march '14 mixtape.

I find myself never on here anymore. Grad school, work, and life in general have consumed my time. One day, I will be a good blogger again.

A lot of these songs remind me of waking up... Not waking up on a day where you've just gotten a bit too little sleep, but rather a day where you awake refreshed and you have no obligations to anyone but yourself. What I wouldn't give for a day like that right now..

march '14 mixtape. from cara.m.hanley on 8tracks Radio.

Until We Get There - Lucius

Lily - Ben Gibbard

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Fleet Foxes

And Still We Move - Sera Cahoone

Towards the Sun - Alexi Murdoch

I'm in Here (Piano Vocal Version) - Sia

Are You Listening - Kopecky Family Band

The Funeral - Band of Horses

Better than Worse - Final Fantasy

+

Happy Spring, everyone!

à montreal.

the end of october found me bustling up I-87 towards montreal. i met up with one of my best friends, jill. she has recently moved to montreal, so i should have more excuses to head up north!

i decided it was about time i shot some film, so i grabbed my step-father's old manual camera from the '70s. i love the thought that goes into shooting a roll of film. you know you only have so many exposures, so you really think out each shot.

once i arrived, jill and i headed to santropol, one of my favorite casual restaurants when i lived up there.

afterwards, we went to café névé for some coffee and to split one their delicious chocolate chip cookies.

and admittedly, we went back to café névé the next morning... only this time, we shared a zucchini muffin.

fuchsia is a beautiful little store/cafe that i had heard about here and there during undergrad. they serve food, but only have enough seating for about 5-10 people. it is such a warm and beautiful little shop and they sell specialty items, like tea and infused sugars. they also serve espresso drinks. next time i go, i want to try their lavender (!) latte.

i ended up leaving with rose green tea and a rose oatmeal "biscuits en pot" (ingredients for cookies in a jar - you just add the butter and egg!).

 

thanks for reading!!

xoxo

larkfest in iphone photos.

Yesterday was Larkfest. I hadn't been since high school (~6 years ago) and I was excited to experience the action again. Now that I live smack in the middle of Center Square, I've developed a new and different appreciation for the festivals that go on around here. In many ways, I now feel like I am a part of the Center Square community and I delight in seeing the community come alive.

I started the morning off with a delicious drip coffee and chocolate croissant (pain au chocolat) from Caffe Vero. My journey to Vero was a long one, as I stopped and peeked at many of the local vendors who had set up booths at the festival.

It was a beautiful day for Larkfest. It was sunny and warm, but with a cool breeze. Unfortunately for the vendors, it was sometimes so breezy that they had to hold on to their merch. Fortunately for the rest of us, this breeze meant a fresh air while crammed along the street among hundreds of people.

I like to see the life that festivals pull out of people. There were so many people dancing. Strangers dancing amongst each other because the weather was perfect, the DJ was spinning, and it probably just felt good.

I couldn't help but treat myself to a couple goodies from Larkfest. I could psychologically justify the money spent because most of the vendors represented independently owned businesses. I picked up a pair of earrings in the shape of birdcages and I also purchased the necklace shown below. In the center of the pendent is cut-out text from Pride and Prejudice. In my particular necklace, you can see "Darcy."

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and is making the most of our final warm weekends for the year. I'm tempted to have a picnic next weekend if the weather is nice. This may be part of why I love fall so much... I really appreciate and make the most of the dwindling summer weather. Oh, and I should mention, today I saw that the leaves have started to change.

xoxo

july mix-tape.

So it's been about two months since my last post and a recent note from a friend has given me the push I needed to start posting again. The past two months have brought so much new-ness. I'm living alone for the first time and in a new apartment (at least one post will be dedicated to this move, but probably several). While the initial few weeks after the move-in were anxiety-producing, I feel that I am slowly habituating to my new environment.

I figured I'd start off posting again with a mix-tape of music that I've been particularly loving this month.

july mix-tape. from cara.m.hanley on 8tracks Radio.

angel in the snow - elliott smith
the fade - megafaun
the lucky one - au revoir simone
service bell - feist & grizzly bear
someone great - lcd soundsystem
srxt - bloc party
dance dance dance - lykke li
chariot - page france

I hope you enjoy. And here's to more frequent posts *raises imaginary glass of imaginary Dom Perignon*!

xoxo

A sidewalk sale kind of day.

My friend Caitie and I recently went on a yard sale excursion. It was a beautiful day and it seemed everyone was out and about. There have been so many yard/sidewalk/garage sales all over the place! At my friend Jackie's sidewalk sale, I lucked out by getting a coffee table, french press, and wine rack all for $5!! She did cut me the "workin' gal's discount," for which I am so grateful.

Yard sales are such an interesting phenomenon. Someone's "trash" can really become someone else's treasure. I foresee myself venturing to many more sales this summer.

We ended the day visiting Luke so that he and Caitie could play some music together. It was the perfect conclusion to a lovely day.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo

Cara

may 2013 mixtape.

may 2013 mixtape. from cara.m.hanley on 8tracks Radio.

your light is spent - final fantasy

the bad in each other - feist

mushaboom [postal service mix] - feist

this head i hold - electric guest

quicksand (thievery corporation) - natalie walker

creep - damien rice

timidity - drunken boat

savannah smiles - okkervil river

cafe névé.

 montreal was the time and place when and where i became solidified in the person i am today (definitely not even close to perfect and not entirely self-assured, but more solidified, sure...). there are things i remember more clearly than others. living with women who became inspirations to me. drinks and dancing in bars with friends. bike riding everywhere, absolutely everywhere. catching the 144 on snowy, messy days to arabic class every morning. my bed arranged so i'd wake up with the morning light on my face.

one of my most prominent memories exists in cafe neve, the little cafe just around the corner from our apartment, on Rachel. i went to Café Névé almost every day during my last year at McGill, when we were living up in the plateau on hôtel de ville.

i was worried that a return to Café Névé would burn me like so many other good memories that reach an unattainable level of perfection as they grow more and more distance in the past. however, once i was back in Café Névé, i felt incredibly filled with joy. i didn't want to leave.

i'm so happy i am able to share this beautiful café, memory, and stage of my life with you.
thank you for reading.
xoxo
Cara

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