Oakland

I spending the next four weeks at a summer art course in oakland, right near Frisco. I'm super excited, my roommate's adorable, and everyone seems super interesting and creative. Here are a few quick blurry snapshots.

dinosaur blanket, unpacking, more unpacking, my desk!, my monster wash clothe friend ( he rawrs the dirt away) I apologize for the distinct lack of outfits in all of my recent posts, if you read for that. If you don't, then ignore that...

"A guilty conscience needs to confess. A work of art is a confession"
-Albert Camus

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Left my heart (and wallet) in venice!

The first time I visited Venice two years ago, I hated it. It was the first city we landed in, it was dirty and gross and mildewy and cramped and dark. Now after visiting it the second time, I love it! Its romantic and beautiful and sensual. I love the feel of it. Everything feels beautiful. I loved watching the boats glide through the murky canal waters. I loved the look of the water lapping at the base of ancient, decreipt looking buildings. It all had so much character. I love that canals replace streets, and everyone has a boat. I love how more and more convoluted it becomes as you approach the center, as if the city is slowly sucking you in, trapping you in its musty fumes. I feel like that sentence kind of made me seem like a prick, but it's accurate. something about Venice is so moody, filled with a beautiful melancholy.

Venice at night, shells on the beach, gondola ride, old doorway, bridge, more Venice!

"A realist, in Venice, would become a romantic by mere faithfulness to what he saw before him"

-Arthur Symons

Firenze

     inappropriate graffiti, replica of David (can't take pictures of the real one or of the slaves), adorable teenaged itaian couple, ponte vecchio, same cute italian couple except older in the future?, fun little italian woman sitting outside la accedemia by some bikes.

      I love florence! Its possibly my favorite city, next to San Francisco. I love the feel of it. Less gritty than Rome, and absolutely beautiful. The history is amazing. All the famous painters! Florence is where the Medici's are from. And Dante and Botticelli. Florence back in the renaissance was such a powerful, important city, and you can just feel it in the air. I splurged on a leather jacket, it'll be my big purchase for the trip. For dinner we went to a beautiful tuscan villa, where we sipped champagne in their rose garden, gazing out at the sun soaked villa. Its run as a little bed and breakfast. It was originally a summer home for an Austrian duchess, and now her great granddaughter runs it. I would love to be born into that family sheesh. Just being in florence makes feel important. Like looking at all those amazing, historical places makes me more important too. But it also makes me feel really small. In awe of the accomplishments of these people. I saw michealango's David, but I like his unfinished slaves best. They're called the slaves because of the positions they're in. They're bodies are contorted, they're unfinished muscles bulging. They're slaves literally fighting to emerge from the marble blocks they're trapped in. I love the passion in them. It seems like everything these ancient people left behind here vibrates and pulsates with such beauty and passion. I want to create something with the same energy.

"Beauty awakens the soul to act"
-Dante  aligheiri  

When in Rome

               Im very sorry for not posting in Italy! Wifi was rarely free and and I had absolutely no time. My two days in Rome were quite interesting. Rome is a gritty, dirty city but I love it. Graffiti's everywhere, mixed in with all the old crumbling monuments and buildings. There's so much history, everywhere you look. Jen's not as big of a fan. She says it's too dirty and reminds her too much of downtown LA. Yesterday we wandered around after dinner with this super nice   
older Australian couple and got completely lost. We found ourselves in the middle of a gay pride park! It was so colorful and fun, and I can definitely say the gay community is alive and thriving in Rome! Today the streets close early because there's a massive gay pride parade (I've never even been to a gay pride parade in California and I'm about to get caught in one in Rome). While wandering we also ran into some italian hookers, one standing
on the sidewalk in a seductive pose, hair piled on top of her head, wind blowing around her black dress, and garish lipstick smeared on her face. The other one sat on a car in the alleyway, cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Today we saw the Vatican and Sistine chapel. It's all so overwhelming, but I love the figures. I also have an unhealthy obsession with michealango's pieta. Like. I think it's possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen or experienced. It's angelic. Evidently, lady gaga's playing at the euro pride parade tonight. They're setting up for an outdoor concert. Massive tents and stages filled with hip dancers practicing amongst the ruins of huge roman palaces, built for the imperial family of roman gods and goddesses. Talk about the old and the new. Anyways, Saturday night I headed to the gay pride parade. Lady gaga was performing, but we only caught the end of it. While talking to a tour guide earlier that day, she mentioned that the gay pride movement was something relatively new to Italy, and not always that accepted. So wandering around the streets after the concert was like seeing a whole different, underground part of the city I'd never see at the touristy places. There were people in such crazy outfits. One girl was totally topless, covered in glitter, with a gladiator skirt. I also got my bum pinched by transvestite. Which is something not everyone can say, I suppose. Would you like to know a fun fact? The pope, the leader of religion founded by a man who endorsed giving up all your possessions, has all his little red pope shoes made by prada. So much for a life of poverty, huh?

city streets, pride park, vatican ceiling, so many weddings at the colosseum!, my beautiful cousin and I at the colosseum, spanish steps, stylish italian woman, cafe, old and probably important building structures.

first outfit:
shirt: Urban Outfitters
white jeans: pac sun many years ago?
head scarf: my mother's
Second outfit:
Shirt: Urban Outfitters
Skirt: Consignment shop in downtown, it used to be to my ankles I had it hemmed
sunglasses: forever 21
Shoes: thrift town
"as a rule, men worry more about what they can't see, than what they can"

-Julius Caesar

Up, up, and awaaaaaaay!

I'm sitting in Sacramento airport, waiting for my flight! I've come prepared, of course. I had a yogurt parfait for breakfast at the airport and am now working on a phineas and ferb blendy pen coloring book I found in a souvenir store. I find it really amusing that there's a Capitol marketplace souvenir shop in sac airport. It's filled with little jars filled with flakes of "real gold!" and shirts emblazoned with fun facts about California's Capitol city! As if this place is a huge tourist gold mine. I can imagine travelers from all over the country, no, all over the world marveling over these little jars of real sutters fort gold and novelty shot glasses. But I digress. I was very, very tempted to buy a trashy magazine at the little stand near the terminal, but I settled on the economist instead. Sigh.
My books for the 11+ hour flight include:
The Virgin Suicides
On the Road
The Feminine Mystique
This Side of Paradise
And John greens new novel, of which I can't remember the name.
I plan to spend the whole flight reading and listening to my iPod. I've compiled my official 2011 summer playlist and here it is, in case you're curious:
Dog days are over-Florence and the machine
Bright side-the soft pack
L.e.s. Artistes-santigold
Little lion man- Mumford and sons
Weekend wars- mgmt
Paloma negra- chavela Vargas
High flying bird- Judy henske
Take it easy- eagles
June on the west coast- bright eyes
You can't hurry love- the supremes
Howlin for you- the black keys
Blackbird-the Beatles
1983- neon trees
Gold lion- yeah yeah yeahs
Damnit Anna- the morning benders
Here comes the sun-the Beatles

Here's my plane outfit! Nice and comfy. I have a big purple sweater to layer over it too
Pants: jolt
Tank top: j crew
Watermelon shirt: American eagle

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”
-Maya Angelou

Lady Sings the Blues

I took photos yesterday at Justin's house. They turned out pretty sweet.

Basically spent the day doing laundry and sleeping. Then spent the evening listening to records, eating taco bell, and taking pictures. I'm all packed for my Italy adventures, taking off in one day! I'm pretty excited. Last time I travled I was really too young to soak it all in. Now I want to absorb it like a sponge, pushing the boundaries of my brain out further. They say travel teaches you about yourself. We'll see, I suppose.

lacey shirt: Charlotte Russe
top: Urban Outfitters
pants: Macy's
lipstick: Chanel, Gabrielle

"Hell is yourself and the only redemption is when a person puts himself aside to feel deeply for another person"
-Tennessee Williams

Hazy Days

It is June 4 and pourrrrring down cold rain. For California's central valley, this weather is ridiculous. For the past week, the weather has been cloudy, hazy, humid, and quite gloomy. This past week has similarly passed in sort of a daze. I've been in somewhat of a  sleep deprived stupor due to baccaleurate, graduation, graduation parties, a tahoe trip, and several late night adventures (often involving parks and tricycles, for some reason). I'm so glad to be done, although as a highschool grad I don't feel much different. Sometimes I wonder how big of a change it really is. Anyway, here's some snapshots:

Dillon an I before graduation

Red velvet cupcakes made for my grad party by my lovely sister in law

I found a spiderman tricycle at Walmart, I wanted it so ridiculously bad.

I actually wheeled around walmart for like twenty minutes. It was awesome.

Looking indecisive in Barnes and Noble

This is the huge pile of books in my room that I have bought, but not yet had time to read. I have so many books. I never need anymore books, ever again. So what is the first thing I do with my graduation money?

I promptly spend 50 dollars of it on pretty, shiny new books. I went in the store for one (the virgin suicides) and came out with four. Hopefully I will get these read on the plane.

I found this super awesome poster at dimple this morning. I love the artwork style. It's beautiful.

Finally, it is so cold outside that we had to put Frida's fleecy sweater on. It has a little hood for when we go on walks in the rain. She's curled up on my lap with it on, currently.

I leave Thurday for Italy! I've already started packing, I am so freaking excited. I absoluetly can't wait.

"Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain."

-Billie Holiday