Laughing With Regina Spektor

I love Regina Spektor's new video for her song "Laughing With" because it reminds me of my good old angsty teenage years when I replayed my favorite Fiona Apple video "Paper Bag" over and over again and it broke my heart then healed it. Embedding the video is disabled but you can watch it on YouTube here.

Stella Im Hultberg's Moleskine

I love love love when artists post images of their personal sketchbooks! It makes me feel so connected to the artist and helps me to understand their work better. Recently on her blog Stella Im Hultberg revealed to us ink sketches from her Moleskine journal. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that I'm a big fan of Stella's. She's part of my favorite female Pop Surrealist triad, consisting of Stella, Audrey Kawasaki, and Amy Sol.

Thanks Stella for sharing!

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I'm too late! I'm heading to Edinburgh, Scotland in August and while I'm there I'm lucky enough to catch the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival! Tons of authors will be giving lectures but you have to get tickets for them and as is to be expected they're selling out fast. I JUST found out about this and of COURSE the one author that I'm absolutely crazy about, Carlos Ruiz Zafon author of The Shadow of the Wind, has sold out!! Nooooo! I'm pretty devastated.

If you haven't heard of Shadow of the Wind before just an interesting little fact: Did you know that this book from Spain has outsold JK Rowling, John Grisham, and Dan Brown put together?! -link

So basically my point is number one, read this book. Number two, pray that any other authors appearing at the festival I like will not be sold out.

Film To Watch: Phoebe In Wonderland

I'm writing this post immediately after watching the new film Phoebe in Wonderland on Netflix (it's available on instant). I was not expecting myself to be so moved with the film, based on what I got from the trailer, and I found the experience to be quite therapeutic actually.

The story line combines the rich literature of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a look at mental illness, specifically in children with Tourette Syndrome, within the household and society. In researching the film a bit I noticed that it has developed quite a following of people with neurological disorders themselves who related to Phoebe's struggle. I personally am effected by a mental disorder and as I watched Phoebe deal with fear and her parents try to cope, I felt comforted in a strange way.

Point is YOU NEED TO SEE THIS FILM!!! Oh and p.s. the casting is brilliant.

It seems like the movie can actually be watched in parts on youtube. Click here for a clear video of part one.

Abandoned

Abandoned dwellings have always held so much mystery and fascination for me. It's that strange ghost town effect you know?

Well here are some lonely little places I found through 100 Abandoned Houses and If Charlie Parker Was A Gunslinger... take them into your heart and dream about their stories tonight. These places make excellent dream backdrops don't you think?

I Want One!

Cute Corgi puppies!

Via Cute Overload

SNACKS

If you live ANYWHERE close to the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle you have to make a special trip to the newly opened Snacks! right now.

I've been complaining forever that there are no places around here to go for quick lunch breaks because the area is basically all sit down restaurants. And now there is an answer to my prayers (took me 8 minutes to walk there and get a dog) and that is Snacks! If you've ever visited Dante's Inferno Dogs hotdog stand during Sunday Market then you'll die to see that your favorite veggie dogs are served all day (and weekend late nights) long!

Inside you'll find a casual set up of cheap candies, beer, snack foods (duh), ice cream, and other grocery staples. Plus there's a special notepad for customer requests!

5219 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA