sunlight
There was something refreshing about this weekend. While the sudden heat made my head ache for days, I feel like some weight was lifted from my shoulders. That this constant worry that sits in the nape of my neck, prodding at me, decided to go on vacation. I hope it stays away. Perhaps the sunlight will banish it.
We ate so much sugar this weekend. Oops. Donuts and ice cream and candy bars. We also spent a lot of time outdoors, and with family. My mother gave me beautiful flowers which I almost killed the same day (they are still alive, albeit brown on the edges). We actually went to see a current movie in the theaters (The Hunger Games, if you were wondering). We go out to the movies quite a lot, but usually to see re-releases and rare prints, not usually blockbusters, unless we’re on vacation. I explored an adorable local fabric store and I also got back my childhood chair which is on it’s way to being reupholstered (that is if I can steal it back from my cats who have already claimed it as their own).
These are all tiny things, normal everyday tidbits. Yet life felt right these past few days and I’m grateful.
Fun stuff coming up this week…movie stuff! That’s another thing, with all this TV watching I’ve been doing lately (Mad Men, Game of Thrones…) I’m happy to be watching more films instead as they awaken something else inside of me that television, even good television, just doesn’t.
some kind of weekend
A holiday weekend is upon us. We usually have something planned to celebrate since I can’t resist a holiday filled with bunnies and chocolate. This year, things will be a little quieter (I won’t be making an extravagant brunch like last year). We will be gathering with family at the restaurant my grandfather would take us to every Easter to do a little remembering.
Like I said, I can’t resist bunnies, so I molded a few out of marzipan. I wish marzipan here in the states was as delicious as the stuff I’ve had from Germany. I’ve been craving sweet almond things, so perhaps these bunnies will get little almond cakes to live on.
I’m hoping maybe we’ll have the opportunity to take a few photos with this Graphlex we bought ages ago. It’s just a matter of getting the film for it. Hooray for ancient cameras. I also found a roll of black and white film that I’d like to use. What sort of photos does one take with black and white these days? It seems like only portraits are appropriate for some reason.
I’ve started down the path of renovating things in our home that have been bugging me as I mentioned. I can see now, it’s going to be a long road.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and enjoys an extra day off if you have one. Need some ideas for craft and treat projects? Here are a few from years past:
- How about some pom pom bunnies & chicks?
- You could also decorate a bunny cake
Austin food and drink
With a schedule full of film watching in Austin, I didn’t expect to do a ton of restaurant sampling. Shawn, on the other hand, plotted out the best places to go based on everyone’s recommendations. Thank goodness for a husband that balances out my movie madness, since some of the meals were not to be missed.
Possibly my favorite of the restaurants was Bouldin Creek where I had two of the most delicious breakfasts. The first, a vegan benedict, was so good I insisted we go back another day. I’m not sure exactly how they prepare their tofu, but it is amazing: seasoned and lightly coated in nutritional yeast. Their potato cakes are also worth a mention as they’re far beyond any hash brown I’ve ever had.
I was also a big fan of Veggie Heaven. In particular the tangerine mushrooms were the kind of thing I crave often. It is the sort of dish I see on a menu in many places but never lives up to what I’m imagining in my head. Yet, these saucy & perfectly breaded mushrooms were everything I hoped they would be. The steamed buns were also very good. Let’s not forget the bubble tea, it was the best.
We also happened upon this adorable place that had just opened called Hillside Farmacy. There were only a couple of vegan options on the menu, like the soup of the day, which happened to be carrot cardamom, but the interior is lovely and they have Stumptown coffee and a bar. It’s definitely worth a visit just to check out the beautiful renovation they’ve done of the space, and of course, have some coffee. I wanted to live inside this shop.
Not only does Austin have some lovely vegan friendly restaurants, there are also some very nice bars with mixed drinks I love. The drink menu and atmosphere at the East Side Show Room was by far my favorite. And of course, as I mentioned before, Austin will now be known to me as the first place I ever tried boba and subsequently fell in love with it.
Even though we’d visited Austin before, it was great to go to a completely new set of restaurants and food trucks. Can’t wait to go back and try some more.
airstream living
When we visited Austin for SXSW we decided to do something a little different in terms of lodging. By the time we looked for a place to stay, all the hotels were booked and we had to search for other options. I started perusing Airbnb, looking for anything in town, when I came across this airstream. Just looking at the photos, I was sold.
It was remodeled on the inside in a modest modern style. There was a small kitchen and a desk in the front, while the bed was tucked away cozily in the back. It was a really nice place to spend the rainy mornings of our trip.
While it isn’t someplace I’d want to live, it inspired both Shawn and I for a potential office space, or maybe a guest room. We absolutely spent a few hours researching vintage airstreams to put in the backyard of our future fantasy home.
Would you ever put an airstream in your driveway or backyard even?
wilderness
We’re back from Austin! It was such an exciting and eventful trip, but I’m glad to be home and back to work on some creative projects that have been brewing in my mind. I’ve always thought the sign of a good trip is when you return to you regular life inspired and compelled.
So much happened in the 10 days I was in Austin and I want to share some of the impressive films we saw and the wonderful places we ate and explored. That will come soon.
First though, I wanted to talk to you all (since I really see this blog as sort of a discussion place) about some themes I saw in many of the SXSW films, that I feel are pervasive in current times. I can’t tell if I notice these things because they’re on my mind or if they’re part of a bigger cultural picture.
A number of the films I saw took place in the woods. I know I wasn’t the only one to notice this. From the opening night feature Cabin in the Woods, to a number of smaller films like Pilgrim Song and Leave Me Like You Found Me, the forest becomes an integral character to the story. In these films, the woods is an incubator for fear, confrontation and self-discovery. This is not a new concept; people getting away from their everyday lives to someplace foreign and mysterious and facing the unknown or themselves. Yet, while someplace foreign could be anywhere (Spain, the desert, a mansion), many of these filmmakers chose the woods as their setting.
So the wilderness as location becomes a striking trend, and in doing so, I find myself questioning why. On one hand, you could think that these films were just the best pieces, or that the programmers curated on a theme, but perhaps its just pervasiveness of the subject matter. I know that I am personally intrigued by the forest and have always been, but more so recently than other times. This leads me to believe that this is something that others are experiencing as well. What is the draw? Is it a desire to get away from the rampant technology of our present? Or is it the inclination to go back to something more natural and hands on? There are so many other movements, particularly in food cultivation, that align with this tendency that I can’t see it as a coincidence alone.
The other trend that I saw, although more subtle and ambiguous, was that of community. This is a concept that has been simmering in my thoughts for years, as a resident of Los Angeles, a city with very little community at all, so I know this theme popped up through my eyes and may not have for others. Also, I feel that I need to clarify what I mean when I say community as well, because in using that word, I am meaning a broad spectrum from simple gatherings (such as in the film Eating Alabama) to essentially cults (like in The Source). There have been more an more films and television shows focused on communal living and various cults recently (for example Martha Marcy May Marlene and Big Love), and while the portrayals aren’t all positive, there is a definitely more focus on the subject than previous years. In passing enough time from when fringe cults were more popular are we seeking to understand them? Or maybe it’s the rise of Mormonism* in the news. Why is art now focused on something that many people won’t relate to? More importantly why are we relating to it?
Beyond that, part of bringing this up, is not just noticing more films about community but a great deal of focus from the blogosphere as well. Community is not a just a buzzword that so many are aiming for, it’s a central focus of many projects from food to design to (obviously) events. Do we all feel this disconnected from each other? It is as if the hyper-connectivity of social media has made everyone long for a tangible way to come together with others, whether through food or music or even shared living spaces.
I know my own personal interests in these subjects, but I’m wondering if others are noticing these trends as well, or if it’s just my own focus. What are your thoughts? Are you dreaming of living in the woods with others? I am.
*I don’t think Mormonism is a cult any more than I think any religion is a cult, so take from that what you will.
