Right around this time, I think most people yearn for spring. The warming of the temperatures, sunshine on our faces, flowers beginning to bloom. Even in Texas, spring is still a few weeks away. My mama doesn't take her plants outside until April, instead keeping her citrus trees, aloes, hibiscus plants, and pineapple plants locked up in a modest greenhouse for the winter. I don't have quite the green thumb she does, but I have managed to keep two giant aloe plants she bestowed upon me alive. They are currently keeping warm in my garage.
As a way to quell my spring fever, I like to pick up some flowers at the supermarket every once in a blue moon. I only get the really cheap bouquets, this time I picked up a small bouquet for $4.88 at Walmart. Be sure to pick the flowers that are still partially closed and have yet to fully bloom, as these will last you longer.
So pretty.
Now comes the fun part. Instead of using traditional vases, I've been holding onto empty glass soda bottles, an empty Voss water bottle, even an empty coffee can. I like the thrifted feel they add to a small group flowers and they really help to personalize the little mini-bouquets for me. My favorite item to use as a vase, however, is this hot-pink measuring cup I got from Target last summer.
To start, cut down the stems of your flower at a 45 degree angle and re-arrange, stripping any extra leaves or flower buds that may have been crushed or damaged. Don't be afraid to cut down some stems even more so that your flowers are staggered. You don't have to use all of the flowers or greenery.
I played around with my different containers but decided to pass on the coffee can. Next time, though! Then I like to place flowers around my main living space. The kitchen counter, dining table, side table, wherever you like.
This weekend started out quite chilly on Saturday in Panther City aka Funky Town aka Cowtown aka Fort Worth, Texas. Temperatures were in the low 40's during the day but that didn't stop me from attending the Untapped Festival at the Panther Island Pavilion in downtown Fort Worth.
I bundled up in my puffy army green parka, jeans, sweater, scarf and gloves. I arrived at 3, only to find out the start time was 4 pm, so I headed down a block or two to the Fort Worth Funky Finds Indie Market, to look around. I picked up a beautiful print by local artist Monica Wright. She was super-sweet and does amazing drawings and painting that focus on close-ups of hands. Hands are some of the hardest things to draw accurately but Monica illustrates them in a way that imparts emotion and a deeper meaning.
I picked this one up, because of the interplay of light and dark
Sculptures outside the Fort Worth Community Arts Center
Someone ordered a tree...don't ask me how.
After a hour of wandering around Funky Finds, I headed back to the festival grounds where I quickly discovered my gloves were worth their weight in gold. The wind started to pick up and rain appeared here and there. People were grabbing promotional beer coozies and ripping out the bottom to use as hand warmers.
The cold actually helped to send the hipsters and posers home. The only people that stayed were really either into the beer samplings or the musical acts. I bought a ticket as soon as I saw the Joy Formidable was the closing act. More on them in a minute.
All the musical acts were killer. My favorites were Lucius and Allen Stone. I had listened to both acts on Spotify as I was getting ready that morning and taking pictures of my new wreaths for the shop. Their tracks can't compare to how they each performed live. Despite the cold, they had the crowd cheering and dancing.
Lucius via Facebook
I ran out like a nerd to the Merch tent to pick up their album. Someone offered to buy my gloves off of me.
Allen Stone via Facebook
I didn't get any pictures because it was dark and I was far off from the stage. The other acts were great in getting the crowd pumped and excited. Locals like Sam Lao, Topic and Quaker City Nighthawks brought their A-game and made us locals proud.
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Sam Lao - Swag for days
Topic in a Cosby sweater.. Not pictured? His teddy bear backpack. I'm serious.
Other acts like Paris-based La Femme and LA Based People Under the Stairs came to rock and, despite the chill, had us bopping around.
La Femme - yes that dude is totes rocking a beret.
People Under the Stairs - Rapping about beer, weed, San Fran and such.
And lastly, around 10pm, the Joy Formidable did not disappoint. In any way shape or form. Fair weather music fans? Who needs 'em? This is the way to experience a music fest. With people willing to brave the cold, the rain, to be richly rewarded with the best acts I've seen live in a very long time.
Joy Formidable
Ain't she cute. And terrifyingly awesome at the same time?
So what's up this week for you guys? Any crazy plans for St. Patrick's Day? Tell me. I wanna know.
New to the etsy shop, are some wreaths I've been working on, inspired by a trip to Santa Fe I took a few years back for my co-workers wedding.
These pictures from my trip inspired the reds, the turquoise, the succulents, the western theme, the colors of the desert sunset that I wanted to put in wreath form.
I don't want to brag but I did capture a very special moment with her and her dad outside the church because I was late getting a taxi and they were already starting the ceremony. (I know, I'm a terrible guest.)
Sometimes, we are exactly where we need to be.
Tell me about your awesome trips! Where have you gone or where do you plan to go next?
As a child growing up in Texas, which you may or may not consider part of "The South", I remember my mom and dad making chili and cornbread for us three kids once a week. My mom would make a huge pot of chili, my dad would make the cornbread from scratch in a cast iron skillet. Both parents using the recipes of their mothers and grandmothers that fed them. My parents rarely cooked together. They had very opposite work schedules at the time and would later divorce. They split cooking down the middle, the kids would do the dishes, but chili night was the one rare opportunity to see them work in tandem.
Chili is a tradition, a birthright even, in Texas. I remember my mom used to drive us out to the country, about an hour and a half outside of Plano, to her friends' Chili Cook Off Tournaments. Usually hosted at someone's trailer house and adjoining tool shed, surrounded by trees. We'd climb out of my mom's mini van, perplexed. We didn't have trailer parks in the suburbs. Saw about a million kids running around with BB Guns and jumping on a trampoline. We'd smile to one another and sprint, we didn't have a trampoline, either. The adults would crack open cold beers as they tended to their prized pots of chili simmering away. Come twilight, the chili was ready to eat. Surrounded by trees, dogs without leashes, and barefoot kids,everyone would grab a seat on a picnic table, lawn chair or the bed of a pickup truck to eat. See chili bring people together.
A few weeks ago my besties and I unwittingly participated in a Chili Cook Off held in a high rise apartment building in the middle of downtown Dallas. My friend lives in the apartments and as we were tromping along the 8th Floor to see her pad, we saw a commotion among her neighbors, going from floor to floor taste-testing chili cooked up by the various residents. This time the setting was more upscale, featuring lavish artwork on the walls and more frou-frou furniture scattered about. We were warned that the apartments weren't supposed to let non-residents in on the fun, but they would overlook it just this once. (Ah geeze) We tagged along tasting a little bowl of chili on each floor. Some residents added beer, buffalo meat, or my favorite brisket. Cornbread made with cheese were passed around. Mini margarita popsicles were made from condensed milk and margarita mix. Again, chili brings people together, even those that live in luxury.
I was craving some chili last night. I know Texans aren't supposed to complain but the weather took a nosedive from the high 70's to the low 40's within an afternoon. My allergies were back full force and one of my best friends found out she has cancer.
Damn.
I didn't make anything fancy, just your regular chili from the spice packet in the grocery aisle. A pound of ground beef, a can of whole stewed tomatoes, and a can of kidney beans. The secret recipe of my dad's cornbread lost when he passed away but the Jiffy boxed mix worked just fine. I remember how my dad would take leftover cornbread and mash into a glass of warm milk for breakfast the next day. I don't know if kids know how to do that anymore. Make new meals from the leftovers.
The chili brought me closer to my memories. Sometimes, that's all we need to make a bad day just a little better.
What dish are you craving on bad days? Let me know in comments!
Don't know if you, my awesome readers, keep up on all the latest comic book movie news, like I do, but the full trailer for the new Marvel movie Guardians of the Galaxycame out this week.
I used to keep up with a lil' comic book called Nova. Which was about a superhero Richard Ryder, that became an intergalactic space cop with the Nova Corps. Kinda of like Green Lantern, except the Nova Corps got decimated at some point and Richard was the last of his kind. The very last Nova, except for the combined consciousness of the Nova Corps that resided in his helmet and acted very much like Tony Stark's Jarvis operating system.
This is Nova. He would do a bunch bad ass stuff like save the universe from collapsing and working with a dog-like alien that ran a space station at the edge of time. Totally not making this up.
Nova could also shoot energy rays from the palms of his hands. He was a lot like Green Lantern, crossed with Iron Man and with the Flash's personality. I know I'm mixing DC and Marvel characters but whatever.
Now frequently, Nova would team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, which was headed by Star Lord aka Peter Quill. Peter would don a bad-ass mask that looked part gas mask and part Nazi treasure hunter.
Star Lord with guns ablazing!
You can also see Rocket Raccoon, Drax, Gamora and two others that may or may not have made the final cut.
Now, herein lies my rant, according to the trailer there is no Nova, party of one. There are the Nova Corps, that look to be all human. Their uniforms look like this.
Kinda like a cheap plastic version of Judge Dredd.
You see Chris Pratt as Star Lord but without the mask. Without the mask. Without the guns ablazing. Which is to say, "What is the freaking point!?!?!?"
I should also point out that Rocket Raccoon is a talking raccoon, one that sometimes the comic book writers like to bestow a British cockney accent upon. You know, like hell if he can walk, shoot guns, wear clothes, then why wouldn't he speak with a accent? My only issue? Bradley Cooper is the voice of Rocket Raccoon. So there is mostly likely not going to be an accent. I mean I don't know for sure, because you don't hear the raccoon in the trailer, and Bradley Cooper can speak French but I'm betting the accent won't be there.
So I'm still on the fence about this. I love Chris Pratt and he knocked it out of the park being in the Lego movie. I love the fact that they kept Groot in the lineup (the tree-looking man). I love that they allow Drax and Gamora to keep their green skin but I just, I don't know. I guess only time and more trailers will tell.
PS - What the hell do I gotta do to get a Black Panther movie made, Marvel? Marry Stan Lee?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, my Guardians of this Galaxy!
