famous people

denver {day one} // live at red rocks.

May 6, 2013

You guys! Let’s just talk for a few days about the beauty and goodness that is Denver, Colorado. I took over 500 pictures on my trip and have whittled them down to just near 100 for the ‘ol blog. I’d like to say I’m kidding or at least that I’m sorry, but yeah, I’m not. Girlfriend can’t help herself. Pictures aplenty, pictures galore.

So anyways, If you’d like to stick around for the ride, I’d love to have you. It’s good stuff through and through, I promise. And hey! Maybe afterwards you’ll feel like you took a vacation, too. Ready? Here we go…

{PRESS PLAY!}

I left Boston INSANELY early on Friday morning, but when you’re heading across the country to see your best friends {who you haven’t seen in a year!}, well, nothing is too early for that.

After one layover and one total sobfest while finishing this {SO GOOD!}, I was ready to take on Denver. The thing I remember best about landing at the airport and driving into the city was this: They sky was the bluest of blue {and stayed that way the entire length of our trip}, I could see the mountains!, and the sky was bigger than I’ve ever seen.

There is something perfect about reuniting with high school friends. The second you are together again, I swear it’s like you were never apart. We just kept busting out with “WE DID THIS! We’re here!! WE REALLY DID THIS!” on the entire ride to Denver from the airport. I felt this kind of happy inside that I haven’t felt in awhile, and maybe even ever. The sweet excitement of being someplace brand new with the sweet comfort of being with people who’ve known you practically forever— people who’ve known you before you were even actually you— at least before you were the you you are today, if that makes sense. They’ve watched you become YOU. And, anyways, for what it’s worth it’s some kind of wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from day one…

The highlight of the day: LIVE AT RED ROCKS.

Fun fact: When I was in high school I was wildly obsessed with the Dave Matthews Band. I went to tons and tons of concerts {SPAC! Toronto! Atlanta!} and was basically head over heals for the music in the way that only a 16 year old can be. To put it mildly, I lived and breathed DMB. The winter of my senior year I wrote a letter to Dave Matthews, signed by me and all my friends, and! just for fun, not for serious, I added my phone number at the end with a smiley face. I sent it to his house in Charlottesville, Virgina and thought that was that. All in good fun, right? Send a letter to the lead singer of your favorite band and life goes on.

Well.

A week later, my phone rang one night and it was Dave Matthews himself. DAVE MATTHEWS! In the flesh, calling for ME!

Said he wanted to thank me and my friends for the letter, that he’d just gotten home from a photo shoot for Rolling Stone, that my words were the nicest and just what he needed to hear after a long, tiring weekend away.

I talked to him for, I don’t even know, 5 minutes? Mind racing, heart beating the enTIRE time.

And then I jumped and squealed like a 16 year old for weeks upon weeks upon weeks. {and still sometimes even now.}

TRUE LIFE AMAZING.

My original claim to fame, also known as the best day ever of my teenage life.

{And so, now you’ll see why it was so appropriate that we come to Red Rocks. My favorite of all the CDs!}

The amphitheatre is the coolest and the view UNBELIEVABLE. I hear the acoustics are the best, although I can’t say I’ve heard them myself {we didn’t see a concert, just toured the rocks!}–but I will say that I’m adding “See a concert at Red Rocks” to my bucket list, for sure.

If I can make it a DMB concert, EVEN BETTER.

Exhausted, but exhilarated I could not stop smiling the entire length of the day. After Red Rocks we headed back into the city {and Beth’s neighborhood} to end day one with dinner at Steuben’s. It was, in a word, {DO YOU SEE THOSE GRAVY CHEESE FRIES?} delicious.

The perfect end to a perfect beginning.

Love at first sight, Denver! So much good!

31 Comments · Filed Under: famous people, friends, life, music, nostalia, travel ·

may the odds be ever in your favor…

March 27, 2012

{Print from Entropy Trading Co. via Etsy}

The Hunger Games, Movie Edition:

I looooooooved it.

(The book, of course, is in a class all by itself, so we won’t compare too much, only a little.)

Before I go into the details I would just like to say this: Katniss Everdeen ROCKS and I don’t think they could have found a more perfect person for the role. Throughout the whole entire movie I couldn’t help but think over and over in my head, Dang that girl is skilled!

So here I will go into my personal opinions about the movie itself. If you haven’t read the book/seen the film, and plan on it, stop reading now. Otherwise, let’s begin:

District 12:

I thought the beginning of the movie was absolutely perfect. District 12 was exactly as I imagined it. Exactly. I love the chemistry with Gale and Katniss and ultimately have always in my heart felt they were right for each other. Aaaanyways. I could go on all day discussing Gale, but for the sake of this (hopefully not too long) post, let’s move on.

The reaping was also perfectly aligned with the images I had in my head. I wish they had gone into more detail with the mockingjay, but I will forgive. It was all so tragic and powerful and that silent salute gave me all sorts of shivers.

“It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.”

The Tributes:

I enjoyed most everything about this part of the movie. The train ride was well done, and the Opening Ceremony and the days in the training center were entertaining and well filmed. LOVED the “girl on fire”. SO cool. I do wish they had gone into some more detail here on Peeta and the back story between him and Katniss– it seemed like they could have gone deeper in my humble opinion, but again, I will forgive. I also thought they did a good job with the back story on the mining accident. I liked how they encorporated it into the movie just enough to satisfy.

And then of course, The 74th Hunger Games:

Brilliantly done. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Either that, or I was curled up in a ball simultaneously covering my ears and squinting my eyes. I do this sometimes during action movies. It just happens.

The fights at the Cornucopia were CRAY-ZY.

The fireballs were wild.

The tracker jackers scene was perfect.

Loved little Rue and her lovely spirit and the mockingjay song. Saddest tear. Loved that part a lot.

I never really loved the cave scene in the book (remember: Team Gale, here) and I felt the same way about the cave scene in the movie. It was OKAY.

I thought the last fight at the Cornucopia was terrific, even though the creepy wolves should have definitely been mutations of the dead tributes (as was done in the book). I think it would have added just a little “umph” which I would have appreciated.

And the very end of the games with the night lock berries? LOVED.

Overall it was a HIGHLY decent adaptation of the book. Of course we all know the books are always better, no argument there, but I truly enjoyed myself during the movie and would recommend it to anyone who loved the Trilogy or just wants to see a very interesting, action packed story, about a bunch of teenagers who against their will are forced to fight to the death.

Would you be brave enough to change the game?

I sure as heck wouldn’t be.

But regardless, who wants to take up archery now?

I DO. I DO.

Postscript: This post is officially brought to you by my 16 year-old self. You’re welcome!

14 Comments · Filed Under: famous people, movies ·

11 people I would invite to dinner: {fantasy favorites}

March 15, 2012

The final {and most awesome} round.

I made it eleven because there was no way I could narrow it down to five (I couldn’t even stick to ten!).

I had so much fun putting these together– I hope you enjoyed them too! I think this last dinner party would be the most interesting one by far. I mean, imagine! Having all of these people in one room! Sigh. If only it could be true. Here’s to dreaming.

And here. we. go…

{The Guest List}

Severus Snape

“After all this time?”

“Always.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Becky, A Little Princess

The little servant girl who stole all our hearts.

“Sara… why don’t you tell your stories anymore? “

“They’re just make-believe. They don’t mean anything.”

“Oh, but they’ve always meant something to me. There were days I thought I would die, until I heard you talk about the magic.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

MacGyver

The original Jack Bauer.

Me and my dad used to always watch this show together.

What a guy.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Anne of Green Gables

UM. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with Anne Shirley??

“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Carrie Bradshaw

Because, honestly, she’s like the coolest girl EVER.

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Veda Sultanfuss

There she was just a walkin’ down the street singing Do Wa Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Do.

“Get outta here! And don’t come back for five to seven days!”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Sophia Petrillo

“Ma, can you eat quietly?”

“These are Fritos, what do you want me to do, swallow them whole?”

– – – – – – – – – – –

Lady Violet Grantham

HILARIOUS.

And I think she and Sophia would be SUPER hilarious together.

“What is a week-END?”

Cristina Yang

I love just about every sentence that comes out of this girl’s mouth.

She’s my favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy, hands down.

– – – – – – – – – – –

10.

Matilda

Precious. And smarter than a 5th grader for sure.

“You seemed so far away,” Miss Honey whispered, awestruck.

“Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings,” Matilda said. “It was wonderful.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

and last, but certainly not least:

11.

Napoleon Dynamite

“I caught you a delicious bass.”

But ONLY if he brings his dance moves to the party.

Canned heat, baby.

View: {living edition}

View: {dead edition}

11 Comments · Filed Under: books, children, famous people, movies ·

5 people I would invite to dinner {dead edition}

March 8, 2012

The game is back for round two.

WHO would you invite to dinner if they were not resting in peace???

Here’s my guest list:

JFK Jr.

Yes yes yes.

Oh how I loved this man.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Laura Ingalls Wilder

I am a prairie girl at heart so we would totally get along.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Lucille Ball

She’s a funny one, that Lucy.

And beautiful too.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Princess Diana

Oh, Diana.

What I would give to have you at a dinner party.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Shel Silverstein

He’s probably one of the coolest people of all time.

Just sayin’.

And just because I can’t help it, here’s some of my very favorites:

Invitation

If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer, a wish-er, a liar
a hope-er, a pray-er, a magic-bean-buyer
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
for we have some flax-golden tales to spin!
Come in! Come in!

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Sittin’ in the sun
Talkin’ ’bout the things
They woulda coulda shoulda done…
All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
ran away and hid
from one little Did

The Little Boy and the Old Man

Said the little boy, “Sometimes I drop my spoon.”
Said the old man, “I do that too.”
The little boy whispered, “I wet my pants.”
“I do that too,” laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, “I often cry.”
The old man nodded, “So do I.”
“But worst of all,” said the boy, “it seems
Grown-ups don’t pay attention to me.”
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
“I know what you mean,” said the little old man.

♥♥

View: {living edition}

Up next week: {fantasy favorites}

13 Comments · Filed Under: books, children, famous people ·

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