a hodgepodge of memories from the beginning of this month.

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The sun has been shining all day, and all remnants of winter melted for now. We have warmer weather in our near future; thank goodness!

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I've made a handful of updates to my website lately; Feel free to take a peak:
GRAZ | MY ZAGREB | TO MARKET | OUT & ABOUT

Happy Sunday.

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mamiya c3 tlr; minolta xg-m; various films

I'm missing my Chicago something fierce today. Can you believe it is snowing in Brooklyn? I can't believe it.

It's 54ºF and sunny in our ol' 60647 right now.

For me nothing beats Chicago's golden-autumn light; the leaves on trees outside our flat in brooklyn were just beginning to change to a lovely shade of yellow, not unlike that glowing yellow up there in the polaroid I took in Chicago this time last year.

Right now those leaves are soaked with the cold snow that has fallen, and so I'm definitely feeling a bit robbed of autumn.

While I wait in anticipation for Brooklyn to warm up a bit, I'm baking a lovely tart and throwing together a hearty batch of soup.

So what-say-you, dearest Brooklyn? Let's rewind a bit.

Love,

Jen

I'd like to drink this many bottles of wine in my lifetime.





I could definitely go for an afternoon bench conversation with another local, retired austrian man with a great haircut and linen blazer.





Such wonderful, long indian summer days.





And the styrian pumpkin seed oil is so nice! (They dress all of their salads with it)
I'm glad we brought the taste of styria home with us.

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I've posted a new set of photographs from Graz on my website. Feel free to view them HERE.

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 portra 400

After a bit of breakfast...





...on my second day in Graz, I climbed what everyone referred to as the Schloß (short for Schloßberg); a hill topped by a castle, in the center of the city of Graz, Austria.







Graz (aka the city of design) is even more lovely when viewed from above... the kunsthaus looked pretty cool from up there.

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mamiya c3; 120 portra 400

Just a few polaroid images I've taken at home recently. I miss shooting polaroid so much and when we moved, I re-discovered a few land cameras stored in one of our closets; we haven't used them in who-knows-how-long!.. so I'm crossing fingers the focus isn't kaput on both. The focus on our 420 seems a little wonky, but I'll check out my 340 soon; hoping to fall in love with polaroid all over again, and FP100c film is really helping.

** amended to add : This is such a great read.

I especially love this bit, when asked what her ideal morning scenario would be: 

“I would take a walk and hopefully end up in a place with an outdoor table. I would have my sketchbook with me so I could draw my breakfast. And hopefully there would be really, really good coffee. And no music except for classical music. But mostly the sounds of the day beginning and the clink of silverware and the murmur of conversation.”  --Maira Kalman

I'll share more photos from Graz next week.

Happy weekend, friends.

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420 polaroid land camera; FP100C film

There's a lot of shopping in Graz; it's pretty posh. But I loved the markets the most.

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mamiya c3 tlr; ektar 100, portra 160

We were put up in the festival district and so I didn't have to walk very far to see some really beautiful things. On the afternoon I arrived I popped into the Kunsthaus to see Ai Weiwei's Interlacing. 

We've been listening to this music stream quite a bit lately, and loving it.

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If you would like to see my photographs from Zagreb, I've posted most of them HERE.

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mamiya c3 tlr, minolta xg-m; portra 160

my guy is flown to some cool places sometimes and when I’m able to join him he is usually pretty busy doing work, but I love the moments when I get him all to myself. Even if it’s just to share a bit of time over coffee for a few minutes.





The quiet moments when I'm not really doing anything at all are my favorites. Like when I’m futzing about our room after a long afternoon nap and take a picture looking out of our hotel window.




And then turn to do the same of our mussy bed. Because these are the moments worth really remembering I think.  

A new lovely view. Someone will come to make the bed. No kitty litter to tend to. No laundry to do. And another lovely coffee waiting for me just around the corner...

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 portra 160

“My friends are scattered all over the earth, and this is evidence of my age.”
--- via Mending the great forest highway, ehhad





Our days were long and hot and our nights were cool and celebratory.




Such a lovely little town to stumble upon. More soon.

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If you haven't heard the new feist, I highly recommend it: take a listen

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mamiya c3 tlr, minolta xg-m; portra 400

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i love markets. The images above were photographed at the Dolac Market in Zagreb a few weeks ago.

Dolac is eighty years old and counting. Farmers from surrounding villages come to sell their home-made and home-grown specialties.

A must see if you're in Zagreb: Butchers and old ladies selling their rakia, sir i vrhinje, chesses and creams, you name it.. and you'll definitely find some of the freshest fruit and vegetables you've quite possibly ever tasted. The ribarnica fish market sells fresh seafood every day but Monday. And be sure to look for the bargain lunches offered at little spots surrounding the market stalls.

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 kodak portra 400, 160

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All of my photographs from Zagreb were taken in one day, if you can believe it. Most in Gradec, Kaptol and Gornji Grad. I had a long overdo date with the city, you could say.

I'll share more pictures of the Dolac Market soon --- one of my favorites. You can expect tables full of radni surrounding the market enjoying one Ožujsko after the other while the vendors animate in conversation trying to sell off their organic produce, honey, rakia... It's truly wonderful. And the flower arrangements were autumnal even though the weather was nearly 30ºc that day.

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How could I have forgotten!? The seven day harvest feast begins this eve! We love Sukkot, so we're pretty excited. Do you celebrate? If so, what meals, dishes do you love making the most?

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 kodak portra 160

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a snack and a coffee at velvet cafe, zagreb.

i needed a laugh today and this seems to be helping: I want to defend myself and this shirt I'm wearing inside out.

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 kodak ektar 100

Gold fever.

I popped out of bed at 7:10am.... Selma makes the most astounding espresso. Unsure of time and place in my very mindful state of jetlag, some hours later I knew a date with the sun was exactly what I needed.







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We saw Jens Lekman at the music hall last night. Probably the most fun I'd had at a show in a long time. Here he is in chicago a few nights prior... pretty adorable.

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 kodak portra 160

Stephen and I first traveled to zagreb a few years ago, at the start of a new performance collaborative Stephen was asked to be apart of. I fell in love with the city while we were there and am so glad I was able to return, if only briefly, to visit my friends and capture it properly; just as I remembered it.





Picking the right cameras to travel with is half the battle for me but i'm a bit more brave these days. (deciding more often than not to take my favorite, antique camera along with me.)

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mamiya c3 tlr; 120 kodak portra 160 & ilford hp5 400