recent happenings...

My summer has been amazing so far. Its nice to be back in green, green Nashville and occasionally floating down a river, fishing, and/or playing cornhole. Although I miss the concrete jungle from time to time, it's nice to know there is a pool within 2 miles of me at all times. You know, just in case?

I dropped off of Facebook - and it has been a lot easier than expected. I no longer find it a useful or productive way to spend my time and I love not knowing everything that's happening, 24/7. I think it adds a sense of mystery to anyone's life to not have your personal business broadcasted as public knowledge. However, two downsides to this nonsense: I miss looking at photos and it's become extremely difficult communicating with my friends across the pond. Fortunately...I'm creating a photobucket account for online-photo-posting AND my welsh lads are coming to visit Nashvegas in October for Halloween weekend - this. will. be. a. blast.

I recently went to the Coldplay concert and it was amazing. You never truly realize how many Coldplay songs you know...until you go to a concert that has a 26-song setlist and you know around 20. I knew a lot more than I thought. My two favorite songs of their most recent album are Lost! and Strawberry Swing. Strawberry swing is almost folk-sounding and is the perfect summery soundtrack.

My father recently hurt his leg - BAD. He was playing basketball at the YMCA and landed wrong while getting a rebound. Unfortunately, it was a compound fracture that resulted in surgery and loads of pain medication. In fact, I'm going to babysit him tomorrow for my mother while she's out running errands. I hate that he's hurt because of how active he constantly is, therefore, I know that laying in bed all day is wearing on his soul.

I'm currently constructing a volleyball court in my backyard that will be so much fun once completed. I'm not half-assing it either. I've hired on Dillon to dig the court out with a Bobcat and I'm then filling it with gravel, landscaping fabric, and sand. This works well for drainage. Come one, come all - as it should be a good time once completed. Also, I had a garage sale this past Saturday and made a whopping $700 dollars...what to buy, what to buy...

i'm on kiawah time...

My family and I began our summer by recently visiting Kiawah Island in South Carolina for our annual family vacation - it was awesome. It felt good to be back in South Carolina [we miss you HHI] and the house in which we resided was unbelievable. Kiawah is ridiculously and conveniently close to Charleston, therefore we drove up there one evening for dinner. I'm pretty sure I made a mistake by not going to college there...

While we were in town, I stopped in Blue Bicycle Books and purchased an vintage edition of Jane Eyre and another Lewis Carroll book. We wandered up and down King Street and ate dinner at Hanks Seafood which was delicious. After dinner, we stopped by the John Rutledge House Inn. It was the residence of John Rutledge (1739 - 1800) who was the first Governor of the State of South Carolina. He also signed the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Needless to say, we stole pens and napkins with our family name on it (how common of us).

My dad and I were talking about how South Carolina makes us feel more at home than any other place [besides Nashville, obviously]. Something about the Spanish moss, salty air, brown sand and the friendly people just feels right. Needless to say, perhaps Charleston will be my next destination? I think so.

i write things...sometimes.

Check out my article in the new JUNE 2009 Nashville Lifestyles!

whooooo knew?

I've never really been a j. crew girl.  actually, I've never really been preppy in any sort of way.. which somewhat kills my father a little each day.  it's not that I find it unappealing, I just never felt as though it fit with my personality - almost like if I did wear pearls and polos that I was trying to be someone I'm not. Therefore, I strayed away from your typical brooks brothers banana polo j.crew vibe...

...but. it's time for a change. I just got their recent june 2009 catalogue in the mail and loved almost every single page in there.  here are a few of my favorite ones below...i seriously might go shopping there...weird.

so so so cute

precious

office space

cute wedding...

Click HERE to view the entire catalogue on their website...

mind-numbing social niceties

I love the show, House.  I speak about it often because I find it so thoroughly entertaining and I feel as though it's a learning experience in the process.  I now know that you can also contract an STD that affects you neurologically, that if your eyes turn yellow you either have hepatitis or your liver is failing, and I now know the names of all the different auto-immune diseases and their obvious symptoms.  You know, just in case.

In addition to the wonderfulness of the show, I also love the actual character, House.  My mother hates him but I find him refreshingly realistic and someone I'd want around  - just to keep me sane. Below is a quote from a re-run I recently saw where he's speaking about a child with a severe case of autism. I completely agree with him - to some degree.

"Why would you feel sorry for someone who gets to opt out of inane courteous formalities which are utterly meaningless, insincere and therefore degrading?  Imagine how liberating it would be to live a life free of all the mind-numbing social niceties.  I don't feel sorry for someone like that...I envy them."