Three Things Thursday: Star Nurseries, Birch Trees, and Instagram

They're the top three things that I love this week. They may be sweet, they may be smart, or they may be just to eat...

► When I was 13 or 14 years old, I saw the Eagle Nebula for the first time in a magazine. I was instantly hooked on anything to do with astronomy and physics. At that time, my knowledge of the universe didn't extend beyond the solar system, although I knew about comets and galaxies. After reading about the Eagle Nebula - a star nursery - I was introduced to the concepts of star life cycles; black holes; time; and the origin and evolution of our universe. It's the main reason I pursued science in college, despite my lifelong love for art. Now that NASA has released high resolution photos of the Eagle Nebula's "Pillars of Creation", I am feeling more inspired than ever. According to Paul Scowen of Arizona State University, "we have caught these pillars at a very unique and short-lived moment in their evolution." You can read more about this nebula; it's structure; and its destruction on HubbleSite.org.

► It feels odd to jump from the cosmic wonders of our universe to home decor, but I love this birch tree shower curtain* designed by Vermont Greetings. My bathroom is very small, windowless, and painted teal, so I would love a light-colored shower curtain like this one, and its bold design. Vermont Greetings offers this design on other items, like clocks, duvets, art prints, iPhone skins, and more.

► Finally... I just joined Instagram, and I love it. I'm not big on social media, as there are some platforms that I just don't get - mostly Twitter. Maybe it's the introvert in me, but I'm not social enough to make Twitter happen for me. On the other hand, I really enjoy visual social media. Facebook is pretty fun for me, although they are changing the way pages work and I miss a LOT of what I want to see on there now. Pinterest is a lot of fun, but also overwhelming at times. I just started on Instagram last week, but I really enjoy it so far. If you want to follow me, I'm @TheAshleyPahl.

* Disclosure: I am a Society6 curator