For What It's Worth

(all photos by Brandon Smith)

______Something different for you all today! I've caught myself in another busy rut but managed to get out with one of my friends for a neat little photoshoot in a decrepit old house. These photos are all shot by my friend Brandon, but he allowed me the freedom of editing them to give them an eerie, ghostly feel. I'm all for that blue-tinted, ethereal spirit sauntering through an abandoned house aesthetic.




______From outside, the house looked like one of those locations you'd expect an unruly gang of ghostbusters to have an absolute ball in attempting communication with spirits. It was quaint, victorian, and decaying, with a roof that sunk from gravity's relentless pull and chipped wooden white railings that lined the front porch. Vines crawled up crinkled blue paneling and into its crevices like sneaky snakes on a sneaky snake mission (whoa, slow down there, Ali). The shingles were warped and uneven like crooked teeth and the windows were barred.

______I mean, it was definitely a nice starter house if you weren't concerned about mold chipping precious years from your life.



______The back door was open, which is where we made our entrance. Brandon gave me a large stick for protection, and he, too carried one.

______The air was stagnant and dust motes swam like minnows in the fading light that poured from the windows. Even the spiders had abandoned their webs. In the first room, half the ceiling's surface peeled back like an orange and hung limp against the floor. Another room had a broken window that fell out of itself. My favorite room, which most of the pictures here are in, had a lightbulb dangling at your eye's height, a crumbling fireplace, and the most delectable molded wallpaper. Can you say dream house?

 

Nightgown: my mom's from way back when

Holiday Lately

______Somehow, someway, I've gotten myself into a busy rut--and on the winter break, at that! I built myself a mega-canvas on Tuesday and have been painting on it ever since, and my, how time flies when you paint! Why, one of the clocks in my house sprouted wings and took flight after it witnessed me at work. Now it is out in the real world and will probably soar to a neighboring state and befuddle the citizens of a differing time zone.

______But I digress! Because of my severe case of the busy bees, I was unable to get any formal outfit pictures up this week; however, I have been snapping a few pictures here and there of myself and of all the scrumptious things I've been baking, so that counts for something, right? Close-ups of my face, my fashion junk, and sugar-filled goodies... what more could you ask for?

______Hope you guys have an excellent weekend! Be sure to devour everything you can, and watch out for flying clocks!



Sunnies: thrifted
Booties: Lucky Brand, secondhand (similar)
All jewelry: Charming Charlie
Sweater: via TJ Maxx
Hair: styled by the mom

An Early Adventure in December

______Last Saturday, my dearest parents and I visited a local bakery cafe for a lovely outdoor lunch since the first day in December decided to provide us with extraordinarily gorgeous weather--the temperature was a perfect 70 degrees, the sun was shining, the birdies were singing, and all was peaceful in the land of Alabama.  We had been to this bakery cafe once before, but this time I remembered to bring my camera.

______Everything at Chez Lulu is made on the spot with fresh, local ingredients--something my family really loves in places we eat at!  The bread and food is made fresh daily, and the cheese, vegetables, and ingredients come from local sources.  We started out with a basket of wheat-berry bread and an olive oil plate, and then my dad and I opted for some deliciously tomato-y minestrone soup (this was also when I learned that I was pronouncing minestrone wrong; it's not "mine-strown," it's "min-uh-stroh-knee").  For my main course, I chose a most scrumptious cheese platter, complete with bleu cheese, locally made goat cheese, and a stinky cheese of some sort... and all were so very delicious in their own special way, and served with a variety of sweet fruits and a tiny bowl of crumbled walnuts.  It was fun experimenting how the varying tastes of cheeses worked together with the fruits and bread and such!  Cheese is quite the magnificent thing--it can be creamy and sweet, or tart and crumbly...

______Ah, but how I ramble!  I do apologize for getting carried away with cheese descriptions.  Cheese is just great.  Cheese for president.  Cheese 2016.

______Moving on.  After leisurely having lunch outside, we strolled a door over to the Continental Bakery which is also owned by those who run Chez Lulu.  We bought a loaf or two of bread and some scrumptious pastries (I had a ever so dense and sweet brownie, but savored it before I was able to snap a picture--you can understand, right, citizens?).  The bakery was furnished so nicely--I just loved how the bread was displayed on wooden shelves and how the decor was so rustic and friendly.  It was like being a kid in a candy shop all over again, but classier, and with baked goods.





______All in all, it was a lovely little trip to make, especially with such decent weather.  

______Do you guys have any local eateries that you enjoy?