Collections.

I'm starting one.

Previously, I've collected Beanie Babies (not my choice; have you ever had a collection that people start for you, you receive one or two of, then others see and assume you wanted all along?) and snow globes (these are actually pretty amazing and make a quite the Christmas display).

I have admired these every time I come across them in a book store or an Anthropologie, but I never knew there were so many. Maybe some are only available in the UK? At any rate, this to me seems like the most worthwhile collection. They're classics, so I really should read the ones I haven't already anyway. And they would be so. freaking. beautiful. on a bookshelf in a fabulous living room. The day our living room is big enough for a book shelf.

Behold:Originally spotted here. Books I'd be proud to display! (Unlike the piles of chick lit that stack up on my nightstand...)

old married lady.

Today marks our one-month anniversary as a married couple! I like being married. And as cliché as this is, our wedding was one of the very happiest days of my life. Had my dad been around, I'm sure it would have been the very best.

I was struck, over and over again, by the sheer awesomeness of our friends and family. I feel eternally grateful to them for all the amazing things they did - flower arranging, reunion organizing, hair styling, honeymoon arranging, accessory creating, and entire-wedding-day-including-shutting-the-place-down organizing. And most of the people who did all of this traveled from all over creation!

The best part about the whole bit is this: normally I would feel uncomfortable, obligated and slightly guilty about all of the work that people were doing for J and me. Odd thing was, this time all I felt was "the love." My nearest and dearest wanted to do this. They love J and me so much that they used all of their diverse and impressive talents in concert to start our marriage off with all of the support and good vibes they could possibly produce. It was blissful. The entire day. Weekend. Week. Experience.

I love J, but holy crap, how much to we both love our families and friends. Thanks everyone.

Telephone - three ways

I'm not sure who's idea it was to pair Lady GaGa and Beyoncé, but it was inspired. Telephone is the kind of video that makes people stop and watch on the big screen of a gay club instead of dancing while it rolls. Don't ask me how I know that.

Apparently I can't embed it (bah!) but check out the video here. You'll need it for reference before you see my totally awesome spoofs.

First, we have the soldiers of 82nd Airborne, stationed in Afghanistan. Way to find some way to perk up what must be a completely un-fun and most likely downright hellish military assignment. My friend Alex is in Afghanistan. Apparently she's the only expat girl to be found just about anywhere... wonder if any of these guys are single. Alex... the star is pretty much a catch:



Then - I think this awesome, but this might only be amusing to NPR nerds - NPR staffers did a send up inspired by the 82nd. I adore NPR for it's morning news and weekend programming and always secretly thought it'd be awesome to work there. I saw the building every Wednesday on my drive from work down to kickball on the Mall... don't the producers and directors look so young and FUN? I want to be friends with NPR people. The big names (Nina Totenberg - reading like it's a supreme court transcript - ha!) are pretty funny too. Although their dancing skillz leave something to be desired.



Some Thursday enjoyment for you.

And if you do happen to be in a gay bar when this video comes on, you'll know what I mean. It's the new Single Ladies.

Outstanding in the field

So, I found out about this program (organization? movement?) via a design*sponge post and now I'm riveted. How do we get these guys to come to Huntsville, anyway? Naturally, Alabama superchef Frank Stitt (of Bottega and Highlands Grill in Birmingham) has already participated... I know this thanks to OITF's handy Google map of everywhere they've ever had a farm dinner:


View Outstanding in the Field Dinner Site Map in a larger map

(I created one of these for our educators visits of all of the Alabama Math Science Technology Initiative hub sites across the state - love them!)

Anyway, thinking of starting a social media campaign to get them to visit Huntsville.
I'm thinking a Ledges/Mezza Luna collaboration. But of course I am biased. Nowhere in their FAQ does OITF break down how to get a meal in your area, so I'm going to go ahead and assume it's all contacts and convincing.

I would definitely save (and save, and save) $200 for an experience like this:

Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure - literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.

Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table.

The dinners generally begin at 3 or 4 p.m., depending on the time of the year, and wrap up around sunset. As the days get shorter in the fall, the dinners last until candlelight is required. Length of each event is four to five hours, and guests often linger at-table well past sunset, reluctant to have the magical evening come to a close.

So, who's with me?! Let's get this campaign started so we can have a fabulous meal at a table like this one, in the DC area...

When I own a home

The first thing I am going to do is find a room to paint turquoise. I've seen so much of it around lately. And you know how I feel about it. So ready to feel some personal investment in a house and to paint instead of just hanging things on the super plain white walls.

Some inspirations -(via Design*Sponge)

(via CB2.com)

Love the vibrant turquoise with the crisp white.

Perhaps even some wallpaper on a small accent wall (this price...oof.) -


That is all.

another reason to love tar-jhay

though the store has the potential to completely torpedo my new commitment to a dave ramsey budgeting system (where EVERY PENNY is allocated before it's ever spent...blargh), target remains my all time favorite place to spend a lunch break or a sunday afternoon.

i've always thought their ads were cute, and appreciated the weekly specials in my inbox, but until this particular ad campaign, i hadn't noticed their advertising much.

pictured above: the "i just went in for tape" collection - heh.

behold, target collections

target gives you a completely bizarre and seemingly random collection of items you can purchase in the store. you name the collection something clever, then tweet your collection name to #targetcollection for the chance to win a $500 gift card. how fun is that?

and check out the ads they've created so far:

i KNOW this one, all too well -



and this one is pretty good too - best. discovery. ever. don't you agree? -



i won't spam you with all of them, but if you're feeling frisky, you should head over to their youtube channel and check 'em out. awkward valentine is a good one too.

i am so appreciative of clever, audience-participatory advertising... just makes everything more fun. and since i already am a target addict, at least they make my experience a fun one.

The Video Post.

I came across (or rediscovered) three videos today that are inspiring in one way or another. I try not to limit my online sharing to things that I find inherently awesome and that I am relatively sure you - or some portion of you - will find awesome in some way as well.

So, first - WaPo (whose subsidiary, Slate, is one of my favorite sources for news and commentary) with their Scene In series - this one is Union Station, but I love the Dupont Circle one, too. Makes me really miss the district. I particularly love the dapper guy with the monogrammed cufflinks (he reminds me of my boss while I worked there) and the two little girls with the magic tape.

Unfortunately, this one won't let me embed - but visit the link, it's totally worth it.

WaPo also announces the new Pantone color of the year in the Styles section - Which, as it happens, has been my color of the year every year since, oh, 1999. Delightful!


O.K. Next video. The following two are of a similar, slam poetry ilk. Typography was brought to my attention by my old Auburn prof, Robert, who was linked to it by a current student. It's fun staying in touch with people who, without social networks, would likely be lost in space until some big reunion year, if that. Yay for the internet.

Also, I am totally guilty of what this video is railing against, you know? (heh.)

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Lastly, Canada! I've been completely fixated on Canadia with the start of the Winter Olympics, gobbling up Slate's Five Ring Circus coverage, and generally contemplating what it means to be sort of Canadian. (If you are not aware, my mom is a Canadian citizen. She married my dad in the seventies and after a stint abroad, moved to the U.S. She's been living here for 30+ years; never naturalized. Our little - legal - alien.) It's interesting, because aside from a visit every year or two, I haven't really explored that part of my identity. Probably why I'm so interested in people's takes on the Canadian people and their culture and lifestyle.

Which leads me to Shane Koyczan's take on his mother country in We Are More, which was commissioned by the Canadian Tourism Commission and was used in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.



So, these are an assembly of things that I have been enjoying lately. Anything good I've been missing out on?