it's a picture*

I just completed an order for 8x10" matte prints of these photographs to see how they turn out. If they look good, I will be one step closer to setting up a little picture shop. Feeling good!

Also, while selecting which ones I wanted to experiment with, I realized I had never put up the pictures from last summer's Sasquatch Festival on my Flickr, so I uploaded them just moments ago. Many fun memories in those! I had really hoped to go back this year, but it sold out almost immediately (no wonder! Look at that lineup; Wilco, Beach House, The Head and the Heart!). They make me long all the  more for the summer days ahead.

*It should be noted that I couldn't think of a title for this post, so I asked Kai. He responded, "Ummmm, you should title it... It's a Picture." Makes sense.

cocooned trees

So spooky! So cool!


via Wired Science.

printed

I really did feel quite pleased with the poster I made for my friends not too long ago, so I decided to have it enlarged and printed. I am pretty certain this is the first time I have ever done that with one of my own illustrations/designs. I am excited to frame it and proudly hang it on my wall.

scout & abbey

my friends: jarred & mingy

It's so good to be back.

saturday spring cleaning

 

 

After a greasy breakfast at Linda's with friends, ones that I have been missing so dearly*, I trotted home in the rain. Without any plans for my Saturday until a birthday dinner at 8pm (with those same aforementioned friends), I decided to accomplish some major spring cleaning. I tackled the disaster in my closet. It's become a huge mess and has accumulated so much unnecessary clutter. I can now walk in there without tripping over something. I hung the prints that I bought during my last visit to New York. They have been framed but stacked on the floor for several months. It's so nice to finally see them on the wall. I also planted the succulents I bought last weekend at The Palm Room. I made quite a mess, but feel very pleased with myself for how pretty it turned out. Now I am lounging in bed and contemplating a nap before my night out. Although, there honestly isn't much to contemplate. It's a rainy day and a nap would be good for my aging and tired 26 year old body. These late nights have been hard on me - but I'm loving it. 

*I plan to go into more detail about this another time. I have very recently returned to my life of yesteryear; seeing the friends I've been hiding away from during my "rehabilitation". It's been keeping me busy, so I apologize for my silence lately. There is much going on in my head and heart - I am feeling happy. Happy! Yes, happy! I will be gushing soon.

what a house

Oh man!


Arkinetia.com

speaking of flowers

Thank you, Caitlin.

I am lucky to have such a nice friend. So often, she saves the day.

the new gentlemen's journal

Last night, while waiting for something to happen, I stumbled upon Grain & Gram, which instantly became my new favorite blog/website. The photographs, design, subject matter - the entire aesthetic is perfect. It's a beautiful but masculine alternative to all of the other lady blogs out there. Sometimes I grow tired of even my own topics of choice when they're always revolving around shades of pink, flowers and tea time. 

The entry I love most is the feature on Blair Sligar. It's no mystery to me why.

a day with friends & lots of pictures

I am feeling tired and so do not have the brain power to write a "real" entry. So, here are the elements of a rainy but happy Friday spent with Maya & Naima, and later, on my own:

A breakfast of a soft boiled egg, a decaf americano, oatmeal with strawberries, conversations with and about toddlers. Roaming a nursery, picking a few plants, wishing I could bring home more. A what was short but felt long bus ride while reading a new book. Tidying up my home, hanging my new green babies in their predestined places, fixing a nice dinner, half-watching half-not-watching a movie, editing photos, devouring the other half of my salted chocolate caramel bar, listening to Damien Jurado's St. Bartlett, lighting my new campfire candle and happily finding that it really does smell like a campfire, settling into bed to write this. Feeling sleepier and sleepier, but anticipating a night out with some dear, old friends. Thinking now, I must make some earl grey tea.

It's been a very lovely day.

sweet surprises

I love mail. I love the old charm of it in the age of email, twitter and facebook. Sometimes I will order things online simply to enjoy the anticipation of the arrival of them in my mailbox. I especially love receiving letters from someone near and dear to me. Although I must confess, I'm not very good at sending things to others. I'm not even good at responding to emails. I tend to be a pretty miserable pen pal, which is, in my eyes, an undesirable trait; something I seem to have grown into. When I was in the 7th grade, my choir director made arrangements with the band teacher to share the load of their pen pal requests when they had too many from a Finland middle school, and not enough students in band to pair everybody up. I cannot remember my pen pal's name now, but I remember I thought she was fascinating. She loved horses and dotted her i's with open circles, like halos. Receiving letters from Finland at the age of 11 was mystifying to me. I'm not even sure if at that age Finland seemed like a real place. I was very excited and prompt to respond to her letters then, but for whatever reason, as I've gotten older, I've lost the letter sending touch. 

My sister, on the other hand, is proving much better at long distance relationships than myself. This is not the first time she has sent me little gifts via post since her move to New York. She has always been a generous person and over the years has often surprised me with thoughtful gifts. So, I suppose it's no wonder that she maintains that even still, from the other side of the country. These sweet somethings in particular were completely unexpected and just so happen to have arrived with impeccable timing. This week my nerves have been a little, well, nervy. There's nothing like salted dark chocolate caramels and the scent of a campfire or fig leaves to sit back, relax and escape into a book with. 

Discovering that red, white and blue parcel in my mailbox this evening was a very happy ending to my day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dearest sissy.

PS. The candles are from Catbird (a shop in Williamsburg that I wish I could frequent) and they smell divine! 

a few little things

Ever since my heart started feeling lighter and my head less foggy, I've been without much to write about.  Which troubles me some, as I dislike it very much when creativity in people is only spurred by depression and negativity (I have one particular person in mind right now, and I have confidence that at least one of you will know who). The weather has also been rather uninspiring. As I write this, the sky is falling on Seattle. The rain is coming down so hard and heavy I almost can't hear anything else but white noise. Thunder was shaking the house earlier and I was shaking my fist right back at it. Normally I love these kinds of storms, but we've been having them so often lately they're losing their appeal a bit.

So, one out of a few things that have excited me over the past few days include the square of felted wool that Caitlin made. This one in particular was her mistake, but I loved it so she offered it to me. I accepted the gift with much enthusiasm. I plan to hang it on my wall with some fishing wire or perhaps even a hanger like the one pictured, only a nicer version with a wider wooden piece (technical name for that, anyone?). 

Over the weekend, while tending to my plants that are still somehow surviving (I do not have a green thumb*), I noticed that Baby (name given by Olivia) was blooming a lovely white lily. This is her first flower ever to appear, so that was a nice surprise. Apparently I'm doing something right.

I've been splurging** a little too much on clothes lately, so last evening I was returning a few things when I spotted this A.P.C. Madras skirt on sale for $10. It used to be $175! A deal like that cannot be ignored. Though it is pretty, I admit I'm not exactly so desperately in love with it and I probably wouldn't have grabbed it had it been much more. I certainly would never have purchased it at full price, but for 10 bucks I don't mind if I only wear it a couple of times. Besides, it's A.P.C. so I can count on it being made well. All of their pieces that I own have been good to me. 

The storm has passed! I spoke too soon.

*Actually, it's literally quite black and blue. I'm anticipating the nail to fall off soon, which I am totally grossed out by.

**By splurging I mean spending a little out of my current means. Never before would I have classified one $60 top and a $70 dress - both silk- splurging. Woe is me.

another way to help

"The Help Japan poster is now available to preorder in the Signalnoise Store, and will be gin shipping on March 18. All profits made by the sale of this poster will be donated to help relief efforts in Japan. Head to the Signalnoise Store now to see full details." go here to support!"




You Have Been Here So Long via Apiece Apart.

helping caitlin

Caitlin asked me to work with her on the photography for her many-time-mentioned new shop, Metrode (or here, for now). So yesterday, I was privileged to help with the prepping of a few more images. We did a short little session which involved many wardrobe changes and a little bit of hair tossing. Little Scout and Abbey (shooed away before she could claim any beauty shots of her own) were very curious about all of the activity. 

Between outfit swaps, I took a few snapshots of her studio. Shades of white and grey, clusters of pyrite and plenty of soft sheep skins; pretty perfect. Working and collaborating creatively with another person, especially a friend, is so much fun and very inspiring to me.

Thank you, Caitlin for honoring me with your invitation to lend a hand.

A few sneek peeks from the shoot can be found on Caitlin's blog, here.