Friday, June 29, 2012

Happy Friday!

It's the weekend! I'm not sure what this weekend will look like for me, but I am itching to get out and take some pictures. We'll see what unfolds. Hopefully, I'll have a little time to take a break from the research project.
In the mean time, I've rounded up some links of you-- enjoy!

How beautiful is this loft in Chicago?

These lovely illustrated letters are so much fun


I really want to try making this meal when I get back to Tucson


Cookie Dough Ice Pops sound like a perfect summer treat

I'd love to make a diy dip-dye maxi skirt


This pleated-skirt-to-dress transformation might be one of the loveliest diy clothing ideas I've ever seen



Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Short Film: Much Better Now

This beautiful little film is about the amazing adventures of a bookmark and the wonder of the world of books...


Much Better Now from Salon Alpin on Vimeo.
A bookmark is stuck in a forgotten book that is one day knocked over by wind. It experiences its environment by surfing the pages that turn in to ocean-waves, enjoying the ride of its life. As the book cover closes light reveals new challenges.
www.muchbetternow.net
production: Salon Alpin
direction / script / animation: Philipp Comarella, Simon Griesser
sound / music: Silvio Canazei
gaffer: Thomas Welz
animation: Christoph "Kris" Staber
"Bronzener Nagel" - Art Directors Club Germany 2012
"Rookie of the Year" - Creativ Club Austria

"Special Mention" Rome Idependent Film Festival 2012
"3rd Price" Athens Film And Video Festival 2012
Official Selection: ECU 2012 Paris, Mo & Friese Hamburg, Taafi 2012 Toronto, SAL Surf At Lisbon 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Texas Adventures

So far, in my program, I haven't been able to get out too much (so much writing), but I have had the chance to see a little bit of Texas. UNT has a nice green campus (in comparison to AZ in the summer), and I took a trip down to a honky-tonk club with a friend last weekend. They had an indoor bull-riding arena, live music, and a dance floor (lots of fun). So here's a few of my pictures from campus and from my adventure down in Fort Worth.

A part of my daily walk back from the coffeeshop
Flowers on one of my favorite trees
View from the benches in front of the library
Friday Night Bullriding
(She's secretly a pool shark)
All photos by Kara Haberstock, June 2012, all rights reserved
 


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Inspired: Tripod Diaries

I absolutely love these photos by Ashley Herrin of the Tripod Diaries:







Monday, June 25, 2012

Musings: Overwhelming Happiness

Play me first!


Every so often I have one of those moments of overwhelming happiness. I can feel it in my heart-- a sort of surrounding, bubbling, rising warmth, a noticeable lack of anxiety or heaviness, something like the feel of a soft knit wool sweater. The irresistible turn of lips upward.
It happens somewhat unexpectedly.

The drive home on a Texas highway after a wonderful evening of conversation, good food, and a great movie with a new friend.

The contentment of a quiet moment on the couch with an old friend.

That realization walking to school on a crisp clear morning that I was sincerely happy to be alive for the first time in a long time.

A Sunday afternoon spent hand in hand, curled up and drifting towards sleep, not a word being said.

The family reunited on a favorite simple outing.

The moments after a breath-taking question when I realized just how blessed I am in love and friendship.

An hour spent alone in a coffeeshop with a warm drink and a book, or perhaps just some paper and pen.

A familiar song in an unfamiliar place.

That moment in which it's undoubtable that you are once again home.

A rainy day spent indoors watching raindrops trickle their way down the window.

The glimpse of sunlight through the trees that dips the edge of everything in gold.

So Much Happiness
Naomi Shihab Nye

It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against,
a wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.

But happiness floats.
It doesn't need you to hold it down.
It doesn't need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
and disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
and now live over a quarry of noise and dust
cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
it too could wake up filled with possibilities
of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
and love even the floor which needs to be swept,
the soiled linens and scratched records…..

Since there is no place large enough
to contain so much happiness,
you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
for the moon, but continues to hold it, and share it,
and in that way, be known.

from Words under the Words




Photo by Kara Haberstock, 2010, all rights reserved

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Song for Sunday: Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons is a favorite recent find of mine. They're a relatively new band, with only one EP out, but what they have so far is fantastic. Their sound is somewhere between Coldplay and The Killers, along the lines of OneRepublic. However, when they play acoustically, there's a lovely folk element to their music. Here's their acoustic performance of "It's Time":


The Occidental Saloon Presents Provo/Las Vegas Artist Imagine Dragons performing "It's Time"
All audio and video recorded on location in Provo Utah at the Cheesman home
Directed by: Isaac Halasima and Matt Eastin
Produced by: Corey Fox and Dean Cheesman
Shot by: Matt Eastin, Isaac Halasima, Russ Mayo, and Spencer Rich
Audio by: Daren Smith and Dean Cheesman
Edited by: Isaac Halasima
Visit our iTunes page and our site:  theoccidentalsaloon.com



Like what you hear? They're offering a free track from their upcoming album Night Visions (out on September 4th) on their site.


Friday, June 22, 2012

Happy Friday!

Flower Sounds by Andrew Lyons
Happy Weekend to you! Unfortunately, working on a research project means that weekends don't really exist for me (I work all the time). But I do hope you all have fun weekend plans. I actually managed to round up some links for you this week, mostly to give myself some short breaks from the heavy reading.

I love these illustrations by Andrew Lyons (The colors are so great!)


Edible art: Rothko Cookies!

Also, I can't wait to try making these raw vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Bars-- they look so tasty!

How crazy is this door chain?

A lovely octopus

This is my new favorite food blog- Caitlin's pictures are magical and her recipes quite intriguing

These DIY pillows are simple and lovely

Finally, this is my new home-away-from-home in Denton. It's no Luce, but they do have pretty nice toddies (though they call them "uncut iced coffee"). And yes, they host belly-dancing classes in the evening. No, I haven't attended any of the classes (yet). 

Have a lovely weekend!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Short Film: ¿Te vas?

A striking film in its composition and cinematography, with a compelling story as well: ¿Te vas? by Cristina Molino


Produced by: Think Mol Producciones (www.thinkmol.com)
Directed by: Cristina Molino
Main Characters: Laura Díaz, Pablo Castañón and Luis Muñiz
Editing: Cristina Laguna
Cinematography: Cristina Molino
Art Director: Luis Ramírez
Production Sound Recordist: Susana Castro
Sound Editing and Re-Recording Mixing: Roberto HG (www.findingthesound.es)
Original Score: Dani Molino (www.danimolino.com/)
Hair Stylist, Make Up and Costumes: Vanesa M. Suárez
Steadicam Operator: Amando Crespo
Digital Effects & Color: Dani Kei V. Kaneda (www.danikei.com )
------------------------------------------------------------
AWARDS:
63rd Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland) 2010
Special Mention of the Youth Jury
Festival Cineculpable (Vila-Real, Spain) 2010
Best Director Award
15 Festival de Cine de Zaragoza (Spain) 2010
Best Original Score Award
39 Festival de Cine de Cartagena- FICC (Murcia, Spain) 2010
Best Director Award
XX Muestra Internacional de Cine de Palencia (Palencia, Spain) 2011
Best Original Score Award
Go Short Film Festival (Nijmegen, The Netherlands) 2011
Best Short Film Award Online Competition
Maremetraggio International Short Film Festival (Trieste, Italy) 2011
Best Short Film Award Online Competition
Concurso Iberoamericano de Cortometrajes "La Mujer y El Cine" (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 2011
Special Mention of the Jury
Mediterranean Short Film Festival Of Tangier (Tangier, Morocco) 2011
Special Mention of the Jury
Ko&Digital Festival de Cine Solidario 2011
Best Cinematography Award
Festival Nacional de Cortometrajes "Andoenredando" (Spain) 2011
Best Short Film Award
Asti Film Festival (Asti,Italy) 2011
Best Director Award
Shaan-E-Awadh International Film Festival (India) 2012
Best Cinematography Award
Shortcutz Madrid Short Film Festival (Madrid, Spain) 2012
Best Short Film Award
More info here: http://www.tevasshortfilm.blogspot.com.es/
------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Cristina Molino: crismolino@thmol.com
www.cristinamolino.com/

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Friends Are Awesome

"And so affection, besides being a love itself, can enter into the other loves and colour them all through and become the very medium in which day to day they operate. . . There is indeed a peculiar charm, both in friendship and in Eros, about those moments when Appreciative love lies, as it were, curled up asleep, and the mere ease and ordinariness of the relationship (free as solitude, and yet neither is alone) wraps us round. No need to talk... No need at all except perhaps to stir the fire." - C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves, p. 35




Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Unartistic Art: Ninja Fox

I've taken to doodling again to give my poor brain a break from the heavy reading...


Ninja Fox Strikes Again
(He does not practice vegetarianism)

All pictures drawn by Kara Haberstock, June 2012, all rights reserved

Monday, June 18, 2012

Monday's Musings: "The Most Important Decision in Your Lives"




I saw this movie Saturday night with a friend in Dallas, and I absolutely loved it. It might possibly be my new all-time favorite movie. (Go see it!)

Anyways, this scene in particular struck me because it feels so true. Getting married is likely "the most important decision I'll make in my life." (At least up to this point.) And unlike these two kids, I'm not in a hurry. I'm not so certain. I've thought about this a lot, and I'm terrified. I need a bit more time by the trampoline to talk this over.

See, I'm quite a bit older than Sam and Susy. I know myself a little bit better. I know a bit more about the world and how it works and the challenges that will probably come. (Or at least I think I do.) I can't just jump into this with wild abandon and child-like certainty. Commitment is hard. I'm a pretty selfish person, and both of us are far from perfect. What if something happens? What if we hate it? What if we drive each other crazy? What if we fight all the time? What if we both get into grad school/med school but in different cities? What if I don't have the career I think I want and I resent him? What if one of us someday regrets this? What if we're broke? What if our health fails? What if he dies? What if I accidentally get pregnant before we want to have kids? What if our plans don't work out?

I'm very talented at seeing worst case scenarios.

The last two weeks have been an interesting time for me and all these thoughts. The first week terrified me because, honestly, I didn't miss him. I dove right into the research work here and loved it. I was meeting new people and talking about theory and conflict and reading all day. If this is what grad school is like, I was sold. I was having so much fun. And suddenly, I worried that maybe I was making the wrong decision. If I could move to a new city and adjust this quickly and enjoy it so much, maybe I should be focused more on grad school. Maybe I want that more. And at the same time, I hesitated to tell the others on my program that I was engaged. In my field, twenty is a very young age at which to get married. And somehow I felt that telling people I was heading in that direction seemed the same as telling everyone that I was rushing into things and that I wasn't serious about my work and my future. (Not that that's in any way true.)

I went home the weekend after the first week for a lovely wedding and cried a lot. I spilled all my fears and doubts with Nate and talked about the mounting pressure I was feeling and this nagging fear that I'm not ready for this. (At the worst point, I confessed that I somewhat envied my friends that could just move in together without the commitment.) I told him about the negative stereotypes in my head associate with young brides and my fear that marriage meant I was chucking all my other plans and goals and identities out the window. It was hard. But I realized how much we already are a team and how much I lean on him.

This second week has been quite a bit different. While I'm still loving what I'm up to, I've seen the holes in my current life. I don't have someone to tell me to put down the books and rest and eat food (Nate usually does that). I miss having him around, talking with him, being with him. (I think a big part of the not-missing-him during the first week was due to the fact I knew I would see him that weekend.) Marriage is still terrifying, but I've met a few people who disprove the notion in my head that being married means you can't have a career and that you have to be a stay-at-home mom or something along those lines. My engagement came up in conversation, and no one looked at me as a "dumb kid" or someone who's not serious about my work. Turns out that stigma was just something I'd made up in my own head. (I do that quite a bit.)

I still want to go to grad school, and I want to marry Nate. And he wants to go to med school, and I want him to go. And I'm not sure how that's going to work. But we'll figure that out.

I'm still afraid sometimes that I'm too young to get married. I hear people talking about how they didn't "know themselves" at my age, and I think, "What if that's me? Do I 'know myself'? What does that even mean?" But I know that Nate and I are a good team, and we've been putting quite a bit of thought into this. (So many marriage books and marriage blogs and marriage articles and long discussions and questions and talks with mentors and talks with friends and talks with people who probably had no interest in my commitment fears and just couldn't figure out how to gracefully extricate themselves from the conversation...)

Those "what if's" are still rattling around in my head. And they probably will be for quite a while because I don't know the future and what it will bring. But I do trust that God would not intentionally guide me into a trap or something that will cause unnecessary misery.

I think that at some point, you just have to go for it. Not that one should rush into things, but there comes a point after prayer and planning and thought and counsel that you just have to jump. Because knowing myself, I'll never be 100% ready for this. I'm usually never 100% certain on these sorts of things. Driving away from the house after my first visit home from college, on the plane on the way to Russia, after hitting submit for the application to this program, I've had moments of panic, thinking "What on earth am I doing?!" I'm pretty sure I will have at least a couple of those moments even after I get married. Moments when I wonder why I ever though this was a good idea, moments when I question my judgement and worry about the mess I've gotten myself into. (At least this is what I've heard from some of the more experienced married couples I know.) But those will just be moments, and I think we've prepared enough to not experience those sorts of issues all the time. And we'll keep preparing.

Before we got engaged, I had been talking with one of my mentors quite a bit about marriage and my fears and uncertainties. And she finally told me that she thought I was ready to go for it because I'm "the kind of person who could always read one more book and talk to one more person, who could still be at the 90% sure mark three years from now." (Decisiveness is not my strong suit.)

We still haven't set a date yet. With so much keeping me busy here, long-distance wedding planning is not something I want to attempt to add to my plate. And at the moment I need a little bit more time to work through some of these nagging fears. (I promise we're still talking about it though. Hopefully there will be one set soon.) But I think engagement is slowly becoming something a bit more joyful and a bit less scary. I wouldn't say I love being engaged quite yet-- it's a bit too anxiety-inducing for my taste. (Wedding planning=terrifying. I'm not the party-planning type.) But I'm slowly figuring it out.

And who knows, maybe I'll get to the point where I can stand in front of someone, casually chewing bubblegum, and say that, yes, I've thought about this and I'm ready to get married, and I'm kinda in a hurry.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day!

     


My dad is amazing. He is a strong, godly man who has led my family and protected and provided for us, and for that we are all grateful. Plus he makes the best breakfasts. (And he's very hard to catch on camera with a smile, but I have succeeded!!)

Also: did you see the adorable Google animation today?

Moonrise Kingdom

Yesterday, I went and saw this movie, and it was fantastic. Incredibly heart-warming and sweet, striking in its attention to detail and color, and overall a beautiful and lovely film. Go see it!



Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two twelve-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore -- and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.

Song for Sunday: The Temper Trap

The Temper Trap have a new album out, and I've enjoyed what I've heard so far. Check out their latest music video, "Trembling Hands"- it's beautiful:



Buy the new album 'The Temper Trap' here:http://smarturl.it/ttt-standard
DELUXE:http://smarturl.it/ttt-deluxe'
Trembling Hands' is the second single from our self-titled second album, out now!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Short Film: Plot Device

I came across this short film with Nate, and we both thought it was fantastic. I loved seeing all the different film genres in such rapid succession. Which plot device was your favorite? (The spoof on the quirky-depressed-weird genre was probably the one I liked most.)



A young filmmaker obtains a mysterious device that unleashes the full force of cinema on his front lawn.
Created using Magic Bullet Suite 11. 
Learn more at RedGiant.com/PlotDevice
Watch the "Behind the Scenes" documentary at: vimeo.com/24747132

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Roadtripping across Texas

The drive from Tucson to Denton was definitely long, but with good company along the way, it was pretty fun too. Here's a few photos I snapped in central Texas hill country. I was a bit surprised by the beauty I encountered:



All photos taken by Kara Haberstock, June 2012, all rights reserved



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

So many books

I love books...


...but at the moment I've been reading so many that I think 
my brain might be turning to mush


I'll be sure to let you know when the type starts flying off the page


All of these images are art prints from Etsy!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Monday's Musings: Fancy Pants

I arrived at my summer fellowship wearing my new fancy pants. And even though I soon discovered that a more casual wardrobe would suffice for most of my new activities, I still felt grown-up, professional, and awesome.

I am not normally one to spend much money on clothes. Most of my wardrobe comes from thrift stores, Old Navy, friends, or other assorted affordable stores or stores that have those awesome sales ever so often (H&M, Forever 21, etc), in that order. Generally I don't spend more than $15 on a shirt and $25 on a pair of pants. (And now that I'm in college, these shopping trips only happen about twice annually. Yay for being a broke college student!) So, all that to say, I usually would not be buying fancy pants. 

But, as I prepared to leave for this summer's adventure, my sweet, wonderful grandmother offered to take me shopping for some professional wear, which I thought would be good idea, considering that I didn't really own any well-fitting slacks or nice blouses. At first I stuck to my usual strategy- finding something that looked nice, checking the price tag, and backing away slowly because it cost as much as a month's worth of groceries. Finally my grandmother pulled me aside and told me in no uncertain terms to stop checking the price tags and try something on already because "she was old and going to die sometime in the not-to-distant future and needed to spend her money somehow." (Seriously- her words not mine.)

So we shopped a few different stores and found four nice blouses, a cardigan, a black blazer (finally!), and two perfectly-fitting pairs of slacks that I deemed fancy pants. Were they cheap? Definitely not. (They weren't incredibly expensive either, but I spent more on this trip than I've ever spent in one shopping trip) But were they worth it? I would say yes.

In this stage  of my life, it's really easy for me sometimes to get so caught up in spending as little as possible that any sort of purchase can induce guilt- even if I'm not the one spending it. And that was my temptation after getting home with my new professional wardrobe that cost so much more than I ever would have spent. But in the aftermath, I realized two thing. One, part of humility and grace and love is being able to let others bless you in the ways that they choose. If they have the means and the desire, and they are truly meeting a need, the last thing I should be doing is stressing myself. And two, it's often worth it to spend a litte more on very practical things that will last a long time and serve a much needed purpose. It's a little like an investment. A well-made pair of slacks is going to last me a long time, through many professional outings and opportunities. And there's something to be said for feeling comfortable and confident in your clothes. This isn't an excuse to run out and break the bank on clothing. But I am saying that in my book, you are perfectly welcome to go out and buy yourself a good quality pair of well-fitting pants and wear them to work or wear to that presentation or even just around your house and feel awesome because you're wearing fancy pants. 

Sunday, June 10, 2012

A Song for Sunday: Regina Spektor

I love Regina Spektor. She is incredibly talented and quirky, and her lyrics are always quite clever. I'm so glad that she's finally becoming much more well-known. And she just came out with a new album called What We Saw From The Cheap Seats! Here's one of her new singles, "All the Rowboats." Enjoy!


© 2012 WMG Directed by Adria Petty & Peter Sluszka "All the Rowboats" from Regina's forthcoming album 'What We Saw From The Cheap Seats' is available worldwide now: http://smarturl.it/whatwesawitunes

And for good measure, here's one of her biggest hits (which is one of the best music videos, in my opinion):



© 2006 WMG Fidelity (Video)

For more Regina:
http://facebook.com/ReginaSpektor
http://ReginaSpektor.com
http://myspace.com/ReginaSpektor

Friday, June 8, 2012

Happy Friday!

Marina Keegan
It's Friday and I've finished my first week in Texas. My program is great, and I am learning so much; but it's pretty intense, hence my absence. I will try my best to be around a bit more in these next few weeks. But first, I'm off to Tucson for a wedding tonight!

In the last few weeks I've come across some great articles all over the web. So this week's links are dedicated to some great recent reads. Enjoy:

The Opposite of Loneliness- a poignant description of the uncertainty after graduation, by Marina Keegan,  a beautifully talented writer from Yale tragically killed in a car accident last week

Favorite pieces from the New Yorker: When David beats Goliath (how underdogs can win in both basketball and much bigger things), Failure and Rescue (originally given as an amazing commencement speech), and Personal Best (an interesting article on coaching, humility, and ongoing learning)

Luv and War at 30,000 feet- an interesting look at the history of Southwest Airlines (possibly/probably the best US airline)

The Feminist Homemaker and Taming the Fear- from A Practical Wedding, my new favorite blog. Two women discuss some of their challenges in the marriage process (note: there is some profanity in the second article)

The Copenhagen Consensus 2012- A collection of articles on how to effectively combat some of the contemporary world's biggest challenges (Investments in conflict prevention, disaster prevention, sanitation, and solutions for hunger- and links to the actual research papers can be found in the short articles for people like me who want a more in-depth look)

11 Things to Know at 25ish- Shauna Niequist on life skills in Relevant 

Orphanage Volunteering: Do's and Don'ts- a helpful guide to responsible volunteering that can be applied around the world

The Once and Future Way to Run- a fascinating article on what proper form can do for running

The White Industrial Savior Complex- a thought-provoking read on humanitarian ventures in Africa (though I don't agree completely with the author, I think he does raise questions we would do well to consider)

African Girl Power- David Bornstein writes about Camfed, an organization supporting girls' education in Africa with great results

A Secret Plot in Syria- an illustrated crash course in the last 63 years of Syrian history, up to the recent violence

Three of my favorite Foreign Policy articles on Chechnya: And Then There Were None, Kill The Messenger, and The Chechen Model

Preying on the Poor- a provocative piece on the cycle of poverty in the U.S.

And finally, to play favorites a bit: Introverts, Extroverts and the Church (a piece on community written by my lovely friend Christy) and Grateful for an Anxiety Disorder (reflection on living with anxiety by my incredibly awesome friend Hannah)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

A Song for Sunday: Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles just released a new EP not too long ago and it's absolutely lovely. The title track, "Once Upon Another Time," is probably my favorite track off it. Ethereal and haunting.

 

Music video by Sara Bareilles performing Once Upon Another Time. (C) 2012 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

Friday, June 1, 2012

On the Road

I'm off to Texas for several days of roadtrip-ing and visiting my fiance's extended family before settling into my research program at UNT on Monday. I'll be sure to have some pictures and stories for you next week. In the meantime, I have links to the last lovely issues of Dashing for you.
Dashing Summer Edition
Dashing Spring Edition