ugh.

things i am beginning to despise:
- my weird phobia of doing business over the phone. i hate hate hate it.
- the fact that it won't stop raining.
- having terrible cramps. and spending all day lying down because of them.
- my lack of productivity since the month started.

chicago

last night, i went to chicago with courtney, austin, and my brother to see the decemberists perform at the riviera theatre. if you enjoy their music at all, you must see them live. they put on such a playful show, and i don't think you can truly appreciate their music until you hear it live.

we went to an ethiopian restaurant. i haven't had ethiopian food for a little over a year, and it was fun because no one i was with had ever had it before. it's really different and reminded me of kenya/tanzania, which was nice. :) you should give it a whirl if you're up for spicy/unusal food!

this morning when we woke up, the world was covered in a thick blanket of snow, and it hasn't stopped all day. it's actually nice having a cozy day to nap, catch up on reading, and listen to "the king is dead" with a newfound appreciation.

i just finished the crying of lot 49 and cats cradle, both of which i took far too long to finish, but i'm glad i did! they're wonderful.

on my reading list right now (for those of you who are interested in all things literary/nerdy... i know i am!):

- let the great world spin by colum mccann

- travels with charley by john steinbeck

- reading lolita in tehran by azar nafisi

let me know if you have any reading suggestions... i am always up for something new-- even though it takes me quite a while to plow through a book these days, what with school and such.

stay warm, stay safe, stay dry! :)

jack, me, and the cupcake machine

i've been meaning to upload these since, like, october. as per usual, i'm really on top of things... whoops. they are from this really fun night when my friend jack and i decided to bake red velvet cupcakes at his house. i think he is the funniest person in the world and i don't entirely hate my job because it's the reason i became friends with him. cheers to friendship!

indiana's greatest export

i sketched this for my vonnegut-loving roommate tonight:

wishful thinking.

it has been snowing for the past two days. there is something dreamlike about waking up in the morning to see soft, delicate flakes performing acrobatics as they gracefully fall to earth. but inside of me, there is a desperate longing for the freedom and adventure of summer. i want to pack up and leave, to run barefoot through the grass, to go on midnight swims and sleep under the stars. i want to explore the broken and the abandoned places and find the beauty so carefully hidden within them. i crave the new people, new ideas, new tastes, hopes, and dreams that only travel can provide me. it's not that i'm unsatisfied with my life at the university, but everything in me is screaming to pack up, leave, and explore.

it has been quite a while! sometime i will update more in depth... but as far as art goes, i have started a new project. i'm making a drawing every day for a year... so far, so good. it's hard for me to stay motivated with this kind of thing, but i went to an alumni artist's lecture almost 2 weeks ago and i was so inspired.

also, as the holidays approach, i've decided that as much as possible, i'm going to support only local businesses when i go shopping for my friends and family. i think this is a great way to explore and find artists who deserve recognition and do something wonderful for the community.

via weheartit

happy thanksgiving to all!

this week i had my mid-term review for drawing class. stressful... especially setting everything up once i got home from the band of horses concert on sunday night. but it was so rewarding, hearing critiques from my classmates and realizing just HOW FAR i have come. :)

[photos from my drawing review and another poster for my roommate's band].