summer in suburbia

The days haven't been movin' so easy, but I'm slowly pushing through and taking steps in the right direction. Sometimes you just want that peace that comes at 6 o'clock, that suburban sunshine streamin' through the trees after a long work day; all the beauty wrapped up in ethereal rays of light. The warmth helps too; summer is my SEASON.

Lately life's been filled with paint on hands and glitter on floor and florals and  wood of wedding decor for a very dear friend (less than two weeks til the big day! Woo!) and I couldn't be happier to be part of the ceremonials. Keeping projects on the dl for now, but I can't wait to share them soon! 

xo 

Lately

Life’s been a string of counterfeit days and

appointment after

appointment after

appointment after

union yoga nights and crazytrain rollercoasters of

love and fear and fantastic frenzy

Words on a page, written and read

images on a screen, in my soul, in my head

fluid notes of beauty dripping through the speakers, wherever

harsh and loud

sweet as syrup

moaning and jumbled and

plastic and heartfelt melodies

Agenda full of dates dates dates to remember

things to do, places to be, people to see and miss forever in

this tiny little kingdom

if all goes well, if it feels alright

I’ll be there to give and listen and love and hold

everything in my fibrous limbs maybe

even my heart

maybe

And at the end of the night, just remember

leave it all behind you

the bad ones especially but the good ones too because

at the end of the night, it’s over;

don’t fall for ghosts or

fake a smile or laugh too hard

because that’s not genuine either

At the end of the night just lean baby

lean on into the now, the next;

tomorrow's new, and when you're up and shining things

move forward propel

you to them and

last year

last month

last night

don’t mean a thing, 

never did

never will

and that's ok.

xo

Around here.

I've been delving into my anthropology book like it's Christmas, no joke. (It is, after all, my major).

And because it's September and fashion is my guilty pleasure I bought the Vogue September issue and have been going through it at breakfast the past few days...um 916 pages?! Pretty impressive...it's a stellar 120th anniversary issue so far (though I don't really buy these things for the writing, hello). So congrats to Anna Wintour and the gang on that I guess. 

I picked up Women at a garage sale on Saturday and the photography is just amazing. Um Annie Leibovitz?! Please. Essay by Susan Sontag?! So there. "A book of photographs of women must, whether it intends to or not, raise the question of women- there is no equivalent 'question of men'. Men, unlike women, are not a work in progress." Think on that for a bit; I'll be sharing my own two cents once I've processed the work as a whole. 

And Allen Ginsberg, well. You know. His poetry is my break from life. 

Oh, and re-reading all the interviews in the last Lab Magazine. Because they're so much fun, and I think (don't quote me on this) a new issue comes out this month. Which is completely unrelated as to why I'm re-reading this one. But anyway. 

ALSO. 

Thursday was the baby bird's birthday (she's eleven...um what? When did that happen? She's also six inches taller than me already???) and I decorated the house, baked some chocolate cupcakes with espresso buttercream frosting upon request. She was my resident taste-tester for The Boyfriend's cupcake batch and liked them so much she wanted some for herself! It's been one helluva birthday blitz around here, lemme tell ya. More on that tomorrow.

ALSO!

Meet the newest member of my ever-growing analog camera family! I've been on the prowl (ok not really, I'm just bein drama) for a 35mm and my neighbor's garage sale (same as above) put an end to my search! Um WHEN did they become so cool and WHY do they have to move out NOW?! I spent half an hour talking to the husband about art and photography (they were also selling a complete darkroom set...MY HEART...but I have nowhere to use it! Sad day!) But enough about that. Enter the Minolta SRT SC-II, commence my heart exploding into a billion pieces because I couldn't/still can't believe it was so cheap/is now mine. The camera came with two extra lenses, detachable flash, leather case in great condition, and manuals for everything except the camera itself. But thank Google, I found a free pdf on my first search! 

So, you know, happiness. 

And I'm gladly accepting any/all expired 35mm film at this point and time. Mostly I'm kidding. But seriously.  

ALSO. I could go for this three day weekend stuff a little more often. Can I get an amen? 

Lately.

The past few days have been a blur, and it won't be over til it's over, know what I mean? Things like no AC, cleaning up the Minnesota, and burning the midnight oil for this painting. My sister wanted me to paint something for her apartment when she moves back to South Carolina (aka Thursday)...so I've been escaping to my grandparents' for some cool air and space to work. It's kind of a rush job, but to be fair, it's a huge canvas and she didn't give me the supplies til Sunday, so...

Remember that saying, something about when your home/social life is terrible you know your work life is awesome? Well a) I don't buy into it but b) right now I'm feeling that both are kind of messy and unorganized. Things put on hold. Calls unreturned. Letters unwritten, deadlines fast approaching, and so on. 

I miss connection. Soon enough though. And sleep. More of that. 

But hey, tomorrow's Wednesday and that means a new Five Things list! Get ready lovelies, it's a good one!