Things I love today

2Jun09 3:15 PM    Add comment

1. Made-up ancestry. Why not fill your walls with portraits of people you don't know? See, for example, here (last large photo and description).
2. Floating shelves. I love these things! I have a crapload (that's the technical term) of art to hang over the couch, and I'm thinking maybe a floating shelf would work better than just nailing them into the wall.
3. This photo OMG:
   
   
4. John Rocha, fashion designer. Gorgeous, simple, beautiful, lush, monochromatic.
5. Lariat necklaces. I've gotten into a thing with lariat necklaces lately. They're just so versatile and amazing.
6. The TV versions of Agatha Christie's "Murder at the Vicarage" with Miss Marple. It's a very clever story, and I love the Miss Marple stories in general. I like the 1986 one because I adore Joan Hickson's Marple (you can watch the episode in bits and pieces here), and I like the 2004 one because I want to live in its incarnation of St. Marymede.
7. Geraldine McEwan's Miss Marple wardrobe. Just LOOK at this gorgeous little hat and sweater:
   
   
   
   And this amazing little hat and collar:
   
   
   
   And THIS fantastic little hat and scarf and herringbone coat:
   
   
8. Organic, natural, undyed fabrics. Linen, wool, cotton. Nice neutral colors. They seem clean and airy and light. See, for example, pretty much everything here.
9. This poster. I strongly advocate in favor of this kind of sentiment.
   
   
10. Faux-made macaroni and cheese. The faux part is the cheese: Velveeta Light, which is not a cheese at all, and probably not something I want to put into my body. But it makes yummy, creamy macaroni and "cheese," and I like it. Here's what I do: Cut some Velveeta Light into cubes. Add a couple pats of butter and a splash of milk. Heat in microwave until it's all melty. Cook some elbow macaroni. Mix melty "cheese" with macaroni. Eat and be happy.

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Things I love today

28May09 9:35 PM4 comments    Add comment

1. Online acquaintances. There's nothing like getting a little support from someone you barely know to make you feel good and famous. In that slightly-embarrassed scrunched-up sort of way you get when someone compliments you and you're not sure you deserve it but you appreciate it anyway.
2. A new bed to add to my collection of favorite beds, here and here.
   
   
3. A newfound blog: Absolutely Beautiful Things. It totally lives up to its name. For example:
   
   
4. This lovely little cake:
   
   
   
   The snow-like icing! The little balls of color! It's just so freaking cute!
5. Jesse playing video games while I work on my computer. I don't know — there's something oddly comforting about it. I like that he's doing something he enjoys.
6. Underpants necklace. The weirdness of combining something secret (underwear) with something public (necklace) strikes me as fascinating.
   
   
7. Rain boots. A colorful way to brighten an otherwise-dreary day. Endless has lots, and so does Zappos, but these are my favorites:
   
   
8. The word "lady". I just like the connotations and all the ways it has been used in American culture: Lady and the Tramp, First Lady, ladies and gentlemen, "She's a Lady," Lady Marmelade, Lady of the Lake, etc.
9. Ross Noble. He is the most hilarious thing across which I have come for a long time.
   
   
10. Being employed! I'm excited about working for a non-profit organization with a wonderful mission. I'm excited about working with what seem to be wonderful people who like their jobs. I'm excited about being a webmaster and doing webmaster-type work. I'm excited about taking the light rail into downtown Minneapolis every day. I'm excited about having a regular income again. Hooray!

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Summer fun for people who hate summer

26May09 1:40 PM5 comments    Add comment

It should come as no surprise to at least some of my readers that I. Hate. Summer. Always have, always will. It's the heat. The heat and the crowds. And the bugs. But mostly the heat.

This is an unpopular opinion. Most people feel excited, or at least relief, when the warmer months roll around. Luckily, I found a significant other who hates summer even more than I do. So we keep indoors, draw the blinds, turn on the air conditioner as often as the temperature requires, i.e., when it gets above 72 degrees.

It recently occurred to me that there must be ways to make summer, if not enticing, at least bearable.

1. Ice cream. Jesse and I do love our ice cream. In the summer we can limit our cold treat purchases to places that close during the winter.
2. Farmer's markets. Jesse doesn't see the point, but I enjoy walking around, looking at everything that's available, picking up some produce that is, hopefully, fresher than the stuff they sell at the grocery store. It'd be a good reason to wake up early on weekends. There's a huge farmer's market in Minneapolis and a smaller one in Bloomington.
3. Grilling. The obstacle here is Jesse, who, when I suggested grilling, made a face and said, "Too hot" Still, I like grilled food; steak, chicken fajitas, corn on the cob... Maybe I can find someone else who a) has a grill, or b) would be willing to go somewhere with public grills, like Como Park.
4. Indoor barbecues. If the grilling doesn't work out, we can still consume summer fare inside: hot dogs, baked beans, chips, watermelon, lemonade. Ooh, and s'mores! (over the burner or in the microwave) Set it all out on a blanket in the middle of the living room, and we have a picnic.
5. Movies. Who doesn't love a good summer blockbuster? Bonus: Indoors, dark, air-conditioned! I'm especially looking forward to "Up," "Land of the Lost," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "District 9," "Julie and Julia."
6. Museums. Summer seems like a great time to visit museums. Most people spend nice days outdoors, so the crowds should be limited. Plus, we don't have to haul around our winter wear. And again, indoors and air conditioned! We can go to the MIA, the Walker, the James J. Hill House, the Science Museum, the Museum of American Art, etc. Libraries, too!
7. Minneapolis. We can explore the city without going outside through the skyway system. Block E, here we come!
8. Preparing for winter. Remembering that it will eventually be be cool and comfortable might help us through the warmest days. We can eat soup, wear socks, make some paper snowflakes. We can launder all our heavier clothes and bed linens so they're fresh and clean by the time autumn rolls around. Maybe we can go ice skating at an indoor rink!
9. Reading. I don't need a beach to do some summer reading; I just need a book (perhaps Bill Bryson's Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, or The Girls by Lori Lansens, or Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy). Preferably a paperback. And a lawn chair, if I decide to brave the outdoors. And sunscreen with an SPF of 4000.
10. Nudity. When the going gets hot, the hot take off their clothes. Only around the apartment, of course.

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Welcome back!

21May09 11:00 PM4 comments    Add comment

Hello! I've decided to start posting again! Let's all dance a happy dance to celebrate! **dance dance**

And what better way to begin a new period of blogging than with a few things I currently love:

1. My family. You're all freaking awesome.
   
2. Simba. RIP, sweet and gorgeous puppydawg.
   
3. Going on vacation. A great opportunity to escape familiar surroundings and recharge one's brain.
4. Coming home again. Part of what makes vacations so sweet.
5. Smashing Magazine. A kick-ass web design resource, one of the best I've found. I tend to bookmark every post.
6. Image Spark. A great way to collect pretty pictures I find online.
7. Pearl earrings. Just in general. So simple, so classy, so lovely.
8. Glee. I'm excited to see more of this show. It has singing! and dancing! two of my favorite things!
9. 17" MacBook Pro. You shall be mine one day, MacBook Pro. Oh, yes. You shall be mine.
10. Paul Simon. Naturally.

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HAPPPPPY NEW YEAR!

1Jan09 1:15 PM    Add comment

"But, on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeavor, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it." - Ben Franklin (via)


Isn't it exciting? A brandy-new year filled with lots of brandy-new possibilities and opportunities. Anything could happen. Expect only good things, though.

Here are my resolutions. They come directly from the The Kind of Person I Want to Be post in my Journal.

Rested - awake and full of energy
Action item: sleep eight hours every night (preferably 11 PM to 7 AM)

Healthy - care for my muscles, veins, bones
Action item: eat more brightly-colored vegetables
Action item: photograph meals
Action item: get an hour of daily exercise

Clean - everything with a place, in its place
Action item: put things away, right away, when I'm done with them
Action item: purchase appropriate containers

Minimalist - own only the things I need and/or use
Action item: pare down my stuff, little by little

Comfortable - I don't mind paying a bit more for certain luxuries
Action item: budget carefully

Productive - in a flow sort of way
Action item: finish projects I start

Interested - there's beauty everywhere
Action item: surround myself with lovely things
Action item: take pictures

On time - with appointments and birthday gifts
Action item: prepare gift lists and cards ahead of time
Action item: stock up on packaging and shipping materials

Hygienic - care for my teeth, skin, body
Action item: floss, rinse, cleanse, etc.

Passionate - make room for friends and family and things I love
Action item: write letters
Action item: respond more quickly
Action item: be friendly with strangers

Introverted - value time alone
Action item: schedule personal outings

Creative - emphasis on the "create" part
Action item: make something every day

Optimistic - happily hopeful
Action item: believe that every day will be, and has been, a good one

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Year-End Questions

30Dec08 2:40 PM1 comment    Add comment

From Dharma Practice:

1. What was the most surprising pleasant thing that happened to you this year? What was the most surprising unpleasant thing?

They're both the same thing: losing my job. Unpleasant because, you know, OMG I HAVE NO JOB. (Or health insurance.) Pleasant because I was ready to leave in a lot of ways, and I've been able to enjoy this time off. The possibilities seem endless now. I'm still fairly young, I have no serious attachments like a mortgage or kids, I'm open to whatever opportunities head in my direction.

2. What food(s) did you start eating this year that you haven't eaten much before? Did you stop eating something, or dramatically reduce your intake? Why?

None, no, and no. I discovered/confirmed that I love beets and sweet potatoes and squash and rice and flour tortillas and herbed cream cheese. I did eat a lot more Zone and Luna bars, because they came recommended by my personal trainer and nutritionist. I've removed them from my diet, though. They're convenient, but I'm not convinced they're healthy.

My favorite dish of the entire year was a seasonal-vegetable wild rice risotto I had in September at Lucia's in Minneapolis. Wowee. The peanut chicken, green chile pork, and tres queso tacos at Bar Abilene in Uptown weren't bad, either.

3. What risks did you take? How did they work out?

I don't really value risk-taking. I guess I've risked using the word "love" a lot more. It can easily turn saccharine. But I think I've pulled it off.

4. What performance (music, dance, movie, theater, etc.) did you most enjoy this year? (If you were doing the performing, then which did you most enjoy doing, and which did you most enjoy experiencing?)

Hilights: Third in February (thought-provoking, complicated, well-acted), The Government Inspector with Jesse's parents in July (funny, interesting, apt), Circus Juventas with my mom in August (amazing, casual, well-muscled).

I loved the ballet in NYC, too. It was beautiful, and, in the case of the "Company B" performances, multi-layered and complex. I like multi layers and complexity.

5. What habits are you trying to change? What's encouraging, motivating, and/or inhibiting you in your efforts? Did you add any new habits that feel like they're becoming part of you? Did you drop any that you'd like to resume?

Oh, God. Sleeping regular hours. Eating at home and less junk food. Getting to the gym at least four times a week. Paring down all my stuff. Completing extracurricular projects I start. Creating more. The same habits I've been trying to change for a few years now.

I'm sure I'll write a lot more about all these things during the course of 2009. Maybe this year I'll actually accomplish some of them.


Thanks for the brain exercise, Narya!

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Things I love today

13Dec08 9:10 PM2 comments    Add comment

1. The Innocence Mission. You know how sometimes you find the most perfect music for the most perfect kind of day you can imagine? This is it, for me. (via)
2. Prepositions. I love prepositions! They're just great words. Maybe it's because I love temporal, spatial, and logical relationships.
3. This decor8 blog post and its accompanying photos. Especially this part:

   In the end I'm simply trying to say to create a home, a room, a corner of your home, any space that belongs to you (even half of your dorm room) into a space that has your fingerprint on it — something personal and special, a place that supports you, the invigorates, refreshes, inspires. If you like it, that’s what matters the most.

4. Color Me Katie. A strong dose of happiness. I'm totally into happiness these days.
5. Polly Wreford photos. Just the kind of pretty images I like. (via)
6. Breathe Right nose strips. I don't know if they help me to sleep at all, but they're awesome for stuffy-nose nights.
7. BeYaGi. I went to this BEad, YArn, and GIft store for the first time earlier this week. It's a lovely little place near where I used to work. They have a yarn-winding machine.
8. My Little Arty Ponies. I was into My Little Ponies when I was little. These are much blingier than the ones we had.
9. Caganers. Also, this comment from a related blog post: "What would Jesus doo?"
10. My haircut. It's a bit blonder than I'd expected, but I love it. It's so freaking shiny.
    

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Family photo ideas

5Dec08 2:20 PM1 comment    Add comment

Christmas this year will be at my grandparents' house in New Ulm, MN. I was considering renting a good digital SLR camera and tripod and do some picture-taking, and maybe afterwards putting all the shots into a book or website or something. Not that I know the first thing about taking picture, you understand — just for fun, and to relieve my mom of the responsibility.

Alas, renting digital cameras costs A Lot Of Money. Like, $150/day, which is more than what I wanted to spend for the entire week. So that's out.

Still, I'm hoping I can convince my family to try something other than the usual line-up-and-smile family shot (this one is from 2005, and not everyone in this picture will be at Christmas):



So I've compiled a list of creative family and group photos from around the web as inspiration. Maybe I'll bring my own mustache props. Or guns.










And some slightly more traditional ones, all from Flickr:

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Things I love today

4Dec08 10:00 AM1 comment    Add comment

1. LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com. I know a few people on whom I could use this site... (via)
2. Demotivators. Oldie but goodie.
3. Basin Peppermint Shower Squeeze. It smells like the holidays, and its ingredients make my skin tingle and chill. I'm excited to use it in summer, too; maybe it'll cool me down.
4. Winter photos. For my favorite season.
5. Welcoming strangers home at the airport. Sweet!
   
   (via)
6. Guards Awareness Test. I failed.
7. Guilty pleasure. The mesmerizing Bob Fosse-esque dancing. The catchy if less-than-progressive music. The robotic glove. Can't...tear...eyes...away...
   
8. Julie Galdo's photos. I love the colors, the styles, the sensibilities.
9. Zuca luggage. If I traveled much (I don't), I think this would be perfect. If only you could customize with different colors and patterns... (via)
10. Wary Meyers interiors. The wallpapered rooms! Wow!

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4 seconds of fame

3Dec08 11:45 AM3 comments    Add comment

The short version: You can see the briefest glimpse of me here, behind and just to the right of presenter Matt Peiken, at 0:28 - 0:32.

The long version: I was standing in line at the MCAD Art Sale a few weeks ago and saw this guy videotaping himself. I looked at the art on the walls and pretended not to be paying attention. Then, later, as I was waiting for my car, I heard someone behind me talking about a one-man project in which he was involved, 3-Minute Egg, which features clips and commentary from the Twin Cities art scene.

So I checked out the website, and I thought, Hmmm, maybe that's the same guy I saw filming at the sale, so I waited patiently for the Art Sale video, and yes! There I am! For a few seconds!

In other news, the site's a great way to get an idea of what sorts of art-related groups perform, read, exhibit, or otherwise exist in the Twin Cities. Lots of interesting stuff there.

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