many many thanks

I've come out of accidental retirement with a cliched piece of "art". I've missed you blog, and have no-one but myself to blame. If one were to look at my posts they'd think not much has happened this year. In some ways that's true (hello, frequent stops by Netflix), but it has not been without its peaks and valley's.

Here I am now, and life is good. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time to embrace that reality. I sincerely hope that regardless of the holiday that everyone is warm, safe, has a full belly and people around that they love and love them back.

CORNUCOPIA OF THANKS:
Thank You bag collection [ Trendland ]
Thank You For Being a Friend [YouTube ]
Turkey Soap [ Etsy ]
Thankful For [ Twitter ]
How to Say Thank You Many Ways[ Fact Monster ]

oh my stars and stripes

Happy 4th of July! Ingredients for a successful holiday: no shoes, this shirt, an assortment of meats, pals, and things that go boom / sparkle in the night.


[ photo by usernamesareboring ]

timewhine #5

Depressed yet? I love to blog about sad things apparently. I also love to create graphics that are fancier ways of saying "duh".

People die. Things go away. Nothing lasts forever. But tragedy can be repurposed.

Beauty ends. Life goes on. Sit on that.

Roger Ebert

Recently we lost Roger Ebert to cancer. I remember reading in the news that afternoon that he was undergoing treatment again and would be reducing his workload. Just a few short hours later he died. I can't imagine the pain that he endured and hope that he has found peace. 

He was a hero to me as a child. His reviews fueled my love for the movies, and I obsessively highlighted my favorites and built lists around his recommendations. He almost single-handedly introduced me to what are now considered the classics of the 60's, 70's and 80's, and opened my eyes to art-house and off-beat cinema (pop passed the jump for my great and not-so-great list of must-watch-movies from childhood; Ebert should not get the creditblame for some of these travesties).

He was a hero to me as an adult. His passion for film never wavered, and despite a disease that drained and disfigured him, he carried on -- eloquently and intelligently, with humor. Few people find such success and respect, and endure in the face of such challenge. 

He was the last word, and sometimes the only word that mattered, in sealing a movie's fate.  I doubt anyone will come close again. 

I hope they have a theater in dachshund heaven (where I plan to go when the end comes) and that I'll be able to see him at the movies, where he'll be keeping a balcony seat warm for me.

[ photo by grossyall ]

leon borensztein

Leon Borensztien, how I adore thee. His portraits, for the most part, I've speculated are either capturing the awkwardness between poses, or the overall oddness of awkward people. I think I prefer to believe it's the latter and all of these folks lived in one sad, yet groovy small town, back in 1982.  

You can view more of his work on his site, here. And a few of my favorites are after the jump.

timewhine #4

I recently used a few vacation days. The original idea was to go on an extended weekend getaway. Plans fell through, but I should add that it was without any regret. Although I would have welcomed a change in scenery I also thought about all the things I could do free from the shackles of work. And I thought, and I thought some more. And I got very familiar with Evernote, and didn't just make regular notes, but fancy notes. The whole process only makes you feel slightly better about not actually getting anything done by the way. So that happened, and nothing happened. My accomplishments were in spending a little too much time giving myself mental lashings for having "doer's block" (it truly is like being stuck in mud -- you get angry and a little panicky), and feeding and dressing myself. Yay for a shining a dim light on achievements in lameness.

real people pez

Holy Pez! I need desperately want a custom dispenser. Hop Pop Factory made these as party favors, using 3D technology to replicate the faces / heads of the employees that attended. I'm a freak for these plastic guys. In fact I'm the proud owner of roughly 1,000 (oh those were dark days on ebay). It would be so fun to be able to add something like this to my collection.

Read more about the process that was in play to make these here: Hop Pop Factory blog.

checking in with instagram

Hey! When I'm not busy having a staring contest with my computer or sleeping, I take pictures of my occasional ventures into the world. Will there be dogs? Yes. Otherwise, it's anyone's guess. Curious? Follow me on Instagram.

timewhine #3

Unless you're Michael J. Fox in 1984, or have strangely morphed into some form of playable media, your options are a bit limited.  And let's face it, even DeLoreans aren't totally reliable. The awful truth -- what's done is done, and you can't go back. Carry on*.

*Feel free to wear an orange puffy vest. It couldn't hurt.

petri dish art

These beautiful paintings are the work of Klari Reis. Instead of using traditional canvas as the foundation for her art, she uses petri dishes. The results are visually stunning. The title of each piece is pretty terrific too. Check out the complete gallery here: The Daily Dish 2013. A new one is posted each day. This is her second go 'round, and while those are impressive, I find her latest batch more striking. Read more about the project on her site.

color of the year

Well, I'm a little behind on posting this, and it almost doesn't seem worth the trouble BUT it's become a tradition of sorts. I'm never one to break [ pointless ] routine so I give you my 6th post on Pantone's Color of the Year. They did their usual bang-up job making a pigment on a palette sound like the elixir of life. 

"Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony."

This is in fact one of my favorite colors. Rather than create a collection of beautiful emerald objects, I'm going to go the lazy route and offer some links to Pinterest eye candy.

SET ASIDE A DAY OR TWO AND GO:
TONS of boards -- [ Pantone Color of the Year 2013 ]
Not necessarily Pantone themed, but one of the boards I follow -- [ Going Green / Nathalie Chicha ]

playing with type

On very rare occasion the mailman delivers something that I can get excited about. Today this book arrived... and I'M IN IT! The wonderful and sweet Lara McCormick approached me about contributing and  I'm over the moon about how it turned out. There are tons of really great examples of type from an array of talented folks, and I'm honored that I was able to be a part of it. To purchase Playing With Type head over to Quayside Publishing's site.

A few of my Reminders photos made the cut. Click for more to see the spread.

lazy sunday

Yawns from Everynone on Vimeo.

Sooooo sleepy...

bonfires & my vanity

There are bigger problems in the world than the color of my face, but damn if it's a bothersome thing -- wondering what shade of flame is on display.  And when the heat is on, I can't but help but want to run for some low-lighting. Oh well. What doesn't kill you, makes you red. I guess I can live with that.

this & that

This new Tumblr -- This & That -- makes my eyes so happy. Ampersands and playing with food. What's not to love.

This site is yet another piece in my layer cake of love and admiration for fellow Austinite Emily Blincoe. I'm addicted to her Instagram images, but I guarantee that all other social roads lead to greatness.

CHECK IT OUT:
Flickr -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilyblincoe/
Website -- http://www.thesewoods.com/
Other Tumblr -- http://emilyblincoe.tumblr.com/
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/thuglifeforevs

timewhine #2

Ah, the American dream. And one that some of us (*cough*) dive into without ever coming up for air. Note: taking a moment to breath is a good thing.

marriage countdown

Being a part-time hoarder isn't all bad. I like to think that everything I save is part passion, part a piece of my heart, but to be truthful sometimes it's more like -- "Ohhh, shiny. I'll have that.... FOREVER".  Rationale, or mixed motives aside, I never feel conflicted about keeping something that is 1) small, and 2) from family.

This is one of my favorite treasures. It's a teeny calendar that my Grandfather used to countdown the days until he could marry my Grandmother. Saving things apparently is genetic, because she tucked this away in an envelope from the jewelry store she worked at, and wrote this note roughly 30 years after they were married:

"This is an old calendar of Fly's. He checked off the the days until we could get married. He was paying off debts of his family. The pattern has never changed."

I find something about both the act of using this calendar, and then archiving it, quite sweet (and also charmingly odd -- Funeral Home calendar?). I honestly don't know what their marriage was like -- I don't think most grandkids really can -- but I like to think this signifies at least a trace of romance. Somewhere someone is now saying to me -- "oh you silly girl'.

Have a silly day. Do something silly. Say something silly. Be with someone and be silly together. Or enjoy some silly private time.

lazy sunday

Here's a lazy way to spend the day -- the Superbowl. Maybe you've heard of it? T.V., snacks, beer, a couch. These are the some of the required materials if you want to get nothing done. Readyyyy -- break!

 [ image via Cubicle Refugee ]

charles

Here's a middle finger scenario.

I struggle to convey loss and hurt and in turn inadvertently make it about myself. Are there instructions for this? It sucks -- the world has one less awesome person. It needs to be known. You need to be told what you are maybe not aware of. Grief greets me at death and this is what comes next.

To say I feel lucky is a bit misleading. To use the word glad in any sense makes me seem insensitive. I am not happy. I am sad. A chunk of my childhood now feels dipped in bronze for posterity. The trajectory of a grown-up friendship has been dashed. Beyond me and my self-centeredness, someone that lived is gone.

But the suffering is over and this is where I find relief. I did get to share experiences that are mine and only mine, and for that I am grateful -- almost possessive. And I got to spend time in his hideaway, where photos and art and lush greenery and music lived. They blanketed me with revelations and insight. Imagining his full life comforted me, as did briefly being a part of it in that way.

I am the baby that sometimes put herself on an island. I can and do get lost in wishes and regret, but have to circle back to what experiences I did accrue.  I can only imagine how hard this must be for the rest of my family and his closest friends. I find solace and joy in their stories and hope those memories uplift them more than they cause pain.

Love you Charles. To echo your parting words to me, I WILL see you again. And you'll tell me a story matched with a sneer. And we'll laugh.

timewhines #1

Time. I feel like it's generally working against me. I end up taking it personally, as if it's a thing with a will, with emotions and agendas. Begging, borrowing, and negotiating don't seem to work. The train is coming, and it doesn't stop. Now I'm airing my grievances.


P.S. Don't click for more if bad language makes you cringe. And for those that couldn't avoid it, sorry, I drop bombs sometimes. It's my "feelings" word.

2013 -- no duh

In an ongoing annual tradition, I am issuing yet another broad proclamation about the upcoming year. I must be in denial because this is pretty much a resolution, even if I pretend it's not. For 2013 I'm going the no-duh route and challenging myself to FINALLY, ACTUALLY, REALLY, TRULY make a conscious effort to treat my body and mind better. I've heard rumors that putting good things in leads to good things coming out, with side effects like happiness, health, longer life, better memory, restful sleep. It's so crazy it might just work.