knitting & glitter

Real life.

2010-05-29T21:52:00.002-04:00

I've graduated. I'm a real person now and I have no idea what that actually means. What it does mean, is that I have to buy enough groceries to feed myself for a week or so, and I have no idea how much food that actually is. Liza (my darling housemate) and I made black bean burritos tonight that were inexplicably spicy. We think this is because beans don't absorb spice the way meat does. Or maybe we were supposed to use more than one can of beans. Regardless, we are hopeless at this.

As a new college graduate, I am looking for any advice you have on cooking, living on the cheap, and generally being a real person. Also, how to own less stuff. I have to move again in September and I can't carry all these things up four flights of stairs again.

2010-02-27T01:37:00.003-05:00

At some point soon, I am going to archive all of my nonsensical entries that I made here and go back to writing blogs with substance.

I had a brief run on tumblr, but ultimately, that is a total and complete waste of time. I've deleted that account and will be coming back to this one (or possibly a wordpress acount) sometime in the near future.

Until then, you can find me on Facebook and Twitter.
And I guess that Livejournal thing because I am still 13.

2009-12-10T14:01:00.001-05:00

i am kind of using tumblr.
(i am fickle with my blogging, as you may have noticed.)

i'll be coming back to this for read word posts. tumblr isn't good for that really.

2009-11-19T23:35:00.002-05:00

music i need to start listening to again:

arcade fire
postal service
wilco
the smiths

2009-11-19T22:51:00.001-05:00

time for a throwback.

i hadn't seen the video for this. required viewing.

2009-11-15T02:44:00.002-05:00

le tigre has reappeared in the world of the internet, squelching the rumors that they broke up. apparently they are on a sort of hiatus. a new dvd within a year. sudden appearances on facebook and youtube. thanks to the le tigre youtube channel, i bring you this brilliant video.

also, kathleen hanna has a blog. and she is living in NYC. this is so much information all at once about the ultimate love of my life.

2009-11-13T11:28:00.001-05:00

i'm kind of upset that i wasn't introduced to be your own pet while they were still together. this is the kind of angry girl music i need in my life at all times. there are only so many times that you can listen to bikini kill and sleater-kinney before you're immune to the rage factor in their music. be your own pet is still new and super angry to me. so good.

2009-10-26T23:36:00.003-04:00

those of you who know me may recognize this.
PUFFALUMP

2009-09-29T00:31:00.004-04:00

Lindsey and I played Oregon Trail II tonight and only Michael Jackson and Jebediah, our trail guide survived. But even that is questionable. There were glitches galore. 3 people got snake bites almost simultaneously. And everyone got tons of diseases. We think this is because we decided Jebediah should be a pharmacist.

Spock died unexpectedly when it wasn't even that cold. And he was in the desert.

I just finished a game where David Bowie was our trail guide, and he led myself, Lindsey, and Cat Stevens to safety in Oregon without anyone dying or being bitten by a snake. Our oxen were exhausted a lot though. I double-teamed that shit.

2009-09-11T02:00:00.001-04:00

i watch this video almost every day.

2009-09-08T23:01:00.003-04:00

Dear Wittgenstein,
I miss you. Your philosophy so thoroughly broke my brain last year that I have become addicted to philosophy classes. This semester, Plato and Hobbes are going to make a valiant effort. Who knows what next semester has in store for us? No one is as cool as you. Or confusing.

Faithfully,
Alexis

P.S. You look kind of creepy in every single photograph ever taken of you.
But maybe not as creepy as Vygotsky, who always had a beard in my mental picture of him, but apparently never did.

2009-08-26T13:40:00.001-04:00

new life goal: brew my own beer.

home breweries are the best.

2009-08-09T22:31:00.001-04:00

it's about damn time that someone remixed this song. it's one of my favorites. benny benassi was an excellent choice.

2009-08-05T01:56:00.003-04:00

please bask in the pure glory that is circular addi turbo knitting needles.

now a haiku.

addi turbos, so
springy and glorious, but
seventeen dollars.

p.s. i finally finished my second sock. in the middle of 90 degree weather.

2009-08-04T00:01:00.004-04:00

heard this song on a recent podcast of NPR's all songs considered.
it's brilliant. so is their free newport folk festival sampler.

also, lindsey has a new blog. as she is my best friend and also a brilliant writer, i suggest that you check it out. http://lindseclaire.wordpress.com/

JOY

2009-07-02T00:02:00.001-04:00

this is my new favorite song. jenny owen youngs always seems to peg how i feel at specific times. thank you jenny, for sharing your girl-feelings with us girls. we appreciate it.

Howling Bells

2009-06-13T00:05:00.001-04:00

watch this. you'll be glad you did.

okay, so you don't actually have to watch it. you can just let it run in the background and listen to the song. but juanita, the lead singer is horribly cute. you've been advised.

howling bells opened for coldplay when i saw them a few weeks back. i immediately needed to buy their album and haven't stopped listening to it since.

2009-06-02T00:01:00.002-04:00

tomorrow, i will be here.

i am armed with NPR podcasts, David Sedaris Live at Carnegie Hall, and an ipod full of music. there will be coffee stops.

2009-05-27T22:48:00.002-04:00

hello. it is summer. i have no money and i can't stop listening to the blow.

i'm driving up to massachusetts next week to visit this girl i like. she forgets to charge her cell phone a lot, but it's okay.

i'm making mix tapes and mix cds galore. everyone wants one. it gives me something to do other than overdose on NPR podcasts and season 2 of this american life, the TV show. continuing crush on Ira Glass.

I don't want to knit anything. It's weird. This never happens.

Zombie Strippers

2009-04-19T14:21:00.001-04:00

This is brilliant. Unexpectedly brilliant.

The Happiness Project

2009-04-13T23:54:00.002-04:00

The Happiness Project by Charles Spearin has completely blown my brain open. It's innovative and catchy and brilliant and beautiful all at once. Here's a video for you to watch about the project itself, which features samples off the album.

Spearin has also been involved with Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think.

I downloaded the song "Anna" off of a free Arts N Crafts sampler record from amazonmp3, which you can download here. I fell in love with it immediately, and have been listening it on repeat for the past 3 days. The entire album is incredible.

PUPPIES!!

2009-04-12T20:13:00.003-04:00

My weekend has been filled with puppies.
I can't handle how cute the Obamas' puppy is.

Thank you for posting this White House Blog. This is what I am interested in.

PUPPY!!

It's so unfortunate that I'm 21 years old and have never had a puppy or a kitty. I need one.

i speak in smoke signals

2009-04-06T00:02:00.003-04:00

this is all i want to listen to. ever.

(this is what came up on image search when i searched for the mountain goats. it's kind of silly looking.)

i listened to this album for a time in high school, but tragically lost it when my hard drive got erased freshman year. now it's much more appropriate to my life, and as a result, i am going to listen to it forever on repeat and hope that i survive this semester.

lately

2009-03-28T18:29:00.003-04:00

what have i been doing lately? here are your answers, in pictures.

(turning 21)

(knitting stuffies by ysolda teague, multiple pairs of reykjavik mittens by kirsten kapur)

spring training for crew and wearing matching shoelaces with baxter.

2009-03-03T14:39:00.002-05:00

Wayne and Jeffery, 1970
via Sexy People

Finishing stuff

2009-02-26T23:34:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I finished making my first sweater! (Please excuse this sad cell phone picture. I plan to wear my sweater tomorrow and take some better pictures of it.)

It fits! And apparently doesn't look handmade according to the lovely kids of Stitch N Bitch, which I take as a compliment on my somewhat sloppy seaming. Now that I've knit my first sweater, I feel as though the entire world of patterns is open to me!

That being said, my finished-project high led me to learn how to fair isle last night and power through a supposedly adult sized hat in less than 24 hours.

I made the Scrappy Gems Fair Isle Hat by Tina Edgar with yarn that really should not have gone together, hence little to no stitch definition of the purple bits. I'm pretty happy with it overall, but unfortunately it does not fit anyone I know. I think I'm going to embark on the 50 hats for charity knitting challenge thing, and if I do, this is hat number 1. Good things about this project? I now have faith in my ability to read charts and, oh yeah, fair isle. Triumphant 24 hours of knitting.

Oscars

2009-02-23T00:11:00.004-05:00

I am happy about these. And their acceptance speeches especially.

2009-02-22T17:34:00.004-05:00

I've tried to make numerous posts this week, but all that's been coming out are little one sentence bits of nonsense. Winter is hard.

(The Half Apples with Chris Faroe)

Last night I attended the SLC Folk Festival that was held in Slonim House in a tiny little room with soft lighting. Everyone sat on the floor and ate baklava while listening to truly beautiful music. The sense of community was strong, and I left the event feeling very at peace with the world.

Today I'm having a bit of a sleepy day. I ventured out to eat a waffle at brunch with Doug, but since then I've been working on a mix cd for my good friend Sebas. We have a very similar taste in music and a great appreciation for it as well. We were at the folk festival together last night, and spent a majority of the time turning around to grin at each other and say "This is SO GOOD." To which the other said "I know." It's been very rare in my life to find someone with the same enthusiasm about good music as I have, and as a result, I'm putting a tremendous amount of time and effort into making him this cd. A sampling of the songs so far:

Backyards by Broken Social Scene
Wisconsin by Bon Iver
The Struggle by Mirah

And even those are tenative. Theoretically, I could make him two cds of music, but that seems so impersonal to me. And on I go, spending time I should be writing a paper making a cd for a friend.

This morning I completed knitting my first sweater! I'm almost done blocking all the pieces, and then I'll get to seaming it together. But for now, I must do some work and prepare for the Oscars!

Escapism

2009-02-14T23:45:00.003-05:00

I've been watching too many documentaries lately. They're making me feel like I actually know these characters, but really I have been hiding in my room, ignoring the real world. It's like... escapism back to reality. Some people watch sci-fi movies, I watch documentaries.

I'm returning to Sarah Lawrence tomorrow afternoon. Mental health escape to Pennsylvania was not nearly long enough to be effective.

The sweater

2009-02-07T20:03:00.003-05:00

I have finished the back of my first sweater! Now I'm working on one of the front panels. It's knitting up fairly quickly, which is nice. I thought the moss stitch everywhere would be boring, but it's interesting enough to keep me working on it, but easy enough that I can do it in lecture without thinking about it. I'm nervous that it won't fit correctly, but what are first sweaters for?

In other news, the new Andrew Bird and Ben Kweller albums are really great, in case you were wondering. I'm feeling a little brain dead, yet overcaffeinated. It's a bizarre combination.

Good Feelings

2009-01-30T00:35:00.003-05:00

Just a little over a week into his presidency and already Obama is doing great things. Today, Obama signed into law the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, his first piece of legislation as president. From the White House Blog:
"First of all, it is fitting that the very first bill that I sign -- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act -- (applause) -- that it is upholding one of this nation's founding principles: that we are all created equal, and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness." This is just one of many fantastically inspiring quotes from his speech that sent my little feminist heart aflutter. Watch the video of the speech. It's incredible.

Serious props to the new WhiteHouse.gov on improving government transparency. The act is up for public review on the government's website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/LillyLedbetterFairPayActPublicReview/. You can send in your own comments about the act, which although it may not do much, it makes me FEEL a little more appreciated as a U.S. Citizen. And hey, there's a lot to be said for that.

Tonight as I was working the shot clock at an SLC basketball game, I was responsible for the playing of the national anthem. (Off a CD player. No one wants to hear me sing, I promise.) While it was playing, I actually felt proud of my country for the first time since I can remember, with maybe one exception being sometime in elementary school. I have good feelings about this presidency. I really really do.

My own private chocobo

2009-01-26T01:48:00.002-05:00

Today I played this for something like eight hours. I gained an aeon, and lost another eight hours of my life to this video game. I also made guacamole, demolished it, solved the mystery of the large bump on my forehead (I spun into a doorframe), and developed an even stronger love of chocobos.

Look at its little adorable face! I have to train them by avoiding "balls and things." I have not successfully done this yet. Although, I have effectively captured nine different kinds of fiends with my FFX pokeballs. A successful day? I think so.

Change is here

2009-01-20T09:15:00.002-05:00

today is the day.

today is the day!

TODAY IS THE DAY!

that's so bomb

2009-01-16T03:46:00.004-05:00

Today:

I bought the Purple Rain soundtrack.
(It had been missing in my life for too long.)

I saw Slumdog Millionaire.
(Refreshing screenplay, beautifully shot.)

I watched Sophisticated Side Ponytail and ate Peach Rings with Marni.
(There is no logical explanation for either.)
(Side ponytails in honor of the ridiculous music video.)

You need to watch Sophisticated Side Ponytail, if for no reason other than the band's name is "Natalie Portman's Shaved Head." Yes, it's a minute and a half of your life that you can't get back, but I think it's worth it for the sheer ridiculousness factor.

This is where all my time went.

2009-01-14T20:47:00.005-05:00

These are the movies I have seen over winter break, in the theaters and otherwise.

I do NOT recommend all these movies.
Xanadu and Love Songs (a.k.a. Les Chansons D'Amour) were both really terrible.
The rest though, were pretty damn good, not that it was my first time seeing them.

The geekiest hat in the world

2009-01-13T22:43:00.002-05:00

When I stumbled upon this pattern earlier this year, I didn't think it was possible to be any geekier than it was. However, now that I have completed one and am about to start knitting another one, I truly understand the concept of true geekiness.

My real question though is why the adult small is SO small! My real intention was to make this one for Doug, but his head is not the size of an 8 year old's. So off I go, knitting yet another R2D2 hat, this time size large and with additional ribbing around the bottom. So many people want me to make them one of these. I'm going to be making them forever.

Here's a link to the pattern for those of you who need to run around beeping at people.

You could call it "Traveling"

2009-01-10T16:29:00.013-05:00

Today, on the day that one of my dearest friends is boarding a plane to Ireland to study abroad for a semester, I celebrated/mourned the fact that I am still here in the states, with no immediate travel plans.

Yesterday, my journey was to "upstate" New York to the charming little town of Garrison.

This alone may have been worth 3 hours driving each way. However, the main reason we went up was to visit Malcolm before he runs off across the country to go to his real college. (Sarah Lawrence isn't good enough for him apparently.) Approximately 7 hours total driving, 7 hour visit. It was worth it. Although the way home shouldn't have taken 4 hours, but with Meg's crazy directions that led us over both the Tappan Zee and the George Washington bridges, we certainly earned that extra hour. We should have sucked it up and used the GPS.

I returned home to this. A minimal amount of snow, but enough to make the roads messy for those of us without 4-wheel drive, and enough to make all of Pennsylvania freak out about the weather. It's barely snowing now, but I am still hesitant to go out driving in it.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Season 1 arrived from Netflix yesterday, and what better day to pretend to travel than a day when it's snowy and cold out?

I watched the Paris episode already today and have intentions of watching the New Jersey one later. As I have been to Jersey many times, three in the past 24 hours, I have very low expectations for that episode. Still, I want Bourdain's job. Desperately. Employers, if you are looking for someone for this sort of job with little to no food-related experience and minimal travel experience, I am the candidate for the job! We can call it "No Reservations, No Experience, No Communication" and watch Alexis, the poor college student attempt to survive in the country I am dropped in with little money, life experience, or the language spoken in the country. It'll be like Survivorman, but with less wilderness, far more accidents, and death.

Oh Wittgenstein

2009-01-06T18:59:00.000-05:00

I could read memoirs forever. I never felt particularly strongly about them until my freshman year at Sarah Lawrence, when I took a course that examined the work of great psychologists alongside autobiographies, biographies, and memoirs about the psychologists themselves. Since then, I've found this to be the best way to truly understand things I am reading. I love to know the context in which the authors were writing, and the particular circumstances of their lives that led them to write as they did.

Today I read Ludwig Wittgenstein: A Memoir by Norman Malcolm as part of my winter break assignment for my philosophy class. I got really into it and spent four hours curled up in a chair, drinking coffee and reading about this crazy man, and like I do, trying to figure out if he was a quality person. (I'm still undecided on that.) It's been a long time since I've been this excited about something I was required to read for class, but something about my complete lack of understanding of why anyone would devote their entire life to the study of philosophy even though it made them extremely depressed infinitely fascinates me.

Wittgenstein's snide little remarks throughout the memoir kept me going through the deeply philosophical parts. Little tidbits like his living in complete seclusion in a hut in Norway really made me admire him for his intense dedication to his work. (I have a very romantic view of living in complete seclusion, but this doesn't change the fact that I would love to do it for a bit. ) I firmly believe that one has to have a certain degree of craziness to be truly good at what you do.

One of my favorite bits in the book is a really cute "Wittgenstein is a little puffball who needs love too!" In a 1948 letter to Norman Malcolm, Wittgenstein said "I don't need conversations. What I'd like would be someone to smile at occasionally." Wittgenstein is the original spinster. He should have gotten a cat.

(This started out relatively academic and reputable and ends with me telling Wittgenstein to become a crazy cat lady. TAKE THAT INTERNET!)

P.S. Be careful if you do a Google image search for Wittgenstein. I just saw the weirdest Wittgenstein Disney furry porn. I kid you not. SAFE SEARCH ON!

Sympathy for Estelle

2009-01-06T01:23:00.000-05:00

I have stumbled upon perhaps one of the best mashups ever.

Mighty Mike (a friend of ToToM, one of my longtime favorite makers of mashups) posted "Sympathy for Estelle" back in June. It has existed for a full six months without me hearing it. This troubles me.

This gem of a track combines the vocals to the Rolling Stones's classic "Sympathy for the Devil," (which I'm sure you all now recognize due to playing it on Rock Band) and the instrumental to Estelle's "American Boy." It's as if these two songs were made to be together.

Visit the original post here.

I'm a ninja

2009-01-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

Knitting with size 11 dpns makes me feel like a ninja. Yes, I'm cheating and using super bulky yarn and gigantic needles, but the idea that a pair of mittens can be knit up in under 4 hours really pleases me.

Hopefully my project will soon look like this.

Mmmmm delicious. Super Bulky Funky Mitts by Amy Swenson

I have also decided to be a little ambitious with my new skill of intarsia, and have cast on an R2D2 hat by Carissa Browning. Doug will soon be able to show off his geekiness to all of SLC.

Tomorrow I begin part of a two day journey to Boston and back. Northeastern thinks time at the end of the year is more valuable than winter break, so Zack has classes again beginning Monday. I, however, will be sitting around til the 20th (yes, they day of the Inaugruation) knitting up a storm and watching every movie ever. Look forward to a picture post upon my return.

a new year, a new blog

2009-01-03T03:15:00.000-05:00

Happy 2009 everyone. I am again going to attempt to keep a semi-regularly updated blog. My last attempt, Unicorn Sandwich, was originally intended to be a music blog. (That clearly fell through and it became a personal blog.) Knitting and Glitter is going to be infinitely more fabulous-- music, movies, knitting, and glitter-- otherwise known as the major components of my life. Throw in some college and some rowing and you've got pretty much everything.

Let's see if i can keep this one up. Allons-y!