Summer's Calling...

[Two Tone Leather Zip Holdall and Bright Stripe Dress, both from Orla Kiely.]

...and it wants me to wear this outfit. I want to get out of jeans and finally put on something pretty. I really love red and green together these days, and if I had a lot of money in the world I'd donate a large chunk of it to charity (of course!) and then set a few (ok, possibly more) hundred dollars aside for some Orla Kiely. I'll probably scour the racks of H&M and Forever 21 instead to get the same effect this summer, but y'know, one can always dream.

Pet and Zoo Rubberbands

[Pet and zoo rubberbands from See Jane Work]

It's time to reevaluate my work space! My desk is looking pretty sad right now. There are papers all over the place, my handy dandy organizational tray with all of my cute office supplies is currently cluttered with a whole lotta stuff I do not need. And I'm pretty tired from the weekend from flying up North and back again, so my lethargy isn't really helping the cleaning bug inside of me.

At one point I need to buy rubberbands, but I wish I didn't have to settle for really boring rubberbands. Why can't all rubberbands be in the shapes of cute animals? Hmmmm?

They'd be perfect right next to my Star Wars mailing envelopes.

TMBG for budding audiophiles

[Here Come The 123s, music by They Might Be Giants, image from TMBG; Screenshot taken from TMBG's Bed Bed Bed, music by They Might be Giants, illustrated by Marcel Dzama, published by Simon and Schuster]

Yesterday I took out all of my old CDs. I've been pretty bad about cataloging them and downloading the songs onto my computer, and something hit me over the head yesterday and told me I should organize everything before I lose even more music. Every time I move I lose music and books. Now I realize that 1) My copy of Fountains of Wayne circa 1996 DOES NOT WORK! Even if I wanted to listen to Radiation Vibe right now, I can't, because my 12 year old CD is broken. 2) I have a lot of music still on tape. Back home. In the room I grew up in. I had so many great mixed tapes! Moby's Play? Tape. Fiona Apple's When the Pawn...? Tape. Ani DiFranco's Living in Clip? Tape. Frente's Marvin the Album? Tape. Where did all my music go?

So, seeing as how this weekend is the baby shower for my future niece, I'm dedicating this post to They Might Be Giants, who has a whole line of stuff just for the kiddies so that they can build their music libraries early...and hopefully not let it slide into a huge mess like mine. They have a charming website for their music+book combo, Bed Bed Bed, which Marcel Dzama illustrated. You can also download free MP3s there from their album, NO!.

For a whole gaggle of TMBG merchandise for budding audiophiles, shop some more here.

DIY Kids

[Images from DIY Kids, by Ellen and Julia Lupton, published by Princeton Architectural Press, 2007]

This book came out more than a year ago, but it missed my radar and now I want it NOW! It looks like it's dying to be on my bookshelf next to my two other awesome Ellen Lupton titles, Thinking with Type and DIY (the grown-up version). The website already has a lot of useful crafts and tips for those who can't make it to the library or bookstore to get the book. This would be a great resource for anyone working with kids and looks super friendly for those who are art+design phobic.

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