Save NPR!

government funding may be cut from public stations such as npr and pbs. i am an avid follower of npr, so i was extremely sad when i heard the original plan that all funding was to be cut from the organizations. i'm glad lawmakers decided against a totally funding cut, but i hope they realize how valuable the resource is to the community. i was on npr.org today and, for today, have decided to compile a few of my favorite things from the site. 

missed connections

this illustration exhibit premiered at the new york transit museum on valentines day this year. the artist, sophie blackwall, was inspired by the "missed connections" section of craigslist. her illustrations are simple and beautiful and lighthearted. 

Best Books of 2010

i'm always looking for a good book to read, and whenever i'm at a loss i turn to npr to point me in the right direction.  36 arguments for the existence of god, and room are the next two on my list, as recommended by npr. read their descriptions at the link above. 

Adele "21"

npr is also the best site for listening to new music and getting great album reviews. my current favorite is Adele's new album "21". her voice is so powerful, and her lyrics are equally beautiful. you can listen to the entire album at npr's website. 

What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land. 

- motorcycle diaries

photo shoot with dylan!

i've been thinking a lot about photography lately, and what makes someone a photographer. anybody can take some pictures with their camera phone, but, really, what makes those pictures any better than irving penn photographs? regardless, my friend dylan and i braved the cold and did an outdoor photo shoot a few weeks ago. 

i finally got around to editing them, and i thought i would post some of my favorites! 

xo lo

Arts&Crafts!

I haven't had a post in a while, but i've been pretty busy trying to get my winter break to-do list done before break is over (t minus one week). So here are some of the things i've been up to

i got some frames/ paintings at a thrift store in the suburbs. i want to cover the entire wall with them, but i think i'm off to a good start. also the lantern o the book shelf is from world market, and if you've never bought the candles from there i really recommend them. the votives are 99 cents, and they all smell amazing and last a pretty long time. 

this is on my wall too, but i made this one. i just got a canvas from blick and tea stained it by using regular lipton tea and a sponge brush. it took a few hours to dry then i used a micro pen to write the words on there. 

I made this heard garland out of construction paper and some magazine articles (i just cut some hearts out of the text to make it a little more interesting), and i tied them together with twine. i think it came out pretty adorable. 

less of a craft, but i added string lights to the frame of my bed, i just love the way it looks.

my friend daniel just taught me how to crochet. its so much easier than i thought, and way faster than knitting, which i am not patient enough to do. so far i've made a scarf (the start of it is pictured above), and i've started working on a baby blanket for a friend. i love how mindless and simple it is, i mostly work on it on breaks from work or on the train or watching movies. if anybody wants to learn, i'll totally give lessons! i only know one stitch, but you have to start somewhere!

that's all i've got. 

xo lo

things to be aware of!

The Art Institute is free all of January
When you're feeling courageous, i recommend braving the chicago wind/cold and going to the art institute. The Richard Hawkins "Third Mind" exhibit has some really interesting stuff, i especially loved all of his collages. Plus, it's free!



Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lense
i got the documentary through Netflix and it's amazing. I watched it three times before i finally sent it back, but im definitely going
to order it. It's a discussion of her career, and talks about her work for Rolling Stone through Vogue and all of her projects in 
between. Really, her work is just beautiful. 



Tree Of Codes: by Jonathan Safran Foer
His three other novels, Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Eating Animals, are the best books i have ever read, so i have no doubt this will be amazing too. This style is completely unique, he di-cut the pages of a novel to construct his
own story. I cannot wait to get it! (and if you haven't read any of his other work, seriously, check it out!)

The Weepies
I've been combating seasonal depression with good friends, crafts, and upbeat music. Walking through the wind and snow doesn't seem quite as bad while listening to them.
 (Favorites: Happiness, Painting by Chagall, and Slow Pony Home)

"you can't love anything more than something you miss"

i love people watching. especially at the airport and on the train. i am fascinated with the variety of people you see and how different everyones lives are, but how transportation brings all these people together, even if just for a few minutes.  i was on the blue line the other morning coming from cumberland and i was totally creeping on a conversation between these two strangers. they were both coming from o'hare and for some reason this young girl was talking to this older woman about how she was obsessed with a guy she was seeing and how this guy is not talking to her and that i was all she thought about all day, everyday. the girl then asked the older lady if she ever loved somebody that much, and the woman responded, "yes". the girl went on to ask if they were married, and she said "no" but after being quiet for a few minutes she told the girl how she thought about this guy everyday and misses him very much, even though she ended up marrying someone else.

im sure it's just because i love tragic romance stories. but i cannot stop thinking about this lady and how sad she seemed. part of me feels like this is some life-lesson situation, like "never give up on something you love" or something cheesy like that, but another part of me feels like maybe thats just life. either way, it just got me thinking.

Shel Silverstein

I had forgotten all about Shel Silverstein until my friend Kim was talking about him the other day. I think his work is definitely the Disney-Pixar of poems, really everybody can appreciate and enjoy them. When I was little I was obsessed with his books, especially Where the Sidewalk Ends. As I've started re-reading some of his poems, I realize that the ones I love now were some of my favorites back in the day too, but for different reasons.

this is one of my favorites

Rain


I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.