And me, the groove, and my friends are gonna try to move your feet

via i am a tv robot

me: I feel like you know this kid.
Boek: Yeah, that's Elmo. We used to get drunk and catcall to all the honeys on the Boulevard back in '99.

Yee-Haw!!

I'm excited for the Yee-Haw Industries Visual Voices lecture tonight. They combine my love of typography and printmaking! They like using brown paper like I do (Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not archival, I know)! AND they's old timey!

I like old timey.




I SEEN EM FIRST!!!

I love the internets. Probably too much.

via vina:  Every morning I post: a song, my breakfast, my lunch, ensemble, what I dreamt the night prior, and a photo. There is no proper capitalization. Hell, there's barely a semblance of proper grammar. I usually jot down my dreams in my phone while I'm still half-asleep. These notes don't always make sense later. I try to match photo to song. In the past 334 days, I've missed less than five posts — something I find both commendable and slightly pathetic.

viva vina: via vina without all the dream nonsense. Anecdotes or lyrics occasionally included.

lucky lemonade: Food photos. I'm actually surprised it wasn't the first tumblr I made. Y'all know how I do.

I love you, blog!: Spreading love and happiness with Justin. It started along the lines of:  “Hey, let's go to Southside.” “I love Southside!” or “I think there's cake.” “I LOVE CAKE.” We consolidated them for your viewing pleasure.

Flickr: You know, where I post my photos.

SoA Green: Garden times!

Twitter: I love me some Twitter. I had to take detox breaks last year (heh, sad). I don't post as often as I used to, then again I didn't have this many blogs last year.

Twitpic: Like Twitter, but visual!

I'm amazed you guys follow me. I love you guys.

Side note, these are just my personal blogs. We haven't even started talking about the collective ones.  I hate that word, blog.

I don't feel the same anymore 'cause I don't need this shit going on

It feels like autumn today. This both displeases me and fills me with joy.

[on potential dummy corporation environmentally-friendly convenience mart names]
me: There's green-n-go.
Rafael: Yeah, that sounds like gringo.

Rafael: How about fuelgo?
me: Yeah, that sounds like fuego.

Junk in my trunk

I love cleaning my car. I like vacuuming sand and leaf bits from the floor mats. I like Armor alling the hell out of my dashboard and center console. I am particular about car air fresheners (Refresh. Not the one that goes in the AC vent. Never cucumber melon.). I will apologize for having a messy car when a messy car means three things on the floor and a somewhat dusty dash. Most important, I love the first drive after cleaning my car — windows down, dash all shiny, music blasting...ah, so pleasant.

But sometimes you don't have an extra two hours to spare to clean your car. Sometimes you have many places to go and not enough time to schlep things in and out of your car. Dust accumulates and various objects start to pile in your backseat. What do you do when someone needs a lift? You move everything to the trunk of your car, naturally.

I've been doing this for weeks. When I went to get an umbrella today, for the first time in weeks, I stopped and took inventory of the junk in my trunk:

apple body spray 
bicycle basket
black high heels
blanket
collapsible frisbee
colored chalk set
four cookbooks
grocery totes
Liz's bicycle pump (I know, I know. I'm sorry. Tomorrow!)
pepper mill 
picnic basket
plastic sheet protectors
red apron
spare clothes: dress, cardigan, underwears.
spare gym gear: towel, toiletries, gym clothes
three pairs of flip flops
three umbrellas: the tall one, the short one, the clear one.
two issues of Women's Health. I love Women's Health. 

This is my own intervention. This shit ends now. 

Oh, Monday.

I should be at GMU right now — not dressed in a towel, holding an empty coffee cup and reading my own damn blogs. AND I need to go to purchase an ugly magazine and return Redbox movies? Merde.

Yathrib: You're forever sitting in a towel. We're going to have to buy you a robe.

Watching television...in color.

me: I'm watching Bedazzled.
Steph: talk about a Blast from the Past.

Pockets, pie, and dangerously adorable bowler hats

- Monday night dance fest with Spirit Animal and Fitz and the Tantrums!

- “This is vina. She's a big foodie (I couldn't hear the rest but I nodded along like I did)” which basically translates to “All this girl does is talk about food.”

- On that note — pie!! Dangerously Delicious Pies,  I wish I had more reasons to go to your neck of the woods and eat pie. Iron and Judy had apple. Laura had a white chocolate situation. I had bacon and Gruyère quiche. I love me some quiche. 

- Chapstick flying out of my pocket during the marathon dancing. Finding it ten minutes later and, to Judy's chagrin, picking it up and using it. Shoot, that's my favorite chapstick!

- The entire crowd crouching down and springing back up together. That was fun.

- I think Fitz and the Tantrums are my favorite not TGK/Spirit Animal group thus far. Not that I didn't love the free cake and Oliver Future (Happiness Future, heyyy) experience but FATT was some damn catchy good times. I guess this is another reason why pie is better than cake.
- I've been listening to Pickin' Up The Pieces and The Cost of Living all week. Happiest commute week ever. Side note, don't listen to Makin' It Work if you want to maintain the posted speed limit.

Ink bubbles and macarons

- Missing my Artsbus crew. Well, maybe not Fasick constantly yelling "Buddy!!!"

- Going sandwich halfsies with Zaki: 

• goat cheese on french baguette with roasted tomato, roasted eggplant, black olive tapenade & fresh thyme
• whole wheat walnut bread made with, watercress and fresh apples from Amy's Kitchen. Damn good lemonade too. 

- Going macaron halfsies with Justin: We don't like sour apple flavor. What was purple again? Coffee and chocolate are nice. 

- Communal milkshake from Ronnybrook Milk Bar. I. Drank. Her. Milkshake.

- Roland Flexner is all adorable. I love his flat and studio space. 

- Artists Space library! Amazing. 

- Date Night and Kick Ass. Why don't you zip your vagina, mothereffer!

- Hypnic jerks on the ride home. I twitch a lot when I'm super sleepy. No, body, you're not falling! 

- Delaware rest stop spinach and mushroom pizza and soda at ten pm.

- Marzia finding fellow Italians in a Chelsea outdoor flea market.

full flickr set

via steph

We're such good Buddhists.

me: oh man, stink bugs are resistant to pesticides.
Pa: Not if you use air freshener and a really heavy book. Also, those motherfuckers don't die easily so you have to do the double tap.

Brett: (facebook status) Bagels in the breakroom, bitches!
me: Not only do I enjoy bagels, I adore alliteration.
Brett: You were really supposed to continue with the alliteration. Big booty black bitches!
me: I'm not as crass as you, my darling.
Brett: V'm vayyyyy vore vrass vhan Vina!

“jquery:  
the snooty version of jquestion.”

Collin 

Emily F.: I've been looking for you!
me: ...why?
Emily F.: You know what I've been doing all morning? I've been reading your blog all morning! I didn't do any of my homework. I went back to April! I was like "I'm glad there's no Like button because she'd be PISSED."

Germans, high heels, and damn good cake

photo by Erwin Thamm

Be there or be triangle

me: Erwin, are you going to be around?
Erwin: No, I'm going to be a square.

It seemed like a good idea at the time #27

Meekus: then I got drunk and jumped into a bush. It hurt.

“The world is lazy but you and me —  we're just crazy.”

When I'm With You | Best Coast

What we ate at Ping Pong Dim Sum in Chinatown, DC
(descriptions lifted from their website)

 me
- chive dumplings: king prawns and chives in green chive pastry
- pork puff: honey-roasted pork and caramelized onions in handmade puff pastry
- prawn toast: prawn on toast flavored with garlic and coriander sprinkled with sesame seeds
- Ping Pong: Martini Bianco, white wine, Yokaichi Shochu and lychee juice

Justin
- vegetable puff: sautéed vegetables in a honey sauce in handmade puff pastry
- rice parcel: rice with fresh vegetables seasoned with garlic wrapped in a Lotus leaf
- vegetable spring roll: finely-chopped vegetables and fresh basil wrapped in wheat flour pastry, served with sweet and sour sauce
- I don't remember the name of his drink but it was basically alcoholic lemonade.
I love lemonade!

Normally I'm not one for fake-me-out Chinese food (cough-American palate-cough), especially dim sum, but I wasn't disappointed at Ping Pong. Yeah, it may not be authentic but it was tasty. As for their signature cocktail, I didn't taste anything but lychee juice. Shoot, you might as well drink the syrup from a can of lychees. Then again for happy hour prices ($3 a plate, $5 cocktail, 4-7 PM), I can't complain too much.

Recap of the rest of the evening: 

- These heels are killing me but my calves look fantastic so I will suffer a little longer.

- Damn roundabouts (Good job, founding fathers, commissioning a Frenchman to design the city). 

- Building the National Cathedral started in 1907 and ended 1990. 

- Enrique Iglesias sampled Lionel Richie, whaaaat.

- So many Germans here! Oh yeah, it's German art.

- This cake is amazing. Apple streudel too!? You go, caterers!

- “I feel like we should look at the art.” “Why? We stared at it for eight hours when we were hanging it.”

- Let's go look at pretty houses! Oooh! We love red brick! We should be neighbors!

Yesterday

sounds like: cousin Nola's capitivating New Zealand/French accent, a pantsless Nicholas running amok (Wubbzy! Wubbzy!), Bon Iver, Basia Bulat, Chris Garneau, and Dustin O'Halloran.

tastes like: Turkish eggplant, lentil soup, pralines & creme ice cream, Sara Lee pound cake, seared beef tongue, and homemade mayonnaise.

feels like: food coma, pseudo-summer evenings, listening to slow music in the dark with my eyes closed, twenty six years old and still scared of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, exfoliated skin and clay facial masks.

smells like: garlic sizzling in olive oil, ripe white peaches, red crabs boiling in a blue dutch oven, morning coffee, a Côtes du Rhône red.

photo via la chica del solitario

Poe-Tea-Toe.

me: He's the tennis version of Eric Balfour!
Justin: True.  Though he's a little less scary looking than Eric Balfour.
me: Yes. He's cute. I want an Italian tennis player beaufriend. His name is Potito. I seriously lol whenever I say it aloud.
Justin: Potito.  Lol.  That sounds like Spanish for "little potato."  Although I guess in Spanish that would be "papito."  Or "papasito."  Or I could just be making up words.

photo via Tennis Served Fresh

Adams Morgan Day 2010

 

I spent a nice day in Adams Morgan surrounded by thousands of people, food stalls as far as the eye could see, and the air thick with the combined scents of grilled food and world cuisine. Two breakfasts in one day and my favorite cowboy boots = a very good day. G eats her bacon like George eats his Snickers. I carried Ginnie and Christian's dogs in my farmers market basket. Carry a dog if you want to be approached by strangers (mainly women) oohing and ahhing and asking (in wittle ittle baby cooing voices) to pet your puppy. I met new people and enjoyed their crazy camaraderie. There was a free photobooth! I ate BonChon for the first time, a Korean chicken place in Annandale that my friends rave about constantly. It was tasty though I didn't make nearly as many foodgasmic sounds as Christian did. In fact, I don't think I heard him say anything for at least ten minutes. One of the housemates brought his own rice vinegar and siricha to make dressing. I was a little bit impressed. Ginnie and I spent all day together, something I don't get to enjoy as often as I would like. I made friends with strangers on a bar patio and found myself sitting at their table for the next hour. We were excited to find Lao food. The Lao people were not excited to discover that we were Lao. I watched a hipster in cuffed jeans sing Mustang Sally. The dogs ate ice cream. I went on a crazed food quest in a tequila-induced buzz in the hopes of finding sustenance to soak up the alcohol. I ended up with frozen yogurt with mango, strawberries and coconut. Good job not finding proper carbohydrates. We ran to catch the bus. I wanted to throw my arm up in true “Hold on, Bus Driver, I'm coming!” style. I discovered that Hannah and I both hate the Kindle with a passion. We spent a few hours on the roof of Madam's Organ. The weather was balmy and beautiful. People sang Hail to the Redskins. I don't care much for football but you gotta support the Skins, man. A cabbie gave us advice on driving tipsy and how to get to Mount Pleasant from VA. 

It was a great day. Best of all, it didn't rain. 

for more photos, go here.

What goes through my head during long critiques

- It's cold in here.
- A cheeseburger sounds good.
- Wow, a lot of these logo designs have three slashes in them.
- What am I going to wear to the art opening on Sunday?
- Do I have a sweater in my car?
- Moules frites sound good.
- That girl's chamomile tea smells damn good.
- When do I have time to redesign my 413 layout?
- Which heels do I want to wear on Sunday?
- There's going to be maybe three people at the SoA Green meeting, stupid AIGA and their meet & greet.
- Maybe I should kern my logo tighter.
- Coquilles St. Jacques sound good.
- Do I even have food with me?
- What colors should I use for my logo?
- Option + e + i = Mac shortcut for placing an accent. Awesome.
- Switch that text to Helvetica Neue Light.
- Lemon cake sounds good.

[gchat]
Stephanie: We should have like a field trip day when we take all our white people friends to your Buddhist temple.

“Let's dance to Joy Division and raise our glass to the ceiling 'cos this could all go so wrong but we're just so happy.”

Let's Dance to Joy Division | The Wombats

I should be out of the house right now and most definitely not dancing around my living room in a towel. Oh, post-workout adrenaline high, I love you!

“If you are looking for different results, do not do the same thing.”

Albert Einstein

Shoot. If you're hungry, you're hungry.

[tweet]
Meekus: It's pretty bad when the only food in your apartment is dog food and you don't even have a dog

The Party

She makes me laugh so much.

oooh! Pretty!

Apple ruffle tart from Bottletree Bakery in Mississippi
photo via here

I spend a good part of each day procrastinating real work by cruising the internets.

!!! Soirées de Poche !!!

Bird! Beirut! Kings of Convenience! Beach House! Fool's Gold! Vampire Weekend! The Dodos!

Thanks, Pa.

Fall asleep on the couch for a couple hours.

Whoa! Awake! Why am I up?

Wait, what IS that?

Is that...

Oh, shit! Is it raining?!

Rain on the day of an outdoor festival after a three week drought? Eff you very much, Mother Nature! Do you know how excited I was about the green pavilion? I was going to talk to people about green roofs, compost gardening, organic food, sustainability and all that jazz! It is in your best interest that people learn about such things! This day comes but once a year! Don't even get me started on the street food! 

Argh, the street food!!!!!!!!

Wait, what's that?

Oh! Lightning too?

You make me mad.

Damnit. The street food!!!

anger all around.

fine. I'm going to bed. 

We'll see what happens in the morning.

“Ebay is a dangerous place which is why I avoided it for so long. The joy I felt recently when I ‘won’ a dress is very very bad. Like yay I won! I'm highfiving myself! No bitch, you didn't win, you just bought a dress.”

Peas are Sweet
Oh, Sofia. So funny.

Shoot, I JUST got home from DC.

Moon Bounce Dancing Affair from Moon Bounce on Vimeo.

I have no beef with vegetarians!

Liz: That's because someone doesn't like beer.
Justin: Who doesn't like beer?
Liz: vina!
Justin: You don't like beer?!
me: Hey! You two don't like meat but I don't give you crap for that!

On that note, I kind of want to try a stout & chocolate ice cream float.
See! I tolerate beer on occasion.

“Take a little trip, hater pack up yo' mind. Look forward not behind, then you'll see what you find.”

The Whole World | Outkast

me: I don't care what you say, Twitter is fantastic. 

Sean S.:  Twitter is bitter. 

Hater. 

You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar. I could hear the distant drums and sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar.

me: Man, I've had Fernando running in my head for days. Can you hear the drums, Fernandoooooo?
Steph: I love singing harmony on that song. Nerd alert.

Farmers markets, cruiser bicycles, indecent exposure.

AND he sings? Shittttttt.

Pea soup in ten minutes!

bacon drippings.
garlic shoots.
frozen peas.
milk.
stick blender.
crème fraiche.
prosciutto.
DONE.

me: If I weren't in all design classes, I would try to take a computer vacation for a week. I would probably get so much done.
Justin: You should! Just design them all by hand first!
me: I'm sure the professors would love that. "vina, let's see your progress on the computer." "Yeah, I'm detoxing right now but look at these sketches I made!!"
Justin: Psssh whatevs! Tell them to do some printmaking!

I say this to myself when the weather gets colder and happy happy sundresses no longer cut it.

though I would say it in a better font. 

via Liz and Threadless

"Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ — ain't nothing please me more than you"

 Home | Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

From my favorite place in Occoquan, Mom's Apple Pie:

[via (best) text (ever)]
Justin: I done ate the rest of that pie.

 “If there's anything that you want, if there's anything I can do — just call on me and I'll send it along with love from me to you”

From Me to You |  The Beatles 

Today I'm listening to:
Dirty Projectors When the World Comes to an End
Elvis Presley Good Luck Charm
John Fred and His Playboy Band Judy in Disguise
Lily Allen Smile
Sam Cooke Wonderful World
Tears for Fears Mad World
The Beach Boys Fun Fun Fun
The Beatles All My Loving
The Blue Van Independence

photo via Orangette

Xzibit! Pimp my bike!

Risotto

arborio rice
black pepper
butter
cayenne
chicken stock
dry white wine
fresh oregano and Genovese basil
kosher salt
oyster mushrooms
peas
shallots
shaved Parmesan
shrimp

This blog will cure everything that ails you!

via Married to the Sea

Tweet: 
me: el mundo es mi ostra!!
Bates:  @me desfortunadamente no
Brittle: @me The universe is my seafood gumbo!

Text: 
me: You damn hater.
Bates: Serving you your daily dose of Hatorade since 2007.

D'aucuns ont des aventures, je suis une aventure.

[on having to go to the mall for an assignment]
me: Man, I hate the mall. I don't even like going when it's not crowded.
Bates: It's like a maze and there's cheese somewhere.
me: Malls are labyrinths designed to keep people inside.
Bates: Man, that's deep!
me: It's from Ocean's Eleven.

Bag it!

Bag It Intro from Suzan Beraza on Vimeo.

Heyyyy, they used Edward Sharpe. Sold. 

Step back, you're dancing kind of close. I feel a little poke coming through on you.

Hey, at least I don't order like this — though it sounds delicious.

Dude to waiter: Yeah, I'll have the scrambled eggs. Scramble 'em soft so they're a little runny, with extra crispy bacon — almost burnt — wheat bread just a little toasted. Yeah, very light. And a cut of Gruyère cheese and grapes on the side. Yo, you still got those crumpets? Those flaky crumpets? Cool, I'll have 'em with peppermint tea with a wedge of lemon and cane sugar. Alright? Thanks.

Girlfriend, eying him warily: Babe, your brunch game is tight. Like, suspiciously tight..

via Overheard in New York

Two and Sixty: the food

“They say it's your birthday. We're going to have a good time. I'm glad it's your birthday. Happy birthday to you.”

Birthday | The Beatles

Two and Sixty: the people

You guys know me so well.

[via text]
Sofia: I never really eat meat but I'm in Chicago this weekend so I've had some amazing salty smoky thick-cut bacon. Thought you would appreciate that information. The food here is the bomb diggity.

Saturday

sounds like: Third round of the US Open, Ra Ra Riot, Sufjan Stevens, The Helio Sequence, and the rest of Autumn (Or What It Feels Like To Fall). Max, Maela and Kai.

tastes like: bacon and birthday cake. Not together, of course.

feels like: good times from family get togethers, the accomplishment that comes from cleaning/organizing, and the sad realization that I own four bicycles and not enough time to ride any of them. I really love those bicycles. 

smells like: sizzling bacon and fresh-brewed coffee, charcoal and cake, that perfume I bought in Ghiardelli Square, the first hint of an autumn crisp in the air.

Weep for yourself, my man. You'll never be what is in your heart.

when life hands you lemons — make lemon tarts!

via pinkrobotboogaloo

I would probably do this too (knock on wood).

Hipster, on being mugged: So I'm in the ambulance, but instead of feeling bad about it I took a picture of myself and put it on Twitter.

via Overheard in New York

It's all about the InDesign, Jandos!

Jandos: Yes, my name is Jandos and I am a Quark user. It's been six months since I used Quark.

[New Zealand tickets on sale at Jetsetter]
Justin: I want to see where the hobbits live!
me: I want to see where I was born!
Justin: Whaaaat? You were born in New Zealand? vina! That should be your Facebook status! Shoot, I would tell everyone if I was born in New Zealand.

Cheese puns aren't as brill as fish puns. We say them anyway for the halibut.

[via gchat]
me: I was going to come home early but there's an art opening. Cheese, heyyyyy.
Pa: Gouda?
me: dunno. I like gouda.
Pa: ok, hope you have a gouda time. Don't brie too much.
me: oyyyy.
Pa: Make sure you don't Swiss anyone pahahaha.