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CIDERFEST XI

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Saturday marked the 11th annual Ciderfest in Adair Park!  I couldn’t believe it, eleven years, and somehow it was my first time attending! It’s not a super official event-no website, mostly promoted on Facebook-but they do take cider-making passionately.

Writing this post made me wonder how it got started, so I asked my friend Katherine who helps organize the event and she told me that when it first originated the apples were picked from all over the city’s public trees. Then one year they had wayyy too many and so they donated them, which sparked Concrete Jungle, which I wrote about here.  Through scouring the city for apple trees for the festival they quickly realized that Atlanta had a lot of unused fruit-bearing trees and bushes. A fun event birthed an organization that helps feed our cities homeless population-that’s Atlanta for you-making fun things good and good things FUN!

Ciderfest in a nutshell:

Take thousands of apples -> Toss them into a couple silly hand-cranked and pedal-powered machines -> Pulverize those lovable fruits into a fine fresh cider” -from the FB event page

The apples are sourced from Mercier Orchards but some of them do still come from picking around the city, however, they don’t want to take away from what they donate.  Attendees bring their own jugs, mugs and storing devices to sip and take some home as well as something to eat and share.  There’s live music, trampolines, DIY screen printing and all the socializing your heart desires!

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I couldn’t think of anything that said apple cider festival + Fall more than overalls, a big hat and PLAID!

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Less than two weeks and I’ll be married to this hunk!

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Even the kiddos got involved!

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Getting a workout while making cider!

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Our drinking apparatus made by local guys, Go Forth Goods. We added a saison beer to the cider to cut the sweetness and add some bubbles-recommend that or some whiskey ;)

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Two of my adorable friends, lovebirds Sarah + Ryan, sipping from their fun cider-holders.

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The scraps are used for composting so that no apple parts are gone to waste!

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The homeowner, host and co-founder of the fest, Angel, has a dreamy backyard packed out with pretty flowers, eucalptus and persimmon trees! Not pictures a chicken coop and the under-construction Beltline!

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Free People overalls, Target plaid shirt, Frye boots, Madewell totes, UO hat & Kate Spade shades.

Afterwards we went to the Little Five Halloween parade and then chowed down on Mexican at our favorite, Elmyriachi. A good weekend indeed!

SURPRISE!

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On Saturday night Dustin and I went over to my best gal pal’s loft for what we thought was a casual supper. When we arrived they gave us drinks and told us that the meal needed a little more time in the oven and that while we were waiting we should head up to the roof to see the sun set. We were all for it and took the elevator to the top of Mattress Factory Lofts. When the doors opened we were greeted with a group of our friends yelling “SURPRISE!” from the upper level! We were SPEECHLESS. Literally. Stood there confused and shocked, haha! When things finally started to make sense we dried tears and hugged everyone and then checked out the adorable diy decor Ashleigh and Ashley had assembled including this “Happy Engagement” sign:
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The girls diy decor also included old soda bottles and mason jars filled with flowers, some of which even came from Ashley’s backyard! They took old fabric and dresses and jazzed up the chairs they rented. Additionally, Ashley asked that everyone draw on the “table cloth” with encouraging words or illustrations as she’d be saving them and making into a book. I won’t get into details about some of the “anatomically correct” drawings that occurred! (payback for other drawings Dustin drew for Jonny + Ashley at their reception!)
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After we hung out sipping on Ash’s infamous gin punch and a few more friends trickled in we sat down for a potluck Southern feast. There was delicious 15-hour pulled pork, mac-and-cheese, fancy potato salad and more then for dessert we noshed on Muriel’s poppy seed blueberry hand pies!

Stuffed full and proudly wearing a grin from ear to ear we watched the sun go down and then packed it up to move indoors where we played “heads up” which was hilarious since we were slightly intoxicated- and our friends are naturally silly!
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The whole night we felt so lucky to have great friends that would put together a special night just for us, we are truly blessed, thanks Atlanta family!

Post – Feast

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while Sunday’s Moveable Feast was a successful event and a good time with friends and family it was also a learning experience. Ryan and I both have some things to learn about planning and hosting events and what better way to be learn then first hand, right?! Ryan’s food was delicious, the music by Nadia Marie was soul touching and the decor we both worked on went up fairly smoothly! much like NYE I was running around crazy and only had time to pause to take a few quick snaps and due to candle lighting, sadly, a lot of them didn’t turn out great.
my favorite spot in the ballroom that night is captured in the above photo. it is an antique piano Chelsea and I wheeled onto the dance floor area. I jazzed it up with candles and wine bottle decor and hung the DIY’d fringe from NYE above. 
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we are sporting vintage tops and I’m wearing my new LOFT slacks, vintage hat and bolo I picked up at the Rock & Mineral Show in Alabama

after the event was over and the decor came down I had to work and while I was on the grind my sweety sweet sweet boyfriend was working on a surprise for me at the house….

I came home to find my room was slightly transformed into boho amazingness-
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he took the wreaths we made + the NYE fringe and hung them while balancing on a chair in the center of my bed, basically risking his life :P 
I am truly a lucky gal!

-Flashy

similar interests

much like hair stylists, DJs, artists and musicians we photographers usually hang in the same environments so it’s no mystery as to how i have several pals that are into the same extracurricular activity as myself.
working my several jobs, being crafty at the art studio, getting in random pool time and hitting up the Atlanta party scene has been the gist of my July. though i haven’t gotten in a “real vacation” [YET] i have had many lil “get-away” weekends right here in my city-
and i’ve had friends around to capture some of the best times this month, via their similar interest,
photography.

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shot by Darius at Elizabeth’s W Hotel Bday Throwdown July 3rd!
—> his Flickr
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includes shots by Marlo of Micro Bunny Pimp during the Ponce IndepenDANCE party at The Bookhouse on Sunday, July 1st
view full albums—> part 1 & part 2
//
a lil shout out to my girl Tara who played tunes during the party and kept our bodies movin!
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pics shot by Dylan York for BurnAway at the Forward Warrior live-painting & auction. the event took place on July14th during the Old Forth Ward art stroll during which i was also shooting for Mint Gallery. 
another lil shout out to my girl Chelsea who featured works at the gallery-one of which was this cute 3D piece.
perhaps someday soon you too can have the pleasure of being captured digitally by one of these great photographers!

enjoy the last bit of July!
-Flashy

vacation(s)

finally developed my 35mm Holga and was quite pleased with how my adventures on film turned out:
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(4th of July weekend-parent’s lake house-Tuscaloosa, AL)
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(Ocean Beach, California/Lake Tuscaloosa)
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(emma key & i-Lake Tuscaloosa)
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(Botanical Gardens-Balboa Park-San Diego)
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(Balboa Park artist village squirrel-so freakin cute!)
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(San Diego water front/Cactus Gardens)
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(black bikini via H&M, super jumps via Smith family genes!)


speaking of vacations for the past week i’ve been in Cocoa Beach, FL which is to blame for the hiatus of posts since i’ve been on a beach or boat since. back on dry land and heading to Atlanta tonight, sadly, but wishing i could spend a few more days at the beach with my folks-
back to reality!
-Flashy