five ways Hello Giggles ruined my life.

To say that I'm obsessed with Hello Giggles would probably be an understatement. I have tried time and time again to get others hooked too, but it just doesn't seem to be working. I post articles to my friends' walls... multiple times a week. I mention it in everyday conversation- while we're watching New Girl, whenever I happen to be mentioning my love for Zooey Deschanel. What else can I do? Maybe this will help to convince all four of the people in the world who read my blog (disclaimer: I am very content with that number) to follow the gigglers as blindly as I do.

1. They steal all of my thoughts.
Seriously, not a day goes by where I don't read something that has gone through my mind before. Somehow they manage to convey my thoughts better than I ever could. Everything I've ever thought about Call Me Maybe, right here. My thoughts on crafting (a.k.a my life)- here.  The truth about Melissa Mccarthy, this guy. I am now paranoid that every time I think a thought, it will end up on Hello Giggles within the next week, which leads me to...

2. They blog everything I'm going to before I do it.
A few weeks ago my suitemates and I made a fort, and I was going to write a blog about it. Because I like forts and think they're cool, so therefore I should blog about them obviously. I was in the middle of writing the post when I saw this- Fort Life. This is a true story, and also why I haven't blogged in quite a while. I literally think that they have implanted a camera into my brain and are watching the inner workings of my mind.

3. I now think that everyone thinks like me.
Since it has been affirmed that there are people in the world exactly like me, I now think that I am unoriginal. Okay, not really, but it does make me think that I can bring up things that pop into my head and that other people will understand. This is not so. Apparently not everyone is constantly thinking of how their life relates to episodes of Saved by the Bell or why ABC Family is genius like me and the ladies of HG.

4. I now realize that I will never be as awesome as Zooey Deschanel.
Hello Giggles was founded by Zooey Deschanel and her two BFFs Sophia Ross and Molly McAleer. Zooey participates in running this shindig while being hilariously quirky on TV, singing retro folky songs and hanging out with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Mindy Kaling. All I do is go to college. Lame.

5. I never look at anything else.
When I open my computer there are a number of sites that I check immediately, but I go to Hello Giggles last because I know that it will consume the rest of my day. In my many open tabs, there is always an HG article open for me to read next. I even have it saved as an app on my phone so that it is always accessible. I am not ashamed to say that I have a problem, because it is a disease that I wish would spread as girls like me take over the world. Too far?

it's a beautiful day.

Today is February 1. Today, it is also 61 degrees outside. I'm wearing a short-sleeve shirt with no jacket, and it's February. I can't decide whether I'm happy about this or not, because it's supposed to be the thick of winter. I should be wearing 20 layers and be able to see my breath. What if the flowers get confused and come out before they should and then winter actually does come and they all die? Why is this such a dilemma? I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm going to take advantage of this weather while it's here. Our campus is so pretty and there are a lot of things you can do when it's nice out, but these are the best:

just my friend Maria doing some "quadnastics"

Hang out on the Quad (duh). On the first nice day of spring, students are notorious for skipping classes to sit on the quad and do nothing. In the springtime, it's difficult to even walk to class without seeing someone you know and being tempted to stay outside with them. Whether you're playing frisbee, reading, or just staring at the mountains, it's impossible not to fall in love with the quad.

a peaceful nook downtown

Walk around Downtown. Our town may not be big, but it certainly is charming. Taking a stroll down South Main in the sunshine and passing The Yellow Button, Dave's and Cat's Cradle is a staple in the life of a Duke.

isn't it lovely? thanks google.

Go for a swim in Newman Lake.


...just kidding, I don't really want to die.

Now go outside and breathe some fresh air.

p.s- Something to help ease everyone's mind, T-Swift will NOT be playing Eponine. Who will, you may ask, be taking the part? Well that would be none other than Samantha Barks!  Thank you for coming to your senses Cameron Mackintosh! I dreamed a dream and it came true!

three things thursday!

here are three things that i'm loving this thursday:

it's awards season! thanks for the pic TLO

ingrid's new album!

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."

-Philippians 2:3-4

where you lead, i will follow.

One of my suitemates was home-schooled until college and also lived outside of the continental U.S for a good portion of her life. Because of this, there are a lot of things that she's never seen or heard of. For someone like me who constantly checks the Entertainment Weekly website and could tell you any useless fact that you wanted to know about the world of pop culture, this is basically a sin.

At the beginning of last semester she had never seen an episode of Gilmore Girls; not okay. Thankfully, we have two sets of the entire series in our suite, so that problem was easily solved. We started the journey through Lorelai and Rory’s lives, and it only took until the moment Dean steps onto the scene to get everyone hooked. We finished all seven seasons (154 episodes) of Dean’s hair, Jess’ mysterious ways, Luke’s dry wit and about 1,000 cups of coffee in one semester.

thanks for the picture!

One point even required us to have an intervention because Gilmore Girls was on too often in our common room. We might have watched seven episodes one Saturday. Maybe. It’s just really hard to stop watching when you know that something is about to go down in the Dean-Rory-Jess love triangle.

My dad likes to make fun of the show, saying that no one could ever think or talk that fast, but I find it hard to believe that anyone could actually dislike it. They think on their feet, which I think is perfectly normal. 

One of the many things that makes the show hard to hate is the set of characters. From Kirk to Paris to Mrs. Kim, there isn’t a character that is so annoying or infuriating that you want them to disappear from the show. Just when you think you can’t stand them anymore, they do something to pull you back in. Paris Geller may be one heck of an annoying person, but she is loyal to Rory and I would totally want her on my side if I were ever in a bad situation. She does know pretty much every martial art known to man after all. She would hurt you just for hating her.

It also must be kept in mind that this is the show that introduced the world to the geniuses that are Lauren Graham and Melissa McCarthy, although people like to think that McCarthy did nothing at all before Bridesmaids. She did; she was Sookie St. James and she was brilliant. And don’t even get me started on the fact that Lauren Graham never won an Emmy for being Lorelai Gilmore; I’m still not over it.

thanks for the picture!

Last Friday, we finally reached the end, and I’m pretty sure every one in the room cried at least a little. It’s the end of an era in the Retirement Home, and I’m happy to say that we will never be the same because of it. Now I can make all of the Gilmore references I want to and people will actually understand them now!

“Oi, with the poodles already.”

We were supposed to start Friends next (she’s never seen that either!), but we accidentally put in the first season of The O.C last night and are currently on episode seven. Oops. I’m the only one in suite who has seen it, so they are just now experiencing the greatness that is Seth Cohen. At last, my undying love for him is being understood.

So, thanks to Amy Sherman for her masterpiece and thanks to my suitemates for letting me share my obsessions with them and allowing us to live in Starshollow for a semester. And sorry to them for letting it take over their lives. 

p.s- Melissa McCarthy just got nominated for an Oscar! See- genius.

obsessed with emma.

the following are the top 6 reasons that i need to be best friends with emma stone:
6. I love her hair; I know she's naturally blonde but she's the perfect redhead.

5. She's a geek just like me! She made a powerpoint to convince her parents to move to Hollywood.
4. She's dating Andrew Garfield who I love and they walk around looking like this...

(seriously? so cute. thanks for the picture t-lo)

3. Easy A. I like to believe she wasn't acting at all throughout the entire movie and that's just how she is in real life. 

2. I love everything about her style. 

photos from emmastoneweb.com and justjared.com

1. Duh, she's hilarious. 

after the storm.

It's raining. It's cold. It's gray. I actually have homework, and I had to spend $300 on two books. Today is kind of the definition melancholy. On a day like today, you don't want to listen to music that will make you happy. Sometimes a little bit on gloom is good. So here's my gloomy day playlist.

1. The Chain- Ingrid Michaelson

2. Holocene- Bon Iver

3. Breathe Again- Sara Bareilles

4. Never Let Me Go- Florence & the Machine

5. The Dress Looks Nice On You- Sufjan Stevens

6. Stop This Train- John Mayer

7. Something- The Beatles

8. A Place in This World- Taylor Swift

9. Blue Lips- Regina Spektor

10. After the Storm- Mumford & Sons 

it's a love story, baby just say... no.

Dear Taylor Swift,
I want to start out by telling you that I think you're great. Really, I do. I've been to two of your concerts and have been thoroughly entertained both times. Even though you didn't pull out any super, surprise guests like at all of the rest of your concerts. Even though we were in the NATION'S CAPITAL, but really I'm not bitter.
I like you best when you're being witty(monologue song) and when you're toned down and acoustic("White Balnk Page" cover). I think your choice in Hollywood friends is awesome; I too would totally hang out with Emma Stone and Selena Gomez if I was given the chance.
I do have one beef with you though, completely excluding the fact that you dated John Mayer. You can NOT be Eponine in the upcoming film-version of Les Mis. I'm sorry if it has always been a dream of yours, but that is just not something that I can handle. It has been reported that you have been offered the role, and I have to ask what the director who already cast perfect people like Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman was smoking when he made the Eponine decision. I could maybe even (POSSIBLY MAYBE) see you as Cosette, but Eponine? I just can't handle that.
Once again I stress, I think you're great at what you do. I even think that you could be a good actress, but maybe start out in comedies? Besides Valentine's Day that is. You could just stick to writing songs for soundtracks like the Hunger Games song, that one is great! But Les Mis already has an grand soundtrack and I just really can not picture you singing "On My Own," granted you are good at the epic love song. Just leave this one to someone else... with brown hair, and a voice better suited to Broadway tracks.

Like maybe Samantha Barks?

Love, A Concerned Fan

(p.s- Check out my super awesome friend Maria's blog, A Year in the Life: Handstand Edition! She's doing a handstand a day in a different location for this whole year! So legit!)