January 31, 2011
A little cabin in the woods
As it turns out a little cabin in the quiet Wisconsin woods was exactly what we needed. Laughing 'till we cried, late night dance parties, no cell phone or internet service and a lot of drinks. Perfection.
More images to come.
Merry Mary Monday!
I made it through the holidays and the whole month of January before I let myself think of spring, but I can't take it any more and now my mind has taken to day dreaming of warm sunny spring afternoons and pretty flowers. This picture wrapped up with a little bow.
January 28, 2011
The Power of Vulnerability
My hairdresser told me about this website that is just wonderful. TED is basically a bunch of smarties delivering their smarty ideas, but in a way that's really graspable. Their tag line is right on, "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world".
This website is awesome.
I wanted to share this talk in particular that I really enjoyed on the Power of Vulnerability. It's basically where science meets the human heart and soul. I loved it. I really hope you'll watch it.
How wonderful that through all the research and science the four basic ideas to walk away with are to,
Let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen.
To love with our whole hearts even though there's no guarantee.
Practice gratitude and joy.
And to believe that we're enough.
Words to live by.
This website is awesome.
I wanted to share this talk in particular that I really enjoyed on the Power of Vulnerability. It's basically where science meets the human heart and soul. I loved it. I really hope you'll watch it.
How wonderful that through all the research and science the four basic ideas to walk away with are to,
Let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen.
To love with our whole hearts even though there's no guarantee.
Practice gratitude and joy.
And to believe that we're enough.
Words to live by.
Hittin' The Road
Cannot, cannot, cannot, cannot wait to get on the road today and get the eff out of town.
Have a great weekend ya'll!
image via the blue hour.
January 27, 2011
The Hair
I bathe King very regularly. I use this Bamboo Care glove to ensure that I'm getting out as much loose hair as possible. He gets combed out often and I give him a vitamin daily to reduce shedding and ensure a clean, healthy coat. On Saturday's I often make him a scrambled egg for this reason as well.
But he still sheds. I vacuum and wash my bedding very regularly, but as it turns out, when you have a dog, you have hair around your home, no matter what.
This morning when I was cleaning my ears with a cue tip after my shower I found a dog hair in my ear and thought, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."
Last summer I found one in my belly button.
That dog is lucky he's so damn cute.
But he still sheds. I vacuum and wash my bedding very regularly, but as it turns out, when you have a dog, you have hair around your home, no matter what.
This morning when I was cleaning my ears with a cue tip after my shower I found a dog hair in my ear and thought, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me."
Last summer I found one in my belly button.
That dog is lucky he's so damn cute.
Greedy Girl
I would very much like this outfit, or just about any pair of Frye boots around. I just recently discovered the blog Greedy Girl and I enjoy it, though it could also be called "A whole long list of things Addie would like, but cannot really afford." Or "Addie's new self torture due to 'see name one'". But that's ok, you can admire fashion in the same way you can admire pictures of far away places you can't afford to travel to. It's fun.
found via pinterest.
January 26, 2011
Elizabeth
Ok, so this movie came out in 1998, so I'm about 13 years late, but I watched Elizabeth last night and really enjoyed it. Aside from the beautiful cinematography and great casting, which it had in spades, I just really loved watching a film about such a strong, successful woman. Especially since so many films that come from around that period are the exact opposite of that (see "The Other Boleyn Girl", "Goya's Ghost", "The Duchess", "The Regency House Party", and many more)
This film tells the story of Queen Elizabeth when she came into the monarchy in 1558 at age 25. Just thinking of a young woman taking over the reign of a fledgling country, navigating all the pressures, the male influence, the deceit, the lies and the bullshit and coming out so strong and successful, well it was really empowering to watch. She certainly had to to make many sacrifices, but so many great people who really influence the world do. And I like the idea of having a role model from 1558.
Not to mention Kate Blanchett is wonderful. No wonder she won the golden globe for it. Now I'm looking forward to watching Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
I also like that my netflix knows to suggest films to me with "strong female leads".
Quiet & Pretty
January 25, 2011
Painting with the little girls
I had a little girls and their parents, grandparents and aunt and uncle filled weekend. Saturday night when I was watching them I brought over some porcelain figurines for them to paint. You know the kind with the paints that are connected by plastic. My mom used to buy Jady and I those all the time when we were little and I absolutely loved them. The little girls are still too young to paint much detail, but it's still fun. We had a great time painting, eating pizza and listening to Disney songs on the radio, with a few breaks for singing out loud and dancing around the kitchen. I just love those little girls.
Good Morning!
Man I am "having a morning". But the sun is coming up and things will get better and this image from Andy Goldworthy's house makes me really happy.
I just realized how strange it is that Andy's website doesn't even kind of a little bit do his work justice. Too bad.
image by Willem van Leuveren
January 24, 2011
Basking
In the winter there are many, many weeks in a row that King doesn't really get to be outside during daylight hours. It's dark when we wake up and it's dark when I get home from work, but the last couple weeks have started to get lighter... and we appreciate small sun victories here.
Weekends are a whole different story. Even though he's mostly indoors, there's much basking to be done.
Leslie's Wedding Continued
I got my hands on several more pictures from Leslie's wedding last weekend. I'm in love with these two of Lili and I. Really, I'm in love with all of them.
I especially love this one because my family has moves and it proves Jady let her hair down and rocked the dance floor. This is a rare thing to witness people.
Merry Mary Monday!
Seems like a really good idea to look at something white this morning that isn't snow. Nice shot mom.
you can read about the origins of Merry Mary Monday here.
January 21, 2011
Buds
Buds from Addie Anne on Vimeo
On Christmas day King was allowed into the living room. This made him happy, and Louis too. Lou's crooked smile at the end gets me every time.Brand New Day
This morning I woke up with this song in my head and an overwhelming feeling that good things are bubbling just below the surface. Happy weekend everyone!
Images by Neest. Song, Brand New Day by Van Morrison.
January 20, 2011
This video makes me happy
And as far as I can tell is the only way to make the airport bearable. It's also the perfect post for the day that Leslie comes home for a visit.
found via black eiffel
Wish I was here
There seems to be a theme going on here. I just realized. When things get too busy in my life and winter too overwhelming, this blog becomes a series of images of places I'd rather be. Makes sense I guess.
Today I'd rather be here. Not just for the quiet isolation and nature, but because it's not snowing here and King could run around and play instead of going crazy in our apartment and when I come home from work and get (back) on the computer to work he stands and stares at me for a really, really long time and then occasionally paws at my leg. It's pathetic.
So we wish we were here.
Image via ffffound.
January 19, 2011
Nestrest
I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be right now.
These over sized nests by Daniel Pouzet & Fred Frety are amazing.
found via artessen.
January 17, 2011
When things get crazy
My apologies in advance for postings being sporadic for a while as life and work are extremely hectic.
In the mean time here is a somewhat sad little lily from my kitchen table that never reached her full open bloom. Two days after this picture was shot and those last few petals still don't want to let go of each other. She's still beautiful and sweet smelling though.
January 14, 2011
The puggle people have done it again
Yesterday I got an email from the new organizer of the puggle meetup group, the extremely nice woman who took over after I stepped down last spring. She sent an email to the group saying she had just gotten a call from an apartment owner and a couple who had been renting from her left their puggle behind when they moved out and she was looking to see if anyone from our group might want to take her in.
Left their puggle behind in their apartment when they moved out.
Every time I think about it, and now when I type it, it makes my chest hurt and my eyes sting. Who does that? What kind of soulless bastards just leave their dog alone in an empty room? Were they thinking that the landlord was sure to find it and therefore they didn't have to deal with it? Or did they just not care if the dog sat in that empty room until it died? It makes me sick to think about it either way.
But I'm happy to say that within a few hours of the email going out there were at least six people who wrote to say that they would take the dog in right away, either as a foster or permanently. And the quick response and show of support from the group rejuvenated my faith in humanity and proved that with every act of selfishness and hatred, there are ten times more acts of caring and love right behind it.
I'm happy to say that less than 24 hours after that email went out that puggle has a new home with one of our members and the asshole's who abandoned her have been reported to the police.
And as I said the last time we had a situation like this in the puggle group, I just love the puggle people.
Left their puggle behind in their apartment when they moved out.
Every time I think about it, and now when I type it, it makes my chest hurt and my eyes sting. Who does that? What kind of soulless bastards just leave their dog alone in an empty room? Were they thinking that the landlord was sure to find it and therefore they didn't have to deal with it? Or did they just not care if the dog sat in that empty room until it died? It makes me sick to think about it either way.
But I'm happy to say that within a few hours of the email going out there were at least six people who wrote to say that they would take the dog in right away, either as a foster or permanently. And the quick response and show of support from the group rejuvenated my faith in humanity and proved that with every act of selfishness and hatred, there are ten times more acts of caring and love right behind it.
I'm happy to say that less than 24 hours after that email went out that puggle has a new home with one of our members and the asshole's who abandoned her have been reported to the police.
And as I said the last time we had a situation like this in the puggle group, I just love the puggle people.
Friday
There have been several things that have already happened this morning that make me want to crawl back into bed, or at least say "If this is all before 9am, the rest of the day is sure to suck too" But I am not going to do that. I'm going to smile and tell myself that today is going to be a fabulous day. Good coffee, decent hair day, like the outfit I picked out, already brought King on a little walk, plans with a good friend tonight. It's Friday damn it and it's going to be a good day.
Images Akos Major. Found via ffffound.
January 13, 2011
Words to live by
That Mother Teresa really was wise wasn't she? I came across this quote last night, read through it a few times and realized just how great it is. I had acquired a little bit of a defeatist attitude lately, and I needed to be reminded.
January 11, 2011
On looking back
A couple months ago a friend of mine from junior high and high school contacted me to do him a small favor. He is now a high school teacher and has a couple students who are thinking about going into graphic design so he emailed me to see if they could come to my office and shadow/interview me and find out a little bit more about design and what it is I do.
Of course I obliged and said they were welcome to come (after clearing it with my boss) and today was the day. I had prepared a few things to show them and talk through; examples of different types of work we do, catalogs, print and packaging and I printed out a list of a few design blogs and magazines that they may want to check out as inspiration. I think those types of inspiration are great when you're currently a designer working on projects, but also to show these young girls just how many ways there are to be a "designer" these days. So many mediums, so many styles, so many fascists and all great ways to fill your days and make a living.
The girls got dropped off by one of their moms and she waited in the car as I gave them a tour and we talked for about an hour and a half. I was struck by how young these girls looked. Within my company I am one of the younger employees, but I'm nearly 30 so I kept looking at the girls and thinking, "Geez, you're just babies." But even in their youth I was still impressed by their maturity. I didn't really know what to expect when they came. I didn't know if this was some sort of class assignment and they might just be trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible so they could get to the Mall of America or something, but they genuinely seemed to care. They listened attentively to everything I had to say, they asked really smart questions and they even shook my hand at the end and thanked me for my time like respectful adults.
There was a point in the discussion where they were asking me about my thoughts on different types of schools and what would be the best avenue to go; a two year business and graphics school or four year university and within that which schools I recommended. I could see in their faces that they were genuinely asking me what I thought, almost in a way that felt like they were asking me exactly what I thought they should do. I replied that I don't have the answer to that question and that I don't know if there even is a "right" way to go. I went on to say that it's a very personal decision and they're going to have to look at all their options and really think about what's best for them, both personally and financially.
I emphasized to them that they should really give what college is best for them some serious thought because one of my regrets in life is that I didn't think about it enough and I ended up in two different colleges, neither of which I enjoyed and it ended up feeling like a part of my life I missed out on. I didn't go into details with the girls on my own experience, just that I didn't like where I ended up and had to transfer (though the art and design department in the school I ended up at was great) but I emphasized that it's an important decision so they should really think about it.
After they left that was the part of the conversation that really stuck with me. Because during the whole time we were together these young girls were looking at me and my work with an undeniable aura of awe. I've always known since I started with this company that I have a kick ass job, it's really fun, there is a lot of variety and we get to design really great stuff. And I've always been so grateful for that, but seeing it through the eyes of these young girls really emphasized that point. How lucky I am. How important it is to love your job. How long it took me to get where I am and at the same time through all that hard work, how much I deserve it. I'm good at my job and I'm happy to have found something I love. It may not be my end all be all job, who knows, but it's a great place to be for now.
And then I thought about the journey, the entire college experience that I disliked so much, the two jobs before this one that I disliked so much and how somehow through all of that I ended up where I am. And I like where I am.
So did I have to go through that bad to get to this good?
Was that my "life's path"?
Couldn't I have enjoyed college and still gotten to this same place?
Did I need to dislike it to teach me some sort of big life lesson? Like how your decisions shouldn't be taken lightly because they effect your life?
How could "your decisions effect your life" really be a lesson I had to be taught? Isn't that just common sense? Even though that really does seem like the lesson.
Did I give those girls good advice? Are they going to take it? How will their journey unfold? Will they even remember their short time with me this afternoon?
What would have happened if I'd made a different decision and gone to a different college when I was their age? Would I have ended up in this job? Would I have met my husband there? Would I have met life long friends there? Would I have have studied abroad like everyone else? How would I be different? How would I be better? How would I be worse?
Does it matter?... Does it matter?
I realize that there are no answers to these questions, but they have been running through my mind all afternoon, as they have been in one way or another for the past decade.
It was just such a strange experience to stand at the door of my office building of the job I love and shake those young girls hands and wish them good luck and then just watch them walk away. Walk away into the rest of their lives that will not include me in any way. I was just a one-and-a-half hour pit stop on their journey, and yet, perhaps what I said today will alter their trajectory in some way. Perhaps they're sitting on their beds looking at college brochures right now and thinking it over, just as I didn't spend enough time doing.
Maybe everything happens for a reason no matter what, maybe every decision we make has a very strong effect, good or bad, maybe it's important to have regrets so we understand the weight of all of our decisions, maybe we're just supposed to learn from our mistakes and move on, maybe it's best to not think of it at all.
I don't know. I just don't know.
Of course I obliged and said they were welcome to come (after clearing it with my boss) and today was the day. I had prepared a few things to show them and talk through; examples of different types of work we do, catalogs, print and packaging and I printed out a list of a few design blogs and magazines that they may want to check out as inspiration. I think those types of inspiration are great when you're currently a designer working on projects, but also to show these young girls just how many ways there are to be a "designer" these days. So many mediums, so many styles, so many fascists and all great ways to fill your days and make a living.
The girls got dropped off by one of their moms and she waited in the car as I gave them a tour and we talked for about an hour and a half. I was struck by how young these girls looked. Within my company I am one of the younger employees, but I'm nearly 30 so I kept looking at the girls and thinking, "Geez, you're just babies." But even in their youth I was still impressed by their maturity. I didn't really know what to expect when they came. I didn't know if this was some sort of class assignment and they might just be trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible so they could get to the Mall of America or something, but they genuinely seemed to care. They listened attentively to everything I had to say, they asked really smart questions and they even shook my hand at the end and thanked me for my time like respectful adults.
There was a point in the discussion where they were asking me about my thoughts on different types of schools and what would be the best avenue to go; a two year business and graphics school or four year university and within that which schools I recommended. I could see in their faces that they were genuinely asking me what I thought, almost in a way that felt like they were asking me exactly what I thought they should do. I replied that I don't have the answer to that question and that I don't know if there even is a "right" way to go. I went on to say that it's a very personal decision and they're going to have to look at all their options and really think about what's best for them, both personally and financially.
I emphasized to them that they should really give what college is best for them some serious thought because one of my regrets in life is that I didn't think about it enough and I ended up in two different colleges, neither of which I enjoyed and it ended up feeling like a part of my life I missed out on. I didn't go into details with the girls on my own experience, just that I didn't like where I ended up and had to transfer (though the art and design department in the school I ended up at was great) but I emphasized that it's an important decision so they should really think about it.
After they left that was the part of the conversation that really stuck with me. Because during the whole time we were together these young girls were looking at me and my work with an undeniable aura of awe. I've always known since I started with this company that I have a kick ass job, it's really fun, there is a lot of variety and we get to design really great stuff. And I've always been so grateful for that, but seeing it through the eyes of these young girls really emphasized that point. How lucky I am. How important it is to love your job. How long it took me to get where I am and at the same time through all that hard work, how much I deserve it. I'm good at my job and I'm happy to have found something I love. It may not be my end all be all job, who knows, but it's a great place to be for now.
And then I thought about the journey, the entire college experience that I disliked so much, the two jobs before this one that I disliked so much and how somehow through all of that I ended up where I am. And I like where I am.
So did I have to go through that bad to get to this good?
Was that my "life's path"?
Couldn't I have enjoyed college and still gotten to this same place?
Did I need to dislike it to teach me some sort of big life lesson? Like how your decisions shouldn't be taken lightly because they effect your life?
How could "your decisions effect your life" really be a lesson I had to be taught? Isn't that just common sense? Even though that really does seem like the lesson.
Did I give those girls good advice? Are they going to take it? How will their journey unfold? Will they even remember their short time with me this afternoon?
What would have happened if I'd made a different decision and gone to a different college when I was their age? Would I have ended up in this job? Would I have met my husband there? Would I have met life long friends there? Would I have have studied abroad like everyone else? How would I be different? How would I be better? How would I be worse?
Does it matter?... Does it matter?
I realize that there are no answers to these questions, but they have been running through my mind all afternoon, as they have been in one way or another for the past decade.
It was just such a strange experience to stand at the door of my office building of the job I love and shake those young girls hands and wish them good luck and then just watch them walk away. Walk away into the rest of their lives that will not include me in any way. I was just a one-and-a-half hour pit stop on their journey, and yet, perhaps what I said today will alter their trajectory in some way. Perhaps they're sitting on their beds looking at college brochures right now and thinking it over, just as I didn't spend enough time doing.
Maybe everything happens for a reason no matter what, maybe every decision we make has a very strong effect, good or bad, maybe it's important to have regrets so we understand the weight of all of our decisions, maybe we're just supposed to learn from our mistakes and move on, maybe it's best to not think of it at all.
I don't know. I just don't know.
Something to make you smile
My teacher friend Caroline sent the following email this morning with the subject line above. Smile indeed.
"We are reading a story about segregation and just had a conversation about how schools became integrated.
During our conversation I overheard a white boy put his arm around his black classmate, smile at him and say, 'I'm glad the schools became integrated.'
It was classic and so sweet."
"We are reading a story about segregation and just had a conversation about how schools became integrated.
During our conversation I overheard a white boy put his arm around his black classmate, smile at him and say, 'I'm glad the schools became integrated.'
It was classic and so sweet."
United States of Tara
Is anyone else out there a huge United States of Tara fan? I just finished watching season 2 on Netflix and man, I just really, really like this show.
Season 2 was even way better than season 1 and season 1 was awesome.
The premise is basically this wife and mother of two has Dissociative Identity Disorder (multiple personalities) and the show follows her as she and her family try to get to the bottom of the trauma of what caused her to split. Along the way her family is crazy and dysfunctional in their own right, but somehow seem to really love and care for each other. Kind of in the same way the show The Osbournes was; totally f'ed up, but with a common thread of love and humanity that made it somehow really enduring.
Anyway, this show is awesome. Written by the brilliant Diablo Cody (who lived in Minneapolis for a long time), my boyfriend John Corbett is the husband, Toni Collette is beyond amazing in her roll as the mother with DID (no wonder she won and emmy and golden globe for it) and the rest of the cast is amazing as well. A great show. I can't wait for season 3.
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