Inspiration!

This week has been a little drab. Truthfully, I feel overwhelmed by my senior seminar paper (the main research project for my major) which is due in a few weeks. Yes ... twenty-one days to be exact! So in order to prepare myself for writing my paper there is nothing better than a little inspiration. Since photography is my favorite type of art I went to look at some of Vivian Maier's photographs. If you haven't heard of this wonderful woman go to her website and check out her story. In short, she was a nanny on the north shore of Chicago and her past time was street photography. It wasn't until after her death that John Maloof discovered her slides and made it his project to restore and publish her stunning photographs. She is a serious inspiration! 

Not to mention her amazing self portraits. 

Her use of mirrors and other reflective surfaces is beyond compare.

Vivian Maier's Website

Odds & Ends

My wonderful job at Free People - winter time in Chicago - and all the way to Memphis

"I've Been to the Mountaintop"

Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special place in the heart of Memphis residents. Its surreal and tragic to live in the city in which MLK spoke his last words - the city that took a hero's life. Yet, as I look back on all the things he did for this city I can't help but be proud of the strong tie this city has to MLK. In his last public appearance before his death MLK gave the speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop," at a temple in Memphis. I cant help but fall in love with the following excerpt from his speech because it acknowledges the strength of the city that I have lived in the past four years.

"I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. You reveal that you are determined to go on anyhow. Something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world."

Luke and I decided to go to the Lorraine Motel this weekend and commemorate such a great man.

Well Hello Ice!

Memphis is looking a little something like this today...

So we've had to do a little bit of this...

But, hey! It ain't too bad because class was cancelled today and I ate the best guacamole of my life at Las Delicias. I'd say it was the best ice day ever :)

A New Family Member

When I came home on new years day my mother unexpectedly put me in her car and took me to PetSmart. She informed me that she wanted my opinion on a cat. Now... I am a dog person. I mean a major dog person. Cats have intimidated me and, quite frankly, rubbed me the wrong way. So when she dragged me into a room of cats I was not feelin' it! But then came Oliver...

I immediately fell in love with his big green eyes and the next day we brought him home. Oliver is incredibly sweet - a "head-butter" as they call him which really means he loves rubbing his head against everything. He loves it so much that as I sit here writing this post he's rubbing against my slippers and computer since I can't pet him. Oh wait, now he is climbing on top of my laptop asking for me to pet him. Such a lover!
Apparently he lived in a trailer with a hoarder who decided let him (and her other 6 cats) out into the wild. A group who takes in feral cats found him and decided to bring him to their shelter. I am overjoyed that they brought him in because he is a wonderful addition to our family. Welcome Oliver!! 

"Head-Butting" :)

Our pup confused about our new family member

* Oliver's ear looks a little funny because it has been clipped. The group we adopted him from will go find feral cats, spay/neuter them, give them shots, clip their ears, and send them back into the wild. They clip their ears in order for other rescue groups to know the cats have been taken care of. If the feral cats are friendly and seem like good house cats, like Oliver, they will take them into their shelter and try and find them a forever home.

New Year, New Look

With a new year comes a new look! I was lucky enough to get Photoshop Elements as a Christmas present and now I'm in more control of what my blog will look like. As you can see I have changed around some parts and buttons and am super pumped about the makeover. I'm planning on slowly changing other parts of the blog and I would love any feedback you all have. :) I hope you all like the change!

Even though 2012 was an awesome year I'm very excited to welcome 2013. In this coming year I will graduate from college and begin a new chapter in my life. And no ... I still have no idea what I am going to do, where I will live, or what my job will be - no matter how many times I've been asked those questions. I'm really banking on the notion that everything will work out naturally and I will end up where I should be. All I can say is I'm extremely excited to see what my life will be like this time next year.

Although I don't normally have resolutions, I have finally found one that seems appropriate and hopefully easy to fulfill. There is a journal called One Line A Day in which you write one little snippet about your day for the next five years. Although I am unsure if I will like this journal, or even use it for five years, I'm really hoping I write in it everyday. I know ten years from now I will appreciate all of the little things in it. So here's to hopefully fulfilling resolutions and to the new year! Happy 2013!

Image Source - Le Blog