Thursday, January 28, 2010

Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?

"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. You could go there a hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be weaving that same blanket. Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you'd be so much older or anything. It wouldn't be that, exactly. You'd just be different, that's all. You'd have an overcoat on this time. Or the kid that was your partner in line last time had got scarlet fever and you'd have a new partner. Or you'd have a substitute taking the class, instead of Miss Aigletinger. Or you'd heard your mother and father having a terrific fight in the bathroom. Or you'd just passed by one of those puddles in the street with gasoline rainbows in them. I mean you'd be different in some way--I can't explain what I mean. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd feel like it." --The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 16.

RIP, J.D. Salinger. And thanks.


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Here's a sampling of the photos from the 90s party. Taken by the great Light Leak Photography.


There were so many things going on, I forgot to really take photos, but I managed to capture the sweet game of Pogs, a tiny bit of the dance party (DJ Shoeshine, aka K was spinning awesome 90s jams all night--at one point, there was a runway-off to "I'm Too Sexy" as well as a boys against girls dance-off ... amazing).





Picture-A-Day:
I really like pens and highlighters. My office, noon.

Listening to the State of the Union address. ♥

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

por favor, dejame sola

One Art
--Elizabeth Bishop

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

(This is a dog. It's sleeping. Let it.)

Monday, January 25, 2010

Hello, Monday!

This weekend was amazing! The 90s party was the most fun I've had at a house party in a long time. I'll try to get some photos up soon.

The rain finally stopped on Sunday, and it was a lovely, sunny day to go to the farmer's market. It seemed as though everyone was there. I got some blood oranges, which I've been craving lately. I ate a few last night, and they were completely red inside, which I've not seen before. They were beautiful.

I took some photos with my Diana+, and will develop them soon.

Anyway, photography is on my mind lately, and here's a photographer I would love to emulate: Franck Juery



His work is quiet and evocative and makes my heart beat a little faster as I hold my breath.





Picture-A-Day:
I have a lot of bows in my desk, and I'm not sure why. My office, afternoon.


Listening to Pursesnatchers.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Have a Happy Weekend!!!

Planning a 90s party has made me very nostalgic. K found the soundtrack to Reality Bites as well as Alanis' Jagged Little Pill. I've been listening to them in rotation. I wonder if this is how the generation above me feels about the 80s--reminiscing is way better than actually having lived it.

I was obsessed with this song for awhile. I'm not sure why, especially because I was an angry little thing. But I guess I had my teen girl moments too.

Picture-A-Day:
Harried self-portrait in the restroom, afternoon.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Just a Picture

Picture-A-Day:
K brought me coffee this morning. Sweet, especially the name he put on my cup. My office, morning.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The 1990s

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a dear friend of mine.



We're celebrating with dinner tonight, but this weekend we are going to have a super 1990s birthday, from which I hope I will have some photos to post next week. It's going to be amazing! Oh 90s fashion, I miss you sometimes.









Picture-A-Day:
Luckily this is garden decor and not a functional door, or I'd curse these storms that knocked it over. My house, morning..

Listening to 90s music on iTunes.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Love and War

Aphrodite, Goddess of love and beauty, symbolized by pink roses and warm gold and the vast ocean, has an affair with the blood-lusting god of war. The god Ares, who has no loyalties, leaves a path of destruction in his wake, cannot quench his thirst for mayhem and battle.

Why? Because love doesn't make any sense. Because sometimes passion outweighs self-preservation. Because sometimes we are pulled to the flame and let everything burn around us...











Picture-A-Day:
Time to get a new bunch. My house, evening.

Listening to Jonsi Birgisson.

Friday, January 15, 2010

When the Universe Wills It...

Sometimes the Universe just really wants you to have something. I was browsing Etsy today (just looking!), and one of my favorite sellers, Persephone Vintage, had this, and I WANTED this:
but, alas, I have no money, and I need to stop the Etsy addiction, so I passed :(

But THEN, on my way home from work, I realized I have a gift card from Christmas that I need to spend before it starts charging fees, and so I popped into one of my favorite vintage stores, and LOOK what I found! and for $24 too. Sometimes things work out so nicely.

Listening to AA Bondy.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Expertise

It is a little late to be discussing New Year's resolutions, and I didn't really make any. I have vague ideas about the things I want to accomplish this year, but I didn't metaphorically set them in stone or even write them down.

I'm not going to do that now, either. But I am going to write down, right here, something I do wish to get back to this year. Studying. I used to be an obsessive researcher/studier. When I became interested in something, I devoured all the information I could on the topic. A few years ago it was an obsession with Louise Brooks. Lately I've just been halfheartedly interested in too many things. This year I want to become and "expert" on something.

Perhaps I'll document my progress here and share the knowledge, or maybe I'll end up doing that on my secret blog, either way, I am not going to remain afraid of the fact that this behavior can be (and has in the past been) socially isolating. I am a nerd. That's okay. I will just have to work harder to find other avenues in conversation. Unless I find someone else out there on the same path of study. You know, once I figure out what that path may be.

And...completely unrelated, although somewhat ironic given yesterday's post, my Etsy purchase came today. Hooray. I guess I'm not doing as well as I thought with self-restraint.




Listening to Theoretical Girl.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Wanting What You Can't Have.

Call it a reaction to buying so many things for other people over the holidays, but I am in a shopping mood. I want, want, want, but I can't have. But a little window shopping never hurt anyone.






Listening to Phoenix.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Let it Snow.

It's been snowing in so many other parts of the country lately, yet here it has been sunny and warm the past week or so. Although I know I should be counting my blessings and despite the fact that I have a very annoying cold that I can't seem to kick, I would love to see some snow right now. I want cold, sharp air and foggy, wet light. I want to feel the relief of the warmth of indoors, sit by a fire and be grateful for it. The quiet and the peace. I want that for just a little while.






Listening to Broken Bells.