For those of you that don't obsess over reality tv shows starring people 10 years younger than you, that craptastic show called The Hills ends its infamous run this evening. After years of awkward pauses and episodes full of nothing happening (as reenacted here), it's finally coming to an end. It's obvious MTV has always favored their little California gang...I mean Spencer even looks almost, dare I say, not douchey in this photo from MTV's website. Everyone looks hot and tan and thin...just like you would expect any group of twenty-somethings famous just for being famous that live in Hollywood.
The stars of The City...well, apparently actually working for a living does nothing for your looks.
Are these really the best photos they had of each of the "characters" from The City? How did this happen? Whitney is naturally gorgeous and Olivia, with her stunning hair, is as well (even though she is a total bitch). In this picture, Olivia looks like she's actually dying, Whitney's pretty hair is in a heinous bun on top of her head and Roxy looks much crazier than she actually is. Apparently whoever is editing photos for MTV is a HUGE Erin fan because she looks quite pretty. Also, now that I look more at the logo, I'm kind of hating the C.
I've heard The City only has one season left in it. I'm not surprised...MTV apparently never gave it a chance. Still, I will miss Kelly Cutrone and loving to hate Olivia and her flawless hair and wardrobe.
It's that time again. The hair has been going into a ponytail (a wee ponytail, but one nonetheless) which signals the immediate need for a haircut. I haven't had hair past my shoulders in years because I just can't deal with the maintenance. That and it makes me feel plain and average for some reason. My current cut is giving me the same blah feeling. I have naturally wavy hair that I usually straighten it. But I'm going back to an oldie, but goodie this time around that takes advantage of my hair's texture.
I remember seeing this haircut on Julia Stiles like 6 years ago and immediately fell in love. And I LOVED that cut. I felt sassy and unique and stylish &mdash three things I could really use a jolt of right now. I can't wait to sport the cut with smoky eye makeup and the leather jacket I might have ordered this weekend when we are in Buenos Aires!
(This image has nothing to do with this blog post. I guess the only thing they have in common is that they are both awesome...naturally.)
This blog officially turned one on June 22nd, but it seemed silly to celebrate considering the last 6 months have consisted of a mere 23 posts (wow, that's embarrassing to say out loud!).
I had a moment last night where I thought that maybe I should just close the doors to this here ol' blog. Maybe that constant nagging sense of "you should probably post something" just isn't worth it. I blog daily, twice a day actually (and three times today over there if you want to get technical), just not here. And for the past month, I was also working two "part-time" jobs while doing A TON of photography work for the Arts Commission. So I essentially gave myself a free pass on personal blogging...and working out...and being social...and calling my mom (essentially everything I had resolved to do. whoops!).
But this month is different. This week I officially started to work from home. And as fantastic as that sounds in theory (it does sound pretty fantastic, doesn't it?), it's a bit harder than I thought. And not in the "how am I going to make myself get shit done with a TV there and the internet here and no boss around" way. I'm pretty self-motivated so that's not an issue. It's more in the "wow...I've had no human contact that isn't digital in 3 days and I'm still in my pajama pants" way.
See, I'm the type of person that could easily be a recluse. It's not because I don't like people and it's not because I don't like being outside. Just sometimes, I can get lazy in that sense. Like I physically have to make myself leave the house every. single. day. or else I wouldn't leave the apartment for months. I'm sure part of it stems from my depression and maybe some of it is deeper than that. But regardless, I'm only three days in and it's hard. And then I had my a ha! moment.
Sure, it's hard to go hang out with people and be social during the day when the rest of the world is at work. But know what can happen? I can interact with my favorite fellow bloggers and read all of your wonderful comments! I mean, I seriously LOVE that part of writing here...especially that it is snarky comment free.
So, I will try to be here more frequently. And don't take this personally, but me being here is way more for me than it is for you. Until September...when school starts and I just don't even know how that's gonna go.
P.S. If you live in San Francisco, I have my first photography show tonight! It's not crazy exciting, but it's still kind of exciting.
STILLmatic Opening Reception: Thursday, July 8 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Exhibition Run: July 1-31, 2010 Flax art & design 1699 Market Street at Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Store Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
This photographic exhibition documents the StreetSmARTS program, an innovative collaboration initiated by the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Department of Public Works to transform graffiti-stained walls into beautiful works of art. During the 2010 pilot year, local urban artists created sixteen murals throughout San Francisco including five public school sites.The San Francisco Arts Commission was fortunate to have a group of exceptional photographers volunteer their skills over the past six months. In documenting the creation of the murals and the community’s response, Michele Kraus, Diana Sánchez, and Jessica Watson have created their own works of art.
Robert Minervini's Art in Storefront Mural in Wentworth Alley, Chinatown.
I fear my blog has become the unfortunate poster child for what happens when you pile too much on your plate. This little blog was at the bottom of that pile, but fortunately I've eaten through much of that heap and it's back on my radar. Yay!
So, I believe I owe you all some updates. First and foremost, after much deliberation I decided to leave my current job so that I could focus most of my energies on grad school in the fall. But since I'm not a trust fund baby, I still need a paycheck. I figured I'd have to settle with some silly part time job, but man oh man, did I luck out! I only applied to one job and I'm starting said job today! I will be Project Coordinator for an amazing non profit called PhotoPhilanthropy! If you are a photographer and are interested in how photography can be used to promote social change, definitely check us out! I am beyond excited for this new opportunity and feel like my career path is truly starting to align with my passions and values.
Next, I've had the opportunity to continue photographing many events for the San Francisco Arts Commission. One of my favorite events, Art in Storefronts (Chris had a piece last round) is opening this Friday in Chinatown and it's going to be a great event! Um, food from the Slanted Door? Yes please!! I'll be there photographing the festivities...be sure to say hi if you come out.
Finally, some super exciting news! Guess who has two thumbs and is going to Buenos Aires in August? This girl! Chris actually has a show (as part of the Sanctuary City project) there sponsored by the Argentine consulate so we will be visiting the fine city for two weeks. And we rented the most fabulous apartment for our stay. I'll be photographing it for Apartment Therapy so I can't wait to share it with you. It's in this old neighborhood called San Telmo that's full of cafes, antique shops, tango dancers and 18th century architecture. If anyone has any recommendations on what to do while visiting BA, please share.
A few other notes...End of Lost made me cry. A lot. What the hell is up with Spencer and all of those crystals? Go Celtics. And seriously, can someone please fix the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico? I just can't even wrap my brain around the devastation that the region will fear for years to come.
Alright, I have to head to a meeting for the new job, but I wanted to let you know that you can call off the rescue mission. I'm no longer MIA.
I don't watch The Hills, but if I did....Okay, who am I kidding? I totally do (and I'm inappropriately excited for tonight's season premiere, if only to research whether or not Heidi's face actually moves). This reenactment is pretty spot on from Audrina's ceiling eyes to everyone's long stares to Spencer's tendency to act like a 12 year old boy. Oh, and Barbie is a decent stand in for Heidi.
I may have made this pledge a long, long time ago, but I think it's worth having a reminder around the house. Perhaps I should send one over to James Cameron?
I wish I had this dress, a warm, sunny place to wear it and Carmen Kass' body to fill it. The zipper on the shoulder is just genius. Love you Michael Kors! (By the way, for those watching Project Runway, how great were Jonathan's impersonations of Michael? Almost as great as Santino's of Tim Gunn!)
So, I lied. I tried to come up with my list of ten things that make me happy without listing collage, but look at this stuff. How can it not make you happy? If it doesn't make you happy, you must be a communist or socilist (that's how you spell it, right?).
4. Collage. If you have yet to check out all the great design over at Society6, do it now! Chris and I are selling some posters over there (well, attempting to anyway) and received an endorsement from some guy named Matthew Billington. So, I clicked to check out his stuff and it was amazing.
How amazing? Well, these collages are all by Matthew Billington! I almost choked when I saw that he was endorsing my design work. Was he just being nice? Eh, it doesn't matter because I was so excited to be introduced to his stuff. I mean, it honestly blows my mind. I love the way he combines all of the elements...the retro imagery, typography, delicate illustration and perfect use of color. Check it out for yourselves. And if you love it as much as I do, his prints all sell for under $50! I know, right? Enjoy...I had a hard time editing down what to show you.
Thanks to Lori over at automatism for asking me to take part in her lovely Snapshot series. This month's theme is Spring...you can head over there to see my post now. And if you are visiting from automatism, welcome! So glad to have you here!
Hope you all get to enjoy a little sun and warmth today!
This past Saturday, we left Bodega Bay and headed down the coast back to San Francisco. Chris is passionate about his seafood which makes sense considering he grew up near Boston (I am lucky that my tastes have evolved beyond my initial predisposition toward iceberg lettuce, Chili's and Olive Garden that comes with having grown up in Phoenix). So when I mentioned that there might be oysters, really good oysters, to be found along the drive, Chris started salivating in some sort of Pavlovian response.
We stopped in a small town called Marshall. Calling Marshall a town is an overstatement, as its population of 50 is less than the number of people that live in my apartment building. But I digress. If I'm correct (and it's likely I'm not...I could research it, but I'm feeling a bit lazy right now), Marshall is also home to Hog Island Oyster Company and Tomales Bay Oyster Company. Unfortunately, we were not prepared to partake in either fine company. Each location has tons of picnic tables for oyster loving folks to bring mesh gloves, shucking tools and coolers full of additional food and beverages to spend the afternoon shucking oysters. We were on vacation and not only did we not have said tools, we didn't want to do the work.
Luckily, we found the Marshall Store and it did not disappoint. Not only was the food delicious, but 6 gigantic oysters, half a crab, fish tacos and shrimp cocktail all totaled about $40 (as opposed to that crappy meal we had at some Bodega Bay "seafood" spot that was about $60). We ate outside overlooking the bay and it was gorgeous. Chris made it known that if we lived close enough, we would be eating there daily. And that was my long winded endorsement of the Marshall Store.
We then proceeded down the coast through Point Reyes to hit up Cowgirl Creamery (if you don't live in California and haven't tried their Triple Cream, you have my deepest sympathy as it's DELICIOUS!!!). Point Reyes was cute and quaint, even if the vibe came off as "hippies" and new age folks with six figure incomes clad in North Face gear (no offense to North Face). We picked up the creamery's sample pack of cheese (triple cream, goat cheese, blue cheese and a delightful cheddar), some membrillo (quince paste) and some almonds and headed back home. It was a great weekend all in all...it better have been, otherwise I gained three pounds just because.
Oh, my birthday weekend did not disappoint. Now, Bodega Bay is a sleepy town...like I think we drove through it in less than a minute, but the hotel we stayed at was fabulous with ocean views and a fireplace in our room. The restaurant there was surprisingly great and I will be craving their potato soup for months to come. Chris and my family treated me to a spa day while Chris golfed in pouring rain and crazy winds (I wish I had a picture of him when he returned...his clothes have yet to dry out).
More than all that, it was just so nice to take a nice long weekend with my husband. Not counting holiday trips to Phoenix, this is the first weekend we've spent together in a year. I kid you not. Our schedules are different and Chris is usually either working or at the studio one day a weekend (lately it's been both days). And when he's home, he's lucky if my laptop isn't attached to my lap for a whole ten minutes. I think we both learned we need to get out of town more often.
More pics to come on Wednesday. Yes, Wednesday as in two days from now.
Today is my birthday. The good ol' 3-2. Before you ask, no, no one ever plays April Fool's Day jokes on me. I think I got the first and best one in when I was born. I was due on May 15th, but was six weeks early so everyone thought my birth was a joke. Ha! Beat that suckers.
To celebrate, we are heading up north to Bodega Bay (or as Chris likes to call it, Bodego) for some good food, good wine and good times. Life has been ridiculously busy for Chris and me (hence my woeful neglect of this here blog) so getting out of town for 3 days is beyond exciting. I'll bring my camera along so hopefully I'll have some amazing pics to share that will also be used for an exciting project soon to be announced!
In the meantime, you can see some of what I've been up to here and here, as I've been playing photographer and designer for one of Chris' latest projects. Granted, this isn't anything new, but add that to my normal AT posts and my recent stint of 12+ hour days at work and, well, it's been a lot.
I can't promise I'll be back posting daily, but let's compromise. How's 1-2 times a week for now? I figure sometimes is better than never, right? Please humor me...it's my birthday after all :)
I recently revealed that I had applied to California College of the Art's MBA in Design Strategy Program. As soon as I hit publish on that post I broke into a cold sweat fearing that follow up post I'd eventually have to write revealing that I didn't get in. But luckily...
5. Two Words: Congratulations - Admitted. I will happily admit that I've been obsessively checking my application status daily since the day I submitted it. And everyday I convinced myself that would be the day, well, until Tuesday. Tuesday I was distracted and checked out of habit. Lo and behold...something changed. Woo hoo! I will officially be a grad student this fall.
I know that doesn't sound that exciting, but I've been planning on going back to school since my Junior year in college (and that would be 10+ years ago..egad). I've looked into many programs and have talked about applying ad nauseum, but this was the first one that I truly felt fit. And I can't wait!
Oh, and that Project H meeting...super inspiring! I have a meeting next week and I'll let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, did you see Emily's super cute apartment on Apartment Therapy today? I'm kind of obsessed with the photos. I think they might just be my best ones yet.
Hi folks. Just wanted to check in real quick to let you know that Chris and I are selling posters (that I designed...had to throw that in there lest you got confused that he might have) from his Art in Storefronts project on Society 6. All proceeds will benefit the San Francisco Arts Commission's Community Arts and Education Program. This program supports projects like Art in Storefronts as well as StreetSmARTS which aims to educate youth on the difference between tagging and graffiti art.
Poster prices start at $30 and are for gallery quality Giclée prints on natural white, matte, ultra smooth, 100% cotton rag, acid and lignin free archival paper using Epson K3 archival inks. There are four different designs available.
Oh, and just a quick, exciting update. I'm going to a San Francisco Team Meeting for Project H tonight! It seems that if you offer people your help, they will usually take you up on it. I'll let you know how it goes.
I tried to get through this list without mentioning type. I really did. But I realized that wouldn't be very honest of me if I denied my love of type because it truly does make me happy...dorky graphic designer happy. So without further ado...
6. Typography Instead of starting from scratch, here are a few of my favorite posts about type on this blog:
Just a quick bit about me...I work full time for an affordable housing developer in San Francisco, but in my time away from work, I'm a daily contributor to Apartment Therapy, a photo intern for the San Francisco Arts Commission, an assistant to my artist husband and I sometimes dabble into being an artist myself. I'm also hoping (I'll know in a month!!) to start grad school this fall. Since starting my blog this summer and putting myself out there, great things have really started to happen and I've finally found a direction I'm excited to steer myself in. Here is more about the inspiration that is continuing my drive in that direction.
Volume Inc.'s proposal to deal with the large amount of trash bins in San Francisco as part of GOOD Design SF.
I'm a very visual person so normally I'm inspired by what I see, but lately I've been inspired more by what others are doing. About six months ago, I had an Aha! moment regarding design (my design background is primarily in web and print design). I attended a presentation at SPUR sponsored by GOOD Magazine where city departments gave problems to local design firms and the firms then presented their solutions. My working life has been spent wavering between design/art and public service. I had never been able to find something I could do that would satisfy my needs to both be creative and help the greater good. And in this presentation, design was used to create solutions to make San Francisco better and it was fantastic! It all made sense right then and there. Within four months I had applied to CCA's MBA program in Design Strategy.
Since then, I've been working hard to learn more about this movement to design with a conscience. Almost simultaneously, I came across this book, saw an interview with the author, Emily Pilloton, on The Colbert Report and was given the opportunity to interview her for Apartment Therapy.
To call that interview inspiring is such an understatement. Emily is working hard to promote humanitarian design and to inspire the next generation of designers. She is currently on a 6,300 mile road trip with the Design Revolution Road Show taking 40 examples of this design to high schools and colleges around the country. And if that's not enough, she also runs a nonprofit, Project H Design, that is working to open a high school in the poorest county in North Carolina that combines design thinking, vocational trade skills training, and community citizenship to equip low-opportunity teenagers with critical creative problem solving skills for life. Wow, right? (If you want to help this initiative, be sure to vote for them to receive a $50,000 grant through Pepsi's Refresh Everything program.)
Now, I realize not all of us are ready to move into an Airstream and travel around the country, but Emily put all of this into perspective for me. At the end of our interview she said, "We all have a different skill set and you can apply it to things that matter and you can apply it to things that don't." That's a philosophy I can definitely get behind! Phew, if you made it here, thanks for indulging my lack of brevity! Be sure to check in with the window ledge tomorrow to find out what inspires her. If you missed Rachel's starter Blog it Forward post on Smile and Wave, be sure to read it now. And thanks again to Victoria of sfgirlbybay! I can't wait to read what inspires the 300 bloggers she pulled together for this awesome project!
It kills me that we continue to cut arts programs in this county. Just imagine being 10 years old and taking part in this amazing chorus. Imagine the confidence that would be gained at such a young age. Imagine working as a team and being a part of something that is bigger than you. Imagine how it would have helped you as you grew up. And yet these programs continue to get cut in school districts around the country... Okay, I'm stepping off my soap box now to move on to what makes me smile today.
7. The PS22 Chorus
I recognize that I'm a little behind on this as PS22 has been taking over the internet for the last year or so, but I thought there might be a few of you out there that hadn't heard of them. These kids don't just sing the words, they feel them. Watch how incredibly expressive every face is, how they dance without concern for what others make think of them.
New York Magazine featured a great story on this chorus comprised of 5th graders(!!) that you should definitely read since my recap won't do it any justice.
Cheers to PS22's chorus director Gregg Breinberg! Your passion and dedication to these students is an inspiration to us all! And to the students that have been a part of the PS22 chorus, please don't ever stop singing!
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac (warning...tears will come to your eyes)
I thought it would be nice to make it through this list of things that make me happy without getting all materialistic, but I like things and some things make me happy. And I think things with triangles and varying hues of blue and gray are pretty awesome.
8. Jonathan Adler Helix Rug This Jonathan Adler Helix Rug makes me smile, although I would be grinning from ear to ear if it was actually on my floor (if someone could also rip out our lame carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, I'd be eternally grateful). The $1,050 price tag...not so much.
So, I will immediately acknowledge that this is quite possibly one of the most random things you've seen that makes someone happy, but just wait til you watch. I discovered this little guy today (thanks to a tweet from Andy Roddick...if you are reading this Andy, you played great!) and I can't stop watching.
9. Japanese Kid Playing the Ukulele I don't know his name, but he is now 5 years old. He and his mom (??) started playing the ukulele a year ago and initially learned by following along with a television show. The kid can rip it up on a ukulele. He has one of the cutest giggles I've heard and makes the most adorable faces when he starts rocking out. Since he doesn't know English, he sings the sounds that he hears.
Scenes shot from a streetcar in SF in 1905. Music by Air...funny how a modern song fits this film so well.
Um, hi. Remember me? You probably forgot that I exist considering I've been missing for 2 weeks now. This blogging thing must be like going to the gym...you miss a few days and it's hell getting back (and you don't even want to hear how long it's been since I was at the gym).
Alison over at Lipstick on Your Teeth thankfully called me out and gave me an assignment. It's my turn to tell you 10 things that make me happy. And since I'm currently in the business of getting as many posts out of as little content as possible, I'll only be posting one at a time. It might be cheating, but at least I know what the next 10 posts will be. Well, sort of. I'm going to try to do this without mentioning ampersands, collage or typography. Ugh. Now on with the show...
10. San Francisco History I've always been a fan of history, but usually leaned toward history primarily dealing with art. Thanks to Chris' recent injection of San Francisco history into his art (like our little train project), I've been learning more about it. It's so ridiculously interesting. We've totally started dorking out on it. For example, last night, we went to hear a lecture at this incredibly old San Francisco institution, the Mechanics' Institute. With a room full of septuagenarians and their glasses of wine (yes, they serve wine with their lectures! old people still want to party), we listened to SF native Charles Fracchia discuss his book, When the Water Came up to Montgomery Street, and the growth of San Francisco during the Gold Rush.
Let me reference my notes for some interesting tidbits (yes, I took notes. I did say dorking out).
Did you know that before the Gold Rush, San Francisco only had about 800 residents? It's estimated that 350,00 - 500,000 people migrated to California from 1848-1859.
There was a period in 1849 when the population of San Francisco doubled every ten days.
Prior to the 1906 earthquake and the subsequent fire that destroyed the city, San Francisco had already had 6 fires that virtually destroyed the city.
If you've visited San Francisco, the Embarcadero area and much of South of Market were not here 150 years ago. Those areas are all built on land fill, sand and debris from fires and the 1906 earthquake.
Map of San Francisco from 1849 and one from now. Click to see it bigger.
My favorite tidbit of the night was due to an epiphany Charles had about the unique nature of the City. If you've lived here or visited, there really is something magical about San Francisco. There's an air of limitless potential, hopefulness and inclusivity that you don't find many other places. Charles realized that it's probably due to the way the city was built. It was one of the only cities in modern history that's diverse population came together all at once. During the Gold Rush, people came from all over the world. Within a year, San Francisco already had immigrants from China, Japan, South America, Malaysia and Mexico as well as people of Italian, Irish, German and other heritages. Granted, other cities are just as diverse, but none had it happen virtually over night. Since it's inception, San Francisco has opened its arms to everyone and I love that you still feel that to this day.
Geez...you better hope I'm never away for a month or you will have a novel to read.
Most of you have probably seen this, but if you are looking for way to help those affected by the devastation in Haiti, here's something that will take less than 10 seconds (assuming you are a proficient texter):
Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross efforts in Haiti.
The donation will be added to your next phone bill and 100% of it will go to relief efforts in Haiti.
My sincere thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti today.
I know...two photography posts in a row. It's like I'm getting lazy or something (thank you for ignoring the fact that my last post was on Friday!). I'm becoming a bit photo obsessed since I've been out and about with my camera so much as of late. I had three different shoots this weekend...one for AT, one for Ohdeedoh and another for the San Francisco Arts Commission. It's fun and I'm learning so much with every shoot (and acquiring more and more camera gear along the way), but then I see stuff like this and, well, le sigh...I'm starting to sound like the Jealous Curator (which you should totally check out if you haven't before). But alas, that's why one of my 2010 resolutions is to take my photography more seriously.
Speaking of resolutions, I'm doing somewhat better than expected thus far. Here's an update (assuming you are even slightly interested):
1. Travel more. - Haven't left the city yet, but planning a trip to NYC in April. 2. Eat with intention. - Um, no. 3. Design and collage more. - Nope. 4. Take my photography to the next level. - Signed up for class, interning with SFAC! 5. Be realistic with expectations of myself and my time. - Working on it. 6. Collaborate with Chris on another project (or two). - Already met with a collaborator! 7. Be more confident in myself and my abilities. - Applied to grad school! Finally! 8. Read more books and watch less tv. - I have two design books I'm reading. 9. Actively pursue my career goals. - Yep, grad school! Yay! MBA in Design Strategy at CCA! 10. Run another marathon. - I guess running would be a good start. 11. Call my mom more often. - Does email count for something? 12. Spend more time in the kitchen. - That might require groceries. 13. Go on more dates with my husband. - We just had a lovely Sunday! 14. Always appreciate my wonderful life. - Definitely! 15. Cultivate my personal style. - That would require more clean clothes... 16. Regularly update my blog. - Crap. 17. Find a good synonym for more. - Additional? Supplementary?
I really shouldn't be patting myself on the back too much. It is only January 12th after all.
So, getting back into the swing of things was a little harder than I anticipated. My first mistake was adding "finish grad school application" to my already ginormous pile of To Dos (more on that later). In hopes of a quick post, I've been waiting to see something fabulous all week and I finally found it!
Germany's Light Art Performance Photography takes these photos using slow shutter speeds and varying light sources as their paint. Click on each image to see it in its full glory or head over to The Daily Mail to read more about this dynamic duo.
I finally saw Avatar in 3D this weekend. Sure, the animation was great and Jake Sully was easy on the eyes, but the war scene went on too long and the overall themes of the movie seemed a tad too elementary. But all this aside I have one main complaint: Papyrus! Wha?!?! How do you spend this much money making a movie and use that font? And then use it for all of the subtitles? Gross.
I wish I was as witty as Pr*tty Sh*tty, but (sigh) I'm not. So, please go and read An Open Letter to James Cameron from Papyrus. I hope Avatar's success doesn't legitimize this font and bring it back into mainstream use. If Mr. Cameron uses Comic Sans in his next film, he will never see another dollar from me. Never!
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