ebay surfing - vintage/vintage-y phones

Who says we need caller ID, cordless-ness, and all sorts of crazy features in every room of the house? Have a little fun and maybe even save a little money.

Isn't the pepsi phone funny? If I could go all out with the diner theme in my kitchen, I would so get one of those - or maybe the pay phone.

Blackberry blog

I am blogging this from my blackberry. So random. Now I guess if I get bored, I can blog from anywhere! (or anywhere with cell reception)

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Television: a List

~Warning: Pointless Post~

Anyone who knows me knows that I watch a lot of TV. I can’t help it, I’m couch potato girl. Rest assured, I have a life (sort of) and I do read books. The problem is that with college and then my career requiring so much mental stimulation, I need to give my brain a break every once in a while. All legitimate excuses aside, I may give it a bit too much of a break.

So anyway, here are my favorite TV shows of all time – evidenced by the fact that I’ve seen every episode (or very nearly every episode). Also listed are those shows I didn’t particularly like later on, but I was determined to stick with them, just to see if they would get better!

(Emboldened titles indicate true love, my very very favorites)

Battlestar Galactica
Bewitched
CSI
Dead Like Me
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Ed
Eureka
Family Guy
Firefly
Frasier
Friends
Futurama
Gilmore Girls
Gossip Girl
Grey’s Anatomy
Heroes
Kyle XY
Law & Order: SVU
Lost
My So-Called Life
Private Practice
Project Runway
Psych
Scrubs
Sex and the City
Six Feet Under
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: Voyager
Stargate: Atlantis
The Closer
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
The O.C.
The Office
The X-Files
Ugly Betty
Weeds

One good thing can be said about my TV Watching habits: I don’t channel-surf often. I watch shows at specific times, streaming, or on DVD. I consider turning the TV on and flipping through the channels a true waste of my time.

All this being said, I’m in a bit of a TV lull at the moment. I’m just catching up on some Kyle XY (I haven’t watched since the mid-season 2 break) and watching Project Runway and Eureka (premiering tonight) at present. Based on the list above, anyone have any recommendations? I was thinking about Netflix-ing Californication or Veronica Mars or finally watching the rest of Babylon 5 (that would make Mike happy).

Unfriendly posts making fun of or mocking me for being a total geek and/or loser are not welcome… that’s not nice people!

Artist Recommendation

I have been admiring Amy Giacomelli's paintings since I first discovered that etsy existed. I believe it was after reading a magazine article about buying original artwork on the internet - no memory of which magazine that was. I browsed around and stumbled across her store.


I recently bought this little guy. I consider him my warm-up piece before I take the plunge (mix metaphors much? I guess I could be a swimmer that is warming up before a race) and buy one of her self-proclaimed HUGE pieces.

I visited her shop this morning and she had added a bunch of new pieces. They are so amazing and inexpensive for their size and quality. Go check them out.

I am so not Spartacus

My little brother is moving into his first apartment!! Know what that means??? We can finally get rid of my parent’s dining room table and chairs from the 70s! Brown fuzzy upholstery with gold accents? Who thought that was a good idea? We haven’t used it as a kitchen table in a while so it was downstairs with a bunch of wedding craft materials on it and the three remaining chairs were scattered about in our garage. Can’t say I was sorry to see them go. I had this idea that I was going to use it as a craft table but its location in a dark corner downstairs made this less than desirable. I’d much rather work at the dining room table. Since I do so few projects post-wedding anyway, working there is not a problem.

We also cleaned out our Tupperware cupboard and our pots and pans for him. It was truly fortuitous timing as now we have much more room in the kitchen cabinets for our wedding acquisitions. And that brings me to… the kitchen light fixture! (I know, I’m the queen of segue). I guess because it’s over the kitchen table and we’re talking about getting rid of things…ok, you can’t get there… Anyway, check out the crappy pic of the crappy light fixture that came with our house (above the table):

(sorry Meghan, it was the only picture I could find with the fixture in it and since it’s 8:30 and I’m STILL AT WORK I wasn’t going to be taking another one tonight :( )

I’m not sure what I want to use yet. I like the mod fixtures I’m finding but I don’t really think they work in my French bistro/diner wannabe kitchen. It is decorated with vintage-looking tin signs and my tea tin collection (which evolved from the wedding centerpieces I originally wanted... and then changed my mind…but that’s another story….yes I like ellipses, why do you ask?). Here are some ideas. Keep in mind, my approach to decorating is basically two-fold: 1) Do I like this? And 2) Do I think it looks nice there?

Found these guys at crib candy. They might be a little too much for me but I figured someone else might like them.

This one is the only one from west elm that I thought might work.

And finally, pottery barn. These guys had a really great selection and they weren't super expensive either.

I think my walls may need to actually have color to pull this one off.

These are beautiful. I might want them in the front entry instead...

This one below feels very diner-y to me. It might have the right aesthetic.

I just think this one is great - I'm not sure if I can justify the energy and heat from all those bulbs though...

I don't know if this really chandelier-y one with the baubles will work but I think it is so cool!

This one is very cool too. Simple, but pretty.

Hmmmm.... got lots of thinking to do.

This had better be a good movie!

Because she kicks major ass and needs to be in a good movie! 

Technology Smechnology

(ack! Finally I'm posting this - I've been working on it for days! Stupid job...)

Don’t get me wrong, I love technology as much as the next person, maybe more (though probably not as much as Mike). Without technology, things that I love like my iPod, our HDTV, computers, email, blogging, etc. would not be around. I do, however, like a nice dose of low definition unfocused-ness for artistic purposes every once in a while. I believe there is a time and place for both things.

For example:

FILM! Sometimes I miss film. I love our digital cameras, especially the SLR, but there is something about film. I think more about the pictures I am taking when I shoot film. It is not just about “let’s take as many pictures as possible and then a few of them will be great”. It is more about “let’s really think about the pictures we are taking” before the shutter is ever pressed. In addition, the more expensive the processing, the more I think about the picture.

I love to shoot film and then get photo CDs. It is a perfect blending of the qualities of film with the convenience of digital pictures. Plus I like having prints (which you get along with the CDs); is the next generation going to dig through mom and dad’s old hard drives to find pictures rather than boxes and albums? I wonder about that quite frequently.



Photo shot with my Grandfather's film SLR in Sabino Canyon. See, cross-generational hand-down of cameras is possible with film!

Lomographic and Polaroid cameras also add to the versatility and uniqueness of film. I am a big fan of these mediums (especially post-wedding, now that we own a ton of novelty lomos). Also, check out coquinete's photo stream for some dreamy polaroid pics.

Also, I think my digital camcorder is great. But I think Super 8 movies have incredible potential. Maybe it’s the nostalgic aspect, the interesting colors, or quick jumps between scenes, but something about it is infinitely appealing to me. (see my post on Super 8 wedding videos for an example).

Some people do not understand my need to use old technology. For example, I recently asked my Dad for our family’s super 8. This is how our email conversation went:

Jen - Do you still have your old 8mm camera?

Bob - Are we talking about the movie (film) camera? I think that it is still around and I think it was a "Super 8". I also have the 8 mm digital.

Jen - Digital? pshaw... what kind of fun would that be if I didn't have to send the reel out for developing?
Can I borrow the Super 8?

Bob - Sure, the projector has an ill but I think there are places that still fix them. I just want to be sure you want the film camera?

Jen - Thanks.
I want the old film camera, yes. I'm going low-definition, silent, etc. I am probably, however, going to send it out to be put on DVD for easy editing so I might not need the projector.

(Well you can’t expect me to splice now can you? I don’t have the patience for that!)

I hope that people are thinking more nowadays about the meshing of old and new. Our society is rocketing forward technologically and in the era where high resolution is king, I hope that you all can still appreciate the beauty and artistry of a little imperfection.

An attempt to convice my husband...

...that arranging books by color is awesome

All photos are from i suwannee's "bookcase of the day" collection. Check out her blog if you haven't already, it's very cool.

The pledge

I, Jennifer Deats, do solemnly swear to not purchase any more tchotchkes , kitsch, or any other such difficult to spell and pronounce objects that sit on my tables, dressers, desks, and shelves looking like a cluttered mess until I have sorted and purged my current overpopulated collection.

This list includes but is not limited to: vases, figurines, candles & holders, empty boxes, tea sets, tins, or standing picture frames.

So say we all (0r at least so say I).

Seasonal purchases exempted (especially those for halloween :-) )

Welcome to Phoenix! Do you want to sit out on the patio?

... or do you want to live?


Saw the "stripped" show last night and it was wonderful! Eddie Izzard is hilarious and the show had the added benefit of being at the Orpheum which is so intricate and interesting inside (and 2 blocks from my office so no worries about parking - especially good because there was a baseball game)


image here

Mike and I each bought t-shirts and coffee mugs that say "cake or death" on them with a little cupcake. If you don't know why that's awesome, check out this youtube clip. It's a bit long but it is some of his funniest stuff and it puts cake or death in context. warning: vulgar language (if you're sensitive about that sort of thing)

As for the show, let's just say that the "no one does air oboe do they?" impression was worth the $100 bucks per ticket!

Levophobia

Fear of things to the left side of the body.

goodreads

I highly recommend this site if you're like me and you read a lot and would love to keep track of what you've read and your thoughts on those books. It also allows you to see what your friends are reading and make recommendations. 

my 'read' shelf:

(please don't make fun of my books... I have a very intellectually stimulating job and sometimes you just need some mind candy :))

old photo inspiration

I was going through my old (and long since defunct) fotopage archives the other day and found pictures of our couch and coffee table in our Tucson apartment. My first thoughts were that 1) our coffee table is still the only creative project I have embarked on that has received significant comments/compliments (unless you count the wedding) and 2) I can't believe we are still using the same ugly throw pillows that came with our couch.

So here, enjoy (or don't enjoy) my creative endeavors and help me find some throw pillows with as much pizazz as our coffee table.










Here are some I like from CB2:

And Etsy Seller Olive has some wonderful handmade ones:

I'm not sure how white would work with the couch but I love them!