Midtown in the Fall

Everything is more fun when the temperature drops, the trees are bursting with color, and I can wear scarves with reckless abandon. I love Midtown Memphis in the fall. Lately I've been thinking about the things I like about my big little town.

Coffee and computer time in my favorite coffee shop last Friday. Yes, I took a personal day because I felt like it. I'm a huge proponent in using those off days (especially since they don't roll over into the next year).

Enjoying the architecture and foliage in the Vollentine Evergreen neighborhood.

Gotta love a random mural. I drive this building all the time and have never noticed the raccoon blowing bubbles and squirrel holding a red balloon. Thank goodness for a walk. How else would one discover all the hidden, magical little details?

Sometimes life hands you an opportunity to make 40 paper fortune tellers. My wedding photographer set up a booth for a neighborhood street festival. Everything was $1.00, with all proceeds going to charity. She asked if I would make some little fortune tellers. How could I turn that down?

A little civic boosterism.

So we went to the Crosstown Arts Festival.

Whenever I see a bouncy house, I have to fight the urge to take my shoes off and get inside. Is this normal?  One of my goals in life is "To not be the creepy lady."

The Love Booth! It was about to close up shop when we arrived (we went way late). But my little fortune tellers made the I Love Memphis blog!

I ran into an old college friend, Sharmaina! I am super disturbed it has been a decade since my undergrad years. We were in the same Communication program, did class projects together, shared notes. She was also working at the Gap at the time and hooked me up with her discount. So pumped to catch up with her!

Ginormous abandoned building which will soon be turned into something cool. 

Some sidewalk chalk action.

I love everything about fall.

We ended the weekend by trying out a new coffee shop. My husband and I, we really live large. You only live once, right? YOLO? Might as well drink some coffee.

I don't deny Memphis has its fair share problems, but there are also a lot of great things happening. The more I travel, the more I grow to appreciate what the city has to offer. I am feeling particularly mushy lately. It's the weather. Talk to me in the summer. (But really, I dig Memphis. It's like that America bumper sticker: Love it or leave it!)

Lessons I learned + other things

Sisters! Except I did it incorrectly. 

*Started this post on 11/1. I'm averaging .7 posts a month at this rate. Sad. Will do better*

Can I just say how relieved I am that October is over? I love October, it just happened to be beyond busy. Plus, now is my most favorite time of the year: the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving!

A big reason for the frantic month is Red Ribbon Week and Career Day. This was my big work project. I cannot explain the weird mixture of excitement and dread I felt leading up to it. It was similar to pre-wedding feelings (but obviously not as fun). I learned so much, and hopefully future things will run smoother. Haha.

Some lessons I learned:

1) Theme days are a hit. Consult the student handbook before making flyers declaring it's ok to wear Chuck Taylors on an out-of-uniform day.

"Genius Day", which was unofficially "Nerd" Day. It was a celebration of the awesome power of nerdiness. How cute do they look?

2) Think like an airline and overbook Career Day.  When I think it's enough = No. Book more.

I'm insane and made 3 back-up schedules "in case someone canceled." Hilarious!

For Career Day, we invited the following: a local entrepreneur, a pilot, a real estate agent, a CIA agent, an FBI agent, DARE officers, a lawyer, a journalist, and the district attorney general, and the ROTC. A week before Career Day, we had confirmations for 6 and were waiting on the rest. Then... they started dropping like flies. The final dagger was the real estate agent, who canceled an hour before the presentations. 3 out of 10 speakers came. To put it mildly, I freaked out. Thankfully I was talked off the ledge by some awesome coworkers. Everything turned out fine--the way it was supposed to happen. Lesson: Invite 4 times the number of presenters you hope to have. Also...

3) You can count on your friends and family.

Well, they're really Zach's friends, "The Journalist" and "The Lawyer."  But I am counting them as my friends, because they are extra awesome, smart, interesting, cool, and funny. Oh, and they showed up to Career Day. I owe them so much. Both were big hits with the kids. The entrepreneur was the grandfather of of one of the students. He told them stories about Usher, which automatically made him a hit.

4) Ladies of all ages love a foreign language. The journalist speaks 3 languages, and he spoke a little German and Spanish for the 6th graders. The looks on the girls' faces were priceless. It was hysterical/adorable. I will use this to encourage students to take foreign languages. "You will be a hit with the opposite sex. Just don't be like me, take approximately 7 years of Spanish, and only be able to say, 'I want a hamburger' when you are 31."

I AM SO GLAD RED RIBBON WEEK AND CAREER DAY ARE OVER. THANK YOU, JESUS.

Some things I bought that I love:

Target never lets me down.  I wore this scarf probably every day for 2 weeks. You can tell by the wrinkles. Anyway, it's festive and not too morbid (right?).

Paris vs New York postcards! I found this box in a clearance aisle of my second favorite place, TJ Maxx. These cards make me irrationally happy. According to Ronni, they're sold at Anthropologie. But my box is the best, because I got it on clearance.

One side is Paris, the other New York. I want to wallpaper my house in them. (Zach would not be pleased.) Sometimes I flip through the stack just for the sheer joy of it. As much as I want to hoard all of the cards, in my heart I know it's best to mail them. I will share my happiness. That is better than a clearance box of cute postcards!