View at River Farm

This week: Got into Renegade Craft Fair Chicago Holiday – HUZZAH! Lunch with Betsy @ BDP. Flew to DC. Dinner with Jen, Matt, and kiddos Max & Luke. Brunch with Alison, Ron & kiddo Hannah. Dinner with family @ Cedar Restaurant. Carol & Russell’s Wedding at River Farm with reception at China Garden. Monday = Brunch with Nancy & Les @ Woodlands Vegan Bistro. Flew back to Chicago.

It was so great seeing so many buds in such a short time. Also, it was pure serendipity that Nancy happened to be in town over the weekend also. Such a happy weekend. We also got to meet my parent’s new dog Gracie. Even though she’s also a berner and looks nearly identical to Shadow, Gracie is the polar opposite.

Films watched 40th week of the year:

Obvious Child
Gone Girl
A.C.O.D.

It’s obvious why most people I know who saw it loved Obvious Child – quite a film. Gone Girl was really good. I tried not to hear any spoilers about the book – I only knew that there was a twist, but oh boy, it was a doozy.A.C.O.D. was alright. I love Adam Scott, but I don’t think I’d watch this one again.

Me with Marnie the Dog

I met Shirley’s pup, the famous Marnie the Dog, at NYC Popfest, but I forgot to post the picture. I only took a handful of photos during my epic week, so I figured this photo is better than any of those. <3 This week was the most culture I think I have ever jammed into one week. Met Amanda & Stacy at Tecalitlan. Dropped tea towels @ Plenty Grocery and Deli. Music Box. Quesadilla with Z, Elisse, & Nathan. Magritte exhibition @ Art Institute. Scotch tasting @ Jarvis house. David Bowie Is Exhibit @ MCA. Velvet Goldmine screening @ MCA with Todd Haynes & Sandy Powell. For our wedding we had received a few museum memberships and, since we're closing in on our one year wedding-versary, we knew we had to finally use or use for a second time! It was an incredibly fun and productive week - feels good to get stuff done. So, about the Magritte exhibit - when Z and I were done I whispered to him: "Yep, not into Magritte." Admittedly, I only knew about 10 works of his, but I thought I enjoyed them, but seeing the paintings in person, I am not a fan. It was our first time in the modern wing and when I turned the corner and saw the Joseph Cornell wall, I was like, "yep, this is my kind of art." I've been a long time fan of Cornell's work and have seen a retrospective, but it had been awhile since I'd seen any of his pieces in person. The blend of art and craft is what touches my heart. Whatever kind of art moves you is great, as long as you find something that moves you! Speaking of art, I have been incredibly proud of buddy Dolan Geiman‘s work these days. The pieces he is creating today remind me of Cornell and strike my heartstrings the same way. Get thee to his website.

Films watched 39th week of the year:

Safe (2012)
The Zero Theorem
Velvet Goldmine

Safe was fine. The Zero Theorem was fantastic for costume design; think The Capitol City from Hunger Games, but without the heart behind it. Since I saw it, Velvet Goldmine has stayed in my Top 10 films of all time. I love every single thing about it. One of my perfect films. Getting to see it with Todd Haynes and Sandy Powell doing a Q&A after was splendid. Sequel, please? 🙂

Z & Me, pre-Kate & Brian’s wedding

The last two weeks: Sara and Chris came to meet Codex. Errandin’. Last Dragonlady vegan buffet. Got rear van light replaced. Black Lips/King Khan @ Logan Square Auditorium. Apple picking @ Kuiper’s with Eliza, Mike, Meghan & Lee. Reprinted garlic & artichoke Veggie Vampire tea towels. Picked up stuff @ Amish Healthy Foods to go with Kate & Brian’s wedding gift. Drove to Cleveland. Helped Kate & Brian with wedding prep (see wedding card box below!). K&B Rehearsal Dinner @ Stone Mad. K&B Wedding! Breakfast with Hansens @ Dante Next Door. Drove back to Chicago and listened to a heap of Ready Player One, read by the one and only Wil Wheaton himself.

Kate with Board Game Wedding Card Box

Films watched 37th & 38th week of the year:

Let’s Be Cops
The Rock
The Abyss
David Bowie is Happening Now *
The Princess Bride
Safe

* documentary

LBC was OK. TR remains great. TA was far more beautiful than I remembered watching it 15 years ago. DBIHN was one long commercial for the exhibit we’re seeing at the MCA, but I didn’t mind because I am SUPER psyched for it. TPB is an absolute classic. Safe was forgettable, but it’s hard to like Statham in a movie that is not Crank or Crank 2.

Zack, Leigh, Susie, Michael

Internet, you do some cool things. I happened to see on the book of all the faces that my old lj turned irl friend Susie Ghahremani (boygirlparty.com) was in town on a whirlwind trip and Z and I crossed off a Chicago bucket list item of seeing TMLMTBGB at Neo-futurists theater with Susie and Michael. I laughed a whole bunch and I cried twice. Would wholeheartedly endorse for Mayor if the cast could run.

This week: Chef Shangri-la with Z, LCB & Adam. Epic Burger with Gretchen! Too Might Light Makes The Baby Go Blind @ Neo-Futurists. Busy morning running around before helping out at Paper Doll. Picked up old stock at Local Goods. Franks N’ Dawgs for lunch. Aldi & Trader Joe’s.

Films watched 36th week of the year:

The Corner

It has the same creator as the Wire and; though it felt more raw, it felt even more emotional for me watching The Corner. The cycle of drug and alcohol abuse is one that hits very close to home. I am adopted and found my birth mother in 2008 and we are now friends. Half of my birth family has struggled with addiction their whole lives. Being raised by my parents was a game-changer for me. In The Tipping Point, Gladwell compared nature vs. nurture and I am a result of the fact I was removed from a situation where addiction was dominant and I never went down the path of alcohol or drug abuse. I was sXe well into being 21. Now I have a drink or two a week, tops. I have never done drugs. I absolutely have an addictive personality where I strive for every detail to be perfect; where I cannot put down a good book if I am in the zone; where I run my finger around a bowl to join the clean plate club when something is delicious. Because I was removed from an environment where drugs and alcohol ruled, I escaped this fate. I don’t have the answer on how, but I know that there is a true need for substance abuse help in our country. This is an engrossing mini-series and I highly recommend that it be shown in schools.

Rhymes with Twee – Hedgehog postcard – Alasdair & Magoo sail the twee

I am a proud momma of the newest Rhymes with Twee hedgehog postcard ‘Alasdair & Magoo sail the twee,’ which required a wee bit of Photoshop magic on my part since I had to blend two photographs together since the boys were so squirmy. I am so grateful to have a sweet memento of the boys before they went to their new homes. It might be the most twee hedgehog postcard I’ve done thus far. Buy them. Tell your friends to buy them. Pin the heck out of it. All that jazz on the internet. They’re on the Etsy shop.

This week: Quesadilla with the boo. Lunch with Gretchen @ Epic Burger. Lunch with Christy @ Big Delicious Planet. UVNA Meeting @ Whisk. Dinner with Stacy @ Tamale Spaceship. Fantastic cocktails with Stacy at Bar Takito’s friends & family night – the space is so gorgeous! Cinchel @ Transistor. Dinner @ Melrose Diner. Katniss recheck at vet/brought Art3mis in because her face was pink – ended up that she had ear mites, so we had to treat all the hedgies with Revolution. Thomas Street Block Party. Sold at Pilsen Flea Market with buddy Abbey Christine!

The 2100 Thomas Block Party was really fun. With everything going on, Z and I thought we’d just drop by, but we stayed for a few hours talking to neighbors, hanging out with adorable dogs, and watching a Neil Young cover band. I’ve talked about my love of my neighborhood Ukrainian Village before, but there are many interesting, kind, and inspirational people living on my street. I met a neighbor whose backyard has chickens, a beehive, and a beautiful garden – something to aspire to!

With all the hard work I’ve been putting into Rhymes with Twee lately, it is a bummer to get a craft fair rejection. I didn’t get into the Chicago Art Girls pop-up December 13th & 14th, but if I don’t end up finding another show that weekend, I’ll go as a shopper. It is a really great group of artists and crafters. So many awesome ladies I can’t help but be a tad bummed not to be one of them. C’est la vie.

Films watched 33rd week of the year:

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Safety Not Guaranteed
Inside Llewyn Davis
Country Strong

Pretty good week for movies. I liked them all, but Safety Not Guaranteed was probably the one I enjoyed most – it’s rare when a movie ending surprise me, but it did. I love Aubrey Plaza – she is just dang cool. The production value of this Hobbit was really crap though; not sure why it looked so terrible.