twelfth night

Welcome to my little corner of the world. It isn't much, but it sure is cozy here. I doubt you, lovely reader, have found yourself here by chance or a great twist of fate. I most likely know you. Or you know me. But I'm sure you don't know everything about me. I once read in my dictionary of proverbs (yes, I have one of those) that "to whom we love the best, to them we say the least." Well, you may not agree with that, but I find it, as the months go by, increasingly true. So, the reader, whom I cherish and love dearly, I give you 12 things you probably didn't know about... whatever you will

1st: Out of the spontaneous and adventurous spirit that I have invested in myself, I started this blog on whim at 6 in the morning on a summer Thursday. I can never follow a normal sleeping pattern in the summer, which is an unfortunate and fateful aspect that distorts my social calender and restricts me from having real fun during the day. But, as an upside, I definitely get more thinking in than most.

2nd: I have a confession to make. I don't really love you. Maybe I do, but I cannot say I know what love means. It is one of those words that is always carelessly tossed around in society until a special someone comes along and tells says "I love you," and everything changes. Or at least I hope that is how love works. If only things were that simple...

3rd: I really enjoy the works of this man:

If you are not familiar with him, his name is William Shakespeare. Does that ring a bell? The writer was born in 1564, and completed most of his 38 plays between his late 20's and early 50's before dying in 1616. He was rather sexist in his works, portraying women as weak characters that needed men for stability. I cannot blame him however, because it was characteristic of the time when a woman could not even act on stage.

4th: I live in a suburb. Now, you might know this, or you might not. You might even live in the same suburb. I can say, though, I live in one of the nearest suburbs to New York City and my house is approximately 200 yards from the city line. When I say "city," don't automatically envision walking under the lights of Time's Square, a suite overlooking Park Avenue, or shopping on 5th. New York City has Manhattan, yes, but we also have Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn.
I generally don't frequent the other boroughs unless I am visiting a zoo, aquarium, science center, museum, or other educational establishment. My parents feel it is rather unsafe. I would really like to do some tutoring in the South Bronx, but alas, I am not allowed. However, I am allowed to visit my favorite museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art every so often, which brings me to my next subject.

5th: While I definitely can boast more talent than most people with the pencil or paintbrush, I am not at all a conventional artist. I however do enjoy art and art through history. This painting by Charles Wilson Peale shows a young George Washington around 1772 with both of his hands hidden in the painting.

Being incredibly invested in American anthropology, I did wonder why he and so many others often only had one hand that showed in paintings. It turns out, our first president was also a bargain hunter. To paint a hand in a picture, it would cost significantly more during the pre-Revolution era. If you didn't wish to pay so much, an artist could hide your hands for you in the painting. Clever, no?

6th: My favorite place in the world is not some exotic Caribbean island. It is not a resort in Europe. No, my favorite place is one that people pass by each day without ever realizing how special it really is. Mine is the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Not only is it situated in one of the nicest and most exclusive communities in the best city on earth, the Met boasts that it has enough pieces in its collections that you could stand and look at a piece for one minute each for five years and still never view every work that the Met has to behold. That does seem kind of intimidating, but I really tend to shy away from ethnic art, including the African gallery, opting for my favorites: the 18th and 19th Century gallery, the American Portrait gallery, and the Costume Institute. Once I have graduated college and have a job, I would love to live in one of those beautiful townhouses in close proximity to the lovely Met exterior and Central Park.

7th: I really enjoy interior and fashion design and styling. I like the idea of being able to do something yourself that you can be proud of. So many people see the design industry as a powerhouse of frivolity, but I must ask, where else would you get your clothes? As long as there are laws against public nudity, clothes will always be in style. Perhaps sometime I will post one of my creations. I am planning on making toile quilts to add some vintage European flair to my bedroom. I hope they turn out as well as quilts I have made in the past.

8th: I like to think of myself as a tasteful individual. I don't drink or smoke or do drugs like some of my peers do. I would never wear sweatpants to school. I shower daily (that was a given).
I have yet to crack open the pages of a CosmoGIRL at the drugstore because I find magazines with such socially liberal tendencies to be utterly distasteful. If you are looking for a tasteful newsstand read, do not pick up The New York Post, People, Star, Us Weekly, or J-14. I opt for The New York Times, Vogue (American or British), Teen Vogue, and sometimes InStyle.
I don't eat meat either. I find meat to be utterly distasteful. Methane from the meat industry is the number one cause of the accelerated rate of global warming. It also happens to be laden with preservatives and saturated fats, not to mention, it is a little gross.

9th: I get very into celebrating things. That means I wear the colors of the American flag on July 4th and slightly excessive amounts of red and green when the holidays come rolling around. But it also means that I wear all green on St. Patric's Day and make cold coca in my PJ's to celebrate Christmas in July. Speaking of which, Christmas is today. Christmas in July, that is.

10th: I am mildly obsessed with anything classic. Classic music, classic clothing, classic literature... and the list goes on. If it doesn't look classic, it better look like it. I guess I am a tad picky sometimes.


11th: I absolutely adore the Beatles, my favorite band. Half the band may not be around anymore, but their music lives on in the hearts and heads of millions.


12th: I am always chewing gum. While eating is nice, I prefer to aim at single-handedly trying to sustain the chewing gum industry. Personally, I think I do a rather good job at it.


"And what here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend." -Romeo and Juliet