Must be Santa

This is what Dad wants for Christmas, I kid you not.

A swearing punching bag, Dad, really?

we won't dance, we won't sing, we won't talk

As the snow melts, so does its charm.

On her snow-free parking space

Stephanie:  Oh man nobody better steal my parking spot tomorrow. I will freaking CUT them.

Bibliophilia and cabin fever don't mix!

for all the typophiles out there,

a serif tote?! want. 

“I will love you like this now. You can recognize it later.”

Cool Yourself | Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

I have just realized that Christmas is in seven short days. I am not prepared, not prepared at all. 

fishing fails

This thoroughly made my day.

Fuck you, penguin. You must read.

Doubt & I'll Be Gone

I'll be gone from KORB on Vimeo.

[on real vs. faux leather jackets' functionality against cold]
amir: yeah, i don't think mine is real because i get cold...but 'cause i feel sexier..

Iron and Tape

"I can give you what you want. I can make your heart beat short. I can make you ice cream. We could be a sweet team, melting in your vice dreams, sport."

Ice Cream | New Young Pony Club

I will post about Thanksgiving soon. There was oh so much food. You'll see.

Side note: Damn, December already? Ugh, so much to do, so little time.
<3 you.

[after listening to 500 days & lock stock]
me: what should we listen to now? what movie has a good soundtrack?
logan: boondock saints has a good soundtrack. the first one.
me: are you sure you don't know my friend tj?
logan: haha, why?
me: he gave me songs from the movie on one of our mixes. i was like "what the- random irish music?"

[on driving preferences & car habits]
me: i hate people who put on makeup in the car. i mean, good job endangering everyone.
logan: yeah, have fun poking your eye out. i just want to run them over. them, and people who drive smart cars.
me: whyyyy? they're so cute. they're like toy cars.
logan: exactly. what do you do with toy cars? you make them run into each other.

Remember that time I bought long johns that I absolutely did not need? Yes, me too.

This may call for a celebratory slumber party.

happy thanksgiving!

Guys, I'm not obsessed, I swear.

moustaches for dogs!  found by liz

Damn, Mariam! Why do you show these to me?!

beard heads

[via gchat]
vina's new status message- love me chase me 10:34 AM
mackie: i'll love you, but my cardio is too weak so i cant chase you

steph. you and me. wednesday.

Edible utensils?! What.

found on food2

what keeps me awake during crazy Swiss art films

[via text]

me: i am. so bored.

meekus: i am. so tall.

me: truth.

meekus: fiction.

me: right.

meekus: correcto.

me: solid.

meekus: copy.

me: 10-4.

meekus: affirmative.

me: yes.

meekus: si.

me: oui.

steph: i swear.  some of those artsy fartsy whiteboys
steph: come off as such assholes
steph: i'm SORRY you can't find the perfect skinny girl with low self esteem to make out with 

fancy a cuppa, love?

Why so Syria?

[via text]
pa: what do you have to do for class?
jessica: go to the media center and watch a movie about turkey. très lame.
pa: Turkey.
jessica: haha yeahh. Makes me Hungary. haha...ha..ha.

your pure heart is super cool.

Blakroc Project from Myrhax on Vimeo.

I've been chuckling over this for the past two weeks

Fat chick to friends: And then he said I reminded him of Rosie O'Donnell! (starts hysterically crying)

Friend #1: How? Like because you're funny?

Fat chick: No! Because I'm fat! (continues crying)

(man walking by bursts out laughing)

Friend #2: It's not funny!

Man walking away: Yes it is!

found on overheard in new york

Thursday the twelfth...

"Some day, some happy day, some day I'll find the one with eyes that say those words I cannot find."

Happy Day | Andrew Bird

sounds like: "The Very Thought of You", Nat King Cole, ichat's message notifications, raindrops on umbrellas, Coltrane. 

tastes like: mint tea, overly-salted kettle chips (lightly salted, my ass), dark chocolate espresso beans.

feels like: the school spirit one gets from hearing school chants (from listening to a mix with another university's chant /wry chuckle), wondering how tonight's honors/grad crit will go down, excitement for the approaching weekend (Pacquiao night!) intermixed with sad realization that I have so much to do, and a lingering ache for the summertime (which inevitably happens when you're designing a cd booklet featuring photos of summer food: watermelon! blueberry pie! rocket popsicles! oh my!).

smells like: rubber galoshes, wet leaves, lemon perfume, and some guy in the computer lab who smells as if he bathes in his cologne.

[via text]
burgos: Hey Vina! Sorry i couldn't make the crit yesterday, but thank you for the invite!
me: No worries, man. We basically just ate food. I think there was some art involved.
burgos: Haha! That really made me laugh :)
me: awesome. real lols are the best kind.

Giant paper head!

found on printeresting | flickr 

Eric Testroete also made this video from his trip to Japan. Love it.

Now I need a waffle maker!

Oatmeal chocolate chip waffle cookies!

"Street tar and summer, they play a trick on your soul"

Black like me | Spoon

It took me awhile but I finally edited & uploaded the footage from the Ketchup with you soon! picnic. Si.

me: Have you ever played golf?
brett: Yeah.
me: Is it fun?
brett: No.
brett: It's so frustrating..chasing some goddamn ball. It's like a long sad walk.

[after a photog job]
brett: Man, I have $250 in cash now. I wish it was all in singles so we could make it rain in here.

If you got the notion,

steph: oh man, I was so drunk in Philly.
me: hahahah whaaaat.
steph: yeah, I was like "guysssss, I'm going to be dw (designated walker) because you guys are to' UP."

I went to visit my summer school students today. Oh, I've missed that environment. We went and found the curly-haired gangly kid who was in love with me. His eyes LIT up. I love that kid.

random kid #1: you know her?
curly hair: yes.
random kid #2: who is that?
curly hair: 'member? That's the girl I told you about, the girl I kissed.

(he used to sit in my lap during reading circle and sneak kisses to my cheek)

I twittered. It felt awesome. Frankly, I'm amazed that I held off for more than three days. That's like...10 tweets right there.

ok ok ok, probably more. 

I'm bored, not bummed out.

I can tell you where I'll be and what I'll be doing any minute of the weekday.
This makes me sad.
My weekends are random but I don't want to be a "live for the weekend" kind of person, gnomesayin'?
Things need to change a little bit.
Also, I stepped back from the twitter on monday. You know things are bad when people come up to you and ask if things are okay because you haven't twittered all day.
"I got to my car and there were NO notifications!"

Side note, I made pb&j cookies for the dunning and the boek. I'm not too gung ho about the texture. Will try to perfect the next batch. Recipe when I get it right.

<3, vin

“Baby, you can drive my car, and maybe I'll love you.”

Drive My Car | The Beatles

Remember that time I blew out my left rear tire on the highway?

Yeah and then had to pay close to two hundred dollars for a new one?

(To be fair, 30 of that was impromptu oil change since I was already there)

That tire was torn to shreds, sonnn. Thank goodness it wasn't the front tire! 

FYI, Mike at the Dale City/Dale Blvd Exxon is awesome. He took off the fifteen I had already paid to change out the spare.

Note to self: rotate the car set of "in case of boredom" books.

Also, I am excited for:

- the coq au vin I am now going to make

- my new bicycle rack

- the odd sense of accomplishment one gets with clean clothes, freshly-laundered sheets, and once again seeing a bedroom free of clutter. Okay, we'll see if I finish that last one.

"It's awful, it's gruesome, it's something, it's cruel"

It doesn't always have to be beautiful | Slow Club

forgot how much I like this song.

"What are those, two whales kissing?"

moustache salt & pepper shakers shared by peas

Next stop: Swiss Army knife for foodies!

I was so very excited to see that my fork & spoon necklace arrived yesterday (finally!). Ordered it in early September and when it hadn't shown up by mid-October, I sent a pretty nice but firm "kindly send me another or refund my money" letter. They sent me another. Yeahhhh, that's right!

This is who I'm going to be tonight

I don't know if you are the sentimental sort but this will make you cry

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

It would never happen to me though because I clear my memory once I upload. Aww.
That or I'll be trapped in a food photo. At least I'll never go hungry.
Total tearjerker.

In your message you said you were going to bed but I'm not done with the night

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Goat eyes frighten me

Rectangular pupils?! ewww.

I would if I could

found on to dry for

me: I'm watching CNN about how the porn industry is feeling the recession
Sohe: yeah I bet
porn is expensive
do u know how much dildos are
its ricockulous.

I could get to know you but I just want to dance

The "Doesn't this smell like Popeye's coleslaw?" mustard slaw

Mustard slaw will go over nicely with those with an aversion to mayonnaise. It smells, I kid you not, just like Popeye's coleslaw. This recipe will make coleslaw for at least forty people. I know this because I had two large Ziplock bags full and we only went through half of one bag.

Ingredients:

2 heads of cabbage, cored and finely chopped. I used red and green.

1 green apple, peeled and finely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and grated.

1/2 cup of Dijon mustard

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 to 4 Tbsp. hot sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

- In a bowl, whisk the Dijon with the sugar.

- Whisk in the vinegar.

- In a slow stream, whisk in the vegetable oil.

- Add the hot sauce and s&p. I added a good amount of pepper. Dressing should be highly seasoned.

- Add the cabbage, apple and carrots to the dressing and toss thoroughly. You can serve immediately but I find it better to let the slaw sit for at least six hours so the flavors could incorporate thoroughly.

Liz's quinoa and black bean salad

Liz first made this salad for the August GMU Printmakers Guild meeting.  It was so refreshing and light ― perfect for a hot summer's day. I was so happy when she brought it to the Ketchup with you soon picnic.

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed if canned
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander

for dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

- In a bowl wash quinoa in at least 5 changes cold water, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off most of water, until water runs clear and drain in a large fine sieve.
- In a saucepan of salted boiling water cook quinoa 10 minutes. Drain quinoa in sieve and rinse under cold water. Set sieve over a saucepan of boiling water (quinoa should not touch water) and steam quinoa, covered with a kitchen towel and lid, until fluffy and dry, about 10 minutes (check water level in kettle occasionally, adding water if necessary).
- While quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl toss beans with vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and cool. Add beans, corn, bell pepper, jalapeños, and coriander and toss well.

dressing:
- In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, and cumin and add oil in a stream, whisking.
Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

adapted from Gourmet Magazine, July 1994

I've had dreams before. They're fun, and exciting, and sometimes a little scary.

Last night I dreamt about an animation called Teeny Little Super Guy last night. I had completely forgotten about this little gem from my childhood. Am I the only one who remembers him? Spent the better part of twenty minutes googling keywords such as tiny man, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, cupboard, kitchen, drinking glass and cup. The winning combination was "Nickelodeon, little kitchen man, animation". Huzzah!

NYC...

 Artsbus Fall 2009 flickr set

sounds like: Chelsea Market fish vendors yelling out orders, honking cabbies (the yellow ones don't stop!), subway conductors announcing the stations, Buena Vista Social Club blasting while I'm trying to sleep. Bob Dylan/"I'm Not There".

tastes like: 4 AM chamomile tea, chicken club sandwich (bacon. avocado. yes.), New England clam chowder (that I had to eat really fast and I'm the slowest eater ever), a sirloin burger and burnt fries from Uptown Bar. I requested the burning because Sofia's fries were soggy. Sofia's cracked pepper kettle chips. Vita Coco water from a bodega in Brooklyn.

feels like: red chenille blanket (Boek: it looks like you skinned Elmo), plastic protective cases at Selina's studio containing cutouts from vintage books, charcoal on my fingers from drawing on a Rorschach print.

smells like: earthy hardwood floors in that one gallery with the drawings I liked, robust coffee at Starbucks at Chesapeake House, ice cream store smell, commercial cherry-scented bathroom deodorizer, the subway.

Side note ― this post, in all its short & simple glory, took me more than two hours to write because someone convinced me to watch Paranormal Activity. I don't..I can't even...why did I even...I'm not even sure what...why did I think...too scared.

Double side note ― yayyyy 100th post!!!

Dumps like a truck. Thighs like what.

Why dogs hate Halloween

goooooood morningggggg!

Art in my coffee

You're moving it! No, YOU'RE moving it!

[via gtalk]
me: hiiii, you need to help me and tell yathrib not to buy a Ouija board for Saturday.
Steph: huh?
me: thrib's all "I want to do something scary"
Steph: we can all look at credit card bills.

I just want to sleep.

And our love goes on as our hair grows long

Razor Charlie, really?

TJ: Danny Trejo was hot circa Dusk Before Dawn (1996).
me: yeah and now he's Uncle Machete on Spy Kids.

We can be like Tom Hanks in Big!

Thursday the fifteenth...

sounds like the clickety-clack of keyboards, the hum of the exhaust vent over the acid tray, the steady fall of rain against the window, helen's print one class critique.

tastes like warm peas with cracked pepper and olive oil, green tea with mint, and thinly-sliced cucumber with cream cheese and dill in a flour tortilla. Side note, I just realized how green today's meals have been.

feels like the warmth and comfort of my favorite navy hoodie and that I wish I were still in bed with a bowl of soup, flannel pajama bottoms and some TLC Haunted reruns.

smells like chlorine from the pool, B&BW's Country Apple body spray, Ann's latte from Jazzman's.

Pa: oh man, my friend got drunk and peed on his best friend and I asked "what made you pee on your best friend? I bet they were pissed, no pun intended."

Dreaded drunk dial? I think you mean dynamite drunk dial!

Birthday voicemails from Sohe

02:14
"vina...(hiccup)...I'm drunk...(hiccup)...mumble mumble...(hiccup).."

02:18
"vina...(hiccup)...mumble mumble...this is my second message...(hiccup)...call me back...(hiccup)...mumble mumble mumble...(hiccup)...(hiccup)...(hiccup)...(hiccup)..."

Steph: Will you be awfully mad if i change my dish last minute?
Me: Mmnope. We're in art, remember? You can show me three drafts and show up with an entirely different concept on the day of critique and I'll be okay.
Steph: It's true.

Hey, hipsters need money too.

 via here

Just don't take your hat off

Me: You should have a costume (for Halloween).
Me: I'm going to be Charlie Chaplin.
Brett: hmmm
Brett: wasn't that what that girl did on The Office
Brett: but no one else dressed up
Brett: so she took her hat off and everyone thought she was Hitler
Brett: just don't take your hat off.

There's space for us to shake, and hey, I like this tune

Lists sans lemonade

Creative endeavors that Stephanie T. and I plan to embark on:
1. coconut pancakes stand (me) and lumpia stand (her)
2. revamp and sell furniture and such from yard sales.
3. start a separate blog for all our private jokes so we have something to refer to when we forget what they mean. "Oh, THAT'S what that is!"
4. perfect the mexicocoa frosting recipe. 

5. learn how to make our own aprons.

6. see Andrew Bird on every continent.

7. that photoshoot for that one girl's birthday. 

Creative endeavors that Sohe and I plan to embark on: 

1. learn how to design & sew our own clothes. 

(side note to sohe: you can't have a list with only one point but I know you enjoy being mentioned in blogs)

Things I need to buy for the "Ketchup with you soon!" picnic: 

1. charcoal/lighter fluid

2. eggplant (3-4)

3. bottled water

4. yellow mustard

5. cabbage for slaw

6. canned tomatoes (two 28 oz. cans)

7. soda and such

8. ice (2-4 bags)

9. chicken (two 10 lb. bags)

10. kosher salt

Things Meekus and I plan to do over winter break: 

1. True Blood marathon (I don't care what he says, I'm getting a nap in there somewhere)

2. Pushing Daisies marathon

3. learn how to make apple butter

4. teach him how to make fried rice

5. generation kill (whatever the hell that is)

6. finish (him anyway) watching Amelie

7. sledding

8. zoo

Things I need to design and screenprint: 

1. spoons w/moustache aprons

2. tshirts for three to four different people, including myself (which is funny because I rarely wear crew neck shirts)

3. something for that black messenger bag I never use anymore

4. something for the black tote I use for my AM workout

5. new logo & poster for Chateau Gateau

6. a choo-choo train poster for Nicholas's room

Upcoming artsy fartsy things that I am excited about: 

1. Pre-game Halloween party at "."

2. the Green Springs Garden print for mid-November

3. out-n-about cubscouts with the honors kids in NYC

4. my next typography project

5. Marian's show at ".", any show at "."

The tentative menu for the "Ketchup with you soon!" picnic:

me: grilled chicken (Carolina bbq sauce recipe courtesy of La), some kind of slaw situation, that Turkish eggplant dish (recipe courtesy of Toui) 

steph: bread, cheese, grapes

la: coconut/carrot cupcakes

thrib: sweet tea

liz: quinoa salad and maybe veg to grill

bates: hotdogs 

stella: potato salad

g: noodle dish

mariam: cornbread

Boy meets Whale

It just occurred to me how much Charlie of Noah and the Whale reminds me of Shaun (Rider Strong) from Boy Meets World.

The building is alive!

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

Things I need to accomplish today

1. Clean my room hardcore. I have four baskets of clean laundry to put away. I can no longer think clearly with such a mess.
2. Wash & line-dry my bedding. Sunny days make for crisp sheets. Well, that and ironing but I'm lazy.
3. Make corn & chicken chowder. Try out that recipe for mayo biscuits.
4. Gym.
5. Finish typography project.
6. Catch up on all correspondence.
7. Finish lists for the "Ketchup with you soon!" picnic.
8. Edit & upload Navigation Press/William T. Wiley and FLC/Cafritz opening photos.
9. Prep self for the crazy "two crits, one essay, one quiz, I need to pick up the cake on friday, buy some charcoal, when do I have time to do all of this, I still don't know what I'm going to make for the picnic" week of hell/awesomeness.

found on printeresting 

You know what's on the challenging side?

Planning a meal for:
Two vegetarians
Two non-pork eaters
One lactose intolerant
One "no beans"
One low-carbs

and a partridge in a pear tree.

"I love you,

even if this world is a dream,

even if it isn't."

- William T. Wiley & Michael Hannon "Love Poem"

I am a big advocate of runny yolks in my sunny side up eggs.

How to tell people they sound racist

found on Otley's fb.

Ketchup with you soon!

I finally sent out my birthday evite after hemming and hawing over the title for the past two days. Thanks go to Sohe for becoming exasperated and just telling me to look up food jokes. Genius.

And yes, I did invite the west coast folk. Just because you live far away doesn't mean you're far away from my heart (insert awwwwwwwwwwww).

steph: what's the date again? the tenth?
me: yes.
steph: I didn't even look before I responded.
me: that's the mark of a good friend right there.


photo found on Pink Cupcake Vintage

It's all in the name

me: I don't know what to call my birthday picnic on the invite.
Sohe: hmmm. I wanted to say vina's veintiséis vichyssoise but it makes no sense.
26 potato soup lollollol
me: hahah, lame!
Sohe: because you like alliteration :)
me: oh. i love you.

"Do you remember that day you fell out of my window? Well, you fell on the concrete and nearly broke your ass and you were bleeding all over the place and I rushed you off to the hospital. Do you remember that? Well, there’s something I never told you about that night. While you were sitting in the backseat smoking a cigarette you thought was going to be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you and I never told you ‘til just now."

Home | Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Chateau Gateau's "After-school special" Pb&J cupcake

Saturday morning Chateau Gateau was the very first stop of Yelp's Cupcake Crawl. I went to support and visit La as she waited for the arrival of twenty-five cupcake enthusiasts. Toui and Ginnie were also there and we all spent the morning getting ready and gossiping about the other vendors at the farmers market (so-and-so doesn't sell local produce, le gasp!). For breakfast, I had a mediocre chocolate croissant (chocolate chips, really?) and coffee that I brought from home.

By nine the farmers market was insanely packed full of people, vendors, art, freshly-squeezed orange juice and beautifully exotic (translation: over-priced) flowers. I'm not usually one for large crowds of people but the farmers market kind is tolerable, enjoyable even. Most people at the farmers market are so pleasant. Imagine, if you will, all the bright and cheery mothereffers who willingly get out of bed pre-8 AM on a weekend. Now, imagine all of them in one location-buying long-stemmed sunflowers, squeezing and sniffing the last summer peaches, and watching their children play on the plaza stage. Vendors call out to these people, luring them with their siren's cry of local produce and baked goods. Cupcakes stand like sweet little soldiers on their glass cake platter. "You know you want us," they say. Yes, yes I do.

Flickr: mine. ginnie's.

Take the picture, take the picture!

I love this picture of Audrey Hepburn.

sometimes I forget.

Ukrainian Sand Animation

Intense.

Found on Spirit Animal

A soupçon of "Soup's On!"

Manhattan clam chowder is not chowder. Manhattan clam chowder happened when some clams took a walk and felt into a pot of minestrone.

"And I could be another fool or an exception to the rule"

Say Yes | Elliott Smith

Today I received a text from Natalie that nonchalantly said (as nonchalant as a text can be anyway) "I have to go to the ER."

Wha-wha-what?

Long story short, she had a low blood count and was in need of blood transfusions and multiple tests, i.e., poking and prodding. Sopha and I went to the hospital for support though she had already gone in by the time we arrived. We sat in the waiting room with her dad and friend (maybe cousin?) Teresa.

Not that the hospital waiting room is a place for tomfoolery but I think there should be more to keep you amused than just tables and uncomfortable chairs. A coverless, worn-out and three month old issue of Smithsonian magazine can only keep one's attention for so long. No thank you to the big-ass stack of the American Journal of Nursing. No food or drink allowed? I've been sitting here for five hours!! I do apologize for all the tweets and texts that were sent during this time.

The rest of the family eventually trickled in one by one. It's comforting to know that family and friends are there for you in times of emergency, even when it is unclear what the actual emergency is. Murphy, the hospital dog, came around to greet everyone and give slobbery kisses. I was able to pop into Nat's room (Where the hell is room 3?) and visit for a bit. The poor girl was bored out of her mind. Probably still is. Told her to call via hospital phone but she is hooked to an iv and can't reach it, womp womp. At least she has a tv, though it took her awhile to learn how to change the channels and for a while she could only watch Sesame Street.

Ah, c’est l’hôpital.

"Lights turned way down low & music soft & slow"

That's Where It's At | Sam Cooke

I am oh so very excited for the upcoming AVT crew potluck.

The menu:
spinach arugula salad
bread w/ butter and fresh radish
fresh sugar snap peas
campanelle w/ mushrooms & cream
linguine w/ "last days of summer" tomato sauce
roasted chicken
panna cotta w/ blueberry compote

photo found on yes, please

Deeper states of relaxation

Erika: hey do you meditate?
Erika: random question
me: yes, but I call it sleeping.

J is for Joy!

F is for FAIL from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

I LOVE this.

found on icopythat

"And it was late in the evening and all the music seeping through "

Paul Simon

Dear guys and gals,

Fear not! This will not be my Summer of Failed Vacations (Hawaii, London, Jersey- oh my!) for I will be in Ocean City this weekend. Finally, a proper chance to smell saltwater and feel sand between my toes. You just don't know, man. Wanderlust has been the monkey on my back all season. Also, if I haven't asked you for it already- do text/email me your address so I can postcard it up.

Love, vina S.

How fantastic would it be if I could meet (cough-marry-cough) someone named Al Fresco?