LiaMarq

new adventure

2009-05-28T08:57:00.003-05:00

my life is going to be changing soon... in 25 (!) short days i'm off to south america. i'll be living and working/volunteering in buenos aires for five months, with a month of traveling tacked on the end.

and i've decided that instead of trying to morph this blog into an argentina love fest, i would just do a one-off and keep all of my spanish thoughts in one place. so, if you're curious, here's where you can find me for the rest of 2009:

http://argentinacita.blogspot.com/

thanks for reading liamarq, even though i know i've provided a disappointing number of posts over the past few months. i hope to be back here blogging upon my return, with new energy and fresh ideas.

"the key to a passionate life is to trust and follow the energy within us."

things we ate

2009-05-08T16:29:00.016-05:00

it was awesome.

fish tacos from roadside stands.

and on beach towels.

street food.

with horchata. i love horchata.

deep-fried shrimp-and-veggie-stuffed fish.

red snapper.

and breaded fillets.

a mexican-style pot roast casserole.

huevos divorciados for breakfast.

one of the best dishes i've ever had. really. creamy potatoes and corn and beef and things i don't know but want to eat again and again and again.

giant burrito. looks bad, tastes good.

birthday fajitas.

and plates of delight.

and other funky things that i'm still not sure of...

oh!

2009-04-20T16:34:00.024-05:00

oh what a trip! a fantastic week indeed. i narrowed down my hundreds of pictures to "the best"... which still results in over 250 photographs. hmm. where do i even begin? how about a few highlights...

poolside lounging...

mango-on-a-stick...

beach cabanas...

mamacitas...

no places to be...

the dry dry dessert,

and our own personal guide...

lovely flowers,

and vistas asi...

asi...

and asi...

the freshest fruit...

birthday flan...

the hotel california...

rocky coves,

and rockier shores...

eating lots and lots of deliciously filled tortillas,

and jumping just because.

a la mexico

2009-04-06T17:22:00.000-05:00

huzzah! time for another winter escape... it's too bad that i can't call it a spring fling, even though it's april... it's grey and cold and snowy and awful, which i suppose makes it all the better to escape from, yes?

this time the family (mom, dad, brother, sister) and i are heading to the baja peninsula to celebrate my sister's graduation from high school. oh the benefits of having younger siblings... we'll spend a day or two in cabo, but most of our time up the coast in la paz.

we'll spend the week relaxing on these beaches...

swimming with these creatures...

kayaking in these waters...

taking in these vistas...

dancing in the salsa clubs of this city...

and watching our fair share of sunrises and sunsets.

as excited as i am for the beaches, sunshine, good food and lack of work, i'm most looking forward to spending a full week with my family, away from everything. i honestly can't remember the last time we did that- i think it was when we took a similar trip to mexico to celebrate MY graduation from high school. eons ago, i tell you.

eater of men

2009-04-06T14:21:00.003-05:00

you know they call them killer whales
but you seem surprised
when it pinned you down
to the bottom of the tank
where you can't turn around
it took half your leg
and both your lungs
when i craved i ate hearts of sharks
i know you know it

weekend of food

2009-03-25T14:56:00.020-05:00

oh what a weekend we had... delicious food left and right. man, it was a gastrointestinal dreamland.

the 112 burger and tres leches cake at 112 eatery

sandwiches, salads and soups at the Be'wiched deli.

loaded hashbrowns and breakfast quesadillas at French Meadow.

fresh baked bread at Great Harvest

and oreo ice cream from Sebastian Joe's

it doesn't get much better than that.

(oh, and in case you were wondering, the meeting of the parents went extremely well. but i obviously have a one-track mind in which good food trumps all...)

parental units

2009-03-20T14:58:00.006-05:00

tonight is the night that the parental units- his and mine- will first meet.

wish me luck.

(in actuality, i'm not at all concerned... even though society tells me this is supposed to be a scary event, i'm actually quite looking forward to it. i even woke up this morning and said out loud, "it feels like christmas!" my ever-practical other half decided this was a bit of an overstatement, but did agree that it was indeed an exciting day.)

yum

2009-03-16T16:04:00.009-05:00

sunday brunch. it had been a long time since i'd done it right. but yesterday i made up for it... well, maybe i should say The Bad Waitress made up for it. i'd never been, but had heard great things... and was not let down. i was with a group of four, and everyone was satisfied... and therefore stuffed.

omelettes, scrambles, benedict- this place knows its eggs. and the pancakes? enormous, topped with fruit, just the right consistency of doughiness and straight-from-the-grill-edness. (and, they're even great the next day as a monday morning treat.) and those english muffins! i forgot to ask where those magnificent morsels come from... but it has to be a local bakery, or baked in-house, because they were twice the thickness of "normal" english muffins, and tasted like bread dough heaven. yum indeed.

i was so hungry, and excited about the plates of food in front of me, that i forgot to take photos until halfway through the meal... but i suppose that adds a little authenticiy, yes?

oh! a little detail: it's not so much the bad waitress as it is the lack-of-waitress. you write your order on your own slip (i had a little trouble), pre-pay before your meal, get your own water, and really only see your server when he or she brings your food. however, there are enough servers around that you can flag one down to ask questions- which we did, and she was quite delightful. not bad at all.

don't get in the way

2009-03-13T14:23:00.005-05:00

"life is about not getting in the way of ourselves; it's about letting yourself release your inner, free soul, and doing so with joy."
- my friday yoga teacher

back from the dead (i hope)

2009-03-10T14:20:00.019-05:00

if you're reading this, pat yourself on the back (or give yourself a little hug) for not completely giving up on me. i thought about trying to excuse my inexcusable behavior, attempting to justify my lack of posting, taking a stab at digging myself out of the hole i've dug myself into in the blogosphere. but, i decided against it. and the reasoning was twofold: a) i don't really have a good enough excuse, and b) i'm back, and (at least to my creative spirit) that's all that matters.

so, where was i...

ah, yes, costa rica. man, that was a good trip. a few visual highlights? why not...

flowers. everywhere.

saddling up to the bar in this pool, tucked away from the rain...

speaking of rain... it sounds pretty neat falling on these leaves...

boating through canals...

...and seeing these creatures

floating in hot springs from an active volcano, and somehow ending up with the entire place to ourselves...

skies that looked like this...

... and this

and afternoons spent on beaches like these...

hammocks for lazy mornings...

...and pools for balmy nights

fruity shakes

feeling small

and just being together

finally

2009-02-05T15:08:00.018-06:00

after many sub-zero days spent anticipating our trip, travel companion and i have finally made it- we leave tomorrow morning for ten glorious days in Costa Rica. all that's left to do is a little packing, a little cleaning (much to said companion's chagrin) and a lot of anticipating.

our itinerary? how kind of you to ask.

day 1: flying. for many hours. then arriving in San Jose and crashing at Casa 69.

day 2: experiencing Costa Rica's public buses with a five-hour trek to the Arenal Volcano area, arriving at Hotel Mountain Paradise. each bungalow may or may not have a private jacuzzi that looks out over the volcano.

day 3: a canopy and zipline tour with Arenal EcoGlide, then a hike to La Fortuna Waterfall... plus a second night in mountain paradise.

day 4: hiking, relaxing and exploring the town of La Fortuna... then sleeping in our mountain-view room at Hotel Las Colinas.

day 5: a 5:50am pick-up for our tour of Tortuguero. some traveling, boating, and hopefully kayaking in the amazon-like canals. apparently the tour is keeping our accomodations a secret until we arrive... hopefully that's not a bad sign.

day 6: official tour of Tortuguero... i know it involves boating, hiking and viewing of wildlife... the rest remains a surprise. then some more travel time down the caribbean coast to our hotel in the little beach town of Puerto Viejo.

day 7-9: finally a slower, more vacation-like pace... staying in the Azania Bungalows, walking along the beach, hanging out with sloths, snorkeling, kayaking, eating fish tacos, drinking cold beer, swinging in hammocks, sleeping in and enjoying peace and quiet. not much planned for these three days, though i have a feeling we will have no trouble filling the time.

day 10: one last morning on the beach, then public bussing it back to San Jose. exploring the city a little bit, having a nice, long, last dinner, then spending our last night (gulp) at Hotel Colonial.

day 11: i'd rather not talk about it. i'll already be longing to be back here...

have a warm, safe, peaceful next week and a half, and prepare yourself to be bombarded with photographs and stories when i return.

my favorite number

2009-02-04T13:56:00.011-06:00

112. i think it's my favorite number. at least it's my mouth's favorite, since saliva starts to flow the second it's spoken. and it's all because of 112 eatery... as much as i love thai and sushi, i think this is my favorite restaurant in minneapolis. in the twin cities. in minnesota. possibly in the world. at least it's my favorite of those i've been to. i'm not saying it might not be topped some day, by some foreign deliciousness i've yet to experience, but, for now, 112 is gonna post up on the top spot.

why, might you ask, do i love this restaurant so much? let me list the reasons...

1. the food rides the perfect line between innovative and traditional. the menu is full of twists on basics (my favorite: the 112 burger, served on an english muffin with brie cheese) and an excellent mix of simple and exotic (exotic by the standards of a city in the midwest).

2. the staff. hostesses, bartenders, servers. i have never once had poor service, but what's even better, i've had nothing but exceptional service. and it's not the "technically right but lacking in charisma" kind of service, but the full-on, "i'm actually happy to be here serving you tonight, i'm going to refill your wine glass without you even noticing, i know every item on the menu and what makes it as good as it is, i'm happy to describe every last thing for you even if you're not planning to order it, and i'm going to have a genuine smile on my face the entire time" kind of service. how can you beat that?

3. the wine list. it's quality. it's broad. it's a great compliment to the menu.

4. the prices. this place is so reasonable, the last time i went my co-diner and i looked at each other and wondered out loud, "why don't we come here more often???" sure, there are the spendier options, but if you show up, grab a seat at the bar, order a couple of cocktails, an appetizer, split an entree and treat yourself to a dessert, i'm willing to bet you can walk out of there with an extremely satisfied belly for under $40 (plus tip). not bad for a date at a restaurant that makes you feel like you should be paying twice as much.

5. the atmosphere. low-key but classy. you can dress it up or down, place it into your own mold for the evening. it's always busy, but not in a way that makes you feel crowded or overwhelmed. just a steady flow of people who are happy to be tucked into the nearly-hidden restaurant for a mini-escape from the city. it's cozy and welcoming. in that restaurant, you could be anywhere.

6. the location, at least for me. three blocks from where i live. i can practically call it my kitchen.

7. the hours. full kitchen service until midnight monday-thursday, 10pm on sunday, and until 1am on friday and saturday.

8. the butterscotch budino. who's the genius who thought to put sea salt on butterscotch pudding? i have no words for how good this tastes.

the place is fantastic. i think you get the point. now it's your duty to taste the wonder with your own tongue.

museo

2009-02-02T16:40:00.019-06:00

as i mentioned yesterday, i visited the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) this past weekend. and not only did it have some fabulous pieces of work from some of my favorite artists, but it was free. free, i tell you! baltimore loves its arts. and it should.

my mom loves Georgia O'Keefe, and growing up i was exposed to calendars and greeting cards and prints of her work. i love her soft lines and use of color. yes indeed.

ahh, Monet. what's not to like? here, The River Thames.

i was lucky enough to be able to visit the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam a few years ago... i highly reommend alloting a few hours to explore it if you're ever in the area.

Felix Vallotton. not an artist i was familiar with, but this piece has me hooked...

and last but not least, Henri Matisse. the museum has a huge collection of his work- both paintings and sculptures- thanks to the Cone sisters. the second painting below- Pink Nude (the first is Blue Nude, logically enough)- underwent various transformations over a six month period, until Matisse felt he had the dimensions absolutely perfect. talk about perfectionism.

then there was the contemporary art wing, which always intrigues me. i'm more of a fan of "pretty art"- i find it difficult to grasp the meaning of the more contemporary, abstract pieces. does that mean i'm not a true art admirer? possibly. but that's okay. i give myself props for trying. (yes, that's the skin of an orange sewn together with a needle and thread.)

baltimore

2009-02-02T15:53:00.016-06:00

hello my friends, and happy monday! how did it get to be february already? it's madness, i tell you. i welcomed the new month with an old friend in baltimore. have you ever been? i hadn't, but enjoyed myself thoroughly. old row houses, east coast architecture, delicious food, satisfying beer, free museums, sunshine and lots of laughter. a good weekend indeed. a few of the highlights for your viewing pleasure...

saying hello to my friend

house-brewed beer at The Brewer's Art

sweet potato fries at the eccentrically decorated PaperMoon Diner

a free wander around a fabulous museum (details tomorrow...)

oh so perfect crab cakes at Ethel and Ramone's

all in all, a quick but perfect weekend... enough to refresh me coming into a new week, and make me realize how lucky i am to have said friend in my life.

retreat

2009-01-28T08:11:00.008-06:00

you know what i want to be doing today? waking up to do yoga on a warm beach, having hot coffee as the sun comes up, kayaking through clear blue water with the ever-wandering whales, going for a late afternoon swim, then doing as many sun salutations as it takes with the sand between my toes to put the sun to bed for the night.

i know, i know, i'm very spoiled in the travel department, and my upcoming travels should put my wishful travel bug to rest, but with me, it's the opposite. for every country i visit, three more are added to the list. for every upcoming trip i have, i dream up four more.

and today i'm dreaming about a some-day yoga retreat with my mom. check this one out. eight days and seven nights in baja mexico, filled with everything i just described- plus good food (how did i leave that out earlier?). mmm. yes please.

(have you tired of me using my blog as a place to dream and scheme? if so, my apologies... but i hope it allows you a place to let your mind wander and encourages you to add to your list of "some day i will do this...")

ugh.

2009-01-23T15:13:00.004-06:00

work is consuming my life. and it's a drain on my brain in such a way that it leaves no synapsys free for creative, non-work endeavors. sad. i suffer, you suffer, the creative world suffers. a lose-lose-lose situation if i ever saw one.

but, there are certain things that help me make it through the day:

lemon yogurt. at 3pm, it doesn't get much more refreshing or energy-boosting.

the thought of gathering with friends i've had for more than half my life to eat this food and drink this beer tonight.

knowing that in fourteen short days i'll be basking in these temperatures.

the fact that even monkeys share my sentiment.

inaugurate

2009-01-19T10:02:00.003-06:00

introducing Mad Libs for political geeks. click here to generate your very own speech for tomorrow's big event...

Barack Obama's Inauguration Speech

My fellow Americans, today is a beautiful day. You have shown the world that "hope" is not just another word for "man", and that "change" is not only something we can believe in again, but something we can actually kick.

Today we celebrate, but let there be no mistake – America faces silly and foreign challenges like never before. Our economy is gutsy. Americans can barely afford their mortgages, let alone have enough money left over for ferrets. Our healthcare system is disgusting. If your spleen is sick and you don't have insurance, you might as well call a astronaut. And America's image overseas is tarnished like a dryer lint ear wax. But screaming together we can right this ship, and set a course for Lebanon.

Finally, I must thank my surly family, my furious campaign volunteers, but most of all, I want to thank knuckleheads for making this historic occasion possible. Of course, I must also thank you, President Bush, for years of spelunking the American people. Without your saucy efforts, none of this would have been possible.

(Post your brilliant speech in our community message forum and it might get featured on Atom.com. )

at last

2009-01-16T14:38:00.003-06:00

friday. the most delicious word in the world of work. sixty-three hours of freedom ahead. and oh, what shall i fill those precious hours with?

- practice candlelight flow yoga
- get lost in planet earth
- attend a saturday-night monster truck jam
- play futbol
- sleep
- read
- eat

thief

2009-01-15T12:24:00.004-06:00

i try to avoid recycling other bloggers' posts, but this one was too good. it's been nagging at me for days, and i think my friend will understand. i stole it.

letters to crushes! what a fantastic (and self-explanatory) site. giddy, silly, warm, tough, pure. good stuff my friends. i'm warning you though- don't venture here unless you have at least twenty minutes to spare...

silly boy,

If I wasn’t so shy I would have kissed you last night. I would have grabbed your hand and kissed you a hundred times, one for every time you made me laugh.

— still smiling

bookstore boy,

I want so badly to tell you my name. I want you to know everything about me. I feel that maybe you would understand.Your name tag says ‘Talk to me about Fiction’. I want to hold your hand.

— that girl

B.,

Sometimes, I wish you didn’t have such an awesome beard. It takes up most of my thoughts during the daytime. Y’know, when I should be working and junk?

— M.

boy on the subway,

I hope you don’t give everyone that smile. Even if you do, I will continue to believe it was just for me.

— anonymous

you,

you put the maze in amazing. and i am lost in you.

— me

you,

I only allow you to mess up my hair because I like you. I only allow you to steal my french fries because I like you. I only allow you to make fun of me because I like you.
I like you. Too, too much.
Let’s cut paper snowflakes and play Jenga all night forever.

— me

j,

It may sound pathetic, but going just one night without hearing your voice before I go to sleep makes my heart ache.

— c

wendy's studio

2009-01-13T17:01:00.018-06:00

my hometown of austin isn't the prettiest place you'll ever stumble upon. the city's main street (it's not big enough to have a downtown) has sadly lost a lot of its character over the years as its beautiful old brick buildings have been covered up with cheap, modern storefronts. however, a little "character restoration" is in the works, and the spine-tingling possibility of austin reemerging as the shining gem it once was looms.

aside from needing a facelift, austin isn't really known for its fine arts scene (i'm making a great case for the town, aren't i?) but a small one does exist. and, i'm lucky enough that my mom is included in that scene (she's a part-time artist). being an artist, she has some artist friends, and artists need studios. well, lucky for them, behind ugly siding often lies opportunity... which is exactly what my mom's friend wendy found.

above an empty storefront (one of the first to undergo restoration) is an incredible old loft with wood floors and high ceilings. it would need a lot of work to be fit for living, but it's perfect for an art studio (that doubles as a venue for ladies' gatherings and tuesday-night get-aways).

aside from having a great place to paint, wendy's art is beautiful and unique- take note of the texture and depth of her work in the photographs. we swung by for a quick tour over the holidays, and i was in love. i thought her studio was so terrific i found myself saying, "it'd almost be worth moving back to austin to be able to live in a place like this." now that's a bold statement.

sneaky

2009-01-13T16:56:00.002-06:00

my apologies

2009-01-12T08:42:00.013-06:00

i realize that i promised to come back from the holiday hiatus with endless posts filled with magical ideas, and i have failed. my apologies. my only defenses are a) my work life has been quite busy, and b) planning a trip to a foreign country that i (previously) knew next to nothing about takes much more time and research than i imagined it would. so, in the simple words of david gray, please forgive me. i vow to improve my posting habits, starting now.

a few things that i'm loving at the moment:

sundance catalog's biggest sale of the year- they have some fantastic jewelry and boots for incredibly reasonable prices. i may or may not have purchased some items from the aforementioned categories.

sarah pinto's 2009 weekly planners. if you haven't already purchased something to help keep your life organized for the next 52 (now 51) weeks, may i suggest one of these fabulous little items.

a little flair for your place of habitation from the poster list. funky, unique and fantastic, these posters are a great way to spice up a blank wall.

booked

2009-01-07T21:53:00.012-06:00

in just 29 short days, my favorite travel companion and i will be headed to costa rica for ten full days of beaches, rainforests, sunsets, adventures and relaxation.

i'm only telling you this because i can't contain my excitement over the photographic and culinary fodder that will be attained...

holiday warmth

2009-01-06T17:13:00.007-06:00

shared snippets of holiday warmth for a bitter january night.

obsessed

2009-01-06T08:52:00.005-06:00

oh neko, where have you been for the past 23 years?

into 2009

2009-01-05T16:49:00.005-06:00

happy new year and hello again. funny how my fingers started to itch, being away from my rambling spot... and now that i'm back, they're a little type-shy. i think an easing-in is in order, in the form of things i aspire to do, to be, to feel, to see, in the year of 2009.

do
- paint my bedroom walls
- teach english
- take a class in photography
- listen
- write more hand-written notes
- paint with oils
- worry less
- cook more
- use kinder words
- eat my vitamins
- follow my heart, every day
- write

be
- more understanding
- happy with what i have
- slow to judge
- thankful
- more thoughtful
- less controlling
- patient
- at peace

feel
- love
- forgiveness
- unrestricted
- sand between my toes
- contentment
- rain on my running legs
- unfiltered joy
- empathy

see
- a foreign city i've yet to explore
- a sunrise
- my brother, before november
- what i can do when i set my mind to it
- old friends
- the good in every person

see you in 2009

2008-12-23T08:46:00.004-06:00

i'll be busy with family and friends over the next couple of weeks, so you won't be hearing much from me until january. however, i promise to come back with some good stories and photographs. i hope you have a lovely and peaceful end to your december, and i'll see you in 2009.

the bird whisperer

2008-12-22T14:03:00.010-06:00

my dad loves birds, and they love him. he feeds them all winter long, and they sing their little hearts out in our backyard even on the coldest of days. sometimes they are so distracted by all of the bird seed and the singing and their love for my father that they mistake our windows for open flying space. this, my friends, is a sad reward for beautiful song. running head-on at bird speed into a wall of glass usually means the end of a little creature's life, but for the ones who happen to hit our window, they are the lucky few.

my dad, The Bird Whisperer, is a one-man bird revival team. the second we hear the ping-thump! of a little beak hitting glass, he's running for the back door. boots, gloves, door slams, rounding the garage, scooping up a dazed bundle of feathers, back inside, holding tight in warm hands. you see, my ornithology-knowledge-less friends, birds who have had a run-in such as i've described can die of shock within minutes, especially in cold weather, if they aren't kept calm and warm.

i'm both happy and proud to say that this past weekend i witnessed my father saving yet another one of his favorite backyard friends- a White-breasted Nuthatch. it was oddly touching, watching the little guy (gal?) sit happily in my dad's fist, knowing that without The Bird Whisperer, the poor thing would have surely been dead in a snowbank.

i know it's odd, but that's okay. it makes me happy and it's a memory i have that goes as far back as i can remember. i'm glad that my dad has taught me the intricacies of bird-revival, so that some day i too will be able to save the little singers in my own backyard.

catch

and release

(please forgive the sideways-ness of these videos... i am, occasionally, a techno-idiot.)

sleds

2008-12-22T13:52:00.007-06:00

it's hard to beat the magnificence of sledding on a cold, sunny winter day.

hallelujah

2008-12-18T13:30:00.009-06:00

flickr has this great little thing called interestingness, where interesting pictures posted each day of the year are gathered for our pleasure, and put into a photo calendar of sort. i could get lost for hours, so i gave myself the task of focusing on december, and more specifically, images that made my holiday spirit sing. did i just say that? i suppose i did.

matteart

2008-12-17T08:58:00.014-06:00

Matte Stephens is an artist i first learned about back in september, when one of my favorite bloggers, sfgirlbybay, posted an entry titled The Brainiac in Portland. i've been poking around his shop and photostream ever since- i never seem to tire of looking at his fantastic prints... they're quirky and full of color, and i love the way his characters come to life, telling stories in a single frame. i have not yet purchased any of his art, but it's on my (long) list of "apartment to-dos" for january.

kusudama

2008-12-16T10:22:00.000-06:00

i have a friend getting married in april, and she's decided on bouquets of origami flowers- genius. they'll last forever, and they're absolutely beautiful. click here to check out some fantastic bouquets.

o8ama

2008-12-15T14:46:00.008-06:00

check out this great article on Logo Design Love. it shows the logo ideas that weren't chosen for Obama's campaign, featuring an interview with the logos' creator, Sol Sender.

holiday high

2008-12-15T09:05:00.009-06:00

a weekend full of holiday festivities, good friends and snow. hopefully this holiday high will help me make it through a busy week of work. my holiday weekend highlights:

laughter.

a long winter run.

a hostess with the mostest.

a little dance.

an american breakfast.

can't have it? stick it.

2008-12-12T10:30:00.012-06:00

i've been intrigued by these funky wall decals for quite some time now. i love silhouettes, and like the idea of being able to "own" a cat or a lemur without actually having to take care of it, but can't quite decide how these would look in my (our) place. (plus, they've already gotten the kibash.) either way, i take pleasure in seeing how other people have placed them around their spaces. enjoy!

advent art

2008-12-11T09:17:00.003-06:00

a little thursday morning show-and-tell... an advent calendar that i made for a friend last year- complete with happy thoughts and compliments behind each door. i think everyone needs one of these to keep up year-round as a reminder of their good qualities and overall fantastic-ness...

assemblage

2008-12-10T13:30:00.010-06:00

i received a link to this flickr photostream from an unexpected source over lunch. i poked around and discovered these fantastically quirky pieces of art from iHanna, who just happens to have her very own shop on etsy. i swoon.

whispers

2008-12-10T09:53:00.007-06:00

secret secrets from PostSecret... a collection of these, a delightful gift.

funky chicken

2008-12-09T15:09:00.016-06:00

once again, etsy has me hooked. look at these fantastic switchplate covers and coasters by Funky Chicken Design. i think some of these will soon be owned by me.

winter

2008-12-09T09:42:00.005-06:00

open your mouth sounds of breathing found it spilling from your face. best to be dim to the humble of traffic stepping on your name. and chilling walk home down the portions of roads there leading straight to your place. and look like the tin can which swallows the kitchen plugging up your space.

what a weekend

2008-12-08T09:56:00.025-06:00

happy monday, friends. i hope your weekends were as enjoyable, relaxing, productive and filled with good people and delicious food as mine was. it was one of those weekends that although i didn't want it to end, its perfection was enough to satisfy.

friday night andy and i had a long dinner at the Nicollet Island Inn. it's a little more old-fashioned than we typically choose, but was delicious and quietly romantic. and they had a 2-for-1 three-course special. who can turn that down?

saturday morning we took a stroll around Lake Harriet with a couple of fantastic friends...

...then grabbed a late breakfast at Victor's 1959 Cafe, which is now in the running for one of my favorite saturday morning spots. a brightly painted, out-of-place in a charming way, cuban hole-in-the-wall (can you be both brightly out-of-place and hole-in-the wall?) restaurant, Victor's served up some incredible food at very reasonable prices. the eggs, cuban toast, fried yuca and pancakes were so good that once our food arrived, all conversation ceased. it's a small place, so be prepared to wait if you're there on a weekend morning. however, vale la pena (it's worth it).

then came sunday, a day of rest. except i did nothing of the sort. up for an early soccer game (we won), then home to discover two incredible finds on Craigslist. i spent the rest of the day picking up find number one, loading and unloading, rearranging furniture, picking up find number two, loading and unloading, and rearranging again. but, let me tell you, i was grinning like a little girl eating her first piece of birthday cake. i've been searching for a dresser and dining room buffet for months. months, i tell you! and in one day, shazzam! the two pieces honestly transform the space. now, if i can just find some dining room chairs- ugh.

oh! and i forgot to mention that this funky red lamp was also "acquired" this weekend. a $5 base from a thrift store, plus an old shade from a good friend, equals "huzzah!"

that is all for now.

18

2008-12-05T11:18:00.003-06:00

oh, and a happy happy birthday to my favorite little sister.

el fin

2008-12-05T11:06:00.008-06:00

and the real reason i keep going back to austin... pie.
my mom loves it too.

(sorry, mom...)

my favorite playground

2008-12-04T10:05:00.026-06:00

my favorite playground growing up wasn't one with monkey bars and see-saws, but one with fallen trees and stepping stones. i was lucky to have The Nature Center just around the corner, and spent many afternoons tromping around, exploring nature, finding treasures and getting muddy. now, as an adult, my favorite nature center activity is running on the miles of trails, winding my way through woods and prairies, crossing streams and circling ponds. it's peaceful and beautiful in the way only the open land of the midwest can be.

this past thanksgiving brought the 2nd Annual Turkey Trot, an event that is simply friends and family getting together in the cold morning air to walk, run and trot our way through nature before sitting down to heavy meals of sausage stuffing and pecan pie. the energy, smiles and "it's so good to see you!"s always make it worth getting out of a warm bed. here are a few of my favorite snapshots from the Turkey Trot and another early-morning run i took with my mom while i was home.

the farm

2008-12-03T09:13:00.010-06:00

today we're going to take a small detour from austin and head an hour southeast to cresco, iowa. to me, cresco is an extension of my hometown. it's where my dad grew up, my grandparents still live, and i spent a large portion of my childhood. my family was there on thanksgiving, and we took my grandpa for a ride out to see the old farmhouse where my dad and his brothers grew up and i spent endless hours exploring as a little girl. we barely caught the last sun rays of the day, so my photos are in short supply, but i wanted to share anyway. this is one of my family's dearest, most memory-filled places. i hope you enjoy.

the little red farmhouse

the trees under which my parents were married

the shed that kept my favorite cat warm in the winter

the long gravel road

my loving grandparents

fashion deli(ght)

2008-12-02T12:18:00.018-06:00

stop number two on our tour: the nagles, mark and susie. mark owns my favorite shop in austin, and susie owns a delicious little deli.

South Central Athlete has evolved over the years from a place athletes went to repair hockey sticks and buy their first letter jackets to a store that sells a fantastic mix of funky and sporty clothing and shoes (as well as the traditional athletic supplies). the shop lives in a renovated car repair garage and houses an array of estate- and garage-sale finds (hand-picked by mr. nagle himself). needless to say, it's a pretty great little place that always has something new to see and try on.

and then there's Grinder's Deli. yummy sandwiches on fresh-baked bread (always served with a handful of Gardetto's), carmelitas (carmel bars with a secret recipe), o'henrys and the best carrot cake in town. it's small, quaint, low-key and an austin staple. one of those places where everybody knows your name and the woman behind the counter (susie) knows you take your coffee black, prefer the corner piece of the cake, and always choose the special sauce over the secret sauce. if you're ever passing by austin with a rumbling stomach, it's more than worth the five-minute drive into town.

home is where the spam is

2008-12-01T16:02:00.012-06:00

i spent this past holiday weekend in my hometown of austin (minnesota), enjoying all that small, midwestern towns have to offer. i think that my appreciation of austin has grown since i moved away, and in order to give thanks to this humble city, i'm going to use my posts this week to give a mini-tour of the place that i call home.

first up? entertainment. featuring the classic friday night triad of Steve's Pizza, Torge's Live and Watts Cookin', also known as The Truck Stop. it's hard to beat this austin tradition...

you eat...

...you drink bad beer and play Big Buck Hunter...

...then you eat again. there's no better way to end an evening than with a big plate of SPAM and eggs.

green chic

2008-11-26T10:21:00.006-06:00

check out these fabulous reusable bags on delight. now you can be fashionable and green. and each bag holds the equivalent weight of two supermarket plastic bags. it's a win-win-win situation.

i love lamp

2008-11-25T16:26:00.011-06:00

i'm mentally preparing to decorate a big space... and by that i mean i'm gathering ideas, doing lots of research, and keeping myself up late at night scheming and daydreaming. one of my main concerns is lighting. there's a lot of it, overhead. not so much of it upon tables and floors. and i love me a good lamp. CB2 is actually one of my favorite lamp-searching spots right now... they have great options, for prices that make my bank account grin.

i'm thinking a pair of these would be quite lovely for the bedroom:

and this for the living room. oooh, i can see it now.

and, if i decide to go the hanging route over the dining room table, this seems like a simple yet stunning option. it's on sale, so i may have to make some quick decisions...

hanna's dress

2008-11-25T14:51:00.003-06:00

this is my little sister and her little red homecoming dress.

this was her date.

she's pretty darn fun.

art & secrets

2008-11-24T10:42:00.014-06:00

i spent this past saturday feeling oh so cultured. first, to the MCAD Annual Art Sale to look for some art for the blank walls of my place of living. (i figure if i live there, i can call it mine, right?) sadly enough, nothing was bought, but it was still fun to browse.

the art sale was, however, trumped by the PostSecret exhibit at the Minneapolis Central Library. if you haven't been, go. it's only here through november 30th. and if you're unfortunate enough to not live in minneapolis, i suppose the PostSecret blog will have to do. it was amazing reading hundreds of secrets that people from all over the world had mailed in... some were funny, some were shocking, all were worth reading. it was quite powerful indeed.

(*some photos compliments of the lovely Sarah Pollpeter)

inspired by kd

2008-11-21T12:25:00.030-06:00

a friend of mine recently purchased a beautiful calendar from etsy. which caused me to go a little overboard, searching for a calendar to call my own for the twelve months of 2009. i made myself stop after about sixty pages... i am a girl with things to get done. here is a compilation of work from some very talented etsy folk...

fabric!

2008-11-20T14:25:00.019-06:00

oh how i do love a good pattern. yum. a delicious treat for my eyes. and j caroline creative is one of my most recent feeding grounds. these fabrics have me seriously considering buying a sewing machine and learning how to make pillows and blankets and cushions and stuffed things to put in little places. but until that happens, i'll have to think of some lower-level projects to create, because i don't think i can resist buying some of these fabulous swatches...

october birthdays

2008-10-30T15:51:00.018-05:00

More birthdays, more birthday cards...

For my friend who loves pink and brown,

and for my special someone's mother.

saturdays

2008-10-27T10:02:00.027-05:00

I love Saturdays. I love them for their lack of alarm clocks and work, for their French-pressed coffee and late breakfasts, for their slippers and robes and long showers, but most of all, I love them for their endless possibilities. Restaurants to try, markets to peruse, roads to run on, things to be photographed, stores to browse, "what a find!"s to find, friends to see, sunshine to be enjoyed. And, this past Saturday was one of those days when I was lucky enough to do it all. I don't need to give you a play-by-play of my day, so I'll just share with you a couple of the high points.

Brunch at French Meadow, one of my very favorite spots in Minneapolis. All-natural and organic ingredients, delicious food, outdoor seating, good coffee and great people watching. Plus, the best tomato basil soup I've had in my entire life.

Next, to the Minneapolis Farmers' Market, for some late-season produce purchases.

And finally, some great finds at Valu Thrift in the Sun Ray Mall.

umbrella art

2008-10-23T11:37:00.018-05:00

All that umbrella talk yesterday got me wondering about umbrella art, so I poked around Etsy for a while and found some lovely pieces. I have always loved rain and I think that tucking yourself under an umbrella is incredibly romantic (even if you're alone). These were just a few of the paintings that drew me in...

Umbrella Rain from David Hayward

Maude

New York Love

Umbrella Print

Autumn Fire and Soggy Dog by Kelly Gentry

Please don't leave

Rainy Day

Green Umbrella

rainy day inspiration

2008-10-22T16:25:00.020-05:00

A cold, rainy day here in Minneapolis has me wishing I had a new umbrella to brighten up my day (instead of the boring, tan one I stole from my dad’s car years ago). Here are a few of my favorite that I found while searching for a new rain-repelling device.

Pops of color from FinnStyle- Marimekko’s Silkkikuikka, Petrooli and Ruusupuu umbrellas

Blue skies above from MoMA- Sky and Two-Tone

Sassy prints from J.Crew- Snow leopard and Regular (?) leopard

Parisian delight from Bibelot

Gerbera Daisies from Patina

birthday cards

2008-10-20T15:18:00.005-05:00

Ever since I was little, I’ve been hand-making birthday cards. My parents can attest- I believe they have a collection that dates back to 1988, though I’m happy to say that my design tastes have evolved over the past twenty years. It helps to have stores like Paper Source and the Paper Depot nearby. As of late I’ve even heard remarks such as, “This is the best card I’ve received in my entire life.” I wouldn’t go that far, but I do believe a handmade card is hard to beat. Here are a few of the latest…

an autumn weekend

2008-10-20T14:12:00.008-05:00

This past weekend I spent as much time as possible outside, enjoying rare, perfect Minnesota weather and taking in the autumn beauty at some of my favorite places in Minneapolis.

I spent Saturday morning at the Mill City Farmers’ Market, browsing locally produced goods under the old Gold Medal Flour mill. I ate yummy aebleskiver straight from the griddle, watched a group of cloggers perform, was amused by inquisitive children and bought some organic green beans and brussel sprouts for dinner.

Sunday afternoon was sunny and warm, a perfect time to stroll through the Lakewood Cemetery. I realize this may seem slightly morbid, but I have yet to find a more peaceful place in the Twin Cities. The foliage was in full force, the pond was calm and the only sound was the crunching under my feet.

Lastly, (and I realize this is an indoor activity), I had a drink at Nye’s Polonaise, the Best Bar in America. A piano bar in one half, live polka in the other, lots of Midwestern accents and tacky gold booths. A Saturday night doesn’t get much better.

photography

2008-10-17T10:02:00.023-05:00

I adore photography. I love viewing photographs, touching photographs, filing photographs, and, most of all, taking photographs. To me, photography is one of the most beautiful forms of art. To capture a moment- a feeling, an idea, a piece of beauty- is like a secret on the tip of a tongue, the holding in of a breathe of air. And, the best part is, anyone can do it. Have you ever seen pictures taken by children? It’s an incredible way to learn about the world.

So, when my friends tease me about my obsession with my new camera- its macro lens, its color-swap setting, the clarity of the pictures it takes- I don’t mind. I admit that the amount of time I am able to spend with my eye to the viewfinder can be a little… excessive… but it makes me happy. To me, it’s art, a way to express myself, a way to appreciate the small pieces of beauty that exist in our everyday lives.

In conclusion, my blog will include lots of photography, both mine and others’. I hope this makes you as happy as it makes me.

These are a few of my favorites that I’ve taken over the years…

my first-ever post

2008-10-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Well, as the first-ever post on my first-ever blog, I feel I should say something marked, insightful, profound. Then, on the other hand, I know that is not me. I’m silly and somewhat scattered, preferring to find inspiration in the smaller, daily things in life, putting my passion towards whatever I feel pulled by at the moment. Which is why, I think, I decided that a blog was for me. It can serve as a place to collect all of these inspirations- to catalog my thoughts, excitements, journeys, discoveries. Whether it’s a yellow leaf on a grey city day, beautiful design, a thought-provoking book, expressed love, a good meal or a spoken word that causes me to ponder, it will have a place here.

And, if you choose to read my ramblings, feel compelled to follow my thoughts, I hope that you too can find inspiration and beauty, share your passions and delight.

I welcome you to read, explore, learn; ponder, create, delight; feel, wonder, love; to appreciate with me all that is lovely in life.