Wednesday, January 23, 2013

North Shore


We made the drive out to Oahu's North Shore on a wet, stormy day when the clouds hung low across the mountains. The grey mist shrouded all but the road and a few glimpses of pineapples, coffee, and corn stretched out across the flat plains. As we hit the coast, the rain finally let up enough to promise a clear view of the surging surf that had closed the beaches for the last few days.
 

From Waimea to Pipeline to Laie Point, the sea pounded the shore under a blanket of grey skies. We wandered the shores, disregarding the wind in favor of a chance to try to capture that moment of breaking.


Laie Point provided the most haunting views, at the edge of the land, a glimpse north into nothing, knowing that from here only the Aleutian islands dared to rise above the sea.


After the shutters stopped, the wind carried on relentlessly, bringing with it another misting of rain. We stood bundled in our coats, content to watch the waves and wonder.



All photos by Kara Haberstock, all rights reserved

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

To Make: Terrarium

 DIY Terrarium via Project Wedding
As the artsy-crafty type, there's usually a list of at least three projects in the back of my mind that I'd like to complete if only I could manage to find the time. And since I'm finally taking a lighter semester (no writing-intensive classes for the first time since I started college!), I actually have the time to check some projects off the list. And thus here, in order of scheduled time of completion, are my projects for this spring (so far):


1. Finish the vases for the Tucson reception (expect a post next week)
2. Give the beloved bubble chandelier a facelift (in blue!)
3. Finish organizing the apartment
4. Learn how to grow mushrooms (I'm debating about trying this kit)
5. Create my own terrarium

For a while now, I've been fascinated by terrariums-- I love the idea of living decor. Plus Tucson is a perfect place to grow succulents. I'll probably find my glassware at one of my favorite thrift shops around here, but these lovely terrariums will be my inspiration:

Pyramid Terrarium, Jechory Glass Designs

Air plant terrarium, Sea and Asters
Universe terrarium, ABJ Glassworks

Suspended Tetra, Score and Solder
Glass terrariums,  West Elm

Monday, January 21, 2013

Particularities


There's nothing quite like significant life milestones or periods of extreme stress to shake out all sorts of things you never knew about yourself, or at least all those things you suspected but never wanted to admit to. Being the over-achiever that I am, I decided to roll at least of three of these events into a period of a few short months, and the result has been an avalanche of uninvited self-discovery. (A note to anyone tempted to try writing a thesis, getting married, moving apartments, and graduating all around the same time: It will unleash insanity. Be forewarned.)

Probably the most uninvited of these discoveries: I am a very particular person. 

I think I've suspected this, but I like to masquerade as the happy-go-lucky, go-with-the-flow, laid-back type. Do whatever you want-- I don't care... Oh, that can go anywhere. Routines? Oh, I don't have those. There's nothing like combining your life with another person's to quickly shatter that illusion.

It drives me nuts when people squeeze from the middle of the toothpaste tube instead of the end of it. I really do want the furniture to match. I need at least one hour a day, preferably in the morning, to sit quietly, read, or do something by myself without interruption to preserve my sanity. Dirty dishes need to be in the sink, in the dishwasher, or washed immediately (none of this countertop-lolly-gagging). 


This sort of particularity is actually normal, okay, and even good. Everyone has their own personal quirks that create unique little particularities that make clutter on the coffee table odious or form a tolerance for squash only when it's baked with butter and maple syrup. In fact, if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that most of those happy-go-lucky, laid-back types out there are probably closet people-pleasers like myself. It's not that we don't have particularities, we'd just rather hide them than risk offending others. Of course, such facades can only last so long, and they can crumble in quite ugly ways. Rather, it is best to put away the pretenses and expose one's idiosyncrasies with grace. Some will have to be put away for the time- the dishes may always find their way to the countertop, but better than the kitchen table; the toothpaste tube may always be slightly squished around its waist, but such things will not matter for more than a few moments. Other particularities can be accommodated with ease-- so be it. 

Most of all, I've learned that one must release that false hope that everything will one day be "just so." Right now the house is filled with boxes-- hopefully in a week it will no longer be, but it may never be completely spotless. Lived-in houses rarely are for more than a day or so. Best instead to focus on pursuing the reasonable: a comfortable, inviting place to host friends and family or to simply enjoy now being two together from formerly-autonomous ones. With that I think I can be content.  

Sunday, January 20, 2013

A Song for Sunday: Of Monsters and Men

We have successfully moved, and now we just have the daunting task of unpacking all the boxes... Listening to Of Monsters and Men makes the task a little bit better:


Of Monsters And Men perform "King And Lionheart" Live @ Billboard's Tastemakers Session

Friday, January 18, 2013

Happy Friday!

Custom Tea Blends, photo by Briar Winters
It's finally the weekend! (Which means that my first week of school is done and I survived!) This weekend is moving weekend for us. I'm so excited to be in the new apartment and to finally start unpacking. It will be so nice to no longer be living out of boxes. But before I dive into moving, I've collected a few links for you:

Making your own custom tea blends



These bowls are stunning


Love this loft

This comic made me laugh

I can't wait to make this salad next week


My new favorite t-shirt (It's so soft and comfy. I'm convinced it might be the best t-shirt ever.)

A fantastic article about chores, gender roles, and... zombies

Have a wonderful weekend!


PS- If you're in Tucson on Saturday and want to help us move....we will be eternally grateful!!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Short Film: Neighborhoods

The process of moving has sparked many thoughts about travel and home for me in the last few weeks. I've moved out of my college apartment (home for the last three years), travelled to my childhood home (just before Christmas), to Nate's childhood home (for the wedding), to a whole new place (Kauai), back to Nate's apartment (a temporary home), and finally, hopefully, on Friday we'll be moving into our new apartment, our first home together. All of this travelling has provided all sorts of contrasts in the last few weeks. And such contrasts are precisely why I love this little double-projection film, "Neighborhoods":


Two contrary places that are connected by stylistic features. It is about the metropolis New York City (USA)
and the provincial Dessau (GER). Based on the topic "neighborhood", the films about the both cities are shown in a double projection. This short film was created in the framework of the cooperation between the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences,
Department of Design Dessau, and the NYU.
Supervised by Prof. Rochus Hartmann (Dessau)
Supported by Prof. Angela Zumpe (Dessau) and Prof. Mechthild Schmidt (NYC)
Idea/realization: Saskia Kretzschmann & Vera Danilina
Music: Johnny Ripper "In A Dream"

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Lanikai

If you've been reading for a while, you might remember the pictures from the hike I took up to Lanikai Pillboxes with Nate and a couple of his friends. Since I loved the hike so much and since we had friends with us who had never seen a sunrise in Hawaii, we decided the hike was a must-do activity while we were on Oahu. 


The weather that morning was wet, misty, and overall uncooperative. Rain soaked the trail, rendering it a slippery, muddy, mess that could only be navigated with the help of ropes strung along some small trees by some helpful prior traveler. We scrambled up the hillside to be greeted with a view of mist, mist, and more mist. 



The water was still a lovely crystalline blue, and a few small islands could be glimpsed through the white mist, presenting a pretty, if not astounding, picture. We snapped a few photos, trying to make the best of it.


But just before we turned to make the treacherous slide back down the muddy mountainside, the sun began to illuminate the clouds.


The mist rolled back.


And the sun broke through.


And we were treated an array of pure, awe-inspiring light. 


After a brief break in the clouds, the mist rolled back in, and soft rain began to fall.


We ran and slid back through the mud, giddy and soaked, glad for a brief blessing at dawn.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Happy Returns and a New Year

 Morning Light over Lanikai Pillboxes, Oahu, Hawaii

I'm back! Nate and I landed in Phoenix on a red-eye flight from Honolulu at eight o'clock yesterday morning and drove down to Tucson just in time for me to make my first class of the week. Since then it's felt a bit like we've been thrown into the deep end- classes have started, work is making daily demands again, schedules need adjusting, homework has begun to pile up, the thesis is still waiting, one more reception begs for our attention, and on top of it all we're moving to a new apartment this weekend. It's still a crazy sort of time of change and new beginnings.

First of all- we're married! It's been ten days since the wedding and I'm still not sure it's hit me yet. We're still in the early, gawky stages of combining all our earthly possessions and figuring out how two schedules will fit together and how two apartments worth of stuff will somehow coalesce into one new home. At the same time, we're just beginning to peek ahead at where this year might take us- beyond the next six months (and my graduation), we have no clear idea of where exactly we're headed, but we're eagerly awaiting the next adventure. 

In the next few months I look forward to processing it all- the wedding, marriage, living life together with another person, finishing school, planning for the future- and this will be one of those spaces where I process. I'm hoping to add in some serious discussions that arise from my area of expertise- questions of politics, inequality, conflicts, and ethnic relations- from time to time. And on the lighter side, I have a new apartment to decorate, new pictures to share, new recipes to try, and new music to explore. In short, I have all sorts of new content that I am incredibly excited to share with all of you, and I hope you'll join me in this new year.


photo by Kara Haberstock, 2013, all rights reserved

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Gift Guide: For Him

This is a little late, but I thought I'd post it anyways in case anyone is stumped. My house is currently full of boxes, and everything is in a state of disarray. I'm moving on Thursday, before going to Phoenix this weekend for Christmas with my parents, then leaving for Hawaii shortly thereafter. (I'm getting married in two and a half weeks!) Life is a little crazy right now, so I apologize if posting is spotty. I'll try my best to sneak in a few more posts before the holiday.


4. Bicycle Silver Edition Poker Cards, $5 5. Sage Soap, $7 6. Ceramic Soap Dish, $20


7. Art in the Age Spirits**, $40-48 8. Hella Bitters, $20 9. Whiskey Disks, $30 
10. Bourbon Maple Syrup, $35 11. Tovolo Perfect Cube Tray, $11 12. Oatmeal Stout Homebrew Kit, $19

**These are awesome: made in small batches by an artisan collective, based on the recipes of early American settlers, with all natural ingredients, and absolutely delicious. We have Root and we love it- it  tastes like root beer (but better)!


16. Feuerhand Lantern, $42 17. Tiffin Carrier, $30  18. SOG Flash I Knife, $45





Friday, December 14, 2012

Hey, It's Christmas!


Christmas is almost here, which means that the holiday music season is in full swing. And the third volume of Hey, It's Christmas is out! Hey, It's Christmas is a collaboration between a bunch of indie artists to cover holiday classics. Some of the renditions are absolutely breath-taking, some are lots of fun, and few are lovably weird. And, best of all, you can download the album for free (though they do take donations)! Click over to their site for the download.

P.S. You can still get Volume One and Volume Two

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Short Film: В лесу родилась ёлочка (The Forest Raised a Christmas Tree)

I have a delightful Soviet cartoon for you today. "В лесу родилась ёлочка" is probably my favorite Russian holiday song, and this little cartoon makes it even better. For the non-Russian speakers, I've included a translation of the song under the video. Basically, every night at midnight in the artist's studio, all of the pictures come to life, and on this night they decide to watch a movie together. It's quite a fun little holiday cartoon.

Fun Fact: Even though the song translates "ёлочка" as a "Christmas tree," it would be more accurate to call it a "New Year's tree." New Year's (Новый год) is a much more significant holiday in Russia than it is in the US, and most people decorate New Year's trees rather than Christmas trees. 


Made in 1972

English Lyrics:
The forest raised a Christmas tree, 
‘Twas silent and serene 
In winter and in summer 
It was slender and so green. 
The wind sang it a lullaby: 
Sleep Christmas tree, sleep tight! 
The snow was making clothes for it:
 It was a pretty sight! 
A trembling bunny put himself 
Beneath its arms so wide; 
The hungry wolf just passed him by - 
A lovely place to hide! 
Some sleigh bells rang throughout the woods,
 The snow was crisp and clean, 
A horsey brought a forester 
To hew that tree so green. 
And now it comes to visit us, 
With lights and garlands bright, 
While all the children dance and sing
 To greet it with delight!

(Translation by Arthur Durando and Irina Popov)

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Apologies...



I am currently buried in a bunch of books regarding Islamic discourse in Chechnya and will not escape until this term paper is finished. Hopefully it will be soon... 

Sunday, December 2, 2012

A Song for Sunday: Jenny O.

After spending well over eight years in a variety of performing art groups where preparation for Christmas performances begin in August, I would say I'm more familiar with Christmas music than any one person should be. (Calculating that one should listen to Christmas music approximately one month a year, I've had enough exposure to last me at least forty years.) There are still some songs that are old favorites that I don't mind listening to a few times, some that have been so imbued with memories that they probably (hopefully) can't get too overplayed. But every so often I make my favorite sort of holiday find, a new, unfamiliar song that still captures that worn, familiar warmth of the holiday season. "Get Down for the Holidays" by Jenny O. is one of those songs.



"Get Down for the Holidays" by Jenny O.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Gift Guide: Wordy


Words are wondrous, wily creatures, waiting to be crafted and spun into winding webs of meaning, whispered in quiet, clouded corners, or cried out across the din... and writing is a beautiful struggle with these elements. These are a few of my favorite selections for those that appreciate the written word, from quotes for the wall to good journals for a jotted thought and pretty notes to be sent with love:










19. Feliz Navidad, $5 20. Typographic Nativity Card, $4 (or 6 for $10) 21. Brilliant New Year (10), $13
22. Noel Postcard, $10  23. Holiday Critters (10), $14 24. Be Merry, $7