Chihuly at Cheekwood

I checked out the new Chihuly at Cheekwood exhibit and loved it! It's seriously worth the $15 bucks to get in. I'd recommend going later in the day on a Thursday or Friday when they have the Chihuly Nights deal. I bet those sculptures would look great lit up at night.

I posted an article with many pictures on examiner.com, but I'd like to show off a few more! These are the more artsy ones plus a bee on a flower - not exactly Chihuly fitting. Hope you like them!

Cheekwood

What a huge contrast in the weather this weekend compared to last weekend. Though I was in Chicago last weekend and missed out on the torrential rain, I'm very thankful for the beautiful weather Nashville has experienced the past few days. On Saturday I went with a few friends to Cheekwood. I went back in the fall (here and here), but ran out of time and didn't get to see the many botanical gardens. This time, I headed there first!

She was framed!

After Mike tried to strangle Heather we put him in jail where he became very deranged.

Brayan at 3 months!

Sweet Lil Dude is THREE months old! I really can't believe it. I spent a few days with the little guy and managed to avoid the crazy Nashville flooding in the process.

His hair reminds me of Albert Einstein. I think that means he's going to be a genius.

So sweet.

Happy baby.

Look how long he is!

Love his big eyes.

The iPhone picture is becoming one of my "go-to" shots. I'm a fan.

Happy Blogoversary!

One year ago today I started this here little blog with an intro blog post. It's been a fun and crazy year, both in my life and in my blog's life, but today is not about looking back. Today is about looking forward...

You see, today was my last full-time day at Abingdon Press. Yep. I'll be there part-time a bit in May, but have decided to jump off the ledge and pursue the things I love. It's something I've been thinking about for a very long time and finally felt confident enough to make the move. I'm going to pursue writing and photography—mostly photography—and hopefully still be able to pay the bills!

I'll be working part-time as marketing coordinator for a real estate broker. I think it will be a fun and interesting new gig where there will be a lot to learn and a lot to do (I like to stay busy). Working less hours during the week will free up time for me to focus on my future. The small paycheck will be nice (and needed) while I get my website up and start marketing myself.

It's a strange and terrifying transition, but I'm excited to see what the next few months, and years, of my life bring. I'm someone who likes structure in my life. A weekly schedule that stays the same. A fixed income that pays the bills. A comfort zone. This will not be any of the above things, which in some way convinces me that this is why it is right. I'm being led this direction and it is definitely not something I would choose to do on a whim.

So, keep an eye out for the new things on the horizon. I plan to have the new site up by the end of May, but hope to keep this blog going for personal use—separate from the new website.

It's about to get real interesting around here...

Meet Backup

Backup is my dear pal Heather's doggy. She's not the bravest of dogs, but she is darn cute. Take a look...

Suzy Wong's House of Yum to donate 100% of proceeds during Dining Out For Life event

The annual Dining Out For Life fundraising event is happening today (or Thursday) across the country to raise money for AIDS service organizations. More than 60 Nashville restaurants are participating in this year's event, but only Suzy Wong's House of Yum has pledged to donate 100% to the cause!

The restaurant's name references the popular 1950’s novel, The World of Suzie Wong. It is the story of a beautiful Asian “lady of the evening” falling in love with an American diplomat. The sleek, trendy design of the restaurant is extremely fitting for its name. The small space is well used and the food presentation is superb. read more...

A day trip down the Natchez Trace

This past Saturday I took a drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway. A friend suggested it would be a great drive for photo taking and was interested in the history so we jumped in the car and made our way south. The drive took us to Tupelo, Mississippi where Elvis was born! It was a long day with lots of stops between Nashville and Elvis, but was totally worth it. The drive was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was great. I'd love to make the drive again in the fall and maybe turn it into a weekend trip so I can make it all the way to Natchez, Mississippi.

The first stop was to see the double-arched bridge. The bridge is just south of the Loveless Cafe. Very cool.

Probably my favorite shot from the day. Simple, but I'm a fan of it. I'm also fairly certain that this bench has no historical significance. I doubt the early explorers placed it there!

Funny story about this here tobacco barn. We pull up at the stop and read the large posting that says it's a 10 minute loop to see the tobacco. This barn is directly in front of us (about 20 feet maybe) so we start walking down a road thinking that's where the 10-minutes come in. When we realize it led to nothing we turned around. On the walk back I remembered that the information stations (I have no clue what they are actually called) have a button that, when pressed, allow you to hear an old man talk about the tobacco. I assume that if we listened all the way through it would have taken approximately 10 minutes. Oopsies!

This is the Grinder house. Or a replication of what they think the Grinder house looked like. This is where our dear friend Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark) was shot. It was actually quite interesting as I didn't realize he was only 35 when he died. And, his death is a mystery.

See that small hill, or mound, in the background? The indians built that around 1000 A.D. Crazy, I know.

Ah, Elvis. This part of the trip didn't quite mix with the rest, but it was pretty interesting. I'm kind of amazed at the Elvis obsession.

This is the car that Elvis may or may not have been in when he moved from Tupelo to Memphis. It also may or may not be a replica of the car or it may or may not be a few years off from the actual car. Yep. Really, that's about how confusing the letter framed next to this car was. I actually only know that this car doesn't get dusted very often. And it's sea green.

So, there you have it. What you didn't see in these pictures are the 100's of turkeys along the parkway, any of the "overlooks" that were disappointingly lame, or the non-existent lunch spots along the way. If you're thinking of driving the parkway, pack a lunch. My counterpart for the trip did not heed my advice so we ate crackers and Reese's eggs until dinner in Tupelo. :)