virginia – Page 2

baine’s scottsville

July 8, 2013July 9, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged almond milk, baines books and coffee, baines scottsville, chai latte, coffee shop photos, coffee shop review, folk music, james river, james river brewery, landscape photography, martha bassett, piedmont, scottsville, virginia1 Comment

Earlier this year, my friend and her partner helped open a new coffee shop in downtown Scottsville. When she texted me Saturday to invite me to see musician Martha Bassett (and awesome upright bass player, Pat) at the shop, I jumped at the chance to finally visit Baine’s.

The shop is beautiful, with a freshly installed wooden counter top and custom bookshelves full of a broad assortment of texts on Virginia living, religion, and childhood. Scout made me an iced chai latte with almond milk (both the chai concentrate and the milk are made from scratch at Baine’s). It had a complex flavor – spicy, cold, and smooth – and was perfect as a subtle dessert drink with a chocolate chip cookie.

After we finished our drinks, my friend took us on a brief walking tour of Scottsville right as golden hour settled over the landscape. We headed down to the James River, then walked the levy path back to the downtown area.

After the show was over, we all walked over to the James River Brewery tasting room for local craft beer with the band.

4th

July 5, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged art show, bbq competition, downtown, fourth of july, hackensaw boys, harrisonburg, independence day, mountains, photography, road trip, street festival, summer, vacation, valley fourth, virginia3 Comments

We roadtripped to Harrisonburg with my friend, Taylor, to take part in the Valley Fourth festivities this afternoon. Amusements included art booths, a couple food trucks, a BBQ competition, giant cups of lemonade, and bluegrass music by the Hackensaw Boys. We ate Polish cabbage and noodles for lunch, stopped into the Artful Dodger for drinks, participated in the People’s Choice voting portion of the BBQ competition, and chatted up Bruce Rosenwasser of Wildwood Design. The weather was pleasant, the journey was scenic, and the festival was fun. Virginia’s full of pleasant mountain towns with scenic downtown streets.

skyline drive

June 1, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged bird watching, blue ridge mountains, butterfly, deer sighting, insect photo, landscape photography, mountain storm, shenandoah national park, skyline drive, the great outdoors, virginia2 Comments

Took a trip down Skyline Drive this afternoon. We saw prehistoric mountains, buzzards, and insects. We experienced storms that were there, then gone in a flash. We saw birds we’d never seen before. We stopped for a doe and her baby.

hue

May 19, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged after rain, binoculars, brick, charlottesville, chimney, cicada exoskeleton, hound dog, life, nature photography, photography, rain drops, virginia, walkLeave a comment

Gray days always bring out the most beautiful hues in nature. The bad and the good balance out in the end. (My neighbor stole that dog from its negligent owner’s backyard.)

tom tom founder’s fest

April 14, 2013Posted in newsTagged 2013, charlottesville, downtown mall, enjoyment, event photography, flowering trees, good weather, life, live music, outdoor photography, people watching, spring, spring festival, tom tom founders festival, virginia2 Comments

The banner went up for the Tom Tom Founder’s Festival about a month ago when I still worked downtown; I kept telling myself I’d look it up when I got home. I started to hear of food trucks and live music and talks. Friday night, Daniel told me that he was having an awesome time perusing local art, enjoying a bustling downtown atmosphere, and attending a poetry reading. Since I worked ’til 10, I was determined to make the most of it on Saturday.

My friend, Greta, and I headed downtown around noon. We stopped in for some bing (dumplings) and peanut salad at Song Song’s Zhou and Bing, then headed over to Low Vintage, my favorite vintage shop in town, where we bought a few items and chatted with Nora, the owner.

The weather was perfect for a lazy stroll down the mall. Eventually, we meandered over to Lee Park to enjoy the live music. We sat on the grass and ate locally made popsicles – I had the Strawberry Hibiscus and Greta had the Banana Macademia Nut. We took our time people watching and generally enjoying the atmosphere.

Spring festivals make sense. We’ve suffered through the dark winter months and we need to celebrate. We need something to gather outside for, to come out of the woodwork for. We need to be reminded that we exist together in a community and that we collectively deserve to enjoy the moment before it passes.

If you live in the Charlottesville area, think about taking part in the final events of the weekend – they’ve got a few interesting talks lined up for this afternoon.

spring break: RVA

March 17, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged art deco, art nouveau, capital city, carytown, city, day trip, Heritage Restaurant, Hollywood Cemetery, James Monroe, Richmond, RVA, spring break, Stella's Restaurant, travel photography, vacation, virginia, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, VMOFA1 Comment

Daniel and I went on an awesome, two day Spring Break trip last Thursday and Friday. It’s amazing to me that we can visit several historically and culturally significant locations in less than two hours via car. When we lived in Tallahassee, it took almost 3 hours to get to Jacksonville with only small towns and forest in between.

We spent Thursday in Richmond. Our itinerary was as follows:

Hollywood Cemetery – final resting place of two presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler (and president of the confederacy, Jefferson Davis). It has a great view of downtown Richmond.
Stella’s Restaurant – really delicious Greek food in a contemporary atmosphere.
Carytown – full of students, vintage and consignment shops, and other cool local businesses. I perused many racks of great vintage dresses.
Virginia Museum of Fine Art – features an extensive collection of art nouveau and art deco stained glass and furniture (we love that stuff), as well as works of art from all eras from all over the world. There’s also a a terrifying statue of a woman that looks so realistic I refused to get too close. I bought a postcard of Georges de Feure’s stained glass window.
Heritage Restaurant – We shared the charcuterie platter, then I ate some pork belly, Asian barbecue style.

Richmond is a well established city with a great sense of community and a small town feel. I’m excited to visit again – and it’s only a little over an hour away, so it makes for an easy day trip.

on the trail

March 10, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged blue ridge mountains, charlottesville, hiking, landscape photography, monticello, mountain path, photography, saunders'monticello trail, snow covered trail, snow damage, spring, trail, virginia, walking1 Comment

Spring is here!

I went on a long, meandering (physically and conversationally) walk on the Saunders-Monticello Trail with my friends, Kristen and Amy, this afternoon. Parts of the trail were damaged due to Wednesday’s aggressive snowfall, so we courageously maneuvered through blocked pathways and locked gates to make it to the end.

It’s incredible that this mountain landscape is only an interstate exit way. As soon as the snow clears and flowers start to bloom, I’d like to take a tour of Monticello.

I’m looking forward to a long Charlottesville springtime.

To see photos of the trail from my visit in November, click here.

snow day

March 7, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged canon eos rebel xs, charlottesville, charlottesville snow storm, end of winter, leah wise, photography, shallow dof, snow day, snow fall, virginia, winter wonderland1 Comment

We got at least 8 inches of snow yesterday in Charlottesville. The snow day would have been fun, I’m sure, if we hadn’t lost power for over 11 hours. According to The Daily Progress, 40,000 people lost power in the city and county alone.

I opted to photograph the meteorological events from inside my rapidly cooling house rather than risk opening the door and letting our lifeline of remaining heat out.

Daniel and I spent most of the day huddled inside our small library with three candles and our own body heat to keep us warm. I read, made a style collage from magazines, drank some lukewarm tea, and called my parents for entertainment while Daniel graded papers and revisited his wildlife books.

We were relieved when the power came back on at around 6:45, just after sunset. Since we don’t have family nearby, I’m not sure how we would have coped with the cold overnight.

The city quickly plowed roads and put down salt and I was able to go back to work today. I was too anxious to enjoy the snowfall yesterday, but I am greatly amused by the aftermath: snow-filled truck beds, white mountains in parking lots, slushy rivers trickling down sloped streets, and people rewarding themselves for surviving with large mochas and croissants.

snow day

January 24, 2013January 24, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged berries, blue ridge mountains, canon eos rebel xs, canon zoom lens, charlottesville, cold, landscape, ll bean boots, photography, snow, virginia, walk, winter2 Comments

Every morning I open the bedroom curtain just a bit to let more light in to do my makeup. This morning, I looked out and exclaimed, Oh my gosh!, waking up Daniel on accident. A blanket of snow covered every horizontal surface, including my car. They predict another snowfall this evening. Tomorrow may be my lucky day for capturing snow in action!

by a different route

January 23, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, canon eos rebel xs, clear, crisp, landscape, nature, neighborhood, photography, stars, virginia, walk, winter3 Comments

or, Why Walks are the Best

After taking Daniel to school on Monday afternoon, I looked about me on the drive home and realized suddenly that it was a beautiful day. We had about a week and a half of weird, dreary weather; it messed with my mood – everything felt stagnant. But Monday was cold and dry and crisp. The winter sun was at its brightest and the leaves and houses shone with its glaring light. I walked, this time, by a different route and felt refreshed. And at night, I looked up and saw Orion as clearly as if it were beaming out from a constellation chart.

Enjoy the winter light while it lasts.

walks

January 11, 2013January 11, 2013Posted in thoughtsTagged charlottesville, field, flower, landscape, meditation, nature, photography, telephone wire, virginia, walk, walking, winter3 Comments

It seems we’re addicted to walks, at least during this curiously warm week in the quiet days before regular life demands our attention again.

On Monday, I went for a walk by myself to clear my head, twisting and turning through residential roads. There’s been some drama – and some loss – in my circle of friends and I let it get to me. But walking is meditation. You go and you go on your own two feet. You’re tired but you keep moving. You’re farther away than you ever intended to be, but you have the stamina to press on. To compel yourself forward even when your legs grow tired and the sun glares into your eyes as it sets. Walking is uncomplicated, but not necessarily easy. I think that’s the best way to live.

last night at mockingbird

January 8, 2013Posted in newsTagged bluegrass, blues, closing, concert, hound dog hill, mockingbird, mumford & sons, music, roots music, shenandoah valley, staunton, the winter line, venue, virginia1 Comment

Mockingbird Restaurant and Music Hall in Staunton, VA closed its doors at the end of last weekend for reasons unknown to the public. They’ve been very hush hush about its closing and didn’t announce it until the beginning of the year. They made all of their events free last week so Daniel and I attended both an open mic night and their final concert featuring local folk bands, The Winter Line and Hound Dog Hill.

The Winter Line is relatively new to the music scene. Their music is reminiscent of Mumford & Sons in both lyrical themes and instrumentation. It’s encouraging to see such a young banjo player. We saw them perform at both events and think they have a lot of potential.

Hound Dog Hill is a seven member bluegrass, blues, and country band from the Shenandoah Valley. They played an enjoyable array of covers and originals from multiple genres. Their high energy and casual demeanor on stage made them immensely enjoyable to watch. Daniel even bought a t-shirt!

(clearly, his arm was moving quite fast)

Since I don’t know the details of their closing, I don’t know whether to say goodbye or hope for a swift reopening. Rumor has it that there are a few buyers lined up to take over the place. We appreciate Mockingbird’s focus on local Roots music. We saw Ralph Stanley there back in August and we’d hate to never be able to visit again.

by the creek at golden hour

January 7, 2013Posted in life in photosTagged 50mm lens, adventure, charlottesville, creek, golden hour, nature, outdoor, park, photography, virginia3 Comments

When our original plans of visiting a nearby park were dashed, we simply ventured over to another one. It wasn’t much for looks until the sun started pooling at that magic golden hour angle in the sky. Daniel found a beaten down pathway across the creek and we had a brief but satisfying outdoor adventure.

closure

January 2, 2013January 2, 2013Posted in thoughtsTagged 2012, 20s, adventure, change, friends, life, list, photography, questions, summary, virginia, year in review, young adultLeave a comment

The new year always throws me for a loop. I spent yesterday at home, off work, in a miserable mood, lashing out anytime Daniel so much as spoke to me. I guess a new year makes me feel obligated: to change bad habits, develop good ones, get motivated, achieve everything at once. In the final weeks of a year, I’m in full relaxation mode; not enough time to worry about accomplishing major goals or making significant decisions. It’s the only time, possibly all year, that I feel at ease and live day by day. All that being said, I don’t think I gave myself enough time for closure, and I’m hoping this list will help me sort 2012 out, close the book, and move forward.

Five events that have been the best this year?

getting my name in the company newsletter at work
my last summer adventures with Florida friends
St. Augustine for our anniversary (even though it was brief)
seeing Obama in downtown Charlottesville
exploring Virginia

Five events that have been the worst this year?

dealing with corporate crap at my former jobs
getting poison ivy
moving away from close friends and family
my bad attitude during Thanksgiving
doubting myself so often

What have you learned this year?

I am surprised by my own selflessness and selfishness. The pressure to figure out life really got to me this year, but I think I’ve settled into a more moderate temperament, trying to take opportunity as it comes and not be too hard on myself lest I completely destroy myself with internal verbal harassment.

Was it the year that you had in mind?

I was so wrapped up in self doubt and work drama at the beginning of 2012 that I don’t really think I envisioned what the year would be like. I knew we might move, but I didn’t think too hard about it. If I had anything in mind, it was that I would become a successful fashion blogger and adored internet presence by the end of the year. It was my temporary solution to being miserable with my non-virtual life. Things were better than that, though, and I’m glad I moved.