Violet Hill

Click here to download Coldplay's new single.
PS: I don't like it.
Will we ever get the days of Parachutes back?

Why I love the Fug Girls

Enjoy this brilliant post...

Fab or Fug The Cover: Julianna Moore

Elbow

Ever have a show you really want to go to but you just can't seem to get anyone else on board? Last night my friend Jason spontaneously asked me to go with him to the Elbow show at the Park West. I told him I'd love too but I was poor at the moment and couldn't really afford tickets, cab, beers. Turns out he just really wanted someone to go with him, and so the night was his treat. Well...can't argue with that :)

I was vaguely familiar with Elbow. I remember having a song of theirs on my itunes in college and really liking it. (it was the song Newborn, fyi) They started up and I was instantly happy I came. The last time I was at Park West I saw M. Ward. Since it was just him and his guitar, I didn't realize how amazing the sound system is. The show was great, and the lead singer was fun with his witty British banter.

Also the last time I went to Park West, I didn't realize how close it was to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was another one of those moments when suddenly the city gets a little smaller.

money woes

This may be faux pas to talk about, but I think some of my friends can understand. I can't seem to ever save a decent amount of money. I finally paid off my credit card a week or so ago, but it still seems to creep it's way into my life. I'm not spending lavishly or anything...just trying to lead a normal life. I feel like I will never pay off my student loan or my car...let alone buy a condo. Driving about 40 miles a day definitely isn't helping. These gas prices are killing me. It cost me $40 to fill my tank yesterday...and I have a Toyota Corolla, not an SUV! And what about vacations? Will I ever get to to go Europe again? *sigh* At least I have that relief check to look forward too. Seems like the price of everything is steadily increasing but my paycheck is staying the same.

The Teenagers

This video is kinda cracking me up.
Love the French accent.



That ice cream scene is nasty.

Friday night I went with Olivia to the "world famous" Cubby Bear to see her friend's band Indignant. Their myspace page describes them as punk infused rhythm and blues. Not sure I hear the punk, but nevertheless it was a fun live show with tons of energy.

I woke up early Saturday morning feeling surprising energized. I had to thank myself for having the brilliant idea of eating a huge bowl of pasta before going to bed the night before. That definitely saved my Saturday morning :) Later that day, Tim and I were invited to Sarah's house for a full on Cuba BBQ, a la Chef Lee. The food was amazing!! Lee went all out on this one! The menu included: Mojo marinated chicken, Sofrito chicken, pork, yuca, black beans and yellow rice, sweet plantains, crackers with cheese and guava paste, flan, and last but NOT least...Malta! It's always fun to introduce your friends to drinking Malta, they either love it or they hate it. Soon I'd like to do a little Cuban dinner party of my own. My menu would include: Ropa Vieja, Con gris (black beans and white rice, the combo makes the rice look gray), and empanadas. Mmmmmm.

Saturday night Tim and I went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with the movie. I would even dare to call it a perfect comedy. To me it was on-par with 40 Year Old Virgin...and Tim and I agreed that it was WAY better than Knocked Up. I'd recommend seeing it to any of my friends. One word of caution, there is no shortage of full frontal male nudity! Can you handle it?

Here is my current rank of Apatow films:
The 40 Year Old Virgin
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Superbad
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Knocked Up
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (thanks to Sasha Baron Cohen)

Today I spent the entire day cleaning my apartment. The weather is so nice right now it felt good to open the windows to get a bit of fresh air circulating. Carisa will be very happy to come home from vacation to a clean house :)

Random thought

I heard a while back that Beyonce and Jay-Z had some ungodly amount of hand picked orchids from Thailand at their wedding. Of course I was watching E! or something and they made this all sound very glamorous. On the contrary, the first thing I thought was how unglamorous and embarrassing. Just think of the colossal waste of money that was. If I was them, and I went all out to do this for my wedding, I'd feel really silly if that info leaked to the public. Can these people think of no other way to spend that kind of money? Ugh, how wasteful.

Get Lost in 8 seconds

This video is awesome. Here's your chance to get caught up:

Busted!

On my way to the Kennedy after work today I came across quite a scene. About 5 police cars were lined up, all with lights blazing, behind a white car. I could see it from a good distance away, and the commotion was blocking traffic. As I inched forward, I got a better picture of what was going on. Four police officers were on the side of the road giving this guy a DUI test...moving a pen from side to side in front of his face. As I inched even closer I noticed three other police officers fishing around in this dude's car. A cop pulled a personal sized, half empty bottle of barcardi out of the back seat and waved it around in the air. This guy was SO busted. How embarrassing to be pulled over, stop traffic, and take a drunk test in the middle the street. I took a look at the guy and he was so trashed he had that drunk half smile smirk on his face while talking to the cops. How scary that this guy was on the road.

Give this man an Oscar!

Music–New (to me) Hotness

I finally obtained some blank CD's for Tim to have his way with. I now have my hands on some new music to peruse! I haven't gotten through everything he burned for me, but some front runners have emerged:
Yeasayer, All Hour Cymbals
Sounds like sexy spiritual music. Ummm, just go listen to it.



Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell
I love songs like this that remind me of high school. Anthem-like, fist pumping fun. Check out In the Cave.


White Rabbits, Fort Nightly
"Fort Nightly is that rare debut where potential isn't the operative word-- White Rabbits deliver the whole package straight away. The NYC six-piece writes great songs that merge rhythmic intensity with grandiose melodrama in a seamless and inventive package."



Other stuff...
Holy Fuck, LP
Experimental..."Though it's taken from multiple recording sources, the album sounds reasonably unified, mostly because the important thing is to capture the group at its rawest and most inspired, which it consistently does. We often say casually that bands are "awesome" without thinking about the true meaning of the word-- Holy Fuck actually inspire awe during their best moments."



Chromeo, Fancy Footwork
"The band's self-consciously limited palette-- an electrofunk-by-numbers mélange of talk boxes, 808s, canned percussion, and Prince-style atmospherics-- is just another manifestation of their inability to tell a lie. If a song's called "Fancy Footwork", it's going to be about fancy footwork."

And now let's jump back about 20 years... I found this awesome Talking Heads video for Burning Down the House. This video used to creep me out when I was little, but the song still reminds me of my dad...he was a Talking Heads fan. :)

H&M redesign

The H&M store on Michigan Ave is finally done being redesigned. They switched up the women's section quite a bit by better organizing each department. They now have all the accessories in one place, and more division between their work clothes and street wear. They are currently paying tribute to Marimekko with big bold colorful patterns. I wasn't a huge fan of these patterns on a dress, but I think I would go back to buy it in a scarf, bag, or even this cute bathing suit (that's right, we're like two seconds away from bathing suit weather!).

The men's department has escaped unscathed, it still only comprises half of the second floor...sorry Tim. :(

Rooftop Cubs game!! Lee and I lived like a king and queen today while watching the Cubs game from one of rooftop bleachers.

Dear drunk blonde girl holding two pizza boxes,

You mistakenly and obnoxiously buzzed our apartment not once, but about 5 times at 3 am last night, causing me to awake suddenly and scared that something was desperately wrong with one of my friends or family. When I pushed talk and asked "Who is it?!" you gave a clear, concise answer: "Me!" Unfortunately in the little crackled buzz box, your voice sounded very similar to Carisa or Olivia...so I buzzed your ass in.

When I went to my front door to let in a friend, I caught you in the stairway. Drunk, with two pizza boxes. You mumbled sorry and I slammed the door in your face.

I hope your pizza got cold!

Humiliation is the goal

For this month's "Insider" (my organization's employee newsletter), I've asked everyone to submit a senior picture and/or their senior prom photo. I'm getting a surprising number of submissions. Since most of my co-workers are a bit older than me, I'm getting to see some quality shags, ironed straight hair, and funky glasses (that are actually back in style). Of course, if I'm asking other's to humiliate themselves...I too have to "man" up. So, for everyone to see...here is my senior picture, big bangs and all! God I miss that tan!

**Thanks mom for sending me this via phone camera. I think it's time to update the pictures of me in your office.**

Les Savy Fav: What Would Wolves Do

"OMFG" PB&J

I was driving to work this morning when in the corner of my eye I saw a rather steamy ad plastered on a brick wall. The ad showed two people in the "throws on passion" with the acronym OMFG (I think we can figure out what that stands for) scrolled across the bottom. I recognized the font, then saw that it was indeed a Gossip Girl ad. Was this for real?! I don't know much about this show, but aren't the main characters in high school?! I'm not a prude, but it this really appropriate? Especially when the guys on that show look like this.


I'll tell you what else isn't appropriate...paying $4.30 for a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich at Potbelly's. I'm not kidding you, it was Jif peanut butter and Smuckers grape jelly on a toasted roll. That's it. $4.30. Not again.

(I do love some Potbelly's though and I did enjoy my apple and banana smoothie– yum!)

"before indie"

Okay...this one is cracking me up!

http://beforeindie.muxtape.com/

I love the brief history for each song.

Metal Surgeon

Has anyone else heard this Amp Energy drink commercial on the radio?! It's about how some people need energy drinks because they are a rockstar, and some need energy drinks for focus (like a surgeon). Then they put the two together and it's hilarious! Lee, this commercial reminds me of you every time I hear it. I can't find an audio link here at work (because everything is blocked), but I'll attach one when I get home.

"PREPARE INTERNAL PADDLES! OPEN PERICARDIUM! WE GOT AN INTERNAL HEMMORHAGE HERE! I NEED SUCTION TO THE PROXIMAL AORTAAAAAA!"

Trying to Value Silence.

Do you ever feel like your work is on a mission to take away any form of pleasure you can get from your job? On a Monday morning, after settling into my desk, checking email, voice mail, real mail...all I want to do is start my day off with some music to get me ready for the busy day of work ahead of me. As you may know, since my iTunes crapped out a couple months ago, the muxtape website has been my only source of music. Well...guess what?! It's BLOCKED now. What harm did that website do to the organization? Music happens to make me twice as productive. This really irritates me. Excuse me while I sit in silence. :/

One HOT Ethiopian Night

One more check off my dining experience list. I meet up with Tim and his classmate Tom for dinner at Mama Desta's Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant. I've been wanting to try Ethiopian food for a while now...I like trying new things. This was an interesting experience indeed. First of all, I don't think I've ever had more burning hot, spicy food, and I'm Cuban! The fun part was, there were no utensils. Instead you use a piece of thin, spongy bread to scoop up the food from the communal plate. That was the only part I didn't like...the bread. It had a sour taste and a strange consistency. It was a bit difficult to ignore. That aside, the food was tasty and no forks or knives was fun and entertaining. I guess I just would have liked that food over a bed of rice...and maybe with different bread. The honey wine we got was delicious and the sambusa appetizer was also excellent. Would I do it again? Hmm...I think I would if a group of friends really wanted to try it. But I may recommend trying a different place, just to see if other Ethiopian restaurants use different bread.

10's and 2's, and the B-word

Yesterday I attended an incredible workshop called, "Powerful Communication Skills for Women". The speaker, Gail Cohen, was inspiring, energetic, and an amazing natural speaker.

We learned many things, but here is what stuck to me:

-Value silence. You don't need to over explain yourself to validate why you made the choice you did, or why you're taking the day off from work, etc. Some women in the workplace feel this pressure. Do you know what a man means when he nods? He means "yes." That simple.

You have people in your life that are 10's (family, friends, loved ones). You have people in your life that are 2's (co-workers, acquaintances). You never need to give a '2' a '10' explanation.

-Different personalities. You work with people who communicate differently than you. Don't feel put off if they approached a situation differently than you would have. Four personalities: the Actor, the Director, the Technician, and the Stagehand. I learned that I'm a Technician. I like emails rather than phone conversations. Mostly because for me it's a way of keeping record of conversations. Also, I like to have all the information before I start. I like to know the big picture, so I can understand how the little pictures fit in. I'm not a big talker (most of the time). I enjoy being alone and working diligently on a project. I take people's "big" ideas and make them work. I suck at delegating work. My downfall: I'm not assertive.

-10 things I do well in the workplace and in my personal life:
1. I build bridges. If I have a problem with someone or something, I find ways to make it work.
2. I let go. I don't hold grudges. If you think I'm mad at you, chances are I've already forgotten about it. I don't have "so much baggage that I'll miss my flight."
3. I take risks. If I feel like it will help me or enrich my life, I'll take a risk to make it happen.
4. I listen. I'm good at listening to people, taking direction, and following though. I'm not good at offering advice if it's a situation I've never been in.
5. I don't get caught up in office drama or gossip.
6. I'm diplomatic. I have a great ability to see situations from all sides, and every angle.
7. I'm diligent. I won't rest until it's done. This results in a lot of lunches at my desk!
8. Something I recently became better at: prioritizing. Knowing what needs to get done now, and what needs to get done tomorrow. Also, communicating this with people so they know where their project stands on my list. No more, "sure I'll get it done right now."
9. I think before I act.
10. I share. Ideas, thoughts, opinions, any thing in my life that has benefited me in any way.

I encourage everyone to make their own list. This actually took me a long time to compile, but it's good to know off the top of your head what your strengths are.

Sidenote: When asked to write down what they most wanted to learn at the end of yesterday's seminar, 50 women were divided into about 7 groups. What was on every group's list? How to be assertive at work without being perceived as a bitch. Hmm, interesting.

Mix it up

So it's safe to say that I'm obsessed with this mixtape website. I've been perusing a ton of playlists the past couple of days and I've noticed two songs that are reoccurring:

1. Bon Iver, Skinny Love
2. Kate Nash, Pumpkin Soup
3. any song by MGMT

Other observations...
• About 75% of the time, I can not identify any of the bands on a given playlist. Isn't that odd? Just goes to show you how music is out there.
• That being said, a lot of people like really shitty speed punk, and crappy techno music (not to be confused with "mash-ups"...I actually like those).

Oh...I even found this Opera mix, which is kind of nice when I'm really busy at work:
http://streusand.muxtape.com/

Plus, I made this quick Radiohead mix this morning: http://radioheadmix.muxtape.com/

Girly Song Addiction of the Moment

Every now and then a song comes on the radio that sounds interesting and has some original lyrics. Even though it's super girly, I really like this song. It just kind of bounces along and I can't help but to sing a long in my car...plus, the girl is gorgeous!



I just noticed that there's some sort of bonus song afterwards...the vertict is still out on that one. :)

inspiration

Something I love about being a designer is the way you can take something you see while walking down the street or shopping in a clothing store and use it in your design. I often find inspiration for color choices this way. For example, a while back I was with friends walking through a United Colors of Benetton store when I was inspired by the color combinations they were using for their spring line. Lime green, plum purple and a bright aquamarine blue. I loved these together so much that I used them for our Spring Program Guide this year.

I also look at the Pantone website to check out their color trends. I love looking at all the fashion designer's sketches. They are always so flowy and elegant. As if it took them 5 seconds to create it.

Pitchfork TV

Looks like they've launched Pitchfork.tv. The video quality is very crisp. I can see this is going to be differnt than just watching youtube vids. Right off the bat I can see Thom Yorke on drums...this makes me happy. :) Oh, and now I see a documentary looking vid with Man Man...plus a handful of other more traditional music videos to check out.

Let me reiterate...

Make me a mixtape! I know you people read this sorry excuse for an interesting blog. So...where's the goods?! Tim, Lee, Anthony, Carisa, Adam...where you at? I expect new music on my desk (in the form of a link in a comment to this blog) asap! I know you got some good stuff...let's hear it :D

The weekend in review

Friday night Tim, Carisa, Michael and I checked out a new-ish rock club in the south loop called Reggie's. It's a bit out of the way, but a very cool place to hear some good music, have a drink, or some food. The place is separated into three different sections: a concert venue, a bar, and a record store. An all in one stop. I think it's great to spread the "scene" to the south side...and the drive was worth the trip.

Our Saturday morning commute from Tim's hood to mine was interesting since the redline was closed for the day (dontcha love the warning you get from CTA)and my brownline stop is closed for a whole year. Kind of throws a monkey wrench into things, but I enjoy riding buses, so I don't mind. But I think it took us like an hour of travel.

Since it was about 68 degrees out on Saturday, we had to spend the entire day outside. We went to the Baha'I Temple and Downtown Evanston, which was nice to see. And we had lunch at a yummy Cajun place called Dixie's Baitshop.

Later that night Tim and I drank sangria and beer at Sarah's house party. Which was followed up the next day with a BBQ dinner cooked by Lee. It was awesome! We had t-bone steaks (with horseradish), BBQ chicken, grilled zucchini and onion...mmm. Looking forward to the "Cuban-inspired" BBQ coming soon.

My brother dropped me off at my place, but I wasn't ready to settle in for the night, so I called Olivia to see if she'd like to meet for dessert/beers. We started off at Starbucks (one of the many) in Roscoe Village then moved over to the Riverfront bar. What a perfect way to wind down the weekend.

Sidenote:

Last night I discovered that there are 15 Starbucks' within a one mile radius of where I live. Isn't that a bit much?

68 degrees...

A day at the Baha'i temple in Wilmette and the Art Center at Evanston.

L-A-T-E-R that week

Talk about a time warp. I found this video on Stereogum's Video Hangover and was instantly transported back to 1999. I was a freshman at UF the summer before fall classes began. I was scared shitless, but totally loving that I was away at college. Plus a girl from my astronomy study group was in the video! Purple bikini girl shaking her ass at around 3:34. Surprisingly I got an A in astronomy.