Anthro!

Hey everyone--check out what I have been up to at my visual display internship at Anthropologie!
 my new blog:
 andthelights.blogspot.com

bowl of oranges

Bowl of Oranges by Bright Eyes


The rain, it started tappin' on the window near my bed
There was a loophole in my dreamin', so I got out of it
And to my surprise my eyes were wide and already open
Just my nightstand and my dresser where those nightmares had just been

So I dressed myself and left then, out into the gray streets
But everything seemed different and completely new to me
The sky, the trees, houses, buildings, even my own body
And each person I encountered, I couldn't wait to meet

And I came upon a doctor who appeared in quite poor health
I said, "There is nothing that I can do for you, you can do for yourself"
He said "Oh yes you can, just hold my hand, I think that would help"

So I sat with him a while then I asked him how he felt
He said, "I think I'm cured, in fact I'm sure"
Thank you stranger, "For your therapeutic smile"

So that's how I learned the lesson that everyone is alone
And your eyes must do some rainin' if you are ever gonna grow
When cryin' don't help you can't compose yourself
It's best to compose a poem, an honest verse of longing
Or simple song of hope

That's why I'm singin', baby don't worry, 'cause now I got your back
And every time you feel like cryin', I'm gonna try and make you laugh
And if I can't, if it just hurts too bad, then we will wait for it to pass
And I will keep you company through those days so long and black

And we'll keep working on the problem we know we'll never solve
Of Love's uneven remainders, our lives are fractions of a whole
But if the world could remain within a frame like a painting on a wall

Then I think we would see the beauty then, we would stand staring in awe
At our still lives posed like a bowl of oranges
Like a story told by the fault lines and the soil

a photo from a year ago today

So after looking through my photos from Italy tonight for like 2 hours when I should have been sleeping, I was inspired to start posting one photo from a day exactly a year ago. It is crazy how much life changes in a year. We had just finished doing our 3-day entrance exams at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, so naturally, celebratin' was in order!

And now, a photo from this year! Allison and I went out on a sushi date in the Marina. Here's to new beginnings! One of those beginnings being a newfound love for sushi woooo

Is this real life?

It was 89 degrees in San Francisco today! It's amazing how much I feel like myself when I can wear 

flip-flops and a sundress. 

Allison and I walked down to the beach and watched the sunset. On our way back up we got a slice of pizza and ate it on a bus stop bench. It was quite lovely.

On my way home, the sky was so clear I could see the golden gate bridge, all lit up and looking like Christmas!

And now, I can hear my landlord snoring, who lives downstairs.

Life is funny.  

To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony

Raggiole

A beautiful TINY town in the tuscan countryside called Raggiole is where Alice's family owns a little country house. One fine summer day, Alice had to go water her garden, so she invited Brittani and I to come along! It was such a dream. You could stand in the backyard and have a conversation with someone on the other side of the mountain! Amazing :) :)

the litte town (cittadina) of Raggiole

bella lucia :)

Alice, gathering vegetables from her garden!! 

a Becca flower!

Cono's surprise party

Lucky for Lauren, her birthday landed at the end of finals, the end of the school year, and with nice weather!! Sooo, we decided to throw her a surprise party at a really cool spot right next to the Arno River. (water balloons and squirt-guns included.)

Preperations:

STEP 1: Make water balloons. (have some casualties. see photo below.)

STEP 2: Make birthday sign. (took me three tries but, like they always say, third time's the charm!)

STEP 3: Water balloon inspection by Teagan. CHECK! 

STEP 4: Properly equip everyone with a squirt-gun. (or two) 

STEP 6: Put your GAME FACE ON.

STEP 7: Brittani walked Lauren over to the spot while we all hid behind bushes. When she walked down towards us, we counted to three and bombarded her with water balloons and shot her with water guns. Let's just say she's a good sport. :)

this is the view from the spot we had the party!! Right on the water.

 FINAL STEP: PARTAAAY!!!

me and the birthday girl

danny, so mischievous. 

We even had a piñata!!

Officially one of the greatest days in Florence, for sure. Two days later Lauren hopped on a plane to fly back to California! 

A little about Lauren CONO:

Lauren and I actually met at the Study Abroad orientation in Long Beach waaay back in May of last year. We started talking, and both thought the other was really cool, haha. 

Jump forward to August, and we met again in Italy and Lauren became one of my closest friends (I guess we had good intuition). She is one of the most laid back, fun-loving girls I know, and was a HUGE part of my experience abroad--it wouldn't have been the same without her!! She is one of those people that everyone feels comfortable talking to and confiding in, and I can guarantee you that I have heard just about every guy in our program say "Cono's my girrrl!!" 

Cono (that's her last name) was right by my side in the hard times and the good times, and helped me grow as a person. Her and Brittani became my best girl friends here and I know that we will be friends for life! 

Brittani, Cono and I!

♥♥♥