present tense

Sometimes I will see a link to something (music, artist, youtube video, whatever) constantly linked to on all the blogs I like... and for SOME REASON I don't click on it. Does this ever happen to you? It is a strange phenomenon that most recently manifested itself in Gifted Magazine - linked to by two of my favorites, RIFLE made and sweetfineday. Well I finally clicked on the link and was NOT disappointed, holy moly.

lots of gold? check.
cute gift ideas for everyone? check
delicious photos and whatnot? of course.

I highly recommend you page through this rockin' free online magazine from creature comforts if you like pretty, cute things.

Speaking of holiday madness (it isn't even thanksgiving yet, what's wrong with me!?!? I still have to freak out over pumpkin pie..) I created these maps of the fair Twin Cities for the MCAD Art Sale. Go buy them!

ready, set, go

Inspiration from a local antiques mall. The annual art sale at MCAD is coming up, and I've got a few more years that I'll be allowed to participate as alumni -every year I say it, but I really need to get my butt in gear for this! It's a good reason to make some new paintings and such.



(how about the type on the "in god we trust" poster? I want that as a tattoo, except maybe it will say "i love cheese" or something.

exchange rate

bored? need eye candy? graphic-exchanGE will keep you busy for an estimated five billion years.

egg head

Looking at pysanky for inspiration...


from ukranianegg.com

from John Heltsley


from Amanda Woodward

no vacancies

Dreaming about staying in an igloo in switzerland..







Or this Costa Rican villa just off the Playa Hermosa..





airbnb is a nice looking, easy to understand website with tons of reviews of private houses, castles, rooms in apartments, and more that you can stay in and I am IN LOVE with looking through it. Definitely makes me consider a vacation more and more.

(some more of my picks, mostly from the top 40 list)








oh you know, it's just my fabulous view of Montmatre from my fabulous vacation home. No big deal.

label maker

I am researching wine labels for a birthday wine, and it is FUN. That is all. (click pictures for the source)

color by number

I don't use colored pencils in my usual work, but if I had 500 GORGEOUS colored pencils like these ones from Social Designer, I might have to. Like it's (just a little) less cool "of the month club" brothers, with 500 Pencils you get a set of 25 colored pencils once a month for 20 months, leaving you with the most complete spectrum of pencils I've ever seen.

There are also FOUR DIFFERENT display cases that make the pencils lust-worthy decorations, too. I'd go for the "Aurora" myself, but they all look good. Also, they have some real sweet names like Tragedy, Rhett Butler, and Golden Festival Screen.

Okay, I'll stop salivating now.

julep, plum pudding, and toucan

booking it

I know this is many-an illustrator's lament, but why don't children's books look like this anymore?

fifth element

aliens have invaded my apartment building in the form of crazy ice. be warned. i fear for my life.

flickr faves

1. Showgirls, 2. bunny rabbit, 3. Untitled, 4. Sophia Loren, 5. Carroll Baker, 6. oranges, 7. Untitled, 8. Magic Mountain, 9. shoes

Here are some of my recent flickr favorites! I thought I'd post them because I noticed they're taking a sort of... vintage and modern fluff direction. Lots of white, lots of ladies, lots of pretty colors and fashionable things.

inspiration

vintage girl with stockings + feathers, originally uploaded by vvitch.

I've been rabidly devouring anything the vintageladies flickr photostream or this image pool throws my way. These ladies are sassy AND adorable. Also they have fab taste in clothes (if they're wearing any!)

p.s. clicking that link might lead to images not safe for work. BE WARNED. but really, it's just ladyparts. who's afraid of ladyparts?

dear vogue

i love pretty dresses, i love yellow, i love comics. vogue has managed to combine ALL THESE THINGS into one fantastic spread. More pictures here.

oh mon dieu!

the most recent urban outfitters catalog, I must say, really stepped it up. The past few catalogs have been pretty ho-hum, but this one knocked my socks off with all the frilly pretty stuff- especially this saucy photo! I love the makeup and the hair and the styling and the location. I think part of me just wants to be this girl.

The whole scene seems a little French pop star, very Brigitte Bardot or Gillian Hills, except.. brunette.

color block

i was going to write about my most favorite house in minneapolis (if not the whole universe) today, but it turns out that street view doesn't even get near it - who knew Linden Hills was not good enough for street view? I'll have to take a picture of it later.

But then, low and behold, what lays on my desk at work but the new JCREW CREW CATALOG? I like JCrew because their clothing is mostly too expensive for me and looks boring in store, but whoever designs, art directs, and styles their catalogs are all geniuses. They play with color very well, and the type is so hot I would prefer not to even talk about it. Let's just look, shall we? You can see all the pages here. Some are great, although once it gets into the guy's stuff it's kind of boring.

stoli?

When my parents came and visited me last they brought me a few little goodies, including a little plastic bag from Expo 67 - from the USSR booth! ohoho how funny. All historical references aside, check out the color blocks on this thing! I love how strong each design looks, very solid. My favorite is probably the can on the bottom - I like the intersecting colors and all the different kinds of type. Very very wonderful.

Also, saw the new Bond film over the weekend and really liked it. Thought the whole "revenge" plot line was mildly unnecessary, but who really cares? The action was frantic and tots awesome and the TYPOGRAPHY. woah. I am not an expert in type, but in myyyy opinion I thought all the location cards were really wonderful. You can look at screencaps from them here and look at more work from Tomato, the always impressive people who did them, here.

these are a few of my favorite things

i am a little obsessed with expensive things, like furniture. yet, i have just decided to cut down my extraneous spending to food only. OH WOE, what a bad time to love spendy things.

another thing i'm obsessed with is kate spade's behind the curtain site. It's little inspirations and behind the scenes from one of the classiest shoe, bag, and everything else designers in the world. The "things we love" section is my favorite, especially because it introduced me to sweetgifs.com, which is worth taking a few minutes of time to get lost in.

research

I'm doing some photo research for a really exciting project I'm working on. Once it's done I'll spill my guts about it, but for now, I'll spill my guts about the American Civil War Photo Gallery. There are TONS of photos of everything you could ever want, but my favorite section is the prisoners and conspirators section. The portraits (like the one above) are great, I'm especially into the composition. There's so much space above them, maybe it is for their thoughts.

The Fall

See this movie now.

It was so good. maybe the trailer looks dinky, but it was actually awesome. A kind of lighter YET way more fantastical that Pan's Labyrinth. Like, at the end of Pan's Labyrinth I was like "Well that was good, but I thought there was gonna be more crazy stuff in it". And with The Fall I was like "That was perfect."

At least see it for the sweet Charles Darwin butterfly coat...

REAL estates

i just want to take pictures of houses in st paul all day and then come home and draw them.

flawless!

okay, yes, I love Gossip Girl. BUT I also love Marilyn Monroe. Bryan and I watched Some Like It Hot recently and it reminded me of all the hotness that is Ms. Monroe. Especially that sequiny dress in it. I WANT THAT TO BE ME. Also, I kinda want to do my hair like that. It's either Marilyn or Zooey (Deschanel)