I mean, kale is great and all but...

me: Sean! How was your Thanksgiving?
Sean S.: It was ok. I didn't cook or anything.
me: What. What did you eat?
Sean S.: kale.
me: .....how did you cook it?
Sean S.: I steamed it.

A little excitement for your Monday

Carb central, poached pears and DC debauchery

 

 

 

- watching 500 days of Summer, Oprah's final Favorite Things episode, and Miracle on 34th Street
- being the only girl...and the only hetero.
- such vulgar smack talk during Mariokart. The National Cathedral is right across the street!
- scandalous videos that I wasn't allowed to watch.
- that rickety table that I expected to collapse at any moment.
- Justin cooking a storm in the tiny kitchen.

Peter: I really liked the brussel sprouts, they had an interesting flavour (Look at him, going all Brits on us).
me: That is called copious amounts of butter. 

Eric: If the table goes, I'm going for the sweet potatoes.

Oh, the Brits.

I am brave. Roller coasters? Love 'em. Scary movies? I've seen Ghostbusters like seven times. I regularly drive through neighborhoods that have only recently been gentrified. So yeah, I'm pretty much not afraid of anything.

Merci. Khawp jai. Obrigada. Spasibo. Salamat.

I am thankful for my huge and crazy-ass family. You're loud, you're temperamental, your sense of humor borders on inappropriate, and I love you.

I am thankful for the best friends I ever could have wished for. The love, the laughter, and the support — you overwhelm me.

I am thankful for pull through parking spots. You make me happy.

I am thankful for Google Reader. Thank you for showing me interesting things from the internets. I apologize for having 1,000+ unread items. You can blame Apartment Therapy for posting a hundred times a day.

I am thankful for food. You shape history, establish community, and build memories. Plus you taste good.

I am thankful for GPS. Thank you for being so patient. Sorry for all the recalculating.

I am thankful for perspective, that not everything will go according to plan and the realization that sometimes that's okay.

I am thankful for the Adobe Creative Suite. Except you, Adobe Flash. We are not yet friends. 

I am thankful for Thanksgiving because then I can be a total glutton. Oh wait, that's every day. 

I am thankful for the beach and peaches in the summer, for paperwhites and pink magnolias in the spring, for cider and haunted trails in autumn, and for scarves and comfort food in the winter.

I am thankful for art, conceptual theory, and the sheer range of conversation it inspires. Even you, bad art. Because then we spend the next twenty minutes discussing why you look like suck. That's fun.

I am thankful for my cameras who help me document my life and torture people with food photos.

I am thankful for leisurely mornings of sunshine, bed, pancakes, and hot coffee.

I am thankful for any meal I can eat outdoors.

I am thankful for the like button.

I am thankful for you.

happy thanksgiving.

love, vina

photo from the blue hour

Have I the right?

I love Le Blogotheque and their new darling Soirée de Poche shows. I also love Vampire Weekend for covering The Honeycomb's Have I The Right (starts at minute four!). Such a happy song. Why do the French get all the good music shows?
Not cool, Vincent Moon. Not cool.

Plums and Pancakes

 

I don't alliterate my meals on purpose but I'm happy when it happens.

Today:
- clean the bottomless pit that is my bedroom floor. Ironically, it's all clean laundry.
- decide what dessert to make for Thanksgiving.
- decide what dessert to make for Thanksgiving #2.
- buy potatoes for Thanksgiving #3.
- dinner and a movie with Justin and Liz
- burn foraging photos to cd for Mark, drop in mailbox
- finish redesigning Meekus's resume
- Lemonade Mix cd for Thomas, drop in mailbox
- laundry

Don't you know that you're my joy?

I can't stop listening to this song. I discovered it this morning...in my own damn iTunes, hah! Now I'm going to make pancakes.

Happy Thanksgiving Tuesday, my darlings.

me: Why is she getting married so fast?
Steph: um iunno, because when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right away? 

It's the latest, it's the greatest. Mashed potato, yeah yeah yeah.

Auntie Khom: Could I ask you a favor for next Saturday? Could I ask you to bring mashed potatoes? We'll be 14 adults and 3 kids. Thank you so much!

me: Consider it done!

Auntie Khom: I'm sure you'll make a smashing mashed potatoes! Don't be timid with the butter...

me: I'm never timid with butter. 

If I had a design studio with my friends, Part 2

me: Did I ever tell you that one of my dreams (I know, another one) is to open a bed and breakfast? I would be so good at that.
Yathrib: Oh that would be nice. I always wanted to open a pottery painting spot.
me: Oh man. Instead of a design studio, we should just open our own complex. It would be a little artsy village. Shiiiiiiit. That would be awesome.
Yathrib: Ha! If we were rich.

Side note,
Yathrib: Jojo wants to have Nickelback as our first dance song :(
me: Bahahahhaha, just say no!
Yathrib: I can't. I wanted John Legend's Stay with You.
me: Yeah, John Legend! Not Nickelback, aka suck.
Yathrib: Seriously!

It's like they know me.

Just because I crawled out of a grave doesn't make me a frickin' zombie.

I had forgotten how awesome this movie is and I'm fairly sure I saw it with Natalie in theaters when we were nine years old. Well, when I was nine and she was eight.

Actors I didn't remember being in the movie because
a. they weren't famous yet and b. I was nine years old.:

• Matthew McConaughey
• Cloris Leachman
• Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Matthew Fox  
• Renée Zellweger (IMDB claims this is unconfirmed. Looks like someone doesn't want people knowing she was in the movie!)

I prefer funny zombie to brain dead slow-walking zombie. Fast zombies are an abomination and are designed to freak you out in movies and video games. That's just mean.

and, after typing zombie three times, here's where I wondered where the term zombie came from:

According to the tenets of Vodou, a dead person can be revived by a bokor, or sorcerer. Zombies remain under the control of the bokor since they have no will of their own. "Zombi" is also another name of the Vodou snake lwa Damballah Wedo, of Niger-Congo origin; it is akin to the Kikongo word nzambi, which means "god". There also exists within the West African Vodun tradition the zombi astral, which is a part of the human soul that is captured by a bokor and used to enhance the bokor's power. The zombi astral is typically kept inside a bottle which the bokor can sell to clients for luck, healing or business success. It is believed that after a time God will take the soul back and so the zombi is a temporary spiritual entity.^[2] It is also said in vodou legend, that feeding a zombie salt will make it return to the grave.

Thanks, Wikipedia!

Update: If you watch the end of this movie and see the part where she opens the locket (that miraculously stopped a bullet) to find a photo of them as kids, please tell me if you also thought that was a cute and creeper move.

Nerds, signature dance moves, and frieten

 

 

- Remember that time Zaki lost his car? (It's ok, we found it.)

- Remember that time Paul tripped on the rug?

- The joy that is Amsterdam Falafel and frieten (I love you, beets and garlic cream!) after one in the morning.

- Carnival imagery at The Red Palace.

- Oh no, guys. The bartender took off his plaid shirt. Shit just got real.

- Discussing 2D paintings and molecular gastronomy.

- Ranting about people who don't know about the MacArthur Genius Grant.

- Raving about Suzanne Carbonneau and Thomas Stanley.

- Watching Liz sing "Move, bitch! Get out the way! Get out the way!"

- Discussing possible (and local!) solutions for the bitterness in green gazpacho. If I were a superhero, I would be the Green Gazpacha.

oh, other Asian.

I just want to dance!

Listening to Chromeo's Business Casual and Girl Talk's All Day = so much for going to bed early.

Speaking of dancing, Spirit Animal and The Globes at The Red Palace tonight.
You should be there!

photo via The FlashDance

Baa-ram-ewe! Baa-ram-ewe!

Breakfastases like Breastases

Steph: I really want a Coke Slurpee right now
me: I thought you had one this morning!
Steph: Whaaa, no way! Not in the morning. Coke in the morning is a whore's breakfast. That's a quote. I'm sure ho's eat regular breakfastases.

I created you!

me: He changed the password on Contemptuous Collin!
Meeks: :O what a hater.
me: I know! I landed him a random follower too.
Meeks: You should make another blog now. (Enabler! Enabler!)
me: Cantankerous Collin. Nah, he said he'd change it back though he doesn't have to.

Collin changed back the password. He's oh-so nice and not actually contemptuous (unless you are communist).
Nah, he'd probably still be nice.

It's not enough to have seven of my own..

Hey, remember that time I started a blog as a joke but then actually began to maintain it?

yeah..

Vintage Twitter

If I had a design studio with my friends,

We would have:

• a kitchen w/dining area
• a courtyard
• private offices
• living room/lounging area
• exposed brick walls 
• high ceilings

We would do:

• design
• photo
• event planning
• various workshops (sewing, cooking, design, gardening, etc)
• dance parties!
• video
• letterpress/printmaking

me: hehe you know somebody named Butch.
Meekus: Yeeah, dumb mother too.
me: His name is Butch. I mean, I would be worried if his name was Sigmund. No one's going to expect anything from a Butch except for lesbians and cowboys.

You'll never shut down the real vina!

me: verbosevina.tumblr.com
Collin: I want you to swear on Helvetica you're done making blogs, or I'll make a greasemonkey script to change them all to Comic Sans.

Well, that's just mean! So I made Contemptuous Collin when I got home.

but then Collin posted this. Touché.

I think I'm good on new tumblrs for now though Bates gave me the lovely idea for vernacular vina. Ah, damn.

We'll see.

You make me feel all toasty inside

There's a horse in that car!

Sometimes I wonder about my sense of humor

I drink your milkshake!

 

I love this poster. 

I didn't even see the movie.

You spin me right round, baby. Right round like a record, baby.

 

November 15 (hey, that's tomorrow!) is America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. Please remember this as you go about your day and tell all of your friends (but in the totally chill "I'm not a crazy environmentalist, I promise" kind of way).

America Recycles Day
Not sure what's recyclable and where to recycle it near you? Check this out

I thought we had this conversation already

“I'd like to dance with you if you'd like me to”

A Ribbon | Devendra Banhart

Loving these ribbon flats from Moschino. 

I wonder how difficult it would be to make my own. 

Probably very.

Friday night

•  I took my dog with me when I went to pick up my sister. He threw up on her on the way home. I almost had to pull over because I was laughing so hard. 
•  I need to decide on what to make to all the Thanksgiving potlucks. Pumpkinpalooza. (Here's where I go Bubba on your ass) Pumpkin flan, pumpkin cake, pumpkin rice pudding, pumpkin bread, pumpkin rolls, salted caramel pumpkin pie..
•  This came in the mail so now I have something new to read on tomorrow's NYC bus ride. Side note, I like popping the big bubble wrap.
•  This girl has skills. I have a good feeling about her. 
• Gchat conversation with Steph went like this: Pacqiao, Filipino food fight night, lumpia and rice, want lumpia for dinner/want anything fried for dinner, Remember that time we made zucchini pancakes?, and I think we used yogurt in lieu of eggs. Long story short, I am going to make zucchini pancakes for dinner.
• I went to a food photography workshop at the Art Institute of Washington on Tuesday. Learned how to make faux ice cream. Faux ice cream? That's fucked up. More on that later. 
• Rewrite artist statement. Eating is Remembering.  
• I've just decided to bake oatmeal raisin cookies for tomorrow's trip. You know who else likes cookies? Susan Sarandon.

photo from Forever is Today

with great power...

Why did you put them rats in my locker, man?

I am a tv robot posted a video of Jeff Goldblum performing with Biz Markie. I think of Men in Black II whenever I see Biz Markie.

When you're still in the studio at three in the morning..

Robert Downey Jr as Mr. Peanut!?

Stephanie: lol i love ro-do.

                  hahhahhaah

                  omg i'm totally calling him that forever

HAY DERRR

Fine then!

Another reason why to love Google

1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Click Get Directions.
3. Set start address as Japan.
4. Set end address as China.
5. Check # 43.
6. Chuckles all around.

Stress times.
I don't like.

I'm just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh, Lord. Please don't let me be misunderstood.

I want to be on that bus!

Reflections and Raquel

 

photo by Steph

All I have to do is dream

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Dad sang this to us when we were kids. It's one of my favorites.

Living with and by my imagination is what it takes to make me feel clean and healthy.

I love me some Tommy Lee Jones, y'all.

and they're making another Men in Black, whaaaaaaaaaat.

Foraging fun in the forest and flood plains

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, Liz, Justin and I trekked to Lovettsville for some forest foraging fun. Even though we had a late start (I overslept, Liz had to pack her gear, Justin was on time), we arrived at Suzanne's place just as everyone was setting off into the woods. I felt simultaneously like a hipster and a lumberjack in my red plaid shirt, all I needed was an ax and some PBR. Liz was hardcore with her hiking shoes and camelbak. Justin just looked urban.

We had to hop over cow pats through the pasture. Bill, our guide, pointed out various plants that Native Americans used for food or medicinal purposes. I somehow got Get Low stuck in my head and, to Justin's amusement, sang snippets as we crossed creeks and learned forestry. I found a single-horned deer skull and a square-shaped rock and carried them in my foraging basket for the rest of the day (Why is my basket so heavy?!). I learned that it is best to eat mushrooms that grow directly on trees and mushrooms with no stems. We came across a flood plain with black cows, wild carrots, and stinging nettles. It looked just like that scene in Jurassic Park when they were in that field when the Tyrannosaurus Rex comes terror-assing out of the trees. 

Anyway.

Bill led us to his place and allowed us free rein over his garden. His house was an eclectic mix of found objects, local art, and philosophy books. The man probably sits next to his fireplace at night reading Focault and Jung and drinking Rolling Rock beer. I scored horseradish root, mustard greens, arugula (oh, the arugula!), turnips, beets, Chinese mustard greens, green beans, one okra (not always a fan of the okra but I still wanted one), and some baby spinach. We get free produce, he gets people to thin out his garden. Win-win situation for all. 

The day ended with phenomenal kettle corn, apple cider, zucchini bread, and a tour of Suzanne's studio and stables. Sophie the horse gave me a kiss though I think she was just trying to nudge me out of the way. I passed out on the drive home. It was an excellent way to spend a November afternoon.

more photos of us doing outdoorsy things

Post-Halloween snack times with Emily Flores

I don't even know what to caption this, I like it so much.

Today

- design product sheets for organic fast food restaurant
- code Wordpress theme. That shit is neither easy nor fun. Not like your mom.
- present slideshow at GMU Sustainable Garden forum
- Skype meeting with MFA lady from Hunter College
- edit/resize photos from apartment staging
- finish three magazine cover layouts
- start preliminary infographic designs

Ughhhhh and I had such a nice night of sleep on Wednesday. So much for that.

but can he make pancakes?

bicycle badass

Foraging in the forest on Friday

me: I am predicting awesome photoshoot. All up in the woods...looking woodsy.
Justin: lol “Vina, why are you so dressed up?!”
           “Oh, photoshoot in the woods while foraging!”
           Great, now that means I have to dress up too.

I feel like I should wear plaid and carry a basket. 

photo via Flickr

Haha! He's dancing!

Smile in your sleep

I had a full eight hours of sleep last night.
That hasn't happened lately.
It won't happen tonight.
Lovely while it lasted. 

photo from My Polaroid Blog

Justin: Oh, I watched How To Train Your Dragon the other night.
me: What's that?
Justin: It's that movie with that boy...and a dragon.

the descent into madness