artistic appreciation: food blogs!

 vegan yum yum // by lolo // in boston

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:

just because...i need to spead the geometric love!

i heart these bags by ulala.

ahhh...monday! cooling off.

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 )

books i read last month...

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)

sigh...jewelry crush

via iswasandwillbe!

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.

ahhh...monday! holy hotness!

friday fab/five: dr. dog/fireworks/free samples/mojitos, etc.

1. dr. dog: this west philly band has been popping up via my "shuffle" a lot lately...maybe my iphone knows that i'm moving! speaking of moving, these tunes are perfect for bike riding...from sublime coasting to tough hills...when a dr. dog song comes on i grin, sing along and pedal my heart out.

2. watching old mad men episodes: i know, i didn't think i was going to talk about MM until next spring (season 6!!), but my dear friend was sick over the weekend and i got to lounge out with her and watch a bit of season 2. OMG...there is so much that i forgot and characters that i miss...and it was so hard not to talk to her about the recent season...she's catching up though.

3. sephora: usually, i rush in and out of sephora over my lunch break - grabbing some old standby hair shine and maybe a new lip gloss while elbowing my way to the register. but i was in the store last friday and i actually ask for HELP finding something. lesson learned...the cute lady was not only super helpful, but she loaded me up with free samples. i love free things, especially things like origins cooling eye mask.

4. mojito: i had the amazing opportunity to visit cuba (twice!) a few years ago - and boy do they know how to prepare their signature drink. for me, it's not only the perfect summer cocktail, but drinking a mojito on a hot humid day reminds me of my crazy island adventures! now if i can only find that missing bottle of havana club.

5. july: here's a little known fact...the 4th of july AKA independence day is my favorite holiday. yes, the food is always good and grilled, but it's the spectacle of this particular holiday that gets to me. those cheesy country songs make me cry and i relish in exclaiming over a colorful exploding sky. on a related note: i also cry during the national anthem at sports events and when touchdowns result in fireworks. i choose to think it's very american of me to react this way!

(image source 1 // 2 // 3 in athens // 4 // 5 - g. widman)

ear candy: jason schwartzman is a talented man!

i have a crush on jason schwartzman - THE MUSICIAN. i like the actor version of him too, but i have been pleasantly surprised by how much i like the music from his recent band, coconut records. it's great summer pop! and a perfect match for these copper corrugated triangle copper earrings from blueberrycream.

sigh...daydream vacation to the saguaro hotel in palm springs!

when i was cleaning out my travel binder...you know, the folder/binder where you shove colorful pages from magazines about places you dream about going...i found a TON of articles on palm springs. 

i guess my subconscious wants me to go to this desert location! and the saguaro hotel looks like a fun (and colorful) place to stay...as well as the ace hotel. ah, maybe next winter when i am all snowed out!

a picture & a poem: kazim ali

autobiography by kazim ali
-----------------

we didn’t really speak

my summer wants to answer

the architecture doesn’t matter

this is not my real life

when I am here I want to know

why do I believe what I was taught

a storm is on the way

close all the windows

begin at the earliest hour

is there a self

(poem source)

artistic appreciation: sexy feathers from an MN crafter!

tokara (AKA love sexton AKA minneapolis resident AKA my future neighbor) creates some very cool accessories. i love the color/bling/pleather combo!

just because...you will always need a good font!

i SO heart this font - berimbau - from you work for them.
i want to go have a glass of wine with the letter Y!!

ahhh monday: almost july.

friday/fab 5: water ice/peppermint/bartram's gardens, etc!!

keeping it short and sweet - on account of the heat. oh, a rhyme!

1. pools: my gym has an outdoor unheated pool...and boy, does it hit the spot on a hot day.

2. italian water ice: this regional treat is NOT a snow-cone or a slushie - to me "wooder" ice is plainly cold and sweet and people in philly love it by the cupful. the president even had some when he was in town last summer!

3. movie theaters: so freezing - so dark. i just saw the movie "safety not guaranteed" - it's a pretty awesome little film! see it!

4. bartram's gardens: sometimes the city is SO hot and bartram's is strangely cool and otherworldly. must check out their new bike trail ASAP.

5. peppermint: nothing beats dabbing some peppermint essential oil behind my ears and on my lower back and then getting on my bike. mint + breeze = cold tingly ride!

(images: 2 // 3 via pinterest // 4 // 5)

sigh...dream gift to myself!

i have been visiting this fox claw bracelet by odette once a week for far too long...
maybe it will be the christmas present to myself this year. maybe!?!

ear candy: alela diane!

alela diane's music reminds me of a dense forest...with a little melodic cold struggle mixed in...yet still very beautiful. if that makes any sense. and i think these earrings (by black and white jewels) fit her sonic mood perfectly.

a picture & a poem: sandra beasley!

The Piano Speaks by Sandra Beasley 
--------------
For an hour I forgot my fat self,
my neurotic innards, my addiction to alignment.

For an hour I forgot my fear of rain.

For an hour I was a salamander
shimmying through the kelp in search of shore,
and under his fingers the notes slid loose
from my belly in a long jellyrope of eggs
that took root in the mud. And what

would hatch, I did not know—
a lie. A waltz. An apostle of glass.

For an hour I stood on two legs
and ran. For an hour I panted and galloped.

For an hour I was a maple tree,
and under the summer of his fingers
the notes seeded and winged away

in the clutch of small, elegant helicopters.

(poem source)