wine tasting - best label

We went to a wine tasting on Friday and the theme of the night was "Best Label Design." There were one or two that I thought were nicely designed. My favorite was Plungerhead, above, but that one was not in the official running because the host/judge had bought that one.

There aren't a lot of amazing labels in my neck of the woods, but online, I came across an Australian design firm called MASH that has created *many* labels that totally rock. Take a look.

Beautiful... You can see more of Mash Design's work on their site. Enjoy, happy drinking, eh, I mean happy Monday!! xo

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i heart fink

Not much to say today except, I want, want want: Fink. They are a cool shop on Etsy created by two ladies -- Karen (in Brooklyn) & Kristen (in New Mexico). They make one-of-a-kind hand made clothing and accessories "with casual glamour & vintage flair".

From an Etsy interview:

We make each item from scratch using fabric we screen print by hand with our original art. The items you see listed on Etsy are our original designs and the first of their kind – wearable art straight from our design studios to your home....We use fabrics that do not fray and the raw edges hold up well with time...we know this because we wear our own designs and still wear pieces we made several years ago!

These clothes are totally me. I love them.... Happy Friday!

xo

owl + paper art = heaven

Isn't he adorable? As a lover of all things "owl", this cool little paper sculpture caught my eye right away. It's from 3eyedbear. They create paper creatures and make the kits available as free downloads for us mere mortals :)

If you rather have a doggy or a kitty (or some other 3D creature) on your mantle, 3eyedbear has various original creations. So start collecting!

(via how about orange)

illustrations by paule t.b.

2011 Calendar

Today I came across the art of Paule Trudel Bellemare during my daily browsing of the etsy shops. Her style is great and her subject matter is so-everyday-fabulous.

Paule studied traditional animation and fashion illustration and now lives and works in Montréal as an illustrator for children's books.

Wouln't you love a charming portrait of your doggy? Well, I don't have a doggy, but I'd love this one right now. With stripped shirt AND glasses :)

You can see more of Paule's work on her website or shop for these lovely prints or calendar on her etsy store. xo

the sartorialist - visual fashion commentator

On occasion I go to The Sartorialist to see what regular [read: fashionable] people are wearing out on the streets. That's what Scott Schuman does. He photographs men and women all over the world that visually interests him and he posts his pics online. He (and his blog) is "one of Time Magazine's top 100 Design Influencers."

Intel recently documented Schuman for their Visual Life campaign:



Interesting, no? Ahhhh... to travel the world and take lovely pictures of pretty people....

Happy Monday!

art on a post-it note

John Kenn's day job is writing and directing kids' TV shows. But on his free time, this Dane likes to make 'monsterdrawings' on Post-It notes. Aren't these just darkly divine?

Kenn calls his art "a little window into a different world." He's inspired by childhood nightmares, literature and folklore. There isn't much information about him on his blog nor on the interwebs, but he gave a short interview to My Modern Met. Quite interesting...

Hope you're having a ghoulish day! xo

cookie cakes and playing with your food

My son's b-day is around the corner and he wants a cookie cake. (Which might explain my findings for yesterday's post.) I've always made the kids' birthday cakes. It's one of those traditions I truly follow and one they don't want me to give up. So... He wants a cookie cake. I found this awesomeness:

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But he really wants something more like this (which works too):

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I think the birthday guests will love the gooey messiness. Who doesn't like playing with their food? Which reminds me... Look at these fun things:

Talk about party food! (via)

one word: FUN! oh, or WANT! (via)

And here's a great book full of playful, kid-friendly recipes:

 cover (via)

inside (via)

Here's a freebie: Make your own chef's hat. Enjoy! xo
 

amazing cakes, how sweet...

Happy day-after Monday ;) I had a nice and relaxing looong weekend-- spent mostly eating. Nothing wrong with that, right? In honor of yumminess, here are some great cakes I think you'd enjoy:

Happy happy rainbow cake! (via)

Ahoy! Long Journey Cake (via)

Work of art! Mini cakes. (via)

Angry Birds game cake. Have you played yet? (via)

Hope you have a sweet day! xo

elena kalis - underwater photography

These beautiful images are by photographer Elena Kalis who imagined an underwater Wonderland for the classic tale of Alice. Her rendition is as whimsical and vibrant as the recent Tim Burton movie.

She is a Russian-born visual artist living in the Bahamas who specializes in underwater photography.
In this particular tale of Alice in Wonderland, she uses her daughter as model re-creating gorgeous, amazing underwater scenes.

You can see more of Elena Kalis work on her website.

Happy Friday! xo

rob ryan - papercutting illustrator

These amazing illustrations are by Rob Ryan, a highly acclaimed artist specializing in paper cuts and limited edition screen prints. His elaborate paper work has appeared in collaborations with high profile designers in the fashion world including: Tatty Devine, Liberty’s of London, Ernest Sewn, Paul Smith, Vogue, etc...

 

I discovered his illustration style recently through the new book, The Gift, by Carol Ann Duffy.

"It's the story of a girl’s journey through life and the desires that shape it. With a kind of magic that is timeless, The Gift speaks to everyone who wonders about the mysteries that lie at the heart of the human experience."

The book follows the protagonist from life to death. Poetically written, it's probably best for older kids. Rob Ryan's illustrations are hand cut from single sheets of paper and spray painted, one color per spread, and then photographed.

You can read more about Mr. Ryan on his site and you can buy The Gift here.

bookshelf love

It's cold and snowing and I really should be cuddling up with a book... I'm reading Freedom (by Franzen) right now and want to finish it already. So little time, so many books :)

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Today I'm sharing some of the latest shelve images I've collected. Aren't these grand? Any of these would be fabulous...

This one is a little too OCD for me, but admirable. (via)

Darkly dreamy. Very appealing. (via)

perfect for that space (via)

wall of books (via)

Happy reading...

delish desserts

I must be PMSing because I can't stop thinking of yummy food! Here are some great recipes I've come across today-- so far.

SoNo Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust!

S'mores Bars

Brown Sugar-Hazelnut Cupcakes w/
Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

Pudding Cups

And ideally, before dessert, I'd like some dinner. Found this delectable soup that I must. try. soon.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup w/ Crispy Shallots

Hungry yet? So what ya' cooking, good lookin'?