{Storytelling in 30 Photos}
8. a random photo of you and your significant other ~ this picture was taken at my cousin's wedding a few months after we started dating. Look how happy we are! And we're already coordinating our outfits. God love him.
Storytelling in 30 Photos ~ Day 8
8. a random photo of you and your significant other ~ this picture was taken at my cousin's wedding a few months after we started dating. Look how happy we are! And we're already coordinating our outfits. God love him.
Women's Soccer
It recognition of USA Women's Soccer Team, this week's Friday Fashion Flashback is featuring my childhood soccer uniform. Why my childhood soccer uniform? Because I only played soccer as a child. And children have big dreams, much like the USA Women's Soccer team. I played soccer when I lived in Columbia the 1st time (prior to our move to Jefferson City when I was in the 3rd grade.) My parents made me try almost every sport including basketball, softball, tennis, golf, and, of course, soccer. I only played soccer a few years when I was very young, and I was on a boy's team because there weren't enough girls to make a girl's team. Did this convince my parents that I didn't need to play soccer? Oh no. I still had to play. I kicked, and screamed, and threw fits trying to get out of going to soccer practice and games....and then I left smiling really big because I usually enjoyed myself once I was there. Guess what position I played...just guess. Goalie. Oh yeah, those braniacs decided I'd be the one to purposefully jump in front of balls that the boys were kicking at me. And guess what? I was good. Doesn't that blow your mind? That I...little miss girly-girl-goodie-two-shoes...was actually willing to jump in front of soccer balls?
So getting to the point of this post, I'm wearing my beloved baby blue Blast soccer team jersey t-shirt, Umbro shorts (remember Umbros? they were the coolest), black socks and shin guards, and soccer cleats. Oh, and I accessorized with a classic black and white soccer ball.
I have the funniest memory about this picture. I used to have this friend named Jordan back then, we went to school together and he played soccer, too. He was over at my house playing one day and going on and on about how we was on the "All-Star" soccer team which meant he was better at soccer than I was. Now, I didn't give two hoots about soccer but I didn't like some boy telling me he was better at soccer than me. So I told him to prove he was on some "All-Star" team and he whipped out his soccer picture that said "All-Star" at the bottom. Well, you better believe I whipped out my soccer picture with my "All-Star" printed at the bottom. He thought that was pretty cool and decided I was pretty good at soccer afterall. :)
Combining a Love for Art and Textiles
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| All Laced Up 16" x 20" |
Take a second look at that picture above, it looks like textile art, doesn't it? Would you believe that is an oil painting? You've now be introduced to the fascinating art of Caroline Larsen. Her use of color and texture just boggles my mind. She has successfully fused my love for art and textiles into one piece of work. And the cincher? Her pieces are very reasonably priced at $900 each. The only problem? Which piece is my favorite?
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| Black on White Oval, 20" x 16" |
The oval pieces remind me of art that I used to see in my Grandma's house, maybe even crochet work she did herself. The detail is dazzling and the colors really pop. The rectangle pieces are just mesmerizing. My eye doesn't know where to go but I can't take my eyes off of them. Again, the use of color is really amazing and I can't get over how similar it appears to textile art. The texture is unreal. I wish I could see these pieces in person!  |
| Zip 20" x 16" |
So...which piece would you choose? I'm thinking that if there is someone out there who really loves me, this would be a dynamite Christmas gift! Just saying...if all my friends and family wanted to go in on this one gift together, you would be set!
Want to buy a piece? Click here.
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| White on Black Oval 16" x 20" |
Discovering Columbus, IN ~ Architecture
Eric and I took an amazing day trip to Columbus, IN the other day. The city's motto, "Unexpected. Unforgettable." unquestionably rang true. Our very short experience in this unique little town will never be forgotten. It won my heart upon hearing its story.
I admire the community's dedication to modern art. It is incredible that this small community was able to capture the attention of such renowned architects and had the foresight to build quality and aesthetically beautiful buildings for the future generations of Columbus, IN residents to enjoy. Too few communities appreciate and value good architecture.
Why must everything lose its aesthetic value for the sake of ease and convenience? Why must buildings be built quickly without thought to design and aesthetics? This community is really a model for how I wish the entire world would behave. And not just for architecture, for fashion, too. Quit buying cheaply made copies of original designs. Buy quality, beautiful clothing, but less of it. It will last longer and bring you more happiness in the long run.
Here is to design, art, and aesthetics.
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| Columbus Area Visitors Center was the home of John Vaulter Storey in 1864 |
A wealthy and influential family, The Miller's, created an architectural legacy when they agreed to start a foundation that would pay for the architect's fees for any church, school, or community building if the community chose an architect from a list the foundation provided. The first church to take them up on this offer chose Eliel Saarinen and the project took off from there. Architects hired to work in Columbus include I.M. Pei (who is known for designing the glass pyramid at the Louvre in France), Richard Meier (who designed the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Spain), Robert Venturi (known for designing Freedom Plaza in Washington D.C.), Eero Saarinen (my personal favorite, he designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO), and Harry Weese (who designed Pentagon City Station in Arlington, VA.) Is that not an incredible list of architects designing buildings in a town less than 40,000 people?
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| Cleo Rogers Memorial Library designed by I. M. Pei |
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| Inside the Cleo Rogers Memorial Library |
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| First Christian Church designed by Eliel Saarinen |
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| Inside the First Christian Church, light fixtures designed by Eero Saarinen |
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| Columbus City Hall designed by Edward Charles Bassett |
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| Bartholomew County Courthouse designed by Isaac Hodgson |
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| The Commons designed by the Boston-based firm, Koetter Kim |
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| An old courthouse building, I can't remember who designed it. |
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| Schmitt Elementary School designed by Harry Weese |
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| Hamilton Ice Center designed by Harry Weese |
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| North Christian Church designed by Eero Saarinen |
Why must everything lose its aesthetic value for the sake of ease and convenience? Why must buildings be built quickly without thought to design and aesthetics? This community is really a model for how I wish the entire world would behave. And not just for architecture, for fashion, too. Quit buying cheaply made copies of original designs. Buy quality, beautiful clothing, but less of it. It will last longer and bring you more happiness in the long run.
Here is to design, art, and aesthetics.
Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin
{Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloin
with Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze}
{Ingredients}
**For the Pork Tenderloins** 4-5 Garlic Cloves, crushed or finely minced
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar (we used Fig Balsamic from Vom Fass)
2 Tbs Olive Oil (we used Garlic Olive Oil from Vom Fass...we like garlic)
2 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (ours is from the Butcher Block in Bloomington, IN)
2 Tbs canola oil
**For the Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze**
18 Fresh Raspberries
6 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
3 tsp Orange Juice
1 1/2 tsp Honey
3 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
{Directions}
**For the Pork Tenderloins** Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. Rub all over tenderloins and marinate over night.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.
Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.
**For the Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze**
Mash raspberries and balsamic vinegar with a fork in a small bowl. Stir in the orange juice, honey, and red wine vinegar until combined.
In a small sauce pan, set over medium-high heat. Reduce until thick (or desired consistency.)
Keep over low heat until pork tenderloins reach 160 degrees. Drizzle over pork and enjoy!
Vote for Huxley!!
Huxley wants to help raise money for service and guide dogs!
Fifi Flowers will be painting dog portraits for a new Beach Bum Biscuit Collection benefiting service and guide dogs. A few weeks ago she asked for pictures of dogs to be entered to win a chance to be part of a frameable notecard series. We entered the picture below of Huxley and now we need your votes!!
Bop on over to Fifi Flowers to cast your vote. Be sure to vote for Huxley (he's #4!) He'd love to have his picture drawn by the talented Fifi! While you're there, vote for Truman, too! He's #13! You have up to 6 votes!
When the winners have been chosen and the frameable notecard series is available for purchase, be sure to order your set to benefit service and guide dogs!
Storytelling in 30 Photos ~ Day 7
{Storytelling in 30 Photos}
7. a class photo ~ My most recent 'class' photo. My fellow graduate students, we all graduated in May. The four in the middle graduated with their Master degrees and the bookends graduated with our PhDs!
Scared Fashionless
The look on my face is priceless. There is no doubt I'm thinking "Why is my Mom making me sit next to this creepy thing?" I look genuinely frightened! And today? I'm still a bit frightened of that character but I'm also frightened by my ridiculous ensemble! What am I wearing? Those darn late 80s and early 90s fashions were so pathetic!
I'm wearing a floral short-sleeve top with a long ruffle at the hem. It looks more like a bad maternity top than something a kid would wear. To make matters worse, I'm wearing it with sweatpants. Now, to my credit, those sweatpants are a fabulous shade of hot Barbie Pink. And without doubt, I'm wearing my Keds. Also to my credit, at least I'm not wearing an ill-fitting awkward bustier with clown makeup.
I do like my hair cut, that chin-length bob is coming back into fashion! And Katie Holmes rocks bangs very similar to those. So I'm pretty proud of the hair. I shouldn't be so hard on myself (or my mom...I'm not sure who dressed me at this age) because I do look very comfortable. Well, I would look comfortable if I wasn't sitting next to that creepy character.
Do you have pictures that you look back on and think "What was I (or my parents) thinking??"
Indy Neighborhoods ~ Mass Ave.
VisitEndy.com describes Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave.) as...
"the arts and theater district, drawing creative people to its eclectic offerings of live theater, music venues and trendy galleries. It's a place where people live and work amid memorable architecture and style, alongside the city's most historic and urban neighborhoods. If you're looking for locally owned shops and restaurants, this is the place to be."
So of course, this is the first Indy Neighborhood on our list of neighborhoods to visit. We can't live about an hour away from Indy without exploring all the best restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries. Let's start with the food...
{Eatery}
We chose to eat lunch at Yats, a Cajun/Creole restaurant. Eric ordered the Chili Cheese Etouffee with Crawfish and I had the Chicken Creole. Both were to. die. for. I can't even explain the deliciousness of these meals. After we ordered we realized we could do a half & half order, half of one meal and half of another. We're totally trying that next time! I can't imagine a bad dish at this restaurant. Best of all, they won "Best Ugly Lunch." So appropriate. These meals aren't super attractive but they are super delicious.
After walking around Mass Ave for a while after lunch, we spotted this little gem. Welcome to The Flying Cupcake. We ordered a Jumbo Cupcake to share, the Black Bottom described as "Decadent dark chocolate and cream cheese cupcakes rich and gooey." It was the perfect dessert. And let's not forget the adorable decor, I felt like I was in a dream with the perfect shabby chic decorations ideal for a cupcake shop. As we ate our cupcake and listened in on the conversations around us, we realized they are known for their Red Velvet Elvis cupcakes which they describe as "Fit for a King: Dreamy red velvet cake loaded with chocolate chunks and topped with soft cream cheese icing and white chocolate." Oh yes, we'll be back!
{Art}
Mass Ave. is known for their public art. Without knowing what we were taking pictures of, we snapped a few photos of our favorite art pieces. Some are mapped on the Discover Mass Ave website and others remain artistic mysteries. My favorite little piece of art is pictured below. What, at first glance, appears to be a street sign signaling when to walk, at closer look you realize it is a fun game to play with passersby. With a push of a button you can change the sign to say "Care" or "Don't Care." I was happy to change it to "Care" as I think everyone should care.
{Shopping}
The shopping is fantastic on Mass Ave. Lots of locally owned shops with fantastic pieces of art. We bopped in to Arts A Poppin and I purchased a really cool "hand warmer mug" for my office coffee. They are made by a couple in Milton-Freewater, OR. Their pottery shop is named Clay in Motion and you can find more information about their beautiful works by visiting their website, here.
Working our way down Mass Ave. we ran into Three Dog Bakery and we went a little crazy. We felt a little guilty leaving Huxley at home while we were galavanting around Indy, so we stopped to pick up a few treats for being so good while we were gone. We purchased a bag of "Roll Over Rewards" in the peanut butter flavor and three gourmet treats pictured below. And as I'm perusing their website I see they have a "Bone of the Month" club so Huxley can get monthly shipments of treats. I'm. so. tempted.
Wondering if Huxley enjoyed his treats? I think this picture explains it all.
What I Wore
{What I Will Wear}
On my first day teaching at Indiana University I think I'll wear something similar to this. It pays homage to my alma mater, Mizzou, while looking classy, professional, and fashionable. I think I'll make a good first impression in this outfit. Now, I just need to get a bag equally fabulous to this Dolce and Gabbana bag, because we all know I don't own that bag.
So...what do you think? Any suggestions? Will my students think I'm cool? ;)
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