Thanksgiving and What's Coming

I love the Holiday season. From Thanksgiving on everything seems more magical. Although, atmospherically speaking, the weather is getting colder and the daylight lesser, the days and nights leading up to Christmas are unmistakingly warm and bright. There are fires going, hot beverages flowing, and sparkly Christmas lights eagerly strung to coincide with the present feelings of happiness and excitement. It is my favorite time of year.

This Thanksgiving (the day that officially initiates these feelings) was the best Thanksgiving to date. Out of all my 23 Thanksgivings, this one was different and special. It was the first real holiday spent with mine and Chloe's large, happy, ever-growing family. My six sisters and brother, Mom and Dad, her sister and brother-in-law, nieces, Mom, and Dad, Uncle Bobby, Kaboo, and Craig and Cordie. I was excited all day. We had our joe and admired our outdoor decorations, watched the Macy's parade and the ever-painfully, hilarious "A Christmas Story", and set up the house leisurely until the late afternoon, when the crowd would arrive.

You would think there would be chaos, or stress with all those people, and yes the police, fire station, and emergency personel did all show, but the joy and comfort of everyone there over-rode any sign or threat of ill-spirit. Chloe and I both believe that our families are meant to be together... all the time. The way we all fit, and the way we belong to each other makes sense. It makes everyone happy to be together. Christmas is the time to be together. To get so extremely full. To be on the verge of bursting, and I am not just referring to food. It is time for everyone to cram together, under blankets, and laugh as we get on each other's nerves. I know this Christmas will be the most special of all my 23 Christmas', just as Thanksgiving was. It's the combination of happy spirits bouncing around each other with glee and hilarity. That's how I can describe all us kids together, and that's how I know Christmas will be pure magic.

Love,
Cassie

Food for Thought

I've often wondered if any of us really pay attention to the role of food in our lives? Really. Think about it. Have you thought about how big of a part food is in your life? It's huge! Eating is just as important as water and breathing. We often talk of how we love food, and what we like to eat, and etc., but there's more to it than that. There's more to it than just devouring flavors, substances and nutritional benefits. There's something truly extraordinary about it. Food can be so entertaining, so exciting---so...ROMANTIC. If we didn't have to eat, if our bodies were made differently and didn't require food like they do, would we experience things the same way without food? Take picnics for example; there'd really be no need to go on a picnic unless you are just planning on sitting on a blanket. You wouldn't need to pack anything to eat because there'd be no such thing as eating. There'd be no dinner parties. There'd be no restaurants! No cooking shows, no celebrity chefs, nothing. No cultured cuisines from foreign lands. Without food, the world would be...dull...or at least, duller than usual.

One thing is for certain, Cassie and I would not be able to live in a foodless world. Even if we were made to not have to eat...something deep down inside of us would know something was missing. We are strong lovers of food. One could say our entire day revolves around food, even though we don't necessarily eat as often as we should. Our days usually get busy, our minds get distracted, and next thing you know--it's going on 3pm and all we've had was a cup of coffee and a few pretzel sticks. That's not simply by our own choice...we are not the meal skipping types. We just happen to get weary from not having any food, therefor causing our minds to get distracted with other things.

We usually like to plan special picnics together. Often times we will visit one of our favorite spots with a blanket, two plastic wine cups, a cooler full of cheese, apples and sparkling water, and a large baguette. We set up in a sunny area and dine with glorious pleasure. Over the summer we'd make elaborate cheese platters and small middle eastern dishes for snacks. Visiting New York with the guys, food was almost a constant (and the best part was that we would walk block after block and eventually burn off all the food we ate, so we could happily eat more).

Today was quite a hysterical experience. We started off first thinking we'd grab some sushi at Wegmans and take it with us to eat at the park. Well, let me tell you. We didn't make it to Wegmans. We had to stop at McDonalds on the way because we got so hungry we couldn't wait any longer, (that little spurt of panic of not eating soon enough overwhelmed us). So there we sat, in the parking lot of McDonalds with two delicious burger/sandwiches, and fresh, hot, salty fries, and ice cold beverages. It was as if God had brought Heaven on earth just for us. We easily could have cried, but held back the tears since we didn't want to mess up our eye makeup.

At the park, we spent a good 40 minutes running around, laughing, playing, and taking pictures of each other. We stayed until the sun vanished behind a large hill and the temperature had dropped to an uncomfortable degree. We rode home and made it back in time for dinner. I had prepared stuffed peppers the day before. Once dinner had ended, we went to the movies to see our current favorite film Skyfall for the second time. Caramel macchiatos were purchased, and I was sneaky enough to carry dark sea salted chocolate in my purse. Timing it right, I'd choose to break off a piece of chocolate from the noisy tinfoil wrapper at a scene where a lot of chaos and commotion was taking place.

You'd think we'd be done eating for the day after all of this, right? Wrong. We make it home and decide to spend some time working on our creativity skills; Cassie draws and I continue to type and navigate my way through eBay--learning tricks of the trade and how to sell properly and maintain a good seller's reputation. It approaches midnight, and all of a sudden our stomaches are rumbling. After contemplating on what to fetch to snack on, we decide to go with leftover pizza from last night. I go in the kitchen and prepare two slices (the last two slices in the box, actually) and serve on two paper plates with napkins. Joy filled our faces. We ate in silence...eager to absorb as much enjoyment out of eating the pizza as possible.

You see, if food wasn't as big of a deal as it is to us, these little moments wouldn't be so fun. They wouldn't be so memorable. Food is inviting, creative, interesting, unique, satisfying, enjoyable, and an art in itself. The world would be meaningless without it. Life would be meaningless without it. That, my friends, is food for thought.

Love,

Chloe

New York, New York

The goal is: Park Avenue. This fall we have ventured into the great city of New York (The Big Apple) twice. Both times have been somewhat spontaneous and unplanned. Our plan was pretty much no plan for our time in the city. We wanted to look at things. The weather was fresh and mild on both occasions, providing maximum comfort and allowing for superior fashion ensembles. As we drive into the city, the cool- factor of the air and the people starts stirring up our own inner confidence and dare I say "swagger." I started building my persona for the day, my big day in the city. I was still on the outside of it in wonder and amazement but throughout my experience I shifted in and out of the energy pulse like I belonged there. These trips were not my first into the city, I had some good exposure under my belt to aid in the feeling of belonging. This last trip, however, solidified the wish of actually living in New York City.

Walking, eating, and looking were the three repeated actions of both trips. Walking through Central Park, up and down Madison, on Lexington, and around museums and stores. Eating in charming french restaurants, and fine italian eateries. Sipping coffees at the Carlyle. Looking at people, nature, buildings, fashion, and art. Taking it all in, enjoying every feeling, and smiling all day with appreciation for what New York City is.

We collectively agree that living in New York City would be so ideal. The possibilities and the access to all kinds of fun, has us committed towards our Park Ave. goal. Leaving the city was another experience. It was sigh- worthy but such a funny combination of happiness and excitement over the day and longing and wishing to stay and/or belong to the city indefinitely. Naturally we requested our soundtrack songs to fit this feeling, and the windows down so we could get the last rush through the tunnel that would pour us out to view the last glimpse of the famous skyline lit up and sparkling. I don't think living in NYC would alter our appreciation and love for it. I think it's part of us, and possibly meant to happen.

Music and Lyrics

As I mentioned in the brief update post- Chloe and I have been working on many projects. You could say we live somewhat of an artists life. Coffee, chocolate, inspiration, project. Our system. Creating music has been an outlet for us for months now. We have successfully compiled four original songs and are working on a few covers. We both love music and composing has been a very exciting adventure. Chloe usually handles the technology used in doing this. I can give her odd descriptions of sounds like "bright", "shakity-shake", "duuuunnnnn da da da dunnn" and she will find exactly what works with the  concept we started with. We have created our own style, kind of a formula that we follow. Usually as we get to the completion of the song, the final verse, or the instrumental fade-out, we decide to really change things up. It is usually an unexpected ending, or an additional tribal instrument that you would think would confuse all ears listening, but somehow it is very much appropriate and one hundred percent original.

We usually start with the title of the song. We get the spark and we know we can run far with the concept. We visualize a scenario or create subject matter that we would like to put to music. Then, as we select some starting beats or piano samples, we start writing our lyrics. Our lyrics are mostly stories; A journey that the listener can follow and appreciate. Once we have most of the music set and established, it is time to record the vocals. This is always an exciting step. It is our real and raw personal sound that we provide for our tracks. When we are satisfied with the combination of music and lyrics, we tweak and edit here and there for perfection. We play it back in our headphones- bobbing our heads and smiling because... we are pleased. Then it is time to hear it on the speakers. We submit our waves to the atmosphere to flow and change the world around us.

As artists, we provide not only music but also video. This is the next step in our creative process. Not only are we gifted in melodies and rhymes, but also filmography and choreography. What would take producers, camera crews, actors, dancers, DJs, technicians, musicians, and editors, simply takes the two of us. We are quite indie. Once our video is filmed and edited, we have completed our work. The project reaches success. It makes us very proud to be involved in all the steps. To take full ownership of our art. We have so many ideas and concepts and it is exciting to know that we will be making music together forever.

Love,
Cassie

Secret Life of an Agent

So Chloe and I saw Skyfall last night (the new James Bond movie). It was a really good film, very entertaining and thrilling, amazing acting, and gripping fight scenes. I really appreciate movies, especially ones that leave you wanting to fight bad guys, solve mysteries or break dance in the streets of Miami, (movies that make you want the lives of the main characters). Although Bond has a tragic, dark side and he is put in horrible physical and mental challenges, the glamour and thrill of saving the day and kicking-butt is very attractive. It throws you back into childhood games of pretend. Being stuck in a helpless situation and acting out the drama in your room or backyard with props or friends and getting so completely lost in the intensity of your imagination. When you were interrupted or called for dinner, your accomplished smile stayed, knowing you were just so totally boss in your secret life. The life of an agent. Someone whose real drama, real action, takes place in a world that no one really sees. Other peoples lives go on around you and are unaffected. Or so they naively think.

Chloe and I still play pretend, thats one thing neither of us lost growing up. It is fun to get lost in your own imaginary world. I still smile knowingly as I exit the dreamworld and sink back into day to day situations. The next level of this, however, is the dreamworld that is shared; the imaginary adventures that you, and another close to you, have together. This is more advanced because it involves being so linked in with one another that you actually see the same images, and feel the same sensations. You start by speaking it out to one another, describing things and playing along and creating a world together. The more that is shared the easier this becomes, and then, what will start to happen is the world you have created no longer needs description or understanding- it is real, it is unspoken, and it is completely understood. This is when you now have someone to smile across the dinner table with after exiting the dreamworld. Sharing is better.

Chloe and I, honestly and truly, share everything. You would think this would cause friction, or competition, or provoke some kind of mental breakdown- not having everything to yourself, but it is actually seamless. Yes, the human side does respond at times with a need for space or singular enjoyment and accomplishment, but I actually believe that sharing everything with someone is a definition of true love. There is sacrifice and selflessness involved in this lifestyle. primarily, but it turns into magic. It turns into something that no one can tamper with. It turns into full-on dreamworld.

Our secret agent life has all the perks of adventure and fun, without the tragic, dark and lonely side effects. Unless we want them for the sake of drama. ;) I can't say that Chloe and I have reached the highest level, but in some moments it feels like we do.

Basorexic Heroes

Just as Cassie has written in the last post, it's been a long time. It's been so long since I've blogged on here as well. Some time last month or so I made an attempt to blog on a separate blog, but failed to muster up enough strength...or, actually, will to blog on this one. A personally ridiculous excuse, I know, but again--as Cassie has mentioned: we've been very busy. We've been spending our days living life to the fullest. It feels as though my beloved sister has been living with me for years; almost as if we've grown up together. It's hard to believe she's only been here since June. Personally, I go with the feeling we've grown up together---whether it was in another world or realm, it doesn't matter. It feels true, and that's what's most important.

I have learned so much from my dear, symbiotic twin. I have learned that as much as we laugh and get along blissfully, we also tend to get in little testy situations with one another. Nothing major or unmanageable, of course. Usually any disagreement is solved by laughter at the complexity of the situation, or by simply "putting an end" to the conversation that led us to disagree in the first place. The best part about having such a companion as Cassie? We can talk about anything. I can tell her anything,  state my opinions, vent, burn off steam, or simply cry---and she understands me. Even if I don't make any sense, or if I can't explain myself the way I'd prefer, she gets it. It's like we share the same brain. I've had experiences before where I'd try to express how I'm feeling to others and they take it as Chloe's just in a weird mood. Next thing I know, I'm cut off short and left with an unresolved situation or unsettling feeling within my very self. With Cassie it's different. Nothing is ever awkward or uncomfortable to bring up. Arguments never last more than 5 minutes at max! There isn't a chance that we'd take to be gone from each other for an hour. 10 minutes alone is far too much when we could be together having a picnic somewhere enchanting. 

Rarely do I ever sleep alone, and if I do, it's only when we go down to visit her family in Baltimore. That's when I sleep on the guest bed in her younger sister's room. That's when I gaze out the window in the middle of the night and think of how blessed I am to have such a family. Cassie and I stay together every night. It's usually the odd hours of the night that one could find us laughing hysterically on her bed, looking at ridiculous photos on pinterest. The two of us share very similar tastes in food, (even though I crave salt as often as she craves sugar) humor, and of course...men. Except Ryan Gosling. I don't understand how she likes him. I find him weird. I only think he's attractive in the movie the Notebook, even though I've never actually sat down and watched it. Anyway! The two of us suffer from basorexia. That is the craving of being kissed by a very attractive man. Of course, we haven't met the men we dream about. Chances are they don't exist on this earth. But, even if they don't, we still continue to miss them. Basorexia can be difficult; especially when you are looking up pictures of all your favorite dreamboat actors, and listening to romantic music. We do this to ourselves. We eventually get frustrated with ourselves and settle the situation by eating something or changing the subject. 

Though we can easily go off on tangents about how we can't stand men, and list all of the things that they do that bother us, we are hopeless romantics; and we have high expectations of our ideal Prince Charming. But you know what? We wouldn't want it any other way. Our lives wouldn't be so hilarious and entertaining as they are now. We wouldn't have feelings and things to inspire us. We have grown so close in such a short amount of time that it's literally impossible to even think of what life was like before we became such great friends...in fact, we choose not to look back on the past. It's like trying to open up a wrapper you just stuck chewed gum in. You just don't do that. It's weird.

Being the close-knit sisters that we are, we've established a few little traditions. Whenever we enter our neighborhood development, we always have to have a good song playing. Whenever something epic happens to us, we have to listen to an epic song full blast with the windows down...even if it's super cold out. When I got my license, we blasted David Bowie's Heroes and screamed at the top of our lungs. Recently, we listened to that same song driving through the Lincoln Tunnel leaving New York City. We turned up the volume, rolled down the windows, unbuckled our seatbelts, and stuck our upper bodies out the window and absorbed the dreamy, golden glow of the tunnel lights. We gazed at the skyline of the city and pretended we were in a music video. It was beautiful. It was romantic. It was breathtaking...just like our lives. 

Our friendship is indescribable. It is totally amazing, and people just couldn't understand unless they knew us well enough. I never thought a friendship could be so wonderful, and mean so much. I never thought I'd be so lucky to have a sister I could completely relate to, and to totally be so close to. Cassie is my other half. She is my sister, and I love her dearly.

peace out,

Chloe

Source: Uploaded by user via Christine on Pinterest

It's Been A Long Time

This blog has been neglected. It has come to my mind and left quickly, over the past few months, due to my invalid excuse of not being able to write. Truth is, I can and should write. There have been a lot of unrecorded adventures and earth- changing experiences in the time that I have not been writing. My sister and I have been experiencing so much with each other. Many humorous circumstances, moving moments, and note-worthy occasions. To go through all of them and re-tell would be a lot to take in, so I am going to give an update the best I can. It is time to get reacquainted. Chloe and I, first of all, still adore coffee. We begin our days with it, we rely so heavily on it, and we light up like Christmas trees thinking about it. We have been collaborating on many art projects, ranging from drawings, posters, buildings, and music. Working together has brought us many moments of comedic relief. We have very similar points of view on things, very similar taste and style when it comes to what we find aesthetically pleasing; and when we are creating, when we are coming up with original and truly artistic work, our ideas blend very well together. It's a form of magic. This is not to say that we do not get hungry, tired, and stubborn. That threatening combination has led to some points of disagreement, but those same moments are the comedic moments I was referring to.

So you could say we have been in production over the long period of non-blogging. We have been working, which feels like playing, which leads me to more of what we have been up to. There has been a lot of fun in parks, cities, beaches, zoos, grass, theaters, pools, automobiles, bedroom floors, coffee shops, dinner tables, restaurants, craft stores and bookstores. We have soaked up precious sun, and gazed at powerful storms. We have been acting our age- which is- young. The world is struggling- that is a fact. There is a lot to scare you, upset you, or discourage you, but what amazes me are the extreme blessings on my sister and I's lives. The everyday fun is always in full-swing, guarded and unspoiled. That is what we treasure and that is priority. Making ever day special. That has been the theme of this blog since we started it. That has been the theme of our friendship as well. I am pleased to report that that has remained, even though much has been unrecorded here, it is set and placed firmly in both of our hearts.

I hope to be blogging more these days- that is really up to me. Although this update is brief, it is a start and gateway to more writings.

Love always,
Cassie