randomness

work (meggan is the best organizer EVER!):

after work (a quick stop by the park to decompress):

and a little bit of autumn orangy goodness:

golden state

I am not homesick today. I am living in my own little golden state on my little lane in the burbs in this little city just east of the blue ridge. the trees are simply magnificent. the autumn sun radiates through the leaves and turns the air gold.

gold air. who would ever have dreamed such a thing?

mosaic monday

a wee bit of rainbow to perk up your monday courtesy of these flickr lovelies.

well hello there

I believe everyone should have a psychedelic paisley rainbow pig in their kitchen.

sweet freedom whispered

today someone asked me my favorite song of all time. I don't think about this often, but when I do, I immediately hear the familiar pounding piano keys in my head. I see myself in the mint green bedroom of my adolescence, clad in dolphin shorts, my yosemite t-shirt, striped knee-high socks and giant cinnamon bun headphones, belting out the words in my best elton john falsetto: someone saved, someone saved, someone saved my life tonight.

I felt so freakin' british singing about east end lights. I wanted to be british so bad, it was my answer to the oft-asked question, what do you want to be when you grow up? I longed for the day that I could sit like a princess perched in an electric chair (while the electric chair experience has escaped me, I think I've captured that mood from time to time. I think I'll do it right now. try it yourself.). I could not wait to experience a haunted social scene. and later in my life, someone really did come in the morning with a truck to take me home (that's a whole other story...).

I don't know why at the tender age of eleven I instantly recognized the themes of salvation and redemption or why the notions of freedom and release and escape from captivity deeply resonated with me. in a weird way, the song prepared me for the day I really would have to walk away from a crazy love that just wasn't right for me.

like a butterfly, free to fly away.

have a listen and a look back at 70's elton. the way I loved him.

running with scissors

this gorgeous and whimsical art is the work of jennifer khoshbin. I am totally in awe. she has these pieces and more to drool over and for sale in her etsy shop.

quite contrary

one of the reasons I write this blog and take photographs is to help me remember to stay in the moment and be more accepting. I'm a wee bit flighty and impulsive. I need to slow down and experience the way things are at any given moment. I'm always saying (2 seconds into an experience), "that was great, what's next?" or pining away for the opposite experience. in winter, I long for cookouts and margaritas. in summer, I dream of crisp snowy nights. I often disagree just so there's a lively discussion. if cropped pants are "out", I'm wearing them. every day.

take, for example, my lovely new watering can purchased at heliotrope in atlanta (great store!). I love it's color and that it's made of recycled materials. while driving home, I was eyeing it in the car, dreaming of my spring garden, potting, planting and watching my garden grow. october isn't even over and I love fall. what gives?

it is pretty though, isn't it?

p.s. (an update) talk about contrary: someone stole our obama sign out of our yard! something is really wrong when your right to a democratic opinion is stolen. oh well, they can steal the sign, but they can't steal the votes.

oh wait, they've done that before...

a little atlanta

a long weekend in atlanta was filled with lots of fun and color. clear skies, underwater worlds and glass sculpture spoke mostly blue.

this little one was fascinated by the ethereal creatures at the aquarium.


this east atlanta village facade would look at home in sunny spain.

one word: chihuly.

atlanta is a lot like los angeles. it's huge and spread out and made up of a hundred quirky neighborhoods. I could happily spend a lot more time exploring. it's got all my favorite things: old diners, classic neon, vintage shops and streets full of happy diversity.

1. art house theatre
2. a rainbow of vintage frocks at so rare in decatur
3. ria's bluebird cafe is my new favorite breakfast place in the whole world
4. more at ria's
5. fish tacos and organic margarita at holy taco in east atlanta village
6. guess what this is
7. toy rickshaws at so rare (and now I'm kicking myself for not buying one for the yard)
8. old school stand-alone urban outfitters (remember back in the day when you didn't have to go to the mall to shop UO and anthropologie?)
9. georgia aquarium
10. at ria's (really, I did more than eat)
11. mesmerizingly beautiful jelly fish
12. more chihuly at the atlanta botanical garden
13. a storefront in east atlanta village
14. silk lanterns
15. coffee is just better
16. at a classic diner. the majestic is just that.

road trip

a weird little part of me wishes that we were taking a roadtrip on this pumpkin orange scooter with sidecar. this beauty lives down the street from me. the man who rides it sometimes has a (fully dressed) blow-up doll as a passenger. that's interesting anywhere, but WAY interesting in lynchburg.

alas, I think my scooter days are behind me. we will be heading to atlanta in the jetta wagon.

if you lovelies have any tips for fun things to do and see in atlanta, please fill me in. I'm excited about the aquarium. I'm hoping to find atlanta really alive and colorful. I've never been there, but I always have an immediate unfortunate thought of that child murderer guy when I think of atlanta. I hope this weekend changes that.

self portrait tuesday

hooray! it's october and the theme over at self portrait challenge is "mirrors". I just had to pull out the old mirror ball again for this challenge and put an autumny twist to it with fallen leaves, brilliant trees and somber lines of little headstones (do you see them?). I'm thinking I want to do a mirror ball selfie for every season. I love the looks I get walking around with the giant thing.

yes, I'm a bit giddy for standing in the middle of a cemetery. here is a more "respectful" shot:

see more delightful, creative mirror self portraits here.

mosaic monday

I ♥ cooking. well, more accurately, I ♥ food. good food. and I ♥ all the lovely accoutrement to food and everything culinary (except the ubiquitous ms. ray). so I was just so delighted to see a beautiful, colorful cooking store open in my little burg.

culina carries an amazing selection of kitchen tools, gourmet, organic and international foodstuffs and a rainbow wall of cookbooks. yesterday, I participated in my first cooking class. I think this is going to become a habit for me.

on the sunday brunch menu:

eggs benedict on homemade brioche
roasted potatoes with dried leeks, herbes de provence and caramelized onion
homemade granola on greek yogurt
hot cocoa with sweetened cream
mimosas

I went primarily to master the art of poaching an egg. that was handled in two minutes: just buy the little green silicon egg poaching cups. I went away with a new love for unsweetened real cocoa (no low-carb swiss miss here), greek yogurt and appreciation for the labor of love it requires to create beautiful brioche.

I ♥ culina.

(I know, I just wanted to get in one more ♥. I'm feeling very ♥♥♥ today!)

hello cupcakes

just having a bit of fun rotating in random photos.

have a sweet and colorful sunday.

happy, happy, happy weekend

you know I just couldn't stand the black and white image at the top of the page for more than 12 hours!

I hope your weekends are just splendid. can't wait to read about the amazingly beautiful things you did.

four by four

curious girl was tagged by lovely chris at reverie. I'm a wee bit late...but you know, I was busy taking photos of really, really important things. like chandeliers. I'm tempted to try to write something that connects the post to the photo...like "shining the light on me".

no?

no.

the photo has nothing to do with the post.

here goes.

4 things I did today:

1. the pumpkin muffins are back at starbucks…I resisted temptation.


2. tackled a huge pile of fall catalogs and ripped out pages and pages of things I want (I post them on my board and, as the days go by, tend not to want them as much…this is a tactic my husband taught me to curb my crazy-ass spending).


3. worked on a project that I’m very excited about (but can’t share just yet).


4. roxy, meet the furminator.

4 things on my to-do list:

1. pick my own apples (maybe this weekend) and make homemade applesauce.


2. I’m taking a cooking class this sunday…finally learning to make eggs benedict.


3. see the greek play at randolph college’s beautiful outdoor theatre.


4. purchase tickets online for the atlanta zoo and georgia aquarium for next weekend. word on the street is that there is a carousel at the zoo featuring endangered animals. no giant chickens, but there must be some giant endangered bird I can hitch a ride on.
   

4 of my guiltiest pleasures:

1. handbags. always on the lookout for the perfect oversized paisley print tote.


2. ridiculously priced (but effective) skin care products


3. gossip girl


4. steak au poive et frites

4 random facts about me:

1. I always thought I would be an unconventional artsy hippy chick when I grew up. as it turns out, I’m fairly mainstream. however, I live in a small southern town and I’m from california, so most think I’m like this total west coast bohemian. and I like that.


2. I once went through a phase when I decoupaged everything I could get my hands on…even the phone.


3. I am a very, very impatient driver. complete with temper tantrums. this is not good when you live in a town where people routinely cruise along at 5 miles under the speed limit. I’m serious.


4. I daydream about running a montessori-type school focusing on creativity and being a good citizen of the world (well, not the driving world).
   

homesick

for taco trucks, smith's smiley face cookies, cali friends, the crunch of leaves under my feet at jastro park, instant access to the everyday locations of my own history...

*sigh*

hello luv-ah

I can't breathe...

for weeks, I've been lusting after these a-freakin-mazing boots from hollywould. priced at over $640, they were clearly out of my league.

today, they are on sale for $128.

they are so mine.

so I watched The Amazing Race finale tonight instead of the debate. hooray! they won!

I am totally addicted to The Amazing Race 12 (I know, the 13th race is already in progress, I always forget about CBS, but watch the travel channel which is showing last season's race). I have all the episodes tivo'd with only the finale left unwatched. I hope TK & Rachel win. I admire anyone who can do this, but I especially like how laid back and fun they are. No spoilers please.

mosaic monday

it was a slightly extraordinary ordinary autumn weekend spent in town:

1. the photography show I still can't believe happened.
2. discovered an entire shelf of vintage french books at a local bookstore.
3. did some window shopping.
4. dinner at a local tavern (fish & chips and india pale ale).
5. then snuggled up in the balcony with the mister at a concert (piano quartet this time around, in an attempt to mix it up a bit).
6. sunday morning coffee and reading the newspaper at starlight (really I'm not a total narcissist...we go there almost every sunday. my photos just happen to be showing there right now.).
7. the leaves are starting to turn. beautiful.
8. pumpkins! (still looking for the perfect one).
9. election signs are popping up everywhere. I don't care which way you swing, as long as you cast your vote (well, not entirely true: go blue!).

have a spectacular monday everyone!

indian summer supper

pizza topped with red grapes, caramelized onion, goat cheese and pistachios.

so good, but you can really only eat one piece. it's very, very rich.

and iced arabic tea: black tea with rose water and cardamom pods.

it smells like flowers.

and tastes like heaven.

did I mention that I love autumn?

pulp

this makes me grin.

and kind of creeps me out at the same time.

and compels me to clutch my breasts and look the beautiful victim.

mirror image

october's self-portrait challenge is "mirrors".

I can't seem to play by the rules lately.

p.s. third post today. too much coffee.

take me everywhere autumn & anthro

I am loving this outfit from anthropologie for upcoming fall activities like art openings, a visit to the largest aquarium in the world, cast parties, and friday after-work cocktails at bull branch.

I am loving autumn.

so, this is the only decent shot I have of the opening; taken before anyone arrived. I was just so happy that actual human beings showed (some that I didn't even know!). there were even some babies. and a dog.

when you are behind a camera you are given a certain amount of privacy and strangely shielded from a lot of the exposure that's inherent in events such as this and really all social encounters. when the event is about you and your art, you are not allowed such an indulgence. with the camera tucked away, I felt very exposed and vulnerable. I met some really nice people, I just wish I could have captured some of it.

I'm kind of sick of talking about myself.

but it really was great. really great.

surreal

my photographs are showing at starlight cafe. this shot was taken while we were hanging (thanks ken, oh master of wire and measurement!).

if you are near lynchburg, we would love to meet with you at the opening tomorrow, october 3rd, from 5pm to 7pm. starlight cafe is a beautiful space inhabited by beautiful souls. it's located at 512 5th street in downtown lynchburg.

I'm still a little shocked, but feel very proud and excited at the same time.