I spy...

...myself in this video. You can see a photo of me as well as "real-life" me (and Rob) in this video. This is from the look book launch party where I "modeled" for my stylist.



Kind of bizarre to see yourself projected onto a big ole screen.

More Best of 2009

It's hard enough keeping up with one blog. So this one doesn't get my love. But since I'm determined to answer all of Gwen's Best of 2009 prompts, I have to keep chugging along.

December 4: Best Book
Secrets of Simplicity - I didn't actually finish the entire book/workbook, but the chapters I read were thought-provoking. It makes me realize how complicated I make my own life. I should probably pick it up again!

December 5: Best Night Out
I have two. The first was my quintessential girls' night out. I don't get too many of those, usually only when I visit Arizona, which is when this one took place. We got dolled up, had our makeup done, and went dancing. I wish these girls' nights could be monthly instead of annually, but I'll take what I can get.



And when I was in Austin, I went out on a gay pub crawl, where I joined a group on a tour of the city's best gay night spots. I was dressed like this, and had an absolute blast! I ended up giving parts of my outfit to random gay men all night! The last one, who took my suspenders, was especially appreciative!

December 6: Best Workshop or Conference
I only went to one this year, and that was the HOW Design Conference in Austin, where the above photo was taken. Thanks to a kind group of designers that took me in as one of their own, I had a fantastic time! It was a great mix of education, inspiration, and recreation!

December 7: Best Blog Find of the Year
I also have two answers for this one. When I started sketching again back in the summer, I came across the blogs of these two artists, and they amaze me. I'm always excited when I see a new post by either one of them in my Google Reader.
Three Letter Word for Art
Pete Scully

Best Article of 2009

December 3: Best Article

I admit I'm not a big reader, so this was a tough category for me. Luckily I've documented a few of my favorite articles on Operation NICE. This particular article had me weeping instantly.



And my first runner up, out of complete vanity, is the The New York Times article that discusses Operation NICE. That was pretty dang awesome.

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge!!!

I haven't been blogging much lately, so when I found Gwen Bell's blog challenge via Twitter, I knew it would be a great opportunity!

Here are the deets.

I missed yesterday, so I'm going to answer both BESTS today.

December 1: Best Trip
I had a lot of great trips this year, actually. My weekend trip to NYC. My recent trip to Arizona. My trip to the HOW Conference in Austin. But I'd have to say my favorite of the year was my vacation in San Francisco. After years of "long weekends," I felt like this trip west was a REAL vacation. We did so much and saw so much. It was a wonderful (and exhausting) experience!


Created with flickr slideshow.

December 2: Best Restaurant Moment
This was hard. Of course I've had great meals with great friends over the last 11 months. So picking one that was especially memorable was tough. My mind went to a little spot in Brooklyn where Rob and I had his birthday lunch. Now, we ended up enjoying a fabulously fancy sushi dinner at Megu in Tribeca that night, but this casual little restaurant was by far one of my favorite places of the year.



It's the Dumont Restaurant, and I found it via Design*Sponge, I think. I researched a ton of places and settled on this one for its outdoor garden. We had never spent time wandering around Brooklyn, so I mapped out our course, hopped the subway over there, and brought Rob right to the Dumont. After a morning full of travel, it was the perfect spot to relax with a great meal.



The weather was perfect, the food was delicious. I would relive that lunch daily if I could.

Thanksgiving Karaoke!

I know that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always a good night to go out. No work the next day, just pigging out. And I've been wanting to try out Yakitori Boy, a karaoke bar in Philadelphia. Since private rooms are half price Sunday through Thursday, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.

I had a blast! Karaoke is always at the top of my "most fun" list, and my cohorts just made it that much more hilarious! I made a little video montage of our experience.



And here's the full version of myself performing Superfreak, by Rick James. One of my better karaoke performances. Enjoy!

Potato wave! For real this time!

I gotta give them credit. Pearl Jam was actually really good. I had low expectations. I mean, I only knew their radio songs. And depending on my mood, sometimes I'd leave it on and sometimes I'd change the station. But I actually had a great time at the show last night!

Eddie Vedder seems like a cool dude. Like he actually cares about his fans. And speaking of the fans, they are certainly dedicated. Singing along to every song. Taking breaks only to inhale from their pipes. I only had an incident with one drunk girl who, I guess, wanted to give me a free lap dance. Luckily the seats behind me were empty so I was able to escape.

Because the first World Series game was also last night, they had a chick in a showgirl outfit carry around a sign with the score between some songs. The entire place erupted in cheers each time because, thankfully, the Phillies were up the whole night.

I can safely say I wasn't bored once. There's just something about an entire stadium singing along (even if I can't participate) that makes me happy. You don't get that kind of stuff at the tiny shows I usually attend. So that was a nice treat. They played the final song with the house lights on. I had to take a little bit of iPhone video. Potato wave, everybody. Potato wave.

Grown-up Furniture

After years of living without a dresser or night stands, and basically sleeping in a room with only a mattress on a box spring, Rob and I finally bought ourselves some grown-up furniture. It all matches! Incredible.

When we went furniture shopping yesterday, we didn't think there was any way we'd make the decision to buy, but thanks to a little haggling, we got a great price on this set from Raymour & Flanigan and couldn't pass it up. It comes on Saturday, which means I have four days to paint the bedroom! I put it off for a year, but now that the furniture is on its way, I have no choice. I have to get it done.

I'm black and blue!

So I went to get my hair done on Saturday! Between all of the processes and treatments necessary for my hair and the cut and trying on outfits for the photo shoot, I was there for over six hours. It was a LONG day. But I left with an amazing cut, and as promised, blue streaks! For free, no less!

When I'm not out in sunlight, the blue pretty much blends into the black. My boss came in to chat this morning and didn't even notice that my hair was blue until I mentioned it. So I suppose that's good. I do kind of feel like a comic book character, sporting my Wiggy McBob look. It's so shiny and feels really healthy compared to how my hair was.

Now I can cross "blue hair" off of my "things I've always wanted to try" list!

Clothes Galore!

So I mentioned briefly how my stylist asked me to pose for her salon's look book. The big "shoot" is on October 19th, but I go for my cut and color tomorrow. And she wanted to do a "dress rehearsal" of sorts. So this week I had to go through my closet and pull some outfits that might work for the shoot.

This was much harder than I thought it would be! But it was also kind of fun. I have to be fairly conservative at work. Can't wear jeans, except on Fridays. And even then, we have to wear "work appropriate" tops, meaning no tees or tanks. And I once got reprimanded for wearing the little green number below. Makes me yearn for the luxury of wearing whatever the heck I feel like wearing!

Just a note. These were taken after two very long, very anxiety-filled days at work, which might explain the bags under my eyes. :) Also, I have no idea how to pose, so I'm going to need to study up with some episodes of America's Next Top Model before the 19th!

My Socks Have Been Rocked

Saw Phoenix at the Electric Factory last night. Tickets were a birthday present from Rob. To be honest, my expectations were low. I mean, I like their latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. But I hadn't given it much of a listen, and I didn't know anything about them, other than the fact that they are French.

We got to the Factory and scoped out a spot. Since Rob hates people, we tend to end up away from the crowds, but I prefer to be right in the middle of it all. It's a better experience. Plus I can dance without looking foolish. So we started out near the bar, in a big ole space. But Rob scoped out a spot on the end of the front railing. So we held our position and enjoyed a great view of the show.

(crummy iPhone photo)

Those boys rocked the eff out! I danced. I clapped. I stared with wide eyes. And I left with a greater appreciation for this band. Best recent show I've attended, by far.

(crummy iPhone video)

Keeping Busy

You know how I love a packed schedule. Who needs relaxation?? There's too much to see any do! And yeah, maybe I have ten pairs of shoes sitting in our foyer because I can't find time to clean up, but who cares? We had this past weekend open on our calendar, so we decided to spend it in NYC. I swear, every time I leave, I dream about how amazing it would be to live there. It just feels like home. Well, at least I can visit when I want.

The last few weeks at work have been a bit insane due to a big conference this week. But I made all my deadlines, which is what matters, I suppose. Tonight we have dinner at 10 Arts. Tomorrow night is a Sufjan Stevens show at Johnny Brenda's. Wednesday night we're going to see Marjane-Satrapi, the author of Persepolis, speak at the library. I think Thursday is going to be a perfect candidate for a sick day.

The following week I'm seeing Phoenix on Monday and Ra Ra Riot on Friday. Then we also have tickets to see Built to Spill, Pearl Jam, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, and the Monsters of Folk throughout the next few months, along with some authors and other random events.

Plus, I get to pretend to be a model, which will be super fun! My hair stylist asked if I would model for her salon's look book! I get a free cut and color, which is so neat. And at the launch party there will be blow ups of the model pictures! How hilarious is that?

I haven't gone through all my San Francisco photos yet, but here's a few, if you're interested.


Created with flickr slideshow.

San Francisco Recap - Take 1

This was the most exhausting trip I've ever taken. I filled out itineraries to the brim and we even had to weed out a few things because there just wasn't time. Or because I was too exhausted by the end of each day. I have a million photos that I'll share as the days go by. We're still weeding them out. But here's a quick recap of how our trip went down.

Day #1 - Flew to San Francisco; went to a food festival and didn’t eat anything; ate at a taqueria in the Mission; watched Rob get shoved by a crazy homeless guy in Starbucks; walked Union Square and Chinatown

Day #2 - Walked the Mission; ate crepes; had drinks with internet friends; bought a pair of TOMS; shopped; took photos; visited a street fair; had really good sushi

Day #3 - Walked around Chinatown; struggled to get up some steep hills; visited City Lights Bookstore; saw the street from the opening credits of Monk; took photos; went to Coit Tower; walked to Fisherman’s Wharf; ate lunch at Pier 39; saw the sea lions; visited Lombard Street; did the nighttime tour of freezing cold Alcatraz

Day #4 - Went to SFMOMA and the Cartoon Art Museum while Rob wandered the city; rode inside a crowded trolley; had ice cream at Ghirardelli Square; watched the Giants beat the Diamondbacks; tried to figure out public transportation

Day #5 - Went to Golden Gate Park; walked through the Conservatory of Flowers; saw the Japanese Tea Garden, but only from the outside; saw the De Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences, but only from the outside; had lunch in the Haight; shopped; took photos; visited Alamo Square; went to Japantown and had terrible sushi

Day #6 - Walked to the bike rental place because the trolley line was too long; biked with wobbly legs across the Golden Gate Bridge while being tormented by Rob about my lack of fitness; had lunch in Sausalito; took the ferry back while Rob biked back; Rob beat the ferry; ate more ice cream at Ghirardelli Square; waited 40 minutes in line just so we could ride on the outside of the trolley, and it was so worth it; passed the eff out from exhaustion

Day #7 - Had breakfast at a diner; watched a homeless guy get thrown out of the diner; flew home on a very shaky plane

Overall summary: San Francisco is a beautiful city with loads to do. There are tons of crazy homeless people, way more than I anticipated. And they are far more energetic and brazen than the homeless in Philadelphia. The hills are killer, especially for a weakling like myself. And it was COLD. Like three layers of long sleeves and a scarf kind of cold. We'll hopefully go back in a few years to do all of the things that didn't make the cut this time.

The last of my 20's

Today I turned 29. One year until 30. Although I hear from Rob that 31 was tougher than 30. I'm happy with the way I'm aging. I still have that youthful glow. Misery and cynicism hasn't hit me yet. And hopefully they never will.



Here was me last year, if you're curious.

I have a bajillion photos from San Francisco and plenty of stories to tell. Those are to come.

P.S. Rob, achieved a birthday Epic Fail. No gift, no card, no cake, no nothing. He claims that our vacation inhibited his birthday-planning abilities. So I gave him a week long extension. I really don't care, though I admit, I miss the days of my childhood where I was so excited about my birthday that I'd count the days, and it was always filled with joy and surprise. Today was really just another day, but I guess that's how I know I'm an adult.

"The Plan Won't Accomplish Anything"

I hope these Built to Spill lyrics aren't true because I've been planning my butt off for my upcoming San Francisco trip. I want every little thing to be perfect, so I scour the internet for the perfect hotel, flight, restaurants, activities, etc. Yeah, that might seem to take the fun out of exploring, but really, planning is half the fun for me.

First I had to pick a place for our vacation. I looked at London, Seattle, and San Francisco the closest. SF happened to be the most affordable option, and it's been somewhere Rob and I have wanted to visit for years. Picking a hotel is always an issue since Rob is a germaphobe. Cleanliness is very important. So I went with Parc 55, a lovely 4 start hotel right next to Union Square.

Next came the fun part. Researching things to do. I didn't know much about San Francisco. I was visiting my parents when I booked the trip and my dad said, "What are you going to do there?" I had no idea. Rob's only stipulation was a San Francisco Giant's game, and then later he decided he also wanted to visit Alcatraz. Everything else was up to me.

I started putting together a document with my "must see" spots. Attractions, museums, restaurants, shops. All that good stuff. This is the first of ten pages.



Then I mapped out the hot spots, just so I could get an idea of where everything is in relation to each other.




And after that, I put together a rough itinerary, based on which days certain places are closed, etc. I'll run this by Rob, which I'm sure he'll breeze through and agree to.




We leave on Saturday morning! I can't wait!

My Dopplegängers

I look like a lot of people. I always get stopped by strangers who say I look just like their third cousin's best friend's sister or something. Last Friday I was told that I looked like some dude's friend's girlfriend, who happened to be a total bitch. I had to convince him that I was a nice girl.

But I think it's kind of neat. Okay, not when someone tells me I look like Velma from Scooby Doo, but when I see people that kind of look like me, I think it's hilarious, in a very creepy sort of way.

Like when my friend Devon sent me this picture that she found on Design*Sponge from artist Esther Kim.



Or this picture sent to me by Irit, my internet friend from Israel.



Those are both pretty much me. It's freaky. I look more like both of those images than Velma. Right??? (Please say yes, please say yes.)

Sunday Matinee

Rob and I went to the movies this Sunday afternoon and saw Adam. I really enjoyed this movie. It was a little bit girly, which was good for me, and also significantly depressing, which was good for Rob. I suppose it's a love story, but it's pretty darn sad. Empathy was on full blast.

Check out the trailer:



We can't see any movie without Rob feeling like he needs to learn more about something. So now he's on a mission to read about Asperger's syndrome. We always joked in the past the he has a mild case himself, and I chucked a few times when the character in the movie did things that are so Rob-esque.

Duckie Rocks My World

So sad about John Hughes. No one captured the 80's quite like he did. My absolute favorite character from any John Hughes movie I've seen has got to be Duckie from Pretty in Pink. Not my favorite movie of his, but Duckie owns my heart. Seriously, any guy that can do this (see visual aid below) is perfect in my eyes. Andie missed out.

Potato wave!

I got Rob Pearl Jam tickets for his birthday. Pearl Jam used to be his favorite band back in the day, and he's always wanted to see them live. I never really got into them, but we'll see how the new album sounds.

Anyway, when I think of Pearl Jam, two things come to mind. The first is Adam Sandler's Opera Man. I couldn't find the clip, but he does his opera-thing to Even Flow and it always cracked me up! The second is this video of misheard lyrics for Yellow Ledbetter. I will never be able to listen to this song and not hear "Potato wave."

Whatta guy!

My hubby, Rob, wins major, MAJOR points today. I've been struggling lately. I feel lost, like I don't know what I should be doing with my life. It's emotionally draining. And on top of that, I've been overwhelmed with tasks, for work and outside of work. I basically feel as if I'm drowning. To be honest, it's my own fault for taking on so much. I shouldn't, especially since I'm horrible at prioritizing.

Anyway, today proved to be another rough day. I was so frustrated midday that I called Rob blubbering about my unhappiness. He listened. He advised. He rationalized. And then I went back to work.

Two hours later, as I'm fighting with my printer, Office Space style, I see Rob out of the corner of my eye holding lunch, a card, and these:



Gestures like these from Rob the Robot are few and far between, but they always seem to come at the moment I need them most. I know that no matter what, Rob will always be there to support me, encourage me, and help me through rough patches. I'm a lucky gal!

Do I have bitch-face??

I'm a nice girl. I try to smile a lot and come across as friendly. But I'm starting to think I have a case of the bitch-face.

Two of our friends were over last weekend, and Rob made a comment about girls being scared of me, just kidding around. Our friends commented that I look tough with my angular hair and such. I couldn't tell if they were being sarcastic or if they really think that I look "tough." All 110 pounds of me. Since in reality I am the furthest thing from "tough," I assumed it was a joke.

Then on Wednesday at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs show, I'm standing in line before the doors open. Rob wandered off to find a bathroom, so I was by myself. This guy from a local radio station was hitting up people in line to sign up for something or other. He approached the people in front of me in line, skipped right over me, and began chatting with the people directly behind me. Huh?? Do I look like someone that would tell that dude to "back the eff up!" or something?

I honestly don't mind either way. But I thought it was pretty funny since I'm the poster girl for niceness. I'm about 90% ready to go get my wrists tattooed, so perhaps that will make me even more edgy and unapproachable.

Here's a video from the YYY show. The sound is pretty terrible, but I could stare at grainy video of the love of my life rockin' out on the guitar for hours upon hours. Plus the confetti explosion at 4:12 makes it worth it.

More shows, more shows!

I can't help it. I'm addicted. Tomorrow night we're seeing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I actually would have been okay passing this one up, but Rob really wanted to go, and it's not like I'll say no to seeing the beautiful, pale, scrawny, vampire-ish, guitar-playing love of my life on stage.

And speaking of scrawny, pale, vampires, I just got an email this morning about Monsters of Folk, which consists of one of my other indie-rock boyfriends, Conor Oberst. Along side him will be M Ward and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket). Tickets went on presale this morning, and I thought about it long and hard. Maybe for 8 minutes. But how could I pass up these seats?? I got row AA, seats 2 and 4. Come on, those are pretty kick ass.


I know I need to cut back. I also really want to see Ra Ra Riot this fall, and maybe even Phoenix, but I have to be selective. And I do love shows at the Academy of Music because I won't get trampled on by a bunch of 18 year olds. I'm too old for that.

I Heart NY

I haven't given this blog much love lately. I keep meaning to, but I've been super sick for the last week and a half. Ugh. This evil phlegmy cough will NOT go away. Finally I was able to sleep without any coughing fits last night, so I at least feel more human today. It came at a terrible time because last weekend was our getaway to NYC for Rob's birthday. I was a trooper. I sucked it up and dealt with the cough for the most part, but Saturday night in the hotel was a challenge. Rob wanted to smother me with a pillow because I could not stop coughing. So neither of us got much rest that night, which made Sunday kind of a wash. But it's all the more reason to go back soon.

We took the train into the city. For us, it's a 45 minute drive to the train station and then an 75 minute train ride. Not too bad. It's much better than driving.





When we arrived, we headed up to the Bryant Park Hotel. It was only 11:30 am, so I wasn't expecting being able to check in, but we figured we'd check our bags and head out. Lucky for us, they were able to give us a room. The hotel was really great. Perfect location. Very nice room. Clean. Modern. Friendly staff. A little pricey, but for me, it was worth it.





Then we hopped the subway to Williamsburg Brooklyn. I had picked out this great spot for lunch, the Dumont Restaurant. I read that they had a great outdoor garden eating area. It was awesome. The food was delicious. The atmosphere was perfect. Absolutely loved it!





After lunch we wandered around a little bit. We never explored this area before. I can't wait to go back. So many great shops and interesting buildings.

We even did a little rock climbing at a playground we passed by.

I had mapped out a bunch of shops to hit while we were there. While we were in Artists & Fleas, which is sort of like an indoor year round craft show with people selling their wares, I was asked to participate in a street wear fashion photography project. Sure! I could tell I would never make a good model. I was so stiff and the photographer had to get me to loosen up. But it was fun!



And if you want to see the finished photo, click here, click on Street Portraits, and scroll to the right a little. There I am!

We left Brooklyn and headed back to Manhattan to rest up before dinner. We had a little bit of time to kill, so we sat and relaxed in Bryant Park for a little while. I never spent much time in that park prior to this visit, but it was great!



I had made a reservation at Megu in Tribeca for Rob's birthday dinner. There's nothing he loves more than sushi! The restaurant was really fancy shmancy and our waiter was so sweet. While Rob was in the bathroom, he asked his name and whether or not he liked chocolate. Then after dinner, which Rob said was the best sushi he's ever had, the waiter brought out a little surprise!



Even though I was coughing too much to really enjoy the meal, it was a great time.

Like I mentioned, Sunday was a bit of a struggle because of our lack of sleep. We wandered aimlessly around SoHo and Greenwich Village, met up with some friends, did some shopping, and headed back home. I can't wait to get back up there. Hopefully when I'm at 100% again.

New Blog: 160 Pages

I decided to give my journaling its own blog. So you can find it here:

160 Pages: A Journey Through Journaling

07/06/09 - Day #8

Obviously I need a calendar because I wrote the wrong date at the top of my journal entry for today. WHOOPSIE!!!

To be honest, the burger wasn't that great today. I think the bread was stale.

07/05/09 - Day #7

Okay, not EVERY day can be exciting. Sometimes the best part of a day is watching your husband argue with an air pump.

07/04/09 - Day #6

I'm having so much fun with this project so far! I've never considered myself a very good "drawer." Mediocre at best. And those of you who have said otherwise in your comments are super sweet, but I have much to learn. I think as the months go by, the practice alone will really make a difference, so I'm looking forward to it.

07/03/09 - Day #5

I actually finished this one earlier yesterday, but I forgot to post it here. I knew that an iPhone drawing and a Starbucks drawing were inevitable. So I figured I'd knock 'em both out in one shot.

07/02/09 - Day #4

I was a little worried I wouldn't get to this one yesterday. I was going out to dinner and a movie with some girlfriends, and I REALLY wanted to nap beforehand. But like I said, I'm serious about this project, so I forced myself to walk right past the super-comfy futon and into my office to churn out a journal page. Sure, it's a bit redundant to my post yesterday. Hopefully you won't mind.

I think it's funny how we both look like we're about 14 years old. Obviously I have some work to do with proportions.

07/01/09 - Page #3

Three days in a row! Holla!

I wasn't sure if I'd get to this one because my robot husband and I went to see Up last night. Not only did he refrain from shedding a tear, he actually laughed at me for weeping. He claims he feels "no emotions toward cartoons." Technically, he feels no emotions toward anything. Did you know Rob is short for Robot? Me either, but I do now.

So anyway, I got home from the movie and really just wanted to sleep, but I couldn't skip my third day. That would start the downward spiral to failure. I knew I wanted to sketch my goofy costumed pose from Austin, so I gave it a shot. I admit, I actually had a blast doing this! Who knew drawing could be fun?

Two Days Down!

YESSSS!!! I made it two whole days so far!

Sketch Comedy

More like Sketch Tragedy. I came home from the HOW Design Conference feeling inspired, but I also felt like a slackass. I haven't kept a sketchbook since college. And even then, I didn't sketch regularly. So, like I always do, I went out last night and bought a sketchbook with all intentions of being really good this time!

I figure the easiest way to get into the habit is to do something that takes little time and makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. So I'm going to try to do a little daily journal entry. A comment on the day. This will hopefully get me used to doodling again. Who knows.

I've been Slankified!

I came home yesterday to find a mysterious package on my doorstep. The return address? "The Slanket."

I yipped like lapdog and ran inside to tear that baby open. Most amazing gift ever, courtesy of The Slanket Fairies, Jeope and Devon.

I Have a Dream

I've been a little off all day because of a dream I had last night. It sort of messed me up. Ever have a dream where you've done something wrong, and it's so vivid that you feel incredibly guilty when you wake up? I can't get it out of my head.

And all of this makes me wonder, where do dreams come from? Are they based on truth? What the fudge is my psyche trying to tell me? Can I please ignore it and go back to my regularly scheduled life?

Mad Love in the Illadelph

Devon and Jeope are much more prompt than I am, but I'm finally getting around to posting a few images from their voyage to the P-H-L.

What can I say? I had a fantastic time. I'm so grateful that they made the trip out here, and I hope I don't have to wait a few more years before we get together again. They are ma homies, and I have mad love for them.



And huge virtual hugs to Dave H., Patti, Karma, Keith, Jenn, Nikita, Marta, Dave S., Steph, and Chele who also helped make the weekend superb. Gotta love the interwebs!

Holy poop!

Operation NICE was mentioned in Sunday edition of The New York Times! The NEW YORK FREAKING TIMES!

Now I just have to sit back and wait for Oprah to call. Come on, Oprah! Gimme a jingle!