stumbled across:

First, there's THIS article on why a liberal arts degree could actually help the lack-of-innovation epidemic some schools seem to be inflicting.

Then there's THIS website that seems to magically track down anything/one cool and toss it on their site.

And of course there's THIS blog that's written . . . in Finnish (which of course makes me think of THIS article.)

*image via lily.fi

Too Many Tabs

We need to figure out our bathroom sink situation. There are no good options. Which leads us to the inevitable schemes of d.i.y. Here's a round up of the best options:

1. ikea hack / 2. ranchorehab / 3. bhg / 4. modern in MN / 5. domestic imperfection

plight¹

plīt/

noun

a dangerous, difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation.

i keep thinking about this. i can't stop thinking about it. women; who are we, what are we doing, where are we going, what is going on? and maybe it's more just, woman; who am i, what am i doing, where am i going, what is going on? this feels like more than just post-grad-syndrome (though that's certainly not helping any), but maybe it's more along the lines of this quote (and it uses the "f" word*, so beware):

The Feminists did not look . . . far [enough] ahead; they laid down no rules of conduct. For them it was enough to demand the privileges. . . . And [so] woman today is still searching. We are aware of our hunger and needs, but still ignorant of what will satisfy them. With our garnered free time, we are more apt to drain our creative springs than to refill them. With our pitchers [in hand], we attempt . . . to water a field, [instead of] a garden. We throw ourselves indiscriminately into committees and causes. Not knowing how to feed the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distractions. Instead of stilling the center, the axis of the wheel, we add more centrifugal activities to our lives—which tend to throw us [yet more] off balance.

Mechanically we have gained, in the last generation, but spiritually we have . . . lost. 

[For women] the problem is [still] how to feed the soul.

- Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From the Sea (via this talk)

*feminist.

i feel this so strongly. i want to give and make a difference, but sometimes i find i'm on empty, and then, how can i possibly think about spending more time away from things that matter most

i keep seeking out these books on "homesteaders" and i read so ravenously, despite having deep resistance to some aspects of their lives. i have devoured the "makers" documentaries, trying to find my place between the radicals and those who don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation. i'm trying so hard to lay my personal groundwork, to formulate opinions so that i can make informed decisions about the future, but it's difficult. maybe "plight" is an extreme word, but maybe it's not. maybe the potential for impact on everything else in life makes the situation feel "dangerous," (due to high risk of failure, disappointment, sadness).

the greatest takeaway i've realized from all these sources is that it's a personal choice. what makes me crazy may be the solace of another. but it's a rather long trek anyway. 

thank you miss moss:

the topic of "art" comes up a lot around here. despite that, we haven't seen much good art in a while. but this, this satisfies the gap i've been feeling because in a weird way these tumblrs are their own kind of artistic expression. they're also hilarious. 

art scrub:

art in an ugly room:

Am I allowed to do this?

Can I say that I'm sick of the ice bucket challenge? I understand that by stating such an opinion I may be subverting the 70 MILLION dollars raised for ALS. I also understand that I may also be revealing that I have too much pride to dump cold water on my head for the masses to see. I get it. But . . . are we doing it for ALS any more? And what will this lead to in future? And what does the breast cancer group feel now that they see that social media is crazy more powerful than any walk-a-thon you could ever ever hold?

But maybe if Will Smith, Beyonce, Steven Spielberg etc etc are involved, it's not so bad.

That's all.

Ruth Orkin: American Girl

I am inspired by these beautiful photos. I was first directed to Ruth Orkin's photos by this post and as I saw the rest of the series, I have to confess that all I could think about was purchasing a soft black skirt, a leather belt, and perfect leather sandals. What a perfectly simple approach to exploration, beauty, grace, class, the list goes on. 

I suppose this hits at a deeper desire that I can never fully articulate; I have spoken with friends about individuals who have this grace about them, they don't rush, they just move softly through their lives. Or there are those people that have 100 possessions . . . total. I would have trouble with that particular feat at this point in my life, and yet I feel slightly obliged to simplify and pare down the unnecessary layers of my life. What if all I had in my closet were simple tee shirts and solid skirts? I would inevitably get bored and go mad, but I'm still attracted to the idea.

I'm also intrigued by what is acceptable in different cities; in Paris I had to be dressed well, fully groomed and perfumed before I would set foot into any shop. But in Ohio I'm satisfied with heather gray tees-from-the-little-boy's-section and loose-fitting jeans. I'm grateful for the laid back "midwest" feel, but there is a part of me that would secretly rejoice at living in a place where I felt slightly more pressure to look presentable. These are coming off as superficial thoughts (and they are, of course) but I hope that there is a principle woven in someplace that I could apply in the cosmos of a life well lived. 

And the other photos:

Anna Calvi

her voice is intoxicating, and the raw electric guitar reminds me of cat power. i can't get enough of her. that's all.

summer soiree

wouldn't it be lovely to have a little end-of-summer housewarming party? we're already planning on a little halloween action around here . . . but that seems like an awful long while to wait, especially with images as taunting as these:

1. pia jane bijkerk 2. hannaham 3. lars 4. style me pretty 5. miss moss

Feeling in need of inspiration

Our days are full of spare moments. Instead of filling them with Flappy Bird or Facebook, take the opportunity to find a calm and clear mind. Even if you don't always succeed, it's the practice that matters. Walking in nature also helps.

Do what you love is in the future. Love what you do is right now. As with the other patterns, it's meant to guide the small decisions that we make every moment of every day. It's less about changing what you do, and more about changing how you do it

If you think Instagram is just a collection of photo filters, you're missing the big picture. Maybe photo sharing won't lead directly to world peace, but helping people to see the world through the eyes of others looks like a step in the right direction to me
-Paul Buchheit, founder of google

Being your own boss means motivating yourself constantly towards new goals and challenges. It’s difficult to rely on your own voice sometimes, but it allows you to find out what you are really meant to be doing.
-Diana Yen, The Jewels of New York

1. Are you beyond passionate about this.

2. Do you think this opportunity is better than all the others that may come your way?

3. What is the bare minimum you can do to get your business off the ground. Do that and get going!

-Nicole Shariat Farb, Darby Smart

The interesting thing about these individuals is that they started out with an idea that seemed crazy, but filled a need. And they worked incredibly hard to arrive there. 

Do you ever feel there's something brewing, something glorious that's molding itself without you knowing it? Maybe that's crazy talk, but these kinds of quotes feel more and more relevant. I just don't know why.

*and it's for images like these that i'm glad the ol' pinterest was invented.

wearing a scarf on my head

you know what this means right? don't you? either it means i've been watching too many simone de beauvoir documentaries, or it means that suddenly i want to make some effort; suddenly i feel like i want to be caught in more than jeans and a tee shirt (despite the fact that the scarf wearing usually finds me in my underwears).

all this was brought on by none other than: instagram.

i know, you're rolling your eyes and telling me that of course rachel, you're just like everybody else, feeling the social pressure to look totally chouette (see what i did there?) but you're wrong, and i'll defend myself.

for a very long time i avoided instagram and pinterest. they cropped up during a year and a half spent out of the country, and all of a sudden i return from this foreign place and find that there are these foreign things to welcome me back. and i chose to stay far away. wedding planning was intentionally performed sans pinterest, and i was very proud. very very proud. but gradually i waded in, trying to maintain purely functional motivations as i explored; i used pinterest to find a wealth of design images or to find different ways to use penny tile in a new bathroom. but then instagram nailed my deepest weakness: to peer into others' lives through simple images and succinct captions. it was perfect. but i remained totally anonymous. i didn't officially follow or comment or make my presence known; i would peer through the branches trying to not to breathe. but two days ago i suddenly jumped out of my hiding place; and after an embarrassing amount of confusion (getting a profile/choosing a profile picture/putting up a profile picture/not accidentally posting a profile picture/etc) there i was, standing exposed and hoping madly to be able to continue on as before.

not so! i was spotted. i was shocked that within moments i had connected with friends and discovered a way to feel close to them again.

i had been staring at people i barely knew until i realized that this thing was created so that people like me would buy in and bump into people that we actually know. wild huh?

back to the scarf: i would like to believe that this sudden urge was not driven by a desire to look cooler than i am; my life is packed with a job i have endlessly mixed feelings about, a house that needs more attention than i feel capable of giving, and other tasks that i'm barely keeping in the air . . . so i don't need to fool anyone, especially myself. but hopefully i can recognize that these stupid little images that may come to represent my life to the rest of the world, may capture a beautiful AND truthful semblance of my reality.

but then again, i am wearing a turban on my head.

gypsa rugs

i just did some budgetin' and we have no room for these lovelies at the present time. but they're here for future reference.

tutorial for shades

so i don't have to cover up our lovely windows.

linked here

meals

between the house and cleaning the house and fixing the house . . . and everything else, we've been out of a routine. crazy out of a routine. but i need some good meals, and we need to save our moneys, so here are some ideas/inspiration/reminder of good things i've already done:

places to go!

SO MANY PLACES I WANT TO GO!!!!

Summer is the very very best; there are markets and swimming pools and bike trails to be explored.

Yes!

and for more columbus markets: http://www.columbusunderground.com/its-farmers-market-time-2013

images for the maison: via the socialite family