my valentines

I'm a tad ho-hum about Valentines Day as I get older. It's much more fun for kids I think. We crafted and made strawberry heart skewers.  Miriam happily toted her handmade hearts to all her classmates and was thrilled when I came to her class party yesterday. But, as I was checking out D magazine the other week, I saw an ad for a Valentine's mini photo session. The style of photographer, Kelly-Christine's work immediately caught my eye. I told T this would be the perfect Valentine's "gift" for me. I'm always the one behind the camera, so it's mighty nice to have some memories of our entire family. I think they turned out really lovely, especially the ones of my sweets.

the disappearing city

I can't remember how I came across these photographs by James Griffioen, but I keep going back to them, scrolling through and wanting to know more. They're all images of Detroit. What fascinates me is the idea that entire blocks have been burned, grown over, and simply abandoned. Can you imagine if everyone just gradually left your neighborhood. Left their furniture, shut the door and just got outta dodge? Eery right? Apparently, parts of Detroit are literally deteriorating. Old theaters and factories just left for nature to take over. An abandoned zoo. It's sad to see such neglect and it's sad on a much broader level to think about the complications of this place. But, it's also beautiful the way he's captured "the disappearing city." As we know, nature keeps on going even despite us.

“…For a few beautiful months during the summer, some of these houses become “feral” in every sense: they disappear behind ivy or the untended shrubs and trees planted generations ago to decorate their yards. The wood that framed the rooms gets crushed by trees rooted still in the earth. The burnt lime, sand, gravel, and plaster slowly erode into dust, encouraged by ivy spreading tentacles in its endless search for more sunlight.”

“There is a certain comfort here. The earth is fine. Nature is patient. The plants are just waiting. It is the monuments we build, the paths we tread that are endangered.”

To see more… check out

feral houses

lost neighborhoods

all photos ©james d griffioen

a little feature for the hens

Tenn Hens was featured over at Once Wed with a photoshoot by my lovely friend Brooke Boling. It was a fun collaboration and her images are so dreamy. Kinda makes ya want to get married again, huh? Hope you'll take a look!

brooke boling

Today I want to brag on my friend Brooke Boling. She's a phenomenal photographer + designer. We met through her husband Gregg who was my art director at Buntin (my first job out of college). He's one of the most creative people I know and he taught me so much. It was a crazy ride at that agency, but I look back with such fondness for the people I met and I'm so thankful for the experience. Anyway, we've all kept in touch and Gregg & Brooke actually came to our wedding a few years ago. She remembered the barn on my parents farm and recently got in touch to see if she could do a photoshoot there. We decided on a little trade. She used the location for her shoot and then came back and took some pics of our family in return. The Moosh was hot & cranky, but Brooke still captured some sweet shots and made us all look good. She's so nice and easy going. I highly recommend her!

Anyway, I was so excited to see her images from the "honey wedding" shoot at the farm on Style Me Pretty today. Totally dreamy and makes me wanna get married all over again. Just beautiful. Definitely check out her blog too!

iphone happenings

Last night I was scrolling through my phone looking for a new screen shot. A ridiculous number of photos. Yes 'um I'm obsessed.

up there

The paint is chipping away, but you can still find remnants of hand painted advertising on buildings around town. I actually love how the colors are faded and rustic looking.

{this is one of my favorite buildings in Greenville}

Now advertisers use printed vinyl adhered to buildings, but can you imagine painting something of this scale by hand?! There's this beautiful short documentary, Up There, about the few painters struggling to keep it alive. Love it. In places like New York there are companies still wiling to pay for their artistry. And I think I've got to start drinking more Stella beer since they seem to be one of its largest supporters!



UP THERE from Jon on Vimeo.

polaroid love

I have a special place in my heart for polaroids. I love the hazy, vintage look you get as they slowly come in to focus. Unfortunately, film is crazy expensive now that they've discontinued it. I have a few packs left which I'm carefully saving for special moments. Thanks to my handy dandy little iphone though, I can take faux-polaroid style pics. ShakeItPhoto is a free app download. It's not the same as the real thing of course, but it's mighty fun.

current craving

As a child I was a mighty picky eater. Not nearly as bad as my little brother, but that's a whole other story. As I got older, and especially in the last few years, I've grown to love all kinds of new foods. Two foods I'm particularly obsessed with currently are asparagus & mushrooms.

I also love seeing beautiful food photography and have a deep appreciation for the craft. After working on a restaurant account at an advertising agency, I learned how much time goes into food styling. Anyway, Sunday Suppers is a blog with amazing event/food styling and a recent recipe of theirs, pasta w/ young garlic, asparagus & mushrooms, really spoke to my current craves. I think the husband would totally dig this for dinner:


© Karen Mordechai + Sunday Suppers