Who Do I Want to Be Today

One outfit, three ways.

First, unbuttoned denim shirt over the basic black tee and patterned mini skirt.

Then the casually strewn over the shoulder look.

Followed by the black shirt tucked all the way into the skirt.

And ending with the denim shirt knotted up on top of everything.

And I only got two mosquito bites while taking these pictures.  That is definitely one thing I will not miss about summer.

(photos by e.hunt)

Don't Be So Easily Defined

Here's my new hair!  I'm loving the coppery-red shade that mixes in very naturally with my regular brown color, and it's perfect for Autumn.

(photos by e.hunt)

Sunglasses For Your Dreams

I found the coolest notebook today at Target.  Now I can officially start classes.

(photo by e.hunt)

The Beginning of Everything

Last night I watched the movie Noah, which was released earlier this year and directed by Darren Aronofsky, of Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and Pi fame.  It is an interpretation of the classic, biblical story of Noah's Ark that we all know.  An interpretation.  It's definitely not what you expect, and in a way that makes it even more worth watching.  Aronofsky decided to take a more mature route, highlighting the fact that Noah was just a man, and therefore had the same faults and conflicts that we all struggle with.  He is played by Russell Crowe, who I am normally quite annoyed with by his smug arrogance, but he keeps this portrayal more subdued.  Jennifer Connelly plays his wife, they have three sons, and take in an injured girl, played by Emma Watson, they find in the barren, grey landscape.  On the way to see Noah's grandfather, a charming, wizard-like Anthony Hopkins, they come across some giant rock figures (resembling the tree creatures from Lord of the Rings) called Watchers, that are actually fallen angels left in this debilitating state by The Creator, who end up helping Noah build the Ark.

Noah, who we all think of as this perfect, morally astute man, gets caught up in the eternal plight and conflict of being a man.  After all, he is just a man.  All of his decisions are based on his interpretation of a vision from The Creator, with no input as to if he is correct or not.  Without giving away too much of the story, he becomes so entranced in what he thinks The Creator wants, that he strays from the characteristics that makes man different from the animals (compassion, love, mercy, rationality, etc), and becomes the type of man that betrayed The Creator in the first place.

Aronofsky was smart in leaving these types of questions and interpretations up to the viewer, instead of outrightly saying it.  After all, that is the whole point of religion; what does it mean to you, and how does it influences your own life and decisions.  If you look past the sci-fi and blockbuster elements, it's a really interesting take on this classic story, and makes you think about it a little deeper, and from a different angle than what they teach in church.  Noah had to leave all of humanity to die, which is shown in a very poignant scene where the family hears the muffled screams of people drowning outside of the boat.  This is after they've pointed out that not all the humans in the bad guy's outfit are bad, but they are left to die anyway.  Would you be able to condemn every other human on Earth besides your family?

Overall, I think it is a movie worth watching.  If not for the story, watch it for the visuals.  Everyone is dressed in Waterworld-like, pieced-together outfits, the music (by Clint Mansell, an Aronofsky regular) sets the hurried, running out of time feel; both give the sense of a non-descript time period, like it could have happened a long time ago, or it could happen in the future.  There are also these really cool time-lapse, montage sequences.  Check out the story of Creation here (make sure you watch the whole thing).

(photos collected from truthwithsnares, suchacritic, static.rogerebert, media3.s-nbcnews, nowuc, and timesofisrael)

The Chill Aspire

I am finally getting my hair professionally cut and colored!  Cutting it myself has been really convenient and a good money saver, but I've let it go too long since having it done by a seasoned haircutist.  And color!  Finally.  I had been thinking about adding some redish copper color to it since last Winter, but just never found a good picture to copy.  Now I've found several.

(photos collected from pinterest, scontent-b, and latest-hairstyles)

Willingness to Bloom Forever

How do you wear a floral print in the upcoming season of fall when all real things floral are dead?  By keeping the colors in the fall palette of course!  As you can see below, black is a great autumn standard to tie everything together and provide a nice backdrop for your brighter leaves and petals.

(photos collected from furioussquirrel, remainsimple, conveythemoment, womenmentrends, and fashiolista)

Free to Play in the Open Spaces

In the last week or so I've been spending much of my free time looking at interior decorating inspiration on Pinterest.  As I am in the process of redecorating a room myself, it's been fun to do a little seeking and finding.  Overall, it looks like I'm leaning towards more neutral colors accented with a bit of bright color.

For the bedding, the first picture provides a nice spot of color for the greyish brown floor and white walls.  And that cable knit quilt looks like the coziest thing I've ever seen!

For a sitting area, again, neutrals, but I think I would want more colorful and mismatched pillows for an extra jolt of non-drabness.

Here is an excellent sitting area and closet combined, with a nice big fluffy chair taking away some of the focus from the exposed closet.  That old bottle collection lining the top shelf is a cool detail.

And of course, full on all the way exposed closet areas.  Both of these racks are built in, and the clothes themselves provide a nice, neat batch of color and texture.  I'm liking the drawers and the line up of shoes in the second picture as well.

(photos collected from thatssorue, yorkshirelinen, dyingofcute, countryliving, littlebluedeerdesign, and hautecanada)

Where the World Could Be Something Other Than What It Is

I found this wall on the way to a pizza dinner with Mom and Taylor last week and just knew I had to come back for some personal style pics.  A great background opportunity if I ever saw one, and my outfit just happens to match the colors perfectly.

(photos by e.hunt)

But Curiosity Was Greater Than Fear

Remember Maddie from Maddie On Things?  That beautiful and quirky coonhound who has a photographer for an owner and is the focal point of several books and a successful blog?  Well, here's some of my favorites from the last year or so since my original posting of her goofiness.

Don't you just feel happier now?  Click here for more Maddie on things.

(photos collected from maddieonthings)

Here In the Land of Upstairs

I'm deep in the process of moving from my room on the second floor up to the attic space.  It is a larger area, and includes a bathroom, so it will be more like my own apartment at the tip top of my parents house.  After an intense detox of vacuuming, dusting, packing up all of Andrew's leftover belongings, and swiffering the entire ceiling to get rid of any and all cobwebs, it was ready.  I moved a few pieces of furniture and pushed the two twin sized beds together to create one massive king-sized bed (as my double won't fit up the ridiculously narrow stairway).

After that, I rummaged through the storage closet, which is more like a black hole of all manner of stuff, to get to an old clothing rack.  It is located in the auxiliary sitting area.

Next was the task of hanging artwork and little white christmas lights from the angled ceiling.

Now the real process of unpacking can begin!

(photos by e.hunt)