CREATOR.

Okay, so I've finally found a way to explain to you why I inadvertently spend so much time away from you when I really don't mean to and I certainly don't want to.

I am a creator.

This is the reason why I leave you for so long and then come back frantically wanting to catch up and fall madly in love again.

I know it sounds a little crazy but bear with me and I'll prove to you that it's true.

My life consists of many MANY hobbies and interests.  I am obsessed with glossy fashion and design magazines, not because I want to be rail thin and 7 feet tall or live in a pristine mansion, but because I am so drawn to things that are just plain pretty.  I'm in love with being outside as much as I can, and anytime I'm enjoying nature, it swallows me whole and next thing I notice, I look up and the whole day has passed.  I obviously love music, not only because it is my own personal paradise, but because it is a utopia I get to share with others every day through my work (and by work I mean, job that I get paid for).  I love cooking, eating, drinking, cutting out, gluing, knitting, knotting, painting, drawing, writing, blogging.  These are the things I fill my life with.  And all of these things are creative things.

And therefore:

*I am always doing more than I'm asked.
*I'm obsessed with trying new things.
*I'm passionate about teaching others about the things I love.
*I have a uncanny ability to turn things that I love into my work.
*I take LONG breaks.
*I work when others are resting and rest when all the rest of the world is working.
*My brain is constantly in rotation around new and beautiful things to create.
*I am always searching for my next bit of inspiration.
*And last but not least, I am completely in love with life.

See, like I said, I'm a creator and my life is a twisted-up tangled mix of a million different inspirations.  And more often than not, I'm off on a tangent, getting caught up in a new part of life that engulfs me and carries me out into it's sea.  And then I float back to shore and write a new blog post to you, my dear internet cosmos.

So, please forgive me for my time away.  And thanks so much for reading.

More inspiration to come--
MEL

Major Art Movements

I'm really loving these pared down prints by Outmane Amahou that cleverly and succinctly describe major art movements in history.

Of course I know these prints don't even come close to explaining the magnitude of the different major art movements they portray, but they're a hell of a lot easier than the art history courses I slummed through in college.

Keepin' it classy--
MEL

(All images from here.  Found via here.)

Znak Wallpaper

How rad is this completely customizable tear-off wallpaper from Znak?  I'm particularly obsessed with the thought of putting this in a kids room and letting a child go wild.  Just tear off random sections and the wall goes from "paint bomb explosion" to "graphic art masterpiece".  Like this:

(Found via Design Milk.  Images from here.)

Hope you're having an inspiring Monday.
XOXO
--MEL

Prom

This morning, I was driving home from a quick getaway up the mountains with my best friend, whom I have known and loved since we were both 5.  Crazy I know, but absolutely true.

Anyway, my point is that this friend of mine also went through the most ridiculously confusing, self-depracating, pretty much all around terrible time called high school with me and we still love each other.  And that's really saying a lot.

Again, I digress.  The actual point here is that we got to talking on our drive home about high school and our probably-never-going-to-happen upcoming 10 year reunion and about "remember that time when...blankity blank blank blah?".  Needless to say, we both kind of moved on from that topic as quickly and as randomly as it had started, and just like high school feels looking back on it now, the whole conversation had disappeared as quickly as it had begun.  Thank god.

Then I got home and sat down to write this post and remembered coming across this review of an amazing new work of photography and film being shown at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, frankly entitled Prom.  Oh god, here comes the flood of memories again.  And by memories I mean, extremely blurry montages of light and color that I think might have been from prom but then again, I was rocking away on a boat that night with a bunch of wild children who were all, just like me, escaping from the reality of small town high school for the evening.  So, really who knows.

Anyway,  I'm so thankful that there was no one at my prom to document it like Mary Ellen Mark did for this extremely intriguing (and overwhelmingly gut-wrenching) exposition of polaroids and film that is currently on exhibition.  I can't get over how surreal these photographs seem.  And how I too was a girl going to prom once.  And how I really hope I didn't seem as hopeless as a lot of these kids.  Yikes.

This is the stuff of genius, folks.  If you live in the Philly area, please go see this exhibit and tell me all about it.  It looks absolutely amazing.

Christina Chang, Austin, TX, 2008. Mary Ellen Mark

Michael Glorioso and Eliza Wierzbinska, Staten Island, New York, 2006. Mary Ellen Mark

Toccarra Beguma and George Wilkinson, New York City, 2007. Mary Ellen Mark

Okay, enough reminiscing for me.  Must stop before I throw up from the memories of parrot bay and diet coke, stale cigarettes, and fast food.

XOXO
--MEL

Megan Lombardo Music

I'd like to take a moment away from regular programming to give myself a completely shameless plug.

As I've mentioned many times before in this space, I'm a musician.  By trade, by hobby, by passion.  And I am now accepting new students in the Denver metro area!

Please visit my professional website for more information.

Thanks so much for your support!
--MEL

Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam

How about an art exhibit that you can climb all over?  I could definitely get into that.

Artist Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam had the same idea when she decided to crochet playgrounds for her admirers to not only look at, but climb on.  

I mean come on.  Look at this woman on her hands and knees crocheting!  That is seriously amazing.

Go out and play in your community today!

--MEL

(All images from here.)

Art. Food. Music. Life.

Judy Kaufmann

Well, hello there.  Aren't you looking smashing today!  I hope you all are having a wonderful week.

Last week, I had a blast falling in love with my hometown and I hope you all did too.  If you missed any of the posts, make sure you go back and check them out.  Of course I'm biased, but I'm completely in love with all the wonderful recommendations that I got about great things to do in Denver.  It's going to take me months to try everything out!

Before Denver Week, I had a bunch of beautiful things laid out to show you and of course, in true MEL fashion, I missed a very important one! And of course, also in true MEL fashion, I've been hoarding other beautiful things in my inspiration folders for the past couple weeks as well.  So I'd like to shed some inspiration pounds today, if you don't mind.

First up...



Remember this post?  These collages by Alexis Anne Mackenzie are some of the most interesting pieces of art I've ever seen.  And it is certainly not for a lack of creative genius that I didn't get around to posting more about them until now.  Like I said earlier, it's just the spastic MEL nature.  Anyway, I think they are simply wild and freakishly beautiful.  And I love all the hidden messages.  Can you see them?  (Found here.  Images from here.)

Alexis Anne Mackenzie

Alexis Anne Mackenzie

Alexis Anne Mackenzie

I will definitely be making these for dinner tonight.  They're like a grown up version of steamed broccoli and weird cheese substance from when you were a kid in a cafeteria.  Perfect.  (Image from here.)

Smitten Kitchen

And just to bring it all home...

Question:  What happens when you mix art and food?

Answer:  Genius.

(Images from here.)

Dimitri Tsykalov

Dimitri Tsykalov

Dimitri Tsykalov

Oh and I almost forgot!  This has nothing to do with skeletons or food but it does have to do with my version of art.

Have you noticed the tunes on your right of the page?  Yep, those are from me.  Check them out and let me know what you think.  And thank you so much to everyone who has already passed on such kind and gracious feedback.  It gives me no greater pleasure than to make people happy with music.  Every kind word brings greater meaning to my life.  Thank you.

XOXO
MEL