Thomas and I went to an arts and crafts festival just outside of town. I LOVE rummaging through little markets like this one. We found the coolest handmade knick-knacks, and I even took home an hourglass necklace. 

One thing about me, however, is that I am not an impulse buyer. Thomas laughed at how many business cards I took home in ratio to what I bought-- about 12:1. 

My shopping philosophy is that I need to be in love with it for me to buy it right there on the spot. I'm the kind of girl that does not like to have a lot of material things-- less clutter, in general. So, when I do buy something like jewelry, a book, purse, hat, etc, I look for these: 

1. symbolic meaning 

2. long-term need 

or 

3. an unbeatable deal

In the case of my hourglass necklace, it was symbolic, and I instantly fell in love with it. Call out the English major in me, but an hourglass is LOADED with symbolism. For me, it's the concept of Time. It's so neutral-- it's not a friend or an enemy. It does it's own thing. Time can't tell if you want it to faster or slower; it just goes. 

Something drew me to the hourglass and made me think about how I'm spending my Time-- right now, in my 20s. Will I look back 30 years from now and think, "Damn, I really lived in my youth." Or have I measured out my life in garden spoons?

What a beach.

Rara's the kind of friend who could disappear from my life for a good year or two-- but instantly reconnect with the moment we get together. Every time I meet up with this girl, it's like we pick up exactly where we left off. 

And this time, it was an impromptu visit to the beach that set off the laughs, nostalgia, and interesting encounters over the past year.