don't be thankful like the pilgrims

i was on the train today and this rad guy was playing a very cheap looking electric guitar plugged into a tiny amp he was wearing on a strap like a shoulder bag. it sounded similar to the "freedom for my people" track on u2's rattle and hum (minus the harmonica). listen here. he was playing a blues song. it was amazing. at the end he told the whole car something like this:

"thank you ladies and gentlemen, i want you all to be grateful this week. when the pilgrims came to america the indians taught them how to plant crops and get food, (etc.). the indians gave them all that and you know what the pilgrims gave them back? the small pox. don't be grateful like the pilgrims, ladies and gentlemen, be grateful by making someone's life better."

it was so great. and it makes me really want to be grateful by making someone's life better, cause that guy made my terribly long train ride a little better.

get on your boots...

i am now the proud owner of these hunter lady n boots. just waiting for them in the mail. hopefully my hefty calves aren't too substantial to fit into the slender leg openings that is typical of hunter boots. i guess we'll see...

pumpkins make me happy

when life gets you down, there are always pumpkins. my sister anne was in town last weekend from richmond and we decided to go to the pumpkin blaze at the van cortlandt manor, very near to sleepy hollow (in the hudson valley). it was amazing! crazy what you can do with some pumpkins and some imagination. if you're in the area it is definitely worth the $15 to see the 4,000 jack-o-lanterns. yay!

pictures are thanks to anne, i forgot my camera.

Frenchies

this movie was not as good as i hoped it would be. audrey tautou is beautiful as usual, but the story and the flow of the whole thing left something to be desired.

the paris theatre, however, never disappoints. if you're in new york, you should see whatever movie is playing there, simply because it's a great theatre. plus the popcorn is the best.

2 years baby

happy anniversary to my dear husband! looking forward to many more...

the space in between

so it's been a long long time since i've posted. it's not that i haven't had things to post about, it's just that i lost interest. we'll see if i'm coming back around, or if this is just a fluke. to start over, here are a couple of pics i took over labor day weekend with my friend gaby. she and i decided to try taking pictures for the fun of it once again.

this is the view from the park across the street from my apartment of the g.w. bridge. i can't see this view from my apartment, only if i walk to the top of the hilly park, but i still like it.

and this is a dumpster i saw in the park. while gaby was shooting something beautiful, no doubt, this is was caught my eye.

so there you go. first post in months and it contains a dumpster.

public enemies

this movie is amazing. go see it.

i'm proud to be an american, where at least i know i'm free...

we had a good 4th, mip, hadz, and i. we ate a late breakfast of doughnuts and smoothies. then we went and rowed boats on the pond by the bethesda fountain in central park.

after an afternoon of wandering around and drinking jamba juice, we ate at cowgirl. it was some good food, but mostly i like the patriotic taxidermy.

then we went to hadz's office on the 33rd floor to watch the macy's fireworks on the hudson. it was a perfect view.

jonathan richman

zack has long been into the music of jonathan richman, the lead singer of the modern lovers. a couple weeks ago we had to good fortune to see him live at the bowery ballroom for only $15. i have always appreciated his music, whenever zack has put it on, but something often happens to me when i see someone live (especially if they're good, and he was amazing). i find myself with a new respect and a deep love for the music. he is so talented and was so gracious. so with that being said, you should listen to jonathan richman.

p.s. for all of you in utah, he's playing at kilby court tonight. it will be amazing, i'll tell you that right now. go, for heaven's sake. go.

yay!

we have internet again, after a full week without it! turns out the circuit we were connected to broke. not our fault. and it only took zack and i both about 6 hours on the phone, a million different stories from a million different people, and me yelling at a man named ben (whom i could hardly understand) to resolve the whole thing. one thing i will say is this: if you can avoid dealing with verizon in any way, shape, or form, do. please do.

aren't old photos amazing?

when i was in utah i went with my mom to my grandparents house. they pulled out some old photo albums and i took a few photos of their old prints.

this is my grandparents. weren't they such a good looking couple?

this is my dad as a baby. people used to tell my grandma what a beautiful girl they had. they just thought his blue eyes and blond curls were so pretty.

and this is maybe one of my favorite photos ever. this is my two uncles and my dad. from left to right: uncle wayne, uncle bill, my dad. priceless. it makes me want to play cowboys and indians.

happy mother's day

to all you lovely mother's out there (especially my mom) happy mother's day! this is a picture of my mom and me from my wedding. she does so much for me and i'm so thankful for her.

this is what they handed out in church today, flowers for all the mothers (and future mothers).

my primary girls (ctr 5 class) loved my single pink tulip so much, they decided to take turns holding it. sadly the stem didn't make it through the end of church. i still think it looks nice chopped off in this little bottle though.

sunrise

how many times have you actually watched the sun rise? i can pretty much admit that i haven't done it many a time. but i did today. as i was driving back to new york in a chinatown bus, the sun was rising over the skyline. isn't it amazing?

virginee

so i decided last minute to go to richmond, va to visit my sister anne a few days ago. richmond is such a cool place. so much cool architecture. i was able to go with anne to one of her projects (a building up for historic nomination). it was a cool old factory, now offices, that will be turned into condos. unfortunately i didn't get any pictures of that place. here is an average street in richmond, tons of old buildings.



we had a grand old time. we ate at buzz & ned's barbeque, which was amazing.



we went to a really cool antique mall, west end antiques. i found some pretty cool little things there. these are a few treasures i didn't purchase. next time.





a cool motel sign we passed



this was in hollywood cemetery. i'm not sure if there's something wrong with me or not, but i secretly love old cemeteries. they are fascinating to me. this one has over 18,000 confederate soldiers buried in it. it makes me want to learn more about the cival war.



this is a cool old theatre, the byrd that still plays movies. on saturday nights a man plays the mighty wurlitzer (the theatre's organ) before the movie. i'm so sad i wasn't there on a saturday to hear him play. definitely going to do that next time though.

Yay eric!!

my little brother eric received his mission call today! and the verdict is...

the guatemala, guatemala city south mission!!!

it looks like a beautiful city and country.

i wasn't with him when he opened it, but he sounded very excited over the phone. congratulations eric!! we're all so proud of you!

he reports to the provo, ut missionary training center on august 5th (my birthday) to begin training and learning spanish.

*zack was betting on russia, i was betting on brazil. i was sort of close.

blair family, candice stringham, and styling

the other day i helped long time friend candice stringham on styling a photo shoot of the lovely blair family. if you have never read design mom, you should. it will blow your mind. anyway, the blairs are moving and it just worked out for all of us to collaborate on this wonderful shoot. take a look at candice's blog too. she does great work.

grounded

yesterday my lovely sister trish and i went to, what we so lovingly refer to as, beach church. it's when the weather is really nice on a sunday and you go to the beach, (sometimes instead of the end of church, hence the title "beach church"). it was a perfect, relaxing afternoon spent enjoying nature. after returning home with a crazy splochy sunburn in odd places, however, i have decided that i am grounded from putting on my own sunscreen. i wouldn't be so upset about a sunburn if i hadn't put in the effort to stop it from happening. joke's on me i guess.

"looks like someone needs to visit dr. z (the "dermatologist" who advertises in the subway)" says zack.