Labor Day Weekend

Hey... how did I forget to post these??? I hate to sound cliche but I have to put it out there.. I cannot deny the feeling of fall in my bones. The dead leaves and the good times refused to be ignored. The most wonderful time of the year..

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Fayette County Fair 2012 » Pt. 2

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Fayette County Fair 2012 » Pt. 1

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Cleveland » Lake View Cemetary

Somehow almost forgot to post these pictures! About a week before our little trip to Cleveland, I spent a lot of time scoping out a few more places to fill our two days. I came across a site where a couple people had suggested The Lake View Cemetery. From the pictures I saw, it look pretty gorgeous and graveyard hopping has always been a special activity Corpse and I both and enjoy and share together. Going there seemed like common sense. It really was as pretty as the pictures. It was photo worthy, for sure, but since this was the last place we visited before heading home, we didn't explore a whole, whole lot. As for tombstones and whatnot,there were a lot. Hills upon hills of them. It was a big cemetery and I can see why it got such good reviews. Not to put this place down, by any means, but honestly, after going to Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philly, nothing can really compare when it comes to the variety and details of monuments and tombstones. There was one building that did stand out. It's the one with the columns out front. It was a chapel type building that had some really pretty murals and a place to roll the casket right up on up front. I would have snapped some more pictures in there, but there was actually a guy sitting in there that appeared to work there. I didn't expect that at all. I'm sure he wondered what we were up to carrying around a big old camera and I happened to be wearing my Mohnton Professional Car Club shirt which had a hearse right on the front of it. I seriously wonder what he was thinking because he didn't really say anything, he just stared. Ha ha. There was also another building, which I had to think for a second to come up with what it was called, ..the mausoleum! It was a beautiful building with a ton of windows, glass walls, and ceilings. It was quite a big building and really well kept. I think that maybe my favorite part of the whole cemetery was this room inside the mausoleum, which had all these little compartments in the wall behind glass, which had urns with plaques, statues, and pictures frames of the deceased. It was super interesting to me because I've never saw such a thing before! It was unbelievably beautiful. I didn't know this was really an option. I mean, personally, I think I'd want a tombstone but I think I'd also want to be cremated. I think it's such a neat idea to have your own space to fill with things that represent you. All my junk, so to speak, is a good representation of myself and my life. I believe strongly in capturing moments and memories, which is, I think, a big reason I even take pictures and avidly collect and save so many odds and ends. I know they're just objects but I think objects and concepts can carry on a big legacy of a person once they're gone. Anyway, I think I'm getting a bit off on the subject, but I suppose I've just grown really fond and comfortable of the idea of cremation, living above a crematory. I probably think about these things more than normal, with a crematory and Corpsey's hearse being a huge part of my life. It's really something to think about and there are so many possibilities. See, this is why I think I love graveyards. They're such calm, peaceful places, which jump start your mind and let it wander off in any direction. Anything that powerful and moving is pretty awesome in my book.

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Cleveland » Lake Erie

When Laura and I visited Cleveland, I had desperately tried to find a beachy type location. I know it's no real beach but there still has to be some area with sand and some wave sounds going on. I've saw pictures and I know they exist. The lake is the next best thing to the ocean, anyway. However, we had no such luck finding any place like that. I mean, we were all along the water but nothing like I had pictured. Still doesn't mean it wasn't beautiful, as you can see for yourself from the pictures. Before we headed home, I had put the address to the Lakefront Nature Preserve in my GPS. I figured there had to be some photo worthy spots there. It was a very nice, little park, but we ended up walking about a mile in the hot, hot sun to even get to the water. Which, actually, was not sandy like I hoped. It was just a lot of weeds, along a cliff, with rocks and I wont even get into the insane amount of attacking mosquitoes. I still got a lot of nice shots out over the water and of the city sky line. Plus, I got to see a lot of cool birds and I even saw a snake. I think next time I'm in the area, I'll spend a little more time researching beaches or parks or maybe more outdoorsy spots. As much as I love the city, museums, and all the little shops along the streets, I believe the location, next to the lake is one of the most gorgeous features of Cleveland.

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Cleveland » Flower Child

Again, another location suggested by Kaylah of The Dainty Squid via her Travel Bug post on the ModCloth blog.

This vintage store is called Flower Child. I actually didn't end up purchasing anything from here. It was a bit overwhelming. Every little nook and cranny was packed! Even looking back at these pictures, I'm seeing tiny details and little items that I must have missed in person. This place was seriously huge. Two floors. Lots of little rooms. I especially love how each room was set up with a different style. It was almost museum-like. You seriously felt like you may be stepping into a closet, toy room, or living room of a whole other era. I loved that about it. Like I said, though, there was so much to look at and so many different styles and options. It would be really hard to choose what to buy. Everything was tied so nicely together how it was set up. If I lived closer and had easier access to this place or a place similar, I could see it being very dangerous. I'd most definitely have to invest in something every paycheck until my house looked like one of these rooms! You could probably kill a lot of time just wandering around this store, soaking up all the details, and imagining you're in another time. This is store is most definitely on my list of places to return to!

11508 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44102

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