A Year in Review

...excerpted from the best, most exciting album of the year.
Enjoy. And Happy New Year.

A Parliance of Sorts...

So my mom is here (yay!) and I'm stoked to see her - obviously - but I'm also stoked because she's brought me somethings that, well... can really only be had in the States. Ok, I suppose you could get them here, too - it would just cost. A lot.
The things I'm most excited by are the books she brought (big shout out to Sanaz & Merilee for hooking.it.up) Anyhow, as a result, I've been reading Twilight (and sequels) pretty non-stop for a couple of days. And yes, I know that I'm incorrigible - but consider it from my perspective, yes? My imagination has been grossly under stimulated for the last 18 months. The books here in Israel that are available in English are super expensive and deal largely with either the Diaspora, WWII, the Return and/or Rebirth of Israel.
Le sigh.
So these books are kind of like candy for my imagination - and I've been on an extended and painful diet....
So I got to thinking today about how movies have test audiences. They get to watch & say what they like, etc. I'm wondering if they people to do that with books. Because I totally could. I'm not talking about checking your mess for grammer mistakes and the like - I'm talking about show me what you have & I'll let you know if it's good or not.
Sounds good, huh? Yeah, I think so too.
...how to parley your hobby in to your career: the latest installment of random & crazy thoughts from aimee piper. Thanks for tuning in.

...Never Gets Old

So I was at a birthday party recently for my friend's brother, Thierry (he actually took this picture). The crowd was pretty big - well, at least for the room that we were in - so some friends and I eventually sat down on the floor. One thing led to another, and Nava and I started playing those hand-clapping games every girl in elementary is the queen of....
Don't front - you know the ones I mean!
Anyhow, as I am clearly no longer in elementary school, I kept messing up the game. Funnest night in a long time, all down to a game borrowed from my childhood....

Top of the Morning to You...

Sunrise

22 December 2008

My friend, Martha Otto, took this photo from her kitchen window the other morning - it looks as though the sun is as happy to see us as we are to see it.... From now on, the days will be longer and longer.

Keeping It Reel...

I came across this video promo for an upcoming documentary - that I totally plan to see - today. *Thanks for the head's up, Yasmin!*
Bita (the film maker) is a Bahá'í from Texas - and she explains a little bit about her motivation and background in the clip. When I have more deets on the full-length, I'll pass them on. In the meantime, enjoy.

The Parentals Are Coming...!

So I'm sure that you know by now that my mom is coming (tomorrow!!!) - my friend's dad will also be here. As I love to host dinner parties, we thought to team up on a 'meet our parent(s) dinner'.
To make the invitations, I printed one of this guy's pictures and hand colored them - as they've gone out today (by post is the way to go), I feel safe to share them here with the rest of y'all.
I took the liberty of coloring them - in roughly the same way the actual invitations look. Sometimes I think I'm so clever......
Ps. You really should check out this guy's stuff - his name is Christopher David Ryan. Super talented.

Hooking The Expat's Up....

Dear NPR,
Thanks for the head's up, I love this song.

"White Winter Hymnal" from the Fleet Foxes.
You can thank me later....

Holler!

Coral Fortuna & Vanessa Piper

My mom (pictured here with Coral 'hipster in training' Fortuna) leaves sunny California in 1 week to come and visit me!

Solo Los Domingos....

So I'm not usually one to wax (so directly) poetic on my weekend ongoings - but I really did have a lovely weekend. We had a little bit of rain to clean things up and I got the perfect amount of sleep... Anyhow, I'd like to pay the good vibes forward - and since I'm nothing if not a romantic, consider this a little shout out weekend's filled with butterflies-in-tummies, can't-stop-tapping toes, feeling silly and girly and pretty, and random fits of giggles.
I call it the "let's fall in love" edition.

Image from XKCD

I read once that romance is a modern construction. That those feelings we commonly associate with 'romance' were once used only to describe an individual's relationship with God. As a product of modernity, I can't divorce myself entirely of the phenomenon of romantic love (lust?) but this cartoon totally reminds me of God.
Image from The Year In Pictures
I love this picture! The couple looks so sweet together. ...a head's up to any men who read this? Ladies love to dance. Full stop.

Images from Le Love

My former thoughts on romance aside, I can't get enough of these pictures. I call them "At First Sight" and "At Second Sight", respectively.

...Before I erupt in a fit of giggles: have a nice day.

Random Product Placement...

I jest. Surely you know... but this commercial (I think it's a commercial) is so funny!

Bringing My A-Game...

I love that my little snippets of monologue (soliloquy?) sound like MacGyver's opening speeches. Like how he would explain the inner scientific, social, political, or otherwise workings of the scene - and then proceed to kick butt and take names.

...maybe it just sounds like that in my head.

...And All That Jazz

So about a week and a half ago, as I carried my weight in potatoes to my friend Joe's house in preparation of the next day's Thanksgiving in the Holy Land celebration, I exclaimed - in a "I think that the cab driver may have charged too much...and I still had to trudge through the rain...I can't find my house keys" exasperated kind of way I can't wait until I'm just cooking for my family. You know what's crazy? I did just cook for my family.

Thanksgiving Shenanigans

Courtesy of Ray & Vafa

Ray: Assuming the post-turkey position

I love this place.

True Story...

So three of my friends have started a blog - a hilarious forum where they put up little doodles and etc. My favorite one so far is this one here titled The Appropriate Response.... The genius part (get it?) is that I think every woman I know has daydreamed of this very thing. And, it seems, at least three men, too.


Thank you for indulging me in my laugh out loud moments. To check the blog, click Genius Dog in Things I Read and Find Interesting, or just click the picture.

In No Particular Order...

Observations of mine:
1. If you (I mean me) begin a question with "am I crazy, or..." the answer is always yes. Almost.
2. Dear My Fellow Bloggers: What's up with the (not so) recent obsession with totally cheesy calendars - in every shape, size and color?
3. Dear Mac (I mean Apple?): I want to make my pictures into polaroids, too. So while it might defeat your 'monopoly on cool gadgets' purpose (mission statement? manifesto?) - tick tock already! mmmk? Thanks.
4. I'm trying to be better at a lot of things. As you may know, photography is one of them. This lady inspires the heck out of me. Check her out - you can thank me later.
5. I love running. I know, crazy huh?

Photos courtesy of Monica Shulman and her looking glass.

Unlock the Gates...

Dear friends,

I have had a most stressful afternoon - and a 2 coffee morning (!) - so while I'm waiting for my iPod (they should really pay me for the free advertising, no?) to charge so that I can go for a stress-burning run (remember those?), I thought I'd share some pictures with you. Naturally, I took these a long time ago: in April, during the Bahá'í International Convention. Anyhow, I thought you may like to see a little bit more of where I live and work...

The Bahá'í Gardens, as they are commonly known, are world famous and truly beautiful. If you are ever in the area you should come and see them. Breath taking.

I'm kind of obsessed with night photography...

The gardens and the bay of Haifa

As seen from the Seat of the Universal House of Justice

The Shrine of the Báb

As seen from the terraces

Hatzionut Street and (part of) the terraced gardens
The steps to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice

The Seat of the Universal House of Justice

Lit at night for the Bahá'í International Convention held every 5 years.

I swear I try not to take this place for granted - beautiful, though - yes?

ps. I took all of these pictures - on a super old hand-me-down camera. Don't hate. Congratulate.

...and now I'm going for a run.