Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.

Well apparently I'm the only 20-something on the planet who hasn't seen the movie Beetlejuice. Until today. How amazing is that house? Yes, I'm a little late in the game to realize this but I would give up my entire chair collection, one of my dogs (the one that farts), my new hybrid, and the house I currently reside in just to have that sucker.

Dogs and Fireworks

Dear Cincinnati Reds,

While I understand the reasoning behind your celebratory fireworks, my dog does not. He is terrified every time you hit a home run (congratulations on a successful season). Please lessen either the amount or the noise level so he can poop again. Seriously, it's been 3 days.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Because we are the most indecisive couple on the planet....

We have decided to go to Barcelona instead of London and maybe Portugal instead of Prague. Luckily I hadn't bought any plane tickets yet! I came to this conclusion last night while sitting in front of the travel section at the bookstore (after having a little too much Sam Adams Summer Ale). Making decisions while drinking may be a good idea because I'm kind of giddy about our less stuffy, last minute travel plans.

Light and Air

Finally found my pictures from Balluminaria. Pretty, pretty, pretty! What a fun evening!

DJ Fairey

Volunteered to sell tshirts at the Shepard Fairey block party. Mr. Fairey himself was the dj. I did a whole bunch of dancin and then headed to neons for some bacce ball!

Line and Space

I can't believe I've already started thinking about November programing. Trying to keep a theme of clear lines and simple pieces for our visitor's inspiration. Teaching 5-year-olds about conceptual art is exciting and you really do get the best responses! They're much more accepting then their parents. Some artists we're focusing on are William Anastasi and Walter Caldas.

The name's Tex

Lovely evening outside spent watching Charade in the park (complete with wine, picnic blanket and misquote bites). While there are plenty of excellent lines to quote my favorite always come from Tex (he's extremely underrated). As a child my sister and I would run around the house calling each other "nincompoops" and declaring that our "momma didn't raise no stupid chillun." To quote Tex, just as Grant fell for Hepburn, I fell for James Coburn "like a tall chicken."

Work...

Just finished creating a new program for August inspired by the artist Sixeart. I had so much fun researching and getting it ready for the average 5 year old. Somehow managed to wrangle together a bunch of child-friendly spray paint. Next up is some Jenny Holzer madness that just may involve a light-bright. Can't wait to share pictures of what our visitors create!

I buy my books in bulk

I've been addicted to Perry Mason novels lately. You can get some nice vintage ones that have spectacular cover art for mere pennies on ebay. Reading them reminds me of my grandmother who enjoyed the television series. She'd sit on her knees in front of the TV like a kid, dish towel in hand, eagerly solving the plot before the end of each episode. She was just as glamorous as all of his beautiful female characters and it's fun to picture her as Della Street.

Cool Kicks

I was getting a little nervous about the shoe situation for my upcoming trips to China, Paris and Prague. Luckily these kicks came into my life and have been worn ever since. They are my new best friend and upcoming travel companion.

Keeping It Weird...

Fun little etsy find. Luckily I know just who to send it to.

Little Red Riding Hood... Take two

I often volunteer as a tutor at the local library. Almost every Wednesday my little guy asks to read Little Red Riding Hood to me. The best part is that he changes the story every time it gets a little hairy for Miss. Riding Hood or her Grandmother. Week after week that wolf gets sent to mars on a space ship or joins prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Yesterday won hands down when the wolf developed a sinus infection and realized he needed to go to his allergist, leaving Red and Grandma to eat their cookies in peace.

Balloon Birthdays

I celebrated a very lovely birthday this year filled with roller skates, friends, balloons, glow sticks and lavender cupcakes. Favorite picture of the bunch? My little sister with a mustache. Just precious.

Shakespeare and Company

My mummy just came back from a spontaneous trip to Paris. She made sure to bring back presents from my favorite bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. Most of them are french art books but I'm really enjoying a new biography on the love story between Abelard and Heloise who lived 900 years ago. I'm planning a trip to their tomb in the spring!

I'd rather be... in Italia!

Everything around me seems to have an Italian connection these days and it's making me pine for a return trip. I just finished my second Peggy Guggenheim biography and I've added "tour the grand canal in Venice with a lhasa apso" to the to-do list. The next day I played a riveting game of bocce ball and finished it off with some gelato. This was followed by a late night showing (in my living room) of A Room With a View and even though I'm now trapped in a pod at work, staring at the computer, I can still hear George Emerson declare, "It is fate. But call it Italy if it pleases you Vicar."