Things I liked lately

Good mail this week: a cute card in a popcorn bag envelope from Dawn and felt balls from Benzie.

I thought I'd read The Fault in Our Stars but the hold queue at the library was like a bazillion people long since it's recently been made into a movie. So I went with Paper Towns instead. I don't usually read young adult novels, for whatever reason, but this one was great, lots of mystery and adventure. At times I felt like there were a few too many trendy things or internet jokes crammed in, a little too "of its time" if you know what I mean. But Green is really good at creating characters and scenes that capture what it feels like to be 17, which is no easy task. I really enjoyed it.

And a pretty window, just because.

Other things:

Art - Echo Yang makes art using autonomous machines, really just everyday objects. I love to see artists experimenting with the world around them.

Article - Huffington Post wrote about creative people doing things differently. I don't know if putting this article in a "things I liked lately" post is really the right place for it. Honestly, it was kind of bizarre reading this post because so many things on the list are "so me," it's almost like someone was following me around with a little notebook jotting down all my daydreaming, weird sleep habits, watching people, etc. To read so many of the things I do in a list like that on Huffington Post was just weird and maybe slightly unsettling, as if I had been part of a scientific study and didn't know about it. But anyway, I guess it did make me feel better in a way because a lot of my personality traits or habits, the very things that make it difficult to be "normal," i.e., have a normal office job and a normal social calendar, are according to this article, necessary to, or at least hallmarks of, being a creative person. In other words, I don't think I could have one without the other. And I wouldn't want to be a person who never daydreams and is super efficient and productive if it meant I wouldn't be very creative. Life would be infinitely more boring if that were the case.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! It's supposed to be 60 degrees today! :)

P.S. There's still time to sign up for the card swap. Just email me your address by tomorrow night if you want to join. xo

Things I liked lately

This little cowboy has been making me smile since he came to live with me. Whenever I have a frustrating work/life moment, I just look at him and he instantly cheers me up. Thanks, Mr. Cowboy! :)

He came in this awesome packaging too. Incidentally, Kim Welling is a genius and you should buy something from her, or several somethings.

I already mentioned these Sharpie paint pens in this diy post, and I also used them on this notebook in the shop, but I haven't mentioned that since I got these, no surface is safe from me. I'm in love with their pastel opaqueness, and they write/draw really smoothly once you get the right ink flow going. I'm using them all over the place. The only slightly annoying thing is that you have to shake them up for literally like half an hour to get the ink flowing the first time. But I think all paint pens are like that. And I'm counting it as exercise.

The scottie dog has been keeping my headphones from getting completely jumbled in my bag, which is much appreciated, and the cute little stripey envelopes came in a set from Martha Stewart. I think I got these at A.C. Moore, but they're probably available everywhere her products are sold, which is everywhere. The envelopes are just the right size for the thank you notes I send with orders and remind me of fruit stripe gum, which everyone knows is the best tasting gum on the planet...for about 30 seconds...then turns into a wad of silly putty in your mouth. I haven't actually had any since high school, so for all I know science has fixed that whole flavor-vanishing problem by now. It's not like they have anything more important to do.

Other things:

DIY - This IKEA hack via Poppytalk is simple and perfect.

Travel - This list of the most charming places in the world. I think I've only been to one or two of these places...must do something about that. Also, I would probably add a few cities to this list, but you know, we all have our favorites.

History - Actually an old article that I came upon randomly last week when I was searching for something totally unrelated...the internet is magical sometimes and shows you just the thing you didn't even know you were looking for...anyway, it's an article about a dollhouse that was decorated by Charlotte Bronte while she was a governess (before she wrote Jane Eyre). She mentions in a letter to her sister sewing the dolls' clothes, though she wasn't terribly happy about it. I love finding out random things about authors whose work I'm so familiar with, or for that matter, artists too. Anyway, the dollhouse was up at auction several years ago. Can you imagine owning something like that?

Things I liked lately

New cups from IKEA (which I plan on only drinking smoothies and milkshakes out of - come on warmer weather!) and rose-shaped/scented soaps.

My phone case from Rifle Paper Co.. I've actually had this for a little while but don't think I've blogged about it before. It has proven itself worthy already as I've dropped my phone several times on our wooden floors since I've had it, and there's nary a scratch on it. And of course, it's very pretty too.

I'm really enjoying this book. Thank you to whoever recommended it to me--I can't remember who it was, but maybe you're reading this right now?  Anyway, thanks! It's very good.

Other things:

Buzzfeed quizzes - like this one, this one, and this one. Such a good way to pass the time when you're say, waiting at the doctor's office. If anyone's curious, I got Up!, Gryffindor, and pizza. (Thanks to Marieken for linking the Pixar one.)

Movies - We watched The Avengers this week, and I thought it was a lot of fun. To be honest, I'm not really a superhero/action movie girl, and I had pretty much zero interest in watching this movie until I found out that Joss Whedon directed it and wrote the screenplay. There's so much of Whedon in this film, and that's probably why I thought it was much funnier and better written than most movies of this genre. I'd be lying if I said I didn't zone out during the sometimes really long CGI fight scenes, but overall, it was very entertaining. And Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk is so great.

Randomness - This made me laugh. Anyone who has ever found themselves wondering at where life has taken them will appreciate it.

Anyway, happy Friday! What are you guys doing this weekend? It's supposed to finally be warmer here so I'm breaking out! I don't even care what we do, I just want to be outside with my camera. And if waffles or pancakes or french toast could be worked in there somewhere, I'll be a happy girl. :)