1. a note on place

    i guess since i’m still setting up shop in the new apartment (kind of love the 3x a day trips to the hardware store) and in the thick of job hunting (though, thankfully, i already have a few interviews lined up with interesting firms), the days sort of blend together. a long weekend doesn’t have much meaning as a respite from the grind at the moment.

    it’s supposed to be a rainy one, but we have a stack of books to read, a fireplace at the beach house and some volunteer dune fencing to tackle as post-sandy recovery is still chugging along on fire island.

    so no complaints here. i’m just taking it as it comes, enjoying this free time, catching up with friends, taking walks around the neighborhood. i can’t remember a time this happy, this relaxed, this easy. the change of pace is welcomed and i think i’ll keep on coasting until the end of june, when i start to get antsy and the bank account really begins to whittle down.

    last night, after dinner at our local thai place and a trip to big gay ice cream, pat and i took the long way home. lo and behold, sitting at a table in the window of quarter was my best friend and her husband. we had just had dinner together the night before and they live around the corner, so there was no need rush in to say hi.

    just a tap on the glass with my umbrella to give a big smile and wave. we blew each other a kiss. a casual see you next week… and a heartfelt we’re so glad you’re here in return.

    my heart was full.

    people ask, ‘oh, you must be so excited to be in new york? to be out of south bend? to be out of chicago?’ but that’s not it at all. we loved chicago. we loved south bend. we love this moment, right now.

    because we’ve made a conscious effort to truly be where we are. speaking from experience, that’s not always the easiest, most natural way to be. but it’s worth it, to focus on it. to be content and to make the most of where you are right now.

    wherever that place may be.

    [point o’ woods | memorial day 2012]

     

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  3. shahirzag:

    Unfollow the herd.

     

  4. krysosandchandi:

    The artist Lei Xue’s ‘‘Drinking Tea’’ series (2007-13) consists of crumpled porcelain cans decorated with traditional Chinese patterns. See the world in blue and white here.

    Courtesy of Galerie Martina Detterer, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    via tmagazine

     


  5. in my generation, it was difficult to know that you could take control of your own life. you thought your husband and children were supposed to dictate your life. now i see young women who feel they have to be a total success by 30, which is very different. and both things are equally wrong.
     

  6. (Source: notesondesign)

     

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  8. pop up bags

    here are a few things i love: ikat prints, doing my part & keeping a pop up bag in my purse at all times (for groceries, etc. - you never know when you’ll need an extra tote)

    and these bags from zaanha hit the mark on all of the above - i.e. proceeds go towards sending afghan children to school…

    brown | green | red

    via the v. cool l-atitude

     

  9. gone swimming

    just in time for summer, swimmingholes.org maps out spots across the country to take a (natural, freshwater) dip…

    found via untapped cities

     

  10. behind the edge jesolo beach. venice | luigi bonaventura

    via architzer

     

  11. subtilitas:

    Savioz Fabrizzi - Protective canopy for the archaeological ruins at St. Maurice Abbey, 2010. A large “floating” covering, made of steel mesh and corrugated translucent plastic, is hung from the mountain side via a network of cables and hangs freely from any of the adjacent historical buildings. Thousands of rocks are placed on the canopy, which filters the light to the ruins below, provides the weight to stabilize the canopy from shear forces, and denotes the site’s history of frequent landslides. Via, photos (C) Thomas Jantscher

     

  12. stripping stuff… results t.b.d.

     

  13. emphasisadded:

    book vase.  i approve.

    [via: brit]

     


  14. notes on moving

    … 50% of unpacking time involves wandering around, confused, trying to locate where you last set down the box cutter.

    … feeling a little uneasy / homesick / overwhelmed, i took a break from setting up to visit our local coffee shop. the second the barista smiled warmly and asked, “what’d want, love?” i knew everything would be ok. that and caffeine. caffeine always helps.

    … we’ve met most of our neighbors and they’ve been so kind and welcoming. and so weird. like typical, wacky, not-sure-what-they-do-for-a-living caricatures of ‘new yorkers’.

    … within a one block radius, we’ve found our hardware store, dry cleaner, pharmacy, etc. and based on my purchases (everything you need to clean, fix and set up house) the merchants have sweetly welcomed us to the neighborhood. when they ask where we moved from and i answer “chicago”, everyone says the same thing: “what a great city!” to which i proudly nod.

    … tonight one friend is taking me to soul cycle and tomorrow another is taking me to flywheel. each is passionately convinced that their choice is better than the other. it’s very reminiscent of an election year. which means i’ll probably vigorously agree with each in her presence but, secretly, not really think there’s a difference between the two.

    … with that, please forgive my paltry posts until we get settled. and, most importantly, i hope the sun is shining as brightly as it is here - wherever you may be!

     

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