Sometimes I have nightmares about work.

Work day at the zoo.

Yesterday the team I work with at AG + I went to the zoo to draw, photograph, and just be inspired by the animals. (We put a LOT of animals on greeting cards). Here's a snippet of what I recorded. 

The feast.

It's been a couple of years since we made it to the Feast of the Assumption in Little Italy. It's one of those things that I really disliked when I lived there (mostly due to the hours upon hours of loud music), but something I really enjoy now. The stretch of Mayfield Road in Little Italy is completely closed off so vendors can set up on the sidewalks and people can wander up and down the street. The main draw is the food, obviously, but there's also a lot of entertainment, gambling, and a little carnival. I was looking forward to a meatball sub this year. It was excellent. 

Andrew finally got to try some pizza from Mama Santa's and I finally got the chance to really have fun with my new (but old) 50mm lens that I grabbed for cheap on eBay a couple of months ago. I love how great it is in low light and being a regular SLR lens it was pretty enjoyable to do a little manual work for a change. Oh, and we grabbed a hot waffle ice cream sandwich on our way out. Yes, it was a good as it sounds. 

How can I adequately describe that feeling?

That feeling that comes from the instant when you hear just the first few notes of the right song and your heart swells and you become overwhelmed with a rush of memories of a day in the fall. A day that maybe never actually happened. Just an idealized end result of a collection of almost perfect moments. The crisp air. The color and the anticipation. The possibility. That smell that escapes from the chimneys that wraps me in a feeling of complete comfort.

Those clouds.

 And at one time I would have called it infinite.

And at one time it was all I had.

And sometimes it makes me cry.

I love that feeling.  

Purchased for the home we still don't own yet.

A vintage Suzani embroidery. Someday I'll get to hang this on one of our walls.

In the meantime I'll just think about it and continue to be frustrated with the wait. This week we're dealing with mold removal estimates. Mold is my new worst enemy.

Homeless.

The past week was a challenge. 

We unexpectedly had to move out of our apartment earlier than we thought. Which led to frantic + completely unprepared packing and relocation of us and the cats, unplanned expenses and a lot of stress. A lot of stress.

Luckily we had family and friends who took the time to help us out and make everything go a little smoother. 

So now we wait, and wait to close on this house while we temporarily live with some very generous friends of ours. We've bought ceiling paint and a vintage oven in anticipation of closing any day (or week) now. It's a lesson in patience for sure. 

Florida + Friends.

 

We've been in south east Florida for the past week. Visiting family + friends. Attending a wedding and soaking up the sun on the hot beaches. Listening to our friends play music and dancing along side them to favorites from the past. 

Times like these make me really thankful for the extended family that we have found in our friends.

Listen to our friends in Goolsby (http://goolsby.bandcamp.com/)
and Young Circles (http://youngcircles.bandcamp.com/)

Our Fourth of July evening.

Last night we went to the Blossom amphitheater for their Fourth of July celebration where one of our friends was playing with the orchestra. Beautiful location + excellent music + cannons + fireworks. Pretty great if you ask me.