a tiny kingdom at the bottoms of the trees

THE NOVEL... (and slightly redundant post)

Alright, other things going on at the moment seems like one big hot mess of stress when I look at the whole picture (my meditation and yoga sessions are getting longer everyday.) One could say I am a bit of a workaholic, extremist, perfectionist and take on too many projects at once. I need to be constantly doing things.

Anyways, this fall there are a lot of things going on. Mainly and most importantly is the solo photography exhibit I am doing while I am back in NYC this September. This may be the hardest thing (besides my 10 day master cleanse) I've done all year. I'd rather continue writing essays for my artists grant than try to come up with a cohesive collection of photographs, titling them and pricing them?! Pshhhh. And since I don't want to spend unnecessary money (aka I'm a cheap bastard), I am "DJing" myself. As for the booze, I really want to make it a classy event and buy some boxes of Franzia wine. Jokes, not really, but yeah...

Then, I am going back to school this fall to finish my majors in Psychology and Globalization. I am taking all my courses online, so I am still able to travel. It's going to suck having to pack textbooks in my suitcase.

Next, there is planning for this possible Europe trip this winter. If anyone knows any cool galleries or spaces in London, preferably in the Shoreditch area or maybe even Chelsea or Soho, PLEASE email soon, I have a week to find a place. And get an invitation letter from a gallery or some sort of artist workshop to show my work there. Oy to the vey.

Now, I know festival season is ages away, but when you do not have a proper job, you have to start planning and saving now if you plan on going to any. I will probably be at CMJ this year, but CMJ really isn't a festival, you know what I mean? So, I may pass and save that money for something else. UNLESS, The Maccabees play.

Then there is choosing between SXSW or Coachella. Since Coachella is a tradition (I've been going since I was 18) I know I am definitely going and then chilling in LA for bit after. And I don't know about SXSW, seeing how this year was such a suck fest compared to last year, and my partner in crime Jade may not go, I probably won't go either. Who else am I suppose to drink Jameson with, remain in a constant state of drunkeness, getting locked out of the apartment we were staying at and sleeping on the porch, sleeping on the kitchen floor because you couldn't be bothered to make it to the couch, missing shows we were suppose to cover, seeing Dan Auerbach play at 3am in someone's backyard and getting a busted lip from him accidentally hitting me with the head of his guitar, and last but not least, seeing all our friends bands play.

This year, as mentioned in a past post on my thoughts of SXSW, we spent most of our time seeing the same bands over and over and over again, hardly leaving the hotel room, eating Chinese food, drinking Jameson, wondering why everyone but us met Bill Murray, listening to The White Stripes, and stalking Sean Lennon (wait what?) And I even went as far as trying to change my flight so I could leave earlier. Dramatic, I know, but being really ill and not having any fun makes you do desperate things.

Let's compare last year to this years in a series of photographs.

Last year:

Jade and I had to get some supplies.

(BTW, hi Mother! Apparently my Mother reads my blog now. Apologies in advance!)

Crocodiles man love

Heather takes photos, she doesn't like having her photo taken.

word.

bad kids.

Leia and I

Ryan and Greg (The Strange Boys)

JAKE!! All you need to know about Jake is that he rules. He's the older brother I never had.

Miss Ana Calderon

Every morning was brutal that week.

Jimmy Johns is mah joint.

Jade and I obviously inebriated.

Malia James (photographer, friend, bass player for Marnie Stern that year)

Kyle and I

Dan Auerbach 3am crazily amazing show, someone stole my polaroid camera but not the film that was in my bag or my wallet. Wanker.

Jonathan (Delta Spirit) and I

The Vajayjay's (aka Marnie Stern & Co.)

This year: I hardly remember taking many photos this year. My saving graces were Darker My Love, Malia, Jade, Heather and Nadia.

Will (Darker My Love) & Malia

Tim (Darker My Love)

Jade and I went to that hitRECord presentation that Joseph Gordon-Levitt started to escape the cold. If you were there, then you remember there was that one day it was like 45 degrees out and no one was prepared and you saw people walking around in their bathrobes.

ALSO, am I the only girl that didn't "like totally love" 500 Days of Summer? It was alright, I guess. I would watch it again on HBO as background noise. Now, this doesn't mean I don't think that JGL isn't swoon worthy.

Jack and Coke to stay warm.

The last day and so fucking ready to go. I had all my shit packed and in the car the night before and my flight wasn't until late afternoon.

Seriously, to those that read all my nonsense deserve a cupcake or something.

if you were there, beware

Well, I am back from SXSW. Still recovering. Still haven't slept properly since I've been back. So many photographs to edit and film to develop and more trips to plan. It just never ends.

This is me, the last night of SXSW. It was an early night, everyone got back to the hotel before 1am. We packed, listened to the white stripes and arctic monkeys, drank whiskey and talked about how exhausted we were and how we couldn't wait to go home.

I look tired and cold in this photograph and I have no make up on, grody.

mah shit, trying to get organised

Nadia staying chill, drinking tea and texting on her phone as usual

REWIND (I think my posts about SXSW are going to be Tarantino style; not in order)

I hardly did anything the last day. It was so cold and I didn't pack proper trousers or a coat. Fucking weather people said it was going to be in the 70s most of the week and 60s at the lowest. So, clearly I wasn't going to pack my parka! Damn liars. I should have packed my parka, gloves, scarf, hot hands, etc etc.

Also, I was tired from the night before, which was a Friday if I recall correctly. I didn't go to bed until after 5am and woke up at 8am...Coolio...

Anways, on Saturday, Jade and I hung out at the hotel most of the time then we drove around to find Chinese food, since we were craving it and we had been drinking Whiskey all morning, afternoon and eventually, later that night. So we obviously needed food.

Then we watched some movies and she left to go see Karen Elsen play.

I took a nap, just to be awoken by Jade's call tell me that Sean Lennon's new band was playing. If you know me, I LOVE Sean Lennon and I LOVE his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl. I think she is beautiful and wish I looked like her. Some girls have all the luck, ya know? Anyways, the name of their band is called The Ghost Of A Saber Toothed Tiger, why didn't I think of that name? Damn, I am so uncool. Anyways, check them out! It's very lovely.

So, I threw on some clothes and literally ran to were the show was, luckily it was by the hotel, but it was FREEZING OUT. It actually wasn't that cold but when you aren't prepared for that sort of weather it seems worse than it really is.

I got there just in time for their set. It was good. Despite the cold, they continued to play.

the ghost of a saber toothed tiger

sean lennon

jade drinking a a jack and coke to stay warm

cooooolddddd and clearly not fully awake

Afterwards, chatted briefly with Sean Lennon, Kemp Muhl ran inside to get warm. He we extremely lovely. I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly was not that. I took his polaroid and ran back to the hotel to escape the cold.

There were plenty of shows I wanted to see on Saturday but due to laziness, coldness, and quite frankly being a spoilt brat about SXSW this year, I didn't go to anymore shows or parties. I was actually really tame this year compared to last year and saw very few shows, oddly. I felt, I know this is really cheesy to say, but uninspired.

I do go to the Joseph Gordon Levitt, Hit Record discussion, where The Ghost Of A Saber Toothed Tiger were performing again, but under warmer conditions.

(Thanks Caitlin for the tip off about that!)

Photos from that later.

I do regret not making it my friend Ilirjana's party, but after the film panel, I was so exhausted and the thought of walking a several blocks to a party was too much to bare, plus we heard some crazy rumour you had to RSVPed which ended up NOT being true, slightly peeved by that. Anyways, I bet it was wicked though.