i have been doing a really good job distracting myself lately (read: not doing my homework) with a whole bunch of different projects.  currently i am:
crocheting a blanket
writing a proposal for a thesis (that i dont think will actually get approved)
daydreaming about my future breakfast nook
practicing my ukulele more (i know almost 2 songs now)
searching out projects for my future apartment

i cant help but feel like a fun, home made chandelier would be perfect hanging in an unexpected little corner.  one with these incorporated would be pretty neat, and would prevent my black thumb from rearing its head.  right? 

also, i grabbed this from my cousin and it makes me laugh every time. 

i appreciate art.  i appreciate toast.  maybe i should also appreciate this, but i cant stop thinking its silly.

spring!

random announcement: hey, did you know that we are just 19 days away from spring?  well, we are.
i'm excited.

these baby mooses are clearly convinced that a people backyard is actually a moose playground.

i love that i live in a country where political and civil protest can happen without gross abuses of human rights.  i take certain protests very seriously and i absolutely tip my hat to those who are on the front lines.  that said, this is a collection of protests that, while potentially serious and meaningful, make me giggle.   be warned, after a couple funny ones there are some which are violent to animals and make me sad.  there are pictures.  so, you can skip those if you want. 

i know our country isn't that old, so we don't have a lot of medieval laws on the books (like, actual laws from the medieval ages) that haven't been cleared out.  we do however have some that indicate a clear presence of idiots amongst us.  and creative law makers.  we have those too.  who wants to go break some nonsense laws with me?  or be an official pickle tester?  anyone?

no comment.  really, how could there be a comment?  how?


*i'm not sure where i found this picture.  it reminds me of my friend andy, who is a photographer.

dear magpie

this weekend was great.  i got to wear a mustache to a party, eat brunch while listening to a bearded accordion player, and roast brussel sprouts in my fancy fig vinegar.  so so so good. 

after getting bumped from the commuter rail to amtrak business class (for free!) on my way back to boston i decided to celebrate with a little davis square shopping trip.  best decision ever. 

first stop: the blue shirt cafe for a cup of chamomile tea.  it was way too cold outside to be wearing just a sweater.   i haven't ever actually eaten here but the menu made me feel like i need to change that, and soon. 

second stop: artifactory on college avenue.  i ride by this place on the bus every single day and the fun vintage dresses and coats hanging in the window always make me wish i had some spare time to stop in.  fun vintage jewelry and costume clip-ons, off beat antique prints and posters, and an assortment of june cleaver style kitchenware cram this tiny shop.  don't bring a giant purse or a suitcase unless you want to feel like the biggest, clumsiest idiot ever.  i couldn't find a link for this one, but if you know of one add it to the comments!

third stop: d2 with cathi to check out fun baby gifts and the coolest cheese knife set ever.  i didn't get the knives, but they're in the bank of things-to-get-when-i-have-money-to-burn. 

final stop: magpie, which is officially my new favorite random shop in boston.  dave, one of the owners and a really lovely guy, was working the register while cathi and i wandered around and around the shop calling out about a million "look at this!"s to each other across the racks.  apparently this shop has an ability to know all the artists and craftspeople i secretly stalk online wishing and hoping i could fill my home with their works.  i mean seriously, my head almost exploded.  in a good way.  i limited myself to an adorable xenia taler chick tile, a beehive kitchenware coffee spoon, and a couple of the funnest and randomest cards i've seen in a while. 

on the possible list for next visit:
a lovely joanna mendicino vase (i noticed a pretty one with vines and leaves in a bookshelf nook).  about 6 months ago i found an old picture of a fiddler crab vase she had made and was apparently no longer available.  at the time i was feeling a little homesick for maryland and decided that the vase was just what i needed.  i emailed joanna to see if she knew of any secret shop that might have just one tiny vase hidden away in their store room and she responded that she had 2 (2!) tucked away on a shelf in her studio.  what a peach!  my crab vase lives on my dresser next to a small family of tiny boxes and trinket dishes and makes me happy every morning. 

a print of a narwalrus.  i mean really, who doesn't need one of those?  magpie has a collection of imaginary animal prints in washes of almost primary colors that are fun and child-like without being childish.  another animal:  the hedgicorn.  genius.  i forgot to make a not of the artist but i'll update when i can.

going into this place was sort of like going over to a really good friend's house.  so many of the pieces were familiar to me and better than that they were mixed in and arranged with new bits and pieces that i loved on sight.  so good.  really, the moral of the story is that if you are cool or have friends who are cool you should probably go to this place right away.  for real. 


additional great things, not from my weekend:

i'm not entirely sure what kind of moral "grapes are sour" is, but i like it anyways.  also, i like elephants. 

this place is random and great.  i am particularly entertained by how popular whales are with this place's customer base.  go whales!

additionally, since i recently had to create a tax filing flow chart (i know, i know) for work i'm feeling more and more into graphs and tables.  lets be honest, i've always been into them.  this post makes me laugh every time i read it.  well done.  


happy monday everyone!

** i forgot where i found that squirrel picture, if you know you should let me know.

captain ridiculous

some days its the captain ridiculouses* of the world that keep you going.  this is one of those days.  if you have a favorite source of silliness please add it in a comment below.  we all need a stockpile to fall back on sometimes.

i like to make fun of hipsters sometimes.  partly cause i'm jealous of their ability to wear extremely tight pants, and partly because i miss getting to wear scrunchies and neon sunglasses.  oh 3rd grade, i miss you so.  also on my list of things i like: puppies.  imagine the combination.  glorious.   well done erin.

its late february and while part of me is really ready for spring there's another part that is still really really really jealous of the blizzard that hit the mid-atlantic.  i moved to new england from maryland and i am personally affronted that so far this winter their snow is kicking our snow's butt.  i know, i know... it was a lot of shoveling and there were some really big downsides, but secretly doesn't a tiny part of you want to do the inside out pajamas snow dance whenever you hear a storm is coming your way?

last year, and into this one, i spent probably 3 months searching for the perfect butter dish for my friend eileen.  she's a marine scientist and basically the only person who as a kid wanted to be a marine biologist (come on, we all wanted to swim with dolphins back then admit it) and then as an adult actually did it.  the marine biologist part, not the swimming with dolphins.  apparently that's not what most marine biologists do all day.  bummer.  anyways, this butter dish needed to be perfect.  the closest i found was basically a piece of art and way (way) too expensive for a butter dish that doesn't butter your toast for you.  in the end i had to have a dish custom made.  tell me that isn't ridiculous.  cause it is. 

my friend colin has something like this, but last time i was visiting he "forgot" to bring it out to show me.  probably because he knew i'd insist on chopping every piece of garlic within a 1.5 mile radius.  i guess i can't blame him too much.  this little guy is pretty silly, but also something i would totally use all the time.  ridiculous?  yes.  too ridiculous to be awesome?  no.

i stole this one from lauren, who never fails to appreciate the humor in almost any situation.  i know we've all heard more than we want to about tiger woods lately but, just like when they sent president obama a humane fly catcher, this ad makes me like peta more and more. 

*i know ridiculouses isn't a real word. 

photo from the world's weirdest championships.  amazing.

the very first post

do you ever come across something during your day that you just have to share with someone?  i do.  all the time.  i try to limit myself to only emailing silly nonsense to friends to a couple times a week or so.  its hard.  a friend of mine recommended that, instead of emailing all the things i come across that i think she should absolutely see, i start a blog.  i'll be posting a list of things i come across that i think are noteworthy, funny, interesting, discussion prompting, or that just plain caught my eye.  hopefully you'll see something you like too.  this way, i'll be passing notes to friends and almost-friends without jamming inboxes.  how great.

ps- thanks megan!  great idea!

today's notes:

how to make using your iphone more fun than it already is i feel like this little guy would make me smile every time i pulled it out... but i dont have an iphone.  my friend eileen does.

i'm planning a move this summer and i'm really excited about it.  every time i come across a really great d.i.y. online i have a hard time keeping from forwarding it on to my future room mate.  i have such plans for this stuff i can't even tell you.  i mean, really?  so much fun.  i hope you're ready lauren. 

i know its been mentioned lots of places before, but i'm so ready for spring i can taste it.  i can't decide if i'm brave enough to wear this to a may wedding but i guess we'll see.

i really really love food.  a lot.  between grad classes and a full time job i don't have as much time for cooking as i'd like so when a recipe comes my way that sounds delicious and is relatively easy i get pretty excited.  my room mates don't seem to mind too much either.  also, this recipe clearly indicates that my friend naomi is psychic.  

i'm a terrible voicemail leaver but since many of my friends live far away i try to stay in touch by phone whenever possible.  this is such a great collection of those awkward parts of phone talks that snag everyone at some point or another. 

blogs you should check out:

another lauren who is a magician in the kitchen
theo, who is awesome at life
a cheerful and lovely bostonian, nina, who posts about things that always make me smile

so, thats it for now, and welcome.  i'm glad you're here.