Music Monday

To make up for lost time, here are three songs that I'm absolutely obsessed with lately.

The National - Racing Like A Pro

Hop Along - Tibetan Pop Stars

Title Fight - Leaf

xo, Corinne

I Believe In Nashville

Is it Friday already? This week flew by! I've been nursing some kind of gnarly upper respiratory infection though, so my days have been full of tea, soup and sleep. And I have a pretty full weekend of working at Free People ahead of me! I'd only been there for a few hours a week lately, but I miss the store and I'm picking up shifts like crazy. On top of my full time job.. grant me strength! Today is the best I've felt since... last week, though. And last week was really fun, so I wanna talk about it!

Andrew's birthday was on the 13th and he was very happy with his new bike, chocolate pudding pie and decorations :) That morning we picked our friend Terry up from the airport and had lots of fun for a few days! Terry enjoyed the Natchez Trace bridge as much as we do.
 
 
We went to Bongo Java near Belmont. Andrew got a chai latte, I got an iced pumpkin spice latte, and Terry was on a black coffee kick that day. Bongo Java was pretty rad and reminded me of one of my favorite cafes back on Long Island, so I enjoyed being there. Plus the lattes were delicious and we will totally be back. I was really pumped when we walked up to Bongo though, because next door was this cute little house turned vintage & handmade store, Local Honey which I'd already heard so much about. The boys went for a little walk while I browsed and inevitably fell in love.

We ventured downtown that night for some dinner and drinks, and Live on the Green featuring The Wallflowers! (90's, Bob Dylan's son, One Headlight, you know). That was a great time.

 
The next night, we ventured into East Nashville and did dinner on Eastland Ave. at The Wild Cow. It was SO GOOD. The Wild Cow is a vegetarian restaraunt, and the boys got sandwiches while I got the Far Eastland bowl with a side of the hummus of the day, which was jalapeno. Delicious. I can't wait to go back and try the buffalo grinder & the Philly.
 
Goes without saying that Terry loved The Wild Cow as well.
 
Mmmm.. I almost forgot about my ice cream cone appetizer at Jeni's. I'd heard people talking about the goat cheese & red cherry flavor and had to sample it, because I like to live on the edge, obviously. It was so good and I needed more of it immediately.

The rest of the weekend was pretty low key. We had a pasta night at home before Terry left and drank a lot of wine while watching Wet Hot American Summer. It was really great having him visit! It gave us an excuse to go out and eat, which is something we don't do very often because we try and save. The explorations were the most fun! I'm kicking that goal's butt!


xo, Corinne

Favorite Things

Fresh haircuts are one of my favorite things, ever. Every celebrity who cuts her hair short says the same thing, that they've never "felt more like themselves" - but it's true. That, or it's so easy and cute that the zero maintenance aspect is what feels so good. I actually shouldn't say zero maintenance - because I get some gnarly cowlicks and spiky pieces in the morning that need to be tamed.

 But the pixie cut is here to stay.

That first picture - that's how the hairdresser actually styled my hair. I thought it was so funny, and also not the worst look! But now I know why $14 haircuts are priced that way.

Natchez Trace Bridge

Kind of got a head start with one of my four simple goals this weekend! Yesterday evening, Andrew and I drove up to the Natchez Trace bridge. I only kind of got a head start, because I've been here before, but not since we've become actual residents of Nashville so I'm going to go ahead and count it!

From Wikipedia: "The Natchez Trace, also known as the "Old Natchez Trace", is a historical path that extends roughly 440 miles from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee, linking the Cumberland, Tennessee and Mississippi rivers. It was created and used for centuries by Native Americans, and was later used by early European and American explorers, traders and emigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Today, the trail is commemorated by the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway, which follows the approximate path of the Trace, as well as the related Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. Parts of the original trail are still accessible and some segments have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places."

"Meriwether Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition fame, met his death while traveling on the Trace. Then governor of the Louisiana Territory, he was on his way to Washington, DC from his base in St. Louis, Missouri. Lewis stopped at Grinder's Stand near current-day Hohenwald, Tennessee for overnight shelter in October 1809. He was distraught over many issues, possibly affected by using opium, and was believed to have committed suicide by gun. He was buried near the inn. His mother believed he had been murdered, and rumors circulated about possible killers. Thomas Jefferson and his former partner William Clark accepted the report of suicide.

In 1858, a Tennessee state commission erected a monument at the site. On the bicentennial of Lewis' death in 2009, the first national public memorial service honoring his life was held, as the last event of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial. A bronze bust was installed at his gravesite. Today, Grinder's Stand and the nearby city of Hohenwald are within the boundaries of Lewis County, named in honor of Meriwether Lewis."

Baby don't hurt me.

Andrew didn't put up a fight even though I took a million photos of him. I was so excited. 

He even took over and snapped some of me. Here's to more Nashville adventures together!

 xo, Corinne

Yellow Polka Dot

This right here, is my favorite dress ever. A bold statement for something I picked up on my lunch break three days ago. I love this dress so much that today is the second day in a row that I've worn it. You fashion blog ladies have a lot of guts, I must say. Earlier, I took my tripod, camera and remote out into the courtyard behind my building.. there are pretty trees and twisty sidewalks back there. But as soon as I heard somebody approaching I packed up shop. Now you get this glimpse into my living room though. Pretty sweet, huh?

Four Simple Goals Before 2013

Elsie over at A Beautiful Mess created a fun challenge for her readers! Four simple goals before 2013 is a fun way of staying inspired and on track during the upcoming season. I always feel these surges of energy and creativity during this season change, and I'm completely down for this challenge! Especially since they're "simple goals", things to make your life feel more full and happy. Here are mine!

1. Learn a new crochet technique - Right now I'm working on a gray circle scarf for myself, and when that is complete I'm going to take on crocheting beyond single and double crochet. Video tutorials on Youtube should definitely come in handy for this!

2. Eat 3+ vegetables daily - This should be easy, considering I eat a salad almost every single day. But seasonal vegetables like squash, brussels sprouts and yams are so delicious and will help me accomplish a bigger goal - learn more recipes.

3. Take a few yoga classes - It'd be great if I could get into a weekly yoga class, and especially bikram every once in a while. My schedule gets nutty, but I need to make more time for my mental and physical health. Yoga is perfect for reflecting, and releasing all of that negative energy.

4. Visit a new place every weekend - I'd start on this right now, if I weren't having an Arrested Development marathon while waiting for a special someone's birthday bicycle to arrive at our door. I've barely broken the surface of Nashville as far as exploring and adventures go. There are one million cafes and coffee shops and boutiques and parks just begging me to visit. I'm going to make a point to do this every weekend and fully immerse myself in my city.

If you decide to partake in this Four Simple Goals challenge, let me know! I'd love to read yours. And also share your links with Elsie, because they're going to select a few readers goals to feature on A Beautiful Mess! Which is one of my favorite, most inspiring blogs.

Here's to staying fulfilled and motivated this season!

Thursday Thoughts

Making: I'm about to put a dent in my fall craft supply pile! Sugar skull mask, annual leaf garland (my sweet friend Ali and I made some out of felt and yarn last fall), black rose crown, card stock owl posters, and a coffee table tray that's gonna take a whole lot of Mod Podge'in

Anticipating: AUTUMN. And a visit from our good friend Terry next week. And a bunch of shows coming up, like Teenage Bottle Rocket!

Learning: More about social networking on the business end. Facebook "likes" really matter, folks!

Listening to: Sorry About Tomorrow by Hot Rod Circuit. I've been listening to a lot of nostalgia albums lately. It's always such a fun trip down memory lane. Well, aside from those songs that aren't fun, that teenage me used to listen to on repeat during periods of intense brooding.*

*This still happens

Wearing: My new favorite black pants, which are from Target, which are skinny stretchy slacks. They make me feel like Audrey Hepburn. A mossy green J.Crew tee and black oxford flats. Work clothes.

Speaking of work, it's time to get back to that.. :)

xo, Corinne