Far From What I Once Was But Not Yet What I'm Going to Be

I started semester two of grad school this week, but the difference is, I'm not only taking education classes, but content area requirement classes as well.  I've already crossed off several credits from random history classes I took out of interest in college, as well as AP classes I took way back in high school!  How awesome is that?!  There are about five or six classes still required, but I'm knocking two of them off this semester by taking US History:1865-Present and Intro to Sociology.

So, once again I'm thinking of the day that I will have my own history or art classroom and will have to dress the part.  Cold weather can be quite beneficial to professional wear; layers are always a good thing, and little cardigans and button-ups definitely have a scholarly feel to them, while leggings and tights keep skirts and dresses still on the table.  Keeping things simple is key, while throwing in a quiet print now and then is a good way to switch things up.

(photos collected from theseams, stylescrapbook, lovely-pepa, theclassycubicle, fabsugar, and cuteandlittle)

Even the Trees Knew

I came across this intriguing picture of mountain goats on Pinterest the other day,

and as I've mentioned before, one of my favorite elements of the website is the fact that is pulls similar pictures up as well, so I found quite a few mountain goat-laden landscapes.

This made me curious.  How do they stand on a wall of rock like that?  What are they eating (smelling?  licking? something else?) off the rocks?  How do they fearlessly leap over a schism of death?

So I opened wikipedia in a new window and typed in mountain goat.  Turns out, they are a subalpine to alpine species only found in North America.  Their horns can grow almost a foot tall, and have yearly growth rings.  They have a double layer of white wooly coats to sustain -50' winters, then shed the outer layer in the spring by rubbing against rocks and trees.  Their feet have inner pads that provide traction, cloven hooves that can spread apart, and sharp dewclaws that help reduce slipping.  They are herbivores, spending most of the time grazing on grasses and other small plants, while also migrating seasonally to follow salt and mineral licks.

And there you have it!  Next time someone asks you about your knowledge of mountain goats, you can impress them with a few of these fun facts.

(photos collected from nowandthan, guardian.co.uk, flickr, wallshark, and besttravelphotos)

Worlds We Can Only Dream Of

On my only day off last week, and one of Taylor's last days in town, we decided to have an activity day.  We spent about an hour the night before discussing possible cultural pursuits, and settled upon two options: going to a matinee showing of The Imitation Game or heading down to Forrest Park to peruse more of The Art Museum.  We woke up early the next morning and convened at Kaldis to start the day.  It was there that we decided we were not in the mood to go sit in a theater for two+ hours right in the middle of the day, so The Art Museum it was!  (We ended up going to see American Sniper the next night; review post definitely forthcoming.)

Having wandered through the European sections last time, we made our way upstairs to the American art, starting with collections from the Native Americans.  There were some beautiful beaded textiles and other functional, day-to-day items.  The hide painting below is thought to be a first-person account of The Battle of Little Bighorn of 1876.

The following few rooms were filled with some beautiful landscapes.  This first one, titled The Hudson at Piermont, by Jasper F. Cropsey, 1852, had many layers of content, starting with the two towering trees.  If you look closer, you see a serene grouping of cows and a couple sitting on the bank.  And further beyond that, you see a steamboat docked at the pier and a train heading into the town.

The next painting, In the Roman Campagne by George Inness, 1873, also features some pastoral elements, but there is one thing that stands out as not really belonging; the turbine-like structure on the upper left side.  Taylor and I decided that this is the planet Hoth from Star Wars after many years of global warming, the questionable structure being the shield generator.

And then we came upon the pièce de résistance, the day's winner: Road Down the Palisades by Ernest Lawson, c.1911.  Look at the bright patches of colors and contrasting directions of brushstrokes!  And the little bit of water the road leads to with the matching sky is the perfect contrast to the heavier landmass.

There were a few other highlights, including some very art nouveau fireplace tiles, an excellence use of light in a snowy naval landscape, a few architecturally interesting interior elements of the art museum itself, and the massive contemporary art paintings by Gerhard Richter.

After that, our adventure day led us to lunch at a sports bar in Clayton called Lester's, which was quite good, and a quick stop at Schnucks on the way home to pick up a dairy-free brownie mix, which was also quite good.  All in all, I'd say a successful and fun day it was.

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

There Is No Cure for Curiosity

Here is a story of deep, dark aromas, a tale of warm awakening, a yarn of good taste.  It is a quick story, steeped in experimentation and ratios of goodness.  Here is the story of instant coffee.

Step One:  While boiling water in a teapot (see background of above picture), pour the contents of one instant coffee packet into an eight ounce mug.

Step Two:  When the water is boiling, pour into the mug.  Notice how quickly the coffee powder mixes in with the water.

Step Three:  Using a spoon, stir the coffee in a clockwise motion for a few spins, making sure the coffee is completely mixed in.

Step Four:  Enjoy a delicious mug of coffee!  

Note:  Taylor and I tried both the Pike Place, which is a medium roast, as well as Veranda, which is a lighter blonde roast, and were quite partial to the blonde, as it had a much smoother taste.

(photos by e.hunt)

The Whole World of Translucent Hues

As mentioned two posts ago, the high today is a mere seven degrees, which definitely called for some winter layering.  I thought the fireplace would be an appropriate background, as well, and my mom's glass collection was just too cool to leave sitting there.

(photos by e.hunt)

The Snow Silently Falls

This was the view out of my third floor loft window last night; look at the snow!

And this was the view of the ice on the inside of those same windows this morning.  Lovely.

(photos by e.hunt)

La Vie En Hiver

What better way to bring in the new year than some good old fashioned seven degree weather tomorrow.  That's the high, mind you.  Better bring out the wooly clothing items!

(photos by e.hunt)