Trees, UCSC

Art Studio, UCSC

Away for a Bit

I've been away from the blog dealing with some stuff, but that doesn't mean that I'm not finding awesome things to share with you.  Like this:

(thanks, Collosal Art & Design, for sharing)

And this, which is part of a photo series by tinyevilhog:

(found through StumbleUpon, my favorite thing ever)

Regular (or as close to regular as I ever get on this thing) posting will resume soon.  Fun, exciting things coming down the pike, so keep an ear out.

Mixtape 5

In which I realize that "Mixtape" is a really terrible name for a series of single songs.  Woops.  Oh well, I'm committed now.

I love Mumford & Sons (or, as my father calls them, The Moving Company, which is, coincidentally, what I think I shall name my band).  They are all my age and just stupid talented.  Marcus has a voice that absolutely levels me (for reals, it sounds like it comes from his socks).  Plus they like reading (note the title of the song). Jerks.  Anyway, here they are, doing acoustic things and being fantastic.

Hi Friends, 

I'm checking in on The Violet blog today.  Check it out here.

Mixtape 4

Laura Marling is so much cooler than I will ever be, it is just ridiculous.  I love her 2nd record so much it is just silly.  I love this song in particular, especially since it is wicked fun to play on ye olde guitar.

Completely Obsessed

By Julian Bialowas 

My mother is the eldest of 5 siblings which means her youngest brother was just 17 years old when I was born, living at home with my grandparents (have I told this story here before?  Am I repeating myself? Oh no, I can't remember!).  My parents and I were living there as well so I got to spend a lot of time with him growing up.  He is an adventurer and, at least at that point in his life, was traveling around the country and the world.  As I remember it, he would leave for periods of time to work with Outward Bound or to be a mountain guide and then return home with stories of the great outdoors and a beard to match.  Being young and surrounded by tiny nieces and nephew, he would tell us stories of his travels and we would act them out in my grandmother's living room, climbing over furniture and imagining we were traversing Mount Angashangabanga (which isn't a real place, mind you, but a special mountain that only we had access to...from the comfort of my grandparent's living room).  I'm sure my grandma hated that little kids were climbing all over her furniture with no appreciation of decorum or minding our sticky jam hands (all tiny people constantly have jam hands, it's a scientific fact), but we didn't care.  To my teeny person brain, these were real adventures, full of magic and wonder.  And from these silly imaginary journeys, I grew to love the mountains.

Now, as I grew up, this love of the outdoors became solidified as more of a...respectful love from afar.  Even now, I eat up stories of mountain climbing adventures and photographs of snowcapped peaks and dream of adjusting my personality (and hard and fast desire to shower every day) to go live out my strange dreams.  I don't know if or when this day will come, but until then I have the work of photographer Julian Biaolowas, my new obsession.  His photos are just...ridiculous (just look at the image above. Insane).  I'm totally obsessed with his 365 project (which can be found here) and am floored by what I find there every day.  He's even starting a magazine called 16 HOURS, which I can't wait for (after all, I love starting magazines).  If you have a minute and like looking at pretty things, visit his website.  You'll be glad you did.