Everyday Photos by Jodi Anderson

backyard + linkage

I love my backyard. 

Yes ... My lilacs are overgrown.  My apple tree has seen better days.  Our shed is no longer square to the ground.  There are gardening implements leaning against the compost bins.  My peas and radishes are not planted.  The peppermint has not been trimmed.  The main garden is a weedy mess and I still need to dig up transplants for my cousin. 

I love my backyard. 

Here are a few things inspiring me: 

• Spring cleaning talk going on over at Dos Family. 
• Food talk at Sara Janssen's Happy Foody blog. 
• Rainwater HOG.
• IKEA Family Live -- I don't have more than five or six IKEA pieces as I generally prefer used and/or eco-friendly furniture, but there is lots of eye candy on this site.
• Tess's blog, Demure Folk.

 

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

in lieu of gardening

I was going to garden today or tomorrow.  Perhaps I should check the weather ahead of time when I make plans since it is actually a chilly and wet weekend.  I guess that I shall stay indoors, make delicious food, and read instead. 

I'm in the middle of "Midnight to the North: The Inuit Woman who Saved the Polaris Expedition".  (The link goes to the book description on GoodReads. Feel free to friend me!)  I really like tales of explorers charting the (then-unknown) north, traversing glaciers and icy waters. 

My copy of Jenny Hill's "Regular Expressions: the facebook status update poems" arrived today and I'm really enjoying that.  I found my status and the response poem that Jenny wrote on page 42.  Of course, she sent along a sweet note telling me where to look.

Anyhow, I hope that you are all having a nice weekend and that you checked the forecast before making plans. 

pravina studio

It was time for a new bag. 

I have been NEEDING a new one for a while now.  I have several good purses that tend to stay out of rotation because no other bag has ever lived up to the Kenzie non-leather saddlebag purse.  I love that baby, but it is looking sad and bad.  I decided a while ago that my next purchase would be from Pravina Studio, a local maker of bags and accessories.  You can see her shop HERE. 

I have a thing for grey and I think that it works in all seasons.  I chose the ESEN bag, which is a perfect design for my needs.  The bag arrived today and it is amazing.  It is sturdy, yet flexible.  The interior pockets are just right.  The lining is lovely.  I am just so very delighted.  Thank you, Diana. 

Now, I'm going to transfer all my stuff from the Kenzie saddle bag to the Pravina ESEN. 

  © JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

linkage :: 10 february 10

Here's a handful of delicious linkage, with the first being a lovely look back at the fashion of the oh-so talented Alexander McQueen.  I am sad to see that he has passed away. 

• Alexander McQueen -- You can view most of his brilliant collections at the style.com site.  RIP, talented man.
• dreamandawake -- Recycled, upcycled, deconstructed, and/or reconstructed clothing and a hot-damn awesome website. 
• Curve Art -- Birds playing guitar.  Just watch the video. 
• Maria Kallin -- I thought this to be a delightful photo stream with lots of dreamy colors and delightful bokeh.
• Ask Philosophers -- From their site, "What is AskPhilosophers? This site puts the talents and knowledge of philosophers at the service of the general public. Send in a question that you think might be related to philosophy and we will do our best to respond to it. To date, there have been 2785 questions posted and 3596 responses."

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

tomorrow, in a year

I wanted to post some good linkage today, but I didn't spend much time online this week to discover or look for inspiration. 

That stated, one of our very favorite bands has collaberated on an opera and you can listen to the entire thing online FOR FREE right HERE.  It is a, hrm, modern opera.  I absolutely adore the result and listened to it twice today. 

'Tomorrow, In A Year' is a collaberation between The Knife, Mt Sims, and Planningtorock.  From here:

"Commissioned by Danish performance group Hotel Pro Forma to write the music for their opera based on Charles Darwin and his book ‘On the Origin of the Species’, The Knife decided to make this a collaborative process, working with artists Mt. Sims and Planningtorock for the first time, to capture the huge width of the Darwin and evolution theme. They extensively researched Darwin related literature and articles, with Olof attending a field recording workshop in the Amazon to find inspiration and to record sounds."

linkage :: 23 january 10

Here's a bunch of links that have captured my interest this last week: 

• Daihatsu Basket concept car -- Cute, cute.  This will be perfect for when I live on a large expanse of land again.  (Don't burst my bubble.) 
• Icoeye jacket + bookmark -- Cute AND clever.  I want to buy one for X, but I'm not sure which title yet. 
• Looklet -- I've only scratched the surface of this design site.  If I spend too much time there, I might get sucked in really far.  Hrm...
• Maria Alexandra Vettese -- Have some fun poking around at MAV's newest site.  I did.
• Junior Society -- If you have children (or nieces and nephews), this is a fun and informative site.  I think that I found some good birthday gifts for some children in my life.  It's not just links to shopping, but also lots of family ideas, education and entertainment. 
• Roasted Chickpeas -- I am SO making a version of these this weekend.  My stomach tells me that sooner is better.
• Maple Syrup Taffy -- And, if you're braver than me, make some maple syrup taffy with snow and let me know how it turns out for you.  Send samples, if you insist!

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

blog linkage :: 15 january 10

I've been finding some new-to-me blogs lately.  Here, I'll share the love ...

• A Collection a Day, 2010 -- Many of you may be already familiar with Lisa Congdon.  I have been following her blogs, endeavors, and career for quite a few years. 
• Dos Family -- A blog made by two friends in Sweden who live seven hours apart. 
• A New Simple Something -- Visually beautiful blog and genuinely interesting, written by a lovely women in Iran. 
• I Lay My Hat and Wish to Stay -- Another blog written by a pair of friends.  It's a nice collaberation. 

Enjoy your weekend! 

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

socks. the key to happiness ... one step at a time.

My apologies.  I know that is a ridiculous title. 

Last winter, several friends recommended www.sockdreams.com when I asked where to get decent knit tights and knee socks.  THEY HAVE SO MUCH MORE.  X and I have fallen in love with over-the-knee socks.  We both love to wear dresses and skirts all year long, but most especially in cold weather when we can really layer our clothing.  (Okay, really in the summer too because we both despise shorts.) 

I had already been wearing knee socks with my tights and boots, both to keep warm and because I like the layered look peeking out below my dress or skirt.  This also meant that my knees and lower thighs were the coldest area on my body.  This season, we each ordered several pairs of over-the-knee knit socks.  I tend to select mine like the rest of my cold-weather wardrobe, in shades of gray or black.  X's choices run the gamut, but her rainbow ones will look awesome with her black tutu skirt. 

In the above photo, I'm wearing Ethereal from Japan.  (It was -2F when I snapped that picture.  Yummy,  yummy winter.) 

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

linkage :: 03 january 10

It has been SO LONG since I've shared linkage.  I think that I shall remedy that right now. 

• Cereal Box House Tutorial -- I am obsessed with wee things, especially houses and villages.  This looks like a cheap, easy, eco-friendly way to scratch that itch.  Ah, maybe it is meant for children, but you're only as old as you think you are, right?  RIGHT?! 
• Erika Larsen Photography -- I found this photographer via FLAK Photo.  Her work is jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially if you have an interest in cold climates or northern Scandinavia.  I also particularly liked the collections, "Young Blood" and "The Hunt" as well.  If you go to her site, why not just look at EVERY PICTURE?! 
• Grasshopper -- I know that you're probably all done with shopping for a while, but in case you need a gift for a child, I think that Grasshopper is a good place to start. 
• TODAY I SAW -- I think that this is a brilliant blog, a brilliant idea.  It hasn't been updated recently, but it sounds like the illustrator is returning after the holidays.  (Yay!) 

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

flickr groups

I thought that I'd share some Flickr love today.  They have photo groups to cover just about everything imaginable.  Just lately, I realized how important they are to me in all sorts of ways, including inspiration and community. 

I have personally started about a dozen groups, but most are fairly quiet, like "Sauk County".  "Home Comforts" has the most members and is probably my favorite, other than "Wisconsin River".  My newest group is "The Women's Colony" and it is collectively owned by the contributors of said community. 

I recently joined "this table is a sign of a life well lived".  It is the inspiration behind these photos.  Truthfully, at this moment, if I were to take pictures of all my tables, I don't know that one could see the table through all that is piled on top of it.  Well-lived, indeed. 

Simple Tess's "Life Is Beautiful As Is" IS so very inspiring to me.  It also appeals to my just-say-no-to-Photoshop philosophy.   

While I do take a lot of cat photos, sometimes I join a photo group just for the name.  A good example would be Pussy Wagon.

In conclusion, if you belong to Flickr and haven't joined a group, why are you waiting?!

© JODI ANDERSON. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.