Months ago, one of my best friends, Alanna, noticed a new Memphis Tigers mural and wanted to take some pictures of me there. I loved the idea, but we never followed through with it until last Saturday, the night of the summer solstice. As long as we were taking pictures, we decided to hit a few more of Memphis’ many murals and make an event of it! We even brought wardrobe changes in the car.
Location 1: Go Tigers Go, on Hollywood at Central, near the Liberty Bowl
On me: LC by Lauren Conrad dress (thrifted), b.o.c. sandals
My fave.
Me upon seeing the untended grass: “Ooo, I hope there aren’t snakes in here.” Alanna: “Wow, thanks Brens.”
Location 2: I Love Memphis, on Cooper near Central
On me: Old Navy tank dress, Merona Elaina sandals from Target
On Alanna: MICHAEL Michael Kors maxidress, Xhilaration by Target shoes from years ago
Successful jump shots!
“Be contemplative and look at that tree over there…”
Location 3: Memphis Is Tennessee, on Hollywood just north of Sam Cooper
On me: Express X2 jeans (thrifted), Reef Twisted Stars sandals, top of unknown origin
On Alanna: We Don’t Bluff City tee (from Memphicity Design, not currently available), Old Navy skirt, Havaianas sandals
This is my only party trick.
Location 4: Broad Avenue mural, near the Water Tower Pavilion
Alanna is great at the “Fashion Blogger Pose,” but we both started laughing before every attempt and had to compose ourselves.
Our evening concluded appropriately with dinner on Overton Square. We tried to get into Babalu, but there was a two-hour wait, so we went to Bosco’s instead. It was a fun night that I’ll remember for a long time!
3 Comments + Posted in: friends, memphis
I’m having a burst of creative energy, so let’s talk about a couple of things I’ve made recently!
Making my new flute bag was a long process. See, sewing is an uphill battle for me. I only started sewing two years ago out of creative necessity, and when I’m working on something, momentum is key. I try to stick to basic projects I can finish within a couple of hours. But all bets are off when you’re making it up as you go, which is what I did with this bag.
In my community band, we’re responsible to bring our own music stands to practices and performances. Mine is a folding stand, and the sharp end of it stuck out of every tote bag I used. I worried about accidentally impaling someone (and/or myself). The only solution was to make a sturdy custom bag that I could drop everything into vertically and zip up. I started with about a yard and a half each of canvas fabric and quilt batting, and this Simple Tote tutorial.
Instead of using her measurements, I laid out my flute case, music binder, and music stand and eyeballed how much fabric I would need. Then I followed her instructions, using the quilt batting for lining. I’d never boxed corners before, and found this explanation easier to understand than the one in the tutorial. Even then, I needed a demonstration from my mom. The good thing is that once I finally Get a sewing skill, I usually don’t struggle with it again.
Finishing the bag part was very satisfying, but I got hung up (ha ha) on the handles. I made them double-layer for extra strength, and subsequently couldn’t get them turned inside out, so I had to cut and sew a second, wider pair. By then, the task of finishing and attaching them, adjusting the bag height, and putting in the zipper was not high on my priority list. Meanwhile, the bag itself was functional. So for about two months, I carried that bag over my shoulder, hobo-style, to and fro. I KNOW. Finally I faced reality and asked my expert mother to finish it off for me. It sat completed on my porch within 24 hours and now I tote it around happily. Thanks Mums!
This week I made a multi-strand necklace from embroidery thread. My inspiration was, randomly, a necklace Hillary Clinton wore in an NBC interview. Upon closer inspection I realized it was beaded, but at first it had a textile look to it. As it turned out, I’d already pinned a Gold Ring Necklace tutorial that had the general feeling I was after! Total cost: $5 and about an hour stringing and knotting in front of So You Think You Can Dance.
The necklace turned out a little shorter than I wanted, since I didn’t measure precisely. I also wanted more strands, so I might make a second one to layer with it! The tutorial is so adaptable for different colors and accessories, I could really go nuts making these.
6 Comments + Posted in: crafts, jewelry
On June 18, 1989, my family drove our moving van across the Tennessee state line. I was nine years old and had lived in Miami all my life, the oldest child of two other Florida natives. Previously, they had only left the Sunshine State for a two-year Coast Guard stint, during which I was born. We had always lived the Salt Life: beach every weekend, boating, snorkeling, fishing. Mangoes and avocados from trees in our front yard. Brief thunderstorms every afternoon. School trips to the Everglades and the Seaquarium. But Miami wasn’t the best place to raise a family anymore, and my dad got a job offer in Memphis that would provide a much better work/life balance. So we left it all behind to experience brand-new things like BBQ Fest, and Southern accents so thick you could barely understand them, and winter.
When people ask me if I grew up in Memphis, I say, “Pretty much.” During my youth, though, I wouldn’t even claim it. Years passed, and I still identified as a child of the tropics. My family continued to disparage a lot of things about Memphis. But Memphis sank into my bones. College rolled around, and I stayed. I graduated, and stayed. (My siblings didn’t.) One summer night in my mid-20s, landing on a return flight from Miami, it hit me that I was so glad to be home. It was the equivalent of suddenly realizing you’re in love with someone you’ve been friends with for years, and wondering how you missed it. I understood then that even though Florida is in my blood and will be till the day I die, Memphis is too. I choose Memphis every day. Shinier, prettier, sexier cities don’t tempt me like they used to, because I don’t belong somewhere like that. I want to be a part of the mess and the grit and the grind.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m crazy not to move back to Florida now, find a sunkissed man with a boat, and raise a family of my own in the Salt Life. I’m not saying I’ll never go. But I don’t need a person to keep me here. Memphis itself is keeping me here. It’s not through with me yet, and I’m not sorry.
Happy 25th anniversary, Memphis. Here’s to many more. xoxo
6 Comments + Posted in: florida, memphis
Last weekend my parents and I went to Evansville to see my brother! He’s lived there for three years now. Most of my visits have been in winter, which is a shame, because Indiana summers are delightful. When we arrived at his house, the weather was so pleasant that I would have done cartwheels all over his front lawn if I could.
Kevin actually lives in Newburgh, a historic small town on the Ohio River. The river walk is a short drive from his house.
We always make the most of the surprisingly great Evansville food scene. This time we hit up Turoni’s for pizza, Kanpai for sushi and trendiness, a Mexican place with a pond and bird sanctuary in the back, and a random ice cream stand with $2 cones and turtle sundaes. My dad, conoisseur of the basic vanilla cone, was thrilled.
Kevin is a lifelong archer and now works in the industry, so we usually have some target practice. My aim and form are getting better! Okay, I shot a few into the fence at first, but there were no injuries.
See, my dad wasn’t worried.
We also shot some hoops and played a round of Putt-Putt. My mom and I tied to win by one stroke.
It was a great way to spend Father’s Day weekend!
Last summer, Quinoa with Zucchini and Feta was my favorite dinner – I made it weekly. When I looked for the link the other day to send to a friend, I discovered it had been taken down. Thankfully, I found my original printout. Moral of the story: don’t rely on your pins!
This recipe from BBC Good Food was originally named “Quinoa with courgettes and feta,” since that’s what the British charmingly call zucchini. I’ve Americanized the measurements and adjusted some things to my own taste. It’s quick and healthy, and even looks pretty!
Quinoa with Zucchini and Feta
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup quinoa
1 large zucchini
½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
4 green onions (scallions), chopped
Small bunch parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. Cook quinoa, following the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water (this type of strainer is really handy for quinoa). Drain again.
2. Trim the ends off of the zucchini, then slice it into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, pepper flakes, and any desired seasonings.
4. Combine the other ingredients in a large bowl, add the dressing, and toss.
3 Comments + Posted in: food