New Bon Iver Released Today

Do yourself a favor today and go pick up the new Bon Iver album, Bon Iver - via Jagjaguwar. The album is a quick forty minutes in length, but it is fantastic. NPR has been streaming the new album for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it. Some early standouts are Perth and the heartbreaker, Holocene. Compared to For Emma, it is optimistic - but not lacking Justin Vernon’s signature sensitivity. Go. Purchase. Support midwestern music.

GOOD/Cole Haan Illustration Submission

I found this great contest through GOOD called Project Doodle: Something Good in the World. The challenge is to do a drawing based on someone or something putting good into the world. I am a sucker for a competition - and it helps that it is being supported by Cole Haan. I immediately thought of a national but locally started non-profit called Growing Power. Their vision is to inspire communities to build sustainable food systems that are equitable and ecologically sound, creating a just world, one food-secure community at a time. They were the PERFECT subject for my illustration.

Here it is - I’m pretty happy with it. Remember people: take care of yourself, your community and your planet.

Weekend Vintage: GermanFest

Another one of my favorite weekends - GermanFest in Milwaukee!! Beer, brats and girls with braids in their hair - my kind of time. Here are some vintage finds from Etsy that fit the occasion - Prost!

Video: Gayngs, “The Gaudy Side of Town”

Just wanted to share a little jam with you guys. There is a lot of awesome happening here. Gayngs is an indie mega group including the likes of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver,) members of Solid Gold, members of Megafaun and about 15 other artists from the midwest. Another interesting bit of trivia: the theme of this Minneapolis show was “The Last Prom on Earth” - which is sort of frightening.

The vid is an eight minute commitment, but if you’re in the mood for a slow jam - the eight minutes is worth it. Love it.

Video: Gayngs, “The Gaudy Side of Town”.

Random Moments

Here are a few more snapshots of my weekend - before the rain came! Happy Saturday!!!

1. Me taking photos of me, looking rather pigeon-toed
2. The Wicked Hop, Milwaukee: always good for a drink on the sidewalk
3. Coquette Cafe, Milwaukee: authentic bistro fare in the Third Ward
4. Anthropologie: oh, how I love that store.
5. Lakefront Beer: My most favorite IPA this side of the ole’ Mississippi. Mmm.

Wilco Will Love You, Baby

Today’s the day, kids!!! New Wilco from my boyfriend Jeff Tweedy and his cronies. I’ll be heading out to Best Buy to pick up my copy later on. Sometimes iTunes just doesn’t cut it, ya know? You want the experience of the album in hand. Plus, you can give your friends a smug look when they tell you that they ripped a copy from some sketchy corner of the web. If you get the album, remember to look for me in the photographs!!…I would friggin’ die.

Check out “Wilco (The Song)” from Bonnaroo. I got to see it live when they played Milwaukee, its definitely a jam.

Video courtesy of DntBrnDPg/Youtube

StudioWisco Love!

Rachel of StudioWisco was kind enough to feature my Bicycle Built for Two card on her fantastic design blog. I’m a big fan of her site, so this was a pleasant surprise on this fine Friday!

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, Millenium Park (AIC)

As I mentioned, I was in Chicago yesterday for some rock ‘n roll, but I got some culture along the way. We got to check out the Art Institute of Chicago (free admission on Fridays) and it was amazing. I didn’t realize the depth of their collection, but there I was…face to face with so many of the paintings I’ve seen my entire life. Seurat, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Hockney, Monet, Warhol…and on and on. It was enough to make me consider going back to school for art history. That is doubtful, but it was beautifully surreal and inspiring to see such renowned works first hand. Here are some of my favorites:

Runner’s High

I have a confession: I’m a runner. (gasp!) I have been ever since I stood up on two legs and realized they could take me places.

I fell back in love with running this morning. Despite the fact that I’ve been sick for a while, I reluctantly laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. It was cold and crappy outside, but everything was right in my world; my cough subsided, my legs felt light and energized, my mind was clear. Bliss.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I have some of my best ideas while running. Just like art, its a completely meditative journey where your body is working differently, most efficiently, most freely. You can stop thinking about your trivial day-to-day concerns and be totally present in the moment. I find myself daydreaming so deeply that I don’t recall city blocks I’ve passed. On the other hand, I sometimes become more aware of the things around me…the smell of freshly cut grass, the chatter of people having brunch on the sidewalk, the shadow that falls with every footstep. Its a beautiful, liberating thing to remove everything but the present. For a short period of time, you’re able to be an observer passing by one thing to the next. There is so much inspiration along the path.

For that reason, I’ll be a runner as long as my legs let me stand.

the Republic Tigers

I saw these guys in NYC last weekend when they opened for Travis. I’m not going to lie, I’m not big on watching opening acts, but I was really surprised by how good their live show was. Here’s a video from their single, Buildings & Mountains.

The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains

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