gone with the wind.

Running usually brings with it its own set of challenges: hills, thirst, and many-a-cramp. However, last Thursday when I went running I had to deal with a whole new challenge: wind. And not just wind, but rather 50-plus mile an hour gusts from two directions. I had already set my mind on doing a pretty hard run (5 x 5 minutes hard, 4 minutes easy for 5 miles), and I had no intention of letting the wind stop me, although that might have been against my better judgment. Nobody else was out on the path I was running on, and with good reason. I was literally getting pushed to the side of the road, dirt was blowing in my face, I had tears running down my cheeks and my nose would not stop running. On top of that it was really hot. I'm pretty sure it was what running through the Saudi Arabian desert would feel like. However, did I regret this? No. Why? Am I crazy, or maybe just a glutton for punishment? Well perhaps, but I realized after I finished how good I felt. Strong, successful, and pretty badass. These are the kinds of runs that I know will help me get better and faster in the long run (pun intended). After being sick with food allergies for so long, I really appreciate how much my body can do now that I am healthy and eating (and not eating) the right foods. Now, while I won't exactly be praying for another day with wind like this, I would welcome it if it showed up on my afternoon run.

international bling.

Some of my favorite pieces of jewelry are those that I collect on trips through Latin America and the Caribbean. In particular, I have a fascination with these bracelets that I found in Buenos Aires that are painted like Russian nesting dolls.

Now the smaller bracelet I bought from JewelMint, but I love the juxtaposition in the bigger bracelet of something both Russian and Latin. In a lot of ways, it captures what I love about Latin America and the art - the influence of more than one culture and the mestizaje which shows up in the art that I study. That, and this bracelet is just really pretty.

new art.

One of my favorite things to do an Albuquerque has always been to go see art openings. I would go for my teachers in high school, and even a few where I had a piece displayed, but now I get to help put them on myself and see the wonderful work other young people are doing in Albuquerque. This past weekend, I went to one entitled "How Appropriate" by an MFA student named Ana Medina (see some of her work here). Her works captured a sense of identity in youth today, all done in such a way that the viewer can feel the emotion in a particular moment. It was so great to see such refreshing art in Albuquerque, and to see an artist so young with such original work. I'm super excited about all of the MFA shows coming up soon, and all of the great exhibits this summer, and will be sure to keep everyone updated so you might have a chance to go see some. And if you're in Albuquerque, you have no excuse not to.

getting stitchy with it.

I really envy super crafty people. While I do make a mean greeting card (I will upload one of my favorites soon!), I have many more crafts that I would like to master, the next one being embroidery. One of my colleagues, Kristen, a wonderfully talented embroiderer inspired me to get into this beautiful art over the summer when I will be doing some academic reading and art history research. She has her own wonderful blog, The Bobbypin Bandit, where she offers her musings on academia and great craft ideas, but she also contributes to a collaborative embroidery blog called Feeling Stitchy which offers many great tutorials for adorable embroidery. I plan on taking up some of these projects as soon as I am finished with my constant paper writing for the end of the school year. I think it's easy to say what I would rather be doing...

Readers, any exciting craft ideas or projects you're working on?

the sushi train.

Through the gluten, lactose, and shellfish-free life I live, sushi has been one of those foods I can turn to again and again. Now, I may be getting overly sentimental over raw fish, but it was one of the few foods I could eat when I was sick (sans wasabi, cause that stuff does a number on your stomach) without getting even sicker. These days it holds a special place in my heart because I know I can eat it safely without throwing it back up (sorry for the TMI). Now, I normally bring my lunch to work, but I was pretty excited when I discovered sushi in the student union building, and as I had no ingredients at home for a lunch today, this was a perfect excuse to get my nori fix. This is really just a post about the lunch I had today, and further encouragement to jump on the sushi train if you haven't yet. Now if I could only get a certain boyfriend of mine to try it...

Yum.

Chopsticks instructions always crack me up.

the stuff of which great weekends are made.

I have to say that I had one of those wonderful spring weekends. Although the ridiculously high amounts of wind and dust dashed my plans to run outside Saturday (hello, again, treadmill!), I still enjoyed myself.

Crabapple blossoms. 

Ghost tour in Old Town. 

Pensive chihuahua. 

Accessorizing while reading.

my new favorite bracelet.

One of my favorite things about teaching debate is how much my students do appreciate me, even if I'm not always aware of it. Last week, at the final team banquet I started crying when the students were thanking me, and I cried more later when I read the sweetest messages on the card they gave me. While nothing can mean more than these words, they gave me some absolutely beautiful gifts as well. One of which is this twisted silver bracelet, my new favorite go-to piece.

I can't believe how lucky I am to work with such wonderful students day in and day out. I'm so sad to see the seniors graduate, but can't wait to take some of them to nationals in Indianapolis and see the young'uns grow even more next year!

accessorizing for easter.

One of the wonderful things about all the church services, mother's day luncheons, and bridal showers over the next few months is the limitless number of opportunities to get dressed up and accessorize to the nines, two of my favorite pastimes. I love unexpected pops of color against more subdued tones, like a bright necklace over a springy, but demure, dress. This is what I wore to last night's Easter vigil, and although you can't see it, the chains of yellow beads were perfect for my blue-striped maxi dress, the same  shade as my turquoise cross from Santa Fe.

Gotta love the sale jewelry at Target... 

May all of you reading have a happy Easter and a wonderful Passover, if you're celebrating! But no matter what you do, accessories always make the day.

spring, thus far.

 I always welcome the warm days of spring with a smile and a desire to skip through flowers in the warm sun. Unfortunately, soon after that daydream, mid-semester hits like a snowstorm, flurrying up my sunny daydreams with the harsh realities of academia. However, I still find lots of joy in spring with the time I (can) spend running in the sun, taking walks with my wonderful boyfriend, and relishing in sometimes-too-short spring dresses. As promised, here are some pictures of my spring so far, and some of the wonderful happenings on coasts both East and West.

A tipsy mouse at my boyfriend's parents' house for St. Paddy's. 

Make-your-own-smores at Planet Marshmallow in Manchester, NH. 

One of the many beautiful churches decorating the skyline in Portland, ME. 

Seagulls perched on posts on the New Hampshire coast. 

My seven debaters headed for the national (!) tournament in Indianapolis. Couldn't be prouder. 

Back to reading, reading, reading. I must say, a very good book though. 

alas, no more java.

Several weeks ago, I came to the unfortunate realization that one of my most favorite things ever happened to be making me rather sick. Every morning I would get these stomach-turning pangs of nausea, and while they would go away by 10 am, they were still terrible. I tried changing around a lot of things: what I was eating, how much I was eating, and when. But no matter what I did with breakfast food, I still got sick. Then I realized I would probably have to eliminate the lowest common denominator: coffee.

Now tell any regular, caffeine-laced grad student that they will have to part with their coffee (or other form of caffeine), and they will probably throw a heavy textbook full of theory at you. The last morning I had coffee, and knew that it would be my last cup of any kind of caffeine for awhile, I felt like Hamlet saying goodbye to Yorick. I questioned how I would make it through life without caffeinated tea, diet coke, and most importantly, soy lattes, but the results have been surprisingly pleasant.

Me, with a new found appreciation for all things pepperminty and tea-y.

Now, I worked in a tea shop in high school, and went back to my roots for my new morning drink go-to: tisane. It has strong flavors like tea, but no actual tea leaves, just herbs, roots, flowers, and whatnot. After trying a few, I've gotten hooked on any green or white tea, or tisane, that has strong peppermint flavors, which I really need to wake up in the morning. Fortunately, I've felt much better since this little switch. I don't know when, or if, I will go back to caffeine, but right now I'm enjoying my life without java.

a fun run in the sun.

Lately (minus today) the weather here has been just too perfect. Spring always means one thing for me: midday desert runs. This may seem odd, but the temperature is wonderful in the middle of the day and the sun is all the way out, so you get the warmth without the beating heat and crazy locust noises that accompany it in the middle of summer. This allows for great, hard runs in super-nice weather. I always come back tired, but feeling much better about myself than I did when I left.

necessary colorful running shoes

Lately I've been training for this and this (hopefully --- cross your fingers!), and the sun has been the perfect training partner, making me go faster because its not too hot, and staying out longer because its just so beautiful.

happy april.

While I am not writing anything "official" today, here is a delightfully yummy picture I took with my phone while making this salad from BGSK. Giving me lots of wonderful spring produce to look forward to this April...

Parsley, basil, cherry tomatoes, lemon.