Fastart! Moleskine (R) inspired art and other ramblings

I love complaining, I hope I have learnt over the years to complain in such a refined and elaborated way that makes the complaining less of an annoying defect but more of a character defining feature.

I simply complain, all the time, about the most stupid things. I complain about life's little daily complainable stuff, like getting up early, having a way too demanding job, being unable to lose weight (actually not even trying to), procrastinating, online shopaholism, bad quality washi-tape, people that steal staplers, the wheather (oh what a source of happy complaining), but above all else, I use this blog to complain about my lack of blogging habilities and my muse's long absences.

Over the past year I have discovered a great deal of blogs which, far from inspiring me to blog more, have deviated my attention from this blog and taken me to a far more comfortable reader-status.

And that is the point. Instead of posting more, I am posting less and less, why? oh why?

There was a time when writing a post took more than ten minutes of picture-theft on Pinterest or Tumblr, there was even a time when people wrote on Moleskine notebooks instead of blogging. And there was a time when not everyone declared themselves bloggers and shared with other non-bloggers the interesting stuff that happened to them (it was called coffee over the holiday pictures, for example).

As much as I fight to find interesting/funny/geeky stuff to post about, the more "inspirational blogs" I follow, the less inspired to blog I feel.
Well, just the other day, the tables finally turned. AT LAST.

The guys at Mr. Wonderful  discovered us this guy: Guillaume Kurkdjian, and it all came back (not the hey I'll repin a couple of pictures and come up with a blog post), the good inspiration came back, even if it was not blog-oriented.


Well, Guillaume Kurkdjian helped me go back to basics, and Moleskine my daily life. Yay!

He is a genius at designing animated gifs and other really fun digital stuff, but what I liked most about his website was his Travel Notebook.

Isn't it cool? so happy and colorful and fun. And simple.

And I wanted that on my Moleskine (R), really bad. So this weekend, I made myself a promise, to try and draw the daily stuff and the happy weekend plans and anything that comes to my attention for the next couple of months.

This exercise also reminded me me that I have a design block waiting to be filled, and a great color pencil case... and HUGE plans.

I also think the result of my first attempt at decorating my Molskine (R) was quite good. Of course it is bad that I say so myself, so I will let you praise me if you like. That is, after all the purpose of bloggin'. Telling a story and hoping people like it, and then they tell you they like it and you feel reassured and motivated to keep doing so. And maybe one they you will tell a story that is actually interesting. Who knows!

So now, ladies and gentlemen... your call:

 
 Such is Life.

P.S. Congrats to the newlyweds, loved my giftbolaget, syster, and loved the family time this weekend.

Friday's quote XI

Beware of fainting-fits, (...) beware of swoons, (...) a frenzy-fit is not one quarter so pernicious. It is a good exercise for the Body, and if not too violent is, I dare say, conductive to Health in its consequences -

                                                                                                                  - Miss Jane Austen -

Happy Friday! 

Such is Life

My life's three greatests achievements. Age 27.

As my birthday approaches (yes, go check you FB calendars because it IS closer than I would even like to admit) I have taken some time to analyze my life at age 27.

27 is a pretty good number, and by 27 I should (or should not) have a long list of achievements, right? Well, I have to admit my list of real achievements is not too long.

But you know what? Despite the fact that some people may think that I share too  much information on this blog, I feel compelled to share them with you so here are...

MY LIFE'S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS, AGE 27:

ACHIEVEMENT #1 Dancing the Hula-Hop (age 5).

Those were long days, for my poor parents specially, who had to help me with the huge round piece of plastic. I am stubborn. Hula-Hop is now my wii specialty.

ACHIEVEMENT #2 Diving (age 9)

And it all started with a lie. I may or may not, who knows, have told a friend at school that I could dive (liar liar my pants on fire). That was before the summer, and I was supposed to go to swimming classes with that girl in September... so, I could not, of course, be caught in my lie, so again, my parents' enormous patience, a long summer of red tummy and ear infection and... yes! I could dive! That was also the summer I had to go to the hospital because an ear plug got stuck in my ear... Good times.

Stuborness again did the deal.

ACHIEVEMENT #3 Solving the Rubik cube (ages 13 to 27)

Unknowingly to myself, every four years of my life I endevoured to achive something (say my real first achievement was learning how to speak at age 1 more or less, followed by Hula Hop age 5 etc.) So at 13 I discovered the magnificent, nerve wrecking, time wasting RUBIK cube (R). And there my consistent achievement career stopped for... 15 long years.

There was one time when a girl at school solved it in 5 minutes before my own eyes just because she could see it. There was another when my uncle tried to explain there was an infalible formula to solve the cube... that was some time between ages 15 and 17...

And then, after long years in denial, a Rubik cube turned up at the office. No one wanted the poor ugly stupid cube... but me. Of course.

At first the cube was just impossible to solve. I will not explain this again for fear many may stop reading, but I swear on my one ring that it was impossible.

I could not live knowing that there was a cube around and that it could not be solved so... as you may have heard me say some times... when in doubt: WASHI TAPE.

And so I washitaped the cube, and appart from being the cutest Rubik cube in the history of mankind, it was also solvable again!!

So mom messed it up, and I started searching the web for a solution which I could understand and interpret and use. You know what? solving the cube, even with the instructions was a nightmare.

This started one week ago, and last night, some time between 1 and 1.23 am, it happened. MIRACLE of mathematics.

SUCCESS, I solved (with help yes) a Rubik cube before 28!

Now I can move on with my life.

If you are wondering, pics have been made pretty with the ABeautifulMess app. Great blog. Great App. These two sisters are rising my SYSTERBOLAGET spirits to soaring heights.

Explanation on SYSTERBOLAGET goes to the list of upcoming posts. Promise.

Such is Life.

28 - bring it on!

See you soon!

Such is Life

Friday's quote X

 

PANTA RHEI

 

 

Heraclitus

A day in... Barcelona

I am not a person to improvise, I don't have a life that lets much space to improvising either, so I have an excuse not to improvise, so planning 30 hours in Barcelona on a Monday and booking flights for just five days later almost made me threw up.

But I didn't, and those 30 hours in Barcelona were awesome (except for the part where I couldn't have dinner because I had eaten too much and felt sick for a couple hours).

The Plan:

What to do in 30 hours in Barcelona?  This time there was no shopping involved (surprisingly!). This is a map of what we did:

You must know that (i) we were in no hurry to see anything, and (ii) we had already been to Barcelona, and therefore, there was no need to see/do all the tourinty stuff, even if I we did.

The Execution:

First you get up at 7:15 and try to get to the airport in time to take the 9:30 flight to Barcelona, not so easy when you have to convince someone else that getting up even before than weekdays is an excellent idea.

Second, the plane takes off and an hour later... you're there and your weekend finally starts.

And our tour of Barcelona, Such is Life edition starts here:

A. D. and H. - Quick stop at the hotel and off to a place that has the power to impress anyone who visits it, even if it does not have the name Gaudi written on it.

If you want a hotel a walking distance from almost everything, with wifi, laptops and even an exercise bike (yeah) in each room I'll have to recommend our hotel: http://www.hthoteles.com/es/hotel-petit-palace-museum-barcelona/, I cannot say much about the service however, they couldn't make me a chamomile tea during my food comma crisis, but...  

B.- Not 20 minutes from our hotel is el Palau de la Musica Catalana. Subject to political scandal and controversy in recent years, that does not mean it is a place that can  be overlooked. Totally worth to see its magnificent interior for 17€ per ticket, and you get a guided tour, which includes a little bit of Mendelson. Yes, music was surprisingly present everywhere we went so I will mention Mendelson and his organ concert played by a computer.

For more information on the Palau, here's their website: http://www.palaumusica.cat/ca/

I have to say that before our guided tour we had already stopped to grab a bite and a beer sitting in the sun at the cafe of el Palau, enjoying the first days of spring weather at last! It was gooooooooood.

We even took a couple of minutes to walk about the Barrio Gótico, with its narrow and dark streets, and felt odd to walk past this building in Via Laietana which seemed to spy on us with its hundreds of eyes pinned to its facade.

 But we were focusing on B, and its glass interior. That is for me the most impressive thing of the building.

 C.- 30 minute visit ofel Palau and that left us enogh time to walk up the Paseo de Gracia, enjoying two of Gaudi's landmarks (which any tourist would know). I may or may not have accidentally kicked a metal hurdle on the way while posing in front of Casa Batlló for a picture (taken with my BB because someone forgot to charge the camera, and I swear it was not me).

Lunch at Roca Moo, the restaurant at Hotel Omm was just a massive spectacle of food, champagne and good company :) We were even lucky enough that it rained while having lunch, but not after!

Short nap and opportunity to change the battery of the camera, and off again for an afternoon walk.

E. and F.- Around Plaza Real, and the Barrio Gótico, I posed for endless pictures which I may never get back (at least not until I have insisted a million times, let this count for one). We then heard the music, and then saw the enormous crowd, and then we just stared for a while.









During those minutes I stared I realised that Sardana is not so different from Sevillanas, first easy, then more intricate and difficult.

Then comic book stores, and Star Wars galore, and we were quite exhausted for the day. So we made our way back to Paseo de Gracia and Carrer de la Diputació.

G.- This place deserved to have been in our route for dinner, but I was sooooooooooooo full I couldn't even sit straight without feeling sick.

Still, Tapas 24 was in my plan for a light early dinner so I will post it anyway, cause the choice for dinner was just not too good to blog about it.

I.- Sunday morning, late morning, ideal for brunch, not that I found that many places to pick, not at least online, but I went for the most "alternative" choice and made a reservation at Dostrece, in the heart of el Raval. 

I have to admit we were a bit unsure at first, but benedict eggs and pancakes convinced us we were totally right, and we even got to see a Sikh procession through the window of the bar which was quite cool. I have no pics, but I found this link to a blog with some good pics http://lamevabarcelona.com/la-comunitat-sikh-de-barcelona/.

J. and K.- Down the Rambla (packed on a sunny Sunday), to the sea, around the Maremagnum and past the Museum of History, we met this groovy guys who brought the best of Cuba to our ears.

There was even a guy that produced Mojitos from a back pack, which was the most unhigenic thing I saw in all the weekend, and maybe in a long while, but it was three in the afternoon, we had had a massive brunch and we were in need of refreshment, so I remembered a very cool and hipster place I saw at Plaza Real, and we walked our way back there to lay back in the sun and drenched our thirst with a nice gin & tonic.

My pair of empty frames just made me blend in enough to enjoy Barcelona and take all this Instagramy pics,

And with that... our weekend was over.

I am counting the days to repeat it, somewhere else or anywhere else, otherwise what would become of this section, right?

Such is Life.

M

Friday's quote IX

Today's quote is a poem, please don't blame me, it's been a tough week.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too.
If you can wait and not be tires by waiting
Or being lied to, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way into hating,
And yet, not look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
And treat those two imposters just the same.
If you can bear to hear the words you've spoken,
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or see the things you gave your live to broken,
And stoop, and build'em up with worn out tools.

Of you can make a heap of all your winnings,
And risk them all in one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss.
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew,
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on, when there is nothing in you,
Except the will which says to them "hold on".

If you can walk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch,
If neither foe, nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all of men count on you but none too much.
If you can fill the unforgiving minute,
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And, which is more, you'll be a man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling


I am holding on to a small piece of yellow paper. Hope to tell you about it, some day.

Such is Life