Campbellton Outdoor Amphitheater - A Magical Elf Meeting Place

 Campbellton Landing Amphitheater in Fayetteville, NC

I imagine this as a magical place where a high council of elves who meet in secret to discuss how to best deal with the annoying humans that have invaded their secret forest.

The amphitheater is located on the banks of the Cape Fear River. Click here to see the how the Cape Fear River rose high enough to flood the areas around the stage. When I looked at this picture, I was absolutely amazed and terrified. The distance between the water and the top of the river bank is very high. 

In my previous post, the pictures of the river banks may not seem to be very high but they are. The amount of water to rise that far to reach the amphitheater is incredible. I now have a very healthy respect for the power of the  Cape Fear River.

 The sitting areas are wooden planks with grasses growing out of plots of earth. This  is how the amphitheater seating was set up for plays in the recent past.  I wonder how the amphitheater seating looked when it was new? Was there actual seating where the grass grows now? 

It's so sad to see it now being used. I heard in the news recently that because of the flood damage, there was not going to be play performances presented there . Although, the amphitheater looks like a modern day abandoned roman amphitheater, I stood on the stage, the lights in the ceiling were actually turned on. 

This would be perfect for watching live music and movies outside at night in front of the Cape Fear River. I really hope this will happen soon. Maybe I will take my computer loaded with a favorite full length Alice in Chains concert or a favorite movie, a wonderful takeout dinner, a comfortable chair and have my own outdoor event.

 The stage is not very large but bigger than it looks in this picture.

 My view standing center stage.

 Standing side stage

 This is a view standing at the top at the back of the amphitheater.

 My photo of this forest does not give it justice at all. It was truly a magical and exciting experience to stand there hearing the quiet nature sounds, the leaves gently moving in the breeze and  fluffy plant seeds or flowers (I have no idea what they were) floating down. Think the floating fluff (not as much LOL!) in the forest seen in the movie Legend. Definitely a beautiful moment I very lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

I hope you enjoyed the photos I took. Have you ever been to an outdoor amphitheater like this?

Thanks for reading!

Leaves - Never Giving Up and Life Always Moves Forward

When I looked at this photo, I think about how life is about constant growth. Some of the leaves are alive and some are dead. The live green leaves have not given up on living their full lives even while being surrounded by the leaves that have passed on. Life must go on. Life was keep moving forward while you are standing still. Life will not stop because you are unhappy. Life is in constant forward motion.

Never give up. Why? Because it doesn't help things get better, only worse. If you stop trying and growing, the problems will always be right there waiting for you. Be persistent in finding a solution to the difficult situation. Do not stop moving and pushing forward in your life. 

Your life goals are worth fighting for. Life is about constant change and rebirth. Life does not stand still for you. Evolve and grow your mind, body and spirit to have the best quality of life you possibly can. The more you try to do your best, the stronger you become. 

Rise up from the ashes (dead leaves) of despair, disappointment and set backs because better things are coming.

Cape Fear River Bridge Pictures

 This is my view of the Cape Fear River from standing on the bridge. I think the bridge over the water is for trains.

 The river has very steep banks but I saw people down there fishing. They are very brave to climb down there because there are no steps or easy way to get close to the water accept for one tiny pier.

To look at this picture, you would not think it was high up above the water but it is. I was scare just standing this close to the edge. I have driven over the bridge many times but I never stopped to take a close look at the river. It is not a developed easy access fishing area. Very rustic.

There were so many trees and bushes. A river running through a forest is a way to describe it. Very lush and dense. 

 At the bottom of the screen is the tiny wooden pier. Notice the wide gap in the rails. I walked out to the end of the pier. It was a lot more stable than it looks. On either side are wooden planks for backing up boats hitched to cars. Sorry I don't know the technical term. LOL!

On the sidewalk on the actual bridge. I love the white concrete and the beautiful street lamps.

When I was standing there taking pictures, people would look at me from their cars wondering "What are you doing?" "Not going to jump people just taking pictures people. Keep it moving!" is what I really wanted to say. 

The Cape Fear River Bridge is for serious fisherman (and women). You better know how to swim because the brown water (muddy bottom?) was flowing strong and fast. Also, you definitely need to be able to climb up and down steep river banks. 

Usually I don't like to go to places that are crowded when I want to enjoy being outdoors. But I would like to go back to this river location again to watch lots of people fishing and boating. I am not interested in fishing or boating myself but I enjoy watching.

Tomorrow I will show you my pictures of the outdoor amphitheater that is next to the river. 

Thanks for reading!

Don't Let Anyone or Anything Steal Your Peace

Blue Skies

Your peace of mind, body and spirit is so precious and fragile.

Blue Sky and blooming Dogwood tree

Life has a way of throwing negative situations and obstacles that block or steal our peace. It is up to you to decide if you will let that person, situation, road block rob you of your peace. Life is not easy and it has never been easy. Everybody gets their share of negative people and problems. There is no way to avoid stress or hardship. 

But we can decide if we are going to let that challenge or annoyance stop us from reaching our goals or inspire us to fight harder to make our dreams come true.

Blue Skies at the lake

Now that I make an effort everyday to get outside everyday to exercise, explore my city, go to the lake and find inspiration for my art, life is a lot more peaceful. If you sit inside your house and wish for things, this can cause stress, depression and poor physical fitness. Get moving. Find things you can do for free. Find solutions to problems. Don't just let a problem beat you down. When you give up, your problems grow bigger and stronger. When you don't give up and you keep looking for a way to move forward you cut those nasty negatives down to nothing. 

Blue skies at a park

Looking a blue skies make me happy. Watching the clouds float by is so soothing. I seek peace. I do not seek drama and negativity. Be careful who you surround yourself with. I want to be around people that are trying do amazing positive productive inspiring things with their lives. 

Being stressful is actually very easy if you think about it. Sometimes being peaceful means having a very serious strong conversation with yourself about how you are feeling, why you are feeling that way and what are you determined to do to find peace again. 

Choose to be peaceful and focused achieving your dreams and your life goals. Never ever give up. Ever! Your peace is worth it.

Thanks for reading!

A Few Of My Favorite And Not So Favorite Things - Reading And Watching

Batman Beyond - I LOVE everything about this animated TV series from the voice actors, writing, character design, color palette (red skies set the exact mood) and the music. This version of Batman is set in the future and Bruce is an old man guiding a teenage younger version of himself in a tricked out Batsuit. Whenever I watch a Batman movie, TV series or read a comic, when Bruce is handsome, I enjoy the story even more. After watching this well crafted series over and over during the years, this was money well spent.

 I was so excited when I saw this Dr. Strange DVD on the shelf at the library. It goes into much detail about the origins of Dr. Strange. Not knowing any of his back story, it was interesting learn more about a character I enjoyed reading in The New Avengers comics.  The action scenes were the best part of watching the show. It is not often you get to see how a group of magically powered superheroes would fight each other. The worst thing was how long the story was bogged down in Strange's sad and arrogant past. I wanted the plot to be more about magical fight scenes with the evil baddies. Not a good storyline balance at all.

 Hanna is a young female action hero with an twist. The plot is not necessarily original. It seemed by the end it was a movie to set up other movies. After listening to the commentary, the movie as written made a lot more sense. I could get the "story tale" motif after the director explained it. Lots of very well choreographed fight scenes that were awesome to watch. Loved seeing a female lead know how to take care of herself.

A sequel made for no reason than it will make more money for all those involved. The first Pirates of the Caribbean was the best and the second was good too. The Spanish sailors seemed really interesting but they really were not in the story very much. I am a huge mermaid fan so I was very disappointed by the "woman in fake fish tails" boring design. Don't get me started on the mermaid "attack teeth". I was glad I didn't pay money to see this at the movies.

I got inspired to take up my knitting again after seeing a character knitting in a movie recently. This is the video that taught me how to knit. Very good instruction. Fun to watch and some danceable music too. I checked out from the library and enjoyed it so much I purchased it. This DVD will be perfect for anyone of all ages to learn how to knit. I just re-watched it as a refresher and it was knitting again in no time.

 The first three Shabby Chic books Rachel Ashwell brought out were my favorite. I'm not a fan of the Shabby Chic decor as much as I was in the past. Love the soft pastel color palette but creeped out by the scraped off painted furniture. In this book, the version of Shabby Chic is mixed up with western items. I just didn't like the two styles together. 

Too many stories of drug abuse and cheating on their girlfriends and wives, I didn't enjoy reading this book at all. For some reason, I have been reading a lot of books about the sordid lives of rock stars. The waste of life, talent, money and time don't not make for a positive reading experience. It does jolt me back into the reality of what it would be like to date a musician (some not all of course). It takes a strong person to live a healthy productive life on the road in a band and a strong person to be in a relationship with that person. 

What have you been reading and watching lately?

Thanks for reading!

Anthropologie In North Hills Raleigh, NC - My Thoughts

 I had heard so much about this store from so many beauty gurus on you tube so I really wanted to check it out for myself on a visit to Raleigh, NC.

I was in Raleigh to go to the AMAZING Alice In Chains concert on May 7.  A blog post  about that concert is coming soon. 

North Hills Shopping Center is not just a glorified luxury strip mall, it has apartments, restaurants, banks, grocery stores, pharmacy,  a"park"  that is really a stage and entertainment venue  and a four-star hotel.

It is a beautiful well appointed rich people strip mall to sum it all up. LOL!

 This is the entrance to the much talked about store. Love the wood facade. I also love the all caps font. This is the graphic designer in me. Most people do not notice signage or product packaging but I always do. Was not really impressed with the window displays or the fashions on the mannequins.

 This blurry pic is of the drooping plant (from lack of watering) at the front door of the store. I was trying to quickly get the picture before the employees noticed. Very sad for the plant. Definitely not good feng shui at all.

What impressed me the most about Anthropologie was the quality soft fabrics of of the clothing. I knew I was going to get "sticker shock" so I was prepared a little bit for how expensive the prices are. There were a few pieces I would have liked to add to my wardrobe but over all I really was not impressed with the store's collection. 

My strategy for shopping this store for clothing would be to wait as long a possible for a very good sale.Visit the store often and watch the your size in the item then buy it when it is marked down. Buying solid color basics that can be worn for many seasons would be the my main objective. The rich feeling fabrics were the reason for the high prices. I understand this and I am willing to pay a bit more. On the other hand,

throw away like "used toilet paper" cheap thin fabrics and poorly made Forever 21 clothing is a waste of money to me.

My biggest complaint about the Anthropologie was the expensive "fake vintage" items. There is no way I would pay that much money for ordinary yard sale, thrift shop or flea market look a likes. It was so crazy to me that the store basically found an item in a thrift shop redesigned it just a bit, made copies then put in up for sale at an expensive price in their store. Ridiculous.

I expected to be wowed and amazed because of the hype beauty gurus speak so often about this store. Once again when I experience the actually item or location, I really wasn't impressed. 

Do you shop at this store?

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Adrianne Vittandini - The Perfume That Will Not Go Away

Adrianne Vittandini eau de parfum spray 3oz

I brought this fragrance at Marshalls a couple of years ago and it should be all gone by now but it will not go away.

Have you ever had a perfume that smells good but it is so strong that you only can use a little bit of it at a time? Adrianne Vittandini eau de parfum has strong lingering strong flower notes with a bit of spice. 

The notes are listed as oakmoss, fresh flowers and the ocean air. Maybe it is the oakmoss note or the distinct "fresh cut flowers" notes but this fragrance has always been very hard for me to wear on a regular basis. I've tried putting on just a little and it is still overpowering. Sometimes it does not bother me and I am able to wear it all day and some days it is just too much.

Maybe I have a love hate relationship with this perfume. The bottle is beautiful and I really like the clothes the designer creates. Or maybe I just outgrew the scent over the years. Everyday I choose my fragrance depending what mood I am in at that particular moment.

 I want to be able to spritz, love the scent immediately, and go on with my day. When I have to gently dab or calculate the exact amount of pressure to put on the spray nozzle, that particular perfume is not going to be a favorite scent.

In the past, I had this very same problem with another fragrance, Sung by Alfred Sung for Women. To this day, I think that perfume was the strongest perfume I ever owned. I loved the scent but wow was it strong. Eventually, I was able to use the entire Sung bottle but I did not want to repurchase it.



Click here for my review of Love's Baby Soft Body Mist fragrance.

Have you smelled this fragrance before?

Thanks for reading!

A Change Of Surroundings Has Changed Everything

 There was my life before I discovered a nearby lake and there is my life now - Everything has changed. Changes for the best to say the very least. A few days ago, I stumbled upon a lake in my city that I never knew about. As a result, I have been visiting this wonderful place everyday.

I am so much more at peace near water. The beach is my absolute favorite place to go but lakes have become a close second. There is something about being around water that soothes my soul and give me so much inspiration.

For much too long, I had been sitting inside my house wishing I could go somewhere and do exciting things. If you do not seek you will definitely not find. Riding my bike around town is what started everything. My goals was to save gas and get some much needed exercise but it quickly showed me a new way to get involved with the world. 

Get outside and get inspired. Do not wish for things. Make them happen.

Since I have been eating healthy and exercising, I feel better than I have in years. It is strange that I really didn't think of myself as an "outside person" but under the correct conditions, I really love it. Find what works for you. Find healthy food, exercises, etc that will result in a healthier lifestyle.

I love this front and center view of the lake. You have no idea how silly I felt after finding this lake after living in this town my entire life. To be honest, I have asked around and my relatives did not know about this lake either. Also a lot of people visit the lake say it is their first time. I am just glad I happened to look in the newspaper to find a new place to go for a walk/hike and saw the park's name. Do your research. Search out things to do. Go out and grab inspiration.

Today I painted a tiny watercolor of the lake scene, wrote in my journal, knitted a (maybe it will be an edging of a T -shirt or a strap for a small bag - I don't know yet) and ate a bit of fruit while enjoying my surroundings. I am so thankful I finally got out of my head and my house. My adventure begins.

Thanks for reading!

I Went For A Walk And Found A Hidden Lake

I went to a park to go for a walk/hike workout for my birthday. Everyday I try to get out of the house and have an adventure discovering something new. The last time I went to that park was several years ago. Yes it had lots of trees, a couple of playgrounds, tennis courts, and a softball field. I vaguely remember all of those things But where in the world did the HUGE beautiful lake come from? 

Honestly, I never saw this lake before in the past or ever heard anyone say "hey we're going to the lake in that park to hang out on the dock, go boating or fishing." It's incredible that I could have been visiting this amazing place all this time. I am so mad. Grrrrrrrrr  LOL!

Looking through the newspaper, doing research on new places to go for a walk or a hike is what gave me the idea to go to this nature park. Instead of going to park the car where I remembered parking last time I was there, I drove in a different direction. Got out walked a very short distance and just off the walking trail there was a large body of water - a lake. 

The last time I was on a deck like this was at Barefoot Landing at Myrtle Beach, SC. I was in heaven. The water was sparkling in the sunlight. Geese were honking at each other. A couple of people were fishing off the dock. Fishing is serious business. There was lots of concentration going on. I didn't see anyone catch anything. I am secretly happy for the fishes.

There is no doubt I will be visiting this lake several times a week. The paved walking trail is not very long in distance but it has some good hills that will be a great leg and butt workout. The nature trails are going to be awesome for quick but challenging workout hikes.

There was a guy walking the trail with an acoustic guitar. That gentle music he was strumming and looking at the trees and gentle waves of the lake made this birthday the BEST birthday I have ever had.  Loved it!

Later in the day, I watched a group of people playing tennis and some young girls having their tennis lessons. I have never watched a tennis game in real life before. Suddenly, I am really interested in learning how to play. One of the ladies was wearing a dark navy tennis tank top and tennis skirt. I want that outfit so bad! Goal: to get that outfit and look good in it. More motivation to exercise.

I am so excited to find this hidden jewel in my city. Being outside walking and hiking is a lot more fun than going to a gym. It's easy to stay motivated when I am surrounded by the beauty and peacefulness of the great outdoors.

Get outside and explore your surroundings. You never know what treasure you might find. Please enjoy my photos of the lake. Tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading!