Happy Martin Luther King day! I hope those of you who have the day off slept in this morning; and that those of you who don’t love your work.
Lauren – New York, NY
Cold and quiet winter sun
Deli flowers & city reflection
Impromptu dinner with Dad
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Farrell – Los Angeles, CA
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Kayaked in Marina del Rey
Sat across the street from Louis CK for 45 minutes until I realized that it wasn’t him when I went to my car.
A lovely night with some friends
A few months ago I was doing some research on online museums and discovered the site Obsessionistas, at which collectors showcase their collections online. It’s a really interesting site full of all sorts of unexpected collections but a few of my favorites that happen to have a vintage twist include*:
Mid-Century Clocks
There are so many other interesting collections. Check them out!
*Click through pictures to see the full collections
I am so fortunate to have a mother that saves cool things. Here are some of my favorite items that she has passed down to me.
Thanks to a lingering stomach bug, I’m just settling back into life following my foreign travels. I’m mostly unpacked (something I always consider a victory!), save for my carry on/purse which could use a little post-vaca attention. Though Thailand’s sandy beaches and beautifully blue water sound endlessly appealing, I have to say I’m so happy to be at home. I have a new found appreciation for my apartment these days. I’m not sure quite what it is (perhaps it’s the space heaters in every room) but I’m just really enjoying spending time here lately. Though I have a never ending list of home improvements I’d like to make, I really love this little apartment of mine.
Yesterday I got completely lost in the “Survival Tips for Life In a Tiny Apartment” archives on the blog Reading My Tea Leaves. Its author, Erin Boyle, and her husband live in a 240 square foot space (almost half the size of my apartment). While there are some great tips in there for sure, the biggest thing I came away with was the importance of being thoughtful about your space, how you use it and what you allow to come inside. I’m feeling a major de-cluttering coming on and I can’t wait!
L: How is you complaining secession going?
F: Well, I am going to say it is not going THAT well (that is not a complaint). Mostly because when I complain, I don’t really stop myself. I have become more aware of my complaints and now they feel much more empty.
On another note, Albert and I write one thing that we are grateful for at the end of the day. We plan on doing this until the end of the year. I have to say, it has been kind of a nice thing to do.
L: Do you have a favorite work of art?
F: Photography has always been my preferred medium, but there is no one single piece I love the most – though preferably black and white.
L: Remember when you used to do that dance cardio workout?
F: Yeah, I sure do! In a way, that dance cardio saved my life. I was so depressed and jobless in NYC for a period of time. Sometimes I would burst into tears while I was working out. I still think that kind of workout shows the best results on my body. Dance cardio is not a thing of the past for me. I will do it again.
L: Who was your favorite teacher?
F: Jeez, that one is really hard. All of the teachers that I thought I hated at the time ended up to be my favorite teachers. Also, I loved Ward Churchill so much at the University of Colorado.
Seems remiss to not say Mom though.
L: Anything else you’d like to share?
F: It is pretty awesome that you, Dad and so many other people in my life are doing the Clean Cleanse. It’s just wonderful to me.
(image via here)
I was recently listening to this mix that Monster Rally did for MTV Hive and discovered a song by the Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke.
After listening to this one track over and over again I decided to check out more of Astatke’s music. I love the exotic sounds that are included in this record; they make me dream of hot, dry streets in far away lands.
I woke up this Saturday morning feeling restless. I spent the morning looking for getaways, hotel deals and Southern California day trips. I was crawling in my skin with unease. I always feel tired. I don’t spend enough time outside. These were the type of thoughts that were at the top of my mind.
I convinced Albert to go to Swizter Falls in Angeles National Park. The falls were supposed to be amazing. It was going to be great!
After a whole rigmarole trying to get a day pass and almost turning back, we started our hike.
When we finally arrived at the waterfalls, it was kind of a bust. We sat by the water for a while and watched a mother and son take hundreds of pictures jumping in front of the waterfall and I really kind of came to thinking.
It’s never about where you are trying to go. Goals are fantastic and get you to where you want to be. But, it’s the people you come across and the things you see and do that really make you feel alive.
The waterfall was great and all but the journey was where it was at.
Hello lovely readers! Wishing you a wonderful week! Here are this weekend’s pictures.
Farrell – Los Angeles, CA
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We have been blessed with a string of beautiful sunsets and I have enjoyed every single one.
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Trail mix on the trails
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Sunday amuse boche
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Lauren – New York, NY
Rainy Saturday afternoon visit to the Alex Prager: “Face in the Crowd” exhibits
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Henry Threadgill’s “Ensemble Double-Up” at Winter Jazzfest 2014
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Hanging glass drops as seen from the street
I stumbled on this wonderful PBS video series yesterday called “Blank on Blank: Famous Names, Lost Interviews.” These short, illustrated videos cover topics such as Grace Kelly on JFK, Kurt Cobain on Identity and Fidel Castro, the Lost Interview. There are two seasons worth of episodes and I highly suggest you check out the site for many others!
I have been known to ask a lot of questions in my day. I am not sure what that is all about. Is it a nervous thing? A curious thing? A fun thing? I am not sure really. All I know is I like to find out about people. I like to know what they are actually like instead of waiting for years to break down their walls.
So, as you can guess, I have taken to listening to interviews. Most recently, I listened to an interview with one of my favorite comedians, Will Ferrell, by Marc Moran (who I feel kind of whatever about).
To listen, click here.
(image found here)
Facetime with my favorite Californian hand puppets!
F: Did you learn anything about yourself on your most recent trip to Thailand?
L: I already knew this but I was reminded that I can’t really absorb information about a place before I get there. Guide books and maps mean nothing to me until I’m sitting in the place and can figure out what I want to do from there.
F: Were there any noteworthy lessons that came up while you were halfway around the world?
L: There were almost no Thai people in the areas we went (minus people working in tourism and hospitality), only western tourists. I’m not sure what the lesson is there, specifically, but it’s something I didn’t notice much at first and then thought a lot about once I’d been there longer.
F: What was your favorite thing we did in Cleveland for Christmas?
L: Ah, seems so long ago! I really enjoy the dirty Santa gift exchange we’ve starting doing on Christmas Eve.
F: Do you have any resolutions?
L: I decided to use the word aspiration instead of resolution this year. One such aspiration of mine is to read more.
F: Is it cold there?
L. Oh yeah! Warming up over the weekend though, so that’s something.
I’m back in NYC after a great trip to Cleveland for Christmas followed by ten days in Thailand with some of my best friends in the world. I was feeling strangely anxious going into the trip but lemme tell ya, the picturesque Thai beaches put that nonsense to rest in no time!
We spent the first half of the trip on an island called Koh Lanta. We rented motor bikes and basically spent the days driving around and exploring various beaches along the coast.
New Year’s Eve fireworks
Watching the first sunset of 2014
After Koh Lanta, a couple of us headed off to Railay Beach. Farrell said Railay was her favorite place in Thailand and i completely understand why. Surrounded by these enormous jutting cliffs, Railay is both stunning and super relaxing.
Long boats at low tide
This trip reminded me that I never regret getting out there and seeing the world, despite all the life factors that can play in my mind against doing so. I was also reminded that there’s no shame in taking a straight-up beach vacation! There’s nothing I love more than running around mostly barefoot and loosing track of days.
I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start and that we all have more than a few scenic sunsets by the beach in 2014!
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