I want only this, I want to live I want to live a simple life.

Hmm quite frankly...I do not know where to begin.  I'm still in shock about everything.  Like hey!  Today is January 3rd.  Terzo di gennaio.  Time goes by to fast.  

So I'm siting here on my computer trolling through countless photos I have stored in iPhoto and I've decided that it is quite selfish to keep them to myself.  Lately I've become quite the blog fiend...stalking stalking stalking and you guessed it! more stalking.  Somehow all of that has lead me to my innumerable passions: glittery objects, inspirational quotes, light bulbs, glass bottles (my family knows this since I steal wine bottles and display them in my room...empty ones of course) cozy chic interior design, and music (I regret my decision to quit piano, why? why? why did I quit?  such a shame).  I've used the word "quite" three times already.  Aww chi se ne frega.  It's a pretty word.  Right now I'm rocking out to "Love Train" by The O Jays...retro.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo4_1l_gU58.  Please.  Listen to it.  It will change your life.  Such profound words; "people all over the world, join hands, start a love train, love train".  Boy did the O Jays know what they were talking about.  Must be my mother's influence.  With The O Jays comes Marvin Gaye and The Supremes.  You can not get any happier than those guys.  Oooo listen to this!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L_DQKCDgeM.  Sigur Ros is an amazing band from Iceland!  This song makes me sit back and think, really think.  Try singing along, I dare you, it's actually nearly impossible since they sing in their own made up language.  Plus they're Icelandic so that kinda just doesn't work for me.  This song "Hoppipolla" doesn't need words though.  "Hoppipolla" translates to "jumping into puddles"...which is the feeling of true happiness.  If you haven't tried it then...shame on you! Please please please make it a New Year's resolution.  This song makes me want to take over the world, well not take over the world, but it gives me the confidence to conquer obstacles.  I know you feel it too.        

As you can see I like black and white photos.  Something beautiful.  Yes colors are beautiful too, but there is something about a black and white photo.  Something simple.  Something peaceful.  I don't have a reason to post them, they're not about Italy or anything.  I like them.  So they're you go, there's my reason.  

I happen to be slightly obsessed with photos like this one.  Black and white of course.  Then there's the quote "Too many people undervalue what they are and overvalue what they're not."  Tis the truth.  

The photo spree has commenced.  Pardon.  Now that I've figured out that caricando photos is really easy I can't stop.  Yes "thought is free", but we do have to watch what we say.  Can be spouting harsh words can we now!  No no.  How about one last one...

My obsession with black and white comes parallel with mirrors (I'm not vain, promise, I just like shiny things) and light bulbs.  Then there's white brick, as you can see a bit nello sfondo.  Oh, theres also something else...but I'll save that for another day.  Spare you just this once...naw who am I kidding.  You need to see this!!

Stare at this for awhile...then drive to Home Depot and buy the tools needed to transform your life.  Believe me, my family has no idea what they're in for when I come home.  Mirror stairs.  I mean seriously.  This makes my heart sing.  Skip a beat even.  

Hmm so I suppose I'll post a couple more, I really like this.  Let's see, trust me the photos never end.  Non finisce mai.  

I seriously can't get enough of these fancy quotes.  Maryanne Rodmacher knows.  She knows.  But I don't know who she is.  Googled!  She's a native Oregonian.  Fancy.  Well comunque...this explains life.  Life in general.  Problems in general.  Things in general.  

Side note: one day I will have a loft with high ceilings, white brick, open spaces, lots of closet space, tons of lights hung, I'm talking about Chritstmas/ circus style lights.  I'll post some pictures of that too.  I'm going to have a pretty swanky place.  I have too much time.  Too much time.  I'm going to go for a walk.  Wait it's lunch time.    

Look what I found!  Oh Cali.  Cali Cali California.  I love it there.  I love it here.  I live a good life.  

For now.  Ciao.  Adieu.  Adios.   

  

Well awhile back I got locked out of my own blog so that's why I haven't been able to update it...that's a lie.

Ciao :)
Hey there!  How's it going?  I'm just fine and dandy over here in Cagliari, Sardegna.  To be quite honest I am actually quite perturbed because my mother's package hasn't arrived, it's be 2 weeks and 4 days.  Still keeping my fingers crossed though!  I refuse to loose hope.  I can definitely get used to blogging.  It's like talking to myself...correction it is talking to myself because really...who out there is reading this?  Then if you're reading this you'll say, "Me I'm reading this!".  Can I get weirder?  I have sort of forgotten how to write in English, sue me, I'm trying to learn Italian.  Learning Italian is surprisingly fun, except when you can't express yourself, that does get slightly annoying.  I am proud of myself though.  Learning a new language takes time and patience.  Patience is a virtue, a virtue I do not posses, I'm working on it.  Oh geez.  Pardon all my grammatical errors.  Correct punctuation don't exist in my world.  Coma?  Semicolon?  No.  The way my mind works is a mystery.  So all of this may make sense, but it's likely that it won't.  Sooo back to Italy.  It's pretty cool over here.  My host family is darling, school is school and only school, food is an acquired taste (aka "interesting") (gelato not included) and the language is beautiful.  School.  School.  School.  I, I don't even know where to begin.  SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME.  I love my classmates, don't get me wrong, but sitting in a classroom for 5hr30min a day is not my cup of tea.  I've resorted to entertaining myself with my makeshift water color set (washable markers and water...my teachers look at me funny) and singing songs in my head (maybe a bit of humming too).  Thankfully I grew up with The Beatles so that makes the song selection easy.  Mix some Beatles "Let It Be" with LMFAO's "Yes!" and you've got a nice picture of how BORED I am.  Throw in some Moulin Rouge "Elephant Love Melody" too.  Ooo and my favorite...get ready for this... Europe's "The Final Countdown".  As you can tell, I get crazy.  I briefly brought up the subject of learning Italian, but it's something worth talking about.  Italian.  Oh Italian.  How I love you, especially for all your crazy, but delightful, difficulties.  I feel like a baby learning Italian, no actually I've met a baby that knew more Italian then me.  Yeah so.  I really like it here.  I try not to get hung up on all the time I still have left.  I don't have a countdown or anything, but for my own curiosity I calculated how many days I've been here: 59 days. I can't even believe it's Novembre!  Da vero?  Oh how about I list some of my favorite Italian words for ya'll (or just for my own benefit because I need to learn how to spell them)!  Hmm let's start with "quindi", then "allora", maybe even "va bene".  No I should have started with "va bene", why say "ok" when you can say "va bene"?  How could I forget "pronto" and the 3 "ciao's"?  Seriously! Saying hello is dead to me, ciao è più bella.  Mi dispiace, this is one giant blob of thoughts.  Frankly I'm out of things to write about, which is a rarity.  So I suppose I'll end this with due di my favorite quotes!

"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."  - Dr Wayne Dyer  

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."

- e. e. cummings

I truly believe that quote number one should be read by all.  I am an exchange student living in a foreign country,  change is necessary, change is inevitable.  In reference to quote two...I WILL NEVER GO A DAY WITH THE ABSENCE OF LAUGHTER.  How is that even possible?  I laugh at myself. Oh yeah everyone should do that too, it makes life so much easer. 

I love quotes.  I'm having a love affair with quotes.  Please say you love them too!    

Arrivederci!

~Natalie

Problems with the blog, maybe this isn't my sort of thing

For all of my followers out there...can you see this?
At the moment I am in love with Sujan Stevens.  Ok.  I bet you've never heard better news.

1st post. status: excited!

Ok.  Here ya go! As you can tell I have oh so many followers that look up and listen to my every word.  Hope I don't disappoint!