the obsessive imagist | art, design, life: June 2008

P.S.

In case you are in the Boston area this weekend, make sure you go check out the Boston Handmade Marketplace in Union Square, Somerville on Saturday from 3-7pm. There will be music, goodies to buy and kindly people (say hi to my friend Jessica!). Here are some of my favorites from the Boston Handmade family (top to bottom) which you can, in a pinch, find on Etsy:

UP, UP AND AWAY . . .

Tomorrow I leave for a week-long hiatus in Italia! I am going to visit my dear friend and beloved travel buddy Nathan (who has been in Italy for the past year on a Fulbright Fellowship). He and I studied abroad in Siena, a small town we will be revisiting for the biggest event of the year: Palio! I will do my best to do a post or two, but am not making any promises.

Here's what I have to look forward to:

the beautiful vista of Lake Guarda
the cobblestoned streets of Siena
the glorious fanfare of Palio
Sienese cookies: ricciarelli
a walk around the Fortezza
a trip back to my study abroad school
the Last Supper in Milan

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

THINGS I WANT WHEN I GROW UP . . .

. . . for my home! Now all I have to do is find them all . . .

1. a photo booth in which every visitor would be required to do a sitting.

2. a small antique movie marquee with a cheery welcoming phrase (Greetings! Come On In (Starring You)! or something like that . . . ) & a small row of red fabric movie theater seats to throw your coat on.

3. a room with a map wall - either one giant mural or a conglomeration of many maps, all from places to which I have traveled.

4. this incredible Albrecht Durer sketch of six pillows to frame over my bed. what a lovely image to fall asleep/wake up to. . . (too bad the sketch has never been printed in any way, shape or form).

5. fresh flowers every week. peonies would be great - if only they were around all year!

JEN RENNINGER

Jen Renninger's work is absolutely exquisite. Her website is clean and elegant and provides a comprehensive portfolio of her collages, design work, paintings and other work. Trust me, you will drool over every image so check them all out here.

ORANGE BEAUTIFUL = PACKAGE BEAUTIFUL

I have been reading SCOOP for a while now, and have long been impressed with Emily and Laura's design sense. They recently posted about a new product photographer they hired (Peter Weisberger, as seen in the first photo). I was more stoked by the package design - lovely peep-through envelopes (hinting at your goodies inside!) and personalized stamps - than the photography itself. Truly the design throughout their site and products is gorgeous: I love the wrap-around labels and thoughtful way of presenting each product. Check it all out here and buy your own OrangeBeautiful products here!

GEEKY LOVE

As a big geek at heart, I love this typography/movement inspired reading of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (didn't everyone have to memorize this at some point in their middle school career? How much more fun would it have been to memorize it this way?). Wouldn't it be fun to be the little comma?

Found via (as always) swissmiss.(HD) A More Perfect Union from Andrew Sloat on Vimeo.

NAEEM KHAN

Um, wow. I was first introduced to Naeem Khan's work here and here (and what a beautiful bounty of color that dress is!), and now am officially head over heels in love. If only I had a) the 6'0" frame to pull these dresses off and b) the bank account to back it up. I love his subtle palette and lively patterns. Even better? The intro on his website is an elegant flickering - a mix between flash bulbs and sequins. Terribly drool-worthy.

SAARINEN MEETS THE GUGGENHEIM

On Saturday Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the building of this gorgeous edifice: the Museum of Middle East Modern Art. Designed by the renowned UNStudio (check out their website here) , this seems like a modern update to Eero Saarinen's TWA Terminal/Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim. Needless to say, it's gorgeous . . .

First seen at the drool-worthy blog Yatzer.

IT ALL AD(D)S UP

I love clever advertising. With ads on the back of bathroom stall doors these days, it makes me smile when something makes me think, pause, and take a second look. All four of these ads do a great job of breaking out of the mold.

Thanks to Black*Eiffel for clueing me in.

p.s. Why isn't AdBlog onto these?

COLOR ME WALLPAPER

I am really digging this wallpaper. Made with a myriad clock pattern, each clock is printed on the wallpaper in outline only, letting the little Picasso (or big Picasso) in your life do all the coloring.

Find a review of the Tick Tock wallpaper here and inquire about purchase here.

PUTTING ON A FRONT

This morning, as a special treat for myself and as part of the search for a belated Father's Day present, I went to the new Bob's Your Uncle store Front in Fort Point. Not only was the store as beautiful as everyone described (see decor8 here) but I had the added bonus of meeting one of the creative geniuses behind the Bob's Your Uncle line: Michele Yeeles (seen in the first photo)! Bob's Your Uncle was started/is run by a husband & wife team (Michele and Martin) both of whom started in design (she in shoe design and he in graphic design) making the perfect basis for their colorful, sassy, brilliant products. Turns out that their office is just on the other side of Front's door so either Michele or Martin are in the store at all times. I had a wonderful conversation with Michele (she is so nice!) during which she offered a ton of great advice (for budding designers like myself) and generally cemented my love for Bob's Your Uncle products and the Front store! Go check it out yourself at 25 Channel Center Street, Boston.

p.s. Did I mention that I want to buy everything in the store? I managed some restraint & only bought two things . . .

IMAGES FOR A SUNNY DAY

This morning I went for a little jaunt around Boston - over to the new Bob's Your Uncle store Front (more photos later) and down to Copley Square for the Friday Farmer's Market. I came across this building (shining with clouds) and a lovely bunch of radishes. I love the contrast of radishes: crunchy/leafy, blood red/bright green, small bulbs/overflowing leaves . . . too bad I don't really like the taste (I bought tomatoes and basil instead).

Both of these photos just make me happy, symbolizing the glory of late spring/early summer. The top photo is of the water next to the Block Island Ferry as it docks, the bottom is of the trees surrounding my family's house at the shore (Branford, CT).

Hope you, wonderful reader, are out enjoying a bit of this pretty day!