it's the end of June and pouring rain in the capital city...

...which is extremely unusual, so I am sitting in my office with the door open allowing the smell of the wet pavement to fill the room.  All I hear is the intermittent thunder, the drops of rain hitting the ground, and the occasional truck driving by the warehouse--it's very slow today.  The smell of the moist pavement mixed with my cup of steeping honey lemon tea has put me in a leisurely mood, and as a result has led me to discover this site in my distracted state:

eerie ghost towns with stories and photos

So far there are eighteen pages of former amusements parks, asylums, castles, farms, highways...

Abandonment can be so beautiful.  Strictly speaking of structural abandonment, of course. 

I have always been fascinated by deserted antique buildings that are now overgrown with vegetation, inhabited only by wildlife and insects.  Imagine walking through one of the old, grand hospitals or theaters featured on the site.  When scrolling through the photos and skimming their accompanying stories, I could picture how great the places were in their prime, bustling with activity.  Like Old Hollywood, many could be restored, but will unlikely ever return to their former glory.  Mmm, nutella and graham crackers...sorry, 'food Tourette's.'  Clearly this weather has temporarily made me forget that it is in fact bikini season.

{all photos via fuckyeahghosttowns.tumblr}

happy st. patrick's day!

The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common three-leaved clover.  According to tradition, the four-leaf clover is said to bring good luck to whomever finds it, especially if s/he finds it accidentally.  Each leaf represents something:

∙hope∙
∙faith∙
∙love∙
∙luck∙

 

Have any one of you ever found a four-leaf clover?  I'd love to hear the story!

...and lucky me, I've already found a leprechaun!

{photo/info sources: wikipedia; me & Gabe on our honeymoon}

nostalgia: hair wraps

After spending the last couple hours perusing the archives of Miss Moss, I came across a photo she shared that took me back to my childhood summer vacations. This photo.

My Dad moved up to Oregon when I was eight years old, so from that time until I was twenty, I spent every summer there.  When I was a tween, I thought going to Saturday Market in Portland was so freaking cool.  I remember being thirteen, and my same-aged step sister at the time and I would take public transportation {from roughly 30 miles away} into the city and spend all day shopping, eating, and getting hair wraps!  I always had super long hair, so my wrap {including springing for the expensive ivory beads} always cost significantly more than hers, but I would keep it all summer and for a couple months in to the school year.  I loved them!  However, I learned after the first time getting one not to get the tiny bells added to the ends...they were pretty annoying, and my Cheerleading coach didn't appreciate the noise they made when I jumped around. ;)

Does anyone get hair wraps anymore??  I haven't seen any for years, and when I visited Saturday Market for Thanksgiving last year, I didn't see any booths offering them.  I suppose I could give myself one if I really wanted to.  I have a ton of embroidery thread and beads, and I mastered the Chinese Staircase knots at summer camp when I was like nine.  Or I could follow these instructions...haahahha! 

I might just give it a go...probably in an inconspicuous place like at the nape of my neck, since I work in an office.  I don't think pink thread sticking out of the top of my head screams authority.  Ah, to be young again.

That reminds me!  My cousin trusted me to cut out her hair wrap that started in the middle of the top of her head at her part, and I was so nervous, I accidentally cut her hair, rather than the thread.  She had this two-inch chunk sticking out like Alfalfa for months, and she was not happy with me.  Oops!  We were like thirteen at that time.  Sorry Heather! ;)

Did you gals every get hair wraps?

something BIG is coming

...Something that will change everything...

This should be arriving in the mail tomorrow!!!

I got an amazing deal on it and coordinating accessories through Costco, so I am super psyched!  Can you tell??

My nose will be deep in the user manual for the next few weeks {months?!} while I'm learning how to properly use it, but I am so excited to start snapping higher quality shots and sharing them with you!

I'm getting this camera for a business endeavor I am undertaking, but I will also be using it everyday like I did my beloved little Canon Powershot.

My friends and family called me 'paparazzi' before...just you wait!