I'd Do Anything

This past week was my & J's first week back to USF. While we are excited to get this semester underway, we are both a little nervous because we've both taken on a lot more this spring. I'll be writing for CollegeFashionista again, interning with the Dean's Office and taking an accelerated class schedule so that I can graduate in May and J just accepted an internship with Clear Channel, is still doing NO WAVES RADIO every Wednesday night & scored position as an entertainment writer for our school paper, The Oracle.  

In case you missed it, let me just repeat that this is my LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE. I know, I'm breaking into a cold sweat just typing this...

Anyways, we thought that having a good, old-fashioned adventure weekend was just what we needed to prepare us for the impending doom of this semester. On Friday night, J took me to the Fun-Lan drive-in to see Anchorman 2. The drive-in is one of our favorite places to go because we bring a huge blanket, snacks & can talk as loudly as we want during the film. We even brought our pal, Bentley, along.

Saturday was one of the best days I've had in a while. J came over around noon to take me to AMC Veterans so that we could watch the  new Spike Jonze film, Her. I love seeing artsy movies like that with J because we get all weird & nerdy and start pulling out all the lingo we learned in the film classes we took together. 

And I mean, how #punk do we look dressed up in all black accidentally? Sometimes, it's tough to hide just how funky the two of us are. So simpatico.

Then we drove over to Seminole Heights so that we could eat at a pizza place that we've been absolutely dying to try called Cappy's. We popped into Microgroove Records beforehand to check out some vinyl. J walked away empty handed as usual but I found a few gems that I was pretty excited about. 

One of the things that bring J & I together is our mutual adoration of the band, Simple Plan. They were my favorite band as a pre-teen(...and teen and also as an adult, if you could even classify me as one of those yet). I literally had a Simple Plan birthday cake when I turned 12. That's true dedication. So you can imagine my excitement when I walked into the store & saw their first album "No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls" sitting right on top of the CDs. It was only .99¢. That is a steal, people. I also snagged two 7"s: Electric Avenue by Eddie Grant & Take On Me by a-ha. I know, I'm weird.

Cappy's was brilliant. Their kitschy, 80s-esque decor was right up my & J's alley. They had little dated trivia cards that we played with until our food came, which could have been exciting if either of us had actually been alive in the 70s. We split a Diet Coke and ordered cheese bread with marinara sauce & a pepperoni and sausage pizza which suddenly seems ridiculously redundant to me because isn't cheese bread with marinara sauce basically just pizza...? Yup. It was all so delicious though & they played classic 80s hits the entire time. I was living in a dream world of carbs & dated pop music.

Afterwards, J took me to St. Pete so that we could check out this zine fest that he heard about. If you don't know what a zine is, they are just little paper books that people put together full of cool stuff. They can be filled with anything from poetry to art to photography. We got there & immediately felt like we were the weird ones because of how normal we were compared to everyone else. It was cool to check out a scene that we aren't really familiar with but the over-powering smell of patchouli oil made it absolutely necessary for us to leave after about 20 minutes. 

To make the best out of our trip, J & I looked up a little dessert shop called Everything Dolce. We split the most delicious tiramisu and a cafe con leche & read some of the little zines that we picked up. On the drive home, we blasted the Simple Plan CD. We both know every single word of it. It's moments like these, when I'm screaming lyrics full of teen-angst in unison with J, that I feel so lucky to have someone who just gets me. He accepts me for all of my weirdness. He lets me listen to Electric Avenue while I'm getting ready, no questions asked. He picks out lame 7"s from the 80s that he knows that I'll like to show me if he's looking through bins that I missed. He takes me to the drive-in. He makes these little detailed mental notes about what makes me happy & then does those things every day. He gives me room to grow but gives me unending support. That is love & I am just so lucky to experience it in this way, with this wonderful person.

I am simply mad about you, J.

Love,

A 

Panini Palz

There comes a time in every relationship where things get serious. Maybe it's when you introduce each other to your parents, maybe it's when you move in together, or maybe you play it safe & adopt a pet. Well, A & I are virtually inseparable & are already spiritually adopted by each other's families. Oh, & we don't really take too many things very seriously anyway...

So, we went halfsies on a Panini Press & decided it was time to be adults.  We picked out the one we wanted at Target, but they were sold out. Rather than settle, we waited patiently (proud of u, A.) 

Once we brought her home, we unpacked her & A nearly immediately burned her hand while I tried to read the instructions. Once we figured out how to turn it on, we made some grilled cheeses & basked in our newfound glory. After years of eating slimy pressed sandwiches at the USF Dining Halls, ya boy knows how to press a grilled cheese. #peacesign

While I handled the GC, it's still obvious that we're novices with this thing. Word to the wise: don't spread anything on a sandwich before you press it. Hot slimy mayo, yuuuuucckkk.

Same purchase, I bought a big pitcher for making Crystal Light iced tea in, something that was a staple at my parents house growing up. Somewhere in my house is a photo of four-year-old me, standing next to a miniature Christmas tree, smiling in disbelief that I'm taller than a tree. But since I don't have that scanned, just look at the photos of me with a massive mason jar of iced tea for a similar tickled expression. I doubt I'll ever lose the kid in me.

Oh, & we've got big plans for this panini press thing. Cheese & lunch meat is just cracking the surface, friends. We're talking gourmet fruit-enhanced sandwiches, panini pizzas, DESSERT PANINIS (thanks for the cinnamon vanilla sugar powder from New Orleans, mom!!) & any other crazy concoction we can come up with. You're all cordially invited to a panini party at my apartment~~

I'm quite excited to be experimenting with a new toy with my pal, A. Nothing says, "wow, you guys are the most domesticated 20 year olds I've ever met" than being hyped on a sandwich press grill & a beverage pitcher, but we are who we are & I wouldn't change us for anything. 

PS - I'm serious about that panini party.

Love,

J

Lil' Lunch Date

I love eating. I love food, I love trying new food, & I love recommending good food.

I also love A. I love eating food with A, exploring new places with A, & I especially love lunch dates with A.

One of our favorite things to do is find little hole-in-the-wall, off-the-beaten-path spots in Tampa and make them our regular stops. Last year, we first tried Mel's Hot Dogs off of Busch Blvd., and we've been going back ever since. One time, A wrote me a note while we were eating here saying she loved me, and took a photo of me on a disposable camera. (That picture is hanging in her room now). 

This week, we made our triumphant return to Mel's for the first time this semester. For two quirky little people, this place fits right in: 70s radio pop blasting from above and gourmet snack foods. The walls are adorned with some seriously dated photographs of Mel's enthusiasts rocking their logo t-shirt in different parts of the world. Bottom line: Mel's is an experience. And we all know that A & I love hot dogs. 

I think my favorite part of today was how our little hot dog lunch date felt like a little escape from the mundane day-to-days that my daunting college schedule has me running this semester. We hopped into the car in between our short break between classes, & for a little while I didn't think about responsibilities at all. My best friend & I just talked with our mouths full of chili-cheese & Mel's Special dogs, took selfies in front of their impeccable mirrored windows, & ran daringly into the middle of the street to get a photo next to the place's sign. 

Thanks for keeping me grounded, A. It's one of the things I love most about you. Let's keep adventuring until we're old & gray. 

Love,

J

PS - Thank you to the amazing staff at Mel's Hot Dogs, for not judging either of us one single time for taking so many photos in & around your restaurant. You guys are the best!

PPS - Happy 13 months, A!! We've eclipsed a year and sailed right on into a new one. Luv u~~*

Aisha // Jacket: H&M // Dress: Forever 21 // Boots: tout ā coup // Watch: Nordstrom // Bracelet: Pulsera Project 

Jake // Shirt: HUF // Pants: Supreme // Shoes: Nike SB // Sunnies: Ray Ban