Love Circle

When my sister came to visit earlier this summer, we packed up a picnic dinner one evening and headed up to Love Circle Park. 

As much as we loved gazing at the skyline, nothing beats a pink and orange Nashville sunset behind the Smokey Mountains.

flower crowns for the flower children

I can't think of a better way to leave the day behind than to kick off your shoes, lay in the grass, listen to the crickets, and watch the sun inch its way down. 

We walked back to the car with the lightning bugs buzzing all around us and grass sticking to our legs--just as it should be. Even though fall is my favorite, I'll be sad to see these perfect summer nights go.

Snapshots

some long overdue snapshots:

I made coconut-quinoa-banana bread. I smothered it in coconut butter. And then I ate it with juicy strawberries and a cup of tea. It was breakfast heaven.

I firmly believe Mean Girls is one of the most culturally relevant movies ever. I quote it daily, and I instantly like all other people who do the same. This was posted on someone's locker in my Law School and I was instantly reminded of why I love this place so much.

After a particularly grueling civil procedure exam we decided to head to the Pfunky Griddle for some make-your-own-pancake happiness.

Beard & Mustache competition at 12 South Taproom. Have I mentioned how much I love Nashville recently?

Speaking of things I love: all of the faces above.

 Summer berries. My favorite.

This pup and I stopped for a little roll in the grass on a gorgeous summer evening walk. We both agree that sometimes, you just have to take a break, get covered in a few grass stains, and watch the sunset for a little while. Its good for you.

Bonnaroo, Part II

After a brief political interlude, the adventures continues!

The rest of our days at Roosky were amazing--I had an overall tan permanently seared into my skin, but we heard so much incredible music that I don't even care. Plus, overalls are awesome. And now I look like I'm always wearing them.

the masses

the fountain, before it took on its characteristic day-3 brownish tinge

Day Three started slowly--we waited in line at the Comedy Tent for Ed Helms' Comedy Hour and then lounged in the shade of a tree, listening to the Cults.

When we finally got into the Comedy Tent, we were pretty happy with life--air conditioning and shade and Ed Helms--what could go wrong? Sadly, Ed wasn't all that funny. His bluegrass was wonderful, but we were expecting stand-up and definitely didn't get it. We ended up dipping out early, but Andy from the Office will always have a place in our heart, Ed! (*break me off a piece of that fancy feast*)

In an attempt to salvage the rest of the morning, we rode in the Ferris Wheel which is a bonnaroo-must. Its amazing to see the whole scene from up high!

Mumford & Sons, one of the bands we were most excited about seeing, ended up canceling their show due to some medical problems. We were crushed, but Jack Johnson filled in for them, and he's pretty sensational. We also got to see Tallest Man On Earth, Cat Power, and The Lumineers, so all was not lost.

We ended the night with a dance party in the Silent Disco. Clearly, I came to get down--my whole body was aching from my dance moves when we went to bed that night! I also made sure to get an energy ball going, although my sister dropped it a few times. Its definitely an official roo dance move and absolute necessity at any dance rave. 

Day Four was possible the greatest concert experience of my life. Even though the Macklemore fans nearly killed us (we literally got caught up in a mob and nearly trampled--if the Tom Petty fans had not lifted us over the barricade into safety, we would have gotten crushed) he was wonderful live. So much energy, so much fun, and I was covered in chill bumps in the 99 degree weather when he sang Same Love.

fur coat he got from an audience member

After Kendrick Lamar did his thing (even though I'm an avid hip hop fan, I just don't get him.) THE NATIONAL were up! And our perseverance paid off--we got to be right smack dab in the front row. 

mere feet from my favorites. 

And then...THIS HAPPENED.

This is possibly the greatest picture I have ever taken at a show, because he was literally on top of me. The freakout that ensued after he left was amazing--every single one of us was screaming from joy. Matt, you have no idea how much you rocked our world with that. 

Also, your show was delicious and wonderful and I had so much fun that I have bought tickets to see you again in both Nashville and Kentucky in the fall. I may have a problem.

After we recovered from our National nirvana, we sat down with our dinner of cheez-its and apples and savored our last cookies and cream pop tart while we listened to the king himself, Tom Petty. He is such a rock star--I loved it.

Even though we had to leave early to get home--I had that whole work thing on Monday--we got to hear Free Fallin' so I wasn't terribly crushed.

Thank you, Bonnaroo for the best weekend ever. Despite the near death experience, some show cancellations, and your never ending lines this year (seriously, we gotta work on that), I still love you dearly. Can't wait until next year!

see Part I here!

"What has been explained to this point should more than suffice to establish that the principle purpose and the necessary effect of this law are to demean those persons who are in a lawful same-sex marriage. This requires the Court to hold, as it now does, that DOMA is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the liberty of the person protected by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution"

As a first year law student, it didn't take long for me to become jaded by our entire legal process. It seems to move in painfully minute increments and  at times, tradition and societal "norms" dictate outcomes that no longer adequately represent the people.

This week, however, the law stood up and took a stand through both Justice Ginsberg's dissent in Monday's Affirmative Action opinion and today's DOMA decision written by Justice Kennedy. My eyes stung with tears as I read some of their words--to have our Court acknowledge the injustice faced by so many of our citizens today in such a poignant way was simply inspiring.

On top of that, Senator Wendy Davis' 11-hour filibuster in Texas yesterday was one of the most amazing things I've seen from a politician. The footage of her in her pink sneakers, making a bold decision to fiercely represent the women of her state while being supported by the public re-affirmed some of my faith in our political process. Even if Rick Perry decides to hold a special session, its nice to know that he was challenged in the most public way possible.

Ultimately, the last three days are a reminder that women's rights and LGBTQ rights are human rights. They concern us all. Our decisions on these matters shape the kind of society we live in, they shape the kind of future our children will come into, and they affect the daily lives of our friends and family. I think its shameful to see so much resistance to decisions like these -- don't we all want to live in a world where we can freely decide what happens to our bodies, where we can love whomever we want, where we don't accept the idea of second class citizens? 

I'm proud of all the women who made the right choices this week, even if they were not the most popular choices. I'm proud of our Court for acting where our Legislature has failed us repeatedly. And I'm proud to be surrounded by so many passionate and inspired people who show an interest and a concern over these matters. These aren't incremental steps--these are leaps and bounds. Here's hoping for many more actions and decisions like these.

Bonnaroo, Part 1

After a three year absence, I finally returned to Bonnaroo. Four days of hippy love, sunshine, no technology, and amazing music -- it was like a dream!

Driving through the Tennessee valleys to Manchester. So many beautiful farms surrounded by mountains.

After settling into our campsite, my sister and I ventured our for our first day of shows. We were only familiar with one of the bands playing, but we discovered some gems.

After a killer performance by Nikki Bluhm and the Gramblers, we jammed to Milo Green who blew me away. 

We also got to see my love, JD McPherson, and even though there wasn't quite enough space for me to swing dance, I made do. 

In an attempt to conserve energy for the marathon awaiting us the next day, we made our way back pretty early. The universe rewarded us with an unreal sunset.

Day 2 started with a lovely documentary about the Beatles former secretary, Freda. Her life in the 60s was so amazing.

A new addition to the bonnaroo graffiti walls.

I too want to eat 'a lot o' cheese' before I die.

The 'roo Bobble Heads

The rest of the day was spent in the sweltering sun making lots of new friends and grooving to ridiculous sets by Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Local Natives, Passion Pit, and Wilco. 

crowd surfing telletubies are, in my opinion, the best kind of telletubies.

Despite our exhaustion, we planted ourselves firmly by the stage and waited for the holy grail of festival performances--Paul McCartney. 

He serenaded us with Beatles classics all night long and my throat was sore from belting out every single lyric alongside him. Also, singing "Hey Jude" with 80,000 people will probably go down as one of the greatest concert experiences I have ever had, and probably one of my happiest life moments. I realize I'm a touch dramatic, but...it was Paul. 

After Paul, we managed to catch the end of the XX, but sadly, we couldn't stick around for Pretty Lights. We dragged our aching bodies to our campsite and were asleep before our heads even hit the pillow, with Beatles songs providing the backdrop for our dreams. 

Part II to come!

THE NATIONAL

To say I'm excited about seeing The National in a few short days would be an understatement. This Tiny Desk Concert made my Wednesday morning

Austin, Part 2

The rest of my time in Austin was filled with even more delicious food and loads of sunshine which left my shoulders nice and sunburned. There are so many things to do around town but we managed to hit most of the highlights--it was such a perfect day.

After we enjoyed Barton Springs, we decided to venture to one of Austin's many trailer parks for lunch. The parks are this picnic-loving girl's dream come true--lots of food trucks parked around several picnic tables with shady umbrellas, so you're free to go to as many different trucks as you'd like and enjoy your meal while the breeze blows past you. 

After noshing on a few different kinds of tacos (pulled pork and fried avocado from Mellizzo's Tacos), I got to go to Gourdoughs, which I had been dying to try. I love donuts--especially ones with crazy flavors--and these were some serious donuts.

Because we are who we are, we sampled three different flavors: Granny's Pie, The Flying Pig, and Sara's Joy. These donuts are not playing around--we only got a couple of bites through each one! Gourdough's definitely deserves a stop, so save it as a meal in and of itself, rather than dessert!

The Flying Pig--Holy.Bacon.

We walked off our feast on South Congress by visiting lots of different shops and an open-air jewelry market. There were so many people out and about, it was lovely.

After weaving our way in and out of shops (Uncommon Objects & Big Top Candy Shop were highlights), we drove out a little way to the 360 Bridge and climbed our way to the top of the rocks to look over the city. The view was glorious--it would be so perfect to grab lunch somewhere on the way and set up a little picnic up and there. 

love you, friend. Thanks for being the best Austin tour guide I could have asked for.

After we rested our aching bodies, we headed to the Salty Sow for dinner. I had beets & brussel sprouts for dinner (my two favorite veggies) and it was heavenly! I wish I had been hungrier so I could have had a real entree, but I highly recommend a stop here. It had the best outdoor patio and everything on the menu looked outrageously delicious. 

Before heading to the airport, I got to have one more plate of migas at Juan In A Million--even though our waitress kept trying to rush my breakfast (I like to linger over coffee & migas. sue me) it was, like everything else I had in Austin, delicious. Had I gone to college in Austin, this would most certainly have been my ideal Sunday morning spot--its the perfect place for sharing big plates of hang-over curing food with friends while laughing over last night's antics.

There you have it--a whirlwind tour of Austin with loads of food and plenty of fun. It was the perfect weekend escape and I loved every minute of it. There are still so many things we didn't have time for though, which means I will simply have to make a trip back soon. I can't wait!

see part I here