by Claire Star
// via OverheardLA
Tags: by Claire, Art, Humor
by Claire StarA few weeks ago I discovered the hilarious Instagram account Overheard LA. While I try not to believe everything I hear, and I’m sure we Seattleites have been caught making silly comments about rain, it’s hard not to laugh at some of the truly ridiculous things Los Angelenos have been overheard saying. Here are a few funny lines: Are there any Instagram accounts you like? We just started an account for the blog where we’ll be posting our NYC adventures, and you can also follow Claire here and Nicole here.
// via OverheardLA Tags: by Claire, Art, Humor
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by Claire StarWhat are you reading now? I’m nearly finished with Three Junes by Julia Glass and really liking it. The story is about a Scottish(!) family, told over the course of three summers, years apart. The language is beautiful, the characters are well developed, and the plot moves along at a nice pace. Plus, the book is set in locations all around the world, like the Greek Islands, New York City, and the Scottish countryside.
This winter, I breezed through The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I felt three years late to the party, but, as a friend would say, the novel was un-put-down-able and lived up to the hype. I loved the multiple narrators, a characteristic I’ve realized is present in nearly all of my favorite books (eg. Jonathan Safran Foer, Tom Rachman, and Nicole Krauss’ novels). I’ve found it has been frustrating trying to get through books during the school year. Some weeks I can read fifty pages a day, whereas, at other times, fun reading falls by the wayside in favor of scholarly journal articles for school. So, I’m looking for recommendations of tried and true favorites. Life is too short to read bad books, right? What are some of your favorites? See some of our past reads, here. P.S. I think I’m going to read this next. // Image via Belle Vivir Tags: by Claire, Read by Claire Star and Nicole JordanOn the first Saturday we spent together, Nicole and I took a walk through Central Park, crusty baguette in hand. Initially, I was quite intimidated by Nicole, the stylish New Yorker, who could expertly navigate through throngs of tourists and knew all the right shortcuts.* She just seemed so cool and I wondered what we could possibly have in common. Later, when we got to her apartment, we started talking about some of our favorite blogs and I realized how similar we were. I showed her A Cup of Jo, Nicole showed me 101 Cookbooks, and, well, one joke led to another and we’ve been best friends ever since. As it’s been a little while since we’ve written on the blog, I figured it would be nice to share some of our favorite daily reads. When things get hectic, these are the blogs we turn to day after day for a quick break and inspiration. Enjoy! - Claire Claire's favorites:+ A Cup of Jo + Garance Dore + Reading My Tea Leaves + Lingered Upon + Quiet Like Horses + Into The Gloss + Apartment Therapy + This Battered Suitcase Nicole's favorites:+ 101 Cookbooks
+ Long Miles Coffee Project + Food 52 + Not Without Salt + WishWishWish + Design*Sponge *I have since learned that, despite her impressive Central Park maneuvers, Nicole can’t actually tell North from South… // Travel and Food 52 prints by The Ideal Bookshelf. Tags: by Claire, by Nicole, Read by Nicole JordanI’ve never truly understood the fascination some people have with fire. Personally, I’ve always been a little weary around the flame of a candle or a box matches. Even turning on the stove makes me a little nervous, despite the fact that I do it everyday. However, some people are just fascinated by it and could fool around with lighters and matches as if the possibility of burning down their house doesn’t exist. It wasn’t until I discovered the French artist, Steven Spazuk, that I began to understood the attention that a single flame commands. For roughly the past fourteen years, Spazuk has crafted a technique that allows him to “paint” with fire. Using the residual soot of a canvas that has come into contact with a flame, he renders haunting yet beautiful images of animals and people. His technique allows him to portray an incredible sense of depth and texture and enhance the traditional mediums, such as paint, that artists commonly use. My favorites are the mosaic portraits that really capture the nuances that make up the personalities of the individuals portrayed. by Claire Star
I’ve loved Seattle native Brandi Carlile’s music for the last ten years, ever since I first saw her at a Zoo Concert. Her voice can be strong and powerful, or soft and gentle depending on the song. She’s one of those rare artists who sounds better live--flaws and all--than in a recording. Not that her recordings are bad; in fact, they’re pretty wonderful. Written with bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth (better known as “the Twins”), Brandi’s original songs range from boisterous rock to soft folk or country, influenced by greats such as Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Simon and Garfunkel, and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
As a performer, Brandi can transfix an entire room whether alone with her own band or accompanied by the Seattle Symphony. I’ve witnessed this countless times in concerts, especially the recent one at the Paramount. There are few moments in my life when I’m as excited as the moments before Brandi walks on stage to sing, or, even better, when she and the Twins sing a song unplugged in a large venue and you can hear their voices raw. Not only is she an incredibly talented self-trained musician, she’s just so nice. Brandi is definitely one of the people I’d invite to that hypothetical dinner party where all of your inspirations gather in one room for you to hang out with. If you’ve never heard Brandi’s music before, here are two songs to serve as an introduction. First, "The Eye," an incredible three part harmony, off of the latest album The Firewatcher’s Daughter.
Then "The Story," arguably Brandi’s most famous song, played on Grey’s Anatomy and covered by aspiring singers on American Idol.
Plus, a Spotify playlist of all her albums, if you'd like to hear more!
by Claire StarDo you ever listen to audiobooks? I’d always overhear snippets of the ones my mom listens to while cooking or sewing, but had never thought of listening to them myself. Then, one night in high school, my eyes were too tired to read Grapes of Wrath, so I found an audiobook version and loved it. Now I enjoy listening to audiobooks on long walks or trips so that I can enjoy the scenery and listen to a story at the same time (without the chance of getting car sick!). Here are three of my favorites, which you can download from your local library or sites like Audible. One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak (who played Ryan on The Office) is a series of short stories read by Novak and a couple friends (Katy Perry, Julianne Moore, and Rainn Wilson make special appearances!). Each one is really funny and I couldn’t stop laughing while I listened to the book over a series of train rides between England and Scotland last year. Haven’t you always wondered what a first date with a warlord looks like, why life in heaven is so busy, or the real story of the tortoise and the hare? Now you know. A few Thanksgivings ago, I listened to The History of Love by Nicole Krauss in a long weekend. I loved how the complex story unfolded through two characters’ interwoven narratives--each read by a different person-- in a style similar to Jonathan Safran Foer. Now I’m listening to Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires, the story about her first few years as the food critic for The New York Times. It’s so fascinating hearing what it’s like to be a critic and how Reichl put together disguises (complete with their own background stories) in order to eat at the restaurants unnoticed.
What are you reading now? Here are a few of Nicole’s recent reads, if you’d like more inspiration! // Top photo by Harry Bloom via Flickr Tags: by Claire, Listen, Read by Nicole JordanI find that the most effective ways to relax and unwind are often the simplest. As a child, arts and crafts or a game of dress up (which also involved a tea party with my cat) were always the easiest solutions for unwinding after a long day. And while I no longer play dress up (because I’m a grownup who knows better than to subject their pets to an afternoon spent wearing ridiculous outfits whilst drinking tea), I still find arts and crafts to be a relaxing way to unwind. However, with a busy schedule it’s been harder to find the time to throw myself into the art projects I once loved to do. Insert coloring books for grownups. After watching a news segment on the meditative and relaxing state that coloring can induce, I decided to try it out. And honestly, it’s fantastic. Instead of spending time actually drawing patterns on graph paper--which is what I used to do to unwind--I can now focus on the fun task of choosing colors to reflect my mood. It’s truly a fun way to get in touch with your inner kid (and way more fun than coloring in Disney princess coloring pages with old crayons at a restaurant). Would you ever try a coloring book meant for adults? P.S. Need more convincing? Here’s an article published by The Atlantic called “The Zen of Adult Coloring Books.” Pinterest is a great resource for free printable images like this one above. I bought this book a couple of months ago and still love it! Here are some of the photos I turned to for inspiration when I was still hand drawing patterns to color in.
// Photos via Johanna Basford, Flickr, 1max2coloriages, Amazon, Fox You, A Feminine Tomboy Tags: by Nicole, Art, Design, Happiness, Life, Meditation by Claire StarIf I had an unlimited budget for art, without a doubt I’d choose a couple large photos to use as the focal point of a room. I love photos of beautiful places in nature, or scenes from my favorite cities. When I travel, I’m always hoping that some of my photos will turn out well enough that I’ll want to enlarge them and put them out for display. So, I was happy to stumble upon Eventide Collective, a website where sixteen photographers sell their gorgeous prints. Here are a few of my favorites… The best part? The prints start at $50! Which would you choose? (See more here!)
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