happy accidents

Occupy Albany, Week One

2011-10-30T10:33:00.008-04:00

This 5th of November - Operation CashBack

The Occupation spreads to Albany

2011-10-22T09:02:00.005-04:00

On October 21, the occupation of the capital of New York State began in the heart of downtown Albany in Lafayette Park.

The crowd continued to grow throughout the night, and despite threats of eviction/arrest from Governor Cuomo and Mayor Jerry Jennings, hundreds of people remained in the park past the 11pm curfew, many choosing to stay the night.

Not visible in this photo: The APD "Mounted Police" trailers loaded up with horses, and the twenty police vans parked and "waiting?" a couple of blocks away.

Also check out:
Occupy Saratoga Springs
Occupy Troy

Come on, Schenectady!! ;)

Back to OWS

2011-10-22T08:10:00.003-04:00

October 8, 2011
New York City

Yay! The library! Much expanded. Unfortunately the new edition of the OWSJ was all gone, so I wasn't able to get my hands on one of those.

Can you hear us, Wall Street?

2011-10-04T22:44:00.011-04:00

October 1, 2011
Zuccotti Park, Wall Street, NY

Hot off the presses -- hours old! The Occupied Wall Street Journal

A message from Anonymous to Wall St., New York, and the protesters.

Just as the march was beginning to get underway, flute sounds of "When the Saints Go Marching In" rose over the crowd. I turned to look, and there was this man.

Inspired by the massive public protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol Square, hundreds have camped out in a square near Wall Street since Sept. 17, 2011, as part of a campaign dubbed "Occupy Wall Street."

Protests in the financial district took a dramatic turn on Saturday Oct. 1 when protesters tried to march across the Brooklyn Bridge. When police arrested 700 of the demonstrators, the event quickly turned into one of the largest arrests of non-violent protesters in recent history. Some protesters claim police lured them onto oncoming traffic on the bridge’s roadway; others said they did not hear instructions from police telling them to use the pedestrian walkway. ~Democracy Now!

Occupy Everything

2011-10-02T20:54:00.007-04:00

"That's a quality leap for the social mobilization, people assuming the risk of supporting other people who are doing something that's not clearly legal."

On the bridge

Occupy Everything from socially_awkwrd on Vimeo.

"Do not be arrested in vain."

...and in Albany, NY

2011-09-30T22:26:00.004-04:00

see you in new york.

September Saturday

2011-09-11T11:42:00.005-04:00

day in amherst/northampton, part 1

2011-08-27T00:42:00.013-04:00

took a trip to massachusetts last weekend for one last summer hoorah.
it was a gorgeous, clear blue, sunny-skied afternoon in amherst
{especially nice because the town hadn't yet seen the return of
all the college students/back to school hubbub.}

at the eric carle museum,
where there was a very special illustration on exhibit!

very late lunch - pizza slices at antonio's.
then amherst books. mostly new books upstairs,
and a whole basement filled with used books for sale!

Rao's Coffee
{we can't visit another town without stopping into the local coffeehouse
for a drink and a little break time to read & relax.}

saturday csa

2011-08-21T17:54:00.005-04:00

some of this week's offerings from the farm.

the fair!

2011-08-19T14:34:00.006-04:00

swung by opening night of the altamont fair.

i held this guy!

cupcakes!

the fair is a great place to go if you're looking to give yourself nightmares. after being coerced by my friends, i ventured into the "circus museum" for the first time in my life, a place i've always made it a point to steer clear of.

the best fried dough at the fair, hands-down.
(no*, all fried doughs are not created equal).

sigh, this fair is always a little bittersweet because it really signals the end of summer. boo.

End of Summer

2011-08-16T15:36:00.004-04:00

Treat at Crisan (*thanks Kaitlin!)

Strawberry picking in Kinderhook

The Point Cafe, Schenectady NY

I want to go

2011-02-21T09:25:00.005-05:00

Actually, I just want to live in this place. You can visit Beatrix Potter's home at Hill Top Farm, looking just the same as it did when she lived and wrote there.

Beatrix Potter's house, an inspiration for many of her tales, Hill Top remains as she left it. Each room contains something that appeared in her books. Beatrix valued the house and its contents highly and when she died she left Hill Top to the National Trust, to open it to the public, on the condition that the house was kept with all her belongings in place. The lovely cottage garden is a haphazard mix of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables.

Gaaaaa! I want to go!!

My high school years

2011-02-04T22:02:00.005-05:00

Ahh, reminiscing with some of the music that was my high school life. Or at least trying to -- apparently ANY and ALL videos of Bob Dylan performances have been removed from youtube. NOT. COOL.

2011-02-02T13:34:00.004-05:00

This is the scene that inspired me to buy my new grandma-esque nightgown. (Watching this movie and Little House on the Prairie all in the same week proved to be dangerous). Sexxxyyy.

My Favorite Things
The Sound of Music at MOVIECLIPS.com

Snowed In

2011-02-02T12:43:00.004-05:00

I knew I was going to have to be hunkered-in today because of the storm that's been blasting the Northeast, so on my way home yesterday I stopped off at the bookstore to pick up this collection of new, re-envisioned fairy tales, which I'm enjoying very much. I'm only a few stories in, but already I'm finding them delightfully creepy and fun.

I have a sense that a proliferation of magical stories, especially fairy tales, is correlated to a growing awareness of human separation from the wild and natural world. In fairy tales, the human and animal worlds are equal and mutually dependent. The violence, suffering, and beauty are shared. Those drawn to fairy tales, perhaps, wish for a world that might live "forever after." ~Kate Bernheimer, from the Introduction to My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me

who wants to go see this with me this weekend??

2011-01-28T06:55:00.001-05:00

and scream and cry and kick your feet and then slit your wrists with me afterward?

winter

2011-01-28T06:49:00.000-05:00

***

2011-01-17T19:48:00.004-05:00

***

***

***

Likes

2011-01-11T20:17:00.009-05:00

Here's a new kind of post -- things I'm liking/reading/watching right now -- at this point in time.

This book:
The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball

this nightgown
(a late Christmas gift)

this documentary

An old childhood favorite

Happy Friday

2011-01-07T06:46:00.003-05:00

Hey! My sweet friend Kaitlin was photographed ice skating in the park yesterday and featured in the local newspaper. What a cool photo...Although I've walked over it many times, I can't say I've ever seen the underside of that bridge before!

Ideal Bookshelves

2011-01-02T20:07:00.001-05:00

Oh how I love these Ideal Bookshelf prints from artist Jane Mount. Too bad the ones I want the most - #2 and 3 here - are all sold out. You can tell a lot about a person from the books they surround themselves with. Recently it was brought to my attention that someone at work referred to me as having "a lot of weird books." (I don't think the person who said it actually owns any books of their own. Just sayin').

My dinner tonight

2011-01-01T20:48:00.002-05:00

What is it about the cold, dark days of winter that make me want to lay around all day in bed watching Nigella Lawson videos online? I made up for the first half of today's laziness by getting myself out to two markets and coming home to make the meal in the first half of this video. I feel so accomplished.

ugh, i hate new year's

2010-12-30T23:24:00.002-05:00

i'll celebrate by watching this movie again.
i also use this movie to celebrate fall/halloween and christmas.
what can i say? it's versatile.

Oh dear, it's ending.

2010-12-26T07:43:00.002-05:00

This is cute though.

Have a Merry One

2010-12-24T10:42:00.001-05:00

xoxo

Love this too much

2010-12-21T03:39:00.004-05:00

The Crossgates Mall flash mob was dreamed up by Leslie Eliashuk, a 23-year-old College of Saint Rose student getting a master's in music education, and some friends. They spread the word through Facebook and e-mail to church choirs, amateur music groups and anywhere people get together to sing. Twenty people practiced once before the event. More than four times that amount showed up.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.
<3

Decking the halls

2010-12-06T20:54:00.004-05:00

I attempted to Christmassy-up my place yesterday...unfortunately that resulted in a lot of broken glass and a super amount of frustration. Many of the (breakable) items seen in these photos are no more, and will have to be replaced. Grrr. The small trees are unharmed, which means I can continue to photograph them obsessively from every conceivable angle.

It's that time again...

2010-12-05T11:14:00.006-05:00

Getting a jump on the Christmas baking for this year. I always make way too many, and as much as I love it, it can become a bit exhausting, especially if I wait until too late in the month to get started. Some of my favorites/staples each year: chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, chocolate crinkles, and this butter cookie recipe which can be used to make all sorts of various shapes and sizes of cookie (great for spritz cookies). New this year -- I think I'll try out this recipe. Got any favorites of your own? Share away!

Letters to Santa: Books

2010-11-30T22:43:00.005-05:00

Dear Santa,
These are some of the books on my current wishlist,
and I'd be just tickled to find any one of them under the tree on Christmas morning.
Love to Mrs. Claus and the elves.

xo
Kim

2010-11-29T16:58:00.006-05:00

Going to see the classic Bonnie & Clyde on the big screen at Palace Theater tonight (oh please let us find close-ish parking, it's so cold & windy outside!)

Trying to dress like Bonnie Parker when you have short hair...

...means that you will inevitably end up looking like:

(That cartoon always freaked me waaayy out. Still does.)

all i wanna do today...

2010-11-28T12:56:00.002-05:00

***

2010-11-28T07:29:00.003-05:00

This is why I say I am a "slow reader." It takes me forever to get through any book.

The Season's Begun

2010-11-27T11:21:00.007-05:00

I'm feeling super giddy this morning because in about an hour I'm off to Proctor's to see the stage production of one of my favorite Christmas movies. I'm not generally a huge fan of Broadway-type shows, but seeing how I've been watching White Christmas ever since I was old enough to sit in front of a television screen, this should be a lot of fun. I love Bing Crosby -- he's one of about five artists I listen to religiosly at Christmastime -- but my love goes even deeper than that.

The Family Stone

2010-11-26T12:31:00.006-05:00

I forced myself to wait/allowed myself to watch this the morning after Thanksgiving, huddled in bed with hot pancakes and coffee (and kitty). Yes it's a Christmas movie, but seeing how I think about it all year long and start wanting to watch it around October, November 26th doesn't seem so bad. I love love LOVE everything about this movie, words cannot explain. The fact that it's 1. jammed with a bunch of my very favorite people (hello Diane Keaton, Claire Danes aka Angela Chase, Luke Wilson, COACH!, SJP and Rachel McAdams) 2. I want to live in that house, 3. it's full of awkward, painful, this-could-be-your-life moments, and of course, 4. Christmas. It's sort of a comedy, if you file it under dark comedies. It figures heavily into my rotation of Christmas movies.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:41:00.001-05:00

***
A funny looking dragon in 1931 -- and men in hats :)

Tidbits

2010-11-23T15:55:00.003-05:00

New Reading

Making tomorrow
***

Going to see tonight

At work today -- and yes I wore mine all day long

Why so pretty?

2010-11-21T00:05:00.004-05:00

***
No really, why?

Well it's about time

2010-11-20T08:04:00.014-05:00

Not that I haven't owned all of their music since my obSESSive middle and high school years...but even though I haven't necessarily needed to access it, without their music being available on iTunes for the past however many years, all just hasn't been right with the world.
((Oh God Paul love love)) <3 <3

Rereading

2010-11-17T20:36:00.007-05:00

"USDA figures show a decline in the nutrient content of the forty-three crops it has tracked since the 1950s. ...you now have to eat three apples to get the same amount of iron as you would have gotten from a single apple grown in 1940.

The news of declining nutrient levels in American produce prompted The Packer, a trade publication for the produce industry, to suggest that this might actually be good for business, because people would now need to eat more produce to get the same nutritional benefit."

I suddenly had the urge today to reread this book - which I originally purchased and read when it was first released. I'm currently suffering from a second major illness in as many months, and am on my second round of antibiotics so that I can go back to work in a timely manner. It's no secret that I've been eating very badly since starting this job over a year ago, and I know that's at least partly to blame for my insufficient immune system. Time to make a change, i.e. get back to where I was a year and a half ago. It would be even better if I could get back to where we were 50 or more years ago. Maybe then I'd actually make it through a month without getting sick. Oh wait, there are other variables to consider, like the fact that my workplace forbids opening the windows, but thinks nothing of conducting ongoing construction in the building for over a year, forcing us all to breathe in unhealthy air for 8 hours each day.

Anybody there?

2010-11-10T21:12:00.008-05:00

Ran across this old favorite the other day at the store -- it seems stock increases just in time for the holiday(s).

I had a Ouija board when I was little, which I loved and thought was just the greatest (mine did not glow in the dark - which seems to be the newer incarnation - but was all black and brownish and appropriately mysterious looking). I received it as a gift from my parents when I was in elementary school, so I never had the inclination to be scared of it or even think twice about it, really. It was just something fun and kind of silly, the idea of talking to ghosts was exciting, along the same lines as attempting to stay awake on Christmas Eve to catch Santa in the act. I have a clear memory of hauling the board into school when I was about 9 or 10 years old to try to get my friends to use it during snack time or indoor recess. That was around the same time I conducted "Bloody Mary" seances in the school's bathroom (we always chickened out before seeing her face).

My Dad recently told me, "I got one for Christmas when I was young -- everybody my age had one back then." Hm. In the 1920’s the Ouija board was so popular that many of the large newspapers ran weekly columns on how to use the boards. Ouija boards were extremely popular parlor games and outsold Monopoly in 1967. It's fascinating to me that hardly anyone seems to have one anymore, when for over 100 years they were so popular and widely used. Mine is still around, in the basement of my childhood home. I'd be a bit reluctant to use it today, though, unfortunately. I'm afraid my grown-up beliefs in more sinister things would yield different results than I was met with when I was a child.

2010-11-07T20:26:00.002-05:00

N is for Narwhal

2010-11-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

just love that.
that's all.

Tomorrow

2010-11-05T12:55:00.006-04:00

The venue for Mockingbird Marathon has changed -- it's now being held at the Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza. Not one of my favorite places, but that's another story. Uh oh, that's dangerously close to Chipotle...

2010-11-01T20:43:00.000-04:00

***

***

This is my trusty servant Patsy

2010-10-29T18:17:00.004-04:00

A 5th grader at school today was dressed as Terry Gilliam's character from Monty Python - coconuts banging together and all. This will serve to make me happy for at least a week to come. I have a renewed faith in today's youth.

2010-10-28T22:36:00.003-04:00

Tonight I:
Carved my third jack-o-lantern in a week.
Watched Scream for the second time this month.

Tomorrow is the Halloween party at school. I'm Little Red Riding Hood - again.
Drinking wine and reading some H.P. before bed. Should make for some great dreams.

Happy Halloween weekend, all.

Start a New Tradition

2010-10-27T06:39:00.018-04:00

Give scary books for Halloween.

Writes Neil Gaiman on his blog:

***

You know, there aren't enough traditions that involve giving books.

I propose that, on Hallowe'en or during the week of Hallowe'en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they'll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they'll enjoy.

I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King and Arthur Machen and Ramsey Campbell and M R James and Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub and Daphne Du Maurier and Clive Barker and a hundred hundred others change hands -- new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Hallowe'en. Make their flesh creep...

Give a scary book.

***

I love this idea. I already ran out and bought the book I'm going to give. Pass it on.

**UPDATE** I received this book, and I gifted this.

I also like what Joe Hill had to say:

***

I’m going to adopt this as a Halloween habit and I hope you will too. The only thing I’d add is that I think you should also take twenty minutes on Halloween evening to read a scary story to your kids, or with your friends, or your family. Everyone reads The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, which is fine, but Halloween is really a time to share a good bone-shaking horror story that will keep your loved ones awake at night.

***

I couldn't agree more. As Alvin Schwartz pointed out, scary stories want to be told. So, what are some of your favorite scary books?

TKAM

2010-10-24T10:17:00.005-04:00

On Saturday, November 6th I will be taking part in a marathon reading celebrating the 50th anniversary of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The event is being held at Townsend Park Bakery in Albany from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and will raise money for the Literacy Volunteers of the Greater Capital Region. People from all over the area will come together to take turns reading portions of the novel from start to finish. Thanks to Mary from AOA for asking me to be a part of this great event. Hope to see some of you there! For more information, you can check out the event's web page.

I put together a little collection of the various book jackets the novel has appeared with over the years. (above image by Erin Morelli)

Happy Weekend

2010-10-23T10:47:00.003-04:00

How is it the second to last weekend in October already? Oh God, I'm beginning to enter the mourning period I always experience at the end of October/Halloween and again when December/Christmas are over. I wait all year for the high points that are those two months! The rest of the year just seems so....blah..so regular and humdrum, in comparison. Oh boo.

Of horsemen and schoolmasters

2010-10-19T19:27:00.014-04:00

There is a little valley or rather lap of land among high hills,
which is one of the quietest places in the whole world.
The place continues under the sway of some witching power
that holds a spell over the minds of the good people,
causing them to walk in a continual reverie.
They are given to all kinds of marvelous beliefs,
are subject to trances and visions, and frequently see strange sights,
and hear music and voices in the air.
~Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Imagine being able to visit a place from one of your very favorite childhood stories. Like finding that little cottage made entirely out of candy while walking through the woods, or happening upon a beanstalk that seems to reach clear up to the sky. Last Saturday, I stepped inside my all-time favorite story, or at least, I came as close as just about anybody can.

If you find yourself in Sleepy Hollow, you really must visit Washington Irving's Sunnyside - it was truly breathtaking. This time of year the whole place is almost totally consumed with vines and foliage -- the same ones planted by Irving when he lived there 175 years ago. I loved all the little nooks and narrow staircases and tiny windows in the house that looked out onto the Hudson River.

Yes please, I want to live in there.

To say that I grew up with The Legend of Sleepy Hollow would be a gigantic understatement - it practically defines whole "areas" of my childhood. It's sure to have fueled my love of the macabre and for good, old-fashioned ghost stories, and who knows how much influence the story had on my deciding to become a school teacher. (Unfortunately, one-room schoolhouses have ceased to exist). The little hamlet that Irving loved so much has also largely disappeared, or has at least been transformed. You can visit a few places for echos of what the place once was, but for the most part, it's just like countless other small towns. Except, of course, at night.

Glimpses

2010-10-17T22:39:00.009-04:00

A few looks from an out-of-town trip this past weekend.
Our first stop was this adorable little shop ~
so many treasures and curious finds.

Destination:

2010-10-16T09:09:00.002-04:00

I'm off to a place very near and dear to me.
HAPPY OCTOBER!

Life and Death of a Pumpkin

2010-10-15T12:02:00.000-04:00

I am a pumpkin, Hello...

Peanuts

2010-10-14T11:47:00.004-04:00

I have crazy love and affection for this TV special. I think about it from time to time all year long, am constantly reminded of scenes, and repeat random quotes when I think they apply to a situation in my life. "Alright that's it! Are you coming or are you staying!?" The colors. The music. The very quirky, subtle humor. Blatant displays of cruelty between kids shown right alongside innocence and hopefulness. Charlie's Brown's deep depression.

"Oh Great Pumpkin, WHERE ARE YOU!?" I love Linus so much it actually hurts a little bit when I see/listen to him. So many adorable nuances and details. I've memorized the entire screenplay and get a great kick out of myself by reciting all the lines in sync with the characters. I own the DVD so I get to watch it three or four times every October, but if you don't own it, you need to find a TV to sit in front of on October 28th from 8:00-8:30 p.m.

Never Let Me Go

2010-10-11T12:32:00.011-04:00

Went to see this beautiful and disturbing movie over the weekend (thanks Kaitlin). I haven't yet read the book, but according to Time magazine, it was the best of the past decade. Whoa. That's saying a lot. Futuristic, dystopian societies are right up my alley, and this has to be one of the most visually appealing films I've seen - maybe ever. I want to wear all the clothes. I want to live in 'the cottages.' I'd love to be a part of that world -- except, I don't want to be a clone.

2010-10-11T09:17:00.003-04:00

cute

you'll have to excuse me if halloween starts to take over this blog during the next couple of weeks.
i go a little nutty for the season.

2010-10-08T21:39:00.002-04:00

being stuck inside, sick and in bed for 24+ hours really sucks. especially when you had reservations for the haunted hayride that you ended up having to cancel. hot cocoa helped - for about 30 seconds - while it lasted.

Have a great weekend!

2010-10-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

I'm tucked away in bed sick for the time being, watching scary movies and reading. And sleeping. Hopefully I'll be well enough soon to enjoy at least some of the long weekend!

Fall Fun: Cooperstown

2010-10-08T04:45:00.011-04:00

Headed to one of my favorite fall destinations last Saturday. I fell in love with this little town in the hills when I was going to school in Oneonta. My roommate and I would take drives to Fly Creek Cider Mill and often continued on to Cooperstown afterward. Back then, I didn't venture much further than the main street, which consisted mostly of tiny snack shops and more baseball paraphernalia than the world needs. Each year around this time I feel the urge creeping back in to walk along the historic house-lined streets, kicking up leaves and smiling back at each pumpkin that sits proudly on someone's front step.

Hydrangea bushes everywhere!

The whole town was excited for fall! Pumpkins and cornstalks and mums everywhere.

The Otesaga Hotel is incredibly grand. When we walked up a bride & her wedding party were just arriving. The size of the place is impossible to convey here. It just goes on and on. Also, dude, it is haunted! :P

The trip began and ended with a cup of something hot. It was rather chilly. The cold wind on my bare neck may or may not have contributed to the bad cold I'm suffering from now. Humph.

Cutie!

2010-10-06T16:19:00.001-04:00

Also, this is the outfit I want to wear every day of my life. Every single day. Sneakers, bag, and all. If you can find that dress anywhere, let me know.

Rainy Day Monday

2010-10-05T14:34:00.011-04:00

Went to see one of Alfred Hitchcock's best-loved films last night at the always grand Palace Theatre. It was the perfect outing for a chilly, rainy autumn evening, even though I was feeling a bit under the weather myself.

The Palace's classic movie series makes me so happy -- it's just a hop & a skip away from my apartment, takes place during the colder, more dreary months when we're all looking for something (preferably cozy) to do, and best of all, it's like taking a step back in time - taking in a picture in its original glory, on a truly huge screen, surrounded by history. Such a far cry from today's dreaded multiplex experience - for $5!

They run clips like this before the film...

And they show the original trailers for upcoming features. Can't wait until November when they bring in one of my all-time favorites !

Related Post:
Bonnie & Clyde

2010-10-02T22:58:00.002-04:00

i'd like to disappear for a while

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Hello Gorgeous

2010-10-01T06:00:00.003-04:00

A little bit more from their Fall catalogue -- because I can't resist.

2010-09-29T19:32:00.004-04:00

<3 <3 <3 so much

2010-09-26T12:06:00.003-04:00

I went to see this movie in the theater the day it was released. I loved it so much, felt deeply, emotionally disturbed in a way I wasn't prepared for, and haven't been able to watch it again since.

source

Summer Hours

2010-09-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

One of the most gorgeous movies I've ever seen.
I want to live in that house more than anything.

It's Here!

2010-09-25T08:30:00.002-04:00

julia

2010-09-20T23:22:00.005-04:00

in love with every image on this blog.
1,2

Wait Until Dark

2010-09-19T13:52:00.006-04:00

Finally got around to watching this horror/Audrey Hepburn classic and liked it very much indeedy. The entire movie takes place inside her basement NY City apartment. And the kicker - she is blind. I didn't know much more than that before I watched it, and if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend not doing too much research before running out and seeing for yourself.

The scenario is very frightening and the terror builds to an incredible climax -- partly because the idea behind the story is so believable (while I do enjoy a good zombie fest, there is something so much scarier about situations that could conceivably happen to anyone, anywhere). The last ten minutes or so ranked #10 on AMC's 100 Scariest Movie Moments Of All Time. If you like good old fashioned suspense and classic, effective horror, add this to your list.

2010-09-18T20:37:00.002-04:00

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes I see pictures like this and want long hair again.

***

I often need to remind myself to just

2010-09-17T10:06:00.000-04:00

loving this necklace.

My Fall Movie Must-Haves, part 1

2010-09-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

Every year when the weather turns colder and the days start getting shorter, I am consumed by the almost constant urge to fill up on everything fall. My favorite season always seems to come and go in the blink of an eye, and I don't want to miss a second of it.

A big part of my annual autumn binge-fest is my own personal short list of what I consider to be "fall" movies. For me, these are movies I can only watch at this particular time of year, snuggled up with sweatpants, some chunky socks, and zero disturbances. I am sort of a freak when it comes to certain rituals, etc., and for me, watching these movies has become totally ritualistic in my life. They are by no means considered high cinema, and they represent some of the only chick films I allow to pass before my retinas all year. Each of them is near and dear to my heart, partly for nostalgic reasons, but mostly because they're just good movies to match my mood this season.

You've Got Mail
Very fall -- lots of turtlenecks and tights and twinkle lights, with some healthy doses of colored leaves and steaming mugs of coffee sprinkled throughout. If you know me at all, it will be easy to see why this is one of my favorites. I was known to watch the DVD on repeat during my college years. Meg Ryan's brownstone apartment in New York City -- I used to pause, rewind, and slow-motion certain shots just so I could get a closer look at the inside of that place. Also, her wardrobe. And her quirky adorableness. Her character is the owner of a children's bookstore. There is a certain amount of cynicism that runs throughout the film, which is much appreciated.

Oh look, it's me sitting at my laptop, blogging or something of the like, surrounded by books and knickknacks.

Me at work.

I can think of two more fall-movie favorites, but I'll save those for another day.

Toasty Autumn

2010-09-15T06:40:00.005-04:00

It's been so chilly the past few nights & mornings -- The new collection from Toast's House & Home catalogue makes me want to pile on sweaters and socks and crawl under the blankets to stay.

Sometimes...

2010-09-12T13:03:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I want to color my hair bleach blonde.
***

Brilliant

2010-09-09T12:11:00.009-04:00

It's funny when you get to a certain age and start to clearly recognize some of the things throughout your lifetime that've shaped you - or at least contributed to the person you've turned out to be.

When I was a wee child, there were a handful of movies I watched over and over...and over. And could recite. And went about my days singing songs from. Now, as an adult, I'm certain of their specific influence on me. I was in awe of Mary Poppins. I wanted to be Julie Andrews. So magical - her swinging skirts, delicate British accent, flawless beauty, creamy singing voice, no-nonsense attitude (Spit Spot!), close personal friendships with birds (and chimney sweeps) - and hello - flying about from place to place clutching an umbrella! Pure perfection. I still love every single second of it.

Today, in my "grown-up" life, I imagine that this is me as a 1st grade teacher:

One of my all-time favorite scenes/songs from a movie: This tune still drifts in and out of my head and I catch myself humming it to myself rather frequently. Or, of course, whenever I see someone flying a kite.

Hold the phone

2010-09-08T21:02:00.005-04:00

#1. Apparently The Sartorialist was in the area recently. (Heh?)

#2. He did not realize that Drive-Ins "still exist" in the United States. Says Schuman:

I know I have been in the city for a while, but I had no idea that drive-ins were still out there across America. I was pleasantly shocked at how many I saw in upstate New York.

Dude. Like....really? How do you actually avoid this knowledge? There are four or five drive-in theaters within a 45-mile radius of my house alone. It seems "been in the city for a while" is a gross understatement. If you've gotten to this point in your life without knowing that this basic institution "still exists" and is a regular part of many people's lives - in your own state - what other realities of life outside the city are you completely ignorant of? Frightening. Open your damn eyes, man.

Back to school, back to work

2010-09-06T19:26:00.007-04:00

Where did the summer go? Sigh. At least Fall brings so many great things along with it, even if it does mean back to the regular ol' grind.

For toting books & papers (and computer) back and forth to the coffee house
***

For kicking through leaves and trudging through apple orchards
***

For fun!
***

For sipping tea in hopes of easing my ever-present soar throat from October through March
***

Previously on Happy Accidents

Amanda Wachob Tattoos

2010-09-05T12:29:00.002-04:00

Absolutely love these gorgeous bird tattoos, especially that little chickadee. Looks like a watercolor painting!

Vote Like Mad!

2010-09-03T21:24:00.006-04:00

Hey! How about taking a second and casting your vote for this chica? The lovely Kaitlin is competing for a walk-on role on Mad Men. Believe me, if anyone deserves it, it's her!

Vote Here!

(You can vote once a day, if you so choose.)

Happy September

2010-09-01T21:39:00.000-04:00

Edor

2010-09-01T14:01:00.003-04:00

Since moving back in June, I can't seem to find my favorite simple gold necklace (still hoping it will turn up). I love just about everything from Edor. All the pieces are so ladylike and delicate. I just ordered this little beauty. And if I don't find my old necklace soon, either this or this won't be far behind*

2010-08-31T19:13:00.000-04:00

Love.

Schoharie County, Part 2

2010-08-31T05:56:00.007-04:00

After departing from the Carrot Barn, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful Saturday weather (pre-heat wave) and hit up a couple of the places mentioned here.

Next stop: The Old Stone Fort

I'm a big history dork, and admission was only $5, so this was a no-brainer. I was mostly interested in the old one-room schoolhouse, circa 1863. Visions of Ichabod Crane danced in my head.

From there we headed to the Blenheim Bridge - the longest single span wooden bridge in the world. (Again, I have a thing for covered bridges).

Previously: Schoharie County, Part 1

hair i'm wanting right now

2010-08-30T12:00:00.013-04:00

deep down i just want to look like julia roberts as tinkerbell.

i think that first photo comes pretty close.

the trouble with hair is - it takes time to grow.
i couldn't hope to have hair with any actual length before thanksgiving.
meehhh.

those last two pictures remind me that i need to watch again - or buy - this movie.

2010-08-29T23:33:00.002-04:00

oops.
just spent way too much time tonight scrolling through various blogs.
i'm such a time-waster!
step away from the computer...

via

Not Cool

2010-08-29T21:38:00.003-04:00

Why is it hot again?
Didn't the weather get the memo?
>:-O

photo

Gearing Up (Schoharie Valley, Part 1)

2010-08-28T22:30:00.011-04:00

I know some people may not want to hear this, but I'm officially declaring it Fall. Don't blame me -- it's in the air (and, well, school is back in session). I am so ready. Ok, maybe not totally ready -- you won't see me lugging home any pumpkins just yet -- but I did take a drive out Schoharie way this weekend to swing by one of my favorite fall destinations: The Carrot Barn.

How did I go so long without even knowing this place was here!? [Thanks Amy ;)] I forgot my camera, so the little point & shoot had to do the trick. It was the perfect time to go (no crowds yet), and I can't help thinking that the next time I make the trip the mums will be all reds, yellows, oranges and purples, and the leaves on the trees will be coloring the mountainside. I love fall. I wait all year for it to come back around. And I try to squeeze as much out of it as I possibly can. Let the season begin!

What are some of your favorite, must-do fall activities?

Horror Movie Love

2010-08-25T00:53:00.014-04:00

You may or may not know that I....love horror films. I love them all the time, but there is a special place in my heart for scary movies watched during the cooler, darker, autumn months. I usually go on a major slasher binge during the weeks leading up to Halloween, but for some reason I've felt the urge earlier this year, and my own personal film fest has been well underway since early August. (Have I suffered a few sleepless nights lately? Maybe). Over the next month or two I thought it'd be fun to feature a few of my favorites - as a little ongoing theme of sorts.

I guess I'll start by getting the most obvious one out of the way...

Halloween
As classic as they come. John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is credited with taking the slasher genre in a whole new direction, although many elements seen in the movie can also be found in earlier films. I guess this one just has it all.

This was my Halloween costume a couple years ago. Creepy, I know. I learned the hard way that scaring trick-or-treaters causes them to simply run past your house, not stopping for candy or anything else. Wussies.

I'd love to hear some of your favorites -- suggest away!

Read On

2010-08-25T00:20:00.004-04:00

Gotten any good reading in this summer? I just finished this book for my book club. How about you? What have you been reading lately?

photo from the sartorialist

Sweet Cat Eyes

2010-08-20T21:39:00.004-04:00

Oh, I heart, heart, heart these little frames so much! I always get so frustrated at the fact that I can't have just any frames I like...I am oh so blind-as-a-bat and require a prescription that causes my glasses to have thick, thick lenses. Boo! Will there be some laser eye surgery in my future? (Kinda skeptical about that...)

Sunday morning

2010-08-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

This weather is heaven.

That's all.

Sweetgrass

2010-08-09T12:08:00.006-04:00

Just watched this beautiful film and loved it so much.

An unsentimental elegy to the American West, “Sweetgrass” follows the last modern-day cowboys to lead their flocks of sheep up into Montana’s breathtaking and often dangerous Absaroka-Beartooth mountains for summer pasture. This astonishingly beautiful yet unsparing film reveals a world in which nature and culture, animals and humans, vulnerability and violence are all intimately meshed.

Summer's Bounty

2010-08-04T04:52:00.004-04:00

Last night I finally had the chance to use up some of the pounds and pounds of zucchini I just couldn't resist buying at a recent trip to the farmer's market. For dinner I made one of my favorite (light?) pizzas -- zucchini and kalamata olives with red onion and mozzarella cheese. While that was in the oven - and while I was still on my gin & tonic buzz around the kitchen, feeling super motivated - I finally decided to have a go at making the zucchini bread recipe that's been in my plans for a week. I'd heard that using a food processor for the zucchini works fine, and I still can't find my loaf pan from the move, so I opted for the bundt (I do love bundts so very much). An hour later, the fragrant, sweet bread emerged from the oven. Now there's the problem of what to do with the two-recipe's worth of zucchini bread (that it took to fill the bundt pan in the first place). I do recommend the recipe. Come on, you know you have some sqash to use up. ;)

Zucchini Bread Recipe from smitten kitchen

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins (or one bundt)

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non-stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

photo via smitten kitchen

Living in the Dark

2010-08-02T23:09:00.006-04:00

Ok, so I'm really jealous of the thriving plants on the balcony of this London home. Right now, I'm jealous of pretty much anyone who is able to successfully grow anything at home - inside or out. While my new apartment is fab in many ways - and an overall improvement over the last place - one huge drawback is the almost complete lack of sunlight due to being located on the first floor, in the back, under enormously tall trees with very heavy leaf cover. I have a little back porch and a good-sized yard space, but esentially it's like being on the floor of the rainforest. Every plant I've purchased and attempted to keep has died within a matter of days due to lack of sunlight. I've become very frustrated, to say the least.

Are there any plants that I can find easily at a store that DON'T require sunlight? I had dreams of filling my back porch with pots of varying foliage, but now I'm afraid that isn't possible. Any siggestions?

My Summer Project

2010-07-07T20:26:00.004-04:00

I have a problem with chairs:
I love them too much.
I buy chairs when I don't need them,
when I don't have space for them,
when I don't really know what to do with them.
I have some weakness for interesting old chairs.

The good news is, I actually (sort of) need some new dining chairs to go with the dining table I've yet to purchase for my new apartment. I found these vintage Danish-modern chairs on Craigslist earlier this week. I've been combing Craigslist pretty regularly for the past two weeks or so, and when I spotted these a few hours after they were posted, I knew I had to snatch them up immediately or lose them. To give you an idea about these chairs, a set of four like this can sell for anywhere from $100 to an upwards of $400. These four will happily be mine for $10 a piece. :) That's right.

Unfortunately, the upholstery on the chairs I'm getting is kind of dark and tired looking -- it could use some updating (the image above with the nice, bright fabric is from Apartment Therapy). My plan is to get some new fabric to reupholster the seats and backs. I've never reupholstered anything before. Anybody have any tips? This is what I'm going on so far.

Kat Heyes

2010-07-03T05:12:00.004-04:00

If you have some time today,
indulge yourself by taking a look through Kat Heyes' photostream.
Such beautiful colors and tones.
Oh, she also has a lovely blog, too.
Enjoy :)

Oh Deer

2010-07-02T11:11:00.003-04:00

For the past week I have been positively obsessing over what to do with and how to "finish" this new apartment I'm in. Funny how moving into a new place makes you suddenly dissatisfied with the things you lived with in your last place. Or is that just me? Oh deer! Either way, I am loving this print, which I stumbled upon while searching for something new and fresh to replace some of the artwork from my old place that I seem to've grown tired of.

Picnic Love

2010-06-13T10:08:00.005-04:00

There are few things I love more than finding a patch of grass, laying out a blanket, stretching out and digging in to some good, no-muss food. I'm always down for a spontaneous meal outside (I keep a picnic blanket in the trunk of my car, if ever the need should arise)...

{Seen here}

Oh, and here too

Also, Susan's delightful account of childhood picnics & picnics across the pond in England

For Rent!

2010-05-21T19:09:00.006-04:00

In just about one week I will be leaving this little place I've called home for the past couple years and will be getting on in a bigger place up around the corner. Although I've outgrown this place for sure, I'm feeling quite sentimental these last few days.

Previously:
Apartment Therapy...Albany?
If I Ever Leave This Place

Super Major Electric Crush

2010-05-06T06:52:00.003-04:00

Just watched my boyfriend in It Might Get Loud. Swoon.