Simple Bracelet Solution

I recently decided to attempt to wear more bracelets, so I dug out my box of old assorted jewelry to find some.  I went through a huge bracelet phase in high school, but haven't really used them to accessorize in a long time.  (I think part of the reason for this is that I had the wonderful honor of having to wear wrist braces for a year or two due to carpal tunnel, and that period of time broke me of the habit of putting anything else on my wrists.  Gawd I'm cool.)  I've been seeing the trend of layering tons of bracelets on your arm, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  The result:

I kinda like the look, but halfway through the evening I realized that the majority of the bracelets on my wrist were purchased and worn during the golden age of 1999-2001, also known as junior high.  Thus, the following conclusions: a) I do indeed have slight hoarding tendencies, as these bracelets survived the mass cleansing of personal items that happened before my move a year ago and b) If you hold onto something long enough, it WILL become fashionable again.  Who knew power beads could be worn in the new millenium?

After rocking this look for a night and making 13 year old manda OH SO PROUD, I decided I needed a better way to store bracelets to encourage future bracelet wearing.  They currently were shoved away in a box, allowing my "out of sight, out of mind" tendencies to reign supreme--so I wanted something in plain sight.  Enter 40 cent IKEA solution!

I bought a pair of these vases for 40 cents each in the As-Is section of IKEA about a month ago, and they make for the perfect solution!  I can quickly throw bracelets on and off the vase,  and keep them in sight so I remember to add bracelets to my outfit in the morning.  And so, a simple solution to enable...err...encourage my accessory addiction!

Music Monday-Gold Motel

Lollapalooza 6.7.11

As ready as I am for fall and all of its hoodie-wearing opportunities, I will never turn down the sunshine summer feel that a Gold Motel show provides.  This Chicago local band is by far one of my favorites, and I've been to going their shows since they got their start in December of '09. They played a set at Middlewest Fest for the second year this past Saturday, so I took the opportunity to hike out to DeKalb, pick up my brother who goes to NIU, and head to see my favorite locals play.  (with the added bonus of getting to finally check out a Company of Thieves set, and a Tokyo Police Club set!)  Gold Motel's brand of pop is intelligent and so very catchy...best listened to with wayfarers on and the open road in front of you.  (But also effective as an injection of summer for those cold February days!) 

Check out their latest single here.

Flashback Friday-Birthday Edition

My birthday is in 10 days, and I am turning the incredibly-intimidating-and-grown-up-sounding age of 25.  I also have the wonderful honor of sharing my birthday (sorta) with one of my bffl's, Lindz.  She was born on the 18th, and I was born on the 19th, giving me a birthday twin to celebrate with!  (In super cool and coincidental news, we also share the fact that our dads share our birthdates, but in July.  As in, her dad's birthday is July 18th, and my dad's birthday is July 19th. AND her sister has the same birthday as my mom! Weird, huh?)  Our plans for celebrating this year are still in finalizing mode, but I know one thing for sure--it's going to be hard to top our epic celebration of last year.  Since we're birthday BAMF's, we decided to celebrate for two full days.  Some highlights of last year included:

Seeing a fav local band, The Noise FM

Eating crepes at an adorable place owned by a French man

Glow in the dark mini golf!

Going to the grand opening of Chick-Fil-A

Wandering an awesome used book store in Wicker Park

A truly epic celebration...I can only hope this year will be as much fun!  (and equally distracting from the cold hard truth of getting older.)

Throw some glitter, make it rain

File this under things that WILL happen in a future home of mine:

My favorite part is that the best technique to ensure even placement of the glitter is to throw it up in the air as you apply it.  An excuse to throw glitter, AND a sparkly floor as the reward for your efforts?  Sign. Me. Up.

Check out the directions here.

A Belated Weekend Recap

This past weekend was one of those weekends that was crazy busy and full.  Tons of fun, but also a little bit exhausting!  On Saturday I had the honor of attending one of my best friend from high school's brother's wedding.  The ceremony was at the Sheraton downtown, and was so incredibly beautiful and interesting, as it included a traditional Hindu ceremony.  I really appreciated that the priest performed the different sections of the rituals in the native language, but then paused frequently to explain what was happening and why it was significant.  The ceremony started off with the Baraat, in which the groom's side danced into the ceremony to meet the bride.  There were even fireworks and a white horse involved!

The reception was also gorgeous, and filled with dancing. So. Much. Dancing.  My friend's entire family knows how to bust a move, and aren't afraid to get out on the dance floor!  I've already requested that she send me a video of her dad dancing to Twist and Shout, to watch on those days when an anti-cranky serum is needed.  Overall, an incredibly beautiful way to spend my Saturday!

On Monday a few friends and I attempted some Labor Day deals shopping at the outlet mall. As one of my bffl's put it, it was like Disneyland at spring break.  So many people, in every direction you looked.  However, we did manage to score some deals!  We combined our items into one transaction at the Gap Outlet, as I had an coupon with a minimum spending of $75, and we managed to save over $100.  I purchased a gray cardigan, and promptly realized that I have a slight addiction to cardigans.  But I was so excited that we are finally reaching the type of weather that is conducive to cardigan-wearing that I had to celebrate with another purchase!  *cough cough *shifty eyes.  I swear I'm done with cardigan purchasing...mainly because I've pretty much purchased one in every possible color.

In between dancing my nights away and shoving my way through bargain hunting crowds, I did manage to finish up new necklace designs for my Etsy shop.  I'm really happy with how these necklaces turned out!  

Several of the photos I used were taken throughout the summer, so they have bright colors and a summer-y feel.  I also found a new 3-dimensional glue to apply to the backs of the pendants, that gives them a resin-like quality and a more durable finish.  Check them out here!  I'm finishing up a few more designs, so also be on the lookout in the next few days for more jewelry goodness!

Problem Solving, Accessorizing Edition.

Remember when I said I get sad because I can't wear my sunglasses at night? Hello, solution:

I'd like to thank Urban Outfitters for making all my dreams come true.

Glow in the dark sunglasses.  As in, MEANT TO BE WORN IN THE DARK.  As in, built in excuse for why it's pitch black and I have shades on.  Who has two thumbs and falls for silly gimmicks like things that are lime green and glowing?  This girl.  I am nothing, if not a problem solver.

If you're a huge nerd like me, you can buy them here.  

Music Monday-Beirut

A few days ago, this arrived at my doorstep...

...and it has made me happy ever since.  I discovered Beirut a few years ago thanks to the ever amazing Pandora, and have been in love since that day.  His music instantly transports you to Europe, but it never feels like a novelty or knock-off.  I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for a good melody, and the melodies of this and his past albums are the simple and clean yet rich and full.  The kind of melodies that stay with you long after you listen.  Zach Condon, the man behind Beirut, explained his love for melody in a recent article, saying: 

"I’ve always been searching for some sort of epic melancholy, I guess. It sounds silly saying it out loud, but it’s the truth. I can remember the first melody that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was this haunting Italian aria. My mom put it on. It had a haunting melodic twist at the top of the singer’s range, and I remember thinking, I wish this just repeated and didn’t go anywhere else."

Epic melancholy pretty much sums up his music, so the man has clearly accomplished his goal.  I'm seeing him live at the end of this month, and I couldn't be more excited!

Flashback Friday-Nickelodeon!

I think I speak for most 20-somethings when I say that the most exciting news of this summer was the return of 90's TV shows on Nickelodeon.  I think it's safe to say I watched virtually every show that Nickelodeon offered me in that decade, but my favorites by far were Clarissa Explains It All, All That, and Rugrats.  I remember spending one Thanksgiving, probably in 1991, sneakily trying to watch Nick in between bites of turkey.  Why, you ask?  Because there was a Rugrats marathon going on, and my brother and I had entered a contest where you send in a drawing of your favorite character.  All throughout the day they were showing the winning drawings, and we were convinced our drawings would be shown.  Unfortunately, my drawing of Phil and Lil and his drawing of Tommy never gained TV fame, but it was a fun day of sneaking away at every chance possible to turn on the TV and hope for my art to be shown.

Thanks to this joyous return of 90's TV, I've been able to fill up my DV-R with lots of childhood awesomeness.  The other night I watched an episode of All That, and all of my favorite sketches came flooding back--including Super Dude.  His lactose intolerance and epic battle with the Milk Man always made me feel a little less lame about my own lactose intolerance and allergy to milk.  Kenan's Pierre Escargot sketch always made me giggle too, and probably was a contributing factor in me eventually choosing to learn and fall in love with the French language.  Who knew All That could be so inspiring?

Any other 90's Nick fans out there?  What was your favorite show?

Rainbow Bookshelves

A few weeks ago I helped one of my biffles pick up some IKEA bookshelves she bought off the internet from a couple in the city.  As we met the couple selling them to her, the guy mentioned that he used to organize his books by color, until he got sick of all of his friends making fun of him.  As rainbow order is my organizational technique of choice, I immediately decided this dude was pretty cool.  (I also empathized with the made-fun-of part, as I've had coworkers make fun of me for color coding my apartment keys in the order you use them to open the doors...in my defense, it takes 5 keys to get into my apartment!)  But his comment got me thinking about how one day I'd love to have an entire wall of bookshelves, filled to the brim.  Because my apartment is fairly small, the majority of my books are currently being stored in a closet in boxes...not the most user friendly method.  But, I am resolved to eventually have something like this!

Source

Is that not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?  I love the junction of form and function, as the books become a focal point in the room!

In related news, I've been working on slowly collecting the Penguin Classics books...I love their modern and graphic colors.  They'd fit nicely in being arranged by rainbow order!  

It'sa me, Mario!

Last friday was my older brother's birthday (he turned the age of officially old!) and I decided I wanted to go all out when making his birthday cake.  It didn't take long to settle on a Mario cake, as much of our childhood was spent with his hands on a Nintendo controller and me looking on as he fought Bowser.  (when he DID let me play, I ALWAYS had to be Luigi...but that's a story for another day.  I'm not bitter, I swear.  Not.  At.  All.)  I've worked with fondant a bit, as I worked at a cupcake bakery for awhile in college, but this was my first big girl attempt at fondant cake.  It only took all of Friday, until the wee hours of 2am, but I was able to make something pretty cool I think!

I'm not gonna lie, watching the cake getting cut into was a BIT painful.  But he really liked it, so the 2am delirium was definitely worth it! 

Music Monday-Cold War Kids

For the first time in far too long I've been able to pull out my cardigans and the adjective "chilly" when interacting with the weather as of late.  While I'm certain it will return to scorching just as soon as I settle into chilly, the change in temperature has firmly planted ideas of fall in my mind.  Fall has always been my jam, my favorite season for sure.  Cooler temperatures, school supplies, changing colors, cardigans, my birthday month.  And I always find myself changing my music wardrobe at the same time I pull out the hooded sweatshirts.  I'm not 100% ready to retire my summer tunes (I've still got a few more windows-open-sunglasses-on car jam sessions in me!) but I've already started listening to the more mellow fall material.  The stuff that makes you turn inside and think think think.  Cold War Kids fits that bill perfectly, and has been on repeat in my Itunes for the last week or so!

Flashback Friday-Family

My grandma and great aunt--not sure about the date!

I find it so interesting to look through old family photos--the fashion, finding what is different and what is the same as the world I live in, seeing the people I love in a time that I didn't know them.  I've come to realize that the essence of a person always shines through despite their age or appearance--signature smiles, or in this case--cranky faces!  I think I make that same face on a daily basis.

Petit Ecolier S'mores: A little bit of French heaven.

Please excuse the dorky video.  I was a bit bored and filled with insomnia the other night, so I had a bit too much fun with iMovie.  I'm still learning how to use it, despite having owned my Macbook for almost three years now, but I am obsessed with the pixie dust text.  I think the world would be a happier place if sparkles were used more copiously.  Ke$ha and I have that theory in common, I believe.  I mean, I don't know here personally, but her incredibly insightful and thought-provoking lyrics "Go insane, go insane, throw some glitter, make it rain" have led me to this conclusion.

My name is Manda, and I have an addiction.

Ok kids, it's time to get real.  I am addicted, hardcore, to...accessories.  I would say this problem has been going on since....well, since birth.  There's just something so exciting about the pop of color accessories can add to your outfit, and it's really the place where you can get away with crazy and unexpected.  You remember that board game Pretty Pretty Princess?  I have NO CLUE how to actually play the game, but I have vivid memories of bartering over accessories with my friend until we were COVERED in plastic heaven. Actually, come to think of it, I don't think much has changed since then...I still don't pay much attention to how I SHOULD be doing something, and I do my not-paying-attention with at least 5 accessories on.  (Grown-up-hood, I have arrived.) My accessory of choice often rotates, from necklaces to earrings to rings to headbands to bags to shoes to sunglasses.  Which is most definitely my current obsession, as I have bought several pairs of wayfarers this summer:

In my defense, you really do need them in every color!

I really am like a three year old, with an out of sight out of mind problem, so I like to keep my accessories in view when I'm getting dressed in the morning.  Including my prized headband collection:

As prized as "purchased in Target's kids section" can be

The only problem with this brilliant solution is it made me realize I had far more warm colored headbands than cool colored.  Oh yay, another excuse to buy more headbands!  (Good thing the Target kids section is so economical!)


My addiction runs so deep that on most days I have an accessory in mind BEFORE I pick my clothes.  You don't know how many times sleepy 6am Manda has thought to herself "I really need to wear my pink headband today...ok, that shirt isn't horribly offensive when paired with it."  Sometimes I get sad when I go out at night, because I can't wear the sunglasses that would match my outfit perfectly.  Sad, guys.  SAD.  Over SUNGLASSES.  (This is the part where I SHOULD be realizing how pathetic this reaction is, but instead I'm revisiting the outfit in my head and...the sadness...here it comes again...)


To be honest, I don't really see myself changing anytime soon, and I will probably be the 82 year old woman rockin a flower headband and assorted other crazy sparkles all over me.  But seriously, how can you not appreciate accessories?  I can't be the only one who picks accessory first, outfit later, right? Right? ....Bueller? Bueller?

It's not stealing if it was already on the ground, right?

The scene: Saturday night, on the red line.  My biffle (that's what we cool kids call our best friends) and I had just waited 20 minutes to transfer to a blue line train to head off to Wicker Park for a concert, only to have the train finally arrive filled to the brim with Sox fans.  No room for you here, North Sider.  So we tucked our tails and headed back on the red line to regroup before heading to another show in Wrigleyville.  (Thank goodness for knowing about lots of shows!)  I was feeling a little down about the CTA (may have tweeted some disparaging things about the blue line) when we got on the red line to see that someone (perhaps a someone just as frustrated as me with getting from point A to point B) had ripped down the El map hung in the car above the door.  After a few stops of watching people trample the map and debating, I decided that it had to be mine, fear of contracting diseases pushed aside.  So I picked it up, rolled it up, and a day later framed it to hang in my apartment!

I'm really excited to have a part of my city all to myself.  And don't worry, I windex-ed it before framing it to ensure that all of the El germs were gone.  Also, my trip to Michael's was quite a happy one, as all frames were buy one, get one for 1 cent!  I took that opportunity to get a few more frames and frame some show posters I've been meaning to hang up for awhile.  The results of that:

Eventually they will be added to the wall above my bed, which currently looks like this:

Heh, you probably think I make my bed all the time.  That would be false.

So in conclusion, $2.25 can buy you a cranky wait for a train, 20 minutes amongst Sox fans, and an El map!  Also, Michael's is the coolest.

Music Monday-Foster the People

Steps to a happier Monday:

1. Put on your dancing shoes.

2. Press play.

3. Dance like there's no tomorrow.  Suggested dance move: the running man.  But it's not my place tell you how to groove.

Crafting Yarn Globe Decorations

I've looking for something to hang from under my fireplace mantel, after decorating like this for Christmas and liking how it looked:

The answer came to me, as it usually does, while surfing the internetz and finding directions for how to make globes out of yarn.  I decided to give it a shot!  Here's how to make it happen:


What You Will Need:

Yarn, white glue, balloons, and spray paint

How to Make it Happen:

1. Cut many, many, MANY strips of yarn.  The lengths of the strips will vary depending on how big of a globe you are making, but I made my strips long enough to wrap around the balloons at least twice.  (It helps if you force your brother to cut the strips because you get bored easily, but I guess that's an optional step.)

2. Blow up a balloon to the size you'd like the finished globe to be.  

3. Make a mixture of 1 part glue to 1 part water.  I put the glue mixture into an old paint tray, which I found to be helpful in covering the yarn in the mixture.

4. Cover a strip of yarn in the glue mixture, and then wrap it around the balloon.  For the first few strips I found it best to start at the tied portion of the balloon, and then go from there.  Repeat with many strips of yarn!  Be sure to wrap some horizontal pieces as well as vertical, and always tuck the end of the strip of yarn into pieces that are already on the balloon.  

5. Tie one long strip of yarn to the top of the yarn-wrapped balloon.  Then hang the balloon in a spot to dry for 24 hours.  This is the improvisational solution I came up with:

Why yes, that IS a broom balanced precariously between the first aid container and a bookshelf.  Classy.

6. After the yarn has completely dried, pop the balloon and remove it from the center of the globe.  A word of advice!  Before popping, slide something between the yarn and the balloon to unstick the two surfaces, because the glue has stuck the two together.  I used a pair of scissors, but anything like a pencil would work as well.  If you don't do this step, you run the risk of the yarn collapsing with the balloon and leaving you with a deflated yarn mess.  Not that I learned this firsthand or anything....

7.  If you chose yarn that you already like, you're completely finished at this point!  I wanted a painted look, and also went for the cheap boring white yarn, so I completed the additional step of spray painting the globes.

Spray painting outside

Using a tree branch worked out well...and made me realize that these would look really cool as an outdoor decoration too!

Once you're all done painting them, hang them up and then marvel at the beauty!  A pretty simple and inexpensive way to spruce up a space...

Music Monday-Andrew Belle

I saw Andrew Belle at Anonapalooza, a festival in Geneva this past Saturday. It was one of those perfect laidback summer concerts--sunglasses on, grass in your toes, sun setting behind the stage--and Andrew Belle's performance was the perfect soundtrack for the evening!

Flashback Friday

Interlochen Arts Camp, 8.2.2008

Living in a cabin in the middle of nowhere Northern Michigan alongside 12 10-12 year old girls doesn't SOUND like a party, but that was seriously the best summer of my life.  High School Musical dance parties, seeing crazy pink and yellow moths like you see above, playing tooth fairy to 200 little girls, and sunshine.  So. Much. Sunshine.

Keeping Cool with Sorbet Making

I'm not sure about you, but the last week or so has been torturously hot.  As in, stay inside the apartment with the shades drawn, making a pro/con list entitled "Reasons to Move to Alaska."
But I decided that while practicing the fine art of hermit-hood mixed with a little escapism is one way of solving the problem, there are other ways to stay cool.  Such as ICE CREAM.  Except, I have a minor milk allergy.  Normally I can eat a serving or so a day, but I knew I'd be eating more than that in this heat.  Which led me to SORBET.  So I took a trip to Target for needed materials, recruited a friend, and followed these steps:


1. Bring a mixture of equal parts sugar and water to a boil over medium-high heat.  (I went with 2 cups of both.)  Once you reach a boil, reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes, until all of the sugar dissolves.

Ooohh, ahhhh, the dissolving in action.

2. Quarter two containers of strawberries and place them in the blender, along with 2 containers of raspberries and the juice of 1 lime.  Blend into a puree.








Sub-step 2: Make loud noises of frustration and consult owner's manual when brand new blender container won't seem to snap into base.  Find nothing helpful in owner's manual.  Continue to wiggle container around.  Consider giving up and going to Forever Yogurt. (Best frozen yogurt place around.) Imagine the sweaty journey to Forever Yogurt, and persevere through sorbet-making task.  Resume regular scheduled programming once container FINALLY snaps in.  (I have a college degree, I promise.)


3. Pour strawberry/raspberry puree through strainer to remove seeds.  This will by far be the most tedious part of the sorbet-making (provided your blender doesn't have a diva moment, as mine did) but keep your eyes on the prize to find the strength to continue smashing the puree through the strainer!

4. Wait until the simple syrup solution is COMPLETELY cool.  I'm going to be honest with you, kids--I tried to make sorbet a few weeks ago, before heading to a picnic/concert at a park.  Because I only had about 2 hours to make the sorbet, I waited until the simple syrup was pretty much, kinda, sorta cool.  What I got in return was a sorbet mixture that never turned into sorbet. An unrealized liquidy mess, and a very sad me. Ahh, the universe--always teaching me the importance of patience.  So in conclusion, COMPLETELY cool!

Sub-step 4. In an effort to allow COMPLETELY cool to occur, place simple syrup in fridge and head outside to take some pictures!

Enduring the heat and crazy Cubs fans made getting to finally eat the sorbet THAT much better.  No pain, no gain.

5. Once the simple syrup is COMPLETELY cool (have I made that clear enough?) add it to the strawberry/raspberry puree, and add 1/2 cup of light corn syrup.  Pour the sorbet mixture into your ice cream maker (I have and love the ice cream attachment for the KitchenAid mixer) and mix until sorbet is formed!  This mixture took about 15 minutes before it became the right consistency.

6. Scoop into bowls and ENJOY the fruits of your labor!

I really enjoyed how this sorbet tasted exactly like fresh strawberries, with a hint of raspberry. I think I'm going to start doing some experimenting to find some more crazy flavors that will work--my brother suggested cherry limeade!  And don't worry, I'm not ACTUALLY moving to Alaska--I've made too many Sarah Palin jokes for them to let me stay there, anyways.

Music Monday-Ha Ha Tonka

I've seen these guys live a few times now, and always leave impressed by their energy and talent.  I saw them most recently on Saturday, as part of Wicker Park Fest.  Thanks to incredibly slow (but entertaining! included a drunk guy yelling "HAVE FUN BEING A HATER!" to anyone who wouldn't give him a high five) public transit, I didn't get to the fest until halfway through Ha Ha Tonka's set.  But no matter, I guess I'll just HAVE to see them the next time they're in town!  Check them out live if you get the chance!

Flashback Friday

Arles, France,11.29.06


Sometimes, the clear blue of Chicago matches the clear blue of Arles precisely.  When that happens, I close my eyes, imagine the chatter around me is in French, and see this picture in my mind.  It's not France, but it's the closest I can get without getting a plane ticket involved!

Crafting a Windowsill Garden

I love living in the city, and often tell my family that I moved to the city so other people can take care of the greenery I see and enjoy in parks. (Lazy, lazy, lazy.)  But I've recently found myself wishing for a bit more greenery inside my own apartment.  After a bit of reflection on my green thumb skills (which peaked around age 12 and have gone significantly downhill since then) I decided that grass and forget-me-nots were my best bet.  I also didn't want boring or outdoor-looking pots, so off I went to my local thrift stores for answers.  One thrift store, one Goodwill, and $12 later, I ended up with these in my possession:





A few of the containers I picked up were clear glass, which would have looked less than beautiful with dirt inside them.  So, I broke out some acrylic paint and covered the inside of the glass in shades of blue. I also giggled upon seeing the name of this paint color, from a bottle of paint I purchased at age 12.  I sincerely hope 12 year old me did not pick that shade based on its name!





After letting the paint dry, I headed outside with supplies and a cranky brother in tow.  We first added gravel to the bottoms of the containers for drainage:





...and then got to work filling the containers with dirt and seed.





I'd be lying if I told you a large portion of dirt didn't end up in places outside the containers--but that's what you get for hiring a brother to be your helper!  A week of watering later, and here is the result in my windowsill:





The forget-me-nots haven't sprouted yet, but I remain hopeful.  Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the result!  The pop of greens and blues in my living room is very summer-y and refreshing, and I like the unexpected touch of grass growing out of china and dishware.  If I had to change one thing, I would pick containers from the thrift store with more variance in height.  I thought there was enough of a difference, but one last lining up of my items before heading to the cash register would have helped!  But for under $20, I was able to bring a bit of color and the outdoors into my apartment.  Which is great, because this week's heat wave has kept me apartment-bound!

Music Monday-Summer Loving

Fits of Wanderlust

Wanderlust: A strong desire or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world. (According to the sage and perpetually accurate source, Wikipedia!)

In my opinion, some of the best discoveries come when you surrender yourself to wanderlust--forgoing plans and routes and structure for seeing and doing and twisting and turning. I strongly believe in the "go big or go home, baby" philosophy, and there is nowhere that it counts more than when you're exploring your world.

This blog is a place to collect all my thoughts on where I've been yesterday, where I find beauty today, and where I would like to spend my tomorrow. My capturing will hopefully be done through pictures, words, and music. I love creating and crafting, so I will try to bring my camera along with on those adventures to document my crazy ideas and crazy attempts at creating. Inspiration, exploration, creativity. Fits of wanderlust.