I love it when materials are used in non-traditional ways in interior spaces! These tile walls blew me away. I absolutely love them! I know this space is very modern, but the graceful curves of the chandelier warm up the space and add elegance. Wow.
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
http://www.theblackapple.typepad.com/
Emily Martin is one of the most popular artists on ETSY and I can see why from her art. The picture shown above, though, shows her interior design talent. I love how she created an off-balance cluster of silhouettes in the corner of this room with a slanted ceiling. Take some time to look at her website and experience her whimsy and almost meloncholy artwork and designs.Thursday, August 7, 2008
Check out Kenyan and Grace's country home at http://www.theselby.com/. I love that nothing about the their life seems to fit convention. They have a pegleg collection, for heaven's sake! Another reminder that convention is boring, overdone, and highly overrated. (At least in my humble opinion.)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Few of My Favorite Things. . .
I would like to give a little shout-out to vintage planters! I love mine and, as you can see from the bottom image, they don't always need to hold plants.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
www.theselby.com
This website is so inspiring! I haven't felt the tingle of creativity and inspiration in a while. I would say I've been feeling pretty burned out since the whole killing myself working full time and taking three classes thing, but this site reminds me why I am doing what I am doing. Check out all the hidden treasures found in these artists' homes.I'm going to be one of these people one day or I am going to design their homes. Mark my words!
Gasp!
Could it be? I actually have another roomination for all of you!
It's interesting that I am drawn to this particular room because it doesn't contain any elements of my personal style. I prefer rich bold colors, midcentury modern accents, quirky mismatched furniture, and vintage building accents like crown moldings, etc. But, I think the fact that all of this is missing and I still love this space shows that this apartment is impeccably designed.
The designer, James Rixner, mimics the angular construction of this modern apartment with his furniture choices. His peices are classic, sleek, comfortable, and well-made. The color palette is understated, soothing, and cohesive. I appreciate his use of texture on the wallpaper with its subtle graininess. He emphasizes shape by accenting the room with white pottery. The large-scale vases near the windows create height and visual interest. The chandelier is the "pop" in this room. (The elusive "pop" that every design show is talking about.) It is fun, bold, and almost organic in form mimicking a snowflake or a dandelion.
While I can't imagine eating in this room or children touching this room with a ten foot plastic kid's fishing pole, I appreciate this design for its stark, chic, and contemporary elements. It may not be the most liveable space for me personally, but I would not mind listening to Norah Jones and having a cocktail with the owners while we discuss the latest art gallery opening. But, rest assured, I would definately stay from the red wine :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Phillipe Starck's designs are just so hot! Who puts chalk walls in a dining room?! I love it. I also love how he blends more ornate peices (the chandelier) with more modern sleek peices (the silver stools.) Please note, also, that there is an unexpected easy chair just hanging out here. Check out this prolific designer at http://www.starck.com/.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls
The following article talks about a public art project in New York that I thought was very clever and just plain cool. I especially found the economic portion interesting. I think it's awesome that artistic expression in a landscape can boost our economy. Enjoy.
Artist’s Waterfalls Turn on NYC
Danish artist Olafur Eliasson designs and builds four cataracts that he hopes will provide spectators with a new view of the city’s skyline.
By Verena Dobnik, AP
Related Articles
Slide Show: Unique Architecture
Vacation Doc: What to See on East Coast Trip
Search: Olafur Eliasson's Art
See all Cultural Travel Articles
If they pay attention to it at all, many people view the water off Manhattan's East Side as a flat, even boring expanse stretching under a series of bridges.Not this summer.Now until Oct. 13, four mammoth waterfalls roar and plunge into the East River and New York Harbor in a multimillion-dollar engineering feat designed by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson."Here in New York, water is everywhere. We take the water for granted," Eliasson said. "I want to suggest — now, it's not about the land, now it's about what's between the land.""The New York City Waterfalls" is the city's largest public art project since 2005, when artists Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, adorned 23 miles of Central Park's paths with thousands of saffron drapes. Eliasson, 41, creates indoor weather systems that incorporate elements like temperature, moisture, aroma and light. He's best known for his 2003 tour de force, "The Weather Project," which drew about 2 million people to London's Tate Modern to see a glowing sun "rise" in a gallery — an effect he created by using a mist machine, mirrors and hundreds of light bulbs.For this project, since there are no cliffs for water to pour over, metal scaffolds provide the framework for each waterfall. A system of pumps carries water up to a trough, where it will be released in a frothy cascade — about 35,000 gallons every minute for all four falls.The falls will be turned on every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and illuminated after sunset.They will roar off Governors Island in the harbor and into the East River at the Brooklyn base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 35 near the Manhattan Bridge and off the Brooklyn Promenade. The highest will stand 120 feet tall, or almost the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus its pedestal.They will be visible from the Brooklyn and Manhattan waterfronts and from the pedestrian and bike lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge."My work is ... about the relationship between the waterfalls, the journey around this part of town and the spectator," Eliasson said. "I want people to see something which is personal. I want them to see themselves, essentially. I'm not offended when people say 'This is not art.'""Waterfalls" is expected to generate at least $55 million in economic activity for the city."The project promises to make a big splash in our local economy by attracting thousands of sightseers to town, who will then spend money in our restaurants, hotels and stores," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.Hotels are advertising special packages and tourist agencies are offering bicycle and boat excursions.More than 5 million people saw "Gates," including about 1.5 million out-of-town visitors, pumping about $254 million into the economy.The $15.5 million cost of "Waterfalls" was raised by the Public Art Fund, a private not-for-profit organization. Individuals, foundations and corporations — including Bloomberg's own media company, Bloomberg LP — donated $13.5 million, and a state agency picked up the rest of the tab.It's not the first time Eliasson has experimented with water. In his 1993 "Beauty," he produced a rainbow in a Danish gallery by projecting light across a fine mist of water. And for a work called "Green River" in 2000, he poured nontoxic green dye into a river in Stockholm.Children were included in the plans for "Waterfalls." The Public Art Fund collaborated with the city's Department of Education to assemble study guides for teachers taking their classes to see the displays."Children tend to see things very different than grown-ups," Eliasson said, explaining that while adults might see a static landscape in a waterfall, a child may see it as vital and changing.Eliasson said the goal of his project was to take spectators, regardless of age, beyond the two-dimensional postcard image of the New York skyline."New York is sort of the icon of the modern city. ... It's a city everybody has a view on," he said. "There's something quite challenging about trying to, let's say, shake the image that people have of this city."On the Web:Waterfalls: http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/
Artist’s Waterfalls Turn on NYC
Danish artist Olafur Eliasson designs and builds four cataracts that he hopes will provide spectators with a new view of the city’s skyline.
By Verena Dobnik, AP
Related Articles
Slide Show: Unique Architecture
Vacation Doc: What to See on East Coast Trip
Search: Olafur Eliasson's Art
See all Cultural Travel Articles
If they pay attention to it at all, many people view the water off Manhattan's East Side as a flat, even boring expanse stretching under a series of bridges.Not this summer.Now until Oct. 13, four mammoth waterfalls roar and plunge into the East River and New York Harbor in a multimillion-dollar engineering feat designed by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson."Here in New York, water is everywhere. We take the water for granted," Eliasson said. "I want to suggest — now, it's not about the land, now it's about what's between the land.""The New York City Waterfalls" is the city's largest public art project since 2005, when artists Christo and his wife, Jeanne-Claude, adorned 23 miles of Central Park's paths with thousands of saffron drapes. Eliasson, 41, creates indoor weather systems that incorporate elements like temperature, moisture, aroma and light. He's best known for his 2003 tour de force, "The Weather Project," which drew about 2 million people to London's Tate Modern to see a glowing sun "rise" in a gallery — an effect he created by using a mist machine, mirrors and hundreds of light bulbs.For this project, since there are no cliffs for water to pour over, metal scaffolds provide the framework for each waterfall. A system of pumps carries water up to a trough, where it will be released in a frothy cascade — about 35,000 gallons every minute for all four falls.The falls will be turned on every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and illuminated after sunset.They will roar off Governors Island in the harbor and into the East River at the Brooklyn base of the Brooklyn Bridge, Pier 35 near the Manhattan Bridge and off the Brooklyn Promenade. The highest will stand 120 feet tall, or almost the height of the Statue of Liberty, minus its pedestal.They will be visible from the Brooklyn and Manhattan waterfronts and from the pedestrian and bike lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge."My work is ... about the relationship between the waterfalls, the journey around this part of town and the spectator," Eliasson said. "I want people to see something which is personal. I want them to see themselves, essentially. I'm not offended when people say 'This is not art.'""Waterfalls" is expected to generate at least $55 million in economic activity for the city."The project promises to make a big splash in our local economy by attracting thousands of sightseers to town, who will then spend money in our restaurants, hotels and stores," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.Hotels are advertising special packages and tourist agencies are offering bicycle and boat excursions.More than 5 million people saw "Gates," including about 1.5 million out-of-town visitors, pumping about $254 million into the economy.The $15.5 million cost of "Waterfalls" was raised by the Public Art Fund, a private not-for-profit organization. Individuals, foundations and corporations — including Bloomberg's own media company, Bloomberg LP — donated $13.5 million, and a state agency picked up the rest of the tab.It's not the first time Eliasson has experimented with water. In his 1993 "Beauty," he produced a rainbow in a Danish gallery by projecting light across a fine mist of water. And for a work called "Green River" in 2000, he poured nontoxic green dye into a river in Stockholm.Children were included in the plans for "Waterfalls." The Public Art Fund collaborated with the city's Department of Education to assemble study guides for teachers taking their classes to see the displays."Children tend to see things very different than grown-ups," Eliasson said, explaining that while adults might see a static landscape in a waterfall, a child may see it as vital and changing.Eliasson said the goal of his project was to take spectators, regardless of age, beyond the two-dimensional postcard image of the New York skyline."New York is sort of the icon of the modern city. ... It's a city everybody has a view on," he said. "There's something quite challenging about trying to, let's say, shake the image that people have of this city."On the Web:Waterfalls: http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/
Friday, May 30, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Our House is a Very, Very Fine House. . .
Last weekend, I had my family over for a Mother's Day lunch. It wasn't a monumental day in the grand scheme of things. For me, though, it was a very special day.
Traveling and living in other places was an awesome experience, to say the least. But, even in the awe of new tastes, experiences, friends, cultures, etc, all I ever wanted was a place to call "home." No matter how many pictures I hung or homecooked meals that permeated the walls of the places I inhabited, no location I lived ever came close to the warmth and comfort of my childhood home.
So, one can imagine my surprise when I moved back to Chicago and felt like more of an outsider in the city of my youth and my parent's home than I did in Utah or even the ghetto. How could this have happened? Isn't this the place I longed for during years of, at times, extremely lonely travel?
Okay, granted I was 26 and living with my parents and had a rather, umm, "humble" amount of money in the bank; which was not how I envisioned myself at this point. I also had no idea what I wanted to be when I "grew up" and there were a lot of challenges happening with my family, at this time. ("Challenges" that opened up whole new levels of joy.) So, all I actually wanted was a one way ticket out of there. No offense to the "50 and over crowd", Mom and Dad.
I learned "home" was not crawling back to the womb. My parents house would always be a place of love, comfort, and belonging, but it no longer felt right to set up camp there. Home needed to be a place I created for myself. Home, for me, could no longer be built on a transient foundation. A true home was not a place of temporary stay. Home was something I was going make in my heart and in mind. My "home" would endure with me, even in times when I would get restless and have an overwhelming desire to flee.
I've known that I always wanted this crazy, cold, huge, lively, beautiful, quirky city of Chicago to be my home. The challenge was to redefine what I needed from this new home. Because the needs I had as a young girl of eighteen when I left the first time simply no longer applied.
So I can finally say, after almost exactly two years after I moved back to Chicago, I officially have a home. I have a home! I have a place that isn't just in my heart or in memories. I have a physical place that gives me a sense of safety in this chaotic world. I have matching plates and glasses. I have large scale artwork. I have bed linens and a dining room table. Hell, thanks to Sean, we have a flat screen TV. I've really moved up in the world!
I am not valuing these things because our materialistic society says that these are things that I need. These are simply signs of making a commitment and an investment to a place I love. Painting the walls and adding special touches show that Sean and I love where we live. I have a refuge where I belong. I have four walls that are filled with memories and love.
I shared my special abode with my family for the first time on Mother's Day. It felt very special to be able to have them over (even if we were just eating turkey sandwiches.) I lit candles. Sean and I cleaned everything spotless. There were appetizers involved. It all felt very "adult."
I'm starting to think maybe growing up ain't so bad because I am truly grateful right now to be close to my family and, at the same time, have my own life and a beautiful home in this grand city of Chicago!
Traveling and living in other places was an awesome experience, to say the least. But, even in the awe of new tastes, experiences, friends, cultures, etc, all I ever wanted was a place to call "home." No matter how many pictures I hung or homecooked meals that permeated the walls of the places I inhabited, no location I lived ever came close to the warmth and comfort of my childhood home.
So, one can imagine my surprise when I moved back to Chicago and felt like more of an outsider in the city of my youth and my parent's home than I did in Utah or even the ghetto. How could this have happened? Isn't this the place I longed for during years of, at times, extremely lonely travel?
Okay, granted I was 26 and living with my parents and had a rather, umm, "humble" amount of money in the bank; which was not how I envisioned myself at this point. I also had no idea what I wanted to be when I "grew up" and there were a lot of challenges happening with my family, at this time. ("Challenges" that opened up whole new levels of joy.) So, all I actually wanted was a one way ticket out of there. No offense to the "50 and over crowd", Mom and Dad.
I learned "home" was not crawling back to the womb. My parents house would always be a place of love, comfort, and belonging, but it no longer felt right to set up camp there. Home needed to be a place I created for myself. Home, for me, could no longer be built on a transient foundation. A true home was not a place of temporary stay. Home was something I was going make in my heart and in mind. My "home" would endure with me, even in times when I would get restless and have an overwhelming desire to flee.
I've known that I always wanted this crazy, cold, huge, lively, beautiful, quirky city of Chicago to be my home. The challenge was to redefine what I needed from this new home. Because the needs I had as a young girl of eighteen when I left the first time simply no longer applied.
So I can finally say, after almost exactly two years after I moved back to Chicago, I officially have a home. I have a home! I have a place that isn't just in my heart or in memories. I have a physical place that gives me a sense of safety in this chaotic world. I have matching plates and glasses. I have large scale artwork. I have bed linens and a dining room table. Hell, thanks to Sean, we have a flat screen TV. I've really moved up in the world!
I am not valuing these things because our materialistic society says that these are things that I need. These are simply signs of making a commitment and an investment to a place I love. Painting the walls and adding special touches show that Sean and I love where we live. I have a refuge where I belong. I have four walls that are filled with memories and love.
I shared my special abode with my family for the first time on Mother's Day. It felt very special to be able to have them over (even if we were just eating turkey sandwiches.) I lit candles. Sean and I cleaned everything spotless. There were appetizers involved. It all felt very "adult."
I'm starting to think maybe growing up ain't so bad because I am truly grateful right now to be close to my family and, at the same time, have my own life and a beautiful home in this grand city of Chicago!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Y-Me Breast Cancer Walk
My family and I are walking in the Y-Me Breast Cancer walk on Mother's Day. Check out my website and feel free to make a donation. We are walking in honor of my dad's mother who lost her life to breast cancer at a very young age when my dad was just 22.
http://main.y-me.org/site/TR?px=2177195&pg=personal&fr_id=1241
I love you, Dad!
http://main.y-me.org/site/TR?px=2177195&pg=personal&fr_id=1241
I love you, Dad!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
To All My Ladies
One of my most favorite things about my life is I have never been without companionship. No, I am not one of those girls who always has a boyfriend. I am one of those girls who “dates” her female friends! Therefore, I have never been without someone to call on speed dial to share my triumphs, a cup of tea to sip on while I share my heartache, and growth through the keen observations of another. I am so lucky!
All my life, I have known the most wonderful women! My friends have been my beacons, my road maps, my soul mates. Each of my close girlfriends has mirrored back to me such a beautiful version of myself when I look in their eyes. I can truly say I would not be half as confident as I am today if I wasn’t inspired by the boldness, ambition, and beautiful spirits of my ladies.
So, as Women’s Month comes to an end, I would like to personally thank each of the gorgeous women in my life. I will not put names, but I am fairly certain, oh friends of past and present, you will know who you are. I hope you recognize my gratitude for the unique gifts you have brought to my life. So, in no particular order. . .
Thank you for teaching me perseverance and that it’s funny how people will first notice your smile and laughter above anything else. Thank you for showing me that loving unabashedly is the only way to go. Thank you for setting such an example of a self-made woman that I couldn’t help but follow for a while. Thank you for FUN. Thank you for sharing your musical talent with me and thoughtfulness I could only hope to achieve. Thank you for teaching me to never forget the kid in me and showing me that the world can be my playground. I hope we meet somewhere over the rainbow again. Thank you for showing me refinement, dignity, and cool calmness in a chaotic place. You will always be family. Thank you for showing me it’s okay to appreciate things solely for their beauty. You seem to find beauty wherever you go (even in me). I hope your refinement rubs off on me. Thank you for creativity, kindness, and revealing slowly that there is more to you than meets the eye. Thank you for freely sharing your tenderness. You will never be able to be anything than who you are and I love that! Your humor and honesty are so refreshing. Thank you for your insane sense of humor and jokes that never get old. Thank you for a deep appreciation of nature and your ability to put a positive spin on most anything and everything—and god knows, we have discussed most everything. Never lose your tenacious spirit. I count on it. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be mature even though you are years younger than me and for wearing your beauty in the most admirable way. You’re a hero and don’t forget it, Super Woman. Thank you for laughs, inane goofiness, and the service you have given the world. Thank you for your pureness of heart. I only "knew" you for four months and I know you better than friends I've had for years. Thank you for your belief in my creativity. We will be design partners one day! Thank you for loving me like a sister when all I saw was awkwardness. What amazing women we have become! Thank you for the laughs you gave me. You refreshed my soul when it was in a really murky place. Thank you for being down to earth and reminding me that fun is very important. I couldn’t get through the grind without you. Thank you for your funkiness and how fabulous I feel when I am near you. Thank you for being my hetero life partner, my support, and a true constant in my life. Your example is a standard I hold myself to. Thank you for your free spirit and vast depths. Thank you for fierce loyalty many years later. May our friendship last a life-time. Thank you for believing in me and my art. Thank you for your positivity despite what is happening in your life and your quirkiness. I look forward to the future of our friendship. Thank you for your confidence, sexiness, and your drive. It is contagious. Thank you for showing me the beauty of simple dreams. Thank you for sharing an intelligent mind I can’t imagine having. Thank you for giving me life, my creativity, your creativity, and unwavering love and support. You are my biggest fan and I don’t know how I would get through life without my own personal cheering section. Thank you for your sense of humor. Can anyone else tell a story the way you do? Thank you for showing me what it means to be hard-working, taking care of me in a foreign country, and seriously making me want to wet my pants with laughter. Thank you for showing me what it means to have unwavering faith. Thank you for speaking so candidly with me and never letting our differences come between us. Thank you for always believing in love even when it beat you up and left you in a gutter. I knew it would eventually raise you up. I wish you knew how cool you are.
And, I guess that last line goes for all of you!
“Experience the joy and the adventure of being the woman who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror.” –Paulo Coehlo
All my life, I have known the most wonderful women! My friends have been my beacons, my road maps, my soul mates. Each of my close girlfriends has mirrored back to me such a beautiful version of myself when I look in their eyes. I can truly say I would not be half as confident as I am today if I wasn’t inspired by the boldness, ambition, and beautiful spirits of my ladies.
So, as Women’s Month comes to an end, I would like to personally thank each of the gorgeous women in my life. I will not put names, but I am fairly certain, oh friends of past and present, you will know who you are. I hope you recognize my gratitude for the unique gifts you have brought to my life. So, in no particular order. . .
Thank you for teaching me perseverance and that it’s funny how people will first notice your smile and laughter above anything else. Thank you for showing me that loving unabashedly is the only way to go. Thank you for setting such an example of a self-made woman that I couldn’t help but follow for a while. Thank you for FUN. Thank you for sharing your musical talent with me and thoughtfulness I could only hope to achieve. Thank you for teaching me to never forget the kid in me and showing me that the world can be my playground. I hope we meet somewhere over the rainbow again. Thank you for showing me refinement, dignity, and cool calmness in a chaotic place. You will always be family. Thank you for showing me it’s okay to appreciate things solely for their beauty. You seem to find beauty wherever you go (even in me). I hope your refinement rubs off on me. Thank you for creativity, kindness, and revealing slowly that there is more to you than meets the eye. Thank you for freely sharing your tenderness. You will never be able to be anything than who you are and I love that! Your humor and honesty are so refreshing. Thank you for your insane sense of humor and jokes that never get old. Thank you for a deep appreciation of nature and your ability to put a positive spin on most anything and everything—and god knows, we have discussed most everything. Never lose your tenacious spirit. I count on it. Thank you for teaching me what it means to be mature even though you are years younger than me and for wearing your beauty in the most admirable way. You’re a hero and don’t forget it, Super Woman. Thank you for laughs, inane goofiness, and the service you have given the world. Thank you for your pureness of heart. I only "knew" you for four months and I know you better than friends I've had for years. Thank you for your belief in my creativity. We will be design partners one day! Thank you for loving me like a sister when all I saw was awkwardness. What amazing women we have become! Thank you for the laughs you gave me. You refreshed my soul when it was in a really murky place. Thank you for being down to earth and reminding me that fun is very important. I couldn’t get through the grind without you. Thank you for your funkiness and how fabulous I feel when I am near you. Thank you for being my hetero life partner, my support, and a true constant in my life. Your example is a standard I hold myself to. Thank you for your free spirit and vast depths. Thank you for fierce loyalty many years later. May our friendship last a life-time. Thank you for believing in me and my art. Thank you for your positivity despite what is happening in your life and your quirkiness. I look forward to the future of our friendship. Thank you for your confidence, sexiness, and your drive. It is contagious. Thank you for showing me the beauty of simple dreams. Thank you for sharing an intelligent mind I can’t imagine having. Thank you for giving me life, my creativity, your creativity, and unwavering love and support. You are my biggest fan and I don’t know how I would get through life without my own personal cheering section. Thank you for your sense of humor. Can anyone else tell a story the way you do? Thank you for showing me what it means to be hard-working, taking care of me in a foreign country, and seriously making me want to wet my pants with laughter. Thank you for showing me what it means to have unwavering faith. Thank you for speaking so candidly with me and never letting our differences come between us. Thank you for always believing in love even when it beat you up and left you in a gutter. I knew it would eventually raise you up. I wish you knew how cool you are.
And, I guess that last line goes for all of you!
“Experience the joy and the adventure of being the woman who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror.” –Paulo Coehlo
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Violet
Violet represents harmony of the universe in Chinese painting. The combination of red and blue represents the yin and the yang. Therefore, violet is the color of balance. I think this is part of the reason I have always been drawn to violet, even as a young girl. I love the combination of the bold and fiery red with the more tranquil and peaceful blue.
My research of the color, violet, reveals that several different cultures revere this color as a sign of luxury and elegance. For instance, most chocolate in England is wrapped in violet because it is an indulgence.
I also have found that violet is generally known as the color of piety and warmth. The tinted shades are described as delicate and lovely. Tints of purple, such as mauve, lilac, and lavender, are used more often in homes because they are softer, more restful, and promote calmness. Violet, when darkened, can become menacing or almost terrifying. However, these bold violets can be used in room design to revitalize a room. Also, there were striking differences in the description of blue-violet and red-violet. Blue-violet expresses solitude, whereas, red-violet represents divine love and spirituality.
I think that I am personally drawn to violet because of it’s rarity in the natural world. Very few things are naturally purple making it unique and special. I am reminded of sunsets at dusk, eggplants, and small violets. I especially enjoy interiors painted purple. I had a grayish-purple room with a burnt orange couch in my old apartment and I loved it. I don't think I will ever tire of violet's lovely and varied shades.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Eat, Pray, Love
Again, I will reiterate that sometimes I do put forth the effort to discover books, movies, music, etc. on my own. And, sometimes, I'm lazy and I go into a bookshop on a Friday after getting paid my meager wage and want to treat myself with a new book and I'm tired after a long day of work and I just go on what my friends recommend or what has been on the NY Times Best-Seller list. (At least I frequent local book shops. I've got that going for me.)
Anyways, I bought Eat, Pray, Love last Friday on the recommendation that it might just change my life. My friend wouldn't even let me borrow her copy. Not out of selfishness, but embarrassment that she has written all over the margins and highlighted passages all throughout. And, though, I have been feeling quite content these days finally going to school for something I love and living with a man I love, I have never been one to turn down an opportunity for reincarnation. Plus, I couldn't help but be intrigued; I love highlighting books and making notes! I was an English major afterall.
And, I have to say, the can of worms I knew this book would open has not only caused several crying jags and an existential crisis, but also bizarre dreams combining emotions from several places and times in my life. Even my subconscious can't get away from Elizabeth Gilbert's powerful prose. (I choose the word, "prose" because of this book's poetic and poignant nature.)
She speaks to the reader (and my soul) like you are sitting in the local coffee shop talking about everything and nothing at all.
I can't help but feel haunted by the parallels of my life compared to hers and am currently navigating how I incorporate my previous "lives" with the one I am currently living. No, I am not getting all Shirley McClain on you folks. By "previous lives," I mean the many incarnations I have gone through (see "Scarves" Post below.) How does one take a life less ordinary and come to peace with the ordinary?
It's so easy to see beauty around you when you are traveling and seeing things with fresh eyes and a completely clean-slated heart. But, how do you keep this open-minded perspective when seeing things you have known your whole life?
This has been a struggle for me since I have moved home to Chicago, started my first requisite nine-to-five job, a serious relationship, and the rebuilding of friendships I left high and dry for years. Commitments sprouting up everywhere--when I was used to running in open fields of freedom for years.
It feels like I have been spinning my tires on ice trying to get away from the present reality of my life without actually going anywhere. (Not unlike trying to get my car that was frozen in ice in front of my apartment building for a month to move--thanks for the metaphor, my sweet Cirrus.) And, I haven't quite understood where that inclination was coming from. I see now from this book and some meditation on my life that I have been living in frantic fear and anxiety. I've been thinking thoughts like "this is it, this is the rest of your life." (Insert ominous echoing voice over.) I actually wrote my best friend last night that I hoped I wouldn't regret making the choice to move home when I turn forty and look at my life.
PS, that's in TWELVE years! Who the hell can predict what they are going to be thinking twelve years down the line? TWELVE years ago I had just had my first real kiss from my first real boyfriend (Who was shorter than me at the time. Our dance pictures are awesome.) If you asked that awkward sixteen year old what she would be like when she was twenty-eight, she couldn't have possibly conceived how cool and interesting her life would become. Not even close.
So, if anything, Eat Pray Love has reaffirmed to me once again how important it is to question everything and really listen to the answers, the neccesity of suffering to insight growth, to let go of fear and fill that void with faith, and to become secure with my inherent human flaws. It's okay to not have everything figured out and it's best sometimes to just stop and quiet yourself.
Please read this book all of you. If, for nothing else, than to do a little Spring Soul Cleaning. Daylight savings time is this Sunday afterall.
"It's a sacrifice to let [thoughts] go, of course. It's a loss of old habits, comforting old grudges and familiar vignettes. Of course this all takes practice and effort. It's not a teaching you can hear once and then expect to master immediately. It's constant vigilence and I want to do it." -Elizabeth Gilbert
(The picture is me, circa 1996.)
Anyways, I bought Eat, Pray, Love last Friday on the recommendation that it might just change my life. My friend wouldn't even let me borrow her copy. Not out of selfishness, but embarrassment that she has written all over the margins and highlighted passages all throughout. And, though, I have been feeling quite content these days finally going to school for something I love and living with a man I love, I have never been one to turn down an opportunity for reincarnation. Plus, I couldn't help but be intrigued; I love highlighting books and making notes! I was an English major afterall.
And, I have to say, the can of worms I knew this book would open has not only caused several crying jags and an existential crisis, but also bizarre dreams combining emotions from several places and times in my life. Even my subconscious can't get away from Elizabeth Gilbert's powerful prose. (I choose the word, "prose" because of this book's poetic and poignant nature.)
She speaks to the reader (and my soul) like you are sitting in the local coffee shop talking about everything and nothing at all.
I can't help but feel haunted by the parallels of my life compared to hers and am currently navigating how I incorporate my previous "lives" with the one I am currently living. No, I am not getting all Shirley McClain on you folks. By "previous lives," I mean the many incarnations I have gone through (see "Scarves" Post below.) How does one take a life less ordinary and come to peace with the ordinary?
It's so easy to see beauty around you when you are traveling and seeing things with fresh eyes and a completely clean-slated heart. But, how do you keep this open-minded perspective when seeing things you have known your whole life?
This has been a struggle for me since I have moved home to Chicago, started my first requisite nine-to-five job, a serious relationship, and the rebuilding of friendships I left high and dry for years. Commitments sprouting up everywhere--when I was used to running in open fields of freedom for years.
It feels like I have been spinning my tires on ice trying to get away from the present reality of my life without actually going anywhere. (Not unlike trying to get my car that was frozen in ice in front of my apartment building for a month to move--thanks for the metaphor, my sweet Cirrus.) And, I haven't quite understood where that inclination was coming from. I see now from this book and some meditation on my life that I have been living in frantic fear and anxiety. I've been thinking thoughts like "this is it, this is the rest of your life." (Insert ominous echoing voice over.) I actually wrote my best friend last night that I hoped I wouldn't regret making the choice to move home when I turn forty and look at my life.
PS, that's in TWELVE years! Who the hell can predict what they are going to be thinking twelve years down the line? TWELVE years ago I had just had my first real kiss from my first real boyfriend (Who was shorter than me at the time. Our dance pictures are awesome.) If you asked that awkward sixteen year old what she would be like when she was twenty-eight, she couldn't have possibly conceived how cool and interesting her life would become. Not even close.
So, if anything, Eat Pray Love has reaffirmed to me once again how important it is to question everything and really listen to the answers, the neccesity of suffering to insight growth, to let go of fear and fill that void with faith, and to become secure with my inherent human flaws. It's okay to not have everything figured out and it's best sometimes to just stop and quiet yourself.
Please read this book all of you. If, for nothing else, than to do a little Spring Soul Cleaning. Daylight savings time is this Sunday afterall.
"It's a sacrifice to let [thoughts] go, of course. It's a loss of old habits, comforting old grudges and familiar vignettes. Of course this all takes practice and effort. It's not a teaching you can hear once and then expect to master immediately. It's constant vigilence and I want to do it." -Elizabeth Gilbert
(The picture is me, circa 1996.)
March is Women's History Month!
That is why inboxes are filling up everywhere with inspirational forwards about women. (The ones I pretend to be too cool to like, but that I secretly love.) So, per a forward I received today. . .
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a feeling of control over her destiny.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...
Thank you Maya Angelou.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
a feeling of control over her destiny.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself.
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...
Thank you Maya Angelou.
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