Joel is assisting a wedding shot today so I decided it was time to get my haircut. I have written about my difficulties finding a good hair salon in the midwest, but I think my search is at an end:
Serious (or trying).
Serious (or trying) fun.
Despite some past misadventures, like the time they coloured my then honey blonde hair a hideous shade of canary, my last two visits to Regis have actually gone really well. It seems like most of the stylists have the same skill set. So when I ask for more texture in the back they whip that razor out just like they should. So yeah I love my cut, and I would recommend visiting this particular salon to anyone.
In other beauty news, I have to say that I love the Kat Von D line of lipstick for Sephora. I had been craving a really good orangey-red shade. I picked up Misfit last weekend and I think it might just be my new favorite fashion accessory.
We had a very fun visit from Laura this weekend. Friday we had Mexican food and watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics (which were pretty amazing!). Saturday we went shopping at the Chesterfield Mall and World Market before seeing Brideshead Revisited at the Frontenac theater. It was a beautiful and sad story. I want to read the book now. Before the movie we saw this trailer:
Lots of people have been blogging about their top-five-all-time-favorite-albums. So I thought I would give it a try, but with a twist. Here are my top five albums to listen to at work this summer:
It is 8am. I am on time and I am happy. I turn on the computer, sign my time card, and play Re-Arrange Us. I’m the only one in the office. I walk down the hall and make copies to the sounds of “Get Better” and I sing along to “My Only Offer“.
It is 10am. Two more work hours, undeniably time for Feist. I have tried listening to The Reminder which of course is a beautiful album, but its too distracting or fun or something. I haven’t been able to put my finger on it, but Let it Die just works better for work. Feist exudes sophistication. A sensitive femme fatale, she is what I think most women want to be. She has soul.
It is 11am. The ending of Let it Die is so gentle that, to be honest, I sometimes skip the last two songs. “Tout Doucement” is too sugary after the heart aching lyrics that precede it. While, “Now at Last” is a bit of a lullaby. So I turn to something gentle but awake, sometimes The Shins’ Wincing the Night Away, but more often Beirut’s The Flying Club Cup. This is their best album, in my opinion. It makes me want to dance around Europe.
It is 11:30am and I am walking across campus-which has been a construction zone for most of the summer-to collect the mail. I need something with a bit of swagger. Today Ryan Adams means Rock N Roll.
For the last few days, my afternoon project has been painting the library. I’m nearly finished and I have to say that Ralph Lauren paint is definitely worth the extra money. The quality of the paint is wonderful. Two coats and that is all our uneven, strangely textured walls need. The colours are also fabulous! I really like working with it. I can’t wait to get the walls done and the floors in, the room is going to look gorgeous!
I have been on an Forester kick lately. I loved Howard’s End and now I am reading Passage to Indiawhich matches the muggy, awful August that we are having.
The air is warm, like a damp blanket taken too early from the dryer. It seems like Greenville is holding its breath, waiting for cold weather and a thousand of its youngest residents to return. The days are long but enjoyably. I’ve been working on the library and I like the progress we are making. I can’t wait to get our floors laid. It is going to look gorgeous!
We have had lots of visitors. Danny stayed with us for a few days last week and then Audra and Caroline came by for lunch on Sunday. We had some delicious chicken salad and watched Bride and Prejudice before going for a little walk near the Hogue Hall rubble. We have more visitors coming in August.
The re-fashion issue of ReadyMade came today and got me excited about sewing again. I think I have finally figured out a cool way to rework this awesome but somewhat risque skirt that I got for a Christmas present a few years ago. I’ve hung on to it because the fabric is beautiful it just needed to be less asymmetrical and flouncy. Tonight I’m going to pull out my sewing machine and see if I can make it happen.
Yarn
It might be wishful thinking in this summer heat or the exciting idea of finally finishing my last undergraduate semester, but I can not wait for fall. Fall is handsdown my favorite season, so full of new things and the anticipation of holidays and celebrations. The start of a new school year always seems more like the New Year than January, and to me, school means new pencils, new syllabi, and new yarn. I really want to try knitting these mittens.
Today I chased Cors over most of Greenville. (He barged past me as I opened the front door.) He didn’t let me catch him until he was too tired to run any more. He had the best time. I was so mad at him.
Last Friday Joel and I went to Edwardsville to get some dinner and see the Dark Knight. We planned to see the 7:30 show but when we went to get tickets everything but the ten o’clock was sold out. That gave us lots of time to kill. We went to Starbucks and Borders. We picked up this book:
Halfway through, I highly recomend it, especially if you like articles, short stories and list of things. Sufjan Stevens wrote a hilarious introduction about learning how to read one snickers bar at a time.
I just loaded my Polaroid camera (Jon found it at the thrift store and gave it me because he is nice) with film for the first time. Today we are driving up to Chicago to see Vampire Weekend and Jarvis Cocker at Pitchfork. (You can’t take professional cameras into the festival so Polaroid it is then.) I am excited to see them both and very excited to use my camera. Its going to be a long drive both ways, but it should be fun. We picked up the music issue of The Believer last night and that should keep us busy for a little while.
We are still dealing with a little jet lag, but overall I think I am back into my old schedule. I just wake up a half hour earlier than usual. After work we walk Cors and Saturday Joel and I are going up to Pitchfork. Its a nice summer, but my word! it is too hot here.
I have mentioned Lauren’s work before and the prints she is currently selling to raise money for her trip to South Africa. I am very excited because Joel and I just ordered ours:
Gorgeous, I can’t wait to hang it!
Lauren has another fundraiser coming up July 26th. If you are in the Charleston, WV area you should check it out.
