July Fourth and Moonrise Kingdom

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! Though it is only 10 o'clock, and for some the night is just beginning. Andrew and I had a full day of fun. I loved it. Before happy hour and appetizers, thrifting, swimming, hanging at Laurie and Ed's with Miles, burgers and 21 Jump Street (hilarious), we went to Cheekwood for the treehouse exhibit! That was amazing - I've always had a fascination with treehouses. For example, I would love to stay at this treesort that I saw once on the travel channel. And also I adore this song by I'm From Barcelona. The exhibit at Cheekwood featured seven treehouses modeled off of dreamy works of literature. I want to share my favorites!

Ocean of Notions

“He looked into the water and saw that it was made up of a thousand thousand thousand and one different currents, each one a different colour, weaving in and out of one another like a liquid tapestry of breathtaking complexity; and Iff explained that these were the Streams of Story, that each coloured strand represented and contained a single tale.” -- Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, 1991

The inspiration for this treehouse is the magical “Sea of Stories” encountered by Haroun and his storytelling father, Rashid, in Salman Rushdie’s only published children’s book. As visitors explore this structure, they will find a giant, twisted ball of vibrantly colored ropes, representing stories flowing together in different streams. Children will climb in and play the role of Mali, the Floating Gardener, untangling the stories and watching them unfold.

The Jolly Roger

“One green light squinting over Kidd's Creek, which is near the mouth of the pirate river, marked where the brig, the Jolly Roger, lay, low in the water; a rakish-looking craft foul to the hull…She was the cannibal of the seas, and scarce needed that watchful eye, for she floated immune in the horror of her name.” – J.M. Barrie, Peter and Wendy, 1911

Cheekwood visitors of all ages will be invited on a high seas adventure through Neverland on board the infamous ship of Captain Hook. Reflecting the novel’s themes of youth and young at heart, this treehouse will invite hours of imaginative play. Turning the ship’s wheel will change the direction of the compass, and a look through the cannon sights will reveal painted images depicting scenes from the book. As children assume the roles of Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell, the century-old story of Peter Pan and Wendy will come to life every day at Cheekwood.

And, my absolute favorite.

The Rainbow Fish

"The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right, and the more he gave away, the more delighted he became. When the water around him filled with glimmering scales, he at last felt at home among the other fish." – Marcus Pfister, The Rainbow Fish, 1992

Inspired by a simple, beloved children’s story about sharing, this treehouse will create a friendly space for children and adults to play. Guests will enter the mouth of the Rainbow Fish via an ADA-compliant ramp; once inside, they will peer down to the water’s edge to see their own reflections. Inside the fish, children will find shiny, detachable scales to “share” with other, smaller fish placed within the surrounding landscape. Just as the Rainbow Fish in the story shares his scales with others, children will role-play the story’s message of sharing and friendship around the grounds at Cheekwood.

An all around fantastic summer day, even despite the heat. It's been crazy. But it's all good.



Another event worth mentioning would be seeing Moonrise Kingdom last night with my new friend Melanie. I'd been waiting a month and scouring the internet to find out when the film would come to Nashville and it finally did! To the Belcourt, and they serve alcohol there! We had a great time and I want to watch the movie over and over and over again. So wonderfully done, as per usual when it comes to Wes Anderson. This film was particularly yellow and dreamy and cute. God, I just loved it.