a spring weekend to-do list! ps: I'M MOVING!

here's my ideal (note, ideal) weekend to-do list:

1 - go grocery shopping at wilson's; grab asparagus, spinach, portobellos, apples, brussels sprouts, eggs, milk, tea (namely green, as i'm almost out), berries and other provisions for the week. NO CHEESE. i've been OD-ing on cheese lately.  there's some herb chevre in my fridge that cackles at me maniacally every time i open the door. i swear.  it's mocking me with each neglected bite.

2 - start. packing. i'm officially moving!  as of may 1st, i'll be living around the corner from my absolute favorite spanish restaurant, one of my absolute favorite coffee joints, and down the street from the best farmer's market in greater boston.  it's a 17 minute walk to harvard and trina's is literally rock-throwing distance from my new pad.  i'm also moving in with the lovely alaine, who's a good friend of los' from UMass and one of the silliest, raddest people i've ever met.  we've unofficially dubbed the new place the Flamingo Mapatorium because we've amassed a ton of maps between us and we want to have lawn flamingos in the bathroom.  (this is because the bathroom's kind of blah as compared with the rest of the place - lovely light, huge kitchen, HUGE rooms, and we get to paint it! oh, and did i mention there's a weeping willow in our front yard?  WEEPING. WILLOW. in our FRONT YARD. heaven.)

3 - make my grandmother a birthday card because her birthday was yesterday and we're celebrating it this weekend.  so much family over the past couple of weeks!

4 - clean my apartment, seeing as the landlord already has people coming over to check out my current space ALREADY.  inconvenient.  whatever.  more on this later.

5 - go to the gym.  i have been slacking on fitness so hard since the end of SXSW because i threw my back out (sort of?) at the airport picking my luggage up and then i just simply haven't had time between writing/interviewing/dancing/living life over the past couple of weeks.  zumba, you and i have a date tomorrow morning at 10am.

6 - sign up for zipcar and then jet over to lexington to pick up BRINT!  brint is one of my best friends from spain.  his grams lives up here and he's visiting her for the weekend, so we're going to have dinner.  he's got no car and i've got no car so zipcar it is.  (also, i just signed a lease to live here for another year, i may as well give in and get the damn zip car membership already.  have YOU tried parking in somerville lately?  it's unavoidable.) also, he and i have some talking to do because we may be plotting a return trip to eastern europe for august.  i can't sit still. it's true.

7 - organize all Dig clips to date before moving.  there's a few of them.  i see a lot of rubber cement/construction paper action happening over the next 48 hours.

8 - start thinking about portland because i'll be there this time next week! EEEP! my first trip ever to the west coast totally snuck up on me!

9 - go see The Runaways at Coolidge Corner on sunday with marcy.  she always treks to our side of the river and we rarely visit her there (we're awful friends, we know), so this is an opportune time to relish in one of the best attractions on her side: the coolidge corner theater.  yes yes yes yes yes. love love love love love.  i can smell the popcorn and twizzlers already. nomz.

10 - sleep.  i should probably start doing that again.

here goes, weekend.  X H

[ps: have you noticed how everyone's trying to get more comments/more retweets so they end every blog post/tweet with a question ("What do you guys think?" "What're you up to this weekend?" "Who would you rather punch in the face?") etc etc.  social media fo' SHAME. i'm not gonna do that. sorry dudes.]

the happy list, "tea and blankets on a sunday morning" edition.

well, last night was silly.  there was whiskey.  i'm watching sex and the city reruns from the dependable couch fort and i'm thisclose to ordering new moon ondemand before throwing on rumpled jeans and going to dinner with dan, nick and los before hitting up the beach house show at the paradise tonight.  sunday afternoon, it could be love.

anyways, here's a brief update/latest incarnation of the happy list.

- one of my career goals as an aspiring journalist?  write a story for The Boston Globe.  what happened last tuesday? a feature i wrote ran in the Boston Globe's arts & entertainment section.  as i knew i would be in austin covering SXSW for the Dig anyway, i pitched an article to the Globe's A&E editor and he took my story.  result: a two page 1,000-odd word feature on notable sets by boston talent at SXSW.  the response to the article was so encouraging and overwhelming and to everyone who commented, called, texted, emailed, or simply pressed the thumbs-up "like" button on facebook, thank you.  i'm such a lucky person.  i'm going to post a bunch of my favorite photos snapped by the insatiable jess hodge and mikey basu, who are two of the most talented and professional photographers i've ever had the pleasure of working with, but in the mean time here are two silly ones of me in austin -

there was a cupcake truck.  the girl gave us free cupcakes because we ran across the street and grabbed a red bull for her when she was in need.  red velvet elicits this reaction from me, always.  (also: the chocolate cupcake to the left, covered in cream cheese frosting, was dubbed "the michael jackson." omg.)

this one was snapped by mikey in between shows.  i was sitting down for maybe like 30 seconds throughout our entire time at SXSW and he caught me.

- last night, one of my favorite local bands (and three of my favorite people in general), static of the gods, had a FANTASTIC cd release show at tt's.  it's really something special when you get to know a band, and you follow 'em for a bit, and you become friends, and you write about 'em a couple of times, and they put out a CD that's just absolutely amazing and that you can't wait to burn a copy of for everyone you've ever met.  knowledge machine is such a great album.  if you haven't picked it up yet, do so asap. jen, ben and mike, you guys were so amazing last night!  and thanks for the falafel palace pit stop and the ride home :)

- i made quinoa for the first time last night.  GREAT SUCCESS.  i went grocery shopping at wilson's farm yesterday, as i've been doing for the past month or so, and to say i came home with a bounty of goodness would be fact.  the quinoa, fresh spinach, fresh goat cheese, organic baby brussel sprouts, fresh blackberries, farm fresh milk, farm fresh eggs... foooooodgazm.

- los' birthday is next friday!  there will be funfetti and togas and kickball and people eating funfetti while wearing togas and schooling each other in kickball.  can't friggin' wait.

- i'm so excited about future pieces i'll be working on over the next three months.  there are such exciting things in store.  it's nice to have something to look forward to :)

soooo there you have it.  gotta brew another cup of tea and make some delicious food and watch rpatz be all sparkly and whatnot.

X H


ps:  oh hey!  i launched my website.  sort of.  it's in the "coming soon" stage right now.  major thanks to the lovely jsutt and her design savvy :) - http://www.hilaryjanehughes.com/

the irrationally happy list, saturday evening version.

i love this photo, which was taken by this adorable girl cecilie over at bakerby.  her blog is so great, and also on my "this makes me irrationally happy!" list.  also, she totally makes me want to book a trip to copenhagen so i can check out all the amazing cafes and streets she talks about.  go check her out!

things that make me irrationally happy:

+ terry's chocolate oranges.  i just made dinner, and now i'm drinking a glass of malbec and savoring the last "slices" of the last of my chocolate oranges that i brought back from the UK in early december.  this is my favorite candy ever.  too bad they don't have them readily available all year!  (actually, my waistline is very grateful that they're not readily available all year...)

+ impromptu saturday day dates.  jen, aka one of my absolute favorite people aka jen of fantastic boston band static of the gods, and i opted to try zumba this morning.  we had a BLAST and the class was a fantastic workout and i would absolutely recommend it to any and everyone who likes to shake it in any capacity.  after the gym, jen and i hit diesel for a caffeine boost [not that we needed it after zumba, but it was pretty necessary for the taste buds], and then we opted to go on a bit of a domestic adventure.  jen's got the band van, see, so we drove up mass ave to arlington to penzey's spices and spent a good while sniffing jars of vietnamese cinnamon and chipotle pepper blends and cardamon and coriander.  afterwards, we continued on to wilson's farm in lexington and i was NOOOT ready for the hugeness that's wilson's.   i always went t wilson's as a kid in the fall only, for haunted houses and caramel apples and the like, so to go in as a hungry grown-up in need of groceries... yeah it was pretty awesome.   i came home with the makings of a proper feast and ate grilled chicken, portobello mushrooms and eggplant either grown on the premises or procured from local farms.  delicious and good for the local first movement, woooo!

+ the brattle theatre is showing la dolce vita tonight at 8.  james and i are going and i've never seen a fellini film, ever, so i'm pretty stoked for it.  we had originally decided on avatar, seeing as we're the only two friggin' people on the planet who haven't seen it yet, but fellini on a saturday night on the big screen? perfect? yes. i think so.

+ iiiiiiiiiiii could not be more excited to go see freelance whales at great scott on tuesday night with jess and amanda.  "generator ^ first floor" is my favorite song of 2010 thus far and i'll put money down early that they're gonna be the talk of SXSW.

+ today felt like spring.   i know that it isn't even february yet, but we're through the worst of winter! (watch me jinx this by merely typing this and then i'll be dressed like an eskimo from here on out 'til april. ohhh new england.)

yeah.  today was such a beautiful, wonderful day.  i don't think my happiness is so irrational after all :)

the happy list, "i'm choosing bed before precinct on a sunday night for the first time EVER!" edition.

i have 7.5 hours until i have to be awake on monday morning, so i'll keep this list brief.

+ last night. period. i put on my pretty new dress, jessie put on her pretty new outfit [including her pretty sweet new american apparel leotard, very exciting] and we booked it over to allston to be very important people. we started off at the paradise, which basically looked like a bomb exploded in the equipment closet because four bands were soundchecking at that time, and met up with joey and joe of the click five for a brief talkin' to about how they went from shacking up in allston to speaking out against violence against women in southeast asia for mtv. afterwards, we went over to eastern standard for the most lovely meal i've had in ages - we split the cheese plate, i got the duck, jessie got the burger and we had peach cobbler [with basil icecream FOODGAAAAZM] and strawberry angel food cake for dessert. after THAT, we went back over to the paradise for the luxury's incredible CD release and saw aloud, midatlantic, the click five and the luxury ABSOLUTELY ENTHRALL the packed house. it was such an incredible show and it made me feel really, really good about what we're doing over at teaparty boston because it gives us the chance to celebrate these people and their incredible talents in a forum that caters to them as opposed to making them change for it. it was just a very, very inspiring night, and i think i speak for jessie and i both when i say that it was probably one of the best shows i've seen in boston. ever.

+ cambridge on a sunday. berryline? check. beautiful bike ride? check. lounging by the river? check. look shopping? check. sure, it's kind of a nuisance that there happened to be about 20938402938402 harvard tours passing through harvard square today, but it was a lovely sunday spent with lovely people and i shuffled back into my place around 8 sunkissed and exhausted and perfectly content. lovely.

+ farmer's markets. delicious produce, strawberry rhubarb pies, fresh bread? god, it feels good to actually go food shopping again and to support local farmers/growers/bakers as opposed to relying on the shalimar delivery guy to drop by my house every other day and to judge me when he sees that i'm ordering the same thing, again, four nights a week. i like eating healthier, preparing my own food and saving some cash. so thanks, central square + union square farmer's markets, for existing!

+ feeling very lucky. i feel lucky every single day, but lately i feel lucky moreso than usual for some reason. i have a great job in a chill office with really, really nice people. i have a supportive, nurturing family [especially my mom] that i can always call to make me feel better even on the crappiest of days. i have beautiful, exciting, interesting people in my life who never cease to amaze me with their warmth and humor and all around good vibes. i have an apartment that, though currently disgusting and covered in empty beer bottle STILL courtesy of july 4th, is very much so my nest that i love coming home to in a neighborhood i adore. and i have a burgeoning business with two of my best friends that has us living the dream and making plans for ourselves while having fun and working together to make something pretty amazing. despite blue days and unsavory characters from the past making the occasional reappearance and silly, petty drama that somehow always shows up at the wrong time... i'm truly, truly happy. i'm very much in love with life right now, and i'm going to ride this wave as long as it lasts.

the happy list, "i'm up way too early on a saturday morning and i love it!" edition.

1) the whole wheat special scones and the cappuccinos over at the biscuit. they change on a daily basis, but today it's a whole wheat brown sugar peach scone and i can think of nothing better for breakfast... especially on an overcast, dreary morning like today. i thought i'd be beating the crowd by getting here around 9 and i was sorely mistaken - there's a line around the block and most of the tables are full. [and, oh hey! i wrote a blurb on this very scone this week over at 3 Buck Bites. you can find the expression of my undying love and affection for this breakfast pastry here.]

2) paychecks... because i'm finally getting one again. after 4 months going without, your darling hil can finally look at her ATM receipts again because she has found a JOB. it's at a great company with great people and the only hang-up is that the commute is a biiiitch.it's kind of funny, because after i got the "real" job offer i was offered a bartending gig at bukowski, which would've kiiiind of been a dream come true... but yeah. i went with the desk job and now have a cubicle. but hey, whatever man, i'm employed. i'd be lying if i said i didn't slightly miss my funemployment a bit, but it's so, so, so so so so nice to be productive and have "real" responsibilities again. and oh yeah. being able to pay rent is pretty sweet, too, especially because this means i can sign my lease again and stay in my lovely little apartment :)

3) jessie's moving to this side of the river this weekend! j-rog is making the move to inman square from allston. this means that all of my best friends now live within a 15 minute drive of my apartment. well, except for marcy. marcy's still over in the land of yuppies, toddlers who wear more expensive shoes than i do and the best kosher brunches known to man [aka: brookline.]

4) in 6 days a bunch of my friends and i are heading up to my aunt's lakehouse and I. AM. SO. EX. CI. TED. a weekend full of barbeques, night swimming, bonfires, nearly forgotten '50s style diners and barnyard antique fairs? sign. me. up. the place is on long lake and is about an hour outside of portland, and i haven't been up there in about three summers or so. to say i'm looking forward to it would be understatement of the year. hopefully we won't burn down the place/get hit by a moose/OD on s'mores, and keep your fingers crossed that we don't have any of this weather while we're up there.

5) i picked up the latest Rolling Stone and nearly squealed when i saw the cover. frankly, i don't care that lady gaga's on there wearing bubbles and looking like herself. (i can't stand gaga, in case you were wondering. if she and katy perry were to be thrown into the boxing ring i would 110% gun for perry and i have no doubt that i'd walk out of that match a rich woman.) i was super excited because david lachappelle shot the cover and i love his work. he's the man responsible for that britney spears cover with the teletubby that everyone freaked about, and he shot pretty much every other fantastical, imaginative image that's graced the cover of the magazine for the past 15 years or so. maybe it's a sign that rolling stone is gonna make a comeback? maybe? c'mahn, jann.

6) talks with mariska hargitay and christopher meloni were successful and law & order: svu will see an 11th season. the fact that i am adding this to a happy list at all makes me hate myself a little bit but i cannot deny my inexplicable obsession with that tv show.

7) things are actually happening with tea party boston. i don't want to say too much too soon, but we're going to be bringing you exclusive, intimate interviews, some of the silliest/coolest photos you've ever seen and quirky features you won't find anywhere else right out of the gate. if you're sick of your arts & entertainment scene in boston going unnoticed, we're going to fix that, so keep an eye on us. [and we have business cards now. i guess that really makes us legit.]

8) i just realized that since i'm at the biscuit i can pick up a fresh loaf of homemade multigrain bread instead of spending $7.99 at shaw's for the iggy's pullman's loaf. one check off the grocery list, sweeeet. [and yes. i get that excited about bread.]

9) this is shaping up to be a summer chock full o' fantastic concerts. in the next two months, i'm going to be seeing passion pit, thick as thieves [edit: i met them. they're adorable. i want to be best friends with this band and you should too because they are great.] the harlem shakes, magic magic, the low anthem, lake street dive, taxpayer, casiotone for the painfully alone, mcalister drive, and obviously, the sea monsters. i live within a stone's throw of the lizard lounge, the middle east, tt the bear's place, precinct, toad, and the paradise rock club: could a pop culture/all-things-music junky be any luckier?

10) i also realized that this summer has the potential to be the best summer yet, i think. i was walking down beacon street to the biscuit this morning and passed a house that has a sprawling rose bush crawling up its front walls and porch banisters. these roses were bright red, vibrant, and unapologetically open, and when this massive grin spread over my sleepy face i took these flowers to be some kind of omen that there's only beauty ahead, however fleeting it may be, and that it's so important to recognize good when you've got it going for you. that rosebush was the best wake up call a person could ever get.

happy saturday, guys. go out and spend the day hanging out with your favorite people and doing what you love. that's exactly what i'll be doing.

the happy list, april fool's edition.

this is what came popped up when i google image-searched "happy" this morning. lolz.

THINGS THAT ARE WONDERFUL:

+big plans for big weekends.  this weekend, by comparison to previous weekends, won't be that extraordinary, but dance parties, dive bars, brunch at deep ellum (to visit mr. chris sous chef extraordinaire), painting dates, playing outside and a night with the sea monsters are all on the table. bliss.

+scarfing chicken tikka masala from punjabi dhaba with some of my favorite people before running up to magoun square for trivia nights and games of pool at townie dive bars.  MEDFIHD BY CHOICE! (my family's actually from medford. i guess that makes me legit/a real townie? i don't know.)

+i think i'm going to get a bike.  i'm still terrified at the thought of riding one alongside the crazy people who drive on somerville/mass ave, but i've been convinced, i think.  i'll be brave.  i'll try, anyway.

+i've lived in this apartment since november and i only realized recently that i have WINDOW BOXES YAAAAY.  jessie thinks i should use one for a mini herb garden.  i want flahwiz.  (i don't want bees buzzin' right next to me when i'm sleeping  some rando stole hers from the lawn in front of her apartment in allston.  le sad.

+this week marks the two year anniversary of slovak attak '07, which consisted of a ten day trek through vienna, bratislava and budapest with los, nico, vince and katie.  during slovak attak, i ate enough sacher torte for a family of five, almost got arrested for riding the metro illegally in budapest and somehow wound up downing absinthe on a boat on the danube only to walk back to our slovakian hostel without my shoes on.  in short: it was epic and its anniversary is always worth noting.  that, and i miss nico, vince and katie so incredibly much :( 

now, it's off to the gym to work on my fitness, as opposed to staying home and making french bread french toast. gahhh. i would so much rather be doing the latter.  i HATE pulling pranks on people and will definitely be refraining from that today, but what are you guys up to for april fools?

(just playin'. you've been warned.)

H!L

the happy list, march 23rd edition.

1.  apparently my alma mater got a mention on tonight's episode of gossip girl.  i didn't see it because i was too busy enjoying the company of los and claudia while scarfing a delectable bowl of mac n' cheez at redbones.  (it's actually "mac n' cheez" on the menu.  love.)

2.  tomorrow night, i'm going to see "i love you man" with marcy, jessie and potentially los. we're having a mexican feast at on the border beforehand.  guacamole and the glorious pairing of paul rudd and jason segel? good GOD yes.

3.  so that this list doesn't primarily consist of food, therefore negating the fact that i am a fatty-fatty-no-friends: one of my best friends from granada, nico, is celebrating his birthday on the 17th of april, and i may fly out to chicago for the festivities.  chicago is one of my all-time favorite places to be, and i'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to score a party dress for the occasion and buy one of my favorite fellas a round of man's ruin to ring in his 23rd at probably the coolest speak easy in existence. 

4.  despite splinter making an appearance in my kitchen yesterday afternoon, my weekend was glorious and included surprise visits from dear friends heading up from providence, two great shows (the rex complex at toad and, as always, the sea monsters at precinct), ignoring the alarm clock each morning and hosting impromptu burrito/makeshift screwdriver (read: rubinoff and orange fanta cocktails) parties until 4 am.  oh, the life i lead.

5.  there are still tickets available for the cold war kids' show at the wilbur on april 2nd, so i'm trying to figure out if it'd be ok to go and then head to los' birthday shindig immediately after.  asdjfadfs SO HARD why does one of my favorite bands have to play a show on my best friend's birthdaaay?!?!

it's been a long day and tomorrow i have to get up and do grown-up things (pay bills, deposit cheques, go to the gym, straighten out dental insurance, etc...) 

love/hate: st. patrick's day.

reasons why hil loves st. patrick's day:

+ this is the only day of the year where i can actually do an irish car bomb and be excited about it.

+ i look good in green, which makes dressing for the festivities easy.

+ my dad's family is kind of old school north shore proud to be irish american and he's making corned beef and cabbage tonight and he's all cute about it.  i can't go for dinner, but it's sweet to see him get all excited.

reasons why hil hates st. patrick's day:

+ this is the only day of the year where i can actually do an irish car bomb and be excited about it.   (yes. i know that i wrote that twice.)

+ i will punt a small child/puppy/something else wholesome and good if i have to listen to the dropkick murphys' "shipping up to boston" or "the state of massachusetts" ONE. MORE. TIME.  i will beat a stranger into submission with my bare hands if i have to listen to them trying to wail either song on the T/on the bus/in the general vicinity of my apartment.

+ overhearing the following in line at the coffee shop, on the t, at the grocery store, and most assuredly at the bar later: "OH MY GAHD DOOD I'M SO IRISH.  I'M 110% IRISH.  110%. LIKE SO WICKED IRISH. LIKE I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO DANNY BOY AND I DRINK GUINNESSS LIKE WATER AND "BOONDOCK SAINTS" IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE DOOD AND I HAVE A SHAMROCK TATTOO FOR MY HERITAGE BECAUSE I'M SOOOO IRISH. MY LAST NAME IS Mc-/O'- SEE I'M MORE IRISH THAN YOU ARE."  you are not from ireland.  your parents were not from ireland.  i highly doubt your great great grandparents were irish, you tool.  i bet you're about as irish as i am at best, and even though i have so many freckles that it looks like someone threw mud at me through a screen door, i'm not gonna parade my "heritage" around suffolk county to impress randos and try to get laid for love of the republic.  jump off the MGH bridge, brah.  or go back to the suburbs.  i don't care.  stop existing.  you give my city a bad name.

+ nothing good can come from this holiday except for an upset stomach from corned beef and cabbage and a blistering hangover.  three years ago (when i was still in college and therefore didn't know better, c'mon), i woke up the morning after st. paddy's on a balcony in astoria with a shamrock painted on my face.  no one needs that. ever.

so, for those of you looking to avoid what's sure to be an incredibly unpleasant scenario, avoid the following bars/neighborhoods tonight:

1) faneuil hall/causeway street/the north end.  any bar (the purple shamrock, the bell and hand, kitty o'shea's, emmett's, hurricane o'reilly's) that's anywhere near faneuil hall.  this goes without saying.  any self-respecting bostonian avoids faneuil/government center like the plague anyway when it comes to nightlife and st. paddy's day is hardly the day to make this mistake.  lines, college kids and cover charges? hellllllll no.

2) landsdowne street.  do you want to get puked on by some sorority girl from one of the colleges of the fenway who can't match her brah of a boyfriend baileys shot for baileys shot? do you want to get shoved around by drunken buffoons in scally caps only to get punched in the teeth by one of them in front of the cask and flagon?  i didn't think so.

3) the intersection of brighton ave/harvard ave in allston.  i don't mind the bars in allston on the week nights when it's a bit more chill and especially during the summertime.  with that said, two that i refuse to ever go to are the kells and the joshua tree. (j-tree isn't on brighton ave, it's actually on comm, but it's close enough.)  expect to see/hear a lot of drunk girls crying on the sidewalk because the bouncers took their fake ids. 

4) southie.  don't be stupid.

whoooa.  that's a lot of saint paddy's day hate.  sorry for the negativity, guys, but i had to get it out.  should you chose to frequent one of the previously mentioned establishments this evening, get housed before you go.  it's the only way you'll enjoy it/make it out alive.

erin go bragh,

hil.

happy things.

hi!

i just posted this on los' fbook wall.  i figured i'd share the love with you, too.

as much as i want to write about how spontaneous and awesome it was to run to the back of the somerville theatre last night to greet U2 after their super secret surprise show, i'm too tired right now. i have no idea why, either, seeing as i got plenty of sleep last night. (ok not really but i got more than 7 hours, i think, so i shouldn't complain.)  in lieu of talking about how much i love bono and how genuinely happy he seemed to see the crowd who had come out just to say hi, i'm going to write a happy list.

THINGS THAT MAKE HIL A HAPPY CAMPER! (in no particular order):

+coffee and ginormous chocolate chip cookies from 1369.  mikey and i hit up 1369 after a fantastic visit to the ICA (see below) and the cappuccino i had was one of the best caffeinated concoctions i've downed in awhile.  (i usually consume between 4-6 shots of espresso a day, so this is big.) 

+the interlock mini skirt from american apparel.  i have it in black and eggplant and i wish it were springier outside so that i could wear either one with leggings and cute little flats and not have to worry about getting said cute little flats all muddy and gross.

+"back to the future": i own the complete trilogy and watched the first installment while awaiting the arrival of marcy, chris and andrew before our bono sighting.  los and i are thinking of going as marty and doc next year for halloween, but only if this brilliant plan falls through.  (jessie i know what you're thinking but I ALREADY HAVE THE PURPLE SKIRT AND THE GLASSES OK!)

+shepard fairey.  i went to his show at the ICA today and found it to be inspiring and humbling and it made me wanna go home and create something.  the arrangement of the exhibit was exquisite, the presentation was superb, and i absolutely plan on taking advantage of the free ticket i scored sometime next week.  his guns and roses poster is now prominently displayed in my kitchen.

+i love the sartorialist and it's one of the first blogs i check when i wake up in the morning, and i've bookmarked this photo since its original posting on february 13th.  i want a bright blue scarf!  i want a grey blazer with colorful, almost unnoticeable details! (i want the girl version, however, seeing as i am not an extremely tan italian man...)

+buenos aires.  this time last year los and i were prepping and packing for a weeklong stay in my second home.  to say that it was incredible, that whole returning-to-my-favorite-city-for-the-first-time-since-leaving-it-with-my-best-friend-in-tow thing, would be a gross understatement.  some favorite shots from our trip to buenos aires in march of 2008:

los hanging out in the hammock at our hostel in palermo.

we got to catch up with tony, one of my good friends who i had studied with while living in buenos aires in 2006, and this was the view from the roof of his apartment building on charcas.

the graffiti and street art that plasters the walls of capital federal is amazing, and this was one of the many murals we spotted on the entrance to a restaurant in palermo.

i stayed out with a bunch of newfound friends 'til dawn my last night in BsAs and was able to snap this shot while walking home that morning.  sunrise on rio de la plata? this doesn't even begin to do it justice.

so, anyways!  that's the march 12th edition of the happy list.  what's making you smile today, ladies and gents?

-H!L.

recipe for a dance party, brought to you by maya.

background: los, maya and jessie are my three partners in crime when it comes to most of my adventures in the Bean and in life in general, actually.  more often than not, we tend to dance around like crazy people wherever we are and whenever we're at my place you can bet that maya's playing dj and making some ridiculous, adrenaline-pumping playlist on my itunes.  

while cleaning my desk yesterday i FINALLY found the cd that maya made for los, jessie and i.  i knew it was in my desk somewhere but couldn't find it the night of my birthday when about 30 people piled into my tiny one-bedroom apartment and we were in desperate need of danceable tunes, and los keeps the disc playing on heavy rotation in her car.  so, without further ado, here's what we listen to before we go out, when we're en route to going out, when we're already out... you get the idea.

architecture in helsinki, heart it races. (this is also one of the most absurd cockamamie things i have ever seen.  that should mean something.)

hot chip, ready for the floor. (my neighbors are probably real sick of hearing this when they walk by my apartment after 5pm.)

new order, temptation. (side note: the sea monsters do a fantastic cover of this. well done, friends!)

passion pit, better things. (we saw them at the middle east a couple of weeks ago.  pretty boss.  also, the intro makes me giggle.)

beyoncé, single ladies (put a ring on it). (you do not know ridiculous until you're at phoenix landing with us on a friday night and you watch hil and jessie and company try to do the choreography to this while jessie spills her beer and hil breaks stuff.  it's absurd.)

that's it, for now.  what do YOU listen to when you're getting all gussied up for a big night out and you're dancing like a cool kid in front of the mirror in your bedroom?

ps: this is us. taken at the brazilian girls show at the paradise this past october; from left, jessie, hil, maya, los.

aw.

(also: somebody make me go to the gym. seriously.  my couch is way, way too comfortable and i can't spend another afternoon on it and still like myself.)

Kendall Square: You confuse me.

last night, after a lovely couple of hours spent drinking limca (indian keylime soda, look into it as it's DELICIOUS and i'm going back to shalimar to get some more in a few) and smoking some rose and mango shisha with mike and matt, we opted to head over to kendall square to shoot some pool.  on the way there, i realized that my friends and i, uh, NEVER go out in kendall. ever.  know why?  because kendall is a royal pain in the ass and one of the most awkward areas in cambridge or boston to navigate, on foot or otherwise.

here's my beef with you, kendall: you're humongous.  and nothing of interest, with the exception of buildings important to MIT and all that, is situated anywhere near your T stop.  when i say "everything of interest", i mean everything that's not legal sea foods or the harvard coop satellite store, both of which are located on main street.  i mean the kendall landmark theatre, which is one of the best cinemas around for international and feature releases; i mean flat top johnny's, where we were last night; and i mean the garment district, which is the reigning champ when it comes to procuring vintage clothing and costumes in the greater boston area.  the fact that you gotta GoogleMap your kendall-bound destination before you even leave your house is enough reason to refrain from heading anywhere near that part of cambridge for the night.

with that said: i wish your layout was a little more sympathetic with the needs of boston/cambridge nightlife, kendall, because your location is ideal.  you're right over the bridge, for chrissakes! you've got movies, booze, pool and decent shopping! why can't you just be a little more accommodating when it comes to organizing a bar crawl or shopping on a rainy day?  

we wound up ditching flat top johnny's for the independent in union square, which is way closer to our respective homes and open until 2am on fridays and saturdays.  the food is awesome and the drinks are fantastic, and it's one of the few bars around that serves legitimate cocktails: i'll bet you $20 that a faneuil/causeway/comm ave bartender has no idea what an aviation cocktail is, let alone how to make one, and they shake up a mouthwatering aviation over at the independent.  union square, i fall a little more in love with you every day...

so, yeah. sorry, kendall.  you're kind of awkward, which is too bad because you've got some real potential. and now, i'm off to central (which beats kendall in every single solitary sense for food, nightlife, entertainment, shopping etc. anyway) to pick up some canvases, limca and some more paint.  i think i'm gonna walk there, too, seeing as it is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS OUTSIDE.  seriously.  get off your computer and take yourself for a walk, just be sure to leave the jacket at home and bring your shades.

to quote kj: "whoever decided on the soundtrack to 'WATCHMEN' needs to be drawn and quartered."

one of the best things about this movie: 

jeffrey dean morgan as the comedian. (image courtesy of http://meatbun.us/)

so! last night, i piled into the balcony at the somerville theatre in davis square with 15 of my favorite people to take in the 11:45pm showing of "WATCHMEN".  we got to the theatre at 11 to be safe, seeing as we had a slew of seats to hold onto, but it was no use, really: the lobby was packed with excited movie goers, comic book gurus (i don't want to say geeks, that's mean) and even a reeeeally devoted fan who went all out and donned a Rorschach getup complete with eerie inkblot mask, fedora and trench coat:

photo snapped by the lovely and talented miss g.

needless to say, we were stoked.  here's me, stoked:

once again, photo courtesy of the lovely g.

we booked it upstairs, grabbed our seats, and the whole theatre roared when the previews ended and the massive screen in the 800+ seat theatre went yellow.  

i didn't have any expectations of the movie going into it, so i can't say that i was disappointed in this incredibly hyped-up release that's been gossiped about by avid readers of moore's comic book series and hollywood insiders alike... but a large percentage of the folks i attended the showing with were definitely of the opinion that "watchmen" is mediocre at best. 

without giving up any spoilers, a few things i loved and loathed about "watchmen":

LOVED:

+jeffrey dean morgan as the comedian: i LOVE jeffrey dean morgan in general and find him to be a refreshing, confident presence in whatever television show/movie he's involved with, and "watchmen" was no exception.  his character was probably one of the least likable in the film, but his depiction of the comedian was PERFECTION in my book. (granted, i know next to nothing about "watchmen" as a series and haven't picked up one of the comics, but i can't see anyone else doing this part justice the way morgan did.)  his smirk, swagger, saunter and cigar were all perfect and i wanted so much more of him throughout the movie.  "watchmen" is worth the price of admission for his performance alone.

+the opening title montage/sequence: "watchmen" is based on a twelve part series of graphic novels by alan moore, so the fact that they were able to edit, cut, rearrange and smush alllll of that material into a feature film is impressive.  the opening sequence, set to bob dylan's "the times they are a-changin'", is a beautifully shot, vintage-feeling montage of powerful clips that piece together the background information we need in order to appreciate and understand the plot and overarching themes of the movie.  the first five minutes still stand out to me as the most enjoyable part of the movie... i don't know why i was so into it, but it got me excited about the three-hour action epic i'd signed up for, and i'm sure i'm not the only one.

LOATHED:

+the soundtrack: ok fancy mr. director man, i understand that you want to play up the fact that the movie takes place in 1985 and you draw on nixon and vietnam and a few other historical events that you signify with musical choices relevant to that time period, but C'MON.  the random hendrix/ccr/bad eighties pop tracks interspaced throughout the most pivotal ploty points were SOOO DISTRACTING and it completely snapped me out of the story.  boo on your part, person in charge of music choices.  boo.

+the length: going back to the fact that this was a 12-part series, i get that it has to be a long flick for artistic integrity, but this was just too long. TOO LONG.  it was good and fine and everything, but 163 minutes and previews? too long.

+the ending: felt INCREDIBLY rushed.  that's all you get.  no spoilers, because i'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened, really, myself, but yeah.  wasn't crazy about it.

THE VERDICT ON "WATCHMEN":  it was ok. i would consider seeing it again, if anything for jeffrey dean morgan, but only at the somerville theatre (or MAYBE imax) because it is grrreat.

things that make me smile like this:

(this would be jessie and i ringing in the new year. do excuse her devil eye/my vivid slash of guns n' roses/velvet revolver impression.)

+ impromptu hookah parties in my apartment with fantastic, lovely people and fantastic, lovely conversation.  extra points for rose, jasmine and pomegranate flavored shisha.

+ sunny days after snow days: yeah, it sucks that it's cold and yeah, it sucks that i need to leap over a mound of snow half my size in order to get into and out of my apartment every day, but you can't deny that today wasn't a beautiful one in suffolk county.

+ celebrating los' return to the dark side (read: she gave up being a vegetarian) with a massive feast at redbones.  steak tips and mac n' cheese? yes yes and good god yes.

+ FINALLY FINDING A COPY OF RUSSIAN VOGUE.  i have a collection of vogues from around the world and want a copy of vogue in every language/region it's in print. i've been looking for the russian edition for ages and i can't stomach spending the $300+ for a yearly, imported subscription to it.  there are 19 editions of the magazine released across the globe, and the international editions i've got so far hail from the us, uk, italy, australia, spain, portugal, brazil, germany, greece, japan and now russia.  vogues left to obtain: india, mexico, china, canada, switzerland, korea, taiwan and france.  (france and canada i can totally pick up at the borders in downtown crossing.  india and korea?  not so much.)

+ "watchmen" is playing at the somerville theatre on its opening night (which is next thursday, for those of you who have been living underneath a massive, massive rock.)  i'm buying a whole chunk o' tickets tomorrow and making an event of it next week with some wonderful people.  check back for a review later (of the movie, not the people.  oh, i'm so witty, yuck yuck.  facepalm.) 

+ the novelty of the gigantic map of south america currently shackin' up in my living room hasn't worn off yet.  i don't know if it ever well.  le sigh.

+ i finally picked up a copy of david foster wallace's infinite jest and i can't wait to start reading it.   i plan on spending a hefty chunk of my day tomorrow downing lattes at bloc 11 and picking few the first hundred pages or so of this whopper.  (the book is a behemoth at 981 pages.) 

the long and short of it: today was a great tuesday.  how was yours?