MOVING!

I will be in high gear for packing and moving over the next several days, so the blog will be slightly neglected. Once I have internet again and manage to uncover my power cord all will be back to normal.



Until then, I suggest you check out some of the fabulous cartoons in the New Yorker archive (like the one above) here.

LOVE 'EM! WANT 'EM!

If I liked the dangly earrings, I LOVE these circle stamps. I can already picture about 100 instances where I can use them: making wrapping paper, making cards, sealing envelopes, making labels . . . .sigh.

Check them out here (but if you buy them you better be buying them for me)!

LOVE 'EM!

Anthropologie is always like a siren song to me, but right now their jewelry sale is particularly alluring. Not like I can afford most of the things on the sale rack, but maybe you can. This pair of "Sadie" chandelier earrings are taunting me with their silvery blue shimmer and, subsequently, taunting me with their $100 price tag.

Check these (and many more) out here.

NEW SAFARI HISTORY GRAPHIC

Amidst my myriad computer issues this weekend/week I discovered a cool new feature on Apple's web browser Safari: a graphic proscenium of your recent history. How cool is that? See those little stars in the top right corner? Those are your super star sites . . . love it!

For all you Mac users, download your update and check it out for yourself by opening a new tab.

For all you PC users - get a Mac! Just kidding (not really)!

HIATUS

Hi all! Just a little note to say that I will be finishing my job, getting my computer fixed, and moving into my new apartment all this week. What does that mean? That means that I will be a busy, busy bee and most likely will be away from blogger until the beginning of August. I will do my best to put up a post or so a day, but am making no promises (particularly since I don't know how long I will be without my computer).

Until then, feel free to avail yourself of the archives (links to the right) or check out some of my favorite blogs here, here, and here.

SQUEEZE ME!

How cool are these juicers?  Made by Amco, these brightly enameled beauties can juice lemons, oranges and limes respectively.  Priced around $12, you can pick them up at Amazon here.  The lemon squeezer is definitely going on my new apartment wishlist . . . 

FONT SQUIRREL

Thanks to How About Orange, I recently discovered a completely free (hooray!) web resource for fonts.  Its great selection is matched only by its fabulous name: Font Squirrel!  Love it.  Do yourself (and your designs and your wallet) a favor and check it out here.

ABIGAIL PERCY

I love AbigailPercy's sweet pieces.  With subtle silhouettes, both of these baubles caught my eye . . . too bad they are $200 (earrings) and $115 (necklace).  A little out of my price range.

If you are still interested, check out here Etsy shop here. 

WEBSITE WONDER

As you may have noticed, I have, over the course of the summer, been trying to make some marked improvements to the blog.  I've added a search feature, RSS feed, twitter feed, a "real" URL etc.  But nothing I have done to work within the paltry confines of blogspot remotely compares to the beauty of these three sites.  I have been drooling over them for a while and thought I would finally send you to see for yourself.

Top to Bottom:

• Oh Joy! I love the simplicity of this set up, particularly the leafy icons near the top
• Fleuron Formerly known as Serif, Fleuron has a great cool color palette and great text bubbles!
• Blue Pool Road I love the alternation of type and photo on this site and their styling.  Yum!

Check out these websites and let me know what you think (and share your favorites if you like!).  I am trying to develop an inspiration scrapbook for the far-off day when I can transition to my own website . . . . 

CLOCK CONCEPT

I agree with swissmiss: this simple clock concept is awesome!  Each number has an individual case (with independent mechanisms)  so that they can be hung as close or as far apart as you like.  Its sleek autonomous design means you can attach it to any surface you like.  Not to mention the fact that it reads the light in the room and knows when to switch the numbers from black (daytime) to white (nighttime) automatically.  Love it!

See more of Kibardindesign's "Black & White Clock" here.

ABBY TRY AGAIN

I really really love the photographs of "abby try again" because:

1.  the color palette matches my love for all things "brightly colored"
2. her photos focus on eclectic collections and groupings
3. they are reasonably priced at $9-$37
4. they match her beautiful blog (check it out here)

Check out the photographic loveliness here.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Just a couple of blast-from-the-past videos to make you giggle awkwardly in your cubicle so that your neighbor stares at you and wonders how you have managed to go clinically insane by Tuesday.  Tell Ms. Nosey Pants to mind her beeswax (or watch the video) because It's just genius Smirnoff ad men (top) and the Lonely Island (bottom) mocking our idiosyncrasies!

(I think, being a prep school girl from Connecticut, that I love the Smirnoff ad so much because A) I know about a thousand girls from home that dance just like that and B) I have spent many summer afternoons sailing and know many people who spent equal time playing tennis/croquet or hanging out on someone's lawn.  As they say on Family Guy: "It is funny 'cause is true!")

DUMPSTER DIVING, HIPSTER STYLE

Not like I count myself with the hipster crowd, but I would sure like to get an invite to this:
a pool in Brooklyn made out of a dumpster (a concept I have read about before, but never seen implemented).

Read the article here and start making calls to angle yourself an invite. Apparently it is a long waiting list . . .

OBRA SQUARA

I am loving the graphic content on the website of the band Obra Squara.  They have a beautiful combination of gorgeous photographs and striking typography which chronicle everything from the band's travels to their song lyrics.  This inspirational design is only mirrored by their Beatles-cum-Indy Rock-cum-Folk sound.  Check it all out here.

Thanks to my newly discovered blog buddy "i am a greedy girl" for the tip.

LILLIAN BASS

Thank you Lillian Bass for your beautiful vision and pioneering spirit.

Thank you New York Times for reminding me of her work.

Read the very cool article about her life and work here (she was married for 77 years!).

(Have a happy weekend everyone!)

JASON POLAN, BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

After posting about Jason Polan yesterday I had a flurry of responses. Turns out Jason grew up with one my friends from college, he has drawn one of my friends from work . . . the list goes on and on!

As if I didn't think so before, now it is official: Jason Polan is AWESOME. (Really, everyone thinks so, so you should too.) To celebrate this fact, I have decided to introduce you to more of his super-cool projects. The top two images are just a tiny sample from Jason's incredible book (only $20!) which chronicles, through drawing, every piece on display at MoMA in a two week period in 2005. I have a feeling artists, historians and laymen alike will find this fascinating. Read more and buy your own copy here. (It is definitely staking a prominent place in my wishlist!)

Project two (bottom two images) represents Jason's attempt to "draw every person in New York". His sketches are fanciful and quick, capturing the essence of each person in a couple of strokes and a handful of seconds. You can even make an ersatz appointment to be drawn by him by emailing where you will be and what you will be wearing at a certain time and place. I think I might have to take him up on it. Check out his ongoing blog about this project here.

JASON POLAN 20X200

I really like Jason Polan's work. I feel like I have seen it before, wanted to post about it before . . . something. Perhaps it is just so close to so many things I love--animals, classification, concise line drawings, simple graphic concepts--that it feels like it is already lurking in my bookmarks or flat files. Needless to say, his 11" x 14" drawings for 20x200 are a steal at only $50 and would make a lovely addition to any wall in an art lover's home (or even animal lover's home!). Check out the goodness here.

WRITE IT, WRAP IT, SEND IT

There is nothing more satisfying than sitting down and writing a nice note to a friend or loved one. For heartfelt catch-up sessions or personalized greetings, email just doesn't cut it. I really enjoy planning the typeface I will use when addressing an envelope and am particularly proud of the way this little note (sorry for the spoiler Karen!) came out with the white lettering on cobalt paper (don't mind the iffy scan).

I mention all of this because I am starting to document my package/envelope designs in an album online, in order to inspire new creations and instill a sort of visual diary of my packing skills. I hope to have the album up for your perusal soon, but until then content yourself with other wrapper's delights (pun fully intended) here.


(Also, get crazy with Martha and make a gift wrapping station here. I am not ashamed to say I have been planning one for a long long while.)

A SMILE A DAY . . .

. . . . keeps the giant Rubber Duck at bay!  In keeping with the multiply/maximize style of art, artist Florentijn Hofman in Hasselt, Belgium has created this 36" high inflated duck.  Amusing at the very least.

Check out more here.  Found via Wooster Collective.

STUDIOTWENTYSIX2: TOM DAVIE

I am in awe of Tom Davie's ongoing typographic work.  Plus it helps that his studio has a cool name: studiotwentysix2.  Check out the goodness here.

WEEKEND UPDATE, WEDDING EDITION

As mentioned here, I went to a wedding this Saturday of a family friend. It was a total blast. Once I get myself organized I will post some of my digital photos from the reception to show you how equally beautiful the setting and set-up were. Until then, please enjoy some of the polaroids I snapped here and there as moments and things caught my fancy.

Top to Bottom, Left to Right:

• the beautiful bridesmaids Jessica and Lauren in their green-gold dresses
• my mom holding a glass of raspberry topped champagne during a toast
• "the super bowlers" (four couples, including my parents, who get together regularly, particularly to watch the Super Bowl)
• the father of the groom looking dapper in his three piece tux and fedora
• my dad laughing at my insistence on taking his picture
• my mom laughing and looking adorable as usual

As usual, see more of my polaroids here and my general portfolio here.

(UPDATE: See more of my photos, particularly the wedding photos, here.)

JIM FLORA

I am loving the illustrations and artwork of Jim Flora.  Over the years his work has graced countless magazine, album and book covers.  Check out his extensive, colorful and inspiring portfolio (and even buy some prints!) here.

(How great are the stripes on these ships?  Lovely!)

FAMILY WEDDING

I am headed home this weekend for a family friend's wedding. It promises to be a pretty great time . . . and a perfect excuse to take lots of photos/polaroids! There will be much to share come next week.

Until then, you will have to content yourself with Martha Stewart's wedding pictures (which, you know, are okay) from various "real" weddings here.