you need one of these.

i was smiling on the outside, but mad on the inside.
 i needed one of those shirts, y'all.

choose901 will release 5 more new shirt designs. They’re an incredible, local organization promoting city leadership, professional sustainability,  local investments and recruitment in Memphis with TONS of other opportunities for newbies and oldies.

 i freakin' love choose901 because i freakin' love memphis.

i've seen the crew around town a couple of times, met with john carroll, and high five the team when I see them about the town. they're humble, kind, and the type of folks that you want in your city...representing your city...promoting THIS city. the first time i met with them- i was (and still am) ALL ABOUT CHOOSE901.

a couple of months ago, i walked into Republic Coffee where they were giving out their pre-ordered shirts that i didn't pre-order. As I sat in the work meeting about fundraising & development, i was utterly distracted by their large yellow sign and the mission that stands behind it.

http://www.choose901.com/shirts

The shirts “feature” different parts of town (Mud Island, East Memphis, Midtown, Central Gardens, High Point, etc.) to various Memphis staples (Grizzlies, The Blues, Beale Street, etc.) You’ll start seeing these shirts floating around town since we’re all Team Memphis, as we should be.

here i am happy as a clam at the farmer's market with my choose901 shirt.
i was all "MEMPHIS IS MY LIFE."

There’s limited quantity of each.. So get them while you can since I'm probably going to buy all of them.

check it:

www.choose901.com

@choose901

Smithsonian Museum Day

visit a memphis museum for free this weekend.

visit : smithsonian museum day website for your free ticket.

participating museums in memphis:

rock n' soul museum

dixon gallery

metal museum

it always tends to rain on days that i plan museum days. 

i'm not mad about it.

here are some photos from the last museum i visited.

the art institute of chicago.

here's regular ole picture of it.

obviously.

dont be this guy.

but this was my favorite exhibit.

thorne minature rooms.

i took pictures, but they don't do justice.

anyway, take your sibling, your mom, your dad, your neighbor, your hopeful valentine to the museum this weekend.  [although, i prefer to go alone.]

go learn something. have a great everything. 

love, c

office space

On a rainy Friday, I'm choosing to post these photos. 

I'm feelin' real frisky. I'm calling it FOTO FRIDAY.

I asked some friends on Tuesday to send me a picture of the work space/ job space and these are the photos that I received. I just wanted to share them with you since I haven't posted in a while. I promise to come up with something more creative next time.

Welp. That's all. I think it will be fun to post photos weekly. It's work a try.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers,

C

fun for the phalanges

happy national typewriter day, y'all.

I'll keep this post simple. I like typewriters.

here's the quick version of FAQs when folks step in my house and see these manual machines on my shelves.

when?  I was given a typewriter when I graduated college with a degree in journalism. It was a perfect gift.

how? They often come needing some TLC. so I usually find what I need to fix in order to get them working properly. sometimes is major surgery, but usually a toothbrush and some oil gets the job done. 

 

why? I like the way the keys feel on my fingers. I like the sound it makes. I like that they're all different.  I love the old scent that's part of getting a new one. I love the meticulous cleaning and fixing. I love the way the letters feel on the paper when a letter is finished. I love that you really have to think about what you're going to say before you type it out. No delete buttons. Well, there are after 74'-but it's not the same. Also, some typewriters don't have 1, !, and (') so that was fun to figure out how to execute those characters. 

Anyway, there's a whole science to these machines. They're beautiful. 

They take up a lot of space and I can't imagine they'll be worth much when I die, but they're nice to look at and they're fun to type on. 

if you're ever in need of one, I'll be happy to lend mine to you. 

If you have one laying around, I'll be happy to doctor it up for you. 

And if you want to give me one-that's cool too. 

This is the one I really really really want. The Olivetti Valentine. 

ok. that's enough about typewriters. 

Cheers to the little things that make you happy. And to all the things that make you you.

C

friday fun, fairytale festivities, and a father's day funeral

what a weird time it is for me right now.
this is my weekend of friday fun, fairytale festivities, and a father's day funeral.

one day, as i was looking for flights out of the country--i asked God for change and challenge and BOOM. i was called to the boys and girls club of memphis. as the new direct of special events for a non-profit, my task is to plan parties with a purpose. raise money for good.  meetings, greetings, coffees and lunches with strangers  filled my day for the most part. other times, i'm working on learning more about the organization and more importantly, visiting the clubs as a great reminder as to why i took this wonderful position. i never thought i'd be at an office/desk job, but it's really beyond that. i see smiling faces everyday and i'm thankful to provide them. about a month has gone by and i couldn't be happier with this perfect position. 

last night's event ran so beautifully that i can't believe that it actually happened. nothing tremendously dramatic occurred,  no one broke any bones, and we didn't piss anyone off. it was perfect. thanks to my friends who came and helped last night. thank you. thank you. thank you.

before i took this job, i knew that i'd be busy right around event time (june 14-18), but even busier than just a normal as i am in a wedding party for my college roommate. beautiful candysse and i were sisters from the moment we met on the front porch at a house party by campus. i remember that night as if it were not last night. so i guess i could say i remember that night as if it happened in college. vague descriptions, but definitely happened.

this weekend was a"no way. i can't do anything. im so busy that weekend" kind of weekend. friday night party, candysse's wedding weekend, then two days of a golf tournament on monday and tuesday. but in the mean time, i had something else going on.

for the last three weeks, i've been sneaking off to the hospital after work until about 11pm to see my Lolo who has been in ICU. it's a terrifying thing to know that your family member is detrimentally ill and it's up to these machines to keep him alive. my family and i prayed for God's grace in keeping my Lolo from any pain and to allow His will to play out.

my tita (tagalog for aunt) and ron were visiting Lolo from seattle, but extended their 2 week stay to three weeks to be with him on father's day. they happily stayed in the hospital care waiting room for three weeks. there was something special about this space where we congregated in night by night. it was smaller than a bedroom, but bigger than a closet. over the course of three weeks, somehow, we made this cold little corner room into a home. each night, my dad, aunt, cousin, and i stayed up sharing stories, laughing, and occasionally shedding some tears when sensitive, sweet subjects were brought up. we joked about how we really needed Lolo to get better so that ron could give him the $55 he promised him if, of course, he got well enough to travel back.

in the mean time, i'm waking up early to get to work at 7:30. i stayed a little later at work each night because i was the new girl, and legitimately needed to get some work done. and candysse's wedding is right around the corner...tomorrow to be exact.

last night, after my overwhelmingly successful event, i went to meet a friend for a quick sip before i went to bed to prepare for candysse's weekend of fairytale festivities. i couldn't wait to celebrate candysse's and carlos relationship. i saw them grow and i am proud to standing up there with them as a witness of their crazy beautiful love for each other.

i was planning out where to allocate my time properly just in case anything happened during this crazy weekend. and almost as soon as i walked in to see my friend, my worse fear just came true. i received a text from my aunt with the terrible news.

11:43pm "Dad just passed. God bless him."- Tita Mae

i rushed to the hospital and walked in frantically to see my cousin weeping by himself in the little corner we've so-called home. "lolo's gone, ate" he said. ("ate" is an endearing, respectful name used for female family and friends sightly older than you.'kuya' is the male version of this.)  my dad and aunt were upstairs visiting with my lolo. ron  and i  chatted a little and even giggled at some built-up inside jokes within that corner spot.


i think the most common thing we do as humans after someone passes is think about the things we 'should've, could've would've' done. what do you do?

and when someone dies, what do you say?

i'm going to miss my lolo so much. the hardest part for me is thinking about my lola's pain when she finds out. i don't like to think about her without him. i'm thankful that my lolo is no longer in pain with breathing tubes, cold needles, swollen hands, and bruises. masks and tubes taped to his face. this rotating bed that we called the 'rotisserie bed' because it would turn him in it like, well,..a rotisserie chicken. it was terrifying. there were nights at the hospital that i was there but did not go to his room because i couldn't bare to see him in his condition. instead, i would leave notes with the nurse to leave by his bedside, hoping that he would magically read it in his sleep.


 he was a man of faith--he has gone to a better place.

my Lolo's funeral is tomorrow. and so is candysse's wedding. and so is father's day. and then it will be monday again.

i've been to many funerals, but this one will be the first from my family.

here's to changes and growth it brings us.

south main and southern charm

memphis is my home.

Here's a post that starts  with the shirt I wore to this grizzlies game and then ends with how much i love this city. 

I was on a mission to buy a shirt that I saw someone wearing at chiwawa. The nice fella sent me to sache on south main. First of all, super nice folks. They didn't have my size, so they printed one for me (and the other 20 people in there).

please see: i'll be yo ass shirt.

[Then, long story short-I got a $5 ticket to the game]

I changed out of my regular clothes into, now, MY badass t-shirt for the game. I had at least 15 people ask where I got the shirt and 5 who took my photo. It’s quite complimentary but mostly awkward when someone asks to take a photo of me, but they go straight for the shirt and not my face. 

Needless to say,  I was feeling really cool that day. I had this awesome new shirt, throwback hat, and obviously, a gold chain. I had a friend who lived out of town asking about this shirt. So... she had one immediately shipped to her in Colorado. Reppin' y'all. 

The crowds at the Grizzlies games consist of overly excited but considerate, dancing adults spilling beers in one hand while holding his trophy something with the other. Women dress appropriately in team colors and personal flare: some in yellow jeans, blue tops, and pearls, and others in  high strappy high heels and a belted Gasol jersey worn as a dress. 

  Here's a badass screen shot of my sweet friend
Augusta caught in her headress screaming her excitement in Tony Allen's face.  

There’s the muscle bearing, cut off shirt wearing, badass shoes strutters who mostly meander around the FedEx Forum during the game and when it's time to sit-- they hold a handsome, focused stare at the Grizz girls on the floor bouncing with their curls and glitter high-tops. And then closer to the ground are tiny humans with headbands around their necks because it acts as a neck-bib for the melting ice cream they've got their fingers curled around.  It’s so great that these LITTLE TINY HUMANS and their teeny tiny pig tails with their teeny tiny Nikes attend the games. Proudly sitting in the nosebleeds, you'll find my favorite dappered gents in their beautifully tailored suits with matching bow ties and pocket squares. AND THEN there are folks completely out of the woodworks to show their babies, blues, and yellows for the Grizz while you think to yourself “FOR REAL, where.did.you.come.from?"

Anyway, I know where I came from. (I just sang that out like that J-Lo)

 I came from the Philippines.

...

However, Memphis is my home. It's where the degree of separation is negative two. You can't go to the gas station without seeing your neighbor's sister-in-law who never stops talking or your best friend's car repair guy who you've been meaning to call or my personal favorite: the guy with the untied shoes from freshman college public speaking class who carried a briefcase with nothing in it but chick-fil-a minis. (or whoever this may be for you.)

 It's the land of the free Levitt Shell shows and home of the brave when you accidentally make a wrong turn on a street named after a state. It's just so good. I love the way people  say "please, thank you, and exxxxcuseee ME" with a snap. And they'll say "Bless you" after every sneeze. Just a little taste of southern charm.

Great season, Grizz. This team represents the Memphis team. All of us. Everywhere.

All day. Everyday. Forever. And Ever.

Amen.

p.s.  There's a south main trolley tour every last Friday of the month. Wear your walking shoes and bring a to-go cup. You'll find open art gallery doors, side street musicians and an exploration of what downtown Memphis away from Beale St. 

fashion: madewell opens in memphis

madewell

::a jcrew company:: 

 ---

a sweet little store opened in saddle creek last week. 

  this is what i saw. this is what i thought. and these are my tips 

for you.  

   

chambray-bray

 i've  been on a hunt for a  chambray shirt. 

they're everywhere right now, but i needed a solid fabric that wasn't too stiff or too thin or with too many buttons or pockets or tricks.  anyway, i found one.  i found the spot.  i saw it in big white letters. madewell had all kinds: short sleeve, long sleeve, dresses, button ups, and more. the thing about chambray is that you can find an inexpensive alternative other places like the thrift store (no shame in that game), but if you wear yours half as much as i wear mine, i suggest investing in a quality top. i did. it's the top of the season. this season and next season and i was watching felicity earlier and she was rocking her chambray top which means it was last season's, too.

a few favorite essentials

 i had a hard time limiting these items. although i found some clothing items i would've loved to show you, i wasn't prepared to be photographed.

polka dot handkerchief: $18.50

the louie sandal: $129 (ahem. i wear a 7)

the checkbook wallet: $79

[not pictured: hepcat shades in vintage stout. they were on my forehead. oops]

"oohh, a denim bar. you fancy."

 

this was my favorite section. madewell's known for their denim selection. i chose a pair of high-waisted black jeans that i could literally wear with anything. dress them up or down with heel or flats out to eat or bowling or nascar racing.  they're a great go-to pair.

and note: they'll hem your jeans for you there. 

 

other things:

• it's a little less expensive than j.crew. the quality is the same, but the styles are different.
• if you need help from the stylists, ask. they're super friendly and they know what's in the store that would best fit you.
• yall, i love these sunglasses.  i'm pretty loyal when it comes to sunglasses. i have friends who change them out everyday. (who has time and money for that?)

 nonetheless, i'm really happy. check them out.

madewell
7615 W Farmington Blvd, Germantown, TN 

  (901) 309-4759
Sun 12pm-5:30pm
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm

 

for a friend or fifteen: chiwawa

 midtown memphis, meet chiwawa.

chiwawa, midtown is memphis.

I spent most of my Sunday surfing the internet, (pretending to be busy, staring at the rain,) until my sweet friend, Sarah,  called and asked me to assist her in tasting some foods from a new local restaurant opening  right  down the street from me:

CHIWAWA
I've walked by this place a million times and I have memories of breaking in and walking around that patio where the old "Chicago Pizza Factory" sign was up. Now it's a beautiful building, with beautiful lights, and a beautiful patio and soon, beautiful people will be seen eating beautiful food while sipping on beautiful drinks. The first night that I saw the sign (and it opened up my eyes),  I was so proud to have secretly climbed it before they took it for the much needed makeover. Go ahead, get your picture made with it. You should; it's awesome. 

These were my visual observations:

located downstairs, here we have an open view of the kitchen

1.) WINDOWS: Even on a rainy day, we could've gone without the lights. Maximum exposure to vitamin D on sunny days/ watch cars drive by on Madison Ave.

2.)  BAR: It's the centerpiece of the restaurant layout which makes me believe they'll also have incredible drinks.

3.) EXPOSED BRICK: I love this so much.  Although the space has a new face, they made sure to keep the bones.

4.) PATIO: See, this is the part that gets me every time. With two levels of built-in wood benches and ample space for tables and chairs, I have a feeling I'll be a frequent to the soon-to-be-existent "Margarita Monday." Is that a thing yet?

What to expect for food? Prepare yourself for sharing and caring because Chiwawa will be serving tacos, quesadillas, salads, appetizers, soups and HOTDOGS a la carte, on small, sweet sharing plates. Here's your preview:

Top: (L) Mexican street corn (cotiza cheese & Paprika
(R) Homemade chips & salsa
Bottom: (L) Chicken, chirizo quesadilla
(R) Juan-ton: Fried crispy goodness with chicken & cheese

(L) Chicken  & bacon  quesadilla
Top (R):  homemade salsa, guacamole, KETCHUP, and green sauce
Bottom (R):  SLAW-SA DOG. This was my favorite.

THE SLAW-SA DOG IS WHERE IT'S AT.

empty plates. nom.

Chiwawa will be open sometime next week. 

REMEMBER: SHARING IS CARING. AND CARING IS FUN. 

so take a friend or fifteen.

They're bringing something home that makes this place feel more like home. I'm so looking forward to seeing this place all light up on my night-time walks. TEQUILA!

Here's the 411:

Chiwawa
2059 Madison Avenue
901.517.6518
hours: 11am-2am
www.chiwawamidtown.com
http://www.facebook.com/chiwawamidtown

fashion confession: i'm a bare-necked lady

"I'm giving your gold chain back to you because it would be like me keeping your arm.

 It's part of who you are." -Hallie F. on returning my necklace

fresh ties and french fries
alex's tavern

The Problem: Untamed necklaces for days, missing earrings by night, and cocktail rings in between. (For good health, please wash your hands.) These are the reasons I often leave my ensembles accessory-less. As a proficient style advocate, I'm not proud to be bare-jeweled. I'm ashamed to be the only girl at the club without the long layers of bling to swing back and forth as I do this dance that I do; And unfortunately, the only accessory I care about before heading to Sunday brunch is the re-application of my mascara and lipstick so my face doesn't continue to drag  my decisions from the night before. I do, so desperately, want to be more active in my jewelry adornments, but cut me some slack. Don't we already have so much to worry about?

The Solution: MY GOLD CHAIN. I noticed this one specific accessory that has made an outstanding presence in my wardrobe and I firmly believe that it's not only a go-to detail when I'm feeling outfit-apprehensive, but also a staple to my personal style. Whether you're in search for your style identity, currently sporting your favorite shiny, solid strands,  or believe it to be a distasteful decision, everyone has a preference when it comes to a gold laced neck.  My preference just so happens to be a single strand.

I.Love.You.

Below are the photos the photos exhibiting the versatility of my necklace verdict. I'm a little embarrassed to post these photos for a couple of reasons. This is exposure, folks. Most of these photos were taken in front of food. Awesome.

Trill photos ahead.  Enjoy. 

shine in christmas attire

dimsum & leftovers

business & bling
turtle neck & blazer

with pixel top in NOLA

beauty shop blue pant birthday party
(by @fomoloop)

with chambray and woodgrain
en route to vacation

air. plain. selfie.

with sparkle dress.
 nye. peabody l'hotel.

 with t-shirt for fuzzy bathroom pic.
 please note fuzzy boot.

casual dinner in CO

"Hey, I just wanted you to know that your outfit is off the chain." 

-said no one yet, but they will.

The Lesson Learned: I can wear this anywhere, anytime, dressed up, dressed down, in air, on ground, in public and alone. It's just freakin' awesome. So now, I challenge you to take a step back, identify your preferences, and acknowledge them. 

Here's to life. Let's keep it simple. 

busted.

chains, cupcakes, and cheers,

claudine

FUNraiser: Voices of the South

Last night, I attended a strikingly surprising, hilariously entertaining, dramatically comical showing presented by Voices of the South.


When my friends (Kaci & Eric) and I walked down the stairs to the basement of the First Congressional Church, the perfect combination of warmth and energy greeted us at the door. Two ladies with waving arms, sweet bar-lady ready for service, a gentleman sitting on a couch, and the most enthusiastic ball-of-fire named Brian all stood up, applauding in unison as if we were some sort of celebrities. What an entrance.

Little did I know that dear Eric had a part in the production and due to a minor injury, he's had to sit out. Needless to say, this enthusiastic crew was happy to see him. 


We were given these name tags with impromptu nicknames, and I'd have to say, I was quite please with mine. *They do say bad words, there is dirty humor, and it might be offensive. It was awesome.

The cover is based on the fate of your dice roll. Kaci rolled a pair of sixes: FREE,baby.
I rolled seven: $7. 



The 30/60 production showcases 30 plays in 60 minutes and the sequence is based on what the audience yells out. We were literally yelling. We were given a sort of "skit menu" so we knew what we were in for. My favorites were "4-Teen" "Vitamins" and "Deja Vu." 

The act(s) included a variety props, instruments, songs, dance moves, flips, jumps, and an orange that had an entire room laughing for a solid 47 seconds. The audience participated, sang along, danced with, and an older gentleman actually got pulled from his seat to perform a little circus number. 

(one clap per syllable) HA-LAIR-REE-US.

the giving tree

bands will make her dance

props, folks.

strip tease Barbie & hilarious orange

The last two showings are tonight. Go before you do whatever else you were going to do tonight. It's in Cooper-Young. You'll be all hip and there and it's happenin.' GO. It's well worth it.

Date: February 23, 2013 
Time: 8pm & 11pm 
Tickets: Based on a roll of the dice (Students $0-$5, Adults $0-$11) 
Other: Wine, Beer, & Refreshments will be available. 
More information: 901-726-0800 or www.voicesofthesouth.org 

Here's the event on facebook.

Have other fun events? Let me know so I can go.

ilikefwords(@)gmail.com

cheers,

C