September Photo Challenge Day 17: on the shelf

Spied at an antique mall called Objects Found today. I love this vintage German poster but have finally come around to the fact that I live in a studio apartment and just can't take home every thing that I love.

September Photo Challenge Day 16: what I ate

I find I'm having a hard time getting outside of my head and am taking this challenge too literally. That said, I skipped the gym tonight in favor of grabbing some dinner at Whole Foods. It has been a long time since I've been able to motivate myself to actually go out or do anything besides the gym (or the simple act of grabbing food) on a Friday. It's always the point in the week where the full weight of what has come before settles on my shoulders and my mind kind of melts.

September Photo Challenge Day 15: my shoes

I considered throwing on a different pair of shoes just for the purposes of this picture, but why front? One of the "benefits" of the job I suppose. I can't even claim that a photo of all my shoes would be more impressive. I appreciate beautiful shoes, but I was just born to a family of women with bad feet.

However, here's a photo from a couple of weeks ago. You know...just to prove I do wear real shoes, too ;-)

September Photo Challenge Day 14: flowers

I've been in DC long enough that I take things like cheap flowers right outside the metro for granted.

September Photo Challenge Day 13: from a distance

This one was taken a week or so ago. I was feeling a little under the weather today, so I wasn't motivated to find a new photo to take. I'm drawn to the straightforward signage and starkness of the building.

September Photo Challenge Day 12: close-up

A shoddy picture taken on the fly. I'm even letting you see some of the more embarrassing books on my shelf.

Feverishly devouring the written word

I have been on a tear with the books as of late. Never one to read more than one book at a time, I find myself having to fight the urge to juggle titles, feeding my growing need for stories.

Stories, in fact, have been haunting me as of late. These are stories I want to read, tell, know, write.

Currently reading:

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart. I'm currently listening to the audio version of this book thanks to a free credit from Audible.com. More on this dystopian (re disturbing) book once I finish.

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. I'm re-reading this book thanks to raves by Amy. I've changed so much since I first read it that I know I'm going to get so much more out of it this time.

Black Boy by Richard Wright. This is another book I'm re-reading (though not in its entirety). I'm attempting Yale's English 291 course, The American Novel Since 1945, through iTunes U. Why not, right?

Books I'm hoping to tackle next:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Pastoralia by George Saunders
Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Sad to be only two books away from being caught up on the Agent Pendergast series.

I've got some other book ideas that I'll hopefully share on here soon, including a potential collaboration and a rant on Michael Connelly's inability to write female characters.

September Photo Challenge Day 11: something fun

Ferries are fun, right? I think it is incredibly cool we still have ferry service on the Potomac. Sure, a bridge would be more convenient, but there is something pleasant about having to slow down and wait in line with other adventurous souls.

In my travels this morning, I was listening to the latest NPR Tiny Desk Concert* featuring Foster the People. I'm familiar with Pumped Up Kicks from all the radio play it gets but was surprised at how accessible their music was, particularly when enjoyed acoustically. Really, though, I was moved to bring them up simply because their band name resonated with me today. Foster the people. Today (and all days), this is a directive we should all strive for in interacting with each other. Let's build them up, not tear them down.

*I've been having a real love fest with NPR lately. You should download the NPR music app, if you haven't already. It gives you access to their song of the day, album previews, tiny desk concerts and so much more right on your phone.

September Photo Challenge Day 10: something I made

View of a journal I made from grocery store paper bags* I've been harboring using this tutorial. It's not quite done but is fit enough to begin filling.

*I've since started carrying my own bag since this grocery store/cooking thing has resulted in many, many bags.

September Photo Challenge Day 9: faceless self portrait

Some of my favorite round odds and ends. Surely they reflect in some way on me.

September Photo Challenge Day 8: technology

Old school (sort of) technology fail. Lots of rain. Rivers flood. Humans suffer for their encroachment.

September Photo Challenge Day 7: something new

Luck is on my side with this photo challenge. One of my coworkers came back from a three country tour of Asia and brought me back this cool dragonfly. She picked it up in Vietnam. I love how it perches on my finger.

September Photo Challenge Day 6: childhood memory

I was really struggling this morning, wondering how in the heck I was going to capture a childhood memory today. My schedule consisted of work followed by the gym. Those two activities take up approximately every waking hour with the exception of 2 to 3 hours late at night. My subconscious must have been working overtime, however, because I found nostalgia in the form of exercise equipment at the gym. Something spurred me to mix up my routine tonight, and while I was on the rowing machine (something I don't normally do), the memories crept in. What we referred to as "the patio" at my childhood home was reinvented several times while I was young, but one mainstay was the exercise graveyard. Treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine. They all made their way into the patio at one point or another. I hated them. Well, hate might be a bit strong. I disliked them quite a bit. When I deigned to exercise, I was partial to aerobics videos by Jane Fonda and Cindy Crawford. Why, yes, I am that old.

September Photo Challenge Day 5: someone I love

All the people I love the most are far away, so I'm publishing an old photo I've never shown before.

This photo of my grandma and my mom is one of my favorites and one that I've kept secret, just for me to cherish. I love how happy she looks in the photo and know that she was being playful that day. I'm pretty sure she was sassing me. This is also one of the last photos I took of her before she died. I'm so thankful I was there that day to experience this and capture the memory so that I can pull it out on those days I need it. Miss you, old girl.

September Photo Challenge Day 4: favorite color

Picking my favorite almost anything is difficult. I love color. Period. Lately, however, I've fallen in love with yellow. I also fell in love with this painted pieces of concrete that we pass some days on the way to the gym. Do you ever see a pattern and immediately feel drawn to it? I've also got a couple of vans (re company logos) that just satisfy me visually every time I see one.

September Photo Challenge Day 3: cloud

The sky was ominous as we pulled into Great Meadows, dampening our hopes of checking out men in kilts at the Virginia Scottish Games. After more than two hours of waiting, the skies cleared, and I could ogle men in kilts to my heart's content.





More photos on Flickr.

September Photo Challenge Day 2: what I wore

Styling a bear felt hat from Quirk Gallery.

September Photo Challenge Day 1: the self portrait

Oh So Lovely hosted a photo challenge for the month of August that I managed to stumble upon too late. However, I decided no one said I couldn't attempt the same challenge in September. I'm hoping this will break me out of my tendency to snap photos with my phone.



In honor of the first day of the project and the coming new season, I decided to chop my hair off once again. Notice that nice gray hair right up front? I think a new, wild color is in my future.

To check out the list of prompts and join in, visit this post on Oh So Lovely.

August List #15

August was all about water.

Lots of Sundays spent reading by the pool.


Amanda attempting to get Frank to swim. Sidenote: This pool made me want a pool of my very own.


A little bit of beach time.


Ensuring time spent by said water includes friends.

August List #14

How I weathered Irene:

- bought groceries
- made food for the week
- cleaned my apartment (What? I can't very well avoid it when I'm supposed to be staying home.)
- made friendship bracelets
- met friends for breakfast
- bought a DVD player and started watching True Blood
- saw Columbiana
- read (see future rant about Michael Connelly books)
- went to the gym
- dreamed bold dreams