bring the noise

because 2009, she is almost here. we're on the the stoop, knocking at the door. come midnight, it will swing wide open and 2009, she will be on the other side. I am a big fan of these few hours, the ones that lead up to midnight. I like how it feels. plus, I have always been one for ritual, I have always been one for ceremonial hoo-hah.

tonight, I am swimming in brand new lists. I have good news to share. 2009, I am ready for you. are you ready for me? I am so ready for you.

happy new year, folks. 2009, she is big and bright-eyed. 2009, she is almost here.

the halls, they are decked

am currently steeped in merriment and am absolutely prepared to celebrate. things that have me convinced I might be living in some sort of storybook: fireplace crackling, cookies baking, sufjan singing, children giggling, snow falling.

I'll be back soon with words and images. I'm long overdue, I know. until then, friends. merry christmas to you.

numbers numbers

and the last of what I was able to cross off the list. because today is the day, you know. that's all I'm going to say.



number 22 and slides are magic. especially this one.





number 12 and have I ever told you how much I love anna halprin's work?





especially as seen through the eyes of one very wide-eyed ava.



I believe in work like the city dance of lawrence and anna halprin. passionately, emphatically, I believe in the power of work like this.





number 24 and how did I pull off three whole hours alone at the portland art museum? mother's day, that's how.



I spent a good deal of time dodging museum security. they had it in for me and my harmless little camera. ah but they couldn't catch me, friends. because I'm slippery like that. I'm surprisingly stealthy. for the record, there's a rauschenberg piece there that's probably worth going to jail for.





number 35 and we almost missed the strawberries. but we made it up for it with loads and loads of blueberries and raspberries. we were swimming in berries by the time it was all said and done.







number 29 and it probably shouldn't count, seeing as how it was at amy's house and not mine. but this past summer we decided to throw a girly party together and can I help it if her garden is the most amazing garden in the history of the world? no, I cannot.



my specialty: chocolate-dipped strawberries.



oh, the frocks. pretty pretty girls.






p.s. number 11 and I love books. one new author (thank you jen lee) and one not so new. done and done.

p.p.s. roughly nineteen items officially crossed off the list. well, okay then. okay. but I really don't want to talk about what didn't get crossed off the list. not today I don't. there's one undone item in particular that's really eating at me but I'm letting it go today. because today is a day for new lists. today is shiny and new.

drum roll, please

well, we threw all 184 numbers into a hat and these are the two that miss ava picked: 33 and 159.

comment number 33 came from rad julia of minecreations (straight outta minneapolis, yo) and comment number 159 came from lovely shannon of old soul designs. you are ze winners, pretty mamas! deets are headed your way today.

thank you thank you thank you for all the kind and congratulatory words, peeps. can't tell you how much it means to me. really, I can't.

p.s. I think ava would like for me to do a giveaway every single day of every single week forever and ever so she can pick little paper numbers out of hats. and who can blame her? it's fun.

I'm up

and it's sort of a miracle. after two years of thinking about it and several months of talking about it, I finally did it. I'm up on etsy. prints of my photographs are now for sale in le shoppe. and to celebrate said monumental event, I do believe a print giveaway is in order. to enter, leave a comment here (on this particular post) by 11pm PST saturday, december 6th. miss ava will randomly choose two numbers and I'll announce the winners here on monday.

to all who have endlessly, tirelessly encouraged me to do this, I thank you. and yes, you were right.

whew. I'm tired now. and a little nervous. celebrating with a bowl of cereal. something crunchy with dried cherries. it's the only way.

UPDATE: thanks for all your support, peeps. you have no idea how much it means. the comment section is now closed. back on monday with two lucky numbers.