best moment of my week: U2 Concert

Best moment of my week:  Hands downs, the U2 Concert Tuesday night at the Rice Eccles Stadium. 

I had no preconceptions although I've heard they put on quite the show.  Um, major understatement.  I've tried comparing it to any of the other concerts I've been to, but I've never experienced anything quite like it.

I had chills when Bono and the rest of the band walked on stage for the first time.

I was awed by this iconic band's ability to go beyond the show and create an entire atmosphere.
Starstruck by Bono and his leather pants and sunglasses and charm.

Touched by his humility and sincerity as he thanked his crew and fans and his sincere apology for cancelling the show last year while he had back surgery.

Inspired by his efforts to make a difference in the world.  {And not because it is good for his image.}

Overwhelmed by the flood of memories that came with hearing some of my all time favorite songs.

Completely caught up in the moment.

Thank you U2. 

come rain or shine

 It just so happened that this commuter and I were on the same schedule this week.  3 out of 4 days I ran into him at the same spot on my ride home {corner of State Street and 2nd Ave} I get a kick out of his unique mode of transportation.  I was impressed to see him out in the rain even.

I'd like to try that someday, how about you?  I imagine it'd be fun on hills!

pay it forward

Picture a typical girls night out: a Friday night in a crowded restaurant. Appetizers made with all the things we avoid in our day to day regular diets {bacon, avocado, trans fat}and lots of laughs and sighs of relief to be out without the kids {for my mommy friends, not me.} Plates being swapped along with stories and favorite SNL skits reenacted... so far, a very normal night for us.

The event that changed it from normal to memorable: our cute server comes to our table with the desert menu and says to start thinking about what we are trying after our meal.  {Assume much? What if we were full? Maybe a clever up sale tactic and I'm impressed} then he came back a couple seconds later and says, "This has never happened to me before.  Ever."  That is when I noticed a second server hovering nearby smiling at us.  She says,

"The family that just left that table over there has paid your bill."

We were all stunned.  It took a minute to register, then a million questions from the four of us all at once.  Both servers were gushing about how cool it was of them to pick us at random.  We are all smiling and wishing we could have had the chance to thank the kind strangers who picked us out of a crowded restaurant to remind us how it feels to have a random act of kindness passed our way.

So yeah, we ordered desert {our bill now, we weren't taking advantage of the strangers}to celebrate our good fortune, and maybe to draw out the meal a little more to soak in the niceness of the moment.  As we wandered the mall after from time to time one of us would say, "I can't believe that just happened to us." 

I have goosebumps and a lump in my throat just thinking about it.  How fun it'd be to pick someone at random next time I'm out and do the same for them.

{images from the snowstorm yesterday.. that is still going on strong today}

fluttery paper butterlies

I know I've seen butterfly mobiles somewhere before so I can't take creativity credit for my whim yesterday to slice up an old book and make some butterflies.
{tho I may be the only grown woman unabashedly making one for myself, instead of some deserving young girl}

Want to make one too?  It's easy and fast.  {about an hour if you're fast with scissors}

 What you'll need:

• an old book - I chose mine for the linen quality paper and yellowed pages over a crispy new type.  It felt more romantic and fluttery.

• scissors, fishing line and glue of your choice - {I prefer hot glue, no question it'll stick and the smell is oh so crafty}

• a round object to hang the strands of butterflies from - I was impatient and didn't want to run to the store so I looped some light weight wire twice and twisted it around itself to create an interesting texture. 

then...

• cut a bunch of butterflies of varying shapes and styles from the pages of the book

• tie strands of fishing line to the round object and hang the whole mess from something high enough to work easily around it {5 strands for me, and I hung it from the light in my room}

• place butterflies one by one on the strands of fishing line paying attention to the balance so it hangs straight from the base. I cut squares from the pages to use to secure the glue.  As the glue was setting I bent the butterfly at the seam to give the effect of fluttering wings

• trim off excess line and clean off hot glue spidery webs from everything

• Ta da! A butterfly mobile.

 I went to the library last night after I finished my mobile.  Must have been all those fluttering words hanging around getting me in the mood.  When faced with all those shelved universes to peek into I can't get too involved in trying to take only the perfect ones home with me.  So instead I pick books mostly for the cover.  I get sucked in with a witty title, pretty typeface or a great image.  I'll skim the first page to see if the author can catch me in the first few lines and from there I'll take the stack of contenders home to weed out the worthwhile from the fluff.

It is national poetry month, so go enjoy some poems.  I grabbed Say Uncle, Kay Ryan because of the poem below.

Happy Friday!

the reluctant runner

I am your ultimate reluctant runner.  I've had plenty of excuses why I didn't want to become one in the first place: the time commitment, my busted up knees from too much skiing, pure laziness and my love of sleep, to name a few of my best.

I was surprised when I ran my first 10 k a few weekends ago and actually really enjoyed myself. The picture on the left is from that day.  I had paper cutouts of Mia and Jess with me because I was supposed to be in St. George running a race with them.  I had work conflicts and ran at home instead.  {they had a paper cut out of me with them on their race too}

I was even more surprised when I ran 10 miles on Saturday.  Refreshing scattered raindrops most of the run turned into a pelting, freezing cold down pour rain the last mile and when I got home I realized I was locked out and soaked to the bone.  Long story short, Mia and RC1 came to the rescue and it turned out to be just another fun adventure to add to the many others. {sincerest thnx dear friends}

Next up?  I'm still reluctant to say, but why not shoot for the moon?  There is a marathon the morning our float makes its big debut in SLC at the Pioneer Parade.  That might just be the end goal.

Hottest Husband Contest - VOTE!!

One of my very most favorite people in the world has been nominated to be America's Hottest Husband this year and I think you should all go read about him then vote for him because he truly is a great guy.

I met Clint when I moved back to SLC in the summer of 2007 and dubbed him my 'first friend' because, well, he was.  We met at church and went out a few times.  I really liked him, but the timing was never right and we became really good friends instead.

I was really excited for him when he met Christy.  I had watched as he dated other girls so when she came along I saw a big difference in the way he talked about how things were going with her and how he felt about her.

So yes, if you have a husband you probably have the hottest husband in your eyes {as it should be} but has he officially been nominated to be America's Hottest Husband?  Go cast your vote for Clint then, because he deserves this big time, and after all, have you ever seen such fantastic hair? 

herding cats

That was an unexpected vacation from the blog.  I didn't mean for it to happen.

It was a combination of things that kept me away.  Most of all, I just needed a breather.

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity.  Like 'herding cats' is the best way to describe trying to stay on top of it all lately.

So now that life is settling down again after a couple major changes {parents moving to Africa and my unexpected move a few blocks east of my old place over the weekend} maybe I can get back to sharing things on the designsparrow again.

Missed you!

snow, glorious snow

It may just be me, but I think a four legged friend makes everything more fun.  

Take my typical Sunday walk as an example.  Insert Dog and suddenly everything becomes an adventure. 

An excerpt from Dog's journal after our walk in Memory Grove: "Dear Diary, today I discovered snow.  It is glorious.  I can eat it, skid around in it, and the way it kicks up behind me when I run!  Wow!  I'm sure I must be dreaming, it can't possibly be true, but I think I can run faster in the snow.  I will test this theory.  One thing is sure, snow turns me into an invincible ninja. 

the recap

My birthday started out early {for me} with a yummy breakfast at Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon.

Then lunch at Spaghetti Factory with my parents and Grandma.

Followed by an afternoon at the zoo with Lt.  

{and before you send a flurry of curious emails: just great friends.}

The zoo was a wonderful idea.  Sunny afternoon checking out animals?  Yes please.

I didn't think I had a favorite animal, but I do.  Giraffes!  I love them.  Graceful, curious, purple tongue, gorgeous eyelashes and that coat they wear?  Very designer.

This little lady was snacking on some twigs while keeping an eye on us.  I swear she winked at me when I said, "Hello."

I finished out the night with a party downtown at a warehouse with a couple hundred of my closest friends. 

{I pretended they were all there for me, not Halloween.}

The theme of my costume this year:  "Go Cougars"  

I thought it'd be a funny choice since "Cougar" is a term for the older ladies preying on the younger guys. 

{thanks to Coree for her Kingwood Cougars cheer uniform!}

a division of blogs, sushicat is back

after much debate I have decided to bring back my personal blog. {link also on sidebar} I didn't want to separate design from the every day because I don't see a division there...but as I've tried to mix those two here I feel like I'm doing neither the way I'd do it if I split them up.

Change is one of my favorite things.

I hope you'll stop in to visit both of my sites from time to time. I very much enjoying hearing from you!

on my mind

the other day I poured dish soap on my waffles. Today I put my soup in the microwave and when it beeped I opened the fridge to grab it.
I'm distracted. I'm awake before the sun with wandering thoughts about
photovoltaic power and containers. {images aren't mine - I wish the yellowpod was tho}

I recently went to a birthday party and left after a short bit because try as I might, I couldn't carry on a conversation worth a hill of beans. I was still wrapped around my projects. No sense in being socially awkward so I left before I did too much more damage to my already sagging social status. "Where the heck have you been hiding?" seems to be the question of the day.

I do think the madness is a passing thing. {Isn't that what all crazy people think to themselves?}

snippets n fiz

after rendering from before the sun came up yesterday I stood up to find light sneaking around my room in the most unexpected way.

it was a jam packed day and one of the perks was a tour of Uncle Tony's new job at the newspaper. He wants to perk up his office so who better to ask than the over enthusiastic design student living in the basement? I'm excited to get crackin on his project when I have two minutes to rub against each other and put some devoted thought towards it. {tomorrow. if I'm lucky}

Meet Layla the prettiest golden doodle I've ever met. And yes, she is really that happy. {that's my friend Christi by the way} I think this one might be in the line up for favorite pictures I've ever taken because of the expression on that silly dogs face.

I have big ideas to do something from this vantage point on the spires of the temple.

more light later on in the day. Very very pretty but makes it hard to want to focus on CAD when it looks so golden and inviting outside. Good thing I knew it was freezing out there or I would have been at the park.

I think this was taken about 5 hours into an 8 hour CAD cram. I'm not really sure. I take pictures of my friends at random {and in their opinion inopportune} moments and so the favor was returned. That expression says it all: half out of my mind but enjoying the feeling.

random shot and you might think I should have gotten rid of all the stuff in the front but it was all the yellow that caught my eye. The utility box label, the cover on the wire, the top part of the swing and THEN the new little buds on the willow. Auuuh...spring is trying so hard.

inspired by: moroccan

working on a project for my portfolio and thought I'd spice it up with a little Moroccan flair. Love the romantic lines and the vivid colors. My color pallet won't be as bold, but the lines...oh, the pretty, pretty lines.

if you haven't already noticed, blogging has been one of the things I've had to scale back on while I work on my portfolio. Graduation for design students means a giant {behemoth} portfolio review the week before we actually walk across that stage to get that rolled up piece of paper. That little paper doesn't seem to signify as much to me as the event. Where is the accomplishment in that compared to the portfolio event?

I mean, it's only a visual representation of everything I've learned. What is the big deal right? So wrong. If I've discovered anything about myself going to school this time around it's that my 'critical designer eye' is razor sharp and doesn't give much room to wiggle around in a comfortable half baked way of approaching something. It's all or nothing baby. Portfolio has been a murmured word among my design friends for nearly as long as we've been friends. Just saying it makes us tense up and ask all kinds of questions about ourselves. It has even been banned from conversation at times so that it can recede to the corners of our minds to skitter around as we try to ignore it and have a real life.

breathe. At times I really do have to sit quietly and just breathe. Yoga is still one of my dearest friends and I try to keep a check on reality.
Quite honestly, I enjoy the pressure. It is a great kind of stress. I revel in it. I worry about what I'll do without it keeping me company day and night.

Isn't this the prettiest plate? If I could, I'd stop eating lunch out of the container it came in right this second. I might put a dab of the hummus right next to the cracked pepper and olive oil triscuits and have a meal like a grown up.
Nope, gotta run!

for all the things

Dear Blog, I miss you. There are so many things I'd like to tell you about, and if it weren't for all the things, I'd have the time to tell you.

In my absence, please water the plants and feed the cat. {Oh how I wish there was a cat to feed.}

In parting, a shameless product plug: Poliform. Now this is my kind of kitchen. My friends and I spent a lovely morning this week interviewing the owner of the showroom in SLC. Love, {LOVE!} Poliform for their European styling and great attention to detail.



PS - if you want to see a video full of fascinating facts, check out the one below. Would love to hear back from you what you think. I watched it twice just to catch it all.

what it all adds up to

I didn't care that it was blustery and a bit on the cold side today. The sun was hitting the hills behind my house making them glow against the stormy clouds settling in and I had to get up there. Ever get that way? Just can't be inside one more minute. I have this favorite rock up the trail the perfect distance between close and far away. It's flat and white with the perfect vantage point. I've done a lot of thinking on that rock.

I love that it is almost spring. Almost a new season in so many ways for me.

There are a lot of 'almosts' in my life right now and I can't get enough of the feeling of almost. Its a fantastic twist to being incomplete. We always are in some way or another. It isn't a nagging or empty thing, there is an energy to it and it makes me feel like life will always have something waiting just out of view.


Happy new month and week to you.

"she gave him the world.."

"..ok, so it was a globe w/a lamp in it. But for the romantic that he was, it might have well been the world." {name this movie}

It is sunny here today. And warm. I spent the afternoon in the sunshine unpacking a shipment of globes. Poking at them at random to see what places would come up.

I've always liked the idea of having a map hanging around somewhere with pushpins in it to check off the places I've seen. Maybe a different color pushpin in places I'd like to go someday? {I like this idea a lot actually.}

I also like this room divider. Moco had this map made of their neighborhood and use it to catalog favorite places like shops and restaurants.

When I was a kid we had a giant map wall. It was really cool. I liked having a map around back then too. The rest of the images are of kids rooms I thought were fun. I'd like to do a kids room right now. {Just throwing that out there, maybe the universe will hear me and send me a kid client?}

It is not down in any map; true places never are. ~Herman Melville

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Half the fun of the travel is the aesthetic of lostness. ~Ray Bradbury {could not agree more!}

{My sources: Click and find lots and lots of globes and maps. here and here too.}

I dislike feeling at home when I am abroad. ~George Bernard Shaw