So much to say...

Hello, Loves...

I've been a slacker the past few weeks and have failed to write. 

I had the opportunity to do a little investing for a retired scientist last week.  The experience was both frustrating and incredible.  We had a bit of a communication issue in the beginning.  The man was seriously in to details and I was grasping for the big picture.  Neither of us seemed to lack any patience though and as the meeting went on we were able to break down the walls.  He was warm and energetic with an old, slow voice.  I have never felt impelled to uncover the components of this existence to the degree of which I'm sure he has, but, nevertheless, the potential of the human mind amazes me.  I find myself looking back on my encounter with Mr. Scientist with simple admiration.

I fulfilled a desire from a recent post and tried on pretty dresses.  My beautiful friends, Alex and Jordan, will soon be husband and wife and I have the honor of being one of Alex's bridesmaids.  In doing so, I have been given the opportunity to spend time with some lovely ladies that I don't see often enough.  A little girl time can be completely refreshing after living in a male dominated household. ;)  While trying on the dresses, I realized that I could literally spend all day in a dress shop. A wedding dress has that magical gift of transformation about it.  And there seems to be some sort of glow about the women when they emerge from the fitting rooms.  It's amazing.  And, I must add, Alex looked lovely.

Much has happened the past few weeks.  We've had cars break down.  And we've bought a new one.  I've spent some quality time with my sister which never seems to last quite long enough.  We've fallen in love with The Office.  It's a wonderfully, silly way to relax.  I've also started watching Son's of Anarchy with DC and, despite not having any desire to watch it, I've definitely begun to enjoy it.  It's very Sopranos-esque.  We've trembled from recent storms and indulged in the warm, spring sunshine; Trickles of sunlight that bring with them a renewed sense of being and a reminder of God's ever present Spirit.

Hope you all are feeling fine!


In need of a little Spring...

Gabe's done a bit of painting.

Enjoyed time with our beautiful nephew, Michael.

And music, music, music...

Axis Mundi @ Baker Peters Jazz Club

Axis Mundi @ McClaren's

Ducks and Fairs

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic on this lovely Friday evening.  I have music from middle school filling my ears and find myself looking back on the last few days.   I spent the entirety of yesterday morning working the book fair at the elementary school.  I painted sweet little cheeks for hours.  I can hardly remember myself at that age but, what I do remember, makes me love life all the more...  Some of the students were nervous, some were so excited that they literally couldn't keep still.  Some talked to me about how much they loved ducks or about their favorite colors or how awesome the Captain America book they bought was, some never spoke a word.  They were beautiful and so beautifully different from one another.  I can remember how excited a book fair would cause me to get.  The euphoria of childhood, how simply stunning... 

I must take a moment to tell you...  Gabe won 1st place in the Technology Fair for original story.  The story was about a zealous little snail who's dream it was to fly.  He presented the story by powerpoint and, I must say, it was fantastic.  He simply amazes me.

There's a new Axis Mundi show this weekend at the Jazz Club, so you know where I'll be.  I'm excited to hear them play, as always.  You should join me.  You really should.  :)

~~May this weekend bring you laughter that makes your sides hurt.~~

Simply Etsy

Today was sunshine, apple slices, terrariums, acts of confidence, and etsy.com...

Here are some recent favorites from etsy:

Vintage Train Case

Handmade Bowtie Necklace

Handmade Raglan Pullover

Handmade Mustard Lampshade

Handmade Wooden Birds

Vintage Yellow Rose Dress

(+ sifting through etsy.com as one of my Favorite Things) 

~~May your night bring you much rest and peaceful dreams~~

Talk of the Weather

~~Good Morning~~

I awoke this morning before I ever cared to.  I have that tired feeling caught in my eyes, as if two burnt cotton balls are sitting where my eyes should be.  Yesterday was not a nice Thursday, very hateful indeed.  I couldn't be more thankful to leave it behind and begin anew.  Gabe and I had a nice conversation this morning before school about the fantastic, bloated clouds that were hanging above us.  He made a comment about how strange it was that we had such admiration for things that carried with them the storms that make us uneasy, then continued on to tell me what type of clouds they were and how wonderfully amazing they looked.  Maybe it's that I awoke in the mist of particular emotions, and they are fueling the repeat of the conversation through my mind, but...  I loved the metaphor hidden in what he was saying.  Isn't it interesting to think that sometimes we completely fail to see the beauty in situations?  We fail to see that the bad days are just a mere side-effect of a life that, in whole, is completely and utterly incredible. 

Today, I see the clouds. :) 

And, to the Creator, I could not be more thankful.

I watched 'Little Miss Sunshine' for the first time last night...  Loved!  I do believe it will be one of those movies that I will watch over and over again, in spite of the fact that it has taken me five years to watch it in the first place...  Great cast, great directing, great movie.  You must immediately rent a copy or borrow mine if you haven't already had the pleasure...

~~Wishing you a lovely weekend and the sight to see outside of the storm.~~

My Two Cents

CAKE - Showroom of Compassion

Blah...

I typically love CAKE.  Maybe my expectations were a bit too high.  I guess I was hoping for more of that funky trumpet grit and the sarcastically clever lyrics that they've managed in the past.   I suppose it's there but it's too predictable and, sadly, tame.  Unfortunately, for me, Showroom fell flat.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Typical abstract, non-commercial Radiohead...  And the more I listen to it, the better I like it.  It's sprinkled with those delicate, obscure sounds that, layer by layer and listen by listen, come together to pull the album into the 'Most Played' list on my iPod.  I could perhaps do without the first song or two but the latter slice of the album definitely makes it worth the listen.

"It's Friday, I'm in Love"

I've started studying for my next license needed for work, Series 63...  And, although I'm a tad bored and my eyes have begun to droop, I'm stoked because I seem to be absorbing the info with much ease.  So, with droopy eyes and a mind that's a bit full, I've found myself with spirits high and a spring in my step.  A paradox, I am today.  Feels right on a Friday afternoon...

Went for Chinese last night with my boys and it was more fun than it should've been. :)  It's funny what good company, happy fortune cookies, and bourbon chicken can do for the soul.  My boss wanted Chinese today for lunch, so, after having my fill of Chinese food for a while, I decided on a piece of cheesecake.  Cheesecake for lunch on a Friday was pretty perfect..

And, like I've mentioned about four times already, it's FRIDAY!  I'll have some 'me time' moments tonight as I'll be patiently waiting for my pretty husband to get home from work.  I think I might purchase the new Radiohead album that was released today, one day early...  Then off to the cabin, Pigeon Forge, a mountain run, and my lovely family tomorrow. 

~ Wishing you a thrilling weekend. ~

"For What It's Worth"

The day started off with a police officer asking if we had seen a man in a camouflage jacket running or walking nearby...  Nope, sure didn't... 

Had lunch with my girlfriend, Jennifer, and checked out Miss Priss Boutique here in LC.  It's a cute place with lots of fun prom dresses that made me wish I had some random excuse to dress up.  Makes me think of 'Yes Man'... "Every pretty girl deserves to go to a ball."  A reason to play dress up would be such fun.  I'm thinking I may do it soon anyway; just for kicks. 

Read an article about an 84 year old man who took a wrong turn after eating at a 'Mom and Pop' corral and got lost in the Arizona desert.  Little old men have a special nook in my heart and I must say this article was the best piece of news I have read in a while.  Apparently, his car and cell phone ran out of juice so he was stuck there in the desert for 5 days.  He said he was scared at night and he had to use his floor mats to keep himself warm.  Some campers/hikers found him on the 5th day and he kissed them...  He kissed them.  As I was reading the article, I couldn't help but wish that I could wrap my arms around him.  I would ask him to tell me the story over and over again.  I thought of my papaw.  My papaw always had a story.  Always.  I missed him so much in the moments after I read this article...  So very, very much.

I saw the list of bands for Bonnaroo.  Most of which I could do without.  There were a few bright spots though;  Primus, Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, Bootsy Collins, Old Crow Medicine Show....  I wish safe and happy fun to all of you who will get to experience their raw awesomeness.

Oh, and I finished the fourth Harry Potter book!  It was crazy good!

The weekend is nearing which means we get to enjoy our Valentine from my beautiful parents.  A cabin in the mountains for all of us to get away from the norm and enjoy each other's company.  I couldn't be more ready!

 

"I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound?  Everybody look what's going down..."

Happy Valentine's Day!

I was in love today.

White chocolate covered strawberries, sunshine, sweet texts, a book and a bath, chocolates from my granny, grapefruit and carrots, enchanting blue eyes,  silly giggles, hugs that matter...  

I hope you found yourself in love today.

A Bit of Wonderland before the Weekend

My boys and I have been a bit under the weather this week... It made for a long week but, happily, the weekend is only a few ticks of the first hand away.

Gabe and I, feeling crummy, wrapped up in cozy heaps on the couch, indulged a bit in the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton liaison via Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Unlike many we know, we are huge fans of these eccentric renditions. ;) I still feel the sanctity for the originals like those of you who find it hard to appreciate the new. I do, however, find a huge appreciation for the colorful worlds tinged with darkness that Burton so successfully created. Worlds that are so fantastic yet they seem to so closely parallel life. This beautiful, strange, sometimes daunting world can take on such dreamlike qualities that I tend to value Burton's depiction of these stories that bring forth the same characteristics with such unrealistic authenticity. Plus, I find Johnny Depp’s characters so wonderfully endearing. He seems to play the unconventional so effortlessly and, I don’t know about you, but I find that incredibly cool, almost inspirational…

As you’ll find with most things regarding anything me, if my son likes it too, it will make me love it all the more… And, I can’t lie; it definitely makes the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration more than just some silly thing to me, as silly as it may seem…

(+ watching Tim Burton/Johnny Depp with Gabe as one of my Favorite Things)

~~ May the weekend bring you much rest and laughter. ~~

My Valentine, Behind Blue Eyes

They were profoundly bottomless and bluer than the Great Barrier Reef.  I found myself in those eyes and uncovered so much more.  His body was unable to contain the spirit that was held within, so, as if with explosive force, his soul literally burst forth through those beautiful, beautiful eyes.  I could find solace there evermore.

Harry Potter makes me smile.

Good Morning!

My brother's girlfriend was kind enough to let me borrow her fourth Harry Potter book.  I have torn myself away from it to write to you and then head to work, as all good girls must.  I'm crazy happy this morning because Gabe left with the numero uno HP book in his hands. :)  

And, yes, I feel fine.

I have a strong belief that our imaginations were not put in place to chain us down, but to, in fact, help us fly.  And fly I will.  And encourage my son to fly?  Oh, yes.  So, we will fly along into the Harry Potter books together.  

(+ reading HP with Gabe as one of my Favorite Things)

I hope a smile finds it's way to your face today!

The Babe and The Time Machine

Timeless

I'm looking forward to tonight... 

Gabe has had his eye on a pocket watch.  I think we might just bring it home with us...

My 10 year old, completely smitten with a good old-fashioned time machine... Yes. :)  Ah, the whimsy of this child's mind's eye, full of such enthusiastic tenderness.  In the digital age of iPads, cell phones, and video games, etc., he desires something so classic, so ageless.  I cannot help but want to share in his eagerness. 

"Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is."  ~ Yoda

Soft Pretzels and Good Music

Love McClarens and their soft pretzels!

Grungy, alternative, 90's sounds by Axis Mundi... Not a bad way to spend a Friday night.

And no snow in sight!

www.facebook.com/pages/Mcclarens/136301809750972

Kabuki Fusion

http://www.kabukifusionsushi.com/#

Life is nothing short of amazing.

It can tend to feel a bit mundane at times.  And it's in those times I get the itch to try something or do something that I have never done or tried before.  This is the spice of life.  Sometimes it's the small adventures that help to make this often humdrum life extraordinary.

Here are some pics from our recent discovery of the sushi bar, Kabuki Fusion...  Definitely a new favorite!