Category Archives: listening

new year, new pots

new year, new pots

IMG_3506These are the first couple pots of 2013. It took me a while to get back to work! I guess I have been working — it has just been the boring stuff: listing things in the etsy shop, setting up bank accounts, paying state sales tax. I suppose it all needed to be done, but now I’m out of throwing practice. My arms were a little sore after wedging up only four balls of clay. I don’t know if I’m not used to it anymore, or it’s because my studio is very, very cold and the clay was pretty stiff. (probably a little of both)

While my sister was visiting for Christmas, we decided that I should make a tiki mug version of my inverse mug. So the tall cup up there is my first attempt at this. I don’t have the best handle on shrinkage rates, so we’ll see if this is the right size. It seems a little wide to me. I can calculate the shrinkage — I just can’t visualize it very well. Anyway, I hope to make a bunch of these cups. They’ll be great for tiki drinks or any tall cocktail.

My work last night was accompanied by Kate‘s best of 2012 mix on Spotify. Since I’ve had kids, I don’t have as much time to seek out new music, so I have become a big fan of end-of-the-year music wrap-ups. They help me do all my new music scavenging all at once. I haven’t had a chance to check out my usual go-to yearly lists from Pitchfork and The Onion. So I’ll link to them here for your sake and mine:

new fiona

new fiona

The new Fiona Apple album is out! I’ve listened to it about ten times now. Thumbs up! It worked well for both throwing pots and walking. (And of course, just sitting and listening.) Here’s a live performance of one of the songs.

beach ball

beach ball

Last weekend, Chris and I got to spend a night away from the kids (only our third night away in seven years of parenthood). We didn’t go anyplace crazy, but it was good to have a whole quiet evening to ourselves — well, not so quiet considering we went to a music festival. Somehow my children manage to make more noise than a stadium full of speakers.

On the way to the Beach Ball, we stopped to check out Chris’s (not husband Chris, friend Chris) new space, Pemberlie, at Brocante Bliss. Her space looked amazing, and you should check it out if you can. Chris (husband Chris) had to restrain me from purchasing everything in the neighboring booth, reminding me of the reality of our Honda Civic. Good stuff though. I will be back with a van and without a husband. You didn’t hear that, Chris (husband Chris).

The concert was a lot of fun, too. I went there mainly to hear The Shins and Kimbra. I think The Joy Formidable took the prize for most entertaining performance though. (It’s always fun to see the lead singer destroy the stage, right?) I’ve also had a Metric song stuck in my head since then. I kind of would have liked to have seen The Shins in a smaller setting with a more attentive audience, but still, I really enjoyed it. I didn’t feel as old as I was afraid I would, and it was quite entertaining to people-watch with all the youth reverting back to ’80s fashions.

Thank you, Gram, for watching the girls. They had so much fun with you. And thanks for coming with me, Chris (husband Chris), even though you didn’t know any of the bands. You did take an awesome spacey photo of Foster the People though.

walking playlist

walking playlist

Here are a few songs that represent what’s on my shuffle at the moment when I go for walks. All good stuff. I think I discovered a couple of these artists through the blog Black Eiffel. Rachel has great taste in music, or at least, similar taste to mine, so I always find something good to listen to there.

Here’s a single from the latest Santigold album. (Yes, I still say “album.” I’m old. My sister Angie tells me this is the right word. So I’m not old. Ha!) The whole album is really excellent, all the way through.

Kimbra …

Porcelain Raft …

Polica ….

Gotye …

The Shins …

And who doesn’t like a little Black Keys?