gorgeous.

via my instagram byalisoncooper // more here

one exam, two papers, and one quiz down.
one revision, and one quiz left
then goodbye, spring 2012 semester.
i'm totally okay to see you go.

xo alison

p.s. see that last picture? yep, that's my new marc by marc jacobs bag i've wanted for years and that my dad just bought me "just because". i had a very non-frivolous childhood and i live a very non-frivolous life, so needless to say i'm still a little shocked that it's mine. it's just so gorgeous.

really really

via instagram: more here.

it's very windy & kind of cold
and i'm listening to acoustic laura gibson
and eating dried apricots
and very glad it's monday.

the weekend was one of those weekends
that's filled with very high highs & very low lows
so to be back in pittsburgh
with an endless cup of tea & a full DVR
is really really nice,
weird weather and all.

how was your weekend?

xo alison

cut in squares

via instagram: more here.

right now i really love

really hot hot chocolate from a gas station

rain pooling on the patio furniture

local pizza cut in squares

mumford & sons in the morning

the pens forcing a game six

and being home for the weekend.

what do you love right now?

xo alison

and reading bukowski

via instagram // more here.

i've been having the worst time focusing lately.

my mental ruts usually don't last longer than an afternoon

so being in one for a few days has me a spiraling a little.

like all i want to do is drink good iced coffee

go on roundabout walks

listen to glen hansard's new music

disappear into my netflix cue

and open all the windows even when it's cold.

i'm in the middle of finals, though,

and it's taking me twice as long

to write anything half as good as my normal standard

and even doing that is like pulling teeth.

sigh.

i know it's probably just the stress

the accumulation of the stress of the semester

the stress of this particular semester

and of this particular playoff series

but understanding isn't really that helpful

when i'm normally not the listless, ennui type

i.e. the type who really wants to spend the day

snacking on frozen grapes + semi sweet chocolate

while wearing over sized pajama pants

and reading bukowski

and not a goddamn other thing.

what do you do when you just can't seem to concentrate?

xo alison

walk, repeat

via instagram: find more here + here.

work, write, study,

watch, root, sleep, eat,

laugh, listen, walk, repeat.

those are my verbs right now.

what are yours?

xo alison

mid-atlantic spring

via instagram. find more here + here.

over the last few days i got to see my two favorite boys,

one which i hadn't really seen since february

the other which i hadn't seen at all since christmas,

so the last few days have kind of been like christmas:

good food, better company, shopping, coffee, conversation and

lovelovelove.

what kind of lovelovelove things have you been up to recently?

for me, i've also been

// putting the tallest man on earth on the record player, windows open, speakers loud

// living off house blends + gorgonzola crackers as finals get closer
// rearranging my life/school/work schedule around the impending playoffs
// daydreaming about the ocean, coconut oil, salty air, and sun
// spending time with fun/funny pgh people

// rotating between flats + dresses and boots + jeans (hello mid-atlantic spring)

how about you?

xo alison

what was this march

via instagram: byalisoncooper

find the rest here + here

march is gone.

it was fast + green + almost record warm.

i read moby-dick for the first time

the penguins clinched their playoff spot

and adrienne rich passed away.

i had a glass of the worst reisling ever

i listened to a lot of saintseneca and youth lagoon

and adrienne rich passed away.

(it still really sucks)

what was this march like for you?

xo alison