6 Nov
❝ I like to see people reunited. I like to see people run to each other.
I like the kissing and the crying. I like the impatience,
the stories that the mouth can’t tell fast enough,
the ears that aren’t big enough, the eyes that can’t take in all of the change.
I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone.❞
— Jonathan Safran Foer, novelist & short story writer
27 Oct
We’ve all been there. you insist on staying in and tending to the trick ‘r treaters, and at the witching hour (pun intended) have a change of heart. Is it too late? What will you wear? You’re likely to feel completely unprepared, but don’t fret; some people work better under pressure while others dress better under pressure. Now’s your chance to take advantage of the five steps below to make the best, last minute Halloween costume yet, and put your friends, who have been prepping for weeks, to shame. Creative or not, there’s surely something laying around your house/apartment/dorm just waiting to make it’s DIY debut!
1. Channel your childhood. What did you always want to be when you “grew up?” What was were your favorites (animal, superhero, color, food, drink, etc.)? You’d be surprised how many ideas can result just from resurfacing a few childhood aspirations and/or quirks!
2. Be recession-chic. Don’t bother 
heading out to your local mall to hit up the Halloween costume store; you know, the one that fills up an empty storefront one month a the year. The last thing any bar or party needs is another Elvis, vampire or pirate costume. Before you go out and drop $50 on an ensemble that’s only acceptable to wear for a couple hours on one night of the year, look around your house! Chances are that you’ve been to a theme party at one point in your past and have some ridiculous get-up waiting to make its come back. Even something as simple as a sports jersey, apron or cowboy hat can be the start of any great costume. Accessorize accordingly for that extra ‘oomph!
3. Add some imagination. That empty Amazon box awaiting its recycling-fate could turn into a makeshift box of Franza wine, a television set, or even for you males, the prop for Justin Timberlake’s infamous SNL ‘d in a box’ skit. That poster tube that once transported dorm art fosters the potential to be turned into a straw or an elephant nose! It may seem silly, but the most obscure components of a costume make the best conversation pieces.
4. ‘Less is more’ goes out the door. Take advantage of the most outrageously acceptable night/weekend of the year. Forget fashion faux pas and drop the “less is more” matra–go big or go home this Halloween! Give yourself an excuse to wear fake eyelashes, tease your hair or wear that hideous outfit you’ve retired to the back of your closet.
5. Designate a driver. If you’re 21 and older, be sure to make arrangements for your means of transportation beforehand. It’s okay to dress up as a ghost, just don’t become one: If you drink, don’t drive.
If you’re super last minute or plain ‘ol desperate follow the jump for some great DIY costume ideas! Continue reading
26 Oct
Guido Daniele is an Italian-born artist who has gained international recognition over the past decade for a type of body painting coined as “handimals.” However, he is a man of many trades and has contributed to the art world since the late-sixties. In 1972, he graduated from the Brera School of Arts with a degree in sculpturing, and then moved to India to attend the Tankas School in Dharamsala. It was at this time that Daniele began his career as a hyper-realistic illustrator for major advertising companies which allowed him to further experiment with various painting techniques. Be it airbrushing, trompe l’oeil, body painting or ‘handimals,’ his artwork has been used for artistic and advertising pictures, television commercials, fashion shows, private and public buildings and other personal and group art exhibitions his talent is undeniably, awe-inspiring.
Most recently, his ‘handimal’ work has been used in an AT&T campaign that depicts animal, fish or geographic illustrations with the phrase “Works in over 200 countries, like _____.” Of course, the blank respectively corresponds with the ‘handimal’ shown. Daniele applies his extensive training to this fine-detailed technique that gives a whole new meaning to hand model. The hours that he spends painting one’s hands, can be washed off in a matter of minutes. If that’s not art, I don’t know what is.
Visit Guido Daniele’s Website
Follow the jump to see pictures of Daniele’s AT&T Campaign:
14 Oct
—The Velveteen Rabbit
21 Sep
❝ So, I guess that’s it; the world just isn’t enough. That explains a lot about who I am and why I live the way that I do. I am driven by an insatiable appetite for anything bigger, that out-of-the-box experience, and always something more. I guess I find my calm not at the finish line looking back at the distance I have traveled, but in the journey, on the run, in the moment, out of breath—looking forward. I don’t really know where I am going, and I guess I hope to God that I never get there. I am happy as I am: chasing something eternal and ethereal. The world is not—will never be—enough for me. And that’s just the way I like it. ❞
— Vanessa Rousso, professional poker player
23 Aug
Hands down, my favorite book {of my “adult” life, thus far} is The Pact by Jodi Picoult. It sits on my dresser; its earth-tone cover and yellowed pages are a small reminder of a summer two years past. I’ve often contemplated re-reading this book, but hesitate to challenge the overwhelming impression that it left. Though it’s not an uncommon feat to take on, perhaps it’s best to look back on all of our favorite stories in hindsight–the way our minds and hearts have cultivated them to be remembered months, seasons, or even, years later. On the other hand, like love, a book is a familiar face that we grow with, and in hindsight, can’t imagine feeling any differently about the second time around.
`
❝ She was, you know, all the things I wasn’t. And I was all the things she wasn’t. She could paint circles around anyone; I can’t even draw a straight line. Her hand – it fit mine. And that’s what love is, when your hindsight’s twenty-twenty, and you still wouldn’t change a thing. ❞ -Jodi Picoult, novelist (quote from The Pact)
`
I struggled with whether or not to write a review and which quote to include. Truth be told, Picoult’s books are littered with memorable quotes. Her books delicately entwine legal and ethical dilemnas with young and old love/loss. For those unfamiliar with her, she wrote My Sister’s Keeper, which was recently adapted into a film starring Cameron Diaz. Although I enjoyed My Sister’s Keeper (the novel), it was not nearly as pivetol as The Pact. But who am I to say which is better, I’ll let you be the judge.
11 Aug
Hello, readers! Have you missed me?! I’ve missed blogging and although I did keep tabs on my favorite blogs while I was away, I did neglect to stay up to date with my own (lame, I know). Despite the guilt of missing several “How-To Tuesdays,” I did take over 1,000 pictures in less than a month! That means that my mid-year resolution is going strong. So, where have I been, you ask? Allow me to recap my Maine hiatus via collages:
Have you ever tried a program called Picasa?! If not, you should give it a whirl. It’s a gem of photo editor that allows you to make an instant collage–be it tiled (seen here), scattered mock-polaroids, or even a giant superimposed picture of as many pictures as you’d like. This google-based software is incredibly convenient and user-friendly, so I suggest you take advantage of the free download! Expect more of these in these in the near future!
I have to admit my love for breathing in the salty, ocean air and dipping my toes in the sea are like nothing else. The simplicity of life is overwhelming when you sit beside the ocean, or in my case, twirled haha. Clearly, I was meant to be a New England girl. Maybe someday, sigh.
10 Jul
`
Let’s start a trend! No, not that kind of #trend, one that adds some meaning to our lives. A mid-year resolution! Chances are that most of us have kicked our new years resolutions to the curb. We’re back to sweating the small stuff. Heck, with this humidity, I suppose it’s hard not to sweat at all haha.
So here we go! Now that my externship is over, I have no reason not to take advantage of the awesome camera that I got for Christmas and start honing my photog skills. I made a flickr account to post my explorations of the details of everyday life that catch my eye. Sit back and enjoy, critique, or even make a mid-year resolution of your own…
8 Jul
⌛ Time
—10 minutes
✂Materials
—paper-cutter (if not, a pair of scissors)
—paint swatch
—1 sheet of computer paper
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
⇩
Follow the jump below for step-by-step directions!
