I'm Melissa. This is where I write things down and share new things. Sometimes I even post cute pictures of cats...
if you're looking for my portfolio,
it can be found here, or by clicking any of the links across the top of this page.
I just moved back to Ohio after living in the central valley of California for almost three years. People still mention that I'm all grown up and keep asking how being an adult is going, but I really don't know what they're referring to.
I'm officially a (self-proclaimed) curator -- OF GIFS. GIF CONNOISSEUR. Check it out. My GIF blog even made it to buzzfeed once.
ONE MORE CHECK OFF MY LIFELONG INTERNET TO-DO LIST.
Albums of note UPCOMING/2011/2010/2009
A list of albums from the year that had staying power. Not a top album list, because I haven't heard every album, so that just seems a bit silly to me -- the whole "of the year" thing... although I suppose in my own mind that's what they are...
THE ARCHIVES
Nostalgia
a place where I keep things that are already memories and store things that are currently in my life that will inevitably become memories. Vague enough?
Vestiges of a Life Soon Forgotten
A photographic series devoted to images taken in and around my apartment where I lived for 3 years in college. I moved out for good in December 2009.
Photobooth Sketches
photobooth documentation of sketches i have done and/or found.
Monthly Self Portrait Series
This was a short-lived project that sometimes shows up without warning again on my feed, but definately cannot be considered an "on-going" thing.
My New California Life
What started as an essay series about my experiences living on the left coast turned into a general account of my life here -- through words, photos and other ephemera.
jef etters tips of the day
Jef Etters was a colleague of mine who gave me life tips on a daily basis via a telephone call from a rotary phone. I would then transcribe the tips and post them here for the benefit of all mankind. He didn't know what tumblr was (nor does he now), but he did want to share all his wisdom with the world. enjoy.
PLEASE NOTE: Jef did finally get free long-distance after 7pm EST and will occasionally call to give me tips to transcribe. Be on the look out, it'll change your life.
ScreenCaptureSeries
Funny and or poignant things I feel the need to share with the world via screen capture. This project carries on with the luck that the internet will continue to bring the lulz. I think the odds are in our favor.
Espresso outside with @jmcollie (Taken with Instagram at Four Barrel Coffee)
(Source: icatchfoxes)
Noise Cancelling Headphones > all of this.
When there is no other sound to cancel, noise cancelling headphones turn your head into a cathedral of sound. I’m sure it’s awful for my long-term hearing, but how can I not listen to music this loud with an amazing cup of coffee in my hand? It’s one of the only ways to try and escape these days. Until I can drive the coast again, these are the ways in which I make it to a place where I can get real work done.
My head is a church and James Blake is singing all the hymns.
(Source: icatchfoxes)
Top 5 one-on-one human interaction moments:
- Hugging Jason after this event in the woods in Kentucky.
- Giving Dave a spicy chicken sandwich.
- Talking to my brother as he drove me home from Kent the night before Thanksgiving.
- Talking in the car while driving somewhere (anywhere) with Daniel.
- Getting coffee with Andy at the Revue.
Top 10 meals:
- Friendsgiving with the Colliers (et al)
- Luigi’s pizza immediately upon arrival in Akron
- Italian restaurant in DC with Daniel
- Deep-Fried High-Calorie Pre-Camp Feast
- Ted’s Bulletin in DC (Shake n’ Bake Chicken with Mac n’ Cheese & Tater Salad, Espresso Martini & Homemade Poptart for Dessert)
- The Dude Abides at Melt Bar & Grilled
- Soupsgiving
- Fair Food
- Crab Mac n’ Cheese right before we attempted to eat steamed crabs with mallets and our bare hands in Baltimore, MD
- Dining with Angela, Mama S & Deanna at Coconut Joe’s in the once thriving heart of Bakersfield (for the chocolate cake & the company)
Top 10 epiphanies occurring as a result of coffee:
- This will always remind me of Al.
- “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams
- “I’ve found the worst style of music: Zydeco Christmas Carols” (twitter)
- “I think about 99.9% of the internet is now made up of GIFs, Kittens, or GIFs of Kittens.” (twitter)
- Hanging out in San Francisco by yourself is pretty much the best.
- Getting let-go was a really good thing.
- I prefer walking in the rain without an umbrella.
- Always keep going. It’s never over until you give up.
- Give.
- The world is really messed up; things get worse and worse as you grow up. This sounds like a negative way to look at the world. The thing is, you have to remember that it’s okay - you just have to learn how to live again when something changes. That’s how it’s supposed to be. It’s hard, and you do it. You learn and you grow. The birds keep singing with all their might, no matter what. That’s something.
#30DaysofGood Challenge: Connect with People (Days 5 and 6)
Day 5: Coordinate a Group Event
Day 6: Get Coffee with a co-worker
I tried to set up a group event on Monday night, but instead accidentally ended up setting up a coffee date with Suzanne, the woman I work with now. I initially tried to make the event a tweet up, but when that wasn’t working out I resorted to a facebook invite.
I set up an impromtu coffee meeting for 7pm with some of the women around town that I want to get to know better. As the hour for the event grew closer, I became aware that it would just be a meeting with my only (official) co-worker. At this point in the day, I was already aware that I was meeting the challenge that was meant for the next day, while simultaneously attempting to complete the task at hand.
We had a really good talk, and it was nice to just get to know more about Suzanne. She’s a really nice person and I’ve really enjoyed working with her so far. She’s very honest and upfront. She knows what she wants and how she wants it. In those ways it’s made it a really good experience for me as a job. I don’t always get everything exactly right the first time, but she lets me know how I can improve and I appreciate that. I’m excited to continue working with her and learning more about her and her life. She’s had a lot of experience and is a good story teller, so I love hearing about all the good (and not so good) experiences she’s had working different jobs over the years. She also is a great listener who is very good at sensing what people are feeling, which I appreciate very much. I’m glad that we were able to spend that time together to just relax for a bit and have a good conversation, I look forward to when it can happen again.
If you’re interested in participating in this challenge from #30DaysOfGood, find more information on day 5 here, and day 6 here.
(Source: icatchfoxes)
Slow brewed coffee overnight. Filtered the next day. Iced!
This is something that I miss. Toddy in ball jars. Tea in ball jars. I have a solution for all this, though. I will buy ball jars with lids and will no longer have to miss it. Thanks for the reminder Joey. Can you post your process for slow-brewing?
Working at The Hashtag today. Lovin’ err’y minute.
I got to go to Tehachapi yesterday… I really like it there. It’s one of my favourite places, actually.
It’s funny to remember looking at pictures of Daniel and his brother & sister pushing shopping carts down the street he grew up on and jumping on the trampoline in the backyard of his childhood home… It’s so strange the way having that back-log of visual information about a place has a way of creating a different kind of anticipation about what it will be like when you arrive there in person.
The first time we drove up the mountain to Tehachapi (December 2009), I was so overwhelmingly excited — it was like I was going to Disneyland for the first time… The best thing about Tehachapi is that it’s even more charming than the pictures or the boy taking me there had made it seem. I watched the dark mountains grow bigger as I stared out the windows; I watched train headlights peek out from the tunnels and the sparks fly off the rails as the train moved onward toward the loop. The light from the sun was almost completely dispersed, but just enough lingered to see the wind turbines stretching off into the distance, and their blinking red lights flickered on and off like hundreds of red fireflies. It felt like watching something in real life that you’d only been able to imagine in your head…
New Starbucks logo/cups/sleeves are well designed. I approve. (Taken with picplz.)
(Source: icatchfoxes)
every day at work. mostly the constant refresh on coffee, not so much the javascript.
Good morning?
You’re probably not supposed to drink this much coffee when you’re fighting off a cold, huh?
Can we talk about how this is a STARBUCKS?
This is one of three new experimental stores in Seattle, and I’m really hoping it catches on. Starbucks without branding, whaaaat?
(via furfin.com)
Dinner in Amarillo, TX. I will drive us at least 3 hours further so we can make it to LA tomorrow…
