archiphile:

more lofts

felldowntherabbithole:

I’d like to start by saying that these are solely my thoughts on the November issue of GQ and the controversy that has surrounded its release. I am not a representative of the three of us, the show, or Fox, only myself.

In the land of Madonna, Britney, Miley, Gossip Girl, other public figures and shows that have pushed the envelope and challenged the levels of comfort in their viewers and fans…we are not the first. Now, in perpetuating the type of images that evoke these kind of emotions, I am sorry. If you are hurt or these photos make you uncomfortable, it was never our intention. And if your eight-year-old has a copy of our GQ cover in hand, again I am sorry. But I would have to ask, how on earth did it get there?

I was a very sheltered child, and was not aware of anything provocative or risque in the media while I was navigating through my formative years. When I was finally allowed to watch a movie like Grease, I did not even understand what on earth Rizzo was talking about!? I understand that in today’s world of advanced technology, the internet, our kids can be subject to very adult material at the click of a button. But there are parental locks, and ways to get around this. I am twenty-four years old. I have been a pretty tame and easy-going girl my whole life. Nobody is perfect, and these photos do not represent who I am. I am also not the girl who rolls out of bed with flawless makeup and couture clothing. I am most comfortable with my hair thrown on top of my head, in sweats, laughing with my friends. Glee is a show that represents the underdogs, which is a feeling I have embraced much of my own life, and to those viewers, the photos in GQ don’t give them that same feeling. I understand completely. 

For GQ, they asked us to play very heightened versions of our school characters. A ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ version. At the time, it wasn’t my favorite idea, but I did not walk away. I must say, I am trying to live my life with a sharpie marker approach. You can’t erase the strokes you’ve made, but each step is much bolder and more deliberate. I’m moving forward from this one, and after today, putting it to rest. I am only myself, I can only be me. These aren’t photos I am going to frame and put on my desk, but hey, nor are any of the photos I take for magazines. Those are all characters we’ve played for this crazy job, one that I love and am so fortunate to have, each and every day. If you asked me for my dream photo shoot, I’d be in a treehouse, in a wild costume, war-paint and I’d be playing with my pet dragon. Until then…..

(via felldowntherabbithole-deactivat)

hipsterfood:

blueberry peach almond smoothie (more like shake!), because for some reason it’s 77F here today.

in your highest-powered blender, blend until consistent and smooth:

• 3/4 cup soaked raw almonds
• 2 cups ice water
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp sugar (we use sugar in the raw, aka sucanat)
• 1/8 cup liquid sweetener (we use agave, also try maple syrup or date syrup)
• rice milk as needed (to get the consistency you like)

if you don’t have a very reliable blender, you might want to blend the almonds separately.

pour the smoothie out into cups and rinse out the blender. put in 2 cups thawed frozen peaches, and blend until it’s a nice thin consistency. pour into each drink, swirling it around. this serves 2-4 people.

beyondboundjournals:

Indeed.

world-shaker:

Phases of the Moon

Update: If you’ve come here to tell me this is wrong, please read my response here.

prettybooks:

2012 Book Challenge
It’s that time of year again! I had a lot of fun participating in the 50 Book Challenge with you guys in 2011. I personally read more than ever and I had to increase my goal to 100 books, which I surpassed. The biggest feedback I received about the challenge was that it encouraged and motivated people to read more.

The Rules:
1. Choose an amount of books that you want to read in 2012 (e.g. 25, 50, 75, 100)
2. Read, read, read!

There isn’t a rule about what type books these have to be; read anything you want. You decide what you want to include (novels, short stories, non-fiction, school books…).

To keep track of how much you’re reading, you can use the Goodreads Reading Challenge, create a list (on Tumblr, LiveJournal, LibraryThing, your computer), write book reviews, post about each book you’re reading - it’s up to you. I personally like to create a 50 Book Challenge page, which I can update easily. It may be a good idea to use the #50 book challenge tag so that others can read posts about your progress.

Although this is a quantifiable challenge, the most important thing is that you’re reading and that you’re having fun doing it :)