Edited to add: Incidentally, I now have this crazy urge to travel, travel, travel.
From my long lost friend Misha:
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
You'll catch a glimpse of her on the left in Sydney, Australia. She's the one in the straw hat dancing up a storm, naturally.
That and the bit in India with the ladies in sari's are the parts that made my day.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
virtual field trip: Poitiers, France
If you want to take a trip to central France but don't have the dough, check out these awesome photos that my french dad Jean Beaumont took. Ahhh, it takes me back...
Of course I zoomed in on the ones of the printing equipment. I mean come on, does it get any cooler for a printing geek like me?
Of course I zoomed in on the ones of the printing equipment. I mean come on, does it get any cooler for a printing geek like me?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
strange happenings
The strangest thing happened to me today.
I was attacked by what I must assume was a crazy lady. Out in public. At a busy intersection. In broad daylight.
As I was minding my own business, leaving the post office and walking toward the farmer's market, a small woman came towards me shouting and then she punched me in the mouth. Out of no where. I was stunned. And so without thinking I yelled at her: What the hell? And then she let rip with a barrage of punches - most of them missing - all the while yelling at me. I can't remember what she was yelling. I half expected her to give me a hard time for looking at her funny (which I wasn't. I was looking at a piece of paper and besides I was wearing dark sunglasses). I sort of think she wanted me to fight her. Instead, I did what was probably not the best defensive tactic (but I was beyond logical thinking at that point) and burst into tears.
I think that might have scared her off. She took off down the street.
The people standing around finally summoned their powers of speech and approached me asking me things like: Are you okay? and Did you know that lady?
One man offered to chase her down while his friend called 911. One lady offered me some water and told me that she almost got accosted by the same crazy lady just a few minutes ago. I heard someone else say that this crazy lady had been seen hitting people before. Someone asked me if I was bleeding and needed paramedics. Other than being in shock, I was fine.
Oh my god. What the hell?
A few minutes later the police arrived and they asked me what I wanted to do. What I wanted most of all was to go home to the safety of my husband and cats. But the nice police officer gave me a bunch of options to choose from (I think he was simplifying everything because I was still in shock and shakey and nervous wondering if someone was going to jump out at any minute and pummel me again). He said that I could have her go to jail. Or because he suspected that she had mental problems, I could have her taken to a psychiatric facility at a hospital. Or, I could request that she be put on a sort of restraining order so that she wouldn't be allowed to come into this neighborhood again. Or, he continued, they found that she had a $15,000 warrant for her arrest as it was so they could just put her in jail anyways.
I was bewildered. And still in shock.
What to do? Mostly I just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to come after me or anyone else (I mean come on! She's been seen doing this before??). And if she needed mental help, which I strongly suspected she did, I think it would be right for her to get that kind of assistance. But I have to be honest. I was feeling a little cynical about The System. And I don't know that much about the local laws to understand what would happen. I mean all the options being offered to me seemed more like temporary solutions.
What happens after she gets out of jail? She's just more mad and more ready to hit random strangers? What happens after the hospital treatment? They give her an allotment of drugs to keep her more or less sane and then what about when she runs out of the drugs? What's the point of putting a restraining order on her to prevent her from entering the Santa Monica neighborhood? Keep the scary crazy people out of the pretty neighborhoods so that they attack the citizens of the ghettos instead?
I know I'm drawing wild conclusions and making sweeping generalizations here, but when you've just been attacked and you're asked to make a decision that seems like it's going to impact someone else's life, it's hard to know what is the right thing to do.
In the short amount of time I had to think about it, I told the police officers that I wanted her to get some kind of psychiatric help. And that I wanted to go home, but I was scared to walk to the parking garage where my car was parked. So they drove me to my car and let me go home.
I called M on the way to my car to see if he was at home. I wanted to see him. We talked about it and concluded that it's really hard to figure out what the right thing to do is in a situation like this. Part of me wished I was better equipped with self-defense skills, not so much so I could punch her back (heavens no! I'm a pacifist! I don't ever want to have to hit someone), but I did worry about her pulling a weapon on me. And there are some martial arts maneuvers where you can neatly deflect someone's attacks and also render them harmless while you collect your thoughts and maybe get someone to help you by calling 911 or helping to hold the person down.
Or I thought about what a crappy athlete I am and how I was wearing flip-flops and so I couldn't have run away to save myself. Well, even in more sensible shoes I wouldn't have had an advantage; I'm a crummy runner.
All in all, we had to chalk it up as being one of those strange things that happen to you, like getting struck by lightning, and hope that it doesn't happen again.
One last thing worth mentioning is how really nice the people were during all of this. By this, I mean the people standing around on the street when I was being attacked. They were a little slow to respond, but probably because they were as stunned as I was. But there was a very nice man who stayed with me after he called 911 to make sure the police showed up and also his friend who followed the crazy woman to make sure the police got the right person. A very large meter maid came over to see if I was okay and said that she was sorry she had been across the street, otherwise she would have come to my rescue and hit the crazy lady back for me. Both police officers were super kind and patient with explaining what my options were. And while I was talking to them, another lady approached us and confirmed that the crazy lady had been caught. She'd made sure to follow as well she declared, and she came back my way to make sure I was okay. I must have looked really sad and shakey cause then she enclosed me in a warm hug and held me for a minute rocking me back and forth and murmuring that it was going to be okay and god bless me. God bless me? God bless the nice lady comforting me and all the kind people who stepped up to help me out.
I was attacked by what I must assume was a crazy lady. Out in public. At a busy intersection. In broad daylight.
As I was minding my own business, leaving the post office and walking toward the farmer's market, a small woman came towards me shouting and then she punched me in the mouth. Out of no where. I was stunned. And so without thinking I yelled at her: What the hell? And then she let rip with a barrage of punches - most of them missing - all the while yelling at me. I can't remember what she was yelling. I half expected her to give me a hard time for looking at her funny (which I wasn't. I was looking at a piece of paper and besides I was wearing dark sunglasses). I sort of think she wanted me to fight her. Instead, I did what was probably not the best defensive tactic (but I was beyond logical thinking at that point) and burst into tears.
I think that might have scared her off. She took off down the street.
The people standing around finally summoned their powers of speech and approached me asking me things like: Are you okay? and Did you know that lady?
One man offered to chase her down while his friend called 911. One lady offered me some water and told me that she almost got accosted by the same crazy lady just a few minutes ago. I heard someone else say that this crazy lady had been seen hitting people before. Someone asked me if I was bleeding and needed paramedics. Other than being in shock, I was fine.
Oh my god. What the hell?
A few minutes later the police arrived and they asked me what I wanted to do. What I wanted most of all was to go home to the safety of my husband and cats. But the nice police officer gave me a bunch of options to choose from (I think he was simplifying everything because I was still in shock and shakey and nervous wondering if someone was going to jump out at any minute and pummel me again). He said that I could have her go to jail. Or because he suspected that she had mental problems, I could have her taken to a psychiatric facility at a hospital. Or, I could request that she be put on a sort of restraining order so that she wouldn't be allowed to come into this neighborhood again. Or, he continued, they found that she had a $15,000 warrant for her arrest as it was so they could just put her in jail anyways.
I was bewildered. And still in shock.
What to do? Mostly I just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to come after me or anyone else (I mean come on! She's been seen doing this before??). And if she needed mental help, which I strongly suspected she did, I think it would be right for her to get that kind of assistance. But I have to be honest. I was feeling a little cynical about The System. And I don't know that much about the local laws to understand what would happen. I mean all the options being offered to me seemed more like temporary solutions.
What happens after she gets out of jail? She's just more mad and more ready to hit random strangers? What happens after the hospital treatment? They give her an allotment of drugs to keep her more or less sane and then what about when she runs out of the drugs? What's the point of putting a restraining order on her to prevent her from entering the Santa Monica neighborhood? Keep the scary crazy people out of the pretty neighborhoods so that they attack the citizens of the ghettos instead?
I know I'm drawing wild conclusions and making sweeping generalizations here, but when you've just been attacked and you're asked to make a decision that seems like it's going to impact someone else's life, it's hard to know what is the right thing to do.
In the short amount of time I had to think about it, I told the police officers that I wanted her to get some kind of psychiatric help. And that I wanted to go home, but I was scared to walk to the parking garage where my car was parked. So they drove me to my car and let me go home.
I called M on the way to my car to see if he was at home. I wanted to see him. We talked about it and concluded that it's really hard to figure out what the right thing to do is in a situation like this. Part of me wished I was better equipped with self-defense skills, not so much so I could punch her back (heavens no! I'm a pacifist! I don't ever want to have to hit someone), but I did worry about her pulling a weapon on me. And there are some martial arts maneuvers where you can neatly deflect someone's attacks and also render them harmless while you collect your thoughts and maybe get someone to help you by calling 911 or helping to hold the person down.
Or I thought about what a crappy athlete I am and how I was wearing flip-flops and so I couldn't have run away to save myself. Well, even in more sensible shoes I wouldn't have had an advantage; I'm a crummy runner.
All in all, we had to chalk it up as being one of those strange things that happen to you, like getting struck by lightning, and hope that it doesn't happen again.
One last thing worth mentioning is how really nice the people were during all of this. By this, I mean the people standing around on the street when I was being attacked. They were a little slow to respond, but probably because they were as stunned as I was. But there was a very nice man who stayed with me after he called 911 to make sure the police showed up and also his friend who followed the crazy woman to make sure the police got the right person. A very large meter maid came over to see if I was okay and said that she was sorry she had been across the street, otherwise she would have come to my rescue and hit the crazy lady back for me. Both police officers were super kind and patient with explaining what my options were. And while I was talking to them, another lady approached us and confirmed that the crazy lady had been caught. She'd made sure to follow as well she declared, and she came back my way to make sure I was okay. I must have looked really sad and shakey cause then she enclosed me in a warm hug and held me for a minute rocking me back and forth and murmuring that it was going to be okay and god bless me. God bless me? God bless the nice lady comforting me and all the kind people who stepped up to help me out.
Monday, June 16, 2008
design inspiration
Top 70 Business cards according to this French website. Below, my personal favorites with my two cents. I'm trying to figure out what my patterns are.
Nice typography. I have a tendancy towards letterpress (that awesome paper, mmm-mmm how can you resist??). Like the single color and the overall composition and the use of the space in the back for some conscientious PSAs.
Again with the letterpress. Also, I'm a sucker for line art and chip boards. They're like the butcher paper (I heart butcher paper) of cardstock. Nice use of colors and restrained type.
More letterpress (I promise, they won't all be). I like the quirky quality of line art used for the press. Also nice since it is reflective of the business the card is representing. I like the colors and mix of hand lettering with type.
Ha! This one made me laugh. Yes, if your business is called Obsessive Behavior, it's a nice touch to exhibit this in your branding. This is a fine example of lots of design (lots of design element rather) used with one color so it's not so dizzying and loud. The restrained use of type and critical info at the bottom is a nice counterpoint to all the busy-ness of the illustration.
Very nice retro design. The use of different colored paper for the back is nice. This is very simple, but well executed.
Back to my love for letterpress.Very nice typography and composition. I get the feeling that this is designed to be ripped off at some sort of perforation on the right? Hard to tell from the way the photo has been cropped.
Nice use of embossing with the logo. Yummy color. Oh, how fitting. I just realized that this is for a restaurant. And I would have described the color as being tasty (and yummy) before I figured that out. Bravo. I also like seeing the branding system, to see how the business card fits with the rest of the identity.
Love that ampersand. Nice simple embossing.Very good typography. I'd be curious to see what the other side looks like and what information is included.
I do like this guy's letterpressed card and the simplicity of the information. I might have chosen a different font as his last name is a little unusual and so with the font he selected there could be readability issues.
I really liked the limited amount of info on this card. And the use of the curly brackets to indicate the website (not everyone reaches the conclusion that you can get the website address from the email address).
Chip board (I did mention my love for this printing substrate, right?) gussied up with a sticker. Nice. I bet they use that sticker for their letterhead and/or stationary envelopes. And of course, more lovely letterpress work for me to drool over.
I first rejected this one to include in my favorites list, but I keep coming back to it. The colors are nice. I like the retro design ideas. It's got a cartoony quality to it and I don't mean that in a negative way. There's a sense of movement that the image conveys with the way the flames get cut off on the front and you can see the rest of it on the back.
These last few are a bit too clever for my liking, but I still had to applaud the designs. Also, it's nice to see boutique type businesses shelling out the dough for extra bits like die-cuts and special folds and inserts as they are mega expensive. It adds some fun (and uniqueness) to the design, but it's not always feasable price-wise.
Clever, right? It's fitting. Though I am concerned about what happens to the thin strips of paper over time. I picture it crumpling or ripping off too easily (unless they use really thick cardstock - not recommended in my opinion or some sort of plastic substrate - expensive) stuffed into someone's wallet or back pocket or purse.
Probably my favorite of this bunch. I like how the scissors ground the business field (it's a hair salon, get it?) while providing a graphic for the location.
I like the idea of the bite marks to go with the name of the business. I wouldn't have repeated the motif in the logo (the bottom example). And I'm not 100% on board with the color choices, though the business card designer and the logo designer might not have been one and the same.
Nice typography. I have a tendancy towards letterpress (that awesome paper, mmm-mmm how can you resist??). Like the single color and the overall composition and the use of the space in the back for some conscientious PSAs.
Again with the letterpress. Also, I'm a sucker for line art and chip boards. They're like the butcher paper (I heart butcher paper) of cardstock. Nice use of colors and restrained type.
More letterpress (I promise, they won't all be). I like the quirky quality of line art used for the press. Also nice since it is reflective of the business the card is representing. I like the colors and mix of hand lettering with type.
Ha! This one made me laugh. Yes, if your business is called Obsessive Behavior, it's a nice touch to exhibit this in your branding. This is a fine example of lots of design (lots of design element rather) used with one color so it's not so dizzying and loud. The restrained use of type and critical info at the bottom is a nice counterpoint to all the busy-ness of the illustration.
Very nice retro design. The use of different colored paper for the back is nice. This is very simple, but well executed.
Back to my love for letterpress.Very nice typography and composition. I get the feeling that this is designed to be ripped off at some sort of perforation on the right? Hard to tell from the way the photo has been cropped.
Nice use of embossing with the logo. Yummy color. Oh, how fitting. I just realized that this is for a restaurant. And I would have described the color as being tasty (and yummy) before I figured that out. Bravo. I also like seeing the branding system, to see how the business card fits with the rest of the identity.
Love that ampersand. Nice simple embossing.Very good typography. I'd be curious to see what the other side looks like and what information is included.
I do like this guy's letterpressed card and the simplicity of the information. I might have chosen a different font as his last name is a little unusual and so with the font he selected there could be readability issues.
I really liked the limited amount of info on this card. And the use of the curly brackets to indicate the website (not everyone reaches the conclusion that you can get the website address from the email address).
Chip board (I did mention my love for this printing substrate, right?) gussied up with a sticker. Nice. I bet they use that sticker for their letterhead and/or stationary envelopes. And of course, more lovely letterpress work for me to drool over.
I first rejected this one to include in my favorites list, but I keep coming back to it. The colors are nice. I like the retro design ideas. It's got a cartoony quality to it and I don't mean that in a negative way. There's a sense of movement that the image conveys with the way the flames get cut off on the front and you can see the rest of it on the back.
These last few are a bit too clever for my liking, but I still had to applaud the designs. Also, it's nice to see boutique type businesses shelling out the dough for extra bits like die-cuts and special folds and inserts as they are mega expensive. It adds some fun (and uniqueness) to the design, but it's not always feasable price-wise.
Clever, right? It's fitting. Though I am concerned about what happens to the thin strips of paper over time. I picture it crumpling or ripping off too easily (unless they use really thick cardstock - not recommended in my opinion or some sort of plastic substrate - expensive) stuffed into someone's wallet or back pocket or purse.
Probably my favorite of this bunch. I like how the scissors ground the business field (it's a hair salon, get it?) while providing a graphic for the location.
I like the idea of the bite marks to go with the name of the business. I wouldn't have repeated the motif in the logo (the bottom example). And I'm not 100% on board with the color choices, though the business card designer and the logo designer might not have been one and the same.
go celtics!
Last night I went to Game 5 of the NBA Finals. M got the executive tickets from work! These seats are right in the midst of the press section. What a treat for my Boston sports fan.
Check out how cool my camera's zoom lens is! I was able to get a few decent shots from clear across the Staples Center. These were during the pre-game, I was too tense to try and shoot any of the actual game.
KG is so hard to shoot (with a camera, that is). The man never kept still for a minute.
Leon Powe, my sentimental favorite. Have you heard his story? It's a tremendous one of someone achieving the American Dream against lots of adversity. And a fine bench player too.
There were celebrity fans.
I think Jack's my favorite Lakers' fan. He really gets into the game, unlike say... oh the rest of the people at the game rooting for the Lakers. It's hard to respect the L.A. fans. Much like this blog post, they seem to be more interested in the celebrities than the game.
Of course Mark Wahlberg was there representing for Boston (Though he left at the beginning of the 4th quarter and did not return. Why Mark, why?).
Oh, and Matt Damon too (in the green cap). He stayed for the full game and seemed to find something very funny he kept laughing.
Here's my favorite Boston fan (a little blurry though) with friends Lee and Val.
Bummed that the Celtics did not clinch the championship with this game, but secretly a little relieved because I feared I would get beat up wearing my Celtics shirt. Is that wrong?
Check out how cool my camera's zoom lens is! I was able to get a few decent shots from clear across the Staples Center. These were during the pre-game, I was too tense to try and shoot any of the actual game.
KG is so hard to shoot (with a camera, that is). The man never kept still for a minute.
Leon Powe, my sentimental favorite. Have you heard his story? It's a tremendous one of someone achieving the American Dream against lots of adversity. And a fine bench player too.
There were celebrity fans.
I think Jack's my favorite Lakers' fan. He really gets into the game, unlike say... oh the rest of the people at the game rooting for the Lakers. It's hard to respect the L.A. fans. Much like this blog post, they seem to be more interested in the celebrities than the game.
Of course Mark Wahlberg was there representing for Boston (Though he left at the beginning of the 4th quarter and did not return. Why Mark, why?).
Oh, and Matt Damon too (in the green cap). He stayed for the full game and seemed to find something very funny he kept laughing.
Here's my favorite Boston fan (a little blurry though) with friends Lee and Val.
Bummed that the Celtics did not clinch the championship with this game, but secretly a little relieved because I feared I would get beat up wearing my Celtics shirt. Is that wrong?
(fabric) power to the people
Edited to add: PS. There's also a Flickr gallery of everyone's fabric designs.
You may have already heard about Spoonflower, but just in case you haven't I wanted to direct your attention to this newish web-forum organization. Talk about giving power to the people!
Have you ever combed the racks of fabric stores searching for a particular print on a fabric and come up dry? So frustrating. Recently I've been on the hunt for baby blue cotton fabric with white polka dots on 100% cotton. You'd think that wouldn't be so hard to find, but I haven't had much success.
Enter Spoonflower. You can submit your fabric print design to them and order a swatch, a fat quarter or up to five yards (they'll increase the maximum in the future) of fabric on 100% cotton that they have printed for you. Shazam! You might want to check their FAQs for more details, and you do have to sign up for an account in order to submit your fabric design for printing. They're still in Beta so you'll be put on a waiting list before you can sign up for an account (I did so last Thursday or something and got my account setup email this morning). I'm trying to figure out what I'd like to have printed on fabric (and what I'd be making with said fabric). In the meantime, I've enjoyed watching their little videos of featured fabrics that they show off before they are shipped to the original designers. There are some really talented folks out there. Check it out!
You may have already heard about Spoonflower, but just in case you haven't I wanted to direct your attention to this newish web-forum organization. Talk about giving power to the people!
Have you ever combed the racks of fabric stores searching for a particular print on a fabric and come up dry? So frustrating. Recently I've been on the hunt for baby blue cotton fabric with white polka dots on 100% cotton. You'd think that wouldn't be so hard to find, but I haven't had much success.
Enter Spoonflower. You can submit your fabric print design to them and order a swatch, a fat quarter or up to five yards (they'll increase the maximum in the future) of fabric on 100% cotton that they have printed for you. Shazam! You might want to check their FAQs for more details, and you do have to sign up for an account in order to submit your fabric design for printing. They're still in Beta so you'll be put on a waiting list before you can sign up for an account (I did so last Thursday or something and got my account setup email this morning). I'm trying to figure out what I'd like to have printed on fabric (and what I'd be making with said fabric). In the meantime, I've enjoyed watching their little videos of featured fabrics that they show off before they are shipped to the original designers. There are some really talented folks out there. Check it out!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
daisies
I just found out about TtV. I've enjoyed the charm and vintage quality of these photos that I've been seeing online and now I know how it's done. Here's my attempt.
Too bad my other camera has focus point graphics burned onto the mirrors. You can see the little rectangles on the dasies. I'll have to try it out with a camera that is focus rectangle free.
But I do like how damp the jar and flowers look. And also the blurred silhouette of the kitty in the background.
Too bad my other camera has focus point graphics burned onto the mirrors. You can see the little rectangles on the dasies. I'll have to try it out with a camera that is focus rectangle free.
But I do like how damp the jar and flowers look. And also the blurred silhouette of the kitty in the background.
Friday, June 13, 2008
how felt+glue+interfacing+last minute inspiration saved the day
Hope you have a nice day.
We'll give you a call on Sunday to wish you a happy.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
it's all right, it's all natural
I've developed a mild phobia towards plastic lately, more specifically towards things that won't degrade over a million years. While there are certainly lots of benefits to this kind of resilience, I'm mindful of how much the practices of my every day life is contributing to this resilience... in the negative way. I've made small steps towards decreasing our household consumption of plastics and petroleum based products. It's not always easy and I just keep at it reminding myself not to go crazy and just to do the best I can.
So I was really excited to see this:
Seems like they offered a sponge-only model for a while, but recently my local Whole Foods was stocked with this scrubby version which is great since I like to really get into my dishes and scrub, scrub scrub.
Though I am a little skeptical when products are overtly labeled as being all natural or chemical free (there are plenty of all-natural, chemical free things out there that still equal yucky in my book). But I read over the label and the thing I like best about this scrubby sponge is that it's 100% biodegradable. Hi-five!
In the sink, the loofah does get a little poofy but not as much as the ones you buy for your bath time scrub. I'm a little worried that the wiry bits might be "woven" too loosely causing food bits to stay enmeshed in the sponge, but so far it's been okay. The only negative thing I can see about this sponge so far is that the scrubby surface isn't as fine as the Scotch-Brite brand that I've been using. It's that loose "woven" nature of the loofah, I guess. So it's not the same kind of scrubbing effectiveness as Scotch-Brite. But I've taken to soaking my dishes in really hot water in the sink after dinner. And when I get back from the gym a few hours later, I do the washing up while I'm cooling down from my work out and the stuck food bits wash off easily. So for my kitchen routine it's worked out well and for me the biodegradability outweighs the minor inconvenience of a different scrubbing experience.
The one other downside is that it's not cheap. Two scrubby sponges set me back $5. I'm excited that more eco-friendly products are offered in grocery stores. I can't wait till they become popular enough to drive the prices down. In the meantime we do what we can with our budget to include these kinds of purchases as part of our every day routine. Sometimes, it sort of feels unfair that as a do-gooder I have to pay the price (literally) for doing my part to be a responsible member of this planet. But that's okay. I'd rather spend my money on loofah scrubby sponges than an "impressive" sports car or whatever the kids are throwing their money on these days.
Oh and that bottle of method spray stuff in the background? I'm gonna write a post singing the praise of that product as well.
So I was really excited to see this:
Seems like they offered a sponge-only model for a while, but recently my local Whole Foods was stocked with this scrubby version which is great since I like to really get into my dishes and scrub, scrub scrub.
Though I am a little skeptical when products are overtly labeled as being all natural or chemical free (there are plenty of all-natural, chemical free things out there that still equal yucky in my book). But I read over the label and the thing I like best about this scrubby sponge is that it's 100% biodegradable. Hi-five!
In the sink, the loofah does get a little poofy but not as much as the ones you buy for your bath time scrub. I'm a little worried that the wiry bits might be "woven" too loosely causing food bits to stay enmeshed in the sponge, but so far it's been okay. The only negative thing I can see about this sponge so far is that the scrubby surface isn't as fine as the Scotch-Brite brand that I've been using. It's that loose "woven" nature of the loofah, I guess. So it's not the same kind of scrubbing effectiveness as Scotch-Brite. But I've taken to soaking my dishes in really hot water in the sink after dinner. And when I get back from the gym a few hours later, I do the washing up while I'm cooling down from my work out and the stuck food bits wash off easily. So for my kitchen routine it's worked out well and for me the biodegradability outweighs the minor inconvenience of a different scrubbing experience.
The one other downside is that it's not cheap. Two scrubby sponges set me back $5. I'm excited that more eco-friendly products are offered in grocery stores. I can't wait till they become popular enough to drive the prices down. In the meantime we do what we can with our budget to include these kinds of purchases as part of our every day routine. Sometimes, it sort of feels unfair that as a do-gooder I have to pay the price (literally) for doing my part to be a responsible member of this planet. But that's okay. I'd rather spend my money on loofah scrubby sponges than an "impressive" sports car or whatever the kids are throwing their money on these days.
Oh and that bottle of method spray stuff in the background? I'm gonna write a post singing the praise of that product as well.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
it's not just me!
Looks like one of my admired designers Betsey Johnson is also rockin the retro vibe. Check out her Spring 2008 show!
I think this yellow one may be my favorite. I would wear the flowers in my hair too. But only for special occasions like lawn garden parties.
And speaking of hair accoutrement, I had to include an example of the big bows, cause swear to god, last night and part of the day before I was thinking to myself about how the big bow only had a few years' of fun back when Madonna was sporting her material girl look? And how no one's brought it back. And it's kinda cute and fun. And maybe I'd try to bring it back, but then again I get carded for ordering a glass of pinot grigio at CPK when I wear a barrette in my hair. With a big bow, I would probably get carded for buying booze, showing up at a voting booth and driving a car. Probably not a look I could sport for the every day.
I think this yellow one may be my favorite. I would wear the flowers in my hair too. But only for special occasions like lawn garden parties.
And speaking of hair accoutrement, I had to include an example of the big bows, cause swear to god, last night and part of the day before I was thinking to myself about how the big bow only had a few years' of fun back when Madonna was sporting her material girl look? And how no one's brought it back. And it's kinda cute and fun. And maybe I'd try to bring it back, but then again I get carded for ordering a glass of pinot grigio at CPK when I wear a barrette in my hair. With a big bow, I would probably get carded for buying booze, showing up at a voting booth and driving a car. Probably not a look I could sport for the every day.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
retro
I've been on a retro kick lately. Really drawn to clothing and furniture from the mid-century. Over the weekend, m and I were in a thrift store and scored an awesome radio in really good working condition. I'll have to post a photo of it to share.
Today, I stumbled across this site and now I wish I had known about it before my wedding. I would love to have had a dress like this. (though to be fair, I wasn't on a retro kick back when I was getting married.)
There's so much to love from her Autumn-Winter 2007/2008 show, I probably would want to have 5 or 6 different weddings to get to wear all the different dresses I love. It doesn't work like that though, does it?
I remember after the wedding, I'd want to turn to m and say: you know, the next time we do this we should remember to....
Ha! Silly jean.
Today, I stumbled across this site and now I wish I had known about it before my wedding. I would love to have had a dress like this. (though to be fair, I wasn't on a retro kick back when I was getting married.)
There's so much to love from her Autumn-Winter 2007/2008 show, I probably would want to have 5 or 6 different weddings to get to wear all the different dresses I love. It doesn't work like that though, does it?
I remember after the wedding, I'd want to turn to m and say: you know, the next time we do this we should remember to....
Ha! Silly jean.
favorite photo for the day
I know it's only 10 AM, but...
From the Sartorialist.
Also, I have now put the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island, NY on my list of things I must experience first hand in my lifetime. His photos from last year's party are also divine.
From the Sartorialist.
Also, I have now put the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island, NY on my list of things I must experience first hand in my lifetime. His photos from last year's party are also divine.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
she plots, again
So I was browsing the latest online copy of ReadyMade the other day (remember when I talked about that? Seems they have put up some additional back issues online. All for free! Check it out!) when I came across this page talking up summer camps for adults (sort of). And this bit caught my eye:
Which led me to that link. Which got me thinking (plotting)...
My understanding of how Habitat for Humanity works is that volunteers usually need to raise a lot of money to fund their trip/volunteer project (I have no direct experience with this, just a few conversations with former volunteers). So while I've always thought that this organization sounded like they were doing a very cool thing, I found the 30K startup money to join them a bit intimidating.
But it looks like the New Orleans Habitat project is run a little differently? I browsed around a bit on their site and it looks like it could be doable for me and m.
Here's what I'm thinking:
Take 10-14 days off of work.
Fly to New Orleans and put in some volunteer work with them for the first week.
Stay at their camp to help keep the expenses low.
Learn a whole bunch of stuff about home building, meet some new people, give time and willingness to a very good cause.
Week two, spend a more leisurely and touristy time in the other parts of New Orleans.
Doesn't that sound fabulous? M and I are interested in doing this trip sometime this fall or perhaps next spring when the weather is bearable (I don't recommend summertime in the south. The humidity will kill you. No, no, it will just render you so weak that you won't even have the energy to die.), but it would be super fun to do this trip with friends.
So. Who's with me??
Which led me to that link. Which got me thinking (plotting)...
My understanding of how Habitat for Humanity works is that volunteers usually need to raise a lot of money to fund their trip/volunteer project (I have no direct experience with this, just a few conversations with former volunteers). So while I've always thought that this organization sounded like they were doing a very cool thing, I found the 30K startup money to join them a bit intimidating.
But it looks like the New Orleans Habitat project is run a little differently? I browsed around a bit on their site and it looks like it could be doable for me and m.
Here's what I'm thinking:
Take 10-14 days off of work.
Fly to New Orleans and put in some volunteer work with them for the first week.
Stay at their camp to help keep the expenses low.
Learn a whole bunch of stuff about home building, meet some new people, give time and willingness to a very good cause.
Week two, spend a more leisurely and touristy time in the other parts of New Orleans.
Doesn't that sound fabulous? M and I are interested in doing this trip sometime this fall or perhaps next spring when the weather is bearable (I don't recommend summertime in the south. The humidity will kill you. No, no, it will just render you so weak that you won't even have the energy to die.), but it would be super fun to do this trip with friends.
So. Who's with me??
Friday, June 6, 2008
tutorial: how to make a stenciled shirt without a stencil
A while ago, I mentioned that I made a shirt after attending a ballgame with m. To help root for the good guys during this tense week, I decided I should get around to making a shirt for m too. I thought a little how-to might be useful if anyone else has the inclination to make their own shirt.
There's lots of different ways you can apply an image or graphic to fabric. Honestly, I do believe I've tried them all. But each method seems to pose its unique set of limitations that keep me from making the kinds of shirts I'd like to. I don't have the right materials or space for screenprinting. Stencils can be easy and don't require a lot of materials but there are parts of a design (like the space in the middle of a letter like the letter O or A or B) that make using stencils a little tricky. Iron on transfers haven't given me the kind of finished result I'm looking for. So in the last few projects, I've resorted to straight out painting on t-shirts with a paintbrush, paint (mixed with fabric medium) and any shirts I've wanted to transform. I've come up with a few tricks to make this process a little easier and I'm producing shirts that satisfy my design aesthetic. Just so you know, this isn't necessarily the easiest way to create your own designed shirt, but if you have some patience and a steady hand (good for painting even lines) then I think this method can be useful.
So here we go!
First off, you'll need the following materials.
Smooth out the shirt over a slat surface like a table top. Lay your paper with the design on the shirt and position it so that the design part of the paper rests where you want it to with relationship to the rest of the shirt.
Step 2
Pin along each side of the paper to mark the edge. You're pinning just the shirt, not the paper TO the shirt. This way, when you pull the paper away, your pins will have created a sort of frame indicating where your paper should go. You might have to slip your hand under the shirt for the bottom and/or sides which you'll have to do carefully so you don't shift the paper around Or I guess you can tape the paper to the shirt first which didn't occur to me till just now. Duh. Anyways, you can use more pins if you'd like to create more of a box around the paper, but I used just four. Like so:
Step 3
Tape the paper to the lightbox more or less in the middle.
Step 4
Turn the shirt inside out. You're going to apply the clear contact paper to the inside of the front of the shirt. The contact paper will serve two purposes. It will create a barrier between the front of the shirt and the back of the shirt so that the paint won't seep through the fabric as you paint the front causing spots and blotches on the back. Also, because it's sticky the paper will adhere to the fabric and make it stiffer which is great because trying to drag a damp paintbrush over t-shirt fabric is tough. The fabric clings to the brush and you get unintended mistakes where the brush couldn't go smoothly over the fabric.
I find that the easiest way to apply contact paper is to fold down a narrow strip on one end, creating a bit of a crease in the contact paper.
Peel away just the strip that you folded down.
Lay the strip of exposed contact paper on the surface of the shirt. Make sure you have it positioned so that that the rest of the contact paper will cover the shirt.
Then carefully pull the backing of the contact paper and at the same time smooth the contact paper onto the shirt.
It can be a little tricky to manipulate both the contact paper and the shirt while keeping everything smooth. It's also a little tricky if your contact paper is roll-y and doesn't want to lay flat, so you might want to leave it under something heavy overnight to help it stay flat.
Once you've removed the backing from the contact paper and simultaneously stuck it to the shirt, smooth the contact paper into place ensuring that it's completely adhered to the fabric. Also, try to make sure that you are not over-pulling the fabric while you are trying to apply the contact paper. The shirt fabric needs to lay flat and smooth but not pulled taut.
Step 5
Turn the shirt right-side out so that the contact paper is on the inside. (If you were to put the shirt on, you'd feel the slick smooth contact paper against your chest.) Turn the lightbox on and slip the shirt over the lightbox positioning it so that the pins on the shirt frame the piece of paper. This way you can ensure that the design on the paper shows through (cause of the lightbox) and will be in the spot where you want your design to appear.
Step 6
Tape the shirt at the neck and hem to the lightbox so that it doesn't wiggle around. Here my shirt is pretty long so I folded up the hem a bit and then taped it to the lightbox.
Step 7
Using a fabric pencil or a washable fabric marker, trace the artwork onto the shirt. I used a fabric pencil (sort of like tailors chalk, but in pencil form) and the markings it was making wasn't very dark so I had to go over the artwork a few times to make my lines visible. It's still pretty light, but it's visible enough for me to provide a guideline as I paint.
Step 8
I forgot to photograph this part, but basically you can mix the fabric medium with the paint. The directions on the fabric medium say that you are to use two parts paint to one part fabric medium. I usually eyeball it and it's been fine. The fabric medium will make the paint a little runny so I've had to paint a few coats to get the opacity I want.
Step 9
Paint! (Also forgot to take photos of this process, but I think you can use your imagination) This is where a steady hand will make the process easier for artwork that requires smooth lines. For this project which is basically a circle-ish design, I started painting from the inside and worked my way out. I didn't squirt out a whole lot of paint for this but some of the detail areas slowed me down a bit so I found that my paint dried out well before I was done. If that happens to you, you can add a few drops of water with an eyedropper to dilute the paint back to a more usable consistency. Though I do have to say that the congealy paint did have its benefits with being more opaque so I did my second coat with the thicker slightly dried up paint, if that makes any sense.
Step 10
Hang your shirt carefully or leave on a flat surface and let dry. I usually leave it be overnight to make sure that it's completely dry. If your painting is inconsistent (some areas have thinner paint coverage) then just make sure that the thicker bits are completely dry. You don't want to smear something by mistake thinking that it was all dry when only part of it was, ruining all your hard work.
I think my handiwork turned out pretty good, though there are a few bits that came out sloppier than I like. But I think they will go largely unnoticed so mostly I'm okay with it.
A few detail shots in case you're wondering just how wonky it can be:
Inconsistent paint at the bottom and the vertical lines along the letter "T" aren't crisp.
The letter "N" is probably the wonkiest of the lot. And the smallest lettering of "20" and "08" were a bitch to paint. Also I was being stubborn and didn't dilute my paint back down to something more manageable. I could have avoided this. Eh.
Overall, I think this turned out well and I am pleased with my new shirt.
Go CELTICS!
There's lots of different ways you can apply an image or graphic to fabric. Honestly, I do believe I've tried them all. But each method seems to pose its unique set of limitations that keep me from making the kinds of shirts I'd like to. I don't have the right materials or space for screenprinting. Stencils can be easy and don't require a lot of materials but there are parts of a design (like the space in the middle of a letter like the letter O or A or B) that make using stencils a little tricky. Iron on transfers haven't given me the kind of finished result I'm looking for. So in the last few projects, I've resorted to straight out painting on t-shirts with a paintbrush, paint (mixed with fabric medium) and any shirts I've wanted to transform. I've come up with a few tricks to make this process a little easier and I'm producing shirts that satisfy my design aesthetic. Just so you know, this isn't necessarily the easiest way to create your own designed shirt, but if you have some patience and a steady hand (good for painting even lines) then I think this method can be useful.
So here we go!
First off, you'll need the following materials.
- A shirt that you want to embellish (sorry, I took this shot after I was done, so pretend that the green shirt is blank instead of having a design already on it). Make sure that if you are using a brand new shirt that you have washed it first and dried it in a dryer but WITHOUT fabric softener. The fabric softener won't allow the paint to stick effectively, so this part is really important. If you're using an old shirt from your wardrobe you need to make sure that it's clean and has been dried (again WITHOUT fabric softener).
- A design you want to put on the shirt. (I do my designing on a computer using Adobe Illustrator, but if you have a photocopy of an image or a drawing, that works too). Make sure that the design is on a piece of paper in black and white which will make it easier to transfer the image onto your shirt.
- 4 straight pins (safety pins are okay too, but can make things a little fussy, so I prefer straight pins)
- clear contact paper a little larger than the size of the paper that your design is printed on
- acrylic paint (I painted with one color only, but you can use as many as you'd like)
- fabric medium (I bought a 3 oz bottle at a crafts store a few years ago and it still seems to be in usable form)
- paint brushes (I preferred two different kinds. One for broader strokes to cover large areas quickly and easily and a finer one for detail painting fine lines or little corners)
- Tape (I used scotch tape and low-tack masking tape, but you really only need one kind)
- a lightbox or a window that faces the sun on a bright day
- fabric pencil or washable marking pen
Smooth out the shirt over a slat surface like a table top. Lay your paper with the design on the shirt and position it so that the design part of the paper rests where you want it to with relationship to the rest of the shirt.
Step 2
Pin along each side of the paper to mark the edge. You're pinning just the shirt, not the paper TO the shirt. This way, when you pull the paper away, your pins will have created a sort of frame indicating where your paper should go. You might have to slip your hand under the shirt for the bottom and/or sides which you'll have to do carefully so you don't shift the paper around Or I guess you can tape the paper to the shirt first which didn't occur to me till just now. Duh. Anyways, you can use more pins if you'd like to create more of a box around the paper, but I used just four. Like so:
Step 3
Tape the paper to the lightbox more or less in the middle.
Step 4
Turn the shirt inside out. You're going to apply the clear contact paper to the inside of the front of the shirt. The contact paper will serve two purposes. It will create a barrier between the front of the shirt and the back of the shirt so that the paint won't seep through the fabric as you paint the front causing spots and blotches on the back. Also, because it's sticky the paper will adhere to the fabric and make it stiffer which is great because trying to drag a damp paintbrush over t-shirt fabric is tough. The fabric clings to the brush and you get unintended mistakes where the brush couldn't go smoothly over the fabric.
I find that the easiest way to apply contact paper is to fold down a narrow strip on one end, creating a bit of a crease in the contact paper.
Peel away just the strip that you folded down.
Lay the strip of exposed contact paper on the surface of the shirt. Make sure you have it positioned so that that the rest of the contact paper will cover the shirt.
Then carefully pull the backing of the contact paper and at the same time smooth the contact paper onto the shirt.
It can be a little tricky to manipulate both the contact paper and the shirt while keeping everything smooth. It's also a little tricky if your contact paper is roll-y and doesn't want to lay flat, so you might want to leave it under something heavy overnight to help it stay flat.
Once you've removed the backing from the contact paper and simultaneously stuck it to the shirt, smooth the contact paper into place ensuring that it's completely adhered to the fabric. Also, try to make sure that you are not over-pulling the fabric while you are trying to apply the contact paper. The shirt fabric needs to lay flat and smooth but not pulled taut.
Step 5
Turn the shirt right-side out so that the contact paper is on the inside. (If you were to put the shirt on, you'd feel the slick smooth contact paper against your chest.) Turn the lightbox on and slip the shirt over the lightbox positioning it so that the pins on the shirt frame the piece of paper. This way you can ensure that the design on the paper shows through (cause of the lightbox) and will be in the spot where you want your design to appear.
Step 6
Tape the shirt at the neck and hem to the lightbox so that it doesn't wiggle around. Here my shirt is pretty long so I folded up the hem a bit and then taped it to the lightbox.
Step 7
Using a fabric pencil or a washable fabric marker, trace the artwork onto the shirt. I used a fabric pencil (sort of like tailors chalk, but in pencil form) and the markings it was making wasn't very dark so I had to go over the artwork a few times to make my lines visible. It's still pretty light, but it's visible enough for me to provide a guideline as I paint.
Step 8
I forgot to photograph this part, but basically you can mix the fabric medium with the paint. The directions on the fabric medium say that you are to use two parts paint to one part fabric medium. I usually eyeball it and it's been fine. The fabric medium will make the paint a little runny so I've had to paint a few coats to get the opacity I want.
Step 9
Paint! (Also forgot to take photos of this process, but I think you can use your imagination) This is where a steady hand will make the process easier for artwork that requires smooth lines. For this project which is basically a circle-ish design, I started painting from the inside and worked my way out. I didn't squirt out a whole lot of paint for this but some of the detail areas slowed me down a bit so I found that my paint dried out well before I was done. If that happens to you, you can add a few drops of water with an eyedropper to dilute the paint back to a more usable consistency. Though I do have to say that the congealy paint did have its benefits with being more opaque so I did my second coat with the thicker slightly dried up paint, if that makes any sense.
Step 10
Hang your shirt carefully or leave on a flat surface and let dry. I usually leave it be overnight to make sure that it's completely dry. If your painting is inconsistent (some areas have thinner paint coverage) then just make sure that the thicker bits are completely dry. You don't want to smear something by mistake thinking that it was all dry when only part of it was, ruining all your hard work.
I think my handiwork turned out pretty good, though there are a few bits that came out sloppier than I like. But I think they will go largely unnoticed so mostly I'm okay with it.
A few detail shots in case you're wondering just how wonky it can be:
Inconsistent paint at the bottom and the vertical lines along the letter "T" aren't crisp.
The letter "N" is probably the wonkiest of the lot. And the smallest lettering of "20" and "08" were a bitch to paint. Also I was being stubborn and didn't dilute my paint back down to something more manageable. I could have avoided this. Eh.
Overall, I think this turned out well and I am pleased with my new shirt.
Go CELTICS!
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