tony awards.

did you catch this last night? it was fabulous. and boy, can matthew morrison dance and sing. i may have a slight to major crush on him.

m.i.a.

i am going to be m.i.a. for a few days due to school work, so i am going to leave you with my favorite quote right now. it is a great reminder in the midst of school and work busyness.
"What I must do first of all is be faithful. If I believe that the first commandment is to love God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, then I should at least be able to spend on hour a day with nobody else buy God. The question as to whether it is helpful, useful, practical, or fruitful is completely irrelevant, since the only reason to love is love itself. Everything else is secondary."

-Henri J.M. Nouwen

lonny mag issue #5.

here is a little peek into the latest issue of LONNY online magazine came out today. it is full of wonderfulness.

the exposed beams and dark floor are gorgeous with the dark cabinet fronts.

this would be perfect for baby joel (my new nephew).

that ceiling is to.die.for.
yes, it is easy to be distracted by the view, but the pillows are great too.
i would not mind reading a book sitting that chair one bit. not one bit at all.

i hope you are as inspired by this month's issue as i am!

hallelujah.

i got an "a" on this project.

guest blogger. rachel sherbakoff.

meet rachel sherb or sherb, as i like to call her. she is one of my favorite people in the world. i have known sherb since she was 16 on the way to frontier ranch and went to webb school of knoxville. then i was lucky enough to have her transfer to the school where i was a young life leader (w-e-s-t west west, b-e-s-t best best) and then she went to auburn where i later went on young life staff and we got to be besties there. rachel is a fiercely faithful friend, loves Jesus in such a real way, and as you can see from her pictures she both beautiful and so much fun. she is the friend that will come over at 2 a.m. when you think you hear someone breaking into your house (which she did for me), loves to watch movies and make cookies on a saturday night, and will go on any and all road trips and bring the best music. rachel has amazing taste in music (which is fitting, since she lives in nashville) and has always kept me up to date on the best indie, folk, and rock tunes. so, here is her summer music playlist. your ears will thank you...

Back in the day, one of the best things about summer was making a mixed CD for all of your friends. These days, I don’t get the fortunate pleasure of burning a CD, creating a fun title for it like “Rach and Meg’s Summer Fun Volume One 4 Life” and decorating the CD with a silver Sharpie. I would do that except my CD burner is broken on my computer and I don’t have enough money to fix it. Secondly, we have IPods and we can just make a playlist. As I prepared for my drive to the beach with my family, which I drove (8 hours) alone because I am all grown up and don’t live anywhere near my family, I created my Summer Playlist. Enjoy!


1. Oh My Stars, Andrew Belle - Belle’s voice will make those lazy afternoons and summer sunsets linger just a little bit longer. Play this song as you are winding down your action packed day and eating your peach cobbler. Belle also lives in Nashville, which is definitely a plus.

2. Airplanes, B.o.B - As you make your way to the local Sonic with the windows rolled down, turn up the volume and sing your heart out. Then look up at the sky, find an airplane, and make that one wish you hope will come true this summer.

3. The Outsiders, Needtobreathe - I recently saw these guys in concert and almost quit my job to follow them. If this song doesn’t want to make you play the banjo, clap your hands, and sing along, not sure what will.

4. Good Life, OneRepublic - I mean, isn’t summer all about the good life? At least for me it is because I am a teacher and I get lots of time off in the summer. If you happen to be at work reading this, go get this song and you will instantly be in a better mood.

5. Wavin’ Flag, K’nann - Somalian native has made himself known to us Americans as his remixed hit has become the anthem for the World Cup. Get yourself pumped up for the big event, which starts this Friday.

6. Your Side Now, Trent Dabbs-This is just a good song. Another Nashvillian, Dabbs is going on a summer tour with Andrew Belle and Andy Davis. Go check it out. It will sure to be a good one. I have played this song on repeat since I bought it.

7. I Was Made for Sunny Days, The Weepies-The Weepies are probably one of my top five favorite bands. If I were able to choose two famous people to be friends with, it would be them. This song is off their new album and it’s free! Their new album isn’t out yet, but it comes out so soon! Now, if only they would go on tour so I know they are actually real people.

8. American Honey, Lady Antebellum-What’s summer without a country song? This song will put your heart at rest, vocal chords in their element, and your heart aching to be the fourth member in their band.

9. Rosalyn, Thad Cockrell- “The way you walk around this town, you think you own the corner on the market of a Broken Heart.” That’s just one of the many good lines in this song. This song will help you get over that bad relationship (even if you weren’t in one) and sing a new tune in your heart. This song makes me wish my name was Rosalyn. His other songs are amazing as well, of his latest album, To Be Loved.

10. The Beat, Ben Rector-This guy is just talented. This song will have you putting a beat on your steering wheel driving to the pool. Definitely play this song real loud where everyone can hear you at the stop light. That’s the way it was meant to be played, in my professional opinion.

11. In My Veins, Andrew Belle-Yes, he is that good that he has made this esteemed playlist twice. This song was on the album that Ten out of Tenn put out for Nashville Flood Relief. Now, it may be little deep for summer (in some eyes), but man, it’s sooo beautiful that you will instantly replay it.

12. You and I, Ingrid Michaelson-This is the song for summer love. It makes you want to stand on the roof and dance. Enough said.

13. Back Home, JJ Heler- I may be a little late getting into her music, but this song resonates deep in my soul. My favorite line is the very first, “Don’t let your eyes get used to darkness, the light is coming soon.” The light is here, enjoy summer, lay your sorrows down, and come back home.

**(Bonus Track!) 14. Things I’ll Never Say, Avril Lavinge-Ok, I couldn’t resist. You may not have played it since you were thirteen, but go re-live it. It will make you smile and it’s an instant summer hit.

undulation of form.

in my history of architecture, interiors, and furniture class we just studied the baroque period. i have been struck by borromini and his idea of undulation of form, where the buildings look like they are moving. it is beautiful and now i see it in some of my favorite buildings.
here are some of his beautiful designs...

THE GETTY in l.a. has some beautiful uses of undulation of form. (and, i am slightly obsessed with southern california these days, so of course it would be on my mind.)

isn't the view spectacular?

details, details, details.

this is one of the most lovely and creative weddings i have ever seen. it is my style for sure, and not just my style for a wedding, but for any party or even house decorating. i just love all of the details, and some of my favorites are the chandelier hanging with the mountain behind it, the striped straws, and use of mason jars. i guess now i just need to find a party to throw so i can put it all together!

typography.

how fantastic is this typography from GEMMA CORRELL? i would love to spell out a really cute phrase like, "i & love & you" and frame it in a big vintage picture frame.

guest blogger. andrew fletcher conwell.

this is the first guest blogger ever on oh and the world spins madly on! and, i could not have asked for a better first guest than andrew conwell. God really wanted us on the same WyldLife team, because we ended up on the same team twice. he loves smu with all his heart, has great taste in wolf/bear t-shirts and southern frat/sorority wear, frequently throws up the adpi diamond, and is just an all around funny and wonderful friend to have.

here is andrew's top 5 list for summer...

1. TC’s Shaved Ice is one of my favorite places in the world. For just $1.75 you can get an incredible cup of shaved ice, with limitless flavor combinations. My favorite flavors are lime and strawberry, wedding cake and vanilla, dreamsicle, and grape. It’s located on Garland Road between Easton and Jupiter, and it will definitely make your day a little better

2. If you love garage sales, random junk, and vintage finds, check out Junkadoodle on West Lovers Lane. They have everything from a vintage Texas section to modern furniture and everything in between. I recently went on a “Flea Market Day,” and picked up lots of cool decorations including croquet balls, an old screen door, dart board, and “slang” flashcards. Even if you come home empty-handed, you are sure to leave with many ideas for your home!

3. What better symbol represents summer than a rollercoaster and cotton candy? Six Flags over Texas is an incredible amusement park right outside of Dallas in Arlington. Next door to the Rangers Ballpark and Cowboys Stadium, it is a key attraction for summer in Dallas. They always run deals and coupons to take money off the expensive price. So if you can get one of those, be ready for adrenaline pumping thrills like Mr. Freeze, Texas Titan, Superman and Batman. For the less adventurous, there are entertaining shows and kiddy rides.

4. Like most college students, my favorite food is none other than PIZZA! Fireside Pies is one of my favorite restaurants to frequent. Not your average pizzeria, Fireside Pies has many “bougie” pies and salads that I crave. I like to stick with the traditional Triple ‘Roni, but they also have fancier pies like the North Beach or Parma Prosciutto. Their location on Henderson has a cool patio which makes a great atmosphere for chowing down with friends.

5. Not everyone can be outside everyday of summer, so for those of you who are stuck in cubicles or an office, check out grooveshark.com and listentoamovie.com. Plug in your headphones and drown out the office while you jam to your favorite music, or listen to full length movies. Groove Shark is like a free iTunes where you can choose from thousands of songs and create your own playlist, while Listen to a Movie houses the audio to all of you favorite films.

each wednesday i am going to start having a guest blogger, so if you are interested in sharing your thoughts on, well, anything let me know!

study. study. study.

today i will be studying the history of architecture, interiors, and furniture during the renaissance and baroque periods. i have made over 150 notecards complete with photographs that i will be memorizing until the minute i get out my scantron and #2 pencil.

aren't these study spaces and floor to ceiling bookcases just wonderful?

and, if you are of the praying type, my test is at 6pm. thanks.