Hand Sown, Home Grown

Small-town charm, big-city intellect. My world in pictures, music, and words. Humor with occasional real talk.

[the-overlook-hotel]

Cinema student Valerio Sbravatti published this video essay comparing the different home video editions of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining that have been released through the years. Within it, he meticulously identifies how the different versions vary both from each other and from the original 35mm print in regards to both picture and sound.

[lilmamabeyellin]

[handsownhomegrown]

Fall is here!

Fall doesn't get the same amount of love that summer does when it comes to music. It's a shame because it's my favorite time of year. But if there's anybody whose music conjures up images of fall, it's my girl Vanessa Carlton. Her music takes me to a private liberal arts college in the Northeast nestled in wooded hills, Patagonia sweaters and scruffy guys with long hair who do open mic at coffee shops and are totally cheating on their girlfriends (or boyfriends) with the Barista who puts pumpkin spice in everything and girls who look like they just got done with yoga but you know good and damn well they ain't done a bit of yoga. Happy fall, y'all!

[handsownhomegrown]

The (Un)Surprising Transformation of Miley Cyrus

This is an adaptation of a post I made for Facebook earlier today. I figured I’d share it here since I haven’t been paying attention to Tumblr like I feel I should be. My bad! So, here we go.

I asked the question, “are we still talking about Miley Cyrus’ "performance” on the VMAs"? It became obvious to me within a few minutes of asking the question and looking around Facebook and Twitter that yes, we are. Some people are shocked that she has changed so drastically, so suddenly. After all, she was such a sweet little girl not too long ago. Now she’s airing out her lady parts on stage and backing it up on someone’s husband and smoking funny things and doing these awful things that young women and men without nearly as much attention or money do around that same age only not on a national stage. What is going on and is she going to be okay?

Here’s the thing: she’s not the first person to do this and she definitely won’t be the last. But based on the stories of others who made a quick stop by the weed man’s house on the road to maturity and personal growth, she’s gonna be just fine. So, here’s what I see happening for little Destiny Hope: we’re gonna get at most one more album of “experimental music” that involves Diplo and/or Switch, then after that it’s meticulously crafted pop-rock courtesy of people like Linda Perry, Greg Kurstin, Dr. Luke, and maybe Martin Terefe for a folksy feel. Add longer, darker hair (because you go longer and brunette when you’re being a serious female artist), more clothes, and some music videos directed by Sophie Muller, Johan Renck, Jonas Akerlund, or Floria Sigismondi. Maybe even a brief marriage and a child. And all of this cultural appropriation under the guise of youthful indiscretion will be an unpleasant afterthought.

And everyone will love it. 

[handsownhomegrown]

Blast from the past.

[handsownhomegrown]

Oh, Richmond. #rva (at VirginiaDMV)

[handsownhomegrown]

Final results of a quick photography lesson from a nice stranger. #charlottesville #va #downtownmall (at Omni Hotels)

[handsownhomegrown]

Fuck your rules, bro. #charlottesville #va #downtownmall #youaintthebossofme (at Community Chalkboard And Podium: A Monument To The First Amendment)

[handsownhomegrown]

#immigrantsmakeamericagreat #letsstandtogether #charlottesville #va (at Community Chalkboard And Podium: A Monument To The First Amendment)

[handsownhomegrown]

I see we're just gonna bypass the rest of this thing called winter, huh? I ain't mad. Thanks, global warming! 😎#weather #globalwarming #beautifulday (at Charlottesville, Virginia)

[handsownhomegrown]

Found this on the side of a building at a lumber company. I hope I'm reading this correctly because if so they get major props from me for not giving into xenophobia and understanding that our diversity is one of the greatest things about our nation. #immigrantsmakeamericagreat #wereinthistogether (at Fishersville, Virginia)

[handsownhomegrown]

If you work in an office setting this is best seat in the house, am I right? 👨🏾‍💻#officelife #work #cubicle #enjoytheview #stayoutmybusiness

[handsownhomegrown]

Real Talk: About that Milo guy...

Milo deserves each and every bit of backlash he's receiving right now. However, it's crazy to me that he's been able to flourish for so long saying and doing horrible things. He has seriously been on bullshit from jump, saying racist, sexist, transphobic things and has tried to destroy people's careers. He's so bad that he's been banned from Twitter for life. How was he punished for being an awful human being? With a $250,000 book deal, speaking engagements, exposure to a large, international audience through various media outlets, and an invitation to speak at CPAC. Until audio surfaced with talk of the benefits of sexual relationships between young boys and older men. In other words, he encouraged pedophilia. That was apparently the deal breaker. My problem with this is that it shouldn't have taken this much for people to shut this shit down. People have been championing this guy and his ability to say horrible things under the guise of supporting free speech. However, the thing we must remember is that free speech does not equal freedom from consequences. And the fact that he's been allowed to get all these coins up until now makes me think that his ability to prosper has more to do with people agreeing with him than it does with free speech. It was cute until he talked about little boys. Free speech only means that the government can't shut you up. It doesn't mean that people have to give hate speech a platform and it damn sure doesn't mean that people should receive a financial reward for it. I hope this is a lesson to people who want to pop off that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. Don't let your prejudice make you jobless, your bank account depleted, or your ass beat in either a metaphorical or literal sense. Stay blessed, beloved.

[handsownhomegrown]

Can someone explain to me how this is drivable? This car is literally touching the ground. #questionsthatneedanswers #cars #customized #hondacivic (at Charlottesville, Virginia)

[handsownhomegrown]

Current situation and motivation level. #catsofinstagram #getouttamyface #igotstufftodo

[handsownhomegrown]

Real Talk: Election 2016

I'm just gonna speak from the heart for a minute. I’m black. I’m a member of the LGBT community. I have coworkers who were not born here who happen to be Arab and Muslim. I have a stepmother, a sister, and an extended family that consists of many young girls and women. One of my father’s closest friends is an undocumented immigrant. I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I believe in closing the gender gap. Therefore, nevermind actual policy stances and issues for a second. I’ve been offended on so many levels throughout this election season based on what has been said and how things have been done. I genuinely thought we were better than this. Because honestly, no matter how you slice it, there have been very incendiary and divisive things said during this campaign. These comments have alienated myself, my friends, my family, the people I care about the most in this world. I thought that people could see through that and choose not to allow someone who lets that rhetoric flourish to serve as president of this country. I don’t want to, but I can’t help but to take this personal to a degree. That sense of alienation, invalidation, and overall feeling that people who say they’re my friend or that they love me really don't give a shit about me or my life? I can’t avoid it. I can’t help but think that there are people who are friends or family members who take offense to my very existence. My blackness, my gayness, and my openness about both of those things is problematic for them. It’s possible that I’m doing too much by allowing my mind to draw those conclusions, but this is the reality of it for me at the moment. When it comes to actual policy issues, women’s right to choose, LGBT rights, freedom of the press, police brutality, policies regarding climate change…what happens now? Whether statements have been made or actions have taken place, I am concerned about how these things will be affected by these election results. And I’m concerned that decisions made over the next four years will have negative implications that will last for a while. I’m sure that I’ve lost some people. This post is one of those long ones that they didn’t read. They can just shrug whole election off, maybe put one in the air, and move on about their lives. I don’t have the privilege of being unaffected by this. And I’m worried.

[handsownhomegrown]

Um...a little late for that, isn't it? This isn't an old picture, by the way. I just took it. #election2016 (at Plumb House)

[handsownhomegrown]

There's no way in hell I'd do this to my car, but I share the sentiment. #ImWithHer #DumpTrump #Hillary (at Tree Streets Historic District)