The unveiling.

CAPES [something empowering] When I got my tattoo done, before the artist began, he asked me if I was sure it was what I wanted. My friend commented, "Does she look like the kind of person that doesn't know what she wants?" It got me to thinking about decisions. When I make a decision about something, I stick with it. Whether it be a drink order, meal order, or tattoo, go into it with confidence. No one likes the girl that gets to the front of the line at Starbucks and still can't make up her mind.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] Ink is addicting. Beware. My latest says "oranje is de kleur van gekte" which means "orange is the color of insanity", a quote from Vincent Van Gogh, which is also featured in this Nike ad.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] I have developed a theory about hybrid bicycle riders...they are cyclists that can't make up their mind between two good things, so settle for something in the middle and think it's awesome when it's not. Shame on them. Stay away.

Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living...

CAPES [something empowering] "You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness." (JSF)

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] Like the picture says: guess.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] Two of my favorite authors met and got married. Go figure. [Johnathan Safran Foer and Nicole Krauss]

The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.

CAPES [something empowering] Holland will win World Cup. I will profess this until it happens, not because I'm overly optimistic, but because I'm not afraid to fail.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] The George and Dragon (World Cup headquarters) at 4am. It's mine.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] Everyone has a routine that they follow at some point in their day. You don't get into the shower and don't know what to do...shampoo goes first, then conditioner, etc. However, when you're sleep deprived, routine is thrown out the window. Yesterday morning, I woke up after a few winks, hopped in the shower with socks still on. Then I proceeded to stand there not knowing what to do. A melt down. "What usually goes down in here? What am I doing here in the first place?" I thought. Eventually, I remembered my routine and proceeded. Weird morning.

To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.

CAPES [something empowering] There is nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself, or change your habits. But don't try to be someone else. Let them be them, and you be you. Wanting to be something you're not is a disservice to yourself.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] Okay, so this isn't really an addiction or trend, but hear me out...Do your socks ever fall down when you're wearing high boots? Try wearing cycling socks. When you get to the end of the day and realize you haven't hiked them up once, you can thank me.

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] Today, I received a compliment that I still have no words to describe. After looking at my brown-bag dinner for grad class, which happened to be compartmentalized into 4 separate tupperwares with chopstix utensils, a friend commented: "I've never met a girl who is so high maintenance yet so cool."

Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.

CAPES [something empowering] Jealousy is most often internalized, but definitely has its way of working itself to the exterior, and it never looks good. The same goes for bitterness, hatred, and low self-esteem. Think about it.

COFFEE [latest trend or addiction] I visited the neighborhood hot yoga studio today...it had been a while, but a humid 105 degree room felt great on a rainy day. If June keeps this weather up, I can see myself becoming a regular [yet again].

THE COLOR ORANGE [something noteworthy] Picture yourself in a coffee shop where you witness the following: A man abruptly enters the shop and loudly pleads for someone to call the doctor. This is clearly an emergency. So the barista asks "Are you sure you need a doctor?", and after a short conversation, she reluctantly calls 911. Then the man sits down. Alone. No one talks to him. No one assures him that the ambulance is on its way. He waits segregated and ignored. Now picture that the man is homeless. Just that justify the actions of everyone in the coffee shop (including my own)?