A friend of mine struts her stuff on etsy!

Check out this gorgeous pendant made by my friend for her new etsy shop: margotclaire!


I am so happy she's decided to put some of her creative pursuits online. I knew her as a painter, and as a fun, creative, multi-talented friend. Hooray for Margot! I WANT ONE!

-Papermoon

My friend Tim, on Design*Sponge.

My friend Tim is famous.

Tim Mazurek was dazzling through his MFA while I was finishing up my undergrad art career at Northwestern. Despite my being a boring, Catholic, conservative, Tim was always very nice to me and I enjoyed every shared class with him immensely. As I recall, we met in my Installation Art class, for which he was a TA. (A great TA.) My 'art friends' (we called our clique 'the knitting club') and I all latched on to him and he somehow managed not to act annoyed.

I digress. Tim has an outstanding blog! Lottie + Doof has long graced my 'lovely things' side bar, and I ogle his photos daily. He has been picked up by Time Out Chicago, Refinery 29, apartment therapy, the kitchn, good bite, and Pioneer Woman. And today he made it onto one of my all-time favorites, Design*Sponge! It's no wonder, considering his organic, fresh choices are so enticingly displayed courtesy of his photography skills. The work of an artist, indeed.

I couldn't be happier for Tim. And I couldn't feel hipper for knowing him.

Check out Lottie + Doof here: Lottie + Doof
See Tim's artwork here: Tim Mazurek

-Papermoon

Modern Wing, Moving Things.

So busy...

I spent a lovely day luxuriating in the summery weather with friends today. I have been biding my time lately in my apartment, dutifully packing like a droid until I have a compelling enough reason to allow myself a break from the box-filling. Today's reasons took up almost the whole day: First, I had to go out and get some dishwashing soap. Then, I just had to go out and see the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute. These things are necessities!

The walk over to the museum was sunny and cheerful, and I am happy to say the Wing itself did not disappoint, either. I couldn't take pictures, so I stole a few from the web.

I especially loved this view–

I was pleasantly reminded of the stairway in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (Cph, DK).

See the resemblance?

Of course, my inner conflict raged over most of the artwork. But, no matter; a lot of it was fairly stimulating. I do like Gerhard Richter, who had quite a few pieces displayed.


I also enjoyed the Giacometti sculptures (as always), some interesting architectural and design works, and some very large Cy Twombly paintings. However, my friends and I agreed that poor Twombly would do better to decline interviews; what quotes he had made him sound like a colossal idiot. Nonetheless, I love this particular peony painting:


It's a year of loving red, for me.

We ate lunch at the Intelligentsia over on Jackson, and let it be known that their panini sandwiches– fresh from Southport Grocery– are utterly perfect. I am still full from lunch. No joke. And all of this loveliness was topped off by a seasonably early-in-the-day gin and tonic, after which I handed off the remainder of my gin to these friends of mine, said some goodbyes, and proceeded to the packing.

Tonight's box themes? Sewing notions, books, plates and cooking tools, and my lovely set of eight white bowls, in eight of the most necessary sizes.

(To elaborate on that last point, these white bowls give me some kind of unnatural pleasure. I think they are perfect. They are by Gibson "White Elements" and I think everyone in the world should own them. So beautiful. And so nice to only have one of each size, when I am so used to having a set of everything. I never take these eight individuals for granted. They were the only things I enjoyed packing today. Lovingly nesting them in their original box, I really felt rich.)


After all of that, I am exhausted. Tomorrow's goals: managing to keep myself "zenned out" (as my Papa might say) enough not to stress over the boxes fitting in my car this weekend, and finishing most of the food in my fridge and cupboard. Wish me luck!

Oh Chicago... you are fast slipping away from me!

-Papermoon

my plan for jan!

january, that is.

you see, while i have been back here at my parents', there has been something on my mind about my apartment back in chicago. (besides my roomie, of course!) you would think it might be something sensible... worries over the bills, or figuring out a way to solve the problem of my cupboards getting so warm when we use the microwave, or something like that.

but no.

i just can't stop thinking of what to do with all the plastic bags we have collected.

it's not even a 'green' issue. i just keep thinking that there are endless possibilities for crafting, and it's hard to decide what to go with...

should i make a rug? a purse? 'yarn'? a kite? endless numbers of little men with parachutes? a sculpture?

but today, i think i have found an answer, via MAKEzine.com:



this video is awesome. even if i don't go the route of making a messenger bag, i will be using this chick's plastic-making trick asap. and look how awesome those black garbage bags look!!! possibilities fill my brain: rain hats...shoe covers... plastic covered notebooks(!)

i am so pumped.

i'm back!

well!
it was about as much of a relief as a loved one leaving the hospital in good repair...
yes, my laptop is back to me!

if i tried to post about everything at once this would go on forever. i think i will just take it as the mood strikes in the next few days, blogging perhaps more than once a day. i will begin catching up with a few pictures from the class i recently taught at galaxie--'sweet sculpture' again, but this time we went the route of baked goods. the kids were outrageously creative!!! i brought in some 'cupcakes', 'cookies', and an 'ice cream cone' and they took off on those examples with 'donuts', 'gum', 'hershey kisses' and all kinds of modifications on my original ideas. it was great.





on another note, as i mentioned in the last post, i have been going through books with the vigor of a kid eating halloween candy. (unfortunately for my teeth, i have also been going through halloween candy with the vigor of a girl reading books.)

i adore c.s. lewis!

more to come, off to make (or re-warm yesterday's?) dinner!

-papermoon