Sweet tooth

I hope you all had a happy and joyous Easter! Ours was the usual family affair complete with a good meal and baskets of chocolaty treats. Despite having three children well into their twenties, Mom still gives us an Easter basket each year. I am not one to turn down free chocolate! I've already raided mine several times, but I really should behave. I have a dentist appointment today. Who has a dentist appointment the day after Easter?! Haha, oh well. It was scheduled 6 months in advance.

I had this outfit schemed up in my head a few days prior to Easter. Well, several variations of it. There were tights and a different cardigan floating around in the mix, but I decided on this because it was a) simple and b) pretty. This dress had been hanging on the back of my bedroom door since last summer, half hidden and half forgotten. What a shame. It's far too lovely to forget about! After removing some massive shoulder pads (thanks, but no thanks 1980s) it was ready to go and go it will as I'm eager to wear it again soon.

Cardigan: Target, Dress: thrifted, Ring: TJ Maxx, Shoes: Target

Lazy Saturday

Grass Green and Gingham by TranquilEmily featuring lockets jewelry

Lazy Saturday by TranquilEmily featuring silver rings

Color Me Coral by TranquilEmily featuring metal jewelry

It's a lazy Saturday around these parts. Cold, damp and snowy. Yes, snowy. Sigh. I'm cuddled up in an outfit far different than these (think: all-sorts-of-awesome elk sweater, little blue skirt, grey tights & Minnetonkas) and caught up in daydreams of how I'd prefer to be dressed. Intervals of my day have been spent reading, sipping tea (it's a Darjeeling kind of day), watching The Wind That Shakes the Barley and subsequently contemplating whether or not I want to overload my Tumblr with pictures of Cillian Murphy (I might not be able to resist... what am I, 15? Apparently.). I thought about pulling out my sketch book, but I haven't gotten that far yet. It's been quite some time since I've sketched or drawn anything. I used to seek out pencils and blank paper often, smudging my hands and smearing the page. I miss it. And this might just be the most random paragraph I've ever written.

Happy weekend and Happy Easter!

Perfect evening

I've waxed poetic about the music of Iron & Wine before (here and here) and cannot keep from doing so once again. Let's start at the beginning. As of this past Saturday it had been nearly six years since I saw Iron & Wine last. My heart was in serious need of another live performance from Sam Beam and crew. I pretty much jumped for joy earlier this year when the new tour dates were announced and a venue close to home was on the list. With my ticket purchased and excited beyond belief, I awaited the third Saturday in April. And finally it came.

As my sister and I made the drive out to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art for the show, we wondered if there would be an opening act. I couldn't remember reading anything that would satisfy our curiosity (but, then again I might have been so bent on seeing Iron & Wine that I didn't pay attention). We secretly hoped there wouldn't be so as to give Iron & Wine complete control of the evening. However, upon reaching the theater at the museum we found out The Low Anthem would be opening. Excellent! I'd been meaning to sit down and give them a listen for quite some time now; certain that from what I'd read about them their sound would be right up my alley. I couldn't have been more right. Their songs were beautiful - teeming with emotion, imagery, and folk-tastic rhythms. During the last song of their set they implored the audience to take part; asking each person to take out their cell phone, call the person they came with and then put the phones on speaker. The result was a haunting, resonating hum. I'd never heard anything like it! To say it was beautiful would be a severe understatement.

Iron & Wine. Oh, Iron & Wine. It's true that as the band progressed I didn't progress right along with them at first. When The Shepherd's Dog was released in 2007 I had a hard time warming up to all of the tracks. I was longing for the stripped down, minimalist-acoustic sound of the previously released albums and EPs. With time, I began to appreciate the added layers of instrumentation realizing that the gorgeously crafted lyrics were still there and that the new sound and Sam Beam's voice complimented each other brilliantly. With the release of Kiss Each Other Clean this past January, it only took a listen or two before I was hooked.

Saturday's show featured a varied selection of songs from each of the last two albums (mentioned above) with the most delightful inclusion of older songs as well. I was completely blown away hearing some of my very dear (and older) favorites updated and performed with percussion and horn arrangements. By the time the 18-song set came to a close my heart was filled to the brim. My sister and I cheered and clapped with the crowd anxious for an encore... and received it. Beam came back out for an a cappella rendition of "Flightless Bird, American Mouth." It was truly the most perfect ending to an already perfect evening.


Here's a little glimpse of the stage from where we stood. I left my camera at home, but my sister pulled out her iPhone for a few photos.

Set list:

1. Boy With a Coin
2. Sunset Soon Forgotten
3. Freedom Hangs Like Heaven
4. Summer In Savannah
5. Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
6. Walking Far From Home
7. My Lady's House
8. Big Burned Hand
9. Half Moon
10. Lovesong of the Buzzard
11. Free Until They Cut Me Down
12. Lion's Mane
13. House By the Sea
14. Love And Some Verses
15. The Sea And The Rhythm
16. God Made The Automobile
17. Tree By The River
18. Rabbit Will Run
Encore: Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Diana Mini and Me

A few months ago I treated myself to a new camera: the Diana Mini. We're not the best of friends yet, but we're warming up to each other. I'm having a hard time advancing the film properly while using the 24X24mm square format (I haven't tried the 24X72mm rectangle format yet). The directions are very clear stating to ''advance the wheel anticlockwise until it stops [...] in square mode 1/2 a turn.'' Simple, right? Yeah... I'd like to think so. I have good faith in my ability to follow instruction manuals, but I really don't know if it's me or the camera. I suppose it all comes down to good ol' trial and error. I'll get the hang of it eventually! In the meantime, here are some shots from my first trial roll.

If you look closely, this is actually a subtle double exposure.

Notice my film advancing skillz! All joking aside, I do like this one.

As far as happy accidents go, this is my favorite.

Diana Mini and I are heading out on a walk now. Be certain that any progress made in our friendship will be shared at a later date :)

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Fujifilm 200

An introduction

I couldn't help but write up a quick post introducing my fantastic new bison ring. I saw, I swooned, I bought. It's true, I am more fond of this piece of jewelry than perhaps I should be. EEEE, IT'S A BISON RING! You don't know how this excites my nerdy little heart. You see, for as long as I can remember I've been fascinated by the Old West. Conestoga wagons and the Oregon Trail, bison herds and cattle drives, Native American culture and folklore... you get the picture. So, imagine said excitement when I stumbled upon Sea of Bees, a delightful Etsy shop of whimsical handmade jewelry all in the likenesses of wild, woodland animals! Bison, elk and deer galore! I'm already contemplating another purchase... or two.

Look at that face!

P.S. That pretty shawl in the first two photos was sent to me (along with a few other lovely items) by the ever-sweet L. of Hey Nancy. It will surely turn up in a (or several) outfit posts in the future. Thank you again, L.!

Faded from the winter

Cardigan: thrifted, Dress: H&M, Necklace: self-made, Shoes: Aldo

The neighbor's dog took an interest in me this morning when I was out taking these photos. He barked, clamored over rocks and through the brook, but thankfully didn't come up the embankment to bombard me with sniffs, jumps and the like. Phew.

Anyway, my mind has been engaged this week with thoughts on the American Civil War. There are several reasons for this, though allow me a moment to say that I think it good for the mental awareness of the average American to reminisce about our country's past regularly without prompting, but I digress. Firstly, PBS aired the remarkably well made seven-part Civil War documentary by Ken Burns this week and while I've seen parts of it before I am always fascinated by it, by the history and by the forces that helped shape the United States. Secondly, my mother is currently on a trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to visit the battlefield (one of our ancestors, my great-great-great grandfather, fought with the Union army there) and other surrounding historical sites. She is a riot, let me tell you. She's been texting and picture-messaging me all week sharing all the fun she's been having. My momma the history buff.

On Wednesday night my grandmother pulled out my great-great-great grandfather's obituary and we sat reading the fragile paper together connecting ourselves to man and an era of long ago. While I knew that he fought in the Civil War with the 80th New York Infantry and was discharged after being wounded on the first day at Gettysburg, I learned that he had been in nine other battles. Upon returning home to New York he led a further life of service in his community. I'm fairly certain my grandmother has a daguerreotype of our family's Civil War veteran somewhere around the house. Now I am quite determined to search for it tonight!

As for other Civil War related things, I went a little crazy yesterday posting about the Sullivan Ballou letter on both my Tumblr and Twitter accounts. I can never seem to get enough of it - it's so incredibly moving. Sullivan Ballou was a U.S. Army major from the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry during the Civil War. On July 14, 1861, a week before the Union and Confederate troops met at Bull Run*, he wrote a letter home to his wife Sarah. In it he recounts his unconditional love for her as well as for his country. It is as heartfelt as it is selfless. The letter was never mailed and was later found among Ballou's personal effects after he died during the (first) Battle of Bull Run. For the PBS documentary, portions of the letter are read aloud and set to the waltz "Ashokan Farewell." It gives me goosebumps every time I read and/or listen to it. *Bull Run is the name of the battle given by the Union forces due to the proximity of the Bull Run river to Manassas, Virginia (the city near where the battle was fought). The battle was simultaneously known as the Battle of Manassas by the Confederate forces.

Lastly, to end this rather uncommonly verbose post of mine, I'm eager to catch the new movie The Conspirator when it opens up next weekend. I'm somewhat familiar with the plot from a book I read some years ago about those who aided and abetted John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It looks good from the trailer and features a varied and talented cast, so here's hoping it's as worthwhile as I want it to be.

Have a nice weekend! Over and out.

Darkness is a harsh term don't you think?

Up until a few days ago I had a mystery roll of film in one of my cameras. I couldn't remember when I started it, what was on it, or if I was saving it for something particular. After getting it developed today, I was reminded of all the random autumn-winter-very early spring moments I had captured in fleeting little flashes.

Of those said moments, I selected to share this trio for their similarity in tone: varying degrees of black and grey with light focal points. Completely unintentional in their congruent composition and very unlike the rest of the roll, I couldn't help but be drawn to these. Perhaps it is the soft, transient beauty of the fading rays of sun, the advancing shadows, or the back-lit and blue-grey tinted lace that has captivated my attention so.

Camera: Kodak VR35 K40
Film: Fujifilm 200