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I'm getting ready to make my first monthly donation (2016 donation goal of $175)! With each listing purchased in shop, I'll donate $1 to Feeding America--read the details here.
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
January 27, 2016
November 21, 2013
Brilliant Book Excerpt
It so happened that Lucy, who found daily life rather chaotic, entered a more solid world when she opened the piano. She was then no longer either deferential or patronizing; no longer either a rebel or a slave. The kingdom of music is not the kingdom of this world; it will accept those whom breeding and intellect and culture have alike rejected. The commonplace person begins to play, and shoots into the empyrean without effort, whilst we look up, marvelling how he was escaped us, and thinking how we could worship him and love him, would he but translate his visions into human words, and his experiences into human actions. Perhaps he cannot; certainly he does not, or does so very seldom. Lucy has done so never.
She was no dazzling executante; her runs were not at all like strings of pearls, and she struck no more right notes than was suitable for one of her age and situation. Nor was she the passionate young lady, who performs so tragically on a summer's evening with the window open. Passion was there, but it could not be easily labelled; it slipped between love and hatred and jealousy, and all the furniture of the pictorial style. And she was tragical only in the sense that she was great, for she loved to play on the side of Victory. Victory of what and over what--that is more than the words of daily life can tell us. But that some sonatas of Beethoven are written tragic no one can gainsay; yet they can triumph or despair as the player decides, and Lucy had decided that they should triumph.
~E. M. Forster, A Room With a View
She was no dazzling executante; her runs were not at all like strings of pearls, and she struck no more right notes than was suitable for one of her age and situation. Nor was she the passionate young lady, who performs so tragically on a summer's evening with the window open. Passion was there, but it could not be easily labelled; it slipped between love and hatred and jealousy, and all the furniture of the pictorial style. And she was tragical only in the sense that she was great, for she loved to play on the side of Victory. Victory of what and over what--that is more than the words of daily life can tell us. But that some sonatas of Beethoven are written tragic no one can gainsay; yet they can triumph or despair as the player decides, and Lucy had decided that they should triumph.
~E. M. Forster, A Room With a View
April 29, 2013
Shop: paperiaarre
It's been so much fun blogging about nostalgic book-inspired art, so here's another...
paperiaarre has been one of my favorite Etsy shops since I created an account on the site back in 2010. The shop is an artistic paradise for those seeking art with a tangible sense of depth. Comprised of a collection of carefully hand-bound books, thought-provoking matchbox art, and unique botanical brooches, among other treasures, paperiaarre astounds.
With its overt odds-and-ends aesthetic, as well as its bevy of vintage-esque goods, this Finnish shop exudes a warm and slightly mysterious old-times feel, which is deeply explored in every shop offering. It's such a joy to step into paperiaarre each time, much like setting foot into a curio shop or (more so) a museum of wonders.
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September 02, 2012
Week in Photos
I couldn't part with the accompanying captions, so this post's arrangement is in both photo and word.
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| Found this snippet from one of my copies of Jane Eyre today, which strangely describes my previous post sentiment. Weirdness, indeed, for someone of an apprehensive stock. |
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| Tried to create a new blog banner... |
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| ...but to no avail. |
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| Attempting to grow a bitty spider plant in a vintage milk glass ramekin (I was told that this would be simple, but please wish me luck!). |
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| Purchased and received a sweet little creamer from the lovely StayARThomeMom; added my dried autumn leaf (showcased here) and mini lavender bouquet, which undoubtedly makes the display all the more autumn-y and the home more homey. And that concludes my last week of August. Hope you have a beautiful week... |
August 24, 2012
The Narrative
This office space, via linen & lavender is an absolute dream, from the earthy, muted colors, to the disorderly collection of books, down to the eclectic desk arrangement, itself. I originally came across this image in my Pinterest searches. From these searches, I have come to a realization that I have a penchant for images of light-filled rooms, which comprise a common theme/aesthetic in my pins. So, the above space definitely takes the dream space cake for me; it's the stuff that great novels are made of, the true narrator disguised as simply the setting.
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I've been posting more lately in high anticipation of the changing of seasons: an ode to an abundance of colorful leaves, hot, spiced coffee-based drinks, and crisp sweater-and-boots weather. An autumn-themed coupon code (and a surprise) for my shop will be posted soon; please check back in the next few days.
Have a relaxing weekend!
Have a relaxing weekend!
May 29, 2012
Art, A 19th Century Definition
I was graciously given the first book of a set of encyclopedias, Chambers Encyclopedia of Universal Knowledge, by a dear friend. This hardbound set was published in 1892 (not to be confused with 1982), and presumably, has been handed down from generation-to-generation since its publication. I've found little information online about this 19th-century reference series, which, from my non-extensive online searches, appears to still be in production...in this century.
An excerpt from the entry on art, which, I think, deeply resonates with creative minds:
Old-time books thrill me. The imperfect printing of letters and words; their musty, times-of-old scent; the meticulous binding. Bent hardcover corners and fallen pages do not deter me, nor does the gentle crackling of pages when I slowly open the text, exposing the delicate, time-worn pages inside. Even just imagining two centuries worth of people opening and closing the encyclopedia, seeking immense joy and sheer excitement in reading and learning its time period-specific passages, is simply enough to fill me with a wordless contentment. This, my friends, is all over a book.
An excerpt from the entry on art, which, I think, deeply resonates with creative minds:
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Old-time books thrill me. The imperfect printing of letters and words; their musty, times-of-old scent; the meticulous binding. Bent hardcover corners and fallen pages do not deter me, nor does the gentle crackling of pages when I slowly open the text, exposing the delicate, time-worn pages inside. Even just imagining two centuries worth of people opening and closing the encyclopedia, seeking immense joy and sheer excitement in reading and learning its time period-specific passages, is simply enough to fill me with a wordless contentment. This, my friends, is all over a book.
***
Lastly, for now, a little bit of shop promoting:
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| For sale in my shop as a three-print set |
March 22, 2012
Ramblings of a Seeker
I am in the last one-third of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a personal, non-fiction narrative by Annie Dillard. Broadly-speaking, the text intricately captures the overlapping limitations of our worldly, moral explanations--and juxtaposes it with life's experiences within nature as the connecting fiber between human and the larger world. Dillard herself describes Pilgrim at Tinker Creek as a "book of theology." However, the atheist in me sees beyond her inclusion of religion, seeks the meanings in-between the words: the rich subtext, ripe with intuitive leaps and bounds.
A seeker, I have always been. So, I was happy (to say the least) to have come across this particular book of Dillard's in a second-hand shop. It is one of the many in her prolific career: her Pulitzer Prize-winning piece on seeking within nature. Admittedly, I find an unnerving amount of (sometimes cruel) beauty in a leaf; a dying grasshopper; the wind. Nature amuses me for hours, days, years--an endless game of hide-and-seek. Dillard's work attests to this attractive element of nature, amid the specific backdrop of the seemingly-tranquil Tinker Creek in Virginia. She stalks, she sees, and she unties: in a eloquent, dry humor/witty, and contextual way. So witty--and sometimes so abstract--that I am at times lost on the analogies. And in them.
Seeking, rather than hiding, is a common theme in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Each chapter is titled according to an act of such made by nature or by a human. My personal favorites are: "Winter" and "The Present." The weather and being present. More importantly, the best part the work itself is Dillard's uncannily-precise gift of connecting chapter-to-chapter, theme-to-theme. It is in these connections that the reader finds what is (sometimes) unknowingly sought after in the act of seeking-while-reading: some darn good writing. Dillard has a seemingly innate ability to connect the dots, and to connect the nearly invisible dots, in a clearly-articulated manner that makes sense. A difficult task.
(And let's face it: things that make sense are the best things in the world because we have to put less concerted effort into making sense of them.)
So, to Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a pleasurable read for a seeker of sorts: thank you. After reading the first few chapters, I thought that I'd donate you--but you have proven me wrong. I shall keep you.
A seeker, I have always been. So, I was happy (to say the least) to have come across this particular book of Dillard's in a second-hand shop. It is one of the many in her prolific career: her Pulitzer Prize-winning piece on seeking within nature. Admittedly, I find an unnerving amount of (sometimes cruel) beauty in a leaf; a dying grasshopper; the wind. Nature amuses me for hours, days, years--an endless game of hide-and-seek. Dillard's work attests to this attractive element of nature, amid the specific backdrop of the seemingly-tranquil Tinker Creek in Virginia. She stalks, she sees, and she unties: in a eloquent, dry humor/witty, and contextual way. So witty--and sometimes so abstract--that I am at times lost on the analogies. And in them.
Seeking, rather than hiding, is a common theme in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Each chapter is titled according to an act of such made by nature or by a human. My personal favorites are: "Winter" and "The Present." The weather and being present. More importantly, the best part the work itself is Dillard's uncannily-precise gift of connecting chapter-to-chapter, theme-to-theme. It is in these connections that the reader finds what is (sometimes) unknowingly sought after in the act of seeking-while-reading: some darn good writing. Dillard has a seemingly innate ability to connect the dots, and to connect the nearly invisible dots, in a clearly-articulated manner that makes sense. A difficult task.
(And let's face it: things that make sense are the best things in the world because we have to put less concerted effort into making sense of them.)
So, to Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a pleasurable read for a seeker of sorts: thank you. After reading the first few chapters, I thought that I'd donate you--but you have proven me wrong. I shall keep you.
January 04, 2012
Rebirth of a Book Part II
Firstly, happy new year. Is it already four days into the new year?! Time has truly flown on by, for New Year's Eve seems like it was just yesterday. And it was really only yesterday that I opened my 2012 desktop calendar and placed it on my desk. A true time keeper in-training, I enjoy tearing off each of the 365 pages on my desktop calendar on time, so setting it up two days late kind of bummed me out and threw me off a little...well, in an organizational, spatial sense. I still feel like it's 1/1/12.
Last month, I blogged about cutting out the pages of a dirty ol' paperback (a copy of Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire) with my husband's box cutter. Here is what I've came up with, using the paperback's inner pages, a glue stick, colored cardstock, miscellaneous magazine clippings, and cotton twine:
I think these bookish projects came out pretty well. A nice ending for a hard-knock copy of one of my all-time favorite books (it's fraught with wry humor, and is so well written!). Well, in my opinion.
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Last month, I blogged about cutting out the pages of a dirty ol' paperback (a copy of Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire) with my husband's box cutter. Here is what I've came up with, using the paperback's inner pages, a glue stick, colored cardstock, miscellaneous magazine clippings, and cotton twine:
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| Notecards/giftcards made with each chapter's title (each chapter's title is a human desire, and the plant that humans have made to embody that very desire) |
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| Recycled page envelopes with sage green card inserts (to go along with the text's plant theme) |
I think these bookish projects came out pretty well. A nice ending for a hard-knock copy of one of my all-time favorite books (it's fraught with wry humor, and is so well written!). Well, in my opinion.
December 20, 2011
Rebirth of a Book
I received a book in the mail, intended as a gift for a dear friend. Upon opening the package, I was rightfully shocked: the book was weathered, its outer pages yellowed, and cover sullied--much to my dismay. I then did what any deeply feeling, semi-creative type would do: I salvaged the pages. I took my husband's box cutter and gingerly cut out each page, which came out in three-to-five-page piles, with a swift swipe of the box cutter.
I made some unique items from some of these pages. Unfortunately, I cannot share them with you right now because I have yet to download the pictures from my camera onto my computer. I promise to share them one day soon.
If I don't blog again before Christmas, happy holidays! I'm not really a holiday person, so this will suffice for now. :)
I made some unique items from some of these pages. Unfortunately, I cannot share them with you right now because I have yet to download the pictures from my camera onto my computer. I promise to share them one day soon.
If I don't blog again before Christmas, happy holidays! I'm not really a holiday person, so this will suffice for now. :)
October 18, 2011
Turning a New Leaf
Intellect:
I think that I'm finally ready to retreat from the stillness and engage. I began reading an interesting psychology/astrology-esque book, Relating: An Astrological Guide to Living with Others on a Small Planet, by Liz Greene. So far, the text is quite interesting and insightful, blending astrology and psychology into an exploration of how we treat and understand others. However, there are some psychological jargon and concepts that I had to reread a few times in order to grasp (oh, the woes of intellectual intangibility), but 16 pages in, I am enjoying it. It makes sense. It's a brand new world for me: psychology plus astrology--the latter of which I have always been interested in, but also skeptical of. FYI: I'm a Scorpio. Can you tell?
About half of what is said about people born under the astrological sign Scorpio is what I would describe myself as (Greene says that one person can be described in numerous ways, by different people, which is colored by one's ego and projections). According to Wikipedia, Scorpio is an introverted sign. Check. Astrology Online says Scorpios dislike "shallow relationships, flattery and flattering" etc., and "In their everyday behavior they give the appearance of being withdrawn from the center of activity, yet those who know them will recognize the watchfulness that is part of their character." Check. Zodiac Signs Astrology says, "Scorpios are very deep, intense people, there is always more then meets the eye." Um, yeah. But as I've said, I'm a skeptic--one who has mellowed out since marriage, or so I think (you'd have to ask my husband about that one). However, I do believe that we are born with certain innate characteristics that we are unable to change, even if we tried fervently to do so. Nature and nurture. With an emphasis on nurture.
Shop:
Turning gears, this week I've been contemplating and brainstorming new ideas for my Etsy shop. I've been trying to figure out how to sell my shop and its inventory in a more effective way besides (expensive) ads. That, blended with a multitude of new ideas flooding my brain--and too much inventory. Ideas are sprouting out that just need a good watering and TLC, some refinement. Also, materials are taking over desk space--leaving me about 2 feet to rest my arms, books, computer on--which further jumbles my thoughts.
So that leaves me to wonder: Do all creative minds work like this, or is this a sign of manageable madness and disorganization?
Today, I further reduced the price of my SALE section items. Sale items are an additional 50 cents to 2 dollars less than they were yesterday--these prices are staying, indefinitely.
Shop Anniversary:
Next month marks my first-year anniversary as an Etsy seller and buyer. I'm not very good at celebrating, I must admit. I did, though, finally decide on having a very generous coupon code for the month of November. Stay tuned--my blog readers will get a sneak peek of the sale in a very near future blog post, plus some free goodies to go with their purchase(s)!
A few late afternoons ago, the sky looked like it was punctuated by razor marks, and shone through the billowing clouds in straight, bright blue streaks:
I think that I'm finally ready to retreat from the stillness and engage. I began reading an interesting psychology/astrology-esque book, Relating: An Astrological Guide to Living with Others on a Small Planet, by Liz Greene. So far, the text is quite interesting and insightful, blending astrology and psychology into an exploration of how we treat and understand others. However, there are some psychological jargon and concepts that I had to reread a few times in order to grasp (oh, the woes of intellectual intangibility), but 16 pages in, I am enjoying it. It makes sense. It's a brand new world for me: psychology plus astrology--the latter of which I have always been interested in, but also skeptical of. FYI: I'm a Scorpio. Can you tell?
About half of what is said about people born under the astrological sign Scorpio is what I would describe myself as (Greene says that one person can be described in numerous ways, by different people, which is colored by one's ego and projections). According to Wikipedia, Scorpio is an introverted sign. Check. Astrology Online says Scorpios dislike "shallow relationships, flattery and flattering" etc., and "In their everyday behavior they give the appearance of being withdrawn from the center of activity, yet those who know them will recognize the watchfulness that is part of their character." Check. Zodiac Signs Astrology says, "Scorpios are very deep, intense people, there is always more then meets the eye." Um, yeah. But as I've said, I'm a skeptic--one who has mellowed out since marriage, or so I think (you'd have to ask my husband about that one). However, I do believe that we are born with certain innate characteristics that we are unable to change, even if we tried fervently to do so. Nature and nurture. With an emphasis on nurture.
Shop:
Turning gears, this week I've been contemplating and brainstorming new ideas for my Etsy shop. I've been trying to figure out how to sell my shop and its inventory in a more effective way besides (expensive) ads. That, blended with a multitude of new ideas flooding my brain--and too much inventory. Ideas are sprouting out that just need a good watering and TLC, some refinement. Also, materials are taking over desk space--leaving me about 2 feet to rest my arms, books, computer on--which further jumbles my thoughts.
So that leaves me to wonder: Do all creative minds work like this, or is this a sign of manageable madness and disorganization?
Today, I further reduced the price of my SALE section items. Sale items are an additional 50 cents to 2 dollars less than they were yesterday--these prices are staying, indefinitely.
Shop Anniversary:
Next month marks my first-year anniversary as an Etsy seller and buyer. I'm not very good at celebrating, I must admit. I did, though, finally decide on having a very generous coupon code for the month of November. Stay tuned--my blog readers will get a sneak peek of the sale in a very near future blog post, plus some free goodies to go with their purchase(s)!
A few late afternoons ago, the sky looked like it was punctuated by razor marks, and shone through the billowing clouds in straight, bright blue streaks:
August 20, 2011
Pages
Alongside written, creative stagnation comes a wave of inspiration from the words on a page, words that were written over 150 years ago and were published under a different name to hide her gender. Shameful, these words weren't, as they told the truth, her truth; fearful they weren't, for the words did not try to appease or please the public.
2001...I had found these words, contained within Jane Eyre.
2010: I have opened the novel again, read it like it was the air that allows for each breath, and a wave of intent coursed through my veins.
Winter 2010: My Etsy shop was opened, with these words that I hold and cherish so dear, as the background in nearly each image.
Late summer 2011: Purchased two old copies of this text, imperfect but timely. Getting back into the swing of writing, again, after an unproductive few months filled with anxiety and mental roadblocks.
As I turn these pages in my life, will I be apologetic? Saddened? No. I believe that my creative thought process has lead me here, there, and astray for a bit. Just for a little while. The deadline looms heavily over my head. But I will prevail...for I must.
March 14, 2011
Recycled Book Page Items
I couldn't part with my old MLA Handbook, so I picked it up out of our recycling bin and racked my brain for a few hours, trying to figure out what to do with it. I finally came up with ideas that mesh my love for writing, reading, and words in another art form--so excited to share them! Intellectual to organic and artistic; I love the texture and look of book pages. They're up for sale in my shop.
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25 Writing-Heavy Recycled Book Page Tags |
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50 Recycled Book Page Tags |
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Recycled Paper and Citrine Anti-Writer's Block Kit |
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50 Recycled MLA Book Page Strips |
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