2 cool (but dated) videos

I know this is kind of outdated, but I was just reading an article in the January 2011 edition of Wired, and it mentioned two pretty great videos that we watched last night:

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers:


and JJ Abrams' "mystery box" TED talk from 2008:


...I need to blog more. :)

xo

i think i'm in love

I know there are tons of amazing bookshelves out there, but here are a few that I came across (while looking for an image) which I just adore:

Available from Katz

Created by Ron Arad

I've always had a weakness for floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

Found at this site.

Books can truly be the heartbeat of someone's life. Like mine...heh.

This one just looks so cozy...surrounded by books! Available from this seller.

Oh my gosh, I kept finding more and more and more that I loved! But I couldn't make this post that long, so I'll stop here. Hope you enjoy...and are inspired! :)

xo

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge

Oh, I am SO on this:

...But, for right now, I am exhausted and I need to go lie down.

xo

Detroit in ruins

Found via FlaxenTawney, this is a breathtaking collection of gorgeous images of the ruins of Detroit.  What I love most is the speculation about why things - buildings, dental equipment, a grand piano, an entire beautiful train station - would simply be abandoned.  It looks in some cases as if one day everyone just walked out (or fled), leaving everything just as it had been during everyday use.  I love imagining the stories behind some of the photographs...although I am sure they're not nearly as glamorous as I'd like to think.  I'll bet it's more got to do with finance and politics and all that way-less-exciting stuff that is often beyond me - but that would be the frustrating cause behind stunning ruins like the ones pictured.

(I wanted to include a copy of one of the images, but I'm not sure about fun copyright laws, and since the Guardian is kind of a Big Deal, I figured I'll leave it as a link...hah.)

my own set of intentions

 I'm currently participating in a Mystery Sock Knit-Along using this gorgeous yarn I purchased several years ago at the MA Sheep & Woolcraft Festival.  (It's Damselfly Yarns in Tequila Sunrise.)

Although I'm not usually big on New Year's resolutions (or really even all that into the holiday - it just feels like another day, to me), I've been reading a lot of others' blog posts on the topic and been inspired, so I figured I'd join in on the fun. :) Besides, it'll be nice to be able to look back at this list at the end of the year & see how far I've come (or not) on my list of intended changes (which, I suppose, is after all the point of resolutions! heh).

In any case, here are some of my thoughts (I'll add to this over the next few days as I think of things) -

• write more snail mail (I've already started to do that)
• knit from my stash ONLY unless I have presents which require a certain yarn
• walk the dog for at least 20 minutes a day
• read at least 50 books (I hit 46 this past year while swamped with school, so this should be feasible)
• get back into watching more movies! (Netflix at least one movie or TV show a week)
• create a budget & actually adhere to it
• GET A JOB!!! (hopefully a library one, but anything will do at this point...sigh)
• start school projects earlier
• cull & improve my wardrobe (I need to stop dressing like I'm 16...) 
• stay on top of emails! (try to keep <100 in my inbox...)
• clean a lot more STUFF out of my life...not sure how to measure this yet - I just am certainly noticing it as I'm moving my stuff and wondering why I think I need to have so many things!!
• blog more? - I want to, for sure, but I feel as if I don't have much to write about!

Like I said, I'll edit this a bit as ideas occur to me...just trying to get my bearings here, for now. :)
xoxo

long overdue

So I'm in the process of redesigning my blog, so that it doesn't look like it belongs in 2005 (which I believe was the last time I touched the design). It's amazing all the options that are out there these days! (Haha - I sound like an old fogy.)

Speaking of design, I am particularly proud of my new librarianship site: librarianna. Okay, so I didn't do all the design myself, but I LOVE the background (it came with) and I am pround of my cool banner. Haha, I'm such a dork.

Okay, REALLY, going to go do work now. Like, actual productive work.
xo

mid-December already?!

Found this solid lotion snowflake on etsy & thought it was neat! Check it out here
Phew, where DOES the time go?? And I just found out yesterday that I get no Christmas break whatsoever, UGH. Basically, I just finished up my work on the 15th, and I thought that my winter/intersession course didn't start until January 2...officially, it doesn't. But my professor is starting YESTERDAY. And from what I can see of her still somewhat spotty syllabus (I keep hoping she's going to reschedule things, because it currently still looks like a draft), I have assignments due on December 20th and 27th. Whoo - merry Christmas to ME.

Anyway. I also just read this story on Fringe, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it. Not a big short story person, but something struck a chord, and I thought it was really well written. Since I myself have successfully avoided getting back into writing for years now (grr), I figure the least I can do to support the art is to share a good story. :)

I have to get back to other stuff...I am trying to get some Christmas knitting done, and I WAS working on finishing up my textbooks from this past semester, but it looks like those will have to be put on hold so I can get started on my super intensive winter class. Blah.

This weekend, I'm going to go see It's a Wonderful Life with my godmother; it's her all-time favorite movie, and she knows it by heart. When I saw it was playing here on the big screen, I just couldn't resist calling her & inviting her out for a movie!

Also this weekend is my friend Jenn's big winter craft/art/music event, the Snowball, at which I will be volunteering on Sunday. And Saturday night brings my "wifey" Tanya's holiday party, which is conveniently right down the hall from my apartment in Bristol!

Whew, sounds like a busy weekend now that I put it all down on paper. Tonight? A new knitting group at the Enfield Public Library (yay, I get to see another library) and then my friend's band plays at the Hessian Lion.

I did not mean to make this post so long! Oy. Anyway, I hope YOU all have a wonderful weekend! xo

the home stretch

This semester has been so overwhelming. I cannot believe it's coming to a close. I've learned SO much, and while it's been stressful at times, it's been so worth it. I just hope I did all right! But, for now, there's nothing I can do. Assignments have been turned in, and I'm just now catching up on some of the readings I didn't get around to when I was super swamped. Luckily, there isn't actually that much - this may be the first time EVER that I have finished an entire textbook before the conclusion of a semester! But I've still got 2 others that I need to read a few more chapters in. I wanna do that before I lose my momentum, and get all caught up in actually getting to do leisure activities, such as reading a novel (!), watching some Netflix Instant Watch, and playing WoW. :)

This is all about next week, though - I still have one more class to finish up! Luckily, even though the library science school ends it semester extremely early (most people I know were done with their classwork last week), this one class isn't officially over until the 15th, so it was nice that I got to knock off my other classwork and now have a "leisurely" week in which to finish up the materials I'll be submitting for review. This was one of my favorite library science classes: Digital Archiving. We are working on creating museum-style archival exhibits for the amazing project that is VOICES of September 11, which made for a very emotional but really fulfilling course. Additionally, I got to use some of my mad computer skillz (yes, with a "z") in the class; I hadn't realized how much I'd missed tinkering around with database code!

Anyway...I oughta get back to the work, now - just wanted to check in & say hi. Perhaps more soon...when I'm DONE!

xoxo