Traveling light.

Lovely vintage train case from a flea market this morning. It doesn't look like it was ever used, but my interest in it is the "Amelia Earhart" brand. I think this is destined to house some of my old camera collection, or else go on display in its own right.

Do you really know the difference?

Ohioan Joey Hebdo, who rocked the house at the Rumba Cafe last night.

Well, hello there.

I want to share this lovely image, which I find hopeful and compelling. By Jocelyn Nevel, whom Claire & I met last night at a Wild Goose wine tasting.

But anyway: I'm not all that thrilled about the way 2009 has turned out. There, I said it. But, it's now November and after a month or so of sulking about recent loss of job and other displeasing life circumstances, I'm determined to eek out the rest of the year with as much positivity as I can muster. And to that end, out of my half-lit apartment and back to observing the world.

A little shameless self-promotion never hurt anybody.

Very excited about the opportunity to play at Java Central -- many thanks to Ralph there for having us. The show is Labor Day weekend, so if you aren't at a cookout you should come & listen. 

In the middle of the night, everybody loves everybody.

"Take Off Your Sunglasses" by Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, who opened for Ida Maria tonight at the Basement. I'd never heard them before, and I like what I heard. The Basement, though, turns out to be the worst place ever to see a show. There are very few good places to stand because it is an actual basement, meaning there are support pillars all over the place, and they block the view of the teeny tiny stage, especially if you are a rocknroll kid and you are standing up close, next to the speakers. Then your view is obscured by the pillars AND the speakers, and you go home totally deaf. Yup.



In lieu of a craptastic cell phone camera picture (I have it here, but some tall kid's striped hooded sweatshirt is taking up most of it, and the aforementioned speaker is taking up the rest), enjoy Ida Maria here in a non-deaf-making acoustic recording.

Out the way.

Columbus band Bird & Flower.

God don't make lonely girls.

So this evening I relived my high school glory days via a pretty fantastic show at the Newport: the Wallflowers. $20 (well, plus $5 for a single Stella Artois and $10 for a cd...see below on that) is definitely a fair price for 90 minutes of Jakob Dylan-led rock n roll, I always say. And, yes, I was totally one of those people who whipped out her cell phone to take a picture--what? What?

Anyway, an added bonus to the evening was the opening act--a stylish lady named Serena Ryder, who totally blew my mind. I excitedly bought a cd from her and I do love it, although I was hoping it would be an acoustic recording she has a band here though, honestly, she doesn't need one. She played solo tonight and rocked the house.



And, lastly, since I'm talking about music: I'm playing on Saturday's Gallery Hop, outside L'Antibes at 772 N. High Street. Come listen!

Silver lining included.

I just love these. Everything at Roll & Tumble Press is pretty sharp--vintage-inspired, but still clever. I have a giant apartment with precious little artwork for the walls--tragic, I know. And if I had an unlimited budget, I would certainly have me some of these posters.

In other news, you should visit a friend's project here and read an interview I helped proof-read, given that I am an obsessive grammar wizard (and proud of it.)

Modern Material

Over the weekend I went to the Gahanna Jazz & Blues Festival (meh). But on the bright side, I discovered Modern Material, a Columbus-based "indie designer rock brand" which markets everything a chandelier-and-fleur-de-lis obsessed gal like me could ever want. Paper goods, apparel & accessories. Go shop!

Robot love.

In honor of the robot-related GeekFest at Wild Goose Creative, which I did not attend but wished I had, behold. Handknit robot sweater, designed by Good Egg, who must be some kind of genius. Here is a brilliant quote from her Etsy shop: "i think about the knit stitch as a pixel. look for an intersection of modern and traditional motifs and displays of dense colorwork."

This is a work of art. And it just so happens to be done in the best color combination in the world. Check out her shop for more astonishingly clever knits.

Unrelated: thanks to anyone who checked out my web project, Undefinable Need. If you looked at it early on (Wednesday or Thursday of this week), you might want to have another look because it absolutely exploded with activity. And, if you can think of anyone who might appreciate the concept, please do pass it along.

nearby & neighborly.

If you haven't heard local Columbus band The Floorwalkers, you need to get to it. You can find them every Wednesday at Ruby Tuesday on Summit but this weekend is your extra-special chance to hear them sans cover charge: at the Columbus Arts Festival. Saturday, 6:45. Go!

pulp fiction.

And not the movie, either. Although I am a fan of that as well. Who knows what went wrong in my youth to make me obsessed with "hard boiled" detective stories, but something did. I'm not a collector but there are bound to be interesting characters at this convention here in C-bus, July 31 - August 2, downtown.

on the street where you live.

My neighborhood, coming alive Saturday, June 13. Music, art, wine tasting, home tours. There is a community yard sale on this day as well. Let's go? More here.