When I worked at Hallmark Cards, I had the good fortune to work with a lot of very talented writers and artists.
Maura Cluthe was one of ‘em.
She has her own website now — with a shop where you can buy posters, prints, books, buttons and stickers featuring her distinctive artwork.
My favorite?
Her new happy blue button.
Look at that face — gotta love those big, angelic-yet-mischievous eyes.
I wonder if she gives volume discounts? 
Posted in Art, Business, Design, Humor, Internet, Life, Shopping
Tagged art, artists, artwork, big eyes, books, Business, buttons, cute as a button, design, Hallmark Cards, happy blue button, Humor, Internet, life, Maura Cluthe, online shopping, posters, prints, shopping, stickers, volume discounts, website, writers
I have never considered myself anything more than a spectator of Project Runway, but now –
Tim Gunn, I’m ready for my closeup.
I’ve discovered the secret to a design with a perfect fit in less than day –
Spray-on fabric
Fabrican, Ltd. in London invented spray-on fabric way back in 2000. It’s been used in the medical field for dressings, bandages, casts and wound healing products. But now the company is hoping to branch out into fashion, giving designers — like me — a way to be even more creative.
Seamless garments! Custom clothing! Recycled wear! And no more sewing models into clothing before they hit the runway…
…just spray her in!
Posted in Design, Entertainment, Fashion, Humor, Life, Television, TV
Tagged bandages, casts, closeup, custom clothing, design, dressings, entertainment, Fabrican Ltd, Fashion, fashion designer, fashion model, Humor, life, London, Project Runway, recycled, seamless garment, spray-on fabric, Television, Tim Gunn, TV
Emerald may be the Pantone Color of the Year for 2013…but what is the Pantone Pairing?
Milk and cookies?
Bacon and eggs?
Ham and cheese?
Minneapolis-based illustrator and art director David Schwen has re-imagined all our favorite comfort foods as Pantone color swatches on his Instagram blog.
The idea came to him quite by accident, but the visual experiment somehow gets to the art at the heart of the culinary combinations we hold most dear.
My nomination for favorite Pantone Pairing? Peanut butter and cheese.
Don’t knock it till you’ve paired it.
Posted in Art, Design, Foods, Humor, Internet, Life
Tagged art, art director, bacon and eggs, blog, comfort foods, culinary, David Schwen, design, emerald, Foods, ham and cheese, Humor, illustrator, Instagram, life, milk and cookies, Minneapolis, Pantone, Pantone Coloe of the Year, Pantone Pairings, peanut butter and cheese
Seems like we spend a lot of time these days debating what’s in the food we eat….and depending on the day, landing on different sides.
It almost kills the taste.
Photographer Caren Alpert takes a different — or should I say much closer – view. She uses an electron microscope to look at the foods we eat to reveal different landscapes, textures and patterns.
Cake Sprinkles
Table Salt
Celery Leaf
She makes the ordinary exotic. And maybe it’s just lunchtime…
But she’s making me hungry.
Posted in Art, Commentary, Design, Foods, Health, Life, Photography
Tagged art, cake sprinkles, Caren Alpert, celery leaf, come closer, commentary, design, electron microscope, Health, hungry, life, patterns, photography, table salt, taste, texture
For trainers everywhere
For my Southern sisters
For Jennifer
Happy Friday!
And the Oscar for Best Beverage Name goes to…
Truth!
Posted in Design, Foods, Humor, Life, Restaurants, Writing
Tagged ale, beer, Best Named Beverage, design, Foods, Humor, life, Oscars, restaurants, Truth Serum Wheat Wine Ale, writing
Look out Northeast.
I’m coming for ya.
You know how you see something and think it’s a joke…but then it turns out to be a real thing?
That happened to me today on Facebook.
A good friend posted this cartoon:
I like a good fart joke anyday, so I could appreciate the humor. But then I noticed the logo and “Flatulence Filtering Underwear” at bottom right. That’s a joke, too…right?
Not even. It’s real.
The logo belongs to Shreddies, which manufactures flatulence filtering undies for men and women. These specially-made garments contain activated carbon cloth that help filter and eliminate odor.
Shut the french window!
It was another ‘walk the dog in 16 degree weather’ kinda morning.
I’m not in Florida anymore.
So when we got back inside, it was all about the beverages. I started with hot tea. Transitioned to hot water with lemon. Which inspired Vitamin Water Zero (lemon flavor, of course).
Maybe that’s why I stumbled upon these way cool straws on Etsy.
Or perhaps I just needed a little touch of spring.
(I’d settle for temps in the 30′s.)
Posted in Design, Foods, Humor, Life, Walking, Weather
Tagged cold weather, daisy straws, design, drinking straw, Etsy, Foods, hot tea, hot water with lemon, Humor, life, touch of spring, Vitamin Water Zero, walking, walking the dog, weather
Less is so much more
I don’t have that many walls in my New York City apartment, but I am willing to make room for these beauties.
This set of minimalist posters — a tribute to the films of Pixar — was created by Wonchan Lee, an Australian designer.
I love the color palette, and the way Lee was able to reference each film with simple yet brilliant icons.
Can you imagine his take on this year’s nine Oscar-nominated films? Or the TV series nominated for Emmy awards? I mean, what would a poster for Downton Abbey look like from Lee’s point of view?
I’d buy that poster. I’d buy these posters.
I need some more walls.
→ Leave a comment
Posted in Art, Commentary, Design, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, TV
Tagged art, Australia, color palette, commentary, design, Downton Abbey, Emmys, entertainment, Humor, icons, less is more, life, minimalism, Movies, New York City, Oscars, Pixar, posters, TV, Wonchan Lee