this was a good week

Here's the awesome that made my week:

•  See the guy in the photo?  About 20 minutes before I shot this, I watched him walk into this coffeeshop, I briefly (and irrationally) mistook him for a friend of mine who lives in Utah, and then I went back to working on my computer.  Five minutes after that, he walked up to me:  "Karen?"  

Turns out he's a guy who used to hang out at this coffee house about 20 years ago when I was a daily regular -- I didn't recognize him because he was clean-shaven when we used to have coffee together.  He's doing great -- his business is going gangbusters, he's teaching, he's happy.

I love running into happy friends.

•  Bobbi went to Switzerland and got engaged  -- and has the photos to prove it.  I love love, don't you?

•  Slow-motion footage of trains pulling into stations.  Mesmerizing.

•  Christine Castro Hughes is one of my favourite design bloggers -- but this week, she shared her husband's work:  he sketches vignettes of their homelife.  Can you just imagine his beautiful journals?  His children, and their children, and their children's children are so going to cherish them one day.

•  I did an interview with Barrie Davenport earlier this week, and now she's giving away 3 signed copies of my book.  Go leave a comment!

•  You gotta love people who can walk on water.  Or, you know, oobleck.

•  37 Polaroids taken backstage at the Golden Globe Awards.  Your favourite celebrities, without the benefit of Photoshop.   Don't they all look like they could be your best friends?

•  These photographs, shot by a Russian photographer of her sons on her farm, make me wonder what the hell I think I'm even doing with my camera.  Incredible photography.

•  The good people at The ONE Campaign shared 11 reasons to be optimistic this year.  Fantastic news.  (Also, if you haven't already, consider becoming a member of ONE -- they do amazing work fighting against extreme poverty, and they never ask for your money -- just your voice.)

•  Finally, the song of the day:  last night, I went to an art opening, and a portrait of Snoop Dogg featured prominently.  As a result, this song has been on constant repeat in my brain.

And with that, have an amazing weekend, friends.