I Won't Let Love Disrupt, Corrupt or Interrupt Me

Loving the skater fit and flare style.  It's cute, functional, and flattering, and looks especially good in dark colors.

(photos collected from pinterest, opiumpoppies, and oraclefox)

Demonstrating the Complex Interplay

Last weekend in St. Louis my brother Taylor and I went to the Pulitzer Modern Art Museum, where we got to see a Richard Serra piece.  Now, Richard Serra is quite famous for his rather bulky metal constructions, and I studied and answered test questions about him in college art history.  Art, especially sculpture, is much more impressive in person than projected on a screen with a professor rambling on and on and you're just trying to keep up in your notes.  Seeing it is more a full-body experience than just looking at it.  Perhaps the most staggering art experience was seeing the Notre Dame in Paris.  It is so much more beautiful, impressive, and majestic when you feel like a tiny bug in front of it.
Anyway, back to Richard Serra.  This spiral made of one sheet of steel is about 13ft tall and you can feel the heat from the steel as you walk inside.  It has some beautiful age weathering going on and that chalky brick red color looked stunning in the bright sun.

(photos by e.hunt)

The One Universal Thing People Everywhere Can Talk About

And here is some inspiration from a most unlikely source.  The French staple, picked up at the neighborhood boulangerie every day after on the way home (or in my case, every few days; one a day was a bit much for me) to be enjoyed with some cheese, chocolate, wine, or anything you want really, the baguette.

Everybody does it.  Little kids, old grandmas, bike-riders, grouchy men who smoke... they know that there's nothing quite like fresh baguette.  A simple luxury enjoyed every day, day after day.

(photos collected from heatherbullard, corbisphotos, and genesisgallery)

Bringing the Beach to Nashville

This weekend my roommate Katherine and I had beach beer.  We bought it because of the packaging (props to their marketing team) but it turned out to be pretty good.  Good enough to get again sometime actually.  Thirst's up dude!

(photos by e.hunt)

In the Crow's Nest at Sundown

Feeling preppy today in my navy pinstripe pencil skirt, sweater over a button-up all tucked in, and matching polka-dot socks.  That collar though, man it adds some great detail.  And check out my new little boots!

(photos by e.hunt)

Nearing a Neon Climate

Wouldn't it be cool to see the world like this for a day?  Just for one day though.

(photos collected from travelingcolors, imageconscious, and pinterest)

Modern Thought Can Get the Best of You

This is a Pinterest idea I tried out to bring a little more light into my cave room.  I was really needing some in my getting-ready corner and I had an extra strand of white lights laying around.  It needed to be condensed over that area though, instead of just hanging along the perimeter, so when I saw this picture

I thought it would be perfect, all glowy and suspended in a perfect circle.  The challenge turned out to be finding somewhere that sells hula hoops.  Hint: don't go to dollar stores, Target, Wal-mart, Walgreens, or the seasonal section at the grocery store.  And this was in the middle of July, prime summertime hula hooping season!  I had to venture out to Toys R Us, where they only had three different color choices: obnoxious orange, pesky pink, and goblin green (and yes, these were the official names).  I went with the orange, as I thought it would be the easiest one to blend in to the rest of my decor.

But no.  It does the practical task of lighting the area quite well, but it draws unnecessary attention and looks nothing like the ethereal, subtle, blurry twinkle lights that pinterest was advertising.  It could be worse though, and I guess it hasn't really bothered me enough that I've taken it down yet.  So you win Pinterest, you win.

(photos collected from pinterest, and by e.hunt)

Yankee Doodle Went to Town

Lots of famous people have worn feathers in their cap.  Robin Hood, Peter Pan, Yankee Doodle Dandy...  Now, when Doodle Dandy stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni, as a kid, I wondered why anyone would put a macaroni noodle on top of their head.  Alas, it was not the cheesy, pasta meal they were talking about; macaroni is an 18th century man who affected the Continental fashions of the day.  So Doodle was just pointing out his trendsetting ways to the good folk of Yankee-town.  The feather in a hat has obviously proved to be more than a passing Dandy-trend, as it is still around today.

(photos collected from pinterest, and oraclefox)

Sharing the Blogger Love

My cousin started a blog recently.  Here's the link, go check it out.

http://ellaraejames.blogspot.com/

She's got a few solid starting topics including the color blue, The Great Gatsby, and a little bookstore in Seaside, Florida we used to go to when we were little.  Sidenote:  Seaside is where they filmed the movie The Truman Show and it really is the perfect little small town sea haven they portray it as in the movie.  Excited to see more posts.

(photos collected from greattoakcircle, nestofposies-blog, and arepreading)

Fish-Eye View

Here's a cool new update from the Google Monopoly:  Google Street View of the ocean.  So I guess it's more like Google Ocean View.  The images are incredible.  Here's the full article, with a link to the image slideshow.  Check it out.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/google-street-view-coral-reefs-130820.htm#mkcpgn=rssnws1

(photos collected from livescience)

Merci Beaucoup, Mes Freres

My brothers give the best gifts.  For my birthday, Taylor gave me an Asterix comic book, which is the most well-known French comic book there is.  And this past week, Andrew brought me back a Vogue Paris issue from his trip to France.  It even came with a little mini French love story.

They know me well, and I am in French heaven.

(photos by e.hunt)

Top Ten Movie Villains

I now present to you a list of the top bad guys ever to grace the screen.  Now, this list does not include horror movie icons, and please do keep a relative mind, because when considering the evil deeds of say, mass puppy-murdering Cruella DeVil, to corporate ice queen Miranda Priestly, they’re really not in the same playing field (except for in the greatest hair-dos category).

And so, without further ado, and in no particular order other than greatness of character and portrayal, I give to you the breakdown of evil incarnate.

1.  Hilly Holbrook from The Help.  This woman is like your bitchy sorority fake friend, only with more power.  She’s all about the gossip, all about appearances, and she is all about ruining your faith in mankind.  Emma Stone’s protagonist character ends up taking her down a few notches, but not without the help of some trusty sidekicks: Octavia Spencer’s outspoken Minnie (here’s a fun tidbit about Spencer, she played the Three Minute Death Cage sign-in woman in the Tobey McGuire Spiderman, whose line “The so-and-so corporation is not responsible for any injuries you may, and probably will sustain while fighting?” is one of the best moments in the movie), and Jessica Chastain’s bubbly, out of place, blonde bombshell housewife is just a delight.

2.  The Duke from Moulin Rouge.  The Duke is what happens when obsession becomes your reality, and with him, it is a scary thing.  He does not understand the whole, true love has to be true for both parties involved, and because of him, the entire male population of Paris loses its highest form of entertainment, a wonderfully historic landmark is closed and abandoned, hundreds of people are out of jobs, and the girl dies.  Nice going, Duke.

3.  Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada.  She’s not happy unless everyone around her is wringing their hair out in anxious stressful unhappiness, which is the worst kind.  Considering that she’s the Editor in Chief of the biggest fashion magazine in the world, that’s a lot of people she’s making unhappy.  The fact that she doesn’t care, but then makes you ok with it by not wearing makeup in one scene, and proving that you're an idiot if you think fashion doesn't apply to you, is a true work of evil genius.  That's all.

4.  Hopper from A Bug’s Life.  Now here is a bug who just doesn’t have an ounce of happiness, a heart, or a sound means of survival.  I mean, basing your food supply on some cute little ants with big eyes?  That’s just poor planning.  But there’s a reason the ants provide the food every year; Hopper, through the voice of Kevin Spacey, is purely terrifying.  By his scheming, he turns the entire ant colony against one of their own (who in turn ends up saving them in the end), is nothing but ungrateful to his own brother, and makes really scary bug-bone-squeaking noises when he moves.

5.  Angel Eyes from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.  Just watch this scene, where he shoots a guy after eating his food for breakfast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgyWgEPeY2o

And this one, where he tortures the lovable Tuco.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msR_cvWHKzs

Still not convinced?  Here’s the cherry on top, the best scene of the entire movie, the final epic shootout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXldafIl5DQ

6.  Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York.  This guy is the original Crime Lord, just look at that entourage that follows him everywhere.  He’s got an entire city in his back pocket.  Politicians, policemen, petty thief’s, and store owners would all do anything for him.  Even the son of his sworn enemy that he laid rest many years before in front of said son’s eyes, who is bent on killing him for revenge, steps in front of a bullet for him.  Now there’s a complicated mess.  He runs the city, and makes everyone’s decisions for them, just ask.  This guy’s not just doing it for the fame or the money though, he’s doing it because in his mind, he knows its right, it’s the only way, and having someone with his morals and beliefs, with every single person who should be above such things playing a pawn to his king, that’s scary.  If that’s not convincing you, his slicked-back, oily hair is enough to give you nightmares.  He does wear some really great clothes though.

7.  John Doe from Seven.  Now I’ve never even seen this movie, but this guy is really a genius.  A murdering genius.  A murdering psychopath genius using the Bible and The Seven Deadly Sins as a motive, who’s also played by Kevin Spacey (his voice, mannerisms, and eloquent speech patterns really lend themselves to bad guys.  See also, Verbal Kint from Usual Suspects).  He orchestrates a year-long build-up (greed, gluttony, sloth, lust, and pride) to a masterful climax (envy and wrath), knowing it was going to happen before it does, fulfilling all seven sins.  Now I don’t know about you, but a murderer who plans on someone being murdered without even having to do the murdering is pretty evil in my book.

8.  Cruella DeVil from 101 Dalmations.  She wants to kill and skin hundreds of innocent little puppies all in the name of vanity.  A person with real moral motives, even if you don’t agree with them is dangerous, but a person whose motive is so flippant is even more scary, because they are spontaneous.  Imagine what she would be like if she were in Bill the Butcher’s, or John Doe’s shoes.  Her last name is devil for crying out loud!  She also wins the best theme song award.

9.  The Joker from The Dark Knight.  How terrifying is someone who’s just messing with the city just to see what happens?  Really freaking terrifying.  This someone also happens to wear clown paint on his face (and makes one of the greatest entrances ever by pulling of a clown mask only to reveal another), smash people’s faces onto pencils to make a point, hides explosives inside somebody’s stomach, burns mountains of money because money doesn’t matter, all for the sake of pure chaos.  If there’s anything more unsettling than an individual, it’s the chaos and aftermath that he creates.  It’s his ability to make others like him.  To spread like a disease. 

10.  Darth Vader from Star Wars.  The ultimate pawn with a tragic beginning (that was tragically presented as Star Wars Episodes I-III).  Darth Vader is more machine than man, lives in a space station that's no moon and has a laser that can destroy an entire planet, and doesn’t even have to be near you to choke the last few breaths of life from your lungs.  He’s the best lightsaber-weilder since, well, anyone (except for maybe Yoda and his uncharacteristic agility in Episode II, one of the few redeeming qualities of that series), he is content with killing his own son because, well, orders, and his voice is intertwined with that ominous heavy breathing that very well might be the last thing you hear.  

(photos collected from molempire, fanpop, jimmychoosonthetreadmill, happilyeverafterwiththem, googleimages, miramax, filmaffinity, cablecarcouture, digitaltrends, and acomicvine)

The Great Catching Up

In case you were missing my cowboy boots, I based my whole outfit on them today.

(photos by e.hunt)