twenty twelve. ah, it feels nice.

Oh, 2011, you were full of it, just full of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I can honestly say that I was one exuberant being when that clock hit midnight and 2011 was no more. Of course this was displayed by me crying my face off while 'Shake It Out' played perfectly along in the background. Some good things happened, but so few that I could count them on one hand. I feel like when I think back on this past year, it's like I'm trying to recall being washed away in a large wave that washed me away, cut me open, and poured its salty waters into my wounds. Yeah...like I said, it wasn't the best. I cannot exactly pinpoint it to one thing, except the fact that I anticipated the age of twenty three to be a complete drag. After such an uplifting year in 2010, I was so apprehensive to step into something new that hadn't had anything to prove. In 2010 I was golden, I was 22 and on top of the world. This past year was full of extreme highs and lows, being shuffled around with my job, contemplating what my body would look like hanging from the low ceilings at work, and just constant contemplation of what the real purpose of being here was, what was POSSIBLY going to make me WANT to live another year? This is where I think that maybe getting too into the political regime and being an informed person of society may have been to blame for this edge I had gained. DO PEOPLE EVEN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON?! I know it seems rather morbid, but just reeelaaxxxx. Ahh, alas. Some refuge...Unfortunately I had to wait until December to realize that everything was going to be just fine, fortunately, IT. WAS. TOTALLY. WORTH IT.

This past year had some gems, so I feel like I should point those out before you come over here and tattoo "Sad Sack" across my forehead; I sported some groovy outfits, I was 22 for three months of it [and then it all went to hell], I met some wonderful people, attended some rad weddings, got real "news-y", NY Fall Fashion week floored me this year, I saw Florence + The Machine TWO TIMES [1,2] as well as The Black Keys, Florence Welch said my name AND TOUCHED MY FLESH! Ceremonials dropped and became one of the best albums of my life, I actually went to a Halloween party and had a good costume, I put together a little bucket list, I consumed a lot of Portillo's, I SAW THE JELLIES!, and I became sort of a social networking whore. Yeah. There were other things scattered about, but if it weren't for past blog posts scattered in between moments of sanity, then I'm not sure how much recollection I would really have of the good.

Oh, you made the last leg of 2011 so, so, so good and worth it.

Me dressed as Rachel Maddow with an awesome older lady I met.

The nun/Maddow pairing picture was necessary!

and then some dancing happened...

 

a few outfits...

The food that got me through! Portillo's

The Jellies came to the Shedd Aquarium.

I mean, good things happened, no doubt, but it was come and go, lackadaisical happiness. I was just consumed with this unbearable sadness and contemplation that seemed to drive me in circles and get me absolutely nowhere. If there is one thing that drives me mad its that thing that everyone expects from you; you charting out your life's greatest plan, unveiling how you plan to make millions to support yourself. I know you are supposed to be doing this, having some grand idea of how you can fulfill your life as well as those around you. At the end of the day, I know that with age comes more "searching" for that security. I disdain this process although I know it's exceedingly important. I anticipate moving soon and getting out of this area that I've been living in for the past twenty two months. You'd think that number amount would make me happy, but it doesn't in the slightest. I am anticipating a 10 minute drive to work, being closer to friends and family, and just being in a better environment.

This New Years, my counterpart and I forewent our usual plans. We typically head up to Milwaukee to the Hotel Metro or drive 20 minutes in to Chicago and stay at the Hotel Monaco. We get tickets to the main show in the city that year, [last year, The Black Keys, the year before, Spoon] and then return back to our favourite rooms that we always book when we stay at those locations. This year it would have been fun, but it wasn't necessary or really feasible with us moving in week's time. So we found ourselves seated on the floor, sipping champagne, and watching some of our favourite episodes. It was the way to go.

AH HA! IT IS SNOWING! YAY. Little Flurries.

So all in all, I anticipate 2012 being more flashy and fun and I only say this because 2011 was like being dragged by a horse for 345 days (assuming that twenty days were tolerable). I don't necessarily have any resolutions that consist of being shared via blog or really to anyone. Resolutions are kind of like those little self goals/secrets you have that once you let someone behind it all, it doesn't really stay yours anymore. The idea and goal becomes much more impersonal and now becomes something you must fulfill because now it's expected of you. Therefore, let's just hope to keep it rockin'. Hopefully this year takes you on a journey and slaps you across the face hard. Even though I feel like my year was something that I could put on the 'things I disdain' list, I learned something. I became a stronger god damn person because of it. You better bet that I would have liked to take a horse tranq of a sleeping pill and slept through most of it, but I'm glad I didn't, because now I know there can only be better.

Cheers to you and yours in the New Year!

-Tessa

Why yes, I do have the time, It's Jelly time.

[About Thursday]

this song is really good. We heard it driving home the other day on XRT of course.

She reminds me of a young Chrissie Hynde/PJ Harvey.

It finally happened. My counterpart and I headed into the city via Metra in the early afternoon and hiked over to the Shedd Aquarium. They've been hyping the hell out of their new Jellies exhibit and I've been dying to see it aka bugging him to take me! They have this cool little theme song they always play on XRT and it always makes me ultra excited to see their pulsating little bodies pushing their way through the water...okay that might be too much commercial quotation, but it's damn accurate. Check out this music and do the Jellies dance (which I made up and TOTALLY FORGOT to do while in the exhibit).

If I were the girl in the ad, I'd be screaming in excitement. It'd be along the lines of:

"JELLIES! OH MY GOD ::SCREAMS::"

I LOVE starfish.

Let me say this though, we scoped out the whole place and we saved the jellies for one of the last things we did. I love everything they have there. Unfortunately the penguins were closed for show, but that's okay, as long as my brainless little blobs would be rockin' solid, I knew we'd be fine. While it was a neat little exhibit, it was not what I was expecting. I was expecting a HUGE exhibit, especially because it's going to be there for quite some time (as most of them go), like floor-to-ceiling jellies is what I wanted. I wanted to be encompassed in Jellies. If only I could have been wearing jellies...However, they were still beautiful and laid out rather nicely. I snagged a few pictures of them;

One of these Jellies makes me want egg drop soup-ASAP.

another makes me want to brush my hair.

Oh the urges the jellies give.

If you're in the area, definitely check out the Shedd. A good time will be had.

Rest assured, it not only confirmed that I love these little guys, but that I am also looking to purchase a home large enough to house my beluga whale I hope to have in the future. Hopefully my counterpart is also actively looking into the same situation.

What a great time.

It was so nice to get out in the city on such a nice day. I have been trying my best to take advantage of all this nice weather action. In addition to taking mighty fine advantage of that, I'm quite enthused Argo Tea finally had a chance to make its way through my body, that delicious bastard. So I've never been and I've always assumed it was snooty because of their "city only" locations. I went in and found out that it was rather Portland-esque. People on Macs-everyfreakingwhere, dim lighting, menus that screw with your head until your realize they are purposefully changing to show you more options, dread-locked baristas...on and on.

I got their version of bubble tea, which allowed me to choose a flavour & a type of tea. I chose green tea/coconut/2% milk. It was delectable! It was really neat because it was not typical bubble tea with the tapioca, but was the actual taste of coconut;

I want to work here. I want to make little leafs in your milk froth. I want to sell insurmountable amounts of tea. I AM ARGO TEA!

::deep breathing::

okay. it's cool.

But yeah, needless to say, I am glad I finally had it.

Now I'm craving it and the closest location is 20 miles ::sobbing::

So, 10:30 p.m. probably isn't the ideal time that I should have waited until to eat the leftover fried rice from last night, but being that I have a few more years of lucky metabolism ahead of me, I shall relish in the greasy goodness past dinner time.

Hopefully your Friday night plans are a tad better than mine.

Hey, Mr. Postman

My onslaught of magazines have started to arrive and I couldn't be more excited.

I came home last week to;

How sweet they sent me the December

This cover is perfect.

It reminds me of Honey West re-vamped for 2011

and I think Lily Donaldson looks beautiful here.

Getting a magazine in the mail reminds me the days of being 14 and receiving my "Teen" magazine in the mail. I still remember those colors, those covers, and that block font like I pulled it from the mailbox last week. Through some rough google searching, I was able to find this gnarly little fucker;

YES!

I think this was the first issue I actually got in the mail?

It's cut up, taped on some 6th grade notebook or binder, and long gone by now.

But it's nice to re-live the good old days!

Seeing all those old magazines via google is especially odd. When I got those magazines, we just were getting internet rolling in our house. The old ads, those silly quizzes where I feverishly circled A, B, C, or D, and those covers that were covered with tacky yet catchy little phrases that kept me reading about whatever the hell my little mind wanted to wrap itself around, oh man.

So, my goal for dealing with all these magazines that are about to bombard me (Vogue, W, Nylon, Bazaar, V, Pop, & Vanity Fair) is to read them in order. So December W was first on board. I found my new shoe adoration among these pages and I am so excited about them even though I most likely will never own a pair. After that statement, I feel like I should note that I am not a shoe person--shoe person as in "crazy obsessed girl has to have every pair she sees". The first sentence of the article was "Remember jellies?" Cue to me grabbing the magazine with both hands and holding it up in honor. OF COURSE I REMEMBER. I've only been mentioning them in random conversations for the past 10 years. Kartell, yes, the contemporary plastic furniture powerhouse teamed up with Moschino, specifically Rosella Jardini their creative director and out came this beauty of a flat;

kartell.com // moschino.com

Ah, the time has come;

Bottega Veneta came out with a watch, the BVX, by creative designer Tomas Maier

You can watch the vid about the creation HERE.

now go get your $14,600 and buy it :D

The "What" pages in this magazine are tuning in so nicely to my interests.

21 drops.

this seems interesting.

For 28 bucks you can snag yourself an aromatherapy blend that are created to cure various ailments/moods/feelings. I'd be interested to see how effective they are.

Don't worry, if they don't make the aroma for your therapy, you can get your own for $415. Jesus.

ugh. As winter continues to carry on, I still find myself in the same jean-hating phase I dove into over a year ago. I just find denim deplorable and I don't see an end in sight. Any asshole can wear jeans, but its about more than that. Sometimes I will accept jeans on my body, but I am just never pleased. Nobody is praising your outfit when denim coats your legs. I find myself in them today and I just feel--extremely boring.

On another note, something to perhaps get you on your feet. My cousin the other day introduced me to this music called "dub step" and it's pretty groovy in the weirdest way. When he described it initially, he said that the music "wobbles" and it does. This song was the first song he played for me and it has been in my head ever sense. Move a little furniture or find some open space and move around a little bit to THIS--especially if you want to honour Jack Lalanne just a tad more (such a sad passing)

Hopefully you're settled into the week. Make it a good one.

-Tessa