artist crystal liu has found a way to interrupt time in her photo series "give us our dream," capturing life in a frozen moment. i’d like to pick what is left of the flowers in my garden and preserve them, just as liu has done, so that months from now, in the dead of winter, i can remember the sun on my face.
swedish photographer, carl kleiner, creates a witty narrative in his still life photos of everyday objects, including his clever series on inner and outer apparel for NK STIL department store. even in his spontaneous work, kleiner finds a way to tell a story or evoke an emotion.
over the weekend, i met up with 2 lovely ladies in chicago for some much needed girl time and the renegade craft fair. we thought we would spend maybe an hour at the fair, grab some lunch, and explore the city in the afternoon. 4 hours later, we were still rifling through the booths of over 300 indie crafters trying to decide what we couldn’t live without, since we clearly could have left with everything. above vendors: (1) geode and antler necklaces by georgia varidakis; (2) paper mache vessels by susan dwyer of up in the air somewhere; (3) beautiful bowl of cup earrings; (4) prints by yellow lion + wood lasercut jewelry by the harbinger co - from which i purchased the arrowhead necklace; (5) katy wearing a reclaimed twig necklace by cursive design; and (6) britta + katy eating spicy chickpea burritos from mana food bar and a blood orange drink from big bite café.
this year, i planted my first vegetable garden. i put the seeds and starters in early and waited. nothing happened… or they were happening very slowly. by the beginning of august, weeks after my scheduled harvest, rabbits had eaten my beets and broccoli, my carrots were only an inch long, and my pepper, zucchini, and tomato plants were bare. when we left for colorado i was convinced that what was left would die in the august heat with little to no water. it turned out, i just needed to leave for them to flourish. sure, some plants didn’t make it, and i made a lot of mistakes, but just when i thought i had failed as a gardener, my little plants came through for me.
fall collections have been available for months, but i've resisted posted about them until now. the leaves are starting to change and nights are getting cooler so i think it's time i start thinking about wool jackets, sweaters, and tights like the rest of the world. french clothing line maje, by judith milgrom, inspires me to say goodbye to color and transition back to black.
my favorite short stories are tucked away on a dusty bookshelf. i love the idea of displaying them for everyone to read, which artist klas ernflo has done with jess row's story "sheep may safely graze."
traditionally, when a matryoshka doll is separated in the middle, a similar, smaller doll is revealed. eibatova karina (ei.ka dopludo), and illustrator and artist from st. petersburg, russia, has used this concept to reveal the phenomenon of life—body, soul, space, and infinity.
trail oats (adapted from trailcooking.com)
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apples
3 tbsp powdered milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup boiling water – cook 5 minutes
cinnamon couscous (adapted from trailcooking.com)
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries
3 tbsp powdered milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup boiling water – cook 5 minutes
mango rice (adapted from trailcooking.com)
1/2 cup instant rice
1/4 cup chopped dried mango
1/4 cup dried coconut
4 tbsp powdered milk
1.5 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp cardamom
3/4 cup boiling water – cook 10 minutes
add ingredients to a 1-quart freezer bag, seal, and store. when ready to eat, add 3/4 cup of boiling water (i usually add less because i like my cereal more dry). once water is added, seal the bag and knead to mix the ingredients. let the bag rest upright for cook time, open, and eat.
i stopped by the us forest service ranger station in creede, colorado, during our trip and picked up the entire smokey the bear poster series. the woman at the front desk told me that i could have one poster for free or i could take as many as i wanted with a $0.50 donation for each. i couldn't choose, so i left with all 15.
ben and i pulled into the driveway late on saturday night after spending 3 weeks in colorado at his parents cabin in south fork. for 8 of those days, we hiked 90 miles of the continental divide trail across the weminuche wilderness from wolf creek pass to stony pass. i was nervous going in. we backpacked across the west coast trail last summer for 6 days, but i new this trip was going to be much more difficult—most of the trail was above treeline at 12,000 feet surrounded by almost 500,000 acres of colorado’s wildest and most beautiful wilderness.
during the day, we scrambled across thin mountain spines, climbed steep rocky slopes, and passed open meadows dotted in wildflowers. we escaped a few intense afternoon thunderstorms, napped on grassy flats, and, when we stopped to look up from our feet, there was one endless panoramic view after the other.
at night, we camped by isolated mountain lakes and rivers, dipped in icy water to cool off and clean up, wolfed down freeze dried channa masala and pad thai, and curled up in our sleeping bags while rain and hail came throughout the night.
i was sore and tired by the time we ended, with huge blisters and aching muscles, but after a shower and a victory beer, i felt proud—i was a burly mountain woman after all.
(photos by: ben & erin)
robert kinmont’s 1969 photo series “my favorite dirt roads” consists of 17 square black and white format images that give us a glimpse into the reclusive artist’s life, who, after a 30-year break, has started to make art again. In his words, “the experience of standing and looking down a road . . . opens your mind in a way nothing else does.” after all of this time, i hope his roads are still untouched and unpaved.
is it weird that i love this bowl of fruit tee from built by wendy? originally, i just couldn't bring myself to justifying a $70 tee, but bbw is having a sale and i'm finding it hard to resist. there are so many great summer sales happening with fall clothes filtering in. i really don't want this season to be over!
a good pair of jeans is hard to find. nashville store, imogene + willie, has tried to make the search for the perfect pair as painless as possible. the store’s stock is simple, with 2 classic styles – the straight-leg “willie” for men and the straight-led midrise “imogene” for women. owners carrie and matt eddmenson believe that the best jeans conform to the owner’s body, so tailoring is done on-site. they also suggest that all denim be washed very little and supply genius step-by-step washing tips on their web site for a creek cleanse, a tub soak, and a normal wash.
despite being surrounded by the great lakes, i’ve felt a little landlocked in our new city this past year and trips to the community pool haven’t help calm my cravings. we finally got to spend some time on the coast of lake michigan over the weekend. i can't think of anything i love more about summer than napping on a blanket while the sun dries your wet skin from an afternoon of swimming.
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