juxtaposition

So I was driving down Hobbs today and saw this mailbox that I notice every time I drive down Hobbs. It's just so strange. The top part that receives mail is the normal size and shape of the average mailbox but it's painted with these big red roses. Not in kind of 60's cheesy representation of a rose, but in a fully serious old lady floral kind of rose. Which is fine whatever, I tend to enjoy old lady things. But then the base of the mailbox, the part that's usually just a pole in the ground, is this stainless steel, zig-zaging, twisty sculpture. Again, also something I usually enjoy. What is so great about this mailbox is the strange mixture between the very traditional looking flowers, and the modern, sculptural base. I just love it. I love the irony, the humor, and the juxtaposition of the two parts. Utterly delightful.

Molly

So I am in a wierd mood right now, and clearly I've been in a blogging mood the past few days, but I just have this desire for change right now. I really want to do something with my hair, but that's not the point. Tonight I have this random love for Molly Ringwald. Isn't she just precious. I really just feel like watching Pretty in Pink. I might have to rent it tomorrow. Heavens I need to own that movie.

(though I'm 99.998% sure this image is taken from The Breakfast Club. hmmm, that's one I need to find edited)

tender mercies

So to my surprise as I wandered into the Gatewood Gallery in the studio arts building today, two of my paintings were hanging on the wall. And then I remembered that in my evaluation letter from my painting II class last semester my professor mentioned she was stealing those two pieces for the summer show in the Gatewood. It's just a student show from the spring semester but I like having something in there. Especially when the night before a friend was casually talking about some $1,700 commission she had, etc, when I'm older and feel more experienced. In all actuality it sounds like she's more experienced than I am, but regardless it made me feel like a child which I don't like.
So anyways, it was a nice little boost to feel appreciated at least a little today. It was a tender mercy to a grouchy day. that and once I arrived home from school my sister had just barely pulled a frozen pizza out of the oven, ready to go into my ravenous tummy.

p.s. I think this semester's going to be harder than anticipated. I'm ready for summer again. At least I don't have class on Friday, I just keep on telling myself that. It helps.

Just one more thought for the night.



I knew I loved this movie for a reason. Now to purchase it, that is once I have a job and the money that comes with it.

So in exploring the internet this evening I came across a fascinating article written for Psychology Today and thought I'd share.


"The fact is that the arts foster innovation. We've just published a study that shows that almost all Nobel laureates in the sciences actively engage in arts as adults. They are twenty-five times as likely as the average scientist to sing, dance, or act; seventeen times as likely to be a visual artist; twelve times more likely to write poetry and literature; eight times more likely to do woodworking or some other craft; four times as likely to be a musician; and twice as likely to be a photographer. Many connect their art to their scientific ability with some riff on Nobel prizewinning physicist Max Planck words: "The creative scientist needs an artistic imagination."
Bottom line: Successful scientists and inventors are artistic people. Hobble the arts and you hobble innovation. It's a lesson our legislators need to learn."


Amen.

I am making a dress, and it shall be cute. This is my first experience going to the fabric store and picking out a pattern and finding fabric all by myself. And so far it is going swimmingly.

San Fran

So, I just got all of the pictures I took in San Francisco from my sister so I feel that it is high time I blogged about my trip. So right after I finished my 3rd week of EFY my sister Jackie and I fly out to San Fran for a few days. Jackie signed up for a photography workshop with this big time photographer guy, Jonathan Canlas who works only in film. So the workshop is call Film is Not Dead and they only shot film and it was super cool. So while Jackie was off taking pictures in the workshop all day, I was free to wander the city.
Day 1: I hopped a bus in the mission district where we were staying and rode further into the city to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It was soooo cool. They had a sweet collection, but in addition they had a few pretty sweet exhibits. There was a Georgia O'Keefe + Ansel Adams one that was ok. It was good I just wasn't as impressed with Georgia as I thought I'd be. normally I'm a big fan, but what they had wasn't too exciting. But then the other two exhibits were of photographers and were infinitely cooler. There was a Robert Frank show which was super neat, and then a Richard Avedon exhibit which was phenomenal. all in all I enjoyed myself. I don't have any pictures of anything from the special exhibits because it wasn't allowed, but these were some of my favorites from the normal collection.

I don't actually know who the artist was here but it was way cool.


mmmm, Roy Lichtenstein, he's one of my favorites.


and Rene Magritte. you wouldn't beleive the detail in this sucker.

Then I wandered around that part of town a little more and rode the bus back to the hotel so I could hook up with Jackie for dinner and such. After we ate some delicious San Franciscan food we met up with a ton of people from the workshop at the bar (no worries we had water, as did half of the people in our group) and hung out a little bit. Jackie's frind Kristopher from the workshop brought his friend who happened to be in the city as well, and as it turns out was wandering the city all by himself like I was. So me and Cade (new friend) made plans to do Fisherman's Warf and Pier 39 and that jazz together the next day.

Day 2: So I rode the bus again to get there and we met up right at Fisherman's Warf and wandered together some. I happened to have some tickets given to me for this boat tour around the bay so we hopped on this boat and enjoyed the ride. I think the boat was my favorite part of the trip actually. I just loved the wind and the motion and the sights. It was just a neat experience. We sailed right under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz, all while listening to some delightful narration full of hoaky goodness. It was a blast.





Here's Cade and I on the boat, you can see the bridge behind us too. and as you can also see, the wind was fairly aggressive where my hair is concerned.

So then we ate and did a lot of wandering around the city. I must say it was way nice to have a travel buddy. Then Jackie called and Jonathan was taking everybody to Chinatown to take pictures etc. which turned out to be pretty convenient since Jackie and I had planned on doing Chinatown together that night anyway. unfortunately I don't have any pictures from it but it was an absolute blast. It was so colorful and fun. Jonathan took us to this hole in the wall restaurant called The Pot Sticker and it was honestly the most delicious chinese food I've ever had in my life. I ate so much. It's obscene how much we all ate actually. It was so much fun though.

Day 3: So this was my last full day in the city and I decided to take it easy actually and I wandered around the mission district where we were staying. It's a mostly hispanic neighborhood so it was so full of color and vibrancy. I was so glad we were staying there because otherwise I don't think I would have even seen that part of town. I felt like I had an insiders look at the city. One of my favorite aspects of it though were the murals. everywhere you look there were either murals or graffiti. I loved it. here's a little taste.




Anyway, I found my way to the Mission Dolores Park which was really neat. I felt like I saw a little taste of everyone the city has to offer. There were so many people of every size, shape, color, class, etc. it was fascinating. Anyway, then Jackie and I had one last meal with everyone from the workshop and then we met up with Jackie's husband Rob's old friend. They were BFF from way back and since she lives nearby she came to see us. and luckily she has a car and was able to drive me and Jackie to go see the Pacific ocean. We desperately wanted to stick our feet in and she was able to provide us with the means. The water was absolutely freezing but it was to be expected.



Regardless, we were excited.
So then we made it back to the hotel, and prepared to fly home the next day. All in all it was an incredible trip. I had an absolute blast. There are so many little things we did or that I saw that I just don't have the time or energy to include into this entry, but that I hope I'll remember forever. I simply loved it. The end.

jealousy of a stranger

I have just a random late night thought. As I was perusing a complete stranger's blog, I came across this photograph.

and I concluded that
A. She reminds me very much of a small child and I love it.
B. A part of me wants to be her.
and C. I crazy love her hair. I am severely tempted to give up (as I have been wanting to for ages) on growing out my hair a little and just have my sister cut it right now. I shall sleep on it however, because undoubtedly this girl styles her hair, a talent I have never managed to acquire due to a lack of instruction and chronic laziness.
But we shall see.