Flowers by Miley Cyrus by Elliot Rendall

          As someone who has spent a lot of my time by myself the past months, Miley Cyrus’s Flowers has been on loop. Whenever I mention that I haven’t been as social as in years past, everyone’s reaction is to tell me how sorry they are- but I’m not sorry at all!

          I’ve always been told I’m a great friend, and I always wondered what it would like to have me as a friend. But I’ve started being my own best friend, and it is wonderful. So in honor of February 14th being just around the corner, here are 14 things I have loved doing by myself, for myself.

  1. In theme with the title song, I LOVE flowers. I am obsessed with acting like I am a dramatic cottagecore girl with wildflowers in my room. I have always wanted to be given flowers and have waited and waited and realized that flowers are really not that expensive… so if no one else will buy them for me, I’ll do it myself! I am eagerly waiting for daffodil season (my favorite). 
  2. While I may still be fantasizing dramatically waltzing in a ballgown with my enemy like in a romance novel, I’ve found an immense amount of joy in dancing by myself in my room, record player blasting with ABBA, just pure happiness. 
  3. Something that always makes me nervous is going rock climbing by myself! The social anxiety of feeling judged by other climbers, and looking stupid with my lack of skill, can be overwhelming. But I’ve found climbing by myself with Beyonce playing in my earbuds is when I challenge myself the most, and meet my goals!
  4. While taking yourself to dinner might sound weird, I might just be the best dinner date I have ever had. Sitting in a restaurant with good food and a good book is the best idea for a Friday night. 
  5. My favorite Amazon purchase so far this year (other than fun patterned socks that are arriving on Thursday) are a pack of face masks I got for ten dollars. Multiple nights a week these days include me laying in bed with a face mask on, crocheting before bed, and waking up with soft skin. Totally worth a small frivolous expense.
  6. I have always been particularly careful with my money, but long gone are the days waiting for someone to buy me a teddy bear I like- now I spend probably an absurd amount of money on myself, because I deserve it! The latest buy has been a cute new cup to keep me hydrated 🙂
  7. I have, again, always been someone who feels like they need an entire group in order to have a proper outing. But lately, my favorite days have been ones where I sip Starbucks and wander the aisles of a store, feeling no time crunch or pressure from anyone around me, stopping to look at any little thing that interests me. 
  8. Most couples have a song that’s ‘their song’, but now when certain songs come on they’re MY song. I have a little inside joke just for me, from days or moments in my life where I was most happy. 
  9. I am the worst secret keeper. I am so, so bad at keeping secrets and I am not exaggerating, I suck at it. But lately I’ve kept little secrets that don’t mean anything but are little moments just for me. Little experiences I don’t tell anyone else about, because they’re just for me. My own little secret! I don’t have many considering I’m an open book, but it’s nice to have a few well kept secrets.  
  10. I have always taken pride in my music taste, and getting to scream along lyrics to music in my car is such a freeing experience. One of the things I love about having an old car is the 6 disk CD player that holds all my Carol King, Brandi Carlisle, and Joan Jett when I’m in my car by myself.
  11. Now why would I EVER. EVER. Wait for a man to buy me jewelry. Let’s be real, I will always have the best taste, and if anyone buys me silver but knows that I wear mainly gold? I will be appalled. If I am not given something that matches my taste? Disgusting. Absolutely tragic.  
  12. The tragic part about working near Mitchell’s is the fact that anytime I have a hard shift, or just don’t feel like working, I bribe myself with ice cream. It’s a little treat! A little pat on the back, if you will. 
  13. Sometimes, when I’m feeling overwhelmed or upset, I schedule a night with myself. Whether that be a craft session, watercolor time, or dedicated to finishing the new season of Ginny and Georgia, it’s a special time with my favorite person. Me!
  14. The most recent thing that might just be my favorite, is going shopping for my Valentines. Not only for the ones I will be giving for my friends, but for myself. So this weekend, I bought massive amounts of chocolate, a new set of pajamas, and the next book in one of my favorite series. I cannot wait for Valentine’s Day, and to be the love of my own life this year.

Here’s to a future of being obsessed with myself, being my own best friend, and enjoying my own company.

Restarting by Sarah Marcus

Me faking climbing while actually injured. See if you can spot the photoshop.

I would like to start off this blog post with an apology. Yes, I am writing about rock climbing again. BUT I would like to say I haven’t talked about rock climbing since my first blog post, so by my standards, I am doing well.

This week, after three months (almost exactly) of not being able to, I got approved to finally climb again. I have been waiting for this for months and almost jumped up and down when I was told this. However, in climbing, stopping even for a few days makes your skills decline. So now I am going back to climbing after not being able to climb or even work out my arms for 12 weeks.

Going back to climbing is going to be more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Firstly, I want to jump straight back onto the challenging climbs I used to be able to do. But I know that will only result in re-injuring myself. I simply don’t have the same climbing strength I used to. So instead, I have to be confident in climbing easy climbs, even though it can feel embarrassing when all of my friends are climbing much harder routes. Especially as someone who works at the gym, I am expected to be “good.” However, now I have to start with the easy climbs to make sure I don’t reinjure myself. When those around you are climbing V10s (really, really hard climbs), while I am climbing V1s as challenges, it can be really hard to get on the wall or to climb in front of other people. So as I begin to climb, I am physically regaining my strength and growing mentally as I am willing to suck in front of others.

I have always struggled to suck at climbing in front of others. As a perfectionist, I hate to fall on a route, especially when I know those in front of me think it is easy. This has led me to skip trying some things out of fear of embarrassment. However, now I have to stick to easy routes. I am undoubtedly going to fall on easy climbs. I hope to use this as a learning opportunity to know it is more important to do something for fun and for myself than to do something to simply be good at it.

Things I Do For Fun That You Might Also Enjoy by Elle O’Brien

 

Inspired by my recent French lessons about “les loisirs,” I’ve been thinking a lot about how I spend my free time. I have very little time for myself, but when I have some, I am sure to spend it wisely. Here are some of the things I do for fun that you might also enjoy.

1. Wiggle my fingers

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You just wiggle your fingers. NOT to be confused with twiddling your thumbs.

2. Tell myself a story in my mind

Sometimes I just make up a little story and tell it to myself in my mind. I know this probably sounds psychotic,but I promise it is not. I write out dialogue and descriptions in my head as if I were reading from a book. Have I ever written down anything I have thought of? No. I do not plan on becoming an author.

3. Read something out loud

Last week I was told I have a “newscaster-y” voice and I have really taken pride in that ever since. One of my favorite things to do is read Wikipedia articles out loud to other people. My mom is really the only one who listens to me. This one is also fun because when you go on Wikipedia you can easily be taken down a rabbit hole of articles. Last week, my mom and I began with the history of P.F. Chang’s, then an article about tofu, and finally an article about Benjamin Franklin. Fascinating.

4. Sit on the kitchen floor

For some reason, the most comfortable place in my house is literally the kitchen floor. I sit on the ground and rest my back against the dishwasher. It’s like a little massage. If I’m bored and sad before I sit on the kitchen floor, I’m suddenly not afterward. It really helps you take everything into perspective when you’re down there. 

5. Watch the same show again

I have not started a new show in a very long time. I already know what I like, so why would I try something new? Recently I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy again but I also frequently rewatch Gossip Girl and Orange is the New Black. 

Maybe you’ve found something interesting to do the next time you’re bored. Let me know in the comments if any of these work for you!

Brendan’s Ideal Eras Tour Setlist by Brendan Zbanek

Taylor Swift announces 2023 'Eras Tour' of U.S. stadiums; international dates to come

On January 24, fellow SWC intern Claire Borden published a blog titled “My Ideal Eras Tour Setlist.” If you know me, you know I love Taylor Swift … a little bit obsessively. I am incredibly fortunate that I somehow got tickets to see her on her upcoming Eras Tour in Detroit this June, and I am arguably looking forward to it more than graduation – not even joking. 

Receiving those tickets was most certainly a process full of ups and downs, but on June 9, I will be in Detroit seeing Taylor Swift for the third time with my mom!

There is a lot of controversy over what songs she will sing as she has released six albums since her last tour – so some of my favorites will inevitably have to be cut.

But, lo and behold, with a good mix of old and new songs, here is my ideal Eras Tour setlist:

Key:

  • A hyphen ( – ) means one song transitions right into the next instrumentally.
  • A slash ( / ) means the songs are mashed up.
  • Each different act has a costume change with some sort of transition in between.

Act 1:

  1. Lavender Haze
  2. Love Story – You Belong with Me
  3. Gold Rush/Sparks Fly/Our Song 
  4. Lover

Act 2:

  1. Enchanted
  2. King Of  My Heart
  3. The Very First Night
  4. Daylight – Paris

Act 3:

  1. New Romantics/Question
  2. Out Of The Woods/Dancing With Our Hands Tied
  3. Last Great American Dynasty
  4. Midnight Rain
  5. I Bet You Think About Me

Act 3:

  1. Death By A Thousand Cuts/Cornelia Street
  2. Getaway Car – Cruel Summer
  3. The Way I Loved You/Forever & Always/Back To December
  4. August – Champagne Problems – Mad Woman
  5. SURPRISE SONG! (She does this every tour where she sings a different song every night which is super fun)
  6. Blank Space

Act 4:

  1. Anti Hero
  2. Mr Perfectly Fine
  3. Come Back Be Here/Better Man
  4. Bejeweled – Karma
  5. Clean

Act 5:

  1. Betty
  2. Mastermind
  3. All Too Well 10 Minute Version

Act 6:

  1. You’re On Your Own, Kid
  2. Tim McGraw
  3. Long Live

Encore:

  1. The Man

So here it is! I tried to structure it in the way that she is telling the story of a relationship, starting with falling in love, then going through anger and a breakup, and then ending with happiness — and I just really think “The Man” would be a crazy fun ending! If “Long Live” is not on the set list then I genuinely might cry, as that is my favorite Taylor Swift song of all time. Regardless, I don’t know if I have ever been as excited for anything as I am for this concert and definitely will cry (tears of happiness) no matter what songs she sings.

Ranking Every. Single. Mitchell’s. Ice Cream. Flavor. (Including Seasonals) by Meg Hahnenberg

Mitchell's

I’ve been working at Mitchell’s for what feels like forever (approximately 1 & 1/2 years). Over the time I’ve spent scooping ice cream, I’ve been able to sample my fair share. I’ve had some really good flavors, and some not so great flavors. So for my blog this month, I decided I would finally rank EVERY SINGLE ice cream flavor that Mitchell’s has/had. Granted, my favorite flavors change depending on the season and mood I’m in, but hopefully this will give you a general sense of the best flavors (in my opinion). Without further ado, here are Mitchell’s 60+ ice cream flavors ranked.

  1. Pralines and Cream – I LOVE this flavor. No matter what other flavor I try, I will always come back to this flavor. I just love the caramel ribbon it has in it.
  2. Vegan Chocolate Cookie Butter – THIS ONE. Although it is a seasonal, and I’m not sure when we are getting it back, when we have this flavor, I love to get it with a bit of peanut butter and whipped cream. This is also really good in milkshakes.
  3. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup – I just love chocolate and peanut butter – best combo.
  4. Caramel Fudge Brownie – To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the brownies at Mitchell’s. However, I LOVE their caramel ribbon.
  5. Vegan Salted Caramel Pecan – This is fabulous paired with Vegan Chocolate.
  6. Tiramisu – Another seasonal, this one is my favorite coffee flavored ice cream I’ve ever had. We have it in store now, so go get some!
  7. Caramelized Chocolate – I used to think this was an all-year-round ice cream, but unfortunately this is a seasonal 🙁
  8. Amaretto Cookie – I honestly thought I would hate this flavor, boy was I WRONG.
  9. Cookies and Cream – A classic.
  10. Birthday Cake – Life is best when Mitchell’s is serving this ice cream.
  11. Peppermint Stick – So good with hot fudge!
  12. Pumpkin Spice – This is such a good fall seasonal. Paired with Pralines and Cream and a little bit of caramel – Yum!
  13. Double Chocolate Chunk – This used to be my all time favorite flavor. I would get it every single time I went to Mitchell’s. It still holds a special place in my heart.
  14. Cookie Dough – Another Mitchell’s class.
  15. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk – I am devastated they do not make this flavor any more.
  16. Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk – I love chocolate and mint, one of the best combos.
  17. Campfire S’mores – This is really good with hot fudge.
  18. Coffee Chocolate Chunk – Coffee and chocolate is also a great combo!
  19. Caramel Sea Salt – This is a little salty for my taste, but I love caramel regardless!
  20. Vegan Chocolate – This was the first vegan flavor I ever had, and I was BLOWN AWAY.
  21. Vegan Buckeye – I hate scooping this flavor, but the fudge ribbon is incredible.
  22. Vegan Cold Brew – I need this to come back!
  23. Lemon Black Raspberry Yogurt – My FAVORITE Summer flavor.
  24. Wildberry Crumble – This is a really popular flavor, and I respect the hype.
  25. Mint Cookies and Cream – We normally have this flavor in March for St. Patrick’s day! Gotta love some mint
  26. Raspberry Sorbet – This used to be an all-year-round ice sorbet, but no, Mitchell’s decided to make this classic a seasonal.
  27. Lemon Sorbet – this is REALLY good with Raspberry Sorbet.
  28. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chunk – I love this one, but for some reason I’m never in the mood for it.
  29. Butter Pecan – Solid flavor.
  30. Chocolate – Again, a classic.
  31. Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Yogurt – The chocolate pretzels in this are so fun.
  32. Fresh Strawberry – This flavor is randomly very crumbly, if it wasn’t, it would probably be in my top 10!
  33. Dark Roast Coffee – GREAT with chocolate shavings.
  34. Fresh Strawberry Chocolate Chunk – A good seasonal, same as Fresh Strawberry but with those incredible dark chocolate chunks
  35. Turtle Brownie – This flavor is good, but in my opinion, it’s not all that great.
  36. Vegan Chocolate Mint Truffle – I’d rather have Vegan Chocolate, but I do love mint.
  37. Blue Cosmo – This flavor gives me a headache, it is by far the sweetest flavor at Mitchell’s
  38. Bing Cherry Chocolate Chunk – Grandfathers love this flavor.
  39. Banana Cream Pie – I don’t really like marshmallow and banana together.
  40. Vanilla Bean – This is a respectable flavor, it is actually one of the Mitchell’s brothers favorite ice creams! (I can’t remember if it is Pete or Mike)
  41. Rocky Road – They discontinued this over a year ago, and people still ask for – just goes to show how much people love some Rocky Road.
  42. Fresh Peach – The Fresh Peach Sundae makes my heart happy.
  43. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle – I thought I would love this one, but I just like it.
  44. Chocolate Chip – Good.
  45. Green Mint Cookies and Cream – Honestly, the only reason this is so far down is because I’m scared of the color. Why is it so green?
  46. Geauga Maple Walnut – Tastes like eating maple syrup, but in a good way.
  47. Vanilla Bean Yogurt – I miss this flavor, it was so easy to scoop.
  48. Mango Sorbet – Not a huge fan of mango, but still a good flavor.
  49. Toasted Hazelnut – Not very rememberable, but completely acceptable.
  50. Cookies and Scream – Absolutely not. Just get regular Cookies and Cream. This flavor is colored more brightly than an orange highlighter.
  51. Coconut Chocolate Almond – This would be a lot higher if it didn’t have almonds in it.
  52. Cinnamon – This flavor is just missing something, I’m just not sure what.
  53. Key Lime Pie – People LOVE this flavor when it is warm out. Although I love key lime pie, this flavor just isn’t for me.
  54. No Sugar Added Fat-Free Vanilla – This flavor tastes like if an ice cube was flavored with vanilla extract. I mean I’ll still eat it.
  55. Autumn Caramel Apple – I thought this was going to be my favorite flavor. Alas, it has almonds.
  56. Toasted Pistachio – I love pistachios, but just not in ice cream form.
  57. Vegan Pistachio – Ditto.
  58. Caramel Gingersnap – I just don’t like ginger.
  59. Egg Nog – Never been a huge fan of Egg Nog, and don’t see a need for it as an ice cream.
  60. Lavender Honey – Tastes like soap.
  61. Strawberry Jalapeño – You’ve got to try this at least once in your life. It tastes like strawberry, but then all of a sudden the spice kicks in.
  62. Swiss White Chocolate – No. This tastes like watered-down Play-Doh with a ton of sugar added.

 

Now for the flavors I’ve never had – aka the seasonal flavors they haven’t had since I started working at Mitchell’s

  1. Chocolate Caramel Macaroon – I want to try this SO MUCH
  2. Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut – This sound like Nutella, and I love Nutella
  3. Coffee and Cookies Yogurt – This sounds incredible
  4. Coconut – I love coconut.
  5. Coconut Chocolate Chip – I love coconut with chocolate.
  6. Porter Chocolate Chunk – I love chocolate.
  7. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp- Sounds good!
  8. Christmas Ale Gingersnap – Again, don’t like ginger.

 

Thank you for reading! Please let me know your favorite flavors in the comments!