hula seventy

here, not here

2010-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

oh that karen. I like her so much.

I'm over at her place today with a little guest post. because that karen is busy writing a book, the kind of book I'd very much like to read.

stop by and say hello, if you like.

number 19

2010-02-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

number 19 off last year's list and key tag jewelry might be my new favorite thing.

hours of fun, I promise you. the earrings, by the way, were totally ava's idea.

and the earrings are my favorite but the bracelets are such a close second.

make some, if you feel so inclined.

photobooth friday

2010-02-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

dear friday,

I am so happy about your arrival, I sort of want to cry.

list four: gold stars I deserve (or, things I'm good at)

2010-02-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

1. parallel parking. I am an excellent parallel parker. and when I say excellent, I mean excellent. I swear, I can practically hear an imaginary audience go wild as I reverse-swerve my honda into each impossible-looking space. I am not going to lie. I have a gift and I know it.

2. kickball. not that I play anymore but back in the day, I was the stuff of which elementary school kickball legends are made. when it was my turn to kick, the entire opposing team spread to the far corners of the field. because I was not a kicker to be messed with. unfortunately, my kickball career peaked near the end of second grade when my team won the summer tournament and I took the title of MVP. the grand prize? a dairy queen banana split, which I lovingly placed in the freezer once I'd licked the whipped cream off the top and scooped out all the hot fudge. and it sat in the freezer for three whole days (an edible testament to my rock star kickball capabilities) until finally, I was forced to throw it out. nothing left but half a frozen banana that looked as if it had been gnawed on by small animals. shortly after, I lost interest in kickball. my dreams of becoming a solid gold dancer had just taken hold and clearly, I'd gone as far as I could with the whole kickball thing.

3. gift wrapping. I have been told that my great grandmother was seriously skilled in this particular area, that her gifts were exquisitely wrapped with fancy flocked papers and complicated bows. I have been told I take after her. I don't know about the exquisite part but I do like to make a package look pretty, I do. I love the smell of scotch tape, the way scissors quietly glide through wide stretches of paper. I love the choosing of patterns and colors and papers and ribbon and string. I love me a handmade tag. and I'll never say no to a pile of presents that need to be wrapped. not ever. I can't help myself.

4. spelling. I was the girl who won all the spelling bees in school. now, I am the go-to girl in the house when a spelling crisis arises. if I close my eyes, I can see the word. and it is almost always perfectly spelled. am secretly convinced that this is my superpower in life and would not say no to a special cape. should a special super speller cape ever be presented to me.

5. birthday parties. when I was seven, I ordered a book from the school book fair called 'popular party games'. I read it from cover to cover (again and again) until I had every game in the book memorized. and then I began to plan imaginary birthday parties with a wild variety of themes. no surprise then, that I can throw down when it comes to birthday parties. I am the mother that throws the curve off for all the other mothers. though I swear, that is not my intention. I do it because I love it, because my kids love it. because I am a sucker for crepe paper and lanterns, for party hats and horns. I think the assembly of the goody bag is a lost art. I go crazy over cakes. I've baked them in all shapes and sizes-- race cars, mermaids, robots, legos. more importantly, I've lived to tell about it. I take great care with details and take great pride in the fact that I spend little money. and more than a few times, I've been asked, would I ever consider doing this professionally? why, yes I would but what would be the fun in that? it's only fun now because the parties I throw are for the people I love most in life. I go all out because I can. but also because I know there will come a time when I will not be allowed to plan and scheme and throw these very special birthday parties. in fact, there may come a time when I will not be allowed within fifty feet of the party. but I try very hard not to think about that. I try very very hard.

(four lists down, forty-eight to go)

my sunlight

2010-02-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

'know this' by remnant featuring scar, directed by nathan corrona

he does good work, that brother of mine. I'm so proud I could cry. and I did, actually. in the middle of the stupid coffee shop the other day when I first watched this. while people were eating their eggs and drinking their coffee and tap tap tapping away on their computers. you should know, I do not cry easily.

it's a love letter to color and light and I can't stop watching it. and I'm thankful that my kids are growing up with this kind of hip hop. I'm thankful when words and music and pictures come together like this, I'm so very thankful.

and I've got a brand new song to add to the list.

joy for haiti

2010-01-31T21:13:00.000-08:00

each time I sit down to write about my sweet friend myriam and how the earthquake in haiti has devastated her family, I hit a wall. because it's beyond comprehension, this thing that has happened. it's tragedy redefined in new and unfathomable ways. there really aren't words. which is why I struggle with the writing, I suppose.

but myriam tells her story in a way that gently cuts a swath through the hopelessness. her words are clear, unfaltering. and more importantly, full of hope. myriam's goal is to raise 30,000 dollars, all of which she plans to hand deliver to our brothers and sisters in haiti, all of which will go towards the most basic needs. better yet, the entire process will be documented.

you can read her story here and should you feel moved to do so, you can give. there's a chip-in button right on site and even if it's just a dollar or two, it will help. every little bit will help.

the end of january

2010-01-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

and my last couple of days over at habit. time to hand the space over to a new group of voices. and that's the brilliance of it. with each month comes a new collection of words and images. with each entry comes the reminder to acknowledge the small bits of everyday. because these bits, they tend to vanish like the night. you think you'll remember them, but you don't. so many times, you just don't.

a most sincere thank you to emily and molly for having me. 'twas both an honor and pleasure, my friends.

list three: things I carry around in my bag

2010-01-27T23:31:00.000-08:00

1. wallet. because occasionally, I need to pay for things.

2. black ink pens. because I do not joke around when it comes to black ink pens.

3. burt's bees lip shimmer in nutmeg. because it's the most perfect shade. ever. but also, I'm addicted to lip stuff.

4. car keys. because keys are important.

5. minty chewing gum. because I am a fan of all things refreshing.

6. cameras. because I like to take pictures, lots and lots of pictures. and I need a wide variety of cameras at my disposal to accomplish this.

7. handful of crayons. because as long as there are crayons (and scraps of paper) in my bag, there will always be something for the kids to do. no matter what happens.

8. cel phone. because there are important things to say, all hours of the day.

9. moleskine sketchbook. because you never know when the great ideas will hit. or when the kids will say something brilliant.

(three down, forty-nine to go)

step four

2010-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

finally (and perhaps most obviously): flowers. when all else fails: flowers. yellow daffodils in particular. because january is no match for the daffodil, no match at all.

and there it is. how to beat the winter blahs in four easy steps.

step three

2010-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

because paper straws make everything better.

step two

2010-01-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

if, while shopping at the aforementioned thrift store, you happen onto a lime green bowl- buy it. you are practically required by law to buy it. there's also a law that states you must fill said bowl with fresh lemons. because it's january and the law is very clear when it comes to people up against january.

p.s. you might also scrape off a bit of lemon peel and rub it between your finger tips. you might also dab a bit of it behind your ears. you might feel silly but you would only be doing what must be done.

step one

2010-01-25T17:33:00.000-08:00

when fighting the winter blahs, head straight for the thrift store and buy the brightest, happiest thing you can find. 79 cents and one daisy-covered plate later and I'm practically a new woman.

instant happy

2010-01-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

yesterday I wrote about garlands, banners and bunting over on poppytalk and now I sort of want to drop everything and shift into 24-hour garland-making mode. I mean it. all garlands, all the time. am dangerously close to hanging strings of colorful bits on every possible surface in my house, plus all the barren trees in my neighborhood. am thinking it would not be the worst thing to cover the world with garlands, banners and bunting. especially with ones that have nice things to say.

list two: songs I listen to over and over

2010-01-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

1. here comes the sun- nina simone (for when everything is wrong)

2. love- mos def (for when everything is right)

3. lo boob oscillator- stereolab (for when I need air)

4. crayon- caribou (for when I need color)

5. feel that way- gift of gab (for when I need light)

6. predatory wasp of the palisades- sufjan stevens (for when I'm steeped in uncertainty)

7. anthems for a 17 year-old girl- broken social scene (for when I'm steeped in melancholy)

8. kissing the lipless- the shins (for when things need to be loud)

9. galaxy of emptiness- beth orton (for when things need to be quiet)

10. starfish and coffee- prince (for when the rain won't stop)

11. from the outside- deepspace5 (for when I miss my brother)

12. will not be sold- dust and poems (for when I miss my hometown)

13. go west- liz phair (for when the road calls)

14. gymnopédie no. 1- erik satie (for when I need to get lost)

15. we have a map of the piano- múm (for the dances in my head)

(two lists down, fifty to go)

today

2010-01-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

"darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

-martin luther king, jr.

list one: things I've broken

2010-01-12T22:38:00.000-08:00

1. three vintage ornaments. over the christmas break.

2. more promises than I'd care to admit plus a few hearts. one in particular.

3. the ragtop of my dad's '68 blue camaro convertible. after scrambling to the top of the car to hide from boys, I heard a terrific rip and felt my nine year-old body slip through the roof and land with a dull thud in the back seat. which is when I looked up, spied a sliver of blue sky and marveled at the sheer size of the hole I'd created. mere seconds before full blown panic set in.

4. the heel of a favorite vintage spectator pump. most likely purchased, worn (and broken) during what I now refer to as my marilyn monroe phase. also known as my sophomore, junior and senior year of high school.

5. my husband's favorite electric pencil sharpener. during an argument. yep, I threw it.

6. my left arm. after popping the most spectacular wheelie of my wheelie-popping career, I hit a bump in the driveway, went flying over the handlebars of my purple banana seat bike and broke the fall with my left arm. thus, fourth grade will forever be known as the year I broke a bone and rocked the plaster cast.

(one down, fifty-one more to go)

the one where maybe I take the list thing too far

2010-01-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

doing: a list a week from now until january 2011. every wednesday, starting tomorrow. assorted topics mostly culled from a sweet little site (and book) I love. am approaching this as a weekly writing exercise of sorts-- a soft place to land in the event I lose words or run out of things to say. because ruts are inevitable. and because there's always a list to make. always.

also, what does a year of list-making look like? I'd like to know.

mondays are for color

2010-01-11T08:18:00.001-08:00

so, winter is here. it's really here.

and it's not going anywhere, not anytime soon.

in the meantime, there will be color. and lots of it.

anywhere I can get it, anywhere I can find it.

p.s. more color here. so much more.

39 things to do before I turn 40

2010-01-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

1. own a bright-colored coat.
2. ride the ferris wheel.
3. label the polaroids.
4. make paper hats.
5. ride my bike downtown.
6. introduce ava to the xanadu album.
7. construct an elaborate indoor fort.
8. get lost at the arboretum.
9. transform the found paper collection.
10. make sock puppets with ezra.
11. sample dishes from ten portland food carts.
12. attach a decade worth of charms to one bracelet.
13. create the quintessential prince mix.
14. take twenty dance classes.
15. travel down the 101.
16. unravel the ball of surprises.
17. make a photo book.
18. throw a backyard party.
19. take the kids to the drive-in.
20. experiment with pinhole photography.
21. make fifty-two lists.
22. see crater lake.
23. collaborate with ava.
24. type out a manifesto.
25. drink chocolate.
26. see the city from above.
27. make one hundred paper snowflakes.
28. leave paper snowflakes in unlikely places.
29. rearrange the bedroom furniture.
30. have dinner at delancey.
31. blow bubbles off the broadway bridge.
32. make garlands.
33. have a show.
34. bake the super epic rainbow cake.
35. wear the dress with the pink and red flowers. outside the house.
36. collect paint chips.
37. make fortune cookies.
38. expand the record album collection.
39. begin work on The Big Project.

if I haven't said it already

2010-01-04T17:32:00.000-08:00

it's a blank piece of paper, 2010. a new box of crayons, a jar full of sharpened pencils. at this point, you can do pretty much anything you want. it's a brand new year, peeps. and it's for the taking. 2010= fresh.

(a little photographic collaboration: words to shoot by)

hello january

2010-01-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

there's a lovely little blog called habit and I'll be posting over there all month long. photographs of everyday life paired with 30 words or less. I get really excited about things like this. really really excited. and I'm in such good company too. stop on by, if you like.

59 things (or, the good that sort of fell into my lap)

2009-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to lie. this is a really long list. go ahead, scroll down. it just keeps going and going. and going. but this is what I like to do. around this time of year, I like to put together a different kind of list. I like to throw a little party for the unexpected and you are cordially invited to attend. because sometimes the best things are the ones that slip in through the back door. for one reason or another, this is how my 39th year went down. it was a big year, maybe the biggest ever. I traveled to twelve different cities in ten different states. I experienced what felt like a hundred firsts. if ever there was a year to celebrate unpredictablity, this would be it. I'm telling you, my 39th year was a force to be reckoned with. my 39th year was not kidding around.

this year, I:

1. photographed a tulsa sky.

2. found myself on a warm beach in south texas in the middle of february.

3. walked halfway across the brooklyn bridge at night.

4. watched ava take her first ballet class. and cried.

5. discussed motherhood with my best friend over chocolate cake.

6. hit the vintage brooch motherload at olga's house of stuff.

7. became a regular contributor for a beautiful publication.

8. visited disney world. for the first time ever.

9. taught my first photography workshop.

10. had my fortune told at the 24 hour church of elvis.

11. fell in love with armenian baklava.

12. rode a clown bike through the streets of queens.

13. swam in the warm waters of the atlantic ocean.

14. stumbled onto a sea of red lanterns.

15. shared a cherry-dipped ice cream cone with my brother on the last day of summer.

16. planted a little garden of wildflowers that took over and grew beyond my wildest expectations.

17. photographed the wedding of one of my favorite women in the whole world.

18. threw a penny in the fountain at fellini's on ponce.

19. collaborated with the man behind dustbrand films.

20. scored ava an awesome old banana seat bike at a church basement sale.

21. traveled down a small section of historic route 66.

22. fell in love with an installation.

23. brought home a pack of candy cigarettes and the world's smallest deck of cards from archie mcphee's.

24. dangled my feet over the edge of a quiet dock.

25. photographed 23 third graders.

26. spent an entire day alone at one of my favorite places in the world.

27. had my polaroid portrait taken by an amazing polaroid photographer.

28. became a regular contributor for one of my favorite blogs.

29. put together the wall of sunshine.

30. found great solace in the rainbow that appeared just moments after a tornado touched down a few miles south of our florida hotel room.

31. was published in one book, one zine and a few very stellar magazines.

32. wandered through chinatown with leslie.

33. had a polaroid show at my church.

34. contributed to the delinquency of a few juveniles at a party for hannah.

35. realized that pretty much everything tastes better when eaten on an old yellow school bus. especially grilled cheese sandwiches.

36. photographed dan the listener.

37. spent a morning up on the roof of my brother's building. stood silent while trains sang in the distance, looked out over the rooftops of queens, swooned over a miniature manhattan skyline.

38. watched my mom dance with my grandma.

39. lost myself in a rainbow of mexican wrestling masks and tiny guitars at san antonio's el mercado.

40. learned how to turn a head lamp into a disco light while navigating pitch dark wooded paths.

41. meandered down the aisles of the alameda fleamarket and came home with a vintage suitcase full of happy.

42. lounged with jen in the living room of her brooklyn apartment.

43. watched quietly as my dad waded out into the pacific ocean.

44. held my best friend's newborn baby girl in my arms. a child I am sure to spoil mercilessly for decades to come.

45. photographed jon the originator.

46. purchased a sweet little camera.

47. stood high above the golden gate bridge.

48. and then way down below it.

49. watched ava and ezra catch their first fish.

50. found myself at karen's house on a sunday morning. feasted on pancakes while marcus and alex charmed me into a sweet oblivion.

51. ran my fingers over a piece of guerilla knitting downtown portland.

52. beamed with pride at my husband's first book signing.

53. shared a deep-fried avocado with my brother while a 17-piece mariachi band rocked the house.

54. had a meaningful conversation with a man on a new york subway.

55. walked the streets of the mission with mati.

56. spent a morning alone at a deserted carnival.

57. found the equivalent to ruby red slippers.

58. woke up to a window full of bridge magic.

59. laid in the hammock in the backyard and saw my first shooting star.

things are quiet around here

2009-12-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

which is good. I am wearing pajamas a lot. also good. when things are quiet like this, ideas roll like marbles around my head. they bump into each other and shift into positions that are both lovely and unsettling. and (like a million other people in the world) I'm thinking about the year behind me, the year ahead. I'm ready to string words and sentences together in a more organized way.

but first, a clementine. and a christmas cookie. and more of that thing they call lounging.

for the record

2009-12-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

normally, I do not allow this kind of jumping on the couch. but it's only three days until christmas. I sort of want to jump too. also, I might be high on salted caramels. consider my judgment officially impaired.

p.s. little holiday tour of my home over at cafe mom today. thank ye kindly, sheri.

number 1

2009-12-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

last friday night, I rocked the backwards skate. true story.

I totally channeled my 9 year-old self and crossed number 1 off the (now outdated) list.

though apparently, I am not an advanced backwards skater. which I (unfortunately) discovered during the advanced backwards skate. in my defense, I did not hear the announcer say 'advanced'. all I heard was 'backwards skate' and the 9 year-old in me yelled GO before I had a chance to properly assess the situation.

for the record, I do not recommend the advanced backwards skate for anyone who cannot skate backwards at a breakneck speed. but should you find yourself in this particular situation, hug the sides and pretend like you know what you're doing. lean into it with your hips but do not close your eyes. then slowly make your way to the snack bar. that's where they sell the cherry icees. you will most likely need a cherry icee after the advanced backwards skate. you will also need a deep tissue massage and a special medal of honor.

which are all things I will keep in mind for next time. and there will be a next time, I am sure of it.