i thought about a series of items and people repeatedly this weekend. one of the items was this blog.

i take all of these photos to share. so i post them on flickr. my flickr feeds to facebook now, and i post my photo-of-the-day to twitter. so i’m sharing photos and friends are seeing my photos, but what i really, really want is to share them here.

so i think i need to create another blog or two. one for my random everyday life things, one for my crazy adventures (i’m so far behind), and one for design and inspiration to be a designer (i got two new books this last week).

i’ve been looking to blogs like the pioneer woman or dooce for their set-up and how they manage things. i also read raymi and covet the simplicity of her posts and blog style (anything goes, post all photos, forget things/remember things, write like you’re gossiping with a friend). so i guess i’m conflicted on how i want to use this little pork chop cutlet of the web.

it’s somehow already autumn and for about a second a couple months ago i was full of motivation. then i went on vacation to new england. when i came back, i didn’t really want to be back. it was just so great going from town to town, stopping where we wanted and doing what we wanted and eating really great seafood. we got back to minneapolis and suddenly summer was over and the fun had stopped and my calendar was empty and i was broke and it was cold enough in my house that my cats are on me all of the time. in the span of my 6 vacation days, things in this fair city slowed to a seeming halt. (though work got busy, but that’s something else.)

i guess it’s becoming more and more okay that it’s autumn and soon it will be winter. this happens every year, i think. i complain about how it seems like other minnesotans forget how to drive in the snow (and rain, and at 8 a.m., and when the sun is shining, and when there’s a game…); i guess i forget how to keep up my spirits in the autumn?

luckily there are occasions such as happy hour (“happy tower” at parma 8200, though i’m not really sure why) and the minnesota renaissance festival to ease me through the transition.

also, the sky has been just incredibly lately. i spend too much time taking photos while i drive lately, maybe. i just can’t resistant purple and pink clouds!

so i spent friday night watching chick flicks and thinking about my blog and knitting. early the next morning, vani and i went to the renaissance festival. of the 40 years of renfest, i would guess i’ve gone to about 10 of those years? not all sequentially. i went once or twice as a pre/early-teen, then a couple times as a snotty high schooler, and a few times during my college years, then i’ve gone the last three or four years… so, it’s a place i enjoy, obviously.

always must have chicken and wild rice soup in a bread bowl. my own personal tradition. since i went with vani this year, i even got fresh ground pepper. (she carries it in her purse! because she’s a genius.)

vani played an olde strategy game while i photographed chess pieces.

we enjoyed a turkey leg. geez, that thing was massive. tasty, though.

and to offset the photo of vani digging into said turkey leg, here is a cute photo of her wearing a bodice from felix needleworthy. i always stop by the shop and say “hi” to estelle.

vilification tennis is hilarious. i introduced the show to vani as jason introduced it to me at last year’s fest.

this dude was making little glass critters.

we stopped by to ooh and aah at twig the fairy, but she was out and about. we borrowed her backdrop for a memory moment.

this dude again.

this camel is peeing. vani thought that if i tweeted that i was watching a camel pee it would be too much information, so i got the camera out instead. (?)

i bought a pretty gypsy-style bodice because i want to be a gypsy girl. i’ve got a whole lot of costume left to develop, though.

i didn’t see very many fairies this year. maybe it was too cold of a weekend? or maybe they were extra sneaky.

glass blowing! i had a prime seat.

i was all: how much?! but there was still a long, finishing process for the vase to go through. after we watched the demo, we went through the shop again with open eyes. all amazed at the beautiful. i wanted to buy something but anything i thought was worth buying and that i would use was well over $50. if i hadn’t bought the bodice, would i have bought some glass? hmm…

glass blowing demo was by david tate.

post-festival, i laid on my couch all night and watched john hughes movies. because that’s how i roll.

this morning i brought kristi to chez daniel to help me spend a groupon. i had read that the brunch was amazing, and i love a good brunch, so away we went. it was a weird little restaurant inside of hotel, so it was kind of hard to find at first. or maybe my hunger was blocking my direction skills. in any case, we got in, got seated, ordered coffee, and went to town on the buffet. all sorts of breakfast items, cheeses, pasta salads, plates upon plates of dessert, and a chocolate fountain! (i went in for a chocolate-dipped pineapple before bothering with anything else.) the mashed potatoes were among the most notable menu item.

afterwards we went to ikea, where i wanted everything. mostly i want a new desk and desk chair and an expedit shelf with boxes for organizing stuff. i didn’t buy anything though: i told myself i have to clean out that second bedroom that i keep closed and ignore before i can even think about buying furniture i probably don’t need at this point in my life.

those idea houses really are full of genius ideas.

parting, unrelated note: sometimes i look in the mirror and admire my hair. i haven’t dyed it in years; all of my highlights are natural. my color is my own. i look in the mirror and wonder how i got to be so blonde. am i having more fun? maybe.

man, i miss summer, though.