.
so don't really want to spend a lot of time on this post, I am still really bummed about it (as evidenced by the fact that these events went down over two weeks ago, I and I am just getting around to this now), but we will not be returning to london.
shall we say, things went down. things involving sadistic border control officers, immigration holding rooms, fingerprinting, attempting to sleep on the floor in a locked room in the bowels of heathrow airport (and failing), and an eventual deportation back to the US.

there's no use expounding on the downsides to this development (I've done that enough in my head anyways), so here going to focus on the positives.

-unlimited cheerios and cheez-its

-no barriers to getting to the two weddings this summer we are invited to

-closer to family and friends on this side of the pond

-I might actually get to eat the lobster my family has been so kind as to call me internationally to tell me they were having over the past few years
-girl scout cookies


and ok then. enough on that.
on to more interesting (and less depressing) things!

all these have caught my eye lately.

This house is 7 feet wide, built in 1830 by the cranky owner of one of the buildings next door because he wanted to keep people from using the alley next to his house.

we all know I like odd buildings, constructions that are just a little bit strange or imperfect. but houses built specifically out of spite? that I am definitely on board with.

'the E-inkey Keyboard Concept, designed by Maxim Mezentsev & Aleksander Suhih. The keyboard (hypothetically) uses E-inky technology to create a keyboard whose keys are customizable and responsive to the programs you are using.'

I want these murals by PIXERS in whatever future home I may own.

this 'accidental movement':

When war between Israel and Iran seemed imminent, Israeli graphic designer Ronny Edry shared a poster on Facebook of himself and his daughter with a bold message: "Iranians ... we [heart] you." Other Israelis quickly created their own posters with the same message -- and Iranians responded in kind. The simple act of communication inspired surprising Facebook communities like "Israel loves Iran," "Iran loves Israel" and even "Palestine loves Israel."

Ronny Edry of Israel accidentally created an online movement for peace in the Middle East when he posted a Facebook image that declared "Iranians, we will never bomb your country."

The image became a catalyst for dialogue between the people of two nations on the brink of war.

there are no words to describe how much I covet these.

this hedgehog statue in Kiev...

...which led to the discovery of this ridiculously cute short animation, Hedgehog in the fog, created by Yuri Norstein in 1975.



and finally just the overall wintery insaneness of this.
[necessary to click link, no way to embed video...]

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