a sad day at comerica park

tigers loose. 8-5. a not so thrilling game. at least we got a verlander baseball. and some pictures of our favorite vender... shawn.

june playlist

so glad bright eyes is happier... and addicted to maroon 5.

workplace perks

yup. i have a job. no joke. i totally stumbled into it… & right when i was starting to get way too comfortable with my summer lifestyle. (all the sleeping in & such...) i went to just help out with the opening of the store, and left that day with a key to the place. crazy, right? anyway, i'm working with all things interior design. which brings me to perk #1…

perk #1: yes, it’s been years since i've even thought about interior design, (aside from the occasional dosage of hgtv… divine design shout out.) but, way back when, i was totally into it. i actually did the whole job shadow thing (with the designer i’m working for now) for careers class back in 7th grade. but the point of that trip down memory lane is… i’m being exposed to a different kind of design. i’m recognizing the differences (all of the furniture company names that i don’t even have any idea how to pronounce) & the similarities (the way it all just comes down to playing with space… colors & objects & the untangible aspects that make something “work”).

perk #2: i’m also being exposed to a new leadership style. the owner is so nonchalant about everything… i love it. i don’t know how she does it all. but she is living her dream (opening this home & garden store), running her own business (even though i’m sure she doesn’t need to), managing to be super mom, & is still totally grounded.

perk #3: decorative packing tape. so cool. the one thing in the store that got me giddy. a must have.

perk #4: a paycheck. enough said. just working on keeping it in the bank.

perk #5: i finally know how to use a fax machine. will come in handy for any office related job i may have in my future as a starving artist.

perk #6: i’m learning how to run a store from a behind the scenes pov. i’m soaking everything in while the wheels in my head are turning and planning. i could do this. & i’ve always wanted to own a scrapbooking store.

emblems

most nights are spent waiting for something to happen. by that i mean something to justify your existence. and by that i mean a way to make life better – even if just for one night – because everyone needs to sleep. well, not everyone. and those that don’t, spend most nights waiting for something to happen.

it rarely does. so you stop waiting and starting thinking. of a way to fix things – and by this i mean control. weeks/years/records/bands/apartments later, when you finally realize that control is a lark and no one else gives a rat’s ass, things fall apart completely.

that’s when you realize simple is good, and it’s time to get some sleep. (or) that’s when something happens.

matt pond PA
from the emblems liner notes

right now:

totally energized. i am literally at the edge of my seat... eyes wide open staring at the computer monitor. i love being able to start at any given website and let myself be pulled in different directions. tonight was no exception. totally inspiring.

i started with good magazine. (http://www.goodmagazine.com/. i forgot how much more i could delve into that one issue i picked up at the lake forest book store - the only good thing that came out of that college visit. no pun intended.)

good directed me to the design 21 website. (http://www.design21sdn.com/.) absolutely genius. so many words of truth. and comforting to read of other people thinking about the same things i think about.

design 21 led me to their blog & jennifer leonard. (also genius.) who just happens to have co-written massive change by way of the institute without boundaries. and despite the amount of obsessing i have done over massive change...

i realized i had never really looked into the institute without boundaries. (http://www.institutewithoutboundaries.com/.) so that was where i was pulled next. still on the edge of my seat. it's crazy... but i'm left with this overwhelming feeling that i need to be there. and that four years can't go by fast enough.

yup. bruce mau will do that to me.


thoughts i thought were worth noting on social design:

it’s more like a revolving panorama of anecdotes from all layers of life and all sorts of skill sets that individually and collectively give us reason to keep on keepin’ on.

it’s about those characters out there who give a damn and make an effort because their soul urges them to and won’t let them rest if they don’t.

when someone alters his or her behavior in a positive way in response to any deliberate message that ultimately could benefit the greater good, that is social design. the message could be a poster, campaign, product, or a modified environment, etc. but it provokes and challenges people to think beyond themselves.

praise for lil' bush

lil' bush. the highlight of my brother's tv watching week. i've never seen it. (i refuse to support his cartoon endeavors.) at first i was just glad that ben had moved on from the endless carlos mencia references. but there's something to be said for the fact that the morning after i had a conversation with him about kim jong il. not bad. (he even learned what wmd stands for because of a game on comedycentral.com) is there anything wrong with a normally uninterested 16 year old becoming more worldly from a tv show? i guess i shouldn't speak too soon.

jc love

my jc gift book page (apologies in advance for any leadership jargon in this post) was due monday... it was a much needed opportunity to do something creative. mine revolves around change. as stupid as it sounds, i had to consciously tell myself to be open during camp, or i would just walk through the motions. (the difference between level one and level two for me.)

working on my page made the whole camp thing feel a lot more real. i remember reading the gift books on the way home from albion after camp each year... and i would hang onto every word. now i'm in the position to pass on the inspiration. it's a little scary. but really exciting. according to the official jc listserv coundown: T-34 days!

fathers day

i've been a little lazy this year with holidays. (sorry, mom) so when i realized yesterday that today was fathers day... i needed something easy that was still meaningful.

i found this picture taken after honors convocation (hence the cap & gown) & it's totally out of focus, but i like that about it. it's just us two walking together across a parking lot. an everyday moment that means so much more in context.

i know "daughters" is pretty cliche for this day, but it works. (& you gotta love john mayer. that was the first concert i went to... with my dad.) the lyrics say exactly what i need my dad to hear. i know this past year has probably been really hard on him. i think he has this fear that i'll go to mica, meet a really cute guy, & never want to come back. i can't make any guarantees on the cute guy part... but i won't forget about you, dad. don't worry.