day 180

sometimes i wonder if i don't remember things because i'm not supposed to remember them

day 179

umm not sure if you guyz know this about me, but i really love california a lot,

so this necklace (clearly you can see is in the shape of california) was a damn good find at the melrose flea market

++++

also, from yesterday:

that would be me, 2nd row far right

just click here, child!

day 178

ladies and gentlemen, last night i spent my evening with ryan gosling.

i mean we MIGHT AS WELL have been hanging out, but if you want to get technical, okay fine i just went to see his band play a show. dead man's bones.

i expected it to be really lame

BUT the music was actually very good. i'm telling the truth!

AND the show was really really awesome because it had the following things:

• free cotton candy AND snowcones
• marionettes
• magic shows!
• a children's choir
• a 50s prom theme!!

that's all. now you can spend the next ten minutes of your life admiring my shoes in the above picture

day 177

paula taught me how to say one thing in polish

o boze! = oh dear!

i can pronounce it impeccably

day 176

photo taken on paula's fancy iphone

remind me to never read another trashy celebrity gossip magazine again.

i've looked at way too many in the past few days and it's starting to affect my outlook on life.

the emphasis on dieting is F U C K I N G R I D I C U L O U S and i can't stand the idea of "celebrity" anyway

plus i'd rather spend my time doing other things like eating black and white cookies and drinking lucky charms milk!!!!!!

day 175

morning: walked to jamba juice and target

afternoon: ranked fruits in order of favorite

night: hollywood blvd

also, now that i have my camera cord, i'll be able to update this everyday

++++

"i tried but

it rang and rang,

i called all night,

on a payphone, remember those?

from another life"

day 174

(the neighbors kept trying to interrupt this self-timer photo by screaming in russian)

on this day i:

walked to whole foods,

got groceries,

put them away,

walked to melrose,

shopped a little too much okay okayyy, melrose is my favorite place to shop so it's understandable that i'd want to buy a COUPLE of things,

drank a white chocolate ice blended coffee for the third day in a row,

decided i'd spent too much money/was having a hard time telling myself no,

and walked back.

but then later i went to american apparel and met this girl who is basically me in another body. she works with a non-profit organization that is based in art therapy for suicide awareness. and she gave me her card with her personal website which is amazing (see for yourself).

i think this one is my favorite of the mixed media:

anyway i was really happy to have met her because usually i don't feel connections with people and it was immediately after i had just received some bad news and was feeling very hurt.

universe, congratulations, you worked in my favor today.

day 173

today i spent way too much of my limited time on this earth watching an america's next top model marathon on television.

day 172

june 21st: the first day of summer :o)

but also exactly 6 months after my babygirl mimzy died :o(

(^photo from november 2009)

IN HAPPIER NEWS, in the top picture i am enjoying the MOST DELICIOUS DRINK IN THE WORLD PROBABLY. i didn't mean to do two food/drink-item pictures in a row but i have been thinking about this drink since the last time i had it in october.

it's WHITE CHOCOLATE ICE BLENDED COFFEE from coffee bean!!!!!!!!**@@

after getting it, i walked back to paula's apartment and read "diets that work!" while enjoying my 2000 calorie beverage.

no offense to the company that has provided my only source of income for the past year but coffee bean has mastered the white chocolate ice blended coffee beverage. no one else. it's so delicious.

ALSO i walked around a lot, down santa monica and la cienega and eventually to melrose. to get anywhere in this city without a car you have to put in a bit of legwork, which is completely fine because i love walking by myself.

notable occurences:

1. paula's neighbors not only openly staring at me but also raising one eyebrow as i walk by.

2. i saw a savannah cat!!! i saw it sitting in someone's window, and it looked like it was only a little smaller than garp! they're crossbred domestic and wild cats, are banned in a few states (!), and cost like $10,000 maybe $20,000, i can't remember and don't feel like looking it up. but i was excited to see one.

day 171

(((FINALLY got my camera cord so i can continue with this project.)))

this picture sort of SUCKS. we only took two, one with flash and one without.

but i mean naturally my first day in california i'd love to be photographed with the trendiest yogurt in town!

and this was after we saw a documentary about the mormon church. ridic, y'all.

ANYWAY if you didn't know, sunny los angeles MIGHT be my favorite city (maybe chicago) but any big city will do.

day 170

this is the 4th lucky dreamcatcher i've gotten from the greenwood flea market.

the others have been broken/lost/eaten by pets but i'll keep buying them because they're only $5 and LUCKY.

tomorrow, i leave for california.

day 169

morning: clueless on television and blueberry picking

afternoon: swimming, homemade iced chai, and making my boyfriend a mix cd

day 168

"but just don't ask about my appetite

i didn't lose it tonight

it's been gone half my life"

day 167

i was falling through the darkness, then

on a long journey towards the end

a single wish for a hopeful sign

and then i felt your hand grab mine

day 166

i forced myself to get out of bed to take this picture, then immediately crawled back in bed to post it. i'll probably be doing a youtube tutorial of that chic hairstyle later.

some of you might be wondering, lizzie, isn't this the 4th time you've been sick since february?

yes, like i explained, OHH i don't know two weeks ago when i was sick, my immune system is basically non-existent lately.

although i've been really very appreciative of the accessibility of showers, kleenex and medicinal drugs, and i've been taking complete advantage of my television by watching purple rain, pretty little liars (so bad! so good!) and behind the music: christina aguilera, I'D RATHER BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD IN TENNESSEE. that sentence was run-on, but it gets the point across.

bonnaroo, i complain about how hot and gross you make me, but i miss you when you're not around.

here's a video of the avett brothers' talk on indolence.

i was 4 ROWS BACK and yessss it was raining.

sooo good

!!

day 165

i came home to find this silly little addition to our household^^^

somewhere between saturday and sunday i was cursed with a horrible sinus infection, which has progressed to aches ALL OVER MY BODY and a disoriented mind.

i'd really love to write more about my bonnaroo experience but all i want to do now is sleep.

day 164

bonnaroo part 4

favorite musical performance:

john fogerty

remind me next year to bring way more cash so i can indulge in some tie-dye dresses and more fried snickers.

i have a whole roll of film to develop so i may be posting those here or at least on fb

day 163

bonnaroo part 3

favorite musical performance:

langhorne slim

and

the avett brothers

day 162

bonnaroo part 2

favorite musical performance:

the national

and

kings of leon

also click here: i'm the first one on the slideshow

day 161

bonnaroo part 1

"return to the festival of dirty hippies, fried food, and amazing bands"

favorite musical performance:

manchester orchestra

day 160

i certainly must be the most nervous traveler to have ever existed.

and oh my god right now this 365 day project is taking up valuable time when i could be doing other things like pacing back and forth in my room, wondering what to pack and worrying about what i've already forgotten.

but since the internet is down at my house i have to do this at starbucks (i JUST NOW took that picture. no one noticed.) and last night i used the internet at my boyfriend's apartment because more than 4 days is really too long to go without updating!

i'm leaving for bonnaroo tomorrow. it would be VERY inconvenient for me to forget something because i can't just run down to the store to pick up a product from my complicated skin care routine. i mean, i'm in the middle of nowhere and can't leave once i'm there. it's a perfectly acceptable reason for feeling anxious.

also whenever i take car trips that are longer than two hours i need to bring at least six options of activities to keep busy with. (examples: books, magazines, puzzle books, knitting supplies, ipod, a magnetic board game set that my nephew left at my house and now it's mine, etc.)

also i'd love to go into detail about how stressful packing outfits is but i really need to go buy some tent seam sealer and some batteries.

naturally, i won't be updating this until i get back from bonnaroo.

+++

i added some words to those two posts that i skipped, day 157 and 158

day 159

and now i am home!

(and getting ready to leave again)

day 158

one thing i like to do at my grandma's house, besides watch House Hunters and Say Yes to the Dress in multiple-hour intervals, is look at pictures. most are displayed on cabinets in frames or on the refrigerator but this one ^ i found in a dusty pile on what used to be the tv stand. i can't understand why she wouldn't want to display it... her four favorite impossibly beautiful grandchildren who all look like they woke up no more than 20 minutes before this photo was taken.

i flew home on this day. i've always loved flying on clear days- to watch everything below: bodies of water that stretch on forever, streaky rows of farm plots, each metropolis just an electrical circuit, the roads just tiny worms winding through the earth. i love to follow cars along the streets with my eyes, knowing that each tiny dot has their own wishes and worries that have absolutely nothing to do with mine.

day 157

another sample conversation likely to be had by Betty McMillan and a stranger of some sort, usually an employee at a store or a waitress but sometimes just a man who holds the door open for her. the conversation can start any number of ways but almost always reaches this point:

grandma: *huffing and puffing in whatever chair she can find, loudly exclaims*: i'm 97 years old!

stranger: ooohhh/ ahhh/ wow you look great!

grandma: *pause* ...and i live by myself!

stranger: oh wow that's amazing!! how incredible!

*my grandma proudly grinning to show what teeth she has left*

stranger: and here's your change, $92.41. (because of course my grandma paid with $100 bill)

grandma: ....and i'm a cancer survivor of 45 years!

any small act of kindness can set off this conversation/declaration of her age. this has been going on at least since she was 92.

day 156

VERY LATE UPLOAD.

on this day i went to oshkosh to see my grandparents (from my dad's side!)

and then green bay for a GARDEN SHOW hah

day 155

i'm back at starbucks for some much needed a l o n e t i m e

and wi-fi and iced tea and checking my bank account.

i think after this i'm going to walk over to the BEST frozen custard place. wisconsin has so many of these. culver's is good (the major chain) but i've always loved mack's.

my cousin and i used to take walks there while listening to aqua and tori amos on our walkmen. i know, i know, i have great taste in music.

it's one of my fave wisconsin summer memories y'all

tomorrow we're taking another mini-trip to oshkosh and green bay. usually i like car rides but not when i'm engulfed with the scent of old lady and when i can't really say anything without my grandma mishearing it and then repeating it to each and every relative.

luckily i have the following things to occupy me on the ride:

1. a giant word-puzzle book

2. two novels (and it's a really good thing i brought two, considering i haven't finished a book in at least a year, it's very likely that i'll not only finish one within just a week but also have time to start another one! glad i thought ahead!)

3. a magazine i just bought with megan fox on the cover. perhaps you aren't aware of my obsession with megan fox, but we'll keep it that way.

day 154

in a troll-themed city...

notable occurence on this day:

when my mom asked my grandma what she wanted to do with the rest of her sandwich, she replied "stick it up your ass"

day 153

greetings from starbucks in waukesha!

i had to come here to use the internet and luckily there's one very close to my grandma's house

(*$ taking over the world)

i just took this picture of myself in the lobby. i don't think anyone around me noticed.

yesterday i went to my cousin's house to hang out in her zoo (donkey picture ^^^^) and also meet my tiny new cousin luna!

she's adorable and slightly resembles a cabbage-patch doll.

staying in waukesha has been interesting.

my grandma, in her 97 years of age, has VERY selective hearing. when i first arrived (two days ago) i spent approximately 10 minutes explaining how our trip went, what we did in madison, etc.

then, she paused and said "i didn't hear a damn word you just said."

i've been conditioned to just not speak to her at all, because by the third time you repeat yourself, the words have lost any emotion that they might have once held.

generally, she seems very confused.

to demonstrate, here are some sample conversations::

grandma: you should see the size of that baby's legs! *indicates short distance with hands*

mom: i thought it was a really long baby

grandma: it is long, mary

and

where's that hanging basket?

i didn't buy a hanging basket mary!

you told me you bought a hanging basket from joan

i did, mary!

i'm really looking forward to a day-trip with my mom, grandma, and aunt donna to the mustard museum (yes, seriously).

my grandma and aunt donna do not, have never, and never will get along. they've both already threatened to not go if the other one goes.

okay i'm done with my tall soy no-water chai in a for-here mug.

i think i'll spend a few minutes looking up elephant skin disease and where to find kiehl's products in milwaukee, and i'll be returning to bluebird terrace shortly.

i'll try to not go more than two days without updating because then i forget what happens and don't feel like doing it and not finishing this 365 day project would be the ultimate failure

+++++

I FORGOT THAT YESTERDAY I DYED MY HAIR. it's lighter and straight for the moment.

day 152

downtown madison, wisconsin

drinking an aloha pineapple

holding my new shins record

AND THAT'S THE STATE CAPITOL IN THE BACKGROUND!