Adding color

One of the things I realized after my 30x30 wardrobe challenge was that I do not have a colorful enough wardrobe. I particularly wanted to find a pair of red shoes to liven things up since I had seen so many bloggers style them with such success. This past weekend, I found a pair of red Mary Janes that I love along with a pair of purple corduroy flats at one of my favorite thrift stores in Richmond, Diversity Thrift:

Wow, I didn't realize how veiny my feet are...

These babies had barely been worn and were only $4 a pair! Score! They should definitely help me ease into wearing more color.

A girl and her city

J. Crew shirt (thrifted) | J. Crew skirt (thrifted) | Ruche belt | Rocket Dog flats

Recent happenings and travels

Some downed trees and limbs only a block
away from my apartment.

Despite my efforts to update you all on recent occurrences, it seems I have failed to mention a few key things that have been happening to me and around me over the last couple of weeks.

First, earthquakes and hurricanes, oh my! I did indeed feel the earthquake that shook the entire east coast. The epicenter was about 40 miles away from Richmond and rattled my poor library building. There was no damage in the area, thankfully. Hurricane Irene, on the other hand, did inflict this poor city with some damage a few days later. There were downed trees and limbs everywhere and 75% of the Richmond area lost power. Somehow, my apartment did not lose power and neither my apartment nor car sustained any serious damage. A branch was threatening to break through my bedroom windows for a good half an hour, but thankfully we only got a nasty leak in the living room ceiling and nothing more. Suffice it to say, it was quite an eventful week here in Richmond!

This past weekend, I was able to enjoy a rare three day weekend on account of the library's generous observance of Labor Day. Originally, I thought that I would be visiting Pennsylvania that weekend to visit my family and new nephew, but that nephew of mine had other plans and was not born that weekend. Instead, the beau and I took a trip to Charlottesville to visit Monticello. I have never visited before (a fact very surprising to most of my Richmond friends), so I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. For some reason, whenever I previously heard about Thomas Jefferson and how he was skilled in X and Y and was a scholar of A, B, and C, I've always kind of just shrugged it off. I guess it's the skeptic in me. I figured it was an exaggeration. But being at Monticello, it's impossible to shrug these facts off and let your inner skeptic distort history. This guy was into everything. I also have to applaud the folks at Monticello for providing one of the best house tours I've been on. Being able to actually go into the rooms and not just poke your head into the doorways allowed for a more personal connection to be formed with the place and its inhabitants. My interest in Jefferson as been officially piqued and I hope to read a biography of him soon (and actually believe what they say about him ;-).

Before heading to my dad's for dinner on Labor Day, T and I did manage to get to Pony Pasture on the James River. I'm sad to say that it looks like I will not make it to the beach this year before it gets too cold (unless it heats up again during the end of September), but I am happy that I did make it to the river a number of times this year, something I haven't managed to do much since I've lived in Richmond. We enjoyed a short time sitting on a secluded, large rock with our feet in the water (trying to scare off the school of little fish that kept trying to nibble at our toes), reading our respective books (nothing like reading about knowledge management during a holiday weekend), and attempting to ignore the large, decomposing catfish that was stuck next to a rock about ten feet away from us (we didn't notice it until we had already settled down and it was a good enough spot for us to accept our unwelcome observer).

Last, I'll keep you updated on what I've been reading and watching lately. I finished up the Hobbit and barreled through the second book in the Cat Who series, The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern. I know, I know, it's a guilty pleasure of mine. I am now reading Eat, Pray, Love to help/fuel my wanderlust. It's unusual for me to be reading so many books during the semester, but I've been finding the time, so I'm milking it. I'm sure once the work on my thesis really starts, I will have precious little time to be pleasure reading. I'm slowly making my way through Arrested Development and Mad Men. I finished watching all three Swedish movie versions of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. I'm interested to see how the American versions are going to compare. I also watched Steel Magnolias for the first time this week and naturally cried like a baby despite my resistance to shed a tear. Damn you, Sally Fields, and your skilled motherly acting.

Picnics and hidden parks

This afternoon, after much hemming and hawing about what to do with ourselves before he had to go to work, the boyfriend and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful late summer weather and have a nice little picnic outside. I packed a few odds and ends for me to eat and we headed to Strawberry St. Market for him to pick up something for himself. He settled on a tub of macaroni and cheese and a tub of mashed potatoes (both delicious choices). Right across the street, down an unassuming alleyway, is a hidden, little known park known as Scuffletown Park. Surrounded by parking spaces and backs of houses, this little rectangular oasis proves to be a breath of fresh air when city life becomes stifling. We sat at a circular wooden table that had a painted, circular, low cement wall that encompassed the whole table and was used as the bench. A small group of people showed up shortly after we did and sat at another table with three pizza boxes, no doubt pies from 8 1/2 which is also across the street, a few buildings down from the market.

We passed half an hour or so in the park, commenting on all the cute quirks we noticed (gnomes in trees and "No Rabbits" signs) before walking back to my apartment. It is easy to forget about Richmond's hidden alley parks because they are usually maintained by small organizations or the neighbors surrounding them and do not get a lot of publicity. They're not flashy- no jungle gyms, swing sets, or fountains. They're nice and simple, nice and quiet, and the closest thing to a secret getaway one can find in Richmond when the usual suspects for outdoor escape (Belle Isle, Maymont, Byrd Park) are all filled up or too far away.

First week back

This week was my first week back to school. Schoolwork after a break is always a hard pill to swallow and I tend to turn into a very frustrated person whenever my freedom is jerked away from me. The first few weeks are always hard, but I know I'll find my rhythm in time and getting through classes will become easier. I've just got to keep my eye on the ball and remind myself that this whole thing will be behind me come May.

Now that summer is coming to an end (tear), I'm thinking of a few places I would like to go in the fall. Before it gets too cold, I'd like to visit Pony Pasture down by the James River. I managed to get to Texas Beach for the first time this summer and would like expand my experiences at the river further by visiting another site. My sister in law is expecting around Labor Day, so I know I'll be in Pennsylvania for a few days once my nephew decides to say hello.

Once the leaves start to turn, I want to explore at least part of Skyline Drive. I've heard such wonderful things about it and I think the fall foliage would really be gorgeous to see. Additionally, I want to go apple picking again. Lynn and I went to Carter Mountain last year and had a great time picking apples together.

Can apple pies really be so close? Where did this summer go?

(P.S. I hope you all like the redesign I did last week. I think the place looks a bit nicer now.)

Happy Sunday

Not getting out of bed until well past noon even though you've been up for hours talking and cuddling. Walking through the Fan, hand in hand, on a warm, sunny February Sunday. Getting unexpectedly kissed on the cheek while browsing through books and buying an old art book for your dad's birthday. Eating an incredibly late brunch at a delicious, cramped, buzzing restaurant that he's never been to before but instantly loves. Spending the rest of your evening writing about AACR2.

Almost perfect.

Sally Mann exhibit coming to the VMFA!

I found out today that a Sally Mann photography exhibit is coming to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts here in Richmond. It opens on Saturday and will be here until January 23. Color me all shades of excited!

I wish I could remember exactly when and how I stumbled upon Mann's works, but sadly cannot. I do remember that I found one of her books of photographs either in a bookstore or a library as a teenager, found the nearest perch, and sat spellbound while I turned the pages, absorbing each and every photograph. I've remembered her name ever since, which is saying something since I'm usually pretty bad with associating names with works. I love the range of emotions she manages to capture coupled with the aged and worn feel of the photographs. The results are haunting.

The VMFA has really beefed up their exhibits since they reopened a few months. I'm so glad Richmond's attracting such great work. My dad and I are already excited about the rare Picasso show coming in February. There's really nothing better than walking in a trance from piece to piece, mouth agape, tuning out everything else, and feeling the push and pull of connection with the artist.