Photoboothin'

# 5 done. While out celebrating Tyler's birthday I spied a photobooth and we all squeezed in. If everything on my list turns out to be this fun then I might need a longer list.

My Hallie Weekend.

Hallie came to visit me for the weekend. Nothing could have made me happier than spending a day in my pajamas watching movies with one of my best friends ever. We've known each other for ten years now. Ten years! Since we're both book junkies we spent hours at The Book Loft in German Village picking up books, putting one back, changing our minds, and sitting on the floor reading. It hit me how ingrained the smell of paper is in my memory; the bookstore smell is so specific in a wholesomely dusty atmospheric sort of way, wrapping around you to announce that you're in a comforting place. Hallie bought some classics, I got Jack Kerouac's literary sketches and a little copy of Pride & Prejudice that I couldn't pass up (because of the pink end paper!).



I think everyone's idea of heaven is probably very different, but mine looks alot like the Book Loft's poetry section. We finished up our book readin' friendship bracelet makin' blueberry pancake eatin' weekend with cream puffs at Schmidt's.

20 Things to do Before I'm 21.

1. Bake a pie from scratch
2. Learn how to whittle
3. Collect found objects
4. Gather a dandelion bouquet
5. Photo booth-it Amelie style
6. Hide things in library books
7. Work on my vintage Christmas ornament collection
8. Make out at a drive-in movie
9. Paint portraits of acquaintances
10. Write letters to my Grandmas
11. See old movies at the Ohio Theater with Meaghan
12. Make Tyler a superhero cape
13. Learn how to speak more Russian
14. Organize my closets
15. Send someone a postcard
16. Make paper cranes to hang in the kitchen
17. Find my glasses
18. Organize an art swap
19. Paint something orange
20. Learn the U.S. presidents in chronological order

Happy 80th Birthday Eric Carle!

Eric Carle's illustrations have been an incredibly defining influence on my art and aesthetic development. The colors, textures, luminosity, and graphic simplicity of his collages are genius. I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Carle when he came to my Grandparent's bookstore for an author visit, one of those defining moments in my life. I was five. I remember standing next to him in a little blue calico dress with ruffled sleeves watching him sign books for our family. If I hadn't grown up with his books I'm not sure whether I'd be an art student today. Eric Carle has achieved the ultimate goal of any artist: making the world a more beautiful place.

"We have eyes, and we're looking at stuff all the time, all day long. And I just think that whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful, tasteful, appealing, and important." - Eric Carle

Patterns From Memory

I feel like this is something I ought to try: Graphic designer Kelly English makes silk-screened prints based on patterns that surrounded her as a child. They're beautiful! They make me think of the navy blue floral velvet carpet from my Great-Grandma's house. I would trace the flowers while playing under her dining room table. It's fascinating how textiles help define one's memory of a certain person, place, and time period.

"In an attempt to identify some historical moments of my own design development, I decided to do a project where I recreated some influential textile patterns from my childhood environment. Since these are all developed from memory, I have no doubt they're not very accurate. But it's been exciting to revisit some of these visual memories and notice how they've impacted my current sensibilities. This is a project I hope to continue and expand upon."

http://kenglishstuff.com/play/historical-patterns-from-memory

Why I Love My Sister:

Maggie is one of the funniest people I've ever met. She's also a really difficult person to wake up in the morning. I just talked to her on the phone and she told me that this morning my mom went into her room to wake her up. Around that time Maggie had a dream that mom came in to tell her that there was a gift basket for her (she swears it really happened). So eventually she went downstairs for breakfast and said, "Where's my gift basket?" And mom was like, "I'm not sure that I know what you're talking about".

I'm Thankful For

1. Mrs. Clay
2. Chai tea
3. Lightening bugs
4. New shoes
5. the Library
6. Warm summer evening smell
7. Disney Scene-it with Tyler & Bill
8. Serendipitous events
9. Family Photos, especially wedding photos
10. Growing up but feeling young

I'm a lucky gal.

The Most Perfect Day.

Nothing says summer more than buying a bunch of wonderful junk that you don't really need. We got up bright and early to spend the most beautiful sunny morning at the Victorian Village yard sale looking for treasures on people's front lawns. There were ceramic chickens, several canoes, and disco-polka music playing. I bought vintage fabrics, a Renoir knockoff, and an antique blue glass seltzer bottle, which is something I've always wanted. The find of the day was Jennie's $3.00 waffle iron. Obviously that calls for a waffle-themed picnic! I love the challenge of finding potential beauty in all the stuff that folks no longer want. And spending the day with such awesome friends.

Nikki, Emily, Jennie & Sarah

Eighteen.

Happy birthday Maggie! Remember that year that I gave you chickenpox on your birthday, so all of your gifts were polka-dot themed? Sorry about that.

Barefootness.

Summer is underway,
Hammocks, Dustin Hoffman movies, and iced tea.
Recent purchase: an economy pack of popsicles. Seriously, like fifty popsicles.
I'm listening to the new Iron & Wine album, Neko Case, the Old 97's, and Youth and Young Manhood by Kings of Leon. And thank you, Thank You, thank you! Meaghan for having me read Saul Williams.
Weekend goals: Rig a pulley system with a basket between our kitchen windows allowing for super secret special things to be sent back-and-forth. Also, tin-can telephone. START SOME ART PROJECTS. for real. Go to the library much more often.

Graduation Sunday.

Maggie graduated from high school yesterday, which is hard to believe. Sometimes I forget that she's not a little blonde third grader anymore. It was the first time that I'd been back to Cloverleaf in a couple years. I ran into a few friends that I had graduated with whom I hadn't seen in awhile. Maggie looked so cute, and she did a great job of putting up with all of the picture-taking between my mom and me.