into white

The triumphant crunch of crystals beneath my feet, the exhuberance of a steadfast pup some steps ahead, the liberation that comes with those few first inhalations of fresh air...these form the minutiae of starting anew.

Lately I've felt as fragile as spun sugar, like the lucid geometries of ice collecting into snow. The syrup boils over. Slows, sputters, and stops. Yet in these fantastic moments of recovery, lost in a fitful hibernation of plum-fairy dreams, I've rediscovered the magic of a sky so big and so blue...Look up! It is there.

I do not have a notion now, of the nature of the blogosphere. I wonder, what else is there worth telling. I question, who is listening? Much work will be done, with room for friends and fun, and in the interim, perhaps this space should be silent.

Here's to a New Year of looking outwards and upwards! There is much work to do.

(listen to woods)

easy as pie

Vermont Apple Pie, from a 1956 newspaper clipping I discovered tucked inside the pages of a cookbook purchased years ago. I made two pies late last night; only one made it successfully out of the oven. But messes in the kitchen should always be laughed off, one pie will be enough, and I am so thankful to share a bounty of yum with a cherished assortment of family & friends.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

at the seaside

A recent afternoon was spent in the rare book room at Powell's City of Books in Portland, OR. There were many treasures to be found, including this children's classic from 1932––Katy Kruse at the Seaside, by Eleanor Farjean. I am quite enamored by these peculiar little illustrations. Are they hand-colored photographs of dolls? I couldn't find much information after some internet sleuthing––perhaps further proof of this title's rarity.

the city of roses

The weekend was spent away, breathing in the fresh air and musty books of the fine city of Portland. Now I am back, invigorated by polka dot tiles, ginkgo trees, and dusky brick-lane walks with one of the best.

clangour

Last Thursday I had the privilege of seeing Sin Fang Bous and Múm perform at the Walker Art Center. The McGuire Theater, packed with spellbound spectators, was transformed into an enchanted forest within moments of these Icelandic spirits taking the stage. I was captivated, moved, possessed.

Perhaps my admiration is partly due to the geographical context in which these artists are situated––the pristine land of Scandinavia; a land at once rooted in stark, atmospheric melancholy, while paradoxically enamored with a childish whimsy and the fairy tale traditions of old. I cannot help but be continuously inspired by this aesthetic, this Nordic cultural voice. It is these images and sounds and bits of beauty that resonate so deeply within me––a clangour of inspirations and emotions.

Images (in order of appearance): Sin Fang Bous album art (signed by Sindri!), Pattern design by Sanna Annuka for Marimekko, illustrations by Hanna Werning.

And when I'm swimming in through a tunnel, I shut my eyes...

boo!

My grandpa and I's annual exchange of Halloween jest. He'll always write to check up on my dating status, and I'll always respond with a note and a package of cookies, because who doesn't love a little grandpa humor?

Happy haunting!

make your own

The perfect snack for a chilly Sunday afternoon? A buttery slice of egg-in-a-hole, otherwise known as Sunny Yolk! Sunny Yolk is a recipe from the Fitwits program, "a multidisciplinary collaboration among doctors, teachers, social workers, and design students at Carnegie Mellon University" working to educate children on the benefits of healthy eating and physical fitness. Learn more about the program here and here...

"Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day. Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents."

--Jamie Oliver, The Minister of Food

what is a book?

A book is many many things...These scans don't do justice to this treasure I've plucked from the MCAD Library. Neon pink, orange, yellow, and white, it reminds me of the work of this ever-inspiring wordsmith.

I'm trying to re-affirm my love affair with books and words, as these internet sub-realities drag my attention away. Have you read any good books lately? Is there a book that has changed your life?

(images taken from Books! by Murray McCain. Design and Illustrations by John Alcorn)

meaning is a shaky edifice

"But human beings do not perceive things whole; we are not gods but wounded creatures, cracked lenses, capable only of fractured perceptions. Partial beings, in all the senses of that phrase. Meaning is a shaky edifice we build out of scraps, dogmas, childhood injuries, newspaper articles, chance remarks, old films, small victories, people hated, people loved; perhaps it is because our sense of what is the case is constructed from such inadequate materials that we defend it so fiercely, even to the death."

--Salman Rushdie, Imaginary Homelands

Found notes from a recent Saturday morning yard sale––I cannot help but get wrapped up in the romance of an old soul's lost ephemera. Forever, I will be a collector...watch Jessica Helfand discuss the hatred and histories and beauty of the scrapbook here.

rhythms & weaves

The days disentangle in kaleidoscopic rays of light and dark. Brilliance collides with blackness as I attempt to weave together the circadian cycles of my newly illuminated habitats. I've long been absent from this space, but sometimes we need silence before sound––a chance to gain clarity, arranging the pieces just so in the hopes to achieve a higher harmony...

Images (in order of appearance): A sampling of endpapers from my new/old set of The Golden Home and High School Encyclopedia, circa 1960; Vertical Change by Bjorn Copeland; Golden encyclopedia exteriors; and, Red and Blue Layers by the legendary Anni Albers.

we travel

Mysterese folds a small satchel into my out- stretched palm, and says, "These reminded me of you," and as I grip the tiny tokens in my hands, they begin to cast a sort of serendipitous spell. I realize that, while it is difficult to say goodbye, much joy and hope is felt knowing that the paths we all travel will once again cross, and that new adventures are sure to bring happiness, content- ment, and unimaginable growth...

I, too, am so lucky and excited for a new adventure. Please check here in the coming months to see some glimpses of my recent work/play, along with the work of my talented colleagues/partners-in-crime.

(Maps courtesy of Hammond's Illustrated Atlas for Young America, via the MCAD library. Buttons courtesy of T.)

ask the stars

"Women born under Pisces like to travel and many are successful as artists and authors. Many are also excellent as designers and illustrators. Persons born under Pisces are highly imaginative and are inclined to be idealistic. They first absorb and later reflect conditions which surround them. Pisces is said to represent the link between 'earthliness' and 'metaphysics.' These people are keenly interested in all phases of life and are always ready to help a fellow who is down and out...They are extremely generous and derive much pleasure through helping others who are less fortunate than themselves."

Tonight the stars are aligning, and the future looks quite bright...

mastering the art

My mother's well-worn copy of Julia Child's now infamous Mastering the Art of French Cooking, plus a few other beautiful gems from her cookbook library––Julia's The French Chef, and General Foods' All About Home Baking, circa 1933. 

“When you flip anything, you just have to have the courage of your convictions,”

--Julia Child, on life and 

the art of the potato pancake

...Because in cooking, as in life, often all you can do is jump right in, try your best, and hope that the pancake comes out precisely the way it was meant to taste. 

to live here

"As urbanization continues apace, the ability of innovative design not only to mimic nature, but to manifest it, is no small accomplishment."

Read and see more here. 

a matchless matchbook game

Pick-Up-Stix, a complete matchless matchbook game! Such lovely packaging for such a simple game...

"Design is Everything. Everything!" --Paul Rand

simple scraps

Sifting through the swatches of so many patterned past lives, my fingertips yearn to grasp onto any tangible proof of a future fulfilled; a simple scrap to wipe away the mere illusions of interwoven intimacies, and remind the crescent lines within my palms that the tomorrow will indeed be bright. 

Tonight, we need some forest fairies, otherwise known as a First Aid Kit. 

positively primary

I'd never seen the launderer's bins in such an order, and they've never been in such an order since. These moments of beauty and clarity are fleeting, so I'll bottle them away for the rainier days...Remember color theory? It's still fun!