Getting Busy

[Images from flickr users: Anthropologie window by olanky1, bedroom set by Elena777 and living room set by Elena777]

At one point when I lived in New York, this was my schedule:
8 AM - hop on 1 train to work, fight people for prime pole spot next to door
9 AM - get to internship and run around like a chicken with its head cut off, try really hard not to say anything too stupid in front of editors
5 PM - leave internship, hop back on train, arrive at school really tired
6 PM - arrive at class, stare at computer and sketchbook for 3 hours
9 PM - end class, go home, drown out any noise with iPod
10 PM - pick up a really unhealthy slice of pizza on my way home, put salad on top to make it seem healthier
12 PM - sleep and then do the whole thing all over again the next day

I think after that year, I vowed never to do that to myself again, because not only did I have a full-time internship but I also had class and class assignments. Internship+class+projects+little money=no life.

So I'm really bracing myself for the coming months because I've decided that I want to earn extra money by taking a second job. Granted, the second job is at one of my favorite stores in the whole wide world (Anthropologie!) and I don't have the homework, and I have a little more than a couch to call my own, but I'm still mentally preparing for being busy.

Photo editor by day, Anthropologie slave by night. I'll keep y'all posted on how crazy I get with my new schedule...and new wardrobe. ;)

Getting Organized

[Notebooks by Cath Kidston, images from Cath Kidston]

I somehow managed to survive the first part of 2008 without a daily planner. But now that I can see my old self coming back (ie, scary busy,) I decided I needed one and fast. Normally I would buy something online from an indie designer, but instead I drove to Barnes and Noble so I would have something in hand immediately.
To my surprise, Barnes and Noble had a pretty decent selection of interesting notebooks. One of my favorite illustrators, Jill Bliss, had a few products displayed in the store, and there were several Chronicle Book products featuring the work of Cath Kidston, mother of the "shabby chic" interior design revolution. I was pretty much crushed that there was no Cath Kidston day planner, only plain notebooks. But, oh, such pretty notebooks! I could probably just buy them to display on my desk instead of actually writing in them.
Still, I can't complain. I bought this awesome 18-month weekly planner designed by working class studio, a group of faculty, alumni, and students from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
I'm glad that places like Barnes and Noble are taking notice and buying more interesting stationery products for their stores. It's nice to see more colorful alternatives to the plain leather day planners that line the walls.

Craftzine Release Parties

[Flier from Craftzine.com blog]

Austin! Portland! Two cities I've never been to, but always imagine as being fantastic artsy places full of talented people. Now there's more reason to be jealous of these cities. This Sunday, June 1, both cities will be hosting a Craftzine release party full of workshops, craft celebs, and fun door prizes. Dear Craftzine, when are you coming to San Diego?

CRAFT: 07 Release Party
Sunday, June 1, 1-4pm
@ The Work*Shop
2438 W. Anderson Lane, #C5
Austin, TX 78757

CRAFT: 07 Release Party
Sunday, June 1, 12-3pm
@ Twisted
2310 NE Broadway
Portland, OR 97232

San Diego Art Scene

[Feed the Greedy Organ from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, created by Bailey Gardiner and Teneleven Interactive for MCASD; Pop Thursdays logo from the Museum of Photographic Arts, created by Hand Carved Graphics]

It's time I get off my couch and soaked up some culture because I am in dire need of some. Plus, there's some really neat stuff in San Diego that I still haven't checked out, and it's been close to a year since I've been here! My goal this summer is to attend more museum and art events...ie, go out Thursday nights, dress up a little, and surround myself in white walls and art with a capital "A"!

TNT (Thursday Night Thing) at the MCASD: TNT happens the first Thursday of every month at the downtown location of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Music, artist talks, movie premieres, for a mere $3 donation. MCASD also has one KICKASS promotional website, Feed the Greedy Organ. I think the idea is GENIUS.

Pop Thursdays at MoPA: Cult films. Fine-art photography. Good looking people. Cult films. This is why I need to go to Pop Thursdays this summer at the Musuem of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park. That and they have a really cool photo booth in the bookstore that I'm always dying to play around in.

The A List at La Jolla Athenaeum: Um, their next event is called Superheroes, need I say more? It is on June 26th (also my bday!) and is celebrating the release of Thought to Pop, a new book from Wildstorm Productions. I tend to like events that promote dressing up, even though I'm not much for costumes. I just like to have an excuse to stare at people.

I'm excited for this summer, come out and play with me!

Carson Ellis

[Various flyers illustrated by Carson Ellis. Softcover version of The Mysterious Benedict Society. Written by Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Carson Ellis. Published by Little, Brown and Company.]

If you compared the weather to an artist, today would be a Carson Ellis day in San Diego. The sky looks moody and gray with a lot of shapes and shadows. There are a lot of gray tones overshadowing everything. And it's the kind of day where I just want to sit at a cafe and read and read and read with some chocolate flavored drink in a large dusty rose mug. I keep seeing The Mysterious Benedict Society and keep wanting to buy it and hold it and read it because 1) the description sounds wonderfully weird:

Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children-two boys and two girls-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help... [From LB-Kids]

and 2) It's a Carson Ellis cover. And it's that kind of day where I just want to keep looking at Carson Ellis' work. Hope everyone is having a great start to Memorial Day Weekend. =)

Kara's Cupcakes

[All images from Kara's Cupcakes]

I've been really busy lately. Plus I got sick, and so my blog posts have been unfortunately less enthusiastic. But my energy is slowly coming back, and I'm getting ready for my sister's baby shower in June (exciting!!), so I've also been busy being doused in cotton candy pink!
My sister's best friend is bringing some scrumptious looking cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes in San Francisco. I haven't tried them, but they look very yummy and fan-say. All I can say is that cupcakes should be presented in a glass dome from here on out. Nothing else will do.

Judging a book by its cover

Designer: Peter Mendelsund
title: Trauma
author: Patrick Mcgrath
publisher: Knopf, 2008
available at Amazon.com

Designer: Jennifer Carrow
title: Against Happiness
author: Eric G. Wilson
publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008
available at Amazon.com

Designer: gray318
title: The Chess Machine
author: Robert Lohr
publisher: Penguin Press HC, The, 2007
available at Amazon.com

[All images from Fwis: Trauma, Against Happiness, The Chess Machine]

Fwis, the great team that also made the cut+paste pinhole cameras, has a great blog about book covers. Covers are posted and people post their thoughts and opinions about the design. It's also a special feature at Publisher's Weekly. I know that Julia Rothman's fantastic blog, Book By Its Cover, has a great section about children's book covers. Does anyone out there know of any blogs specifically dedicated to children's book cover design?

Little Flower Designs

[All images from Little Flower Designs]

I was just in Baltimore, only briefly, but too bad because the Charm City Craft Mafia's Pile of Craft is happenin' on June 21st and Little Flower Designs is going to be there with her beautiful work! Check out some of her spring pieces here. They are all so beautiful and make my vases/mugs/other vessels look pretty boring. If you live in Baltimore, go see her at Pile of Craft, June 21st, at St. John's Church.

Eclipse Chocolat

[All images from Eclipse Chocolat]

I really like sweets. Especially chocolate. I appreciate the really fine, dark, high quality goods (one of my favorites is Chocolove,) so I was really excited when I typed in "chocolatier+San Diego" in Google and came across Eclipse Chocolat, a chocolate cafe that serves everything from steaming hot cocoa infused with chiles and caramel to cupcakes with goat cheese and fig.

Mmmmmmmmm.

I had the opportunity to visit this gem and had a decadent time eating my Lavender-Vanilla bean cupcake: Chocolate-crème fraîche cake+50% dark chocolate lavender-vanilla bean filling+dark chocolate ganache glaze+vanilla bean sugar topping. I unfortunately did not bring my camera, but the owner's lovely blog has a nice array of pictures that people can drool over! Check out Eclipse Chocolat if you're in San Diego--eat a small dinner to prep.

The Flower Fields

[All photos taken by Mo, with the exception of the beautiful shot of me+Karen as corn which was taken by a kind stranger.]

Today was a beautiful day in San Diego County, and I got to spend it with my good friend, Karen, at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad. We got to bask in the colors of the ranunculus fields, and take some really pretty pictures! I think this means May has officially arrived.