When Routine Becomes Rut.

So I realize I have, ahem, complained a lot lately about being quite busy, and although not much has changed, I have thought up a good way for me to get a little perspective and feel as though there is at least a tiny amount of creative activity happening.

While in London, I got so used to having my camera with me every day and tapping into that part of myself that is really curious about the world, attentive to detail and that loves loves loves finding beauty in things. So I have decided that although I'm feeling this drain of energy (the inevitable come-down after bursting with new sights/sounds/places/people/tastes/smells/weather/minute-by-minute sensations during my trip), I need to find a way to make the routine of daily responsible life feel a little bit out of the ordinary....

SO I've decided that for the next month I am going to take a photo a day during the time between when I wake up for work and when I return home to my front door. I just feel that I normally wake up, blearily stumble through the process of getting ready, drive half-listening to the radio half-stressing over (and I hate to admit, yelling at) other drivers, and then stumble up to work without seeing any of the world around me. And I get too focused during the day and forget to leave my desk. All in all, it's no way to live. That's why I'm doing this. To wake up my senses a little and to knock that soul-sucking routine for a loop. We'll see how successful this endeavor is.

Wish me luck.
Today's contribution:

Afternoon snack. I always get hungry about an hour before I leave work and usually have to snack, or the drive home can make me a tad cranky. Today was French bread with light Belgian butter. Would have been excellent with un cafe.

Listening to Au Revoir Simone.

Wed. Weekend Recap

I was stressed this weekend, so K took me on a minibreak from life to look at turtles and smell the roses. I took a few photos (which ALWAYS makes me feel better.

A small weekend recap. Better late than never?

Listening to The Raveonettes.

There need to be two of me.

I have only 5 minutes. Blah.
These are more pictures from London. Let's see...we were walking around Bloomsbury, taking in the sights. Stopped in Russell square, saw some flowers, squirrels, fountains and stopped for some delicious coffee.









Sorry this is so harried...I will fix it soon.

Late Monday

Slowly but surely, I'm sifting through London photos. I really don't know when I've been this busy. It is kind of insane. I am tired of not getting some photos up, however, so I'm just going to ignore the perfectionist in me screaming to wait until I have time to do the posts justice, and just do it.

This is, I think, was the first photo I took, and I was really excited, having just come off a True Blood kick at home. Then I was remarkably pleased (in my long-plane-ride-addled brain) that I caught the sign as it was showing "Cockfosters". Apparently sometimes I can be a 12-year-old boy.


This is my first sight of the street we were living on. The flat is just up the stairs in one of those buildings. It was a lovely place to stay! So close to the park.


The rest are from inside the British Museum, which we were just walking past and decided to go in. Amazing artifacts--and I got to see the Rosetta Stone (my pictures are very blurry though).














Listening to the sound of my brain melting.

Have a Magical Weekend!

(from left to right, by row: ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥, ♥)

I hope you have a magical weekend!

Listening to Les Paul. RIP.

Whininess is a virtue. (and kind of a fun word to look at)

Happiness for me right now would include:
(1) Catching up on all my work.
(2) Being rid of this gross cough.
(3) Having real time to blog.
(4) More time with my camera.
(5) More time for my friends.
(6) More time to study with Rosetta Stone français.
(7) More time.
(8) None of the above are sentences, so I don't know why I have included periods.

It'll happen soon (?) (!) (Please)

Listening to The Essex Green.

Do I Look Like Graffiti to you?

While I continue to wade the murky waters of my busy schedule, I want to put up some photos of my trip. Mine are still sitting safely in my new hard drive, twiddling their thumbs (corners?) and awaiting their emergence into the world of the internet, but for now I will offer a photo set by K, which I have entitled: "Lily Looks Contemplative/Lost/Silly/Pissed Off/Confused in Front of a Series of Walls". Enjoy!






I prefer photos of us both. I tend to look less sad in them.


Listening to, on repeat, don't ask me why, this song.

How long can you run around like mad before you keel over?

Wow, between playing catch up, hosting a large event, getting sick, and still playing catch up, I'm eye-crossingly busy. And neglecting this blog, which makes me quite sad. I've got to run soon because I have family in town to take out to dinner, but I wanted to talk about another artist whose work I saw when I was in London. When I saw her series at the Whitechapel Gallery, I just stared and stared and could have kept staring, but got kind of hungry, and Brick Lane was calling my name. Anyway. check out Zara Matthews; she's wonderful.







Listening to Whiskeytown.

On the proverbial treadmill...

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I love this photo, and it reminds me of the amazing vintage umbrella K bought during some typical London weather (which makes me kind of sad because it wouldn't fit in his suitcase, so we gifted it to his friend who lives there).

Lots of thoughts on the trip, etc. coming...I promise. Right now I'm trying to get through the storm of duties that has landed on my lap. The next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy--a mix of good things and fun things as well as more stressful, chore things. But I'm glad life is busy--sometimes it's great to be on your toes.

Listening to Gossip.

I'm Home!

I'm back, I'm back! And it feels I've been away so long! I had an amazing, amazing time in London and Paris and I can't wait to get some pictures up. It might be a few days because while some are being developed, the digital ones are currently on my new external harddrive that I bought to extract them from K's laptop (and because of my terrible luck with computers). So hopefully this means more photos in general because now I have a place to store them.

Life is very very busy. On top of getting home and getting back into the swing of things, I have another event with my literary/arts project that will be our official launch party. I am so excited, but know it's going to be a crazy night in the middle of a crazy busy week. Also, K's band is playing a big show on Thursday, and then a music festival on Saturday, plus there are a million people I want to see and places to catch up with--if that makes any sense!

Much more to come about the trip, but for now, I'll leave you with an artist whose work I got to see at a gallery in London, and with whom I am completely in love (well, with her work anyway). I cannot express how amazing it was to be in a city where most museums and galleries are completely free. It makes it inexcusable to be uninspired...I can't even contain all the new images my brain is bursting with! Anyhow, here is some work by Emily Wolfe:







Listening to Amanda Blank.