Since high school, my sprightly youth has deteriorated, and has been replaced with grumpiness and laziness that rivals that of Carl. I am of course referring to Carl from Up (between the time you cried…thank god tears can be obscured by 3d glasses…and when he meets the annoying boy scout). I was reminded of the lost of my limited athletic prowess recently when I found myself heaving through a 12km mountainous hike. Given my established dissociation from physical activity, I was surprised that it is possible to purchase omniscient running shoes:
Nike LunarGlide+ 3 iD Running Shoe (customized!), $145
Woah , technology. There is a little pocket in the back of the shoe that holds something that communicates with your iPod/iPhone, which then can communicate with the Nike+ website. Bananas! Things like this make me consider whether cylons could be real!
I didn’t come across this whole world of shoe technology from wanting to run in Hanoi. Hanoi is far from pedestrian friendly, and with the thriving market for imitation goods here, I would probably not be exposed to such technological novelties. I was browsing Visual Complexity (a very aesthetically pleasing network visualization site), and read about the Nike+ City Runs project by YesYesNo LLC. The above map of NYC represents a composite of a year’s worth of runs that were uploaded to the Nike+ website. As Visual Complexity describes:
The software visualizes and follows individual runs, as well as showing the collective energy of all the runners, defining the city by the constantly changing paths of the people running in it.
This visualization was an installation for Nike retail stores, and I think it would be intriguing to see it in person. As the video below suggests, there seems to be a Nike store in Soho, so I might have to stop by when I return to the US. My conjecture that there is a Soho Nike store is solely based on the fact that there is Uniqlo bag in the video. I can spot those suckers so easily.
Nike+ City Runs from yesyesno on Vimeo.
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…
I have to admit, I’m a big fan of TV series. It all started with Friends, which was a big part of my teenage years, and it got out of control this last few years with That’s 70s Show, Absolutly Fabulous, Spaced, The IT Crowd, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Mad Men… The one think I really love about TV shows is that it’s like a almost never ending movie. You get to really know the characters, and they become part of your everyday life. The first time I went to NYC, I kept looking around, half-expecting to spot Phoebe playing guitar somewhere.
So, new year, new series.
Bored to Death is a quite young TV show, seeing that it started last September. There’s 8 episodes as of now, and it has been renewed by HBO for a second season. The pitch is pretty simple : Jonathan Ames is a writer struggling with his second novel who just got dumped by his girlfriend because he drinks too much white wine and smokes too many funny cigarettes. Now alone in his Brooklyn appartement, bored, he posts an ad on Craiglist proposing his services as a non-licensed private detective. The series then follows his cases, along with his pursuit of his ex, his relations with his editor boss and his comics illustrator friend.
Although the dialogues are really good, the characters interesting and the whole show very funny, the thing I like the most about it is it’s incredible inspiring effect on my own creativity. Proof:
1. The intro
The intro is VERY nice. It’s basically text in a book taking life and becoming characters. A picture is worth a thousand words, but this opening sequence is worth WAY more. Enjoy :
After seeing that, I just wanted to get a book and animate it. It reminded me of thoses fantasticboot cuts I saw a while back :
You can see many more inspirating boot cuts on Su Blackwell’s website. There’s also a TON of idead on this OffBeat Earth post. What was once nearly a sin (cutting a book) is now a very artistic activity. Go cut your books !
2. Comic book fun
In the show, Jonathan’s friend Ray is a comic book artist. He does various stories, mostly about his own life, but in a superhero way. The style is very Marvelish, but it’s so funny to see how Ray interprets his own life to turn it into comics.
After seeing Ray’s drawing, you can’t help but grab a notebook and try to sketch your friends comics-style. I did a drawing of myself actually, clicke HERE to see it. Haha ! You can see more drawings (all by Dean Haspiel) at HBO’s website.
3. Jason Schwartzman !
Jonathan is played by Jason Schwartzman. This is a good opportunity to look back on his carreer. This guy has been around for quite a while. I first saw him in Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore“. He then reappeared in Sofia Coppola’s “Marie-Antoinette” and again in Wes Anderson’s “Darjeeling Limited“.
This three movies are very different, but all are interesting and visually inspiring.
And, as if Jason couldn’t get any cooler, he’s also a musician, with a solo project named Coconut Records. He’s the one who wrote and performed on the opening song of the series. Is that cool, or what ? Go play that video again.
4. Brooklyn and NYC
To finish this post, a quick word on the settings of the show. Most of it is in Brooklyn, and HBO has put up an interactive map of the locations shown on the series (scroll down and click on the map). With every new episode, new places are added on the map. That way, next time you wander around Brooklyn, you can check out Bored To Death‘s settings !
So, I hope you’ll check Bored To Death and use it to fuel your creativity !
1. Goldtone Banjolele Deluxe from Musician’s Friend, $450 (too shiny and would prefer the banjolele sold at the Old Town School of Folk Music’s store on Lincoln Ave. …thank you to the guy at the store who let me hold it…)
2. Yama Syphon Brewer from Clive Coffee, $50
3. Save the Manatee club membership, $25
4. Hohner Melodica from Musician’s Friend, $35
5. Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet from Amazon, $167
6. Blue Microphones Snowball from Amazon, $72.30 (so I can record songs about pies and bucolic fields…just kidding.)
7. Itazura Coin Bank (White Kitty) from Strapya World, $21.70 (watch this and you will be convinced)
8. Proximity Magazine subscription, $30 (even if you’re illiterate, you can still admire the STUNNING typography and layout)
9. Speedball Ultimate Screen Printing Kit from BLICK, $85
10. Keyboard stickers by Christopher Morno DeLorenzo, $15 (B for Bowie!)
And that’s the end of our wishlists.
Of course the Stickers and Donuts team’s greatest wish is to hear from you (we know you’re reading! Google Analytics does not lie!) SO! Now it’s your turn. What’s on your wishlist? Fulfilling the S&D wish not a good enough reason for you to comment? Well, here’s a bribe. The first 10 people who comment (excluding any S&D writers, however, they are encouraged to comment regardless) will receive a S&D surprise.
Hi everybody ! Today I’m going to share with you my current obsession : bookshelves. There’s many reasons why I love bookshelves, some are pretty straightforward, some are weird, but all are very good reasons. In a nutshell, let’s just say I love looking at bookshelves because they’re another way of knowing someone.
Look at it this way : you go to somebody’s house for the first time, take a quick look at their bookshelves and notice a copy of “So, You’re Attracted to Grandma” (no kidding, it’s on this list of 102 self-help books you can do without)… Well, let’s just say you see them in a different light.
At my place, the books are just lying around in every corner, pilled up in unbalanced towers, but that’s just because I don’t have the funds to buy some nice bookshelves. Instead, I daydream about it…
So, I have here some great bookshelves ideas for your consideration :
#1. This is a GREAT idea for those who like nice-looking things but don’t really have the money to furnish their place. Just re-organise your books by color ! The result is quite breathtaking, don’t you think ? (More pictures here)
#2. A really nice design idea. I guess you need to have a quite big flat to pull this off, but it’s definetly a winner bookshelf. Ho, and it’s $999…
#3. This is not a bookshelf, actually, but look at how cute this is ! AND you can do it yourself with not much fuss, the directions are over here.
#4. My personnal favorite. A speech bubble (well, square) bookshelf ! This is the perfect example of my idea that a person’s books speak for themselves.
#5. A bit De Stilj, a bit child-like, a lot of fun : the tree shelf ! By Thorun Arnodottir design.
#6. I really love the boudoir style of this one. Very sleek design, a perfect addition to a nicely decorated room. You can see much more images and even the makin of this shelf on Behance.
#7. I actually lost the name of this bookcase, and that bugs me because I love the overall aspect… but I just found another one in the same vein, at West Elm. Yellow + Black = NICE.
There’s a thousand other great ideas out there, so go out and look around !
Because this obsession is not just a fad, I put together a contributive blog called “Check My Shelf“, where anybody can submit pictures (photo, drawings, diagrams… anything you want!) of their bookshelves and share it with the world. Here are some examples of past posts :
If you want to contribute, you’re more than welcome ! Take a look at the website : http://checkmyshelf.blogspot.com and get in touch at contact@ookah.com.
The more the merrier !
And to finish, a fantastic poster by Mikey Burton for WILCO :
Yay! It’s my very first Currently Obsessed post! I have a serious sweet tooth – as you will probably find out after subsequent posts – so I thought it fitting to relate all these items to mouth-watering sweet stuff!
1) Cupcake Car: When I saw these incredible “cars” capable of going a whopping 7mph, I actually screamed, in a pretty high-pitched voice: “Ohmygosh! They are soooo CUTE!” Because they so are. If any of you have $25,000 to spare you can get yourself the best Christmas present ever: a vehicle slower than a bike – but probably faster than your normal walking speed – that is fully customisable so you can get a car that resembles your favourite cupcake! I’m dreaming of the day that I arrive to school in one of these…The only question that remains: Do I need a driving license for one of these?!!
2) Oreo Cupcakes: I got pretty obsessed with cupcakes this week, and these look SO delicious! I mean pink panda cupcakes that are made from Strawberry Milkshake flavoured Oreos! Can you get more mouth-watering then that?
3) Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (Or just Amélie): I’ve just started my A-Level French course at school and my teacher said that we needed to expose ourselves to more French culture; movies, music, book etc. So I decided to watch a French movie – I’m so glad I picked Amelie! It has actually become one of my favourite movies of all time! Its about a kooky waitress in Paris who leads a simple life and decides to devote her life to bringing strangers happiness. It is the cutest movie ever – I know I overuse the word cute, but there is no other way to describe this movie! You don’t even need to speak French – watch it with the English subtitles!
4) Carmex Cherry Lip Balm: Cherry Carmex is the best lip balm ever! I have really chapped lips but this lip balm makes them feel all moisturised and smooth! Your lips actually tingle when you put it on AND it smells so good! Every time I reapply it people will go: Are you eating a sweet? What smells so good? It only costs £2 as well, I can’t find any downsides!
5) Nymph Costume: So Halloween isn’t as huge a deal here in The UK as it is in the US, but I still think it is a great excuse for fancy dress! How beautiful is this handmade, leaf-adorned tunic? I think dressing up as Greek Forest Nymph would make the perfect Halloween costume! It is obviously dressing up, it is a unique idea and its just really pretty and feminine! Too bad it’s not exactly scary!
6) Irregular Choice Shoes: Irregular Choice makes the wackiest most original shoes that I have ever seen! You need to check out their website! I love all the colours and prints and the different structures – can you use the word structures when describing shoes? – that all the shoes have, but, my favourite pair by far are the ones covered with little ice creams! I went and tried them on in the store and everything, but unfortunately I am completely incapable of walking in 6inch heels!
FACT: I enjoy both robots and typography. I present to you an epic question. IN A DEATH MATCH AMONG FORMIDABLE SANS-SERIF COMBATANTS..
…and AKZIDENZ-GROTESK-BOT…
WHO WOULD WIN?!?!
The above posters, found via dtrndr, are screenprinted posters by Jonathon Yule. You can purchase them on his website, INVDR, for $20 each or $45 for the entire collection. If you have always dreamed about owning a t-shirt that displays both your love for Helvetica and robots, Helbotica t-shirts are available at Chop Shop for $20 each. Finally, Font-Bot iPod skins and laptop covers are available at Skinizi.
At the moment. I’m sick of green. A kryptonite river. Harassment by trashy green tourists that walk at a snail’s pace. The burgeoning green grass of the Great Lawn at Millennium Park (YES, I AM A HATER. I have allergies.). Despite these negative green-laced events, green is one of my favorite colors, and frames five things that I am currently obsessed with.
1. Stickers and Donuts loves Maira Kalman. Featured in the NY Times this past Friday, The Robin Hood Foundation has renovated libraries in 62 schools throughout NYC. With the aid of Pentagram, a global design firm, the project commissioned several established artists (Maira Kalman, Cristoph Niemann, Stefan Sagmeister, Yuko Shimizu) to create murals for the libraries. I encourage you to flip through the slide show in the NY Times article, because the murals are amazing! Below is a picture from Cristoph Niemann’s mural. THE DINOSAUR’S TEETH ARE BOOKS!!@#@!#@!:
2. As my last post mentioned, I traded Chicago for NYC a few weeks ago. I had many new experiences (befriended a synthesizer-playing scientologist..which I THOUGHT WAS A NORMAL NYC THING, but after consulting with various natives, apparently it is an anomaly, went to the American Museum of Natural History and Babycakes…), and I notably visited Uniqlo for the first time! Chicago is imperfect in many ways, and here’s another complaint: There is no Uniqlo in Chicago.
Walking into Uniqlo is like sticking your head in a sanitary barrel of Runts. So many colors! All neatly stacked! I am convinced that Uniqlo is the best place to purchase excellent basics (and neat graffic t-shirts). I’m apathetic towards American Apparel: the sub-par quality clothes are overpriced, it often has questionable (borderline-costume-y) clothes, nothing fits me properly, and Don Charney disturbs me. Uniqlo has cheaper, better quality clothes, and they fit me! Also, if you purchase pants, they will tailor them within two hours for FREE! I returned to Chicago with half a suitcase full of Uniqlo purchases. (I reasoned that the sales tax is cheap in NY, and that THERE IS NO UNIQLO IN CHICAGO.)
3. Ira Glass, oh how I love thee. For me, Ira Glass falls in the “older male crushes of Tricia” category; a category which also includes Jarvis Cocker and Anderson Cooper. His voice is so melodious that when I listen to This American Life, I feel like a sorority girl listening to male a capella. I trudge through the voids between new episodes by catching up on the old episodes, which aired when I wasn’t yet cool enough to listen to the show. My current favorites: #328- What I Learned from Television (where Ira Glass gushes about being a die-hard OC fan, and his reaction to Seth and Summer’s conversation on This American Life) and #374- Somewhere Out There (full of unconventional love stories).
4. Whereas seemingly everyone was downtown getting drunk for St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, I went to Knee Deep Vintage, a store that I have wanted to go to since I returned to Chicago. Knee Deep Vintage is the best vintage/thrift store that I have ever been to. Located in wonderful Pilsen (even the manholes are glorious, and you can get both Mexican hot chocolate AND chilli lollipops), Knee Deep Vintage is full of treasures. The store’s great selection is reflective of the owners’ exceptional taste. Apparently, they go on adventures across the country to gather things for the store (source: nice stranger who spoke to me on the train). Everything is priced reasonably, well-organized, and neutral smelling. I bought one navy and white dress (pocket!), AND THE MOST MAGNIFICENT KELLY-GREEN BELT. It’s made of lots of metal plates that are sewn on an elastic band. It’s a little heavy, but if I ever get attacked, the belt will be an effective weapon!!!
5. Yesterday, Kitsune Noir featured the new movie poster for WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I am very excited for the release (I do, after all, own a Where the Wild Things Are journal), however, scary kids movies (Coraline, good grief) traumatize me. I am determined to find someone willing to see the movie with me.
Do you remember Maria’s post on the sort-of-creepy-but-pretty-neat Rube Goldberg Fifth Avenue apartment?
Well. That is just…peas…compared to Scott Jones’ palatial estate. Considering Scott’s background (Scott invented VOICEMAIL, ChaCha, MOG, Gracenote, etc.), it seems only fitting that he owns a 27,000 sq. foot mansion filled with tech treats and hidden surprises. The house was featured on HGTV’s “Top 10 Most Amazing Homes” and, more recently, MTV TEEN CRIBS.
Fact! I did not even know MTV Teen Cribs existed (Thank you, Phil), but the episode above (well…I only watched the first crib: Scott’s home presented by his son Andrew) is far more satisfying than any other Cribs episode I have ever seen. The house has a secret passage (concealed by a bookcase!), a giant slide, a movie theater, a tree house, and a T-Rex head. The tech stuff is pretty cool, but I could not stop thinking about the (Disney Channel Original Movie) Smart House. Which, if you do not recall (or if you spent your youth watching more worthwhile things), was about a tech house “of the future” that goes bat shit.
Finally…Question. Is it just me or is the intro speaker’s voice much higher than the usual speaker? Follow-up Question. When a certian thing is “kid-a-fied,” does that automatically equal higher-pitched voices? Like…Kidz Bop (I admit, out of all the Kidz Bop songs to feature, this is a poor choice. BUT PAY ATTENTION AT EXACTLY 2:38 AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT.)
PS- If the video above does not work, this is the link. I don’t think embeded MTV likes Stickers and Donuts, because the video almost never loads. Womp womp.
Copyright Pepsi
Last weekend, I was in DC for a reunion right before the Inauguration. While there, I tried to spot as many of the Pepsi “HOPE” advertisements as I could. Unfortunately, my camera didn’t want to cooperate with the single digit temperatures, so I wasn’t able to snag them all. The above are just a few of the spots we saw plastered over Metro stations, buses, and billboards.
Although I think the general consensus from the various design blogs I read is that the Pepsi re-branding is a bit of a flop, I do think this campaign was great. Maybe it was just being in DC and around all of the excitement for the Big Day, but I thought seeing all of the uplifting signs added to the atmosphere. That, and I respected that they went with pinks and yellows and oranges rather than the patriotic color palette they could have. It broke up all of the American-flag-monotony around town. Check out more images/video of the campaign at this French site and read about it and the other Inaugural campaigns at Creative Review.
Maria’s Note: This post introduces a new S&D blogger, Lorraine, whose great design-sense I discovered through her own personal artsy blog. I’m very excited to have her here, and very jealous that she went to the inauguration!
By way of introduction: Lorraine grew up in Missouri, but claims Nebraska as her home state after spending half her time visiting family there while growing up. After college at Missouri State, she interned in Nuremberg, Germany for a summer and fell in love… with Nürnbergerbratwürste. She is currently working as a graphic designer and, in no particular order, enjoys: cheesecake, printmaking/letterpress, languages, badminton, watercolors, and antique doorknobs. In her “free time,” she reads a ton of books, plays around with her gocco printer, and blogs about design and DIY culture at her personal site, Lorraine Design. We are glad to have see her very first post on S&D!
