RIP library timestamps

When Andrew brought home a Stephen King book from the library, I picked it up from his nightstand and immediately flipped to the inside page to find that cute little card with the due date stamps.

Then he gave me his, oh-you-silly-Tori face.

“They haven’t had those for ages!” he said. “It’s all computerized now. They just scan it and give you a receipt.”

“WHAT!” was my reply.

I couldn’t believe it! I was deeply saddened by this news. Call me old-fashioned, but I loved checking those inky numbers to see the history of people who had read the book before me. How did I miss this technology leap?? Do some libraries still have the stamps? I'd like to believe so.

Maybe I need this library kit from one of my favorite online stores, UncommonGoods…or this funny shirt. Lol.

The first beer I ever liked

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a wine girl. Anything bitter and hoppy usually makes me pucker after one sip. BUT...that was before I went beer tasting (for the first time ever!) with Jeanne and Kim at Mammoth Brewing Company over Labor Day weekend and tried their Double Nut Brown ale. The brown porter ale has subtle yet sweet hints of dark chocolate and coffee, with a crisp roast finish. 

It won me over at the mention of coffee and dark chocolate. Plus, the beer won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup this past May. So it's officially a winner in my book. 

Their tasting room is in this big warehouse-type building right across from the Mammoth village with its string of high-end shops and eateries. Happily, tastings here are just $1 each!

Next time I'm down in the Mammoth area visiting Kim, we'll have to go back and pick up some more! (And try their celebrated root beer, which ran out that day.)

All in all, the discovery gave me some hope for my beer taste buds. Cheers!

Tatoos

Would you ever get a tattoo? I've thought about it. 

The coolest tattoo I’ve ever seen was on a girl who I used to work with in college. She had this beautiful nature-inspired leaf pattern on her foot that looked more like henna colors than the usual tattoo dark green.

But I think after a while, I’d get sick of seeing the same design on myself. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of anything--anything!--pertaining to needles.

Do you have a tattoo? A feather on your foot? A star behind your ear? A little anchor on your wrist? Or are tattoos taboo to you? They’re such little mysteries and works of art.

*Photos courtesy of bestsoylatte.blogspot.com.

Alphabet photography

With more of my friends joining the “Mrs.” circuit, finding wedding presents that are personal and more heartfelt than the usual bath towel or casserole dish registry picks can be a challenge. But anything handmade has always been my idea of a great gift.

So when my friend Nicola married Mark earlier this year, I went back to my photography roots and put together an alphabet frame with their last name, Faires, which fit perfectly into a six-opening photo frame I found on Amazon. Most last names with four, five or six letters will fit into a collage frame for either 4x6 or 5x7 photos, but longer names like Sheldon (now the last name of my friend Emily, who married Jeff back in July) required individual frames.  

Finding the letters was the fun part! I went outside and explored. Anything that looked loopy or curvy or interesting, I captured. A piece of rope became an "R", the legs of an old wooden chair became an "F", like a little scavenger hunt! I printed the photos at CVS (alas, I no longer have access to a darkroom to print film the old fashioned way) and wrote a personalized note on the back of each frame to the couple.

Hopefully, they can be hung up somewhere and serve as a loving reminder of their foundation and new lives together. :)

You can find frames similar to the ones I used HERE and HERE. 

Recipe for the ocean

A few weeks ago, Andrew and I visited the ocean, near the town out on the coast where we will marry. Here's what we found: 

Flats, of course, weren't the best idea for walking along the beach, but I couldn't resist. I miss living closer to the ocean. There's nothing like the big, beautiful, raging, calming sea to put life in perspective. :) Happy Friday, everyone. 

Echoes: photography

Dorothea Lange, the photojournalist pioneer most famous for her "Migrant Mother" portrait, once said:

"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."

I like that. If you've never explored her haunting photographs from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, you can view more here. This one is my favorite--so beautifully haunting. 

Craving fall

I love summer, but I'm officially craving sweater-and-boots weather. It even rained this morning on my drive to work...such a tease! 

Happy September, by the way. I spent Labor Day weekend visiting my best friend Kimmy in her new house in Bishop. We ate pastries, went beer tasting and floated down the river. (Pictures to come!)

The weekend felt like summer, but now I'm ready for leaves and pumpkins...bring on autumn. :)