The Art on Our Walls

Not only was our recent move a huge shift in location, but it was also Dan and my first time living together. Such a huge transition! It would have been easy for me to just move into Dan's place in Clifton, but it would have been *his* place. When we moved, we wanted to go somewhere neutral, where we could start a new kind of life together.

For me, a big part of the cohabiting transition has been art. Dan already had his favorite artwork framed, and we knew where it would hang in our new home. But since we knew we'd be moving, I'd been on the hunt for a piece of art that would represent me.


While strolling through Mica 12/v one day, I saw a print by VisuaLingual and it was love at first sight. Not only is it a gorgeous print set on vintage wallpaper, but it's a beautiful linguistic feat: a poem done entirely in anagrams for "Over-the-Rhine." It was everything I could ask for in a piece of artwork: a tribute to my new home, a quirky bit of style, a sweet piece of poetry... and a chance to support a local artist that I adore.


The Over-the-Rhine anagram print (still available through VisuaLingual's Etsy store, by the way) hangs in our kitchen area, between two windows that show off our view of the city.

Dan has a new piece of artwork as well. When Shepard Fairey visited for the inaugural kickoff of his Contemporary Art Center exhibition, he did a limited edition, signed print made specifically for (and of) the CAC. We weren't able to be there that night, so Dan was crestfallen that he wouldn't be able to nab one of the prints. But never question the awesomeness of the social network: I covertly asked our friend @5chw4r7z to pick up a copy of the print, and he generously did so. (Good thing, too, as the print sold out within hours.)


The print now hangs proudly in the little nook where you first walk into our home. It's impossible not to see it. It too is perfect for the space: the image is of a piece of Cincinnati's heritage, it acts as a timestamp for when we moved downtown, and the iconic, bold reds and blacks that Fairey is known for help it stand out against the exposed brick in our flat.


There is more art hanging in our new home... could it really be "home" without it? But these are the pieces that Dan and I bought together, and they're new to our home and our life together. I've already started to forget what this place looked like without them.

VisuaLingual's Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/visualingual
My anagram print: http://www.etsy.com/listing/35343641/over-the-rhine-cincinnati-anagram-print
Shepard Fairey's CAC exhibition: http://contemporaryartscenter.org/ShepardFairey
Shepard Fairey's print: http://www.contemporaryartscenter.org/RiseAbove

Buying local for Christmas

For this past Christmas, I challenged myself to buy locally as often as I could. I had a great time doing it! I couldn't show you the pictures before the holidays because, um, they were GIFTS, but I wanted to take a moment to show you three of my purchases that supported local biz. (Sorry for the ill lighting.)


Here's a Clifton Comics gift certificate, lovingly drawn by the proprietor himself. (I also bought some Magic: The Gathering cards from him, as stocking stuffers-- I'd usually buy these at a Target or something so I hope buying from him made a better impact?)
Clifton Comics website: http://cliftoncomics.com/


We have here the much-adored VisuaLingual "seed bombs"-- another great stocking stuffer that my brother loved. No one in my family had heard of these "guerilla gardening" bombs, and when I explained the concept they were really excited. I might be buying more of these in the near future...
VisuaLingual's Etsy: Midwest Seed Bombs


And last but not least, my own favorite... the Steve Zissou finger puppet. I first came across these puppets at Crafty Supermarket, and snagged a business card with the Etsy address. Maybe not the most USEFUL thing in the world, but I think the unique artistry and the adorable detail made this 100% worth it!
AbbeyChristine's Etsy store: Steve Zissou finger puppet