esprit de l'escalier

Moment of peace

Okay, so I can't keep up with the daily blog reflections on 2009, so I'm going to start skipping and do the ones I really like.

December 8 Moment of peace.

In September I went to Chicago to meet my dear friends' new baby, Ben, who also happens to be my god son. Being asked to be his god mother was such an honor. I've always wanted to have that role in someone's life, and I love his parents so much, that thinking about it still makes me a bit teary. A moment of peace for me was meeting him for the first time. He was a tiny newborn and it felt like nothing to hold him in my arms. I felt the muscle memory from my years of babysitting kick in and the warmth of new love, even with his occasional squawking.

I haven't seen Mr. Ben since he was a couple of weeks old, and I hate that I am not closer to help out. I did just see recent photos and you can already see his personality shining through. I cannot wait to see him again. I cannot wait for our adventures together in the future.

Love at the click of a shutter

Sigh. I've missed film. Missed the texture and dreamy quality that you can't get with digital. I was giddy when I first held my new/old camera, but it was love with the first click of the shutter.

I ran a roll through it this weekend and hoped for the best. I was more than pleased with the results. I think the Pentax K1000 and I are going to get along splendidly. Here are a couple of photos from that first roll.

This is your life!

(Editor's note: my laptop recently died, and the data on it is irretrievable. As a public service announcement: please back up your data IMMEDIATELY. Thank you.)

The last ten days or so have been a veritable "This is Your Life" for me. It started with a visit to some dear friends from college who just adopted an adorable baby girl. The visit was short, but easy and fun. (They live in Cincinnati and I'm excited to see them next.) It's so good to reconnect with friends and have it feel like you're continuing a conversation from the day before. Little did I realize that this would set the tone for the next week or so. Thanks Gail, Sam and baby Nevy for being awesome.

Besides a parade, fireworks, and one street fair, this weekend was full of lots of old faces. I had my 10 year high school reunion, which was much more fun than the movies would make it seem. Then again, I have always been fairly good at working a crowd. My twin brother, who's even better at mingling, came too. I loved the randomness of the people who showed - it was a great cross section of social circles and it seemed like everyone chatted and swirled around the giant bar in the tiny venue.

I ran into so many people I've known since we moved to Ohio in elementary school. There was one guy I was talking to and in my head I kept picturing his fourth grade photo. It felt grounding to see these people from my past. I also reconnected with a good friend from middle and high school, who I had lost touch with. We had dinner the other day and it was again like we picked up like no time has passed. It makes my heart feel very full.

My final face from my past was of one of my favorite musicians, Josh Ritter. (You're shocked, I can tell. You've never heard me mention him before, right?) My lovely friends Tina and Julie roadtripped with me up to the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on a Tuesday night for an excellent night. We all went to work the next day too.

The show was rocking and joyous, which is par for the course with Josh. Highlights: the poem read by T.S. McMillan to music and the three little girls who helped the band close the night with "Empty Hearts." (I love that song and those girls have the coolest parents ever.) Tina and I got hugs and a polaroid too. Not a bad night.

I've had some good times lately. I hope your summers are fun-filled as well.

Can't wait hardly wait

I am currently obsessed with this song. I blame Justin Townes Earle and his excellent cover of it on his excellent album (Midnight at the Movies) and Heather Browne of Fuel for Friends. (I *love* and *adore* this blog. Thank you to my friend Stacey for turning me onto it. Heather is one of my current music gurus - I love her taste in music.)

But back to the Replacements' cover. I'm listening to it a lot right now, both the original and Earles' cover. I thought the cover was just a one off, but then I heard him on World Cafe one night and I was a goner. I needed to have his album immediately. (His interview with David Dye is also great - Earle is personable and open - definitely check it out.)

I've been trying to pick a favorite song, but truly I love the first eight songs and just can't. Back in the days before you could buy single songs, I would have purchased the cd for any of them. There is something about the songs on this album that harks back to the past without being nostalgic. Here's the title track from the album. I'm so mad I missed his pass through my area on his tour. Enjoy!

More pink

I never considered myself a pink girl. Then my mother and I painted my sister and my room pink (much to my sister's protests) when we were in middle school. I think I might be more of a pink girl than I thought, because this just makes me giddy.

I'm happy this week is over. Midterms: done. Comprehensive exams: taken. School left: about a month. Mind: blown.

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day!

Polaroid SX-70 mini documentary

The video above is a mini documentary (~11 min.) about the making of the Polaroid SX-70 camera. I found it via discussion on a Flickr group, and I find it totally charming. It was made by Charles and Ray Eames in 1972. It covers the genesis for the camera, how it works, as well as many examples of people's photographs.

I love that the camera came from the idea of bringing the photographer into a more intimate relationship with the subject - to remove the barriers that cameras can create. To me, Polaroid cameras are successful in this. It's hard not to smile and not to want to watch the photo develop, or not talk to the photographer while this is happening. That's why I love them. (You can see some of the Polaroids I've taken with this camera here.)

This little video also gave me so many ideas of things to photograph. It makes me excited about the upcoming Polaroid week on Flickr, and makes me wish for both a macro lens for my SX-70 and hope even more fervently in the Impossible Project.

(Sorry for the light posting - I was out of town and am slightly swamped this week. I have some posts cooking, though.)

Heart (part 2)

I haven't posted any Etsy love in a very long time. My list of favorite sellers has become unwieldy, and I don't page through it as much as I used to. (Which is probably a good thing. As much as I love supporting artists, the wallet is a little thin these days.)

Okay, so I'm not the greatest at making these little collages, but I thought I'd give it a whirl. Apparently I'm into orange and foxes - it makes me think of the Little Prince.

1. I love the simplicity of this necklace. Local Library little drop.

2. I love Katy Horan's work, here's her letterpress at Little Paper Planes.

3. Joanna Rutter has the sweetest pins and necklaces. I like the Mr. Fox pin.

4. I have been crushing on Morelle forever. I constantly keep favoriting different bags.Burnt orange truffle clutch.

5. How cute is this guy? Gaspard E. Pinopine stuffed fox by Ninon.

(Click the image to see it larger. I hate that Flickr doesn't give me better sizing options.)

Heart (part 1)

The weather continues to be wacko around here, but I'm looking forward to the purported 70 degree weather tomorrow. Has anyone else been watching Flight of the Conchords this season? Because I *love* the song above. It's from an episode directed by Michel Gondry. How could I not love it?

I happened to catch Writer's Almanac on Tuesday, just in time to hear the poem "Late Winter Rains" by Amber Coverdale Sumrall. Lance has been talking this week about reading aloud, and I had just heard this poem, which is gorgeous by the way. I encourage a listen. I think poetry should be heard.

Not only is the weather getting better, but I've got three trips ahead of me. I'm off to Charleston over my break with some old friends. I can't wait for a break from school, hanging out by the beach - even if it's cold - and taking some photographs. In early April I'm going to Chicago to see Andrew Bird with Natasha. Over my birthday I'm heading to Minneapolis for a week to visit family and go to a professional conference. It just so happens that M. Ward is playing and I'm going to meet up with a friend/old professor to see the show. I cannot wait. 

As an extra treat, here's an awesome video that Bird did with my favorite post-apocalyptic marching band, Mucca Pazza. God does this video make me miss the Hideout.

Andrew Bird with Mucca Pazza - "Fitz & The Dizzyspells”

More things that I am loving Monday. Have a good weekend!

Good music coming soon

Several of my favorite musicians have some music coming out in the very near future:

Andrew Bird has a new album (Noble Beast) that comes out next weekend (1/20).  You can stream it at NPR here (h/t to Brian).

I am especially excited about M. Ward's album Hold Time, but doesn't come out until Feb. 17.  Thanks to a link from my friend Dan, I found out it too is streaming on NPR.  (Thank you Facebook.)  I've just begun to listen to it, but it sounds great and fun.  Heart.

Bon Iver's new album drops next week (1/20), too.  His last album (For Emma, Forever Ago) pulled me through several months last year.  I love, love, love it. I can't wait to hear his next one.

YAY!  Does anyone else know of new music coming out soon?

I think I might be in love

Is it supremely weird to fall in love with a font? Maybe it's just lust, but I think it could be serious.  If I had $350 to burn, this font would be mine.  Sigh...  (More pretty things at Veer.)