Noble Beast by Andrew Bird - Rainy Day Relief

Today was a rainy, blah day. Work was extra hard to sit through. I came home in a dismal mood. Until I opened my mailbox and found a package from Fat Possum Records. I pre-ordered Andrew Bird's new album, Noble Beast, before Christmas. It comes out in stores on January 20th. But guess who got their copy today? I guess it's pretty obvious that it was me. Yes, I got the album today! Annnnd got Owen a copy.

This is exciting because, a. I wasn't expecting it until the 20th and b. I ordered the deluxe edition. And it came, as promised, with lots of fun and beautiful extras.

I present to you...the fun and the beautiful:
1. The case: a four piece fold out with art work by Diana Sudyka, who is an amazing artist and if you follow flatstock and album art you'll recognize her name. (Tidbit: Her husband, Jay Ryan, did the album art for Mysterious Production Of Eggs.)
2. The booklet: Diana illustrated a special song lyric booklet (I don't know what the proper name for that is...) Each song has an illustration. It's like a beautiful little story book.
3. The poster: A little poster of Andrew Bird himself.
4. The extra music: There's an extra disc full of purely instrumental fun called 'Useless Creatures'.


If you weren't planning on buying this album... you should change your mind. To persuade you, you can listen to the entire album free at NPR. Go there. Now. And if you were going to buy the album ... treat yourself to the deluxe edition. Go to Fat Possum Records and order it. Doesn't it just sound better...deluxe. Say it with your pinky up. See there ya go.

Fires and Flooding. Is This It?

Maybe Mister Apocalyptic parker was right! I-5 is flooded. Fife residents have had to evacuate their homes. And on the way to work I couldn't get off my exit because an enormous building was up in flames.
Luckily, according to the apocalyptic prediction of the front lawn parker, it won't be until 2011 that we all burn. So we have time.

Silent Snowy Night

Snow covered cars.

Our snowy shadows.

Christmas overload.

Maybe this little tree needs me.

Come on in.

Rainy Day Project

If you live in Seattle you may find yourself defensive about rain. When people write Seattle off as a place where everyday is a gloomy, soggy mess it's upsetting! But we still have to face the facts...it does get a little drippy in the winter. That being said Seattlites are all the more creative because of our days inside. We own some of most fun, unique umbrellas and galoshes. And last year when "wellies" were all the rage, we were the only ones who could legitimately wear them. When the season changes and you find yourself staring at a 10 day forecast with the same rainy/cloud stamped next to every day, it's time to find some fun indoor projects. I present ... Rainy Day Project #1 : Refinish A Coffee Table (Or Other Piece of Furniture). I started with a coffee table we got from friends. I didn't hate the stain but it did have a lot of nicks and scratches on it. And I could have stood to have it a little lighter. Here's the coffee table before: I took it down to Owen's parents and used an electric sander to take off the finish and smooth out any dents. Then used a completely clear finish to make sure people could put drinks on it or whatever without me worrying about coasters. Here's the finished product:

Smart Girls Have More Fun

In Seattle we know how to nerd-out. It's a stereotype that just might be true. We can tell you how far away the nearest internet cafe is from any given point in the city. (Because we're probably standing next to two). We get down with webinars, webisodes, the blogamosphere, hyperlinks and we know all the Ctrl shortcuts on our keyboards by heart. I'm never more happy than when I'm basking in the glow of my two monitors, writing Google ads at work, or reading my favorite blogs. Let me tell you, finding new Maria Bamford webisodes really takes the edge off a rainy winter day.

So I present my latest feature: Nerd-Out. Where I will share my latest internet obsessions. Get ready to click some links!

1. Amy Poehler's Smart Girls at the Party webisodes: Amy interviews girls about their interests and talents. The webisodes are geared toward parents and their daughters, but I still like them. The first guest on the show is a 10-year-old author. It's funny and adorable. Unfortunately it is sponsored by Barbie. I know they are trying to market her as something empowering for young girls, but there's something about that beeotch I don't trust.

2. Yellow Sticky Notes (a film). I save a lot of my notes to myself, in fact last night I was looking through the first notebook I kept here in Seattle. Amid more journal-y type entries are also grocery lists, directions, and to do lists. My favorite note to myself is "buy presentable shoes". Anyway this film is about how consuming those little to-do lists can be. It's shot flip-book style on, of course, yellow sticky notes.

That's all for today ... stay tuned for more nerding out in the future.