link love

a little irony for your Sunday evening

This week was a rainy one in NC. Today we've finally had sun (although... I actually love the rain, so maybe I shouldn't say "finally") and I've been itching to get out but it's rough right now with the pain and with the meds and with the side effects of the meds. I've tried to completely stop pain meds, sort of against my doctors' advice (they just think I should not be in pain if I don't have to, which is fair, but I'm scared of pain meds). But the nausea meds knock me out. Which is great at night, though, because I've got trouble sleeping. Although... the last two or three nights have been odd. I'll lay down and start reading and can't go more than twenty minutes. Maybe I need a different book? 

Or maybe I need to spend less time on the internet? I admit I've been staying on later and later. But sometimes it's hard to look away when there's just so much. LIKE:

This most excellent Harry Potter quiz, of course. I got Hermione Granger the first time I took it a few days ago, but when I retook it just now, I totally got Albus Dumbledore. Win. (Speaking of Buzzfeed quizzes, did you see how you can make your own quiz and have your friends take it? My friends all took the quiz about me, and the most they got right was THREE QUESTIONS. For comparison, on theirs I got 4, 6, and 7 right, so... suck it.)

I've been craving adventure a little bit lately. On the next sunny day when I'm feeling good I'm going to take my kayak out. And one day... one day maybe I'll be brave enough to ride a motorcycle on the edge of a mountain. Probably not. But it is fun to watch. Also adventurous.. tattoos! I plan on getting a second tattoo one day and it will most likely be HP-related, so I enjoyed scrolling through these. I love the Weasley's car in the whomping willow!!!!!

I cannot get over this bachelor (...or I guess, contestant). He looks like the lovechild of Ashton Kutcher and Shia LaBeouf, with a dash of Dax Shepard for good measure. 

I am feeling dreadful about the upcoming election, so I almost hate to talk about it. But I can't avoid it altogether and sometimes I wouldn't want to, like in the case of this woman's obituary, which claims Ms. Mary Anne chose to go be with God rather than vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Can't. And as someone who is still hoping Bernie will win, I liked this article about his great chances of beating Trump (with wider margins than Hillary can hope for) and this one that says Clinton supporters should really stop bullying Sanders supports for not jumping on the bandwagon.

Equally frustrating as the election: Drew, a tv show about.. you got it, Nancy Drew, is not going to air. Why? Because it's "too female." Yeah.

Happier things, happier things.. Meg at Pierced Hands is one of my favorite bloggers. I loved her recent post about the nature of the Holy Spirit. Click on over. (I also loved the Disney short movie that she included. Adorable.)  

I enjoyed this article over at Verily which talks about ways exercise can help women specifically. (Also, Verily is on fire. Check out these cute work outfits! And this article about singleness and Jane Austen!)

This new show, Speechless, looks good. And I love Minnie Driver. 

LOVED this article about Charles Dickens' ability to come up with names for his characters. You know I love names. And writing. Best of both. 

I laugh at most of the hashtag segments on The Tonight Show. This one about weird neighbors did not disappoint. 

I'm not too ashamed to admit that I watch and thoroughly enjoy Grey's Anatomy. I liked this article over on Slate about why it's actually a good show. (Although we don't have to pretend it's the stuff of giants.)

Lady Gaga posted an image and talked about the Eucharist, and a bunch of Catholics (and other Christians) went crazy. They basically went on about how she's not a true Catholic and we shouldn't be happy about her and that she shouldn't be receiving the Eucharist at all... ugh. I liked this counter argument. 

I'm crushing on this book, these sandals, and this dress.

And to wrap this up - if you're the praying type, keep this man and his family in your thoughts. They just lost their new baby. And this family as well - a young father of five has stage four melanoma and they have to keep travelling between states for treatment. 

til next week

Charlotte 

link love

This is embarrassing, but since only three people read my blog, I'll share. Yesterday I was driving through the park (in an effort to baby step my way out of the house - I'm still having a lot of nausea/pain/discomfort since my procedure so driving then walking then hiking, you get it) and I thought of this hilarious joke. I imagined the situation with specific friends, and for some reason I decided to elaborately mouth the joke. I was alone in my car, so it's fair if you think I'm crazy for essentially lip-syncing a funny joke I made up to absolutely no one other than my not-physically-there friends. Anyway. As I'm mid-mouthing-joke, I glance out my window and see these teen girls looking at me and then I start cracking up because I'm pretty sure they were on the precipice of hysteria themselves. I'm assuming they thought I was just really into belting out whatever song was on (which happened to be Destiny's Child - so they'd normally be correct). They had no way of knowing I was actually just cracking myself up. I was embarrassed for .2 seconds but then I got over myself. At least people got a laugh out of my joke. ....Sort of. 

But now for some links! (This is longer than usual because I haven't done one of these posts in ages. Mea culpa. Grab a coffee.)

First off, this story has made it's way around my newsfeed. It claims Hawaii is paying anyone to move to the state and teach. But... it ain't so simple. I do actually meet the requirements, oddly. A teaching certificate isn't required, so there are plenty of people who would be ahead of me. I do have more experience with kids than is necessary, though... I'm going to have to weigh my desire to visit Hawaii/love of working with kids against my semi-irrational fear of tidal waves. This happens whenever friends make suggestions like this. They're reasonable ideas, but scary/scary-ish. (I'm reminded of my friend who has told me a few times to go to Germany for school - which actually is a terrific idea. Free!!! Completely free. I need to grow a pair.)

I've been guilty of using some of these excuses to avoid going out. Books > social life. Speaking of books... I've got two new reviews over on Filthy Casket! One and two. Self-promotion-no-shame-game-strong. (Also! An excellent reading list right here.)

I started using a smart phone again a few weeks ago. It's been fun posting pictures to Instagram again, but... I'm thinking I might go back to my old less intelligent phone. I'm happier and more productive when I spend less time on social media. I've already almost decided on tossing the smart phone, but this article about comparison and a social media detox has just strengthened my resolve. We'll see! (Related: this post would have been finished about two hours ago if I could just stop checking Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, oh my.) 

I could read about personality types all day, so I loved both this post about kitchen designs based on personality and this (ultra old!) post about Gilmore Girls personalities (apparently I'm a Rory).

Speaking of personality types, I enjoyed this article filled with ideas to become a better planner. I related to what the author said about her personality type results changing - our answers on the Myers-Briggs test might change if we mindfully change our habits. We need to plan based on a mix of all that. (Also, and maybe this is cause for a separate post, but my results change on where I'm at in life - I think it has a lot to do with depression. Which sort of sucks!! Sometimes I just wonder what I'd be like if I didn't have - never had - depression.) 

related.

It'd be very unlike me to not include baby name posts, so here: this list of cool vintage names (I like the names, but Bustle is behind the times. These names are already coming back/already back.) and this name advice article! Would you name your baby daughter Josie Rocket? I think it's cute but I'd prefer a longer formal name. Also! There's been a slew of birth announcements over at Sancta Nomina. Go check them out - Beatrice! Gemma! Rosalie! Swoon.

Really enjoyed this post over at Socanary's Diary. "The problem with the pizza tee. You know the ones I'm talking about right? Pizza is Life, Pizza is Bae, or There's No We In Pizza, put on a trendy top. So cute/funny/amazing right?! Sure, unless you're fat."

This dad on twitter cracks me up. (Examples one, two, and three.)

Seriously crushing on this bookshelf. I need an apartment so I can have many, many bookshelves. (No other reasons, nope.)

Pretty sure this dude is either me as a man OR he's my soul mate. Woke up from a coma, asked for Taco Bell.  

An author sent identical queries to various agents using different names. Her own, Catherine, and a fake name - George. George received 17 requests for a manuscript, Catherine received two. The rejections "George" received were also warmer and more encouraging than the rejections Catherine received. All of this info is both heartbreaking and infuriating.     

Let's break real quick for a few feel good videos: 

Oldie but goodie - "Charlie bit my finger.. 15 years later" The man laughing in the background cracks me up each and every time. 

Babies eating lemons. Never disappoints.

This girl's voice. I may or may not have watched this video five times in a row. I may or may not have then fantasized having an excellent voice and stage presence and confidence and desire to be on TV.  

Meghan Trainor's performance may not have made me as swoony as the contender from The Voice, but it's still pretty great. Except that fall at the end. This is why I don't wear heels.

I've never watched baseball as fun as this triple play.

This marriage proposal was cute.. but not cutesy. Is that possible? I think so. 

And of course, this real life game of quidditch. I used to want to go skydiving. I really did. But now that I'm 25... the days mean more, you know. Somewhat kidding. I'm more terrified of skydiving than I used to be, but I might just brave it if it meant I could play quidditch.

Okay! Back to regular programming! 

I enjoyed this whole slideshow, but especially JFK on his wedding day. Dapper. Dapper indeed.

I have a penchant for "interesting" (read: ugly) shoes. Very annoying when such shoes cost $200. A girl can dream. 

Alright so I love, love, love the end result of this makeover. But I can't help but mourn those beautiful, useful bookshelves and that beautiful, spacious, useful loft. I wish we could have seen the space redecorated but not remodeled. le sigh. 

Apparently, half of the people you consider friends don't feel the same way. Ugh! What depressing stats. Not a good read for my insecurities!  

Here, we need cheering up after that article. Let's watch and listen to these amazing ladies sing For Good.

Being in the hospital so much over the last month or two has meant I haven't done a ton of cooking. Which is sad. I'm also having the worst time trying to change my diet. I've already cut a lot of fatty/greasy stuff out, but I have trouble continuing with it. It's straight up harder than any other thing I've challenged myself to do. I'm so used to eating crap. It's really difficult. I guess I just have to make good recipes as often as possible. This one looks delicious. (And while we're on the topic of food and cooking... this kitchen. It's not my style at all, but for some reason I love it. Just the right amount of quirk, I think.)

Try and tell me you can look at this picture of the queen with her fun, color coordinated umbrella and not smile ear to ear. Just try.

I can't recommend this article enough. Here: 

"The biological clock hysteria, with its image of a time bomb lodged in each and every woman’s ovaries, made each woman personally responsible for dealing with that handicap.
Many career women bought it. At least, they did not organise to demand better maternity leave or state subsidised childcare. Instead, they listened to experts who told them what experts always tell women: There is something terribly wrong with you! But luckily, there is also something new and expensive that you can buy to fix it."
"The role of the biological clock has been to make it seem only natural – indeed inevitable – that the burdens of reproducing the world fall almost entirely on women. There are moral as well as practical implications to this idea: if you do not plan your life just right, you deserve to end up desperate and alone."
"This seems like a strange form of empowerment: spending tens of thousands of dollars in order to make your date feel more comfortable. Or, so that you can climb a career ladder that will not bend, even slightly, to meet female workers in their reproductive years."

I need to remember what I read in this post about brooding over our sins. Can't do it. 

LOL at this Emma Watson fan fiction.

Next tattoo.

And finally, hop over to Buzzfeed to laugh at some ingenious graduation cap ideas. I particularly loved the Sponge Bob and Little Mermaid caps.    

And since we're not, you know, post-election yet, here's a friendly reminder...

...for the second time in a week. Not sorry. 

__ 

Charlotte

link love

My life has been consumed by Harry Potter lately. Not complaining. Not complaining AT ALL.

I'm helping out part time at a greenhouse. I work every other day. It's backbreaking work and I'm exhausted, like, 90% of the time. I've been doing a lot of reading on my days off though, so that's good. 

But reading and working isn't enough. I've also joined the Y (I think I mentioned that in this post) and I'm trying to set a routine this week. In my head I like to think I'll go work out every day.. but I know that's something I'll have to work up to. I think going four times a week might be a nice start. My current sneakers are all torn up, so I'm keeping those for work and I ordered myself this pair for exercising/going about life. They should arrive tomorrow - fingers crossed they fit. (I was going for something that'd be appropriate in the gym but would also look cool af. Success or nah?) 

Liz shared this hilarious but super accurate list of charts for people who worry about everything all the time. It rings especially true as I write about going to the Y...... I may or may not be working myself up over it. "What if I don't know how to work any of the machines?" "What if I can't find where the gym section is?" "What if the people who work there hate me because I annoy them with questions?" "What if I look awful in my work out clothes?" Stop worrying, Charlotte. I have honest to God things to worry about, so I don't love when I get crazy over nothing.

I've been working on my body and my physical health, but I also need to work on other aspects of my life. ~spirituality~ for instance. So! Finally trying to get my act together and go to confession.... it's been 17 years. 17! Mind you, I didn't really know I was supposed to go for most of those years, but I have known for at least the last few months that we're supposed to go. I don't know what's been stopping me. I found this link helpful for tips on examining your conscience (plus knowing what to say once you're in there). And hey, speaking of religion - Pope Francis is getting an instagram! Woo! 

And since we're on the topic of sacraments - this is a beautiful post about the baptism of two baby girls before they passed away, written by their mother. 

"Because after I had done all a mother could do – carry life within me, nurture them with good food and quiet rest, place them in the care of wise and trusted doctors, let myself be broken open that they might come into the world – he did all that a father could do. He took them into his hands and gave them new life, second birth, death with Christ."

That post reminds me of this picture of a newborn baby being washed in a refugee camp. Heartbreaking, and we could do better. 

Moving on to much less important things.. 

I'm pretty sure I have something wrong with me because I honestly teared up while watching a video of random people on a beach working together to help struggling dolphins get back into deeper water. 

I marveled over this article. Two women are no longer friends because one "stole" the baby name of the other. I think it's kind of crazy. I'd understand being upset, but.. there are ways to work around a "stolen" name. (I know Liz and I share some taste in baby names and I know for a fact that my friend Dana and I are planning on using the name "Teddy" - she says I should let her have it because I have a whole list of names I love and she doesn't. We shall see.)

Speaking of baby names! Hop on over to Appellation Mountain for "March Madness," where voters pick the best baby names. (You'll have to scroll down a tad.) I'm currently rooting for Theodore, Sullivan and Marigold, Clementine. 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is coming back and the trailer has got me excited!! And because I love it and I think it's something Kimmy Schmidt would put in her apartment, check out this DIY project! (I also liked this idea for tea at your desk, and I love the sentiment, but I sort of think it's a little corny? corny could be good, though!)

Oh man, moving away from the happy-go-lucky stuff: Madonna. Ugh. She ripped a teenager's shirt to expose her breast while on stage, without asking. The girl has defended Madonna, saying she wasn't humiliated and breasts aren't something to be ashamed of. I'm glad she wasn't embarrassed and I agree that breasts aren't shameful, but... missing the point. She exposed someone's body without consent. And then she joked about sexual harassment! Downright fucking despicable. 

I feel like that'd be a weird link to end on, so here, enjoy this Buzzfeed quiz that determines "what percentage Death Eater you are." (I was 31%. Pretty sure Madonna is 92%.)

See ya next week with some more ever-exciting links from around the web. 

__

Charlotte

link love

Found this little castle at a cool shop in town. My first thought was to put it in a huge planter with ground cover and whimsical plants (similar to this) but I'm holding off because now... well now I'm wondering if I should put it on a shelf with all my Harry Potter books/objects. I mean, it's very Hogwarts-esque. 

It's taking an absurd amount of effort to write this. I had a rough night. I took the medical tape off of my back yesterday (a nice addition to my wardrobe every now and then since the accident) and... nope, nope, should not have done that. I never keep it on for more than 6ish days, but it was helping so much that I left it on for over a week. I figured it was best to take it off and then I regretted it while I spent the night writhing in pain. My legs also seemed to be extra achy, but who knows if that's related? Not I. 

I've been a little under the weather this week - not sure if it's just a cold or if it's from medicine or what but I felt so sick the other day that I did something VERY unlike me and went to the store and bought.... a fresh salad. It was an otherworldly experience. Also, it did not help. But I do feel like my body is craving vegetables. I also fucked up and drank, like, three sodas in the last two days. I'd gotten down to about 1-2 a week, so this was an anomaly and I'm kind of surprised how sick it made me feel. 

Moving on to shinier things, though. 

I'm in the market for a new pair of sneakers. I want something that will be good for working out AND that are ~cool~ but I'm a novice at working out and I've never been cool so it's a tricky challenge. I am just about settled on these though. 

I know I just finished talking about food and drink but take a gander at this list of stuff that might make depression worse. All of the good things in life, of course! I've actually stopped drinking coffee (for the most part - I'll drink it here and there) and like I said, I've laid back on the soda big time. But fried chicken? Please don't make me do it!

I've been reading some of the Harry Potter books for about the 605th time and my bud Liz sent me a Christmas/Galentine/Valentine/spring/"Miss you" gift - a huge and amazing Harry Potter coloring book. Needless to say, I've got myself in a bit of a Harry Potter mood. So when I got a few bucks from working (in 100+ degree greenhouses, kill me) I finally treated myself to this book. It's in transit. I'm very excited. 

This story about the kind of trash workers found in the bottom of a canal in France puzzled me. Some of it is expected (though still shameful) - bottles, cans, etc. But... why so many bikes? And motorcycles?! What with never having the urge to throw my bike into a body of water, I feel a little perplexed. 

I do love some Netflix, especially while feeling cruddy. I thought this list of movies was great, and I think I might watch Roman Holiday today.

Oh man, sometimes I hate it when people say "suck it up." Loathe it in some circumstances. (Sometimes it's okay - sometimes I'm truly just being lazy or wimpy and I need a friend to tell me to suck it up. But if someone is suffering... don't tell them to suck it up.) One of the nice things about getting back into Catholicism has been the idea of "offering it up." I loved this post about the difference between "sucking it up" and "offering it up." The latter is much better. Pain and suffering is hard, but you shouldn't have to hide it - and, if you "offer it up," you can use it to help people, too. 

I like hot dogs, I don't like Donald Trump, and I've always wanted to visit Chicago. So this sounds perfect.

I love me a before and after post. Or two.

Making this! Not today, but later this week. Chicken and dumplings is pretty much my favorite. I don't know how this will compare to homemade, but I also don't care. It looks delicious and easy. (Liz, click on it.)

I agree with what he's saying about Malia and Sasha's $20k dresses, and really, people should leave them alone... but I also feel weird that we live in a world where there are such things as dresses that cost $20,000. Thoughts? (Also, they're gorgeous.)

This story of a baby's heart starting to heal after being blessed by Pope Francis! <3 <3 <3

I don't need a huge house, but I can't fathom living like this. Too small, and... not worth it, for me.

And you've probably already seen this, but I loved this video of Van Gogh's art animated.  

That's all I've got this week!

__

Charlotte

link love

I took exactly no pictures this week, so here's this happy one from Disney. 

I am so tired lately. Physical therapy seems to be helping, but I'm still feeling hella pain from the car accident and it's exhausting. Everything takes extra effort. The plus side is that my right arm is probably going to end up being nicely shaped and muscular, since it's compensating big time for my left arm. #SilverLinings

But perseverers gon' persevere, so here are some of my favorite links this week:

Liz and I both took this temperament quiz and got melancholic as a result.

There are new wizarding schools! Sometimes I kind of just wishing Rowling would write more Harry Potter books. Not these fun little snippets, but actual books. I get that The Cursed Child is supposed to be like the eighth installment in the series, but it's a play and unless they print it and sell it... what are those of us who can't go see it going to do?! Also I'd really love a prequel. As much as I love Harry, Ron, and Hermione, I think it'd be awesome to follow the Order of the Phoenix before Harry's birth.

Some pretty bridal looks.

I feel like a lot of the "fashion" in Sex and the City is notoriously bad, but here's a list of some good outfits from the show.  

This woman's grandma has excellent taste in clothing.

My favorite blog is back!

Stephen Colbert is hilarious and I laughed my way through this Donald vs. Mr. Trump debate. Speaking of Trump: the way he speaks to and about women is disgusting and he's normalizing it. Megyn Kelly is now a target for misogynists online and Trump is only making it worse. (Kelly is pretty awful for her views, but men are targeting her just because she is a woman.)

Here are some travel budgeting ideas. Saving for later!

Mad about what's going on in Flint? Revolt. And hold the state responsible.

Mid-century modern houses aren't normally my style and this house is a lot of wood and browns for me, but I do like aspects of it. And the porches/decks/walkways!!! Swoon worthy.

After the blizzard, only women showed up in the Senate. We bad, we bad.

I know a lot of my friends do not like the winter. But maybe some of these wintry habits will help ease the pain?

This is pretty much me.

As are most of these. I love going to bed early. I usually try to get to sleep before ten, though lately... I don't make it past nine. Shame.

This man built a tree in his daughter's bedroom and it's basically the coolest thing I've ever seen. Wishlist!

Speaking of wishlists, I'm currently crushing on these and these.

You can be a perfectly reasonable adult and support Bernie Sanders.

I enjoyed reading these thoughts about Emma Watson's new initiative. Essentially the goal is to achieve gender parity, possibly by requiring gender quotas in the workforce. I do think good can come from it, but I also think there's truth to what this writer is claiming: that gender quotas treat the symptoms of sexism rather than the causes. I've heard similar arguments about affirmative action and about requiring schools to have more female athletes. The thing is, quotas often work. Maybe the best bet is to set some quotas while also changing laws and society? And smashing the patriarchy. No question mark.

"I'm sticking with the redhead." I don't blame you.

For the first time, half of NASA's astronaut class is made of women.

Star Wars and strikes. Yay!

Some thoughts on practicing people's love languages (which is, I think, good to do in all relationships, not just romantic ones).

Annnd that's it. Weekend time, holla

__
Charlotte

link love

Oh, gosh. I'm on day two of being in the house all day. This snow is more than the south is used to and they don't really plow the roads here. (They plow some of the main roads. None of the side roads.) I'm starting to go a little nuts. But! There are blog posts to be written and books to be read, so I really shouldn't complain.

Speaking of being in the south... I've got to keep this in mind. Being far away from my best friends isn't the worst thing in the world.

In the wake of recent deaths of beloved musicians and actors, I think this is important to keep in mind: it is absolutely okay to mourn the loss of someone you've never met.

This woman tried a bunch of t-shirt DIY projects from Pinterest. Some of them are a bit dismal, but some look really fun! (I'm looking at you, bleached letters and shape cut-outs!)

I know, I know, things from a jar aren't as good as homemade things. But this green bean casserole sounds delicious. I've seen a promising homemade recipe too, but... baby steps.

This doesn't really talk about the racism/criminal negligence involved, but here are some basic facts about the Flint water disaster.

I'm in love with this bookshelf. And for a mere $700! ;)

Liz showed me this apartment makeover and I love it! The only thing I'm not wild about is the bedroom, but only because shelves around a bed feel a little teen/college-y to me.

This artist merges pictures of different actors together and the results are kinda cool.

Student debt is so bad that people are moving to Europe to avoid paying their loans. 

A few of my friends shared this article about small talk. I'm intrigued by the author's idea of ending small talk, instead jumping into meaningful conversation with the people he meets.

A Catholic throwdown.

Relics of Saint Maximilian Kolbe will be available to visit at various locations on the east coast over the next few months.  

Bernie Sanders is gaining more and more attention and support - I think it's a good thing. I'd love to see a woman in the White House, but Bernie's values are my values and the values of, I think, most people - poor, working, and middle class alike. He's also got something that Hillary doesn't.

These taco-stuffed peppers look AMAZING. 

Some of these life hacks are actually alright.

Macklemore/White Privilege problematic, or more good than bad?

I LOVE this list of literal literary baby names! Since it's largely a dream list, I'd add Soliloquy!

Please pray and send good thoughts to this family.

That's all I've got for links! Here, enjoy some snow pictures: 

__

Charlotte

link love

I'm exhausted (I had physical therapy yesterday... still feeling it today), so let's keep this short & sweet. 

This, this, this. Awesome!

I just read this, and it was a bit of a nudge to do what I already know needs to be done.

This video of parents meeting their adopted baby got me. Got me good. 

Liz sent me this article featuring "cozy" bedrooms and we then spent a few minutes lamenting the fact that people could find most of these rooms "cozy." Minimalist isn't cozy - two totally different styles. (Also, it's rare that a room is "rustic" and "airy." Those are different looks.) Rant over!

Love, love, love everything in this article. It's meant to show you how a pair of boots can be styled for any occasion. I love every single outfit and I love the boots. I actually need a pair of simple-ish shoes that I can wear with anything, and something like those might be perfect.

I didn't even know there was another Narnia movie being made. For shame!

This was a pleasure to watch. I laughed or smiled my way through most of it. 

Remember my dream house? I must add this cabinet. 

This assemblyman stood up to Governor Cuomo and I love him for it. "Come to the neighborhoods. The poverty is high. He [Cuomo] has a billion dollar surplus, and the poverty is high. Don't believe the hype. Come to the neighborhoods. We're still suffering." 

I guess "Kiss a Ginger Day" is a thing? Anyway, here are some redhead fun facts.

There are few things that annoy me more than people complaining about "disruptive" kids. I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes kids misbehave and maybe parents don't discipline enough? BUT when a baby is crying? Or a toddler is just having a meltdown? That just happens sometimes, and really, the complaining adults for not just getting over it annoy me more than the noisy kids. I really liked this post about kids in mass. Sometimes kids make a little noise. Deal with it. 

I enjoyed this article about war and Homer's Iliad over on National Geographic.

One of my very favorite blogs shared this story on facebook - and then followed it up with this one. I had never thought about the difference between American and British children's stories, but yeah. Totally true - we don't have as much fantasy. I agree that the British do that better. Particularly loved the second article's discussion of the merging of pagan and Christian influences in storytelling. 

This cracks me up more than it should. 

I've come to realize I really need an address book (Alison, if she's reading, can attest to this. I text her approx. once a month to get her address. Ugh!). I'll probably ending up getting a cheap one because budgetsssss but I've just been swooning over this one. It's so lovely.

I think that's it for this week! 

__

Charlotte

link love

I've read Deathly Hallows just a few times....

It's been a while since the last link love post. I've debated even continuing writing them, probably out of laziness. But I know I like to look back on them sometimes, especially if I'm need of a recipe or a DIY project. So for now I'll continue them.

Speaking of recipes, I must try this one for chicken marsala. It looks fairly easy and very delicious. (And speaking of food, did you see this list of food Tom Brady's family won't eat? Basically all of the delicious food in this world is a big no. Eek!)

Did you see our list of 2016 reading goals over on FC? I've finished two books so far.  

I was talking to Liz about this story - a new breakthrough may make it possible for same-sex spouses to both be biological parents to their children. I'm not sure how to feel about it. I want to be happy for the potential couples, but... I also don't like the implications. I already think we're wading into unethical waters by choosing certain genes for children, and this sounds like it has the potential to make that worse. It feels a lot like we're trying to play God (or nature, if you don't believe in God). Thoughts?

I think this house is too cute and whimsical for my own taste, but I do love those ombre stairs.

This couple had more children than they planned, and it worked out. Just a nice story. (And while we're on the topic of kids, I really liked this article, "When Will Children be Regarded as Regular People Again?" It's okay to not want kids. It's okay to be overwhelmed by or scared of taking care of kids. It's not okay to hate kids.)

Loved these funny illustrations of Leslie Knope's compliments.

I liked this DIY book clock... but if *I* were to make one, I'd need them to all be the same size, or at least nearly the same size. And maybe prettier covers, or without their covers. But I still think it's a cool concept.

Bittersweet quotes from Giants players about Coach Coughlin. I personally am upset to see him go, and I think the general manager should have been the one to leave, but hey.  

This is a good DIY project to save! You know those slate beds? Well if you have no use for the bed anymore, use those slates to make a table!

LOL, parliament is going to consider barring Donald Trump from entering the UK. Excellent.

This family went on a three month trip to Europe, and now they're answering all the "how to" questions. I'm going to file away this financial guide for later.

This article is one of the more reasonable discussions of what's happening in Oregon:

The improbable logic of many liberals is that state violence can be held to a moral rubric, that the deeply corrupt American state, bound to the functional psychopaths of the one percent who rule it, can be induced to be fair.
It cannot.  

A librarian bought a house that just happened to have a cupboard under the stairs. Well of course she had to give it a Harry Potter makeover. (New item on my bucket list: live in a house with a cupboard under the stairs, decorate accordingly.)

A white woman pointed a gun at numerous people, including police officers. Because they value white lives, they didn't shoot her. Tamir Rice was killed the instant cops saw him, even though he was a little boy playing with a toy. Michael Brown was shot when his hands were in the air and he was unarmed. But a woman pointing a gun at cops is spared. I'm glad she is alive - the cops acted the way they should act. I'm just pissed that black people aren't valued enough to be given the same proper treatment.

(Related: This football player refused to apologize for wearing a t-shirt calling for justice for Tamir Rice. He's right.)

This family had 25 kids. 25. Love a lot of their names.

How do you feel about this list of things that every home needs? I agree with a few of them, but not all of them.

These junior doctors (it sounds like the equivalent of our doctors who haven't yet become attendings) are going on strike. When a newspaper tried to paint them as living lavish lives, they fought back with humor.

This article talks about the struggles women face in America, focusing specifically on women who are poor and/or people of color.

Loved reading this story about a man with seven daughters. Sounds like quite the life.

I like to go on Apartment Therapy a bit to peruse the house tours. I wouldn't call this one perfect, but I really dig a few things about it.

This Harry Potter fan buys a book from the series from every country she visits. Life goals!

Here's a bunch of different ways to illustrate how much time you have left before you die.

Finally, I'm currently obsessed with this song from Adele. (And I won't pretend I'm not also loving this One Direction song [yeah I know] and this one from DNCE, ahem, Joe Jonas.)    

That's all for this week! 

__

Charlotte

Christmas Eve 2015

I love Christmas and really the whole season, but I'll admit it's a little tough for me to get in the spirit this year. But I'm drinking hot chocolate, watching Christmas movies (might watch The Sound of Music, too, which feels like a Christmas movie to me), reading good Christmas stories online, and loving all the decorations and lights. Later tonight I'll probably put down Pride and Prejudice and cuddle up with a Harry Potter book instead. Here's hoping your Christmas Eve is lovely. 

Some links:

Of course! The Santa tracker right here. The story behind it makes me cry tears of joy.  

Liz showed me this article about A Christmas Carol and the secular celebration of Christmas. While I don't agree with all of it, it's super interesting. (And I don't have a problem with non Christians celebrating a secular version of Christmas.) 

If you're looking for movies to watch tonight, here's a fairly decent list of Christmas movies on Netflix. 

Iceland has a tradition where people give books to one another on Christmas Eve - and then spend the night reading. I think that's an excellent idea. 

This article about the history of Christmas on Ellis Island was really interesting. 

What does your favorite Christmas cartoon say about you? 

If you're alone on Christmas, here are some (fun, but not religious) ways to spend it! 

Here's a beautiful and realistic post about depression during this season.

And of course, here's the birth of Jesus Christ. The older I get, the more miraculous it feels.

xoxo

Charlotte  

Christmas Link Love

Flat Thomas - a school project for my little brother that essentially required work from me, not him. ;)

Way back when I hashed out some grand plans for this blog. I was going to do a Christmas gift guide, some Christmas related thoughts, a Christmas recipe.., well, I already talked about dropping the ball. Luckily, this is the internet and approximately one million other bloggers have done similar things. So enjoy this post filled with Christmas stories and ideas. Maybe I'll manage to get something up of my own, maybe not.

This is my current jam. It's what I put on every time I get into my car these days. Especially hopeful with all the horrible things going on right now. 

Speaking of horrible things, if the Savior was born today, how would we treat him? I liked both of these images: Bansky's Christmas card, where Mary and Joseph are unable to get to Bethlehem due to a massive wall blocking their route and Jose y Maria by Everett Patterson.  

This is old but I love it so much. It talks about the myth of Santa, and how that magic shouldn't be "ruined" once we learn Santa isn't real. The magic should last. (Think about how much you love the fantasy of Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.) 

This couple had a perfect winter wonderland wedding when it started to snow - in England! 

If you're in the mood for crying, here's a video of children choosing to get a gift for their parents instead of getting their own dream gifts.  

I really enjoyed this post about the tradition of putting candles in windows during Christmastime. While the Irish were being invaded and persecuted, it became damn near impossible to practice Catholicism. "With this in mind, we find the use of candles in the windows. During Christmas, every faithful Irish Catholic family hoped to have a priest visit their home so that they could receive the sacraments and in return offer him hospitality. So they would leave their doors unlocked and place candles in the windows to signal a priest that he was welcome and would be safe. Sometimes, a single candle would appear in several windows, or three candles in one window, one each representing Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Love Catholicism + love rebellion. 

This post was sort of fun! It's a style guide for holiday dresses. I was particularly fond of some of the dresses in the girly girl and old Hollywood sections. 

Did you see the Christmas picture that's gone viral? It's a family photo where the mom and two daughters are tied up with Christmas lights and have bright green tape over their mouths while the dad and son are standing behind them, dad with a sign that says "Peace on Earth" and the little boy with his thumbs up. It's problematic for a few reasons.  I think the suggestion that it perpetuates violence against women is a slight exaggeration, though I understand where that's coming from, and tying them up was unnecessary. But really, the picture is problematic. It has potential to be funny - I'd see humor in it if the children were all tied up with lights and the parents were both standing behind them with the sign and thumbs up. I'd see humor if the parents had the lights wrapped around them with the kids standing victoriously around them. But the choice to silence the female members of the family missed the mark. Even though it's a joke, it reinforces the idea that women talk too much and are annoying, that they should just shut up. That's not a good message for the boy or for the girls. I've worked with kids and I do think there are some differences between boys and girls (though it's a spectrum, not a binary, and kids are gonna fall where they're gonna fall). The little girls tended to be more talkative than the little boys. So when, even as a joke, society tells them their speech is a problem or an annoyance, it's going to affect their views of themselves, regardless of whether it's conscious or not. Do I think this father or these parents are some awful people? No, absolutely not. I do think they're misguided, though. 

I think it's a tad corny, but here's a list of some meaningful gifts you can give to yourself. (I'm reminded of this post, which lists 26 things we should all do for ourselves once a year. Some good ideas on there.) 

Love, love, love this list of practical gifts for grown ass women. Ha. So many of these things are cute and fun but also terribly useful. 

These monks have taken a vow of silence, but that doesn't stop them from singing about God.

I don't know if this makes me really cool or really lame, but I am absolutely digging this holiday skirt.

Have you read Design Mom at all? I actually love the sight, she has terrific ideas. This hot chocolate bar sounds like a ton of fun, and I liked her ideas for personalized gifts, as well. (And since we're talking about Design Mom anyway, let me bombard with some more of her stuff: this DIY stamped wrapping paper and these swoon-worthy brown packages tied up with string!)

Here's a list of books to gift all different kinds of people. 

Speaking of books, I reviewed two Christmas-y books! Here's my review of A Christmas Carol (which I've linked to before so now I'm verging on obnoxious), and yesterday I reviewed 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas - it's not about Christmas, but it takes place on the eve of Christmas eve, and it snows so sometimes it feels like Christmas.

And in case babies are on the mind, here's a list of Christmas baby names. (A lot of ideas on there that I haven't heard before - especially for babies born during the last days of Advent.)

In case you love Christmas movies but can't watch ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas... here's a list of Christmas movies on Netflix.

I honestly can't narrow down the number of posts I'd like to share from Meg at His Pierced Hands, so I'm just going to link to her page. She's been sharing some great posts on Advent, refugees, Christmas. Everything! And check out her FB page, too, as she shares stuff from her archives over there.

I think that's all I've got for now! I'm going to hold off on regular link love posts until the new year (either January 2 or January 9 depending on how I feel) but I'm sure I'll stumble on a few more Christmas links to share, so I'll post those. 

Now, go watch Elf. 

__

Charlotte