unlisted #9

Another set of items occupying my mind grapes. Previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

picnic at hanging rock | I knew I would like this movie before I even saw it. The poster! The trailer! YOU GUYS. It's on Hulu, watch it immmmmmediately if you are in the market for a moody, mysterious film full of gorgeous imagery. Inspiration for days.

sweetgreen | Let's be real: this is a salad restaurant. LOL OMG, LIKE LA LIFE, RIGHT? But seriously: this place is in walking distance from work, you can order online ahead of time, and they make a darn tootin' delicious salad. True, it's kinda spendy, but sometimes you just wanna drop too much money on food you know you can make at home.

casually gorgeous | I have never been an expert makeup applier. My guilty pleasure as of late is watching VERY COMPLICATED, VERY INVOLVED makeup tutorials on youtube. We're talking contouring, multiple eyeshadows, fake eyelashes, the whole shebang... things that I would neeeeever actually do on myself. They're weirdly soothing. Casually Gorgeous is an instagram account that focuses on simple, effective makeup tips that I feel like I really would do. It's a perfect combo!

geometric drink rocks | Surprise surprise. I like a geometric rock thing. These ones go in your whiskey or whatever - I guess I would even put them in water, because they are geometric rock things.

cleaning furball | Imagine a Roomba, but cuter? This is that thing.

Theodore Kittelsen | I don't know how I'd never heard of this Norwegian painter/illustrator before, but now I have and I'm smitten. He had an eye for the spooky and ominous, but also made some really sweet and beautiful images. And those color palettes! GUHHH. Here are some more examples of his work, because I can't help it:

via wikipedia

slam dunk

Sigh, another Sunday passes through my fingers like crumbs to the coffee cup. Where does the weekend go? I donut understand.

....

get it? GET IT? Maybe I made this post just so I could draw a donut and make a donut joke.

Today I grabbed a couple of tasty donuts (green tea, ooh) at California Donut for my first breakfast, had a little rest and then took second breakfast with my ladies over High Lifes and home fries at the Black Cat. This is possibly my definition of living the dream, especially since I get to watch a new episode of Game of Thrones tonight. Fingers crossed we get more Sand Snakes... really if it were up to me it would be Sand Snakes 24/7.

In media consumption, we saw Mad Max on Friday and then finished Grace & Frankie on the same night. These two things could not be more different but they're BOTH kind of my favorite right now, and I didn't want either of them to end.

To end this post I found a very appropriate Grace & Frankie gif. Seriously, if you haven't watched this show yet then stop looking at this and fire up your Netflix ASAP. I mean... LILY TOMLIN.

picture window

So I had a couple posts planned out to be spaced nice and evenly this week because I am BEHIND on blogging and I actually WANT to be blogging. But then I forgot to get some ink and some stuff got pushed back so now instead of nice evenly spaced posts you're (hopefully) about to get three posts right at the end of the week.

But it'll be a nice pick me up... right? Uh huh okay! We're starting today with a plethora of movies I've seen in the past year that really got me EXCITED about movies again. You know how some films just sit on your queue or in the back of your head until you've convinced yourself that they're probably not worth watching anyway? Well.. it happens to me on the reg and I am trying to kick that habit. There are so many AMAZING movies hanging out in the universe (new and old) that it's time to celebrate them, Lazy Emma.

Here are some of my favorites in trailer form for your viewing pleasure...

This was one of the first movies we saw in theaters after moving to LA and it did NOT disappoint. The entire tone is quiet and dangerous, as any self respecting movie about a man-eating sexy alien should be. Also the music is TOP NOTCH. 

Let's keep with the creepy theme. This one is available on Netflix (you're welcome) and I really honestly think you shouldn't watch the trailer if at all possible, because you cannot even talk about this movie without major spoilers. JUST GO WATCH IT. It's so sososoosososososososo good, maybe my favorite movie of the year.

It's kind of funny that these first three trailer thumbnails are just a photo of the movie's most famous actor? I guess that gets you excited for ACTORS, like Joaquin Phoenix? He was amazing in this - but also get ready for a very psychedelic, loose narrative experience. Hopefully you like those.

The first time we saw the trailer for this movie I was SUPER INTO IT and everyone else laauugghed and laughed and said "oh Emma this looks silly". WHO'S LAUGHING NOW, HMM? Yeah, it's SUPER silly, but that's what makes this movie GREAT. Also Keanu - more of a babe with age? He wears an all black suit and I was totally into it.

And now for something completely different! Obvs this last one is a little NSFW, but only on the surface. In reality this was at once a sweet and sad documentary - a lovely little portrait of a career and a marriage.

Tell me what movies I should watch next! I'm all ears/eyes.

cel style (#4)

click image for source

Woops! It's been quite awhile since I've done one of these fun little Miyazaki inspired outfit posts. I've been focusing quite a bit of energy on my freelance work and this ol' bloggy has been pretty clearly reflecting it. So let's take a little break, shall we?

Spirited Away! Even though this is a pretty popular Miyazaki movie, I'd been avoiding doing an outfit post for it because Chihiro (the main character, another great multi-faceted heroine who grows with the plot) spends the entire movie in very childish clothing OR a salmon colored garment. A little much, either way. However with the oncoming late summer/early fall weather I think I have something figured out - even with a little nod to Yubaba's totally amazing earrings and Chihiro's adorable soot buddies.

earrings / scarf / dress / boots / bag

full moon

Okay children of the VHS era. (and beyond, I suppose), how many of you had a movie that you always put on when you stayed home sick from school? Like chicken noodle soup and a couch full of blankets, it's something comforting that you know you can count on when you feel like crap.

The NeverEnding Story was definitely my sick movie. My mom probably realized that it had the great combo of being long for a children's movie, excitement, fun creatures, and a pretty princess. What else do you need?! That's all I could think about when the Silver Screen Society asked me if I'd do a piece based on the movie for this month's series. Sorry Atreyu & Artax, I know you guys are the tops but the Childlike Empress is totally my jam. I mean, just look at this shot from her set. THAT DRESS. I die.

I also sized this piece so you can print it out and use it as a BOOKMARK. OOOOH, AHHH! Just in case, you know, you want to go out and read the book version. Download the hi-res bookmark file here.

Since it's Friday and maybe you need some tunes to jam out to, here are a couple songs I listened to in order to get into the Moonchild state of mind.

clogs - cocodrillo

the dirty projectors + björk - on and ever onward

movie magic

Specific memories of Harry Potter:

-A family friend working for the Borders (i miss you Borders!) web division got advance copies of the second book and gave us one, I felt like the coolest kid on the block.

-Reading the 6th book in an MCAD dorm room at breakneck speeds during my time as an RA for a high school art program. 

-A bunch of kids at the same program a year later reading the final book in the cafeteria, crying their eyes out.

-Since when is Neville Longbottom hot?!

Anyway, the Silver Screen Society is doing HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN this month! Bill and I got together to watch the movie and do some sketching, but it became clear the second the kids stepped into Professor Trelawney's classroom that I had to do something involving her and her magnificent collection of teapots. 

(movie enthusiasts: I know it happens a little different in the film, but let's just pretend for a second that a giant menacing mouse monster hangs above Emma Thompson's head while she has her premonition. Also Emma Thompson is the most hilarious person.)

Some details:

p.s. Maybe I'm the last one on the planet who used Google Reader, but I'm majorly bummed they're going away. Bloglovin', here I come.

unlisted #5

welcome to my semi-regular hexagonal list of things I've been thinking about/obsessing over! previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

molasses cookies | I didn't realize it, but molasses cookies are SUPER easy to make. I mean, I guess it makes sense, it's a simple cookie, but I can make these babies at the drop of a hat! What's Gaby Cooking has the perfect recipe, I've been eating one (or two or okay okay three) in the mornings with a good pot of black tea for dunking.

triforce ring from Eugene Tan | With the news that they're remaking Windwaker in HD I have been thinking a lot about the Zelda games. Zelda holds such a special place in my heart! This ring is a great little homage to the games - after all, the Triforce is a fantastic example of good simple design in video games. (related: this great article on "fake" geek girls)

upstream color | Don't you love it when you can't really tell what a movie is about from its trailer, but you can tell it's going to be interesting?! No? Just me? Either way, Upstream Color looks like a beautiful and pooosssiibly freaky movie - just watch the trailer. I know I can't wait to see it!

orchid grey's hair | Julie Sharp has perfect stunning hair that I am getting very envious of. Must not cut hair again, must not cut hair again, must dye ends soon.

help us great warrior! | The brainchild of Madéleine Flores is my kinda superhero. She loves pizza and cats and cute boys and her idea of saving the world is bringing candy to a party or kicking the bad guy in the shins. What else do you need?

super deluxe edition of rumours | HAPPY 35TH BIRTHDAY RUMOURS. How can I express how much I love you? You are such a perfect album, I listen to you all the time! And now there is a fancy rereleased version of you with live tracks and other goodies? OH MAN, what a great day.

cinema vérité

Bonjour, mes amis! I have an homage to La Cité Des Enfants Perdus (The City of Lost Children!) over on the Silver Screen Society today! In case you've never been to this sweet project, these guys collect a handful of artists each month and have them create a piece inspired by a specific movie.

What's great about these guys is that they encourage people to think past doing a movie poster. Don't get me wrong, posters are THE BEST, but I had a great time forgetting about the overarching theme of the film and focusing more on parts that I found particularly inspiring. That cyclops truck really caught my eye, along with all the little contraptions the characters used (thus the dog/meat basket pulley system and using a mouse to steal a key). Oh, and if you haven't seen this movie yet you should really give it a try! Jean-Pierre Jeunet (the director of Amelie) puts his weird mark on a dark alternate reality, and it's a treat to hear Ron Perlman nail all of his French dialogue.

the original sketch / a few details I scanned in and used

Also, don't forget to check out the other pieces for January! And if you're in Minnesota STAY WARM TODAY. I'm considering not leaving my apartment, thanks a lot -8 degree weather.

OH p.s. I did a little header for the MCAD Alumni newsletter. They said I could do anything I wanted, so I did cake.

performance anxiety

nude with skeleton / source 

I'm working on a piece for the next Light Grey Art Lab show called Girls: Fact or Fiction. Each artist chose a real or imagined woman and is doing a portrait of her. After thinking for a long time about the many ladies I love, I decided upon a challenge. Marina Abramovic (a-bra-moh-vitch, in case you were wondering) is considered one of the most influential performance artists of all time, and even if you're not a big fan of performance art I can guarantee her work is going to move you.

rest energy / source

A lot of her work deals with the limits of the body and the role of the observer. Some of it gets a little hairy - she wasn't afraid of hurting herself for the sake of art.  If you're really curious about her you should watch this UH-MAZE-ING documentary made about her most recent show at the MOMA: the Artist is Present. Here's a trailer, which is pretty NSFW, by the by.

Trailer - Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present from Show of Force on Vimeo.

Bryan and I were lucky enough to catch this show when we visited New York last year. The featured piece, where Marina sits in front of volunteer audience members without speaking during all open gallery hours, was powerful. There's even a tumblr dedicated to all the people who sat across from Marina and shed a couple tears.

It's going to be a challenge to create a deserving portrait of this amazing and talented woman, that's for sure!!

oh, did I forget to mention that she is totally gorrrrgeous dahling? /  source

unlisted #3

Okay, I still haven't done my first analog challenge yet. Maybe tomorrow? In the meantime, I'm catching up on some of the things occupying my brainspace. (previous versions: here and here)

from left to right

Room in Paris from AirBnB: So now that I've taken a week long vacation (my first in ages), I've got the bug. A certain someone (name starts with a B and ends with an oyfriend) is afraid of flying, but we have a system down now - three tablets of Calms Forte and he's out by the time we take off! So why not take the plunge and go to Paris next? This room on AirBnb is calling my name HARDCORE. I mean, look at that wood paneling behind the bed. C'est genial!

Adventurer's larder from Hchom: This one's for you nerds. I've been pouring through the archives of Hchom with the sort of glee I only experience every once in awhile. Marian Churchland is an illustrator and comic artist, and Hchom is her illustrated/photographed log of everything she wants - normally food or fancy jackets. I especially love her list of food in Skyrim and this menu of food for her imaginary cafe. Foodies + video game nerds unite!

Honey Wheat Cake: More food. I want to eat anything with honey on/in it.

David the Android video: Fassbender, dear readers. FASSBENDER. He's holding strong on my top five, and for good reason. We saw Prometheus last night, and I'm happy to report that he was my absolute favorite part. Never have I felt more love for a (possibly flawed) robot! My fellow moviegoers were less than happy with the movie overall, but I enjoyed it in the way that perhaps only someone who didn't grow up with Alien could. But really. Watch this "viral video" (ew, I hate that phrase) they made starring Michael Fassbender and I think you'll understand why he's so great.

Hand Carved Coco Bead Necklace: Thief&Bandit is one of my favorite sellers on etsy. I have one of their keychains and it is ever so charming... and just look at this necklace in all of its tassle-y wooden bead-y goodness!

This cat: I wish I knew the original source for this little darling. I love it so much, I even made a little version of it myself.

unlisted

Thursday roll call! Time to spill my guts about the things that have been occupying my noggin:

 -FANCY. GRILLED. CHEESES. I stumbled upon Grilled Cheese Social (the name alone is too good to be true) last week and haven't looked back since. Bryan and I are in charge of dinner one night for an upcoming Bryan-family vacation, and we've decided that we should do fancy grilled cheese night. This, of course, means we have to test out a lot of the recipes on GCS. OH THE HUMANITY.

-Uh, do you guys know about Carson Ellis, aka My Favorite Illustrator? If not, go to her website and then come back here after you've enjoyed it. Now that you've done that, check out Wildwood - a new young adult fantasy novel that she created with her husband, aka Colin Meloy of the Decemberists. Yep. It's awesome.

 -Finding the perfect knee-high, short heel, warm brown, leather boot with some sort of buckle accent but NOT TOO MUCH and also preferably under $200. Having Zappos at my fingertips does not help me narrow my search down. The boots pictured above are from J. Crew are, as is to be expected, not in my price range. Heck, I don't even know if they're the perfect pair!

-In other seasonal clothing quests, I need a new winter coat. And I want a pair with toggles. The coat pictured above is from Anthropologie, and considering it costs less that those boots I am SO ready to pop on it.

-Did you see Drive? I have seen it twice. The Gosling (as I have taken to affectionately calling him) is everso attractive in it - that jean jacket? Be stillllll my heart. The soundtrack has been stuck in my head nonstop.

-Pop up dinner parties! Surprise surprise, considering I'm in love with everything Oh Happy Day! right now. She hosted a great little pop-up dinner party in Paris (jels) and also wrote a small article on the Real Simple Blog about a HUGE pop-up dinner party that has its roots in Paris. Until someone plans a Dîner en Blanc in St. Paul, I'll have to stick to planning my own pop-up dinner party. I think a fall themed on in the park nearby on the hill would be wonderful. Guess I've got to read up on the St. Paul laws for their parks! (edit: also check out Kinfolk's magazine and blog for more beautiful party ideas.)

What's taking up your brain space?

a december to-do list

This year I have decided to get into the "Holiday Mood" early, so that when I go home I will be prepped and it won't feel like Christmas came and went. I'm not a particularly religious person, but I love the holidays because they mean things like parties and presets and food and warm fuzzies. Mostly food though. But here are some things I think I should do before December ends:

+Make more Christmas presents. It's the trend this year, after all.
+Buy something sparkly and something with a bow on it to wear to our annual Birthmakhus party. (which I need to plan, eff!)
+Watch the following movies: Nightmare Before Christmas, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, & Meet Me in St. Louis.
+Avoid "A Christmas Story" like the plauge. I CANNOT STAND THIS MOVIE.
+Make linzer sanwiches. (pictured above)
+Concoct a holiday cocktail.
+Illustrate my own holiday card.

What are your holiday to-dos?

mazel tov, mazel tov

Watching Fiddler on the Roof today reminded me of how totally awesome this scene is.

The Fall

See this movie now.

It was so good. maybe the trailer looks dinky, but it was actually awesome. A kind of lighter YET way more fantastical that Pan's Labyrinth. Like, at the end of Pan's Labyrinth I was like "Well that was good, but I thought there was gonna be more crazy stuff in it". And with The Fall I was like "That was perfect."

At least see it for the sweet Charles Darwin butterfly coat...