Master of the Light Man

Rather than catch every week's episode of my favorite TV shows, I prefer to wait until the seasons come out on Netflix. There's just something so right about a nice binge-watching session. I've been trying to stay away lately, as I'm working on my thesis, but the fifth season of Parks and Rec just hit the metaphorical shelves of Netflix and I can't stop. Those of you who follow the show, I know you understand. Those of you who don't follow it, start and that feeling of "there's something missing"will subside. The topic of this blog post has nothing to do with Parks and Rec, aside from the fact that I'm writing it in between episodes. I lied, film is creative expression and so is photography, and there's my transition.

Creating a space and capturing it are both art forms. I'm confident enough in my creativity to say that I can successfully do both, however, I seem to be the best at occupying space, so I'll leave the rest to the professionals. I'm unsure as to whom created these rooms (or who the lucky homeowners are), but Jordi Canosa, a photographer from Barcelona, has perfectly captured the tastefulness of the following residences. What I admire most about these photographs is the light composition; most of the rooms have a sort of calm and welcoming glow that translates to happiness in the viewer (at least that's how I feel). I guess it's always sunny on the Iberian Peninsula...

But where's the Round Table?

Bike in the castle, nice touch.

That green!

I'd be fine with living in just that entryway. 

Meow.

Blue and white is always right.

Love the beams!

There's nothing like a good looking bookshelf, really though.

I like the chartreuse juice, but I can't figure out what kind it is...

Seriously, love all the beams!

And to think that this is someone's backyard, rough life,  just saying.

I would give anything to take a nap on that couch.

Wood is good.

Moroccan flare is always welcome.

Great door frame but it would seriously hurt to smoke your head on one of those corners...

It even has a treehouse!

And this is just perfection manifest in an Andorran mountain cabin and I want it for my own.


(All photos via here)

 I took a couple breaks while putting this together and finished Parks and Rec...so now I'll return to Always Sunny and hopefully find inspiration for a few more witty titles.

Fatboy

I'd always wanted one growing up, and now that I'm 22 years old, I've finally found the perfect bean bag. The original Fatboy bean bag was created by Finnish designer, Jukka Setälä, in 1998. Setälä's design is known for its comfort, style and easy to clean fabric. The Fatboy line now extends farther than "the original", and includes pillows, hammocks, rugs, pet beds and a variety of accessories.

"With its generous size and energizing comfort, it is always there to maximize whatever pleasure you choose." Twist my arm!

Chairs, I scoff at you. I don't want to sit, goddammit, I want to lounge! Fatboy for life.

And when I thought it couldn't get any better, boom, Marimekko.

Shout out to my fatboy, Zealand, back in Alaska. Now that's a dog worthy of a Doggielounge:

Weekend in the Burgh

I know, this post is long overdue, but not for lack of trying (at least in the past few weeks or so). I took a break from blogging while on summer vacation, but I'd hoped to get back at it once in NYC again. So, a couple of weeks ago I tried to create a new post but things got weird so I convinced myself that Franland had been hacked. Took my issue down to Fordham's IT office and it turns out I'm just technologically inept.

Summer was beautiful in every way; tidbits and pictures will be shared in the near future. As of now, I’m back in NYC for my last semester of college. So amidst my senior thesis, French enlightenment and the likes, I’ll always have Franland to channel my creativity, indulge my procrastinating ways and reassure me that happiness comes when you do what you love. And it’s nice to share it with the world, too.

About a month ago I visited my brother in Pittsburgh, and as classes had just started, I had the time and my peace of mind. The latter left me almost immediately as my bus broke down twice, turning my seven-hour ride into a twelve-hour saga. Still, it was worth it. The Burgh is a beauty: fabulous food, fruity cocktails and friendly people.

Upon arrival, we made our way to an exquisite Caribbean restaurant, Kaya, where we had drinks, conch fritters, jerk chicken wings and plantain chips with mango salsa. The plan was to take pictures of the apps, but by the time I remembered that, the reality was a collection of empty plates. I did get a picture of the drinks; that has to count for something.

As per usual with the Romagnoli clan, the rest of the weekend was centered around food. The best meal, hands down, was at Park Bruges. The picture doesn't do these succulent little babies any justice, but these mussels (or rather, the creamy rosemary, dill, thyme, shallot and garlic broth they came in) were perfection.

Overall, great culinary experiences, but I had an awesome time just walking around, as well. It's a great city with a lot of character and pride and I look forward to future trips to the Burgh. Here are a few pics from the weekend walkabouts:

Bonus:

Grey Cat