i should be writing a paper.

but i decided to make a graduation gift guide instead! i know you were wondering what to get me, but worry no more!

okay, so i'm mostly kidding about this being a gift guide. i don't expect you guys to buy me graduation presents. but i certainly won't stop you. ;)

i haven't purchased an "item" for myself since december. i, being the person who knows what she is going to spend her paycheck on before she even has it, have started to feel the effects of this little self-imposed challenge.

i have a running list of the things i want to buy myself when this is all over in may. most of these things are kind of expensive, but since i haven't blown all my money on stupid little impulsive trinkets, i will hopefully be able to buy some of these beauties.

truth be told, i've spent most of the money i would have saved on traveling this semester (i have been/will be out of town 9 of the 16 weekends this semester), so this actually isn't realistic at all, but it's more fun than homework, so there.

and in case you were wondering, YES! it does take a flipping long time to make one of these cute little images. and YES! i had plenty of things i should have been doing instead including but not limited to: reading a book, writing a paper about that book, eating dinner, cleaning my room for the friends coming to stay with me tonight, prepping for my hope spoken small group, engaging with humans, etc. oh well!

1. cath kidston knitted blanket -- first up is this lovely knitted blanket. my cute british friend chloë told me about cath kidston from the u.k. and i spent approximately 2 hours looking every.single.item. on their website. i'm obsessed. i love everything. i want everything. fly me to london and let me buy it all.

2. kelly moore "libby" camera laptop bag -- i have the kelly moore "classic" bag, gifted to me by the sweetest woman on the whole planet. i love it. it fits all my camera stuff. it has great pockets. the only downside is that it doesn't have a laptop sleeve. 98% of the time that i'm using this bag is when i'm traveling, and i never ever ever go anywhere with out my camera and my laptop, so its hard to not have a sleeve. enter: the "libby." plenty of room for camera stuff, extra stuff AND a laptop. a dream.

3. zara maxi dress -- chloë told me about zara a few months ago and i finally was able to go to a zara store this past weekend while i was in chicago. i basically died. i touched everything. i couldn't buy anything. it was horrible. "horrible" being a relative term here. i was perusing the website today and came across this beauty. perfect summer dress if you ask me.

4. white high top converse -- i've wanted these for around 2 years now. a friend just got engaged and her fiance gave her these shoes when he proposed. i told her to her face that i was mad about it. ha. my way of "rejoicing with those who rejoice" i guess. if i have to get engaged to get these shoes, i'll do it. i will! i won't, actually. when i was younger i used to tell people i was never going to get married, i was just going to have boys bring me presents. i think i am going to go back to that plan. look boys, you know what to buy me!

5. anthropologie teapot -- i have been drinking a lot of tea lately. it probably has something to do with the british friend. she's turned me into an earl grey snob. i even bought some loose leaf tea in chicago (doesn't count as a purchase since it's technically food.). now all i need is a proper tea pot and a loose leaf infuser and i'm ready to go.

6. hand stamped longitude and latitude necklace -- as you may know, i'm really sad about leaving my people here in indiana. i thought about getting an indiana shaped charm necklace, but that is entirely too cheesy for me. i was looking around on etsy and saw these location necklaces. just the right amount of cheese for me. and this way i can add several charms if i want. one for lawrence, one for indiana, maybe one for alaska, then new ones for any place i go and desperately don't want to leave. a perfect solution.

now that it's 9pm and i still haven't eaten dinner, we'll end the list at 6. i hope you've enjoyed this complete waste of mine and your time. i know i have.

ko.