Three Days to Relax

Start the weekend with this relaxing flash animation called Anemophilous Formula by Owen Mundy and Joelle Dietrick. The animation is made to be meditative and aesthetically pleasing while referencing new forms of cross-pollination and re-use. The video plays music and interprets actual pollen data from Tallahassee, FL in March, 2007.

I've had the video on for hours...just let it play and enjoy. Watch those allergies!

It's a three day weekend here...whoo-hoo! I'm heading to the beach to soak up the final days of summer. I *might* be posting, if not I'll see ya on Monday-Tuesday-ish. Have a great and looonnng weekend!

Cup of Hot Melt?

I'm a big fan of the work by Peteris Sidars. His pieces are constructed from hot melt adhesive, which looks like the glue from hot glue guns. The adhesive is used to form objects like cups, bottles, and bowls.

Who would have thought hot glue could be so artistic?

Permanent Vacation

Get your fall fashion fix with the new autumn/winter 08 collection from Permanent Vacation. Right away I love the name - Permanent Vacation (yes please!) - and those lovely photographs in the background.

Their fashion statement is brilliant too - "Tired of all impractical pretensions in fashion today, Permanent Vacation is inspired by the classic gentleman's way of dressing; dapper, shapely, comfortable and useful, garments aimed to love, wear out and repair." I'm sold!

On a side note, thanks for your mascara recommendations. Yesterday I went to the dangerous Ulta, and since I needed something quick I went for the "pink and green." I'm also excited to try out some of the luxurious ones. I used to hate mascara - it would always rub or flake all over my face. But, when I became "corporate professional" I felt it was time to apply. Months of eye poking and smeared clumps...I'm finally getting the hang of it.

I also picked up some Badger Stress Soothing Balm, which was recommended by Holly for stress relief. I like the idea of it, and the smell is very subtle for everyday use. What can I say...I'm a sucker for products, especially pretty ones.

Truck

Modern, rustic and comfy pieces all found at Truck Furniture. My favorite is the bookshelf on the second row. The unit displays your books from the front and has a spot for plants. Ahh...love it all.

Oh RANDOM GIRL QUESTION - what's your favorite mascara? I need a good one, and who better to ask than you guys! I think the last one I bought was expired...it had a bad smell...geez I'm horrible in the make-up department - help!

Drool Worthy Set-Ups

Remember my paper ball decorations? Tim Falle took it up a notch (actually many notches!) and rocked some in his home. He is truly talented and his Flickr stream proves it. Check out more photos from his home...and don't forget to wipe the drool off the floor...yep, it's that good.

(found via Oh Happy Day)

Granulation

The jewelry designs by Stefanie Condes are impeccable in quality and taste. I saw her work on DesignSpotter where they said, "The granulation technique is a way of attaching small beads to a surface which means that the beads will always align with the surface. [Condes] wanted to think of a way that didn't require the beads to have a surface to attach to, but make it so that they could form a shape by themselves."

Condes uses SLS (selective laser sintering) for her polyamide and alumide jewels. I have no clue what that means, but I do know her work is amazing. Not only are these pieces elegant, but they also remind me of dippin' dots ice cream...am I crossing the line? Oh c'mon they do a little!

Hiding Out

It's pouring rain outside and all I want to do is snuggle up in one of these forts. The Fort photographic series, by Amir H. Fallah, consist of collaborative forts created with male friends in their home. Each fort was built in under two hours. All materials for the forts were found on location and no aspect of the fort was preplanned.

Building a fort sounds way cooler than being at work.

Cardboard?

Not only does Gary Garay make fun ice pops, he also creates shoes from cardboard. I couldn't resist posting about them! Speaking of cardboard, did you see the amazing cardboard portraits by Paul Ahern on Aesthetic Outburst? Wish I would have thought of that - so clever! I love the use of ordinary materials in new ways.

A Cool THANKS!

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments on the Where do you Live? post. All your advice and comments were highly appreciated and touched me dearly. Wow, you guys are so smart and helpful too - even better than therapy! Now I've got some soul searching to do. But, I'll be sure to keep you updated on my whereabouts. Thanks for being such an AMAZING and supportive team.

For all your efforts have a cool treat on me today - these ice pops by Gary Garay. There's Cassette Tape Pop in pineapple coconut, Forty Pop in mango and Westside Pop in strawberry. Enjoy the laughs!

Where do you Live?

Ah Monday...a new day, a new week. This morning I made an early commute from Raleigh - about an hour and half drive. Not my normal drive, but I've been spending weekends in Raleigh with Dave and friends. I miss the energy of a growing city. Also, the driving has been therapeutic, although I know it's not earth friendly...tisk tisk. But, some of my best ideas have come from a long drive of being alone with my thoughts.

I work as a textile designer out in the good ol' country...literally. On my drive I pass farms, donkeys, lakes, and fields of tobacco and corn. Yes, seriously...donkeys and cows. Being inspired by nature is one good thing about working in the country...getting lunch is a whole different story! These photographs by Javier Tles remind me of country mornings when the air is just right and the fog lingers out over the fields and lake. I love their mystery.

During my drives I've been pondering whether to stay in North Carolina or move out of state to a larger city. One side of my says to stay...you have friends, family, and support here. The other side says...you are young and should be soaking up a big city! My concerns are leaving my support system and going broke in a big city, or staying put and always wondering "what if?" I also feel there is a stereotype for successful designers - they tend to live big cities like New York or Los Angeles. Is this the case? Do you HAVE to live in a big city to make it? I'm so torn on this topic...either decision I make I'm giving up something. My apologizes if this is heavy for a Monday, but I would love your input to ease a curious mind -

What determines where you live? Is it family, friends, career, love?

What are the pros and cons of where you live?

Messy

Cooking got a little messy this weekend...I kid, I kid! This is actually an art installation titled Heute bleibt die Küche kalt, wir gehen in den Wienerwald by Marlene Haring.

"A site-specific installation for the group show 'Egocaster' organised by Supersaat, Vienna. Freshly (at least at the beginning) cooked spaghetti overflowed from every possible receptacle in the kitchen. The title is a rhyme meaning 'Today the kitchen remains unused (cold), (and) we are going to the Vienna Woods'. Wienerwald is the the forest around the city of Vienna, as well as the name for a chicken restaurant chain in Austria."

I can only imagine the clean-up process.

Fashion Finds

I love the fun, quirky and retro styling of Effie from The Snail and The Cyclops. Want to get in on these fabulous finds? Check out her site, Thirteen Eighty-Five, and ebay auctions.

To retro dresses and beautiful rooms.

Winner

Happy Friday! It's time to pass the notebook to the next lucky participant of the amazing project "Do Not Leave Unattended - Random Dispatches from the Blogosphere" - started by Jude of RandomlyRun4istRun.

Through random selection the winner is Jessica Gonacha!!!

If you would still like to participate or want more information on this project please contact Jude. Look forward to all your contributions!

Painted Wonders

Explore these lovely delights by Jeana Sohn. There is no description of them on her website, but I assume they are painted eggs. I love how the objects are paired together and a story is formed between them.

Cruel Sea Prints

I'm not a "Yo Ho A Pirate's Life for Me" kind of gal, but I do love these Cruel Sea Prints available at Little Paper Planes. They are gocco screenprints on a vintage book page - such a neat idea. Once again gocco amazes me. Collect all three lovely designs for $20 each here.

Wallpaper gets a Makeover

Dan Funderburgh takes wallpaper to a whole new level with witty and engaging designs. His wallpaper designs mix traditional and floral elements with obscure objects like bikes, fire hydrants, light bulbs and even skull camo. Funderburgh also designs for Flavor Paper, a company that creates unique handscreened wallcoverings. They can even create custom wallpaper with your personal design and colors...how neat is that?!

Would you be daring enough for these?