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...