Friday I'm in Love!

Happy Friday y'all!  I've been floating around school today, giddy about the impending weekend.  It's upon us!  What fun things do you have planned?

My usual lively weekend plans have been curtailed by a ferocious deadline: While I do have plans to hang out with some of my girls (including an old friend in town from NYC) on Saturday night over wine & Indian pizza, the rest of the weekend  I am on lockdown. Like serious, for real lockdown.  I have a huge manuscript due to Justice Now/Voice of Witness on Monday (essentially, I have 45 pages of a transcribed interview that I have to write into a cohesive, first person narrative).  Fortunately, I am passionate about the project and I love the woman whose story is being told . . . but my goodness do I have my work cut out for me!

Onto business as usual:

Summergirl

Here are some things I've been loving lately.  First and foremost:

1. Behold two of my favorite things:

    An NFL hottie + the Manbun

OMFG

The darling Marianne (who obviously knows me very well) sent me this picture a few days ago, because she knows how dear both of these things are to me.  While I never thought Tom Brady was one of the hottest in the NFL before, I sure as heck do now that he's sporting a manbun!  Oh to be Gisele and make love to that sweet sweet man with the sexiest hairstyle around.  He'ssofine.

2. Chocolate Bananas

Check this out:

from

This is my new favorite thing.  I'd bought the regular Gone Bananas before at Trader Joe's (a whole frozen banana dipped in chocolate) but these bite-sized ones are so much better!  They are PERFECT for a sweet tooth--delicious and relatively guilt-free (really low-calorie).  I pretty much want to go home right now so I can grab some from my freezer.  If you have a Trader Joe's nearby, try these!

3. Tsunami Love

from

This morning I got one phone call, six text messages, and a couple emails from far-off loved ones checking on San Francisco (the first tsunami wave was supposed to reach our coastline at 8:08 this morning).  Thank you so much to everyone for all the love and concern.  Things are fine here in California, though I am devastated for Japan as we continue to see the body count rise.  It seems we've had a surge of natural disasters in the past few years, and it's heartbreaking.

Here's hoping that Eastern Japan is able to heal soon, and that its people are overwhelmed with strength and resilience.  

Happy Friday!

Friday I'm in Love!

Summergirl

It's Friday, and I'm exhausted.  But I'm wearily in love with these things:

1. All the Valentine's love  that's been pouring in my mailbox!  If you're struggling with making your own Valentines, check out Micaela's gorgeous, hand-crafted cards.  Hers put mine to shame!  And check out this loot--Faiza sent decorations for my all-girls V-Day sleepover, and my friend Linda sent hilarious chocolate.  So excited:

this is just the beginning!

2.  This blog's  layout and design.  I love it!  I came across it through Carrie's white denim in winter challenge, and I immediately emailed the sweet blogger, Kai, to ask who did her design.  Now, to spend $60 on a new blog layout or not to?  Isn't her blog perfect looking?  I'm smitten.

3. These Jeffreys:

cutttteeee

Normally I like super-feminine shoes, but something about these clunky, modern platforms has me all atwitter.  

Hope everyone's having a delightful Friday!  It sure is easier to get through the day knowing there is a weekend ahead of you.  Unfortunately, I will be hunkered down all weekend staring at my computer screen since I have an upcoming deadline for the Voice of Witness project I'm working on (transcribing the interviews I've done and turning them into first person narratives).  I love the project so dearly, and I'm so fortunate to be a part of it . . . but man, is it time-consuming!

XOXO

All-work-no-play

Y'all are gonna witness a very disciplined Claire this weekend.

♥

(Or rather, not witness, since I will hopefully be absent from the blog world).  As much as I'd love to spend the weekend playing around with my cronies, drinking outside in the sunshine, and taking a little beach trip, 'tis not gonna happen.  I'm gonna have my weary head in the books all weekend working on these two things:

1. Voice of Witness writing

You may remember the interviews I did in the South this summer.  I met with four amazing women who had recently been released from prison (and who were brave enough to share their stories with me).  Well, as you can imagine, those recorded interviews had to be transcribed into documents, and now they have to be whipped up into first person narratives.  Tonight is slated for continuing to immerse myself the writing styles of past Voice of Witness books, and tomorrow is all about putting pen to paper (i.e. fingertips to keyboard).  Suffice to say that Sunday I'll be taking a break for football!

2. Campaigning against this.

I don't talk about politics very often on my blog, because frankly, I hate arguing.  But fighting against the death penalty is in my blood--it's in my heart--and it's a big part of who I am.  (If the state doesn't stop the planned execution of Albert Brown, I will do a longer post on this next Tuesday, before heading to San Quentin for an evening vigil).

That said, it's Friday!  And today, my Friday loves are New Orleans themed:

Summergirl

1. Abita Purple Haze

my Whole Foods shopping cart

New Orleans-brewed Abita beer is hard to come by in San Francisco . . . which was why I was overjoyed when Summer told me I could find it at Whole Foods!  Needless to say, I picked up two 6-packs this week, and will be happily sipping away while watching the Saints/Falcons game on Sunday morning (big game for me: I grew up in Georgia, then moved to New Orleans at 18).  Have you had Purple Haze raspberry wheat beer??  If not, get yourself to a Whole Foods, stat.

2. Drew Brees

hi, I'm Drew Brees, and I'm sweet and precious and an amazing quarterback who's gonna lead the Saints in beating the Falcons this week

3.  This Louisiana girl 

is well on her way to makin' a baby!  Fingers & toes crossed, prayers sent up, chants repeated!

Happy Friday everyone--hope your weekends involve more fun than mine will!

p.s. Enter my adorable etsy giveaway!

p.p.s. Make the black bean chili I posted yesterday!

Friday I'm in Love!

Whew! Today marks the end of the infamous first week of school, so needless to say . . .

1. I'm in love with the Happy Hour that awaits me at Cha Cha Cha in the Mission in just a few short hours!

I'll be here

drinking this

2. I'm in love with all the beautiful birthday mail y'all have sent me. More on that later. Just know it's made my week so much more fun. The happy birthday gifts I've received in the mail this week include but aren't limited to: the prettiest and Claire-est postcard collage I've ever seen, a weighted hula hoop, a sweet, sentimental necklace, Sprinkles cupcake mix from the famous Southern California shop, a tiny colander, flowers, and a gift card to my favorite store (the two weirdest things on that list were from my mama). I'll share pics soon!

3. BOOKS. Now that I've finished Friday Night Lights, I've picked up an old habit again . . . reading! I'm revisiting Surviving Justice right now, as I'm preparing to shape my interviews into personal narratives. Surviving Justice is the first book in the Voice of Witness series, and is a collection of narratives from people who were wrongfully convicted, served time in prison, and were exonerated. You can order it by clicking the link above . . . it's a pretty unforgettable book.

After I'm done with this (again), I'm going straight to Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series. (I'm all about teen lit these days, ha!). I tell you what: Hunger Games was so good. All the adrenaline and excitement of *other* popular YA book series, but without the horrid, cliche-ridden, angsty, somewhat misogynistic writing (I'm talkin' to YOU, Twilight!).

4. This:

love letters sheet set from Anthropologie

It's pretty much everything I love in one: text, love, gorgeous sheets, romance, ohmygoodness. Do you think my interest in everything bed-related has something to do with school starting back up? Ha. Just a wild guess.

Check out my girl Summer B. to play along and tell us what you're in love with!

A very very good day.

Yesterday was a pretty magical day. This is how it went down:

*It started with my second acupuncture appointment with Thuy, which was even more amazing than my first. Pretty sure this is going to be an incredible addition to my routine.

*I came home relaxed from acupuncture, picked some tomatoes from the garden, and sat down with my computer and started filling out unemployment forms. I was in the midst of trying to figure them out, when . . . I got word that my job was saved! We got fully funded and I get to go back to Balboa next week!!

*I jetted across the street to get some celebratory champagne, and toasted with my roommate (and dear friend whom I LOVE) as soon as she got home.

*California lawmakers declared Prop 8, the highly controversial proposition declaring gay marriage illegal in California, unconstitutional! YAY FOR LOVE! This is such an amazing victory. I'm proud of my state.

In general good news . . .

1. I got an email from a former friend/boss at Tulane, inviting me to come to New Orleans in late October for a 5 Year Katrina Remembrance event! Dave Eggers is a keynote speaker, and there's going to be a panel about the Voice of Witness books on wrongful incarceration/exonerated people and women who've suffered abuse and neglect while in prison. I was invited to participate in the panel discussion, which includes flight/hotel/meals in New Orleans. I'm pretttttttty excited. Anyone wanna meet me here?

The Columns Hotel, aka my favorite place in New Orleans

Trying to convince Summer B to take a lil trip home and hang out with me in NOLA!

And speaking of Summer, go congratulate her on her daddy's cancer being in remission!

Lastly, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I made a damn good dinner last night to go with my celebratory champagne. You see, my mama's kinda famous for her squash casserole. Those of you who've had it know what I'm talking about it. I replicated it quite nicely, gotta say, and made a caprese salad with tomatoes from the garden. (But no, I can't take credit for growing them). Check it:

deeeeelish

nothin' like mama's squash casserole!

And lastly, I've developed an addiction, y'all. To Friday Night Lights. It's only been a few days, and I've already finished the first season, thanks to my friend Doro's Netflix Instant Watch, or whatever it's called. In particular, I've developed an addiction to the hunkiest man alive:

Tim Riggins, ladies and gentleman. Tim f'ing Riggins.

Inspired.

Yesterday I met some people I will never forget.

Some of you know about Voice of Witness, the book series spearheaded by Dave Eggers, which confronts contemporary human rights crises through oral history. There are currently four books in the series: one about people who were wrongfully convicted and exonerated from prison, one about those displaced during and after Hurricane Katrina, one about undocumented workers in the U.S., and one about Sudanese refugees. All of which are full of extremely powerful narratives from those most directly affected.

A few months ago, my friend Mimi (who is Executive Director of Voice of Witness) contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in helping work on their fifth book, which will hopefully come out next year, focusing on the abuse and neglect that many women suffer when they are incarcerated. Of course, I agreed.

Yesterday I got up at 5 am and drove to Montgomery, Alabama to meet with two women at the AIM (Aid for Inmate Mothers) center downtown. I prepared my (incredibly futuristic) audio recorder and sat down with the first woman I was to interview. To say that she silenced me with her strength, resilience, and grace would be a drastic understatement.

The same thing happened with the next woman I interviewed. And then I drove to Birmingham, and was once again stunned by the story that came forth from this woman. All three of them had spirits & bodies that had been crushed, and all three of them were humble, gracious, and so unbelievably brave.

After I left the last woman's hot, humid living room in Birmingham, where we sat together swatting flies and in the loud hum of her fan, I drove to a Cracker Barrel and had dinner by myself in rural Alabama (sweet tea, fried okra, macaroni & cheese, and red skin potatoes). How's that for country? I figured I could use the time to sit alone and think about my new heroes.

Man, are most of us so, so lucky.