2 romantic things you can do for someone you love
There are two really cute things that are pretty unique that you can do for someone you love right now. One of them, unfortunately for my out-of-town readers, is Chicago-specific, but the other anyone can do from anywhere they have an internet connection.
So, the first, which is Chicago-specific, is called Pink: A (love) Courier Service). Here's a link to a review on Oh! How Lovely. Anyway, this was really convenient for me, since it's located on North Avenue pretty much smack dab between home and work, at the St. Paul Cultural Center, 2215 W. North Avenue. Basically, you walk into what used to be a church basement and there are all these people dressed in factory-style get-ups of white with pink trim. There's this neon pink dotted line on the floor and it's a little meandering and they ask you to follow it exactly and there's this little curly-queue in the middle of a straight walk to the first "station" where someone greets you and tells you about the project and give you your stationary and a form to fill out, which includes a sort of release asking if it's ok if they print your letter. They then direct you to a station of old-fashioned typewriters and books of poetry collections that you can use for inspiration. You then write a love letter using this little typewriter. I must say, I was swept away by the whole experience and therefore laid it a little thick in my poetic license, but it was ultimately received "with the perfection with which it was intended (a direct quote from the letter, btw)," so I was pleased. Anyway, after you finish the letter, someone comes and takes it from you and tells you, "now this is very important. When I take your letter and put it on this clothesline, I need you to yell very loud 'love on the line.'" So she does, and I do, and all the little workers in their pink and white coats yell back, "LOVE ON THE LINE!!" It was all very cute.
After your letter is finished, they put it in a little glass bottle and then a shoe-box with other bottles in the same zip code and volunteer bike messengers hand-deliver them to their intended destinations. And all of this is for free.
As I finished typing this, I realized that I'm almost too late. Pink closes tomorrow. Maybe they'll extend it? Either way, you should rush out and check it out. It's Friday night tomorrow night. What better things do you have to do than express your feelings to someone?
The second thing is just as awesome.
A while back, I was friended on myspace by this band, Wrapping Paper. I kind of liked the name, so I decided I would at least listen to their music. A few weeks later, I finally did. I listened to their first song, Hold Up The Neon Sign, which I actually liked a lot, despite a not-so-great sound quality. It sort of reminded me of early The Arcade Fire. Anyway, it still wasn't exactl enough to let me friend them, and I put it off another week.
The following week, I checked them out again and I still liked the first song and the other songs were not as much to my liking, but I noticed that they were also a little simpler in composition, and I saw potential. But then I noticed a posting in their blog. Something about "Your own wrapping paper song!" So I clicked on it and they said that if you purchase their e.p. (for a mere $6.00), they'll write you a song about anything you want.
They also created a myspace page for songs written for people who bought the e.p. When I went to the page, he had a song called William the Wiener Dog, but it's gone now. It was really cute and had this part about all the things William the Wiener Dog likes and it made up my mind right there that I was going to do this. That song is gone now, but you should hurry and go listen to Kurt Vonnegut vs. Jane Austen, which is my current favorite song on their but I think it'll be gone soon. There's also a sloth song, which most of you know, is my second favorite animal. So that's pretty awesome.
Anyway, I bought the ep and sent a message right after and I thought for sure that he'd be all backlogged with requests and it would take weeks before I got my song. I sent him the message at about 9:30 am on Saturday. He sent me one message back a couple hours later saying he'd either have it that day or the next day, and he had the song to me the same day about 12 hours later! And it was awesome!
I gave him some specific details about my boyfriend and I thought he'd get creative, but he kind of used my words verbatim for a lot of it. I think if you're less specific, like in the sloth song and the Vonnegut/Austen song, he'll wikipedia the subject and sing some random things. Either way, they're cute songs and it's a super unique gift for someone special to have a song written about them.
So, go do those things now.
So, the first, which is Chicago-specific, is called Pink: A (love) Courier Service). Here's a link to a review on Oh! How Lovely. Anyway, this was really convenient for me, since it's located on North Avenue pretty much smack dab between home and work, at the St. Paul Cultural Center, 2215 W. North Avenue. Basically, you walk into what used to be a church basement and there are all these people dressed in factory-style get-ups of white with pink trim. There's this neon pink dotted line on the floor and it's a little meandering and they ask you to follow it exactly and there's this little curly-queue in the middle of a straight walk to the first "station" where someone greets you and tells you about the project and give you your stationary and a form to fill out, which includes a sort of release asking if it's ok if they print your letter. They then direct you to a station of old-fashioned typewriters and books of poetry collections that you can use for inspiration. You then write a love letter using this little typewriter. I must say, I was swept away by the whole experience and therefore laid it a little thick in my poetic license, but it was ultimately received "with the perfection with which it was intended (a direct quote from the letter, btw)," so I was pleased. Anyway, after you finish the letter, someone comes and takes it from you and tells you, "now this is very important. When I take your letter and put it on this clothesline, I need you to yell very loud 'love on the line.'" So she does, and I do, and all the little workers in their pink and white coats yell back, "LOVE ON THE LINE!!" It was all very cute.
After your letter is finished, they put it in a little glass bottle and then a shoe-box with other bottles in the same zip code and volunteer bike messengers hand-deliver them to their intended destinations. And all of this is for free.
As I finished typing this, I realized that I'm almost too late. Pink closes tomorrow. Maybe they'll extend it? Either way, you should rush out and check it out. It's Friday night tomorrow night. What better things do you have to do than express your feelings to someone?
The second thing is just as awesome.
A while back, I was friended on myspace by this band, Wrapping Paper. I kind of liked the name, so I decided I would at least listen to their music. A few weeks later, I finally did. I listened to their first song, Hold Up The Neon Sign, which I actually liked a lot, despite a not-so-great sound quality. It sort of reminded me of early The Arcade Fire. Anyway, it still wasn't exactl enough to let me friend them, and I put it off another week.
The following week, I checked them out again and I still liked the first song and the other songs were not as much to my liking, but I noticed that they were also a little simpler in composition, and I saw potential. But then I noticed a posting in their blog. Something about "Your own wrapping paper song!" So I clicked on it and they said that if you purchase their e.p. (for a mere $6.00), they'll write you a song about anything you want.
They also created a myspace page for songs written for people who bought the e.p. When I went to the page, he had a song called William the Wiener Dog, but it's gone now. It was really cute and had this part about all the things William the Wiener Dog likes and it made up my mind right there that I was going to do this. That song is gone now, but you should hurry and go listen to Kurt Vonnegut vs. Jane Austen, which is my current favorite song on their but I think it'll be gone soon. There's also a sloth song, which most of you know, is my second favorite animal. So that's pretty awesome.
Anyway, I bought the ep and sent a message right after and I thought for sure that he'd be all backlogged with requests and it would take weeks before I got my song. I sent him the message at about 9:30 am on Saturday. He sent me one message back a couple hours later saying he'd either have it that day or the next day, and he had the song to me the same day about 12 hours later! And it was awesome!
I gave him some specific details about my boyfriend and I thought he'd get creative, but he kind of used my words verbatim for a lot of it. I think if you're less specific, like in the sloth song and the Vonnegut/Austen song, he'll wikipedia the subject and sing some random things. Either way, they're cute songs and it's a super unique gift for someone special to have a song written about them.
So, go do those things now.
posted by Brian at
10:20 AM
