8.31.2011

Pursuit seventy nine: A Few Good Reads

Hello Blogger pals!

I am writing today because I need your help. I am on the hunt for a few good reads. There are so many books to choose from out there, and I would love some starting points. Have you enjoyed a certain book lately? If so, what was it? Shout it out from the rooftops because I am on the look out for some literary entertainment in my life! 


Yesterday I found a great article from Time Magazine, which listed their All-TIME 100 Best Non-Fiction reads. I have had the opportunity to read some of the books on the list and have enjoyed them, so maybe I will pick from there... I also stumbled upon the book, ROOM by Emma Donoghue. Maybe I will read that....

But I just wanted to chat with you all first to see if you had any better suggestions.


Following my pursuits,

Price


Special thanks to:
ROOM by Emma Donoghue: http://www.roomthebook.com/

8.29.2011

Pursuit seventy eight: Inspirit

Yes, what you see before your eyes is true... the weekly Inspirit post series on The Pursuits of Price is back!! Today's Inspirit post features the creative work of California based DGWB Advertising and Communications. DGWB created an extensive campaign featuring a website, promotional video, posters, themed t-shirts, an onsite custom doggy photo booth, and the "Biggest Littlest Race in History" theme. 

When I stumbled upon an article on the Communications Arts website featuring the DGWB work for the Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals (real event), I knew that I had to check it out. Maybe one day I can make it over to the Los Alamitos Race Course in California to see some wiener dogs race for a good cause! The race benefits the Seal Beach Animal Care Center, a non-profit dedicated to finding homes for stray animals in Orange County, California. The Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals sounds pretty entertaining if I do say so myself :)





Following my pursuits,

Price


Special thanks to:
DGWB Advertising and Communications: http://www.dgwb.com/
The Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals: http://www.thewienernationals.com/#/home
Seal Beach Animal Care Center: http://www.sbacc.org/


8.27.2011

Pursuit seventy seven: Making a Headboard Part 1

A couple of posts ago I wrote about how I was on the hunt for fabric because my mom and I are going to make a headboard for my (future) new apartment. Well... a couple of weeks ago, my mom stumbled upon a headboard with an amazing shape (see below) in a not so amazing location. She knew that it would be the perfect headboard base to revamp, and that it would be a lot easier to strip it down to the bare bones than to make a headboard frame out of scratch, so we knew that it had to be ours...

(Smith manages to get a bit of himself into every one of these photos)


Don't be fooled by the stains or peach fabric ruching... this headboard has some great bones and just needs a little TLC to get back into tip top shape :)


With the necessary tools: gloves, standard screwdriver, & eye pin pliers...


and hundreds of staples later, I was starting to make progress with the headboard.






It took roughly two days with several breaks to get all of the fabric off and the majority of the staples out of the frame.


After having taken everything off of the frame, I cannot wait to march ahead with the next step of the headboard-making project. Next stop will be to purchase foam, batting, fabric, and lots of staples for the staple gun!! Woo hoo :)

Following my pursuits,

Price

8.22.2011

Pursuit seventy six: A Montage of Travels

Having had the opportunity to study abroad on more than one occasion while in college is something that I will forever be grateful for... My time abroad not only allowed me to travel to places I had never been, but it also forced me to step out of my comfort zone, meet a wide variety of people, and see the beauty in different cultures.

Since I have been back in the U.S., and like most people do, I often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life, and sometimes forget about these great experiences and the exact details of certain events that I had abroad. It is because of this that from time to time I will go through all of my photos to recapture the memories, and thus why I decided to create this short video of some of my favorite snapshots and actual footage that I filmed on my camera.


The opportunity to travel is a gift that I hope everyone has the chance to receive at some point in their lives. Whether it is to a different country, a different state, or even a different city, the experiences and memories made will far outweigh any tangible gift that an individual could receive...

Enjoy- Here is to the pursuit of travel for all!

Following my pursuits,

Price


Special thanks to: Apple Inc.'s Jingle: "Electric Rodeo Long"

8.20.2011

Pursuit seventy five: Recap of 'Road trippin it to Texas'

The road trip to Texas started out with a bang! Blue skies and beautiful clouds encompassed me the whole way there. The route was a nice change compared to the normal I-40 drive to Knoxville, so the seven+ hour drive seemed to fly by...

Here are the beautiful skies that I encountered on the road


The Garmin Nuvi GPS became my new best friend on this trip. Although I have traveled on several other occasions with a GPS in the car, this was the first time that I road tripped it alone with a GPS... and it was AWESOME! The GPS allowed me to confidently get lost in Austin and Dallas (getting lost is my expression for touring myself around a new city). I successfully got honked at, was given a hand gesture, and was told by a mall security cop that I failed to completely stop at a stop sign in the parking lot. It sure is hard work being a tourist!


Alas, the beautiful skyline of downtown Austin! I was so excited to learn that Lady Bird Lake runs through downtown Austin. There is an awesome park right beside it as well... great for playing fetch with your dogs (see dogs swimming in pic), running, riding bikes, and whatever other form of exercise tickles your fancy.

'On Your Mark, Get Set, Mooo"
By Dale Whistler

Austin is currently hosting the 2011 CowParade. Cows of all colors, shapes, and sizes have taken over in order to spice up the city, as well as raise money for Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas and Superhero Kids Fund. It sure was fun spotting all of the unique cows around the city!


Something unique about Austin, and that I have seen popping up around several other cities such as Atlanta, Georgia are food trailers. This snapshot of Torchy's Tacos was in a parking lot full of other food trailers. Pretty awesome right?? I had the pleasure of nomming down on a delicious burrito from Torchy's.

                                            
A great surprise and unique treat during my visit to Austin was Barton Springs. A natural spring that is smack dab in the middle of the city is a haven for those looking to take a load off from the summer heat. Although the water literally took my breath away for a couple of seconds (seemed like a couple of minutes) when I first jumped in, it was well worth the plunge!


One of the main reasons for my trip down to Texas was to attend the Social Media Club of Austin's monthly meeting. A panel of four speakers answered questions regarding social media business, social media's evolution, and thoughts about the successful implementation of social media into a company's business plan.


I also had the opportunity to finally meet the lovely Stephanie Wonderlin (@swonderlin) in person at the Social Media Club meeting. Check her out on Tweetheart TV!


Besides going down to Austin this past week, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my aunt and uncle in Dallas. I did not really get around to taking photos in Dallas, but the above picture is one of my aunt's photos of me while she was on a solo photo shoot escapade. I like the background in this photo...

Overall, my trip to Texas was quite the success! I was able to catch up with some high school friends, eat lunch with one of my study abroad flat mates, connect with new social media peeps, gain some leads on possible job prospects, hang with family, and tour around two fun cities!

I hope to be back in Texas soon :)

Following my pursuits,

Price



Special thanks to:
Austin's 2011 CowParade: http://cowparadeaustin.com/
Social Media Club of Austin: http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/austin-tx
Stephanie Wonderlin: http://stephaniewonderlin.com/






8.19.2011

8.14.2011

Pursuit seventy three: Road trippin it to Texas

Today I am headed off for the open road... the open road towards Texas that is! This week I am embarking on a mini business/vaca/exploration trip of Texas. I hope to catch up with family members & old classmates, meet up with one of my study abroad roommates, attend the Social Media Club of Austin's (@SMCAustin) monthly meeting, meet Stephanie Wonderlin (@swonderlin) in person for the first time, explore Austin & Dallas, and meet some people for some meetings... 

Sounds like a lot to accomplish in less than four days, but no matter what happens, it sure will be an adventure!


Be back in a week blogger friends with the skinny on my trip to Texas.


Following my pursuits,

Price

8.11.2011

Pursuit seventy two: Shelby Farms Dog Park

Since I have been back in Memphis, I have taken over the role of dog entertainer in my household. Since my parents are at work all day, and my brother recently moved to Brooklyn, it is just three dogs, a cat, and myself hanging out at the house. You might be saying to yourself, "Dang, that is a lot of dogs!"

Have no fear... the Smith household is a sort of "boarding school" or "camp" for animals at the moment. My family likes to call it "Camp Linden". My brother's dog, Gracie, and my dog, Smith are living here for the time being with our family dog and cat.

For today's dog adventure, I decided to spice things up by taking all three pups to the Shelby Farms Dog Park. For me, this park is like the Mecca of all dog parks in Memphis. It is a little hard to find since Shelby Farms is so huge, but once you find it, it is like heaven on earth for dogs.

Three great things about the Shelby Farms Dog Park:
1. It is MASSIVE
2. It has two huge ponds for dogs to swim in
3. All dogs are free to roam around and do whatever they please

Here are some snapshots of Harper, Gracie, and Smith having a blast today at the park!


Following my pursuits,

Price


Special thanks to:

8.09.2011

Pursuit seventy one: Snapshots of the Outer Banks

Below are a few of my favorite snapshots from my trip to the Outer Banks this past week with The Peacocks. Enjoy!

Sea gulls on the way to Ocracroke island

House on Hatteras island

Hatteras & Bodie island lighthouses

Jockey's Ridge

Rope & pelicans

Baby Crocs

Jockey's Ridge

Kite flying on Jockey's Ridge

Bodie island lighthouse



Following my pursuits,

Price