happy list

Today was not exactly a happy day. It began with my waking up at 5:34 a.m. to realize that my fever had not gone away.

Fabulous.

I had been in bed since 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday - after struggling through morning classes and work I came home and I took a long nap, did some homework, then tossed and turned miserably until I drifted into a restless sleep around midnight. I wasn't extremely sick - just a fever and a sore throat - but it was enough to make me feel miserable.

I was hoping that the fever would be gone by this morning so I could go on with classes and life as usual. Instead, I stayed in bed until 1:00 p.m. (missing two classes in the process) and dragged myself out only to go to a class in which I had an assignment due.

After class I was feeling weak (it was 3:30 and all I had eaten was a piece of toast and an apple) and sleepy. I came home and decided to try to get through the rest of the day as normally as possible. I cleaned my room, showered, ate dinner, watched a few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, cleaned the bathroom...and here I am now.

My day wasn't completely horrible, but I could use another happy list. This one is inspired by the song "Our Song" by The Spill Canvas. I fell in love with it at the concert on Tuesday and just downloaded it about a half hour ago. I immediately put it on repeat because after giving it another listen before buying it on iTunes, I was in an instantly better mood. Some songs can just do that to me.

So, without further ado, today's happy list...

1. "Our Song" by The Spill Canvas. It really is just a happy song. I'd give you the lyrics, but they don't seem that happy - you really have to listen to it. You can do that here. I love how happy it sounds, as well as the fact it acknowledges all love stories aren't like the romances we see in movies. It's refreshing.

2. A clean bathroom. I cleaned ours tonight (including the tub, my least favorite chore ever) and just felt good about it. I actually wanted to clean more when I was finished, and even texted someone to ask if I could go to their place and clean their bathroom. Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed I haven't gotten a text back. (And if you were wondering, I didn't lead with "Hey can I come clean your bathroom?" That would obviously make me sound crazy. I texted "Hey, whatcha up to?" so as to appear like a normal person who doesn't search for bathroom's to clean.)

3. "Our Song" by The Spill Canvas. I know I already said that. But please listen to it? It just started up again and it makes me so happy. So happy.

4. SJP NYC perfume. I bought mine two months ago and I still am obsessed with it. It is the perfect combination of who-knows-what scents (apparently mandarin and strawberries are involved) that makes the best smell ever. Ever. But don't copy my perfume choice - that'd be annoying. Especially since I discovered it at the end of last year in an issue of Cosmo and had to wait until March to buy it. I didn't know people got excited for perfume release dates (heck, I didn't even know there were anticipated "release dates"). Turns out, there are. And I was excited.

5. People texting me back and wanting me to clean their bathroom. And they didn't even think I was crazy. They said (and I quote) "Well I have one that could use the Abigail touch". So there.

6. A clean room. I was sick last night, so I went to bed with a messy room. I don't remember the last time that happened - maybe that was the real source of the tossing and turning last night? It was quite a relief getting it cleaned up this afternoon. Is there anything more beautiful than a made bed? (Yes, obviously. But not right now.)

7. Tomorrow is Friday. That not only means the weekend, but Mom's Weekend. This means I'll get lots of momma one-on-one time (something that is exciting for us middle children), as well as momma and older sister time. It also means dinner out, Saturday market, and a movie. Plus other stuff. Let's cross our fingers for sun!

8. My Green Tea Chamomile scented candle. I can't explain how wonderful it smells. Sometimes I open the jar just to smell it. I've never burned a candle so much in my life. I have to pace myself because I don't want to run out before I find another one (which has proven itself to be very difficult).

9. My photo is in Tyler Hilton's facebook album. So are other fans'...but I was still excited :)

And thus concludes today's happy list.

♥ abigail

P.S. Please listen to Our Song. Right now. It'll make you smile!

best. night. ever.

Remember how I said that when I met The Pioneer Woman it was the greatest night of my life?

Well, scratch that.

Last night was the actual greatest night of my life.

I met this guy:

This, my friends, is Tyler Hilton. (Don't know who that is? Check out his website here.)

He is a fabulous singer/songwriter who stole my heart and took over my iTunes about five years ago. Ever since then I've been obsessed with his music - this includes going back and buying his first album and his EPs to complete my collection.

I saw him in concert in Portland last year when he was the headliner on a tour. He was fabulous.

Last night he was one of three opening acts for The Spill Canvas (a band that is good, but not my favorite type of music).

Being one of three opening acts meant that he had about 30 minutes of stage time (which was completely worth it though). It also meant that he was definitely the odd one out of all the bands there, but that just made me appreciate his five song set all the more.

His next CD has been about three years in the making, and I am beyond stoked for its release (date TBA - I'll keep you posted, I'm sure).

So do yourself a favor and go listen to some Tyler Hilton (you can do that right here if you really want to, I have a few of his songs on my playlist). His voice is the perfect combination of pure and raspy, and it (along with his amazing lyrics) will melt your heart.

♥ abigail

the pit

The pit of doom.

The cave.

Where sunshine goes to die.

These are the things I call my apartment.

My apartment and I have a love-hate relationship. But mostly, I just love to hate it.

From the beginning, I was wary about it. My roommate and I were a bit late in the game at finding a place to live, and our best option was located about a mile from campus.

Once I got past the location, I tried to see the positives of it. But I couldn't. Because it really is where sunshine goes to die. You see, my apartment faces north. Or south. (I'm really bad with directions - in one of my better moments, I proclaimed, "North is up and south is down!" to my entire youth group.) And when inside, there are windows on one side and a breezeway (which means just a plain ol' wall inside) on the other. The side that does have windows is also sided by a large hedge and the large house next door. Long story short, no sun.

Remember how much I love the sun?

Yes. It's a problem. I need sun. Absolutely crave it. Can't function without it. Feel like a sad lonely shell of a person when it doesn't come around for a day or two. I think I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. The symptoms are the following, according to the Mayo Clinic:

- Depression (I'm typically a bubbly, happy person...except that suspiciously goes away when the sun does.)

- Hopelessness (yes)

- Anxiety (I'm also typically an anxious person, but that is definitely something heightened by the lack of sun.)

- Loss of energy (Even with 8 hours of sleep a night, I still wander around in some sort of lack-of-sunshine trance.)

- Social withdrawal (Once I'm home, I'm home and have minimal human contact until I leave the pit the next morning.)

- Oversleeping (uh-huh)

- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed (yup)

- Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates (You don't even know...bread is like a drug to me these days.)

- Weight gain (nah)

- Difficulty concentrating and processing information (The other day I had a mini-panic attack because I needed 2/3 cup of butter for a recipe, and my brain could simply not compute how to do that without taking 1/3 cup from two different sticks...don't worry, I freaked out enough that my sister assisted me. I'm glad I can blame that struggle on something.)

I have officially diagnosed myself with SAD. At least I'll know how to handle it when the rain comes around again...but lucky for me, the sun is just starting to more consistently show its face, thank God! Unfortunately, my apartment still doesn't get much light...

So you can see how the apartment is kind of a spirit-killer for me. I don't like to spend time there, which isn't exactly a good quality for a home.

Next year I will have four roommates and live a block away from campus in a house that receives plenty of sunshine.

Hopefully this will do wonders for my demeanor, as well as the names I end up calling my new place...

The pit (of sunshine).

The cave (of sunbeams).

Where sunshine goes (to hang out).

Here's to hoping!

♥ abigail

nothing profound...

I really should be getting to bed...it's week five of spring term (thank goodness it's starting to go by faster!) and midterms are in full swing. Tomorrow I will be rising early (though I probably should say "early" because 8:00 a.m. isn't exactly the crack of dawn) to do some last minute studying before my test, then I have a full day of class and homework and studying ahead of me.

But first, reasons why I am happy today...right now. They're in no particular order and really don't make for scintillating reading, but I feel like I need a pick-me-up, so here goes:

1. Today was sunny.

2. I was able to enjoy the sun with my family (read: my dad, younger siblings and I basked lazily in the backyard in lawn chairs while mom did yard work).

2a. Additionally, I am happy that my Hawaiian-blooded skin allows for me to get tan in such a short time in the sun.

3. The cinnamon rolls I baked this weekend were absolutely divine and worth every calorie.

4. So were the french breakfast puffs.

5. I see Tyler Hilton on Tuesday!

6. California is only 77 days away.

7. It's week five...halfway there!

8. My room is clean.

9. My dear, sweet friend who is in the hospital is beginning to feel better.

10. I left my Bible at home on accident, and was upset about it. (The happy part is that I realized this and miss it - I never even used to read it on a regular basis).

11. My foot lotion smells like coconut.

12. Kelle Hampton's blog makes me cry...in a good way.

13. My dog loves me.

14. I've come to a conclusion of what I want to major in (for this week, anyway).

15. I don't feel stressed. I don't remember the last time that happened.

16. While challenging - and, as of late, heartbreaking - I love my life.

Nothing too profound or exciting. But enough to make me realize that even though it can be hard to see sometimes, we are constantly surrounded by beautiful, wonderful, happy things.

I wish I took more time to recognize these things before I became sad. I'm glad I have this newfound way of storing these happy things. While I dread the fact that I may still wake up in the morning feeling sad, I feel more content in knowing that I will always be able to see that it really is the little things that make me the happiest.

Simple things that are around me every day are all it takes to put everything in perspective - which will someday be exactly what I need.

♥ abigail

Blog-Stalking Confession...

Readers, I have a confessions to make.

Are you ready for it? Here goes.

I am a blog-stalker.

I shamelessly follow popular blogs (The Pioneer Woman, Joy the Baker, Enjoying the Small Things, Brown Eyed Baker, Confections of a Foodie Bride, to name just a few. No, honestly - that's just a few. I have a tab of all the cooking blogs I stalk, and it has 28 blogs - and counting - on it). I also shamelessly stalk blogs of friends and acquaintances, which I won't provide a list of...I'm not gonna lie, it makes me feel like a creeper.

There's something so great about blogs to me. I love reading other people's styles of writing, seeing their pictures, and getting insight into others' lives. My favorite blog of all is definitely Ree Drummond's: The Pioneer Woman.

I discovered her earlier this year when someone sent me a link to her recipe for The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever. Ree's personality shines even through her recipes, so I was instantly hooked. Next I read the story she wrote about her romance with her husband, entitled From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. After that, I was addicted. Completely infatuated and, yes, obsessed. Ree became my girl-crush, and I began talking about her as if I knew her.

I began cooking all her recipes, and checking her website for updates every day.

And then, a few months later, the most amazing thing happened.

Ever.

She announced her book tour, and guess where she was headed? The Pacific Northwest. And guess where I live? Oh yeah, the Pacific Northwest.

And I decide that when Ree came to the Portland area (and hour-and-a-half from me), I would be there - nothing would stop me.

So, long story short, I ended up driving an hour-and-a-half to Powell's in Beaverton. I arrived at 5:00 p.m. for the book signing that was set to begin at 6:00. I, along with around 450 other people, waited patiently for Ree to arrive. When she did, it was amazing. She spoke to the audience and answered several questions, as well as singing to us. She was as nice and sweet and funny as I had imagined she would be.

I settled in for a few hours of waiting (luckily I brought my studying in anticipation of a long wait). I met some really nice women and ended up chatting with them for an hour or two. They had higher ticket numbers than me, so they met Ree and said goodbye to me, then were on their way.

Finally, at 10:15 p.m., my number group was called. I got in line, waited patiently, I finally met Ree at 10:24 p.m.

It was the happiest moment of my life.

Okay, maybe not. But it's pretty high up there.

She was as wonderful as I thought she would be, and she graciously listened as I tried to get a sentence out - I was a bit star-struck. She signed my cookbook ("Love to Abigail! Ree/PW :)" and I was on my way.

And I was the happiest girl in the world.

♥ abigail

quotes

If you've been paying the slightest bit of attention to any of my previous posts, you'll know that I have the tendency to be a little obsessive. It's true - I have accepted it, and decided to roll with it. (Side note: Could that be a problem? People diagnose me with "problems" and instead of fixing it, I write it off as being an important aspect of my personality and decide to simply go with it rather than change it...interesting. That might get its own post later. But I digress.)

One of my biggest obsessions are quotes - I have been obsessed with them since the beginning of time. Or since I was a kid. But whatever. My closet in Eugene is covered with them, my room now has them everywhere - my desk, my bulletin boards, in books where I write them down...everywhere. I find quotes I love in everything from books to TV shows to movies to song lyrics...I love them because they are an eloquent way of saying something that people relate to.

I am taking this opportunity to share with you my favorite quote (for today, anyway). It comes to us from one of my favorite books, The Time Traveler's Wife. This quote to me, is so true - laughter is really the best medicine.

We laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, and nothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment.

- Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

Think about it.

♥ abigail

lists

Sometimes, it's just necessary to make lists. Happy lists are the best kind, but there are several types that hang out on the post-it notes that constantly litter my desk. Today, there were a few...

For example, the "things to do today" list:

- LAUNDRY!!!

- Groceries?

- Trabajo Escrito (!!!)

- Quia W p.271-272, L p.293

- COMM outline

- Rowing release

- E-mail Cloud, Roger, Cody, Rob

Or take the "things i'd rather do today" list:

- SUNSHINE

- Nap in sunshine?

- Church

- Sleep

- Nothing!

And here's the "things i actually did today" list:

- Church

- Bible time

- Homework (all of it!)

- Laundry

- Grocery shopping

- Baked banana bread

- Laid in the sunshine

- Wrote rowing release

- E-mailed everyone

- Cleaned my room

- Cleaned the kitchen

- Watched two episodes of Kendra :)

Or the "potential schedule for today" list:

8:00-8:50 - Get ready for church

8:55 - Meet Lindsey at church

9:00-10:15 - Church

10:20 - Home

10:25-12:00 - Laundry/Cleaning

***Grocery store?

12:30-??? - Homework

Or even the "potential schedule for tomorrow" list:

8:00-9:30 - Gym

10:00-10:50 - COMM 111

11:00-11:45 - Work on speech in MU

12:00-1:20 - SPAN 213

1:30-3:30 - Lunch/Shower/Get ready

3:45 - Leave for Beaverton

6:00 - Pioneer Woman book signing!

7:30/8:00? - Drive to Eugene

But my favorite list of today was the "why i am happy today" list (this is a list I intend to document in some way everyday. It may be cheesy, but I think it'll help boost my spirits until they remember how to be boosted without the aid of lists on sticky notes):

1. The sun is up.

2. The sky is blue.

3. It's beautiful, and so are you. (Just kidding about #3...I love song lyrics, okay???)

3. (The real #3) Strawberries + Sour Cream + Brown Sugar

4. Grace City Church (to which I wore a skirt, which makes this a double happy reason)

5. Homemade banana bread

6. Face masks

7. Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shower Gel/Shampoo/Bubble Bath and Lotion

8. My new old hippie bag (a bag that I've had for years, but just found again)

9. Thanks to the power of YouTube, Tyler Hilton can sing to me whenever I want him to (although I'm looking forward to seeing him for realsies [again] next week)!

10. It's a new week, and I feel prepared to face it - homework is finished, room is clean, and I have lists that plan my entire life

Many people might say (and by 'might say' I mean 'have said') that my incessant need to plan things out so meticulously can be perceived as a negative thing...they could be right, but I am of the firm belief that some people just need lists. I am one of those people. And proud of it, mind you! So until I no longer want or need my lists, I will continue making them, leaving post-it note trails in my wake.

One day, I'll write a post on the sheer satisfaction of crossing things off my lists...it really warrants a post all to itself.

♥ abigail

sophomore slump

Ah, the sophomore slump...

I figured it was a myth; that it was nothing to worry about. Now that I'm in the middle of it (at least what I hope is the middle of it), I have discovered how real it is.

Instead of going into excruciating detail that I probably don't want to be all over the internet, I will break down my sophomore slump into a few key points:

1. I live approximately 1.2 miles from the co-op I lived in last year, where a majority of my friends still live.
2. I refer to my apartment as "The Pit" or "The Cave" due to its lack of light. It really is where sunshine goes to die (or more literally, where sunshine never goes. Ever).
3. End of a year-and-a-half long relationship.
4. Lack of a major.
5. Stressful schoolwork load/workload.

If you add 1+2+3+4+5, you get the reason why I often dwell on the fact that I hate my life (I don't really. But sometimes I wish it was different). You also get 15, if you're into being literal. I usually am.

So for this school year (especially the past month-and-a-half), I have been doing a lot of thinking and soul-searching. I wish that this soul-searching had led to answers, but it hasn't. Not yet, anyway. I've been focusing on self-improvement (reading the bible, exercising more, eating healthier, not procrastinating, wardrobe updates), but on some days I am just overwhelmed and don't feel improved at all.

I have learned that in these days, I need to focus on the little things that make me happy. This has led me to another list. Hopefully this particular list will be one that grows as I find more things to love about life, though I hope one day to not require its encouragement.

Abigail's List of Happy Things

((aka the list of things that make me small almost 100% of the time))

1. Sunshine. I love it in all forms, but these days I enjoy it more specifically when it is warm.

2. Driving in the sunshine. I know that's essentially the same as the above point, but today I was driving down Highway 99 while the sun was setting over the hills, and it was beautiful.

3. Happy (country) songs. Country songs tend to make me the happiest because they are so often about happy things (like the summer), but lots of genres have songs that make me smile. Currently my favorite "make me smile" songs aren't even country songs (I like "Broke Down Hearted Wonderland" by Edwin McCain, "Naturally" by Selena Gomez [hey - don't judge me!], and "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train).

4. Waking up to blue skies. This is really self-explanatory.

5. Skirts and dresses. For some reason, I feel like I look so much better in skirts and dresses than I do in pants. I feel prettier and more put-together without feeling too dressed up. Plus, the past few months have added four new skirts to my wardrobe (don't worry, the total set-back was only $45 dollars - I'm a frugal shopper!): a distressed denim mini, a flowered cotton flowy mini, an adorable striped mini, and a high-waisted floral number complete with a belt. I haven't worn them all yet, but am definitely looking forward to the perfect opportunities to present themselves!

((list to be continued...))

As you can see, my happy emotions tend to stem from the weather. I think I suffer from some level of seasonal depression, so the recent appearance of the sun has really been helping me out this last week.

Here's to the sunshine sticking around!

♥ abigail

advice from abigail...

I wrote this a while ago on my old blog, but I still feel it is relevant advice, so here it is again:

So last night I didn't get a lot of sleep. Sometimes that happens to me, and I can always tell when that's the case. It's kind of nice, because then I'm prepared for it. I was feeling like it was going to be one of those nights, and it was confirmed when my phone loudly burst into song (my ringtone is "Smile" by Uncle Kracker) at 1:11 a.m.

I was startled out of my near-asleep state and looked at my phone and saw that it was my best friend calling. He isn't the type to call so late/early, so I was a bit concerned and I answered. He recently (read: in November, but that's recent when it was a three-year relationship) broke up with his girlfriend, so I prepared for a mini-counseling session.

On the other line I didn't find what I was expecting (a depressed, maybe sniffling, boy who just needed a friend), but the complete opposite (a happy, bubbly, can-hardly-stop-talking-because-I'm-so-excited boy). The conversation began as follows:

"H'lo?"

"I can't believe you answered!"

(This came as a surprise to him because I rarely answer my phone.)

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! I'm just really, really, really happy right now and wanted to talk to you! I just got back from a date."

(The above sentence woke me right up. Any sign of a date when someone has recently broken up with someone is a good sign. Always remember that.)

"A date?!? With who?!?"

(Please note that this was screeched. I apologize to my roommate who was probably woken up. I forgot to mention in my previous post that in addition to talking often, I also talk loudly.)

And so our conversation began. He went on a date and was very excited about it and wanted to share. Which was sweet. But it was still 1:00 a.m. I need my beauty sleep. Always. And by "beauty" I mean "non-grumpy" sleep. Because if I get less than eight hours of sleep a night, chances are that I will be grumpy the next day. He should know that by now...we've been friends since we were 6-years-old.

Anyway, as we were talking about the date, he asked advice for when he should call her next. (This is where my advice comes in, by the way. You should take notes.)

I informed him that I have never believed in "rules" when it comes to dating. Who decided that calling immediately after a date is a sign of desperation? Or that girls shouldn't call guys until they're officially together because it is, again, a sign of desperation? Those "rules" are outdated and should be broken.

I informed my best friend of this.

"Call her now. Or text her."

"Now? I shouldn't wait until tomorrow or something?"

"Well, don't you want to talk to her now?"

"Yeah, but I don't know if I should text her yet..."

And that is when I began my rant of how you should call when you want to. He was blown away.

And he did just that.

So, what did we learn today?

0. Abigail doesn't like to be woken up. Unless it's really important. I don't have a set list of what's important. I'll work on that, for future reference.

That's not the important advice. I numbered it 0 to show that it isn't anything you need to remember. But you might want to, so it still warranted recognition.

1. In relationships, you should never play games (unless you're playing board games, which I find completely acceptable and enjoyable).

Whether it was your first date or your first anniversary, why would you want to risk anything just by playing games or following "rules"?

By not calling after the first date (when you want to), you're ignoring your feelings. If the other person didn't enjoy the date as much as you did and you end up calling them, they may complain to their friends about how you're smothering them, and then you'll learn pretty quickly that that's not the kind of person you want to be dating. If you had a good time and they had a good time, why not talk about it together instead of sitting at home, eating ice cream and watching reruns of Sex and the City?

It doesn't make you seem desperate if you just want the person to know you had a good time. So call them, text them, tweet them, e-mail them, facebook them...the possibilities these days are endless, so why not take advantage of them? No need to wait for a three-day rule or whatever. That is just a mean game, and either party may feel shunned and/or lose interest at any point. If you want to see them again, let them know. It's a nicer way of calling 'dibs'.

And as for playing games...I think they're dumb. I never have understood playing hard-to-get when all you really want to be is 'gotten'. I've never grasped flirting with other people to make the object of your interest jealous. To me, these things are just asking to be ignored/avoided/forgotten about/dumped. Be honest with your feelings, and if the other person has a problem with that, they probably aren't the kind of person you want to be with.

♥ abigail

about abigail

I posted like two minutes ago. But here I go again! I thought I'd introduce myself to you my (imaginary) readers. So you can check up on my credibility. Or something? So here is a random list of things about me that is being generated as I type. While watching The Hills. Here goes...

1. I'm 5'2" but make up for it in other areas. Like my mouth. Which is always talking. Unless it's sleeping. In which case it's probably drooling.

2. I am bad at being in quiet places. I fill silences with music. Or words. Because I always have words with me. Always.

3. The only time I'm not talking (besides when I'm sleeping, or when my mother has glared at me and my sisters enough times in church for talking) is when I'm sad. Angry? I rant. Stressed? I rant. Happy? I babble. Nervous? I giggle. But sad? I shut up as if I just learned the earth ran out of chocolate. Yeah. It's that bad.

4. I talk during movies too. I bet you had that figured out though. Ask anyone though. I always have questions. Or feel the need to point out that I know whatever song that is playing in the background. I feel like it makes me cooler than everyone else.

5. I have two sisters and one brother. I'm right in the middle of my sisters so that makes me the middle child. Being a middle child has had a big effect on my life. That's my excuse for a lot of things anyway. Also, when my sisters and I get together, we talk. A lot. It gets us shushed at the dinner table on regular basis. My dad is more of the silent type. As in, he likes the quiet. And his daughters ruin it. All the time.

6. I am obsessed with reality TV. Not the 'real' reality TV like Survivor. I like the scripted reality, like The Hills, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Kendra, and Laguna Beach. I like to make fun of the people on them. Which makes me feel cooler than everyone else. Again.

7. I love quotes. Love love love. They are everywhere in my room and I spew them off at random whenever giving people advice. I have a quote for everything. And when I'm not quoting real people, I enjoy dropping quotes from Friends. If no one picks up that it's from Friends I don't correct them. I like when people think I'm funny.

8. Song lyrics speak to me. I always read the lyrics to the song before I buy it on iTunes.

9. I still purchase all my music from iTunes - is that weird? I guess LimeWire is all the rage, but I can't bring myself to use it! I have a strong moral compass, so it may have something to do with that. Or I like to spend money. Which I do. But I don't. It's a slippery slope.

10. I'm a sophomore in college and don't know what to major in or what to do with my life. I keep changing my mind, so I haven't changed my major from English yet. I'd hate to go through the whole process and then realize I want to change my mind again.

11. I think English classes are stupid. It's all very ambiguous and I find that a lot of it is complete bullshit - sometimes people write just to write, and they don't realize how their use of allegory is really drawing reference to their sad life which is like a circle because of blahblahblah! I just made that up. But that's how I feel.

12. I am obsessed with The Pioneer Woman. If I had more time and money, I would cook all of her recipes. I read her blog all the time though. I love her writing.

13. I crave the following foods on a regular basis: Odwalla Mighty Mango juice, Salt and Vinegar Pringles, M&Ms, Guittard chocolate chips, Ben & Jerry's Triple Caramel Chunk ice cream, and bread. And when I crave something, I have to have it. It becomes vital for my (and for those around me) existence.

14. I got my driver's license when I was 19. I was too strong-willed and stubborn to get it when everyone was bugging me about it, but now that I have it, I love it. No one else does though...my, how the tables have turned!

15. I am a rule-follower, a goody-two shoes, and a worrywart.

16. I have become obsessed with Sudoku to the point that I bought an actual Sudoku book and I play online when I can. Sometimes, I feel like I have no life.

17. I hate when books are turned into movies and people see the movie without reading the book first. I really think it should be a law that they have to read the book first. I also hate when they change the entire story so much that it doesn't follow the book at all. That should also be outlawed.

18. I love to read. My new year's resolution (one of them) is to read all of Jane Austen's books. I've read Pride and Prejudice a million (read: four) times but haven't gotten around to the others. Some of my other favorites include A Prayer For Owen Meany and The Time Traveler's Wife.

19. I give a lot of relationship advice. I haven't had that many relationships, but I am far too logical for my own good, so I figure I should channel that into giving sound relationship advice. The worst kind of advice is from people who only want you to be happy and will tell you anything to keep you that way. If you ask for advice, you should get their real opinion, not what you want to hear...because then you would have just asked yourself, right? People should keep that in mind when they seek advice too.

20. I am brutally honest, stubborn, a little bossy, and shy. I can be a pushover and I hate conflict. I don't like sudden loud noises and I hate small spaces. If I had my way, I would always have an aisle seat, wherever I am. My favorite mood is when I'm happy for no reason that I can think of. The sun is the easiest way to brighten my mood. And daphne, the flower. It smells amazing and I am known for stealing it from places around campus.

21. I sometimes feel like a walking contradiction. For example, I have a poster in my room of an Andy Warhol print (by the way, I love Andy Warhol) that proclaims "I think everybody should like everybody." And I do think that. But I don't like everybody. So I suppose I'm not lying when I say I believe that...but it feels like false advertising or something.

22. I tear up easily (especially during TV shows or commercials), but I refuse to cry in front of anybody. I've only broken down in front of people a few times in my life (besides when I was little, which doesn't count at all).

23.I sometimes feel like I am Kathleen Kelly from You've Got Mail. If you haven't watched it, you better go do it right now. It is my favorite movie of all time (closely followed by Love Actually, Across the Universe, and Sleepless in Seattle).

24. "There is a land called Passive Aggressiva, and I am their queen." Addison said that on Grey's Anatomy. She must have been quoting me. I really am the queen of passive aggressive behavior. And obsessive compulsive behavior - I can't fall asleep if my room isn't clean, so I clean it every night before bed, no matter how tired I am.

25. I don't have anything else to say that I can think of right now, but I had to type this under '25' because I wouldn't have been able to sleep leaving it at '24'...I'm an issue, okay?

♥ abigail

and so it begins...

Good evening readers!

I am Abigail. I'm nineteen and am constantly running my mouth about who knows what.

I figure I should put my love of words to good use somewhere though...so I figured that I would pour them into a blog. This could end up biting the dust within the week, but it could end up somewhere great...so why not try?

I don't know exactly what direction I want this blog to take (you'll come to learn that that's how my mind works - it wanders every which way before settling on a train of thought. You'll also learn that I write how I speak and tend to use ellipses too much. Just so you know. But I digress...oops, there I go again!), but I figure if I start writing I might find out. I am always blathering on about something. As you can see.

So anyway, here it is...a blog about who knows what - probably life and love and everything in between!

♥ abigail