Hi, friends.  Like a terrible editor, I got sucked into a hole of moving, traveling, and singing “Just Like Heaven” more times than you can imagine.  ABOVE IS AN ALMOST-COMPLETELY-ENCOMPASSING-AGGLOMERATION OF WHAT I HAVE DONE DURING OUR SEPARATION.

1.  When we last met, I confessed a profound desire to throw a Johnny Weir party.  My adoration has not dissipated, and has unquestionably intensified. Especially since I discovered that we get Sundance channel at home!  Therefore, I can watch as much Be Good Johnny Weir as I want (until a certain roommate wants to watch Say Yes to the Dress).  The show chronicles Johnny’s skating adventures leading up to the Winter Olympics, and will provoke you to shed tears of sorrow over not being best friends with Johnny Weir.  Prancing around in fur hats?! Bubble baths with wigs?!  If I haven’t convinced you yet, below is a teaser:

Oh, and PS.  I am currently watching Pop Star on Ice, an hour and a half documentary on Johnny Weir, AND, I’m going to see him perform Bad Romance live this week.  WIN-WIN.

2. Titus Andronicus recently released an epic second album, The Monitor, a cohesive collection of jangly, danceable punk songs with clever references and battle cries.  I love battle cries, and the album makes me wish I was from Jersey. Furthermore, I have the attention span of a chipmunk.  Despite this, I gleefully consume The Monitor (whose songs mostly exceed 5 minutes).  They’re really nice guys who deserve all the album praise they’ve been getting (an unrelated fact that acknowledges I am biased).  ANOTHER VIDEO:
A More Perfect Union

Titus Andronicus | MySpace Music Videos

3. While in NYC, I ate the most delicious cookie I had ever eaten.  I’ve ingested many cookies, but all of them are now inferior to the magical Levain cookies.  Various fortuitous events led to my introduction to Levain.  My sister and brother in law saw Rocco DiSpirito mention his love for Levain on the Food Network + I was a block away from the bakery.  The cookies are perfection: they are warm and gooey inside, but slightly crispy on the outside.  It’s unfortunate that I don’t live in NYC, and cannot afford to have them FedEx’d to Chicago.  This copycat recipe for the chocolate chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, however, is pretty good.

4. Have you ever eaten a sour patch kid, and thought, “self. I wish this was a vitamin.”  I have trouble remembering to eat my vitamins, but not when I have One-A-Day VitaCraves Sour Gummies.

5.  A couple of weeks ago, She & Him released Volume 2, a breezy follow-up to Volume 1.  I have mostly positive feelings towards She & Him.  Zooey always wears nice frocks, a fact that should have no influence on whether I like She & Him, but…it is a factor.  Beyond the frocks, my greatest criticism regarding Volume 1 is Zooey’s chalkboard screeching voice pings.  Example: the high notes in “Sentimental Heart.”  Not cute Joanna Newsom screeches.  Volume 2 is much stronger, and a great way to herald the arrival of Spring (sort of…it’s still cold in Chicago).  I especially enjoy their cover of “Gonna Get Along Without You Now.”ALSO THERE IS THIS CUTE VIDEO, WHICH MAKES ME EXTRA EXCITED FOR MY FUTURE BALTIMORE BAND AND DANCE NUMBERS:

6. I’ve been watching a few excellent TV dramas, oddly all related to drug trafficking.  Whereas watching The Wire is partly educational for my future move to Baltimore, Breaking Bad satisfies my curiosity regarding what it would be like if an accomplished science teacher cooked meth.  This curiosity stems from college organic chemistry lab, where the teacher schooled us in lab technique, and our fate depended on purity and yield.  Breaking Bad is amazingly engaging and well-written.  It’s intriguing to witness the character progression of Walt, the science teacher who cooks meth (and has lung cancer…and has a son with cerebal paulsy…and he’s poor because he’s a middle school teacher).  His thirst for power consumes his initial apprehension, and meth cooking grants him courage that he had never been bold enough to exercise prior to cooking meth.

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When you are unemployed, or just trying to go green, it’s important to remember to the second of the 3 R’s: Reuse. In order to use up some scraps I had lying around my “studio,” I decided to make them into a sketchbook and thought I’d share with everyone how I did it.

Materials:

1. Scissors or X-acto Knife/Ruler
2. 10-12 sheets of Letter-sized paper (I used paper from my recycling bin that had only been printed on one side.)
3. Scraps of chip board or matboard
4. Old file-folders or card stock
5. Spray-mount or rubber cement
6. Old wrapping paper or wallpaper, etc for the cover

Step 1: Fold Your Paper
If using paper with printing/writing on one side like I did, fold it in half like a hamburger so that the clean side is to the outside. Stack all of your sheets together with the folded edges to the same side.

Step 2: Cut Your Covers
I used old matboard that I had lying around, but you could also use something flimsier. (If you go thicker, it will be too hard to bind…) Since my inside pages were 5.5 x 8.5″, I cut my covers to be 5.75 x 8.75″ to give 1/8″ border on the top/bottom edges when bound.

Step 3: Cover Your Cover
Laying your front cover down on your decorative paper (I used left-over Adhesive Wrapping Paper I had lying around from a press kit I developed for Hallmark), trace the cover of your book and leave about 1/4″ to wrap around the edges. Cut it out. Then, with your heavy cover centered on your decorative paper, cut a triangle off at each corner like so:

Spray adhesive to one side of your heavy cover and to the reverse side of your decorative paper. Center the two adhesive sides together and wrap the decorative paper’s edges around the cover as such:

Step 4: Cut Out and Adhere the Endpaper
Use your back cover to trace out an endpaper on the old file folder.

Spray with spray adhesive and mount on inside of front cover. This should ensure your decorative paper doesn’t come unattached.

Step 5: Bind Your Notebook/Sketchbook
Stack your book pieces together in this order: back cover, folded paper, front cover. The open ends of the folded paper should all line up on the edge that is spiral bound. Either take to Kinko’s or bind by hand: I prefer a wire coil as such:

Step 5: Use Your Book
Not sure what to do with it? Might I suggest referring to UE Project 1 and 3 (Make a Portrait of a Portrait and Make a Portrait of Your Bookshelf) for starting points?

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1. Learn to Crochet! Not only will a home-made blanket keep you warm when you can’t pay the heating bills anymore, but you can also create cute little amigurumi like these 2 Peas in a Pod found on Lion Brand Yarns. They have a ton of other free patterns like this one along with easy instructions if you want to learn.
2. Take a Class! Further your education with free, educational podcasts from iTunesU. Might I recommend SVA’s Designer As Author Lecture series? Or perhaps Dr. Joseph Hughes’ class on Classical Mythology from my alma mater, Missouri State? (Trust me, he’s hilarious!)
3. Start a Sketchbook! Never felt like you had the time to draw? Now you do! So grab that sketchbook, set up a table in a cafe, and get sketching! (Just be sure to bring enough change for a coffee…if you can still afford such luxuries…) Then, be sure to post the results on Urban Sketchers.
4. Start Exercising! To elaborate on Maria’s point about libraries, many have videos you can check out for free. I grabbed a couple of pilates videos since I no longer can go to the classes offered by my old job.
5. Save Pushing Daisies! Missing your favorite show? Now you have loads of time to pester tv network executives to bring back Pushing Daisies! Don’t know where to start? On my personal blog, I hunted down a few of the online petitions, etc., you can sign.

**Font used above is Birra Stout by Darden Studio

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Saucony Jazz sneakers – I’ve never owned Saucony sneakers, or worn sneakers with thumb-size soles.  The soles honestly frighten me.  I’m already not very graceful, and I forsee a lot of awkward plummets.  I like these sneakers, though, and I’m going to test them out/power through the gigantic soles.

Imperfect Articles T-shirt (Mine is by Rob Davis and Michael Langlois) – This is the best T-shirt I have ever owned.  Based in Chicago, Imperfect Articles is an exceptional shirt company that amalgamates fine art and fashion.  The shirts feature the designs of upcoming and established artists, and are incredibly limited edition (only 30-50 pressings!!!).  Given that each shirt is hand-dyed, screen-printed, and numbered, these shirts are truly works of art.  I love how each shirt has a background story and is so unique.  The work on my shirt (19/50!) is Teenagers from Mars, which features the lyrics to the Misfits song “Teenagers from Mars” in ARABIC!

Tea Forte – I’ve always admired the design of Tea Forte bags.  They’re too perfect!

The Forever War by Dexter Filkins – Ever since my nectar-sweet friend Tina told me about Dexter Filkins, I’ve wanted to read The Forever War.  Not only did I receive a copy, but it is signed by Dexter Filkins!  And he wishes me good luck in the future.  At the pace I’m going, I need a lot of luck.  VERDICT: this is a wonderful gift.

Saraid Oxford by Jeffrey Campbell - My first pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes!  I have a wee penchant for Jeffrey Campbell shoes, because they are really neat.  The designs are impeccably detailed and fun.  One of my closest friends wore a splendid pair at graduation, which provoked me to more seriously consider getting a pair.  I’m not sure where you can get mine, but I’ve provided a link of the shoes in black & white.

DeLonghi Espresso machine – I used to be a barista, and one of my favorite aspects of the job was the opportunity to practice making latte designs.  I’m rather excited about this espresso machine, however, I’ve already invested a few hours in trying to figure it out, only leading to my FAILURE.  I’m horrible at reading directions.  In this particular case, when I start reading, I get too excited and can’t focus on the directions!

Snowshowers Jelly and Solid Perfume – I easily get sick of scents, but I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of Lush‘s Snowshowers.  I am currently, and forever more, obsessed with the scent.  A blend of champagne, orange, and cognac, Snowshowers is extremely refreshing!  And I’ve recently learned that Lush Jellys are great.  You can put them in the freezer to make them wobble like firm tofu, and pinch off a corner when you’re in the shower.  I am new to Lush.  I wonder if this enthusiasm is normal to a new Lush convert.

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