spotty dots

 
sheer polka dot chiffon blouse - target, wool skirt - target, sheer polka dot stockings - target, oxfords - aldo, amethyst crystal necklace - diy, glasses - joseph marc

I am just loving polka dots lately. Big ones, small ones, even or random, they all look good to me. This blouse combines several things I love: polka dots, blush/nude pink, and sheer chiffon. I also love the way the soft chiffon contrasts the darker wool, in both texture and tone. It also rather delightfully reminds me of the work of the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Her dedication to a single, playful form has always intrigued me and I love how she plays off of a very defined style. 

Source: vogue.it via Rachel on Pinterest

"...a polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing. Polka-dots become movement... Polka dots are a way to infinity." -Yayoi Kusama

artificial light

Anderson Park in Redmond has been the site of a rather wonderful art installation by fiber artist Suzanne Tidwell. It's been up for a few months and is coming down in a couple weeks, but I only just made it over there to take photos today. I drive by it nearly every day and it is delightful, but getting out of the car and wandering through the colored forest felt a bit like a fairytale. As I took pictures, I started thinking that each of the yarnbombed trees had a bit of an individual personality. I especially liked the slightly damaged ones, the ones you could see the effects of weather on. Holes and blobs of sap caught my attention and really brought home the contrast between nature and human creation.

I think I was dressed rather appropriately, don't you think? I've been housesitting and ran out of clean clothes but I didn't want to drive home, so I just went shopping. The stripey tank and yellow shrug got me in such a summery mood, I also picked a new nail color--Essie's Meet Me At Sunset. Also, I finally picked up a bottle of Seche Vite, and I love it. It works so well! My nails have never looked this good.

While I was taking pictures, a group of ladies where knitting at a picnic table. As I walked by, we did the nod and mumble hi thing you do with strangers in parks, and just as I was passing by, I realized I knew the woman sitting at the far side of the table. She owned this fabulous diner in town when I was a baby and is a long time family friend. So I ran around the table and hugged her, and luckily she recognized me too! That could have been awkward. Then, when I was walking back to my car, this guy playing ball with his kids asked me if I was a photographer and we ended up talking about art and photography and cameras for quite some time. He had studied in New York and was a big fan of Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist. He was kind of surprised that I knew his work as well, and got really excited. Connections with people like that, when they're so unexpected, whether seeing someone you used to know or discovering a shared passion with a stranger, are so cool.

shirt & shrug - target, jeans - gap, moccasins - minnetonka

meet me at sunset - essie

i'm kind of a big dill

Have you seen this cute illustration on Pinterest?* I've been obsessed with pickles lately, eating tons of them. I pickled a bunch of green tomatoes last summer and now when I eat a jar, I fill the jar with other veggies and reuse the leftover brine (you can do this with storebought pickles too). Obviously, they're not shelf stable, but after a week in the fridge they're delicious. Anyways, I told one of my managers that, and then she saw that illustration on Pinterest, so she recreated it for me. Isn't she sweet? Thanks Beth! I'm really sad I couldn't take her art journaling class yesterday because it seemed like a blast. Girl is talented!

*Are you on Pinterest? Follow me and tell me yours in the comments. I'm always looking for cool new people to follow!

Picasso at the SAM

sweater - stepdad's, jeans - urban outfitters, boots - thrifted, purse - thrifted coach, glasses - zenni optical, lipstick - revlon really red 

I went to the Seattle Art Museum with my mom, grandparents, and family friend/mentor right before Christmas to see the Picasso exhibit. It was incredible. Our family friend is an artist and probably one of the best people I could have gone with. We spent hours, really taking our time, which might have been a little annoying to my family since they got done so much earlier than we did. But I wanted to look at every single painting, drawing, print, and sculpture. 

My favorite has always been his cubist period, with those dark, monochromatic palettes and geometric angles. But seeing things in person got me a lot more interested in some of his brightly colored works and more organic forms. It's amazing that one artist was able to work in so many different styles. I think most interesting of all where the sketches and prints. In those, you could see elements of later paintings and, I felt, get a deeper view of his process. They're also not something you see as often, so it was cool to have that opportunity.

We got there a little early and had some time to look around the rest of the museum. We looked at a little bit of African art, but I mainly stayed in the modern section. I think even as a kid, that was my favorite part. The museum has been updated and expanded in the last couple years and I really do love the redesign, but it's nice to see old favorites too. I remember this Rauschenberg from long before, when the museum was just a dinky little thing and it was easy to see everything in a day. I don't think you can really do that anymore, unless you go real fast maybe.

These pieces are by a woman name Cris Brodahl and I thought they were really amazing. She uses something called chemical porcelain and also uses the same technique in her paintings, creating these cool raised layers. I didn't have as much time to look at her work as I would have liked because right after we discovered this gallery, it was time to line up to get into the Picasso exhibit. So I just snapped these quick pictures, but hopefully I'll see more of her work in the future.

lighting fires at school....not a pyro, it's for a class

shirt - thrifted gramicci, skirt - secondhand, tights - dkny, flats - target

I wore this today at school. There's nothing very exciting about it, although I'm really liking how I've been wearing jeans less often. This blog is serving it's purpose of forcing me to dress better. Yay! I was super stoked this morning when I found my case full of cassette tapes and actually had something to listen to on the way to school. (My mp3 player is dead, the only radio station I listen to, KEXP, is having a pledge drive, and I don't have a cd player in my car.) I ended up listening to the first mixtape Justina ever made for me, back in freshman year. It was my christmas present and she had no idea what I listened to (crap back then) but she made a really good mixtape all the same. And it has held up surprisingly well. At least half the bands on it I still listen to and like, and the other half are all funny or nostalgic now. I also fired my first piece for ceramics class yesterday. It was a raku piece, so we got to do it outside. Raku is awesome. It's definitely one of my favorite techniques because it's so unpredictable. You never know how the glazes will turn out. I also love that charcoal black the bare clay turns. So pretty!