VICTORIOUS!

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

don't stop believing

i have been living at work the last three weeks. many 19-hour days, mostly 16-hour days, for that period of time.

but i was still able to take off after just 8 hours of work on thursday afternoon to see the giants play in game 5 of the NLCS. it's old news now that they didn't win that day, but it doesn't really matter now that they WON LAST NIGHT and are now GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES for the third time in my lifetime.

my ticket for thursday's game was directly in front of steve perry's, and when they started playing "don't stop believing," he went crazy and encouraged all of us to sing along. i sang at the stop of my lungs and managed only a blurry photo or two of the journey singer. the excitement in the air was unlike anything else i've experienced, likewise the silence when that homely sonofabitch jayson werth hit a homer to provide a solid lead for the phillies to win the game.

not sure if i'll be able to go to a game in this final series, but i'm still believing.

get down boogie

oh, yes. SF Giants baseball is one of my true loves.

dig this video of freddy sanchez gettin' down:

things i love: John Frieda Wind Down Relaxing Creme

the latest in an occasional series about things i love. some are products, some are people, some are places.


behold, the wonder, the glory:



the product pictured above is nothing short of a miracle.

i bought the relaxing creme at big lots on a whim several months ago for a mere $2. i thought, for $2, it's worth giving it a shot. turns out, it's worth more than what i paid for it. it is literally the only styling product that i have used that really does do what it says, which is straighten and relax hair. after using this product for a few days, i knew i had a winner on my hands and returned to big lots to buy s'more. no dice. i checked a second big lots store and came up empty-handed before checking online: my newly discovered miracle product has been discontinued! i raced to target to see if by chance they still had some in stock, which they didn't. i purchased the recommended replacement product by john frieda, the straight fixation creme, and i'm sad to report that it doesn't work as well.

by the end of the weekend, i will have used up the supply of my favorite product. good bye, friend. we hardly knew ye.

ten things that make me happy.

gotta focus on the happy, folks. here's the list, in no particular order.

cupcakes (with LOTS of frosting)


thrifting


HBO


travel


Giants baseball


Polaroid film


Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk


the color blue


photobooths


friends and family

things i love: look at this fucking hipster

the latest in an occasional series about things i love, or otherwise find useful and generally pretty rad.



if your instinct is like mine, your first impulse might be to shield your eyes, but look at this fucking hipster is harmless. that is, if you consider laughing at idiot fucking hipsters harmless.

in short, hate the hipster, love this site.

things i love: neosporin overnight renewal therapy

the latest in an occasional series about things i love, or otherwise find useful and generally pretty rad.



i'll admit it, i had my doubts about neosporin's magical healing properties. i mean, i use it occasionally for a scrape, but not religiously like some people.

but this winter, i've had the unfortunate experience of especially dry, cracked lips and found that my usual ace-in-the hole wasn't doing a damned thing. my sister recommended regular ol' neosporin, which sounded generally pretty icky to be putting on your lips, and i came across the neosporin's kid sibling, specifically designated for use on lips.

the claim is that after three days of overnight use, you'll have softer, smoother lips. i'm pleased to report that this was indeed my experience with this product.

bring it on, california winter!

blast from the past

i once heard nostalgia is memory without emotion. i often ponder this, especially when i wonder about what it must have been like to live in the 50s and 60s, with the innocence of that time.

there's something about this video that captures the excitement of children on Christmas morning, certainly a timeless experience.

Kodachrome Christmas from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

(via retro renovation)

gallery show, part deux

the first show was so successful, ISM Community is hosting another Polaroid show, this time in Los Angeles.

i am hoping to drive down to see two of my submitted 'roids in their second show.

if anyone is in the area, visit the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica on january 9, 2010 and support what is sure to be a great show!

six word sunday: a better view is not found

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Join in the fun! Get more information about the Six Word Sunday challenge

sycophants

i adore "mad men," and "seasame street" is a perennial classic. the combination of the two makes this my video of the week.

things i love: CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain

the first in an occasional series about things i love. some are products, some are people, some are places.


first up:

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain




it's rare that i rave about a makeup product, even rarer so that i rave about one i bought on impulse.

i bought flirty nude, an ideal color for something that's barely there, exactly the look i'm always going for. it doesn't have the same consistency as benefit's benetint, which is a good thing, as i often manage to spill some of it. the smell is quite pleasing, and it doesn't have a chemical taste when you lick your lips.

i do have a debate about the name "outlast," however. while it does stay on a lot longer than a traditional lipstick, it doesn't last all day, like some of the promises claim.

overall, at about $7, it's well worth the cost, and in just a week's time, has become one of the things i love.

gallery show

(click to enlarge)

the Hibbleton Gallery in Fullerton, CA is hosting a special show dedicated to the art of the Polaroid, and two of the Polaroids i submitted were accepted!

i will likely not be able to make it to southern california for this event, but it should be a blast! there's a reception and after-party on opening night, this friday, august 7.

spread the word, and make a it a great show!

the great depression

seems like i've been missing my maternal grandmother a lot these days. so when i discovered, via retro renovation, depression cooking with clara, i felt like i had a renewed connection.

clara is a charming 93-year-old grandmother living in new york state, and her grandson has put together a series of videos of clara sharing recipes and stories about her life.

my grandmother grew up in the midwest in the great depression, and was forever telling us horror stories of what it was like. frankly, sometimes it was tiresome to hear about just how awful things were, but i always listened patiently. now i wish she was still here to tell us more stories.

with our economy the way it is, "depression" has been thrown around a lot. living in the silicon valley tends to skew one's perspective, as despite frequent news reports of housing and unemployment crises, i still see at least one maserati daily.

i like to think my grandmother would appreciate "depression cooking with clara," and that it would inspire her to share some of her own depression-era stories and recipes.

see fernando

i love love love jenny lewis, and i could watch this video ten times over again and not be sick of it. i'm glad i found it via bust.

Jenny Lewis "See Fernando" from Team G on Vimeo.

don't stop believing

definitely heartwarming. my favorite is the kid in the blue "elmjack" t-shirt -- so expressive!


(via zoomdoggle.com)

photobooth friday

i had about 5 hours to kill in seattle on a layover last week, and decided to rent a car and head downtown for some adventures. on the way back to the airport, i made a stop at stellar pizza in the georgetown neighborhood and hopped in the booth for a strip (or three).

the booth itself is lovely, and the atmosphere is exactly that which i'd like to continually surround myself with. that is, lots of atomic-age era ephemera, and a general good-time feeling. in addition to producing erm, stellar, pizza and cocktails, the good folks have also provided an assortment of props, including wigs and a stuffed raven.

that's right.

photobooth friday: found

i found this while thrifting a few years ago, and was thrilled, as it combines two of my great loves: found photos and photobooths,
my lovely friend angie gave me this book last year, and i've only just now started to read it. i definitely have the itch to go boothing sometime soon!

photo friday: self portrait (in a photobooth!)

taken in long beach, california, july 2008
(also, it's technically a photobooth friday!)

photo friday

photobooth friday

T (she's the best) and i at a wedding in december.