Coupled Perceptions

Seasonal, Thursday

2008-12-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

Seasonal, Tuesday

2008-12-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Seasonal!

2008-12-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

So this is probably the 4th or 5th time I've done a seasonal picture blog. Mostly because I love it so as a theme. It's cool how it encompasses weather, our everyday activities and festivities. I love seeing what is going on where ever claire is vs where I am because it's always a little different. And since there is only about 3 weeks between thanksgiving and christmas this year, seasonal stuff is EVERYWHERE. This should be a good week.

-Lauren

Holiday Part One

2008-11-30T18:55:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 08

2008-11-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is the holiday edition!! We are taking a break from the regular schedule. Look out next week for some of our favorite shots of the holidays! :)

-Claire and Lauren

Space, Weekend

2008-11-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

Space, Thursday

2008-11-20T05:29:00.001-08:00

Space, Monday

2008-11-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Space

2008-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

Whether its the physical space around you or the unmeasurable concept of the galactic universe, space is there, but then... not quite visible at the same time. It literally, and not figuratively, shapes our existence, yet we don't notice it that often. I'm excited to see what kind of interpretations we come up with, because Lauren and I had somewhat different takes on what it should be defined as. But I'm glad we left it up in the air, hee hoo hahaha I'm so clever. Anyways, what do you do in the space that you live? Do you avoid crowded ones? Or do you like to fill yours up with people and things and happenings. Space.

-Claire

Open/Closed, Sunday

2008-11-16T18:22:00.001-08:00

Open/Closed Thursday

2008-11-13T07:51:00.001-08:00

Open/Closed - Monday

2008-11-10T13:21:00.001-08:00

Open/Closed

2008-11-10T08:12:00.001-08:00

I like the idea of balance. Right and wrong. Up and down. Horizontal and Vertical. One without the other makes it all meaningless. I want to play with that idea of duality. It doesn't have to be both at the same time and it doesn't have to be one or the other. Whether its a door or an idea or a members only situation, we maneuver them on the daily. I wonder what they look like? :)

-Lauren

Noise, Weekend

2008-11-09T11:25:00.001-08:00

Noise, Thursday

2008-11-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

Noise, Monday

2008-11-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

Noise, Week I'm not sure

2008-11-03T18:18:00.001-08:00

Noise. A word that works on many levels, many senses as the clever Lauren pointed out as we discussed this theme option, and its a constant part of our lives. Almost everything we do causes noise, either physical movements such as my clumsy attempt to get the microwave closed the other day at work (don't ever try using your head!), actions that affect other people, snoring while you sleep or talking on the phone at a coffee shop. And since hearing is one of the first senses that we use to interact with the real world..... before we're even in it, we hear it!! (Its said that babies instantly react to their mother and fathers voices while still inutero). Noise is one of those things that is so integral to our lives. In a metaphorical sense, noise can be irritating or entertaining or even educational, but sometimes its hard to create boundaries for what needs to be heard and what needs to be ignored. What kinds of emotional or physical noise would improve your well being if you could say no to it? Maybe turning off the tv for one hour longer than usual or finding a calm place in your house to read? But to end on a more positive note, I could never ever live without the noise we call music, so boundaries schmoundaries!

-Claire

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Travel, Weekend

2008-11-02T16:55:00.001-08:00

Travel, Thursday

2008-10-30T11:30:00.001-07:00

Travel, Monday/Tuesday

2008-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Travel! Week Blahblah

2008-10-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Oops, we didn't do the sunday work pic. Oh well, moving on. I took that pic of the back of my shoe in heels, one of the work pumps i wear to interviews and such. Then I flew to the seattle and did the whole super shuttle bullshit to get to the airport. But when I lived in a different area of san francisco I took a tram and bart to get to the airport. Travel is sometimes a pain in the ass, but often is something we never think about. It's like getting dressed, just something we do. Once we defamiliarize something, that's when our reality becomes redefined and pulls us out of the humdrum. I'm excited to see what we get!

-Lauren

Work, Thursday

2008-10-23T08:33:00.001-07:00

Work, Monday

2008-10-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

Work - Week I'm not sure

2008-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Since I don't do anything but work these days, I thought it would be an appropriate next theme. There has been a question amongst humans for, well for forever, about whether or not a person's work is the person. It was also discussed in a movie I saw this weekend "Body of Lies". Is a man or woman seperate from their work? Does it define them? Does it control their expression and their time? Arguments for both sides are well built, but true mystery comes from the definition of work in your life. What is work? How does it affect your well being? Do you admire or fear it? Is your work also your passion? We all must work, but is your job really working you?

-Claire

Touch, Sunday

2008-10-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

Touch, Thursday

2008-10-16T08:33:00.001-07:00

Touch, Monday

2008-10-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Touch! Week - I'm not sure

2008-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

So we're back on track and I thought we would start this off with the theme of touch. It's interesting because we totally need it to survive. But we can go a long time without it and notice necessarily, until someone brushes up against you in a bus, shakes your hand or hugs you out of the blue. At least that's how it is for me. In a world of personal space and relationships via cell phone or internet and all of our increasingly busy multi-tasking lives actual human contact is sometimes put on the back burner. Did you know that massage can aid in depression? Not simply to reduce stress but because of the human on human contact (in a friendly, nurturing way). So go out and touch somebody. The good touch. Not the bad the touch.

-Lauren

The Future

2008-10-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

PICTURES ARE COMING BACK. Some transitions needed to be ironed out but starting NEXT MONDAY a new set of pictures will begin and will continue through jan 2009. YAY SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!

Dinner, Thursday

2008-09-11T12:45:00.001-07:00

Dinner, Monday

2008-09-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Dinner, Week 32

2008-09-08T08:49:00.001-07:00

Dinner! Oh My Yum! A longstanding tradition, dinner is the epicenter of the day for many many people worldwide. An attempt is made (hopefully) to pitch in, set the table, sit down, put away phones or computers, and eat with those we love. Sounds simple, but for many it is not. It is often where family tensions boil over, children are scolded, wives are demeaned, and sometimes the financial strain to put the dinner together renders it impossible. For me, it is never quite that complicated and it remains the lazy part of my day, where I make something (I only end up actually cooking about once a week) for one and sit on my couch and hopefully watch sex and the city reruns or the daily show. I wonder what's for dinner?

-Claire

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Sex, Saturday

2008-08-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sex, Thursday

2008-08-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Sex, Monday

2008-08-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

Sex, Week 31

2008-08-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sex!!!

It's everywhere. You always hear how its ruining our youth and blahblahblah, sex sells, etc. The one rant I have about it is all those 9 year old girls wearing gobs of makeup and running around in little shorts with words on their ass or in bakinis. Please. My kid is going to have a one piece until she's in highschool. But other than that - sex is NOT DANGEROUS. Minus AIDS and crabs and hpv and all that. But sex isn't a bad word and shouldn't be something we plug our kids ears about. All that does is keep them ignorant. I for one, LOVE public nudity. It reminds us that everyone's butt looks weird, that no body is perfect, and allows everyone a good chuckle. Yes, even the dirty old men. So this week is sex.... no money shots please.

-Lauren

Illusion, Saturday

2008-08-25T19:47:00.001-07:00

Illusion, Thursday

2008-08-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Illusion, Wednesday

2008-08-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

Illusion, Week 30

2008-08-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

Due to some out-of-town guests and busyness, we decided to end "Passion" week early, and are starting our "Illusion" week tomorrow, wednesday. Can you believe it's been 30 whole goshdarn weeks!? Wow. So, Illusion. Things that confuse us, misguide us, or simply befudle us. Sometimes imaginary, sometimes real, and sometimes the mastery of a local county fair magician. Not that I know anything about that. But illusions are mesmerizing for some who find it intriguing, and really frustrating for others who hate not knowing what's going on. Either way, they are everywhere. What kind of illusion do you wish you could master?

-Claire

Passion, Thursday

2008-08-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

---------------------------> AM

Passion, Monday

2008-08-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

*Note: original idea inspired by claire receiving earings from lauren. :)

Week 29, Passion

2008-08-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Whenever people ask me (oh and the DO ask me) to describe myself in three words, OR to come up with three words my friends would describe me as I always say Passionate, Clever, Genuine.... or something like that. But passionate is always always always in there. I appreciate passion in life and passion in other people. Actually - if someone isn't passionate about something (just one thing, really) i become immediately uninterested. I see it as a flaw. People are missing out if they don't have something in their lives to get really riled up about, to pop you out of bed in the morning, to keep you going when everything else sucks, to keep things exciting. And also - if you don't have anything to be excited about then wow you are pretty damn boring. Passion. I think of flushed cheeks and whooping outloud and lust and geeking out. Everything worth being human for. So passion... let's see it visually.

-Lauren

Legs! Saturday!

2008-08-09T08:13:00.001-07:00

Legs, Thursday

2008-08-07T18:23:00.001-07:00

Legs, Monday

2008-08-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

(note: that is not one giant leg but two legs side by side... its just enough separation to LOOK like my leg/food is about an inch huger than in real life. But yes, i do have giant fucking meaty calves. ha)

Legs

2008-08-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hot Legs! In your satin shoes! Ok thats just my Rod-Stewart-listening-childhood coming out. I can't help it. But yes, the theme this week is Legs! They are those long gangely things that help us get places, help us kick things out of our way in messy bedrooms (aka mine), and are the fascination of many men. I tend to like mine, and even though they arent as skinny as I would prefer, they do me just fine and they are strong, so I am happy. Legs are, I would say, probably the most important part of our physical body, next to the maybe eyes and brain of course. Because really, they do everything. They balance us, propel us, stop and start us, and let us stand on or tippy toes to reach very important high things, like luggage in an airplane or yummy garlic crackers on the top shelf. So embrace them ladies! And show me some hot legs!

Lines, Saturday

2008-08-02T07:02:00.001-07:00

Lines, Thursday

2008-07-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Lines, Monday

2008-07-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Week 27! Lines!

2008-07-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

Lines are everywhere. They are visually compelling. They tell us which way to go, they are the fastest way to get from point A to point B, they are created by things like seams in walls or a gap between colors in fabric. Lines also seperate people for their ideas. There are lines in the sand that are metaphorical as well as tangible lines like walls and fences. There are the lines we stand in and there are other words for lines like rows. We are a people who like to seperate and identify, helped along by lines. Todays picture (of mine cuz i dont know what claire's will be) is one of my favorite ever ever in the history of this blog because it was an incredibly happy accident. Lines. They are everywhere. I'm excited to see them through someone elses eyes.

-------------------------------------------------------Lauren

Atmosphere, Saturday

2008-07-26T14:55:00.001-07:00

Atmosphere, Thursday

2008-07-24T07:48:00.001-07:00

Atmosphere, Monday

2008-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Atmosphere, Week 26

2008-07-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, just a quick second to explain how excited I am that it is WEEK 26! For some reason that seems like forever! And I'm obsessed with even numbers, so week 26 is giving me good vibes. Also, an apology for the late blurb, my insane work schedule this week has made me incredibly absent-minded. So, atmosphere. When I came up with this theme, I was hoping for a double-meaning interpretation. Not only is it more to work with, more than just clouds and storms and ozone layer destruction (ie pollution), but the intangible awesomeness of your everyday encounters with 'atmosphere'. That feeling and ambience of your surroundings that is purposeful, sometimes not purposeful, icky or sweet, but always, always there. What kind of atmosphere do you find yourself in most? What kind of atmosphere would you hope to perpetuate in the feng-shui-ing of your home? What are your favorite kind of clouds? See! There so much to think about! Interpret away!

Faces, Saturday

2008-07-19T12:30:00.001-07:00

Faces, Thursday

2008-07-17T07:54:00.001-07:00

Faces, Monday

2008-07-14T07:48:00.001-07:00

Faces, Week 25

2008-07-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ooooo 25!! It's a milestone. Hooray!! 25 weeks of some not-so-ontime photo blogging. But interesting none the less. And this next batch of 8 weeks is going to be SUPER AWESOME. Trust me. It's some of the most interesting picture themes of the whole game. And this week - faces. Faces are fascinating. When we are babies it is our most favorite thing to look at. But most babies can't handle the continued stiumlation of eye contact for very long so it's best to look away and let a baby stare at you for as long as they want. Most people recognize faces before they ever remember names or where or when they knew someone. And also - faces are all different and capable of making hundreds if not thousands of expressions. And besides - its what we like to take pictures of the most. I know I'm not hangin up a bunch of pictures of my friends feet. Thats fo sho. So let us dazzle you with this weeks faces.

-Lauren

Technology, Saturday

2008-07-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Technology, Thursday

2008-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Technology, Tuesday

2008-07-08T09:44:00.001-07:00

Technology, Week 24

2008-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

SO....basically it rules our lives. (or maybe just mine, and the generation of my peers, but still, we're the future right?) Anyways, it's true, you know it and I know it. Some resist it, and think it is making our children grow up too fast, making us more individualistic, and even more disconnected with eachother and the world around us. I tend to agree on some of those issues, but not with anger or resentment, mainly with wonder. How is that we created this world of tech, where information is completely passed invisibly through the world around us? If you ask me, it's totally crazy. One of the wonders of the world. It enables us to pass information to eachother instantly and connect in ways that were completely unthinkable one hundred years ago. And really, thank you baby jesus for all those nerdy scientists in the 70s who develope the internet and cell phones and all the other gadgets, cause if I weren't able to text back and forth with maris about phish food icecream and sleepovers, I really don't know if I would have been able to stay awake on my commute to work today.

-Claire

Special Double "Hands On" Edition.

2008-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

(Do you KNOW how hard it is to take this picture when it is your butt, your hand AND you taking it?! I'm just sayin...)

Hands On, Thursday

2008-07-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Hands On, Monday

2008-06-30T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hands On, Week 23

2008-06-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Honestly when I saw this theme in my notebook I could not remember at all why i picked it. But I think it's going to turn out pretty interesting. Maybe it's because i work in a place where people build things every single day and I just wanted to give my self an easy week. In this "age of technology" (I really hate that phrase... wasn't it always an age of technology? even with the wheel? hasn't the technology simply changed over time?? But I digress...), perhaps it is becoming more and more rare to really dig in and get our hands dirty. But we do on a daily basis, we might just not think about it. Cooking? Doodling? Taking care of animals? Taking care of our family? Where is it that we really have that touch connection with things beyond the keyboard and the cell phone? I wish I could sew cuz THAT would be an intimate relationship I could really make last. :P

-Lauren

Pets, Saturday

2008-06-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Pets, Thursday

2008-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Pets, Monday

2008-06-23T08:52:00.001-07:00

(My neighborhood, Ladd's addition, treats their plants, trees, and especially their roses as pets, constant care and petitioning for vaccines)

(the pigeons in france are as big as CHICKENS and they're everywhere... they are... the nations pets)

Pets, Week 22

2008-06-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Domesticaton. Cats. Dogs. We're obsessed. Parrots, iguanas, hamsters, even pigs. We want to hang out with them. Companions. It seems to be an American thing, this obsession, but of course the history books tell me it's been around for a long times, and that the Egyptions really loved their cats. But all the dogs running around in European small towns make me think they probably have better things to do. I, personally, have never been a dog person, but I completely get why some people are. Although if anyone I know ever does this to their 'extra special family member', I will slap them upside the head.

-Claire

VACATION

2008-06-10T16:07:00.001-07:00

I'm heading to paris on thursday so we will be postponing the pics until monday the 23rd of june. I'm hoping that the break will bring back the picture VIGOR and we won't suck it up so much on updates.

And for a special treat... here is a sneak peak into the future themes: Pets, Hands On, Technology.

Peace Out Girl Scout,
Lauren

Seasonal, Thursday

2008-06-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

Seasonal, Monday

2008-06-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Seasonal x 2

2008-06-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

I like the theme Seasonal. So that's why i picked it AGAIN. Summer is just around the corner. So show me your june portland and san francisco SHOW ME.

Also - the pictures have been kind of fucked up lately. Its kind of both our faults so i apologize. Coming up there is going to be a vacation while I am in paris and there will be no posts for two weeks but then we will be back with a VENGENCE and more on top of it, I promise. But for now, enjoy monday's post of TWO of SF pics since Claire is in seattle.

Looooooooooove,
Lauren

TV, Thursday

2008-05-29T08:51:00.001-07:00

(Note: the actual real life state of my floor right next to my nightstand.)

TV, Monday

2008-05-27T19:49:00.000-07:00

Week 20, TV

2008-05-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

*Due to ridiculousness on my side (did you know there were internet gods out to get us? yeah I didn't either) and a spontaneous trip on Lauren's end. we did not have a saturday/accessories post and monday's debut of the theme TV is belated. Apologies.

So, TV. There are hundreds of opinions about it, things like evil and brain numbing and societal brainwashing's right hand, but regardless, you cannot deny that it's a pretty neat invention! Throughout the information wave of the twentieth century, with newspapers, radio, tv, and internet, the TV is the only one with bright flashy lights, cool graphics, crochety old newscasters with toupes, interesting stories, and loads of information. Even if it is a bunch of white guys fighing it out on CSPAN or fake people faking dating on a fake set with fake hair. It's in your living room, some of it is even free, and what is better than finding a tape from the eighties and reliving all the cheesy commercials. So whatever it is you watch, or refuse to watch, take a second and send a little love to that grey box in your living room, cause God knows we all watch our TV on the internet now anyways.

Accessories, Thursday

2008-05-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Accessories, Monday

2008-05-19T12:19:00.001-07:00

Accessories - Week 19

2008-05-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

Some people are big in accessories. They know how to wear the right earings with the right necklace that looks great with this certain shirt. And they have the patience to continually switch it up. Some people also wear hats and headbands and scarfs and rotate them for maximum variety. I am not these people. I wear one necklace and I never take it off. Sometimes I have spurts of wearing certain pair of earings - which I wear until i have to take them out and then i just dont have the energy to stick them back in again. But accessories or not just girly shit. They are the "thing" companions that accompany us in our daily lives. Whatever is outside of you, that might actually feel like an arm or a leg, whatever it is you feel naked without. And if I don't see a picture of claire's bangles I might just shit my pants. :)

-Lauren

Sin, Saturday

2008-05-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Sin, Thursday

2008-05-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

All alone with Sin, Monday

2008-05-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sin

2008-05-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

Due to family trips and generally just the crazy busy but oh so fantastic lives that we live, todays pictures will be all mine (thats me, Claire). With this weeks theme, sin, I think it is pretty fitting, seeing as sin is one of the most personal things an individual can go through. Not to ignore the fact that most sins usually involve hurting someone else, but sins are usually solo acts, with the regret and repurcussions most keenly felt by the conscious mind who committed them. Whether you think of sin in a biblical way or otherwise, there is something in all of us that screams "this does not feel right", even though it doesnt always stop us from doing or saying. The act or failure to act of sinning, is taught throughout our whole lives, with nightmarish yet generally effective (if not a tad bit over the top) stories of terrible aftermath. But regardless of how awful we can be to eachother, ourselves, and to our planet, I strongly believe it is our ability to recover from the constant sins we commit that makes us truely able to conquer them. We can push through the pain, let it fuel us with determination, and embrace its unique power to make us better people, with more compassion for and insight into the complicated world that we live in.

Body, Saturday

2008-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Belated for many reasons, apologies from Claire

Body, Thursday

2008-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Body, Monday

2008-05-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

Body, Week 17

2008-05-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love the human body. I love how everyone is both different and exactly the same. I love clothing and dressing the body and learning how to excentuate different parts while minimizing others. I love that body means the entire material or physical structure. We're talking the bulk here, the important stuff, where all the nitty gritty stems from. I'm also talking about flesh and blood and exploitation and sex and scars and wrinkles. It's also how we move, how we express ourselves and display our insides, the parts people can't see on first impression.

If you can't tell I'm really excited about this one... and I promise not every shot is going to be some provocative self portrait. ha. So let's get it on.

-Lauren

Organization, Saturday

2008-05-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Organization, Thursday

2008-05-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Organization, Monday

2008-04-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

Organization

2008-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

So....organization. Oh hell. I have a love hate relationship with this aspect of my life. On the one hand, I have a history of being extremely unorganized. Another lovely gene I inherited from my mother. On the other hand (and unlike my mother), I have changed slash improved immensely in the past decade or so on this matter. I really have. I still have my moments and am no where near the anal retentive level of some of my dearest yet completely crazy friends, it has become something of a challenge that really has helped me in all areas of my life. I mainly have Microsoft Outlook (and comptuers in general) to thank, and sticky notes, and my really awesome 97 cent 'take me everwhere, I'm solid and reliable and keep things together' clipboard. Thats really all it took. Ok, really, enough about me. Organization. Its a fetish for some, a pain for others, but its everywhere. Even our minds are programed to think in terms of categorization and themes and styles and format. So I say embrace it! And hell its got to make for some really awesome "peek into our lives" type photos. Not to mention some almost modern art looking office snapshots!

-Claire

Shadow, Saturday

2008-04-26T17:02:00.001-07:00

I don't know if Claire is going to be updating, but at least here is mine. :)

Shadow, Thursday

2008-04-24T07:58:00.001-07:00

Shadow, Monday

2008-04-21T07:10:00.001-07:00

Shadow, Week 15

2008-04-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

Shadows are usually a happy accident in photos. And most often they can turn an ok picture into real art. I'm not sure how to fabricate that amazing shadow shot - but we'll see. I'm gonna let the struggle of doing this speak for itself in our photo sets. I can't wait to read the comments! :)

-Lauren

Freedom, Saturday

2008-04-19T09:21:00.001-07:00

Freedom, Thursday

2008-04-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Freedom, Monday

2008-04-14T19:32:00.000-07:00