Web Miscellany: Compilation #1

Happy Friday, friends! I hope that the summer is treating you kindly and that the sun has rekindled the relationship with your inner child. I read, watch, and take in far more than I can capture in my blog posts. Besides, why elaborate on what someone else has painted so eloquently? So, here’s the first of (hopefully) many weekly recaps of wonderful things I’ve found around the web.

1. Cracked crackers. Saltines broken into pieces and rearranged. Visually, so very satisfying!
2. I picked up fresh fruits from the local farm and baked strawberry-rhubarb pie. The wonderfully sweet and tart dessert was a total hit, almost as good as the one my boyfriend’s grandmother used to make.
3. The poem Conversationalist by Jess Janz was highly relatable, capturing the essence of a big-hearted girl in a small-talk world: “I’ve become unskilled at asking people questions because the only questions that come to mind are the kind that don’t fit in well at parties.”
4. Following from that, here’s the best icebreaker question from Mike Kim: “Tell me about something you love doing that you’re terrible at. And tell me about something you really do not like doing that you’re great at.”
5. I discovered Ben Howard’s live performance of Depth Over Distance about six years ago, and revisit it almost daily. The performance is soulful and sincere, and the lyrics offer profound wisdom on patience and trust in love.
6. Choosing a degree, taking a job, and planning for a career–we’ve all been there. The article How to Pick a Career (That Actually Fits You) on Wait But Why is a great guide for discerning exactly what your priorities are (not your mother-in-law’s or roommate’s), and how to take action based on those priorities.
7. Preparing to interview for a new job? If so, check out the Briefcase Technique. Do your research, develop a plan for fulfilling the role at hand, and then make a pitch for what you think you can do. Be remarkable.
8. The Good Room by Frank Chimero is a lengthy but worthwhile read. “If technology is increasingly a place where we live, it needs to have space for the soul.” For a shorter read, check out his latest post, A Modest Guide to Productivity.
9. This quote from David Byrne: “I sense the world might be more dreamlike, metaphorical, and poetic than we currently believe… I wouldn’t be surprised if poetry…in the sense of a world filled with metaphor, rhyme, and recurring patterns, shapes and designs…is how the world works. The world isn’t logical, it’s a song.”
10. My younger brother was fascinated by architecture as a child, so this analysis of true mansions versus poorly designed “McMansions” was truly intriguing. Key points: the core of the home should be the focal point, symmetry is good, keep things in proportion, and ensure continuity.
11. My brand new, uber-soft “Pet All The Dogs” shirt just arrived. Swoon!
12. These Things I Know For Sure by Andrea Zittel. I’m thinking about this one: “What makes us feel liberated is not total freedom, but rather living in a set of limitations that we have created and prescribed for ourselves.”
13. Missing from your job description by Seth Godin. Curiosity, empathy, and thoughtfulness–that’s what’s missing, yet so important to a smoothly-running, conductive-to-growth workplace.
14. Tim Ferriss interviews Karlie Kloss, a 25-year-old supermodel and entrepreneur who is passionate about empowering young women to code and become leaders in tech. Sick of seeing Silicon Valley dominated by men, Karlie attended coding boot camp and went on to found her own nonprofit offering a similar coding camp for young girls.
15. I recently discovered the best deodorant ever! Thinksport’s Aloe & Tea Flower is natural stick with absolutely no toxins. It smells incredible and works better than anything I’ve ever tried, even on my stinky-pitted man. The price is a little steep, but entirely worth it.