summer in athens is time to be creative. it's time to read, garden, journal, yoga, and listen. it's time for myself and it's time for good company.  my lovely roommate and i just started driving yesterday and ended up with some fabulous shots in the country side. here are some of our favorites...

            henna.

    something about frolicking in a field is so very whimsical to me. we also did some henna tattoos the other day. tres magnifique! i think we are going to start working on a collaborative collection so we can have a gallery showing sometime this summer as well, mucho mixed media with lots of pastel-y color family pieces for sure. it feels good to have creative energy flowing all around you, i'm more productive that way. here are some tunes for the moods...

Intro - The XX
The Stroller - Jaill

keep athens funky

      the sun is setting on a particularly productive day here in athens, ohio. i was out and about on a walk, taking pictures with my old roommate, when i noticed how our small town is teeming with life on days like these.  hibernation is the trend during winter quarter, a trend i take part in.  this town is dead in the winter, it's quiet in the winter, it's cold here in the winter, bitterly cold, even for me. but today is the beginning of spring, i can hear the people living in the apartment below me out on their balcony drunkenly serenading blues traveler, spring has sprung.
     i've seen a lot of cars with a bumper or window sticker that reads, "keep athens funky". as if athens will ever be defunkified.  this phrase has been on my mind lately.  why would athens be classified as funky? i thought long and hard, but i already knew the answer; the people.
      we all tend to forget what a diverse collection of people this place we call home has.  there is little that divides us here. i've made many close friends that are my polar opposite, nothing really separates anyone.  you could say that this phenomena is due to the entire student body's undying loyalty and love of beer, but it has to be deeper than that. doesn't alcohol drive people apart? i don't really know, but i know that athens is a town all it's own, it's funky, it's artistic, it's athletic, it's preppy, it's musical.  it's a plethora of unique, and it's widely accepted. some could say that establishments like casa (pretentious/hippyish? layed back bar/restaurant) creates the funk, but places like the crystal (over crowded frat bar/ underage drunk magnet) take away from it.  but i'm realizing now that therein, this contradictory condition, lies the funk. 

    here are some fotos from my walk.

an old truck i liked.

the simplest tombstone.

gimme some more o' dat f-stop.

...and now for the "i don't care i just want it!" items of the week.

   the perfect vintage spring dress!

   versatile skirt we all need in our closets, tuck a
   sweater or loose shirt in for a super soft
   end-of-winter look.

    

        cute fawn ring, just the thing for spring!

   

        comfy sandals to give those boot 

        imprisoned, winter feet some sun!

      

          belt any loose fitting dress or long

          shirt for an easy outfit!

     
    went out to take some photos today. the weather is beautiful. i can't wait for spring and summer and the projects they will bring. wine and watercolor starts tonight. i'll post some of them up here if i like them enough. here are some old summer photographs that make me smile, and get me in the mood.

 

  

  

all of these were taken in chautauqua, 

my favorite place to be in the summer!

summer flora.

summer insects, at the pool.

    on a more del.icio.us note, i wanted to share one of my favorite snacks that i had today, compliments of my wonderful friend and master of dietetics, amy.  if you don't like cottage cheese don't worry, can't really taste it. i accompanied this snack with an applepear, which i just recently tried. weird concept, but pretty refreshing. mmm. try one!

          ingredients: 

                 -low fat cottage cheese 

                 -black lentils 

                 -cumin (pepper and salt are optional)

    simmer the lentils for about an hour, or you can just get the pre-cooked ones from the store, then add 1/2 cup of them to every 1 cup of cottage cheese you use, roughly half the amount of cottage cheese.  now just mix them together and add as much cumin as you want for taste (I usually use a little over a table spoon per 2 cups of cottage cheese). make sure it is well mixed, and voila! i use this concoction as a dip for pita chips, but you can also spread it on pita bread or make it into a wrap. it's a fantastically satiating, protein-packed little snack.  i make big batches at a time and store it in tupperware in the fridge for an in-a-rush meal. nom nom nom.

shampoo you want: a short product analysis

happy hump day all... the word of the day is arcanum

1) a secret; a mystery 

2) specialized or mysterious knowledge, language, or information that is not accessible to the average person

my ny fashion week post is currently in the works, as requested by my boycompanion (hehe). hopefully it will be up in the next few days, i have quite a bit on my plate as of late.

today's post, however, is my own product assessment and comparison between three shampoos; dove damage therapy, john frieda root awakening, and a personal favorite, aquage hydrating shampoo. i presume one could label me as a beauty product connoisseur, after trying almost every brand within a certain price-range, including, but not limited to; facial care, shampoos & conditioners, styling products, makeup, nail polish, and skin care. i'm constantly hunting for better products and finally found the top three brands of shampoo i enjoy using, chosen based on price, scent, actually doing what it says it will, and how it felt in my hair (texture, lather, etc.). the three finalists' costs are as follows (a la my pictorial): aquage is the leader costing around $13.60 for 8oz., john frieda is in second place at about $5.99 for 8.45 oz., and last but not least comes dove, priced at $4.49, the most bang fo yo buck, per 12oz. bottle.

aquage products are definitely my splurge in hair care. its scent is subtle and so delicious, tantalizing in fact, one sniff and you're hooked (the cocaine of shampoos?). in all honesty, guys dig it, could be the subtlety, je ne sais pas.

root awakening is a newbie to the john frieda collection i just recently tried. i fell hard and fast for its aromatic eucalyptus scent and gentle tingling sensation, for happier hair follicles. j. frieda must be a proud papa of his, also, subtly and delicious scented shampoozle.

on to dove, an old standby of mine because of its impeccable ability to actually repair damaged hair, superior to any other damage repair shampoo i have tried.  alas the scent is not as scrumptious as the others, not bad, still not scrumptious, but not bad, possessing sharper, clean smelling notes.

now, if i had to choose one... i couldn't. the price is in the pudding for all three brands, all three receive an S+ for satisfactory performance, if that's where your head's at then go for less expensive. i suppose it all comes down to how much you are willing to spend on the fragrance. so to wrap up this comparison; if you're looking for an inexpensive shampoo that works... meet dove damage therapy. if your hair needs some inspiration with that squeaky-clean feeling, paired with yummy scent and moisture to boot... i give you john frieda root awakening. and if you are just looking to indulge your locks in the most delicious scent known to man (hydration included)... i'm proud to present aquage hydrating shampoo.

that's all i have for today, but do check out this site, it's an interview with, and work sampling of, this incredible and incredibly well rounded photographer, pretty dark, but pretty cool stuff. click for tom hoops interview.