so good

MUSICVISION PHOENIX from Guillaume Delaperriere on Vimeo.

beatles illustrations

by Valentina Gruer

by Andrea D'Aquino

want.

via Where the Lovely Things Are

Morocco - Take Two

Morocco

Granada II

Olympus PEN Story

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PEN Story - Stop motion video by Olympus. Loves it.

via See Hear Say

Awaiting the Flood

Seth Avett from Avett Bros.  Best concert last year.

Granada - La Alhambra

Last weekend I visited Granada and first on the list was a tour of the Alhambra.  The Alhambra was formally a Muslim palacio / fortress.  It has arguably the best and most detailed architecture in Spain. Everywhere I looked was ornate but not overly gilded or gaudy.  The Alhambra was home to the King of Granada, and his wives of course.  Apparently his favorite wife got the biggest and best room, according to my tour guide.

Granada was the last Muslim-ruled city in Spain, and the influence is obvious.  The Alhambra was covered in Arabic scrolls, and built in estilo mulsulmano.  All of the little shops sell moroccan-esque chachkes; hookahs, tea pots, jewelry, colorful anything and everything, uber hippy clothes.  There are also teterías (tea rooms) everywhere with Moroccan tea and sweets...delicioso.

Granada was probably one of my favorite places that I've ever visited.  The scenery is ridiculously amazing; it's surrounded by snow-covered mountains, yet has palm trees, the beach nearby, and of course the view of the Alhambra.  It's smaller than Sevilla, and has a more laid-back, younger feel.  Also, according to a local - it's "the coolest city in Spain." Judging by the tours, views and nightlife experiences, I think he may be right.  I would have really liked to study in Granada too, but I love my Sevilla...I think it's a grass is greener on the other side situation.  Nevertheless, that is definitely not the last time I'm visiting Granada.

     

Non Plus One

non plus one final from Tracy ANTONOPOULOS on Vimeo.

this is dripping of LA hipster... but whatever.  it's still cute

Carnaval de Cádiz

  
          Last Saturday muchos americanos and I ventured to Cádiz, (a city about an hour away) for Carnaval.  The largest Carnaval celebration in Europe!  We didn't quite know what we were in for, I just had the notion that it would be in between Halloween (in Madison) and Marti Gras (in New Orleans). It turned out to be just about that, add rowdy spaniards singing and dancing, subtract any use of public bathrooms, and multiply by the 9 (very long) hours we were there...and that would equate to Carnaval.  And obviously a resaca.

My friends and I kind of underestimated the costume effort for Carnaval.  We just headed to H&M and bought anything deemed "crazy" or "leopard" and called ourselves rock stars.  With my red lipstick it was probably deemed "baby cheetah prostitute" but whatever. 

Fortunately, the spaniards and most americans, ok just about everyone else, was more creative.  

The Mask(s).  Go 90's reference

Exhausted Sponge Bob, Tetris, Croc & Zebra Duo, Cash-4-Gold

Favorite Men in Drag:

Carnaval is fun but I think i prefer my Madison Halloween: I'm not lost, there's little to no public urination, staying up until 7am isn't mandatory and... no abundance of fake costume genitalia. (Seriously, does anybody know the deal with that? I think even saw a guy in a bee costume w/an extra appendage and it wasn't a stinger)

 

Nuit Blanche

Nuit Blanche from Spy Films on Vimeo.
brilliant.

the making of here

Listening to ___

rainy day music -- Nina Simone








she does better justice to these (first two) songs than the original artists

Gracias por las Felicidades!

so it happened...FINALLY

i am now 21

via My Parents Were Awesome

however, I'm in Spain, and therefore was legal/never carded in the last month.  a tad anticlimactic.

i have to say i was a little nostalgic for a Madison 21st birthday celebration - with friends who have been calling me "the baby" for what seems like forever. 

but - my host mother made me a delicious cake, and even sprang for a "2" and "1" candle (which everyone secretly wants, right?) and it helped my minuscule birthday woes go away.  

 

anywhoo...thank you all who wished me well on my birthday! sorry i have no entertaining over-the-top 21st tales for you, as i've been obnoxiously responsible lately.  but don't worry, Carnavale is this weekend in Cadiz ;)  (Spanish equivalent of a Madison Halloween.)