think nice thoughts

and the most perfect name ever award goes to...

2012-01-26T06:40:00.001-08:00

ione skye.

white mountaineering and others

2012-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

i'm wild, just wild for these two coats:

via white mountaineering.
i'm especially wild for the denim jacket. oh, and these are both meant for men. who cares? also, i'm wild for these shoes, although i imagine my toes would bust through that fabric quicker than you can say why are your toes so powerful?:

via the supply room.

let's catch up.

2012-01-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

let's start by talking about a pretty lady.

image via interview, by lucy madison
it's greta gerwig! i love her. she's just about my favorite actress, and is in the new whit stillman film!

via la weekly
i kind of forgot he had a new film until the trailer for wes anderson's new movie came out. they're both linked in my mind as makers of good stuff (although i'm way more excited for damsels in distress. wes anderson needs a class in getting back to basics. not to ramble, but while darjeeling limited wasn't his best film, i think it had the best scene in wes anderson history: the part where the boy dies in the river, and they stay with the family for his funeral. it was so moving. i really felt he'd made a turn there, and was back to thinking about story-telling vs. art direction. oh well. wes anderson gets me worked up).

but back to greta gerwig. actually, that's all i've got. go, gerwig! and go, stillman!

Amy Poehler and David Fiene Freestyle Rap Battle

2012-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

do you listen to the comedy bang bang podcast? you probably should. this is from the best of 2011. amy poehler's rap is amazing.

for me, only for me

2011-12-20T21:59:00.000-08:00

put this in your pipe and smoke it.

2011-11-30T09:26:00.001-08:00

i am pinteresting. view my cluttered profile.
i am in love with this movie poster.

i accidentally wore two different shoes to the library last night. probably the most embarrassing thing to happen to me in a while. oh well!

best made company

2011-11-07T21:39:00.000-08:00

things i think my friend karin needs in her survival kit.

boar's hair mushroom knife

beautiful, beautiful ax

beyonce knowles (the last name helps you remember who she is)

2011-11-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

doesn't love on top seem like a janet jackson song? or whitney? it seems like a song for an older lady. maybe cause it's so 90s sounding?

anyway, i think this is beyonce's best song ever:

the video is all over the place so you've probably seen it, but it's mesmerizing. the colors and the dancing and the song itself. and it's probably the only time i've found her adorable.

the song below is pretty silly, but she takes it very seriously and there are some over-the-top moments that make it worth watching over and over (i love her on the horse).

also, i don't think she ever wears a bra.

natasha lyonne!

2011-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

she's back! i heard she's in the new american pie movie, and then i saw her on the new girl! she has the coolest hair. (side note: i'm a sucker for brown-eyed blondes.)

as free as heaven on a breeze.

2011-10-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

brooches for all

2011-08-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

since i now have cats, i'm required by law to begin collecting cat-themed stuff. which is fine by me, as long as it's adorable.

i hadn't heard of lea stein until i visited the randolph street flea market, where i found a variety of her plastic jewelry. it is vibrant and whimsical, and the styles below are a few of my favorite brooches. look, it's literally a calico cat!

and then there's this brooch, not made by lea stein:

oh my god, the coco pebbles are almost more tempting than the pin. via sniffle co.

wax fabric

2011-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

i had no idea fabric like this existed until i took a peek into a weird convenience store on my way to target. it's called wax fabric, and i love it to pieces.

some of my favorites from vlisco:

my wedding dress is essentially the dress on the left. why did i wear ivory lace when i could've had this made for me? i would've worn it everywhere. i would've never taken it off.

is this the dress?

2011-06-20T18:49:00.001-07:00

so, i'm looking for a dress for this wedding in september, and i came across this:

i think i might totally love it. but it's $278. but $278 for a marc jacobs dress seems like a steal. actually, i have no idea what a marc jacobs dress goes for. and is it wedding-friendly? i have no idea.

introducing mr. james brown and miss lamington

2011-06-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

songs i listen to at night

2011-02-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

(i like this video because it seems like a bunch of old people got ahold of a video camera and did whatever came to mind)

i will take ten of these.

2010-11-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

yslrockandbaroque

huh?

2010-11-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

groupon has an american apparel coupon today, and i went to their site to see if i liked anything enough to buy it, and found these:

what? i don't understand! i guess they are supposed to be sexy or something? it's worth it to check out the link for more hilarious pictures: sexy luxe cut-out pantyhose.

i guess i'm too immature for buttless nylons.

2010-11-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

all of these shoes, except for the beautiful boots, are within my budget!

thanks need supply co.!

thank you, walkmen, for existing.

2010-10-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

pink.

2010-06-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

oh, lordy. sometimes, a pink table takes over your life and you can't get anything done. i found this via apartment therapy and am thoroughly in love. sadly, it's made by blu dot, which experience has taught me is well out of my price range. one day, one day!

until then, i'll daydream about things around my apartment i can paint pink.

the long lost wilson brother

2010-03-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

oh, futureman! i overlooked you in bottle rocket, thinking you too handsome for my taste. first luke owned my heart, with his doodles of inez and dreamy eyes. then suddenly owen crept up, truly the most talented wilson, all sweet drawl and jumpsuits.

then stuff happened: suicide attempts and kate hudson, pot bellies and at&t commercials. so seeing andrew in whip it was a refreshing reminder of what a wilson brother should be: a laid-back, hair a-flowing crazy-handsome dreamboat.

come back to us, owen. i miss your smarts. middle child to middle child: you're a national treasure.

futureman

2010-03-12T15:26:00.001-08:00

my obituary will hopefully have this in it somewhere: julyna was never filmed in slow motion, something for which she was forever grateful.

i'm not sure that forever should be alluded to in an obit, but that's beside the point: let's all strive to remain in regular motion for the rest of our lives. only children and the thin look good when slowed down.

2010-02-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

while looking for a tiny lamp shade for my tiny lamp, i came across these and fell in love! they are just so sweet.

via natural calm.

holding out for a hero

2010-02-06T18:28:00.001-08:00

i'm thrilled that there are so many cute pie plates out there in the world. i'm pretty sure i know which one i'll get (a cheap one, for sure. who knows how long this pie obsession will last?), but i found these vintage pyrex pie plates (via flickr) and am thinking of doing some digging at garage sales before settling.

the calendar was the saddest thing that i ever read.

2010-02-03T19:56:00.001-08:00

i forgot to talk about my 2010 goals. here they are, in random order:

1. make a pinata of ulysses s. grant.
2. move away from chicago for good (at least for a little while).

that's it for now. oh, and i want to make a pie or two.

one more thing.

2010-01-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

why is it that i post random, unimportant things and not anything really special? here's the animation brandon threw together last year to announce our engagement to our families. (please excuse the typo on the last page. we meant to fix it, then stopped caring).

i miss wedding planning. what a fun time all that was.

randoms.

2010-01-31T14:36:00.000-08:00

birthday fungus

new york clouds

do i look thirty yet?

adventureland!

2010-01-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

turns out i really like kristen stewart. i misread her normalness as a bad attitude, and for that i'm sorry. she's a good actress, and someone i sort of wish was my friend. not to sound creepy, but she's really cool. she does this thing with her hair that i'm sure you've seen- she has no part, but just runs her fingers through the front and tosses it to one side. it's really cool. did i mention how cool i think she is? she's pretty cool.

look at this picture from ew.com for confirmation of her coolness:

anyway, i rented adventureland this weekend, and liked it so much i might watch it again tonight. instead of seeing youth in revolt, see adventureland. help me stop michael cera from profiting from another crappy movie. let's show him what a real young adult movie is.

the engagement photo shoot.

2010-01-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

they are very popular. i can't stand them. they are annoying because:

a) there are always sexy shots of the couple making out, usually pressed up against a wall. some stuff, like making out while pressed against a wall, should be kept to oneself, not photographed and sent to grandma.

b) there is usually no way to distinguish between engagement photo shoots and just plain taking pictures of couples in fancy outfits in random city locales.

c) it's just so gd self-involved. these photo shoots seem to be made only for the couple, wedding blogs, and especially, for other brides-to-be. i'm all about wedding documentation, but there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, 'am i the only person who really cares what i looked like while engaged?' and, 'am i the only person who understands that this prop hotdog/helium balloon represents a very important aspect of my relationship?' the answer is always yes.

d) photography is expensive, so i can't help but imagine every person who has an engagement photo shoot is a rich, snobby jerk. i'm sure they're perfectly nice people who are just excited about getting married, but in my mind, they have a little too much money and way too much time on their hands.

p.s. if i see one more photo of someone wearing a fake mustache, i'm going to lose it. seriously.

ew. ew. ewww.

2010-01-05T14:45:00.001-08:00

Image: Mike Coppola / Getty Images

fast friends

2009-12-29T11:55:00.000-08:00

meet the new editions to our growing collection of pretty stuff:

the turquoise pitcher is named little k, and its older shamrock sister is named ruby (confusing? perhaps).

love.

2009-12-28T09:59:00.001-08:00

aziz ansari.

2009-12-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

one of my perpetual resolutions is to define my personal style and purchase clothes within that style. it's been hard because a) clothes cost money, and money is something i rarely want to part with and b) i like a lot of styles, and can't ever decide which is best for me.

i wish i could dress like this:

(via the sartorialist)

i especially like the socks and shoes. so i wonder, does this style fit me? i don't think so. but oh how i wish! it's so darling. unfortunately, i am too tall to be a darling person.

2009-12-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

too bad i wasn't in london a few nights ago, because this sounds like fun.

actually, i don't know how interesting it would be to watch other people draw. i thought it was more of a live music, everyone doodling all at the same time kind of thing, which seems way cooler. like a raucous drawing co-op. well, maybe not so raucous.

anyway, i love the poster.

a sad song in my sweet heart

2009-12-03T20:26:00.001-08:00

i'm starting a sad song blog. i decided this last saturday, after having a string of devastatingly awesome sad songs shuffle by on my ipod. so delicious. my sad song of the moment is bob dylan's you're a big girl now, from his sad song masterpiece, blood on the tracks.

here's a picture of him, just because he's a straight dreamboat and can play piano, harmonica, and sing at the same time.

p.s. i hate joan baez (not because of their relationship, but because her voice sounds like a wild boar).

dream boots.

2009-11-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

available in sizes 8 & 10 at my local shoe store, about $150 cheaper than anywhere else. unfortunately, i wear neither an 8 or a 10, so they will remain a dream.

i love it so much it takes withholding.

2009-11-27T16:06:00.001-08:00

i love you, rifle paper co.

2009-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

i hadn't heard of this short until finding this on ffffound (surprised?). it sounds wonderful: "A story about monsters, moon-walks and what happens to your imaginary friend when you make your first real one..." (from imdb.com)

also, the poster has clouds, and it's hard to go wrong with clouds.

a J to love.

2009-11-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

again, via ffffound, because it's the only website i never get sick of.

belly of the whale

2009-11-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

so in love with this. via flickr/ffffound.

smile.

2009-11-08T18:49:00.001-08:00

only missing the dimples.

daily drop cap

2009-10-21T05:53:00.000-07:00

note: i can't make the image outlines disappear without changing it blog-wide, and it just looks weird without them. so, sorry this post looks strange.

i've been seeing this all over ffffound! for a while now and finally decided to hunt down a J. here it is. not my favorite, but we can't all be named karin, or fern, or brandon.

it's true, we can't all be named karin. it would be a weird world. but a very cute one, full of deep dimples and sausage platters.

oh fern, i hope you're doing well. i read about you in a people magazine when i was a kid, and you've always been in my mind.

dear brandon, you make my life very happy. and you're a looker, especially in monogram form.

the rest are definitely worth a look.
dailydropcap.com

the H1N1 kiss

2009-09-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

1) find a mate.
2) stand close, like you might kiss.
3) instead of kissing, just flare your nostrils over and over.

there, you've done the H1N1 kiss. it's safer than lip-to-lip action and probably burns the same amount of calories.

the last days of disco

2009-09-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

i can't lie. i used to think of this as one of my favorite films. then other films came along and took its place, and it fell out of my mind. then magic happened! it was rereleased by the criterion collection! i can't wait to see it again.

(i also like the cover illustration)

dear meeting deer

2009-09-22T14:48:00.001-07:00

this is a picture my sister was lucky to snap of my lovely niece coming upon a deer in the forest. it's so magical and sweet. i hope it's a moment she remembers her whole life.

one day only!

2009-09-19T15:09:00.000-07:00

it's over. the antique sale. there are fewer and fewer treasures each year, but i managed to come away with a bag full of fabric remnants and two pieces of jewelry that hurt my heart they are so beautiful. i literally swooned upon seeing them. i said OH MY GOD to no one in particular. they are almost too beautiful to live.

(i'll show off the jewelry later)

p.s.

2009-08-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

every lady has a dreamboat and here is mine:

beanie babies

2009-08-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

we visited the bean last weekend. man, does it need a washing. here's brandon gazing up into its underbelly.

i then fell in love with the name borg warner and took this picture.

thank you and you and you.

2009-07-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

tonight we finished our thank you notes. my writing hand is tired.

cover to cover

2009-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

today i spotted one of my favorite books redone with a new, funky cover.

the copy i own sports the first cover on the left. the one at the book cellar (super cute bookstore in lincoln square) has the 2nd cover from the left. while doing a google image search, i discovered two other covers.

i'm not sure which is my favorite (honestly, i don't love any of them), but i do think my copy's cover fits the story best. while i usually love hand-drawn type, it feels out-of-place here.

if you haven't read this book, i highly recommend it.

back to life, back to reality.

2009-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

remember that song? i never liked it.

the wedding fog has lifted, and all i can see is the sun.

i'm excited to:

- decorate my apartment (finally, after two months of living in it)
- have a weekend off with my new husband
- write thank you notes
- find a better job

here's brandon and me and our marriage license.

busy.

2009-04-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

too busy to:

- write
- think
- play
- eat well-rounded meals
- read

can't wait for may 2nd.

man vs. nature

2009-04-15T20:55:00.000-07:00

into the wild. it was a movie i wanted to see. netflixed it, got it in the mail, then saw the running length. 2.5 hrs.

seriously, sean penn? 2.5 hours?

as much as i love emile hirsch, i worry now that i'll only watch as a critic, because good god, few movies need to be 2.5 hrs long. hopefully i'll get over myself and get lost in emile hirsch's awesomeness and not be too distracted by sean penn's indulgent direction.

to be fair to mr. sean penn, another reason i might not be too keen to see his film is that i've read the book, and found it wonderful yet heartbreaking. to get so far, to be so brave and smart, yet to be undone by the minor details is just a killer. plus, i'm excited to finish up the wire!! get out of my way, penn!

2009-04-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

zipper examinations.

2009-03-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

i had the opportunity recently to use the phrase "xyz" on my boyfriend, and i found it surprising that he had no idea what i was talking about. i had to really break it down. the exchange:

me: hey brandon, xyz.
brandon: huh?
me: (gesturing) xyz.
brandon: what?
me: (more gesturing) xyz. examine your zipper.
brandon: huh?
me: (pointing) your zipper is down. xyz. examine your zipper.

i always thought this was universal. wrong. it's not only not universal, it requires a lot of explanation and i wonder if i'm the only person keeping it alive? come to think of it, i haven't seen anyone with their zipper unzipped in a while, so the last time i might've used the phrase was in the late 80s. hm.

the who?

2009-03-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

i was raised on classic rock. for a long time, i hated it. i once mocked led zeppelin. i thought the who's behind blue eyes was incredibly cheesy, especially the part where he goes all wild. now, the part where he goes all wild is the best part of the song for me. and led zeppelin is something i happily listen to (even search out) in itunes.

i credit this change of heart mostly to karin, who brought 97.1 (the drive) into my life. although they play a lot of the stuff i hated then and hate now, their deep track weekends and thursday artist portraits reintroduced me to a lot of music i dismissed as a rebellious youth.

p.s. i still hate eric clapton.

saddle shoes

2009-03-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

recently i saw a girl sporting a pair of saddle shoes and was inspired to track down this photo. it shows me in the beginning stages of my saddle shoe obsession (which started thanks to my mom, because i was only 2.5 in this picture and hardly able to make my own fashion decisions).

i can't say what i love about saddle shoes. the black and white is a draw, the retro-feel, the way they look after being worn for a while (i've always been embarrassed by bright white shoes). what probably drew me the most to them is their name- i was also obsessed with horses, and probably pictured wearing saddle shoes while on a saddle on a horse.

maybe one day i'll get a cake wreck.

2009-03-01T18:32:00.000-08:00

i'm a big fan of cake wrecks. my mom is having a picture cake made for my bridal shower, and i'm hoping something goes terribly awry with it.

project bangs update

2009-02-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

well, it has been over a month since i started the bangs project. i've resisted the urge to cut, but honestly, it's only a matter of time before i cave. lately i've been wearing it in a weird twisty thing on top of my head.

oscar fashion: better late than never.

2009-02-25T15:03:00.001-08:00

i forgot to mention how much i liked tilda swinton's dress:

usually she looks like she's come from the future to warn us of something (and i totally appreciate and love her willingness to look straight weird), but here she looks sophisticated yet still unique. it was a nice change from all the overblown wedding and prom dresses most people busted out.

thank you, germany.

2009-02-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

today, while at starbucks with my friend, a group of german men sitting near us suddenly started causing a ruckus: pounding on the window, pointing at something outside, gesturing wildly. out of the corner of my eye i saw a man crossing the street and assumed he was their friend, and all this fuss was to get his attention (i also assumed he was from germany, and this was some odd, german method of greeting each other).

nope! turns out, the guy's prius was driving away without him. it started rolling towards the parkway, and almost out into traffic. he got back to it just in time to stop it. he drove off, never to be seen again.

is it terrible that i sort of wanted to see that car explode? i didn't want anyone to get hurt, but i wanted to see the prius run into a tree, or hit a parked car, or get hit (gently) itself. now that i think about it, one perfect, german word comes to mind to describe my feelings: schadenfreude. it was all delightfully terrible.

(whenever i see a prius, i think of one of my favorite lines from the simpsons: ed begley jr. saying that his go-cart is powered by his "own sense of self-satisfaction.")

what to do when you match your mid-afternoon snack.

2009-02-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

just go with it.

spreadsheets, data merging, and reactionary quota fulfillments

2009-02-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

it's fun stringing random, business-sounding words together. reactionary quota fulfillment sounds interesting, especially if i were to tack the word 'specialist' on the end.

i can finally back up my claim that i have an extensive working knowledge of excel: i made a spreadsheet of addresses! it's doubling as a guest list/counter that right now doesn't tally anything (still don't know how to make it add up a column of numbers), but it comes complete with random symbols that only i understand. hot pink with hash marks means you'll be invited, but can't come. yellow with no hash marks means you'll be invited, but probably won't come. the hot pink and hash marks are a new addition, after i decided that red for no looks too mcdonald's next to yellow for maybe. maybe i'll make a key.

speaking of mcdonald's, i'm really digging their new qtr pounder ads.

just for fun, here's my cat in a box! she loves it!

las vegas

2009-02-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

lately i've been arriving at the ymca right around 11 a.m., which means that tnt is showing las vegas, which means a five minute opening montage of scantily clad people (aka ladies) gyrating all over each other, ending with josh duhamel showing up and shaking his head in disapproval. i am not a prude, but i find it embarrassing to be watching this while working out with mostly elderly men.

mildly obsessed with nannerpuss.

2009-02-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

i love the song. i love that his eye pops off. i love that the pancakes are sitting in a weird blue goop and that the grapes have eyes. i just watched the video (minus the denny's part) about seven times in a row.

anti-theft devices

2009-02-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

clever little oddities are very exciting to me; i love that whimsy can happen anywhere, on any scale. this moldy sandwich bag has been on my mind for a week or two, mainly because i've been trying to wrap my head around how to sell a refrigerator.

from the.

the summer that changed everything.

2009-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

ever since the summer i watched dirty dancing upwards of 50 times, i've had a thing for slim, slightly pegged white jeans (maybe this movie is even where my plaid obsession started). they're so simple and fresh. i found these at old navy, and despite being a little longer than i'd like, i really want them:

knowing old navy pants, they will fit weird and i'll leave the dressing room in tears, but i've got to try. i want to wear them with a pink plaid shirt. or a blue plaid shirt. baby wore them with a white shirt, so maybe i'll just follow her lead.

i like people.

2009-02-02T15:40:00.001-08:00

my blog might lead some to think that i'm filled with hatred. it's not true. i really like almost everything. today i realized how much i like julia roberts after seeing a trailer for her and clive owen's new movie. they both seem like genuinely nice people, and it doesn't hurt that they're both wildly attractive. i love julia robert's giant mouth, her odd, explosive laugh, and her puppy dog eyes. clive owen is simply a grade A dreamboat.

beginning to see the light.

2009-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

and it looks like aqua gingham!

2009-01-25T20:57:00.001-08:00

it's only me at home so of course i have all the lights on. tonight i watched a hallmark hall of fame made-for-tv movie that tugged my heartstrings something fierce.

i am coming off of a stellar weekend. rose sent me flowers (she is always on top of special occasions), i ate a really good hamburger, and found the kitchenaid mixer of my dreams:

the color is pear. we also registered for an ice cream maker attachment!

2009-01-21T17:24:00.000-08:00

willing to go dutch if i can have one of these rings:

it's an australian opal, and i think i love it.

(from galerieurbana.etsy.com)

the bangs project

2009-01-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

anyone who has bangs can relate to my dilemma: i love them, but they drive me nuts. i think this time i'm serious about growing them out. i THINK. they're directly in my line of vision and look greasy after a few hours because i'm constantly touching them trying to move them out of the way. and pinning them up makes me look like a four year old.

right now they're ok. mainly because i've slept on them and they could stand a washing.

who knows what they'll look like tomorrow.

i have a trumpet, but no accordion.

2009-01-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

i found a wedding dress, which i cannot post because suddenly i want to keep all this secret. plus, i look awkward in all the pictures. very hunched. also, i found this picture on a blog and i love it because sometimes i think adults shouldn't like mismatched things as much as i do, and i should just decide on one color for a kitchen and go with it. i say no to that!

(photo from creature comforts.)

this picture is from a while ago, but it's a cabinet full of mismatched teacups that i want to display, but haven't. i wish i could register for a china cabinet.

tomorrow?

2009-01-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

friday will be a scary day. i must find a wedding dress. i expect tears, uncertainty, and finally, the wedding to be called off. these are two dresses that i like, mainly because they don't look like anything else i've seen so far.

i like that this one has random strings hanging off, and a tiny strap:

this is my favorite so far. i especially love the poof bracelet and the puffy waist, which is exactly what my mom dislikes about the dress. it might be too formal though, and hot (the lady in the picture looks like she might faint with happiness/heat exhaustion). but my heart pitter pattered when i saw it, and i'm using that as my guide.

coffee problems

2009-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

i also want to address a problem that seems unique to me at coffee shops. i won't go as far as saying always, but about 60% of the time, my coffee/drink order will go unfilled. there's one particular starbucks where it has happened about four times (and i don't get coffee all that often), and today at dunkin' donuts, three- yes, three- women were involved in taking my order, and not one of them actually made my coffee. one started cleaning, one disappeared completely, and one was on the phone the entire time so i sort of expected she wasn't going to help me anyway. i ended up milling around for a few minutes before the lady who started cleaning asked if i'd placed an order. i ended up getting my coffee, and it was no big deal.

i've started to wonder though if there's something about me that makes coffee shop employees think that despite ordering, paying, and then hanging about waiting for my coffee, i'm not all that serious about actually getting a drink. my theory is that i'm too nice. if i went in and barked out an order, damn straight i'd be getting a drink. by smiling and being my quiet self, i give the impression that i'm cool with waiting a really long time for a drink. it's a hard life for julyna.

my experimental phase.

2009-01-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

brandon had to shave for his new job. it was very sad for me- more sad for me than him. his beard is pretty glorious. and pretty. from a november photo shoot:

i'll see you again soon, beard.

tonight, tonight, tonight- oh ohhhhh!

2009-01-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

the title of this post is from a phil collins song.

yesterday it was sunny and snowing. i decided that eliza is right: there is definitely something magical about that combination. it's almost as if she sent it to me, just so i could see for myself.

trying trying trying.

2009-01-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

trying trying trying.
trying trying trying.
trying trying trying.
trying trying trying.
trying trying trying.

hoping it works.

cornrows

2009-01-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

the best part of getting married in the south south south suburbs is that i can have wedding pictures taken in the cornfields. maybe i'll ride a tractor and wear cowboy boots.

p.s. i hate gwyneth paltrow with almost all of my heart (the other part is still devoted to hating jamie foxx).

peace attack

2009-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

my phone will not stay charged long enough to tell everyone my news. got a few more people out of the way today, and tomorrow might be the end of it. then i'll write about it here.

today i made the trek from work to the bank to dunkin' donuts to home on my good old feet. it felt great to walk, and wasn't too cold (unless i've just gotten used to the constant chill in the air). sometimes i think about quitting the ymca and just going on hour long walks every evening- i have a lot more energy in the evening. if only i had a friend to walk with.

a brief list of people i hate.

2009-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

in addition to fergie and jamie foxx, here are more people that i can't stand and/or refuse to acknowledge their right to exist:

will smith
rosie o'donnell (chris o'donnell is safe- for now)

tiny tiny

2008-12-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

took a few hours to work on rose's site. i'm rusty, but it's fun.

from thegreatlakesgoods.com

um, monday?

2008-12-01T22:50:00.000-08:00

today i was productive. i scheduled my first interview with a recruiter! hopefully she'll help me find some freelance work- she really likes my stuff. calling her was really scary though. also, we had our first significant snow of the season.

last night i dreamt i was on a chicago tour boat, but we were touring the underground part of the city. the tour guide was a character from the book i just finished, and i was trying to get to a job interview. very weird. there were lots of ornery women on the boat, and i tattled on a few of them to the guide.

again, with these mondays.

2008-12-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

last week was a blur. a fun, food-filled blur.

tuesday: worked out with brandon. made some cake. finished season 2 of the wire. prepared for 29.

wednesday: 29! hit the library and my corner hot dog stand, picked up our computer... ate cake, played uno (only won once).

thursday: thanksgiving! the family watched brandon play super metroid on super nintendo for three hours. ate too much. my grandma gave me a ring of hers that i've admired since i was a tiny girl. it fits perfectly.

(black) friday: went to walmart, didn't trample anyone. helped meg pick out a digital camera!

saturday and sunday: work and work. oh- we set up the tree!

i say no to mondays.

2008-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

monday: what's there to say about a monday? i did laundry. brandon's new cell phone came and we marveled for a while. walked to walgreen's in the snow. it had already stopped by the time we came out. got crabby. got uncrabby.

sunday: early thanksgiving at my mom's. family, food, nieces. reilly made sure i sat next to her during dinner and dessert, i think because i'm easy to antagonize and can't say no to her. she helped me open my presents, too. she was more excited than i was.

i got many lovely things: an awesome ring, awesome earrings, a beautiful table runner, and a pair of boots.

card shark

2008-11-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

i've won in rummy two nights in a row. my challenger has been fierce, and i've been down more than up, but i persevered. there are no pictures to commemorate this great victory, but it will live on in my memory as a momentous occasion.

burger buddy

2008-11-21T14:52:00.001-08:00

saw lots of old people at the y working out harder than me. felt bad. have to call my dad to borrow money. more bad feelings. checked the mail and received another package that changed everything, this time from karin! we are more than friends, we are burger buddies.

fruit flies like a banana

2008-11-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

a box came for me! lovely jody sent a 5 year diary. she is so thoughtful in her gifting. she's a pearl of a girl.

the "time flies like an arrow" project

2008-11-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

last friday i began my 2009 new year's resolution: to try and remember things that happen to me instead of letting the days all melt together. sometimes i'll include pictures, but mostly i won't, because carrying my camera with me makes me suspicious of those around me.

so, friday, 11/14: my portfolio was ready to be picked up from kinko's/fedex kinko's/fedex office. (side note: i hated kinko's. i felt infinitely better about them when they teamed up with fedex (although i'm sure they still made just as many mistakes). visited rose at work. hadn't seen her in months. i also went to francesca's to redeem part of my gift certificate. i got some note cards and broke a ring (it got stuck on my finger and in yanking it off, it split in two. oops).

saturday, 11/15: worked. watched 3 hours of the wire. took pictures of me and brandon in front of my favorite window on fullerton and my favorite hallway on kedzie.

sunday, 11/16: um... worked. made stockings as the snow swirled outside. came home to a comfy house and gave meg love guidance. ate tacos.

monday, 11/17: weekdays are hard for the half-employed. tried to go to the ymca but got halfway there and realized i'd grabbed my library card instead of my y pass. had to go back home to get my y pass. couldn't find it. gave up on the y. started doing laundry. found my y pass in the dryer. ate dinner and hung out with rose. she gave me a pillow (a beautiful blue silk one meant for my aqua side chairs) and faux-scrimshaw president coasters (abe pictured, but also washington and jefferson).

tuesday, 11/18: worked. applied for jobs! it felt great!

wednesday, 11/19: computer FREAKED OUT. stressed out all day about it. sad that no one called back about jobs. watched 2 hours of the wire. ate fannie may mint meltaway ice cream. sort of hated myself.

after writing all this, i'm not sure that this project is very interesting. it's not really a project at all; it's an online diary. a weblog. i am using a blog for its exact purpose. will i look back and even remember what the heck i was talking about? well, a resolution is a resolution.

i take pictures of my cat.

2008-10-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

sometimes she's cute. sometimes she's mean. sometimes she helps brandon with his animations. mostly, she's sleepy.

found at walgreens:

2008-10-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

if only we got trick or treaters... i would freak (with happiness) if i got either of these on halloween.

updates galore.

2008-10-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

school is over. i made it! here is a list of things i meant to tell you, blog:

first, popcorn gives me stomaches now. still, i will store it in the old jar from my grandpa.

second, for some reason, i was looking very closely at tea packaging, and found this:

it's funny to me that arizona green tea is trying to pass itself off as a chinese import.

and just for kicks, a picture of a picture of me and brandon!

things people don't freak out about anymore:

2008-09-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

- whiplash
- acid rain

as a child, i was concerned that every car trip might end in a terrible accident, leaving me with neck strain and the uncomfortable-looking band of white around my neck. also, i was sure that acid rain would dissolve the clothes off of my body and put holes in my skin.

this will be added to as me and brandon remember things that people used to talk about a lot but don't anymore.

seeing stars.

2008-08-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

yesterday i saw oprah on the street. she was eating an apple. she looks exactly like she looks on tv. she's cute.

i like tiny things.

2008-08-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

like this:

(from the wired blog)

or, like these tiny things:

memorializing things.

2008-05-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

the weekend was so wonderful and warm. we ate food and watched a movie, and i pretended for one day that i was a normal person on a long weekend away from work. today it was back to reality.

the first watermelon of the season:

a cute boy standing in front of a calendar stuck on april 2007 (i refuse to buy a new one):

weirdest internet search of the week:

2008-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

space dolphins.

sadly, this might be my only post for may.

a brief list of things i want to spray paint red:

2008-04-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

- the rustic star my mom got me in ohio.
- plant stand.
- hershey display rack.

i think that's it.

my dad bought me spray paint this weekend, which helped immensely because spray paint is not sold in the city (something to do with graffiti, which i had no idea was a problem).

school started on monday. i have no pictures to commemorate my feelings of unease.

so anyway, we're going to spray paint this weekend.

all marched out.

2008-03-31T09:09:00.000-07:00

is it march that comes in like a lion, out like a lamb? i can't remember.

our party was fun. i ate and drank for three hours straight. cashews! cookies, spinach and artichoke dip, bean dip... so good. and i came out of it all with a really cool bag and an adorable apartment.

these are some of the flowers we got to perk the place up:

i don't know what these are called but i like them. they remind me of lions.

so, school starts in a week and i have a list of things i have to accomplish before next monday evening. yikes.

i love my computer.

2008-03-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

my computer can have about 8 million programs open and the only one that will ever unexpectedly quit is safari, which doesn't surprise me because i think safari is sort of crappy.

anyway, i really love that i can have so many programs open at once. also, i can copy things to my flash and it goes so fast! like a flash, for real!

these are some pictures i took and used for my nylon comps. they are a success. or will be, after a few changes.

both were taken in logan square, near my apt.