twenty + two.

Oh five year old Anna. You have so much to learn... 

Today I turn twenty-two. how strange-
it seems like just yesterday I turned twenty-one.
Komisch.

spring 2011 finals countdown...

University of Kansas, April, 2011.

I can't believe it is already finals week. This semester flew. Actually, the past nine semesters have flown. This week I am going to do some final countdown posts though my finals are all tomorrow. BUT I fly to Germany Tuesday so don't think I have abandoned you if I don't post for a few days! -- I'm just in a storm of to-do's at the moment. eeps!

xo-

a small update...

Remember when I said I was going to Germany to be an au pair...
Well I decided to make an additional blog to chronicle the new adventures-- of course I will still have this blog (this one, too!) & continue the regular posting, I just thought I wouldn't overwhelm you all over here with all the happenings. ; )

of course you are totally welcome to follow that blog, if you want: Anna Im Ausland.


xo-
p.s. I leave in six days. right?! I know, I can't believe it either!

“What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet.”

 {via: the sweetest occasion.}

Someday I will host dinner parties & you will always be invited.

We will eat lovely food, and perhaps the first time I will try & have a hand at cooking a real meal. If it doesn't work so well, the next time I'll just have something ordered-in. But nevertheless, food will be plenty & drinks will be flowing. (Our drinks will be something "fancy" - you know, what qualifies as "fancy" to us: like sparkling grape juice & ice cold wheat beers-- served in wee glasses, most likely a mason jar I've turned into drinking cups.  

We will come together & every single time the conversation will start with something along the lines of "Where does the time go? It seems just like yesterday..." & for a moment we will all sigh & smile at that truth, & the fact it will be mentioned, just the same, at our next dinner party.

We will then talk of our lives.  We will share in roars of laughter & bicker about politics & how some of us still listen to Taylor Swift... but only because we know just how to each others buttons-- & our quirks & differences are what we truly love about one another.

We will reminisce about all the memories we share & chuckle at our past selves.  

"How could we have been so silly?" we'll say. 

"We worried about so many unnecessary things!" we'll all agree.

We will laugh until we cry & cry until we laugh.

We will find ourselves chatting on & on about how our Loves drive us bonkers--but we all will smile at one another, knowing that none of us would trade them for anything.

We will talk of our past dates-- especially the times we tried to set one another up.  

"How on earth did you think he was MY type?" we'll banter. 

"Well, he turned out to be much different than i thought." we'll refute. 

We will then joke & point out our most embarrassing moments & then we'll sigh & say in unison, "how did we get through all of that?" 

& we will not say it aloud, but each of us, in our hearts will think:

"It was crazy, exhausting & one of the most confusing times of our lives...but we wouldn't change it for the world." 

"Not one bit." 

we will silently repeat.

Adoring Adele.

♥ADELE♥

Rolling In The Deep

Someone Like You

these two songs on repeat have helped me through this stressful week. 

if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, take a minute to dance around to these gems. 

such a wonderful way to boost your mood.

xo-

scatter-brained anna.

I miss You, I really do. Also,This paper-cut is magnificent. 

See more of Stealing Hearts beautiful art here.

I am a poor planner. That is why I have no Sunday Sweets this week.  I lost track of time, took a far too long nap & managed to spend the whole night working on a project for school. acks! I am bummed, I am tired, but most of all, I miss You & I am sorry for being so scatter-brained. 

xo-

Have a très chic friday!

  {original graphic via: miss wallflower.}

Se laisser vivre! (ok, ok I am not sure if you can say that in the way i meant for it to sound.  french is way outta my league.  I should really stick to English & German!)  this week has been crazy.  I have a zillion (a mere approximation) projects going on (silly college) & far too many ideas for bloggin' projects floating around like confetti my brain. But the really gorgeous, sparkly, multi-colored confetti, so I can't complain.  ; )

I'm working hard to bring you guys some exciting news - I even stayed in tonight to work, work, work! Ya know why? Cause I just love you all to pieces. (a million, beautiful confetti pieces.) 

Cheers to a weekend full of oh la la's...
xo-

She was often seen with her head in a book, but she wasn't just reading, she was scheming.

{photo via Kate Spade.}

Tonight I am busy reading this book. With my trusty German-English dictionary by my side & a package of post-it notes galore to label pages I don't understand. Wish me luck on my big quiz tomorrow! ; )

Oh, & I have lots of exciting things to share later this week.  Let me tell ya, it'll be worth the wait!

Until tomorrow, many hugs. 

xo-

{Scotland} part six: a day in edinburgh & my italian-scottish-american inspired lunch.

My last day abroad I ventured to Edinburgh from Glasgow by train.  As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I was eager to explore &decided I didn't really need a map, or, ya know, any sort of reference.  So I confidently walked. and walked. and walked. and finally decided to ask someone where I could possibly find Princes Street.  They looked at me, turned around to to where the big hill was I had just walked down for 30 minutes & said, "Miss, it's right up that hill, at the top you'll turn right."

About 25, long, leg-burning, minutes later, I finally found it.  But first, I was hungry. Naturally I went to an Italian restaurant- where I most certainly ordered a hamburger.  I mean, sounds logical, right? Turns out, Italian-restaurants-in-Scotland hamburgers are very different from the kind here in the states. Not in a bad way, just completely different. So after I had my scottish/italian/american inspired lunch I ventured on. There were two things I was determined to do in my 12 hours in Edinbrugh: see the castle, buy my wellies.

...I just decided, mid-post, that those two individual events deserve their own posts. Yeah, trust me.  Obnoxious, noteworthy situations occurred & details are necessary. very. castle-&-wellie-posts to be continued. ; )

xo-

high-fives all around, it's ...

& there are no words to describe just how happy that makes me.

xo-

p.s. click the word friday to hear some magic.

Rock Chalk Love.

i love that there was a flash-mob during our men's basketball game against MU monday night (we won, 103-86).

i love ku basketball. i love being a jayhawk. i love ku.

xo-

{Scotland} part four: the day i left Scotland for a London adventure.

    

[London, January 10, 2011.]

 i dropped the ball on taking photos while in London.  But I did manage to snap a few with my brave little phone...

London was perfectly cinematic.  it's one of those places you build up in your mind as being fantastically whimsical & come to find out it really is how you've imagined it & so much more.

I explored (read: walked around befuddled in complete awe) & wanted to take every cheesy tour & all that jazz. (because I am american - it's kind of our thing...) But time didn't allow for such activities & I was just as happy wandering around snapping pictures with my silly phone.

I tried (and liked!) oysters.  I sipped on scrumptious english cider (of which i cannot remember the name...) was shown London by a new friend & walked across the tower bridge(!) at night.

& then I pinched myself twice, just to see if i was dreaming.

xo-

day three: friends.

{via: advice for all my children.}

my friends are superheroes. this semester they taught me so many wonderful things about life & helped me find my genuine groove. (& if you're thinking, "is she talking about me right now?" yes. yes i am. you. you. you.) from blog friends to the friends i get to see everyday, you all have an impact on my heart you could never imagine.

my letter to you, dear friend:

dearest chap/chap-ette,

i'm so thankful for having you in my life. not to sound like a complete cheeseball, but it is the truth.  (i can't believe how much of my cheesiness you put up with...but hold up, it's about to get even cheesier...) seeing you smile & hearing you laugh is what truly makes me happy. our late night chats over pancakes, our impromptu dance parties, your awesome in-the-car choreographed moves, our rapping free-style challenges, your texts that update me when we are apart, the sweet messages you leave on my blog, voice-mails & hilarious facebook notes have made this semester so bearable and have reminded me how many beautiful, inspiring people i have in my life. i don't  know what i would do without your hugs- they are like band-aids for healing bad days.  you always turn my bad days around.  i'm so blessed that you have been so encouraging & honest with me this semester. your pearls of wisdom are forever in my heart.  you are a true superhero to me. especially this semester.  you were there for me when i needed you even though i had been a hermit of a friend. you were there to help me back to my feet after having falling hard. for that, i am so stinkin' thankful.  (without you i'd still be laying there on the ground) this semester i learned that i have the truest friends & i should never ever take you/them for granted. 

i am so blessed to have you in my life.

with Love forever,

Anna

 xo-

& so it begins: fall 2010 finals countdown...day one.

in traditional finals week fashion, i give you...

Go get 'em tiger!

finals week likes to dig deep into your soul & try & convince you otherwise.  but don't let it get to you. because:

{via: tumblr}

we can & we will.

& just so you all know, I love ya. a lot. 

so if your feeling stressed, or down in the dumps, or just disgruntled with the world, (it totally happens, & it is normal) don't let it keep you bogged down to long.

dance around your room with a hairbrush, sing super loud in the shower, or make an acceptance speech in your mirror. (awards i've imaginatively accepted? well, just last week i sent my overachieving older siblings an email with the subject line of "& i would like to thank the pulitzer prize board..." i'm a total dork.)

but if those hijinks don't seem to boost your spirits, 

check out this awesome site: 

"Daily pep talk from a best friend"  

it will so make you smile. ; )

my favorite post as of late?

this brilliance. cause it's totally true.

xo-

p.s. this edition of finals countdown is going to be full of stories, laughter, tears & straight from the heart moments. it's going to be rocking. ; )

let's be.

 {via: etsy.}

sweets,

i am so sorry for my lack of posts lately.  i had three projects due this week so i have been one busy bee.
but don't worry, next week it is time for another final(s) countdown. & i have lots of stories to share with you!


happy weekend! 
remember to breathe...relax. whew!

xo-

simply be.

{via: tumblr.}

For just a while, calm your thoughts. In this moment, simply be.

There is much in your life, and there is much more to come.

Yet you have always been, and you always are, more than enough.

For a moment, let go of the way you appear and the things you’ve done. Feel the truth and power of who you are.

In silence, there is much you can know. Beyond thought, there is much you can understand.

Touch the person who always lives inside the person you are. Be immersed in the beauty and wonder of being.

Feel the strength that is always there. And know that whatever may come, all is well.

— Ralph Marston.

everything.

{via: everythingsright.}

xo-

list of little things: {when i grow up}...

{via: style.com.}

Laura has a great series called: list of little things. 
today she did {dream jobs}.(by the way, i love that she put 'anything for oprah.' haha! oh, oprah.)

here are a few of 

my dream jobs:

1.  writer for television comedies.

2.  Real Simple writer/ More magazine writer/ Anna magazine (yeah! it's totally fate.) writer.

3.  creator of crayola crayon names.

4.  a regular on the girls with glasses show.

5.  work for kate spade.

6.  tina fey's best friend.

7.  kindergarten teacher in Germany.

8.  professional blogger.

9. work for twitter, google or etsy.

10. mamma & wife. (ok, i totally know it's cheesy. but it's the truth.)

xo-




p.s. i definitely want to work somewhere where i can dress in amazingly happy outfits everyday. (also, see above photo.)

Links of Love. part I.

{via: sweet home style.}

10 words to delete from your vocabulary.

23 Things to Always Remember And One Thing Never to Forget.

You're beautiful.

Fifty People One Question.

35 simple ways to be beautiful.

thank you so much for your sweet encouragement in response to my last post. it means so much to have such sweet friends. & to those of you expressing a feeling of similar dismay... you are constantly in my thoughts & i'm sending you big hugs!  

(we can all totally get through the current junk in our lives. especially with the support of each other... which you have mine, one-million percent.) 

xo- 

“Smile, breathe & go slowly.”

{via: flickr.}

sometimes it all seems to happen at once. 

you try to untangle one part of your life only to find another knot of confusion. they say challenges are meant to make you stronger.  that everything happens for a reason & God never gives you more than you can handle. 

& tonight:

i can't help but hope with all my heart that they are right.

xo-