The boys...

My nephews have these Plasma Cars (I think they were Christmas gifts from Grandma & Grandpa). My sister-in-law just emailed me this video of the ramp contraption they created on their property. Boys!!


I sure do miss them.

merry, merry

On Saturday, I ventured downtown and had lunch with an old friend. Joslyn and I met in first grade. We met at the Chicago Cultural Center- easily one of my favorite buildings in the city. An all-city youth ensemble played live jazz music for an hour. Later that evening, Brad and I walked down the street to a church gathering. Potluck.. games... white elephant exchange... roaring fire. You know, typical winter festivities in the Midwest. :) Last night, we had some family come down to the city for Thai food and the Redmoon Theater's Winter Pageant. {Brad and I attended another Redmoon production over the summer.} The Winter Pageant was very entertaining- quite odd!- but a lot of fun.

"Redmoon Theater creates theatrical spectacles that transform streets, stages, and architectural landmarks into places of public celebration utilizing an original language capable of speaking across cultural, ethnic, and generational boundaries."

While You Wait for the Others

playlist love... Grizzly Bear.
though I don't understand the video.

Treats

Weird find: American Science & Surplus shop. The mission: Christmas gifts for the nephews. What a bizarre place- it was a mix-match of an army surplus store, an old hardware shop, the Dollar Tree and a Goodwill. Hmm.

{1904 German Postcard; St Nicholas Center} Collection}

Last Sunday, our little neighborhood church added a twist to the traditional Lessons and Carols. We celebrated the Feast of St. Nicholas. Our pastor wrote a special service with readings from Scripture, newspapers and poems mixed with hymns and anthems, to tell the story of St. Nicholas. We learned the origins of gifts in stockings and gifts down the chimney. Parishioners {young & old} were invited to leave their shoes by the church door. By the end of the program, chocolates, nuts and clementines *appeared* in our shoes. The evening concluded with a festive dinner.

I like the earthy coffee color of this print.
Perhaps I still have a caffeine buzz from the weekend ...

Saturday night ~ Live Irish music in a pretty spectacular {home} basement pub ... thanks for the invite, Alyssa. It was a great evening!

Sunday afternoon ~ Coffee date with my dad in Evanston ... two-hr walk around the lakeshore and historic neighborhoods.

This Is Halloween...

well, tomorrow.

In These Arms

You'll have to pause the background blog music {scroll down} but I assure you this clip/song is eqally as beautiful and contemplative. :) The Swell Season has a new album coming out, "Strict Joy." It is their follow-up album to the enormous success of their little film, "Once." The video is a snippet of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. You can watch the 34 minute session here.

Harvest time

Beautiful hand screen printed art print...


I'm such a sucker for these "Pure Michigan" travel ads.
I love fall in the Midwest...

You and I

Chicago is a city composed of neighborhoods. Many neighborhoods. And each one has its own special character and unique history. On Saturday afternoon/evening, we went to a dinner party in Pilsen. Our friends bought a fixer-upper a few months back & welcomed their first child, baby Jude {he is mighty cute}. In addition, Joe became a licensed architect this summer. 2009 has been an eventful year for them! :) It was a pretty chill gathering- we grilled, exchanged thoughts & ideas and played with the baby. The boys also played Brad's board game design {he's thinking of trying to get it published}. It was great to catch up on each other's lives. Several of us met in architecture school though we've each carved out our own path... traditional, nontraditional and/or career change.
There are several things going on in this picture. It also seems circa 1983- ha! {In truth, I played with the photo editing site Picnik.}

Did you have a nice weekend??

I love this song from Wilco's new album.
Jeff Tweedy & Feist singing duet...

Wedlock

I think "wedlock" is an odd word. :) Anyways, we attended my cousin's wedding this past weekend. {I don't know her too well. Family stuff can be complicated.} The ceremony and reception were held at beautiful Starved Rock State Park. The bride and groom seemed really happy.

Their first dance song has been in my head since Saturday night- ha!



Hope you had a nice weekend...

If A Song Could Be President

I mentioned the band, Over the Rhine, in my earlier post. Did you listen to Barack Obama's speech to America's students this morning?? {I did} I don't want to get all political here. :) I just enjoy this song.

Unspoken Requests

I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. My mind and energy have been elsewhere. Is it really a week into September already?? Brad took this picture and I didn't know I'd be in the frame. But I sorta like the composition. A reflective gap...
****
We entertained some family over Labor Day weekend. My brother, the farmer, was in town for the wedding of a childhood buddy. Dave brought along his two youngest boys. His wife and eldest son stayed back at the farm. A few highlights:

~Exploring Chicago's Green City Market + picking up treats.
~Strolling through Lincoln Park with my brother.
~Having the boys spend the night at "the hotel." That's what Nic referred to our apartment in the city. :) Playing with our childhood toys from the 80s.
~Taking the train downtown (con: the train being 30 minutes late) and riding the water taxi on the Chicago River.
~Walking around Millennium Park with the nephews and my Dad.
~Pausing on the wooden footbridge to dip our feet in the shallow water.

****
I love public radio because I enjoy listening to a good story. I take pleasure in reading children's literature with my nanny children. I'm fond of the band
Over the Rhine. They write songs {and album notes} with thoughtful details. Poetry. Stories. Music. Linford Detweiler, along with his wife Karin Bergquist, comprise OTR. I often listen to Linford's solo piano albums while I work at home and/or during a quiet reflection.


****
Hmmm. An unspoken request...

Yesterday, I saw my estranged brother and his family. Luckily, I had a sibling-husband-nephews-buffer. My parents were present as well. I haven't been beside my two brothers since my wedding. SIX years ago. I was a tad bit anxious. :) Family can be a complicated relationship. Three vehicles met in small-town Wisconsin. We rode a vintage trolley, went to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and walked around the summer camp my brothers and I attended as children. I wish things were different, but they are what they are. It was a tiny step forward.

Needless to say, it was a lloonnggg Labor Day weekend.

She & Him

I listened to a Sound Opinions podcast last night. They interviewed She & Him- Zooey Deschanel + M. Ward. Deschanel stars in the summer indie hit, "500 Days of Summer" {loved the film}. This music video is sooo weird!


****
Brad and I explored Goodwill yesterday, prior to a family gathering. He found some interesting things for a few altered book projects. 59 cents each. And two ugly canvases to paint over and/or within the original painting. We now have four such canvases in our art studio... ready to be transformed.


I'm a fan the children’s book illustrator, Eloise Wilkin. I found one of her Little Golden Books yesterday, "Prayers for Children." Amazon is selling it for $3.99 or more; I found it for 59 cents {hardcover}.

I think it was a pretty successful Goodwill excursion.

L + B

It's a cooler than normal evening in Chicago and I'm sipping hot tea. There's an October-like chill coming in through the windows.

Weird + lovely...

Brad is going on a church retreat tomorrow and I have high hopes that I'll check a few projects off my list. One of which is to make some note cards using this tutorial. Oh, and did you spy that pretty package??

She made it! Thank you for thinking of me, Vana. You're so sweet... xoxo. And thanks for the call this afternoon- I enjoyed our friendly chat. I'm excited for your future {artsy} ventures. This gal is mighty talented.

Country Caravan

This song seems fitting for a road trip post. Brad + I drove down to Nashville, TN with our friends, Jenn and little Rin. They were in town visiting family.



WE... Had a picnic lunch break in Columbus, Indiana.
{First Christian Church ~designed by Eliel Saarinen}
LOVE this building. I even mentioned it in my very first blog post.



Explored parts of Downtown Nashville.



Played with little Rin. Ah, I miss that happy boy...



Brad and I went to a movie {loved it!} and walked around the Opryland Hotel.



Toured the Frist Center for the Visual Arts {beautiful building!} and made art. The Chuck Close exhibit was fascinating.


Checked out our friends' living arrangements.
{Joah + Candace's take on "American Gothic"}



And we spent a good deal of time catching up on each other's lives. We've known one another for about ten years now...
****
On the way home, Brad + I visited Fort Massac State Park. Several years ago, I worked at an architecture firm in downtown Chicago- as part of my degree requirements. I supported the project manager of the Fort Massac reconstruction project. However, I came in quite late to the project and never actually visited the site. The story of the fort is rather interesting but the park itself was a little bit of a let down. I had it pictured in my mind to be much grander... oh well.

Music, babies... and a compost bin

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

On Friday night, Brad + I hosted dinner with a couple that lives around the corner from us. We met at our little neighborhood church and spent hours talking and listening to music. Melissa is having their first child early next year. An earlier rain cooled things off a bit.. as we chatted with the windows wide open.

Saturday welcomed us with her hot + humid wake-up call. ugh. We picked up that free compost bin Saturday afternoon {Finally. Get it together Dept. of the Environment} Pick-ups were scheduled at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. If you're in the area, I would suggest checking out the facility. That is, if you can actually locate the building; it's in a funky location. It's a decent resource for all things under the umbrella of environmental stewardship.

Later that night, Brad + I met up with a college buddy and his wife to see Fleet Foxes. Jayson's caption: @ the Metro, about to see the Fleet Foxes. Also, sweating profusely because it was 157 degrees in there. No joke. Amazing band but the intense humidity was a little too much for me. Let's see... water or crappy beer? Hmmm.

Yesterday, I attended my sister-in-law's baby shower. I wrapped up a few freezer paper stenciling projects. Oh, and Racquel recently opened up an Etsy shop. We had Sunday dinner with my husband's folks and grandparents. On the menu: typical Midwestern fare. Mmmm, sweet corn.

Did you have an enjoyable summer weekend??

{tickets}

We bought ourselves a gift over the weekend.
Happy Birthday To Us.
him: July
her: August

Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why from Grandchildren on Vimeo.

Redmoon Theater

Last Saturday night, Brad and I went to see ONCE UPON A TIME (or the secret language of birds). It was a Redmoon Theater production at Theater On The Lake. The theater building is a Chicago Park District facility and as the name suggests, it is right beside the water. Lincoln Park is a fairly large {and fairly affluent!} neighborhood anchored by Depaul University and the Lincoln Park Zoo. The housing stock is rather lovely. Before the show started, we walked around the zoo and park grounds. I would HIGHLY recommend a Redmoon Theater production. Their set design alone is worth a ticket! Brad and I were both in awe of the intricate details of the show {amazing}.



The only downer of the show was when we lost power 45 minutes into the hour-long production! After consulting with the actors and the theater director, the show continued in the dark... with flashlights. The audience, which was relatively small, was extremely quiet. After the show ended, the audience roared with applause. It was pretty impressive, even in the dark.

Once Upon A Time has also been invited to Festival Mondial Des Theatres De Marionettes in Charleville-Mezieres Cedex this September.
****
As we journeyed back to the car, in the sprinkling rain, I noticed a lot of walkers. It seemed a little late to be involved in a fundraising walk so I asked someone what sort of organization they were walking for- Out of the Darkness Overnight National Walk. The event was organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I'm glad I asked. This is totally off topic from Redmoon, but I don't think we talk enough suicide and depression in this country. WHY is it so taboo?

Mykonos

Brad just bought Fleet Foxes' "Sun Giant" EP. I can't stop listening to it.
Stop-motion FF music video:

A state of currentness

I feel like I've been sprinting the last few days and I am finally at a walking pace. I spoke at Northwestern University last Wednesday evening. I was one of the five panelists and easily the youngest person on stage. No biggie. The panel was organized by students for students... as it turned out. I didn't see any faculty members in the audience which seemed a little odd given that we had a lot of academic and community support when Brad and I were in college. Though we did meet in the architecture department at a small institution. Hmmm. I guess NU just rolls a different way. {I did get paid- sweet!} The panel looked at the relationship of religion to the environment. I've been actively pondering the notion of {community development/ sustainability} consulting work and I've been testing the waters a bit... so to speak.

The very next morning, after I dropped my kiddos off at school, I made a mad dash to catch the train downtown. And then hopped on a bus to the Cathedral District of Chicago. I sat in on a 3-hour Diocesan Sustainability Task Force meeting... and then made the reverse trip. After our usual homework routine, I took my nanny kiddos' back to school for this International Students Festival. I zoned out in the hot, stuffy classroom as they "learned" Korean, listened to Arabic music and had multicultural snacks. Wwaayy too much running around. Friday was intentionally much more relaxing. On Saturday, Brad helped his brother teardown his garage.
I went to a baby shower for an old college roommate. It seems like we went through a ~wave~ of weddings... and now everyone is having babies. :)
****
Sunday. The Chicago Green Festival. I had a free ticket and Brad stayed home to do some fine art painting in our sun room/ studio. It was a beautiful day in Chicago! What better way to spend the day then take a subway ride, TWO bus rides {1 being a Sunday weekend shuttle. what?} and walking around Navy Pier for 2-3 hours?!! To Brad: good choice- ha!
I kid, I kid (sorta). The festival was HUGE. Isn't it ironic that the hippie-dippy types spent hours indoors? I walked briskly, grabbed some literature, free sustainable swag... and called it a day. I relaxed on the {touristy} pier and watched the boats. I have mixed reviews on the festival- overall I thought it was just okay. It seemed more marketplace ($$) than workshops.

As soon as you entered the massive room, you saw those artsy folks in the collage above. They reminded me of actors from the Redmoon Theater company in Chicago.