Blog•
on November 26th, 2011•
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone! This is the first year I co-hosted a dinner — with my friend Krysten – and it was a success, despite a few minor hiccups at the beginning. (By hiccups, I mean that I showed up at her apartment early to start prepping while she was at work, as we’d planned, only to realize that I had, in fact, forgotten the keys to her apartment. Ahem.) Despite that snafu, everything was lovely, our company was fantastic and the food was amazing. See above for some photos of things we ate. Mmm.
Kung Fu Panda balloon
I’d gotten up early that morning to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade with my friend Helen, which turned out to be really fun, even if our location was less than ideal. We had a great view of the balloons but were too far away to see the floats or hear the music, which was a little disappointing. Next year, we’ll get it right!
I took a lot of pictures of people taking pictures. Kermit seen in the background
Click here to see a slideshow of my photos from Thanksgiving, including tons of parade shots. Also, I wrote a Thanksgiving Day story for Found Michigan, which you can find here.
Blog•
on November 11th, 2011•
At 6 this morning, my dad and I pull his SUV up to the lake. It’s just begun snowing, and as I step out of the car, I’m glad for the extra pair of long johns. Dad begins to back the trailer into the icy water, and I follow it, taking awkward wader-clad steps down the ramp and trying my hardest not to slip.
I loosen the clips holding the boat to the trailer and push. Nothing happens. I push harder. Still nothing. My dad backs the trailer farther into the water. I shove with all my might, embarrassed that I can’t perform a simple task my dad has done hundreds of times. Then I realize — it’s still strapped to the back of the trailer.
read more
Blog•
on September 7th, 2011•
Hey, here’s another pretty flower to distract you from the fact that I have nothing to say that doesn’t involve work, Hunger Games, my cat, Ron Paul, cute boys, coffee, health insurance or how waking up early confuses me a lot.
Did it work? Are you distracted?
Blog•
on August 26th, 2011•
It’s gray and heavy today, so I figured it was time to bust out another happy, colorful flower photo I took in my parents’ yard. It’s really ridiculous how many beautiful flowers are growing right outside their door.
To all my New Yorker/East Coast friends, stay safe this weekend! And for all my friends not bracing for a hurricane, what are your weekend plans?
Blog•
on August 24th, 2011•
New York City is one of my favorite places on earth, and I’m so lucky to live here. There are fun things to do at all times, amazing cultural experiences, great friends, delicious food, a breathtaking skyline. There are fantastic bars and interesting museums and gorgeous parks. But let’s be honest.
Nothing is better than Northern Michigan in the summertime.
Blog•
on August 22nd, 2011•
Not much to say today. I had a fun, productive weekend (other than the part where I dislocated my shoulder, but whatever). Now on to a productive week!
Blog•
on August 20th, 2011•
I ate this for lunch. It was so delicious, and the slices looked like lace. I really don’t want summer to end.
Blog•
on August 19th, 2011•
Happy Friday, friends! Thunder and lightning are currently shaking New York City, making me unable to hear my co-workers. (Oh, and I forgot an umbrella. And my phone. And my ID. I’m a bit of a mess.)
Anyway, in the spirit of loud noises, I give you a collection of photos I took on the Fourth of July of various family members reacting to the ridiculously loud sirens of passing fire trucks.
Too loud for Lola
Too loud for Grandma
Too loud for Matthew
He used to frighten me in the nights of childhood,
the wide adult face, enormous, stern, aloft
I could not imagine such loneliness, such coldness
But tonight as I drive home over these hilly roads
I see him sinking behind stands of winter trees
And rising again to show his familiar face
And when he comes into full view over open fields
he looks like a young man who has fallen in love
with the dark earth,
a pale bachelor, well-groomed and full of melancholy,
his round mouth open
as if he had just broken into song
(From Sailing Alone Around the Room; photo by wonderferret)
Here are a few bright photos to kick off the weekend. These are all ones I’ve collected over on my Pinterest page that brought a bit of beauty to my week.
Blog•
on March 29th, 2011•
Sometimes cats are really smart. Other times, they sit on top of a high bookshelf and decide to chase their tail. Then they accidentally fall off the bookshelf and land on their owner’s butt as said owner is relaxing in bed.
Guess which time this is.
Blog•
on March 21st, 2011•
since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;
wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world read more
Blog•
on March 20th, 2011•
Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer’s blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
Picking. Then red ones inked up and that hunger
Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots
Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills
We trekked and picked until the cans were full,
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered
With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered
With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard’s.
We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.
But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush
The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.
I couldn’t resist sharing another favorite Seamus Heaney poem, especially since I took a photo that goes so well with it. This is also from the collection Opened Ground, which is amazing.
Blog•
on March 19th, 2011•
Happy Friday! In honor of the end of a week of work and fun (and disappointing Spartans losses), I give you a post full of food photos. If you feel jealous of the things I’ve eaten recently, I don’t blame you. My friend Nola is an amazing cook.
Breakfast: Challah french toast, fruit, blueberry syrup and coffee. Perfection.
Dinner: Leek and goat cheese tart.
Dessert: Pear tart.
Blog•
on March 16th, 2011•
Here’s a little splash of color to brighten my least favorite day of the week, taken last weekend at my friend Nola’s house.
Blog•
on February 24th, 2011•
I’m going to be all over Manhattan today, starting with a meeting about the soon-to-be-discussed literary magazine, followed by a lunch with people from the publisher I freelance for, and ending with my painting class at School of Visual Arts. I love having Thursday off; it’s the day I can be really productive without wasting a day of my weekend. It’s also nice to have a day off when everyone else has to work.
Here is yet another tilt-shift photo. (I KNOW. I warned you a while ago that once I tried it, I would get obsessed.) I took this picture of the FDR Drive last year near my old apartment on 78th Street. I always loved running along that trail between the drive and the East River. Very peaceful; very hilly. But in a good way.
Blog•
on February 23rd, 2011•
As promised, here’s another tilt-shift photo that I created. I took this photo a few years ago at a music festival at Hunter Mountain in New York. I love how the bright colors and swarms of people turned out after I used this effect. And it’s no secret that I love some bright colors!
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on February 22nd, 2011•
I finally remembered that I had intended to try out some applications that let you do tilt-shift photography without expensive lenses. This evening, I played around with TiltShiftMaker, and I was really happy with the results. This is one of my favorites, partly because it’s taken from a good angle and partly because it’s just a beautiful harbor.
I took the photo of the harbor last year (see the original here) when I was on vacation in Olympia, Wash., and I love how the tilt-shift makes all the boats look like miniatures. I’ll post some of the other tilt-shift photos I’ve done in the next few days.
Blog•
on February 11th, 2011•
I attended my second oil-painting class last night. After last week’s embarrassment, I was a bit more prepared for this session. I practiced using the oil paints and palette knife, bought the supplies I was missing (sorry, little palette, you’ve been dumped for a bigger, hunkier model), even brought an apron and rags as if I were, I don’t know, an experienced painter or something.
The perfectionist in me had come out in a big way, and I was determined to Get Better Whatever It Takes. Unfortunately, I’ve realized that in art, determination isn’t all it takes to be a great artist.
When the teacher, John, pulled last week’s paintings out of the class locker, I was surprised to see mine. It looked like a person for the most part, which is a relief, but the muted colors and stippled paint were so not my style. When I paint with acrylics, my colors are bold, my brushstrokes are a bit violent, and the overall painting is really bright. This was subdued, quiet. I didn’t know if I liked this change. So I took my boring stippled painting and went to my easel. I pulled out my new fancy-artist turpentine jar (no more Starbucks-cups-as-jars for me!) and began painting. read more
Blog•
on February 8th, 2011•
My roommate Amy (the photographer who shot my cute punctuation photo to the right) has recently started keeping a photo blog, and I’m absolutely obsessed with the image she shot this weekend of her friend Jette walking in the rain. It’s very film noir, isn’t it? I seriously can’t stop staring at it and have already begged her to make a print to put up in our apartment.
Click here for some more gorgeous images from the same photo shoot.
