How do you do?

Come visit me over at The B-Line today! Amy sweetly asked me to do an interview for her lovely blog. While you're there, take some time to look through her gorgeous photography.

older

Today I enter my mid-30's. Oh, I'm so not feeling it. 34, ick. I feel like these flowers, all tinged with sunset, blown-out petals, wilty stems. Sigh. At least the flowers still have color on their side. I think I need to use more sunblock. Or bronzer? I.D.K. Quick, someone tell me something good about 34!

Look what I got!

This is the cutest thing on pink string, "Feeling Knotty No. 2" from Wunderlust. Can you stand how gorgeous that mood shot is? I just had to have this garland. It's a-frickin-dorable. And would you look at the packaging?!? Sweetness wrapped with thread and topped with a button. Thanks, Marichelle, I love it. :)


(first two pix are Marichelle's, last pic is mine)

new music love

I've been to two great concerts in the last month: the first was Vampire Weekend at John M. Greene at Smith College (an awesome, super high-energy, sing-along fest) and the second was Thao with the Get Down Stay Down (best band name ever) at the Iron Horse (both these venues are in Northampton, MA). I've linked to a Thao song on this blog before, and if you haven't checked her out, you've gotta get on that. She's fantastic, her music is so vibrant and compulsively rhythmic (lots of handclaps, my favorite! ;)

Anyway, the band in the video above—Samantha Crain and The Midnight Shivers (second best band name ever)—opened for Thao and they were a welcome surprise. Samantha combines a great, distinctive voice with bluegrass-tinged guitar. Just a few days later, my issue of Paste arrived (do you subscribe?? keep this fantastic magazine alive here) with their monthly free downloads featuring the studio version of the song in the video above. Kismit, I tell you! I'm really digging this paired down version of Devil's in Boston, too.

Guts

Random House produced this short little promo video for my dad's book with footage from a video interview he did with Kurt Andersen (from Studio 360) last fall. It was so bittersweet for me to watch--but, ultimately, so nice to see him again. The book's out May 26!

Daydreaming

Oh, my. Yes, please. Just make the candles citronella-- I'm so there. via Anthropologie, of course.

woodland spring walk

I made the most amazing discovery this weekend: A camera that I'd basically given up on (it's a Casio Exilim, a hand-me-down from my mom, who happens to be the queen of digital cameras) actually has a use: macro flower shots! It takes the worst pix when not on this setting, but with one press of a button--just look at that bokeh! Sweet.


So I thought we should go for a walk through the woods in spring. So pretty! And you have to get down low. Spring is the time when the smart, tiny plants come out. They hide down there on the woodland floor and beg you to take a closer look. And you totally oblige, because you're starved for floral eye candy. At the height of summer, you'd never give these little guys a second glance. But right now, they're the whole show.

Keeping it real

Join me today over at Heart Handmade for my Making It! column. I write about the self-imposed pressure of being a maker and a blogger—and how frustrating it can be. A guest blog post on blog posts, posted to my blog—how meta!

More Adventurous

I've been feeling like this song is kinda my theme recently. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous. A great studio version, low quality video here.

Happy May Day!

I've neglected the ol' blog recently—but for good reason. I've been working like a mad woman outside. Once all the snow and ice were gone, the extent of the damage from the icestorm was clear. Two solid weeks of cutting up limbs, making piles, and burning later, I was finally ready for spring already. And then we got that glorious weekend of 80 degree weather. It pushed everything into fast-forward mode. Now just look at it around here! Sigh. Sedums are bushy and big, ferns are unfurling and dwarfing the daffodils. And I added 4 lilacs. My favorite.


So I thought it would be appropriate to mark the first of May with some celebratory photos of cold-country spring.