Bombadil.

Lately I have been hearing a lot of new music. There are quite a few bands I am excited to tell you about, but one in particular stands out. This band performed last night at the Columbia Museum of Art at a little event called Arts & Draughts. They were fantastic and I am very excited to share this song with you.

Other bands that I have seen lately:

Great Peacock

The Whigs

Dear Blanca 

Enjoy! 

Neutrals.

photos by Katy Fant 

Second-day hair, lipstick, and cozy neutrals. Meet my winter look. Boy, do I love a big cozy scarf on days like this one. What are your winter go-tos?



scarf | from my grandmother 

coat | J. Crew circa 2006 

pants | Anthropologie 

boots | DV by Dolce Vita 

Revamped.

Hi everyone.

You may have noticed that this blog has a new name and completely new look.

For a long time I had been feeling unsettled about the state of my blog.

I felt like the title was too serious sounding, though it was my favorite Henry David Thoreau quotation upon graduating high school (the year I began this blog).

I couldn't decide what I wanted to write about or what I wanted to be the focus of the blog.

Was it a fashion blog? A faith blog? A book review blog? I honestly had no idea, so I just stuck them all together.

Now I know what this blog is. This blog is an outlet for anything and everything that inspires me. And there are a lot of things that inspire me. Faith, fashion, books, art, music, photography, and the list goes on. This will be a place in which I put all of it together.

I also want to focus more on people and friends of mine that inspire me. I have so many talented friends I want to feature on this blog.

So here it goes. Here is Makena Granger.

1Q84

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 

Psalms 90:12

**I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because originality is beautiful.**

My, my, my...what a whirlwind of an adventure this has been. 1157 pages and 6 days later I am here, though I am certainly not the same person as when I began. The Wind Up Bird Chronicle was incredible. I knew this novel was bound to be good, but little did I know it could actually change the way I see the world.

This novel, as you may have guessed, is largely inspired by George Orwell's 1984. I read this work in high school and I look back on it as one of the first novels I read for school that I actually liked. Orwell's totalitarian themes have come up in a number of other works that I've read and I always see it as an interesting subject. In 1Q84, Murakami introduces two characters who have what seems to be only a small connection.

Aomame (green peas in Japanese) is a verging on 30 year-old woman who specializes in muscle stretching and teaching women extreme self-defense from woman-hating men. She is a slender woman with few friends. It seems she just wants to keep to herself for the most part. Probably because she is a hired assassin (again, only killing men who have greatly wronged women). Her character reminds me a bit of Lisbeth Salander of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, though less hardcore.

The other main character is Tengo. To me, he is a lovable character. Gentle spirit, smart, child prodigy. He teaches math in an incredibly inspiring way, and is writing a novel on the side. He's a big guy, not too attractive but never had a hard time finding women interested in him. But when the novel takes place, he is also pushing thirty, and has a married girlfriend who comes to his house once a week. He also does some work with an organization that has a writing contest. Tengo has always tried to win but never made it farther than the short list. But when a mind-blowing but poorly written story by a 17 year-old girl comes through his hands, the editor, Komatsu, has an idea. Tengo is to rewrite the story but no one is to ever know.

Both he and Aomame went to the same elementary school and shared one small moment. It is this small moment, however, that drives the entire plot. In this novel there is love, hate, mystery, and the threat of conspiracy all intertwined into an addicting and beautiful story.

I think one of Murakami's strongest skills is effectively creating atmosphere. His writing style is so distinct, and the details he includes make his work stand out all the more. When I read his work, there is no doubt that I am in Murakami's world, and I like it there. This novel is highly charged with surreal imagery, what I can only describe as psychedelic situations, and a little bit of magical realism. Prepare yourselves for a wild ride.

Saturday Favorites.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

    for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:3

A few things I'm really loving on this Saturday. 

Psalm 23,

Winter Skies,

This photographer,

This campaign,

And this song.

Have a great weekend! 

Christmas Reading.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7

This is the Gospel. I am so thankful there's nothing I can do to take away His love for me, because He knows I screw it all up on a regular basis. 

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the freedom to sit by the fire and read all the books I haven't had time to read during the semester. Last Christmas I read almost all of the Harry Potter series, this Christmas I've been looking for a little more of a variety. Here's my reading list for this short but sweet break. Enjoy. 

1Q84- Haruki Murakami

I read The Wind Up Bird Chronicle over the summer and while I already loved Murakami, I grew to love him more. It is so interesting to read his work and all the postmodern themes. I have heard this novel is one of his best works and I am so excited to read it. 

A Visit From the Goon Squad- Jennifer Egan

This novel has been on my reading list for quite a while and recently I caved in Barnes & Noble and bought it. I have never read any of Egan's work, but any novel about rock music I will gladly explore. 

The Catcher in the Rye- J. D. Salinger

A bit of an interesting story behind this one. Last Christmas I received a beautiful box set of Salinger's work and hadn't gotten around to reading any of it until now. When I was studying abroad, I read Franny & Zooey and fell in love with Salinger's writing style. He is a master of dialogue. I can only hope to create as chilling a conversation as he features on a regular basis. 

You may be asking, 'why in the world have you not read The Catcher in the Rye?' Well, calm down. We began reading this book in one of my classes in high school, aloud, together, and never finished it. I wish I had continued reading it on my own, but better late than never, right? 

This is How You Lose Her- Junot Díaz

I read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao in my English class last Spring and was captivated by Díaz's unique writing style and postmodern feel. I am so excited to read another one of his works and it helps that this version of the book has some of the writer's own illustrations. Win win. 

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour an Introduction- J. D. Salinger

This book also came in the Salinger box set, along with Franny & Zooey and Nine Stories. I am currently reading this book as we speak and I am blown away by the mastermind that is Salinger. 

*Stay tuned for my review of this work on Monday!*

On Booze- F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you know me, you know that Fitzgerald changed my world of reading forever when I was 17 years old. He is my inspiration, and when I found this little gem in the store the other day I couldn't pass it up.  A collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald's best drinking stories with an adorably simple cover. What more could you ask for? 

**in the first picture**

Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin- Marion Meade

Following the 20s theme, this book describes the lives of writers Dorothy Parker, Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edna Ferber. It was recommended to me by perhaps my favorite English professor in the world and I can't wait to be sucked into the world of the 20s all over again. 

What's on your reading list? 

See my Summer 2013 reading list here. 

Llamas in Scarves.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

Psalm 98:2

Well, hey, everyone. It's good to be back. As you may have noticed, I've been on a pretty serious hiatus. I think I needed some time to realize what it is I really like about blogging. I think I have been reminded of all the good things it offers and I'm ready to return. 

Life has been very busy but it's been wonderful. I've got some great friends and family and I have so enjoyed spending time with them during this holiday season. I hope you all have had a good time celebrating. 

I may have not been blogging, but I have been very active with updating my flickr, photography tumblr, and instagram. Please check them out if you get the chance and see what I have been up to! 

I look forward to how this blog will develop in the coming year and I hope you will stick with me to see it all. 

beanie: Free People

sweater: Urban Outfitters

jeans: Paige 

boots: DV by Dolce Vita