QUIET BEAUTY

I've been meaning to add this post for a few weeks. Please stop by my friend and photographer JASON FRANK ROTHENBERG'S site and enjoy the quiet beauty of his photographs. I happen to be the proud and lucky owner of this image. Thanks Jason!

ADD IT UP

I'm sure this has been out there for awhile, but I just got this link to the BIRTHDAY CALCULATOR from my aunt. It's pretty cool... I always forget what my Chinese New Year animal is, and for good reason... it's the year of the snake. It also gives you lots of other information about the day / year you were born like your birthstone, what phase the moon was in and even breaks down your age into total seconds.

AN INCONVIENT TRUTH

OK... I know this is not new, but after being in Indiana last week and talking to friends and family I am still surprised that more people have not gone to see this film. An Inconvenient Truth is a must see. Click here to find out WHAT YOU CAN DO to reduce your impact at home. Spread the word.

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT...

Yesterday our office took a field trip and went rafting down the Delaware River. It was a perfect day and we were lucky enough to see a Bald Eagle soar overhead. It was an adult with a wing span of at least 6'. Here you can just make it out in the bottom photo. Click to enlarge.

SING LIKE A BIRD

CONGRATULATIONS to my cousin Andrea! She just opened "THE SING SHOP" in Avon, Indiana. You can get private voice lessons, rent a studio and make your own vocal cd or rent it out for karaoke parties...and she already has quite a following of students. Keep an eye out for the website which I will be designing and posting for her very soon.

SAY CHEESE!

Last Thursday I left left town and headed back home to Indiana for my family reunion.
Well after my flight got delayed hour after hour, they finally cancelled my flight at midnight and I eneded up sleeping in the airport. Then boarded a flight to Boston at 6:00 Am and made it home at 11:30 AM. ARGH!!!!


Anyway, here are a few pics of my second cousin Savannah. I looked over at her and there she was divining into this large tub of cheese balls and filling her plastic cup. Remember when you were a kid and had not a care in the world? Well, except for getting caught doing something you were'nt supposed to be doing? When dirty hands didn't matter?


And here is Ella right after she licked all the icing off here cake. The next words out of her mouth were... "I want another one."


Here we have Olivia carrying a cicada in two plastic cups. Love the hot pink satin disco shorts.


And finally, here was what I saw at the end of the day in the trash can. Now you just know there was a sad little girl out there who cried all the way home.

REMODEL SURVIVORS

When my friend Jenny and I drove across the country back in 1996, I hopped out in Salt Lake City, she continued on to Seattle where she has more-or-less remained since. You learn a lot about a person when you drive across the country with them. I learned that Jenny has great resolve and humour in the face of potential disaster. Case in point: the night in Kansas when we had to abandon our campsite to seek shelter in the men's toilet of a campground to escape the threat of a tornado. Jenny had the wits about her to ask the older couple in the stall next to us to take our picture to commemorate the sheer ridiculousness of our predicament. So i shouldn't be surprised that she was able to withstand the grueling strain of a 6 year remodel on the Seattle home she shares with her beau, Rob. And i am pleased to see that the Seattle Times also recognized this amazing feat by doing a story on them for their home and garden insert called Digs. I just love the pic of her on the cover holding the drill. The article paints a very good picture of the pitfalls and landmines they had to face. I'm so proud of her. Also, there is a good side bar on how to tackle a remodel without trashing a relationship.

Hailstones & Halibut Bones

This animation says Sunday morning to me. It's called Hailstones & Halibut Bones from NBC's "Exploring" series from 1966. The narrator sounds like Miss Ellie from Dallas--but i don't think it is. It's all about colors and the artwork in it is great. It was made by Fine Arts Films which was founded by award-winning animator John D. Wilson in 1955. I found the link through Cartoon Modern, a great site if you're into mid-century animation.

Click here to go to the page on Fine Arts Films site where you can watch the animation. Just click on the still of the boy with an olive in his mouth.

VAN SHE BOPS

Van She has been haunting me. I saw a video for their song "Kelly" and it made me uncomfortable. In same way that finding an old trapper keeper decorated with your sketches of gnomes and unicorns would. Or maybe not. Anyway, the point is that they do 80's pop better than the actual 80's did. I thought when i bought their ep that i would regret it in a week. But their songs float into my shuffle and i am instantly pleased and assume they are old New Wave songs (old New Wave?) They finally have a site up with an equally uncomfortable logo. My teeth hurt just looking at it. Of course, i love it. The site offers up a radio that you can set to play in the background that runs through all their songs. I loves me some internet.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BETTE?

Ok. Um. What to say about this one? The backgrounds excellent! Poor Bette.

BANG BANG!

I got sucked into this little gem of retro television. Nancy Sinatra looks adorable and she really shows some vocal prowess...watch it to the very end though to see her awkward exit.

SHARIN'S CARIN'

When I sent out the announcement that John and I had started this blog, I got this image sent to me by Brent who threatend to wear it next time he saw me. I don't really like T-shirts all that much, but thought this one made by ONE HORSE SHY was really funny. They have some pretty good sayings on the T's, totes and stickers etc...
Thanks Brent!

THE GREAT PILLOW DESIGN COMPETITION

I stumbled across this while doing my web crawl this morning.
Ok! Now if there were ever a competition with my name all over it, this would be the one. It's The Great Pillow Design Competition by Inhabit.

The Great Pillow Design Competition is an opportunity for emerging designers, students or aspiring designers to stretch their creative legs. It's an opportunity for seasoned or established designers to work in a different medium, blow off some creative steam or just design for the sake of designing. The winner will receive $1000 and 5 sets of the award-winning pillows for their enjoyment, and the bragging rights that go along with winning the first-ever design competition for something squishy. The winning design will also be part of the 2007 Inhabit Spring line and credit the winning designer's name. and receive 3% of royalties of the sales from the winning design for two years. Second place will receive $150 and 3 pillow sets of their designs. Third place will receive $100 and 2 pillow sets of their designs. There is a $25 fee, but they will throw in a free t-shirt too.

Ok, now it's time for me to get my act together and submit. Wish me luck!

THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

The time is almost here to get your copy of I LIKE YOU by Amy Sedaris.
I worked with Amy on the handpainted illustrations that appear throughout the book. Other fantastic illustrators who contributed are Hillary Moore, Ellen Berkenblit and Justin Theroux. I just saw a copy before it went to print and it is outrageous!
I am honored to be included. Thanks Amy!
Here is an exceprt from Publishers Weekly: "Sedaris's first solo effort is an outrageous and deadpan delight, greatly enhanced by her deliriously kitschy illustrations and photos." Due out in October 2006.

Zack Paul

The artwork featured here, Telepathetik, 33 x 54, acrylic and vinyl on masonite, is that of Zack Paul. I came across his work through the Lost At E Minor website. I was dumbstruck by the clean iconographic imagery against the brushy backgrounds. And after reading his influences it's no wonder i'm so ino it. I'm going to force you to go to his site to find out what they are.

FLOWER POWER

These orchid paintings are by my best friend Parnell Corder.
Parnell and I met in Indiana when we were in 6th grade. I guess that must have been around 1977 and we have been friends ever since. I just wanted to share these amazing paintings. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARNELL!!!