Catalog Living

Embarrassingly enough, I subscribe to a lot of feeds. I lost count at eighty. I think the problem is I get hooked on a particular blog, and then I read their blogroll and see a bunch of blogs that I would be interested in as well, and then of course I have to add them to my list... and the feed list goes on and on. Well, anyway, there are some feeds that just need mentioning from time to time, and Catalog Living is one of them. The one posted today made me laugh so hard that I almost started to cry.

Caption: Gary’s eyesight has gotten so bad he can’t even read an atlas with binoculars anymore.

Visit the site, you won't be disappointed. Maybe even add it to your feed reader?


 

Buy handmade.

So in times like these, I wish I lived in Portland, Oregon:

Abby Powell Thompson of Abby Try Again and Chelsea Fuss of Frolic! blog are putting together an arts and crafts show called Little Winter: A handmade Market. It consists of so many talented artists whose wares will be brought together in the Ace Hotel the first weekend in November. So those of you who live in PDX, take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to buy handmade!

Sundays.

It's my half birthday today! Do you ever do anything special to celebrate? Mr. W and I cleaned the house, which felt great. We have a yummy dinner planned of homemade burgers and oven fries with grilled peaches for dessert, and tonight we are going to relax in front of the air conditioning and watch some soccer.

Flipper bridge

How incredible is this idea for a bridge?  The unique bridge between mainland China and Hong Kong was developed in order to organize cars for the switch between driving from the left hand side (Hong Kong) and the right (China) and vice versa.  An ingenious plan by NL Architects was to create a flipper bridge that would split the traffic at one point and weave it back together, with cars now driving on the correct sides per government requirements. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Article and Photos found here.

Iceland

Lately I have been seeing a lot of news about Iceland. Namely, the volcano (hey, whatever happened to that? News coverage certainly diminished quickly it seems).

I just came across this video from A Cup of Jo  about visiting Iceland. It was put together by the Icelandic government.  Pretty great.  And the music, if you are wondering, is Emiliana Torrini.


Inspired by Iceland Video from Inspired By Iceland on Vimeo.


While on the subject of Iceland, Mr. W and I recently watched a Sigur Ros video about the country. It was called Heima (Home) and it was amazing. I would recommend it to anyone interested in seeing a beautifully filmed movie. And some great music to boot.

Another movie I have not yet seen but wish to is called Music From the Moon.  It looks really great as well.
I think it is being shown in Europe right now, but as soon as it comes over I'm adding it to my queue!

Oh Iceland, I think I heart you.


MUSIC FROM THE MOON * A scenic documentary film about music in Iceland & Greenland (Official Trailer) from GUCC grafik film on Vimeo.

Deliciousness.

And what do you know? I'm back!  The threat of impending rain and thunderstorms has made it a bit cooler around these parts, so I'm happily typing away as the fan is directed straight at me.

So let's get to the point of this post: I have a fantastic recipe to share.  A few weeks ago I found the amazing website Farm House Table which, along with amazing photos, contains some of the best recipes I have ever made + eaten.

My husband (Mr. W) and I decided to try the zucchini paparadelle recipe one night a few weeks ago.  It was one of the easiest meals to put together, and it was so delicious. I am relatively new to using goat cheese in recipes, but now I am hooked.  Definitely give this recipe a try if you want a wonderful late spring/early summer type dish.

Also, a cute side note that has nothing to do with the above - this morning after my run I saw a bunny lying on its side relaxing in the cool grass! We scared him with our footsteps, but it was adorable! I've never seen a wild bunny like that before!




Photos above by me.

Terrariums

So yesterday I promised I would post today, and so here I am, back to being a blogger, trying desperately to attain some sort of blogging rhythm. I don't like disappearing for weeks at a time and then coming back to post and then leaving again. I hope to continue to post on an almost daily or at least every - other - day pattern. The reason for my absence was because the studio that I write these posts in was 90 degrees. Our landlord has yet to put the air condition units into our apartment and so despite the thermal curtains drawn and the fans blowing on and on, it still is pretty hot. That's why today I am writing this entry in the morning, before the hot sun warms the room!

Anyway, to get to the fun stuff now:

I came across a great article from Design Sponge about creating terrariums. I love terrariums. I remember creating my very own in 3rd grade out of an empty milk bottle. I have no recollection as to what was in the terrarium, but I had a great time doing it. They specifically highlighted the work of Katie Goldman Macdonald who sells the terrariums that she creates. She utilizes blown glass vessels to house the plant environment. How amazing are these?

Image above - Drew Kelly for the New York Times

On her website,  Goldman Macdonald mentions that she does locally commissioned works. These would be great centerpieces for a wedding, no?  I also really appreciate how her website has a beautiful watercolored homepage. 

Images of Terrariums from Botany Factory

I feel like going home.

Listening to this.
Re-reading this.


What are you listening/reading right now?

PS - blogger crops my photos. For full uncropped versions, click on each photo and it will link to Flickr.

xo

Bolshoi Academy

A little off topic from the norm, I wanted to share this fantastic video I watched from the NY Times this morning. It's about a young American ballet dancer who travels to Russia to be apart of the Bolshoi Academy. If you have 8 and a half minutes to spare, it's worth your time.



{Video embedded within post]


Back with more updates later today!

a few images from the weekend

Today is a day for errands, but I wanted to stop here to put down some images from my weekend. I visited a paper place today (kind of like a warehouse) and got some ideas for my store. It is so unbelievably overwhelming going to a place that keeps so many different types of papers in stock. I left empty-handed but with a head full of good ideas.

xo

more botanical prints; production friday.

Today was a pretty productive day.  Though it's been pretty hot in the studio (86 degrees out, yikes!) I've been trying to keep cool with a fan blowing in my direction. Although I'm sure the endless supply of hot coffees I have been consuming haven't added to the cool at all.  Time for iced!

So here's a sum up of some of the things I have done this week:

From my drawing table:

And from the web, a fun and insightful video about bike rush-hour. How crazy and amazing?



video via A Cup of Jo


Happy weekend. I'm looking forward to lunch with a good friend, more artwork, and some lovely cooking - maybe some new recipes!

Felted rugs make my heart beat faster.

So not to keep linking to NYTimes articles, but this one caught my attention.  It's a slideshow of Dana Barnes' NY loft which she has outfitted with giant felted objects, specifically rugs that she has made by hand.  I especially love the bedroom shot with the grayish-oatmeal colored rug at the foot of the bed. The general low profile furniture makes the loft seem like a wonderful playground for adults and children alike. I would love to own any piece of her art!

Dana Barnes' work will be at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair May 15-18 if you'd like to go see. Read the full article here.

Photo credit: The New York Times

Unique swimming pools in brooklyn

Has anybody seen this article/video recently?  (From last July 2009) It's a pretty great idea, especially given the fact that most swimming pools are just so darn expensive to install!

Photo by Yana Paskova, link via the NY Times