sj + a trip to austin (but mostly sj)

for those of you who don't know, i was born and (partially) raised in austin.

and austin in my favorite place in the world.

i went to austin for spring break, and nick, my mama, stepdad and stepsister went too!

we ate great food, had a beautiful engagement party for my mama and brian, went to some march madness games, and got to see some of my family. 

and now we can add yet another reason for me to love austin:

sara-jane.

sara-jane and i have known each other for quite a while now, but meeting her was more than i could have ever imagined.

the first day we met, my family went to watch some basketball and let me spend the entire day with sj.

so i waited on a park bench for her to come pick me up, looking around frantically (and inwardly freaking out when she said "i'm in an xterra" because my idiot brain went "JUST LIKE LOGAN ECHOLLS, IT'S A SIGN")

and we SCREAMED when we saw each other, and an instant calm settled over me. (apparently i've become a person who is now comforted by screaming.)

i say this about everyone, but sj really is my soulmate.

i laughed harder than i ever have in my LIFE, so much so that i literally felt sick when we left each other.

sara-jane is smart, and witty, and beautiful, and just like me except better.

(and i was lucky enough to see her again on our trip (but it still wasn't enough))

i know i am a broken record, and i say this all the time, but i am truly so grateful for the people i have met through this little corner of the internet.

i love you, sj. and i miss you more every day.

(WHAT DID I WRITE THIS FOR? TO MAKE ME SAD?) 

remember me?

hi.

it's been a while.

how are you?

i'm well.

here's what been new with me.

1. one of my sweet friends maggie had a 7 hour layover in denver, so i got to spend the day with her! she is a living doll you guys, so adorable and sweet and my soulmate.

2. i got some of the BEST valentines in the mail (many of them lizzie bennet diaries themed) and they made my day.

3. i went and saw beautiful creatures by myself on valentine's day (NO SHAME) and you guys...i'm not entirely ready to talk about it yet, but...i think i hated it. i don't think anyone who made that film even read the book. i don't know y'all. have you seen it? what did you think?

4. i have now reinstated the pinned back bangs that haven't been seen since i was a senior in high school four years ago. grow bangs grow!

5. paige and i (and nick and jessica!) went and saw ed sheeran! this was the second time paige and i saw him, because as some of you may remember, we went to a private show of his in december! both shows were TOTALLY different and TOTALLY amazing. i mean it, i think ed sheeran is one of the greatest musicians of our time.

6. nick and i didn't get to see each other on valentine's day, so we celebrated the day before, and let me just tell you guys this. he said "no gifts" so i made him a cheesy card and that was that. he took me out to dinner, and when we got back to his house, i walked into his room and two presents and a card were sitting on his bed. and i was like "excuse u." so i open the card and IT'S A TFiOS CARD. IT HAS THE TWO CLOUDS AND "OKAY? OKAY." ON IT. SO I'M CRYING BEFORE I EVEN READ THE DANG CARD. but then i read what he wrote and cried more. he got me celeste and jesse forever (and taped our names over theirs) and a new dvd player because mine was broken. this boy, i tell ya.

in other, non-pictured news:

-me and several of my dearest friends (we now refer to ourselves as the LBD support group) did a lizzie bennet diaries inspired google+ hangout on the 200th anniversary of pride and prejudice and made it on the official LBD tumblr. it was a pretty big night for us. (laura spencer said we win LIFE!)

-i'm still obsessed with the lizzie bennet diaries. can you tell? (do you watch it?)

-i'm. SO. excited for the oscars. the oscars are my THING, you guys. every year i see every movie and set aside an entire day to focus on it. this year nick and i will be going to the kress cinema with paige for their oscars event, where you dress up and they have food and drinks and broadcast the awards show on their big screen! i am thrilled. (my money's on argo to win. it was the best movie i saw in 2012.)

-i recently fell in love with squaresville, which you should watch.

i hope you guys are having a great week! 

glasses, y'all

this picture was actually an accident but it looked better than all the dumb serious ones i took, so.

folks, forgive my absence.

i have been sick since CHRISTMAS EVE, and finally went to the doctor where they took one look at me, said "are you sure it's not the plague?" and sent me home with antibiotics.

so i'm on finally on the mend.

BUT today we're going to talk about glasses.

i have worn glasses since the 3rd grade.

i have the eyes of a 95 year old woman (they have deemed me technically legally blind.)

even my CONTACTS are a little too weak for these decrepit eyes.

so naturally, when i wear glasses, even the condensed lenses, they stick out from the frames about an inch on each side.

and i stick to contacts.

a couple weeks ago however, i was contacted by firmoo about ordering my own pair of glasses.

and y'all they have some great frames.

so i ordered a pair with a weaker prescription than my eyes require, and paired with my contacts they are fabulous.

plus, they're cute.

firmoo is cool because unlike other glasses companies, they have this really cool program where you can pick out a free pair of glasses, and all you have to pay is the shipping (check it out.)

they do prescription lenses and clear lenses as well, in case you are one of those fortunate people who has adequate vision.

my glasses came in this really protective case, along with a carrying case, a cleaning cloth, AND an eye repair kit to fix anything i need, so i'm basically like an optometrist now. 

thanks, firmoo! 

hi, 2013!

2012, you did well.

you brought me many good trips.

arizona in march, with marci, lauren and kate, where we ate and cried and watched the hunger games 3 times. it was the best weekend of my life.

went to arizona again in june with nick, where we hung out with ted and lauren, saw the grand canyon, and met up with sweet laney.

went on a cruise in october with mama for my birthday.

you brought me many good books.

(you can read more about that here.)

brought me lots of great movies.

gave me a new addition to the family when my mama got engaged, to the one of the greatest people i've ever known.

(christmas with nick, my mother and her fiancee, and my new sister!)

and 2012 brought me closer to my best friend and love of my life.

2012 started out rough for me, but i had good friends and the love of my family that turned it all around. it ended up being one of the best years of my life.

i can't wait to see what 2013 has in store.

this is the "before" part on a episode of intervention.

i have lost all ability to speak in one tense, so i know that this post is all over the place, okay? i know.

i don't know how it happened.

(okay i mean i kind of do, but.)

a while ago i started watching the lizzie bennet diaries.

which, if you don't know what lbd is, it's basically a modern day pride and prejudice, told through a vlog developed by bernie su and the brilliant hank green and it is EXCELLENT.

so i'm watching roughly like 15-20 episodes a day of the lizzie bennet diaries and i'm like "man. this is bringing back some great pride and prejudice memories." 

and then a few weeks ago i was on tumblr, and i don't even know who it was, but SOMEBODY must have just watched the keira knightley version of it, because there were about a million photosets of it on my dash. and i'm sitting there thinking, "MAN it's been a long time since i watched that movie. maybe i should watch it, especially since i've had p&p on the brain lately" and at that very moment kate texted me and was like "abbi i am seeing all this pride and prejudice on your tumblr and i have to watch it right now?!" and i was like, "KATE. sit down, shut up, and i will find us a link to watch it online," only i said it nicer than that.

so we watched it. and guess what? it was perfect. one of the most visually stunning films i've ever seen, and it was better than i remembered.

and then the next night, i'm sitting on my bed and i thought "...would it be weird if i watched that movie again tonight?"

so i watched it again.

i watched it 4 times that week.

(as kate put it, "well it's a day that ends in y, so i'm off to watch pride and prejudice."

and on black friday i looked on amazon and of course the dvd copy of it was only 5 dollars, and i was sick of watching it on my computer, so i bought it.

and then i was like, "well i can't find my copy of the book, so i guess i should just go buy another copy of it."

and then on cyber monday i was looking on amazon again, and the bbc version with colin firth which is also excellent was on sale FOR LIKE 6000% OFF, so i had to buy that too.

and you guys, if we can be real for a second, when i received all of these things in the mail, i had a moment where i sat on my floor and i put all of these versions of pride and prejudice around me in a circle. and i just sat there in silence and gazed at all of them lovingly. 

i have now become a person who tries to fit pride and prejudice into every day conversation. the other day nick and i were talking about a friend who has unrealistic standards in women, and i almost blurted out, "SOUNDS LIKE A REGULAR DARCY, AMIRITE"

this is who i am now.

things you should be watching on netflix.

if there's one thing i love in this world, it is netflix.

my dad signed my family up for netflix back when we had the first dvd player in our neighborhood, back when we got 4 dvds at a time.

netflix and i have had a long and loving relationship.

and since it seems that every day they are adding more wonderful things to watch, let's consider this part one of a never ending series called, things you should watch on netflix.

this is movie edition, because i just can't fit movies and tv into one post, it's too much.

so next time you're bored and looking for a movie on netflix, here's a few that i love.

keith.

i know. you are like, "abbi. that movie poster is cheesy. this movie has jesse mccartney in it. it's actually ~called keith. also it has jesse mccartney in it." but y'all, bear with me on this one. this is a great and wonderful movie. i was a skeptic like you, until years ago a friend recommended to me and i thought "why not" so i watched it and 5 minutes after it was done i bought it on amazon because i had to own it immediately. word of wisdom: do NOT look up any kind of synopsis for this movie. just don't. watch it without any prior knowledge because it's so much better that way. 

jesus christ superstar.

guys. okay, one time in like 2001 they made this other version of this musical and y'all, it was the worst. they filmed it on like two stages in london and the guy who played jesus looked like yanni and i was just offended. but this, this version is so wonderful. one of my favorite musicals of all time, and i think the film does it justice. watch it.

a league of their own.

honestly, if you have not seen a league of their own i don't even know what you're doing on this blog because i live my life for lady heroes and this movie is all about lady heroes.

charlie bartlett.

quirky and funny and a little weird, young anton yelchin becomes a psychiatrist for the kids in his school by offering them therapy and drugs out of his own personal stall in the school bathroom and he looks mighty fine doing it. also, young robert downey jr and also kat dennings and that girl who played paige on degrassi.

the vicious kind.

okay, i want to start this one with a warning. this movie is not for everyone. it has a lot of language and one kind of weird sex scene and is overall just sort of a dark movie. BUT. that being said, i think it is a really interesting story and some of the best acting that adam scott has ever done. also, adam scott with a beard, so.

best in show.

i don't really even know what to say about this movie other than it's hilarious and i feel genuine sadness for people who haven't seen it.

footloose.

i know. but that guy who plays ren is so gorgeous that it makes it okay.

like crazy.

more anton yelchin.

for those of you who haven't seen this movie, i hesitate to even put this on here because like SAVE YOURSELF. but then i'm like, most everyone i know has seen and cried over this movie, so it's really on here for those who are a glutton for punishment and want to torture themselves again and again. 

do you like any of these? what are some of your favorite movies on netflix? i'd love to know if you watch any of them and what you think!

PS. RIP, MOVIES THEY TOOK OFF NETFLIX AND THEN I CRIED:

happythankyoumoreplease

kissing jessica stein

obligatory thankful post.

i'm a huge fan of looking back and seeing how i felt a year, 2 years, 10 years ago.

so i know you're all sick of seeing these sappy posts, but someday i'd like to look back at this and know what i'm thankful for.

so here, in 2012, i'm thankful for:

-school. i made the right choice by transferring, and i am happier than i have been in a long, long time.

-pride and prejudice. and by extension, the lizzie bennet diaries.

-chai tea.

-doctor who.

-my job. francesca's is a wonderful company, and i have the sweetest, funniest, best co-workers in the world. how rare to actually enjoy going to work.

-carey mulligan.

-top knots and leather jackets and big gold watches.

-the writing of john green, sarah dessen, and david levithan.

-a patient mother, a caring father, a hilarious sister, an intelligent brother.

-andrew garfield and emma stone's relationship.

-parks and recreation.

-friends in states all over the country, and few a little farther out.

-my church. when i left school and moved back here, i was able to find a loving community that inspires my ever-changing faith. 

-nick, my best friend and confidante and love of my life.

-pitch perfect, celeste and jesse forever, ruby sparks, the perks of being a wallflower.

-my trip to arizona in march, where i got to spend time with 3 of my best friends in the whole wide world-kate, marci and lauren.

-liam, niall, zayn, harry and louis.

-netflix. bless it.

-the pair app, which is technically an app for couples in long distance relationship, but that leila and i use for each other.

-lady heroes, both real life and fictional. (tami taylor, the gilmore girls, buffy summers, leslie knope, and so on.)

-ed sheeran and his music. (and the fact that my very best friend in the world won tickets to a private ed sheeran concert next month and she's taking ME.)

-the internet. it's cliche, but it has brought me more happiness than i could have ever imagined, because it has brought me all of YOU. i love each and every one of you who takes the time to read the nonsense posted here, on tumblr and on twitter. you are all so witty, and kind, and some of the smartest people i know. whether we talk each day or we've never spoken at all, i appreciate you. 

i hope you had a great day today, my loves. 

(be careful out there tomorrow.)

a word on internet friends.

sometimes, you meet someone on the internet.

sometimes, that someone is sydney.

sometimes, you're so nervous about meeting her for the first time but that nervousness is gone the second you hug her.

sometimes, you stay up until 3 am the first night you're together and your body, which usually likes to be in bed by 10, doesn't mind.

sometimes, sydney pulls a pair of running shorts out of her bag to sleep in and you yell "NO" and pull the exact same pair out of your drawer. 

(sometimes, she pulls out a pair of yoga pants the next night and you have those too.)

sometimes, you spend an entire afternoon in a bookstore and you feel like you might cry, because you've found someone who wants to be there as much as you do.

sometimes, you google "twilight tattoos" and you are laughing so hard you have to lean on each other because your body can't hold itself up any longer once you know this exists. 

sometimes you go to dinner with not one, but four internet friends and you realize you have every hogwarts house represented at that table. (gryffindor, hufflepuff, slytherin, ravenclaw)

sometimes you go see breaking dawn together and you're expecting it to be kind of horrible, and it kind of is, but it's also hilarious and unexpected and the perfect storm of good and bad, and you know it will never be as good as it is with the 4 people you saw it with.

sometimes, you watch buffy the vampire slayer with the person who inspired you to watch it and you scream and you cry and it all comes full circle.

and sometimes, you drive sydney to the airport after the shortest 4 days of your life and you hug her and she yells "THIS IS THE DARKEST TIMELINE" and it is, and you drive home and you try not to cry because you've found a soulmate and a best friend and she doesn't live next door to you.

i've been fortunate enough over the past year and a half to meet several of my dearest friends from the internet, and i am always so shocked at how effortless it is. 

i think we've got a special piece of the world that not everyone understands, when we become friends with someone who lives halfway across the state/country/world. we get to know them by talking talking talking, all the time, and by the time we meet, if we're ever fortunate enough to do so, it feels like visiting an old friend, instead of a new one. 

i know chris hansen will tell us it's a bad idea, and in some cases people are weirdos, but i've found more often than not, people are good and kind.

have a good start to your week tomorrow loves. i hope you had a great weekend.

lately.

loving:

nick. i know that's cliche and i don't want to be ~that girl on my blog, because i know i love him and you know i love him so we don't need to talk about it all the time. but this man is patient, and kind, and is loving me through all the crazy that i am.  it's been a rough couple of days lately, and i read this article in a magazine that was like "are you a highly sensitive person??" so i took the quiz and to no one's surprise, i am. the day after the election i was feeling so run down by seeing negativity everywhere, so nick, saint that he is, took me to see wreck it ralph. it was the CUTEST movie, and i was feeling so much better, until i checked my phone and had several texts from friends telling me about the horrible things people had been saying to/about them. poor nick. i spent the entire car ride sobbing, going "i don't know why people are so mean!" and luckily he did not tell me to suck it up, or rub some dirt in it, or whatever men say to each other. he just holds my hand, or kisses my forehead, or tries his hardest to make me laugh. i have done nothing to deserve someone this patient, so i am grateful for him. 

reading: 

why we broke up. it is SO good and y'all should read it. but it's about to be put on the back burner, because REACHED COMES OUT TODAY. last year when crossed came out, lauren and i read the entire book in a day and exchanged over 300 texts about it. it was beautiful. 

but i also need to mention, if you didn't see my 7 tweets about it, you HAVE to read every day by david levithan. i believe every once in a while, a book comes along that changes the way you read. this is one of those books. read it.

watching:

buffy the vampire slayer (still.) at this point i can't even tell if i like this dumb show anymore or if i just like the feeling of my heart being ripped out and spit on, over and over and over again. 

anticipating:

SYDNEY IS COMING TO SEE ME. IN TWO DAYS. we are going to laugh and cry and watch buffy the vampire slayer and cry and just sit around and just soak up each others awesomeness and cry.

listening to:

red. specifically, all too well.

for those of you who listen to taylor's music and love all too well as much as i do, here's a great visual that my friend bridget sent to me, and i'm pretty it is actually a self portrait.

(also, once i get it in my hot little hands, one direction's new album.)

working on:

cleaning and organizing my room.

ha. ha ha. ha ha. ha. ha. ha ha. ha ha. ha ha ha ha.

wishing:

i was better at nanowrimo. the first day i was like "YES, THIS IS MY YEAR! I CAN DO THIS! I CAN WRITE A NOVEL!" and by the second day i was like "no, maybe next year. i cannot do this. i cannot write a novel." and now the nanowrimo people keep sending me all these emails being like "keep writing! your novel is on it's way!" and "meet with other writers in your area to share your progress!" and i'm like "i cAN'T, I DON'T EVEN REALLY HAVE ANY PROGRESS TO SHOW THEM."

how are YOU?

cruise.

better late than never?

here's waaaayyy too many pictures of the cruise mama and i went on for my 21st birthday.

we had the best time. 

i'm ready to go back.

we shopped in cozumel, went to a private beach in belize, went ziplining and held monkeys in roatan, and swam with the dolphins and the stingrays in grand cayman. 

i sang karaoke (!!!), was a contestant on a "game show," and won harry potter trivia ON my birthday. 

it was beautiful and relaxing and so fun to spend time with my mom, just me and her.

obligatory "king of the world" picture

my new boyfriend. sorry nick.

 stingrays are weird.