I want to live here!

Trelawney Farm found via Going Home to Roost

I want to live here!

I don't really know where 'here' is, but this farm looks so darn beautiful,

cute and serene that I don't care where it is, I want to live in it anyway.

I want to sit out on that porch, I want to soak in that tub, and I want to read all of those books!

I think I'm in love...

Human Rights Tattoo

Have you ever heard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? It's a Declaration that contains 30 Human Rights. I first read it during college and I kind of fell in love. I'm a fan! Can you be a fan of a piece of text? No? Well, I don't care, I just am! I think my favourite articles are numbers 1 and 3 (and can't seem to pick just one, it's a tie, I love both):

Article 1.

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Article 3.

"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."

Yesterday I heard about a pretty awesome project that is going on: Human Rights Tattoo. It's an art project to create awareness about Human Rights. The goal is "[...] to tattoo the complete text of the Declaration on individuals, letter by letter. The complete text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights contains 6773 letters. Each person gets one character. This means that in the end, there is a group of 6773 people from all around the world walking together with the complete text of the Declaration of Human Rights." Isn't it cool?

"Having a letter of the Human Rights Declaration means you are reminded of yours and everybody else’s rights. It is a way of putting your signature under the Declaration of Human Rights only this time a piece of the document is signed on you. You will carry it with you. For the rest of your life."

It could be a great way to remind yourself every day that life is actually pretty darn beautiful. You are free! Free to do and be whatever you want to be. Free to marry whomever you want or to not marry at all. Free to have whatever religion you like (or don't have one at all). Free to live where you want. Free to have and express whatever opinions you may have. Unfortunately, way too many people are not free and even their most basic Human Rights are constantly being violated. To be reminded about this every once in a while might help you see just how amazing your life actually is and that you shouldn't complain so much about all of the little things you think are wrong with it.

It just so happens that letters are being tattooed on people in my city this Saturday. I'm thinking I might get me one of those letters! Perhaps... maybe...

Ordinary is pointless

A little while ago, a friend came over for dinner. Knowing we share a similar deeply passionate love for all things chocolate, I bought fancy (way to pricey) little chocolate-soufflés for dessert. Delicious, I tell you! The packaging was totally cute too and it had this fun text on it (what it was doing on the packaging of a dessert, I'm not quite sure, but I don't really care) that I just wanted to share:

"Pleasure is everything

Give in to happiness

Reject propriety; embrace variety

Prudence is sooo 1658

Life is fleeting; clasp it hard with both hands

Seek delight

Trust your impulses

Ordinary is pointless

Break free"

PS: In case you haven't noticed yet, over the past couple of weeks I've updated most of my pages (I'm mostly still working on the 'Traveling'-page). So take a peek if you want. Or not, see if I care!

Changes

Just a random photo of my boots in the big pile of snow that fell over here a couple of days ago.

I don't handle change very well. I've been trying to work on it and I think I'm getting better at it. But still, my gut instinct is to run and hide and close my eyes and hope everything has stayed the same once I open them again. So the past year hasn't been the very best for me. A lot of change, I tell you! I left my boyfriend of 9 years. I moved to a different city. I moved again (across the street, to my very own awesome little apartment, whereas before I shared my kitchen with a horribly annoying - or annoyingly horrible, that works too - girl, so it was a very good change, but a change nonetheless). And somewhere in between all that I worked somewhere else for a couple of months (I'm back at my same old crappy job... a new job, now that would be a great change I'm more than happy to see happen!). Big changes. Big decisions. Now, more than a year later, I like to think I've adjusted to the changes pretty well. But yes, that's how long it takes me! Even good changes, or sometimes even extremely small changes, I hate. I'll warm up to them, sometimes even love them, and then I'll be okay. It all just takes me a little longer than I guess it does for most people.

Anyway, I'm happy with how my life is at the moment (for the most part, not so much the crappy-job-part). But another change is coming! A very close friend of mine is pregnant, the first of my friends. I'm going to be an aunt! Sort of. Let me first and foremost say, I'm so incredibly happy for her! I know this is what she wants and I know without a shadow of a doubt that she will be the best mom ever. She is awesome and I love her. Alright, having said that, personally, I don't care too much for children. I don't want them myself and in all honestly I can't completely understand why anyone would want them, ever (yes, big statement, I know, and I don't mean to offend anyone, it's just how I feel). Again, I'm very happy for this awesome friend of mine. It's going to be a gigantic change in her life, but since she a little (okay, probably a lot) better at dealing with change, I know she's going to do great. I just can't help but wonder, what kind of change it would bring to my life (because yes, it's all about me, duh). Especially when in the (near? Please let it be not too near!) future more friends will be dropping babies into this world. Most likely I will see a little less of them. Understandably so, they will be busy, I get that and that's more than okay. But when I do see them, will the kids always be there? And even when they're not, will they be the only thing we talk about? Will we even still have things in common (me without kids and all)? I'm pretty sure things will work out alright and I'm just stressing over nothing. It's just another change I'll need to adjust to. As usual, all I need is a little time, but I'll get there... eventually... hopefully. It doesn't help that it doesn't feel completely real yet. I mean, the last time I saw her, she just kind of looked (in the absolute most beautiful way) like she may have eaten a bit too much over Christmas and not really pregnant yet. Her belly wasn't even as big as mine (no, I'm not pregnant, I just need to loose a little bit of weight)! Hm, maybe I need to bring her some brownies, and cookies, and chocolate...

I hope that, in writing this post (which is really just a big random dump of words coming out of my big weird brain), I haven't offended any pregnant ladies, people who want kids, moms, babies, people who've gained weight during Christmas, and basically people in general.

The creepy all-knowing world wide web

You all know those ads on the Internet, right? You see them a lot on Facebook. And pretty much any other site too. They kind of creep me out! They know way too much about my life. Looking for a new apartment? Or a job? Or shoes? Chocoholic? Runner? Single? Yes, the all-knowing world wide web really does know it all!

When I was looking for a new apartment (I found one last summer, it's awesomely cute), all of these ads about gorgeous apartments in my city where popping up. Completely out of my price-range of course, so it was really just more annoying than helpful. And on the rare occasion I'm looking online for shoes or jeans or something and show some pretty impressive, if I may say so myself, constraint by not buying anything (then why look in the first place, you ask? Well, I don't know, apparently I like to torture myself or something. Torture by looking-at-shoes-online-but-not-buying-them, yes, it's a thing, didn't you know?), I'm bombarded by ads about those shoes I so impressively decided not to buy the next time I log in on Facebook and I have to constrain myself all over again.

Lately, things have gone to a whole new level though! Now, all I keep seeing are ads about dating sites. What's that all about? Yes, I'm single. I have been for about a year now. But I'm okay with that. So why the heck can't the Internet be? Is it not enough that my friends keep asking me about my love life, now the Internet has to start bugging me about it too (if you are my friend, and you're reading this, and you've asked me about this once - or many, many times - I know you mean well and I love you, but I promise you right here and know on the Internet so it's all official and all, I will tell you when I find the next love of my life - or someone close to it. In the meantime I'm happy on my own, just trust me). I kind of feel judged. So stop it, you darn creepy world wide web!

Ignoring dirty dishes

My house is a gigantic mess right now. I don't know how it got this bad, everything was fine just a few days ago!

But you know what? I don't care! Not today anyway. Normally it would irritate the hell out of me, because I like my house at the very least a little bit tidy and clean. And of course I'm going to clean this big mess up. Just not today. Today I have other things I want to do. So for this one day, I don't care! I don't care that there are dirty dishes in my sink. I don't care that my bed is almost completely covered with laundry that needs to be folded (of course I'm going to care tonight when I want to go to bed, but then I will just cover some other piece of furniture with it). I don't care that there are stacks of paper and all kinds of random stuff all over my dining room table. And I love that. I love not caring. Even if it's just for a day. It's liberating!

Who would have thought freedom could be found in unfolded laundry and dirty dishes!

Vintage

I'm absolutely and completely in love with this bag! My mother gave it to me and my father had given it to her not long after they started dating. I love that it looks so old and used, especially knowing that it was my mother who used it (and used it a lot, she tells me).

The world's most typical person

I believe...

"I believe in pink.

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.

I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.

I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow is another day and

I believe in miracles."

- Audrey Hepburn -

Loving day

I'm supposed to be working today, instead I'm stuck at home not feeling very well. Having slept untill about 1 in the afternoon already, I'm pretty much all out of sleep right now. But what is one left to do when one isn't feeling up to much else? Browse around the world wide web for random stuff. Look what loveliness I came across:

"This Sunday, June 12, is Loving Day; and celebrations and commemorative events will take place around the nation. Loving Day is the 44th Anniversary of the 1967 unanimous Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia, striking down anti-miscegenation laws.

 

Richard Perry Loving (felicitously named) married Mildred Delores Jeter in June of 1958. Since he was white and she was black, and interracial marriage was prohibited in their home state of Virginia, they traveled to Washington, DC to get married. A few weeks after returning home, they were arrested, pled guilty, and were sentenced to one year in jail. The sentence was suspended for 25 years on condition that the couple leave the state. Appeals within Virginia (while the couple lived elsewhere) upheld their conviction as non-discriminatory because both the white and black spouses were convicted and sentenced equally. Nine years later, the unanimous Loving decision finally put an end to anti-miscegenation laws, and allowed the Lovings to return to their home state.

 

In 2007, a year before she died, Mildred Loving prepared a statement in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision. It concluded:

 

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

 

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."

(Source: Psychology Today)

Personality

Oops, it's been a while since I've written something for my cute little blog over here. I guess I've been a bit too busy with my other blog. I'm sorry, sweet blog of mine, can you forgive me? (I like to think it will say yes, but then again, it's probably not a very good sign of my mental health when I hear my blog speaking to me)

I like sunday. I think it's my favorite day of the week (but I guess that's true for most people). I like to do as little useful things on sunday as I can and stay in my pyjama's way too long. Today I found this fun personality quiz (found it via How About Orange) to waste my time with. I don't think the outcome was all that accurate, but I still like it. Here is what it said about me:

My personality

Mood: Go Getter

You're an adventurous soul (who sits behind her computer on a sunday afternoon in her pink bathrobe taking a personality quiz, very adventurous that soul of mine!) with a bit of a romantic outlook. You have a very creative spirit and love to search out new experiences that will fuel your imagination. Your choice of drink (I choose water, because I'm boring and that happens to be what I drink most) shows that you care about your health and make sure you're putting the right stuff in (does chocolate count as 'the right stuff' too?). When it comes to holidays you see them as the perfect chance to further yourself and to learn more about the world around you. You like to be immersed in a completely different world and would be really bored just sitting on a beach (ok, that's true, I like walking on the beach, but just sitting on it? No, thank you).

Fun: Thriller

As for the home you have an expressive personality (I do? I did not know that, it might explain the bright orange wall in my bedroom though). You like your surroundings to be simple and comfortable (does anyone really like their surroundings to be uncomfortable?) - with a really romantic feel. You love physical activity (I do??? That's news to me!) - you've got serious wanderlust. Keeping a clear head and healthy body makes you ready for whatever life throws at you. For kicks you like to indulge and treat yourself to whatever you like. After all you only live once!

Habits: New Wave Puritan

When it comes to art you tend to have a traditional approach (I picked out a painting of Van Gogh... what can I say, I'm a sucker for a crazy guy who cuts of his own ear, I did not realise that made me traditional). You are passionate about history (if only someone told me that in highschool, I might not have failed it) and true classics. Truly great art stands the test of time. As for music for you it's all about self expression. Nothing beats it to take you away from everyday reality. You love being a little bit naughty (yep, that's me, breaking rules left and right). Being good all the time is too boring - life should be about enjoyment. When you think of freedom - you think of living for the here and now. You're pretty (ah, thank you!) fearless and take any opportunity open to push yourself to the limit.

Social: Fun

You can never get enough attention or affection. You love to be touched. You love to touch others... And what turns you off: Vanity in a world gone mad. You favor a natural look. Fantastic not plastic. You have real passion for life and you don't like to take things too seriously (such as this quiz). For you friendship is all about enjoying yourself (no, I prefer to always have a bad time when I'm with friends) and seeing the funny side of life.

International Women's Day

This is for (some of) the women in my life, in celebration of International Women's Day:

• My mom - The strongest woman I know! She is beautiful, smart, powerful and wonderful. If I have only inherited one tenth of her strength and wisdom, I'm a very happy woman.
• Joyce and Evelien - My two oldest friends, who I consider to be more like the sisters I never had than 'just' friends. Thank you for all the amazing times together, I'm looking forward to many more (including skydiving together when we're old and grey!).
• Myrthe - One of the most creative and smartest persons I know (who taught me that it is ok to wear mismatching socks).
• Ilse - You were an amazing housemate and I'm so happy we were able to remain good friends (even though we don't always get to see eachother as often as we would like).
• Mensje - I always enjoy our dinner and movies dates greatly!
• Wendy - The best childhood friend a girl could wish for! And I don't think I have ever properly thanked you for introducing me to Erwin, so in case you happen to read this: Thank you so very much!
• Lucie and Jeanine - The best mother- and sister-in-law anyone could ever hope to have.
• Paula - Who makes my dad so happy, thank you!
• My aunt Marianne - Who taught me (probably without realising it) that you should live your life to the fullest and enjoy every moment, because you never know how many moments you have left.
• My aunt Rita - Who taught me (probably also unknowingly) that there is nothing wrong with being a little different.

Happy International Women's Day!

Volunteer work

I haven't found a new job yet, but I did find me some volunteer work to keep busy with. I'm helping with the organisation of the 'collecteweek' for Simavi here in our small town. It looks like it is going to be a little bit more work than I thought it would be, but I think it will be worth it. It's a great cause!

2,100 political prisoners

Human Rights Watch:

"Although Aung San Suu Kyi has finally been released, more than 2,100 political prisoners remain in jail in Burma. These prisoners include members of the political opposition, human rights defenders, labor activists, artists, journalists, internet bloggers, as well as Buddhist monks and nuns.

Now is the time to renew the call for Burma's government to release all political prisoners in Burma."

Please sign the online petition to help free the 2,100 political prisoners of Burma!