pregnancy|nesting

i certainly haven't been inspired to do much other than work in quite some time, and yet, now that i'm almost halfway into my second trimester, i'm finally beginning to feel that nesting instinct kick in. i've been wanting to start printmaking in my spare time, and now all of the sudden i have an urge to do so. i'd like to get back into sewing, and since i plan on decorating our nursery myself (from crib bedding to curtains), i'm totally motivated.

it's been nice to feel a bit more creative again ... though that's not to say i've been slacking at work.

apparently, all these hormones are finally inspiring me. :)

Link: personal inspiration

introversion

i met pk in graphic design school ... maybe in 2001 ... while surfing the web for inspirational websites to get me motivated to do some project or another. i had been journaling through a website for a while, but pk's entries really got me motivated to experiment with more than just photoshop (thanks, pk). his honesty through various media in expressing himself is refreshing on the web, and his design skills are amazing.

in 2005, en return route from israel, i even got to meet him during a planned extended layover in NYC with some friends (one of whom was my now-husband, justin, but i would have laughed at the thought back then).

we keep in touch, mostly discussing the finer points of japanese grammar and whatever else we are up to. always a pleasure to have such a great designer as a friend, even if we don't talk as much now as we used to.

check out his work. i'm sure it'll inspire you as much as it has me.

Link: introversion

Japan

After living in Japan from 2002-2004 and briefly returning for two weeks this summer, I just have to say that it's one of the most inspiring countries to me. I love the food, the people, the insides of homes, the outsides, the stationery, and so much more.

Japan is a challenging place sometimes - appearing at once clean and tidy and yet chaotic and dirty at the same time. But their cultural emphasis on the beauty of all things is something that really rings in my heart.

If you haven't been, you should go. And don't just stick to Tokyo. Travel off the well-beaten path because there's more to Japan that big busy cities and automatic toilets.

making lists

i'm a list person:

/* in my classes, i take notes in organized lists and outlines.

/* in my calendar, i write long lists with little check boxes of things i simply must do -
+ whether or
+ not
+ i ever get to them.

/* now, even at work, through the wonder that we call dot project, i can make a list of all of my work projects.

/* the thing about this list, however, is
+ it actually keeps track of time
+ and tells me when i'm lagging behind.

/* if only i could get my calendar to do that, too.

3191: a year of mornings

i've always loved taking photographs ... almost as much as i love looking at the photographs of others. i stumbled upon 3191 because of the sewing machine i got this Christmas - while browsing through "crafty" peoples' blogs, i noticed that two such crafty friends had started a photography site where they took a photo a day and posted them next to each other.

i thought it was brilliant, and all of the photography is really simple, refreshing, and inspiring.

i like to see into the reality of peoples' lives, really watching they way they live their day to day ... instead of just scraping the surface of the "hellos" and "i'm fines" of the day. i think that while this site only shows two photos a day, there is still something deeper, something more about the two friends, portrayed on the screen.

i like that.

Link: 3191: a year of mornings