Bookworm » Rob Ryan: This is for You
Available at Chronicle Books
“If you believe in love, but find it difficult to explain – this is for you.” – Rob Ryan
Art & Design
Gift Guide » Top Ten Duck Duck Goose
Clockwise from top left: Schnurpfel Pony by Naef, Manuella Big Elephant Floor Pillow, Kid O’s City & Country Blocks by Lisa Mahar, Baby Barolo Cocoon Sleeping Bag, Playsam Rocking Rabbit, Goodbyn Lunchbox, Donkey Products Helmet N. Crocheted Camera, and Sara Carr’s Lambswool Pencil Scarf… More after the jump!
Kawaii! » Poketo Shwag Favorites
As promised, here’s a quick intro to all the cuteness that can be found at Poketo’s online shop. From fuzzy bear post-its and mustachioed pen pal cards to day planners, checklists, and travel journals, if you’re one of those crazies that spends her Saturdays roaming the aisles of Office Depot (yeah? so?) then Poketo will be sure to fill some stationary void on your desk!
Gift Guide » Top 10 Eco-Friendlies
Clockwise from top left: Freitag F74 Bob Bag, Eding:Post’s Picnica bunny bag, Magno Design radio, Resource Revival bottle opener, Fernando and Humberto Campana’s TransNeomatic Bowl, and Esque Studio’s Recycled Glass Slump Vases… More after the jump!
Geekology » Sci-Fi Spiders & Friends
Nope. Not a bug fan. Somehow, I’ve been designated the official role of Bug-Squasher at home and am certainly not fond of those duties either. Oh! What’s that there? A shiny, bits & pieces, watch-innards mechanical bug? Well, that’s a whole different cup of tea!
Beatbox » Minilogue + Ljudbilden
I’ve been sitting on this killer music video animated and directed by Kristofer Ström for Malmö, Sweden-based electro-duo Minilogue (Sebastian Mullaert & Marcus Henriksson) for too long now and had to spread the wealth as we head into what looks like a dreary, rainy weekend here in NYC… So, throw on your brightest duds and dance along with this rambunctious round-up of animated monstrosities as they run-a-muck around town! For more on the music, check out the Minilogue MySpace page!
Kawaii! » Cute Up the Wazoo!
What?! In the world!? This ridonkulously cute collab between Buenos Aires-based motion graphics firm PepperMelon, designer, illustrator, and mastermind of cute Sonni, and the character designers (Samuel Albert Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III ) over at Friends With You for Target is just a shroomer’s bonanza of kawaii! I’m a bit blissfully ignorant on this one – where and when the ad will (or has already) come out, the story behind the odd little number, the badass exec who greenlighted the project, etc… but really… it’s not always necessary…
Shutterbug » L’Exactitude N’est Pas La Vérité
So, you thought you were one-of-a-kind? Well, think again. Rotterdam-based photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek have been examining the distinct dress codes of various social clusters for well over a decade now and their striking book of images, Exactitudes (that’s exact and attitude smished together), demonstrates once again to us obstinate humans how beautifully similar to one another we are…
Comic Sans Takes a Lashing
Thank you Mirko Humbert of Designer Daily, for putting out the funniest (Godwin’s Law-inspired?) meme I have seen to date…
Papercuts » No Cutting Corners Here
“I create paper cutouts and seek to extend it as a contemporary, global art form that is deeply rooted in Chinese folk art traditions. To do so, I strive for a universal and amalgamated aesthetics that incorporate imagery rich in cross-cultural references and contemporar subtexts. In these very dense and intricate paper cutouts, I explore the universally shared experiences of power, sacrifice, and survival.” – Bovey Lee
Papercuts » Etsy’s Elsita
Originating in China circa 1500 the art of papercutting (jianzhi) quickly spread across the globe and is now a celebrated craft in dozens of countries including Japan (kirie), India (sanjhi), Germany & Switzerland (scherenschnitte), France (canivet or decoupage), Poland (wycinanki), Ukraine (vytynanky), Turkey (ka ‘ti), Mexico (papel picado), the States, Israel, and beyond…
“The process of creating a papercut piece is a wonderful way to practice and master the art of patience.” – Elsa Mora
Eco-Friendlies » Funktional Junktion
With a planet that is drowning in trash and choked by pollution, any company that makes the effort to be greener gets the “We Are Good People” badge in my book. When that company manages to highlight the “eco” side of their products in a way that sparks the imagination and demonstrates how far one can go with ecologically-forward thinking, well, that warrants a big freaking gold star.
i ♥ art » Lo ♥’s Murakami Party Pt. 2
“When the flowers laugh we’re all happy. However there’s always the other side, if they laugh too much. Children pick this up right away, that it’s not natural, much more than adults do. For instance, when adults buy something for their children, the boys and girls immediately know why they’ve done it and in this work I wanted to convey to the children of the world that there are places with light and places without light.”
i ♥ art » Jaime Hayon & His Poultry Rocker
I first began following Madrid-born artist/designer Jaime Hayon’s work a handful of years ago when I saw his Showtime vases at The Future Perfect in Brooklyn. The balanced curves and primary shapes of his pieces results in something so easy to gape at…
Eco-Friendlies » Recycled Bling
“I looove to collect fascinating objects, to arrange them in different ways and to have them around me. For me these objects have a very personal, intrinsic value and tell a special story.”