Ice Castles

We had another winter storm here yesterday. This is just nuts to me. May is in 8 days! Since the White Witch won't move somewhere else, I decided to share these pictures I took back in Feb. There was an installation here called, The Ice Castles. I thought it was pretty neat. Especially the day I went and the sky was so grey you couldn't tell where the ground met the clouds.

Loving the 90's. Garbage!

I went to see a long time favorite band of mine a couple of weeks ago at the venue Mill City Nights.  The venue is dreadful but Garbage was AWESOME. Shirley Manson has aged perfectly.

Public Enemy

I went to see Public Enemy in Dec. I have always been a fan of Chuck D.- especially as a book lover, he's pretty important to the fight against censorship. The show was tons of fun. He and Flavor Flav had a lot of positive energy.

How to put together an Arabian Nights Party without crying(mostly)

Setting up the New Year's Eve event I do with four of my friends for about 300 people is a lot of work. And freaking out. But, it never fails to be absolutely worth it. Here are some pictures of the set up which we plan for 8-10 months and create in a non-stop marathon in a week. Hardly anything goes as planned but, I like to think it makes us better creative people because of the resource ideas we have to generate on the fly. I'll post pictures of the actual event soon.

A Yearly Visit to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival

I love going out here every year: MN Ren Fest. It's done for the season and I did go about a month ago but, that's no reason not to share pictures. We always start with a breakfast somewhere we love. This year we had a perfect meal at Pizza Luce. I have never had anything but excellent food here. They are so accomdating to dietary needs and the staff is always friendly.

Impressionist Minnesota

Fall is here and it's gorgeous.

Bits of Summer Geekery

Some pictures from my annual Geek convention. This was my 13th year in attendance. You should come next year. CONvergence It's a wonderful time.

A bit of Europe in Minneapolis

My dear friend just got married a couple of weeks ago and I just had to share with you the beautiful chapel the ceremony was held in. It's the chapel of the historical Lakewood Cemetery here in Minneapolis where people such as Paul Wellstone and Hubert Humphrey are resting peacefully. It is absolutely gorgeous. You can read more about the chapel here. 

History in Minnesota

I am going through many photos from the last couple of months that I want to share. Summer has been flying by and I didn't even notice because I've been doing so many neat things. I'm going to get through all these pics by the end of next week! I'll start with the Minnesota History Center visit I made in the middle of June to see the first official printing of the Constitution. As well as many other exhibits. It's a grand building and I am looking forward to visiting other historical Minnesota sites.

This great place is located in St. Paul, MN. our state's capital. I recommend a stop in during the day as it's not so crowded and gives you time to watch all the little videos. I will be going again! Have a great day in your state!

Treats from the Donut Cooperative!

One of the things I love to do is find new places in the Twin Cities(usually just new to me not actually new). I am a big fan of exploring my surroundings as much as possible. As much as I love to travel and try to do it as much as possible, I can't just sit at home all the time. I have to be out wandering and seeing and doing. That said, one of my new favorite little treat spots is The Donut Cooperative. It is a tiny little shop filled with yummy baked goodies and fabulous coffee. They frequently have many vegan treats as I try to keep my diet mostly vegan. They use as many locally sourced ingredients as they can and if that isn't cool enough: I understand they got their start through a kickstarter project. I think that's just super cool.

They have vegan treats everyday. Since they are a very small kitchen they do not have gluten-free items. They bake each day and it smells wonderful in there. Also, they have funny pictures in the bathroom. See above. Have a lovely day!

Minnehaha Park, one of the most beautiful places in Minneapolis

A couple of months ago the river was tumultus and churning as flooding from the north poured down through the cities. It's sounds awful and sometimes it can be for people. But, it is also very beautiful and breathtaking in it's own way. One of the ways to see this I learned back at the end of May is to go to a park here called, Minnehaha Park and see the falls there. And then to hike the mile or so long trail down to the Mississippi River. There are bridges along the creek and when I reached the final one, I found it mostly under water. This was pretty amazing to me. I made my way out to it and stood in the water that was covering the bridge and felt the river swaying the bridge. It was an unexpected and maginificent experience to feel how powerful the water is.....It's really cool to me to find these things in my city and travels. Here are some photos from the day. More Soon!

Have a picnic, ride a bike trail or hike to the river: Minnehaha Park

PIRATES!

I've been a fan of pirate lore for as long as I can remember. So, I was pretty excited to read about the National Geographic tour of the exhibit Pirates coming to St. Paul at the the Minnesota Science Museum. One of the reasons I have been a fan of Pirate lore and history for so long is that pirate ships were one of the only places that different races and women were allowed to live as equals. Everyone got a vote and everyone worked. This is an unprecedanted collection of artifacts and on display is the ONLY pirate treasure EVER found. 

Can you imagine?? Finding real pirate treasure! 

This is a great exhibit and if you have the chance to see it, you should head right over and have a look.

I also recommend talking to the staff. They have hired people to work the exhibit who dress in character, speak in character and have LOTS of knowledge about everything you can think to ask. 

Comic Books!!

Something I have done a few times is work at the Midwest Comic Book Association Spring Con(and Fall Con). I did this a few weeks ago and wow, did May fly by for me! It's already the end of the first week of June! Yikes! 

The convention is not huge but I love it and there's some cool things to see! Have a look!

A Very Green Post

One of the very best things about Minnesota is how green it gets here in the spring and summer. There are parks everywhere and people really love to garden. I suspect because the ground is frozen for so long you don't take it for granted when you can see something green and alive. I hosted a picnic for a friend recently at a park that I have been exploring by the name of Theodore Wirth Park. It was hit pretty hard by the toronado that touched down here last year but is recovering nicely. There is a lake, beach, flower garden, biking trails, hiking trails, golf and lots of picnic space. I haven't covered the whole park yet but here is some of what I explored on my last visit.

Florence Fairy Tale Deux

I got to see Florence and the Machine for a second time at the beautiful, historic State Theater. It's such a gorgeous venue. Florence herself. commented on it's loveliness. The show was wonderful and she did not disappoint. Her stage set up is much bigger than last year and she was certainly more relaxed this time around. A few pics from my seat in the balcony!~

Minneapolis Favorites

I decided to share some photos of some of my favorite pieces at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This is not all of them but a few. Including a Maxfield Parrish piece that I adore and was gifted with a song written just for me to go with it.

St. Paul Art Crawl

Another event I attended recently was the St. Paul Art Crawl. I seem to only make it to one every couple of years but, I always love it. An art crawl is when artiists living in lofts and co-ops open up their studios which are also often their homes to showcase their work. You can find absolutely amazing things. There are so many things for sale and I often find myself wishing I had an endless bank roll and endless gallery space at my disposal. One of the thingss I truly love about the Twin Cities is the thriving art scene.  I'm lucky enough to not only know a lot of talented people but to have my home filled with lots of their work.

Art in Bloom 2012 Part II

More from this lovely afternoon