Cloverdew Creative

I’ve been going through a really rough time in my life lately, but the great thing about going through a terrible time in your life is that you find out just what great friends you have. Friday, Michelle took me out for old fashioned gin cocktails, dinner, and dessert at Founding Farmers and I came home to find a copy of Pronoia the Antidote to Paranoia, Revised and Expanded: How the Whole World Is Conspiring To Shower You With Blessings by Rob Brezsny, which comes highly recommended from one of my favorite bloggers, Gala Darling sitting on my doorstep – a gift from one of my oldest friends, which she overnighted from out of state.

I’m getting back to my Roots… and by that I mean it’s time to start infusing my playlists with my favorite artists from previous eras in my life, which includes, as I say, the Roots. In addition, this also includes such classic artists as Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix.

In the same vein, I’m also thinking a lot about re-reading favorite books from years past including the Mists of Avalon, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Garden of Eden and others.

“Why revisit the past?” you ask. Because I have accomplished many things since I first read these books and last listened to these albums. My place in life is different and the experiences I bring to them are changed. What a twentysomething post-college with a full-time job, who has lived abroad sees in a book or feels in music is vastly different from what a sixteen-year-old hears and sees. I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand the subtleties of character and intensities of emotion that are involved when a young married couple falls in love with another woman in the Garden of Eden at sixteen. I liked to think I did then, but after having my own romantic relationships as an adult, I’m pretty sure the story would feel different reading it now.

I liked Hendrix from the time I was a pre-teenager (blame it on my older and wiser brother), but I’ve recently come to really appreciate the complexities of soul behind his work, the power he channeled, the hours and hours of his life he must have dedicated to the instrument of guitar in order to create the magic he did.

Are there artists, writers, musicians whom you have revisited and felt a deeper connection with? A body of work you interpreted one way when you were younger and bring an entirely new perspective to now? Which ones? What creations grow and change with you?

from weheartit

♥ If you’re like me, you’re probably looking for a great bed to hide away in with a book while the weather outside is frightful. Take a gander at this nook bed complete with reading lamps and fluffy down pillow and comforter. I’d love to have one of those!

♥ DC is getting a taste of European simplicity with a new crêperie at the entry to Gallery Place. They are serving up both sweet and savory dishes and are in a prime spot for walk-in traffic. I’m making it a point to check out Crêpes on the Walk before it gets so popular there are lines around the corner.

♥ Interested in archaeology? This Tinysaur would make the perfect addition to your desk space. I think he’s adorable. But I’d have to find him a more adorable and clever name than Rex.

♥ These pretty prints and paper goods from Little Galaxy make me want to sit and write letters all afternoon. If you could write a letter to anyone, who would you write? What would it say? Would you write a story? These works of art are full of fanciful imagination. Inspiring!

♥ No matter if you are an aspiring photographer or professional artist, this adorable FujiFilm Instax Camera will win your heart. While not quite like the ancient Polaroid cameras, this one is lightweight, fashion-forward, and prints clear credit-card sized photos in just a few minutes with a click of a button. Great for photos of family and friends to hang in your office, cubicle, or workspace; perfect for documentation on shoes for storage boxes (or anything else you want to put away for a season or two); ingenious for all those times you want to take photos which can’t be deleted just as easily as taken…

♥ Take a few moments to check out the Freckled Cup, an artist collective that showcases the beauty of people, light, warmth, color, lack of color, skin, touch, mountains, exploration, and most things in between.

♥ Want to leave a little something sweet for Santa? Why not try making these adorable Candy Cane Christmas Tree Cupcakes instead of cookies this year?

♥ Find out from Copyblogger Why James Chartrand Wears Women’s Underpants.

♥ Lover of literature? Why not read Pride and Prejudice told through emoticons? Gave me a laugh and made my day.

♥ If you don’t have a foot fetish now, you might have one once you see these sexy little peds. These hot little numbers peek out of the toe of your shoe, lending a little lingerie to to those dainty little toes.

♥ I love music, particularly when sung by feisty females. This folk-rock duo call themselves Garfunkel and Oates and are just as quirky and strange a combination as they might appear. Making cuss words sound cute and addressing themes like one night stands and singing songs titled “Pregnant Women Are Smug” and “This Party Took A Turn For The Douche”, these California cuties are on my permanent listening rotation.

♥ Try these dreamy photos for a little inspiration: rumor has it they’re from 1962, the same week Yves Saint Laurent’s first collection was shown.

♥ Ever wish for a simpler time? Learn How To Sew A Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew.

And, with that, my friends, I’m off to Florida to visit with my parents and brother for Christmas. I’m not taking my beloved MacBook, so it may be a while until my next post. I hope in the meantime, these links will keep you satisfied and sated. More next week after I return from my trip.

A little decadence (Blueberry Basil Cheesecake Cupcakes) from Bakerella

Love A La Carte features all the little things that make my life just a little more delicious.

♣ Pilot Precise v5 Pens in various colors (a favorite since high school). And Stabilos!!

♣ The timeless classics of literature. (Right now I’m reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.)

♣ Two new gorgeous tarot decks: Fairy Tale Tarot and Tarot of the Sweet Twilight and having a trusted friend do a very special reading for me.

♣ Spending way too much on hair and skin-care products that don’t irritate my sensitive skin.

♣ Eating healthier and unprocessed foods.

♣ The music and cast of Glee.

♣ Making a wish list of inspirational items like a cool font-print bag and the Art of Tim Burton hardcover with fold outs.

♣ David Cook’s version of Mariah Carey’s Always Be My Baby.

♣ Getting advice from my mom on buying a new (or used) sewing machine and patterns to start with to get back into sewing. Or just getting advice from my mom in general.

♣ Croissants.

♣ My new Philips Adjustible Earclip Headphones (SHS4700). Nothing too fancy, but comfortable and good sound.

♣ Getting a little more in my paycheck from now on.

♣ Getting Overtime Pay.

♣ The promise of art supply shopping after work, then meeting up with a friend for drinks.

♣ Paying bills. Doesn’t it feel good when you’ve paid them off until next month? I always feel a bit of relief afterward.

♣ Having a (relatively) blank date book for the new year and getting a fresh start.

♣ Metric.

♣ Tim Walker’s photography.

♣ The first snowfall of the year!

♥ Daily Candy features green and good-for-the-soul trash bags: Green Genius (Get a free sample from their website and they’ll send you a $2.00 off coupon, as well. I’m hoping for these emerald beauties in my grocery store soon!)

♥ The A. V. Club picks the best short story collections of the 2000s. Among them is featured one of my favorites, Neil Gaiman’s Fragile Things (If you’re a fan of Gaiman, Lovecraft, or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, read: A Study in Emerald. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire and October in the Chair were some of my other favorites.) They obviously have great taste and the reviews are worthwhile. I’ll be adding a few more collections to my “to-read” list.

♥ I’m so excited for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland that I already have the date (March 5, 2010) marked on my calendar in anticipation. Midnight viewing anyone? I’m SO there! One of my favorite stories told by one of my favorite storytellers. And speaking of Tim Burton, I’m trying to figure out how to finance a weekend trip to New York to see the exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

♥ Get your daily dose of chocolate, whether you eat it or paint it on your wall! Dezeen Blog showcased this awesome innovative interior design for a Godiva chocolate shop in Harajuku by Japanese interior designers at Wonderwall.

♥ Paste Magazine shows the Evolution of the Hipster from this decade. Can you find people you know? Or maybe even yourself?

♥ I don’t have any fancy holiday parties to go to this season, but if I did, you can be sure I’d be wearing this dress!

Two very intelligent, very inspirational blonde women you should definitely be following on Twitter:

• Lisa Hoffmann (@lisahoffmann): is also known as New Media Lisa. Her blog frolics through the land of new media, including posts such as The Best Blog I’ve Never Read, which asks readers to recommend ‘undiscovered’ bloggers who contribute great content to the greater community; Twitter Is The Chuck Norris Of Ice Breakers, which starts a conversation about networking and making new ‘real life’ friends through Twitter; and Finding Inspiration on Twitter when in need of a mood-booster. This smart blonde keeps the good content coming on her blog and on Twitter alike. If you are in need of a mood-booster yourself, just take a look at Lisa’s picture on her Twitter page – that smile is completely infectious in the best way. Oh, and did I mention her plan for World Domination with Pamela Martin (see last week’s #followfriday recommendations)… all while shopping for shoes…  Now, that’s a smart blonde!
• Pam Stennett (@mistycliff): Pamela Stennett is one of my oldest and best friends, but that’s not why I’m recommending you follow her. This chick is all about conquering the world in small, but extremely important ways every single day. She’s a physical trainer, new mom (to Kai – just over a year old), entrepreneur, pitt bull rescuer, avid reader, and natural birth advocate. She’s been a vegan for going on ten years now and managed to keep her diet set even while pregnant (!!!), all the while staying in perfect shape and helping support her family with her husband and two dogs. She now has a very successful fledgling blog called I Write In Books, where she chronicles her many reading adventures, including literature, philosophy, and a feature called Kai’s Corner, where she reviews children’s books. If you’re an avid reader or are interested in natural birthing, she’s a must-follow. Plus, she’s one heck of a smart blonde!