boston day 2: beach style

Today we went to the beach. We got lost on the way up—classic—so we went to Rockport instead of wherever the other beach was we were going to go to. It was definitely rocky, but that made everything more fun! The beach we found was just little and we had an amazing picnic lunch then went for a hike on the rocks.

Jen lead the way and the rest of us followed.

Though Stephanie often took her own path.

In the end we reached the point of the rocks and were proud of our triumph!
(PS the girl in the middle between Carter and Jen is Jen's amazing roommate Jane.)

All over the rocks on the beach was this crazy green seaweed type stuff. I thought it made a great beard.

The tower in the background is where we climbed to. Once we got up there we read a sign saying that it was private property and we were to return back to the beach. Really, friends? Lame. But lucky for the owners it was late and we had to head home. So we left.

oh! the big red letters stand for the jell-o family

Recently Jen commissioned me to make her 7 Jell-o books to give to her nieces and nephews at their family reunion in July. I was excited to do it—Jen is one of my favorite people and I would do almost anything for her anyway—but was a little worried that, knowing me, it would take the whole month of June to get all seven done. However, I was glad to be wrong! I made the first two a couple days ago, and the first ones always take the longest: you have to figure out all the measurements, the length of the thread, the binding stitch, and do all the prep work, like cutting the flaps off the boxes, etc. Once those are done it's (supposedly) easier to finish up the rest. My problem is that even if I like doing something I can get bored with doing the same things over and over again and get frustrated that it's taking me so long.

Luckily my ward has a quilting/craft night once a month and my friend Tara reminded me about it so I went. It started out as just me, my mom, and Tara, but as the night went on three more women showed up and it turned out to be not only lots of fun, but also super productive! I finished the last five books in only three and a half hours. That includes the time spent cutting the pages to size, punching the holes, and dying the red thread. Not bad!

I'm not sure how great these pictures are, but I'm quite satisfied with how the books turned out. I'm even excited to do more!

It's a rainbow!

A close-up of the spines. I'd seen this stitching pattern on some date books that Purgatory Pie Press did and I really liked it. I had to make up how to do it since it's different than the standard long stitch binding, but it didn't take me as long as I'd thought it would and I think it came together pretty well! I stitched some boxes with white thread and some with red, but I think (sadly) I do like the white ones better: because each box has two red lines on the spine, the red thread gets sort of lost in the bustle.

The books open pretty flat which is a nice characteristic of this kind of binding.

Jell-o!

kayaking

(xkcd.com)

Jen and I went kayaking yesterday on the Charles River. A two-person kayak is the perfect excuse to go outside on a beautiful day and have a serious, in depth conversation with someone who can't escape you. It also makes you feel really strong because you managed to row it all around the river and avoid all the MIT sailboats with varying degrees of ease. If I lived in Boston I would two-person kayak every weekend. The only catch would be tricking Jen into being my permanent kayaking buddy.

JEN!

Today is the birthday of the beloved Jen Porter. I am up here in Boston visiting the lovely girl and could not be happier! In typical Jen fashion she has a plethora of activities planned for us this weekend, including (but not limited to) parties both Friday and Saturday to celebrate friends graduations, an art gallery tour, canoeing, and eating out at fabulous (most likely vegetarian) restaurants. I don't know how she plans it all while working 13 hour days. She is truly an inspiration to us all.

At this moment I am sitting alone in her kitchen, sipping water and taking care of some loose ends via the internet. I know that Jen will scold me if I don't leave the house until she gets back from work, but I myself have been working so much recently that it's a treat just to be able to sit and read and think and figure out how much money I actually do have in the bank and where the rest of it has gone.

I've always felt at home in Jen's apartment, probably because I slept here before any of her roommates did and before they had a kitchen table or bookcases or even a shower curtain. That was back in August, though I've been here once since then, in February, to interview at the North Bennet Street School. (To which I got accepted, PS, though I turned it down so that I can go to the University of Iowa instead and get my master's in Library and Information Science and the Book Arts.) As I surfaced after riding the T (Boston subway) to the Central Square stop and I walked down the bricked sidewalks, pulling my lime green roller bag behind me, I felt as if I was walking the streets of a place I used to live. Everything was familiar to me, from the graffiti art ally way by the food co-op to the rows of houses lining the streets, I felt as if this was a place that I had once belonged. Even ringing the doorbell felt strange: I should be able to walk right in! Boston will always be a city that is near and dear to me, even if I haven't actually ever permanently resided here.

I am so lucky to be able to take the time to come up here and visit with Jen for her birthday. Boston is a beautiful city and Jen is a beautiful person; she is one of my nearest and dearest friends. She always believes in me and give me the confidence to do whatever it is that I want to do. I love to talk about books and ideas with her, life plans and future dreams. I am a better person and friend when I try to be more like Jen: I am truly blessed to have met her our freshman year of college, a time that seems both so recent and so long ago. (Can five years really slip by so fast?) We have done so much together since that time. We've traversed the country (California, St. George, Boston) and then some (Mexico). She's helped me plan splendid parties and made me amazingly delicious birthday cakes. We've hiked, we've gone cross country skiing, we've gone down hill skiing. We've graduated from college together. I've been to her house for Easter. She taught me how to drive stick the night before we drove from California back to Utah in Zelda, her amazing little car. In so many ways I am a better person because I have known Jen Porter.

So, Jen, old British man that you are, I salute you on this, your day of days, your birthday!

the crafting revolution

Exciting news! Last week I made a series of accordian books for my class I'm taking at Cooper Union, and my teacher (Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Pie Press) said that she thought they were good enough to sell! She suggested a little independent bookstore called St Mark's Bookshop on the corner of Third Avenue between 8th and 9th Street on the east side of NYC, right by where my class is, that sells artist books.

I checked it out yesterday with my amazing friend Tess and sure enough, they took them! They only take 3 at a time, so I gave them 3 (even though I'd made enough so I had 11 with me, no big deal) and the guy said they could probably go for like $3 each. Hooray! I'm going to check back in after my class on Monday and see if any have sold. (Note: They are also now on sale at my etsy store for the same price.) If you're in the area of Greenwich Village I suggest checking out the bookshop—they had a small but pretty good selection of self-published zines and other artist books. I bought 2 small comic zines for Garrett face cuz he loves stuff like that. Maybe he and I could make some little comic books—he's a really clever illustrator—and we could sell them there too. There are just so many possibilities... Also! There was a zine there called Slice which reminded me of the lovely zine called The Slice that my good friends Stephanie, Megan, Jen, and Whitney made our freshman year of college. I still have all the issues on my computer. Maybe we'll have to bring it back and take the world by storm!

After the bookshop stop Tess and I went over to our friend Henry's art show, also at Cooper Union. Henry is our friend from pre-k. That's right, when we were like 4. Henry and I found each other on facebook our freshman year of college and now we are sort of friends again. He's super artistic and amazing and I love his beard. I gave him one of my books and he seemed genuinely excited to get it, which is really nice and flattering because he is an amazing artist and I just pretend. The art at the show was his and another chick's, and Tess really liked the other chick's stuff; she had two pieces with clouds that were pretty sweet. Tess really wanted to slip one into her purse before we left, but I persuaded her that that was bad form. Henry's stuff was great too, lots of work with textures and colors. My favorite of his was a painting of what looked like the view looking up through a canopy of trees, and then next to it a painting of that painting hanging on the wall. The shadow the canvas cast in the painting of the painting was exactly the same as the real painting on the real wall in real life. Very clever.

Later Tess and I headed over to her brownstone in Brooklyn where we talked crafting and made plans to go to some craft shows together this summer—that's right, we're gonna share a booth and sell Books & Bags—and I convinced Tess to get herself some free business cards so she could impress people with her professionalism and shtuff. We also talked about the importance of blogging so she could have pictures of her stuff online so people can see it if they're interested in buying, etc. All in all it was a super successful night! AND so fun! Tess is seriously one of my most favorite people. Hooray for friends, fun, and art. Also independent bookshops.

ALSO! I would be remiss if I did not at this time post a link to the blog of my good friends Ashley and Rob Lugo. Rob is a super talented ceramics guy (potter? sculptor? what would be the word for one who makes ceramics?) and Ashley is just all around creative and amazing. They recently opened up their own Etsy store and have some great stuff on there. Take a look! You might find something you never knew that you couldn't live without.

the magical number 23

So, on Monday I turned 23! Certain ages bring with them certain magical new abilities, like getting your license at 17 (in NJ), becoming a legal adult at 18, being able to legally buy and drink alcohol at 21, etc. With 23 comes the lovely event of being kicked off of my parent's insurance. Hooray for the privatization of health care! At the moment I'm flying uninsured, but soon enough I'll hopefully have my very own health care plan. (The contracts are in the mail or being processed, or something...)

Anyway, to celebrate my policylessness, today I threw myself a Do-It-Yourself birthday party! What does that mean exactly? It means people come over and we all make dinner and decorations together, then eat and enjoy them and each others' company. Afterwards we played picture telephone and flirted with the idea of playing our own version of Loaded Questions, but then people had to leave and we just sat and talked. It was really fun. I love all my friends,  it is true. Even those that couldn't make it because they were far away and thus not invited. You know.

Additionally, Matt wrote me an ode! For years and years I have been planting this idea in people's minds but people have just laughed at my heart-meant suggestion. But, happily, I can now say that at least one person has taken up my challenge and actually done it! The fabulous ode goes like this:

Cassandra, Cassandra, Queen of the day.

Invited us all to this delightful soiree.

With decorations and food, and lazy friends such as I

It must have been trying to put this together on the fly.

So if I, perchance, fail to honor her well

I can only expect her ire to swell.

So I speak these stanzas to celebrate her birth,

To stave off her anger, and fill the party with mirth.

Pretty cool, huh? Happy birthday to me!

boston's costin'

This weekend I went up to Boston for an interview at the North Bennet Street School and also visited my favorite Bostonian, Jen Porter! My interview was at 11 am on Friday, so I took the MegaBus from New York up to Boston Thursday night, then took the T (the Boston subway) to Jen's apartment. I've only been to her home once before, in August, as a stop on the epic Cassi and Jace roadtrip. She had literally just moved in and Jace and I helped her move the last of her things from her old house to her new place. The three of us slept there before either of her other roommates did. This time both the roommates were there, plus furniture and food. Very strange. I got to sleep on a blow up mattress instead of the floor and the shower had an actual shower curtain! It was like a whole new world.

Friday I went to my interview and while I was slightly concerned about getting lost and being late (because I am often both of those things) I ended up arriving 5 minutes early. Miraculous! I interviewed with Bob Delaney who is the nicest guy. He was a few minutes late for the interview because he was out buying pizza for the jewelery department so as an apology he brought me down a delicious slice of veggie pizza while I was talking to Jeff Altepeter, the head of and main instructor in the bookbinding department. What a man! Besides talking with Jeff, who was super helpful and answered all my many questions, I talked to almost all the first year students who are currently enrolled and got to see and learn about the projects that they've done so far and projects they're currently working on. I. Am. In. Love. Each student gets their own workbench where they can store all of their tools and materials and projects and it is amazing! The classes are small—each year only has 8 students total—and I got a real feeling of comradery when I was there. It was clear that they all loved what they were doing and got along with each other and Jeff, their instructor. I ended up spending about 2 and 1/2 hours at the school, just chatting with people and asking questions. If I get accepted into this program it would complete me.

boston boston, bo-boston, banana-fanna, fo-foston, mi-my-mo-moston...boston!

Today and yesterday we were in Boston! With Jen! What could be better?! I'll tell you what: nothing. Jen is one of my most favorite people in the whole world and I have now decided that Boston is one of my favorite places. The plan is to move up there at some point in the next year. That's right: Portland is out and Boston is in!

When Jace and I arrived Saturday night we met Jen at her new apartment (which I am in love with) then went out to eat at a phenomenal vegetarian restaurant called Veggie Planet. That's right, I ate at a vegetarian restaurant and not only did I not complain about it, I LOVED it. If I continue to hang out with the Jace Face and move up and live with Jen I think I will become vegetarian through the shear force of peer pressure. Also I have developed a new-found love for vegetables. And not just the normal ones like broccoli and carrots, but eggplant, zucchini, and water chestnuts. Yum! 

After dinner we went to J. P. Licks where Jen, Jace, and I ordered peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie hard yogurt, oreo cake batter ice cream, and pistachio ice cream respectively. We ate it at the window bar where we had a lovely view of a young couple sitting at a table outside the shop where the boy would not stop touching the girl: hugging, kissing, rubbing her back, playing with her hair... Really, man? She's trying to eat. And so are we. My favorite part of the whole thing was when her parents, whom they had apparently been waiting for, showed up. Very classy.

Today I went to church with the Jen and, in contrast to camp where I felt really old, I suddenly felt like a baby: the average age of the singles ward is 28 and Jen, at 22, is the youngest one in the ward. It was pretty good: you could tell that the members who were there were all pretty smart, and not just because they are doing things like getting Ph. D's at Harvard. (Though several of them are.) The last hour was a combined meeting where we talked about what else other than dating and marriage? Makes me sick. To quote Jen, "If we talked about it less it would happen more." Here here. I just went to my happy place and tried not to let the talk of how being single makes us feel like we are less complete human beings and all that nonsense bother me. It helped to have Jen there because we could help each other out. She's the best.

After church we met up with the Jace who had been exploring the city all morning and went on a parknic (translation: picnic in a park) at Boston Commons. We ate cucumber and sharp cheddar pita sandwiches and strawberries with Nutella. It was the best meal. Then we went wading in the Frog Pond where Jace tried several times (unsuccessfully) to flip me in, then we took a nap. Seriously, probably my favorite day of the whole trip. Also, walking back to the T (Bostonian for subway/metro) we found a cell phone on a bench that was ringing. So we answered it. It was John. I said, "Hello, John. We just found this cell phone on a bench in Boston Commons by the Tadpole Playground." He said it was his friend's and he'd probably be looking for it so we said we'd leave it on the bench where we found it so he could tell his friend where to find it. It was a disposable cell phone which, PS, I didn't even know existed, and it was slightly sketchy. I hope its owner found it. Unless he was a drug dealer. In which case I kinda hope he didn't.

For dinner Jace made us AMAZING stir fry that we ate on a rug since Jen does not yet have a table in her home (a rugnic, if you will). Also, I just realized that when I'm with Jen I talk about food a lot. It is because she knows a lot about it. Also, when I'm with her I always eat delicious food. She is good for my health in so many ways! Except for the cookies... After dinner we made chocolate chip/snickers cookies that were huge and tasty and then we went into sugar shock and fell asleep. Well, more or less.

Also, the vest was there.

...in my life i've loved them all

I came to the realization today that people are leaving. I've mostly been focused on the people I will be leaving, like Jen and Megan, Aleisha and Claire, or my aunt Taunya, people that will be left behind here in Utah, at least for a short while, while I go off to start my post-college life...wherever. But today while I was at church, wondering if there was teacher prep today, I looked around for Louis to ask him. And he wasn't there. He is in Chile on an internship and I will most likely not see him again for a very long time. Then there's Sydney who's going to Nepal on Tuesday, Chaela who will be doing EFY all summer, and Stephanie who is in Nevada working on a farm. Brad is leaving Tuesday to go to Florida to work at Disney World (or is it Disney Land? I always get those two confused...). These are people that I really care about who have become an integral part of my life in the past year and even longer. And pretty soon they won't be.

I'm not the kind of person who cries at good byes. I'm the kind of person who looks at people crying and thinks, "Really? Suck it up." But then about a week later when it sinks in that I won't be seeing those people every day or even once a month I will cry alone in my bed as I fall asleep. I'm happy to say that the crying hasn't started yet, and I predict it won't until I'm in the Poconos in Pennsylvania in a cabin full of 10-year-old girls lying exhausted and feeling alone. And that's when I will miss them most.

i am a hippie but so is jen

Today Jen and I went to the Farmer's Market! I thought it didn't start up again until June, so I was extra excited when Jen texted me last night and asked if I wanted to go this morning. It is one of my favorite things about the summer. Today I bought a loaf of sourdough bread from Flour Girls and Dough Boys, amazing goat milk yoghurt from Drake Family Farms, and the best granola in the whole world from Bryan's wife Katie. What? Yes. The granola that I have loved since I first tasted it last summer but was then wrenched away from my taste buds when they disappeared from the Farmer's Market mid-summer was made by none other than my fabulous co-worker Bryan's wife. And probably him too. Who knows. I love them even more now than I did before. If that is possible.

Also tonight Megan and I went for a bike ride to rent Lost from Hollywood Video. We haven't ridden our bikes together since last summer and it is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Megan made me buy a bike last year so that we could bike together and I am so glad that she did. I rode Chaela's bike that she left here until June and I am in love with it. It is a real beach cruiser, not like my fake beach cruiser that has mountain bike tires, hand brakes and gears, and it is my favorite. If I knew that I would be living someplace flat, like it is here in Utah, I would buy it from her no questions asked. As it is I will most likely end up someplace mountainous where gears are a must. But we'll see how long I can resist its siren call.

Speaking of biking, Jen and I have been talking a lot about saving the environment recently (because that's what we do) and today we were saying how just doing little things like changing your light bulbs to energy-saving ones or only running your dishwasher when it's full don't really make that big of a difference in the big picture. You can't just change one thing and then continue to live your life the way you always have: you need to make a big change. One example Jen gave was walking or riding your bike everywhere within a 2 mile radius instead of driving. That'd be a pretty big change, at least for most people. I try to do my best at not driving when I don't have to, but when the whole journey to work every morning traverses 9th East and is uphill the whole way I am hesitant to make that kind of commitment. But I try to justify my driving by carpooling which is also good for the environment, right? And I do recycle, bring my own grocery bags whenever I go shopping anywhere (not just for groceries), try to walk most places, and use tupperware instead of zip lock bags whenever possible. I try not to buy food that comes with lots of extra packaging. A lot of my clothes come from thrift stores, I don't shower everyday (though that's more out of laziness than environmental reasons...) and I support local organizations like the Food Co-op and the Farmer's Market that promote local produce/products. That's a lot more than I used to do.

However, I do want to do other things too, like start my own vegetable garden, use homemade cleaning products, and start a compost heap. But some things are just hard when you're a college student and you don't really have a home of your own. Perhaps one day I'll move into a hippie commune where everyone is crazy about being green and I will realize why everyone thought I was weird. But maybe I won't. And maybe I'll love it and maybe I will have found my niche in society. Maybe. 

we live in the future

If it doesn't play right away would you give it a second?! It's going to space!

four square

Four square is the game of the gods. Well, more like the game of the King Pin, the Duke, the Duck, and the Slurm sisters. What an epic battle it was. The most tragic was the inevitable self-slurming. Almost as unfortunate was being King Pinned, Duked, or Ducked. These things have been known to happen with incredible force and complete surprise. Especially to the Duke.

music matt will hate

My friends all like to both listen to and perform different kinds of music. And so do I. Sadly they don't usually agree with each other about what constitutes "good music," but neither do I all of the time. But sometimes I do. So here's some music I've recently found with a little help from my friends. I hope you enjoy the variety...

(from Billy)

(from other William)

(from Sydney)

(from Dave)

(from Jen)

(from Megan)

favorites

I spent today with 2 of my favorite people of all time: 

Jen Porter and Claire Plimpton.

It was a great day.

PS I know it's hard to believe, but we are all much cuter in real life.