Ennui.

Watch. Laugh. Repeat.

 

I first time I watched poor Henri contemplate his existential angst, I laughed so hard I cried.

Somebody I used to know

Holy shit, this song is gorgeous. The lyrics almost make me wish I was nursing a break up. (Yes, I typed that.)



Enjoy.

Ear Worms

I'm still mulling over a super-introspective running post, so for the time being, I thought I'd let you listen to some of the songs I've been loving recently.

First up: Old Enough, by The Raconteurs, featuring Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe:




Continuing the Ashley Monroe theme (don't you just love her old-timey voice?) here's the Pistol Annies singing Hell on Heels.




Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons:




And last, but God knows, not least: Alison Krauss & Union Station's Lie Awake, which is a track on their newest album. Which, P.S. you should listen to RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND.

Gorgeous

My current brain worm.



Doesn't this line just give you chills? "And promise not to promise any more." Sigh. Perfect winter song.

And to all a good night.

I know it's been quite around these parts, but live in my world certainly hasn't. I hope to return to being blogtastic in the new year. Until then, I offer you this lovely video of Jesse the Wonder Dog, decorating a tree. Because, really, there are few things more cute than a terrier, no?



Merry Christmas. May yours be warm, merry and bright.

WHEEE

Thanks to my love of my DVR, and the fact that I haven't regularly watched live TV in probably three years, I'm way out of the loop when it comes to commercials. Like... waaaaaaaay out of the loop. Which explains why when a coworker showed me this video at the office this week, I about peed my pants.

For the record, I hate to be the dumbass who sends some link that everyone saw three months ago. But at the risk of being that person, OMG. WATCH. THIS.




You are welcome.

Me. With jazz hands.

There's a lot brewing in my world right now. And so I thought I could best illustrate how I feel with the help of one Laura Bell Bundy as the inestimable Elle Woods.






The most prominent change is a probably a new job at my company. I'm super psyched, even though it comes with pre-dawn work hours. (Also, since I am eternal cynic, I should offer the caveat that it's still early, but so far all systems are go.)

So that's me. What's up in your world?

Exercise pains

Visual representation of me. While exercising. Complete with Rocky music.




(Via gawker.)

Books to live by.

I'm a word nerd. A book addict. A bibliophile. But there's one book that I will always and forever (and once more, just for feeling) give people as a gift.

It's The Alchemist by the amazing Brazilian author Paulo Coelho.

It's not my favorite book by him. (That honor goes to Veronika Decides to Die.) But I can't help but feel like it's one of those books that sticks with you and finds a way of being pulled off your shelf when you need it the most. The ideas of following a journey, personal legends and the decisions that come with marching through life _ not just as a passive participant but as an actor _ are just so, so poignant. And powerful.

Some of my favorite quotes come from this book:

"When you want something, all the world conspires in helping you to achieve it."

"He had worked for an entire year to make a dream come true, and that dream, minute by minute, was becoming less important. Maybe because that wasn't really his dream."

"We are afraid of losing what we have, whether it's our life or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates when we understand that our life stories and the history of the world were written by the same hand."

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself."

I love this book so much I made my friend Sebastian, who is currently kicking it in New York City for a few weeks, buy it immediately. Or else face bodily harm.


As you can see from this picture he sent me today, he wisely obliged.

So, tell me my dear blog peeps... What about you? What's your favorite book to give people? Why?

Kindness

One of my favorite blogs is Kind over Matter, which is like a daily dose of feel good moments. When The Modern Gal and I were talking about it sometimes feels like the world is going to hell in a jerky-mean-asshole of a handbasket, it's the kindness of the things like the card drops on that Website that make me feel better.

This video exemplifies so much of the philosophy that I love and I wish we, as a society, embraced more often.

Pour Kind Over Matter from Kind Over Matter on Vimeo.

Peace.

Wise words

"I must learn to love the fool in me, the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries."~ Theodore Isaac Rubin


Image via: Merveci
Quote sent to me from Amy. Thanks, ma'lady.

Do not let this universe regret you.

For more of the amazing poet/spoken word artist Marty McConnell, whose work focuses on the intersection of sexuality, religion, gender and history, check out her Web site.

Fabulous sentiment

Jason sent me this quote. I love the sentiment. Happy new year.

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return." _ Neil Gaiman


Photo via: Michael Johnson Flickr

Sites I L-O-V-E.

I'm a girl obsessed with my Google reader. I keep adding new sites, favoriting things I want to get back to, e-mailing links to friends. In between meeting you guys (virtually as it may be), getting referrals from friends, finding cool links on blogs I like, it's just ... well, awesome!

So, I thought I'd take a few minutes and pass along links to some of my most-loved blogs. It's by no means inclusive. Some are names you've heard of (The Pioneer Woman, anyone?) and some might be new. But take a few minutes and click on over. And maybe you'll add some to your reader, too. You can thank me later.

Overheard in the Newsroom: Journalists are dark. But damn, if this isn't The Funniest Shit Ever.

The Pioneer Woman: Five words to sum up this gem: Food Porn With Hot Cowboys. I'll add a sixth word: swoon.

Kind Over Matter: Like Prozac for your soul. With happy pictures.

Zooborns: I have spent entirely too much time cooing at pictures of baby animals and trying to figure out which one best personifies me.

Whip Up and U Create: Such great crafttacular round ups.

Modge Podge Rocks: Because sometimes you just feel compelled to glue shit.

Bakerella, My Boyfriend Dated a Chef, & Smitten Kitchen: OMG. Cake.

Oh Fransson & Film in the Fridge: I drool over their quilts and covet their fabric stashes.

Operation Beautiful: Because we are! But sometimes, we need strangers to remind us.

Latitude: My former co-worker helped start a newspaper in Montana. He makes me want to R-U-N-N-O-F-T to the mountains because of his pictures.

The Modern Gal: I'd be remiss if I didn't give this lady a shout out. She's a real life bestie and inspired me to start this. She also kicks ass in a variety of major ways.

A Picture's Worth 1,000 Words

Big ups to Design is Mine for posting these yesterday, which caused a tremendous amount of uncaffeinated giggles when I woke up this a.m. Couldn't have said it better myself.








Art work is from Carolyn Alexander's "Haughty Bitches."

Still feeling feisty and full of venom? Check out this virtual voodoo doll. Not that, uh, you know, I'd ever use such a thing. Or be able to tell you authoritatively that the virtual staple gun is a fabulous option. Right. :-)

They like me! They really like me!

I'm downright giddy that Schmutzie picked my "I Am" post to be part of the weekly Five Star Friday roundup, which features some of the best writing on the Web. Seriously! I've been squeaking and eeping with excitement all day, much to the dismay and annoyance of anyone within a 15-foot radius of me. (Also, I swear, dogs have been barking. I've totally become supersonic.)

I wrote that post on a lark because my head was about to explode with so many thoughts. You know what it's like, when your mind runs like those crazy agitated electrons you learned about in high school, running around and bumping into each other?

I didn't really intent to inspire anyone. (Except, maybe, The Modern Gal, who is so damn cool because she graciously volunteered to train for her own triathlon simply to keep my lazy ass honest.) I guess in a round about way, though, that post also managed to re-inspire me, too.

Even better? Based on the comments, it looks like some of you are digging it too.

Boooo-yah!

So if you're new to these parts of Noodlestopia, pull up a chair, pop open a beer _ or four _ and stay awhile. And thanks, really, for reading.

(BTW: You can see the whole list of those on this week's list here.)

Contest, baby.

Inspired by my lengthy haikus, I thought I'd host a teeny contest. Best original haiku* on the original post (or on this one), gets a lovely special prize handmade by yours truly.

Deadline to enter is midnight CT Wednesday. Oh, and I reserve the right to use the random number generator thingy to pick a winner if they're too good for me to pick on my own.

Ready? Set? Go!

Five, Seven, Five.

Remiss in blogging,
So, instead, haikus for you.
My life in April:

Cold in Chicago.
Oh, right! No surprise there. Sigh.
That's why we need booze.

April showers, huh?
Who knew that included snow?
Why do I live here?

Fuck you, Midwest. Grrr.
I bet flowers are blooming
in Atlanta right now.

Behold! A nice spring
day. Surely this won't last. Ha.
Mother Nature. Mean.

Tax Day came and went.
I miss my refund. It ran
straight to Visa card.

Boy got last of stuff.
Breakups still suck, months later.
Why are eyes leaking?

Baking treats with friends
reminds me how fortunate
I am to be loved.

Easter morning church.
Sunrise service at the lake.
Woot! New beginnings.

Bike versus taxi.
Guess who won? Sounds worse than you
would think. Am badass cyclist.

Sewing for my quilt.
Bride friends need sewing help, too.
One woman thread fiend.

Friends came to visit.
YAY! But too much stress to clean.
Next time: maid service.

Four people in my
small 700-square-foot
condo. Friends, or die.

We saw Ira Glass!!
This American Life! LIVE!
Am NPR nerd.

Jay taught mutt to heel
in a block at a half. Huh?
Me? Four years. No luck.

No luck at making
birds for friend's wedding cake top.
They look like monsters.

Am murderer of
plants. Accidental, of course.
No green thumb for me.

Crashing book club in
Milwaukee next month. We are
reading Lolita.

My pants still won't fit.
Whatever. Time to kick this
funk in the ass. POW!

Saw flowers blooming.
That must mean there is still hope.
Spring's eternal, right?

Like haikus a lot?
Leave me one below. Best one
might just win a prize.

ADDENDUM:
Contest is on. Best haiku posted by Wednesday at midnight CT wins a crafty surprise.