Tuesday, July 31, 2012

speaking of the midwest...


So, while we are on the topic of some Midwest loveliness…I’m moving to Michigan! Oh, yes really. I’ll be leaving Indiana in about two weeks to move to Traverse City. (If you hold your hand in the mitten that is the state of Michigan, I’ll be at the pinky.) Just outside Traverse City, there is a little town called Interlochen and in said town there is an arts school called Interlochen Arts Academy. There, I will a hall counselor for some number of high school girls. I am super duper excited and incredibly nervous. I am happy to be working with teenagers, and artsy teenagers at that! A friend of mine keeps asking if I am prepared to live in the woods legitimately in the middle of nowhere; I keep on laughing (it’s funny because it is probably so true!) and hoping I am ready. Ready for the snow, ready for the cold, ready to meditate by the water and have my days filled with silly drama and real big issues.

And yet I’m so nervous!

So stay tuned as I chronicle life post Peace Corps. Life at a boarding school. Life with health insurance.

It’s gonna be a wild ride!

Again.
must get one of these T-shirts! Michigan T's for EVERYONE!!

t-shirts via Cup of Jo 


fly over states

can you find Bloomington?

My parents are house people. They like the neighborhoods, the sidewalks, the elementary school around the corner, and individual mailboxes. They like quiet, or predictable noise. They like garages and being able to park in their own driveway, not a public garage or on the street. They are not apartment people. And we tried. Really, I wanted them to like the apartment--the proximity to public transportation, the pool, the fitness center, the buzz, the elevator, and the afternoon shrieks of kids and the night noise of twenty-something music. But, no, those are things I enjoy about urban living.

Today, I sit in a pale pink front bedroom of a three bedroom, two-bath (plus sunroom!) ranch, a block from an elementary school and a slew of soccer fields and a solid ten minutes from, like, the rest of civilization. It’s the house my parents just bought. It’s the house they will probably live in until my siblings and I move them into some very well rated nursing home (or the east wing of my brother’s mansion, whichever actually happens). This will be the house our future spouses meet our parents in, where every Christmas from now on will happen, where I come to when everything else feels foreign and scary.

Have I mentioned it is in Bloomington, Indiana?

And that it is fifteen minutes from my grandparents?

Yeah, so about that…

My parents moved. Again. This time, really, will be the last one. Here, in the middle of southern Indiana.

For those of you who don’t know, I grew up a military brat. I moved up and down and across coasts until I was fourteen. Then, by the blessing of a very tolerant mother and a deal I made when I was ten and high school was going to be just like Saved by the Bell, we stayed in Virginia Beach. And we stayed there for nine years. It’s a shame few of my friends will know that house. The one with my red room. A lot went on within those walls.

Ten moves by the time I was fourteen. Two colleges. San Diego. Mali. And here we all land in Indiana.

My parents had different upbringings. My Mom grew up at the Jersey Shore. Born and bred. My Dad grew up right here in Bloomington. That’s why we are back. His parents still live here. I think there has been a Carter living in this town as far back as one can count, probably even before the university was established. His high school still stands. He went to college here. This is home. He doesn’t even need a map to get around! He remembers! When we were in Wal Mart there were T-shirts with his high school written all over them. We are constantly surrounded by his collegiate alma mater.

So we came here. To be close to family. For my Dad to retire. And I think a little, to get away from Southern California.

My Mom and I started to dream a little about living in the Midwest. I mean, you hear about how everyone knows everyone, how people are nicer, how things are slower. And, you know, they grow corn.  Factually, we knew very little about Bloomington before we got here. We knew it’s where Indiana University is and we knew it did not have a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or Anthropologie (which if you ask me, these are all pretty crucial elements). But secretly I think Mom and I were both dreaming of Main Street, of local stores, and small pharmacies, of hardware stores that have family names attached to them, and old movie theatres.

So far, in the twenty-four hours that I’ve been here I can tell you, traffic is light, people in Wal Mart say excuse me, and there is a Target.

Still, I’m excited to be a Midwesterner. I am still looking for the ocean—I mean what are these lakes you speak of and what makes them so great?—but in actuality, I’m sure this will be lovely. Sure, I’ll technically be from Indiana, but have no idea how to get anywhere, and yes, I can’t show anyone where I went to school or the hospital I was born in, but this is where my parents are, and I have long ago learned that home is what’s inside the four walls, not the four walls themselves.

I guess there is Main Street somewhere. And maybe people use Lowe’s. And YES they could totally use some decorating advice (and fashion…and hair…) I’d be more than happy to help with. But people from the Midwest are loud and proud about where they are from, and perhaps, I’ll adapt a little bit of pride from my adopted region. Who knows, maybe whatever is in the corn will get me hooked, and before you can say GO HOOSIERS I’ll find myself permanently at home in one of these fly over states.

And maybe, when all is said and done, we are all home people.

PS—I could really get use to the Midwest way of eating. My grandmother was bomb and cooked mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. I’m gonna need to up these running miles!  

image

Sunday, July 29, 2012

from my reading

"If she has...a certain expression of amusement in her glance which her mouth keeps the secret of...If you made her smile, she would show you perfect little teeth; if you made her angry, she would not raise her voice, but would probably say one of the bitterest things you have ever tasted the flavour of; if you did her a kindness, she would never forget it."

George Eliot, Middlemarch
describing Mary Garth 

loving this...


that would be a nice reminder to see everyday, right?

JGL


oh, joe. you certainly do know how to wear a three-piece suit. 
all men should take note.




the fact that JGL is going to be in four upcoming movies this year? icing on the proverbial cake. 

presents and it's not even my birthday. 

yummy ;) 

photos: Nathaniel Goldberg for GQ

why it matters...

Taste is the fundamental quality which sums up all other qualities. It is the ne plus ultra of the intelligence. 
Comte de Lautreamont (1846-1870)

Friday, July 27, 2012

go team

are you all ready for tonight?! it's opening ceremony time! 
i'm not usually one of those people who has a countdown for the beginning of the olympics, but this year, i'm totally hooked. London. XXX. 2012. 
it's going to be a great 17 days. 

are you ready? who are you excited to see? 

i'm a big fan of gymnastics. men's. women's (i mean we have the best vaulter in the world!) this year is a first for women's boxing--how cool is that? 


 and song to get everyone in the mood. featuring john orozco for team USA!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

you say it's your birthday!


HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMMA C!
WE LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH

XOXO


love ya so much we had our own jam session. 

but really. 

have a wonderful day...may all your birthday wishes come true. and may we eat cake. preferably chocolate. but, you know, whatever you like. 

MUAH!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

internet tabs...


hey y'all. don't you just love this mischievous duo? reminds me of something my siblings and i would have done to get to the cookie jar. that look of determination is severe!  
anywho, i've got a bunch of tabs open on my safari browser and thought i'd share what i've got going with you. 

so funny.

it may not be the reason i went to mali, but this helps

how does your city stack up?

this site is seriously my new favorite.

adding this to my reading list. i really just like the cover art. 

i want these

i lived on this street! but don't look like this.

just found this site. kinda cool right?

my dad would appreciate this sentiment

fall styles! love these

have i mentioned how much i love this?

and my favorite place in tempe for breakfast.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

look who's coming to dinner...

archie, doesn't she look cute in her breast cancer awareness scarf?

my beautiful sister, laura, 2010

mamma c and laura, spring 2011

me and dad at my graduation, 2010

mamma c and dad at the phoenix botanical gardens (a couple of years ago...)

bobby overlooking phoenix

phoenix

the carters are coming to town! that's right people, as of midnight tonight, the whole fam (including archie) will be together, even if just for a couple of days. it should be really fun to all be together again, that hasn't happened in over a year! may the drama and chaos begin!

one sweater, multiple possibilities

ok y'all, everyone is seeing dots...again! this sweater from j.crew is awesome and totally adorable. here's how one simple sweater can fit three people.
this color combination would be perfect for my mom, or any classicist. it's cozy and oozes comfort. it's trendy in its dots, but the colors are perfect for anyone who doesn't want to dance too much on the wild side, and who channels timeless tradition a la audrey hepburn. think straight dark denim jeans and ballet flats (my mom would also add very trendy accessories like long necklaces and chunky bracelets).

option two is perfect for my sister. the color combination is young and while it keeps with the polka dot trends, it adds something fresh with the kelly green and blue colors. think of it as great for the woman who is alluring and slightly mysterious, who charms the crowd with more than her great looks. in the perfect world laura would pair this with colored jeans (or leather), sky high heels, and red lipstick. though these days it would probably be closer to cigarette jeans, a messy bun, but keeping the red lips. 


i'd pick something like this. i love the juxtaposition of the dark burgundy and light pink. it's a little funky and quirky. the burgundy is very adult and mature whereas the light pink is playful and young, it's trying to figure out where it is in the world, just like me. it's kinda unexpected and ultra modern as well. it's the kind of fashion that mixes trendy with timeless. this piece is great for the person looking to punch up their classic wardrobe with small trends, who wants clothing that is going to transition from young twenty something who has five jobs, to young twenty something who finally has one job with benefits. i'd wear it with slightly high waisted wide leg trousers and great pumps, or make it weekend with classic bootcut jeans and sneakers. 

what do you think? can you think of the people who fit the other colors offered? 
this one for my friend chris, and this one for my aunt robbin


happy shopping! don't you just LOVE fall?

still


sometimes i'm still my father's daughter. biker chic is always in style. 


come here


come here with me. i think we'll do just fine. we'll wear cozy sweaters with animals on them and sip adult versions of warm drinks. we'll read books out loud and sit close. we'll tell stories and laugh loudly. you can teach me how to skip rocks and i'll take all kinds of landscape photos. 

come here. 

image via TKOW and theshinysquirrel

one more thing...

FINALLY! a little something on my trip to Charlotte. Or at least a little more than just photos. 
charlotte, nc 2012

Alyssa is my teacher.

Sure, everyone teaches everyone something. But Alyssa is Yoda. The girl knows everything.

I’m going to go out on a limb here. Bear with me. But if you think I’m cool, or fashionable, or kind, Alyssa blows me out of the water. She oozes cool. And always has.

You see Alyssa is one of my oldest friends. We met in freshman English. That would be high school freshman English. We sat on polar opposite ends of the class, but I made her do this horrible play of mine and let’s just say, if that didn’t repel her, nothing I could would. She became the track star and writer. I became the smart girl. We ran (no pun intended) in different, yet intersecting circles.

I think we each had a moment our final days of high school--either at her baller grad party, or with her making faces at me (knowing I couldn’t talk!) in full cap and gown—where we knew, or hoped, that we would be friends longer than high school. That’s probably around the time I made her swear that we would go to our high school reunion together, better to face possible catastrophe in pairs is my motto.

We spent college in my living room. She’d come over and we’d hang out, watching movies, or TV, losing at Scrabble (to my sister), but most of the time we had those conversations that are about nothing in particular, but somehow end up being about everything. School. Life. Dating. College. Coffee. Life. She’d always end up spouting some nugget to keep me from the edge.  We’d hug and see each other the following break.

When my world starts to cave in, Alyssa is one of the few who gets the long story.

So, it should seem to no surprise that, especially recently, I’ve written quite a lot of “OMG what am I doing with my LIFE!” emails in her direction. And a couple of weeks ago, she was kind enough to host me for my weekend in Charlotte. I did to her, like I did to a couple of people during my little tour of the East Coast, calling about six days before I wanted to arrive at her doorstep. But I’ve been telling Alyssa for too many years that I would come to visit her, and finally I was making good on my word. 

And, like I knew it would, the trip was awesome. It was full of good conversations, meeting new people, and sightseeing. Seeing a little slice of Alyssa’s life was perfection. She has a great life; seriously, I about cemented my air mattress to her floor and stayed for, well, ever.

Friends are a beautiful thing. Some of them are meant to be around for a only a small portion of time, and others just get better with time (like other good things in life: wine, Cary Grant movies, clothing).  One of the best compliments in life is to be a good friend, to be loved and cherished for exactly who you are and who you will be, by people who choose you. Thank you Alyssa for putting up with all my drama, you m’dear are a truly good friend and all around amazing person…do you know that?

 downtown charlotte, 2012
ah, an oldie but a goodie. me and alyssa washington DC 2009. because seriously, i didn't get a picture of the two of us that weekend. fail on my part. 

Monday, July 23, 2012

mon bureau


swoon. 

i think that if my office, the imaginary one that actually doesn't even kind of exist, looked like this (and let's be real, does anyone know me to be this organized?) well then maybe i would be writing more like i'm supposed to be. 

something to aspire to right?
image via TKOW



Thursday, July 19, 2012

the city of lights or the big apple?



it's the usual question...which do you prefer: paris or new york? fashion, food, culture, you name it and you can compare it. and everyone has an opinion. 

luckily for those who have a hard time picking a side, graphic designer vahram muratyan has given us the two cities in great images that are available both online and in book form, yay! i have to say, what a great housewarming gift for your favorite urbanite (cough cough hint hint). or at least check out the website for the illustrations. they are so much fun!

but for real, what city do you dream of? empire state or a lover of paris?

this one is my favorite!!

hahahaha. awesome!

via cup of jo
for my most recent nyc adventures

yes, i do like her


I wish I was strong enough to lift not one but both us
                                  Someday I will be strong enough to lift not one but both of us

have you ever thought that? if only you could save the person you wanted, the one you were looking at, the one with those searching eyes. 


honest, no judgement moment. i totally adore taylor swift. totally. as in have all three of her albums on my ipod and on regular rotation. 

i was in the kitchen this morning making breakfast with VH1 on in the living room when this song came on, having not heard it before and thinking i heard taylor swift in the mix, i left my apple half cut and (seriously) knife still in hand came to see what was going on. i cannot tell you how many times i've listened to it today (let's just say bobby is very over this song). 

i am so happy to see tay swift growing up with the rest of us. cool outfits, bangs, straight hair. but have no fear, if you think it's not the same girl, just check out the behind the scenes. ;)

what do you think?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

oh yes!


OH EM GEE. 

are you excited? because i sure am! joe wright, master director of such movies as atonement and pride & prejudice, has done it again with what looks to be one of the most beautiful visions on screen. seriously people, it just oozes fabulous. 

anna karenia is a hefty story to translate on the big screen, but i am so excited to see this rendition. i want to be swept up on the language and the society of it all. 

what do you think? will this just be another book to film movie we've seen a lot of recently or could this transcend that idea and truly be movie magic (and perhaps oscar gold)? have you read the book? will you now? (i have to say, i start that book all the time and haven't finished, perhaps i'll had it to my reading list yet again!)

oh! i do love the movies!
(on a totally different note, i'm also real excited for this one, also based on a book that believe it or not, i have read)

lately

ok, i get it, i've been a little absent from the blog lately. admitting it is the first step, right? it was so bad that my computer kinda forgot i write a blog and it didn't show up on my favorites. heavy sigh. bad mary.
blog? man, i need to write something...
in the interest of proving that i still am here, still want you to read and follow my every whim, here are some of the things i've been doing lately. that is, here is my list of excuses for why numerous blog posts lay unfinished on my desktop and i continue to ignore them.

bobby on south mountain overlooking sprawling phoenix
i'm in PHOENIX! yay! i know i need to write about my charlotte, NC adventures (see above paragraph about unfinished blog entries) but i wanted you to know that i'm here pondering life with my fabulous brother who is entering his senior year at ASU. he's just a wonderful person and i am so happy to be mooching off of his hospitality and netflix account. 

my mamma and me in the courtyard of the tempe mission palms
my mamma came to visit! for those of you who know what my mom and i are like, you can completely understand why i have been absent. my mom and i are two peas in a pod, we are peanut butter and jelly, she is the cheese to my macaroni...you get my drift. basically, it was too short, but we managed to hit on all topics from what am i doing with my life, to the headlines in hollywood. she'll be back next week, thank the Lord! 

whew, and now, for the real time consuming stuff...some goodies i've found around the interwebs...

what i got to watch only minutes of while in the hotel room, but would watch all the time if i had HBO!

this may finally beat my $5 mali bag

love this outfit! love the blog. new find!

speaking of new blogs, check out this one and this one

i may no longer be a teen (holler) but i still totally dig this and respect these girls

still love this blog (savoy and i talk about joanna like we know her) and love these photos

still plugging away at this novel, maybe i'll finish before christmas

i KNOW HER! and she's just as awesome as she looks.

speaking of people i know, for your political side, or you should at least read this

have you heard of this? turns out it was the brain child of jef from the bachelorette (more on him later)

new favorite (which i found on VH1 and not on i guess some commercial somewhere)

just bought new shorts, which feel really short after having to cover my knees while in mali

finally saw this movie and this movie. both were wonderful. (confession: i kinda adore jesse eisenberg.)

now can you see how time has flown? jeepers, i'm exhausted again!

wait, you still want more writing?! how can it be?
anywho, happy interweb trails! i'm off to see if i can finish one of these posts staring at me from my desktop--i see you!


photos 1, 3, 4 from bobby; photo 2 from yours truly

Monday, July 9, 2012

a weekend in charlotte

freedom park, charlotte NC (looks like this photo
loving the bridge
the bird with the broken wing that ann and alyssa helped save. 
the rope bridge at freedom park
farmer's market! indoor. with fans. GENIUS
wait, where am i again? 
Duke Energy Building. it's new. it's green. 
because every city NEEDS a shiny eagle. it's like a disco ball. kinda. 
guess what this is? modern art building!
mint museum 
ann. alyssa. waterfall. obviously. 
just the waterfall. 
it's the city! get it?
my favorite

it's a sad water fountain. it's real hot. 
asheville. buskers. 

hello asheville!
mountains 
off the blue ridge parkway
more waterfalls!
some friends. i mean swimmers.  
and then it was still. 
bye bye falls!


thanks ann and alyssa for such a wonderful weekend. you guys are the best.

more on my time in charlotte and my walk down my high school memory lane soon!