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Atlas Sound - "Strange Parade" from The Tearist on Vimeo.

I'm a sucker for old anatomy and biology books with illustrations of flora and fauna.

Sometimes a drawing can seem so much more detailed than an actual picture.

Can we get a snow day over here?

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  We woke up this morning to almost two feet of snow!  I've already shoveled my brains out because of a new law in Salt Lake City that fines you if your sidewalks are snowy!  Since I've been shoveling instead of getting a blog post ready, I'll have to catch up tomorrow with you all!  Drive safely! xo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Are you up already to cook for today?  I'm up early, but it's to go make lattes;)!  I'm so thankful for so many things, so I thought I'd list a few here:

• My handsome husband
• My amazing family
• My sweet crazy doggie
• My smart, funny, caring friends
• My education
• My work ethic
• My ability to laugh
• My warm and cozy house

What are you thankful for?  Feel free to add a few of your thanks to the comments and have a lovely and safe holiday weekend!  See you on Monday! xo.

Ruby, um, Wednesday

Looking at this makes want to have a good stretch and a nap, but I don't think that's going to happen this week!  Are you traveling for Thanksgiving?  If so, be safe!  We had a certified blizzard hit Utah yesterday and the roads are dicey! 

Shug also took a picture of Ruby with the fisheye lens...We were rolling at this picture! 

Truer Words.

Thanks to the Cork Chipper for this amazing letterpress poster!

It's so true;)!

Music Monday: Panda Bear

Here is a little Panda Bear to get us through our Monday!

One of my favorite old songs of his is flanked by two of his new creations.

Love.

Blog Love: I want to be her!

I was sad to see Andrea Linett leave Lucky Magazine, but I found her cute outfit breakdowns had found a new home: I want to be her! Andrea works with her illustrator, Anne Johnston Albert, to create (or recreate) looks she thinks are chic.

I love the descriptions and how they aren't brand-specific, so you could style your own look from designer to discount duds!  What do you use for fashion inspiration?

Have a nice weekend! xo.

Book Club!

It seems it's taken a year of talking, but a book club has finally been created and I get to be a part of it!  While I'd like to think my organizational skills are admirable, I just couldn't seem to get book club off the ground.  Lucky for me a friend, Vie, was much better at rallying our friends for a night of conversation, wine, and book talk.

The group decided on The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.  It should be a fast read, since it's youth fiction AND every adult I know has been losing their minds over this book.  I'm hoping it's not another Twilight, but I'm already through the first hundred pages and the protagonist, Katniss, is a strong, young woman who can take care of her self and her family...a far cry from the shell of a girl Bella is portrayed as, who seems to be in a constant state of distress and a need to be rescued.

So I was thinking, those of you who can't make it in person to book club, would you like to read along and post your thoughts on the book?  We'll be having book club on December 17ish and I'll do a post about our opinions and the next read!  So get reading!  I can't wait to hear what you think!

Self Portraits

Since Shug and I were traveling by ourselves for the last leg of our trip, we thought it would be fun to change up the typical "subject holds the camera" self portraits.  You know, the pictures where one person holds the camera with an outstretched arm and everyone always looks out of proportion and a little pained? 

We started taking pics of ourselves in all of the mirrors we came across in the museums we were able to visit in Paris.  The first pic in the Louvre proved to be inspirational, since the guy standing next to us did the same thing after we snapped out shot!

It was fun to get pictures of ourselves surrounded by the architecture and art of these amazing museums.  Some of the pics in the Centre Pompidou the mirrors were actually part of the installations!  Despite some of our somber faces, we were having so much fun when we took the pictures!

Castellers

 

 "...In the city of Tarragona, Spain, castellers gather every two years to see who can build the highest, most intricate human castles. This uniquely Catalan tradition requires astonishing strength, finesse, and balance..."

This clip made my heart swell with how fun it is to experience life in all its crazy intricacies!  Who would have thought of this?  The kids are the best, so brave!

This is even more serious in the best way possible...

A few days ago, I was already searching for the perfect ankle boot for fall and winter.  Needless to say, I'd found it, but it was also a shoe by Isabel Marant with the price tag to prove it.  I scoured the internet for knock-offs that wouldn't break the bank, but I could only pairs that hovered around $200.

Friday afternoon, I had a couple hours to kill, so I went to Nordstrom Rack to see of I could find a cute top or something with the $25 gift card I'd won at work a few weeks before.  Of course I had to go check out their shoe section, just in case, you know?

I stumbled across these beauties.  I knew before even looking at the price tag they would be spendy.  I decided to try them on JUST to see if they'd fit and then I'd see how much they were. 

They fit!  They were even cuter on...I started to prepare myself for putting them back on the rack.  I sat down and removed the boots and turned them over to how much I couldn't afford them.  They were marked at $75.

WHAT?!?!?  I turned them over again and looked at the price tag and it STILL said $75.

Needless to say, the boots came home with me.  I feel like I won the lottery or something!

Irish Snacks

It has always been fun to see what the popular snacks are in different countries.  Some places snacking isn't really a habit yet, where in other places (ahem, the U.S.) snacking seems to be a way to kill the time between meals.  Ireland is a place where snacks aren't high on the priority list, but having a biscuit or two with your tea can happen multiple times a day!

Since the biscuits or cookies that traditionally come with tea were not gluten-free, I scouted around for some wheat-free snacks.  One crazy chip flavor I found was Walkers "Prawn Cocktail" Potato Chips!  I was totally surprised at how tasty they were and they were not fishy tasting at all...they just really smelled fishy!

"Cheese and Onion" Potato Chips were pretty popular in Ireland, but the winner and most popular flavor had to be Tayto "Salt & Vinegar" Potato Chips!  These were salty and very tart, the way I like my salt and vinegar chips!

Shug took a shine to the Bourbon Creams, but stated that he couldn't detect a hint of bourbon flavor, just chocolate.  The real winner of our snack run was the Katie's Real Irish Chocolate!  It was locally made and gluten-free!

I brought back some of this chocolate and some fancy French chocolate for my dad to compare (he is the reigning expert in the chocolate department.)  The Irish chocolate won!  I think the handmade, small batches Katie's used to create her treats gave it the edge over the shi-shi-shoo-shoo French stuff.  AND the Irish chocolate was a fifth of the price!

For Veterans Day

I am so appreciative of all our soldiers have sacrificed for us.

Thank you.

Tights!

 One thing I really, really, really like about the colder weather

is that it's tights-season!

Galstern from Tel Aviv makes some of the toughest and prettiest

printed tights.

I'm taking a shine to those sparkly oxfords, too!

This is serious...

I am pretty sure I've found my holiday gift to myself.

But I only get to choose ONE.

Now they aren't the Isabel Marant shoes 

that I know I'd never get on the waitlist for anyway,

but they are also a third of the price!

MUCH easier to explain that purchase to Mr. Teef.

In which the golf courses in Ireland put a damper on our plans...

After Shug and I saw everyone off from the wedding, we were left with a couple of days to ourselves to explore the Irish countryside in our rental car.  If there is any piece of advice I can give a person wanting to travel through Ireland, it's rent a car and see the sights at your own pace!  Some of the tiniest, windiest, most deserted roads can lead to breathtaking views like this!

The innkeeper (yes, that's what she called herself!) told us we should drive out to the Old Head of Kinsale to see the ocean, lighthouse, and the beautiful cliffs.  She didn't tell us that the actual head of Old Head is private property of Old Head Golf Course!  There was a guard and a barbed wire fence to keep the non-golfing plebeians out!  So Shug and I decided to hang out and get pics of the Old Neck of Kinsale.

One side of the "neck" was insanely windy.  Shug kept on telling me to get away from the ledge since the gusts were so strong!  (I have a green tongue because Hall and Ciel left some Laffy Taffy in the car!)

The other side was calm and serene, even the water of the the ocean on that side of the neck was just rippled slightly by the breeze.  It was surreal, we only walked 25 yards to get from one side of the Old Head to the other and the weather was so different on each side!

Auditory Crush

If you know me you know I've been obsessed with Deerhunter for awhile...This new album is so lovely and so sad and so perfect I thought I'd share these few songs to get your week started!  I hope you feel like you got to sleep in because of daylight savings!  xo.

Irish Breakfast

One of the most pleasant surprises of our trip to Ireland was how much we loved the food!  We had heard tale after tale from some of our foodie friends that we would be sorely disappointed in the typical Irish cuisine.  Well, I am happy to report that that statement couldn't have been further from the truth!  Shug and I adored the Irish food!

The resounding favorite for the both of us was the Irish Breakfast.  This breakfast is probably the utter antagonist to what I eat every day for breakfast in the States.  My usual bowl of granola with coconut milk was replaced with two bangers (sausages), two slices of Irish rashers or "bacon" (I'll get to this glorious bacon in a sec), two eggs, a broiled tomato slice, a small portion of baked beans, and heavenly black and white pudding.

Don't be surprised that I cleaned my plate at every breakfast!  I was told that the proper way to eat this plate was to get a little bite of egg, with the sausage or bacon, then add a little bit of pudding and beans, and then a sliver of the tomato!  All of this in one bite! 

The rashers were lean and bacon-y tasting without all of the grease that seems to accompany American-style bacon.  In other words: glorious.  The bangers were delicious, too, with just the right amount of seasoning. 

But it was the black and white puddings that had me at "hello."  I couldn't be sure they were gluten-free, but I asked what the binding agent was in these lovely puddings and I always got the answer "oats."  I took the risk and didn't feel sick after my breakfasts, so I kept on eating the puddings!  The black pudding was made of blood, bacon, oats, and spices, while the white pudding was made without the blood and some organ meats thrown in for flavor.  I know is sounds  unappetizing, but it was sooooo good!

I probably consumed more pork products on this trip than I have in my entire life!  That is not an exaggeration!  But it has been weird upon my return, I've been craving vegan pancakes and salads like crazy...I wonder why;)?

Have a lovely weekend! xo.

Memomena in Salt Lake City

I think I'm getting the idea that nostalgia can be a dangerous thing.  

Menomena played a show at Urban Lounge a couple weekends ago at the Urban Lounge.  Shug and I have had the pleasure of seeing these talented musicians play in Chicago, Boise, and a little old venue I adore here in Salt Lake City, Kilby Court.  Needless to say, Shug and I are SUPERfans of Menomena.  We have embarrassed ourselves (and our friends) countless times with our shameless adoration and need to be in the front row.  SO when we saw Menomena was booked to play SLC just a week after our return from our travels, Shug and I decided it was kismet!

While we weren't completely sold on their new album, it was Memomena!  We HAD to go.  This was a band that played in the background when the shackles of love were being soldered around both Shug's and my hearts.  This was a band that was playing when I decided to pursue a career completely outside of my educational background.  This was the band that blasted in the speakers of my car when I drove Shug to meet my sweet Grandparents for the first, nerve-wracking time.  This band kinda means a lot to us.

And this is where nostalgia can get a little tricky.  The performance at Urban was just, well, bland.  I'm blaming Salt Lake being the second-to-last stop on a loooong tour with Tu Fawning and the addition of another guitarist.  Three's company and four's a crowd, right?  The energy and snap these musicians used to convey so effortlessly was just absent from this performance.

And you know what?  Shug and I were totally ok with that.  Because this band has a few songs that are a part of our mixtape.  No matter what kind of so-so albums they create, they are already a part of what I consider to be the best album I will ever hear: the music I fell in love to.

Doggie Dress Up

Remember when I told you I loved this time of year because I got to see puppies dressed up as pumpkins?  Well, I think I have a new favorite puppy costume: Anna Wintour!

This cute little pug, Mamma Biscuit, was a puppy mill rescue, and her dads have been lavishing her with extra love and couture design!  Mamma stole the show and won best costume!  She looks pretty darn amazing!

Now on to puppies dressed up as turkeys and Santas....I really can't wait!

Vote!

When I was doing my study abroad in Chile, I was astounded that there was a national holiday on voting days.  Everyone had the entire day off to make it to the polls.  It was actually against the law to not vote, so you can imagine Chilean voter turnout is pretty impressive.

Now while the U.S. still hasn't figured out the benefits of making our voting day a national holiday, I will say I am honored and privileged to even have the opportunity to cast my vote.  It was just over ninety years ago in the United States that women still weren't allowed to vote.  We were chattel, to put it bluntly, and our roles were refined to making babies and maintaining a household.

I do not take lightly a right many women fought so passionately for, some even died for this right.  So, as a women, who is not a piece of property, I will vote today and I hope you do, too.

Source

It's Monday, so it's also pretend shopping day.

This fringed beauty is handmade in Uruguay.

Sigh.

Here's to a happy Monday!

(See fake exclamation point above.)