Speaking of international . . .

Inspired by this post, I thought I'd snap and share some photos of the papers I saved from my Euro Tour 2011. In my mind, I saved more scraps than I actually found--all must not have survived the most recent purges.

Yes, I saved the little waxy paper envelopes in which store keepers wrapped the post cards I purchased.

When I found this post card in a cuuuuuuuuuuuuute shop in Copenhagen, I knew I was purchasing it for myself to keep. IRL the colors are more muted.

I purchased a few postcards at the Salzburger Marionettentheater, which is a fancy (or German) way of saying the marionette theater in Salzburg. Friends and/or fam actually received said post cards, but apparently I bought an extra and decided to keep Der Nussknacker (The Nutcracker for all of you who aren't familiar with German and/or able to crack that cryptic code) for myself.

Here we have some notes I scribbled on a guide to the Belvedere Museum in Vienna (which I loved loved loved and highly recommend), and business cards for a DE-licious vegetarian restaurant in Amsterdam (which, incidentally, had a resident cat back in '11), a Mediterranean restaurant in Brussels, and a lomography joint in Amsterdam (which I didn't actually visit--I acquired this card during an event at the Van Gogh Museum where I took a lomography workshop + got to shoot a roll of film with a Diana).

I saved this bag (yet another post card purchase!) from this little shop in Paris:

I believe L'univers de Léo roughly translates to: dog thinks of cat, cat thinks of mouse, mouse thinks of cheese, cheese thinks of cow. I could be mistaken.

That's the spirit!

True fact: I love receiving texts from Alicia.  Alicia tends to text me when she notices awesome things—street musicians with fancy instruments and the like.  As though she's a magic scout, keenly attuned to detect wonderful things, compelled to alert me to the beauty that abounds.  A couple weeks ago, she spotted this charmingly embellished advertisement on a BART train, and gifted it to me.  Behold the Googly Eyed Gnome!      

I believe we should start a movement to make 53% of all texts, messages of this sort.  (The other 47% can be the practical kind, of course.)  Agreed?

Sweet.  The next time you're out and about, I challenge you to 

1. recognize when you're witnessing something worthy of your admiration,
2. take a moment to appreciate whatever you see,
3. snap a photo, and 
4. send that photo to someone you think will share in your joy.

It'll be like one big, never-ending scavenger hunt for awesome.  We can assign points for various sightings: 25 for spotting an origami dinosaur on a park bench, 50 for a yarnbombed bike rack, 996 for a unicorn noshing on an ice cream cone.  We'll call our game Magic Scout.   

p.s. My cousin Melissa also plays this game.  She found a purty pink-haired gal in San Francisco.  How many points should we award her?

Through a window on a rainy day

I see her about once a week.  The pink + green girl always makes me smile.

Customize your Notes-to-Self

Today I turned a blank Moleskine into a customized spot (pun intended) to record my notes-to-self.  If you'd like to do something similar, all you need to gather is

• a blank notebook
• various papers (I used what I already had on hand: origami paper, a postcard, and a TOMS catalog that came in the mail yesterday.  But think of the possibilities!  Gloriously colored junk mail, favorite photographs, index cards, graph paper, wrapping paper scraps, etc. etc. etc.!)
• a 1" diameter circle punch (similar to this guy)
• glue

I simply punched out some circles of the colors and patterns I fancied, arranged them around the cover until I had a layout I liked, then glued the little dots in place.  My only suggestion to help you make a less janky version is to use a paint brush when applying the glue.  Distributing a smooth and even layer of glue might help eliminate some of the bumpiness I saw under some of the thinner papers (I'm looking at you, origami paper!).  If you don't have a circle punch on hand, you can use something circular, like a can of tomato paste or a quarter, and trace it with a pencil, then cut it out with scissors.  I think different-sized circles would be très cute, too.  Or abandon the circle idea altogether, and cut out star shapes or triangles or hearts.  Or create whatever kind of collage you like.  Endless, the possibilities are!

A tiny little notebook is perfect for carrying around with you at all times.  You never know when you'll need to record a magical moment (e.g. when you discover a fantastic mural in your otherwise sleepy hometown, splash about in some puddles with your fancy rain boots, or create the perfectly cheerful playlist).  I write in mine at the end of each day, and challenge myself to list all of the wonderful things I observed, created, or felt during the past 24 hours.  By simply knowing that I expect this of myself each evening, I am more aware of noticing the goodness as its happening each day.  

Or you could use a little notebook like this to keep a running list of all the things you'd like to create.  Here's a list of ideas to get you started, if you're drawing a blank.  ;)

Happy weekend, everyone!   

p.s. (Blurry) bonus photo of Cleo's photobomb attempt.

Fill in the blank

You may have noticed that I like me some whimsy and cheek in my street art.  I also have a penchant for pieces that make me think.  But Candy Chang's Before I Die project goes beyond simply making me think.  She re-imagined an abandoned house in her neighborhood in New Orleans, and gave her community a public place for reflection and awareness.  Using plywood and chalkboard paint, and offering chalk to all passersby, she created opportunities for individual expression and community interaction.  Brilliant.  I am in awe of her vision and its execution.

The project has grown, and continues to spread into other communities.  I found the wall in Santa Cruz particularly poignant.  And, as a runner, I appreciated San Francisco's twist: I Run Because.  Reminded me of the exceedingly sage pontification I once offered the world, via Twitter (the source of all contemporary philosophy worth its salt): we should run because we can.  

I now expand my credo to incorporate living an art-ful life—we should create because we can.  Thanks for the reminder, Ms. Chang.

Makes me smile

when people re-imagine their surroundings—

making streams of hearts gush from once-obsolete pipes,

and dumpsters smile.

Makes me smile when folks see potential in objects, and use them for something other than their original purpose.

And turn something mundane into something amusing.

Makes me smile to daydream of a home that greets me with a cheeky grin.


Sources
Color Me Katie's heart pipe 
Kristin Farr's smiling dumpster
refrigerator magnet letters mural
piano stairs
smiling house

Progress Report

Have you guys crossed off any tasks on GOOD's Art Every Day list this week?  I managed to check off a few, especially if you allow for altering and amending (which I do!).

✔ Doodle for 10 minutes straight.  Here's a close up of my favorite part (the yellow squiggles!).  Little did GOOD know, I keep a notebook exclusively for doodling, and I "assign" myself one doodle a week anyway.  :)

✔ Create something handmade.  Here's a crocheted cowl I'm working on.

✔ Research an art topic.  I began my quest to learn more about the origins of street art.  Yarn bombing is a form of street art that is particularly close to my heart.  On the left: Ben shows appreciation for a yarn bomb in Leipzig, Germany.  On the right: a tree cozy in Salzburg, Austria.
  

✔ Share links to a favorite artist's work.  I am smitten with Björk.  Not only is she a talented, hard working, and unique musician, she collaborates with others to create stunning visual aspects to her music performances.  Have you seen her videos for Crystalline and Moon?  Mesmerizing!  But, since we're about to usher in the weekend, I thought I'd also share my favorite upbeat Björk tune: It's Oh So Quiet.  I dare you not to dance along!

✔ Support the local arts scene.  Tomorrow is my first day of volunteering at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco, and I am so excited!  (But not like Jessie Spano excited; not to worry.)  Some of my first tasks will be in preparation for the closing party of the Randy Colosky Fiat Lux exhibit, which features the piece pictured above, Axis Mundi.  The entire exhibit is interesting and thought-provoking—especially in regards to how we view ordinary objects and their use.  If you're in the Bay Area, you should come check it out between 4:00-6:00 p.m. tomorrow.  MOCFA is near the Powell Street BART station.  And I hear there will be beer. 

I hope you all have an art-ful weekend!

p.s. I have a few other ideas for how to incorporate art into your weekend, if you're interested.  ;)

Thought for Thursday

Spotted in Portland

Grab your world-watching gear + do as the sign says, people!

I didn't study this in my art history courses

When I was in Europe last fall, soaking in all of the architecture, (sanctioned) public art installations, and fine art in the museums, the question I was most interested in investigating was when and how did street art, as we know it, develop?.  It's not that I wasn't in awe of the traditional art.  Of course I was, but what can I say?  I'm a fan of subversion.  And beautifying our neighborhoods.  Because they are our neighborhoods, after all.  I suppose I should research the "artivism" sub-category from the diagram above, because street art that makes a statement, be it aesthetic or political, is my favorite.  I admire the combination of creativity, cleverness, and conviction.   

Many moons ago, I watched Style Wars (which is kickass, btw), but like the amnesiac I am, I don't remember many of the details (luckily, the entire documentary is streaming on YouTube).  New York.  Subways.  Train yards.  Cans of spray paint.  That's pretty much the extent of my knowledge on the origins of street art, specifically graffiti.  So, I went where all deeply serious academics go to conduct thorough and reliable research: Wikipedia.  I now know precious little more than previously noted above.  (Did you know cave paintings that date back to 30,000 BCE, can be classified as graffiti?  I did not.  I always thought of cave people as rule followers.)  As you can imagine, though, it is difficult to determine precise origins for such a dynamic movement.  And being such a recent (comparatively speaking) branch of visual arts, I didn't expect to find oodles of definitive texts on the topic. 

But, I shall not be deterred!  I plan to watch Style Wars again.  Then, I'll read Street Art: The Graffiti Revolution, Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents, and Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents.  You better believe all this research totally counts as one, if not two (or three!), of the tasks on GOOD's 30-day Challenge checklist.     

Would you like to see some of my favorite 

street art works from my recent trip to Europe?

diagram source       

Be GOOD: Art Every Day

I'm a bit tardy alerting you guys to GOOD's 30-Day Challenge for March.  But you know what they say about late and never.  Plus, I'm giving you the opportunity to double up on some artistic activities for a few days in order to catch up, thus enhancing your enjoyment on said days twofold.  You're welcome.  ;) 

I digress.  The good people of GOOD are challenging us to incorporate art on the daily.  They've brainstormed 31 tasks that will ensure we are maximizing our artistic interactions with the world.  A few of my favorites:

• doodle for 10 minutes straight
• take a street art walking tour 
• make origami

Ok, you know what?  All 31 are my favorites, and I don't want to retype their whole list.  So, follow the link above to see which daily art activities you'll perform in March.  Feel free to alter some of the tasks, delete any you're not into, and/or add your own!  I even see some major crossover opportunities should you still desire to participate in the Magic Mission.  :D

p.s. That stunning Tupac/Adventure Time mural up there?  Is in Castro Valley!  I know!  (I mentioned it once before.)  Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not believe it either, friends.  But extraordinary surprises are all around us.  Are you looking?

Seeing the world through extraordinarily-colored glasses

"I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary.  I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was." - Jacob Portman in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Kinda reminds me of the Roald Dahl quote about magic—you gotta keep your eyes peeled.  Or wear special glasses, I suppose.

Apologies for the thug face.  I promise you I'm smizing behind those sunnies.  :)

Dear Mother Nature,

Did you believe I was bragging yesterday?  About all the sunshine and cheer and spring cleaning-ness?  Did you feel the need to take me down a notch, and remind me that rain is ever-possible?  Well, nice try, my friend.  I love me some rain, as well.  I love waking up to the sounds of the bursting clouds, and I love searching for puddles to stomp around in with my nifty, new rain boots.  The perfect Leap Day activity, no?

So, many thanks, Miss Nature.  You and your rain clouds are pretty swell. ;)

xoxo,

Sarah + her nifty, new rainboots

All of a sudden, I really want to take a cruise

I already confessed my love for Richard Scarry.  Though I really could say scads more on that matter.  And you may have noticed (though I didn't really mention) my huge crush on Mary Blair's art (see photo collage for # 1).  In fact, when I was checking out some of Mary Blair's work, I learned about Aurelius Battaglia, the artist behind the delightful illustration above.  I'll have to investigate some more, but it seems Battaglia's creations have similar qualities to what I love in Scarry and Blair's work: fantastic color, whimsical scenes, and straight-up charm.  Doesn't that scene make you want to hop from port to port on a fancy cruise liner?  Or at least acquire a jaunty hat?    

I love discovering new art to get all giddy about.

Who are some of your favorite artists? 

Cruise Ship image source

Sextet image source

And have you met Sarah Blasko?

I love her voice.  And how enchanting is this video by Celeste Potter?  I know that when I encounter rolling waves trimmed with pinking shears, I turn my bionic wolf/former bicycle into a ship.  :)  I love it, and I hope you do, too!

I also hope you love the idea of winning a copy of Marcel the Shell's picture book!  If you'd like to submit your name for the giveaway, please follow the instructions over on Monday's post.  I must warn you, though.  Tough competition—we already have two fierce (and lovely) contenders.  ;)

Touring the City: Unexpected Bonus!

Didn't mean ta disappear on y'all like that.  Life is always full of unexpectedness, ya know?  The photo above is evidence of why I believe it's important to carry on like a tourist in our own stomping grounds.  (i.e. consciously appreciating all that wherever-we-are has to offer, viewing our surroundings with the same kind of awe we have when touring foreign towns, noticing the sparklies, and all that jazz).    

There I was . . . just a small-town girl . . . livin' in a lonely world . . . heading to the 5:22 BART train that would take me back to the East Bay (you had to sing that last part super fast to make it sync with the original notes).  Many thanks for indulging my Journey detour.  (Wish I could promise that it won't happen again. I cannot.)  Um, what was I going to tell you?  Oh yeah!  I was finished with my City Touring, and walking down Columbus toward the Montgomery BART station, when I hit a red light at Broadway.  So I look up and around, like a good, observant tourist does.  And what should I see on the Southeast corner?  No, not the naked ladies enticing me to come into the Garden of Eden.  Higher.  Yes!  Up there, beyond the tree that looks like an ambitious chia pet.  See that black stencil and red lettering?  That, my friends, is a Banksy.  I happened upon a Banksy while ambling through North Beach.  (You may recall that I am a fan of street art.  I've mentioned it two or three times.)

I remember when Banksy made his mark in San Francisco in 2010, around the time Exit Through the Gift Shop hit theaters.  But, for some reason, I never made the pilgrimage across the Bay to see his work in person (I think I thought they'd all be promptly removed, defaced, or stolen).  And I questioned whether what I saw on Columbus and Broadway was actually "a Banksy" because I only remember hearing about the ones in Chinatown, the Mission, and a few others; I hadn't heard of one in North Beach.  Sure enough, though, there are a few "Lost Banksy's of San Francisco". 

Truth is, my favorite moments during my "tour" of San Francisco-y spots were the unexpected ones.  Inadvertently seeing that Bansky?  Was like a surprise party for my eyes.  And my heart had a grand time dancing at that party.  Such a moment underscores how important it is to get out there for mini-adventuring.  We must invite the opportunity to see the sparkly things around us.  And, I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you—if all the glittery things are eluding your vision, make your own magic.  There are plenty of ways to do so, including ones you've yet to imagine.

Touring The City: San Francisco

Thanks for Touring Castro Valley with me last week, y'all.  Did you join in the fun, too?  Did you revisit some of the sparkly parts of your current locale?  

As previously noted, I grew up, and currently live, about twenty minutes from the bridge that connects the East Bay to San Francisco.  And I'd like to rectify the fact that there are many spots in what we Bay Areans call The City, that I've yet to visit.  Weather permitting, I'm gonna get out there this week, and show you some (hopefully) sweet spots of The City by the Bay!

And since we're talking about San Francisco and second-hand shopping, I think I'll throw some feelers out there.  To you, my people.

     
As you may or may not know, there was a football game yesterday.  Okay, there were two, actually.  But I only cared about one of them.  My beloved 49ers played the New York Giants to determine which team would represent the National Football Conference in the Super Bowl.  To many of you, this may mean nothing.  To me, it meant a great deal. 

Do you have a favorite season?  And do you have markers that signal said season is nigh?  E.g. you love winter, and the first dust of snow signals it's a comin'!  Or you love spring, and blooming daffodils make you think, "Spring is so close!"  Or summer's your thing, and you hear the Doppler effected Ice Cream Truck song floating closer and closer, and you feel all giddy inside?  That's how I feel about autumn.  And when NFL season kicks off (pun intended) in September.  Leaves changing color and swirling to meet the ground via mini cyclones; crunching those fallen leaves; crisp and gooey caramel apples, the ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte; watching 49ers games on Sundays.  That's autumn to me.  And autumn is my favorite.

I've never really pondered why 49ers games mean so much to me.  Beyond the fact that I love to watch grown men run and cut and pivot and slant and dig in and push and spin and jump and did I mention run?  And I don't want to get too deep here, but I think it's fair to say 9ers games remind me of a time when I was reconnecting with my dad.  During this time, I must have felt happy, because when I hear the first six notes of this theme, I am flooded with nostalgic feelings of goodness.

Although yesterday's game did not end how I would've liked, I'd still like to thank the 2011 49ers for making it fun to be a 9ers fan again.  The past eight or so years have been painful, and had you told me, back in September, that this team would win more than six games, I would've squinted my eyes, smiled really big-like, and laughed heartily at your folly.  And had you told me they'd play the Giants in the NFC Championship game?  I would have been genuinely frightened for your well being.  How can I complain about the final outcome of the season, when this team provided so much more than expected?  Paramount among their provisions—rekindling my hope.    

Wow, can I digress like a champ.  Remember when I was going to tie this last bit into second-hand shopping five paragraphs ago?  Ahem.  

I have been on the hunt for a vintage 49ers sweater like the two pictured above.  Preferably white with red lettering, and preferably not 3XL.  As you conduct your thrifting, my dears, please keep an eye out on my behalf.  Gimme a holler if you strike gold. 

(Get it?  Anyone?  Bueller?)  

Image 1 and Image 2

Touring in my own town: Second-hand Shopping

Okay, so I need you guys to cut me a little slack on the final day of "Touring Castro Valley".  You see, one of the wonderful things about living in Castro Valley is that we are really close to awesome things.  Proximity and access to awesome are essentially the same as possessing awesome, right?  Right!  Sweet, now that we've agreed upon that fact, I can confess that my favorite thrift stores are actually in San Leandro and Hayward.  (I totally didn't mean what I said yesterday, Hayward. You're the best!)  Mere miles from my current residence you fill find treasures such as these:

Thrift Town.  I buy almost all of my clothing second-hand.  I like how Thrift Town organizes their clothing by colors AND size.  Very helpful.  And every now and then, a treasure such as the couch above will appear.  That beauty was $39.99, AND it was available on Monday when everything in the store was 30% off thanks to the Martin Luther King holiday!  Some lucky potato bought that couch for $28!  Unreal deal.  Anyway, I know where I'll be on February 3rd—scouring the racks during the annual 99¢ sweater sale!   

And my most recent discovery is Eco Thrift.  Whoa.  Quite an impressive outfit (no pun intended) they got goin' there in what is clearly an old warehouse.  Sweaters for days.  And coats!  Oh my little pony—the coats!  The photo above does not do the styles nor the colors justice.  Peas, swings, and belted maxis; mustard, light camel, and lemony-lime.  There was one in the perfect shade of red, too.  I wanted them all, and tried each on in vain.  As my grandma says, "Some days you don't make a dime," which I think roughly translates to, "You can't always get what you want."  So true, Mick and Grams, so true.  Still, when a wool coat only costs 200 dimes (before factoring color tag discount), it can be a challenge to walk on to the next rack.
       

Today was green tag day, so the vintage JC Penney "ski sweater" above was 50% off, and therefore could've been mine for $9.98.  Alas and alack, 'twas not meant to be.  Like the aforementioned wool coats, it just didn't fit properly.  Le sigh.  But, behold!  Le purr:   

I pretty much guaranteed securing Grand Prize should I find myself at an Ugly Christmas Sweater Fête next holiday season.  The teddy bear(?)'s face is pretty effed up.  And his scarf is three dimensional.  As are the jeep's tires.  Truth be told, though, I think it's so ugly, it's kinda cute.  Like a chihuahua.  Or monchhichis.

Touring in my own town: Art

Castro Valley is also home to the very charming Japanese Gardens, where all of the trees resemble Edward Scissorhands' handy work.  (See above.)  I always thought the gardens were technically in Hayward, because they are near the ambiguous zig-zaggy border between CV and Hayward.  But, according to Google Maps (THE authority on all things location), the gardens are in 94546.  Take that, Hayward!

Such a peaceful setting.  Birds chirping, water falling, and if you look very, very closely below, you may see the little turtle sunning himself in front of the mini-pagoda statue.

There are numerous rock "seating areas", perfect for one or two, secluded from the paths.  Ideal for quiet reflection, observing, or picnicking.

 
And there are Koi swimming about!  Huge koi.  I threw all those coins in the pond so you'd have points of reference.  ;]

And, a little color in the winter is always welcome!

Besides landscape art, Castro Valley houses the Adobe Art Gallery, which shamefully, I've never been to.  AND, I recently discovered some delightful street art in CV.  No, you did not misread that last statement.  I will show you soon.  Street art is one of my favorite things, though, and it deserves its own week's worth of posts.  At least.  Watch out—We hope for more could become a niche blog after all. We hope for more [art].  ;]

Touring in my own town: Extra-Curricular Activities

When you want to go out and "do something" in Castro Valley, there are a handful of options.  One can catch a matinee (for only $5, mind you!) at the Chabot Theater.  Had the local cinema not been currently showing Joyful Noise, I would've gladly done so in order to report back to you, photos included.  But I simply could not bring myself to watch a flick with a 37% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes—even at the incredible matinee price.  Option two is the Castro Village Bowl(ing alley), which has various weekly specials, including Rock & Bowl on Saturdays.  And beer.  Yes, like any classy bowling alley, there is a lounge attached.  And then there is Golden Tee Golfland, which we always called Pee Wee Golf when I was but a tiny Tigress Woods*.

I must say, the Golden Tee has not changed much, if at all, since I was a kid.

I'm thinking this is the original carpeting.  

And the obstacles are as frustrating as ever.  ;]

Even the iconic trio of primary-colored dragons remains.

The colors and whimsical attractions make for a fun environment (read: distraction from your horrendous, far-above-par scores, caused by said whimsical attractions. And maybe your tendency to hit the ball too hard.)

The truth is, I don't even know what my score was, because Ben was sweet enough to hide the numbers from me.  I stopped asking after the third hole.  ;]

*Credit for coining the name "Tigress Woods" goes to Ben.