As I promised earlier this week, here is an extended ode to CAKESPY. Cakespy is a blog dedicated to all things SWEET. Headed by Jessie Oleson, a freelance writer and illustrator from Portland, Cakespy is especially delightful entertainment during droning afternoon work hours (close rival: finding pictures of cute puppies with my friend, Taylor). HERE ARE FIVE REASON WHY I LOVE CAKESPY:
1. Jessie is a fantastic illustrator.
Cakespy has a glorious shop, filled with Cuppie (that’s the cupcake’s name!)-plastered items. No situation is too scary for dear Cuppie- an incredible adventurer.
He is sometimes chased by zombies…
…or with his cupcake special friend in Chicago.
2. Cakespy is funny.
Cakespy’s posts are always wildly funny, including my favorite on 50 ways to destroy a twinkie. When I think of twinkie destruction, I always think about Michael Pollan’s reoccuring twinkie story that he mentions in interviews: he kept a twinkie in his office for years, and it always remained perfectly perky. Boring story, no? Cakespy’s twinkie saga is much more entertaining. Michael Pollan didn’t subject his twinkie to teddy graham death:
3. Cakespy shares yummy recipes.
Along with being a contributor to Serious Eats (this week she wrote about velveeta fudge!), Jessie shares enough recipes to keep your stomach content for eternity. My favorite section is the “unusual” recipes, which forces me to reevaluate things that I had previously deemed “gross”…like this corn dog dessert.
4. Cakespy has an appetite that spans the country. Yes, I am jealous.
5. Cakespy designed a mug/t-shirt/card for Bleeding Heart, my favorite bakery.
At this very moment, while I am spitting out all my love for cakespy, I am drinking out of my new Bleeding Heart mug. My second cup of polish camomile honey tea, to be exact. When I noticed Bleeding Heart’s twitter debut of the mug, I instantly longed to teleport to Roscoe Village and obtain my very cakespy own donuts vs. cupcakes mug. Why? Because I love cute things wielding weapons, Bleeding Heart (supplier of many vegan and non-vegan treats AND they have a Clash poster AND their tables are neon cupcakes), and cakespy.
If you’re curious what the entire image looks like, here’s a picture of a card that I bought for one lucky recipient.
Happy weekend!
More than a year ago, I confessed my admiration for things that can fit into my pockets. Here’s another dizzying collection of pint-sized objects WHICH-ARE-MOSTLY-FRIVOLOUS-BUT-WORTHY-OF-DEEPLY-GRATIFYING-SHOULDER-SHRUGS-AND-“AWWs”.
PS- I must be obscuring some Star Wars passion, because I just realized that there are two Star Wars-related items. Oops and WEIRD.
1. I always wanted a fluffy animal as a child, like a guinea pig. I hear they smell, though. Miniature Funny Guinea Pig, psubio9 on Etsy, $20
2. A handy card in your pocket will prepare you for random declarations of love. COOL NOTE: These cards are by The Great Lakes, who made the infamous “Elementary Lovenote Set” featured in the previous pocket-sized treasures collection. A Roll in the Hay Card, thegreatlakes on Etsy, $4
3. A bike chain refashioned into a bottle opener! How ingenious! Recycled Bike Chain Bottle Opener Key Chain, Delight, $8.50
4. Admittedly, this will look rather awkward in your pocket, BUT IMAGINE YOUR FUTURE SELF + IMPROMPTU DANCE PARTIES = ASTRONOMICAL COOL POINTS. iLuv Mini Portable Speakers, Amazon, $21.50
5. In high school, my calculus teacher told us that derivatives are like matryoshka dolls. This excellent simile has stuck with me, despite not having taken the derivative of something in years. Thank you, Dr. Sloan. Hand Stamped Pocket Mirror Matryoshka Doll, TagsOnBags on Etsy, $4.50
6. My mom gave me a pair of these from her trip to Japan (practical gift giver, I guess). I learned, however, that disposable chopsticks are incredibly detrimental to the environment (WSJ claims that even Chinese pop stars carry their own chopsticks, so maybe I should too!). Second fun fact: I couldn’t use chopsticks until I was 21. I am asian. Yamazaki Stainless Steel chopsticks, Amazon, $12
7. After searching for mini screwdrivers that I could put in my ukulele bag, I came across this. Ridiculous! (But I secretly like the idea of using a grenade screwdriver on my ukulele) (Oh wait, not a secret anymore.) Grenade Screwdriver Set, Kikkerland, $5
8. There is a high possibility that if I owned this necklace, I would throw the tiny polymer clay candies at annoying people on the train. Yummy Candy Jar Necklace, Shanalogic, $16
9. I travel to NYC fairly regularly, and I think this journal would be perfect to record my favorite places and experiences. Like the time a synthesizer-playing scientologist gave me a map and directions to Bryant Park on the subway. New York City Mini Journal 6-Pack, Galison/Mudpuppy, $18
10. Although these *can* fit in your pocket, they reside in a freezer. Or, alternatively, you could transport them to a friend’s house in your pockets, and then place them in a freezer. These whiskey rocks will be like little chanteuses in your glass- chanteuses that don’t water down your drink. And, using them = WHISKEY LITERALLY ON THE ROCKS arharharharharhar. Whiskey Stones by Andrew Hellman, Unica Home, $20
11. Tiny bottle warmers to keep your hands warm! Mini Hottie Hand Warmer, Flight 001, $10
12. Oh, you already know my (and Minty Lewis’s) serious love of wombats. I had to include this. Wombat pendant, dragonwisper on Etsy, $1.50
13. Another miniature notebook for good ideas. I like the way “Think!” is hidden on the cover. Alphabet Writer’s Notepad, Galison/Mudpuppy, $5.50
14. This whistle necklace is by one of my favorite bloggers, oh, hello friend. It’s much lovelier than the THREE RAPE WHISTLES I received when I started college. Whistle necklace, ohhellofriend on Etsy, $24
15. According to several friends, George Lucas invented ewoks so people like me would want to watch Star Wars. You win, George Lucas. Star Wars Mimobot 2G Flash Drive, Delight, $32.50
MORE RAMBLING AFTER THE JUMP…
1. DIY Recycled Plate Cake Stand; 2. Tea’s Me Tea Set, from Rosana (which has more yummy yummy cups & things); 3. The Sweet Tooth Tunic from Mod Cloth (on sale!); 4. Kesera Tablecloth from Anthropolgie; 5. Girly Girl Gloves in Peach (not even $15! though you can only wear these types of gloves to: weddings, proms, tea parties) from Mod Cloth; 6. Alice & Friends All Dressed in Red & Ready to Mail, 10 folded notecards w/handmade envelopes from Time2Cr8 on Etsy; 7. Gourmet Tea from Tea Forte
Ah, I could not resist my cutsie title, I apologize! I love tea parties. You can have scones, cupcakes, little sandwiches without crusts, and at the same time wear ridiculously frilly dresses. As Napoleon said, “From the sublime to the ridiculous is only a step” and thanks to Alice in Wonderland, I think you can take that step while drinking tea.
To highlight two of my faves from the group above:
Why I like: Vintage Alice & Wonderland! Each card is different! Space for your thoughts, such as: “COME TO MY TEA PARTY OR I’LL CHOP OFF YOUR HEAD!”
WHY I LIKE: Vintage-y; contains cupcakes; has sleeves for those of us worried about the visual attractiveness of our upper arms; on sale; unquie; sweeeet!
Since everyone seems to enjoy “Currently Obsessed” so much I thought I’d try out something called “What I Bought” which is like a Currently Obsessed except it’s Currently Purchased, which I don’t think is grammatically correct.
Anyway, I thought I’d switch this one up — instead of the normal copy-and-paste from various web-pages, I thought I’d draw my finds. Aren’t they pretty? Can we talk about how hard markers are to use? And how much they smudge? And how much I had forgotten anything about them? Alas.
I took a little old hike down to the East Village a few days ago because Tricia said I had to checkout UNIQLO. She was right. WALLS OF BRIGHT COLORS. Must do another post on that soon. Anyway, I walked from UNIQLO up to Penn Station and stopped in almost all of my favorite stores along the way, including but not limited to: H&M, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Barnes & Noble, The Strand, and Forever 21. I also managed to hit up a drugstore and a grocery store. Big work for one day.
Of course I had to behave myself (SO HARD). With my current budget most of the above purchases were considered splurges. Still, I feel I should be applauded for my restraint.
I don’t know if anyone has posted this yet, or maybe I’m the only young adult out there reading Woman’s Day (er…) but I AM SO EXCITED about this periodic table of cupcakes. Go to the Woman’s Day page to view the table larger, see how it’s color-coded, and (yes!) if you click on any square you get the corresponding recipe (and more pictures, usually)!
The table is so well designed, isn’t it? And it’s about cupcakes! I wish you could clik on a square and a cupcake would appear on your desk. I’ve been thinking about cupcakes ALL DAY.
This past week, I have been studying a good amount. BUT, I don’t want to mislead you. I am not a disciplined study bunny. My current studying pattern is to compensate for not studying more earlier (being a feces-face).
Despite my devotion to learning new words (lilliputian is my FAVORITE so far), I can’t resist flipping through fashion week pictures. I’m not obsessed with any particular brand, however, there are certain designers that I tend to like more than others (Fall 2009 gold stars: Badgley Mischka, Richard Chai, Nanette Lepore, and BELOW!). My dear friend, Angelica, and I love discussing new designs and interesting silhouettes. So, I have to be informed to facilitate healthy discussion! Okay, poor reasoning. I know, I fail at life.
1. Although some people hated the Marc by Marc Jacobs fall collection, I really enjoyed it. After reading about him in the New Yorker, Angelica and I concluded that we wanted to be his friend. I suspect that we mutually respect Marc Jacobs, because we wear a lot of layers (MOTIVES: 75% “I-GET-COLD-EASILY”, 25% “JUST-BECAUSE”). He seems to like layers, thus we like Marc Jacobs. The picture above is my favorite from the fall line, and is also the inspiration for this post’s design!
2. Of the ones I’ve seen, I like Tracy Reese’s collection the best. I admit, I am biased because a childhood friend of mine is the Assistant Designer at Tracy Reese. BUT, I still believe that despite this wee fact, I would still declare this collection as my favorite. Superbly executed, this collection features a good mix of normal subdued fall colors, and sprinkles of stunning colors (see the turquoise dress below!).
The greatest aspect is the accessories! Threaded throughout the entire show= the most GLORIOUS FASCINATORS AND GLASSES!!!! Cool points to the max!!!@#@!!!!@#@!#!
3. Sometimes I have shitty days. Angelica and I refer to these days as “cupcake days.” Some days are…”two cupcake days.” Those are the worst. Chicago is an exceptional place for a food-lover, especially someone who has a weakness for cupcakes. Recently opened, Sugar Bliss is conveniently located near work. I’m not willing to declare it the best cupcake place in Chicago, but it is definitely in the top three. Sugar Bliss cupcakes are perfect for those who love icing (they even offer icing shots!). Based on what I’ve tried, I like their Chocolate Caramel cupcakes the most.
4. When my eyes first met this image of Obama Sushi (via Boing Boing and brother-in-law), I thought about the following…
5. I know this is a slightly outdated expression of love (by exactly a month!), but I am infatuated with Animal Collective’s latest album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. Every time I listen to it, I always feel inundated with reverence for Animal Collective. This album is a little more electronic-ambient, filled with bold beats and some danceable tunes. My favorite song is “My Girls,” but lyrically, I like “Summertime Clothes” the best. Thank you, Taylor, for sharing with me your Animal Collective albums.
6. FACT! I love Shark Week. When I saw this Shark Tea Infuser on Designboom, I wanted it immediately. I would even consider trading coffee for tea (maybe), if I could use this tea infuser. My co-worker, Patrick, brought up a good point- the shark only looks cool if you use red tea. GOOD THING = I LIKE ROOIBOS.
Note: All fashion week images are from nymag.com, and the font is “LT Nutshell Library” from dafont.com!
So, every new year I like to revamp & reorganize. I look over my buget for the year, get a new desktop wallpaper, put up ny new calendar, and, of course, get an entire new icon pack. Of course, this little event takes FOREVER, because there are 10 billion adorable icons across the internet. I was so freaking excited when I found these Cupcake Icons for macs! I know they aren’t donuts, but I’ve always lamented the fact that I didn’t call this website Stickers and Cupcakes. Although, maybe that would have been too girly, like calling it Unicorns and Rainbows or Twinkley Stars and Pink High Heels.
Anyway, the ultimate truth is this: I have no control over how many cupcakes I would eat this year if these were actually my icons, so I went with some nice antiquey looking icons and one special donut icon from a Simpson’s set for my Stickers & Donuts folder.
I love mail. Especially, you know, those days when YOUR-OFFICE-COFFEE-MUG-THAT-YOU-HAD-TO-USE-SINCE-YOU-FORGOT-TO-WASH-YOUR-TIGHT-MUG-TIPS-OVER-IN-YOUR-BAG-AND-RUINS-YOUR-RECENTLY (5 MINUTES PRIOR)-OBTAINED-NEW-YORKER-RESULTING-IN-A-PUCKERED-MESS. Those days.
Then, you receive a wondrous package full of marvelous treasures. Which leads to a (non) ostentatious yelp: “SCORE! I’M LOVED!” As a result, everything seems right in the world again. At least for the next five minutes, before the euphoria wears off.
1. Sneakers! I’m grateful to be in a situation where I am both debt free, and have no major expenses (babies, mortgage). This is how I rationalize owning four (now five) pairs of sneakers. I have always wanted metallic shoes; The origins of this desire are dubious. I do, however, like shiny things. I wanted metallic shoes so badly, that I even considered purchasing my first pair of Converse. Only the metallic silver. Ultimately I vetoed that idea, because I refuse to spend $70 on Converse.
I first found out about TOMS a couple of years ago, and since then, I toyed with the idea of getting a pair. After all, for every pair of TOMS purchased, a needy child gets a pair of TOMS. This is documented on YouTube HERE. FURTHERMORE, I wear Vans because I am lazy, and TOMS are also shoelace-less. THEN, I found out that TOMS come in GLITTER. After consulting with a few people, I ended up choosing the gold. And I got them on sale. Obviously, it was destiny to get gold glitter TOMS. When I received them, I was surprised because they have a PLUSH, LEATHER SOLES. On an “arch-support” scale, TOMS falls in between PUMAs (extra support) and Vans (no support). Perfect! I am very obsessed with my luminous feet, and whenever I wear them, I find myself compulsively looking down. I guess I’m afraid that one day I’ll look down, all the glitter will have fallen off, and I will be overcome with clouds and lightning bolts. So far, my feet are still as lustrous as San Diego. (PS- If you decide to get TOMS, don’t believe reviewers on Zappos and Amazon, etc. Like the TOMS website notes, the sneakers fit true to size. Misled, I thought they would run small (one of the reasons why I chose the gold over the silver). On the contrary, they are quite roomy and stretch-out. Yes, the pictures above are of my actual TOMS (and my feet).
2. Recently, I’ve been listening to the Smiths. A lot. Morrissey’s voice is as soothing as those baby stuff animals that play waterfall sound bites. Simile with Morrissey? I just made one.
3. I made diet coke cupcakes for the first time (in a LONG time). Almost a year? I’m not sure. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, you mix a can of diet coke with a box of cake mix. Pour the batter into cupcake sleeves, and bake according to instructions. Voila! Potentially less calories. Except, I put a lot of icing on my cupcakes. And sprinkles. When I used to bake these, I would share them with everyone. Now I have no one to share them with, so I’ll probably end up eating 20+ cupcakes. Womp womp.
(CLOSE-UP!)
4. OH MY GOODNESS. A couple weeks ago, JetPens sent me a yellow orange body, blue ink Zebra Airfit Jell Gel Ink Pen. Since then, I’ve been testing it- doodles and such. As illustrated above, I even *chronicled* every time I used this pen from 10/28-11/6.
It is the best 0.5mm pen that I have ever used, and it is the third best pen that I’ve ever owned.
I usually find 0.5mm to be too thick, but this pen is exceptional. The tip is incredibly precise- no chunky gel blobs at all. Crisp lines all the time. I even subjected the pen to a smiley test (pass), squiggle test (pass), and water-boarding test (SURPRISINGLY, PASS. The ink did not even bleed, despite all the water droplets that I flung at the paper. I included a scan of my water-droplet test results below. The paper was kind of wrinkly, but the ink didn’t even quiver a little. ALSO OF NOTE: I accidentally spilled coffee on my test sheet today, and the ink still held up. What a trooper.)
In additional to performing well, the Zebra Airfit is impeccably designed. Did the name sound suspicious to you? Well, the pen grip contains AIR POCKETS, so your fingers never get sweaty. I even drew a cross-sectional view of the grip! This is the pen’s official description on JetPens:
The Zebra Airfit can be found all over Asia, but it is strangely hard to find in the US. It is one of the more popular pens because of its comfortable rubber grip, binder style clip that allows it to be attached to thicker objects, and ergonomic body shape. This new fine tip 0.5 mm gel Airfit pen gives you smooth writing satisfaction. Like the pilot AirBlanc, the grip also has a layer of air between the rubber grip and the body of the pen to allow heat conduction from your fingers. Perhaps it’s because of the hot weather in Asia, but cool hands seem to be an important factor in Japanese pen design! Yes, we guess this can make a great companion during first time job interviews.
I may not be interviewing for any jobs right now, but sometimes crosswords can be stressful. “___Thurman, ___Thurman, Crap! How come I can’t remember her first name?!” This whole scenario is highly ficitious (GATTACA *is* one of my favorite movies, and I’d never forget Uma), but at the moment I can’t think of any other crossword clue examples. My only complaint in regards to the grip, is that like other rubber grips, it easily attracts dust. Finally, the clip mentioned in the description? It is honestly HUGE. Basically a clothes pin tacked on to a pen. Delightful! JetPens (Available in blue/white/light blue/pink/yellow barrels with blue/black/blue-black/red ink refills, $4.50)
5. Approximately two months ago, S&D interviewed The Bubble Process- A tight poster printing duo that is composed of two males of outstanding moral fiber. Just last week, The Bubble Process released a dazzling new Girl Talk poster. One of the best shows I ever attended was a Girl Talk show the week of Halloween 2xx6, in a shitty/shifty Ithaca bar. If you have never seen him before, I highly recommend that you find tickets (They’re hard to find these days! He is in high demand!). To fully enjoy Girl Talk, you must let yourself get swallowed by the undulating body slamming, and embrace the lovely diaphoresis. It makes the post-Girl Talk extra large pop more satiating. I am infatuated with this poster, because it embodies Girl Talk. I love the juxtaposed gumball machine and crystal ball, and the turban’d man overprinted on the wild purple-people. So visually engaging! I’m enraptured! The Bubble Process, $20
As a wee, I loved the If you give… series. Actually, as an adult stuck in an unsettling post-college period, I am still enamored with the books. I am a sucker for the whimsical illustrations, the characteristically demanding critters, and the circumlocutory plots. With the absence of a pesky HARRY-POTTER-RACE-TO-THE-FINISH effect (the conclusion is hardly dubious!), one can focus purely on the ADVENTURE.
The If you give… duo, Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, first released If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in 1985! Since then, they have introduced their readers to Pig, Moose, and recently… CAT. A cat that gets a *cupcake*!?!?! (I’m eating a Sweet Mandy B’s cupcake right now! Which, FYI, is just as adorable as the name implies. It reminds me of Samantha Parkington!) And cat asks for *sprinkles*!? (My cupcake has sprinkles!) If You Give a Cat a Cupcake screams S&D.
Just like Mouse, Moose, and Pig, Cat gets something edible, and things happen. Honestly, you’ll have to read it for yourself. I will share, however, that my favorite part is at the beginning:
“When you give him the sprinkles, he might spill them on the floor. Cleaning it up will make him hot, so you’ll give him a bathing suit.”
A cat in swim trunks? More precious than Precious Moments.
Happy Friday! Posts are going to be light and/or non-existent through Tuesday (LSATs / GREs!!!!)! This post is long. Save half of it for Monday? xo
I blame Tricia & Bobby Solomon for the messiness of this post.
First of all, Tricia’s study-supply-heavy currently obsessed post prompted me to write my own study-supply heavy currently obsessed post. (Hopefully, between the two of us, your next study session will be super-productive (and you will gain five pounds).)
Bobby Solomon doesn’t know who I am, but I read his blog & am really obsessed with his desktop wallpaper project. He has twitter (so does Stickers & Donuts!) and commented on Ben Fold’s new album with a song featuring Regina Spektor, which I also love, and in usual internet-fashion I now feel really connected and really creepy.
ANYWAY, right after laying out the images for this post, I discovered this week’s desktop wallpaper featuring Billy Murray on Bobby’s blog, and (instant obsession!) had to squeeze it into my post. Due to a layer error and time constraints, I had only so many choices in reorganization. Alas. Messy.
Anyway, after the jump, long descriptions (procrastination) of the things in the picture. Also, links.
