8/16/12
leaving philly...T-11 days! rivers & fountains!
i am knee-deep in boxes...literally! it's time to focus on my move and thus take a break from the regular blog schedule. so, on each of my last 11 (!!) days i'm going to post some pictures highlighting my philly favorites...starting now! the theme today is WATER aka rivers & fountains! philly has the delaware river on the east side and the schuylkill river on the west side. fun fact: the delaware river is tidal and sometimes smells like the ocean!
8/15/12
a picture & a poem: caroline caddy!
---------------
Be precise
authority is magic.
When you think you've got it straight
wax wane declination
feel the movement under your hand
one summer morning
as you observe it set
then rise that night.
Always use a well-sharpened pencil
followed by a good eraser.
Watch the white emerge.
(poem source)
8/14/12
artistic appreciation: miranda july!
8/10/12
friday fab/five: wishlist!
(my birthday is coming up, so this is a little fantasy "birthday wish list" fab/five.)
1. a new watch: i still rub my wrist expecting my lost watch to be there. ghost watch. this whimsically/modern watch by biegert & funk would be a delightful replacement.
2. manicure: boy, if celebrating your birthday is not an excuse to get a zany manicure, i don't know what is! some great tutorials here.
3. necklaces: stunning!
4. a new iphone case: i've featured society6 on the blog before, but really they have the most beautiful cases.
5. being nice: sometimes i wish that we would all be nicer to each other (and ourselves) more often...and say nice things to each other more often...and help each other out more often. it's easy to get frustrated with humanity, but it's also easy to smile at a stranger and mean it.
( 2 via pinterest // 3 // 5 )
8/9/12
ear candy: fleet foxes!
i'm working on a music mix to give to my philadelphia friends, but there are just way TOO many songs on it right now. how do i edit out all the tunes that reflect my time here or songs that evoke memories...like the time i danced to "moves like jagger" for a friend when she was feeling sleepy. i showed her MY best moves!
one band with 4 or 5 songs currently on the list is fleet foxes. perhaps they are so well represented because they have (hushed) layered epic sounding songs which are perfect for my epic journey! speaking of travel...the chevron points the way with these wood earrings from scarlet garnet.
8/8/12
a picture & a poem: dana gioia!
Reunion by Dana Gioia
----------------------
This is my past where no one knows me.
These are my friends whom I can’t name—
Here in a field where no one chose me,
The faces older, the voices the same.
Why does this stranger rise to greet me?
What is the joke that makes him smile,
As he calls the children together to meet me,
Bringing them forward in single file?
I nod pretending to recognize them,
Not knowing exactly what I should say.
Why does my presence seem to surprise them?
Who is the woman who turns away?
Is this my home or an illusion?
The bread on the table smells achingly real.
Must I at last solve my confusion,
Or is confusion all I can feel?
(poem source)
8/7/12
artistic appreciation...theo altenberg!
these paintings by german artist theo altenberg make me want to listen to atmospheric music and stare at all their dreamy magic of oil on cardboard.
8/6/12
8/3/12
friday fab/five: water bottles/eagles/library/cuffs, etc.!
1. water bottles: seriously, i have lost too many to count...in all kinds of crazy places, but i am such a water-aholic that i feel like something is missing when i don't have my water bottle with me! especially on these super hot days. this addiction is a double-edged sword...i basically have all the public bathrooms in philly mapped out! i'm partial to the metal bottle from sigg.
2. E-A-G-L-E-S: wow, realized this week that football preseason is right around the corner! and while i am moving back to MN...i vow to remain a diehard eagles fan. once and eagles fan, always an eagles fan.
3. events @ the free library on pinterest: my favorite folks from the free library have created a pinterest account...you should follow them and get your literary fix.
4. cuffs AKA big bracelets: these are all over etsy/pinterest/tumblr...a few drool worthy options are available here and here and here.
5. the olympics: it's hard to ignore the triumph and the tragedy happening in london right now. even the royal family is getting caught up in the spectacle!
(images 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5)
8/2/12
8/1/12
a picture & a poem: todd boss
We Tend to Sleep Better When the Clock is Wound by Todd Boss
----------
than we do
when it’s all
wound down.
I don’t know
why we settle
to the sound.
Somehow
the regular
click and chime
of passing time,
like water, turns
a water wheel
that turns a gear
that turns a stone
that turns upon
another stone
and fine
and finer in between
our dreams like grain
7/31/12
artistic appreciation: rebecca ringquist!
fiber artist rebecca ringquist is creating cool tactile work out of found embroidery that she embellishes with her own hand or machines! (mom, if you are reading this, this is pretty cool stuff right?...inspiration for my scraps!)
7/27/12
friday fab/five: show your bike some love!
i thought a cycle-themed fab/five was in order since my bike has been under-the-weather lately. it needs it's internal hub AKA gears rebuilt. i'm waiting on a quote from my mechanic...which could be good news or bad news!
1. fender cozy AKA crochet skirt guard: you know you want one! they are custom made by dorien in the netherlands.
2. cycle-themed tumblers: not that i advocate drinking and biking, but if you are going to throw back a few, why not use these cute screen printed bike glasses by brett and crystal?
3. bike jewelry: i already have a bike necklace similar to this...but maybe i should get a back-up from rachel pfeffer designs.
4. light up your bike: OMG, i want these LED wheel lights so bad...especially since i saw them in action recently. they are for safety, but i'm afraid that drivers would be blinded by my awesome magnificence!
5. bern helmets: here is the hard truth, i don't want to look like a TOTAL dork while riding my bike, but i don't want brain trauma either. thus i'm drawn to less "sporty" looking bike helmets. i settled on bern helmets and have been a totally satisfied so far....plus the little visor is quite good at keeping the sun/rain out of my eyes. look at the happy girl in her white and purple helmet!
2. cycle-themed tumblers: not that i advocate drinking and biking, but if you are going to throw back a few, why not use these cute screen printed bike glasses by brett and crystal?
3. bike jewelry: i already have a bike necklace similar to this...but maybe i should get a back-up from rachel pfeffer designs.
4. light up your bike: OMG, i want these LED wheel lights so bad...especially since i saw them in action recently. they are for safety, but i'm afraid that drivers would be blinded by my awesome magnificence!
5. bern helmets: here is the hard truth, i don't want to look like a TOTAL dork while riding my bike, but i don't want brain trauma either. thus i'm drawn to less "sporty" looking bike helmets. i settled on bern helmets and have been a totally satisfied so far....plus the little visor is quite good at keeping the sun/rain out of my eyes. look at the happy girl in her white and purple helmet!
extra!
6. bicycle wine holder: this incredible product has been making the tumblr/pinterest rounds and it seems like the perfect mash-up of form and function! get your own from oopsmart for under $30.
7/26/12
just because...you like doing good...the working proof!
visit the working proof and get this delightful print -
support system by andrea d'aquino and 15% of the sale will go to support the shama foundation.
ear candy: polica!
a friend from MN visited me last weekend and (lucky for me) shared some of his recent favorite bands/music. they were all good tunes, but i've been stuck on minneapolis band polica. i cannot stop listening to them...i think it's the double drums. these rainbow druzy earrings by julianne blumlo also have a bit of a percussive look to them!
7/25/12
a picture & a poem: nicky beer!
Prairie Octopus, Awake by Nicky Beer
-----------------
The night’s turned everything to junipers
shagged & spooked with cerulean chalk-fruit,
weird berries whiffing of Martians in rut.
I forget this isn’t my universe
sometimes. Sometimes I think I was falling
most of my life to land here, a lone skirl
in the immaculate hush. In my world
I waltzed with my ink-self, my black shantung.
Owls swallow vowels in stilled trees. It’s not
sleeplessness, it’s fear of what the dark will
do if I don’t keep a close eye on it.
Blue minutes leak from the pricked stars’ prisms,
seep into the earth unchecked. Just as well—
I’ve hardly enough arms to gather them.
(poem source)
7/24/12
just because...this reminds me of my cuba travels!
i recently found this online article featuring havana interiors by photographer michael eastman. the rich images transported me back to my magical time on this tiny island. havana especially had a tangible beauty of a place trapped in time...like a war happened and then they just kept going about their daily business keeping the decay very clean and orderly! i hope that cuban nationals get the rights and freedoms they deserve.
aristic appreciation: matt root!
arizona-based artist matt root's paintings look cool...like 71 degrees and breezy! which i'm daydreaming about since it is so HOT here in philly. i also like how they reflect the landscape and cultures found in the southwest united states.
7/23/12
7/20/12
friday fab/five: all MN edition!
since my BIG move is about a month away, i thought it was time to highlight some things i'm looking forward to when i get to minnesota (beyond my friends and family!):
1. light rail: they put these tracks/lines in after i left and are building more as you read this. i'm looking forward to getting cozy with MN public transit since i only have a bike now and really really don't want a car.
2. co-ops: i'm talking about cozy & progressive local neighborhood natural food stores...i never understood why philly only has a handful of these since they have such a strong presence in the twin cities.
3. lake swimming: dear lord i miss lake swimming!
4. dive bars: my mom reads the blog...soooooo i'll just say that i could use more old country tunes while drinking a cold one.
5. minnesota state fair: it is what it is - and that is FANTASTICALLY strange and amazing at the same time. for example, princess kay of the milky way and her court have their likenesses carved out of a 90 pound block of grade A butter...which means that they eventually have to eat their own face!
(image 1 // 2 // 4 // 5)
7/19/12
sigh...chevron love from house of harlow
did i ever tell you that i wanted to be wonder woman when i grew up?
i think this cuff from house of harlow is a send-up to that lovely lady!
i think this cuff from house of harlow is a send-up to that lovely lady!
ear candy: exitmusic!
i like my go-to late night bike riding soundtrack as atmospheric as all get out...so the husband/wife duo exitmusic fits into the playlist perfectly. these turquoise shield earrings from sparklefarm would help keep me safe as i coast through sonic magic!
7/18/12
a picture & a poem: solitude
At a Standstill by Samuel Menashe
----------------
The statue, that cast
Of my solitude
Has found its niche
In this kitchen
Where I do not eat
Where the bathtub stands
Upon cat feet—
I did not advance
I cannot retreat
(poem source)
7/17/12
artistic appreciation: laurie danial!
 |
| reckless entertainment, 2010 |
i could stare at laurie danial's work all day! the abstract layers and colors engage some delighted part of my brain.
7/16/12
7/13/12
friday fab/five: anthropologie/burning love/AIDS thrift/wendy, etc.!
1. anthropologie catalogs: now that i'm on a super intense pre-move budget, i have been avoiding the beautiful and alluring philly anthropologie store. which is super hard since it's basically around the corner from my job! luckily, i cannot escape the ridiculous and luxurious wonder of their catalogs...and i don't try...in fact i hoard them...proudly!
2. summer popcorn movies: a hot day + a cold theater + a hunky super hero + huge explosions = happy sara.
3. burning love: this (yahoo produced) reality dating show parody is HI-larious. watch it...really...you may end up wanting mark's hose too!
4. philly AIDS thrift: i used to clean out my closet and drop stuff off at AIDS thrift quite often when i lived in south philly, but it was always too crammed and overwhelming to shop. not anymore! they recently moved into a HUGE new (and thankfully organized) space filled with all kinds of awesome for you to buy. like the shoes pictured above...$3...need i say more?
5. wendy's birthday! it's my dear friend wendy's birthday next week. not only is wendy a treasured friend and an exceptional hugger, she is also a great mom, wife, sister, etc...and cute & funny to boot! AND she literally knows everyone...i keep telling her to run for office. cheers to you wendy!
(image source 2 // 3)
7/12/12
ear candy: sharon jones and the dap kings - workin' it!
i had the chance to see sharon jones and the dap kings play live last spring and let me tell you - they aim to please. ms. jones not only has an amazing voice, but she also had an amazing way with the crowd. it was so hard to suppress my smile/joy when the horn section kicked in! SJDK have a go big or go home kinda vibe, similar to these neon feather earrings by pretty vagrant.
7/11/12
a picture & a poem: birds
Dawn Chorus by Sasha Dugdale
----------
March 29, 2010
Every morning since the time changed
I have woken to the dawn chorus
And even before it sounded, I dreamed of it
Loud, unbelievably loud, shameless, raucous
And once I rose and twitched the curtains apart
Expecting the birds to be pressing in fright
Against the pane like passengers
But the garden was empty and it was night
Not a slither of light at the horizon
Still the birds were bawling through the mists
Terrible, invisible
A million small evangelists
How they sing: as if each had pecked up a smoldering coal
Their throats singed and swollen with song
In dissonance as befits the dark world
7/10/12
artistic appreciation: food blogs!
i think/hope that in my next life i should get to come back as a foodie, because food is not always so fun in my current life. i'lll spare you the gory details, but i have a slew of allergies and a wacky body that makes eating a bit of a minefield. sometimes it makes me a sad that i can't eat anything i want, so lately i've tempered my sadness by turning attention to some amazingly talented food bloggers. i'm trying to at least appreciate all food a little - even if it's only visually!...here are a few to drool over:
7/9/12
7/6/12
friday fab/five: republic bikes/cat power/trees/king of kong, etc.
1. louis CK: i don't have cable, so i'm missing the current season of louie, but luckily he is making the media rounds so i can be reminded of how funny and smart louis ck is.
2. republic bikes: don't get me wrong...i LOVE my bianchi milano, but it's kinda like a station-wagon version of a bike. which is good since i don't have a car and i haul a bunch of crap around everyday! BUT...sometimes i fantasize about being a 2 bike gal...having both a "sensible" bike and a "party" bike. maybe someday i will have a colorful fixie for late night weekend rides.
3. cat power: one of my favorite singers chan marshall (AKA cat power) has a new album coming out in september. i have been enjoying the rhythmic single "ruin' and totally look forward to exploring the rest of her new tunes.
4. king of kong - a fistful of quarters: have you seen this documentary about adult donkey kong players? it's in my top five favorite movies of all time...it's amazing...you should see it too...really.
5. trees: it has been brutally hot here in philly and i have come to realize there's a huge difference between standing on the sidewalk under the blistering hot sun (or scorched earth as i like to refer to it as) and standing in the shade of a tree. so, let's give trees the kudos they deserve since they are working so hard out there for us...be nice to a tree today. (info on urban shade trees)
(image source: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 )
7/4/12
a picture & a poem: happy 4th!
learning to love america by shirley geok-lin lim
------------------------------------
because it has no pure products
because the Pacific Ocean sweeps along the coastline
because the water of the ocean is cold
and because land is better than ocean
because I say we rather than they
because I live in California
I have eaten fresh artichokes
and jacaranda bloom in April and May
because my senses have caught up with my body
my breath with the air it swallows
my hunger with my mouth
because I walk barefoot in my house
because I have nursed my son at my breast
because he is a strong American boy
because I have seen his eyes redden when he is asked who he is
because he answers I don’t know
because to have a son is to have a country
because my son will bury me here
because countries are in our blood and we bleed them
because it is late and too late to change my mind
because it is time.
(poem source)
7/3/12
artistic appreciation: cool ceramics by gemma orkin!
i've suddenly found myself drawn to HEAVY artistic objects...hmmm...could it be related to all the drawer, cupboard and closet cleaning i have been doing in preparation for my big move? maybe, since these beautiful objects seem so permanent, especially the colorful and delightfully illustrated pieces by south african ceramicist gemma orkin.
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