cuteness overload.

I went to the zoo on my way home today to see the zoo's latest addition. This darling little creature doesn't have a name yet, but she is 11 days old and was put on display yesterday.

 She is tiny and wrinkly and perfect!

 Images Via

as if that wasn't enough my mom showed me this today. I died.

Feeling a bit patriotic...

Need I say more?
These people blow my mind. They have so much spirit and so much talent and just blow it all out of the water.
I love Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May Treanor. Not only are they undefeated and stick together through everything, they are both married and make family a huge priority. Kerri brings her kids and husband with her every single time. Misty supports her husband in his football career and she is a great mom to her baby. Blows my mind.
It ALL blows my mind.
In short, I LOVE THE OLYMPICS.

Move

When I was pretty little, maybe five or six, my mother signed me and my best friend/cousin up for a tap and ballet class.

 I remember loving it. Racing to be the first one to switch shoes, galloping around the room like ponies to warm up, and perfecting my plie. 

My mom remembers I begged her every day to quit. I don't quite recall that part.

I kinda regret not continuing dance, although when I think about it.. I don't know what I would have done with it. join my highschool dance team? no thanks.

I might take a dance class one of these semesters though. just for fun.

The only claim to fame I have left over from my dancing days is I do get asked fairly often if I am a dancer, (I think it's because I subconsciously point my toes all the time), and I love a good dance routine. here are a few favorites

and this isn't really a routine, but it is gorgeous. if you haven't seen it you need to!

The Hopeless Romantic

Confession: My name is Jane and I am a hopeless romantic.
Which is why I have another obsession: romance novels.
Really truly. It's how I maintain my love life...through the experiences of others. When I say romance novel, I don't mean the harlequin paper backs in the grocery store that have "ripped bodices and heaving bosoms" (anyone guess that movie quote? hint. the book it's based off of is mentioned in this post.) and men with more muscles than is necessary. No. I mean Regency England, with all it's propriety and fabulous dresses and men that look like this:

THANK you Jane Austen for men like Colonel Wentworth.

I mean, really. The high collar, the perfectly messy hair and side burns. The cravat (how awesome is that word?!) and the perfectly fitting jacket and breeches (yet again. another fantastic word.) And the men in and of themselves?! Yes. Yes please. I will take a Mr. Tilney or Colonel Wentworth or Colonel Brandon ANY DAY.

Mr. Darcy saving Lydia's reputation for the love of Elizabeth? Yes.

Why can't life be like these?

If you haven't read this, do. Right. Now.

Especially this one (which has brought on this post). I just finished it. So. Freaking. Good. I just want to know, are there men like Philip Wyndham in this world and where can I get one? Also, I feel like Marianne Daventry SO MANY TIMES in my life. The way she looks at life is pretty similar to myself. So I feel like I need my Philip now.

My ALL TIME favorite Austen.

Win.

The two Jane Austen heroines that I identify most with are Catherine Morland and Elinor Dashwood. Catherine because of her love of novels (and I do have to admit, I have read some gothic novels and they are HILARIOUS.) and propensity to image life at it's best and the complete and utter hopeless romantic that lives inside her. And Elinor because of her strong sense of responsibility and how to respond to a situation...being the "good daughter" to Marianne's flighty-ness.
Anyways, I thought I'd share with you another one of my obsessions. I just feel as if something splendid will happen soon and here's hoping it's an Austen worthy romance.

PS, I saw this. And it reminded me of this post. It's a t-shirt and I want it. Badly.

Nails! take two!

Last night I redid my nails, as well as my sisters, with the same method i talked about here now that I have the method down, this go round was much much cuter.

things i learned.

-let the nail polish dry completely on the plastic before you try to peel it off

- it works best if you pain the nail the base color you want and let that dry, and then paint a coat of clear to put the decals on.

- dont thy to trim your decals once they are on. nail polish remover the excess. its magic.

- I put a ton of polish on the ziplocks. and didn't use it all. once its dry you can store it for the next manicure.

The possibilities with this are endless with this. I am looking forward to lots of manicures. 

Holy Cow.

These girls are 12, and 8.

First of all they are adorable.

Then their vocals are so spot on and effortless.

 beautiful. 

Maisy's harmonies are incredible

check it out

Song Win

Really. I'm a little bit obsessed with this man. Fine By Me is frankly adorable.

Because, you know, sometimes it's difficult to remember the sunny side of life. Despite the difficulty now, the sun will come out in the morning. *Also note the appearance of Rainn Wilson in the second video. AKA Dwight K. Schrute.

Jane's Obsession.

Ok, so I have many obsessions.

This is just today's.

Meet...

RALPH WALDO EMERSON.

He lead the Transcendentalist movement in America and wrote lots of essays and poems that are KICK BUTT.

Let me put a few quotes down to show you:
"We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds."

"Character is higher than intellect. Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary."

"There is some awe mixed with the joy of our surprise, when this poet, who lived in some past world, two or three hundred years ago, says that which lies close to my own soul..."

"Man hopes. Genius creates. To create,--to create,--is the proof of a divine presence. Whatever talents may be, if the man create not, the pure efflux of the Deity is not his:--cinders and smoke, there may be, but not yet flame."

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” 

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”  

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” 

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”  

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” 

"Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind."

If anyone were to get me a book of his essays for Christmas or something...I would not mind at all.

Truly glorious.