the state of industrial design...

ugh! i just realized that i missed this exhibit at the Musuem of Design Atlanta. i've always loved product design and industrial design...especially since i think that they get un-interested teen guys to get excited about art (this was one lesson i learned from my teacher-days) and this exhibit featuring product design from Georgia would have been fascinating judging solely by the publicity materials. hmmm.

i have to get out more.

spoooooky....

i can't decide if i like these creepy little guys from spookymomma on Flikr or love them. i mean, these bunnies have scary faces, but come in such fun colors.... and really, is there anything better than a rainbow?

what do you think? want one for la dia de los muertos or halloween? i do.

(pretend) you're sleeping on the streets...

the delightful blog Bloesem had this post today which just floored me.
look guys, bedding that looks like cardboard boxes!

anyway, since i love all things quirky, i knew had to share this with wishfulfillment. additionally, the proceeds from the sales of this crazy/cozy bedding from snurkbeddengoed goes to aid the homeless in the Netherlands (so it's socially responsible too!) either way, i wish i had a guest room or a smaller bed so i could have this in my house.




maybe i'll just get it and save it for my future guest room. ugh! if only i could figure out how many dollars equals 69 euros...

i'm feeling a little antsy...

the adorable house my boyfriend and his roomie live in has ants. lots of ants. so many that you can't leave a dirty dish in the sink for more than five minutes without attracting some (or about a hundred) tiny little six-legged creatures. in honor of the ants, i wanted to share these fun and silly plates from fashion-designer-turned-fine-artist Re Jin Lee of bailydoesntbark.





i mean, maybe they don't scream "let's have foi gras tonight" but they're just the sort of quirky things i love. visit her website or her etsy store for all sorts of other wonderful and whimsical handpainted pieces.

Family pickin' party...

Those who know me are fully aware of my love for all kinds of early American music.... especially blues, folk, and bluegrass. i've also been known to sit around the kitchen table with my dad, mom, aunts and uncles (and, really, anyone else who happens to be around) and sing old-timey tunes until the wee hours.

it's no surprise then, that i would be ecstatic to learn of the Charlie Haden Family album put out by Decca Records this fall. the album, performed by jazz bassist Charlie Haden, his wife, triplet daughters Petra, Rachel and Tonya, and Tonya's husband Jack Black is filled with bluegrass and oldtime classic songs like Shenandoah and Old Joe Clark, plus new-er songs that sound old-er.

some of my favorite musicians make guest appearances.... Elvis Costello, Dan Tyminski, San Bush, and Jerry Douglas to name a few.

download the abum or learn more at Decca.

caught the fashion bug today...

so today i was feeling kind crummy and decided to go shopping. i usually try to stick to thrift stores but i needed a bra, and well... i just don't feel uncortable buying used undergarments.

anyway, when i contributed to the enormous consumer machine i didn't buy anything major....but when i got home I continued to look around on online and found that Jcrew is having a big sale on REALLY PRETTY things.

navy dress anyone? again, not socially responsible, but very simple.

this one is only $90 and this one is only $50!
and this one's on sale for $100!
i mean, i just think navy is such a classic color...and the best part is that is goes with pretty much any other color! too bad wedding season's over for me for awhile, otherwise i'd snatch one of these pretties right up.

dresses at jcrew.

eco graffiti...

i actually really dig graffiti...and this is living, breathing graffiti that's a "healthy alternative to spray paint." How incredible...and time consuming.







moss illustration from anna garfouth

jackpot, not potluck...

part of this post must be credited to kathryn, one of my most favorite people in the world. she sent me a link she discovered while feeding her own passion for beautiful things. In fact...go see her blog here.

anyway, kathryn pointed me in the direction of lorena barrezueta, a parson's grad who makes really cool dishware. it wasn't long ago that i posted some plates, but these are so different and cool i wanted to share them.


these photos of her gourmet collection's classic and fresh lines just tickle me pink. by using aluminum foil plates and plastic cups for molds barrezueta's designs easily appeal to diners looking for a sophisticated AND casual kind of meal. see more at her website.

addendum

so, i found these other pretties that i wanted to show you... let me know what you think!
daisy rings from CKA and everything else from Me&Ro

rings on her fingers and bells on her toes...

Now, when i think of buying jewelry, i think of my adorable little grandfather who used to go on hunts for the perfect pieces of antique jewelry for the women in my family. in fact, i have the mostbeautiful ring and gold watch from two of his excursions.






for this reason, when i'm looking at jewelry i don't usually turn to new jewelry stores to find something. first of all, it's much more ethical to use gemstones and metals that have already been put into the economy, and on another note, most antique pieces are just prettier to me.
and, let's be honest, i've been really into pretty jewelry lately... especially gold rings. Maybe it's because it's time for me to buy something new, or maybe i'm just hinting for a Christmas present, but, either way, i've been looking.

And if i look beyond my commitment to vintage and estate jewelry then i turn to handmade pieces from reused or recycled metals. Anyway, there are tons of great artists out there doing just this kind of work...but as for my faves, i think this turquoise ring from sarah perlis and this knotted ring from the rust belt are fab!

Not only are they just so pretty on fingers, but these ones are made from recycled gold, and sarah perlis uses conflict free diamonds. ;) yep, thought you'd like that.

i also love browsing on etsy for handmade jewelry...and er, well.. i'm a sucker for a bird or a tiny locket on a thin chain. i'm not sure about the materials these artists use, but their pieces are lovely and have a vintage-y look to them.

lockets from seaunicorn and earrings from kristinfriesen on etsy

Starting from scrap...

although I've been in Atlanta over a year now, i'd never been to the High Museum. i went in july to see an incredible Civil Rights photography exhibit, and ran across another exhibit in conjunction highlighting black artists from around the world. I was mesmerized by a Ghanaian sculptor, El Anatsui, who utilized found objects like food wrappers and bottle caps to make, what looked like, an enormous quilt.
about a week ago, i visited some friends in Manhattan, and they lived just a few blocks from the Met, where i found this.


El Anatsui has shown his found object sculptures all over the world. From far away, they look like soft, flowing, organic fabric.





But up close, you realize that they're made from metal and metallic plastic found on roads and in villages near his home in Nigeria. Both textures (the real and the implied texture) are incredible.


i hope that all of you will get a chance to see El Anatsui's artwork in person...but until then, visit his website for more information.

photos from El Anatsui's website, the NYT, bookofjoe, designboom, the Timeline for Art History

grown up, responsible papier mache...

so i usually avoid knickknacks and clutter at all costs, or buying random things that you can't actually USE for anything... but when i ran across stray dog designs shop, i was enamored with these little papier mache versions of my favorite creatures.

i mean, one little lovebird sitting on a table might look so sweet.

not only do these critters come in lots of colors and look amazing when multiples of all white are grouped together, they also look way more awesome than my own papier mache projects from elementary school.

on top of their aesthetic appeal, i learned that their paper and glass are made from recycled materials, and that some of their proceeds go to different organizations working to help others! how cool... doing good with design!

say cheese....

I mean, how much fun are old fashioned photobooths?


I'd make a bet (for a lot of money) that aside from eating your favorite meal or dancing to your favorite song, scrunching yourself into a tiny little cube with six of your favorite people and making goofy faces is really one of the best things on earth.

my posse and i went to a charity event for the atlanta food bank in august and came away with these gems. maybe not really of interest to anyone else, but really, who doesn't need a little extra fun and silliness every now and then?

(i really get a kick out of the big group black and white photo in the bottom right corner!)

anglers of men?

i discovered the beautiful angle website completely by accident a year or so ago and only just remembered how much i loved it. as far as i can tell, beautiful angle is a coop of print-artists who spread thought provoking messages around tacoma, wa. sometimes their posters promote local events or just celebrate the city of tacoma, but often they prick the conscience with phrases about faith and community. not only do the posters have meaning but they are BEAUTIFUL in a very raw, natural way. each word, song, or poem has been carefully chosen and the linocuts that go with it are almost magical in their imperfection/perfection.

in short, they give me a whole lot of joy. apparently many of the ones posted around tacoma end up in cubicles and on bedroom walls... but for those of us not fortunate to live in wa, they offer prints for sale and give you fairly reasonable prices on this website.