books with booze

  I just recently put all my books on my new book shelf. I used to just have them lined up along my dresser. Then, as the collection grew, I had them in tall piles on my dresser. Finally, my mother decided to get me a book shelf. Being my mother, the book shelf also came along with a new paint job, new curtains, and a new quilt. I quickly threw in a row of hat hooks for my wall. I should post pictures, but it is too late and Maggie hasn't even seen it yet.
  I have digressed. Sorting through every single book I own was so much fun I was prancing around the room with books in my arms. It turns out that if I buy many more books, I'll need another shelf.
  The main reason I started this post was because I've decided to seriously consider book arts. I once had a spirt of imagination with Maggie. We could own a publishing house and print books. We both absolutely adore a well designed book cover and the feel of real paper and print. So I thought I might share some nice book covers that I enjoy.

 Who can't love Everyman's Library? My favorite is Anna Karenina and Frankenstein. I'm not sure, but something about these covers attracts me to them in every Barnes and Noble. I suppose it's good advertising design that does it.

 These are the newest Vladimir Nabokov from Vintage Books. Charming, no?

My absolute favorite (and I also just bought it this week) is this Fitzgerald. It's a little white book that is exceedingly better in person than this picture can capture. The spin looks absolutely radiant and cute next to the large dark spines of those surrounding it. I'm absolutely coo coo for it.

  My American Lit. teacher told me last week to take a break from Fitzgerald. I'm currently writing my Junior year analytical research paper on This Side of Paradise, which I mentioned once in my draft. I honestly told her that I had not worked on my paper in 2 weeks because the thesis is basically saying that all hopes and dreams will be unsatisfactory so you might as well start drinking now. While I haven't dared step near the paper in 2 weeks time, I've been reading Fitzgerald like a mad man. So she told me to take a break for my mental stability. She specifically ordered me not the read The Crack-Up.
   So... the second day of spring break I go to the book store and buy two new Fitzgerald collections (one being formerly mentioned) and have 3 dreams about the man. (I think I'm in love) And so, the weekend before break ends, I read two stores from On Booze, one of which was The Crack-Up. and I re-watched a documentary on Fitzgerald that my teacher lent me. mer.

thanks for sticking with me through the worded post. and let's just ignore the long gap between posts.

musical gentlemen

 Josh T Pearson's Last of the Country Gentlemen
Possibly the best album I've listened to all year. Maggie stubbled upon the vinyl a few weeks ago. I recommend listening, but while sitting down and while doing nothing else. This is simply a listening experience, not for background music in the car.  Although, it is beautiful in the car as well, especially at night. But your first time should be just you and the record. It's all raw emotion. It makes me want to cry every time I hear it.
I can't explain it very well, but bears eat beats did a fantastic job. I recommend reading this.

Maggie and I also just saw Ryan Adams in concert in St. Louis yesterday night.
Ryan Adams. I saw Ryan Adams in person.
And he put his hair in a pony tail half way through. It was about the cutest and worst pony tail I've ever seen. He was quite funny in fact. At one point he mentioned music that was perfect for going to the bathroom in Lord of the Rings.

The opening act (Jason Isbell) was also rather amazing. It was also his birthday, which Ryan made a point to bring up a few times. In the end Ryan had him come back on stage so that everyone could sing happy birthday and so they could play a song together.
It was quite possibly to best concert I've ever been to. and I'm fairly certain I failed both my tests today.

oh well

conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative

Let's see. I stayed home sick yesterday and today it snowed so my mother made me stay home. This is nice, but also a burden as now I have work to make up. Ah well.

I am currently reading too many books (well, not really, but I like to read my books one at a time). I started Invisible Man some time ago and was interrupted. Then I started On the Road, which I was reading quickly, but was interrupted. Now I'm reading This Side of Paradise, for school but also for my own pleasure. I just finished The Importance of Being Earnest about a week ago. I suppose that's not too many, but my list of books to read has filled my head to its capacity and I can think of nothing else.

Before Maggie left for school, we took some photos of etsy items. The new camera worked like a charm. I didn't have to do any editing besides cropping. And we've already sold a hat!

Oh! and the tumblr experiment has been working beautifully! I've posted something almost everyday. I'm quite pleased.

birthdays

Today is my birthday. Thus far it has gone pretty well. In my American Studies we walked to General Grant's house (because my school is right across the street from Grant's Farm in St. Louis). I could tell my history teacher (who, by the way, went to highschool with Jeff Tweedy... that's right) was bursting at the seams with Civil War information that he had to reign back for the sake of the tour guide. Then a few of us stood talking about how future civilizations will perceive us and if we really know anything about the ones in the past. We did this as others from my class dressed up and ran around like children. ah...highschool

Today I am seventeen. Nothing exciting. Although I can now rent R rated movies from the library without any questions. Thus far, I have checked out The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson) and A Serious Man (Coen Brothers). And what a wonderful trailer. I hope the movie is as good as this, because I can't get over the end note.

the end

christmas time

yes, well, I have not written a post in quite some time. Between exams, orders, and christmas I've had little time. But some good news is that I've started a Second Fiddle tumblr, which I have been posting on quite often. For awhile, I even had multiple posts scheduled to be published. It's mostly filled with pretty picture I find and such.

Christmas has come and it was lovely. My family and I slept late, which, while needed, was sad. When my sister and I were young we would wake up at about 5:30 am and wait in one of our rooms. Then at about 6:30 we would try to wake up our parents, who delayed us in 5 minute increments for maybe another half-hour to an hour. We were very odd children, as we didn't run down to the tree and presents. We waited quite a long time and slowly began a organized process (stockings, looking for the pickle, Santa gifts, family gifts, breakfast). This year was really the break off from our young childhood. No waiting and no order.

But we still enjoyed ourselves. Margaret and I got a new camera from mom and dad. I'm so very excited! This means better etsy photos! I haven't read the instructions, so while these pictures are far better than our past photos, they are not up to the camera's full capacity.

I for one had a very rugged christmas, besides the camera. I also received red long johns, a Stanley food thermos, and an old-man sweater (featured in camera photos). I don't know what to do with the red long johns.

happy holidays to all!