Shower song

This is my favorite song to sing along to in the shower.

Photography

I did it. Went out today. Woot me. Only was out for an hour, but I guess it was worth it. Didn't go film though. Digital so I could photoshop them.
Bite me.

a sunflower that never looks back at the sun

I am still the worst blogger ever. Twitter and facebook and every other social media possible just seems better to me than blogging because I only have a certain number of characters to put and I don't have to talk about how I feel.

However, I don't want to just let everyone know how I feel sometimes. And that's when this blog is perfect. Hardly anyone follows me and I can say pretty much what I want since I figure those of you who follow this hardly even read it. Can't blame you, since I never post.

Anyway. I have four rolls of film that I need to develop. I am currently filling out my order for for Clark Color Labs but I am also dreading getting these pictures back. There was a time when I would get really excited and count the days until I would be getting my pictures back. I should be excited for these pictures. I do not remember what the pictures are of, and I can't wait to see what I was doing about 6 months ago in my film life.

But. I am not sure if I want to see pictures from my life 6 months ago. Everything seems so different now and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I haven't been picture-taking in the longest time. I tell myself I have no time. Lame excuse. I am making a blog-promise to myself that next time I go picture taking (hopefully this weekend) I will bring my FILM camera and work it. It's just so hard to make myself go out picture-taking when there's no one to accompany me. I just listen to my music and what not, but it's just a different feel altogether.

I guess everything has a different feel these days. What can I expect.

Sorry for the lame emo post. Maybe I'll try to post something better next time. In the meantime, enjoy a song from The Kooks. I am currently in love with them and planning to go see them at the House of Blues in November. EXCITED!!



P.S. Just found out Clark raised their prices and now it's going to cost me $20 to develop my film. Ouch...my purse strings!

It's all good until somebody catches a feeling...

and I'm feeling again.

I can't stop hitting myself over the head. I do my best to keep up with the dead.

Disconcerting

Okay, second post in the same day. But I'm making up for months of nothing!

Have you ever read something that made you feel a little uneasy? Or maybe just question why?

Today I made chocolate chip cookies, yay! On the bag of chocolate chips, it said "All Natural" in big bold letters on the front of the package.

So, why is it so important that we tell people that this bag of chocolate chips is all natural? I always assumed there was nothing unnatural in my chocolate chips, no matter what the brand. Now should I go around looking at my chocolate chip ingredients looking for unnatural aspects of chocolate? I know many a chocolate lover who would say that chocolate is perfect the way it is and nothing needs to be added.

So the question remains: why is "all natural" a selling point for chocolate chips?

Upgrade!

Today I got a new car. It's red. More importantly, I no longer will be able to drive my old blue car. I'm going to miss it so much. Goobye blue car. =(

My new car is definitely an upgrade from the old one, but the old one will always have a special place in my heart as my first car. It lasted me a long time considering it was a gift given to me as a gift and I only had to pay for the upkeep. This is a short blog just in remembrance of my old car.

Now it's time to go bake cookies! I think I'm going to put walnuts and chocolate chips in them.

Womp womp old car. I shed a tear for you and the fact that you are going to be junked for scrap metal. Hopefully you are worth a lot so I can use you to pay for my new red car.

Orange Scent

Well, it's officially been 4 months since I last blogged. Yup. Who has two thumbs and is the worst blogger ever? This girl!

Anyway, hopefully now I'll be free to blog to little heart's desire since classes are over and I am still stuck in lovely Boston for two more torturous weeks. It's not that I don't like Boston, it's just that I like home better.

Anyway, since I don't expect the world to revolve around me (even though it should attempt to), my dad has moved almost all of my possessions out of my room and I am currently living out of two suitcases. Yippee! So I am living a very minimalist life for right now. It's kind of boring, but hopefully once work starts and the weather gets a little nicer, I will enjoy my time here more. Thankfully my room isn't totally empty, since BU is so kind to give me a very nice quality couch and coffee table and my residents were so kind as to do the exact opposite of what I told them and put a chair in the hallway, which I have added to my room's furnishings. I would take a picture of my room, but I even packed up my digital camera and am only left with my film camera. By the time that film is finished, developed, and up online, I will be home.

I have moved all my furnishings to the front half of my room in attempts to make my room seem half as small as it is, so it feels a little less empty. I also intensely cleaned my room. I eventually will figure a way to organize my clothing so it's not just bulging out of the two suitcases I have. Eventually...

Anyways, what I have left is: 1 1/2 suitcases of clothes/shoes, my computer, furniture (a bed with a fitted sheet, 1 blanket, and a borrowed pillow, a coffee table, a couch, a desk, and chairs) 2 bikes (Magaly's and mine), my backpack, bath and cosmetic supplies, cleaning supplies, my on-call phone, an air freshener, film camera, reusable water bottle, and...

the two most important things:
1. my Nintendo DS Lite
2. my cacti

That's all for now, it feels good to write. Now I have to think of something new to listen to so that I don't listen to The Starting Line's Say It Like You Mean It for the 11th time in a row.






Missing home! Also, congratulations Sue for graduating from Rowan University! So proud.

Rawr.

I feel like I'm reliving those moments in high school when everyone is asking you what you want to do with the rest of your life. Sure, I have picked my major and finished more than half of my classes, but I still don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I feel like I will never know what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I always get laughed at because I say things like, "When I grow up..." but in all sincerity, I am not a grown up, and I don't know when I will be a grown up. All I know is that I had a great time at home in New Jersey for Winter Break and I'm not really sure if I want to go back to Boston. Can't I just finish school and get a job and be independent already? When I tell people that I am ready to graduate and get a job and be in the real world, they always say that I think I want that but the minute I graduate, I will wish I was back in college. But really, I don't think so. No one realizes how much I already act like a mature adult while in college. So stop forcing your views on me, you should be happy I want to be a mature adult and not in some college frat drinking beer from a keg and skank-dancing in a miniskirt.

Suck it. (I think I'm in a bad mood.)

Time to go build another snowman.

New Year's Resolution

Gotta write it down, so I at least attempt to follow through with it.

Resolution: Be more girly (at least in the way I dress).

I think this means pink, but I haven't gotten that far yet.

Jersey

So I feel like I was supposed to update my Facebook status about how I am home in New Jersey now, but I know that I don't really care when everyone else updates their whereabouts on Facebook so I am refraining. But I feel like I should somehow let the apathetic internet world know that I am, in fact, home in New Jersey. So:

Dana Laustsen
"is home, sweet Jersey!"

Status updated. I also can't update my status because it says "overachiever" right now, in honor of my overachiever underwear.

Anyway! Wrapped some presents today. Ate Fettuccine Alfredo. Went on a blanket hunt to find enough things to keep me warm on these cold winter nights (and I was very successful in my hunt).

Being home is going pretty well. Besides the sneezing (darn allergies). But Alex might have a good suggestion, something along the lines of blowing my nose on a cat. Well, only four to choose from!

Done deal.

Pumped for tomorrow: Costco, Bath & Body Works, Footprints.

Word.

Nothing Else to Say

I've listened to this song about 17 times today.

Blah Music Talk, Bands Blah

So, I went to my second musical performance since Friday last night. And it was amazing. Friday I went to see Fun. with Lisa and Elaine(!) and last night (Monday) I went to see Against Atlas open for Ben Levin Group. Along with them played Dublin Free Press, which was absolutely amazing! The show last night was probably one of the most fun and interesting I've been to in a long time. Not to mention that (Thom) Tom the guitarist for DFP looks like the guy from The Dear Hunter.
^Against Atlas ^ Photo credit to Josh Dunn.

Yes. Anyway, at both of these concerts, Shipping Up To Boston (Dropkick Murphys) was performed. All I have to say is that I think Dublin Free Press might have done a better performance than Fun. did. Opinion, yes, but I think my opinion is important.

And I've made a conscious decision to go to a lot more musical performances while in college. I am in an awesome city for music, after all.

The end.

Also. Is it acceptable to wear black pants with a brown shirt? Oh well, I'm going to.

P.S. Minus the Bear is playing an acoustic set at The Apple Store in Boston tonight at 5. I cannot go because I am on call. Lame, no?

Thirsty Thursday

I'm bored!

Hopefully I'm getting a new camera this weekend. Canon EOS Rebel XS. What what!?! Anyway, whiling away my night by reading Anna Karenina and listening to guilty pleasure youtube videos.



Check it.

I want ice.

Bon Appetit!

Got my first installment of bon appetit magazine today. Very exciting! The only thing I'm slightly upset about is that it is the September issue, but I guess I'll live. Reading it also makes me feel slightly like a middle aged woman because that is who all the ads are geared and most of the articles are geared towards. I'll be putting a recipe from it in here that looks absolutely amazing. I'm thinking me and Moo might have to make these for the SHA Potluck. Might not be "real scons" but I think these scones look delicious!

In other news, I'm once again locked up in what would be my tower if I were a princess. That is, the Office of Residence Life at 1019 Commonwealth Avenue!! Listening to The Fratellis makes it a bit better. I have noticed that I have recently begun referring to myself as a princess more often. Whatever that means.

Here's that recipe for: Double-Lemon Thumbpring Scones (8)
3 large lemons
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup, 2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 cup, 2 tbsp chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp (about) cherry, raspberry, or strawberry preserves

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
2. Line large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Finely grate enough peel from lemons to measure 6 tsp; set aside. Squeeze enough juice from lemon to measure 1 tbsp (save rest of lemon for something else).
4. Whisk flour and 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add 1 1/4 cups chilled whipping cream, 1 tbsp lemon juice, & 4 tsp finely grated lemon peel. Stir gently to combine.
5. Gather dough togther and turn out onto lightly floured work surface; knead briefly (4-5 turns). Pat or roll out dough to 1 inch thick round.
6. Using 2 1/2 or 2 3/4 inch diameter cookie cutter dipped in flour, cut out rounds. Transfer to prepared rimmed baking sheet, spaced about 1 inch apart.
7. Spoon about 1/2 tsp preserves into indentation of each scone.
8. Whisk remainig 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp cream, and 2 tsp lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Brush top of scones with lemon glaze.
9. Bake scones until golden and tester inserted horizontally into middle comes out clean (18-20 min). Transfer to rack and cool long enough to not burn your mouth.

Good news: this recipe
Bad news: Moo hasn't been reading my blog because she didn't know I was back to updating it!

Nostalgia

I'm feeling very nostalgic lately. Apparently this is common in my generation. You can read about it in this article from The New York Times. Anyway, please refer to the adorable picture (from my grandpa's fridge, in a plastic thing that says "Grandma's pride and joy") below and try to persuade me to not be nostalgic.

P.S. Nice myspace pose, Alyssa!

A Wild Danimal Cub Appears!

Picture of me from when I was a mere Danimal Cub. Got it from my Aunt Janet (thanks Aunt Janet). I wonder how much sugar was in my system at this point in time. EPIC CHILD PICTURE.

Boston Bikes

So, I just got a new bike for riding around Boston and school and work and such. However, it hasn't been nice enough for more than 3 days straight so I haven't ridden it to class today. The most I've done is a bike ride on Sunday just for fun. Although it was really cool because we went into the Chestnut Hill area. One would think this is far, but we weren't even out for an hour and saw so much! Oh well. I miss the days when the weather was nice, but now it's Autumn in Boston and we all know that we will be seeing less days like this.
Oh well. What I really want to talk about is bikes. Bikes bikes bikes. But really I just want to speak of my love for this blog that is about bikes and hand-made things made from bikes. The blog is called Rebicyclist and it's amazing. I might have to invest in a couple of the belts for Holiday presents, they're so unique and AMAZING.

Well that's all.
Good news for today: it's laundry day!
Bad news: I went down to do laundry and all the washers were full. Guess that's what I get for not checking beforehand. Oh well!

Film.

I haven't posted on here in so long! I suck!

Here's a picture:
I love film.

Film FTW

Got my pictures online from Clark Color Labs today. The actual photos haven't come in the mail yet but they're on their way! I want to get my next roll done too but I'm not sure if it will be done and in the mail and back to me before I go back to school in two weeks. I love film. It's possibly one of the best things ever. Everyone should go back to using film. Despite the convenience of using digital cameras, film actually gives you something to look at when you don't want to stare at a computer screen. It's great. Plus, computers are boring. Use film! The end.
Good news: I'll be back in Boston in little more than two weeks! I'm excited.
Bad news: I'm going to miss being in Jersey with everyone. Lame.

Missing!

I was cleaning my room tonight in anticipation of Lisa's visit and realized I hadn't seen my favorite dinosaur shirt in a while. I looked for it in my dresser drawers but I can't find it! I'm so upset. I need to find this shirt. I want to wear it tomorrow. Womp. The shirt is the one in this picture. If you've seen it, please return it to me. Thanks.