photo diary 9

Please don't forget the simple and little ways that I loved you so.

c'est la vie

shirt: H&M/ skirt: H&M/ shoes: Urban Outfitters/ hat: thrifted

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I am more aware of the seasons than ever before. The other morning, I took a walk in the woods near by at seven in the morning when the sun was not yet up. It was very dark and quite scary. I ended up not even enjoying the walk as I fast walked back towards my house where I could see some light. But without darkness, you cannot see the light. I am beginning to feel lazy and uninspired again...yet I must continue on despite my lack of energy. I must study French, literature, essays, words, and for tests and it all feels impossible to finish and comprehend....these days I feel older, but not much wiser.

caramel mocha

I cut my hair!

boots:Urban Outfitters / everything else: thrifted or from mom's closet (haha...) / lips:Revlon Colorburst matte balm in striking spectaculaire.

My friends described my outfit today as a very milky coffee...yum.

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my parents when they were itty bitty

Right now my obsession are turtlenecks, which is funny because i used to absolutely detest turtlenecks! (Speaking of which, I must post more fashion posts...I plan to post an outfit of the day tomorrow)  But now that is all I wear because it is so so cold (since when did the Midwest become Russia??). The last three days of school have been cancelled due to the snow and extremely cold weather. I've just been working and relaxing when I can. Again, I woke up early and took a walk outside in the midst of the snow. I didn't even notice the cold really for I was bundled up so well. Sometimes when I'm walking I like to repeat the mantra "a-ri-ga-to" which means thank you in Japanese. A few summers ago I went to a meditation session with a monk at a temple deep in the mountains and forest. He gave me a lucky rock which I often cast my wishes upon...Lastly, recently I have been listening non-stop to opera, arias, and Bach. I would like to see another opera soon...the last one I watched was Carmen. It was wonderful. Now I am currently reading: Walden by Thoreau. 

mood board: winter wanderer

books and socks

Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov// this book was naturally very creepy...yet the language and words were so intriguing and captivating. It was not an easy read, that's for sure. It was almost like a poem written in prose...Nabokov used a lot of flowery language and imagery that sometimes made me lost but also captured the essence of the novel and characters very well. I still have yet to watch the film.

My Antonia, Willa Cather// Just finished this novel yesterday, and I loved it! It's a beautiful coming of age story set in the deep West during the late 1800s to the early 1900s. I quickly found myself very attached to the characters; especially the narrator, Jim Burden (who is telling the story as he recalls his childhood memories which is revolved around one central person, Antonia) Nevertheless. I could not put the book down. Again, I am excited to watch the movie starring young Neil Patrick Harris!

It, Alexa Chung//Oh Alexa, how I adore you! Alexa Chung being the flawless person that she is, is my ultimate style icon. So when she published this book, I couldn't not have "it" (haha get it?...) Anyways, the book is absolutely charming and lovely. It's more of a scrapbook, really. Filled with pictures and art work she talks about her life as the ultimate "it" girl, her style icons, advice, and much more! It's a perfect book for your coffee table, just the kind of thing you want to flip through while sipping a steaming pot of tea.

A Farewell to Arms,Ernest Hemingway//Without giving too much away, if anything could break my heart, it's this book. Classic Hemingway style, much of it is written in dialogue form. The phrases are so sweet, beautiful, and romantic that my whole book is pretty much underlined with the quotes. One of my favorites is, "I'm afraid of the rain because sometimes i see me dead in it."

The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath// This is one of my favorite books. It was the first Sylvia Plath book I read, and the one that made me fall in love with her. This semi-autobiographical novel is dark and torturing. Yet there is something so relatable about it that I connected with it very deeply. Plath is a phenomenal writer and this novel shows that she is not just a poet but also a stunning novelist. I feel like girls in general will be able to relate to this book more-it's a must read.

Miss Lonelyhearts, Nathaneal West// This book includes two short stories by West, however I have only read "Miss Lonelyhearts." This story is very grotesque and dark, but also enlightening. This quick read grabs your attention from th very first sentence all the way to the last. Told in a creative way, this story was haunting...it's a quick read, but has a lasting impact.

♡ All socks are from tutuanna ♡

(I will perhaps add an old essay I wrote comparing "A Farewell to Arms" and "Miss Lonelyhearts" for a more in-depth analysis (with spoilers!))