The Heat of Summer

______It's neat how when you visit the same place during different seasons, you're able to sniff out new things.  In autumn, there are warmer colors to the trees, a crisp scent in the air, and little to no flora; in the heat of the summer, trees are bearded with moss and crusted with lichen in subdued shades of mint and cream, and the flowers that have survived have brittle linings on their petals.  There's something lovely about a bright rose that's wilting slightly from the heat opposed to one completely in tact.

______I know that macro nature pictures can be so horribly cliché, but it's no wonder--nature is so pretty up close, especially when the same species of flower has variations in gradients and petal shapes, or when lichen can clutch its frail little hands around a tree in patterns more diverse than sandwich combinations.  Even when it's dying, decaying, or otherwise wasting away, it still seems so alive.



______I took these awhile ago when I was on little journey to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I went there last summer, too, and did my best to find some new things to snap.  It was the middle of the day and I perspired more than an old man in a sauna full of attractive young ladies, but I think it resulted in a few decent photos, some bright with life and others a bit more solemn!



______Do you guys have any places you like to frequently visit, whether it be for picture-taking, day-dreaming about Fabio and his swooshy golden locks, or hiding away from the world for a moment's respite?

Almost Primary

______Do you ever have mornings where you wake up hungrier than a hungry hippo, all because the week was just that exhausting? Because I do.

______Last Saturday morning was like that for me.  The sun blazed through my eyelids like headlights through fog, and as soon as I was conscious, I felt a hollowness in my stomach that churned and pleaded to be fed.  I eagerly sprung from my covers, wasting no time to dash into the dorm kitchenette. After scarfing down a flawlessly cored apple enveloped in peanut butter, I swaggered coolly out of my dorm building for my daily morning bike ride.

______The entire campus was eerily quiet, even though the morning sun was well rested and already creeping toward the pinnacle of the sky. Half a dozen or so dedicated runners were sprinkled about the sidewalks of the main quad, and a few tired students paced the sidewalks like feeble weeble-wobbles that just wouldn't fall down. A sparse few cars wormed their way through the usually congested streets in silent strides. The usual stress of avoiding crashing my bike into 8am class-goers was wiped from my mind, as was worrying over making double and tripletakes before crossing intersections.

______Saturday mornings are the best for bike rides because everyone is hungover from Friday night frat parties, lolling about in their bedcovers like drugged sloths, resulting in streets that are wider, emptier, freer. I've learned the earlier you wake in college, the better.



______Later in the day, I wandered into a locally-owned clothing store to browse a delectable-looking sales rack that shouldered the entire left wall of the store. As I was checking out, the stylish little lady running the register asked me sweetly, "Have you ever done any modeling?" I laughed uneasily and replied that I kind of had before as a faux bride for a vintage limousine service, and also informed her of this here blog. She said that they were looking for ladies to model their clothes for adverts and promos and such and that I looked apt for the job, and so I jumped at the opportunity, eagerly barfing my numbers on her person.

______She texted me later in the day saying she'd let me know when the time came to do the actual photo shoot. I was delighted to find that she wasn't offended by my word barfage, but even more relieved that I remember my own phone number in the heat of the conversation; I have this odd tendency to give out my mother's phone number instead of my own, and that has caused much confusion in the past.



______That encounter was awesome for two reasons. One, because derp modeling duhrp supa-rad resume stuff yeah son yeaaah, and two, because I've been feeling rather unconfident about my appearance and weight lately for the very same reasons I did a few months ago here. It was nice to know that yeah, even though I've gained a little bit of weight, I'm still "looking decent enough" to maybe model. As pathetic and shallow as it sounds, a strange form of comfort bubbled in my mind as a result of this potential opportunity. A strange kind of reassurance. A pat on the shoulder coupled with a voice that echoed inside of me that said, "Yeah, you're okay," even though I weigh a little more, even though I'm not an ultra-twig that disappears when she turns to the side.





______That being said, I do hope I don't have to pass any ridiculous skinny aptitude tests, such as being able to hula hoop a Cheerio. If that was the case I'd definitely fail because a) I am unable to hula hoop a Cheerio and b) I would probably sniff out and eat the Cheerio before the test even began.



Collared top, ankle socks: Forever 21
Skirt: Moon Collection
Oxford heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace: Charming Charlie
Earrings: Betsey Johnson, via Nordstrom Rack
Snogging zebras bracelet: Charming Charlie (geez, get a room)
Hairpins: via World Market
Hair: styled by momma dearest

Just Another Brick In The Wall

______Here's a casual little somethin' somethin' that I'll shimmy on real quick when I need to slay a couple of dragons, sheepishly poke at bricks in my search for the entrance to Diagon Alley, or catch some wild Pokemon in areas infested with tall grass.  You know, mundane everyday tasks.




______I think this is one of few posts all summer where I've actually worn sandals, which is silly because the day these were taken, it was rather crisp and cloudy for a summer day.  I'm one to wear boots during the summer because my ankles get cold, and to me, there's nothing worse than sauntering around freely with cold ankles.  I must admit though, I feel a bit off-kilter not wearing obnoxiously colored socks.  They've definitely become a part of me.



______This actually is the first time I have worn my hair down in a few months. My hair turns this blinding white-gold in the warmer months when I'm outside cycling up a storm and frolicking in summery fields (and consequently being eaten alive by monster mosquitos); however, my eyebrows remain a shade of brown from one season to the next. Whatever, genes. Whatever.



Top: via TJ Maxx
Shorts: yo they're just jean shorts
Heel sandals: White Mountain Shoes
Necklace: Charming Charlie
Crossbody purse: Ralph Lauren
Cuff bracelet: Lulu*s
Earrings: vintage

Old, Wise, and Without Compromise

______I wonder how long most of us will continue with our blogging. At what age will it be time to say, "Au revoir, blogosphere"? When we're forty, fifty? When our kids have blogs and dogs and possibly even (god forbid) the iPhone 43s?

______So when do we stop?  The answer is never!



______Through thick and thin, through work and the stress of life, through chocolate and coffee, I hope that my blogging never comes to a halt.  I plan on blogging up until my rocking chair years, probably alongside most of you ladies, and we'll all be cantering about our old folks home thinking of ways to wreck havoc on the place.  You know, dastardly old lady tasks, like plugging men's urinals full of poker chips, shuffling our slippers against the carpet until we become charged with lightning sparks that zap our aged enemies into static-y statuettes, and starting food fights by flinging our mush-food at each other from spoons pulled back like slingshots.

______Simple old folk pleasures, really.



______All the while, I'm sure we'll be an attractive gang of living fossils, what with our saggy breasts, skin flecked with grey specks and wrinkled like plastic bags, and wispy hair that resembles dried-out marshmallow fluff.  With good looks on our side, we'll no longer fear trying a new trend, whether it be fish-net bodysuits, coconut bras, or shiny belly rings that peek shyly from our cobweb-laden bellybuttons.

______By then, we will have become so accustom to dragging our tripods around and surreptitiously snapping selfies that we will no longer fear intercepting the public eye.  Young whippersnappers will look at us strangely, and we will waggle our jewel-topped canes at them shouting how they know nothing about vintage fashion.  And rather than shying away to alleyways and abandoned buildings, we will feed off the energy radiating from these onlookers' perplexed faces, snapping photos on sidewalks congested with businesspeople and tourists alike.  We will dress ourselves bravely in neon yellow jumpsuits and those Jesus sandals with straps that pinch the skin hanging over our ankles.

______We're gonna be hands-down rad, you guys.



______It's weird to think that the styles we are wearing now will be melted down and reforged into something similar but different to future fashion trends in another twenty years, then another forty, or possible even a hundred.  But thus is life, one infinite cycle of cycles and old people.

______What do you see yourself wearing in another few decades?



Dress: via Urban Outfitters
Socks: T-T-Target
Ankle booties: Chelsea Crew
Anchor belt: Lotus Boutique
Necklace, link bracelet, earrings: Charming Charlie
Lip stain: Hourglass
Hair: styled by my darling momma

Tread Lightly

______Hi, folks! Today I don't have any riveting tales pertaining to seductive salesladies to tell you about... or any other nutty people encounters at that.  It's a darn decent day for a quick post, don't you think?




______My mother and I are at home by ourselves (and our brat of a dog, Gunner) babysitting the house this week whilst my brother and dad roam the northern badlands of Montana and the Dakotas.  With a week of no male influence ahead of us, my mother and I have turned to our femininity to cure our boredom, indulging in girly activities such as dining at healthy little lunch spots, partaking in the occasional shopping trip, ogling over pretty lipsticks and cute shoes, and not discussing cars or hunting gear.




______We snapped these pictures earlier this morning before a raincloud bursted open and rained its fury upon us.  The light was streaming through the leaves and washed my pictures a toxic greenish-orange that makes me wanna transform into the Hulk and smash things, but I suppose it also kind of provides a calming sense of immersion into nature.  I'm just not used to seeing myself with mossy green highlights in my hair and a purple-orange tint to my skin.



Dress: via Urban Outfitters
Spike bracelet, buckled booties: via Nordstrom Rack
Socks, necklace: vintage
Earrings: Lotus Boutique
Blue diamond bracelet: Charming Charlie
Hair pins: World Market
Hair: styled by momma

She Ate My Heart

______Story time!

______So last week, I purchased my very first fancy-schmancy tube of red lipstick.  I entered Sephora with the undertaking to find it, but after walking through the large glass doors, my determined face quickly diminished into one forged from concentrating eyes and a horribly scrunched up nose.  Two steps in the store and I was already at a loss at where to begin.  The hot white lights and gleaming white floor were blinding to my search, and I sunk forward like a willow tree after a heavy rainfall, my eyes wide beneath my hair.

______I was lost.  So terribly, terribly lost.

______A lady must have noticed me standing there because she dashed up to me rather enthusiastically, her heels clicking as she neared.  She skidded to a halt before me. “Hi there!" she said.  "Do you need help with anything?”

______I regarded her hesitantly.  The lady was peppy and pretty, as most makeup store ladies are, and I managed to sputter a quick, “Oh, no thank you—I think I’ve got it for now!” before she could begin her spiel about sales and offers and the like.  I knew she could see the perplexed look on my face, so I quickly skittered off, away from her line of vision.  I shifted my attention to a random counter of lipsticks and started lining color swatches up my hand, feeling marginally paranoid and perhaps even a tad frightened.  I could feel the lady watching from afar.  Her glances seared into me like hot needles every time her eyes glazed across the store and across me.

______After my hand was covered up to my wrist in color and my lips were splotched with nuances of red stain, I not only looked like I was covered in the blood of my enemies that I had slain and devoured, but also probably resembled a five-year old who ravaged her mother’s makeup drawer.  The lady's burning eyes were burning more now.

______Okay, I get it! was all I could think.  You win. I submit.

______I peeked over at the lady and she gazed back at me.  A smile twitched at the corner of her lips.  I looked and felt a little pathetic.  I wiped as much of the red from my lips as I could, and I’m more than certain there was some on my cheek that I’d missed as well.

______I uneasily walked toward the lady, who was now beaming at me.  Laughing hesitantly, I began, “Yeah, so I haven’t ever really bought any red lipstick before… and I think I need some help, it’s like my first time… My first red lipstick that I'm buying, my first time, one...”  Reflecting on that now, I'm pretty sure I could have worded what I was trying to say better.  Continuing on, I asked, “Can you help me find one? Does that—can you? I’m so new at this lipstick world thing.”  

______I said that.  I said lipstick world thing.  Ten socially awkward points to me.

______The lady was listening eagerly and nodded half-heartedly at my plea.  Then she glanced to the ceiling, as if regarding the Sephora gods would give her an idea of what to bestow upon me, and suddenly clicked one of her heels to the floor and went, “Ooh! I’ve got the perfect thing.” And she dawdled off to the rear of the store.  I followed her musical footsteps, glancing uneasily at the store chock full of beauty gunk around me as I went, still trying to rub some of the remnants of lip stain from my face.

______She plucked a flattened tube from a random assortment of lipsticks and immediately pushed me toward the makeup counter, which was finished with even more mysterious makeup doo-dads and an enormous mirror enrobed in spherical lights.  It was smack dab in the middle of the store, of course, so when people walked by outside they could watch you with their beady little eyes.  Perfect.

______“Do you want to try this on?” the lady asked, precariously holding the tube up as if it was an illicit drug.  And I nodded.  “Okay, I’m going to put it on you.”  I gave her another nod and smile, allowing her permission to transgress my personal bubble.  She motioned for me to sit and I did, and awkwardly so, and leaned a little bit toward her.  She twisted the tube and inched the lip brush toward my face.  I didn’t know what to expect, so I just half-opened my mouth and tried to poof my lips outward like girls do in their Facebook pictures, and she began brushing this deep red stain on my lips.

______And it felt like she was trying to seduce me or something, you guys.  I mean, to set the scene, this lady was quite dashing in terms of her looks: flaming red hair, a dusting of freckles, and blue eyes set like sapphires in her skin.  And here she was, leisurely applying the most cherry red lip stain upon my lips, her hand lightly brushing my face as she went, all with a deep concentration saturating her eyes.  During the whole process there was an air of tension that lingered, pushing and pulling us about like magnetic waves with ever-changing intensities.  She would glance from my lips to my eyes and to my lips again.  I would be lying if I said there wasn’t some bizarre sexual tension going on there, because there totally was, and I’m straight as an uncooked fettucini noodle.

______I digress. Those are transient feelings and nothing more.  When the lady had finished her task, I held my reflection in the mirror, contemplating this fierce new look.  It was indeed a bright cherry red, and maybe a little obnoxious, but I could tell that I would grow into to it.  I liked it. 

______The lady considered her delicate work.  “It looks stunning on you," she said dreamily, dusting a layer of something sparkly and pale on my cheeks.  "It’s a little bright, but you’ll get used to it.  You might need lip liner, but it really is a stunning shade.”  Ah, she believed it to be stunning on me.  Of course you do, sweet makeup lady, I thought.  You just tried to seduce me.

______I hopped from the swivel chair and thanked her for the little demo/seducement.  She dropped the tube of lip stain into its rectangular silver box and handed it to me, and I meandered to the back of the store to check out.  On the way out of the store, the lady watched me one last time, smiling as if she was watching her firstborn child run off to her first day of school.  I waved sheepishly at the lady as I exited Sephora, feeling much less fearful about the intimidating makeup store and a shade more brave, just like my fellow lipstick-wearing lady herself.



Peter pan collar top: Forever 21
Skirt: Charlotte Russe ($3, holla atcha girrrrl)
Oxford heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Necklace: pressie from brother
Earrings: pressie from brother's girlfriend, also vintage
Lips: Hourglass
Hair: sporadically styled by Momma Hval