March 5, 2012

This Weekend I…

Yay! It's time for "This Weekend I..."

– Made the (I think) intelligent decision to do a weekend on/weekend off system. This weekend was my weekend off.

– Got in I Q 8 4  from the library for my Kindle app. Spent some quality time reading.

– Attempted to attend the Andy Rooney Estate Sale (which I abandoned after realizing it was an hour wait to get inside). Little did I know, Andy Rooney lived quite literally a mile or so away from my old apartment!

– Tried mole sauce for the first time at Fonda La Paloma, a Mexican restaurant in Greenwich, CT, that has been going strong for 45 years! It’s so refreshing to find a place that is all about straight-up cooking, nothing fancy, and is a source of stability in a constantly changing world (also, MARGARITAS FANTASTICASSSS!).

– Make a solid plan for the week ahead that includes resuming planned posts, spending time with friends, calling people back, and getting sh*t done!

Off to a client dinner, hope you all have a fun and productive week!

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March 2, 2012

Cover Friday: Up the Down Volcano

I kind of love it when publishers are consistent with the book design in their authors’ canon. Sure, Sloane Crosley‘s books have had some design variations, but they all orbit around a central theme: same font face, abstractly representative of what’s happening in the story, and always a little tongue-in-cheek. Up The Down Volcano is her Kindle single, which I finished over a bangin’ cappuccino and omelet last week.

The “single” is about Crosley’s ill-planned (and somewhat ill-fated) trip to Ecuador, where took on the challenge of hiking up Cotopaxi with no more preparation than, say, throwing an extra shawl in your suitcase because it “might be rainy in Seattle.” Some parts of the story are laugh-out-loud-even-in-public-places funny, and Crosley has such a magnificent way with analogies. “Offensively pretty” is now a term I use constantly.  Here are some of my favorite lines:

“You say you’re born with the sociopathic strain that compels you to hold manifying glasses above ants? Sure, fine, whatever. Be crazy. But if you are not this person, if you are regular, we will spend the rest of your life teaching  you to believe in the power of your mind over your body… But sickness is the body’s retort to such hubris. Control was an illusion. You were having a lucid dream, friend. Wht the mind really is, is a Tupperware container full of leftover Ramen noodles.”

“I think of the bees. I am lucid enough to be disappointed by my own insanity.”

“Nothing is so gruesome to the human imagination as regret.”

“I think by now we can all agree that the foundation of world travel goes something like ‘bring a cardigan.’”

P.S. I also love this Vanity Fair article about Crosley, which claims she makes the best Arnold Palmer. Challenge accepted.

Have a great weekend!

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March 1, 2012

APOLOGIES (A Lesson in Why WordPress Sucks)

I was working on a post in WordPress’s new format and because WORDPRESS SUCKS SOMETIMES! it posted like 9 versions of my draft to the blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry all, fixing things now.

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February 28, 2012

Music by Vanessa Kafka (A.K.A My Friends Are Talented, Which Only Increases Their Awesomeness)

I remember being in 5th grade at a talent show, and this girl with short hair just gets up on auditorium’s stage, and starts belting out a song (I think it was Whitney Houston? I have a horrible memory) with such power and conviction. I knew right then that I’d be hearing about her some day, in some magazine, as a rock star. What I didn’t know, however, was that she would turn out to be my best friend.

Her name is Vanessa Kafka, and she’s is a total power woman. We’re talking Sour-Patch-Kid-loving, MBA-from-MIT-getting, live-music-loving, passionate-soul-searching songstress whose lyrics and melodies pull at the very core. Her songs are personal and demonstrate an evolution: they’re not just about love, heartache, and loving again… they’re also about what happens to us when our vision of the world and future is turned on its head, and how we break free. I listened to her album, Into Place, on repeat after a breakup, and it was just the kind of songs I needed to hear to heal and feel empowered.

I have had the unique fortune of listening to her sound grow and develop over the years; from coffeehouses to living rooms to Boston apartments, recording studios, music venues, and chat rooms.

Right now, after breaking from a tour schedule to pursue her MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management (yeah! I know!), she is now looking to get back into the studio with new material, a new band, and new energy! Vanessa has a Kickstarter page here set up to help her achieve this goal. I really encourage you all to watch her video (I’m including it below) and consider supporting this kick-ass artist!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1555721789/help-vanessa-kafka-record-a-new-ep/widget/video.html

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February 27, 2012

This Weekend I…

– Danced my little heart away in a great black lace number that made me feel oh so fantastic!

– Spent time reading Room into the wee hours of the morning.

– Took a breather on Friday night to recoup, rest, and watch multiple episodes of Parks and Recreation.

– Became a super-sleuth in background checking! If you’re going to let anyone into your empire, you best know who they are.

– Went to the ballet! The Ballet Folklorico de Antioquia– Colombia’s hertitage dance troop– to be exact. It was a  spectacular event with some of the most stunning and energetic performances I’ve ever witnessed. I know they are traveling all over the world, so I definitely recommend checking them out if they’re coming to your city!

– Attended a fantastic Oscars party at the Avon Theater, after the dance show. Really, I was skeptical at first, but it is such a treat to watch the broadcast on a movie theater screen! It adds a certain glamour to the event that a couch and box of Ding Dongs just don’t seem to resonate. (P.S. Was it me, or did Angelina Jolie look like her skin has turned gray?)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are gearing up for a fantastic week!

Photo source.

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February 25, 2012

Cover Friday (on Saturday): Room by Emma Donoghue

I am overwhelmed by this book… in a very, very good way.

Cover design by Fearn Cutler de Vicq who, 1) has quite possibly the coolest name ever and 2) she and her husband (designer Roberto de Vicq) run a design firm with a website that states “graphic design will save you!” Three cheers for that!

Have a great weekend!!

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February 23, 2012

Thursday? It’s Already Thursday?!

This is really more for my benefit than yours. I’m being selfish, I’ll say it. The entire week has been a hectic one and I am just about ready to curl up in a ball and revert to saying “NO!” like a five-year-old every time someone requests something of me. (Sidenote: The most EPIC mollet- a mohawk/mullet- just walked by the gallery! I mean, this thing was glorious and shiny and all sorts of throwback-worthy splendor.)

Anyway, I’m reading The Room and while Jack’s voice kind of annoyed me at first (yeah, I’m definitely not ready for kids yet), I am slowly finding the novel to be completely haunting. Jack’s innocence partnered with the developing reality of the situation is poignant and breathtaking. Reading has been my only respite this week, save for the hour break I took this morning to finish Sloane Crosley’s “Up the Down Volcano” and enjoy a cappuccino at Le Pain Quotidien.

Hope you all are kickin’ @$$ and taking names, this week!!!

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February 21, 2012

Ambition

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I had to share these two posts from today to hopefully reach out to any readers experiencing what I am currently experiencing, professionally and personally.

I’ve said it many times on my blog: I love my job. However, that does not mean that I am immune to down days (or weeks), nor do I kid myself and say that I am motivated at all times to be the best that I can be. If I’m going to be perfectly honest, for the past month or so I’ve been extremely unfocused. I don’t know if it’s because I’m overwhelmed or if I just am too lazy, but for whatever reason, my brain keeps shorting out.

Today, I am hopefully beginning the first steps to amend this.

My first source of inspiration is a post by Megan Eckman for Design*Sponge called “How To Be Part of the 10 Percent.” Megan discusses the importance of professionalism and ambition, as well as what those terms really mean. It is a fantastic article that is relevant to people of all professions, not just creative types.

My second kick in the pants today came from my all-time kicker-in-the-panter, Marie Forleo. Her video on How To Get Motivated offered very simple yet empowering tips for when you feel stuck. In combination with Megan’s post, it was the exact motivation I needed.

Time for a quick gym visit (my first in months!) then it’s off to work!

What keeps you motivated and ambitious?

Print available here at designsbymaria’s Etsy shop.

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February 20, 2012

This Weekend I…

– Relished the fact that I have calmed down considerably in my mid/late-twenties. On both Friday and Saturday night, I wanted nothing more than to sit back with a cup of tea, organize my room, do my laundry, and read. I did don some heavy eyeliner and black heels for about an hour to meet friends for a drink… but was able to frolic home by midnight.

– Finished The Fault in Our Stars. And sobbed. SOBBED. As in”to cry noisily, making loud, convulsive gasps” sobbed. It is such a beautiful story. I highly recommend it as a wonderful weekend read.

– Shopped in Greenwich for fancy Kate Spade earrings (pictured above) that I’ve been coveting since pre-Christmas. They are the perfect oversized bubble studs I’ve been looking for. A small indulgence courtesy of my tax return.

– Took a break and stopped in the cafe of Franklin Street Works. Indulged in a fantastic Raisin Coconut Oat cookie from This Chick Bakes, and fell in love with Stephen Sollins‘s artwork.

– Watched Wet Hot American Summer which was actually delightfully campy and strange, and not quite as vulgar as I’d expected. Plus, it was amazing to see Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, and Michael Ian Black in such bit parts.

– Started reading Room after just about everyone began writing about it on their blogs. Am easing my way into the novel (reading a few pages here and there as I wait for coffee, have lunch, take a break at work, etc.

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February 17, 2012

Cover Friday: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Cover design by Irene Vandervoort.

Another recommendation by a friend, I am earnestly enjoying all these books that are being recommended to me! I’ve been devouring books lately, finishing two over the weekend and already 67 pages into this one after beginning it last night! I think it’s a well-deserved reading spree after being weighed down by the longest short book ever.

Happy (long) weekend!

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