Rise up, little sister.

Alicia, I think you would like the song Rise Up by Diane Birch.

I have some exciting news. I am going to have a garden of sorts this summer. My best friend Ariel bought me for my birthday a Carnivorous Plant Starter Kit that included a Pitcher Plant and a Venus Flytrap. Then, my friend gave me a little piece of paper from IKEA. At the bottom was a paperish house. You break up the house into tiny pieces and plant it, and then flowers poof out! Just like that! So I will have Sweet William Pinks, Rocket Larkspur, Candytuft, Baby Blue Eyes, Corn Poppy, Forget-Me-Not, Wallflower, Columbine, Blue Flax, Zinnia, Lemon Mint and Five Spot. I didn't even know flowers with such adorable names existed.

It was then that Richard began to laugh; he couldn't help himself. There was hysteria in there, certainly, but there was also the exhaustion of someone who had managed, somehow, to believe several dozen impossible things in the last twenty-four hours, without ever getting a proper breakfast.

I bought terra cotta pots for these plants today. But alas, I could not find the paints when I got home to paint them with. I met a man at Wal*Mart who was extremely helpful in telling me what kind of soil I should use for my carnivorous plants. I just love it when workers actually know a huge amount of helpful information. So often people are not willing to help and really do not know what they are talking about, but he was quite the opposite. I hope he gets a raise.

I think Forever Stamps are sissy stamps. I just don't like the idea of them at all. The fun in stamps is getting to pick out pictures. It is so exciting to run out of stamps and to go to the Post Office to pick out a new picture. Right? Maybe I am the only one who delights in this. Look at this beauty my Mom gave me. Just look at this thing:

I fell in love with it so much, I could not bear to use it. I put it in a notebook called Weston so that I can keep it forever now. It is my favorite stamp I have ever seen. I surrounded it with paragraphs and paragraphs of praise in Weston.

Whoa. Did you know sheetlets was a word? I am browsing the Post Office store online. I want this. Oh, how FUN.

I cry at the fuzziness. If you look closely, you can see my reflection in the magnets.

Come back to me from North Carolina.

I love having friends who are so talented. Kevin Dailey is one of my favorite songwriters and favorite voices, and I feel so honored to be a friend of his.

I bought some Viktor & Rolf Antidote shower gel. Yes, it's mens. It was only six dollars and ninety-nine cents, and I adore the smell so much. It smells like a perfect man. It smells like a man who is unbelievably stylish and strong and slightly odd and stylish and witty and just a pile of grandness. So I bought it. My Dad and I realized and said at the exact same time that I could put it in my hope chest, but I really think I am going to keep it out to smell and use sometimes. Hehe.

Two days ago was my birthday. I got many wonderful gifts from my wonderful family, but the most exciting gift was my typewriter. Here is someone's Flickr photo of the model I have. I have wanted one for virtually my entire life, and I am so happy to own it. It's all I've been thinking about for these past two days. I have written many, many letters. Many. Seriously. And I will write you one if you want. Gladly. And Rachel, I am still going to make your animal.

My family has a tradition of using a new name at Panera Bread every time we order. We've been almost every character we love, random objects, weird sayings, fake people, celebrities, anything. We're kind of famous because all of the workers know us because of it. On my brithday, Jenna was at the mall while I got my hair cut. She got hungry and went to Panera to get some bread. She was really tired and didn't feel like making up a clever name, but the cashier would not hear of that. She knew Jenna to be a Woods and knew she had to tell her a silly name. It's a rule. Jenna protested, but the girl pressed on. Jenna finally said, "You make up a name for me." The girl said fine and typed something in. However, she wouldn't tell Jenna what she had written. She told Jenna, "You're just going to have to figure it out when they call it." Jenna went and waited for her bread. After a few minutes, the cook who calls over the speaker called, "Hilter, your order is ready. Hitler." Jenna shamefully walked to the counter and took the bread. She told the guy, "I did not pick that name. She did." He replied, "I was worried there for a minute."

My mouth tastes disgusting.

Drift wood.

Sometimes I watch small children on Nick Jr. and Noggin commercials, and I want to puke. They are the most obnoxious kids on the planet. Sorry.

Sometimes I look up pictures of puffins, and I've found I have never seen a picture of a puffin eating where it doesn't have four or more fish in its mouth. Always. Google Image puffins eating if you don't believe me.

Sometimes I forget how much I adore A Room with a View.

Last night I watched it (And was laughing way too loud for my sleeping family's preference.) and I remembered how much I loved George Emerson. Rafe Spall makes him into the most charming, wonderful character since Jack Sparrow or Peter Pan. He is definitely in my top five favorite characters ever. Currently he is number one in character to marry. 

Can one of you well-traveled girls explain to me why the British call a certain amount of weight a stone? How much is a stone?

I've been babysitting my butt off to have funmoney (It's a word.) for the summer. This summer is already looking like it's going to be the greatest summer in a very long time. One reason is because on June 6th, I am going to accomplish a life and summer goal of meeting Ellen. I am so nervous and so excited that it's kind of ridiculous.

Baby Katie just kneed me in the back.

I've been drawing animals like crazy. They're awful, and so much fun to make.

Ariel, my best friend.

Colleen, a Buddytown friend.

If you would like an animal, let me know. I would love to make one of you.