Insta-Adventures: Indianapolis Travel Diary

What could be more alluring than stepping into an airport?  With a passport in hand and enough money in your pocket, you could find yourself transported anywhere in the world within hours.  The stress of the airport often overwhelms me.  But as I rode the train to my gate last Friday, I was struck with wanderlust by the magic of it all.  Although I would have loved it if I could have hopped a plane to my favorite city (London), this trip brought me somewhere very dear to my heart: Indianapolis, Indiana.  Home to the Indy 500 and some of the best friends a girl could ask for.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Midwest has a lot to offer.  Indianapolis is quiet compared to other cities I've lived in (shout out to the constant squeaking of BMW horns in Los Angeles), but it has plenty of elegance and charm.  While I was in town, I stopped by the Indy Fringe Festival, so I had an opportunity to catch a fantastic one-man re-imagining of Peter Pan called I Am Peter Pan.  I wasn't sure what to expect with one actor playing multiple characters, but I walked out of the theater completely impressed.  I've always been enamored by the Peter Pan character and story.  There's something beautiful and tragic about choosing to never grow up.  The creators explored the complexity of this theme all too well--bringing to life the wonderment of childhood and the sadness that often weighs upon our minds and pushes us into "adulthood."  If the company's other shows are anything like the one I saw, I definitely recommend checking them out.  You can find out more about them here: No Exit Performance.

One of my best friends works for the Indiana Repretory Theatre (pictured below), so I can't wait to visit again during their season for a show, as well! 

Another highlight of my trip (that I sadly couldn't take photos of) was a traveling exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  It's called Snapshot: Painters and Photography Bonnard to Vuillard.  You can find out more about it here and it's well worth the admission price if it comes to your city.  The exhibit showcases early experiments in photography by painters and the influence/connection between their photographs and paintings.  Most of these early photographs were absolutely breathtaking.  I dare all of us to come up with anything half as pretty with our digital cameras.

For anyone interested in gluten free (or anyone who has to eat gluten free like I do), there were several fantastic options in Indianapolis from Pei Wei, to Cafe Patachou, to Scotty's Brewhouse.  I stopped by Scotty's as soon as I left the airport and it was difficult not to devour the smothered bar-b-q bacon chicken and yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes in five seconds flat.  American pub food at its finest! 

The rest of the long weekend was lovely.  Meandering walks along Mass Ave., stopping for delicious yogurt coffee, sleeping in, brunches at noon, dancing all night in a living room full of my favorite ladies, Nora Ephron movies, long chats about art and life, adventuring through a cemetery and an abandoned insane asylum (more about this Gothic adventure will be coming soon), and enjoying the prettiest sunshine I could have asked for on my Indiana vacation.

Who says you have to travel somewhere exotic for the perfect vacation?  What are some of your favorite lesser-known destinations?

I hope everyone is enjoying the last official week of summer!

-Annie <3

Moop!

Hello lovelies!  I was absolutely thrilled today when a UPS parcel arrived!  Why?  Because I received a gorgeous handmade bag, courtesy of Moop and their Cup of Jo blog giveaway! I couldn't believe it when I won, because I've been looking for a stylish and functional and water resistant bag for ages (a difficult task).  The Moop messenger I chose is something right out of my daydreams.  Keep checking back because I'll dedicate a post to it soon.  In the meantime, you can browse all of the pretty offerings on their website here.

I hope you enjoyed your Wednesday!  It was a beautiful day in my city, and I loved admiring the silvery horizon of buildings as I ran errands.

More soon!

-Annie <3

Endless Summer

Every year, right before Labor Day, a small sadness hangs over me.  It's the end of summer and there's nothing I can do to keep August from melting into September.  There are three acts in movies--a beginning, middle, and end.  As we all know, the third act (the end) happens when the characters race to the airport, solve the crime, fight the bad guys one last time, etc. August is that kind of bittersweet month that looms like a third act.  All of June and July leads up to it with hope and expectation.  If life were a movie, each August would fade out with the final sequence in Dirty Dancing--everyone smiling and happy because they've grown and changed over one summer in ways they never thought possible.  Sadly, not every summer will reshape our lives, but that shouldn't stop us from packing as much happiness into these final days as we can!

 

I recently visited Hilton Head, South Carolina and am already longing to go back to the ocean.  If you're headed to the beach for one last summer getaway, let me suggest the perfect accessory: a pinup style romper.  I saw this one in the window of a favorite vintage shop and it was love at first sight.  The only problem?  I was working on a project across the street and couldn't leave in time to make my purchase before the shop closed.  I finally made it back a few days later.  To my surprise, it was still there and it was all mine.  I couldn't imagine a better outfit for vacation!  A romper is dressy enough for ocean side shopping and casual enough for walking along the beach.

Romper: Vintage.   Flip Flops: Old Navy.   Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters.

If you can't make it to the beach, you should pull out your favorite flip flops, splurge on a romper, and enjoy one of my absolute favorite documentaries, Endless Summer.  If you live in the U.S., it's currently streaming  on Hulu.  The documentary is about two surfers in the 1960's who decide to chase summer around the world by swapping hemispheres as they travel.  The tone of the voice-over is a little silly and dated, but that makes it even better in my opinion.  The soundtrack by The Sandals has a great 60's surf culture vibe and it's worth listening to by itself.  Chasing summer has been one of my lifelong dreams.  I've never even touched a surfboard, but I've loved the idea of surfing since I saw the movie Gidget when I was young.  Until I find a way to follow in the footsteps of the documentary surfers, I'll have to settle for daydreaming about endless summer breezes and the way my toes feel when they're buried in the sand.

 

So tell me, would you chase summer around the world if you could?  Or are you ready for fall?

Insta-Adventures: Snapshots of the Weekend

A much needed summer breeze floated through the city Friday, so I couldn't resist soaking it up after dinner.  The rest of the weekend was relatively low key--working on creative projects, reading, eating great food, and listening to my latest music obsessions from the Nouvelle Scene Francaise.  I know I'm late discovering these bands, but that won't stop me from listening to them over and over again!  I'm particularly digging The Parisians and Les Shades.  Je les adore!

 

On Saturday I reread a few of my favorite letters and poems by John Keats and fell in love with them all over again.  The intense agony-filled love affair between Fanny and Keats sounds pretty un-fun in real life.  But if they'd been a well-adjusted couple, we wouldn't be remotely fascinated by them.  Have you seen Jane Campion's Bright Star?  The film creates its own poetry while acting as a gorgeous visual companion to the real and imagined lives of these iconic lovers.

Sunday ended just as any Sunday should: with roses on the kitchen table and homemade gluten free red velvet cake.  I have to be gluten free for medical reasons, so this bit of red velvet (made by my mother) is a dream come true.  Cake should be a requirement for every weekend, don't you think?  How else are we going to face Monday?

 

 

What did you do this weekend?

A Modern Fairytale

Evening walks along this wooded bridge toward my favorite library always make me think of enchanted forests and sword fights.  I wouldn't even be surprised if I heard someone yelling "As you wish!" (if you have no idea what I'm referencing, I suggest you drop everything and watch this film). I definitely felt whimsically inclined when I put together my look.  My hair was inspired by Princess Buttercup herself, but the goal for my outfit was comfort.  The Princess Bride might have been lovely traipsing through the forest in her billowy red dress, but there are days when I long for the simplicity of skinny jeans.

Tanks, jeans, and ballet flats are my staple basics, lately.  They're a blank canvas full of possibilities.  I normally wear this shrug with a dress, but today I decided to toss it on over my plain black tank.  Like fairytale magic, I was instantly transformed.  The sheer sleeves have just the right amount of billow to infuse elegance into modern life.  And what's not to love about the sewn beaded details and silky bow closure?

A perfect outfit for an enchanting summer evening.

Shrug: Vintage
Tank: American Apparel
Jeans: 7 For All Mankind
Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Urban Farmer's Daughter

There's nothing like slipping into a gingham dress to make a girl feel like a 1930's farmer's daughter. Whenever I wear this, I want to pour a cold glass of buttermilk and wait on the front porch for the menfolk to come in from the fields.

I'm sure growing up on a farm in the 1930's wasn't nearly as romantic as I imagine it, but these are the sorts of stories I tell myself when I fall in love with an outfit.  Although it isn't from the 1930's, this dress does have a slightly interesting true fact attached to it. My mother once twirled through life in this dress when she purchased it new in the 1970's. I feel incredibly lucky to have such a lovely and stylish mother who kept all of her favorite outfits to pass along to her future daughter.  I'll be featuring many more of her gems in upcoming posts. 

I haven't seen much gingham in stores lately, but I suggest we all keep an eye out and help it make a comeback.  As much as I love the city (and urban life in general), I also swoon over the idea of picnics with sweet farmer boys and homemade pies and all the other pretty little country staples of another time and place.  We might never experience that dreamy imagined life, but with a dress like this, a girl can almost pretend the city sirens are cowbells tinkling in the distance. 

Dress: Vintage
Shoes: Nine West

So tell me what you think, my loves.  Should we start a gingham revolution?