day 13

sushi at a table by the window

day twelve

what's more lovely than sun filtering through ginko leaves?
(actually this picture belies how cold it was out today)

day eleven

there were palettes full of these rotting batteries on the street...probably not the
most environmentally friendly thing ever but there was something so beautiful in their
mottled, textural quality.

day ten

what can i say? i like brick...

day nine

christmas day--exposed to (by far) the most inspiring
photographer i have ever seen...william eggleston.
literally everything i look for in art and photography...
the every day expressed sublimely.

day eight

we went out to christmas eve breakfast...an incredible old road-side
diner in belmont, of all places.

day seven

i spent the entire day today in the laundromat...blah.

day six

there's something beautiful but haunting about this window
with its flower box and weathered brick...

filled with sly observations on the complexities and inexplicable contradictions of the english language, words fail me is the clever brainchild of graphic designer/typographer teresa monachino. set with clear, sans-serif texts, the book displays how the subtlest changes in tone or type can completely alter the meaning of words.

from the phaidon site: questions of spelling, pronunciation or the blatantly nonsensical are illustrated through clever visual representations that are created entirely through artfully manipulated typography. this playful and sometimes hilarious text sorts the homonyms from the heteronyms and introduces the ‘antigram’ (demonstrating how the swift shuffle of certain letters can create words that entirely contradict the first: honestly becomes on the sly, earliest becomes rise late and, fabulously, elvis = lives!).

day five

it was raining all day today; i had forgotten an umbrella and
my ballet flats were soaked through.

day four

apologies for not posting yesterday...it was my office christmas party. i wore this dress.

jasper is constantly begging me to put a globe in our apartment...and i am constantly denying him. until today. when i saw this gorgeous, minimalist globe at apartment therapy, suddenly the idea of a globe wasn't such a bad one afterall. it's printed entirely in shades of grey with black print and somehow the desaturation makes for an entirely new (and much more soothing) geographical experience. too bad they are made in the uk and substantially more expensive to purchase here in the states.

day three

i cut my bangs yesterday with very dull scissors...

day two

my purse, hanging from the closet door

i know a certain lover of lilly pink and green that would die for this calendar.
i believe her birthday is january 7th...

day one

jasper sold some computer parts in the mission
today. i took this from the car window.

because
a) i have the best boyfriend in the world and he gave me the above camera for christmas
b) i was reading about project 365, a photographer's photo-a-day documentation of life

what a unique and interesting way to remember the year and to let people experience life through your eyes...so i shall begin posting a photo a day of whatever strikes my fancy. i encourage others to do the same; we can have visual documentation of the intimate little quirks in each of our lives.

everything in life should be well designed and no book makes this more possible than d.i.y. - design it yourself. created and designed by graduate students at mica, this book brings graphic design and typography to every designer or wannabe designer. i purchased and devoured this book this evening and i recommend it for everyone--

-for the soon-to-be-chic-art-gallery-intern friend, the sections on simple, unique business cards and resumes show that a little bit of creativity goes along way to make you stand apart from the crowd...and there are a few that bear a striking resemblance to the resume i designed for you

-for the soon-to-be-married friend, there are a number of beautifully designed wedding invitations that can be recreated easily and cheaply. i particularly love the "how to tie a knot" example.

-for the soon-to-be-graduating-and-needing-a-professional-portfolio friend, the sections on bookbinding and printing are particularly useful. i plan on using the accordion style book as a jumping off point for my graduate school portfolio.

--for the soon-to-be-professional-blogger friend, there are entire areas on how to create a blog or website that reinforces your personality and brand...also of note are the areas on logos and typography.

--for me, everything. i want to create the blank books filled with found papers (and perhaps incorporate envelopes as i saw in the journal i posted about a few weeks ago); i want use that accordion style book to illustrate the duality of my interiors versus my fine art; i want to use the scrapbooks and collage-style mixed media as inspiration for my sketchbook; i want this blog to reflect the personality and style of the objects in it; i want, i want, i want...

the m+b gallery in los angeles has a hunter s thompson exhibition going on until january 20. the photos' rich color and intimate composition make me want to just drop everything, move to big sur and beat on an old typewriter. (all photos courtesy of m+b)

for reasons i can't explain, this self portrait reminds me of jasper.

i'm pretty sure i'm not tortured or womanizing enough for this...but it is pretty cool.

and now a post for the boys...this might the coolest tie ever.

you know the deep-seeded "i must have that" coveting? i get it every time i see minnie wilde's clothing. if my whole wardrobe could be filled with their vintage-meets-modern look, i think i might die of happiness. gushy, i know, but come on...take a look at some of their more recent pieces:

how perfect for my trip to paris?

and i think i would be adorable on the back of jasper's new motorcycle with this jacket.

and as if it couldn't get any better, there's a minnie wilde boutique in the mission

my latest inspirations...photos all courtesy of flickr.

the delicate silhouette of branches, the rich fucschia against the turquoise

the unexpected cropping, the polaroid border, the reflections from the window

the contrast of graphic and organic, complimentary colors
(and socks with dress shoes?! i've always loved it!)


the slightly moody quality of this photo, the rich greys

the variegated skin and succulent colors on figs

the blurred lights of the city at nite

the mottled texture of peeling paint

i apologize for the lack of posts...i have worked ninety hours the past week...i am one tired little kitten. i promise to update this weekend, though, and maybe talk a little about my new side projects.

because i saw these in the window of some store in hayes valley and because i have the maturity of an eight-year-old, (mostly the latter though) i just had to share. yes, that is correct....pee and poo stuffed animals...and yet, they are oddly appealing, aren't they? they also have t-shirts, key chains and socks, if you're so inclined.

this is hilarious. and so is this...mostly because i think i can actually make bingo with jasper.

allright...last post of the evening...

i had a request to search for the perfect knitting bag. there were a few major requirements--the bags must be aesthetically pleasing, large enough to accommodate all of the needles, yarn, etc required for knitting, and be affordable. here are the results:

lotta jansdotter's kamma shoulder tote ($68)

marimekko's maple bag ($56)

31 corn lane's holly tote ($48)

yakpak's swallow tote ($32.50)

lotta jansdotter's owl mini tote ($18)

marimekko always has the most awe-inspiring patterns and the textile arts site offers almost the entire collection for very affordable prices. i am most taken with the large-scale wallhangings and frame kits--art in a similar size range would cost hundreds more and the designs are everything i am currently obsessed with--delicate linework, subdued blues and acidic greens. (the faces design, iso satakieli, is $90 for a 42" x 54" frame and the birch trees, kaiku, run $135 for 54" x 54")

apologies ahead of time for what i'm about to do....

i'm whoring my blog out for christmas gifts...sorry...at any rate, as you may be aware, i am on the hunt for a new sketchbook...as you may also know, i am currently saving/prepping for my trip. thus, lovely design's journey notebook is exactly what i want/need.

this book is filled with vintage/found paper and envelopes (envelopes inside of a notebook! isn't that the perfect idea for storing the inspiration little scraps that always get haphazardly stuffed within the pages of a sketchbook?) and comes in four gorgeous colors. i like orange. :)

speaking of christmas, any great gift ideas?

i was researching some items for an upcoming post when i stumbled upon this lotta jansdotter wall calendar. each page is filled with her amazing botanical-inspired prints and at $18, it's a steal.