• Good design,  Life Story

    Music Players

    I like it when websites have seamless music-listening integrated into their websites. It’s like a little gift from the developer. “Here’s a little mix CD for you!” they are saying to the wandering web reader.

    This is very different from websites where random music immediately begins playing and the design theme happens to be black-on-black and you can’t find the mute button for five minutes. Gross. Similar to when I was recently shopping and a woman’s cell phone ring was cats meowing a Christmas carol. I kid you not. She wasn’t even flustered when it took her three minutes to turn it off. Where was the mute button on that experience?

    Anyway, here are a few from around the web that I like:

    Chance’s three choice songs change frequently.

    Anthropologie’s fits right into their Facebook page.

    Chris Glass’s does not play, but it is very readable and clean.

    Tennis uses red and makes you want to push Play.

  • Cooking,  Life Story

    Crumbs on the Counter

    On the roadtrip, amongst dozens of delicious meals, I got positively sick of eating out. I longed for a full loaf of bread on the counter, a large wedge of orange cheese in the fridge, a gallon of orange juice, a toaster, a cupboard of simple soup possibilities, a bag of corn tortillas waiting to be tossed on the stovetop, a can of refried beans. The warm pictures of handcrafted meals that 3191 miles apart often fills their pages with are not, as I have been sometimes suspicious, glorified Martha Stewart-esque “perfect home” moments, but just a captured second of the delight we can create in our meager kitchens. Meager yet mighty kitchens. The magical satisfaction you can create with an avocado, a jar of mayonnaise, a pepper grinder, and a few slices of bread cannot be overstated. Or how about a slice of pumpkin bread–perhaps the world’s easiest bread recipe–slathered with peanut butter? Unstoppable.

    I was recently puzzling over the treats that Winter promises us–Fall brings cider, apples, doughnuts, cute jackets that aren’t really warm, garlicky cranberry relishes–and wondering what they were. Early evenings? Extensive Netflix queue revamping? A higher percentage of red wine receipts? More balling and fuzzing of the sweaters? Maybe it’s that brisk and icy encouragement to stay inside for the evening and rummage through the tea bag selections, put in a good 45 minutes of vegetables chopping all for the sake of a murky stew, puzzle over a tricky pizza dough recipe, or find ways to live off a homemade loaf of bread for a few days.

    Both photos from the lovely aforementioned 3191 Miles Apart.

  • Life Story

    Roadtrip Itinerary

    We’re leaving tomorrow!

    itinerary

    Philadelphia

    Baltimore

    Raleigh, NC

    Asheville, NC

    Charleston, SC

    Savannah, GA

    Atlanta, GA

    Oxford, MS

    New Orleans, LA

    Things I’m looking forward to: BBQ of all varieties, sweet tea, buying Garden & Gun, spanish moss, crabs in Baltimore, beignets in New Orleans, warm and sunny weather, seeing friends.

    We have iphones now, so I will be posting roadside updates on Twitter as well as here while we travel.

    Any recommendations?

    Have a great weekend guys!

    Photo by Radmegan.

  • Entertainment,  Life Story

    Music Lately

    Joie Butter’s mixes from her Anthropologie visits.

    A new love themed mix from K.I.D. Collective (the “Remember the Mountain Bed” song is so lovely).

    Catching up with CocoRosie (learning the term “freak folk” that applies to Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart and the CocoRosie girls).

    Photo by Trickery.

  • Books,  Life Story

    Caps for Sale

    Isn’t it eerie when you see a picture from a book you read when you were younger but haven’t seen in forever? Just like getting that transporting whiff that makes you feel great and safe or terrible.

    Anyone remember this one, Caps for Sale, involving a bunch of rambunctious monkeys making off with the poor salesman’s hats? I have memories of books that I do not even remember the titles of, like one involving a balloon that escapes to balloon world, a heaven-like place where all lost balloons go.  And what about this: we looked at better art on a daily basis when we were five than we do now.

  • Life Story

    Joe’s 26

    Today is Joe’s 26th birthday. I am daily wowed at his well of energy and delight in new projects, hurdles, and ways to have adventures. As you might know, our early wuve story charted on graph paper looks like a rough year for the stock market. Two months into dating, I decided we were not meant for each other and refused to date him for three years. Finally, after he graduated our mutual alma mater, I realized I missed him terribly, called him up (in a Hobby Lobby parking lot) to try again and, I’m still amazed this happened, he said Sure (it was a wary Sure). I wish I had known him in high school, maybe I would have picked up the way he jumps into assignments and projects and makes every one of them a new chance to do something interesting. Sometime it turns out to be just a silly lark, sometimes it turns out to be a feature article in a MIT Press volume. Either way, I’m watching and learning and delighted to be along for the ride.

  • Life Story

    Got a Haircut

    Do you ever get a haircut, and halfway through you think to yourself, “So when am I going to start looking like Katie Holmes?”

    This haircut turned out entirely different than I imagined, (namely, much longer). But as Joe says, I can always go back next week.