Thursday, September 29, 2011

sunset walks

A post about sunset walks from Olivia over at Everyday Musings gave me a moment of thought. She always posts the most lovely photos from her travels, and it's obvious from her writing and images that she really makes an effort to see the beauty in the world (and take walks at sunset every day!)

What an inspiring idea.

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It's like having a date every day with the world you live in. Or maybe a bit more like prayer. "Hey, Earth, it's me, Chelle. Just wanted to say hi and thanks for being so totally awesome!"

It's the way I want to be. I'm glad to have such heartfelt daily reminders.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

outfit - comfy tee

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Comfy v-neck American Apparel tees have been my total go-to item the past month. With grad school, work, teacher classes, and general life activities (not to mention all the walking and book shlepping that go along), I've got to stay as comfortable as possible while still maintaining a level of confidence. That means flattering clothes that are also super duper comfy. Basically, the Shangri-La of women's fashion.

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I paired a simple grey tee with pearls, skinny jeans, and highhigh heels to make me feel sexy in the day time, then switched it up with denim shorts, Converse, and the German hat for fun at Oktoberfest in the evening. Such a versatile item! Love me a grey v-neck tee.

Monday, September 26, 2011

date night - the ginger man

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Now that we've truly entered what I like to call "porch weather," Corban and I have started venturing to try outdoor eats and drinks for date night. Recently we revisited The Ginger Man in Uptown, a pub located in a rickety old house with an amazing backyard porch filled with twinkle lights. I'm a huge sucker for twinkle lights. The pub is known for it's large selection of beers and ciders. I, true to form, ordered wine. :)

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This is really one of my favorite porches of all time. Seating is mostly long tables and benches, so people have to sit pretty close together and, dare it say it, actually interact! For a person battling social anxiety, this may not seem ideal. However, it worked out as we were able to snag a private table and do some very interesting people-watching at a respectable distance from the crowds. :)

Friday, September 23, 2011

oktoberfest 2011

Last weekend our favorite park was transformed from this-

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into this-

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Pretty crazy, huh? I still can't believe how many people can be packed into one space. We always end up running into some of the most random people in the world. Last year it was our favorite barista. This year? Our hairdresser! It seems that nearly everyone in the DFW metroplex makes it out for this event.

Oh, and remember the chicken hat of which I spoke? Here's my proof:

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Yes, what you are seeing is a grown man of 26 years wearing a felt chicken on his head. Maybe that's the point of Oktoberfest - a place to be as silly as possible, just for one night. Silly we were, my friends, silly indeed.

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Once Oktoberfest has come and gone, we really know that summer is over. Now I am dreaming of Autumn-themed DIYs, apple cider, and fall leaves. If only the weather would cooperate! Hopefully the 95 degree afternoons will subside in a couple weeks, and we can really start enjoying my favorite season. Happy Friday, all, have safe and happy weekends!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

outfit: tents + jeans

Holy moly, it's finally jean weather again! Time to put away my pasty white girl legs and enjoy being covered up.

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I haven't worn these jeans for quite a while, and it seems that they're a little big on me since I lost a little weight. Oops. I still love the super long length and the little flair at the bottom, so I'm wearin' 'em anyway! I am over the moon that flairs are coming back, they have always been my favorite style.

Jean weather came just in time for last weekend's Oktoberfest! I can't believe it's come and gone already. These photos were taken a week before the festival while the tents were still being constructed. Stay tuned for photos of the revelry! *spoiler alert: a chicken hat was involved, and by "chicken hat" I mean a hat that was shaped like a chicken.*

Monday, September 19, 2011

cutest treasury evar...

I don't always get a chance to inform you guys of the sweet treasuries that my work is included in (I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal (sarcasm)), but this one is just too darling not to share. The title: A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what's cheese? Corpse of milk. How does one not love that!?

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Go check it out here if you're in to etsy. If you're not, well, then we really need to have a talk.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

new feature - date night

To say that I am not the best or most confident chef is putting it mildly. I don't enjoy cooking, and although I have gotten better at it, my skills are beginner level at best. That being said, the mister and I try to eat at home as much as possible to save dollars (and pounds!) Sometimes though, we really just have to treat ourselves, especially for our weekly date nights. :)

I've been wanting to develop some more features for the blog and since we like food so much, restaurant posts seemed like a perfect fit. So, without further ado, I present to you the first ever Shertown Studios food feature, Date Night!

The hubs and I chose Chuy's for a recent Friday date night. It's the only Tex-Mex chain that I actually like (maybe because it's mostly a Texas thing.)

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The food was super yummy...they are having some chili bonanza thing, so mister was able to get something deathly spicy, which suited him just fine. I order the equally deadly Mexican martini, which suited me just fine. :) Tex-Mex + margaritas + hubbs = perfect date night.

Friday, September 16, 2011

new painting: speechless

I'm such a blog slacker. I finished this painting a week ago, but am just now getting around to posting about it. Bad Blogger Behavior.

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It's listed here in the shop.

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If you can't tell, this one was based on me and the hubbs. :)

Friday, September 9, 2011

new painting!

Wow, it's been so long since I finished a new painting! I actually finished this one a month or two ago, but I wasn't able to get any good photos of it until Vera came into my life.

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Remember this sketch? I liked it so much I put a ring on it made a painting out of it (listed here in the shop). It's hard to tell exact how I feel about cicadas. The shrill chirping brings back such happy, carefree childhood memories...but they also represent the awful, oppressive heat of summer. Sometimes I just have to remind myself that they are just chirping because they love me. :)


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I've been feeling pretty uninspired lately (maybe because I have so much on my plate), but I really miss painting regularly and want to try to get back into it. I'm hoping that I'll get a good routine down once I get used to my new tutoring job, and I'll be able to devote more time and energy to painting.

I'm so happy to have a nice, relaxing weekend ahead of me. Happy Friday, lovelies!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

the green monster

The time time has come to admit to myself and the the world that I have become one of those people...The kind of people who do yoga and drink green mystery smoothies.

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I got inspired to start eating just a little healthier and planning my meals just a little better when I read Amy's post on planning healthy eating. I eat a lot of fruit and smoothies, so I decided to try out a couple of the recipes she included for "Green Monster" smoothies.

Now, I have always looked sideways at overly "healthy" people. You know, the people who buy large gallons of protein powder and vitamin supplements...who are ridiculously skinny and do liquid cleanse diets twice a year just to "flush out the toxins"...who run ten miles with a smile on their face, only lightly perspiring on their pastel Lululemon sports bras. Those people.

However, I am learning that not boasting the above mentioned qualities does not preclude one from having a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps, dare I say it, one might actually have the right to bodily health without owning a single item of clothing purchased at Lululemon. Just because I sweat buckets when I work out and will never feel comfortable in the crane pose, it does not mean that putting a handful of spinach and a scoop of protein powder in my smoothies is a wasted effort. Sure, I like sci-fi and photography; I'd rather sleep in than get up to go to yoga. But, these personal preferences have nothing to do with my physical health.

It seems that only certain "types" of people are expected to go to great trouble for their bodily well-being. If a person isn't sporty or naturally inclined to participate in more physical activities, it becomes acceptable, sometimes even encouraged for them to forgo any sort of exertion in the name of health. Many of my friends are of this type. Eyes roll when I order a salad or decline beers and cigarettes. Would the same actions illicit the same reaction if I were more into sports than sci-fi? If I preferred kale to Kit-Kats?

(Which leads me to another thought - are these attitudes reactions to stereotypes or simply effects of the Great American Instant Gratification Syndrome? If people expect to get what the want when they want it, do they expect others to have the same priorities? Is it somehow un-American to exercise impulse control?)

Acting contrary to people's expectations isn't easy. Peer pressure exists at any age, and being different isn't always flattering. Changing habits and lifestyles may be hard without having a huge support system, but it's important to me, and I feel that I have a right to feel good about myself.

All this, just to show you guys a picture of my gross-looking (but delicious) morning beverage. :)

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

outfit: day at the park

Some days are just for t-shirts and jeans, you know? Corban and I used our Labor Day afternoon to take Vera for a walk in the park and check out the tent being constructed for the upcoming Oktoberfest.

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It was such a lovely day to walk around the park. We always enjoy seeing the construction before a big event...spaces feel so different when they are packed with people, and it seems almost magical thinking that the quiet little park we are standing in will soon be something else entirely - transformed into a huge festival ground filled with people, food, dancing, and music.

I like the idea that a place (or thing) can hold such endless possibilities. :)

Monday, September 5, 2011

new camera!

After using my trusty little Sony Cybershot for four years, I finally decided that it was time to upgrade to a DSLR. I've been talking about it all year, but this weekend I finally broke down and bought myself a proper camera.

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Meet Vera, my brand new Nikon D3100! I've already taken her on a few photography outings, and I think I'm in love. 


Expect lots of picture-laden posts later this week!