Quirk Board

What nurtures our creativity

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I and love and you. 

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Falling in love with Autumn, all over again.

For the first time in about six years I was able to help my parents clear the yard of this season's fallen leaves today.  Between my dancing and documention of every leave that intruiged me (which was every other one of thousands moved), I may have set a world record for slowest raking pace.  

I've also not been able to go a day without taking photos of the ever changing scenery around me. My commutes to and from work have been painted with these beautiful warm colors splashed with filtered golden light from the sun.  Everyday has been majestical, whether the sky is painted bright blue or pale grey- leaving me the dopiest smile that could only be understood by those who have been swept away by the beauty of this season in years past.   

Ahh.  To be young, and in love.

.: Kimberlee

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I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything is fine.

Paolo Nutini, New Shoes 

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life ain't that bad.

today began as something lovely. 

a hot shower, a bit of sunshine, a long leisurely lunch made of coffee with chocolate mustaches and an amazing, albeit spicy, soup with a new friend.

and then. 

I realised I had failed to wear enough layers. and that gloves would be a permanent staple for the next six months. 

and that I can only consume small snippets of scientific jargon until my head feels it will implode. and by small snippets I actually mean single paragraphs at a time. 

and that I have pretty much signed on to be trapped in statistical programming hell for the next six to ten months. 

and that the biggest thing that upsets me is that I just don't understand.

that I'm not used to being in a world where I'm so perpetually lost. to say I feel stupid is harsh, but... I feel I'm floundering. 

I sure it is going to pass. I know it will.

but right now I feel slightly crazed. and yet completely incapable of washing off my makeup from the day. 

but then my best friend texts me with exactly what I need to hear, reminding me that even thousands of miles away she can still read my mind. 

so I'll fall asleep in my wonderfully oversized sweater and dream of things that will reiterate that I am living within a pivotal, wonderful time in my life. and that I am one smart cookie. 

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tyranny of conscious thought.

So I've been meaning to write a post about music and how it's all about feelings. 

Much like I've been meaning to read the stack of articles on EEG that have been sitting printed out on my desk for the last three days and cross things off this lovely to do list: 

Suffice it to say these things have not happened. 

I even swear I had a draft post saved but that seems to have gone missing... But it's also entirely possible I am just losing my marbles. 

Anyway. I know it may not seem like it but I've been working very hard to not reblog every single amazing Parks and Recreation GIF I find on their tumblr onto Quirk Board (like this one and this one). This season, especially the most recent episode, is too good for words.

This past week I discovered a lovely little blog called I Am Friends You Are Fuel. A woman in Denver, Colorado records amazing bands like The Head and the Heart and The Lumineers performing live sets in an old chapel. Also, she has these same great bands play house shows! It's so cool to hear the raw recordings and see the great pictures from the events: 

In addition, she makes amazing playlists and uploads them via zip drives onto the blog. Her 2012 autumn mix has introduced me to The Oh Hello's, a little brother-sister duo out of Texas that released a delightful four song extended play in 2011. 

The first song, Hello My Old Heart, is simply gorgeous. Great harmonies, beautiful lyrics, and smooth, caramel voices. This line alone is comforting like a pumpkin spice latte for my ears: "and it's true you'll never beat/ but you'll never break" 

And this brings me to to my final point and what inspired me to write this rambling post in the first place:

While perusing Pinterest for far too much time today, I stumbled across this lovely little quote and thought that it perfectly displayed what I would have tried to say in my blog with a much less eloquent execution: 

So there you have it. All my thoughts wrapped up into a compact sentence and a rambling blog post. 

..sam

[adamscottismyboyfriend]

[amypoehler]

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this is why I'm obsessed with Ben Wyatt. 

[theatlantic]

Fey/Poehler vs. MacFarlane: The Golden Globes One-Up the Oscars

Have the Golden Globes just beaten the Oscars at its own game? Thanks to last night’s announcement of the shrewd hiring of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as hosts of its 2013 ceremony, it might have. High-fiving a million angels!

The Motion Picture Academy’s ceaseless struggle to produce an Oscars telecast that appeals to younger viewers while still maintaining a relatively high level of traditional pomp and circumstance is, by now, a point of ridicule. First there was the parading of a Tiger Beat troupe made up of High School Musical stars and  Miley Cyrus onto the broadcast. Then, the fateful hiring of Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts. The tremendous crash-and-burn of the Brett Ratner/Eddie Murphy “edgy” producing/hosting team that never was. Yet the very embodiment of the “If at first you don’t succeed mantra…,” the Academy made another attempt at reaching the 18-24 demo, booking Seth MacFarlane, the man behind Family Guy, Ted, and nearly nothing that a majority of the aging Academy members have ever heard of, to preside over this year’s telecast.

It was a risky choice, and one that might have ended up seeming wise in the long run. That is, until the Hollywood Foreign Press ruined everything by landing what may be the most perfect combination of award show hosts that there has ever been: Fey and Poehler.

Read more.

[nbctv]

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20 seconds.

Here's the proof that I've been doing something other than listening to Mumford & Sons:

My lovely birthday celebration with new friends. 

What my insomnia looks like.

Apparently Scottish H&M is a fan of Rhode Island.

I finally found the perfect bag for class! SO MANY POCKETS.

It's good to be loved. 

Pumpkin spice FINALLY made it to the UK. Huzzah!

Imperial Red Wheat from Brew Dog and a little hint of leopard. 

Best. Snack. Ever. 

Beautiful album art. 

Words for the week. 

This adorable photo made my heart swell. Miss you all so much! 

..sam

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obsession.

Something you may not know about me is that I have an incredibly addictive personality. I listen to albums in their entirety over and over for weeks at a time. I watch episodes of a show in succession until I finish a series (i.e. Kimberlee and I viewed the entirety of Lost in under six weeks). For the record, I view these obsessions as a complete form of creative expression, hence their place on the Quirk Board. 

Currently, two things I have always loved have manifested into full-blown addictions. Allow me to obsess about them for you: 

1. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

  The man is amazing. First, he stars in one of my all-time favorite movies, (500) Days of Summer. In my eyes, that movie is cinematic perfection. It's raw and honest, filled with accurate depictions of love. In one of the many YouTube interviews I watched of JGL last week, he said, "Any originality is a balance of tradition and rebellion, of repetition and deviation. And what I can safely say about (500) Days of Summer is that it's honest, and to me that's way more important than being quote-unquote original. I don't think anything's entirely original; everything has it's influence. What's matters is if you're honest." This sentiment perfectly sums up why this movie resonates so deeply with me. And starring in 2010's Inception, creating hitREcord.org, his own collaborative production company, and seeming like an overall genuine guy are just some of the reasons I'm currently obsessed with JGL. And the fact that he rocks suits on a regular basis doesn't hurt either. 

2. Mumford & Sons 

My deep love for Mumford has existed since their 2010 release of Sigh No More and my good fortune of seeing them live on Halloween in Chicago that same year. There's no denying their talent (their music speaks for itself), but let me tell you: They put on the best live show I have ever seen. This bold claim is one that I stand by almost two years and many shows later, and Sigh No More remains a consistent part of my rotation. After a very long wait they finally released their sophomore album, Babel, last week. Simultaneously, they announced a fall UK tour that just so happens to come through Glasgow. So needless to say, this past week has been filled with the delicious sounds of Mumford & Sons. 

Remember how I said earlier that I listen to albums over and over for weeks at a time? Well Babel is so good that I may listen to it over and over for months, especially in the time leading up to the concert in December. I cannot believe that (a) I am lucky enough to see them play live again and (b) that they could possibly create an album to compete with their debut. If you haven't listened to Babel or Sigh No More, do it now. And if you become shy about playing the album more than once, just think of me and my obsession. 

..sam 

P.S. The heavens shined upon me recently and put Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mumford & Sons on the same episode of SNL. Just when I thought things couldn't get better, this picture surfaced on the internet: 

BAM! You're welcome. 

[coexistingdream]

[nbcparksandrec]

The shortcuts everyone should have on their phone.

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From the best show on television

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"...there are better things than plans upon which to build your life, and by some miracle, in my flailing about, I seem to have stumbled upon them."

(Tropper, 2005, p. 334)

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I start feeling I'm strong enough to break.

do you have a song that, no matter what poor mood you may find yourself in, lifts your spirits? is it the only song that makes things better even when you can’t identify what’s wrong?

I’m sure I hope all of your know what I’m talking about. and I am about to share a small piece of knowledge with you: that song for me is by Hanson.

no, I’m not talking about MmmBop (although I did read that they are producing a beer based on that name). I’m talking about something from their 2004 release Underneath, an album who’s quality I will defend until I die. The song “Strong Enough to Break” is one that I have connected with consistently for the last eight years.

even now, as my mind is muddled by indistinguishable, contemplative thoughts, that song, the opener to the album, makes everything better.

I could never begin to tell you why. I just know it’s the way it is.

..sam

p.s. this girl seriously has impeccable timing

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musings.

The sun is shining and has been for the better part of the day. Must be because it's my birthday week! (Think of me Saturday and send me lots of pretty gifts!)

Some thoughts:

There are good looking men EVERYWHERE it seems. Tall ones, ones in suits, ones in hoodies cut close to their thin frames, their zippers pinched up around their chins.

The accents fly around me just the way I like them to. It's comforting somehow, being a voice that is not like the others. People speak in softer tones here, too. My laugh seems intrusive in most moments, like the ones in the hushed coffee shop I am falling in love with. The way my laugh pierces the quiet reminds me that perhaps I should take this slower. 

As I was writing today, it occurred to me that when I was in Sydney three years ago my observations were more factual. Here in Glasgow I'm trying to be more introspective, to understand what these things could mean, how they add up to the sum of what this is all about. To identify what they say collectively. 

And some photos: 

View from the library on a dreary day. The library is eleven floors. Color me excited.

Some details of a recent outfit. Please excuse the washcloth. 

Sunshine around here is basically crack. 

I will never get tired of this building. 

The lovely Mary and I 

Seriously people. Crack. 

..sam

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just because.

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we're going to rattle this ghost town.

Despite the grey, dreary, blustery day, I smiled an awful lot today. It's the little things that make one happy like: 

Being greeted this morning by an sneaky image of my beautiful, former (I miss him so much) chiroprator's behind. The methods behind capturing this will never be revealed. 

Sitting quietly in the newly discovered coffee shop that I'm sure I will inhabit daily:

Successfully completing my first official Blate with the lovely Megan from Across the Pond, who's self-confessed claim to fame is the very creation of that term. She was even more wonderful in person than she is on her blog and I'm excited to have someone close by who's been through the very transition I am going through. 

Finding the man who helped me open my bank account was a Red Sox fan despite his very, very thick Glaswegian accent. Nothing warms my heart like an international Boston fan. 

Walking through the streets of the West End and knowing exactly where I was going. 

Loving today's outfit enough to photograph it: 

  Realizing my new friends and I have already reached the level of sharing loads of laundry in order to save money. Forming these bonds so quickly tells me that I'm exactly where I should be. 

And in case I forget, I've written myself a little note:

  ..sam

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Let's get real.

So you're probably wondering what has been going on here. There's been silence and a great deal of unanswered questions. I know you have all been shaking in anticipation ever since I promised big things ahead. 

And then Kimberlee's touching and lovely post showed up last week and after you dried your tears you thought, "but where has Sam gone?" It has been like one big puzzle needing to be pieced together. It's been quite rude of me, actually. 

Well, here are some images to help you understand a bit better: 

Iceland from the tarmac. 

Hogwarts. 

Flat white. 

The best sweater ever. Can't wait to style this puppy. 

Mmm Strongbow.

  While pretty, these images probably don't help at all so I'll stop being elusive. I'm writing to you from Glasgow, Scotland. I've taken myself and as much of my stuff two suitcases could fit and hopped across the pond. I'll be here for a year, mastering the science of research methods and creating a home out of a place I had never been before. 

During this time I hope Quirkboard will evolve into a means to document my time in Glasgow as well as continuing to display what inspires us creatively. I have been here for only a week and I have no doubt that this upcoming year will be my most creative one yet. 

I'll be back soon with some more pictures, maybe an outfit or two, and some intellectual musings. Stay tuned. 

..sam