Everyone Goes Where We Go

I am back at my old hangout, the always warm and welcoming Kaldis Coffeehouse.  The number of occupants has been fluctuating, with my Grandma being one of them.  Surprise!  My brother will be by in a bit too.  This is clearly the place to be.

(photo by e.hunt)

A Touch More Finish

These plaid pants would be a perfect way to bring in the holiday cheer at work.

(photo collected from lacooletchic)

Turkey Lurkey Said One Day

Happy late Thanksgiving!  I had a wonderful time catching up with the extended family, eating from the grand selection, and of course, cleaning up after everyone left.  And the best part is, it was only my first of four days being at home.

(photo by e.hunt)

The Perpetual Cold Has Begun

It is coming.  I can feel it in my skin and in my bones.  The chill wind brings its tidings, a cruel messenger from the North.  The sun betrays us all, giving false hope when it shines through the clear sky. But alas, these rays hold no warmth and only shed light on the bare trees that creak from Winter's burden, and the stale, frosted ground that crunches under your feet.  It is a wasteland; everything has stopped but us.  They are smart, holing up until it is pleasant and welcoming outside once again.  I am cold, all the time, and it has only just begun.  It is coming.

This is an excerpt from one of the handful of stories I have going, writing down scenes as they come to me.  This particular one is the thoughts of an island-dwelling, ocean-sailing lady who has never seen Winter's many details and effects.  It seemed appropriate for the weather happening right now.

(photo collected from pinterest)

Such Elegant Variations on the Theme

Wouldn't it be awesome if skiing down hills of flowers were possible?

(photo collected from oxane)

Speak Friend and Enter

A few weeks ago I took down the memory wall above my bed and replaced it with cool pictures hung in a spacially pleasing way around the room.  It is a nice mix of beach-related pictures and other photographs that I have found interesting enough to hang onto over the years.  Welcome to my more grown-up looking room.

(photos by e.hunt)

Sporting That Official Olympic Gear All the Way

Exactly 75 days, 21 hours, and 3 minutes until the 2014 Winter Olympic Games begin, and I cannot wait.

(photo by e.hunt)

Whispering Quicksilver Words

I think today may be the coldest it's been yet, so I decided it was appropriate to wear the most Winter-looking (and sparkly) piece of clothing I own.  It reminds me of snow.

(photos by e.hunt)

Live True Thrift

After the Incident of the Bee That Needs to Go to Anger Management, I went to a thrift store to cheer myself up.  Turned out to be a wonderful little place with a friendly owner and a great selection of vintage western style stuff, ranging from clothing to suitcases to records to other odds and ends, with shoes that lined the lower perimeter of the entire store.

Only a few items in the whole store had price tags, so it was the kind of place that if the owner liked you, you would get a better deal.  I found this awesome little suede jacket and expected it to be around $30+ but when I asked, she said, "Ahhhh I can give it to you for $15," and then waived the tax when I was ringing out.  She told me she was reorganizing the store and putting out a lot more merchandise in the next two days so I will definitely be making another trip before Christmas and maybe find a present or two.

(photos by e.hunt)

From Calm to Volatile in One Split Second

I got stung by a bee today, in a way that I thought only happened on cartoon shows.  Yes, I got stung by a bee by sitting on it.  Here's what happened: I was heading out for the day and sat down in my car and felt a stinging prick on the back of my right leg, right above my knee.  I lifted up my leg, wondering what was on my seat that was the culprit, when a bee the size of a quarter and a half started crawling up from underneath my leg.  I, being the complete opposite of a bug enthusiast, started freaking out while moving as slowly as I could out of the car.  At that point I knew that it had stung me (through my jeans, mind you) and my leg was in burning pain, but the damn thing wouldn't fly away!  After standing there for a minute yelling at it and trying to make it go away, without breaking the cardinal rule of 'If you don't bother it, it won't bother you,' I thought maybe I could brush it off in a gentle enough movement that it wouldn't come in for a second attack.  After getting over the fact that I might touch it, I tried the tactic, and it turned out to be successful.  I then proceeded to limp inside and check it out to make sure I wasn't having an allergic reaction or anything.  I hadn't been stung by a stinging bug since I was about eight years old, so it was possible.  Luckily, I'm still alive, and from now on I will be brushing off the backs of my legs before getting in the car.

(photo collected from diydreamer)

When the Magnolias are Robust

The Bohemian, in all her easy-going, lace-loving, flowy dress-adorned, wild surfer-haired, boot-wearing, vintage-living, free-spirited glory.

(photos collected from freepeople, pinterest, and thatbohemiangirl)

The Lunar Express

"You alone will have stars as no one else has them... Only you will have stars that can laugh."
-Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery

(photo collected from designlovefest)

The Kingly Company

I found this great doodled pattern lion while jumping around on Pinterest, and the great thing about Pinterest is, once you find one thing, you can find lots of similar things.  A feature that I just discovered recently is that you can click on a pin and then scroll down to find other boards that it has been pinned to.  If you scroll down even more, the page is filled with similar pins.  I did just this for the lion and came across quite a few different interpretations of the animal king.  And one tiger.

(photos collected from tattoosideal, pinterest, and tattoostage) 

We Become What We Think About

My new goal: Find a wealthy Nashvillian who has enough disposable money to invest in a start-up.  I've got a few ideas.

1.  A coffeeshop that serves the regular coffeeshop fare, but also has alcoholic versions, and serves beer.  My favorite cofeeshop, The Mudhouse, had a sister store just down the block that was exactly this.  Not really a coffeeshop, but not really a bar.  I think East Nash would be very open to this idea, what with it being so hipster and all.

2.  An art supply store/gallery/hang-out/place for educational art classes.  For those people who just love art, but aren't willing to dedicate their life to it.  Inspired by my first (and favorite) job I've ever had, we could teach low-key art skills or art history/culture classes on evenings and weekends, have a studio section for people who want to create but don't want the mess, and of course, a retail section of the finest yet affordable supplies.  I made two of the letters in this photo.

3.  A used book, magazine, and movies shop.  A little Half-Price Books, a little library, and a little Video Update (remember this gem, St. Louis folks?), you could come and get all your classic entertainment needs taken care of.  This idea would probably expand to include music product as well.  I mean, this is Nashville we're talking about.  Imagine this picture is not as blurry, and says Video Update instead of First Watch.

(photos collected from googleimages)

A Very Bright Planet

Another movie post?  Why not!  Last night's feature was K-PAX, a thought-provoking film about aliens and psychiatrists.  This is not your usual 'the aliens are here to kill us!' action movie though.  In this case, the alien is in the form of Kevin Spacey, just here to check things out.  It's another that, though I have seen it before, was very rewarding to watch again, and took away something entirely different than the first time.  Prot (Kevin Spacey) arrives and is immediately taken to a psychiatric ward upon saying he is visiting from the planet K-PAX.  There, the Psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) finds his alien act very convincing, and begins to question his thoughts and beliefs.  Watching Prot see and experience the life of a human is beautiful and funny, his favorite thing being our wide variety of fruits: "Your produce alone has been worth the trip," he says as he eats a banana whole, skin and all.  Best line.

(photo collected from googleimages)

A Revolution Without Dancing is a Revolution Not Worth Having

Andrew and I watched V For Vendetta last night.  Excellent movie.  Even if you've seen it before, I would highly recommend watching it again.  I took away from it something totally different than I did the first time I saw it.  And I feel like it's the kind of movie that has an entirely new effect on the viewer each time he watches, no matter how many times.  A little 1984, a little Count of Monte Cristo, and a little bit Zorro, V For Vendetta is beautifully written and excellently acted.  Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in The Matrix and Elrond in The Lord of the Rings) does an unbelievable portrayal of V, the main character, with more feeling and emotion than most actors dream of, and his face is covered by a mask the entire time.

(photos collected from aceshowbiz, googleimages, and sharewallpapers)

All of the Things

Brown and grey boots because they're comfortable.  Navy polka-dot socks because they're fun.  Deep purple-maroon dress because it looks like Fall.  Black sunglasses because it's sunny.  And a bright blue scarf because blue is the best color there is.

(photos by e.hunt)

Fake Tales of the 1920's

I watched the new The Great Gatsby last night, and I am sad to say that I was a little disappointed.  Now, I did have pretty high standards going into it, Baz Luhrman being one of my favorite directors and all.  It just wasn't quite Baz Luhman-ish enough.  The man is known for creating these over-the-top, visceral explosions of color and imagination (see Moulin Rouge, Romeo+Juliet, Strictly Ballroom), and Gatsby wasn't at that level.  Yes, its a beautiful world filled with beautiful people wearing absolutely beautiful 20s clothing, and the art deco branding is incredible, but there's nothing that makes me feel for or understand the characters, which is what makes his movies enjoyable and more than just an artistic endeavor.  The best scenes are the parties, and there aren't nearly enough of them.  Oh well, hopefully Baz'll make up for it in the next one.

(photo by e.hunt)

Run to the End of the World, Run to the End of Time, Run to the End

Yesterday I was driving through the park looking for a quiet, non-populated spot to take some personal style pics (still not comfortable taking pics of myself by myself with other people around) and saw a whole family of deer out the window!  Mom, Dad, and two little kid deers prancing around the golf course hills.

And since it was Friday, I got to wear jeans to work!

After this picture I looked down the hill to see the same little deer family again!

(photos by e.hunt)