Park & Belmont

homestead weekend

2011-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

2011 has not been the easiest year for JM and I. We've made it through some awesome accomplishments (me finishing school, him starting, jobs, bonuses, travels and celebrations with friends) but we've also lost dear loved ones, members of our families. Tears have flowed, frustrations have been expressed, our faith and understanding in the way the world works has been compromised. Dealing with grief has been central to 2011 and though we are moving on, it doesn't mean we miss our loved ones any less.

The other week we admitted to each other that neither of us was looking forward to the upcoming holidays. We weren't sure how to remedy this, but we thought getting out of town my help us find some joy in the holiday. Originally, we were thinking about heading out of town, to NYC, but decided we'd rather stay local, as work was exhausting and train tickets were expensive. We headed out bright and early on Saturday morning and hiked Crabtree Falls, for some beautiful, albeit cold views of Virginia.

After finishing our cold and chilly hike we headed further west to the Homestead in Bath County, VA. JM found an amazing deal, by simply calling them. We arrived at 3pm in the midst of the Homestead's complimentary tea. The fact that the Homestead is ridiculously classy and I had fallen during our hike and was covered with mud, did not stop me one bit from shoving my face with some tea, amazing hot chocolate and watercress sandwiches (and yes, I had both tea and hot chocolate).

After our delightful tea, we swam in the indoor pool, showered and made reservations for dinner at the Casino Club. The food was pretty good, but afterwards we both wished that we had eaten at one of the finer dining establishments as their menus were much more enticing (sadly we couldn't get reservations till late at either).

Post dinner we meandered around the grounds of the hotel, grabbed drinks at the Presidents Lounge and took pictures of the holiday decor.

The next morning we had a delightful brunch and headed out to the Jefferson Pools, 5 miles down the road in Warm Springs, VA. These mineral springs have been around for ages, and though the buildings aren't new or fancy the experience is fantastic. Its $17 for an hour long soak, but it is totally worth it. Plus just look at the light in these photos!

Once we were done at the Jefferson Pools, we hit the road and headed back to RVa. Though the weekend was short, it was perfect and relaxing.

Have you ever been to the Homestead? Have you ever needed a little vacation to get you in the holiday spirit?

Friday things

2011-11-18T04:51:00.001-08:00

Hello Loves, This Friday, I'm feeling thankful for weekends, pho, crunchy leaves, cafe lattes, jobs and fabulous coworkers, socks, quits made by my mom, phone calls with family and awesome neighbors.

This is what I've been mulling over this Friday morning. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Love this band. Love NPR Tiny Desk concerts.

On Wednesday, Sue and I braved the rain and went to the Design*Sponge book signing at anthro. P.S. The book is amazing (pictures and recap to come soon, I hope).

While at anthro I fell in love with these.

Have you seen this blog? "Suri" writes well ;)....

New favorite recipe, new favorite blog.

Speaking of food, I attempted these this weekend, substituting greek yogurt for sour cream, and making my own enchilada sauce and I failed miserably. Gonna keep on trying to find a healthy version of my favorite enchiladas....

If you are in RVA this weekend you might want to check out the new exhibition at VMFA, Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb, and while you are there, you should visit Xu Bing's installation work.

Thankful: dinners with husband

2011-11-16T12:22:00.001-08:00

Well, duh, of course I'm thankful for this awesome dude. He's my best friend, my favorite person ever, the ice cream to my pie, my better half, the cop to my krispy kreme doughnut sales person....

Did you know people actually asked me if I worked at krispy kreme- my costume was THAT good!

But what I'm most thankful for is our week night dinners. When we turn off the TV, stop our chores, turn on some tunes and have dinner, together, at our table. Sometimes dinners are leftovers, or as simple as beans and rice, sometimes I cook, sometimes he does - but the time we spend eating together, away from everyone and everything is our time. It belongs to us, and no one else. We talk about our days, the latest news, what I made for dinner, our cat, sometimes we talk about nothing, and sometimes we talk about everything. Its the favorite part of my day, with my favorite person. I am thankful that we've had this tradition for 2 years, and I'm excited to continue it for the next 60 plus.

Gratitude: My Running Legs

2011-11-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

I have these thighs. And I'm not trying to be all "omgmythighs are so big" in a whiny sorta way. I'm just saying, I have thick, muscular legs. And I think they are great! I am grateful for my legs. My legs have given me the experience to do so much- I've been a ballerina, a hiker, a soccer player, a swimmer, a wannabe yogi and most recently a runner.

I'm grateful for my legs for a number of reasons, but I'm the most thankful for my running legs. Why? Because running has given me back a part of my self confidence that I lost during those tricky middle and high school years. Running makes me feel just straight up awesome. Running is intense and exhilarating. I mean, you are moving your entire mass through space (gravity, people!) at a quick pace. It is also a brave activity, I don't look pretty running, do you? And finally the endorphins, they make you happy!

So anyways, I'm thankful for my running legs and I'm treating them nice this week - after all, I'm running a half marathon on Saturday! It will be my second, and I'm trying hard to not freak out and be scared I'll finish last!

Wish me and my thighs luck (and a swift recovery) this weekend!

Welcoming November

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

November is probably my favorite month of fall. September is still pretty much summer and October can be indecisive in its role as a fall month. November arrives shyly and is a meandering month, filled with apple harvests, early evenings, crunchy leaves and the promise of family times and gratitude.

In honor of this month which ends in gratitude, I am going to celebrate on this blog the things and people, both big and small, that I am grateful for. I hope you'll join me and share the things you are thankful for as well.

And so, without further adieu, here are a few of the pretty, silly things that I am grateful for this first week of November.

I am thankful for these Toms that JM got me, because they are so comfortable, even after a day of standing in the studios or running around the museum. Also, I really like their one for one movement.

This purple African violet bloom, because it brightens my day and reminds me of the sweet friend who gifted it to us.

These cupcake toppers that I found at an RVA boutique. Because they decorated the pumpkin cupcakes I gave to a friend in celebration of the birth of her new baby boy!

This candle that I purchased at anthropologie last weekend, because it even though it is little, makes the apartment smell wonderful and homie.

Friends, what are you thankful for this first weekend of November?

Some important decision making for your Tuesday morning

2011-11-01T05:20:00.000-07:00

Is Ryan Gosling cuter than a puppy?

What do you think?

image via

famers markets

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Do you go to farmers markets on Saturday mornings or do you sleep in?

My mom has a stand at the Charlottesville farmers market where she sells pies and produce. There have been many Saturdays where I've woken up at the crack of dawn to help set up the stand, sell pies and arrange flowers. Though I can be grumpy about the early hour and the cold, I do enjoy meeting vendors, browsing and supporting local farmers and artisans, and most of all I love the early morning sunlight.

So, will you be going to a market this Saturday morning?

Support your community businesses, farmers and artisans!

knitted bangels

2011-10-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've recently taken up knitting again. I used to do it as a kid and now that I'm not spending the majority of my time after work typing out a thesis, I figured my hands needed a bit of exercise. I discovered these knitted bangles on pinetrest and knew I had to create my own. I'd like to get a little more funky with my designs, but this is what I've started with.

please excuse my starbucks in the background - my pumpkin spice latte fix motivated me to get these done

Here is what the knit-stitch in yellow looks like

and the stockinette stitch in grey

What do you think?

where i've been

2011-10-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

oh hello to all three of you who read this!

Sorry I haven't kept up with the blogging lately. Life has been busy! We've been traveling, working, exploring and creating over here so I apologize for a lack of posts.

In September we caught the last rays of the summer sun and visited with family. We also discovered Camilla has a new special hiding place.

brothers and late summer sun (don't worry, jon's beard didn't stay like that for long).

camilla's secret hiding spot


Emily (my sister in law), me, and Rachel (my brother in laws gf) outside of kuba kuba. Pardon my squinty eyes.

In early October we headed south to Athens, Georgia to celebrate the wedding of a fabulous couple with some of our closest friends and family. Athens is an awesome town with great little shops and fantastic food..... I'll have to show you the goods I purchased while down there.

Hey, Athens

looking for Uga


Wedding dinner with close friends by candle light

blurry bride and groom!

We also hit up the Richmond Folk Fest, which is a phenomenal event. Here I am wearing the same shirt as above enjoying some traditional tunes from Cape Breton Island. Unfortunately, Jon didn't make it into the picture :(.

I'm going to try to keep up with blogging. It is so nice to have this space as a creative outlet and to share my projects and other going ons. I've always been sporadic about blogging, but if I can find the time to live, create and write you will see more posts from me. I hope those of you who are still reading will stick around :).

two years ago.....

2011-09-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

our friends and family came to the farm.....

we got ready to party....

my mom and friends made bouquets from our garden.....

I walked down the aisle.....

the groomsmen forgot Jon on the back porch! (he was left out all alone and didn't realize the ceremony had started and that I was waiting with the officiant and my parents!)

We said I do.....

Our friends and family gave us advice on what love is....

We danced our first dance as husband and wife...

We gave out favors...

we got down to some sweet jams by our awesome dj...

we at some cake....

Happy anniversary my sweets, love you (and thank you to all of our family and friends for their support that day and the many days since)

All of our photos by our amazing photographer and friend, Denny Henry

cleaning out

2011-08-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

In an effort to straighten up before fall, I'm making and selling more handmade earrings on etsy. Check em out if you'd like.

If you have any questions or are looking for something different, feel free to message me via etsy.

Gutter Garden

2011-08-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of summer J built a little gutter garden for our balcony. We neglected it due to recent events but have been happy to find that despite our delinquency we have a little lettuce and a whole lot of mint growing.

how does your garden grow, my friends?

Call me Ishmael.

2011-08-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Mocha Dick by Tristen Lowe
check it out

movin on

2011-07-29T20:30:00.001-07:00

Richmond feels a little empty lately. Two friends have moved on for bigger and more exciting cities! And ironically, both are close friends from school. What is it about academia that helps one develop the very closest of friendships!?

My dear friend, Lizzie B has flown north to NYC. I met LB the first day of graduate school. We've worked on many projects, exhibits and programs together and have often joked that we come as a packaged deal. But in all honestly we do work well in the creative environment together, while we both get it done, we also can take time to be silly and have some fun. I'll miss LB so much, but luckily NY isn't too far away :)!

graduation

MJ, who I met in undergrad, has also left the River City for an exciting life with her husband in Atlanta (where she is lucky enough to be living near my Maggie! )While I couldn't be happier for Martha, I'm also going to miss her (and Tim) tremendously. MJ and I met the first day of freshmen year in the common area where she was unrolling her N'SYNC poster (this was 2001). I am lucky we stayed close after college and that I had MJ introduce me to this city! Despite the fact that we have very different personalities, likes and dislikes, we've always been close and able to relate to each other. We've had so much fun* the last three years that we've both lived in this city and I can't help but get a little teary about the fact that I can't bike, run, walk or drive 1.68 miles to her house anymore.

(mj, me, mtw, akf)

*Fun includes but is not limited to: a carboaddiction to Edos, wine, running the monument 10k, sticky rice new years eves, Yaz (the schnoodle) dodge ball, wine, driving stick, running, more wine, sodium overdose at various Mexican restaurants, and spending the first night with her husband to be in my apartment's living room (on separate couches, duh!) after a very successful birthday celebration.

my father in law

2011-07-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

Hello loves, I hope you are well. I just wanted to touch base and explain that I've taken a little break from blogging because my father-in-law passed away earlier this month after battling stage 4 advanced melanoma. He was a wonderful man who loved his wife, kids, family, community and church dearly. Anyone who met my father-in-law will miss him dearly. But no one will miss him as much as his children and wife of 35 years- he was a loving husband and an attentive father, who taught his sons and daughters all the important things that father's teach - he taught all four kids to love nature, how to build a fire, fix a flat, change their oil, drive stick, camp in the mountains and repair just about anything that was broken. He had a passion for life and a passion for knowing more about people, I for one, will forever miss his voice booming "Hello MARISA!", and his questions and enthusiasm for my studies and career choice. He was a fantastic dad and I am so proud and lucky to have known him for the time that I was dating, engaged to and married to his son. George was a man who lived life 100% and nothing less- he loved to work, loved to garden, loved to fix things, loved to participate.

The day he passed I wasn't sure what to do. I felt so helpless and unsure about what I should say, do, or even feel. I wanted to move, to fix something...anything. So I put on my running shoes and my gym clothes and I weeded my in-laws garden which had gone untended since his illness. I didn't wear gloves - I just felt like tearing- like pulling out weeds, which grew like cancer through the lovely garden. I don't know if it made much of a difference- weeds always grow back - but I'd like to think maybe he saw me, and was happy that I wasn't afraid fingernails dirty.

Later in the week, JM joined me in the garden whenever we had free time. We both focused our tense energy on clearing out the garden as best we could- coming into the house in the evening covered with dirt and sweat. JM's mom, sisters and brother told stories about George which I had never heard, stories that made us laugh so hard that tears came to our eyes and we almost forgot for a moment that we'd never see him again.

Though George is in a place of comfort, free from pain and suffering, it is those left behind who hurt. I know that the road to normalcy will be long, but this family is filled with love, faith and stories you just can't forget.

And because melanoma sucks, I urge to pass this message along.

a poem for Thursday

2011-06-30T06:32:00.001-07:00

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves...
Don't search for the answers,
which could not be given to you now,
because you will not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future,
you will gradually, without even noticing it,
live your way into the answer.

- rainer maria rilke

We Do Yoga

2011-06-26T19:50:00.001-07:00

On Sunday I headed to "We do yoga, " a free event organized by Lululemon at Maymont Park, which brought together 14 or so yoga studios from around the Richmond/Metro area. "We do Yoga" featured two 90 minute yoga sessions, one at 10am and second class at noon. We went to the 10am session with about 250 other people, and it was fantastic. As we yogaed (is that even a verb) instructors walked around with spray bottles to cool us down. The practice was great, but it was also super fun and a little silly (proof that yogi's don't take themselves too seriously) - all 250 of us held hands and ran around for a few minutes, and also stood in a circle and did the wave! Hopefully there will be more yoga events like this in Richmond in the months to come!

I was joined by the lovely Mandy from Live.Laugh.Love

Beautiful day for yoga in the park

Lovely yogis!

post yoga brunch at Bellytimber

bonnaroo

2011-06-22T04:40:00.001-07:00

A fact which I haven't revealed yet on this blog - or maybe you've caught on to it - JM and I love our music. And that is why we went to Bonnaroo. This was my 3rd year attending and JM's 4th year. We saw so many great musicians and many of my favorites -- My Morning Jacket, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Robert Plant, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Black Keys and Lorretta Lynn to name a few. We also discovered some new favorite bands - Walk the Moon (a fantastic band out of Cleveland-I believe- who performed a GREAT set) and Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses.

While the music was fantastic, I think this was certainly my last year attending. I missed 08, 09, and 10, but I have to say, the festival has gotten too big and far removed from what it was the first year I attended. I'm finding that there are many people who are there to party and who don't want to see these great artists perform- which is fine I guess - except I wish these late night revelers would not blast techno music at 5:30 in the morning from their campsite when everyone else in the vicinity is sleeping (I'm glaring at you Black SUV with Oklahoma license plate). Or maybe, its a sign that I'm getting old (at 28!!!?) and becoming tired of crowds, and in need of a good nights sleep.

Have you ever been to a music festival? Who are your favorite musicians? New or old?

33 Ways to Stay Creative

2011-06-07T09:24:00.001-07:00

via

the first weekend in June looked like this....

2011-06-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

baseball & the richmond skyline, ice cream slush, gold nails and a pit stop at Carls, on the way to a wedding in Northern Va.

June and books

2011-06-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

hazy richmond summer

Richmond summers are my favorite. I love the humidity and the relief of the breezes that come off the river.

I am enjoying this late spring, early summer. My mantra is to focus on being present- rather than worrying about the future. I'm embracing things, that before would have taken time out of studies or thesis.

I'm loving waking up late on weekends, afternoon bike-rides, late lunches and Bevs.

I'm embracing post work wine and giggles at Secco with friends and coworkers.

I've been reminiscing with long lost friends at my 10 year high school reunion (gah I'm old!)

I'm looking forward with fresh eyes and a relaxed mind. I can't wait for all that we have planned and I'm hoping to dive into a few good books this summer....speaking of which....do you have any recommendations for me friends? I'd love to hear about your favorite reads (past and present)!!!

graduating graduate school

2011-05-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

via

I'm graduating with my masters on Friday. I am slightly terrified and very excited to start life post graduate school. I have no idea what the future will bring, or what opportunities will arise from hard work I put in the last 3 years. I do know I need to follow the advice of this poster. In graduate school I got over my fear of being wrong pretty quick. But then again, graduate school is a place that welcomes creativity, weird answers and different opinions. Its a safe place where you hash out your arguments and ideas with the help of your peers. Sitting around a table with brilliant women (yes, surprisingly no dudes in my program) facilitated my sharing of ideas, regardless if the trajectory was correct or incorrect.

I have yet to conquer this fear in the real/professional world. I''m a hard worker, but I'm often intimidated by others expertise and creativity that I fail to assert my creative dreams and opinions. So, as my mini goal for life post graduate school- get over this insecurity. Dream big, be creative and SHARE these ideas. So what if they are bad/wrong/stupid? The act of speaking them is a victory.

Do you have any insecurities you are trying to conquer?

momma

2011-05-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

a belated mother's day to all the moms i know. but especially my own....

Box of Rain

2011-04-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Again this blog will fade into silence for the next week or so. My brother and I (and our 15 cousins) have suffered the loss of a cousin, my parents (and uncles and aunts) a nephew and my uncle a son. A life removed from this world too soon and in a reckless, painful manner. We are all in shock and grief. But we are a large and loving family and I know we will persevere.

Love for Dugald

I've see good men going wrong
I've seen bad ones get it right
As that river rolls along
I'll be steppin' out tonight

On the cool flow
Floatin' down, down below
The bridge to the waters edge
From the ridge to the ledge
From the hills to the sea
I'll become a memory

James River blues

Magdalene

2011-04-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

NPR is currently doing a series on Magdalene an recovery organization that helps prostitutes and abused women heal through a 24 affirmation, working at the organizations business Thistle Farms, and through prayer and support. The organization was founded by Becca Stevens, an Episcopal priest, in Nashville. 75% of the women who come out of Magdalene will be successful.
You should check out the video below.

Easter weekend at Padua in pictures

2011-04-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

White and purple lilacs, scrabble with the family, my new favorite drink lillet (thanks Aunt Lisa!) Padua smoke house, poplar forest, Charlie Atkinson's abandoned house and orchard, morning hikes.

How was your easter weekend?

victory!

2011-04-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

My thesis passed! I have a few small edits to make but I'm officially graduating! phew!

today

2011-04-20T04:35:00.001-07:00

is just an ordinary day. but i will defend a thesis I have been working on for the last year and a half at 1pm.I believe I am ready to take on this challenge, regardless of the outcome.

(image)

on holding doors

2011-04-18T05:58:00.000-07:00

To the 4 undergrad dudes hanging outside the library at 8am this morning,

Listen, I know its early and you are 18 or 19 and probably super overwhelmed with your own life, but when you see me (or any other person) coming carrying 4 cloth grocery bags filled with 37 library books* please do not look away pretend not to see me, avoid eye contact, or look down at your cell phone. Please hold the door for me.

This isn't a chivalry thing, and it isn't a southern thing, and it isn't about gender roles. It is a human decency thing- and you bet I'd hold the door for you in the same situation. That is all.

Happy Monday,

M

p.s. To the boy who ran across the lobby and held the second door, thank you. Your parents raised you well.

* Library books are the bane of my existence. Lets hope I can return all of them come next week!

April weekend: loving on Richmond

2011-04-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that the defense is in a mere 4 days, husband and I decided to go on lunch date on Saturday afternoon and hit up Black Sheep. If you ever come to Richmond, or if you live here already, please do yourself a favor and go to the Black Sheep for brunch, lunch or dinner. I don't care if there is a wait. Do it. The food is amazing and the service is fantastic. Yesterday Jon got one of their battleships (a ginormous but delicious sub) and I got their twist on my favorite southern sandwich, pimento cheese and deliciousness- The Bridge Club. And then, because we were feeling fancy, we ordered dessert. Now normally at black sheep I go for their banana creme pie, but we were feeling crazy and so we ordered their peanut butter pie. ZOMG. Amazing and worth every calorie. Seriously. Go to Black Sheep. Now.

This morning we decided to run the North Bank Trail, which runs along the James River for several miles. Husband often mountain bikes this trail, and I was in need for a long run so we set off from the apt shortly after 8am. The sun was shining, the air was clear of pollen and it was warm enough to wear shorts (yay!). The North Bank Trail runs along side some of the cities hot spots, including Hollywood Cemetery, Maymont, and Oregon Hill. I was hurting, but the views of the river were incredible and well worth the run. Unfortunately, as we neared Oregon Hill, the husband took a turn a little too fast and rolled his ankle. Ouch. We hobbled on and planned walk back, but luckily, two of our close friends who live in Oregon Hill were home so we were able to get a ride from them. The ride turned into morning chit chat and coffee with friends at one of our favorite Richmond coffee shops -showing me once again, sometimes small accidents or setbacks can lead to even better things!

Overall, this weekend was spent loving on our city, hanging out with great friends, and enjoying spring time.We are spending the rest of today relaxing and I am preparing for the big defense on Wednesday. I hope you all are enjoying a rain free Sunday and a beautiful weekend!

hello April!

2011-04-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! I'm sure I'm the last to announce - "April is here!"

lilacs on my way to work, a sure sign of spring

I am particularly excited because I have some free time over the next few weeks (calm before the defense) and plan on catching up with friends and family. I also hope to catch up with all your blogs and share a few posts of my own regarding my favorite city and some recipes I've been trying out..also, if I get up the gumption..I might have a little surprise for you all (and this surprise has nothing to do with babies)

What are you pretties up to this weekend? I'm addressing wedding invitations with a friend, shopping for wedding dresses with another and hoping to take an adventure with the husband.

this is not a sports blog at all

2011-03-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

But I'm just going to come out and say that VCU (my grad school) made it to the final four in the NCAA basketball tournament. Richmonders are going crazy. I couldn't be prouder of my school, my city, or my peers. I know it sounds silly, but this story has united our community more than any news organization can described. People are stoked, the energy on campus and in Richmond is incredible.

This video made me so happy. I love how moved the players are when they receive picture texts of campus after the game (1:27 if you don't want to watch the whole thing).

Saturday. Butler. RAMNATION.

that is all.
oxo

I have a million thoughts

2011-03-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

How is your week? Is the weather crazy where you live? After so many warm days of sunshine in RVA, I am really sad that I woke up to such a cold grey morning.

I know I have so many things I want to share with you, but right now its just this photo....

Blueberry-flaxseed pancakes that J made for my birthday. Delicious.

I also like that ray of sunshine.

silence

2011-03-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

http://forjapanwithlove.com/

To donate to Japan visit the link above or to donate to both the relief efforts in Japan and the ongoing work in Haiti visit the Red Cross.

Who I am

2011-03-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today I turned twenty-eight. Twenty-seven, I realized, was all about what I wanted, not what I had. I spent much of the year wishing I was many things or wishing certain things would happen to me. But after 365 days of this nonsense, I realized that you can't wish your life away, so I am going to try to focus my energy on who I am this year. Less wishing, more counting my blessings and loving what I got.

And so, today at twenty-eight, I am the following:

I am a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, a cousin. I am a friend. I am oversensitive. I am loyal. I am not a fan of making copies or sitting at a desk all day. I am becoming a fan of pro football (blame husband). I am in love with my current job. I am insecure. I am a huge nerd. I am creative in my own way. I am a runner(actually, I am a half marathoner). I am a wannabe yogi, gardner and baker of pies. I am my mother's daughter. I am a carbavore and a porkatarian. I am not skinny, nor will I ever be and I am (becoming) okay with that. I am persistent as all hell. I am terrible at wearing makeup, loading the dishwasher and remembering where I left my glasses or keys. I am compassionate. I am a little bit of an activist. I am still not sure what I will be when I grow up.

Who are you at your current age?

"growing up is aiming to succeed wildly and being fulfilled by failing really well"

2011-03-11T06:48:00.001-08:00

I wish I had the chance to post this on international women's day.

I think Courtney Martin does a great job explaining that the definition of Feminism has become an issue and a movement much larger and more complex than Gloria Steinem's initial writings. Her personal insight into the inspiration she found in her mother's daily actions is extremely moving. Watch this if you get the chance.

March 6th!

2011-03-05T19:54:00.001-08:00

This is Allie and she is amazing. It is also her birthday.

(its actually Allie on her wedding day - 2/16/2008 - and yes, she's still this gorgeous)

Allie is my oldest friend. Our parents met in lamaze class when we were just wee babies in our momma's bellies. We've technically known each other for 28 years + a few months. That is pretty neat.

(us as toddlers! '86/'87?)

I don't have a sister, so I made Allie my unofficial sister and have always asked her for advice (even though she is only 8 days older than me). She has taught me all the important things everyone needs a sister to teach them...like how to apply nail polish and make up, etc.

the one picture of Italian travels '04

A's engagement '07

But lets get back to how Allie is amazing. Not only is Allie is editor extraordinaire of the Crozet Gazette, but she runs her own design company, AMP Designs. As you may have guessed from the picture above, she's married a totally awesome man who is in Med School and has made an appearance in the Parking Lot Movie (haven't seen it yet? For shame. Go rent it now).

This marriage has resulted in the two most beautiful and adorably sweet kiddos I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Allie also puts crafters to shame---hello Weekend Away Bags,Sleeping sack-- !!! And did I mention she has an MA from NYU, has studied in Greece and Italy and can speak/read/translate in Latin, Italian, French and German? (--she is pretty much the smartest girl I know).

(MOH duty at our wedding)

Allie! Happiest of birthdays. You are the best. The best mom, the best wife, the best artist and the best friend. I am so grateful to have you in my life! To a lifetime of friendship!

M&J's wedding '09

A & A's wedding '08

love,

Dear running shoes

2011-03-04T04:39:00.000-08:00

I miss you. We haven't had any of our old dates in a while..the ones where I plug in This American Life and we take off for an hour. I miss the pavement, I miss our long silences. Thesis and now this cold/flu/sinusinfectionihateyou has gotten in the way. But I promise I'll be back soon (I have to be back, or else this isn't going to be too much fun)

Thinking of you like every day....

Love,

under the weather

2011-03-02T18:17:00.001-08:00

Oh dear. The husband and I have fallen into a vicious cycle of getting each other sick. First he was sick, then I got sick, then he got sick and....well you get the idea. Me and my stuffy head are going to take it easy for a few days to get healthy and disinfect the apartment. I'll be reading all of your blogs in the meantime! Stay healthy!

If you are looking for some new blogs to read you should check out my sweet friend Mandy over at Live. Laugh. Love - she's new to the blogosphere but she is awesome (and funny!)

P.S. Thank you for all your sweet suggestions on the last post! I'll be certain to keep everyone updated on what I decide to gift myself ;-)

March 1

2011-02-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

Hello loves! March is here! Two weeks till I officially leave my mid twenties and head into my late twenties. As this birthday approaches, I'm just not as enthused about celebrating. It might be the large number of impending deadlines, but also 27 was full of challenges...so while I'm relieved to enter 28, I'm also a little hesitant. I feel like big things are coming, but I'm not sure what they are or if they will transpire- so that makes me a little nervous..ya know?

In the past I loved celebrating with friends, but this year I'm not feeling it. I think I'd rather just enter 28 quietly and treat myself to something nice, especially since minus a trip to target, I haven't shopped for clothes or accessories since fall 2010. This is a big deal for me. For serious.

I've had a few things on my wishlist for a while, so I'm choosing one to give myself for my 28th year...

1. Should I go to Anthro?- Be still my heart. Anthro's spring dress collection is blowing my mind. With warmer seasons fast approaching I'm thinking one of the following might be perfect for a happy birthday to me present!

one

two

three

all three might go nicely with a pair of these

2. Should I save a little more and purchase this Nikon? I have wanted a new camera forEVER. Its a little pricey...but it will be worth it in the end, right? Have you purchased this camera or one like it? Do you have any suggestions about purchasing fancy cameras?

3. This might be a nice purchase to help motivate me to get through those pesky deadlines these coming months!

4. Eliza B. Askin makes super adorable sketches of Richmond. With so many I'd have a hard time choosing one print, though the sketch Hill Cafe tugs at my heart strings(one of our favorite restaurants in the city).

5. Emerson Made. I've been eying these clutches for months. Now that you have seen them, you will probably start eying them too :).

What do you think? How do you celebrate your birthday?

I hope you have a lovely weekend

2011-02-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

Are you sick of these tiny desk concert yet? Adele is magic. I mean it.

Happy Friday loves!

lightscape

2011-02-23T17:37:00.000-08:00

At work and in school I talk lots about and look at landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes- but I have never seen such a beautiful lightscape!

I flail when it comes to DIY projects + grad school, especially because whenever I have a free moment I feel obligated to thesisize or edit. Anyways, when I have the time to decorate and make our home more homey (so what if we've been moved in two years and still haven't unpacked our wedding gifts?), I would like to make this lightscape - and I know just the place for it.

{via}

Ten things to love about February

2011-02-21T15:15:00.001-08:00

Here are my ten things to love about February---because even though its the shortest month it sometimes feels like the longest.

1. One month closer to my birthday :)

2. Days growing longer and warmer

3. Daffodil and crocus buds poking out of the earth and buds on trees

4. Surprise sunshine days when the temp hits 65+

5. Renewed motivation/interest in running (see #2)

6. Last chance winter ski trip

7. Leftover chocolate

8. Newly discovered peach tea

9. Waking up to light and birds chirping (again, see #2)

10. Celebrating six years of love with the hubs

{image via}

weekend recap

2011-02-20T19:08:00.001-08:00

{image via}

The sunny, warm weather we had this weekend was just what I needed to push stress out.

Taco/movie night kicked off the weekend. On Saturday morning we ran through the Byrd Park exercise path and did every exercise (my upper body strength is seriously lacking though as is proven by my pathetic attempt at rope climbing). I spent too much money at target and dined at this amazing place with some wonderful ladies on Saturday night. Sunday was lazily spent making our own version of sausage gravy biscuits breakfast, watching CBS Sunday morning and working on thesis.

oh and p.s. I am now addicted to Downton Abbey? Anyone Anyone?

How was your weekend loves?

thoughts on graduate school

2011-02-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

I just have to say, grad school is hard.

I was talking with my superior at work, who was suggesting that I continue on in my studies (ie PhD) with the convincing argument that the "real world" is no good. I had to disagree. I miss the real world. I miss finishing each day and being done with it. I miss leaving work and having it be seperate from my life. Grad school does not allow the separation of work and life. I instead carry my thesis with me everywhere. It is in the back of my mind when I'm enjoying life with my husband or friends, at parties, at dinner, while I'm cleaning, while I'm cooking. I think about it when I wake up. There is always something to read, something to edit, something to change. I can't wait until its packaged up and out the door.

I don't think grad school is like this for everyone. Many people thrive in this environment. I think that I must over think graduate school. I take it personally, and I search for meaning and purpose. This thesis, this degree, has become my primary purpose for the last year. Lately it has been hard to remember that I have other duties and purposes in life. Despite the edits and the research and the changes I must continue to be a wife, sister, friend, maker of parties, owner of cat, daughter, maker of pie, maker of earrings. When I had a full time job (oh that old life where I worked and made money and could shop superfluously for things like jeans and shoes and jewelry) I could come home after a long day or a stressful day and still be these things- something about this thesis has made it hard for me to separate my life from my work..and I hate that.

Luckily, at the end of every winter is spring and my spring is fast approaching. I sincerely hope that I will be done and enjoying the weather in no time as I'm not sure if I can continue with this cyclical process. I honestly don't know if the stress I have accrued throughout this process will be worth the degree, but I look forward to the next chapter and discovering the answer to this question.

That is all for now :).

I love you burro, burro much

2011-02-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines day pretty friends. I hope you have a beautiful day!

{sweet ecards via}

James Franco's thoughts on graduate school

2011-02-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

1. he's adorable
2. those kiddos are adorable
3. Watch this great interview and try to not let your heart melt.

via

Iron and Wine

2011-02-02T13:54:00.001-08:00

Reminds me of the following: being in love, I-81 in the middle of night, cruzin' through Virginia and Tennessee mountains, summer nights, winter time snuggles, most of all Iron and Wine is our driving music- always reminds me of driving with husband in his silver corolla, his hand on my knee, sunshine coming through the windows.

I love that.

pink tulips

2011-01-31T05:57:00.001-08:00

The sweet husband brought me flowers on Thursday night just because (well, really I think he was trying to make me forget for a moment some uber stressful deadlines I have coming up). These pink tulips (taken with my camera phone- obvi) brought a little light into my gray winter weekend and have me looking forward to spring more than ever.

Thank you husband, you are the best.

Paris underground

2011-01-30T09:53:00.001-08:00

There are over 180 miles of passage ways under Paris. NPR and National Geographic followed the people who explore this unseen underworld of the City of Lights.

Its magical, check it out.

via

Guidelines for 2011

2011-01-08T10:34:00.001-08:00

I'm not much for resolutions. Mainly because life happens and things change and fall by the wayside...my resolutions are more like guidelines, which help me change and better myself. For example, last year I set a resolution that I'd try to do a triathlon. Unfortunately that didn't happen because of grad school/pool/wedding scheduling issues, but I did run a half marathon, which I personally think is an equal accomplishment.

Anyways, below you'll find a few of the guidelines I hope to live by this year...

- Complete my MA and take steps towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

- Smile more, even at perfect strangers

- Move, sweat or get my heart rate up for at least 30 minutes every day

- Re learn how to knit

- Stand up straight (ie practice yoga more often for posture reasons)

- Surprise Jon in a good way(somehow- I can never catch this guy off guard, he knows me well)

- Grow something edible

- Cook through Moosewood

- Wear lipstick sometimes

- Try for another 1/2 marathon

What are your resolutions or guidelines for 2011?

2011 and the Moosewood Cookbook

2011-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends, I hope you all had a wonderful New Years holiday! I've been sick the last few days, including new years eve, but that didn't stop me from putting on my sparkles, enjoying time with some excellent friends and substituting grapefruit juice for champagne. I'll post my goals and resolutions for the New Year in a bit, but I wanted to share with you one of my favorite gifts from 2010.....

Introducing the Moosewood Cookbook! My mom lives by the moosewood and I grew up with these delicious veggie entrees for dinner almost every night. I am stoked that I now have a cookbook of my own, primarily because I'm hoping it can convert my meat and potatoes husband to be more open to vegetarian fare.

The first recipe I made (by request from the husband) was the Moosewood's Hungarian Mushroom Soup. We didn't have any dill, as is suggested in the recipe, but it was still a good hearty winter soup.

Be forewarned, I've already tried out more moosewood recipes so get ready for some vegetarian deliciousness. Have you ever tried a moosewood recipe?

2010

2010-12-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

I thought 2010 was going to be the BYE (best year ever), but it was actually the most stressful year yet. Despite my hopes for a more successful year, I'm proud of all that I accomplished. I'm working on my goals for 2011 which I'll share here, but below you'll find some of the highlights from 2010!

-passing all the tests, defending the proposal and becoming a masters candidate this Spring (so close to getting the MA!)

-welcoming miss camilla the cat to our little family

- making earrings

- joining a CSA

-celebrating the nuptials of SEVEN amazing couples (I can't post all the pics, but you all know who you are :))

- camping through thunderstorms in Hot Springs, NC, visiting Asheville, NC and Atlanta, Georgia with the husband

(I promise I wasn't this miserable camping, Jon took this picture when he was beating me in Gin Rummy--I'm a sore loser, and its a funny picture:-))

-celebrating our first wedding anniversary in September

- running the blue and gray half marathon in December with my awesome sister-in-law

(yes, that is starbucks I am holding...my requested reward from the husband)

- helping out with some amazing professional opportunities and still managing to keep it together while working, going to graduate school and volunteering!

What are some of the highlights from your year?

Just another reason to love Richmond......

2010-12-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

Tres Leche Cake at KubaKuba.

Delicious.

the best thing

2010-12-22T08:26:00.001-08:00

For me, the best thing about December (holidays, cookies, treats, friends and family time aside) is the way a newly purchased moleskin notebook smells. I love fingering through the soft pages and planning things for the year to come.

(sorry about these terrible cell phone picts. But can you tell it is becoming a habit?)

my hobby

2010-12-20T18:28:00.000-08:00

I'm still making and messing around creating earrings and such for friends, family and of course myself....Just wanted to share with you a few of my recent favorites.....

rose quartz, freshwater pearl and silver

I wore these to an event recently, black glass beads, freshwater pearl and silver

The quality of this picture isn't so great, but I love the contrast of these yellow glass beads with these big pink pearls

I found these wooden beads at a shop in DC a few years ago and I love how they look paired in between two freshwater pearls.

If you are interested in a pair or have questions about materials, you can certainly email me at parkandbelmont@gmail.com

winter walks

2010-12-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hello my friends!

This weekend we attended two holiday parties and topped off the weekend with a winter hike near my parents house, topped off with a wine tasting at Jefferson Vineyards.

How was your weekend?

relief

2010-12-17T07:30:00.001-08:00

The snow we had in RVA came as a relief actually. I was scheduled to work but my supervisor called me and told me to take it easy which was super kind of her. Many pages of my thesis were due this Friday morning and so taking a break provided me with the assurance that I wouldn't have to pull an all nighter. However before I buckled down to edit and revise I took a walk through the museum district and marveled at how quiet the world becomes in a winter snow. I explored back streets and admired Christmas decorations, organized my thoughts and enjoyed just being alive in that moment.

And then used my cell phone to take a picture of my feet.

Speaking of relief! I forgot to tell you all that I completed a half marathon! 13.1 and done! What relief!

A little bit of Holiday Cheer

2010-12-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

With several chapters due...uh, tomorrow (I have no business writing this post), December has been a little stressful. However, I was able to get into the holiday cheer a little bit yesterday at work when we had our annual holiday cookie exchange and potluck. I made out like a bandit and got to dip a snickerdoodle in my coffee this morning. Hows that for holiday cheer?

(hope you enjoy another poor quality cell phone pick, and yes with Jon out of town, I maybe ate that tart for dinner last night)

in case you were not in richmond yesterday....

2010-12-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow!

What is it about falling snow that makes one hopeful for things to come?

(I hope you enjoy my poor quality cell phone picture taken from the Sub yesterday morning)

Sunset

2010-12-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

What is it about late fall/early winter sunsets? I find them so beautiful!

Please enjoy these photos which do not by any stretch of the imagination capture a beautiful november sunset we experienced a few weeks ago.

Smitten

2010-11-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

Am I the last person to hear of Angus and Julia Stone? I was just introduced to them over at Smallesthings (which is an adorable blog that you should check out too btw)

check them out, but warning, you might become smitten too....

funny motivators

2010-11-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

Back to reality after a lovely holiday! I could sure use one of these silly motivational cards from Felt & Wire this morning.

{all images via}

Thanksgiving to do list

2010-11-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

I have a long "to do" list, despite this short week. I wish it looked a little more something like this...

{image via}

Instead I'll be working, editing, writing, laundering, cleaning and preparing for Thanksgiving with JM's family. This week is not without treats though, as I'll be making homemade twix and rutabaga potato gratin for the holiday. We have been getting a plethora of rutabagas from our CSA and after trying them out in several recipes I'm excited to see what they are like cooked in heavy cream and cheese :)

What are you cooking for Thanksgiving?

10 things I am thankful for

2010-11-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Because it is the season of giving thanks, and because a busy fall has pushed me to the point where I sometimes forget how good I have it, I've made a little list of the little things I am thankful for....

1. My husband, who gives me calf-rubs after long 1/2 marathon training runs, eats and claims to love most of my cooking and who makes me go on afternoon sunshine fall bike rides even when I am being a grump because he knows they will cheer me up.

2. My healthy body, which can chug a long for ten miles (and hopefully 13.2 on Dec 12).

3. Our big family - they are the best and I have come to realize that despite my small failures or successes they will love me the same regardless.

4. My bike - it gets me to the places I need to go.

5. Camilla the cat, because she forces me to take breaks when she sits on my laptop.

6. My friends, who are honest (if not brutal), open, who believe in me and my dreams and who make me laugh until I might cry.

7. My husband's job and my job- because in this economy they are tough to come by and I am so grateful.

8. The smell of a butter, olive oil, onion and garlic saute in a cast iron frying pan- not only is the scent divine, but there are so many directions you can take this delightful mix.

9. Coffee and water- awakens me, fuels me, gets me going- also so many people in the world don't have access to clean water- we are so lucky.

10. Trees on fire- I mean seriously how beautiful is the world in fall? Red, yellow, orange colors- and the light! We are so lucky to experience and drink in this beautiful season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for this November?

sweet potato soup

2010-11-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

Though the fall weather has been quite mild, I've still been craving hearty soups and stews. We've been getting a plethora of sweet potatoes from our CSA and so the other week I whipped up some sweet potato soup. I don't have a recipe, I just called my momma and guestimated....

EBD's modified Moosewood Cookbook Sweet Potato Soup!

one onion, diced

one clove of garlic, diced

3 large sweet potatoes

1/2 cup of OJ

tblspn of butter

evoo

cumin

ginger

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 cup of veggie broth (you can also use chicken broth or you can omit this all together...my mom told me not to use any broth but I chose to use it because I already had an open container of veggie broth and needed to get rid of it anyways :-))

Boil sweet potatoes until they are done (nice and soft, stabable with a fork). Meanwhile, saute onions, garlic with one tblspn of butter and a tblspn of olive oil until soft (listen, this is how my Italian mother taught me to saute, it makes everything delicious, just trust me, the rest of the recipe is healthy enough. USE THE BUTTER- unless of course you are vegan). Add cumin and ginger, salt and pepper to the onions and garlic.

Once everything is nice and soft, put the sweet potatoes and half the onion/garlic mix in the blender (you can put all of it in but I like chunks) and blend with the veggie broth and OJ- hit liquefy!!!!!! Once everything nice and smooth (also, you can adjust the veggie broth and OJ depending on how thick or thin you want the soup) pour it back into the pot, add the remaining garlic and onion mixture and heat back up. You may want to taste it now and see if you want to add more salt, pepper, cumin, ginger or some spices of your own.

I hope you enjoy!

brain cleanse - early morning

2010-11-17T02:14:00.000-08:00

This fall has been topsy turvy. Lots of challenges, lots of changes, lots of writing. There have been many happy things, but also many tears have been cried over lost opportunities, frustrating critiques and the exhaustion of never quite getting it right. Work is my solace. I love working so much..it provides a relief from the stress of thesis....

I've been found myself thinking along the lines of "I'll be happy when...."

"I will be happy when 4am thesis revisions are not a part of my life"

"I will be happy when I can spend more time with my husband, family and friends and less time worrying about critiques, references, reviewing my writing...."

I have to admit I don't like this way of thinking...while thesis writing will one day be over (March?? gulp) there will always be challenges I face, struggles to get through-"when" will never be. Furthermore, this line of thought creates such a self absorption, with only my own life and my own tasks, it perpetuates my focus on something I have limited control over, causing me to be unable to see the world for what it really is...I don't want to be this person.

This is why a return to blogging more readily may be in order...I need a release, or a reminder. I need a place to remind myself of the little things in life that make up a whole. Because I don't want to spend my life, hiding from happiness for fear it will distract me from a 60 page manuscript (or in the future: my job, my work, my career)--I want to embrace, find beauty and capture the experiences that are the sum of the whole and make life worth living.....

Hello.

let them eat cake

2010-11-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

Maggie Austin Cake is almost too beautiful to bite into.
Check this artist out.

October

2010-10-05T11:39:00.001-07:00

Oh friends, graduate school is hard! Writing a thesis is hard! I don't have much to say that would interest you so here are some snapshots of my life at the moment!

This is where my weekends are spent. In this thesis mess (and yes those are wedding presents that have yet to find a home in our tiny apartment).

I've been drinking many cups of coffee (luckily out of a pretty tea cup).

Honey from my parent's bee hive is my new current obsession. We've put it in desserts, yogurt, tea, etc (I love this vintage glass jar my mom gave me!)

flowers from my mom's garden

pears are in season! that means pear-ginger pie!

saying goodbye heirloom tomatoes with cream cheese tomato toast :)

favorite

2010-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Its rainy in Richmond today and I have a foggy head. A big thesis deadline coming up on Monday, and while I'm anxious to get it done I'm feeling quite happy today. Maybe its John Mayer on my pandora, or coffee, or the fact that even though I'm working and going directly to the library today I'm wearing a fabulous pink dress...who knows.

Anyways, I wanted to share my favorite quote which I discovered when my friend Erin posted it a few months ago. It just makes me happy and I hope it will make you happy too.

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common - this is my symphony."

---William Henry Channing

oops

2010-09-24T08:32:00.000-07:00

I disappeared into thesis mode! This semester I'm not taking any classes but I am (over?)involved in many different and exciting activities and opportunities on top of the regular thesis writing and work. Though I am feeling stretched a little thin, I can't help but feel something exciting, shiny and new is right around the corner- of course this feeling is rare and makes me fear that I am setting myself up for disappointment- so we'll see friends! Will the completion of my thesis (hopefully) lead to new doors being opened? I really hope so!

I'll be sporatic about blogging these next few months, but I'll be reading all of your blogs I promise.

Also in the meantime you should probably check out Birds and Arrows, our friend's E + C convinced us to go see them at Gallery 5 last night and it was the best ever...check them out. now.

End of Summer

2010-09-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Goodness! Its already labor day and I have my second thesis chapter deadline on Wednesday! I have to admit, the end of summer is my favorite time of year. I love the warm days and the cool nights, and the afternoon light which is just phenomenal at this time of year. We've been busy spending time at the lake, saying adios to Jon's brother and his girlfriend as they make the big trek across the country to California, celebrating our first wedding anniversary, and trying to figure out how we'll spend out next year of marriage :). I don't have a lot of time, but I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

gallery tours at the VMFA

end of Summer days at the Lake

Italian dinners with girlfriends

Newly designed Martha pearl cluster earrings

homemade mojitos to celebrate....

One year!

And the vacation continues: Biltmore Estate

2010-08-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

It seems that we have been granted a reprieve from the summer heat. Today's forecast is calling for highs in the mid seventies, which means I've busted out jeans and some apple spice tea(between June and September, as I make it a rule to never wear jeans or drink hot tea when the temperature is above 80)

I wanted to share pictures of the Biltmore from our vacation last month. It was a lovely estate, but crazy expensive- $60 for admission, no student discounts?!!!! We figured we probably wouldn't go back, so we paid the $120 to get in. While the estate and gardens are lovely, I'm a little disappointed with the Biltmore. Sure its gorgeous, but it is not a nonprofit, there are no educational or outreach programs. Being in the museum/nonprofity/historic houses world, I'm all about preserving, but preserving with a purpose. Call me a socialist (;-)), but I like the idea of art, historical houses, museums, etc giving back in some way to the community. The Biltmore doesn't really give back, rather it takes, at $60.00 a pop. And I understand that it is expensive to run the place (its totally massive), and appreciate the preservation of the land and the house and the 23 wines we got to taste, but I was expecting the admission fee to be more in the realm of $25- $35.

Now that I am down from my soap box. Please enjoy the pictures we took of the beautiful Biltmore. Its truly a lovely place, and I suggest visiting once (but check with your hotel and see if you can get a discount like my Mom did).

Beach Camping

2010-08-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

We have been so lucky to have been able to camp several times this summer. Last weekend we went beach camping with some of our closest friends, Erin and Charley, down at Frisco in the outer banks. Days were spent on the beach, and nights were spent around beach bon fires where we feasted on the most delicious dinners and watched the meteor showers

Our wedding....

2010-08-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Was featured on one of my most favorite green wedding blogs, Walking Barefoot!

Check it out!

photo via Denny Henry

Asheville

2010-08-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness, where has the past week gone! Asheville is the most awesome city! Breweries, delicious restaurants....need I say more? I will let the pictures speak for themselves :)

The LAB

Delicious pizza at Modesto

Lemon love

Early Girl Eatery where I had the most delicious sweet potato, local sausage scramble

just a little thank you note

2010-08-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Mechanic who works at the garage on Malvern and Grove,

Thank you so much letting me have a sip (or a chug) of water from your water fountain at 6:45 yesterday morning. I had no idea that running 7 miles at 6am in Virginia would result in the most incredible thirst I have ever felt in my life.

And thank you for saying "I respect what you do." That was pretty nice (and undeserved!)- because I was at mile 5, and really sweaty, and running slowly and my legs felt like lead- and it was the the perfect pick me up.

So thank you for your words and your water fountain which helped a thirst crazed runnner get one step closer to her goal.

M

Vacation: Hot Springs (pt 2)

2010-08-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

We stayed in Hot Springs for two nights and three days. Hot Springs is a tiny little town and the Appalachian Trail actually follows main street for about a half a mile. It was a little late in the season for north-bound AT hikers and a little early in the season for south-bound hikers, so unfortunately we didn't meet any through hikers, which I was bummed about. (I love talking to people and hearing their stories- which is most likely the reason I love all your blogs :)).

After our big hike we headed for, of course, the hot springs. Because what else would we want to do on a hot sticky July day, but sit in 101 degree sulfer springs? No but really, the hot springs were incredible. For 25 dollars we got our own little private hot springs hot tub, which had private walls and sat right along the river. It was delightful and a great way to relax.

The next morning we packed up camp and headed to Max Patch, a bald mountain about 45 minutes south of Hot Springs. If you are ever in Western North Carolina I highly recommend checking out Max Patch. Its a short hike (only 2.5 miles) but it is magnificent. On clear days you get a 360 degree view of the mountains. Unfortunatley for us we had some major cloud cover, but it was still a great hike!

ahhh...hot springs in july :)

Super dork

Max Patch

On the top of Max Patch

Epic

Up Next: Asheville!

Vacation: Hot Springs (pt 1)

2010-08-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

JM and I both grew up camping, but if I had to pick an expert it would def. be my sweet husband. He is an awesome planner, and found some of the best hiking trails! We camped outside of Hot Springs, NC on the French Broad River. It was mighty humid and a few thunderstorms rolled in at night, but thanks to JM's expert tenting skills we stayed nice and dry.

hiking along the AT (immediately after this picture was taken we encountered a cute little black bear- of course since it was a baby we didn't stick around to take pictures, as I'm sure momma was right around the corner)

camp food!

smokey mountains

home sweet camp

sunshine

2010-08-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Photos like this...

....make me nostalgic for my DC days. Gosh I love that city.
For more pictures of DC sunsets visit the dcist.

p.s. asheville/atlanta/camping trip posts coming soon. Promise, promise, promise.

eating for one

2010-08-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

Wow. That title sounds super depressing- I swear this post is not! Please keep reading! (Also, I promise to do updates on our road trip soon!!)

As many of you know, Jon works out of town these days. He has a pretty long commute and while most nights he makes it home for dinner, on busy weeks he scraps the drive and stays with my parents (who live quite close to his new job). Because the job is pretty busy all the time, I'm usually cooking and eating by myself at least one night a week (note: I do have awesome girl friends who are always up for going out to eat, but in an effort to save money, I'm trying to stay home and cook).

Often, I end up eating leftovers. However, when there are no leftovers to be had, I'm often at a loss for what to eat for dinner. Grilled cheese? PB&J? Eating these fine foods alone on the couch while watching PBS masterpiece mystery sometimes just doesn't cut it- and usually end up still hungry and lonely(anyone else out there watch PBS masterpiece mystery or am I the oldest 27 year old alive?).

While in Atlanta, I picked up and started reading Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which is a compilation of short stories about cooking alone and dining alone. It is a pretty great book and I would totally recommend checking it out sometime.

One such story focused on the merits of black beans and rice as a dish for one. And how true. Black beans and rice together are the best meal because the are a) delicious, b) healthy and c) you always have leftovers- ie lunch or dinner! And so, last night feeling inspired and a little lonely, I made myself a delicious dinner of black beans and rice (with extra shredded cheese and salsa on top of course). Ahhh...my comfort food, and paired with an ice cream sandwich, this dinner was the perfect way to wind down alone!

Do you ever eat or cook alone? What is your favorite dish for one?

I have so much to tell you...

2010-08-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Seriously! About our adventures camping and eating through Asheville and Atlanta (I pretty much ate my way through the south)! Unfortunately I must catch up with work projects and graduate school these next few days, so in the mean time I leave you my most favorite wedding dance picture ever.

Happy Tuesday!

via

Vacation!!!

2010-07-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

We are off tomorrow morning for a little bit of camping and hiking, and a lotta hanging with old friends, eating and exploring new places.

If you miss me too much you might want to head over to this fine lady's blog.

Leslie and I have been friends since college, and even though she's lived as far away as Texas and now Louisiana we have always been close. We share lots of similar interests, including but not limited to organic food, local shops, delicious recipes, Jcrew, New Orleans and Monticello. When I told her I was starting my little etsy shop, Leslie, the amazing graphic designer that she is, created the banner! And I love it!

Both Leslie's personal and professional blog are a delight to read. So while you are missing me this next week, check her out!

Carolina (and Atlanta!) on my mind---aka help us with our vacation!

2010-07-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Jon and I are loading up the subi (our new subaru!!)*** and heading south. We're going to head down towards the Asheville/Hot Springs area, with intentions of camping and hiking the AT and enjoying the great outdoors.

We plan on hanging out in the mountains until Thursday morning when we are going to head in to town to check Asheville out. And then.....THAT EVENING We'll be heading to Atlanta to spend three glorious days with this fine lady

MTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so college

tubes!

Virginia wine makes besties the silliest

bridesmaiding it up at our wedding (9.5.9)

MTW and I have been friends going on 10 years. She's been there for the majority of my major adult (responsible and irresponsible) life decisions- heck she was with me on my first date with Jon! Were it not for her seal of approval, I might not be the happily married woman I am today!

I'm sure MTW is going to take good care of us in her home city, but I'm looking for Asheville/Hot Springs suggestions....Obviously, being the giant museum/historical house nerd that I am we are going to check out the Biltmore, but I wanted to put my feelers out and see if anyone out there has any suggestions?

*** the subi is just new to us, its actually a new used car, our first official big purchase as a couple---huzzah!!!

July Weekend

2010-07-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hello!! How was your weekend? Jon and I went hiking and stayed at the farm this weekend. Our hike was cut short due to a thunderstorm and we ended up turning back after only a few miles. Since we had the a few free hours added to our afternoon we decided to do a little wine tasting at some nearby vineyards-- Sharp Rock and DuCard.... I might be biased, but I love Virginia wines.

Rappahannock County, Va

my favorite of our post hike photos- though totally unfortunate that the porta-potty is in the background

At Sharp Rock Vineyards

DuCard Vineyards just opened...they are in Madison and are fabulous

What are your favorite wines? Are they local? We are always looking to visit new vineyards!

the secret is out!

2010-07-15T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've made a few more earrings and started an etsy site after getting fabulous feedback from friends near and far. Here is just a peak!

Check my brand new etsy site - Park & Belmont- and let me know what you think!

p.s. You will notice the name of this blog has changed a little. It was originally called not really blogging material, because when I told Jon I had started a blog he said "are you sure you are blogging material?" Thus the title. The name has changed to Park & Belmont, because its an important intersection to me, and to Jon...important enough to change my blog name and to call my etsy store after this little intersection.

vegetable bounty

2010-07-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

We joined a CSA and I love it.

The food is fresh and local. Wednesday night pick up is the best night of the week!

Check out this bounty! (minus beets, a melon and several tomatoes)

Here is a meal cooked with said bounty--beets, tomatoes, pesto pasta salad and local chicken. I also spy a little black cat, begging for treats! Camilla loves CSA veggies too!

pie!

2010-07-13T19:25:00.001-07:00

My mother is the pie master (if I haven't mentioned it already, she made forty pies for our wedding). But let me tell you- I have made three blueberry pies in the last four days! I am pretty darn proud of myself- they all came out edible.

Don't worry they weren't all for me!

seeking blueberry recipes!

2010-07-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the sweet comments about the earrings. Your encouragement is so sweet! I'm thinking about getting an etsy store up and running, and if I do you will be the first to know!

This week my mom and I braved the heat and went blueberry picking. I ended up coming home with two big buckets full of berries! Whoohoo antioxidants!

I will probably be freezing a fair amount, but I also plan on using them in some recipes!

How do you like your blueberries cooked/prepared??

It is with a stomach full of butterflies

2010-07-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

That I show you these....

And these....

And these.

I made them all. Materials include sterling silver, copper, freshwater pearls, turquoise and pretty little glass beads that I find here and there. Maybe I'll share with you more, but in the mean time I'd love to hear what you all think!!

oh goodness!

2010-07-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Blushing! Whitney over at Whitney's Blogtastic Blog gave me a little bloggy award. I've never gotten one of these before!

Whitney is a sweetie... you should check out her blog. I love reading it for the following reasons..

1. Whit is a long lost friend from high school and its super fun to see what a lovely woman she has become.

2. She has the most positive outlook on life ever! Not only is she super pumped about food, but her posts on her exercise goals really help me get motivated.

3. She's a kindergarden teacher- which pretty much makes her a super hero in my book.

I guess part of this little award is that I let you all know 7 things about myself...Whit did food, but I'm going to tell you some super nerdy things that you might not know about me.

1. I am super allergic to shellfish. I'm also really allergic to bugs, but not as allergic as I am to shellfish.

2. My favorite author from my childhood and adolescence is L.M Montgomery, known for her Anne of Green Gables series. I've seriously read every book written by this woman. My favorite book in the series is Anne of the Island (a close second is Rilla of Ingleside -about Anne's youngest daughter) which I read at least once a year, its like visiting an old friend.

3. My favorite "adult" book is Pride & Prejudice. I also read it once a year. I love the bbc movie version and am not a fan of Keira Knightly playing Elizabeth Bennett.

4. These days I'm reading lots of books and articles on 19th and early 20th century Mexican art.

5. When I was ten and living in California, my mom used to take me to this old movie theater that played Alfred Hitchcock movies every Saturday night. Thus began my obsession with Hitchcock movies and other murder mystery tv shows and movies such as Law and Order, Perry Mason and Poirot.

6. We don't have cable. PBS is my favorite station. My favorite program is Masterpiece Mystery.

7. Even though I can come across as an extrovert, occasionally I feel super shy which results in me seeming a little withdrawn or standoffish. I promise I'm not! Its just shyness.

So now I get to pass on this award to a few lovely ladies in the blogosphere....drumroll please.....

If you don't already you should check out these lovely blogs :)

lake time

2010-07-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

how was your fourth of july?

Saturday we went to Jon's family's lake house and Sunday we went to our friends farm/lake house! It was a wonderful weekend of tubing, eating, and spending good times with friends. We were supposed to camp out yesterday, but I think I had too much sun and not enough water which resulted in a major headache. So we ended up driving back to Richmond late last night smelling of lake, sunscreen and bug spray.

Today, Jon has the day off so we are going to relax and maybe take a bike ride around RVA

Slicing and Dicing

2010-06-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Please forgive my absence, i have had a little accident that has involved stitches and a dorky finger cast which and has made typing a tedious process. Let me explain....

During my life in DC I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take a year of jewelry making classes which I absolutely totally loved. Due to the wedding planning + graduate school + work + a million projects and internships going on at the same time, jewelry making has been on the back burner. Lucky for me, I am nearing the end of my graduate program and this summer I have a lot more down time, as I'm only working and writing my thesis...which is lots, but comparatively speaking, it feels like a vacation...

Now let me confess, this whole trying to write my entire thesis over the summer and fall is a lot tougher than I thought it would be, as it requires lots of discipline, especially when its hot outside and I would rather be at the pool, shopping at home goods, exploring richmond, cleaning the kitchen, or catching up on law and order reruns. Because of my desire to do fun things all the time, I've found that the best way to be productive is to strike deals with myself. For example "marisa, if you go to the library for 3 hours, you can have ice cream," or "if you read this chapter on Porfiriato Mexico you will totally earn yourself a 7-11 slurpee"---but enough on my distractive nature...

This past week, after reading an entire book, I busted out my jewelry supplies to have a little creative time. Since I couldn't find my wire cutters, I dug around the kitchen and found the next best thing: meat scissors. I think you all know where this is going....I prompty sliced my finger, and I'm not talking about, I'm a klutz with a kitchen knife slice, I'm talking about I could see the white of bone or cartilage slice....Luckily my sister in law lives right around the corner and took be to the hospital where I promptly got several stitches from the nice nurse practitioner.

All in all it wasn't too bad, and I learned several things about myself:

1) My temperature is lower than average naturally, apparently I am cold blooded woman, with a temp that hovers right at a 96.6
2) I am not good with scissors
3) I really love jewelry making and creating and maybe if I stop being so shy and ever get around to posting pictures I'll share some of my creations with you!

Have you ever had a silly accident or cut yourself in a ridiculous way? How about those of you who have had to write thesis/finish school? How did you get through it?

Hope you all are having a lovely lovely weekend!

family weddings!

2010-06-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

Holy moly, its been hot outside! My fingers are so swollen I can't get my wedding ring on!

We've been busy bees, celebrating the marriage of Jon's beautiful little sister. A beautiful, lovely wedding and I was so lucky that Jon's sister included me in her bridal party! I can't wait to see the professional pictures!

How gorgeous is my SIL, walking down the aisle with her Dad? She walked in to "Liz on top of the world" from Pride and Prejudice, which brought everyone to happy tears.

Nerd Alert: why i love art history

2010-06-15T13:15:00.001-07:00

Venus and Mars, Sandro Botticelli via

I love all the mysteries of art that will never be sorted out, but rather debated for many years to come. I am especially loving this story from NPR that the husband just called my attention to. Apparently, scholar David Bellingham believes that he has spotted datura stramonium in Boticelli's Venus and Mars. Datura stramonium apparently causes lsd-like symptoms...in otherwords, its possible that the figures in this work are stoned....what do you think?

missing bonnaroo

2010-06-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

It certainly is humid in Virginia! We've been keeping cool by spending time in the country, drinking Jon's grandmother's bourbon slushes, and enjoying the shade of our balcony. This evening, we relaxed on the couch and listened to set lists played this past weekend by our favorite artists, at our favorite festival, Bonnaroo. (My fav setlists so far are Regina Spektor and She and Him) We love Bonnaroo, but unfortunately this summer we did not have the finances or time off to make the ten hour drive to Tennessee.... le sigh......at least I can look at pictures.....

who are these dirty hippies? (circa 2006)

'roo love, 2007

You can imagine you are at bonnaroo and listen to your favorite musician's set lists at NPR.

Pity Party & Giveaways!

2010-06-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

I’m having a silly day pretty much due to my own oversensitivity and insecurity, in part because I take everything so personally even though I know shouldn’t—

But enough with the pity party....you should stop reading my blog and go visit BonBon Rose instantly to enter this give away for a Kate Spade ring. And you should actually check out BonBon Rose all the time, they are the bomb in terms of giveaways and steals, plus they are just plain fun.

I hope you all have a splendid weekend. I’m looking forward to working the Farmers Market with my mom (stop by and buy a pie!), watching the World Cup with my husband (whose boyish enthusiasm for the sport makes me feel warm and fuzzy), and spending some time outside…

What are your weekend plans?? I hope your June weekend is filled with hydrangeas and fireflies!

image of the most magical bugs via

In flux

2010-06-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

There is the possibility we'll be moving back to my hometown USA and back to the mountains that I love. However, every time I think about leaving Richmond, I get teary-eyed and my heart aches. I never felt this way about D.C. when I was thinking about leaving, or even ready to leave. While I certainly miss aspects of life in the district, the memories don't fill me with the same types of emotion.

My relationship with DC might be compared to a casual dating relationship that lasted three years. I had a great time, imbibing in all the district has to offer: eating out at fabulous restaurants, museums, monuments, protests, rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the political, nonprofit, K street world...but after three years I was ready to move on. Not that I wouldn't go back, "casually dating" DC was fantastic, and I'm sure I could commit more fully now that I am older.

Richmond on the other hand, is what my dear college suite-mate Bon would have called a "core shaker." I have fallen head over heels, madly in love with this city. I don't think a lot of people realize what a fantastic and beautiful city we have here. This morning, instead of partaking in my regularly scheduled thesis thursdays, I've been looking up pictures of Richmond on flickr- here are my favorites:

museum district via

James River Blues via

Early morning in downtown Richmond, via

Church Hill via

Now let me tell you, as in any relationship, Richmond can really make me angry- with terrible traffic at short pump, and roads that have so many pot holes you pretty much need a special gear in your car to maneuver, and poor planning on broad street, sometimes I'm ready to high tail it back to hometown USA. But something about Richmond keeps drawing me back in, making it one of my most favorite cities.... Have you ever lived or visited a city that you have simply fallen in love with?

I love hydrangeas

2010-06-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Richmond is covered in them....

picture via flicker

Check it out

2010-06-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

If you are in the River City sometime this summer you might want to check out an exhibit my classmates and I curated together, titled Social Skin, it is up at the Anderson Gallery now until August 1, 2010....

Photo: Thomas Daniel, from the series County Queens

Nan Goldin, At the Bar, C. Toon and So, Bangkok, 1992

Then you should go to balliceaux for some yummy food and get yourself a bees knees, perfect for summer evening gallery viewings.