Mix Tape

From Nov/Dec2011

A few years ago, Dana and I visited Dana's family in Columbus, Ohio, to meet Taisto, our newborn nephew. While there, we went to a downtown art fair and purchased a print entitled "Mix Tape" (above) from the artist.

I really dig "Mix Tape." It looks cool, it's one of the few pieces of original art we own, and it's something that Dana and I were attracted to and purchased together (although I suppose the latter could apply to a lot of things, like our new TV).

Regardless, "Mix Tape" is cool because of the role mix tapes have played in our friendships growing up. When we were in high school and college, giving a mix tape to another person was an act of friendship; you gave your friend (or someone you hoped to be your friend) a tape of your favorite songs. And it meant something. It wasn't just a list of your favorite songs, you had to actually take the time to gather up all of your tapes and then sit down and dub each song to another tape. This took a lot of time; nowadays kids quickly and effortlessly share music online or via CD. Punks.

So anyhow, we bought the print a few years ago, but we only just now got around to framing it after Dana and I unpacked our pictures earlier this month.

Dana and Annikka dropped it off at a frame shop a couple of weeks ago, and Dana picked it up yesterday. As you can see above, it looks great.

It's been sitting in our family room since yesterday, and tonight Dana pointed it out to Annikka.

DANA: Annikka, did you see that I picked up the framed artwork from the store?

ANNIKKA: Oooh. I really like it!

DANA: Me too. Where do you think we should hang it?

ANNIKKA: How about in my room?

DANA: Well that's an idea we can think about.

ANNIKKA: Actually, I think we should hang it out here because we spend a lot of time in this room and then everyone can see it.

DANA: I think your right.

ANNIKKA: It matches that picture, too (pointing to the framed Bright Eyes poster currently hanging in the family room, see below).

From Nov/Dec2011

Dana and Annikka then went into one of those long, detailed conversations that you have with four year-olds. They talked about the similarities of the pictures, including the fact that they're both black and white, they're both matted, and they're both framed. Dana went on to (painstakingly) explain they're both pictures of ways to listen to music, one being the record album and the other being a cassette tape ... kind of like how we listen to music on an iPod, CD, or computer now.

Annikka paused, pointed at the picture and said:

ANNIKKA: I thought it was a washer and dryer.

From Nov/Dec2011