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UNBRIDLED

7/19/2017

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Your Name.

4/8/2017

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So, what's in a name? A lot.
And what's in 'Your Name.'?
Much more than I was prepared for...


Your Name., the latest masterpiece from Makoto Shinkai, has taken in more than a quarter of a billion dollars at the box office in Asia with an anime that is just as beautiful as it is brilliant. On April 7th, it opened in theaters here in the states. A love story literally woven in the lives of two teenagers who switch bodies randomly over a series of nights, Your Name. tells the tale of tale of two strangers who are introduced by fate and bound by love as they search to find each other while trying to remember the other's name.

So, here's the story as summarized via Funimation:
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​The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.

When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars? 

The story of a boy and a girl, as seen through the lens of the other, is one where tradition becomes appreciated and intention becomes aligned with something time and space can't alter. If the beautiful bond that's built in this smart and sensitive storyline isn't enough to bring you to tears, the music surely will. The soundtrack by award-winning Japanese band RADWIMPS 
embodies the stirring tempo and the sincere emotions of the tale that's told. 

​It should come as no surprise that the film now stands as Japan’s highest-grossing film of 2016 and is the highest-grossing anime film worldwide, eclipsing legendary works from Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki including Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle. 

Cheers to all expectations exceeded in Your Name.
​- Allié Merrick
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the best thing about 'the end'

3/20/2017

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"You know the best thing about 'the end'? It's the new beginning that follows."  - AM

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For The Love Of Leather

3/2/2017

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WINE ISN'T THE ONLY THING THAT IMPROVES WITH AGE.
Many things get better with time. Leather is one of those things.

And while there's perhaps nothing better than that 'new leather' smell (evidenced by even car air freshener trees with the scent), there's nothing quite so lovely as leather that's been broken in over time with with a number of weathered lines, seasoned scratches and other various imperfections that serve as a visual testimony of 'been there, done that'. Cheers to a material reminder of being there and doing that.  - Allié Merrick
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From the Audio-Technica headphones that I entrust with my favorite playlists to the Nomad case I hold and harness my world of communication with, I love leather.

"We sought to create a family of leather cases that were both protective and elegant.
To do so we rely on the heritage of one of America's oldest tanneries, the Horween Leather Co. of Chicago. Their renowned, unadulterated and vegetable tanned leather develops a patina over time, creating a handsome case with a character that is uniquely yours." - Nomad

Raise a glass to lovely leather that gets better with age in the palm of your hand. -AM

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Swagnets via The Allie Way

2/5/2017

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What? You haven't heard about Swagnets? Well, if you don't know. Now, you know. Swag for your Mac in the form of a magnet. Pretty awesome. And 'The Heart' in particular is particularly pretty.

Besides looking nice (real nice at that), every purchase of 'The Heart' Swagnet makes the one who receives the precious product happy... along with the gals at Girls Who Code. A portion of all proceeds is donated to this fabulous program, a national non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology.

"It’s shape is derived from the inverted triangle representing the root chakra, the foundation of all other spiritual centers of the body in different types of Hinduism and Buddhism. In Christianity, the Sacred Heart of Christ represents God’s love. Whatever this timeless symbol means to you, show your love for your Mac by picking up The Heart."

    Cheers to a product with purpose that's pretty too.
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Pumpjacks

2/5/2017

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While roadtripping with my girlfriends from San Francisco to Palm Springs, along the way we decided to detour down an unmarked road alongside the highway to get a closer look at a field filled with what I later learned are referred to as 'pumpjacks'. The thing of it is, we felt like we really shouldn't be there, which made us want to be there more... 
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MINNIE'S MAGIC WAND

11/9/2016

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After one long day of work and two full glasses of wine with coworkers (i.e. my dear friends), I stopped in to visit my neighbor, Minnie. While old in her years, she is still young and hopeful at heart. Over the course of an hour of coffee and conversation, she expressed her greatest wish to me.

"Allie, I wish I had a magic wand... I'd wave it and make everything better for everyone."

I told her, "Minnie, you do have a wand. It's that magical smile of yours. While you can't make everything better for everyone, you can certainly make it better for anyone you greet with that grin." I thought she might cry for a moment. Instead, her smile grew... and so did mine.

I gave her a hug, as she's now used to me doing, and asked if I could take out her trash bag on my way home. "I may not have a magic wand to use here, Minnie, but I have an extra hand to haul this out with. That'll have to do for the evening." She smiled that beautiful smile, and I said goodnight.

May we all find the magic wand we have within us and make a difference with it... even if it's only a simple smile. #livetolove

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LOSS & GAIN WITH MINNIE

10/27/2016

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​Tonight, the power went out in my building. From the third floor, I followed the stairs lit by emergency lighting to the first floor. On my way to the lobby to check on the status of things, I saw a little, old woman peering out of her doorway. She looked confused and unsettled. I asked if she was okay. She said she wanted to go to the lobby to check on things but wasn't able to get around very well. I held my hand out and asked if she'd like me to go down with her. She accepted my offer with a smile and took my hand. After many very small, careful steps, we found ourselves only five feet or so from her door where we started. There we heard from other residents about the status of the outage and learned power wouldn't be restored for awhile. As there was no longer a need to go to the lobby, I walked Minnie (as I learned her name was) back to her apartment.

She, a resident of the building for 43 years now, asked if I'd like to come in for a cup of coffee, as she still had some left in a thermos (leftovers from what she had brewed earlier). I accepted her offer. After an hour and a half of wonderful conversation, sometime during which the lights had come back on, I said goodnight and gave her a hug, leaving with her my phone number with instructions to call me for anything she needs, along with a standing offer to take her out for breakfast and to go with her to Mass. (She's been wanting to get out more.)

   I'm glad we lost power. I found a new person to care for. #livetolove

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MY DAY AT MICROSOFT

10/8/2016

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Microsoft Campus in Autumn
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Touring the Microsoft campus was incredible, but it was talking to the people behind the projects that was entirely inspiring. I spent the day with a group of engineers who are working on building something bold and beautiful to say the very least.

Meet David Lee - a Lead Engineer at Microsoft in the Office division. We had a number of deep conversations about programming in a manner that preserves design intention. So much going on behind the scenes at Microsoft.

  Cheers to more brilliance to come.
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So, this was interesting. Microsoft has come out with Realtime Crowd Insights that use facial recognition to detect age, sex and emotion. As I'm actually 37, the fact that I was analyzed as '30' made me entirely happy. Don't believe me, check out the associated emoticon. 
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On another note, a saw (and touched) a piece of the Berlin Wall. Yep, Microsoft has a piece preserved on campus. 
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TERRIFIED

9/1/2016

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I'm with her.
Truth be told. I'm terrified of the latter.
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  • CHANNELS
    • WINE
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    • POETRY
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    • TRAVEL >
      • ARIZONA
      • NEW ORLEANS
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        • LAURELHURST MARKET
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      • SAN FRANCISCO
      • SPAIN
      • TORONTO
    • SPIRITS & COCKTAILS
    • ETC
  • PRODUCTIONS
    • SIP & STYLE
    • FIFTY SIPS OF WINE
    • TRAINSIPPING
    • BEHIND THE BOTTLE >
      • BEHIND THE BOTTLE TRAILER
    • HAVE WINE WILL TRAVEL
    • SAVOR
    • CHICAGO WINE GIRL
    • SAN FRANCISCO WINE GIRL
    • HOLLYWOOD WINE GIRL
    • SIPPING WITH THE STARS
    • FLAT OR BUST
  • PUBLICATIONS
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