23. vacation?

yesterday i drove up to monterey with my parents, and we are staying here until sunday. the plan from there is to drive back down to the wine country just outside of santa barbara, and to come home monday. monday can't come soon enough. this is NOT a vacation, this is like a cruel experiment.

a reality tv show that follows my family on this trip would have gotten great ratings. we fight about nothing, yell and scream about god knows what. the shit that my dad goes on about is beyond me, but if i had it my way i would have stayed home and thrown a great party. i'm more tense than i have been all summer and i'm just counting down the days until we can go back home. fuck fuck fuck this.

22. things that have been going on recently:

- enjoying the tomatoes from mom's garden:

- hiked in malibu creek state park:

- gone to lovely parties:

-seen the midnight showing of harry potter:

etc etc etc.

21. can't stop listening

She & Him

Zooey Deschanel paired up with M.Ward to release throaty, melodic tunes--some covers, some of Zooey's own songs. I can't stop listening to their first and only album, Volume One. Where is Volume Two?

"Sweet Darlin'," She & Him

Wilco

Wilco just recently released Wilco (The Album). While it's definitely not one of my favorite albums, I can't get the song "You and I" out of my head. Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and Feist sing on this song, and it's absolutely beautiful. Listen to the lyrics--they get me every time.

"You and I," Wilco

Dirty Projectors

They hit the nail on the head with their most recent album, Bitte Orca. I can't help but fall in love with the soft and strong vocals that every song delivers.

"Stillness is the Move," Dirty Projectors

20. fourth of july

i spent my fourth of july with some great company.

sister sarah

whoopi snapping picture after picture

poppy!

tori brought amazing pineapple wine from hawaii. like nothing i have ever tasted.

we set off sparklers in the alley!

sweet sweet lily came too

it was a lovely night with great friends.

xx

19. tides turning

i got the most amazing internship with a wonderful woman! monday will be my last day at chic little devil and then i will begin my internship for Ele Keats!

18. Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth"--this too shall pass

According to an ancient Sufi story, there lived a king in some Middle Eastern land who was continuously torn between happiness and despondency. The slightest thing would cause him great upset or provoke an intense reaction, and his happiness would quickly turn into disappointment and despair. A time came when the king finally got tired of himself and of life, and he began to seek a way out. He sent for a wise man who lived in his kingdom and who was reputed to be enlightened. When the wise man came, the king said to him, "I want to be like you. Can you give me something that will bring balance, serenity, and wisdom into my life? I will pay any price you ask."

The wise man said, "I may be able to help you. But the price is so great that your entire kingdom would not be sufficient payment for it. Therefore it will be a gift to you if you will honor it." The king gave his assurances, and the wise man left.

A few weeks later, he returned and handed the king an ornate box carved in jade. The king opened the box and found a simple gold ring inside. Some letters were inscribed on the ring. The inscription read: This too shall pass. "What is the meaning of this?" asked the king. The wise man said, "Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch this ring and read the inscription. That way, you will always be at peace."

From "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle Chapter 8

17. chic little devil wears prada

when i first came to chic little devil, i was introduced to the INTERN HANDBOOK. this worn out white binder was my first friend. after reading over my internship duties several times (as it requested), i had to sign my name in the back and answer some questions about myself. as i flipped through the previously filled-out pages, i noticed there wereway more intern entries than there were interns. after putting the intern handbook back where it was supposed to be, i stood awkwardly in the middle of the showroom.
that just about sums up my first day at chic little devil. i stood around awkwardly. when directed to shaina, the "intern manager," she looked over at me and my friend disgustingly and said "i'm with a client."
interns aren't interviewed before being hired at chic little devil. it's kind of a hit/miss type internship, where it's really up to you to make this worthwhile or not. i have yet to decide if it's a hit or miss for me.
the intern handbook strictly says that one may never miss a day. while this may have convinced me for the first half of my first day at the style house, i quickly learned better. you're lucky if the employees even bother to learn your name. with 6 other interns at the style house at one time, it's that whole "too many cooks spoil the broth" scenario. one intern puts something where it belongs, and another moves it elsewhere, to a place it looks better. after sweeping, an intern might mop the floor of the backroom, requiring another sweep. a lot of the time, the only work we get is to clean up the mistakes of the intern that's standing right next to you.
i feel like it's the first day of school every time i get dressed to go to chic little devil. you have to dress to impress, and wear your best clothes. the trendier, the better. heels are a plus. however, if i wore heels i would be six feet tall and in terrible pain and horrible moods by the end of the day.
i have had to mop, sweep, hang up fallen clothes, fold and refold bags, sweep the balcony, wash the dished, empty ashtrays, glue corkboards to walls, carry mounds of clothes, and fold up enormous and heavy rugs. i have been a janitor to chic little devil.
today was probably the best day for me. i'm hoping this means that things start to look up, because getting another internship this late in the summer seems unlikely. today i helped a "senior intern" (a girl my age who happens to know an employee there and doesn't have to do shit work) and i bsaically sat at a computer all day. this was, of course, while 3 other interns bleached the walls on the balcony for hours on end in an attempt to get the rust off. i realize that i need to play my cards right in this business. i did today and i'll do it again. this is devil wears prada shit. i'm almost down.