kite strings

A Tour of the World in 80 Seconds

I need to find myself an excuse to go around the world like this. I've made myself a bucket list of sorts, and to "travel the world" stands on the tip-top. I feel as though I've been neglecting my list, lately. It's hard not to, when I'm stuck having to deal with "daily life". Your life dreams can so easily get drowned in the noise and bustle of work that has to get done, bills that have to be paid, rooms that have to be cleaned, calls that have to be made, and so on and so on.

When I'm near the end and look back at my life, I don't want to say, "Yes, I earned so much money, doing nothing but work. Bought a big house. Bought a fancy car." Instead, I'd rather be able to tell my grandkids, "Yes, I saw the world, climbed a mountain, learned four languages, and lived life spontaneously."

This video I found on mrtalented.com. Mr. Talented himself was sitting on 27th Street, holding a long kite string attached to a bundle of balloons. His card, both untearable and waterproof, read "Mr. Talented" - with his BBM barcode stamped on the back.

"Nobody ever looks up," he said.

Complete your lists,

Ai

Across The Sea.

Across the sea was an island. And on this island was a man. Every night this lone man walked to the edge of the shore and watched his distorted reflection staring back. With the stars encompassing his figure and the moon smiling down like an old forgotten friend, he smiled. The figure smiled back. He could still remember the taste of that night air when he finally returned to this island... with her. Almost a year had passed but the memory was still a present thrill. One minute he's staring at the water, the next he was sailing away from the mainland, hand in hand with the woman that changed his ever existence, body and soul alike. The night smelled like salt and lavender. The night smelled like her. She once told him that lavender meant devotion. All he remembered about lavender was the way it invoked their romance. How it reminded him of her elegance, her grace, her delicateness. She, like these precious purple flowers, was devoted to him and would hold on until the very end.

In Ruins (Baths Remix) - Fol Chen

They sit and discuss future adventures as they sip their lemon and honey based steaming tea. They share a scone that's lightly dusted with a soft white powdered sugar. With a smile, he slowly kisses away the remaining powder on her upper lip. "We'll parasail our way to Japan, climb the mountains in Peru, join forces in Uzbekistan and say our prayers at Auschwitz. We'll camp out in the trees in the rainforest, and watch the falling water turn into mist in Venezuela." "We'll stay on this island until we pass into old age. Who are we fooling?" "This place is not our future, it's just temporary. Just for now." "Well then, let's leave tonight. Get away for awhile, breath in new air." "I can't leave tonight, it's too soon. We don't have anything planned." "You were never really a planner. I have to leave. If I don't go tonight, I never will. I hope you'll understand." As she walked out of the tiny cafe, he watched the sweet lavender air follow her, slowly circling back as if to entice him into following. "I will let her go, I must let go," he thought. Because he knew he couldn't leave this island. Not again. And that is what he did, despite the aching pain that infested his heart. He took her to the boat and watched her sail away into the night, as the lavender scent gradually dispersed into the air. "I will wait for you, in this very spot. Every night I will stand here and wait. All I will ever want is to see your face again."

Sweet dreams,

R.Dearlove

what to say

I have strange dreams when I'm sick.

Last night I was an astronaut, moving through a fog. I watched as moon craters flitted by my spaceship. My reflection stared back at me through my window and I tried to turn my face at the angle in which I was the prettiest. In due time, our ship landed, and I had been lied to: we had been on Earth the whole time.

People love, but they don't know what to say.

Here's a treat I found on weallwantsomeone.org, an indie music blog I found out about through word of mouth (a friend of a brother of a cousin...). While still rather small, this music blog is gaining its fair share of attention. Great way to find new indie music and download mp3's for free! After watching this video, I daresay I'm feeling a little better.. :)

Stay Healthy (unlike me),

Ai

We See What We Want To See

Pieter Brueghel's beautiful representation of winter in the Netherlands. The Netharlands, a very flat country, is depicted here with giant Alp-like mountains.

The Hunters In The Snow.

It's a complex world we live in sometimes, isn't it? We are blinded by our own beliefs and opinions, that we forget about those we hurt, and those we neglect. We see what we want to see, however when do we once try to attempt a journey into someone else's perspective? It's difficult, and even the strongest fail in the attempt. Who can blame them? This is where every conflict collides. Every war that has been fought and will be fought lies along the lines of fighting for one's beliefs. I ran across a book the other day that said this, "Violence may be innate in human nature but so is it's opposite: love. The next stage of humanity, the leap which we are poised to take, will be guided by the force of that love." Is this true, and if so, could this be just as dangerous? Yes, love is innately part of every human being, but many are blinded by love. Love is simple, love is kind but what about when love takes over every logical and rational thought that eventually everything we once believed in is mystified by an unrealistic notion of what is true? What is the truth really when mostly everything we are surrounded by is considered subjective. Everyone has opinions and will lead their lives based on those opinions. Basically, we're left in the same place, a fight for conviction, a fight of faith. But who is really right?

Watermark - Our Broken Garden

Here is a beautiful short film by Ben Briand called Apricot. The cinematography is just breathtaking and the music sets a perfect tone for such delicate yet strong characters. Here are a few still images from the short film.

R.Dearlove

get out of bedhead!

I wish I had dreams like this.

I've recently been obsessed with stop-motion animation. There's just something to it that makes me smile. Especially this video.. isn't it inspiring? Speaking of inspiration, I'm starting my artbook today. I'm determined to completely fill this new sketchbook with full, finished works, sparked from things I find inspiring. I'll be sure to post its progress!

Also, I think I've found the seed that sprouted all my problems ... it's my BED. It's way too comfortable. I need to start sleep on rocks. Because it's so soft, it's so hard to get out of. At least I don't have a temperpedic--then my life would be over, for sure.

To celebrate a happy Thursday, here's an Image Reel:








Get out of bed and live your dreams.

Inspiration is best applied when you're awake.

That's why we never close our eyes.

-- Ai

Everybody's starry eyed

Lately it's been hard to breathe.

I find myself absorbed in thought, a dream-like angst, where everything seems surreal. Sometimes it's so overwhelming, that my heart begins its irregular drumming beat and I just forget to breathe. This is what it's like when everything seems right and wrong at the very same time. We dream day in and day out for our lives to find a sense of stability, for our worries to take flight. Here is the truth; stability may just not exist and we might as well stop searching for it now before it's too late. So breathe... just breathe, and relax. Despite all the wrongs this world has created and encountered, despite uncontrolled existential angst, despite the simple wrong doings that break the heart, there is still so much to live for. Take a trip to Central Park during the day, lay in the grass with your friends, take in your surroundings, and you'll see...

My state of mind is an accurate depiction of this song.
Lately Troisieme - Memoryhouse

Read Pitchfork's review for this Ontario-based band here

Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding

~And just if you want to escape

Hopefully reality will settle itself and give me a break. Enjoy a lovely day,
R. Dearlove

some people just don't belong in a small town

I think everyone should see this play at least once in their lives.

My friend Joe took me to see Our Town, a play at the Barrow Street Theatre [ 27th Barrow St., off Seventh Ave. ]. After perhaps an hour and a half of watching, I'd honestly begun to think that I was sitting through a play about nothing. A boring town, a boring life, with no climax--how could this possibly be a Pulitzer Prize winner?! The answer was thrown in my face in Act Three and let me tell you, it gave me chills. I won't spoil anything for you (if in case, on a ridiculously long shot, you actually decide to hike downtown to see it) but I will say that I didn't hesitate to join the standing ovation. Moral of the story? Don't live life like you've got a million years ahead of you. The clock's ticking, so make the most of your everyday.

Pre-play gelatos at L'ARTE del GELATO [ 75 Seventh Ave. S, Barrow Street ]. I got Coco and Nutella in a sugar cone. Love love love!!!

Joe being a self-proclaimed restaurant connoisseur ( 'That place has a pig lantern, it must be legitimate!' ) immediately spotted this Japanese restaurant, Hakata TonTon [ 61 Grove Street between Bleecker St. and Seventh Ave. ]. It may not be very impressive on the outside, but it's what's inside that matters. With a wonderfully chic interior, EXCELLENT service, EXCELLENT food, even an EXCELLENT bathroom (exfoliating lotion and mouthwash provided?!), you wouldn't think this place could get any better. Wrong. Their prices are excellent, too! Five stars in my book (and apparently New York Times agrees!). With a $20 tip, I certainly let them know that I'd be back for more!!

Cheers to PERFECT DAYS like this.

-- Ai

la la LATEX

Has anyone told Lady Gaga about this woman?!

The other night my friend was lucky enough to encounter designer Jacqueline Marie, a self-proclaimed designer specializing in Latex Couture. Clad in her just-short-of-transparent latex cocktail dress, she revealed that she'd previously attended Duke University. However, in not-so-reckless abandon, she dropped her studies and moved to our favorite insomniac city to pursue something closer to her own heart. According to the biography on her website, she'd gone out shopping with a girlfriend when she came across a latex dress. Although the dress didn't suit her body as well as she would have liked, she was exposed to the feel of latex against her skin. And so, she was never the same, launching a line of latex. Now, as you can see, her rubber-cement-seamed ("Why not?" she revealed, "It's rubber, after all.") dresses make quite the statement. Can you believe she never spent a day of her life in design school??

Loving the latex,

Ai

buzzing

All I want to do is ride a bike.

Come this fall, I'm bringing mine to the city
and that's that.

Lately I've been a mess. You know when you get into those slumps and nothing ever feels like it's going right for you - or is it just the state of mind that you're in that makes it seem as if everything around you is falling apart or working against you? You want to take action but have no motivation to do it - or you do have the motivation to do it, but you just don't now where to start or how to pick up your feet? It feels like that, and even when I tell myself that it's a new day, there's that gremlin in the back of my mind leeching off of my good feelings.

she's always buzzing just like
neon, neon
neon, neon
who knows how long, how long, how long
she can go before she burns away?

I leave you with Gabe Bondoc and his cover of Neon by John Mayer.
Simply exquisite.

-- Ai

city walks

Lately I've been making beds out of lawns, pillows of my arms, canopies of the night sky. How could I not, when everything has been so impeccably beautiful? It's these surroundings that make me wish life could always be so simple as lying on a grass mattress, enjoying the touch of a breeze's warm fingertips through my hair. Sharing a bit of what I've seen on my recent walks..

Something new I found at Idlewild Books. ( W 19th St, Between 5th and 6th Ave. ) Their shelves are arranged by country, something I haven't really seen yet. It's wonderful.

I saw sand artist Joe Mangrum at Union Square one sunny day. He'd been working on this since 11:30am. I took this picture around 3:15pm. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter and take a look at his portfolio, it's absolutely incredible.



During my walking along the Pier, I came across bicycle painted white in memorial to a man named Carl Nacht. It's been four years, I hope he's found rest.



Who knew concrete and metal could be so beautiful ?

- Ai

"Don't need no roads, in fact they follow me."

I've never felt the need to fully plan and map out my life. I live on winded paths, filled with plenty of sharp turns and dead ends. However, I won't allow myself to worry. One day I'll know what I have to know. For now, I am content and like Plath, I'd be a fool to ask for more.

I may never be happy, but tonight I am content. Nothing more than an empty house, the warm hazy weariness from a day spent setting strawberry runners in the sun, a glass of cool sweet milk, and a shallow dish of blueberries bathed in cream. Now I know how people can live without books, without college. When one is so tired at the end of a day one must sleep, and at the next dawn there are more strawberry runners to set, and so one goes on living, near the earth. At times like this I'd call myself a fool to ask for more.... Sylvia Plath

Dead and Done - Bobby Long

Misguided Ghosts - Paramore

"Well now I'm told that this is life and pain is just a simple compromise. So we can get what we want out of it."

Boston awaits,

R.D

Last night you took me to the pier. How unexpectedly romantic of you, on that wonderfully warm night. Still, I can't give you what you're looking for. And neither can you return the favor. I hope you enjoyed those moments, because they are limited.

Photos taken by a friend of mine. Find his blog Here.

If the shoe fits...

Wear it. Work it. We've all heard it before. In many cases, you'll find yourself a pair of heels you'd readily throw yourself in front of a bus for, try them on, and feel as if you'd just stepped into the most perfect union between woman and accessory that has ever been created. Yet just as many times will you find that that immaculate pair of heels you've been eyeing just doesn't come in your size. Too big, too small, it doesn't matter. I've been finding myself asking, metaphorically speaking, is it too much to ask for??

We have so many pairs of shoes in our closets. Working shoes. Playing shoes. Love shoes, family shoes, friend shoes, party shoes, make-bad-decisions shoes; some we wear over and over again until they're worn and tattered. Some we wear once and it never sees the light of day again.. but amusing as they are, enough of these enigmatic shoe-parallels to my daily life. I just know that somehow, I need change. But it doesn't happen overnight.

I guess we can't all be Cinderella's.

Funny I should write about shoes today - last night I caught a friend of mine wearing these. FiveFingers, aka toe shoes. Apparently, they're much better than regular shoes for your foot and leg muscles. Unlike regular shoes that provide us with a sort of unnatural protection, these toe shoes put your feet in a more "natural state", simulating the feeling of walking barefoot. As for the aesthetic aspect of it... I think Hobbits have finally taken over the industry. But I'll say no more. Educate yourself more about it here.

Anyone know if Macy's carries glass slippers?

Someday,
Aisha K.

When you say, I'll say.

When you identify yourself as unpredictable, do you automatically become predictable? Maybe it's more acceptable to describe oneself as enigmatic, but even so, you can't be consciously aware of your mysteriousness, can you? And even if you happen to be, admitting to it, the appeal is lost. This type of persona, we're either born with it or else we pretend to be mysteriously gifted.

If I were such a character (and of course my life was backed by a musical score) this song would play every time I appeared. Not your typical mystery, no. Not transparent by any means. More like someone that sways in and out of lives, quietly, so not to disturb the piece. However, remembered and thought of as a dream.

This Song: Is my favorite song ever.

One More Night (Your Ex-Lover Remains Dead) - Stars

This Song: Will soon be my favorite song ever.

Blood - The Middle East

Oh Australia, how you have saved us with your music.

R.D

moleskin

My Heart Is Yours (Demo Mix) - Justin Nozuka

- Aisha K.

Beauty fills My Eyes.

Happy Easter everyone!

Early morning, church and brunch before it's back to New York. Cannot wait to see my lovelies and catch up.

Being home, I've had the pleasure of driving around Buffalo, especially at night. There is something about being on the road at night, maybe the eery and empty path ahead, that has me longing for just the right type of music to accompany me on the long journey. At night, there's a connection with the melancholy even the nostalgic undertones that songs encounter and worship. While driving to my friend Will's house, In Harbor began to echo throughout the car -

"Wondering, aimlessly for so I'm trying to find a way. Seeing glimpses of bigger things, illusions take over me."

The song, powerful and sad, captures a world only understood when the lights flicker and finally switch off. Why is it that at night, what we find puzzling and beyond our understanding finally makes sense? The darkness that succumbs the world hides everything we consider tangible, yet somehow the indescribable becomes apparent. How temporary this world is. Not just life itself, but our thoughts and feelings. How quickly we change our opinions at night, and how quickly we regret in the morning.

Here, these songs and photographs compliment the night, yet never lose their mystery. In the morning, it will all be a memory encompassing a dream.

Wide Eyes - Local Natives

Hearts A Mess - Gotye

Hospital - Lydia

Human - Civil Twilight

Lamplight - Cavalier Rose

Soldier On - The Temper Trap

Quiet As A Mouse - Margot and The Nuclear So & So's

Let Me Go - Phantogram

Storm Clouds Break - In Harbor

Never Think - Rob Pattinson

Love Affair - Copeland

Polaris - Jimmy Eat World

At night, we long. Long for someone, for something so far away, like a distant star we simply cannot hold.

Have a beautiful day,

R.D

"It's like Normandy, but fluffier!"

As the man behind us proclaimed to whomever was on the receiving end of his cellphone,

"Carnage! It's absolute carnage!"

I will forever be grateful to my Blackberry for insistently bleeping in order to remind me: there's a pillow fight in Union Square today! What excitement! A quick text to Amanda and we're off, catching the next NQRW to Union Square station. Emerging from the underground felt like climbing the stairway to heaven, where the angels have decided to create a snow storm with the feathers of their wings. Looking upward, you could see soft white feather-flakes swirling against the blue sky--how serene, how surreal! Yet making it to ground level, the full impact of the scene was a happy hell. Chaos spun with laughter, attacks made and met with friendly counters. Cameras, everywhere - people dressed in costumes (Waldo was absolutely done for when they found him in the crowd!), people making friends, people lying with their pillows on the grass, feather pillows bursting like geysers, here, there - a bop on the head, shouting conversations, yet all so ... soothing. How could it not be, when everyone had gone out simply to enjoy the sunlight and the merrymaking? I would say that you could not possibly give me more reason to love this cemented jungle even more than I already do, but with happenings such as these... nothing is impossible.

I think I've sufficiently inhaled enough fluff to be literally featherbrained. Carpe diem, ladies and gents. Seize the day!

-- Aisha K.

dear jane,

It's easily the most gorgeous day of the week - feels like fifty-one degrees - and, simultaneously, it's easily the most terrible of days this week. It's never pleasant to rouse to the sound of loud voices, never mind angry ones. No, I'm a firm believer of waking up slow, rising to the warm wash of sunlight over your face (an everyday prospect, the way my room at home is positioned). Sadly, I definitely missed out on the opportunity today. No one seems to smile in the morning, anymore.

I do, however, have something that can either make or break my day. It is in the interest of love, of course, so the results of it I'm hoping won't prove to be be disastrous. Lord knows, it'll turn out to be another Jane Austen... or rather, the cheap paperback rip off, discarded with its cover torn off in the clearance section of Walmart. Ah, well. Everything's a risk.

"I love you...most ardently, I love you."

Something tells me I've been watching a bit too much Pride and Prejudice lately... I can't help it. This is absolutely one of my favorite scenes. Don't watch it once, watch it a million times. In the mean time, I've been attempting to satisfy my whimsical thoughts by visiting Anthropologie, snooping around the clothing. Every time I enter that store I'm reminded of what a wonderful shopping experience they make it..

Can I just say how much I love this belt? Not to mention this quirky textile quite amused me... Lobsters? I sure hope they give you a free packet of melted butter with this purchase.


Can you tell that the displays of home furnishing stole the show? I love Anthropologie but to be honest I think the home goods are way better than the actual garments. Don't you find that kind of... well. Ironic?

Happy romancing, loves.

-- Aisha K.