Because cute

I give you my most favoritest animal videos of all time. A straight ninja. A baby just tryin' to keep pace. A bringer of peace.

Though this one is animated, and doubtless deserving of its own post, it's possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen, and therefore included:

You may wish to bookmark this post for when you're having the worst day ever. Should these videos not pull you out of the depths of the doldrums, by all means throw one (or 2) of these in your honor.

This is gonna be made, right?

You can't just tease us with a trailer for a live action Daria flick, College Humor, and then not turn it into a full-length feature film! You can't. The laws of physics (or something) will not allow.

When I first caught wind of this (thanks to BUST), I believed we were going to get a live action, full-length Daria tale. Oh, how I wanted to hear her commentary on class reunions! Alas, when I read the first sentence of the second paragraph, I learned 'tis but a cruel joke perpetrated by College Humor. (Imagine the range of emotions I experienced in those consecutive moments. From this to this and/or this.)

So then, my next thought was to google, "Daria kickstarter" because Veronica Mars. I don't know who Robyn Pennacchia is, but we have very similar takes on this whole sitch (possibly due to the fact that I also fit into the "not quite Gen X, not quite a Millenial" generation-label-gap):

• Why would younger sister Quinn be organizing Daria's reunion? Maybe that's her full-time gig? Organizing reunions for all who attended Lawndale High. Or, I've also heard of joint reunions, so maybe Quinn is organizing one gathering for all who graduated from 2002-2005? But there was that banner behind the valedictorian as she addressed her former classmates...
• Jane--a mom? Really?
• I was waaaaaaaaay more into Brian Krakow too. Until he became a rapist on Felicity.
• THIS HAS TO HAPPEN, THOUGH, RIGHT?

Miranda July is my religion

Though I wish I could claim to have participated in her original Joanie 4 Jackie video-tape-chain-letter project, I think I first became aware of Miranda July when I somehow stumbled upon Learning to Love You More circa 2004. I've followed her artist journey ever since, and am continually inspired by her immense imagination and empathy.

So, apologies for sharing the latest Miranda July project, We Think Alone, a wee bit late. But, better late than not at all, yeah? Read the About page to learn, well, about it. Nutshell: MJ has aggregated emails from 10 different folks on 20 different topics. You can sign up to receive said emails. If you're a curious (read: nosy/snoopy) person like I, you may wish to sign up. We're only 3 weeks in, so you'll still receive 17 emails (from the likes of Lena Dunham!) that address the weekly topic.

So far the topics have covered: money, advice, and Barack Obama.  One of the many things I dig about this project is where the idea can lead us unexpectedly. When I finished reading all the emails re: Obama, I wondered, Do I have any emails that mention Obama?...which led me to search my gmail archives. Which led to the rediscovery of this gem. A lil' somethin' I sent to commemorate a dear friend's day of birth.

 

And now, consider this gift yours. You're welcome.

How do I work this thing?

I totally forget how this thing works. Do I capitalize every letter in a post title? Or treat it like a sentence? Grammar vs. style. The ultimate showdown. In my mind, at least. I choose style. Yeah. So.

I finally started watching Adventure Time after admiring its aesthetic for a few years. (Remember this?! Ah!) All this time, I had no idea that Jake the Stretchy Dog is a kindred.

p.s. I usually don't include images unless I can give proper credit. Unfortunately a Google Images search didn't help me find the original source. Fucking tumblr culture. If you happen to know which AT fan created this, please let me know!

The Trading Tortoise

It's no secret that I am a fan of 

• art
• travel
• exploration
• spreading the beauty
• stories
• documenting said stories, and
• all things awesome.

If you also love any of the above, I encourage you to watch Monica Choy and Souther Salazar's Kickstarter video, and be inspired.  The duo imagined a way to combine all of the above into a unique experience called The Trading Tortoise.  I love that Ms. Choy and Mr. Salazar created a way to give (both to those who are lucky enough to witness the sure-to-be-stunning installation in person, as well as the pledgers who earn rewards for donating via Kickstarter) and to facilitate giving, among people from communities far and wide, at their traveling trade post.  Not to mention, the stories behind traded items will be a gift available to all on the website.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels The Trading Tortoise is an absolutely necessary project, because their Kickstarter campaign met its funding goal last night, with 17 days to go.  Even though the project has been funded, you can still contribute (and earn super cool rewards like postcards, mixed CD's, and zines created while the Tortoise is on the road!).  Extra dollars will go toward making extra stops on the tour.  I hope they stop in a city near you, so you are able to see the Tortoise and trade something special for something marvelous.

What would you bring to trade?  Would you make something for the occasion?  Do you already own an object you'd like to share with someone from somewhere else?  Just thinking about the possibilities makes me giddy!

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?

I did it!

One of my goals for 2012 was to read at least three books written for an adult audience.  Considering that I often go on young adult fiction binges that can last upwards of eleven months, planning to read three was doable, but certainly not a given.  I'm proud to say that as of April 11, 2012, when I completed Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, three of the eight books I've read since January 1, were not written for adolescents!  (Insert my happy dance here—which bears a striking resemblance to the twins' moves.)

That said, I want to share a graphic novel (written for young adults) I recently read with you.  Meet the Janes, who are the cast of characters in The Plain Janes, a tale written by Cecil Castellucci and illustrated by Jim Rugg. 

After the main Jane's parents move her to suburbia in the name of safety, our leading lady manages to make friends with three other Janes-of-various-spellings.  Together, they form The P.L.A.I.N. Janes, a secret "art girl gang" whose mission is to create thought-provoking public art, in hopes of inspiring their strip-mall loving neighbors to appreciate beauty.  P.L.A.I.N. = People Loving Art in Neighborhoods.

Reasons these Janes are kind of my kindred:   

• Main Jane's (far left above) first thought as she stares at the sky from the perfectly manicured lawn in her new yard, notebook by her side, bird chirping overhead: "I'm in hell."
• And as she enters her new high school, she tells herself: "Remember it's just four years . . . Om, and all that."
• Jane-with-the-bob (second from right above) puts on a prosthetic nose and recites from Cyrano De Bergerac when she tries out for the school's production of Grease, much to the horror of the "cool" girls running the auditions.
• "I want her to stop worrying and love the world again." —Main Jane, speaking about her mom.  
• P.L.A.I.N. projects include: installing hundreds of stuffed animals outside an animal shelter with clever signs encouraging pet adoption; a message bottle tree, with instructions like dance, hug, and skip inside the hanging bottles; and yarn bombing parking meters and fire hydrants with striped cozies. 

No doubt you understand why I would invite the P.L.A.I.N. Janes to help fulfill my birthday mission.  These girls would be all over #s 5, 9, and 12!  

p.s. You're still totally invited to help fulfill my birthday mission, too.  The Janes would be so proud, and I would be impressed, grateful, and a lot of other positive adjectives!   

Guest blogger

My Cleocatra can be quite opportunistic.  When I was writing tomorrow's blog post*, I left my laptop open for all of 49 seconds** to retrieve my clean laundry from the dryer.  The sight above is what welcomed me upon my return.  After I snapped this shot, Cleo looked up at me, and I swear, she raised her eyebrows, and with her eyes asked, "You haz a question?".  Oh, and here is the message she wished to impart to y'all.  Profound, no?  

Luckily, her paws didn't click Publish.  Unlike the time she managed to save Google Reader as a bookmark entitled ;/ for me.  So thoughtful, that Cleo. 

*Yes, I'm back!  Until I take my next impromptu blogging spring break, that is.

**I reenacted the whole event in order to accurately report to you how long it took Cleo to wreak her keyboarding havoc.  I am nothing if not dedicated to authentic communication.

Proof I am alive

Be flattered, J.Crew

I've been eyeing these J.Crew shorts for a couple months.  But, I am simply not willing to pay $60 + tax for a pair of shorts.  A pair of shorts, people!  J.Crew, you are not that cute.  Okay, you are.  You totally are.  Nevertheless, when I can create something similar to what you're trying to sell me at a 75% margin?  With items I already own?  Not willing.  Sarah is my name, and creativity driven by frugality is my game.    

Supplies: denim shorts, pencil with an unused eraser, measuring tape, fabric ink, dish to serve as paint palette, and newspaper to protect the table.

In progress: I didn't care to be perfectly precise, but I didn't want random dots all over the place, either.  So, I used the measuring tape as a guide to keep my dotted rows more-or-less straight.  For the first row, I started at the waist, and placed each dot about halfway between the sewed seams, roughly 1" apart from each other.  Each subsequent row is approximately 1" below the one above, and staggered ½" laterally, too.  See the pattern?

Voilà! 

And, yes, I've worn these in public*, completely oblivious to the fact that the right leg sports a good 1½" more denim than the left. 

*at Disneyland, no less!  See bottom collage.