frecklefeather

Last spring when I was getting over the brunt of my bizarro sick period, one of my best friends in the whole world asked if he could photograph me for a class. I persisted at first, but eventually relented (he has a mysterious way of changing my mind, no matter how odd the request). So it happened. and he let me keep all the photos he took, but since then they’ve just been gathering virtual dust in a forgotten iphoto album. For whatever reason (mainly because I just finished organizing my photo collection) I felt that maybe this year, they should be unveiled. if nothing else, they remind me of spring, of childhood adventures in the woods and of emerging from the dark place I was in just shortly before they were taken.

it’s incredible what a grassy field, a favorite summer dress, and a perfectly cloudy day can do for your soul. 

and come on, there is just something about dandelions. i used to pick a bouquet of them, grip them so tightly that i would practically crush them, and then run into the house grinning wildly as I proudly handed them over to my mom. and she was the best: even after her hundredth arrangement, she would tell me how beautiful they were and immediately situate them in a vase of water. 

they all remind me that no matter how dark a period, there is a penetrating, internal light that keeps us moving forward, moving towards the end of another tumultuous tunnel of life. 

on the hunt for punchy prints to disperse along new apartment walls. 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

oh where to begin. many many exciting things in the works at the moment.  for one, i found my dream apartment. it sits on an idyllic tree-lined street in an old brick building from the late 20s. with original hardwood floors throughout and old kitschy black and white square tiling in the kitchen and bathroom, its like stepping back in time to one of the coolest decades in history. it has great windows in every room that pour light like milk across the floor, and built in shelving and storage waiting to be crammed with books and pantry goods. but i’ll quit the real estate agent spiel. let’s just say that searching for apartments is a kind of like finding a good pair of jeans (impossible and unforgiving), and this one fit like a glove as soon as i walked in the door. 

as soon as i stepped inside i envisioned a mod scandinavian-style couch in the living area, an antique turntable in the corner with piles of vintage and contemporary vinyl for weekend dance parties, a bright woven floor rug, and a coffee table covered with art books, kinfolk issues, new yorkers, and literary magazines. i saw teacups and matching saucers scattered about, and piles of chunky blankets crammed in corners. i saw a gallery wall with eclectic/vintage prints, a little dinette table with mix-matched chairs, and big mason jars filled with local honey, grains, and homemade granolas. i saw an easel and canvas permanently set up in the natural light, and a spot for daily yoga. 

i truly can’t wait to set up camp and begin making a home for myself.

when i walked on those worn wood floors I felt a life beneath them. I felt stories that needed to be made, and thoughts that needed to be unravelled. and that’s what i think it should feel like when buying any kind of home.  

i’ve always wanted to experience living alone, because i think it’s so crucial to finding solidity within myself. closing in on year 22 is kind of a lot to handle sometimes. I feel youth slipping away, and adulthood knocking on the door. but i think these transitional years of your 20s are ones you absolutely have to hold on to. so i’ve been trying my best to soak in all it means to be at the age i am. 

right now it means appreciating blue skied days, breakfast in bed, frozen yogurt runs, trader joes wine and independent movie dates. puppy cuddles, porch reading, and first friday art walks. 

it means sitting within rows of books at the library, scouring thrift stores, making homemade pizzas, and doing yoga at sunrise. 

i’m sitting at the cusp of my intellectual development (at least in an academic sense) and i want to truly take hold of that this next year. friday was my last day of senior year. not graduation day quite yet, but as far as i’m concerned, that’s for good reason. there are so many avenues in my life that have yet to be untangled, and i can’t wait to begin exploring them. in order to do so I need to be prepared emotionally and professionally, and i’m going to be doing everything I can to get there. 

[interwoven above are various photos of life over the past couple of weeks]

in honor of earth day, i thought it would be fitting to talk about some of the ways I stay conscious about my carbon footprint and the health of the environment in general.

it’s oh so important, and it’s something I wish I was more directly involved with in the community. If you want/need any sort of information/persuasion about why this issue is not only “trendy” but also incredibly critical, I recommend renting Chasing Ice (a beautiful and informative documentary) and/or checking out the r/environment sub-reddit.

Personally, I find it challenging (at my age and income-level) to truly go full throttle in terms of the “go green” campaign. For example, I can’t exactly go out and buy a Nissan leaf or put solar panels on my apartment building, but I have found a few ways to be a small part of the cause. 

1. My Camelbak. I really can’t remember the last time I purchased a plastic waterbottle. and according to this national geographic article, that’s for good reason. 

2. Thrift shopping. Especially at the Black Market. Which is an awesome second hand store that majorly reduces the amount of plastic bags in circulation by simply making reusable ones out of old t-shirts. Plus, you can usually get either vintage or completely one of a kind merchandise. 

3. lunchskins aka reusable ziplock bags. I stuff these babies with homemade trail mix, fresh fruit, and sandwich creations on a daily basis. Best part about them: they can go right in the dishwasher. (you can find them at target)

4. Green cleaning products: like this toilet cleaner, and all of these multi-purpose cleaners . Recently, I’ve also been looking into making my own chemical-free cleaners, via this and this. 

5. Recycling. (especially plastic, aluminum, and glass)

 6. Buying local and supporting restaurants that use regional suppliers. Honest Abes is one of my new favorites. 

7. Staying informed and educated about all the latest in environmental law and otherwise! 

This is a small list compared to many, but I am continually coming up with new ways to do my part. happy earth day! 

things i love: collage art that somehow mashes 90s prom photos, renaissance art, and reptile parts to create a wonderfully/strangely cohesive thing. the odd juxtapositions that spanish artist ernesto artillo exhibits in his newest work is seriously killing it for me.

Interning at the Sheldon has allowed me to experience art in an entirely new way. Although my time is mainly spent corralling artist files, and scouring art books, I am constantly surrounded by both widely known and local artwork. 

That moment when they unveil a new piece, and break it away from it’s large wood casing, always takes my breath away.  

i know, i know. i am totally nerding out right now. but stuff like this is the reason art fascinates me exponentially. It’s also what makes me wonder if a career in the art world might be my ticket to professional happiness.

i’ve decided making online mixtapes is my favorite thing of all time. not only does it give me a chance to sort through my 3,000+ song collection on itunes  (chalk it up to high school enthusiasm), but it is also strangely empowering. 

this one is for floating. for tea drinking. and for day-napping. 

listen & enjoy. 

http://8tracks.com/lindseyjoanmac/float-on 

(Source: ssaabbiinnaa, via thursdaywithcoffee)

Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet 

seriously considering hospitalizing myself this week due to depleted energy levels and nonexistent creative juices. i have become a living oxymoron: surviving on copious amounts of coffee and the snooze button. so tired, yet so highly caffeinated. just a typical case of the januaries.

oh the joys of winter break. finally finding time to sift through forgotten new yorker issues, russo’s best american short story picks (2010 edition), and some recent additions to my iBook shelf (the ENTIRE lemony snicket series to be exact…and yes i’m pretty sure i just became 12 again). so many documentaries (wasteland, exit through the giftshop, cave of forgotten dreams), miscellaneous 30’s movies (hitchcock’s early works, groucho marx gems, obnoxious monster films), and all the upcoming academy award contenders to watch. All before these weeks dissipate into piles of soggy leftovers and pudgier-than-before bellies. But until then, I plan to drink wine by the fire, stuff my face with sugar and carbs and enjoy a few sweet weeks of life sans homework.

oh, and just because i like creating gift wish lists… 

1. imogene + willie gas station coffee

2. sablés croquants lait bar

3.  recipe cards

4. egg white facial soap

5. honey tobacco votives

6. prince vladimir kusmi tea

it’s finals week ya’ll. (not sure why i thought southern slang was necessary, maybe because i am delusional from frying/using my brain all weekend). anyway, it is indeed finals week. (Shakespearean-esque seems to work better…considering)

20 pages. 2 exams. 3 days.

finals week is a time where you begin to question your sanity. as well as your ability to restrain from watching trashy cable tv (especially weird MTV shows about internet relationships), creeping up on other bloggers lives, and scouring social networking portals. oh and there is lots of coffee involved. probably a few gallons of coffee, I would say. so i feel for all the collegiate sufferers out there, let us unite in our angst! but you see, i’m already failing, because i’m sitting on tumblr which would classify under number 3 on my list of what not to do during finals week….

I want to be wearing this…

eating this…

here.

having one of those “i’ve had 5 cups of coffee and i still can’t get out of bed” days

aand the finals week blues continue as I realize I would give up gummy bears, madmen, and my right arm if i could spend the next two weeks in any one of these places.

on a more upbeat note, I might have an internship lined up for next semester!…toss in an impromptu, end-of-december trip to park city and i just might be on the verge of real, honest-to-god happiness. but really. a fireplace and a pile of books is going to do me a whole lot of good.