Blue Monday

As far a titles go this is the most unimaginative one I've had in a while.


Blu - Amnesia (Instrumental)

I had big plans for my weekend, but as per usual I spent Friday and Saturday in a hermitic state.

great concept. laughably bad edits.

While listening to Blu's entire discography, I made this quick and terrible doodle:

He's one of my favorite rappers. I couldn't stop there though! I had to think about a couple of my favorite things that also have to do with blue :-)

 Baby Blue - King Krule/Zoo Kid

Madlib - Shades of Blue (Album)

I streamed a couple new albums. Currently digging Lee's new album, "Noname", a bunch of Soul and RnB reworks. I bet it'd sound amazing on vinyl...*le sigh*

The bluish look in these pictures was unintentional. Blame wrong camera settings and sunsets :-p

Sunday, I managed to pull myself out of bed to see some of the new Living Walls murals. 

I've mentioned the event on here before, but Living Walls is maybe one of my favorite things about Atlanta. Every summer internationally known street artists come to our city and put up dozens of murals on vacant buildings and walls. There is a week long celebration with movie screenings, gallery showings, lectures, concerts, block parties, and even a bike tour! I managed to miss all of that this year (boohoo) so I did a self guided tour.

Just an aside,but I'm eternally envious of you ladies who can ride bicycles in cute clothes and seemingly not break a sweat/ get natural looking photos! After about 5 minutes my shorts felt like a tourniquet and my thighs were like, "NO. Stop."

I only got a few photos because, frankly, I was tired. Feel free to check out the gallery here and video footy here. 

The rest of my day was spent catching up on work that could have been done ages ago...

How was your weekend?

Allan Kingdom - Achilles

I listen to this song a minimum of 20 times a day. No lie.

This was supposed to go in a post I'm making, but will likely NEVER get around to publishing. Guys, pray for me (or make a blood sacrifice if that's your thing) that I will some day get my life in order and have room for fun and regularly updating this farce of a blog...

You Can Fall

Broadcast - Accidentals*
*I initially planned on posting the titular song by Broadcast, but decided it was too long for this post. 

We are having an incredibly wet summer in the south. Initially I didn't mind, as it was a reprieve from the sweltering summers I've had in the past, but now temperatures have dipped into the low 60's. Sometimes into the 50s! As a southerner I assure you this is very abnormal weather for us. I've had to break out the flannels and wool socks.

One good thing to come of this is a realization Autumn is right around the corner. I love Fall so, but I'm not quite ready to let go of my summer just yet. I even put together some things I wouldn't mind having at all this Fall, but still in step with the playful spirit of summertime.

I love Amelie, but what person with eyes and a heart doesn't amiright? I always liked the look of her clunky shoes. Don't ask me why that was the thing I focused on. I just liked the contrast with her ladylike clothing and small frame. Something about them just seemed so... off, and yet they worked with everything. Yah know?

So, I was head over heels (omg I swear I didn't plan for that pun) for these FW '12 Marni clogs that were obscenely out of my price range. But I lusted and lusted and then...

Jeffrey Campbell version (here)

Still out of my spending 'comfort zone' - items costing no more than free - if I'm honest. However, these are significantly cheaper than the originals and they have a more playful vibe than the originals. They just put a smile on my face.

I watched this Shirley Kurata video a while back, which now that I think of it is part of my inspiration for this post... In it she recommended the brand ALL KNITWEAR. Guys, yes.

Hansel From Basel socks are the cutest. I am that girl who gives socks as presents, and I would buy all of these under the pretense of gift giving and then selfishly hoard them, if I had the means. Boy, if I had the means...

Handmade Portraits: YOKOO from Etsy on Vimeo.

Funny story: I had a chance encounter with Yokoo, the owner of Yokoo, and she is one of the coolest, sweetest women I've ever met. I did the usual "So what do you do?" chat and I was floored when she showed me her shop, which I had already been following lusting after for over a year. Yokoo, features tons of beautiful knits, all of which are handmade right in my city (I had no idea)!

Okay, here the list gets a little corny. My all-time-favorite-no-contest-better-than-anything-that-was-or-ever-will-be movie, is The Fall. Get it, cause it's called "The Fall" and this post is named...That was subtle, eh? Seriously though this movie will touch your heart and fill your eyes and your mind with wonder. You don't even have a say in the matter. Once you watch this movie you will love it, and it will probably ruin you, I'm not even kidding.

ideal sitting/study room.

When I wasn't drawing or vegging out with episodes of Orange is the New Black this summer, I was reading. Not all of the books were for me, but it's always nice to read and map out ideas and characters in your head. Some books I want to read this fall (or at any point really) are:

1. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
2. If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin
3. City of Night - John Rechy
4. Women - Charles Bukowski (This guy rubbed me the wrong way when I first read his books, but Kaylah's post convinced me to give it another go.)
5. American Gods/Sandman - Neil Gaiman
6. Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamande Adiche  (I want to read her others too, but this one first!)
7. 12 Years A Slave - Solomon Northrup (I really want to read the source material before seeing the movie.)
8. Just Kids - Patti Smith
9. Dear Diary - Leslie Arfin (I still have my problems with her writing for Girls... and Girls in general, but I've wanted to read Leslie's book since my freshman year of high school. Not much has changed.)
10. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me - Mindy Kaling

So that's all. I have an idea for more frequent posts if all goes according to plan this should go into effect Friday =D

Graphic Images

Soon The New Day - Madlib

* I don't know what it is, but I find hiphop/ rap instrumentals are really soothing to draw to. If you like I could make a playlist with some of my favorites.

I tried to pool all of my energy into my comic today. It's almost done! Its been I while since I've conceived an idea and seen it through to the end. Oh my god, it's exhausting, but very rewarding. It would've been done sooner had I not taken so many breaks.

It's not amazing, but it's mine, yah know? It was a very therapeutic process and even though this is very personal I'm hoping others will enjoy it! Here is a sneeeeak peak at some of the stuff that'll be in the booklet/comic/zine/manifesto (too much?).

I'm too tired to beautify it, but you get the gist? There will be more pictures when I'm finished/done obsessing over irrelevant details :). I'm also working on including a little something extra special for those who purchase the book.

See yah soon!

Cool Beans? Cool Beans.

Nara Leao - Meditacao

This is a post I've started dozen times in my head. It has no rhyme or reason. Even now, I'm just staring at the cursor blink on the screen, hoping the words will just write themselves. Without my computer, I am unable to goof off on the internet like usual, so I've been writing alot. I know none of it's any good, but it's helping me get my thoughts in order. Get myself in order.

Before my computer broke down I was listening to alot of Bossa Nova. Nara Leao and Astrud Gilberto, the usual suspects. It's not music I would have expected myself to like at this age. It's funny, sometimes I imagine myself something like a 60'ish divorcee because of my habits/ mannerisms. Other times, I'll have regressed to preschool aged antics. I'm too obsessed with being 'cool', something it's obvious I'll never be or truly understand for that matter.
Trying to overcome my fear of: people. talking. trying.

Shirin Neshat may be my new favorite director/visual artist. Her films are so lush and metered and purposeful(?) I mean I have room enough for her and Steve McQueen in my heart, but it's been a while since I've been left speechless by a film. I love her speaking voice and how assured she is - as she should be - about her work. I love how her eye makeup looks like smeared coal swiped under her lids like a pharaoh. I love how her work talks about something greater than waif thin blond girls staring off into the distance with a nice soundtrack and cute wardrobes and annoying voice-overs masquerading as some shit about the "human condition" (I mean sometimes those are nice, but how many movies like that do we really need?). What I mean to say is, I really like her and her films and if you have the opportunity to watch one please capitalize on that!

Anyway I have started a comic/zine called "Hey Nineteen!", after the Steely Dan song and because I am currently nineteen (so so lame). I didn't want to say anything until it was actually finished and because I have a terrible habit of not following through with stuff. Without any justifiable reason for NOT finishing it, I guess I'll just have to get on with it to keep my sanity and all. It will be sorta personal, but I was thinking of making a few copies to sell on Etsy if other people are interested...

Sometimes I just think I should stop talking/worrying so much...

This has been a post.

*computer crashed, but I'm still posting this, for reasons. If it's working in the next few days I'll try and upload more images...yah.

Sly & The Family Stone - If It Were Left Up To Me

"Be, Productive! Be! BE! PRODUCTIVE!"

I chant some variation of this to my sleep addled face in the mirror each morning, if 12:00 is still considered morning...

Believe it or not I have started and abandoned almost as many posts as I have published on this blog. I hate that this has become another "I should post more" post. I do those alot. This month though, I have pulled myself up by the bootstraps. For the first time, I have a month to do whatever I feel like. Which actually freaks me out, alot. I'm so used to constantly working and having a rigid schedule and rituals that even figuring out what to eat for breakfast is distressing.

Nia, get a grip you are 19. Live.

And live I shall dear reader. Slowly dipping my toes back into what it means to be young and carefree. Here's some life outtakes :3

click photos to enlarge

Blurry photos and chilly water at Virginia Beach.

Subtlety on the National Mall.

Rock and Mineral Stalking @ The Smithsonian

In other news I'm seriously considering purchasing Photoshop I think I've reached my limit with what I can do on MS Paint and frankly it's too laborious a process for something that should be fairly simple. In my head, Photoshop is like this magical microwave where you pop in ordinary images and they come out amazing and perfect! I'm a very visual person, and I spend alot of time on these posts/drawing/editing/painting so it sux when things don't look exactly how you thought they would even after all that effort. I'm probably the only one who cares remotely about this crap. I think doing this would be an investment especially if I end up working in a creative field (with loads of student loan debt).

So yeah, if my new shoestring budget permits I'd like a new printer/scanner, new camera, some kind of editing system blah blah blah. I need a new JOB.

If Only Out Of Vanity

So I think I'm doing this a day late which is great. I always do things at the last minute gah! I'm not even a consistent blogger/ person. Which leads me to this...Google Reader is ending so you will not be able to see my posts unless you follow with Bloglovin' or subscribe to my RSS feed or something. IDK technologyyyyy?
The best option is to click on this link and follow the directions on screen.
Bam! You now have all of your favorite blogs in one place.

Hopefully, this includes yours truly...

How do I still have people following me on this blasted site?