And This is How We Feel About Pop Out Shop Logos

Sunday Funday

68 degrees and sunny. bicycle and plenty of big hills. craft/invention gallery and garage sale. hot tea and coffee. old photos and books. almost perfect day.




became very attached to some 30s/40s photos of a missionary family in eritrea. definitely my favorite find so far.

Home Sweet Home

943 Sharpe (it’s french) is finally feeling like our place. We have done a TON of work on the house so far – I wish we had before pictures, but they would scare small children. After days and weeks of cleaning, drilling, installing, scrubbing, building, bombing, hanging and painting, we feel pretty good about what we have. And after Taylor went through a few mowers, three weed eaters and two chain saws he finally has the yard semi-under control and has even dug out flower beds!

The front door opens to the living room on the right, which has a stone fire place, (we can’t use it but it looks neat – there are things shoved up it that we would rather not investigate) and is connected to the dining room by a double-wide, open doorway. If you walk left into the dining room, then straight toward the back of the house, you will pass the bathroom on the left (it’s super small, but very efficient – you can use the toilet and the sink at the same time!) before entering the kitchen and little sun room that run along the back of the house. In the sun square (“room” gives the illusion of space) is a small door that should never, ever be opened – it leads to the very unfinished and very scary basement that is the size of the entire house (and is soon to be occupied by my very brave little brother).


Booth style seating at the dining room table


Dining room is also the studio and art room


Living room


Is it just me, or does this furniture look really familiar…


My reading nook

Instead of going left out of the front living and dining room area, you can go right and enter the bedroom. Then, through the back of the bedroom is the master bedroom, which is being used as the live room for the studio (the windows have been boarded over with soundproofing material and foam has been hung over the walls. The neighbors probably think we are sketchy – although not nearly as sketchy as the previous tenants, so we hear…). The master bedroom and kitchen both have doors that lead out to the back deck, which has unprofessionally-built, precariously-steep stairs going down in to the giant back yard (mostly used for parking, not good for much else – previous tenants to blame).


Street side

Sharpe Avenue is urban life at its finest – less than five minutes from dead downtown, and there is a kebab stand, citi trends, beauty supply store and “hot flicks” on the corner. It is a very cultural neighborhood with lots of character and is home to all kinds of people. Some are hippies, some are activists, some are loud, some are strange, some are musicians, some are terrified of dogs, but all are friendly. Really, I can’t imagine where I’d rather be living right now.

Adolescence

Well, we kind of nipped that one in the butt. Didn’t necessarily want to, but it was my social responsibility.

Jasper and June are maturing quite nicely. They love cuddling, chewing grass, stalking feathery toys, climbing trees, walking on keyboards and sleeping under the covers.

And they LOVE the freedom of their new neighborhood. Don’t so much love the thug cat pack at the front of the street, but they are holding their own.


June’s Avril Lavigne face.


Jasper’s pensive look.


Jasper taking a swat at June’s tail.


June – clearly worn out from her day of napping in the chair.

Jasper & June

Me and my crew were doin our business at the flea market when we found kiiitttttiiiiieess!!! With the help of very supportive, although very teasing, friends I rescued a little brother and sister who were destined for prostitution, dealing, or death.

So now they live the cushy life with two parents, a godfather and lots of aunts and uncles to spoil them.

They even got real jobs and an office with a view. Computer skills are coming along quite nicely – of course they are mac people.

La Quinta

Adam and I went to the desert to shoot some video of La Quinta Resort and Club for their emagazine.

We learned:
- the sun rises around 4am
- it only takes a few thousand sprinklers for man to beat nature
- fish don’t live in or around the desert
- “purple mountain’s majesty” is literal
- less is not more when it comes to pools
- golfers are the most dedicated sportsmen
- if you think it will be cool at any point, even 3am, you’re wrong
- barren mountains are as beautiful as they are opposite from the blue ridge
- take a car, not the shuttle
- july is not the best time to visit the desert

Into the Forest

Taylor, Josh, Tim, Chris, Erica, Emily and I went back packing at South Mountain last weekend. It was three days of river-walking, fire-making, rock-climbing, no cell-phoning, rule-breaking, hatchet-throwing pure bliss adventure!


Tim and Erica by the fire.





Looking over the edge of the waterfall.





Tim’s Into the Wild pose.




And Taylor
1. Caught some craw dads
2. Cut open a tin can
3. Filled the can with water
4. Locked the dads in the can
5. Put the can in the fire
6. Removed the can
7. Cracked the craw dad shells
8. Ate the meat like a mini lobster tail

It was one of my proudest moments. Nothing sexier than a man being a man – roughing it in the forest.








Note: I do not support the torturing of animals.

The Penguin

Perfect for prom night, Thanksgiving Eve, business lunch, or late night, the Penguin has always been a staple of upper Central where it has held its place at the intersection of Thomas and Commonwealth for decades. True to its surroundings, the Penguin is small, and grungy but makes no apologies for its cramped, dark, noisy atmosphere. The unpretentious diner welcomes all who are looking for amazing food and cold beer at a great price – patrons range from business men, yuppies, and seniors to indie kids, punks, and the tattooed wait staff. And the jukebox plays something for everyone.

I like to start off with an appetizer of fried pickles- slices of dill pickle, battered, fried, and served with ranch – the perfect side for a few bottles of beer. The menu also includes the winky dinky dog- a chili and pimento cheese hot dog, the dixie chicken sandwich, house-made brunswick stew, a ribeye sandwich, penguin fingers, and the big bloc burger- two 1/3 lb. beef patties served “southern style” with mustard, chili, and slaw, or “all the way” with lettuce, tomatoe, pickle, onion and mayo. There is also the falafel- black bean hummus wrapped in a tortilla with veggies, soy dog, and a black bean burger with spicy mayo for vegitarians. Sides of crinkle cut fries, sweet potatoe fries, and thin crispy onion rings come in baskets to be shared.

Judging by the “Best of Charlotte” awards that line the walls and the fact that there is always a wait, I am not the only person who chooses the Penguin as her favorite place to eat.

Check out some pictures of the food.

Two Wheels are Better Than Four

My brother’s new bike is almost as hot a mine. Check out more hot bikes in action.

Kruspy Kreme

Aeron and I had a press check for The Greenbrier Sporting Club Vision Brochure at Wentworth Printing in Columbia, SC. Harvey, a man who has been working a press for longer than I’ve been alive, showed us every step involved in offset printing. He was also kind enough to answer all of my questions – I had A LOT since it was my first time in a print shop the size of Wentworth. It was an intense two days of inks, papers, folding, binding, die-cutting, letter-pressing, and mostly color matching. The whole experience was absolutely mind blowing and magical! I have a new, great appreciation and understanding of what is happening with our files between uploading to an ftp and receiving a proof. Oh, and there was a Krispy Kreme down the street. We hit the hot fresh now about four times. Aeron can put away a few dozen in one sitting.