Drop everything.

And tell me…

How does one do this to their hair? This swoopy, swirly thing?  I need to know!

photos from Ruche’s Latest Lookbook

Hope you all had a fantastic long 4th of July weekend!

I enjoyed picking blueberries, family, burgers, the river, camping, lots and lots of karaoke, Flannery O’Conner (for book club tomorrow) and some Friday Night Lights episodes.

I’ve got a crafty project tutorial coming up for ya soon.  Stay Tuned…

This is a brilliant concept to me.  Imagine the possibilities – Icecream, Tacos, Healthy Stuff… Yes, I know this is nothing new but our city’s market is not very saturated so just sayin’…  Maybe I could do it out of my camper-slash- home!

People – especially office people – really do just EAT THIS STUFF UP!

Caprese, Fried Bologna, Brie and Walnuts… so many different cheezzzzzzes!  And for dessert- a s’more sandwich!

They even offer a curry ketchup.  Which makes me want to puke up my kidneys ’cause ketchup is the grossest thing to ever exist but you may be into it.

As much as I rave though- that is not what i had for lunch.  This is:

Oh i know i know.  I had to threaten my jealous office-mates with asparagus spears.

But speaking of healthy deliciousness– and spears actually — the other day i had some farmers market veggies lying around with some italian chicken sausage.  Beings as it’s summer and all, I put a sharp-ended skewer through those SOBs and made daddy fire up the grill.

They marinated overnight in olive oil, fresh rosemary and some salt and were quite delicious if not exactly the most filling.

What are your favorite things to grill?  I also love asparagus, butter and parmesan! mmmmm

Back to Alton for the weekend for more camping and boating and…..

FIREWORKS!!

Have a great Fourth everybody!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about saving money.  I’ve also been painfully longing for the country and nostalgia has been hunting me like a dog on a rabbit.  So the thought of making a home in a well-equipped camper and taking it out to my old Indiana homeland is downright near irresistible.

This gal’s post had something to do with it too.  I know there are major downsides but it still seems like the greatest idea ever.  I dream of being more tied to the land and community my family’s been in for generations and this would be a non-permanent way to test those waters ( and perfect timing as i wouldn’t want to do it with kids and family responsibility). So… anybody wanna sell me a trailer?

source

Glad I came across this site - all about the camper/RV lifestyle and those that love it.

(header picture courtesy of my iphone capturing my family’s “weekend home”–the campgrounds in Alton, Indiana  on the Ohio River)

This song. I like it. (would make a sweet wedding first dance song eh?)

I finished Season 1 of One Tree Hill the other day and I kinda got a little too into it.

Besides being dramatic with emotion-evoking songs in the background (no matter how bad they are they get you dangit) it makes me nostalgic.  And I’m addicted to nostalgia.  I’m addicted to bittersweet.  Even though my high school days looked nothing like that.

Plus Peyton Sawyer is the antithetical punk/indie-rockster cheerleader and maybe I relate to that a bit.  Wish my curls could relate to hers a little more.

(I’m a little jealous.  But she has no boobs so there.)

My less semi-shameful viewing habits include this gem.

Emily Henderson is not only a skilled designer but she wears great outfits and has a charming wit as well.

I recommend tuning in and reading her blog.  For a second opinion- and slightly more detailed review, read here (But why don’t you believe me?)

Now- There are only a couple of things that push me out of doors in this heat and those are a boat, a campground and a tennis court.  Ok, maybe that’s three.

And beer and burgers.

Ok, that’s four.

Anyways- the tennis courts…  I would like to play in these unexpected spots.

What a flippin’ fantastic use of urban space!

I admit- this makes my stomach a little queasy.  And what happens if you hit one off the side? Can it bonk someone on the head and kill them?

Plenty of perfect spots for these’ns in Indiana

I am also –like many others– LOVING this book.

And making some plans for money-saving, health-boosting and life-planning.  More to come on that.

And as for the boats and campgrounds… fit a bit of that in this past weekend.  Storms and Tornado Warnings put up a lousy fight.

Addicted to coffee?  Well you may or may not care about this project.

Addicted to everything that has to do with (good) coffee-i.e. the experience, the history, the varied cultures surrounding it- or have a great knack for torturing yourself by looking at the beautiful places you’re not at right now? You may wanna check this out

I have been reminded in about 2 minutes that Italians are so much cooler than us ( “We don’t have those”- mimicking “venti” cup size) and that if you’re cute, stylish and from West Virginia you somehow get to travel all over the world and drink and eat awesome things and write about them.  Am I missing something? Am I Bitter?  Perhaps slightly. Pun could not be more intended.

Did I mention I can’t even drink very much coffee right now due to health reasons?  Bah!!

And now is when i plug our fave local coffee spots where they know their stuff.  you may call them snobs but i call them friends.

Want more? check out my dear Jess’s photo collection of that most special and happily welcomed cup o’ ebony

I mean – if you’re gonna be the stereotypical hipster, might as well just paint it on the walls loud and proud

Sophia be all like…. hmmm

and then all like…woah!

and then all like…so lovely to tee… i mean meet you

Another site you’re going to be addicted now is the Life Magazine archives. They’ve captured the most quirky and noteworthy of cultural and historical highlights all the way back to those times in which I say “I had no idea they had photo-taking devices back then”.

And then some smart pretentious person stops crunching on their backyard-grown kohlrabe saying… “Well actually it was probably through Daguerrotype.  I have one in my basement. I pretty much think it’s the only way to take a picture” and I won’t even have to ask what that is because i remember it from this book, but then I will go see this primitive processing system and snap a picture of it with my iphone camera.

Seriously though- i have no idea if that’s how these super old ones were taken.  Were they?  And seriously- how is that not already the next hip thing? That’s the vintage to top all vintage; the organic of all organics.  Wipe that sweat off your brow and go telegraph your photographer friends to announce you have beat them at being cool.  You will totally be the deepest under ground until someone decides to just start drawing everything.

So anyways i like these photos:

above by photographer (daguerrotpyer?) Wallace Levison

These are titled “Country Doctor“.  I’m startled by how movie-like they are while knowing the fear and drama is completely real and was actually occuring at that very moment for those people.  Talk about capturing something…

A conductor on the Yugoslav childrens railroad (what??)

Mamas- you don’t have to – but i think it’s alright let your babies grow up to be cowboys

The timeless romance of makin’ out at the drive-in (mamas- you might wanna worry more about this than the whole cowboy thing)

It’s a little embarrassing for me to admit the shocking fact that i’ve never been out of the country.

So then you see how desperately I need to win this contest

It’s a need. Maybe not quite the same as the needs of starving children in other countries.  But at least they’ve been outside of America. *

Or just buy me a trip overseas.  I don’t even care where I go.  Just somewhere Oh Please!

But Paris would be oh so nice don’t ya think?

*example of really bad and tasteless humour.  Please don’t judge me.  It’s obvious I am not a horrible snake that actually feels that way isn’t it?

isn’t it?

Deep blue feels like the color equivalent of one of those friends you’ve just met but feel like you’ve known all of your life.  It is “in” at the moment.  “The new black” as they say. Yet wasn’t it there all along? Paired with white in a bold stripe or standing in the background helping a fellow color really stand out.  Well now is this cool hue’s time to shine.

Here are a few ways I love to see it done:

Rustic and quietly striking with tan/gold and white…

Navy blue could not be a better mate for oranges, salmons, fuschias and corals. I really hope to have at least one room someday displaying this perfect match.

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