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.

unlisted #8

Another set of items occupying my mind grapes - from the edible to the legible! Previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

bloodline | We were hurting pretty bad, TV-wise, after finishing House of Cards AND The Jinx in short succession. I love a good crime drama, true or fiction. After two episodes of this show I'm thinking it's exactly what I needed. Doesn't hurt that  Kyle "America's Favorite Coach/Police Offier" Chandler is in it.

korean bbq pizza | There's not a lot that can tear me away from a classic red sauce on a piece of pizza (I'm looking at you, white sauce- you have no right being on my pizza), but this recipe made me think twice. I'll admit, I was lazy and got a premade BBQ sauce from Trader Joe's, but they had this new sriracha kind and I really want to try it. Also I used premade dough too. No regrets.

myth, magic, and millennials | Usually when an article uses the word "millennial" in the headline I roll my eyes and go back to checking instagram while I drink my kale cold pressed juice. I KID I KID, but also not really. Anyway, this piece was actually really interesting and kinda hit the nail on the head for me.

good luck bar | After living within walking distance of this place for an entire year we finally made it over to Good Luck Bar to have some tasty tiki drinks. Of course, nothing holds a candle to Psycho Suzi's when it comes to tiki tastiness, but I definitely enjoyed my rum concoction.

the southern reach trilogy | I got the first book in Jeff VanderMeer's "sci fi" (if you could call it that and I still don't really know what to call it) trilogy from the library, and it so captivated me that the next day I ran out and bought the whole collected series. It helped that I'd seen the cover making the interweb rounds for quite some time and thought it was gorgeous and perfect, but really it's this weird/strange/gross/scary/beautiful story that got me so excited.

newpon | I follow two different rabbits on instagram. One of them is this fella.

what is dead may never die

According to the internet, this video was posted on January 12th. BUT SOMEHOW I didn't see the trailer for season 4 of Game of Thrones up until a few days ago.... and if this trailer is indicative of the tone of the entire season in any way I have a feeling that it's going to be a good one. CHELSEA WOLFE, for goodness sake. Let me shake the hand of the genius that chose this song for the trailer, it is 100% perfection (and one of my favorite songs of last year in general!). April is going to be a good month.

In celebration, a roundup of my dream Game of Thrones-y items. After all, a lady has to have some way of pretending she's a member of the Night's Watch.

1) moon pendant by kelly lamb 2) combat battle boots at necessary clothing 3) all seeing eye amulet by mudpuppy 4) charcoal water filter at leif 5) two of swords earrings by bloodmilk

Here comes the big one! If you win the lottery and are stumped with how to spend all that money, might I recommend buying me a present?

empty moon phase shelf by stone & violet

I MEAN REALLY. This thing is a requirement for my true happiness.

those who wonder

After a big ol' Sex and the City (and laundry) marathon last night with Alli and her dude I was inspired to draw this most questionable outfit of Carrie's for a little Monday morning warm up.

OPTIONAL (for everyone but Katie) POP QUIZ: What episode is this getup from? hint! Her hair is actually straight in this episode.

unlisted #4

Another set of items occupying my mind grapes - from the edible to the legible! Previous versions: 1 / 2 / 3

the joy luck club by Amy Tan | A coworker lent me this book before I was done with my last job, and she was nice enough to let me keep it until I was done.... which didn't take too long, let me tell you. I don't know how I've never managed to pick up this classic book about mothers & daughters before, but I'm glad I finally did. Amy Tan does such an amazing job describing the many facets of family relationships, all in some gorgeous and haunting prose. "Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones. You must peel off your skin, and that of your mother, and her mother. Until there is nothing. No scar, no skin, no flesh."

homemade vegan peppermint patties from brunch at saks | Every year, right around this time, I start dreaming about making seasonal desserts of all varieties.. it might be a little early for peppermint, but I think I need to plan making these and packaging them up in some pretty paper and handing them out after the first big snowfall like some sort of magical candy princess.

jenilee marigomen | I can't quite remember now how I came across Jeniless Marigomen's website and blog, but I am hooked. She is an amazing photographer with an eye for all sorts of everyday moments, and her journal (read: blog) is full of all sorts of images of a beautiful looking life. Definitely worth a scroll through. Pro tip: Try clicking "Everything Collage" on the right side of the page.

felicity | I think I can actually hear Katie screaming "I TOLD YOU SOOOOO" all the way from California, she of the You Must Watch Felicity variety. I started watching this show last week and am pretty desperately hooked. I know, I know what you're thinking: "uhhh, didn't Felicity give up her whole life and move to New York so she could follow a boy she had a crush on? GIRL DON'T LET A MAN RUN YOUR LIFE" but guys. I'm here to tell you that this show is so much more than that. It's sweet and it has the Pink Power Ranger and the whole look of the show is dark and cozy. I mean, there is a real tumblr dedicated to the sweaters of felicity, AND my fave Lost/Star Trek/Super 8 fella J.J. Abrams created it. Give Felicity a chance, buddies.

between a rock lamp | SECRET: The Land of Nod has some preeetttyyy baller stuff. I had previously written it off as Kid's Stuff and thus Not Worth Looking At, but oh, was I wrong. This lamp base, for one, is amazing - like a gold geode of light and prettiness. And look at these awesome wire baskets! And this sweatery moose blanket! I want to go to there!!!

jayne mansfield/lauren bacall hair | Now that I have the short hairs all I think about is what I can do with them. Braided crowns aren't quite the same, so I've turned to curling. My hair does hold a curl much better now, and I've been experimenting with going further. This jayne mansfield tutorial taught me some new things about pin curls and BRUSHING the curls out! I know, I should have known about this, but guys. Brushing curls out has changed my life. I've given it a few tries now, with a little success yesterday for the tarot show. Someday I'll really get it to look like the girl in the video, though. SOMEDAYYYY.

What about you? Got anything taking up space in your brain right now?

winter is coming

star siblings tote by fencing & archery | mcalister wedge boots from j.crew

Yeah okay, the last post was pretty nerdy. Hopefully you were okay with that because this one might be equally nerdy, if not more. I am coming quickly to the end of the first book in the A Song of Ice & Fire series (you might know it as the tv version, Game of Thrones, which is what got me started on this whole thing). It's so good, oh man. You see the same event through the eyes of multiple characters, and it's easy to get attached to every single one of them - even the baddies.

I'm loving the overall tone of Game of Thrones, too - it's dark and cold, even though the first book takes place during a very long "summer". That tone carries over into the show, which has some GORGEOUS costume design. There's even Helmut Lang's most recent collection, also inspired by Game of Thrones.

So yeah, I figured I should do a round up of my favorite Game of Thrones-y things, for more nerdy fun. Enjoy, and remember: a Lannister always pays his debts (as in someone should buy me that antler chair post haste).

hybrid No1 by merve kahraman | vintage celluloid brooch from the greedy seagull

showtime

Oh my friends. If you know me in real life you've probably heard me talk about television quite a bit. We're very selective about our shows here in the tiny St. Paul apartment, but I think we've got some good ones. Highlights include The West Wing, 30 Rock, The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men, Arrested Development and now.... Downton Abbey. Produced by Masterpiece Theatre and the BBC in 2010, this frickin' show is only 7 episodes long and it ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME. Downton Abbey is, in a nutshell, a drama surrounding the turmoil of a rich family and their servants during the 1900s. It starts with the sinking of the Titanic and ends on an EXTREMELY DRAMATIC NOTE - but I won't say what, for fear of the spoilerzzz.



This is seriously one of the most beautiful shows I've ever seen - the costumes are sooooo wonderful, from the footmen to young Mary - one of the Earl's daughters who (although not the kindest person herself) is having a pretty rough time finding a husband. The color palettes range from dull greys to rich greens and browns to white and yellow, and they all play perfectly into the mood of the scene. The set is GORG as well - they filmed it at a real castle, you know. Obviously I have mostly chosen photos of the younger actors to show, but I'm attached to every single character - including the totally badass Maggie Smith as snobby/kind/kniving Violet Crawley.





Please, my friends. Watch this show. It's on Netflix Instant and, if you're like me, you'll finish it in mere weeks and be waiting eagerly for season 2 (due in autumn of this year). ALSO: credit must go to Bryan for finding this show. I probably wouldn't have watched it if he hadn't started it up one night!

(all photos click through to the source)