Hadley Faktor

Hadley is half Miniature Pinscher and half Chihuahua mix. She's incredible.

Before adopting Had I didn't have a clue about min pinschers. Now, they're one of my favorite dog breeds, and I get giddy each time I run into one on the streets or at the dog parks and beachs.

At first I was convinced that I really lucked out with Hadley's personality; she's a real character. Friendly, earnest, personable and very playful. I still think this, but after lots of pup rearing research, I've come to understand that these are fairly guaranteed personality traits of the Min. Pinscher. They're intelligent, alert and incredibly fun dogs.

These are a few of my favorite Hadley photos. [I'm sure] I'll be posting more soon, as I am completely smitten.

Hadley, scaled to a grocery bag. 

Hadley  conducts some research on how to help me train her.

Jason Smith loves Hadley; Hadley looking like a fragile baby piglet.

so does David Feldman

Hadley loves to bake

and to sleep on anything sold by Anthropologie.
[especially dresses]. [[expensive, delicate ones]]

a dog tag I designed for Had on a lasercutter & out of basswood.  

Yeah, Hadley's successfully trained me to become quite preoccupied & obsessed with her.

x-pollinate studio's cardboard lamps

This past October, the architectural collaborative I am a part of, X-Pollinate Studio, had its first soft photoshoot. We wanted to test out our latest design, a lamp shade made of laser cut cardboard. We shot the lamps above my bed, in the bedroom space of my live/work loft. So with Neutral Milk Hotel playing off my laptop in the background and my pup Hadley attempting to destroy as many cardboard lamp shades as she could get her eager paws on, we hung a few lamps and took some photos of the corrugate light play on the walls. Photos of lamp shades to follow.

I like to think that on good days, my apartment resembles an Anthropologie store. I could just be reassuring myself that it doesn't need to be properly simplified and organized. Because at times it does look much like a warehouse with much stuff thrown about all willy-nilly. More and more days I wake up thinking, 'I've had it,' and make vigorous plans to live a more minimalist lifestyle, which includes throwing away half of the eclectic things I own, stopping my sentimental habit of keeping random items that move me or allow me to reminisce, and taking everything off of horizontal surfaces. Then I remember that this is how I feel most comfortable, with things somewhat cluttered yet creatively put away around me, like a perpetual studio space. My opinions on the topic of how my living environment ought to be organized change day to day. There's something charming about a book of matches from a NYC pub, an architectural model, random books, a pair of boots and printed out recipes all occupying the same 1 ft surface. Not sure either way... you be the judge.

Session I

Hello! I'm Pauli. Welcome to Pauli's Miscellany!

I've had a running stream of vignettes and conversations in my mind since I was about 5; ranging from observations turned cynical and snarky to sincerely  sensitive and introspective. One reason is that so many aspects of my life and my family have played out like a Woody Allen/Wes Anderson tragi-comedy. Don't worry, somewhat more functional, just a whole lot of nuance. And what better way to actualize these unraveling events than to adopt a self-depricatingly humorous approach? 

That's me!! I'm pulling my bangs back so you can get a real
good idea of what I actually look like. And no! I no longer
own that iphone. This photo is from 2 years ago.

Another reason is my steadfast obsession with thorough documention of well, everything; from the monumental and epic to the very mundane. I suppose that's what makes me a typical architect-in-training. Or maybe it's because I just feel too much, and analyze even more. Or maybe because I've documented and created art throughout my life until it's lead to a design process I use for my projects. Or maybe still it's the dormant schizophrenia that's starting to surface thus I hear a narrator in my head more often. [haha? no? no, you're right] Whatever the reason, documentation and reflection have always been a part of my process. 

As a kid I wrote in proper journals, nowadays I jot down thoughts on tiny pieces of random paper, sporadically in school notebooks or day planners, on album covers, in the occassional moleskine,you get the picture, frantically lest the brilliant thoughts pass. The most pervasive, however,  has been this ongoing narrative, a sort of film reel, if you will, that never stops in my head. 

In an effort to translate these life reflections and musings to something less ephemeral than say.. a crumpled piece of trace paper - as well as combat my tendency to procrastinate - I am using an online journal as platform for my many miscellaneous memories of amusing events and those internal narratives. To catalogue the things I find inspirational or critical, and the everyday residual events that shape one's life and point of view.


What else? This blog will contain observations of events that occur in my life, which unfold around me, and the things I find curious, amusing, obsurd or compelling. Another reason for this blog is to connect with those that share my enthusiasm for architecture, graphic design, film, dogs, music, gastronomy, travel, and amusing situations. 

So I guess for once telling procrastination I'll get to it tomorrow, I made tonight my official first post. Drumroll.... Thank you.

I'm here at Krakatoa, a coffee shop, one of several local favorites,with a cozy outdoor patio and a ridiculous vegan tiramisu cake. [I'm not a vegan, I'm actually a Russian Jew with grandmothers who cooked alot of meat and fish while I was growing up, which means there's no possible way I'd ever become a Vegan] [[ And don't get me started on how backwards the logic is on veganism promoting environmental conservation]] [[[Unless you want to, then by all means let's have a conversation...]]] So back to Krakatoa. Environment & ambiance is fairly critical to self expression, at least to my ebbs & flows of the strength it takes to share private thoughts with complete strangers.  So ok, tonight, at Krakatoa, and at dusk, because that's my favorite time of day, I commence this blog. [Well, that's not why.  However, it's now dusk, and it does happen to be my favorite time of any day]. I even took this photo so you can see how poetic the evening was.