Things making me smile/on my mind/causing distraction these days:
--I've waxed poetic multiple times about how much I love my best girlfriends. Turns out I'm potentially just buying into a social media phenomenon and mass cultural shift, according to the New York Times. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop Snapchatting Kelsie manicure pics, brunching with Hannah, or inundating this blog with photos of my favorite girls.
--Since Kanye West "officially" threw his hat in the ring for the 2016 Presidential race at the VMA's a month ago, I haven't been able to stop laughing at the appropriateness of The Kanye West Wing on Tumblr. Combining scenes from "The West Wing" with Kanye lyrics or vice versa, it's made me laugh multiple times with its perfect pairings. (Can't you just imagine the horror of Kim Kardashian as First Lady?)
--One of my goals for myself in this space is to try to candidly capture both the best and worst of my life. We've all seen articles make the rounds on how social media makes it alarmingly easy for everyone to fake perfect lives, and this story in The Atlantic about the hashtag "#luckygirl" on Instagram really hammered it home for me. I would call myself lucky, yes. Fortunate may be a better word, to have had the opportunities I've had in my young (still SO young) life. The critique of the social media portrayal of good fortune and hard work, however, was really interesting to me.
--I live just around the park from the beautiful La Belle Vie, and couldn't believe when I read that it was closing! All political opinions aside, because I don't choose to share my thoughts one way or another in this space, I think it's a travesty that I've never made it there, and am seriously debating trying to sneak it in before it shuts its doors just shy of its 10th anniversary on October 24th.
--Ending with football, as usual this time of year: Notre Dame plays Navy this weekend in an historic rivalry full of respect and tradition. While I may have been a bit bitter about the 43-year win streak being snapped my freshman year, or the fact that we lost to them 3 of the 4 years I was at ND, I more than made up for it with an amazing trip to Ireland with Kaitlin to watch them face off in the Shamrock Series in 2012. This year's game will feature each team sporting the same base layer, gloves, and cleats, which are all linked to in this Sports Illustrated article. I love that they've got the alma maters printed on the sleeves...what a cool touch. Here's to a great rivalry...and (hopefully) an Irish victory ahead!