red [life]

 

 

I'm feeling good and productive. I've got ideas and projects and goals and dreams and AND AND!!

It's great! It's hopeful. I needed this. I'm learning so much.

I ended the year 2011 in a positively happy mood despite, well, many things, but freshly cutting my knee open (I went back and forth about posting that photo---kinda beautifully red, but maybe actually really gross..? Ha). I've been fairly clumsy lately; I attribute it to the moon phases and my new "free" sense of self.  Aka there is no point in being so caution because shit is going to happen regardless. 

I watched the movie Beginners last night... into the New Year. Wonderful. It hit all the right places in my head and heart. Appropriate, too. It is time for beginnings. One thing that stayed with me was the meanings behind each color of the rainbow flag. So for today I choose red. Life. 

These photos are from a variety of moments in 2011.

Crazy milk drinks from the asian market in El Cerrito. A lust-worthy moped on Valencia Street. 

A Ritual Coffee Roasters sea salt chocolate chip cookie. 

A puppy on the BART. (I miss California, but I don't feel too far from it...)

Two disposable camera prints from my recent twenty-second birthday. Back in Gainesville. 

[I thought I'd participate in this January 2012 photo project and today is "YOU"]

So the final shot is a bowl-cut portrait from around age 5 or so. 

Wholehearted. 2012! READY set go!

reading and eating (and too much sweeting)

I love reading New York Magazine's various blogs. Everyday I do. I don't even live in New York, but whatever!

I happened upon Grub Street's "The Grub Street Diet" (aka the New York Diet) and it is fascinating.

It reminded me of the days when I avidly journaled all the moments of my day, everyday. Yeah, there was regularly an emphasis on food. Or, at least, there was an ease in writing about food when I had no words for the everything else.

Reading about these notable people (Wyatt Cenac, Andy Cohen, Dylan Lauren...etc) is a hoot. And reading about these people's food consumption, the oddities and habits, is even more interesting. For me, at least.

I've been eating ice cream out way too often this summer. But what am I supposed to do when the only hangouts/cheap eats in town are the one coffeehouse (sorry, it's subpar), 8 fried seafood shacks (I've never craved fried clams), and 6 ice cream shops (I've tried them all, I have opinions)?


My younger brother made two loaves of challah. Oh wow they are delicious! My household ate that bread up fast! French toast, sandwiches, you name it we ate it... (Funny story: a couple years ago in a class we had an assignment for a quick t-shirt design. I made a challah themed shirt, you can buy it on Zazzle.)

(See, more New York reading material.)

I was bored one afternoon and saw an add for this chocolate shop that catered to witches and stoners. Wait, what? So I went and I understood. Weird. But I got this delicious homemade chocolate s'mores concoction. Who knows what it did to me.

Yeah, I actually eat things not made of sugar and flour too. I eat my weight in vegetables daily. (Hence my non-diabetic health.) But greens are about as prevalent in my life as water, so I often forget to capture that and show the world, "hey, look at all the broccoli I ate today!"

brief brain scan

Feeling (what Jean Jullien made):

Loving (Jenni Rope's Print designs for Marimekko, 2011):

Thinking: 

[source]

friday findings: BANANAS

I listened to a great story on NPR's Fresh Air today. "Bananas: The Uncertain Future Of A Favorite Fruit" 

Opened my eyes about bananas, among other things. I've always had a thing for the fruit, from eating it to it's use visually. When I was a freshman in high school I had this love of Andy Warhol and the Velvet Underground & Nico. I had a poster of the album cover on my wall. I did an art piece in tenth grade with all the members of the band coming out of banana peels. Yeah, the list continues...

[source: left, right]

Chiquita issued some postcards back in the day to try and show that it wasn't inappropriate and gross to enjoy your bananas in public. [source]

I like to make myself drool. So I found these things I want to make and eat, mostly eat:

Smitten Kitchen: caramel walnut upside down cake | 101 Cookbooks: Banana Chip Cookies

And a final lesson in badass accessorizing with Josephine Baker (gave a report on her en français in high school--again, bananas) and WAH Nails. 

september starts

Ever since Irene passed through the weather has been amazing. Beautiful. Warmth in the bright sun. Breezy. Sparkling water at every turn...

But a quick recap of the storm:




























(this is the "front yard", basically. we hoped the water from the pond would stop rising--it did. me in the red sweatshirt, younger brother in the red pants, sister-in-law in the shorts; funny enough, my mom was wearing a bright red jacket--photo by mom)

We went driving around and this was over at the harbor in Edgartown. (photo by mom)




At South Beach we braved the ferocious sand. It seriously felt like razor burn all over your body as the wind sent the sand from the beach. The photo on the right was taken by me as I took cover behind the shower stalls. 

We kept taking portraits and all mine were this: hair, lots of hair. All and all we faired well (thank you!) during the storm, and even the debris was smiling. 

- - - - - - -

But now back to today, September First. 

Although I woke up much earlier than I desired today, I felt good. Or at least excited about the refreshing quality of a new month. A month that means moving, a month that means fall...

So I cleaned off my old polish, ran my feet through the thick New England grass, and painted my toes a rich, deep turquoise-green. (it's described as "the veins of green mold running through Roquefort." brand: strangebeautiful)

I'm hoping to start some sort of series features on here. I'm remembering that I'm a big fan of structure and creative organization... 

returns

dear you,

I'm quite sorry for the neglect. I've been thinking about

you daily, honestly. Excuses: too busy, too tired, or too

something. Now I would like to be too involved in keeping

this a priority.

Sincerely, me.

P.s. Here's a little bit of stuffs thats been happening:

I took a very swift trip to Baltimore and had a wonderful time---

all despite the fact that I worked late on a Monday, drove there on

a Tuesday (up at 5am--took nine hours),

packed and moved in hundred degree plus weather, then drove

back on a Thursday (another none hours!) and worked that Friday

morning.

Baltimore was full of love and friends and delicious eating.

Traveling was full of ocean and fog and bridges and ferries.

Back on the island there was the arrival of my favorite pup,

Nora. Plus, cousins, uncle, and beach picnics.

I bought these Ked-like shoes for seven dollars (my goal

was to find a pair of shoes I could adventure in--hike, beach,

wander--and not worry about, all under ten dollars: check!)

A long lost pair was hidden in a shelf at this strange island

store. They are a shade one of wonderful (power color?) and

I've been wearing them like I was born to.

Eating a lot of sweets (what's new there?). Seeing live music

(I like the rainbow palette of the crowd). August blooms filling

my rooms.

wobbles

Perhaps its the fullness of the moon, or the middle of the month,

or the smaller amount of hours asleep in my bed...

I've been a bit clumsy (welts, bruises, and cuts as proof) and have

had a few bouts of teariness.

But little things perk me up.

[picture source: scout&catalogue]

squashes

I've been enjoying the varieties of hydrangeas around.

Some of my favorite neighbors gave us some garden goods.

So we made pizza and it was divine.

Did you know that garlic hangs beautifully?

changes/love and friends

excuses, excuses, I know. Delays and busy days. Egad!

But hey, this week has felt like a month--maybe two.

I might be moving to San Fran in September. Exactly.

Valentine by Margherita Urbani

drools (daily)

Hey! July! Days off! Sunshine!

Spent some nice down time finding delightful things:

[illustrations/fabric/clothing: wonderful! Leah Reena Goren]

[relatable/adorable: Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2011 by Bruce Weber]

[favorite phrase/creative Baltimore adoration: Adam J. Kurtz]

[awww, my dad posted a picture of my birth place: yes, I was born in this apartment.]