This weekend will be spent with my sister-in-law before she heads back to FL, some volunteering, Anthony Bourdain, and then possibly some pool time or a hiking adventure!
Speaking of adventures, how incredible are these beautiful campsites?
Ever since high school, I've been a huge Elliott Smith fan. "Either/Or" is still one of my top 5 albums, hands down. I have my best friend, Sasha, to really thank for this love. I'll never forget when he died...it blows my mind that it's been around 11 years (I think I was about 19 when he died). Sasha even wore a handmade "Miss Misery" shirt the morning after he died. The world definitely lost a bright light and talent back then so it's so magical when new songs or interviews are released. They just don't make them like Elliott Smith anymore, you know?
Go here to see this video and more on the interview.
There's also a new documentary about Elliott Smith out called "Heaven Adores You." Check out the trailer below and watch your local listings. I hope it plays in ATL soon!
I love this story! The oldest Australian man knits sweaters for penguins on Phillip Island that are unable to keep their feathers dry. I love everything about it actually (minus the oil spill, naturally).
Life advice from Werner Herzog. "Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory."
This movie looks so good! So many of my favorite actors and it's in Hawaii...it comes out in May!
Is it weird that I totally want one of these cloned stuffed animals of Townes? Kind of...
Here's another film on the list. Judd Apatow + Bill Hader + Amy Schumer = guaranteed laughs. Am I right? :)
Hope you have a lovely laid back weekend. The Southeast is about to be hit with some super cold weather (and apparently some snow possibly) so hope you have a fireplace and a lover to cozy up with (or a good book instead)!
xo
How incredible are these 11 beautiful bodies of water? I'd be happy to see all of them in my lifetime.
This article describes what your pet says about your personality. Pretty interesting! Apparently you can even tell if someone is liberal vs. conservative based on their breed of dog.
This Thai butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrot soup with roasted honey siracha seeds recipe looks incredible! Definitely on the meal list for next week!
A quote that hits hard for me. I always say that I feel the pain of the world, but I just started reading a book, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, and it is a necessary, but hard read regarding the fate of our Earth. Stay tuned for more on that.
Interesting article about how to lose a woman for good. Men, take note. These 9 tips are pretty spot on.
Google Fiber is coming to Decatur! Such amazing news for Atlanta and the surrounding cities.
This new Netflix series, naturally!
This weekend will be spent having a sleep over with my niece Natalie and most likely going to the zoo (her request and who am I to deny a little girl who loves animal a trip to the zoo?) and doing crafts.
Despite not being a football fan, we'll probably watch the Super Bowl since J has requested that I make his favorite spinach + artichoke dip!
It's already been a crazy week - between work and prepping for Thanksgiving.
Last weekend already feels like ancient history!
I started off the weekend in my favorite way at Zumba Toning.
My girl, Kim, is always such an inspiration and helps keep me accountable!
On Saturday, J headed up to Asheville for a bachelor weekend. I took Townes on a long walk in the neighborhood and the weather was perfect!
Beth and I went to the Indie Craft Experience at the Georgia Freight Depot. It's always so much fun, but it is a little overwhelming! I got to see my favorite lady, Jen, and my good friends, Johnny and Ray, who both had their own booths!
After we bought a few items, we went out to Thai for dinner. Green tea and curry was the perfect meal for a chilly night!
On Sunday, Townes and I took it easy since it was raining all day. I watched a bunch of movies: Songcatcher, Always Woodstock, and Wish I Was Here were a few. Townes was so sweet and cuddled up next to me all day and wasn't happy with me when I made him walk in the rain (which got worse halfway into the walk so we had to run home).
When J got home, we ordered in pizza and just enjoyed the night together.
This week's favorites list starts with 14 of the best American diners for your next road trip. I'm proud to say that 2 are in Atlanta!
In a bad mood? Here's 5 ways to beat varying bad moves with various exercises!
If I'm honest, I've watched this trailer 3x this week. This new movies, The Homesman, looks incredible and has a stellar cast: Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank for the win!
If you're wondering what's in season for Fall, check out these 31 recipes for October. YUM!
Despite not being a huge TV fan, I am pretty excited that Parenthood is back! I'm just sad that it's the final season...and there are hints that someone dies. As if we needed any more excuses to cry during each episode!
This weekend should be a good one. I've got some showers to plan and yard sale to prepare for. Hoping to mix in some girl time and to be outside as much as possible, weather permitting!
I am currently under the weather and stuck in bed. Sounds luxurious, no?
This weekend, I ended up watching "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset." I believe that I've seen both of them before (although I haven't seen the final film of the trilogy, "Before Midnight," yet), but I didn't remember either film.
I forgot how lovely and romantic the films were...I mean they are based in Vienna and Paris, but the dialogue is perfect and poignant. The story line follows two people who meet on a train and spend the night together in Vienna and then they reconnect 8 years later in Paris. Both films have very little action, because the focus is on the conversation and connection between Celine and Jesse.
Both movies left me feeling enamored and nostalgic for Europe.
Swoon...
Here's a little fashion inspiration from "Before Sunrise"...
If you haven't seen these movies, what are you waiting for?
"If there's any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed, but…who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt." - Celine, Before Sunrise xo
These flowers are the stuff of dreams. I want to go to there!
Another trip down memory lane of Athens, GA. This video with all the familiar faces made my day! Time for an Athens weekend...right, Lily? :)
Another dog story...surprised? This one breaks my heart, but still somehow has a happy ending. "Before Duke died, he lived"...I need some tissues ASAP.
These colorized photos from history are pretty incredible. My favorite is this one, because I'm a sucker for Jimmy Stewart (aka Mr. Lucky).
Seven movies to watch when you want a good cry. I think this article was written specifically for me; however, they are missing some crucial ones: Steel Magnolias, The Color Purple, and Fried Green Tomatoes!
Looking for the best brunch places in ATL? This list nails it! Although, they are missing the Heuvos Rancheros from Gato Bizco.
A sweet friend of mine sent me this Moth podcast story since it is one of her favorites and mentions Paris..I really enjoyed it! Funny and touching...
Could you imagine coming across these wild horses in this setting? Makes me think of this song...
Happy Friday, folks
Tonight we have a double date with our friends at Panahar Bangladeshi. YUM! I'm going to have to work out hard so I can eat their mixed naan...it is so good! We also have a cookout planned with some friends this weekend - looking forward to letting the dogs play (well, considering they are both super chill, they kind of play together...haha) and planning some Fall camping and hiking trips!
Thankfully it doesn't usually take much to make me smile. Today this quiz is making my day.
Like most people my age, I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan (read more here and here). My answers lead me to Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom, but maybe I wish I had gotten Mordecai! At least both have a sense of adventure in travel.
So you'll have to let me know - which character are you?
Last night, J + I went to see Werner Herzog's newest documentary, "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga." We went with our wonderful friends Victor + Anna (truthfully, Anna + I kind of crashed a guys' night out). J + I are huge Herzog fans and we are suckers for documentaries.
This film was incredible - although not your standard Herzog film. Based on the trailer, I was expecting it to be somewhat slow but it wasn't at all. The camera basically follows these trappers/ hunters who live in Bakhtia, a village of 300 people deep in the Siberian Taiga in their daily lives.
The way these men live off the land and the trades that they master is beautiful. They are truly unique in that their skills and traditions have not changed in centuries. Untouched by modern conveniences, they rely on their skills, each other, and their dogs.
I definitely recommend adding this documentary to your list!
P.S. Next time I complain about how cold it is, I need to remember that the Winter in the Taiga brings temperatures of -50°!
J recently started a new goal in our home: to watch a documentary a day. In the last few weeks, we've actually managed to stick very close to this goal. I'll share more about the films we've watched so far soon, but I wanted to call out my favorite documentary so far.
While spending last weekend in a cabin in north Georgia, we decided to watch the documentary Senna which features the life and career of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian Formula One racing driver who won the F1 world championship three times.
The incredible part of watching this film was that J + I knew nothing about Formula One racing or Ayrton Senna. I think it was almost better this way. Either way, this documentary is done so well and has so much incredible footage. I think it is now in my top 10 documentaries ever.
Check out the trailer and then watch it on Netflix immediately (seriously - go watch it right now).
P.S. Ladies - you might be just a bit smitten with the handsome + humble Aryton. Just maybe.
In 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a bed-in for peace. The bed-in was filmed and made into a documentary. When the documentary was released online, Yoko Ono released the following message:
"Dear Friends,
In 1969, John and I were so naïve to think that doing the Bed-In would help change the world. Well, it might have. But at the time, we didn’t know.
It was good that we filmed it, though. The film is powerful now. What we said then could have been said now.
In fact, there are things that we said then in the film, which may give some encouragement and inspiration to the activists of today. Good luck to us all.
Let’s remember WAR IS OVER if we want it. It’s up to us, and nobody else. John would have wanted to say that.
Love, yoko"
I absolutely love John Lennon (read more here and here) and love that this documentary is online and free. Also, with the holiday season here, it's officially time to listen to Lennon's "Happy Xmas."
it looks so cute and has rashida jones and andy samberg so it has to be great, right?
i can't wait to see this movie, BUT it definitely seems like j + i keep watching movies about younger couples where things go bad - real bad. we watched take this waltz and friends with kids because we love the actors in the films, but they both left us feeling depressed, not wanting kids, and awkward.
everyone knows that life and love aren't easy and that things can get rough, but it doesn't mean it isn't worth it, right? i just feel so lucky to have a partner, that after 7 years, is still my favorite person ever. we may not ever have a first kiss again, but we still have so many other first's that we get to share and for that, i am grateful.
i love wes anderson (well, who doesn't really?) so this video made my day. this video is inspiring me to take a lazy day and watch all wes anderson movies all day.
now that i am just starting to feel "normal" again after a long week away for work, i wanted to fill you in on some things that happened this past week. i flew to miami for a work conference and although it was very exhausting, it was wonderful. we had an insanely awesome keynote speaker. we had one event at the collins club that has a 1920's feel and incredible big band played. too bad i wanted to dance (since j and i learned how to swing dance last year) and no one was really dancing; however, i made up for it the next night when i played kinect dance central for hours at this one event - most people were watching blake shelton and miranda lambert (oops)! i even beat the guys from microsoft! it was worth not being able to walk properly for 2 days (talk about a workout)! now i want to buy an xbox kinect but i think our 1950's house would fall apart with that much dancing and jumping.
i even managed to do some sort of workout every day and ate well (when possible of course - conventions always have the WORST vegetarian options, as in NONE). so by eating well, i mean i fasted against my choice (just kidding, kind of). on the last day, we at least had some time to sit by the pool and eat some sushi and greens (oh how i'd missed you)! the best part though, is always coming home.
this weekend, i needed to recover so we watched "beginners" and loved it! we went on long walks and i took a pilates class for the first time (my abs are so sore) and went to zumba. we even got massages after redeeming an awesome groupon deal. we had our dearest friends over for brunch on sunday; however, the weather and exhaustion made me poor company (sorry)!
hopefully this weekend will be filled with lots more energy on my part and lots of cuddle time with my boys. happy monday!
over the long weekend, j and i finally watched "the last mountain" documentary. i had been putting it off since i knew it would be a tearjerker (just the trailer alone had me in tears). i absolutely loved this film and i was completely captivated and angered by the atrocities occuring in appalachia and all over the country.
the film documents the mountain top removal coal mining being done by massey coal company in appalachia. mountain top removal has destroyed 500 appalachian mountains, decimated 1 million acres of forest, and buried 2000 miles of streams. mountain top removal is forcing the locals who have lived in appalachia for many generations to leave due to loss of jobs and horrible health conditions. one of the women in the film walked the viewers through a neighborhood where 6 people living side-by-side (including her brother) developed a brain tumor despite the national average being 1 in 100,000 people! due to the mountain top removal, their water quality is so poor that their water filters only last an average of 2-3 weeks when typically they should last 6 months!
between 2000 and 2006 massey committed more than 60,000 environmental violations. their 28 impoundments have spilled 24 times in the last decade, contaminating rivers with more than 300 million gallons of sludge; two times the amount released in BP’s gulf oil disaster (go here to read about the martin county spill in 2000).
in order to save the appalachian region's economy and environment, activists are pushing to get wind farms in their area to save their mountains and create more jobs.
make sure to watch this film to stay informed about issues that threaten the world's environment and our civil rights (and remember tissues)!
to read more about this documentary and the issues created by mountain top coal remove, go here. if you are interested, take action and help save the coal river valley!
i am so happy it's friday! it's going to be a busy weekend but i couldn't be more excited! j and i are going tonight to see harry potter with his sister and i am really looking forward to it (although j says he's going just for me, i think he may be a closet harry fan).
tomorrow i am going with some girlfriends to the indie craft experience at the ambient plus studio and then to lunch. i'm hoping to get some good holiday shopping done at the ice event and can't wait to see all the lovely handmade items!
on sunday, we're going with the in-laws to see the cirque du soleil show ovo at atlantic station.
p.s. if you're interested in the indie craft experience, the details are below! hope to see you there! date: november 20+21, 2010 time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. admission: $5 location: ambient plus studio, 585 wells st. SW atlanta, georgia 30312
hope you all have a wonderful weekend! if you're in georgia, the weather is supposed to be sunny and in the high 60's so make sure you get outside!
j and i are avid documentary fans (see here). we typically are known for watching depressing documentaries - whether they surround murders, natural disasters, poverty, wars, and death; however, the documentary that we just watched saddened me in a completely different way.
the documentary "art of the steal" came in the netflix queue and as usual i had no idea what to expect (since j primarily manages the queue). the story is about dr. albert barnes who acquired the most robust and expensive collection of post-impressionist and modern art before his time. his collection has more cezanne's than paris, 46 picassos, 181 renoirs, and 56 matisse paintings. he did not use his collection for money and they were not for sale, but only for art education. the barnes foundation was only available to those who took classes there which angered a great deal of the philadelphia wealthy and political folks.
the story follows barnes and then his foundation after he died suddenly in 1951. this movie didn't make me sad in the way seeing children suffer makes me upset, but this story was almost worse because it shows the major flaws in humanity. what has happened to decency and compassion? is humanity always up for grabs when money is at stake?
if you love art and conspiracies, then this is a documentary for you! check out the preview below!
"you must not lose faith in humanity. humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty" - gandhi
anyone who knows j and me knows that we watch documentaries nonstop. j recently added the documentary oh my god by peter rodger to our netflix queue and when it first arrived, i must admit that my desire to watch it was very small; however, once we started watching it, i was instantly captivated.
the film is about asking people all over the world - "what is god?" peter rodger interviews everyone from celebrities, children, religious and political leaders, atheists, and the common person.
the movie was very powerful and very surprising. i thought it was interesting that the film pointed out that every single war in history has been fought over two things: land and religion. i think it's shocking that fundamentally all religions share the same opinions on compassion and love, yet their separate ideas of god cause tension, anger, and worst of all - death and war.
i was thankful that we watched this documentary the night before the "creative journey" panel with the dalai lama, richardgere, and alice walker, because although the theme was creativity and spirituality, the conversation revolved a great deal around compassion for others and the way that various cultures view things differently.
for instance, richardgere was telling this story about this photography show that he had done with black and white photos from his travels in tibet. while walking around, the dalai lama pulled him aside and pointed to a photo with a blurred motion shot of people walking that richardgere was very fond and proud of. the dalai lama pointed to the picture and said "bad - very bad." they then discussed how for buddhists, life is about clarity and viewing everything in it's completely natural state, whereas for westerners, art is about being able to alter or shape reality. maybe it's synonymous with religion for easterners vs. westerners (please notice that i said maybe). either way, i thought it was so interesting that there is no comparable word for creativity in the tibetan language.
anyways, i've been feeling super inspired since watching this film and seeing the dalai lama (just seeing him walk into the room brought me to tears). although i can't share the dalai lama experience with you, i'd love for you to check out "oh my god" and let me know your thoughts!
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