"Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow." ~Edwin Teale
I stumbled across this quote and it resonated with me. To be honest, I had no idea who Edwin Teale was. So being from the Google generation I looked him up. According to the (not so) trusted source of Wikipedia I was told the late Teale, among other things, was a naturalist. With that knowledge I have a feeling he meant this quote to be taken literally. That even though a tree has stood longer than even our great-great-great-great-grandparents we can just walk up to a tree and take it down in one single morning - whether it be to use the wood, clear the space, etc - without a second thought. The "green" part of me feels that the quote is powerful in that context and I agree with Teale's thoughts about it.
But that's not what resonated with me. What does is the way I first took it, figuratively. As in: Any day, you can do something that can tear down your character that you took your lifetime to create. Notice I said character, not reputation. To me the two sometimes get mushed together unrightfully. I know a lot of great people who may have had tarnished reputations (because some people lack character and spread vicious rumors) and I feel your reputation is what other people think of you, but your character is who you are, whether someone is around or not.
My character is something that I never want to lose and I think we just need a reminder like this how easily something like that can be taken away from you.
Now I will admit, while I do like some of her movies I've always had other movie stars on my list of favorites above Reese Witherspoon, but after her acceptance at the MTV Movie Awards for the Generation Award, I had to move her up on my list. After I thought about this quote I thought of this acceptance speech. This is from awhile ago, but if you haven't seen it I recommend watching it:
I wish there was more in the media about being a good girl or a good person. I know where I stand and I do believe most of us grew up with morals and values, but I am fearful for those girls growing up now. I just hope they realize how quickly one little "stunt", lie, etc can change your life.
Oh I digress. Not entirely sure where this rant came from.
Sorry for the delay posting this...packing & enjoying my last days in Charlotte is consuming my life. Here is the updated Friday Favorites:
Since I'm moving I have gotten rid of some of these things, but here are some of my favorite things that I have gotten to appreciated all year long. There are a few other favorites I had but these are the best of the best.
Call me a typical girl, but I lovvvvve pictures.
Awhile ago I bought these picture frames by Butch & Harold from ideeli
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Worked out perfectly for me. Love that they are low maintenance to pack
Bless my Grandmothers heart she made me two different inspirational frames. Love her & love them. Quite possibly two of my favorite things.
Sometimes iPhones do take good pictures & these are three of my favorites. While I do have a few "pieces of art" I like using my own, lets me remember memories & counts as decoration. Done & Done.
Again you can call me a typical girl, but I lovvvvve candles. Have way to many and too many favorites, but these two candle holders make even plain candles great.
Something else I love. Wine. Wine to me is practical. It doubles a decor because a full wine rack is decorative as is some of the nicer bottles once they are empty.
Another ideeli purchase was this wine chiller. I use purchase loosely because I was able to score for free or nearly free because of a credit I had on the website.
Going along with the cheap wine items was this Ikea wine rack.
Quite possibly one of my favorite things I purchased was this couch from Ikea. It tripled as a couch, bed, and storage unit. Super comfy and the perfect place for out of town visitors or friends who didn't live in Uptown to crash after a fun night.
I've started to collect crosses. I am Catholic, but that's not why I collect them. I do it because I love how many different styles are out there.
The one on the left was in my bathroom. It is heavy cast iron and gorgeous. The center is one I've had my whole life & is more than just decor. The one on the right is actually larger than this picture portrays. It hung above my bed lets just say a few times my wall was bumped and it shook & I thought it was going to fall.
Some items are more practical and not just for decoration, like my drapes.
On the left are my black out black drapes. Nothing glamorous, but having high windows means it took awhile to find. It is always bright outside my window 24/7 so these were a Godsend. I've had numerous guests not realize what time it was because of how dark my apartment was. I also had these tie backs. They added a bit of glamour. The drapes were from Target and hold backs from Walmart. Hey, if its cute I don't care where its from.
I have a weak spot for ZGallerie. I mean did I really need a magnetic dartboard. (Obviously I answered yes). While I haven't played it as often as I should it did double as decoration. Andddd it was perfect because when us girls go out it sometimes take a bit longer to get ready, so it did entertain the guys for a bit.
These two items are just two random items around my apartment.
Another Ideeli find was this punching bag. Yeah, it took away from the "prettiness" of my apartment & also creeped me out a few times at night in the dark when it looked like a person and not a harmless thing that I beat on.
What kind of apartment would I have if I didn't have something Steelers in it. Don't worry, I had two terrible towels a Steelers blanket and this sign:
Another great find was this Kensington teapot set. Now I don't make tea using this teapot ever, but it made my kitchen a bit nicer and the cups were practical. Even better I got it from Gilt for just a few dollars.
I hope you enjoyed me sharing these with you. What are some of your favorite items in your apartment? Do you have any favorite websites/stores for shopping for decorative items?
If you never have checked out Zgallerie, Gilt, or Ideeli I highly recommend all of them. Gilt and Ideeli are daily deal websites that have designer items for reasonable prices. I know at least ideeli is invite only so feel free to use my links if you want to do some shopping.
You can join gilt by clicking here and ideeli by clicking here.
I was thinking about how this has been the best summer since I was a kid. Mainly because for the first time since I was 16 I haven't been working almost every day of the summer away. Then I thought, this really is the best summer ever. I mean I get to be in a beautiful city, got to have friends visit me, and there are just a lot of things you can't do when you're a kid ;)
I also got some exciting news today. I'll have to share it in a bit though.
Butttt I was thinking some of you are probably being responsible adults and need a boost to get you over the hump of Wedensdays with the weekend in sight. Even though almost every day is the weekend I'm looking forward to Friday because I have a friend, Crystal, coming to town. So here is a little bit of happiness a la music videos on youtube to hopefully speed up the week. Enjoy!
Lil big of Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise
Know how I always say that things always seem to find their way to you? Well this song came on today & Mr. McGraw agrees as he sings, "Ain't it funny how you always find just what you need" in Somebody Must be Prayin for Me.
Not much gets better than The Crossroads.
Breathe, Stretch, Shake (Let it Go)
Little Bit of Mumford & Sons
Some live The Clarks
And finally some Nada Surf
What are some of your favorite songs that always make you happy? Do any of you have a favorite summer memory or favorite summer?
Today was one of those days where you wish mulligans could apply to life as well as golf - though to be honest, I'm not so sure I would want to chance doing over today. It was one of those days where when every little thing goes wrong. I'm just hoping its not an indication on how my month is going to go. I know if I put it in perspective it isn't that bad and that I'm lucky its just sometimes you need a boost to realize that.
I was looking at different things to brighten my day, so I hope if you ever need a little boost this can help you out.
I've said it before & I'll say it again. I think sometimes things that we need in our lives find us. Well a while back a fellow blogger, Presley over at Run Pretty left a comment on one of my posts. Wondering who this lovely commenter was I checked out her blog & have been following along ever since. She is such a sweet girl & her posts are genuine - Not to mention I have her to thank for introducing me to Fripp Island where I now want to vacation. The other night I went and took a look back at some of her older posts & am glad I did. Thanks to Presley I am now in love with Cute Roulette. Fair warning, this website might cause you to loose an hour of your day. Well worth it though. I am sooo glad I could use this for a few minutes of happy distractions.
Speaking of cute animals, I had a bunny Megan (no, I did not name her) who I loved dearly. She unfortuantly went to bunny Heaven this past November. I knew eventually I would want to get a new pet because I cannot replace her but, I can let another animal bring joy into my life while giving the animal a home. Well my mom was at the pet store the other day and told me about the cutest little guys ever: Roborovski Hamsters. I see one of these little fellows in my life soon.
I barely slept last night, which might account for some of my grumpiness. The lack of sleep though let me see this picture that was on the Post Gazette's website early today. It made me smile.
Hope all of you have a good night & that one of these things make you smile!! What do you do when you're having a bad day? Off to listen to some music & have a glass of wine!
Its quite apropos that I write the sequel to the Friday Favorites: Pittsburgh series after finishing Love & Other Drugs which was filmed all over the area. Jake Gyllenhaal (shirtless) + Pittsburgh, swoon. (don't take my word for it; watch these 3 minutes & you will want to check it out yourself.)
If Gyllenhaal really did have that Steelers logo tattoo GAME OVER. I would stalk him til we were married (or most likely until I was given a restraining order)
Anyways last week I talked about some of my favorite neighborhoods in Pittsburgh & highlighted a few things you can do there. This week I'm going to talk more about some favorite places or events of Pittsburgh. Keep in mind there are sooo many places I cannot come close to highlighting them all, but if you have any questions about places I didn't mention feel free to ask your resident Pittsburgher.
Why yes, his shirt does say World Champ-YINZ
As the City of Champions we are a bit crazy about our sports. We of course have The Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates who play at Heinz Field, CONSOL Energy Center, and PNC Park, respectively. The stadiums and arena are honestly worth seeing even if you aren't catching a game. We also have an arena football team the Pittsburgh Power and women's team Pittsburgh Passion (what they don't call us the drinking town with a football problem for no reason). While we don't have a pro team, the University of Pittsburgh consistently puts up a nationally recognized powerhouse basketball team (as well as a good football team). Staying within the city you can see Duquesne University's team as well, which keeps growing better and better.
Another favorite place is the zoo. I have gone to the Pittsburgh Zoo (and no I'm not talking about the student section of Pitt BB) more times than I can count. In fact I have plans to go there already lined up when I come home. If you have never been you must go. Driving up to the zoo you would never imagine the whole animal kingdom that is hidden in the hills, conveniently behind the worlds largest escalator, ok so maybe I exaggerate a little, butttt I have a slight fear of both escalators & elevators. Can't a girl get some stairs up in there? Honestly though the zoo is worth even the escalator ride.
If you like the zoo you might also like the National Aviary. Even as someone who has an irrational fear of birds (much like the escalators & elevators) it was an experience worth having.
I recommend watching thisafffter you check out the Aviary if you wonder where my fear came from. Keep in mind I was the little kid who used to bird watch (also keep in mind my neighborhood had few kids) and now Im the girl who ducks, covers, and all but curls up into the fetal position when a bird dive-bombs me.
A girl of course has to have someplace to shop. This might sound abnormal, but one of my favorite places downtown is Macy's. Macy's downtown is huge. There are many, many floors and too me it seems like one of those old hidden gems. Its different than any other Macys. One of my fav things inside is Bradleys Books (also one in Station Square) a discount bookstore where you can find a whole bunch of unique finds. Keeping up with its commercial property predecessors Macys decorates its windows to get in the holiday spirit every year. The inside is always decorated as well - giving it the NYC type of feel.
When I come back to Pittsburgh I will have been gone for a year. And while I had a visit home during Thanksgiving the majority of that trip was spent at the Charlotte airport hanging out with the likes of Franco Harris because my flight was delayed (ahem US Airways). The other part was spent in line at Target for Black Friday - I somehow am the best at grabbing the items that are the best deals. I also came home for Christmas (again traveling on the same flights as Franco Harris - btw we need to not erect statues of people who are still alive, seeing Harris walk past his statue is a bit eerie). That trip though was spent in snowy Pittsburgh shopping for gifts since I didn't want to travel with them, doing the family holiday stuff, then flying to snowy Vegas (no, that snowy isn't a mistake), flying back to snowy Pittsburgh, to rush and fly back to snowy Charlotte only to have school cancelled. Moral of this story, snow and delayed flights follow me. Anyyyyways I am looking forward to all the holiday stuff I missed.
Things such as Light Up Night where all the the holiday lights are lite up at once. Such the perfect thing to get you in the holiday spirit.
Another holiday favorite is St. Patricks Day. Now I'm not Irish, but it is so festive I pretend for a day.
No matter what holiday fireworks are always a favorite. I mean Lawrence County wasn't nicknamed the fireworks capital for no reason.
And lastsly for a little bit of history, some good food, and some thrills Kennywood is always a favorite. Who needs Six Flags when we have our very own amusement park. Perfect for the summer through the Halloween Fright Nights.
I'm excited to get back. Can't wait to have some fun in the city & of course cannot wait for my first trip through the Fort Pitt tunnels. Hard not to love the city when you see that view!
I had something a little different planned for today, but I couldn't hear about this and not pass it on. I am urging you to help in any way you can. Remember, prayers & good vibes are always free.
As you can see from the video on the weekend of July 4th a Texas family - parents Joshua and Robin Berry and their children Peter, Aaron, and Willa- was driving home from a trip, when a car veered into their lane killing both of the parents as well as the passenger of the other car (the driver of the car & their baby survived). Not only do the Barry children have to deal with the loss of their parents, but they also have to cope with their injuries. Willa -who was brave enough to give contact information to police at the scene of the accident- suffered broken bones and both of the boys suffered trauma to the spinal cord, paralyzing them from the waist down. The doctors are of course hopeful, but the prognosis currently reported is that the boys will never be able to walk again.
Despite all of this the children & their extended family are remaining in as good of spirits as they can. The outpouring of support has been amazing & I believe it is one of those situations where the situation was so beyond horrible and tragic, yet there is a glimmer of hope. These children have wonderful friends & family who are supporting them, caring for them, and staying with them. As you can read in this story the boys have moved to a facility in Chicago where they can get the care they need. People are not overlooking how hard it is not only for the kids, but the adults taking care of them and are helping with the living, food, etc. arrangements.
This is a story that has taken hold of the nation and luckily with the help of the media and many celebrities the word is getting out. No matter the current donations or support it is imperative that they continue to be helped. These children are very young and they are going to need help that will sustain them for the longterm.
This story tugs at my heart so much because I know what its like to be in a car accident that takes the life of your parent. Even that experience though doesn't allow me to even come close to comprehending what these children have to face. I'm glad that they have each other, but they should also have each of us as well. I really do believe in the saying it takes a village to raise a child, so it is now our responsibility to help raise these children into healthy and happy adults. These kids have been through more than any of us could fathom going through in a lifetime let alone all at once.
So if you have the means to think of these children the next time you are donating to charity. I'm sure they would also appreciate any thoughts, well wishes, prayers, vibes etc. that you can offer as well. And the next time you are speeding, driving distracted, texting while driving, etc take a moment and realize the impact that a split second can have.
For more information you can check out the fund set up to help the children at Show Your Hearts or follow them on Facebook.
By now unless you have somehow managed to avoid the TV (I got rid of my service - so completely possible), the internet, the water cooler, radio, etc chances are you have heard about THE BLOWN CALL. As someone who considers herself to be a Pirates fan I couldn't let Babs & Whoops (I tend to give my friends nicknames. I'd like to believe that if I ever met these ladies we would be friends) talk about it on The View and not mention it myself.
Also talking about the call was Regis, self-proclaimed Pirates fan. Now I personally don't love Regis being a fan. I will admit I'm a slight believer in the Regis-Pirates curse (it is a "thing," google it if you don't believe me) as well as I think he only likes the Pirates because he feels bad for the perpetual underdog that is the Pirates.
Regis and Kelly talking about the Pirates on their self-titled TV show
So in case you really did miss it here is the one sentence version:
Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates faced the Atlanta Braves in an all out battle of 19 innings until Julio Lugo was deemed safe by ump Jerry Meals saying that Michael McKenry missed tagging him before home causing the Pirates to lose & the game to be over. I support people making their own decisions (though if you think he was safe good luck taking that up with me or the masses) so take a look for yourself:
Thank you Youtube
First things first props to Clint Hurdle for not knocking Meals out - I really was afraid he was going to do more than yell. But back to Meals. As long as Meals believed what he called the blame shouldn't be thrown at him so harshly. Yes, he deserves some ribbing & I will admit some of the comments on Twitter have been comical (normally I don't pay much attn to what's trending, but #jerrymealssaysitssafewas a great way to spend my coffee-morning-drinking-time), but he made a mistake. Regardless of the fact it is his job and he has training and experience he is still a human. It was 2 am. It has been ridiculously hot. He has balls flying at him while he makes his living. We all make mistakes. His just happens to be broadcast & captured on TV. He had to make a split decision and did just that. In today's light he needs to realize he made a glaring mistake. I don't even think anyone should demand an apology from Meals, but I do think he needs to have some empathy for the players and admit that he messed up.
Same thing goes to Lugo. People are calling him out for not doing the right thing and admitting he was out. That's a lot of pressure to put on this kid. For one thing, even if he is the next Honest Abe we don't know what he believed. His eyes could have been closed as he slid home. He might have thought that he brushed McKenry's leg and wasn't tagged. He might have thought he hit home before he made contact with McKenry. We don't know, nobody does, but Lugo. If he would have said, "nope, I was out" some would have respected him, but I think his team & city would have been calling for his head. It is the ump's call & I believe that the player, much like guilty until innocent, should be safe until called out. Even more than that we see it all throughout sports: basketball players exaggerating falling to get fouls, football players saying another player was out, etc. Baseball is no different and right or wrong it happens. I do however think Lugo needs to be happy the call went his way and be quiet. He has been saying he didn't feel anything or that Meals was right, but I think him defending the call after all the different angles have been shown isn't going to help anything.
Pittsburgher's tend to over exaggerate or play victim when their team is on the aggrieved side of a bad call & always want someone to blame. Yet, everyone seems to be taking the Pittsburgh side. Even ESPN was having reports dubbing it the worst play in history. I think thats a hard title to proclaim, but it's hard to wonder what would have been. For once (in recent history) the Pirates are real contenders. It seems every W or L moves us up or down in the rankings so what if this game does make a difference in the end. Sadly we don't know which side would have been the victor. Even more what did this call take away? It's easy to say that this was an epic game. Right now every win has a chance to be the best game in recent history since it's been awhile since the Pirates have been good. What if this game would have continued to go on inning after inning. Unfortunately the "worst call in history" might have stopped the "best game in (recent) (Pirates) history". Even though the Braves were the victors if the game would have continued some of their players might have had some new personal stats to add to the books. I think all of us sports fans remember Armando Galarraga's perfect game being blown by an umpire (I'm still impressed by the class he showed).
Galarraga's perfect game blown by ump, from Youtube
So if Meals or Lugo isn't to blame, who should be? I blame the MLB for not instituting some form of instant replay to deal with this situation. Football, basketball, and hockey all use instant replay in some manner. Baseball's use limits it to homeruns, in fact they even limit the replays that the parks can put on the jumbotrons. The most popular reasonings for no instant replay: they don't want to make the games longer & they don't want to take away the human element of the game. On the surface I get it. Actually, no I really dont. Was everyone playing, watching, at the game, working the game, etc tired last night? Probably. Yet, it was apparent in a second that the call was bad. And considering the uproar I think most would have rather sat idle for five minutes than have the game end like that. As for the human element I really don't think having instant replay with limited use taking away from that. I mean this is America's past-time we are talking about & as much as we all might not support it America is hung up on technology. So why not incorporate technology into the game we love. I also get that things "even out" a term thrown around saying sometimes you're on the 'good' end of a bad call. But sometimes bad calls hurt more than others, like in this case. I also see how this is in a way second guessing umps, but if I was Meals I would have rather looked at a screen, said ruling on the field doesn't stand I was wrong than have the ghosts of Pirates past haunt me.
I will admit I am glad that the Pirates are getting national publicity no matter how it came about. I mean I think there are some people (non Pirates or Pittsburgh fans) who would probably have to go back and answer Wagner, Clemente, Maz if asked to name a player because we don't get much attention. Obviously, I would have loved for the publicity to have come with the Pirates raising the Jolly Rodger I mean the Pirates are getting sympathy because people feel bad for them because they understand that the Pirates could have won instead of the normal sympathy of feeling bad because the Pirates haven't won more than a few games all year. It's just so hard to see something taken away from this team when they are giving us so much hope that this can be the year where Pirates baseball is turned around.
Here's to hoping the Bucs win the rest of the series. Do you have any thoughts on expanding instant replay in baseball?
