I am getting ready for work, but Sean's getting ready for the first big party of the summer - there will be barbecue and slip'n'slide (hopefully not together). Should be a humdinger.
Assignment #55 - Photograph a significant outfit from Learning to Love You More.
Harrell Fletcher and Miranda July started this project in 2002, creating assignments for the general public to complete. It's ongoing and the site is a trove of thoughtful stuff.
(Thanks, Maria!)
I just stumbled across this today. My god. Editing Godard to the National. Wow.
Rube Goldberg, the man himself, in 1940.
This video gets really trippy around the five minute mark, when narration breaks in, and a wise kindly voice starts rhapsodizing that "man has discovered a virtually unlimited source of power..."
Just guess what it is. Pretty crazy, given the times we are living in now.
I think kids today miss out on all the Rube Goldberg possibilities that things like pinball machines presented. iPods and XBoxes are wondrous magical things, but it's not the same.
The best internet story I have read in a while.
Via Spoon & Tamago.
The Style Press IS my mix tape mind twin. Holy moly. Check out Mix #6. Flying Burrito Brothers AND Joy Division! I am gobsmacked by awesomeness.
Pixelsurgeon - The day there was no news. The scrolling footer is killer.
Via Shape + Colour.
The Style Press has posted a new mixtape, in case you are in need of some tunes. Song 1 and song 3 are two of my favorites of all time, so whoever made this list may be my long-lost mixtape mind twin.
Toms shoes. Buy as many as you like. Perfect for summer, and for every pair purchased, a pair is donated to a child in South America. Pretty rad business model.
There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. […] Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.
E.B. White, Here is New York
I think what he is saying about cities has a grain of the universal. New York is only the most extreme example because it looms so large, both physically and in the collective mind as the place where dreams come true.
Once a city loses its settlers, it's on dangerous ground - cities live or die by their magnetism. You have to attract the people that will make the city the place you want to be, people with agency who choose where they live. Individual persons or things are not strong enough - a collective movement is required, a coalescence into critical mass large enough to form an attractive force. Under those lights, I wonder about my city.
Quote via SwissMiss.
So, I won't bore you by reviewing all of the acts at Sasquatch (you can read the party line here, and check out photos of the bands here). I will say that the music was fine, and the setting was spectacular.
Sean and I spent two days wandering around Seattle, and it was hardly enough. It felt like a very liveable, well-used city - everywhere, people walking, biking, riding streetcars and monorails. The downtown felt similar in size to the Cleve, but it was completely filled in and there was a bevy of cranes on the skyline. All the space was used - not a surface parking lot to be seen. Downtown had all the usual chain store suspects, but the neighborhoods were crammed with interesting, independent businesses, restaurants and markets - it was striking, and it made it feel like a good place to live, like you could set yourself down just about anywhere and be a short distance from coffee, books, and fun. Everyone we met was extremely friendly and kept telling us other places we had to go, so our days snowballed from one place to the next in the most delightful, unexpected way.
We made it home from Seattle safe and sound, surviving a red-eye of yowling infants and grumpy business types, miraculously undelayed in this era of airline chaos. I did manage to bring back a wicked sore throat with me, so yesterday was spent recuperating, brewing copious amounts of chicken broth and searching frantically for my secret stash of TheraFlu. This morning, I am feeling almost human again, so let the blogging commence.
Sasquatch Music Festival 2008 official poster. By Invisible Creature (aka Don Clark).
... you, strange as angels ...
Sigh. Possibly, just possibly, my favorite song of all time. If they play this song tonight, I may die on the spot of happiness.
I had to include this, because it's so crafty.
Today, I am posting a selection of videos from bands on the Sasquatch Sunday lineup.
I'm there, rocking my little heart out!
Gentle Pure Space found a Flickr set of people jumping off swings.
If you are stumped for fun, it's an idea. Happy weekend.
And in case you are wondering why anyone would want Daft Punk playing at their house, watch this.
Haba Russian House Building Blocks. Perfect for when you want to act out scenes from Dead Souls. Via DaddyTypes.
My sister is in training for a backpacking trip to Montana, so she is spending a lot of time these days hiking. She asked, very sweetly, that I come up with a stylish, aspirational hiking ensemble for her. Since my life today is about all things outdoorsy, it seemed like a propitious time. This is for Rachel. I chose orange-y things, because orange makes her happy, and an organic hoody from Patagonia, so she can stay warm with a clear conscience. Every hiker needs a snappy backpack full of necessary things - snacks, water bottle and a camera (in case you meet a yeti). Throw in a cushy pair of flip-flops for the drive home, and off you go, Rachiella!
Letters tagged on shop shutters in East London. By Eine. Compiled by John Gorman. Via John Walker's blog.
Sean and I are flying out bright and early Friday morning to go to Sasquatch. We'll spend Friday afternoon wandering around Seattle, then get up early Saturday morning to drive to our campsite at the festival. We'll be there for three days of music overload, then spend Tuesday in the city before taking the redeye home.
Normally, we travel light, but this time we have to corral camping stuff and make sure that we keep within the airline luggage limits. Right now, I am looking at piles of sleeping bags and self-inflating mats, trying to figure out if we can stow the Coleman lantern somewhere, counting batteries and feeling completely overwhelmed. Blergh!
Sometimes, having fun can be a lot of work.
Painting by Rachel Austin.
It looks like Cleveland Bachelor tagged me to list ten weird, random facts, habits or goals about myself ... hm. Well, in case you are interested:
When I was seven, I wanted to grow up to be a stock broker;
I have only been to 25 states and 7 countries;
When I was 13, this was my favorite food (I'm not sure it even counts as an actual food);
These are my movie snacks of choice;
Last summer, I scaled Mount Megunticook;
I adore improbable action movies with explosions and car chases;
This is my favorite place in the city;
I like to draw floor plans for imaginary houses;
These are my favorite kicks;
and
October 5th is my favorite day of the year.
Ten!
Mociun scoop side sundress. The pattern is a hand-drawn design by Caitlin Mociun. I wish this was mine.
Get your bookmarks ready - Danielle of Room Service has just launched Go Green, a blog all about things green and enviro-friendly, like growing your own herbs and rad recycled plates. I can't wait to see more.
PS - If you haven't been to Room Service yet, good golly, go! I am planning a Detroit-Shoreway blog field trip in June, but don't wait for me. Definitely worth a trip.
I love Anna James' furniture finishes. She restores the pieces, then covers them with hand-painted designs. The Verona-inspired graffiti is brilliant. It makes me think about finding a piece of furniture and letting all my arty friends have at it.
Found via Dwell.
Matt Pinfield at the Rock Hall vs. Cameron Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity at the IdeaCenter.
Decisions, decisions. Argh.
Update: The proceeds from the Sinclair lecture are going to Burma reconstruction. I think he wins.
Update the second: I am going to miss both, because there is too much packing to do for our trip. Blast!
ClevelandDesignCity - opinion, news and events in architecture, urbanism and design.
This one makes me laugh - I can think of several new posts for it right off the top of my head.
Stefan Sagmeister has a collaborative project called: Things I have learned in my life so far.
He asks:
What have you learned in your life so far? What is it that you are fairly sure about? What is it that you believe in by now? Please do write it down beautifully. Design it digitally, photograph it, draw it, scan it and upload it. Use any media that works for you, paint, sculpture, film….
The submissions are really lovely. My favorite is the one posted above. It is from d. sharp's nine year old, and is called Hearts with Scaffolding. It reads "love is a good thing most of the time."
A motto to take comfort in. It is the work of Andre Jordan, and his blog is my new favorite thing. I am particularly smitten with the ordinary love stories and I covet the wordy paintings.
Tonight, after eating happy hour burgers at Prosperity Social Club, I ran into my old friend Pete McDonald. He's a great guy, and a talented musician, and getting a chance to catch up was an unexpected treat.
Seeing him reminded me of the Raccoon County Music Festival in Burton, Ohio. It's a showcase for old-timey music, and Pete helps put it together. This year, it's June 14th, so mark your calendars and tune your banjo. Should be a fun day out.
Feeling Britpoppish this evening, so I thought I would post one of my favorite music videos, ever.
The personal happiness of many Americans has been undermined by poorly designed housing and public space, yet few of us employ the language of real estate development, architecture, or urban planning to trace the contours of loneliness, boredom, weariness, discrimination, or financial worry in our lives.
Dolores Hayden, via Reference Library.
Zena Verda Pesta, an undergrad student at the Cleveland Institute of Art, is a finalist for Design*Sponge's Scholarship (this is a photo of some of her ceramics work). Hooray, Zena!
You can check out the competition here, and cast a vote if you are so inclined - inspiring stuff!
My friend Erica sent me a link to this article in the NYTimes about the McCain campaign's use of Optima bold. All sorts of design people weighed in with their wildly divergent opinions on Optima, but my favorite was Art Chantry's:
Optima is the ultimate noncommittal typeface. It’s a sans-serif typeface with the suggestion of false serifs. It’s also a serif typeface without serifs. Either way, it’s a half-truth. Optima is the best typeface for appeal to all viewers and projecting sophistication without really having sophistication.
The Showtime Chair by Jamie Hayon for Barcelona Design. The quilted seat is a nice touch.
Via Apartment Therapy.
... because I have an (almost) pathological craving for wagamama, and it tastes best eaten in London. The idea of seeing this street art exhibition at Tate Modern makes me want to be there even more.
Plentiful ramen noodles + exciting street art = my kind of heaven.
Muto by Blu. I think this is the most impressive piece of animation I have ever seen.
Seen at Coolhunting, Shape + Colour, and A Scanner Darkly.
On Friday, my mom and I drove down to Springfield, Ohio to attend the antiques extravaganza. Much fun was had - it was sunny and cool, snacks were plentiful and diverse ( everything from deep fried pb&j to thai noodles), and there was a boggling array of things to buy. I saw Thonet chairs, Dansk kobenstyle pots, a '60s style desk with the periodic table and scientific algorithms printed on the top (should've bought that!), and tin dollhouses.
I managed to carry home a number of treasures ...
Thermoses. (Thermi?) Good patterns.
Finel enamelware mushroom bowl. I have been coveting one of these.
Hazel Atlas Platonite dinnerware, in a color wheel assortment.
Fun schoolhouse stuff. Nora did not see the use of this chair. Much too small for napping.
Jewels, including a bundle of old rhinestone buttons. (I always like to take home at least one sparkly thing.)
And finally, a pair of tired feet. It was a great time, and I plan on going again- everyone was willing to bargain, there were masses of stuff, and I brought home all this booty for a little over $100. A good day!
Something upon which to feast greedy eyeballs - the work of Mikel Casal. His illustrations remind me of old picture books I inherited from my mother - bright, clean, and graphic, with a mid-century pop. Book By Its Cover has an amazing post featuring his sketchbook. Wow-o-wow.
View today at 1:30, heading towards the city. Click to see the details - it was a city of cloud behind the city of concrete.
So these Canadian girls kick it all Joy Division/Smiths/'80s synth style, but I like it. Plus they play an actual organ. Truth in advertising is important.
So, I wasn't sure if I liked this song, but now I think I love it. It's wormed its way into my brain. The video has a balloon drop and makes me want to get tattoos, for some reason.
I love the sharp scratchy quality of the line drawings. I still use this trick to remember things to this very day.
I'm off for an adventure. Wish me luck!
Regularly scheduled programming (cartoon + sunday tunes) will be up over the weekend, and I will be back with new tales to tell Monday.
Happy weekend!
Just saw this on Stereogum. Perfect happy music and perfect happy video. I needed some color and some handclaps today.
So, as I was looking up links to use re: the Lingg Gallery post, I stumbled across a blog called Smashing Says.
!!!
Kathy Smash is based in NE Ohio, designs and sells jewelry, and it may be my new favorite thing. Candy colors galore and everything with a nice graphic pop. I am especially taken with these lovelies - I'm imagining wearing them with a red stripy shirt and skinny jeans and little gamine ballet flats.
Her blog is a treasure trove of links, like this goodness - it's a compendium of Northcoast Etsy sellers, so you can buy local even when you buy on the web - and a link to papercuts & gluesticks in Rocky River, which looks amazing.
I love the interweb!
Mark your calendar - Lingg Gallery is hosting a reception tomorrow night, featuring jewelry by Love Heals, Elisa Solomon, and Barbara Colasuonno, and painting by Paul Sydorenko.
Lingg is my favorite, favorite, favorite place to get presents from. Heidi Lingg, the owner, is a treasure finder. Her shop is my go-to spot to find things first - before the internet, before Lucky. She's got the magic eye and she is super nice as well.
If only I wasn't traveling tomorrow ...
I came across an article about Thomas Heatherwick in the New Yorker this week - it described a bridge he designed as a pedestrian footpath over an industrial waterway. It had to be retractable for boat traffic, but he wanted to come up with a more visually interesting way for it to operate. Here's a clip of it in action - holy awesome. (If you are short of time, let the video load and fast forward - you can get a sense of how it works.)
I used to think I had some skills with the blocks. After watching this, not so much.
LEGO Master Builder Nathan Sawaya.
For more Lego insanity, check out the other LEGO Certified Professionals.
Alchemy Architects designs small, prefab houses called weeHouses. They cost between $125 - $200 per square foot. One of the niftiest things is that you can stack the units to create your own custom configuration (I'm continuing with the LEGO theme today, you see).
Sean and I like to dream about owning some land in the country, where we could plunk a weeHouse down. We'd cross country ski in the winter and hike in the summer, and invite friends out for bonfire parties. Something like this or this would do the trick nicely ...
It would also be interesting to see them used as urban infill.
Image from Alchemy Architects
It might look like this. Or, if I ever have land in the country, maybe I will use this idea for a weekend getaway that will house me and all my friends.
The stacking and the bright colors make me think of LEGOs.
Photo from a stage set in Amsterdam (I wish I could find the set designer's name - it's brilliant). Via Development Crossing.
Rock out Lego-style!
I saw these iPod speakers in a catalog at my parents' house (my mother is the Queen of Catalogues) but you can get them online here.
This is a freakishly adorable girl group from Sweden. I pretty much want all of their haircuts, and clothes, and I especially want the eyeglassses. Holy cow.
Really, I don't know how Sweden functions what with all the pretty people and good design.
(Thanks, Mark!)
My friend Nicole McGee was interviewed by Abby Ham for a piece on WKYC!
Nicole (as Second Time Design) designs jewelry and paper goods using found and repurposed materials. Right now, her pieces are carried at Planet Green in Rocky River and she has a new website under construction, so keep an eye out!
Exciting, exciting!
Ok, full disclosure - I actually finished this last week, but I wanted to wait to post it until the lucky recipients got it in the mail.
Besides, in real life I am working on my resume today, and who wants to see that? Not employers, let me tell you.
Blergh!
Sorry I Missed Your Party - pictures of other people's parties from Flickr.
Now, these are what I call party faces.
Found at a A Cup of Jo.
I want a Nissan Figaro. 20,000 were built in 1991 and they have since become a hot ticket with collectors and design enthusiasts. You can buy them in the UK.
Lucky limeys!
Proms are strange, controlled events - it's like everyone is trying to stay true to the script of their own movie. It feels like it's your only shot to get something right - the right dress, the right date, the right song that captures all your memories. Of course, for most of us, it never ends up being as magical as it is built up to be. Still, everyone hopes.
When I look back to that time, I wish I could strip away all that anxiety and just enjoy the night. It's why I always want to go to the Beachland Prom - I finally have the right date, they would surely play the right songs, and I could really get the dress of my dreams. Every year, events conspire against me and I never manage to make it - this year I will be at work. If I was going, this is what we would wear for twirling under the scattered light of a disco ball.
The Pipettes ... now sadly defunct. This video lives on in all its silly glory, a dance inspiration to us all. Perfect for practicing moves for the prom.
The Beachland Ballroom's Prom is this Saturday night, so order some carnations and ask your steady.
The Wellie Wagon.
Hot dogs shouldn't have a monopoly on street vendors.
Turn buttons into hair accessories.
Make shrinky-dink rings.
Bake homemade oreos.
Read about tigers.
Just in case you are looking for a way to spend some time.
I came across 100khouse through the GOOD Magazine blog - wow. Sign me up.
It's the brainchild of Postgreen, a real estate developer that specializes in modern urban green building. Working in collaboration with interface studio architects and Build it Green, they are attempting to build an environmentally astute, well designed house with two bedrooms and one and a half baths on an urban lot in North Philadelphia for around $100/square foot. The interior renderings look amazing.
Somebody - the Civic Innovation Lab, The Cleveland Foundation, Enterprise - SOMEBODY - needs to get on the phone with these people and figure out how to bring this to Cleveland.
This statement on the "About" page is so true:
"Basically $100K seems to be the “magic number” in circles of those of us seeking an affordable and modern home. "
I talk about this a lot with my friends in the city - there just is no housing purchase options for people in the middle. It's all either pricey new construction or older houses that are a nightmare to heat and need a lot of work.
It's so inspiring that someone looked at this set of problems - cost, size, location, and environmental realities - and instead of seeing impossibilities put their brains to work on creative solutions. People want to live in a well-designed space, but they don't want to mortgage their futures to pay for it. The new housing that is being constructed around Cleveland is oblivious to the fact that there is a vast, untapped market for affordable, well-designed, environmentally conscious housing - and not just locally, nationwide. Make housing cool enough and cheap enough, and people will relocate here. Then the city will really start to sing.
A good place to try this would be the area around the proposed Design District, but every neighborhood in the city, even the so-called gentrified ones, could benefit.
Clusters of tax-exempt $250k+ townhomes aren't going to be enough to turn the ship around - we need to aspire to a more revolutionary approach. Cleveland could become nationally, even internationally, renowned as a lab for housing.
Ideas, ideas!
Thought I would post this in case your coffee isn't doing it this morning. I was always torn between wanting to be Belinda or Jane.
I am going to post a video from a rocking girl group every morning this week - not a definitive list, but whatever is catching my fancy and is of reasonably good quality on the ol' YouTube.
So, instead of posting my usual Sunday tunes, I am going to post this special message from Mr. T.
I wonder what Mr. T's mother thought about those shorts.
Happy Mother's Day.
... than making like a Belgian and snacking on french fries and steamed mussels at Bar Cento at 1:00 in the morning after a long night at work?
Short answer - no.
The MoMA Store has a new product line called Destination: Japan chock full of cool things, like these Piperoid robots, kitten mittens, pig lids and travel chopsticks.
If I had my way, I would be playing with these robots right now, making stop animation movies where they eat crumbly crackers, attack houseplants and battle each other for control of my living room.
Sesame Street, 1977. The avant-garde vocals are by Joan La Barbera.
It's interesting to watch this - I imagine if you spent enough time looking, you could find a lot of connections between current graphic design aesthetics and some of these old shorts.
Old Breeders - Divine Hammer (I love the MTV2 logo in the corner):
New Breeders - German Studies:
Both rad. And those cool Deal girls are from Dayton. Yeah, Ohio!
Which Cleveland bar made Conde Nast Traveller's 2008 list of hot night spots? They only picked 10 in the U.S., and 28 worldwide ... and one is in the Cleve.
Give up? Here's the answer.
Adjust your evening plans accordingly.
Every day is a day of wonder.
Twenty minutes ago, I discovered Fonstruct on Poppytalk. It's a site that lets you create your own fonts, for free. All other activities have come to a standstill. I don't know if my floors will ever get swept again. I am riveted!
This illustration by Craig Ward captures exactly how I feel - whee!
(Image via Fffound.)
Via A Scanner Darkly (be sure to scroll down and read the post about FedEx - typography strikes back!).
File under excellent ideas with brilliant execution.
On a smaller scale, you could make a bedside tables using this idea - I also like the thought of stools to go around a table. Books with similarly colored spines might be a way to go, too, for subtle color statement.
From the Brunswick Bound bookstore in Melbourne, Australia,via The Design Files via Black Eiffel.
fishbol Bookseat, via Neatorama.
This could revolutionize waiting rooms everywhere.
All things book related this morning.
I confess, I am mad for the plaid. I must have some long-lost Scottish ancestor. I saw this A.P.C. dress today on Bunnyshop. It's perfect in every way for summer. It would go smashingly with these skimmers. Which would be great for riding one of these bikes. Which would, in turn, create the perfect ensemble for roving thrift stores and flea markets throughout the city in search of more plaid.
Golly!
{frolic} posted about Bobbin Bicycles today and my little heart skipped several beats. I think I will need one of each thing - a vintage riding hat with a custom velvet corsage, a plaid box bag, a reflective sash with a vintage button. Then I will stand out! Not to mention the bikes. Oh my.
Be sure to check out the pinboard section, which has photos from a bicycle fashion show, and the about you section, where you can click on little drawings of the bikes to see who rides them. The drawings are by Allan Deas (whose website is a cornucopia of good).
Why, oh why, must the exchange rate be so lousy?
You may find yourself saying this if you make it over to Old Rocky River this evening - they are having their monthly "Sip and Stroll" event tonight from 5-8 P.M. It's held the second Thursday of every month - for a little preview of the shops, see my post from last week.
Wine + shopping = good times, and you can make it home in time for 30 Rock. What's not to love?
Image by James Joyce (the illustrator) on Creative Review. Via Fffound.
... that there are certain things Clevelanders have no sense of humor about.
I have been coveting fiberglass shell chairs for a long, long time, but have held off buying them. Desire to Inspire has a fantastic post today showing exactly how wonderful they are in all kinds of rooms.
My resolve is weakening.
Photo from Modernica.
Frequency by Tauba Auerbach.
This work is made up of 10,000 cut out letters. A great deal of her work focuses on selection and rearrangement, like a version of the bible she produced where all the the letters appear by frequency in alphabetical order, rather than as words.
Another artist whose works rely on letters and selection is Austin Kleon (who I found via d. sharp). He abstracts words in a different way, selectively blacking out newspaper sheets to create visual poems.
The sad news of the day was that no Black Keys tickets were secured. It was an unfortunate confluence of events. Well, mainly it was that Sean needed the car for work today, and he couldn't get away from work until 1:30. We pulled up at the Beachland around 1:40, and joy filled our hearts because there only appeared to be about 50 people in line. We got a boffo parking spot, and trotted off to wait for our wristbands. More and more people showed up, and we looked at them, smug in the knowledge that we were getting in, and they probably weren't.
Oh, never tempt the gods with gloating.
As it turned out, the doors had already been opened to the 120 lucky souls who were getting wristbands. The real line was hidden inside. Apparently, the first guy had gotten there 8:30. As in A.M. The guy standing behind us in line turned out to be Cindy Barber's (a.k.a. lady who owns the Beachland) neighbor, and she came out to tell him that there was no way anyone outside was getting a wristband and we might as well go home.
Tragedy, oh tragedy.
What balm can allay a troubled heart, grievously wounded by disappointment?
Pastrami, that's what. Sean took us off to Superior Restaurant, and we split an enormous pastrami and swiss on rye. It's hard to feel much of anything other than happy in a food coma induced by the consumption of cured meats. Delicious. And it is a place that is perfect in its way - gleaming green walls, glazed ivory brick, chrome bar stools with vinyl seats. I took it as a good omen that they were playing Islands in the Stream when we walked in. So the afternoon was not a total loss in the end. But I still wish I had gotten those tickets.
Blergh!
I love Polaroid pictures - the kind you shake to develop, that always look a little grainy and off and mysterious.
This magical device, which can be yours for the low cost of $44, lets you print photos you have taken with your digital camera on to Polaroid 500 film. I really don't see how I have existed so long without one.
Sadly, the braintrust at Polaroid is stopping production of their instant film, which means now is the time to stock up - fortunately, Poloroid film seems to last a long time past its expiration date (hooray for EBay!)
For inspiration, check out Nectar & Light, My Polaroid Blog, Everyday Polaroid, and Tod Brilliant.
I spotted this yesterday on Black*Eiffel - it's the work of Mike Lemanski. Such a great mix of type.
... tomorrow night (Wednesday) at 8:00. Beachland Tavern. Open to 125 lucky souls - you have to pick up a wristband at 2:00pm from the Beachland. First come, first served. Info here.
By all reports, their live shows are "loud, debauched rock catharsis" - it would be gobsmackingly awesome to see them in the tavern.
Fingers crossed! Alarm clock set!
Poster from Methane Studios.
I woke up this morning to the BBC reporting that 22,464 people have died and 41,000 people are missing in the wake of the cyclone that hit Burma last weekend. Medecins Sans Frontieres and the International Red Cross are on the ground, trying to get food, water and shelter to people.
Generally speaking, I use this blog for simple, relatively happy things, like pictures of strawberry plants and crooked-footed ghosts. I like to think of it as my small way to get people to see the world a little differently, to encourage people to stop a moment in their daily lives and see beauty or inspiration in a place they wouldn't normally look for it.
Burma is one of those places for me.
It has been ever since a 7th grade teacher asked me to do a social studies report on Aung San Suu Kyi, the woman democratically elected to head Burma in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 1991. She is moral courage. In the years since her election, she has been under house arrest, jailed, prevented from seeing her dying husband, and denied all but the most scant contact with the outside world. Still, she has remained steadfast in her calls for democracy and non-violence. Last September, when Buddhist monks took to the streets to protest raising fuel costs and increasing poverty, she appeared briefly at the gate of her house, silently accepting their blessing. Shortly therafter, the ruling junta began using violence to end the demonstrations, beating and jailing the monks. There were reports (and pictures) of ordinary citizens surrounding the monks to protect them from the police. After the protests were dispersed, the junta systematically extracted retribution, tracking down anyone they could link to the protests.
This same junta failed to adequately warn people of the coming storm, and they have been slow to provide aid. However, they are still planning on holding a national referendum on a new constitution that will reaffirm their iron grip on power. According to the New York Times:
Residents ... said that they were being pressured to vote “yes” and that riot police officers had been patrolling the streets before the cyclone in a show of force that was more visible than their relief efforts afterward.
Clearly, they know their priorities. The whole thing makes me heartsick.
The only way to some comfort lies in action. So:
1. I am sending money
2. I am asking you to check out this website, the US Campaign for Burma.
3. I am going to find a way to make something using this stencil. (Anyone want to help? Maybe a gocco printer party with pizza? And if you are a street artist person, maybe this could be used for some new art?)
Whitney Smith cake plates. Available for custom order here.
Actual strawberries! There are about 40 tiny green strawberries on my little plant. Hopefully, the hobo cats won't eat them and I will get enough good ones to make this deliciousness.
If I ever found a spare trust fund laying around somewhere, or got to manage a hedge fund, I could get my mother a greenhouse. Gardening is in the family - her father was a nurseryman, and several generations have filled family photo albums with pictures of particularly lovely trees and flowers. We would have many peaceful days there together, working in friendly silence, side by side, starting seeds and transplanting delicate young plants, watering gardenia trees and delicate maidenhair ferns before taking a break for lunch - homegrown heirloom tomato and chevre sandwiches with tall glasses of lemonade, and hummingbird cake to follow. Then we would perch on stools, poring over seed catalogs and imagining new flowerbeds, plotting fields of muscari and sighing over David Austen roses and their mysterious names, like Gertrude Jekyll and Fantin-Latour before we finally went outside to work in the beds.
I wish I could give one of these to my mother for mother's day. She is an amazing gardener, and a greenhouse is a magical space - they start as a controlled environment, but the best ones veer a little towards chaos, with a riot of green growing things. Both of these look perfect.
Top image: Gardening Life Magazine, via Poppytalk.
Lower image: Photograph by Ryan Benyi found at Desire to Inspire (which is extremely successful at inspiring me).
Check out degenre. Joshua Wentz is writing a record review of every record he owns - the site is in a nascent stage, but it should make for interesting reading - the point seems to be to listen to everything with open ears and to reserve judgement. I like that.
It's a great idea - I have a few friends that I wish would do this. I like getting opinions about music that are not triple filtered through the rigid sieve of music criticism orthodoxy, and I like reading about why something speaks to someone, not why it reminds them of early Aphex Twin.
Found at the Scoop.
Scape Interiors, based in Australia, has an array of mod wall canvas designs that you can customize for your abode - just choose a design, pick your colors, and voila, custom art for your wall - the above is one that I came up with. It's like paint by numbers for people who don't like to get messy, and it is most excellent fun if you need to kill some time.
Seen at the always inspiring Desire to Inspire.
Blik makes removable wall decals, which are a great thing if you have a crummy landlord who won't let you paint. I like the idea of putting a whole poem or selection from a book on a wall, maybe a wall in a small space, like a bathroom or a hallway, where the words would become more of a pattern.
Generally, our Sunday brunch looks something like this:
We live right around the corner from a little place called Lucky's and we love, love, love it. When I eat this yogurt, I can actually feel my body rejoicing at the cellular level in revelries of glorious healthfulness. The downside is, eleventy-million people in town have now written about Lucky's, and the ravenous suburban masses have descended. Prices have gone up. Tragedy! (Although I am sure Lucky's management is thrilled.) No more lingering over papers and lattes on Sunday mornings.
So, today, we boldly ventured forth beyond the confines of the neighborhood. This is what we found:
Alcoholic tomato-y goodness, courtesy of the Beachland Rock and Roll Brunch. We were listening to our usual Sunday morning allotment of indie rock radio, courtesy of WRUW 91.1, when we heard Ed of Chasing Infinity casually mention on air that after the show he would be spinning tunes there during brunch. Sold! Sean and I moseyed out there around lunch time. We feasted on oatmeal pancakes with maple butter and Eggs Beachland, and then we were ready for the main event - cocktails, which are available starting at 1:00. Bloody Mary for me, because I am like Richie Tenenbaum, and a Hula Girl for Sean, because he likes pineapple juice and is not afraid to be judged for ordering frou-frou sounding drinks as long as they contain dark rum. Dee-lish-ous.
Today, videos from la Blogotheque.
Another video by the National - for Sean, because it is his favorite band, and because it is a lovely video. We've been besotted fans since March 27, 2004, the night we saw them open for Joe Pernice at the Beachland Tavern. We're going to Seattle to see them at the end of the month - it's a consolation prize for not being able to go to their show in Dublin on May 15th.
This is beautifully structured, and I love the fact that you can hear the actual acoustics of the place he is singing in.
Favorite music.
I think all good parties end in dancing, the kind of dancing where even people who don't dance get up and dance.
This is the poster from the 2008 Yale MFA Graphic Design Show.
I would give my little toe to go to graphic design school. Maybe both little toes. Then I would be able to make pretty fonts like this one.
From The Style Press via FFFound.
This Silly Symphony is from 1932 and was the first short to feature three-strip, full color Technicolor. The dancing trees make me think of spring.
Brigade is having an early spring sale today through Sunday ... 30% off outerwear, and 15% off denim. That means the Nom de Guerre parka I have been wishing was in my closet might be on sale. Danger, danger, danger.
Yesterday, in the brief moment of afternoon sun, I hied me westward to Old Rocky River in quest of stationary and window shopping.
My afternoon went like this:
2:00 - Stop in at Jupe. This is up the street from the little historic district, but worth a stop for adorable casual clothes. I was smitten with their selection of funky-preppy Ben Sherman pieces, so smitten that I was ready to plonk down my credit card for a v-neck sweater. Tragedy stikes - I look in my bag and realize I forgot my wallet. I curse the folly of using multiple bags, and make apologies for leaving in haste. Forget to stop in at Urban Home and Garden. Drat!
2:30 - 2:45 - Drive back to Tremont. Obtain wallet from library bag. Feed confused dog a carrot to keep her happy in her kennel.
3:15 - Pull up in front of Paper Trails. This has been on my list of places to visit for a long while, and I finally have an excuse to visit because I need paper for a project - notecards for a new baby. So charming! I happily wander around admiring their extensive array of customizable stationary, lots of it with a clean, preppy-modern feel. I was taken with luggage tags patterned like rep ties but I limited myself to buying blank red, yellow and blue cards from Waste Not Paper - perfect for a little person's correspondence.
3:45 - 4:45 - Wander down the rest of Old Detroit Road. Pop into Amy's Shoes, where I ogle the red patent leather Delman pumps; then Planet Green, where I spot handmade cards by my friend Nicole and cool (but expensive!) building blocks from APOC; and finally, like a cherry on top of a sundae, Girl Next Door - my very most favorite place to buy party dresses. The are carrying a new line by a Spanish designer, Hoss-Homeless - I loved this dress, and another one of muted, jewel-toned taffeta that was so pretty it hurt me.
5:00 - Walk back to car. Determine that I need to find a career that requires the constant wearing of party dresses. Get a grilled Sicilian panini from Heinen's. Reflect that Heinen's makes a darn tasty panini.
5:30 - Drive home to my (relatively) party-dress-free life.
Why? To cut asthma rates. Read about it here.
There are plenty of empty lots all over the city ... time for pocket parks and urban orchards. It could be two good things accomplished in one.
Black coffee in bed! Squeeze! Hitmakers! Legends! And now, visiting Cleveland! Tickets on sale today for their show Aug. 30 at Tower City Ampitheater (which has some terrible corporate name now, like the UHU Glue Stick Outdoor Party Palace, but I don't care).
This video is gloriously '80s.
... is by American Apparel. No, really. Miraculously comfy, oddly flattering and can be worn with anything. Yes, they have extremely skeevy pictures, the store looks like an atomic bomb of t-shirt went off, the sales staff can be vacuous, and they do sell gold lame leggings, but still. The travails of purchase are nothing because it is THE.BEST.CARDIGAN.EVER.
Buy Olympia is giving away 10,000 Nikki McClure 'Vote!' posters to encourage political participation. You can get yours here.
Nikki McClure is an amazingly talented papercut artist - whenever I have an office job, I get her calendar for my cubicle, and it works to draw all the artsy, interesting people to me, like bees to a honey pot. It's a good way to make work friends.
Side note - If you need a mother's day present, check out her Mother's Day proclamation mini-poster. Only $4!
What would my days be without public radio? I just heard a feature on Public Radio International's The World about Georges Melies, and it took me right back to 1996. I was captivated that year by the Smashing Pumpkins' video of Tonight, Tonight - the baroque details, jerky animated effects, exaggerated makeup and physicality, and especially the mix of flat sets and three dimensional actors. I think it really opened my eyes to the power of aesthetic choices, because the video made me love the song.
I saw this article about street art in NYC, and it got me to thinking about putting together a street art guide to Cleveland. It could start out simply - as a small walking guide, but ultimately, it would be tied it into a website where people could upload their photos of the art they see and its location, with short sections on each artist and a GoogleMaps wiki to pinpoint locations. If it was successful, it could expand to other places, kind of the way Craigslist has grown way beyond its original SF base.
One giant web clearinghouse of independent art, started right here in the Cleve.
Ideas, ideas.
You can be, too. Create your own Ab-Ex masterwork at jacksonpollack.org.
Site created by Miltos Manetas. Found at ReadyMade.
A collective project dedicated to the humble treasures we carry around with us. Timur Akmetov + Yulia Yakushova are documenting owners and objects at their Face Your Pockets site by asking people to submit scans of their faces and the contents of their purses, bags and pockets.
I can't wait to do this!
Via i heart photograph.
I saw this today at {frolic} and swooned.
I have a thing for butterflies. When I was fifteen, I spent months of hard-earned baby-sitting money on a '50s style dress patterned all over with them. Every time I wore it, I felt perfectly myself and magical things happened. Looking at this gives me a little bit of that feeling.
It's the work of photographer Elle Moss and available through her Etsy shop. Lovely, lovely.
