'Til Zombies Do Us Part

There are a wide-variety of options for wedding photography these days; some are sentimental, some are very traditional, some are kitschy, and some are just downright scary.  Take a look at the wedding photos below to see what I mean.

Amanda Rynda Photography

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

For the past I-don't-know-how-many years, there have plans to erect a memorial to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., in the District of Columbia.  The official unveiling of the long-awaited memorial was to be on Sunday, August 27, but that ceremony has been postponed due to that biotch Irene, who is making her presence known along the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern corridor of the United States.

Since the monument itself is no longer hidden behind a partition, DC-area media and bloggers have already provided ample commentary on the design of the memorial, and it is not pretty.  Among the arguments are the fact that the Reverend looks angry, with his crossed arms and defiant stance.  By almost all accounts, Dr. King was a calm and respectful pacifist, and many critics do not feel that this memorial is an accurate portrayal of the man himself.

Says memorial architect Ed Jackson, Jr. in a NYTimes.com article:

The design [gives] form to a line from Dr. King’s “Dream” speech — “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope,” said Mr. Jackson. In the memorial, he noted, Dr. King is seen emerging from the stone of hope. The two towering mounds set slightly behind him, forming a sort of passageway to the statue, are mountains of despair.... Some visitors said they did not like the fact that Dr. King was facing the Jefferson Memorial, not the Lincoln Memorial....

To add insult to perceived injury, Dr. King is misquoted on the monument (see photo of the quote, below).  Makes you wonder who approves and fact-checks these things, eh?

General Housekeeping

Hello friends, followers, and Mom,

I am still here, but this summer has been an absolute whirlwind and I am just now starting to slow down.  My sister moved to DC and slept on my couch (in my one-bedroom apartment) for three months.  Amazingly, we still actually LIKE each other.  Crazy, I know.  I moved into a new place with two other girls and am so happy that I did.  I loved living by myself and having my own space to decorate and make my own, but I also love having two fabulous roommates, cheaper rent, an adorable back patio, and the convenience of living a bit closer to town.  Onward and upward!

By now you've probably heard about, or even felt firsthand, the 5.8 earthquake that occurred in Virginia on August 23.  Just... wow.  I've never been through an earthquake before, and living in DC, my absolute last thought was the shifting of tectonic plates.  I was certain it was an internal explosion or some sort of terrorist attack; it didn't soothe my nerves knowing that I work within a 1/4 mile from Reagan National Airport and less than a mile from the Pentagon.  Luckily, everyone was safe and unharmed.

That brings us to Hurricane Irene who is threatening to ruin my weekend plans.  While Irene won't directly hit the immediate DC area, we will get lots of heavy wind and rains, and knowing how inefficient our energy company is during regular thunderstorms, I can only hope that we are without power for a very, very short time.  If you're in Irene's path, stay indoors, stock up on non-perishables and water, and keep a flashlight handy!

Other than that, life is good!  I'll have some book reviews forthcoming and just some general pretty things that make me smile.  For now, I'll leave you with these earrings that I just bought from one of my faves, kate spade.

Have a fabulous (and safe) weekend!