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Inspiration.

The wedding ceremony that we attended on Saturday was unbelievably refreshing. The perfect balance of tenderness and humor, sentimentality and quirkiness. It was personal and thoughtful and made you feel all sorts of inspired and brimming with love.

All weddings should do this, but alas, it is not always the case.

I particularly loved the readings they selected to have family members share.

This poem, “Having a Coke With You,” by Frank O’Hara was a favorite:

HAVING A COKE WITH YOU

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them

I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully
as the horse

it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you about it

Obsession.

Swimming in the Green River. In our monkey “babing” suit and our new snazzy water shoes. Throwing rocks and sitting in “waterfalls.”

Annoyance.

We’re en route home from our trip horizontally across the state of Pennsylvania.

The hours, mileage, gas station bathrooms and swollen ankles were totally worth it. More to come on that front later.

For now, we’re stuck in traffic. Traffic that in my LA days would have seemed like a walk in the park, but today, is more akin to hours of The Sesame Seed boxing my bladder.

Yesterday, we planned to tour another Frank Lloyd Wright house before saying our goodbyes to Ohiopyle, but it rained so hard the night prior that the road was totally washed out. Instead, we gazed at the raging river and ate Sno-Balls.

A pretty good compromise if I do say so myself.

Inspiration.

Falling Water, unlike The Mona Lisa, is NOT the anticlimax.

Much like how I felt when I saw The Grand Canyon, The Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s David, this is the kind of creation that exceeds all expectations and hype and truly defines the word awesome in its proper sense.

Awe-inspiring indeed.

Frank Lloyd Wright, you may have been a raging asshole, but perhaps that burning bum is what fueled your genius.

Sunshine.

Look what town we’re nearby.

Pennsylvania must have sensed how much I miss her.

Inspiration.

This work by El Anatsui is blowing my mind.

I saw it in person yesterday at the Clark Art Institute and I am now totally fascinated by this man and his craft.

The artist takes found aluminum bottles and caps and turns them into the most stunning textile, tapestry-like wall hangings.

One in particular reminded me of animal skin (oh boy, is that James’ influence and family hunting cabin coming through my thought processes or what?). A pretty incredible feat to give metal an organic, nearly weightless quality. It’s called “Strips of Earth’s Skin.” Appropriate, no?

Now if only I had the patience and brilliance to collect and construct such awesomeness.

Photos: Courtesy of The Clark Art Institute by Mike Agee

Thought.

We’re off to the final wedding of the season before we hunker down in Billsville and await the arrival of the Sesame Seed. Given that she’s taken to kick boxing my bladder, the time couldn’t come soon enough.

Although, I would prefer not to give birth in the middle of the woods in western Pennsylvania, so let’s make it through this weekend, shall we?

I won’t have my birth team in place in the woods. THAT is honestly my biggest concern.

We’ll be dropping Sunny off with James’ parents today, and then will have a couple days to ourselves with some of the most fabulous people in The Universe. Although we have to hike some distance to the site of the outdoor wedding ceremony (and my ankles will suffer the consequences), it’s worth it for these two amazing gentlemen.

Tomorrow James will go white water rafting. The midwives forbade my participation. So while everyone parties it up on the river, I’ll be touring Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” and trying not to embarrass myself as the human whoopee cushion.

Flatulence, y’all. It comes with the 3rd trimester.

I’ve even packed my fly fishing rod. Perhaps it will finally get put to use as more than just a cute accessory. Regardless, I’m totally gonna look the part.

Happy weekend.

Sunshine.

Once again, Kate Drew Miller rocks my socks.

These are some pix from the Reunion 2011 photo booth she orchestrated for the 3,000 Ephs on campus (including the Ephs in our household).

She made people happy, even though it was pouring rain and a total mob scene.

I need to acquire that amazing super power.

Photo credit: Kate Drew Miller

Inspiration.

Knit bombing.

I was literally just thinking last night that I want to knit bomb Louis Bourgeois’ Eyes during my maternity leave.

Then I did some googling and landed on Knitta Please. I was thinking far too small.

Why not all the Public Art on campus? Jenny Holzer’s sculpture? George Rickey’s?

Now I just need to rally a hoard of knitters in the area.

Yay maternity leave project! Nesting, much?

Upcycled Padded Clothes Hangers

Our mother has a ‘thing’ for padded clothing hangers. Kimmy and I both have a plethora of such hangers in our closets thanks to this, shall we say, interest of hers. This interest was of course extended to my daughter, Sunny, so her closet is also overflowing with pretty padded hangers for her array of adorable toddler dresses. Case in point below.

No, we weren’t exaggerating.

Due to the surplus of t-shirt yarn, I thought I’d repurpose some of the less-than-desirable wire hangers that I’ve been amassing from the dry cleaners and give some DIY padded hangers a try. It’s a super simple project, and a nice way to reclaim those flimsy wire hangers and some old tees. I think Mom would approve.

Materials:
Wire hangers
Old T-shirts cut into T-shirt yarn

Directions:

1. Cut the old T-shirt into one long strand of yarn using the directions from this past DIY Wednesday.

2. Starting at the tip of the hanger, cover the tip and wrap around the ends to secure in place.

3. Continue wrapping around all of the wire of the hanger to cover all of the metal.

4. At the end, tuck the strand in on itself, accent with a bow, and there you have it! An easy, pretty addition to your closet!