I have never been able to read graffiti

If this graffiti says something terrible, I wouldn't know.  I doubt it's something shady because I took this picture on a high traffic street in San Francisco. Well, since I cannot decipher graffiti, I'm resigned to just admire it from a distance.
Life is le busy, but much better than last week.  Equally crazy, just more healthy I think.  Anyway, speaking of healthy and good things, when you get 5 minutes, check out this article.  Made me think of the church Mollination and I worked with when we went on choir tour after our senior year of high school.  It is also just Good.

What makes a photograph for you? What keeps you engaged with the picture?
Just wondering, you can comment or converse amongst yourselves :)
(however, your comments might help me apply photography theory just sayin'... help an amateur academic out!)



Back to reading and responding,
MJ

Real Simple = Future Housewife Fairy Godmothers Shining Down Upon Us

So, my Real Simple gets mailed to Indiana, meaning: I hadn't read the magazine ALL SUMMER!  In order to make up for this, I took my four issues, a pen, and a little note-pad and I got my Real Simple magazine on at B&N.  It inspired me to do this:

His and Hers salmon tostadas! Except for that the fact that they were just HERS tostadas.  I'm not ashamed... they were divine, plus who only eats one tostada anyway?  That's like only eating one taco.  It's okay, I had gone running that morning and I ate a banana that day, it cancels out any unhealthy-ness.

The closing pages of the book club

Hello bloggies! I have made it to the other side of the wedding-fest!  It is a happy place to be, but I do miss my sweet friends.  Both of the weddings were so... THEM! Blash had a visual array of pinks and Molly's had quirks and sweetness.  Very them :)  Anyway, I started using a new camera to capture these moments, and I don't know if I don't how to use it yet or if it just doesn't like me, so forgive me for washing-out, blurriness, or yellow/red tints to everything.  Yay for the besties and the Davids!

A little love for the baked goods trio!

If there is something Blake LOVES, it's David. And Blair's massages :)

Good bye Mrs. Spann!

Hermana is just really good looking.  I covet her hair, in a sane and healthy way :)

Mooooolllayyyy K. Levy... that is how you appear in my phone, minus a few vowels and plus a lot more consonants.

Every girl needs great besties.  Boys too for that matter :)  If I have little girls one day (Lord, please.... GIRLS.), I hope they have besties like Molly and Blake.  Until next time mes bloggz amies!

Waiting for the rain to clear up,
Mals.Jo.

I'm committed to...

Dear bloggees,

This semester, I have decided to make some super commitments, and I'm publishing them to the world to keep me accountable to them.  Hokay:

1. I am committed to my friendships at home.  I will call and keep those connections and make it clear I care about those people.

2. I am committed to calling my parents at least every other day to let them know everything is going well.

(Right, this picture isn't one of the Bible, but I didn't want to risk being too cheesy, so and I like this picture. Okay)

3. I am committed to daily Bible and prayer time in the mornings for 30 minutes.  This is always something I've been "committed" to, but no excuses this time, not for sleep, not for work, not for food.  For man lives on the Word that comes from God. (Matt. 4:4)

4. I am committed to investing in my life here.  I want to be a more active member of my church, of this Bloomie community, and of graduate school.  I will take the focus off of myself and think about others.

5. I am committed to fun! I will take time off from work.  I will sleep.  I will pursue relationships with friends and people in my cohort.  I will do the things I have always loved to do.

Also, I think I'm going to try a bit more things from the realm of cooking.  I am hopeful enjoying my life will help me thrive a bit more in graduate school.

Lastly, poached my first egg today.  I think I liked it, but I was so nervous the entire time I was making it, so perhaps I'll like it more next time.

Committing,
MJ

Back in Bloomie!

Boujour mes amies!

Oui oui! I have returned to the blogosphere! I doubt you missed me too terribly much since I got to see most of my readers whilst I was out, but I missed you! Well, I don't know how that logic works, but whatever, I missed connecting with you via (I'm pronouncing this vy-AH, for increased fun) internet!

Speaking of increased fun, Molly (my Ft. Worth counterpart) and I have vowed to have more fun this semester.  These vows are serious! Not as serious as Molly's upcoming nuptials, but nonetheless, very real!

So, I'm back here working on schedules, organizing, and junk, but the winter wonderland is making it quite difficult!  I bought an industrial(y) snow thing and brush deal for my car today.  It's actually no big deal up here, but down in the Promised Land, people would think it was overkill.  Which is why I miss the Promised Land, because you don't need to spend 5 ish minutes getting snow off your car.  I prefer rain.

Well, the people asked, and I am a deliverer, but not with a capital D.  I have pictures of the blankets of snow, but because of the lack of internet connection, I can't put them up quite yet.  Most likely you will get high(ish) quality winter shots of my winter adventures starting tomorrow!

Using a swiffer broom to get snow off my car,
MJ

CONGRATS Davids and my besties!

Everyone is engaged!! Congrats loveys!

what grad school looks like

(on a bad day, well, not so bad, but on a tough day!)
inspired by Molly's good day entry

Taylor Swift.  A lot of Taylor.  Actually, not that much, cause I can't read and listen to music with lyrics.  But I can write and listen to music with lyrics, so when I have writing to do and I'm home alone.  It's me and Taylor!  And tea...mmm tea.

Also this picture is two things: how I need Taylor for some extra fun in my life, and how I feel about the research term papers (very plural) ON TOP of all the assigned reading.  I may read more books this year than I read in all four years of undergraduate.  I'd bet money on it.