. And when it's messy, It's always in the back of my mind. It gives me anxiety.

It always puzzled me as to why it looks a wreck so quickly after I clean it. Well, it's simple really. I have too much stuff. Way too much. And a lot of it doesn't even serve a real purpose. It's unnecessary, and it stresses me to no avail.

Whenever I feel overwhelmed by the amount of things I own, a quote from a book I read a long time ago (I don't even remember the name of the book) pops into my mind.

"Simplify your life."

It's a simple quote in and of itself, but it holds a lot of weight. I've been trying to live as simply as possible, but lately, turmoil and clutter have been weighing me down. I need to remove the things that don't bring me positive energy... whether it be useless things, malignant people, or whatever, if it doesn't bring me joy or serve a purpose, it's gone.

                                                                                                                                                                             "Clutter is stuck energy.
                                                                                                                                   The word clutter derives from the Middle English word "clotter,"
                                                                                                                                                                        which means to coagulate -
                                                                                                                                              and that's about as stuck as you can get."


                                                                                                                                  "The more you have, the more you are occupied.
                                                                                                                                               The less you have, the more free you are."


                                                                                                                                                                   "Out of clutter, find simplicity,
                                                                                                                                                                      From discord, find harmony,
                                                                                                                                          In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity."

a walk in the park.

Hello friends! Lately, I've been trying to limit my time on the computer... hence the lack of blogging. Now for a new feature...
-Yesterday was el summer solstice, and my mama and I have a tradition of making sunshine shaped pizza. Yum. We used daiya "cheese" on my pizza. OH MY YUM. It's ten times tastier than real cheese. Try it. You'll never want to eat any other cheese (real or not) evah again. 

-Another summer solstice festivity... my sister and I attended a yoga class yesterday! Um, amazing. I am a lot more flexible than I thought. I thought it quite appropriate to do sun salutations on the summer solstice. Yoga is one of the most magnificent things and relaxing things.

-A week from today, I'll be in Colorado with my older brother. A week from tomorrow, I'll be in Las Vegas. We're flying to Denver, driving to Colorado Springs and spending the night at my older brother's house, and then the next day, we'll be up bright and early to drive the rest of the way to Las Vegas to visit my loveliest family! Oh, I'm so excited.


That'll be my view for eight whole days. Not too shabby, eh? I love the desert and the mountains more than anything else... forget you, Midwest!

-I love Ray LaMontagne, sooooo much. His voice is delicious. I fully plan on having "You Are The Best Thing" as the first dance at my wedding. It's so adorable and fun. Is it crazy that I'm 19, without so much as a boyfriend, and I already know this? Absolutely. No. No, not at all.

-Mumford & Sons... coming out with a new album in September. Oh my gah, I'm so excited.

-Today I had lunch and frolicked around with a wonderful friend from high school named Pruthvi. It was so wonderful to have her all to myself all day. That rarely happens! We went to lunch, discussed conspiracy theories and other silly things. After that, we went and explored a local park. That was cut short when I STEPPED ON A BEE. UGH. I've never been stung by a bee before, so that was fun. That's what I get for wandering around barefoot, I suppose. Also, I had a staring contest with a squirrel, and a duck quacked at me and waddled its little tail feathers over to me. I have no idea what it is with me and animals. Just call me Pocahontas. Anyways, our adventuring was cut short, so we went to my house and watched I Love You, Man, and made the most delicious cookies. It was muy fun.

a frog-ish friend!
 Isn't she the most adorable? 




 

She has the most gorgeous hair ever, AND I'M SO JEALOUS.


-Speaking of me being Pocahontas...this is my all time favorite Disney song. It just has so much depth and meaning behind it. I think we all could take a note or two from it. Oh Pocahontas, you're my fave.

-And last but not least... prosperity hens! Prosperity hens are brightly colored hanging hens that originated in Northern India, that are supposed to bring abundance and prosperity into your life and home. I just bought a few strands of them from World Market, and they are the loveliest. Hang them by a door, or window to welcome in prosperous energy.
(image via the violet.)

let's pretend we're somewhere tropical.

Remember that time I talked about how the last time I was vegan, all I would eat was microwaveable crap, pasta, and corn and bean salad? No? Well, here's a reminder!

My goal to experiment with different vegan cooking and to steer clear from pre-made things is going better than I imagined. I've been eating some of the most interesting and most healthy things, and it's wonderful. I've been on a cooking and baking rampage. The other day, I made spaghetti and beanballs. Yes. Beanballs. Meatballs sans meat, plus mashed up kidney beans, along with some other random ingredients. It doesn't taste as weird as it sounds, pinky promise. It was amazing. Today I baked banana wheat germ muffins.Also, I've been eating quinoa, with avocado, chickpeas, and cilantro up the wazoo. Did you know that one cup of chickpeas provides you with more than your daily requirement of protein? So yes, I do get more than enough protein, thank you mucho! That was me going off on a tangent. I'm here to share with you a super interesting, and super tasty gnocchi recipe. Gnocchi is heaven sent. For those of you who don't know what gnocchi is, it's basically pasta made from potatoes. It's sort of like a dumpling pasta lovechild. 

pumpkin-y gnocchi with tropical salsa fresca
ingredients:
1 package of pumpkin gnocchi (I got mine at World Market!)
1 cup pineapple, chopped into 1/2- inch chunks
1 avocado, peeled and pitted, and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
5-ish cherry tomatoes, halved. (really, it's however many you want. cue you saying, "I do what I waaaaant!" you sassy reader, you.)
juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons)

directions:
1. boil a pot of water, and start cooking your gnocchi. Gnocchi is awesome because it takes like, hardly any time to cook.
2. mix all of the other ingredients together. 
3. dance around in excitement until your gnocchi is done. make up a song about the many wonders of gnocchi. Also, try not to eat all of the salsa fresca before it's done. It's hard not to, trust me. IT'S THAT TASTY. 
4. drain your gnocchi, let it cool. 
4. relish in this tropical summertime pasta and pretend you're on a beach watching dolphins swim by. HIIIIIII, FLIPPER!

droooooool.


note: the recipe for the salsa fresca makes about three cups, so you can adjust the amount of ingredients, depending on how many people you're making it for!

eat, learn, move.


I am just so fascinated by this series of videos! The last one is definitely my favorite. There is just so much of the world to see.

Have a lovely Sunday! And an even lovelier Father's Day!

oh, what a day!


Today marks my parents' 26th anniversary.
My favorite story is one that I've heard many times...
The first time my dad met my mom, he came home and told all of his friends that he was going to marry her.
And he did. And now they're celebrating 26 years.
I hope to have a story as sweet as that one day.

Happy anniversary, mama and papa! I love you, you weirdos! 

a break-up letter.

Dearest Computer,
We've had some good times, it's true. You've made me laugh, you've made me cry, and you've made my heart melt with cute little pictures of kitty kitties. But our 2 a.m. rendezvous have got to stop. You are sucking up all of my time, and it gives me anxiety. It's nice to have the world at my fingertips, it's true. But rather than looking at the world through you, I want to look at it through my own eyes. Also, you make it really difficult to clean my room. I blame you for it never being tidy. I have an ever growing list of things I want to do, but it never happens...and it's because of you. So please, let's just stop the madness? I want to enjoy my life. Not waste it away on you. I hope you understand. This isn't a break-up, just a "let's spend a little less time together.'

Love,
Sophie

i would run to you.


How romantically funny is this video? My favorite line is, "Kansas City... it's the Paris of the plains!" haha! That guy is just too funny! Also, the song is so catchy. I keep finding myself singing it whenever I'm running... which brings me to my main point...

I just ran three miles tonight.


And I feel incredible. Now, it might not sound like much, but I haven't ran three miles without stopping a single time... ever. Not even when I was on the track team in high school. So this is big for me. Especially since I had surgery on my foot less than a year ago. Not too shabby, eh? To say I'm proud of myself is an understatement. On my last two laps, I about cried... not out of pain, but out of sheer joy that I was actually doing it. I honestly don't even know how I did it. I was just feeling it, I guess. I realize that a lot of you who are reading this are probably thinking, "seriously? Who cares, Sophie." BUT I'M JUST SO ELATED RIGHT NOW! I'm going to be SO ready for the Color Run this August. AHH!

Victory lap, duh. :) I believe Eye of the Tiger was looping in my head at this point.
And any other motivational hair band song ever.

il bel far niente.

there is a pleasure in the pathless woods, 
there is a rapture in the lonely shore, 
there is society, where none intrudes,
by the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
from these our interviews, in which I steal,
from all I may be, or have been before, 
to mingle with the Universe, and feel
what I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.
-Lord Bryon

Today, I embarked on a one woman journey into the woods. Like Henry David Thoreau. Except more ladylike. And only for a few hours. It was just my camera, a book, a pencil, a notebook, and me.

What sparked the idea for this journey was my long and exhausting day at work. The only thing that kept me motivated to keep trekking on, was this plan I had been fabricating in my head all morning. There is a lovely park with a trail that winds up into the woods, along with a lake near my home. I decided that I would pack up a scrumptious lunch, grab my camera, head for this spot, and enjoy the glories of nature all while letting my creative juices flow. Adventure, in the sweetest form.

These days, I find myself rarely leaving the house except for the following three reasons:
1. work.
2. running errands and frolicking around with my mama.
3. to work out.

Despite the summery weather, and my love for nature, I've been a house dweller, besides the occasional run and bike ride outdoors. The other day on my run, I stopped and picked a bouquet of Queen Anne's lace. But that's a different story, for a different day. But today...today was different from my usual, monotonous routine. I explored. I soaked up the sun. I made a squirrelly friend. I ditched my iPod in favor of the symphony of birds. It was me and nature, and that was it. I did not feel the need to check my phone, not even once. I didn't keep track of the time. I need to have more days like this, this summer. I see a lot of them in my future, exploring other trails in my little town.

I feel envious of people who have this as their daily life. Who live on large plots of land, and can go exploring whenever they want. Who can frolic in the wild without having to drive to some park. I hope for this to be my life, one day.



The view from lunchtime. {I had a tofurkey, alfalfa, and veganaise sammie, chickpea and tomato salad, grapes, and some banana blueberry granola.}











 I befriended a small woodland creature, named Quincy. I kid you not when I said I befriended him. He would scurry ahead of me... stop and make sure I was still there... and keep on scurrying. This carried on for a long while. He let me get incredibly close to him. 








Can you spot Quincy?




And as for this evening? I plan on making a batch of sweet potato burgers and peanut butter cookies. Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, you know, so snack on!

note: the only time I was NOT at peace and one with nature was when I heard a rustling in the nearby forest floor. I had a vision of a R.O.U.S. like from a Princess Bride scurrying out (more like stomping) and gobbling me up! That would have been unfortunate, I think.

just call me miss manners.

The other day, I overheard some random girls, probably around my age, talking about being ladies. One exclaimed that she was a such lady. And the others agreed that they, also, were ladies. Their clothing begged to differ. Maybe I'm mistaken, but shorts half way up your bum and skimpy shirts are not very ladylike. Our society is so very, very unladylike. I'm so disappointed by this. Who decided that these barely there skirts, dresses, shirts, etc, were socially acceptable? In my opinion, it's degrading. What happened to the days of modesty? Call me old fashioned (which people do, on a daily basis) but I prefer a long flowing dress and a nice cardigan over most of the things people are wearing these days. Besides the modesty of it, I would imagine it's very uncomfortable to dress in these tight dresses and whatnot. Also, let's stop piling on the makeup. It's not very attractive. Natural is best, after all.

In France, most all women refuse to leave their houses, even to walk down their driveways to fetch the mail, unless they are properly dressed. No yoga pants. No baggy shirts. They won't even answer their door if they are dressed sloppy. I think this is delightful. Why don't we partake in this wonderfulness? I think it's time we start to take pride in our appearances. So next time you're about to leave your house with your hair in a sloppy bun, in an old t-shirt and Nike shorts (which I, admittedly, am guilty of), OR clothes that leave very little to the imagination,  turn your little ladylike butt around and change into something a real lady would wear. Celebrate yourself. Think Audrey Hepburn, Julie Andrews, and Jackie O... my three favorite women. They are the very essence of being a lady.

                                                                                                              



Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, Jane Fonda, Twiggy are all women we should admire and look to as role models. Forget Katy Perry, Snooki, Lady Gaga, and the like. They do not hold themselves with poise, grace, or eloquence. So why do we idolize them? We have no reason to. They are in no way women that we should be admiring. 
Besides dressing like ladies, we should probably change our behavior, as well. 
1. Manners are everything. Dressing the part means nothing if you are not saying please and thank you... but it delves deeper than that. No more telling dirty jokes! (goodbye, that's what she said) Educate yourself on proper etiquette. Do not swear. Seriously, get rid of that potty mouth. It makes you sound uneducated... there are so many other words that you could choose from.

2. Choose your friends wisely.  You cannot choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with positive people, who are as equally ladylike (or gentlemanly) as you. 

3.Always be aware of yourself. Do not overindulge. Eating too much and constantly getting drunk shows one's lack of self-control. "Partying" and getting slobbering drunk every single weekend is not attractive. It's just not. Plus, it's bad for you. Burping and passing gas in the presence of others is also a big no-no.

4. Be modest.  "In everything she does, a lady will acknowledge those who helped her before she takes any credit for herself." Do not flaunt yourself or your accomplishments. Do not act superior to anyone. Don't be self-absorbed. But don't be overly modest!

Be calm and polite, even when people are just plain rude. 

And, as the adorable little kitten Marie in The Aristocats, said, "Ladies never start fights... but we can finish them."

So there's my (not so) little rant of the day. I try to be as ladylike as possible, but some things... like that's what she said jokes... I need to work on. It's time our society says goodbye to our classless ways, and bring the class back! Here's to wearing pretty dresses in a world of sweatpants.


**all image links can be found here.