conspiracies of soil

valentine's day nail art

2012-02-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

I don't have the skills or patience for painting my nails very often, but today I felt inspired! While watching some science documentaries on my computer, I dove into the task of painting my nails - with a Valentine's day twist :)

Not perfect but not bad for a rookie. Here's how I did it:

a fabulous february

2012-02-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

Just spent two lovely days out and about in the sun enjoying the local parks. So far, February in Calgary has been warm and sunny! Saturday I walked from Bowness to Edworthy Park and spent some time hanging out on the river banks listening to the ice on the river crack, separate and crash into other patches of ice as it flowed along.

Earlier this afternoon after a big, yummy breakfast, my husband and I did a 50 minute hike/walk through Nose Hill Park. It was a bit windy at the top, but once you got your heart rate up and the sun hit you, it was decidedly Spring like. Disappointingly, as we were driving away, we spotted 6 deer grazing just metres from where we were walking! We spent another few hours on our deck, in lawn chairs drinking iced tea and researching our trip to Europe. Perfection!

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serene audio

2012-01-31T20:09:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for unique audio gadgets. (Been lusting for this gem for ages) These high quality and beautifully crafted audio speakers made by Serene Audio caught my eye. Canadian made in Vancouver with a sensitivity to the environment and the delivery of amazing sounds through attractive design.

If you dig shows like How It's Made, you'll like this video they have posted. A few great photos thrown in and you can really appreciate their passion for traditional craft paired with modern design.

umba box

2012-01-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

If you love to purchase homemade products and want to support DIY'ers worldwide, then Umba Box is for you. A site that scours the homemade community looking for fun, functional and unqie items that get mailed to you every month. The products are from a wide variety of categories including home goods, women’s accessories, jewelry, stationery, and bath products. You sign up and your mailbox is filled with handmade surprises for only $26 each month. An excellent gift idea for someone who loves surprises! Check out the site to see how it all happens. Or visit the blog for reveals of what to expect in your delivery.

another project sneak peek

2012-01-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick look at another project I've been working on. Just a hint for now.design + illustration + cats = fun fun!

land of nod

2012-01-08T16:02:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I'm starting the new year off with lots of exciting things going on. Namely, I've started a new job as a senior design/art director at a new marketing agency. I am super pumped about upcoming projects and my senior role in an agency. Hurrah!

To start the year off right, how about a lovely link to children's bedroom decor site, Land of Nod, that has a fabulous collection of some great illustrators. Some of my favourite artists are here like Katie Vernon, Rifle Paper Co. and Blanca Gomez. Check the rest out now.

Buon Natale!

2011-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Buon Natale everybody! Hope you had a great holiday and are looking forward to blasting into 2012! Here is a quick post on our Italian family tradition of a hearty pasta and seafood meal on Christmas Eve. This year my sister and I did clam linguine with pine nuts and basil. All from scratch – as per usual. The pasta turned out fantastic and the sauce had an extra dose of family awesomeness with a jar of Mom and Dad's canned tomatoes from the Lake. Mangia tutti!

new work

2011-12-21T14:16:00.001-08:00

A teeny-tiny peek at one of the projects I've been working on lately.

holiday treats and peeps

2011-12-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of lovely holiday gifts from friends and family that I wanted to share today.

Homemade double chocolate pistachio biscotti from friend Jen. Had one this morning with my coffee. It was crunchy, rich and with a perfect hit of both sweet and savory!

And another gem to add to my obsessive/excessive bird collection from my sister-in-law. A sweet little peep that looked perfect perched in our Holiday wreath.

holiday craft I

2011-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

I have a small collection of vintage mason and milk jars. Some I collected a few years ago and then supplemented heavily for my September wedding. We used the bottles to hang wild flowers from our benches at the ceremony and also at the reception for more flowers, my feather collection and photobooth props.

The benches were built by my Dad, the lumber was supplied by my cousin Mark and the

flowers were from my Mom and Aunt Renee's gardens = family decorating awesomeness!

The bottles are the perfect decorating accessory. For the holidays, I thought I should fill a couple with something festive. My Christmas decor colour scheme has been metallics, silver and gold, for a few years now. It's amazing what you can do with a can of gold spray paint! The intoxicating fumes really put you in the Christmas spirit!

I headed to the park and trudged through the snow with a pair of clippers, a canvas bag and just a few puzzled glances by the local dog walkers. I emerged from the trees with a nice collection of branches, ready for a coat of gold lacquer. I arranged them in the jars and then added some recycled gold metallic ribbon. Done!

Cheeseburger gift wrap

2011-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Why not add a bit of fun and fromage under your holiday tree with Gift Couture's Cheeseburger gift wrap?

brooklyn art library

2011-12-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

The Brooklyn Art Library, home of the Art House Coop and Sketchbook Project, now has its shop open. So many great things! I'm loving the sites clean design and how they display and photograph the vintage ephemera. Nicely done!

my work space

2011-12-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

My current work space.

For some really amazing work space photos, check out this ain't no disco, one of my favourite sites for interior inspiration.

wild chef: moose roast

2011-11-29T08:32:00.001-08:00

Vegetarians beware! We had quite the treat for dinner on Sunday night. A friend was kind enough to supply us with some of his wild meat from a hunting trip last year. He's off to hunt again, so it was time to make room in the deep freeze. Nothing like being gifted two moose roasts and a package of elk steaks! My husband and I both grew up in the Kootenays and always had friends and relatives who were hunters; so wild meat is something we have eaten over the years, but I had never had moose roast before. My husband has become quite the expert with the crock pot, so he threw the roast in with some top secret ingredients, and it was the best roast I think I have ever eaten. Sweet and juicy, it literally melted in your mouth. Wild meat is leaner than your average farm animal so cooking time and what you cook it in is key for a tender and flavourful outcome. Here is the delicious result...

Flaky, meaty goodness

In the Crock.

market 17 @ casel marche

2011-11-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

I've been busy lately and my posts are piling up! Here's a tidbit from the week before last that I need to share. I had the pleasure of joining friend and foodie blogger chocolate&ginger to a lovely dinner, wine tasting and shopping tour in Market 17 and the J. Webb Wine Market at Casel Marche. Part of a promotion for the fairly new establishment, we were hosted to a casual family-style dinner. We dined on tequila lime shrimp, oven baked pizzas and gourmet chocolate with two excellent wine pairings. All of the food and wine came straight from the market and was the perfect showcase for the the market's products, great customer service and passion for high quality and local goods.

The fun didn't end there. Besides meeting some lovely people and a lively conversation about the need for more local, and diverse food markets in Calgary, everyone received 10% off their purchase that night in the market. My friend and I eagerly perused the shelves and came home with a few treats. I collected a bag of crisp Ambrosia apples, the biggest mango I have ever seen, and these treats below. A big thanks to our hosts, and for Jen letting me be her "date"!

For a full list of vendors and to learn more, go here.

I told you it was huge...

My husband's favourite!

These Seaweed Snacks had a hearty kick of wasabi heat.

I ate them on their own and then used some to place

on grilled salmon for dinner. Awesome!

exhibit review @ Skew Gallery

2011-11-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

I braved the chilly weather yesterday to meet a couple of friends and fellow ACAD alum at the Skew Gallery's latest exhibit. Artist and friend Ashleigh Bartlett's "Something Like Gravity" show was on display and did not disappoint. The Skew Gallery is pretty spacious and when you first walk in from the cold, it's like hitting a wall of bright white light. The walls are white, of course, but the floor was sparkling white too, creating an igloo-like feel with Bartlett's bold works literally jumping off the walls at you. Cartoon influences, candy colours with confident blasts of black, Bartlett's work is not shy.

I took a few pictures but the vintage app on my iphone doesn't really do much justice to Bartlett's thick application or the juicy colours. So why not go check it our yourself at 1615 10th Avenue S.W.

feather your nest: art

2011-11-15T09:37:00.000-08:00

A collection of lovely feather-themed art found on Etsy this week.

Artists from top to bottom:

1. TheHauntedHollowTree 2. LorisWorld 3. jodyvanB 4. FlourishCafe

my wedding invites!

2011-11-09T10:13:00.001-08:00

Hurray! Dear friend and illustrator extraordinaire, Julie, just did a blog post on the wedding invites she illustrated for me and D's wedding. Not only did she hand paint the invite, but also 12 different animals, insects and plants for the table settings. Everything looked so cute, so well done and fit perfectly into our Kootenay, nature-inspired day.

Many posts to follow as I get wedding photos in. I can't believe how many people helped make the day a success, including Julie. So lucky to have such helpful and talented friends and family.

Check out Julie's post here! Complete with a few wedding day decor photos :)

TRAJAN! the movie font

2011-11-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

Funny little video here starring the popular font Trajan and its reoccurring use in movie poster and DVD design. If this doesn't further prove that the move world has gone overboard with the use of Trajan, check out this Flickr set with even more film posters typeset in said font.

chocolate, the real san francisco treat

2011-11-02T15:12:00.000-07:00

My friend at Chocolate & Ginger recently returned from a trip to sunny San Francisco, California. While there, she enjoyed many of the cities foodie delights, and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a few small gourmet treats that made it back in her suitcase.

What I didn't know about San Fran was that they are really into their chocolate! I was delighted to unwrap a small blue box from Cocoa Bella chocolates. Sitting inside were 5 perfect little chocolates, each decorated beautifully in exotic flavours. Cayenne Caramel, Rosemary Caramel, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Banana Curry and Lychee! You can bet I will be savouring these – and not sharing with anyone :)

under the bridge

2011-10-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Came upon this scene while walking through the city this week. Cozy yet sad.

speedy fruit tarts

2011-10-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

I had four apples and a pear left over in my fruit bowl this week that I decided to make into tarts. The apples were just losing their crispness and the pear was super soft. I hate eating fruit that is too over ripe so I wanted to use them up quickly and easily. I'm not much of a baker, so I bought some Tenderflake puff pastry shells and prepared the fruit stove top. I did a really simple pie mix with the fruit, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, a dash of vanilla and a tablespoon of raspberry jam to thicken. A sprinkle of rich tasting pine nuts to finish it off et voila!

Easy and tasty!

breakfast

2011-10-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

Treated myself to a tasty breakfast yesterday morning. Needed a switch from my usual fruit shake or cereal. Here's my two egg omelette with crab, green onion, cilantro and sliced avacado. Yum!

kootenay thanksgiving

2011-10-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

A few pics from my fantastic long weekend in the Kootenays. Celebrated Thanksgiving with friends, family, wine & food and lots of outdoor activities! The fab nature-lover on the tree stump is my sis :)

thread & colour

2011-10-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

A fun pic I snapped while visiting Bartlett's painting studio. Her studio neighbour is, you guessed it, a seamstress. Have a great weekend everybody!

wooden tree ornaments

2011-10-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Got an early Christmas gift in the mail this morning. Some handmade Reindeer ornaments from my Father-in-law. They are super cute and each have a little bell tied around their necks. Can't wait to hang these wooden treasures on the tree in a few months :)

more hiking

2011-10-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up the rest of our Summer/Fall hiking. Last weekend the weather was still amazing, and despite fighting off a bit of a cold, I was set on getting out into the mountains. We hiked Troll Falls and Barrier Lake. My sister and I had done Troll Falls in June, but since the boys were with us this time, we wanted them to see it. I have to say, this time of year was so much better. The change in the leaves was beautiful, and unlike in June, which was pretty wet and mucky, it was super dry so we easily climbed up to the top of the falls and could stand above it.

Barrier Lake was very busy. Hikers, fly fishing and people just laying out in the sun. I think it would have been better to enjoy the Lake from the water, so next time a canoe or kayaks are in order. Beautiful nonetheless, we couldn't have picked a better weekend!

coconut curry lentil soup

2011-09-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here's dinner for tonight! Coconut curry lentil soup. And oh yah, Grace Bonney's debut book, Design Sponge at Home. Yeah! Really enjoying it, and not just as a coaster for my soup ;)

end of summer hiking

2011-09-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying a slightly extended summer here in Alberta. A great time to get in the last few hikes of the season before the snow hits. Here are a few gems from the last of our summer adventures.

Johnston's Canyon was a beautiful hike we did last weekend. I love the catwalks right over the river. We did the extra uphill jaunt to the Ink Pots. It was a short 3km, but the most physical portion of the trip, as it was mostly steep uphills. The Ink Pots were not super exciting either. We ate lunch up there, hoping for a bench or picnic table but seating was sparce. The area is quite open with very few trees so when the cold wind picked up and with the higher elevation--it got really cold! We didn't spend more than 10 minutes up there and made a speedy retreat back to the bottom to enjoy a hot coffee at the cafe. In total, it was just under 12km.

the merriweather council

2011-09-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Precious for their detailed craft and petite size, I am digging Danielle from Merriweather Council's hand embroidered goods. I found her on Etsy and it looks like she is enjoying some success with features in Apartment Therapy, Heartmade, Paper and Stitch Blog, HGTV.com and more. Her abstract approach to embroidery is fun and modern and nothing like what probably first comes to mind when you think embroidery, yikes! Check out her whimsical pieces and support homemade :)

menu design

2011-09-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Design resource fav, Under Consideration, has added a new tab to their design archive repertoire. "Art of the Menu" features creative menu design from around the world. This is Under Consideration's first new blog in two years.

calgarians in creston

2011-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Friend and fellow blogger at Chocolate&Ginger posted a great piece on the wedding and the Creston area. Check it out here. So glad our city friends enjoyed their small town stay! I HEART the Kootenays!

Photos by Choclate&Ginger

I'm back!

2011-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the beautiful Kootenays. I am now married to my best friend and getting back into the swing of normal life. About the picture: The two handmade "love birds" were lovingly crafted by my dear sister as part of her wedding gift! So cute. The flowers were part of the reception tables and the doe and buck were our wedding pie toppers.

ciao for now

2011-09-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting the ol' blog due to busy work schedule and last minute wedding plans. I'll be gone for 2 weeks. Lots of wedding design goodies upon my return!

Until then... Fredericks + Mae, a company founded by Brooklyn-based artists Jolie Mae Signorile and Gabriel Fredericks Cohen. With a shared love for natural materials and simple, lovingly crafted objects, Jolie and Gabriel have created a small collection of wares that are built for play and beautiful enough to be displayed as art. Love the "wings".

artist's studio: ashleigh bartlett

2011-08-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Spent some time last week at a good friend's painting studio. Artist Ashleigh Bartlett has returned from the University of Guelph with her Masters and is settling back into her hometown of Calgary. She'll be teaching at ACAD this Fall and has multiple shows lined up.

Her work examines the line between representation and abstraction through a series of macro lens close-ups of cartoon imagery. Her work is tactile, and full of colour and energy. See more of Bartlett's work here.

raspberries

2011-08-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

Our first harvest in our first home. How sweet!

wedding day details

2011-08-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Only 25 days till the BIG day! Excited to bust out my precious blue Royal typewriter for our guest table, and this fabulous little wooden birdcage! The typewriter in the pic is mine, lent to a lovely friend for her wedding. In true former art student style, we did "tradsies", and I'll be packing up her birdcage to display at my reception.

where children sleep

2011-08-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

Venice-based documentary photographer James Mollison explores in Where Children Sleep – a beautiful and interesting photo series capturing the diversity, and sometimes, disparity between children's lives around the world through portraits of their bedrooms and themselves.

Mollison's entire site is worth a look. Lots of talent and more intriguing series-based shots.

never not working

2011-08-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been a super busy week and it's only Tuesday. Work is mad with many people on holidays and the home life is just as busy. Finishing up a contract job and in full wedding planning mode! Hopefully in the Fall I can dedicate time to some more thoughtful and well-researched posts :)

Here's some lovely (and foxy?) illustrations in the meantime. I have had a thing for illustrations of foxes lately... mysterious and clever creatures.

comfort food: rustic fruit tarts

2011-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

Pass the icecream. I'll have mine, al la mode.

fan club

2011-07-28T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today's Thursday is like a Friday for me. I have some extra holidays to head back home to get a bunch of wedding stuff done and also enjoy some fishing and beach time with friends and family. In preparation more some smokin' hot BC weather, I give you: vintage fans!

We don't have air conditioning at home and usually it's not a big deal but on those really humid nights I really need one of these. But would rather have the funkier retro variety in my home to look at.

be mine melamine

2011-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hello fantastic animal melamine collection at Thomas Paul! Normally I would be lusting after the bird designs, but I think this time, the Moby Dick style whale has won my heart. See all Thomas Paul products here. There is a great selection of brand new bedding featuring even more animals that are also great!

craft and technology unite

2011-07-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

How fun is this cross-stitch iphone case from Connect Design? Spotted this at Anthology Mag and had to share. Connect Design, a Korean company, has quite a few other cutesy gadgets you might want to check out. This DIY phone cover though, in my mind, is just the best. A nice way to set your iphone apart from everybody else!

Alpine Meadows

2011-07-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

And my favourite pic of the day from hiking... One of the many wildflowers we saw in all the lush alpine meadows. Everything was in full bloom: Black Eyed-Susans, Daisies, Blue Bells, Fireweed, Indian Paintbrush and these lovely wild Tiger Lilies (pictured).

Hiking: Elbow Falls & Fullerton Loop

2011-07-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Spent a glorious Saturday hiking in the Bragg Creek/Kananaskis area with three of my favourite people. We started our adventure at Elbow Falls, a picturesque picnic and hiking area. We did the touristy bit on the stairs and contained areas and then carried on off the beaten track and spent an hour on a scenic hike elevated above the falls and river. On our way back home, we felt like we didn't quite get the workout we wanted so we backtracked and did the 6.5 km Fullerton Loop. With the first half the hike at a steep uphill ascent, we got the exercise we were looking for and some great views.

wedding crafting: fabric and twine banner

2011-07-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Two mini-sized fabric and twine banners I cut and sewed last night. One will be tied on to a pair of bamboo skewers as our wedding pie topper! The other, is yet to be determined, but I'm sure I'll make use of it somewhere. The cute details of the fabric aren't showing up as well as I would like--I'm still without a camera and relying on the ol' iphone. Thanks Mom for the fabric :)

aduana: Kanye collage

2011-07-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Nice collage work by Kike Besada at Aduana. The neutral palette with bits of pink is looking pretty smooth.

general dynamics: erik nitsche

2011-06-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Erik Nitsche was born in Lausanne, Switzerland in an art-minded family. Both his father and grandfather were noted photographers and artists like Paul Klee were close friends of the family. Klee influenced Nitsche in his choice to be an artist rather than a photographer. He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Munich.

He mainly did illustrations for various magazines and newspapers. At that time the art-deco-style dominated the french design scene. But Nitsche, with his swiss, orderly background, was also largely attracted to the Bauhaus and its rationalism which was the Art-deco's opponent. That merging of French and Swiss sensibilities defined his early efforts.

I am digging all of his General Dynamics covers! Anything science themed always gets my attention, enjoy.

posters: soccer

2011-06-24T08:54:00.001-07:00

Extensive poster design exercise featuring soccer/football players. Great use of colour, texture and black and white imagery. Liking the classic retro-sport feel and integration of hand drawn type and logos. Project by Zoran Lucic, view them all here.

yann haute patisserie: macarons

2011-06-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

Indulged in some scrumptious macarons from Yann Haute Patisserie this weekend. Yann's macarons are two delicate almond based meringues with tasteful fillings (all made with natural ingredients in season). On recommendation from blogger and friend Jen, my sister-in-law and I chose a few flavours to take home. Of the 5 cookies we picked, the chocolate mint and coconut-pineapple were my favourite. At $1.89 a piece, they are a rare treat... chewy, delicate and delightful.

things organized neatly

2011-06-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

A great tumblr feed featuring, you guessed it, things organized neatly! Another fun site to submit to... and eye candy for the super organized type, like me :) In fact, I may have to submit something tonight–I've got a perfectly placed pressed leaf display that I'm quite fond of.

clever charlotte

2011-06-20T13:08:00.001-07:00

How cute are these kids sewing patterns from Clever Charlotte? Clever Charlotte is born out of a love of children’s wear with clean, modern designs and a love of beautiful fabric. They have that boutique look and vintage flair that I love. The Finch shorts and Starling dress are cute and classic. Makes me want to go back in time to my high school Home Ec and REALLy learn to sew... my adorable twin nieces would look perfect in these outfits.

a few more pics from kananaskis

2011-06-17T08:46:00.001-07:00

weekend in kananaskis

2011-06-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

Spent an amazing Saturday and Sunday in Kananaskis with my sister last week. We enjoyed a stay at the Sundance Lodge in a beautifully authentic tipi. Perfect for a one night stay, as we didn't waste any time having to set up a tent. We threw our gear into our native abode and then set off for some outdoor adventure. We hiked up to Troll Falls; a very easy hike with a great reward at the end! The main fall was pretty epic due to all the rain and spring run-off. We then did a 5.5 km loop around Ribbon Creek. A slightly more vigorous challenge, we took our time enjoying the view and snapping pics. We spent the evening in camp with a roaring campfire, red wine and a few rounds of Rummy in our cozy tipi. Leaving Kananaskis, we stopped in at the Mt. Lorette Ponds. A quaint picnic spot with multiple fish-stocked ponds with brilliant colours.

Though the weather was a bit wet, we really lucked out and didn't get stuck in any rain. It made for empty hiking trails and no tourist-packed crowds.

dear photograph

2011-06-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

This project reminds me of an earlier post of mine where Photographer Irina Werning recreates photos from the past.

Dear Photograph is collecting submissions: “take a picture of a picture from the past in the present.” The results can be found here. If you have a photo you would like to submit to the you can easily email it to the site. If you are a fan of the nostalgic this is a fun little project with legs to grow into something pretty big and exciting.

Crackers: a homemade blog

2011-06-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

Loving the Canadian grown blog Crackers. An Ontario couple with a large family embark on a whole foods-type journey. They sum it up as such: One day we wondered why we'd never tried making crackers before. This blog is our journey to make more at home, find local ingredients and become supermarket-free.

I like how each day is a new adventure for them: foraging for new seasonal foods, growing their own vegetables, baking homemade bread, and seeking out new local venues for organic and locally made products. Sometimes things don't always work out, but the learning process must be an education for themselves and a great way to teach their kids that natural is best in a world that is so over-processed. And the reward is great: A healthy lifestyle, nutritious food and a grander sense of community.

It's also nice to see more Canadian sites of this type. Its hard to visualize a lifestyle like this after reading a gardeners blog from Southern California. In the North, the growing season is just so different. If anyone knows of any similar type sites that are Albertan, please let me know!

Beautiful photography compliments each blog post. (All photos from the site by blogger half Jesse Senko). Best of luck to this inspiring family, I will certainly continue to follow this great new blog!

understand my ampersand

2011-06-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Have to agree with Armin at Under Consideration that yes, this is indeed the coolest ampersand ever; for kitsch & tea by A Friend of Mine. Clever.

Camila do Rosário's: illustration

2011-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Beautiful mixed-media collection here from Camila do Rosario. The gorgeous female life drawings with colourful embellishments are my favourite. Some subtle collage effects in her work as well. I love when illustrators include unfinished works in their sketchbooks. It gives you are real feel of their thought process.

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

2011-06-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed a tasty picnic lunch and a lengthy afternoon stroll with my guy and some good friends today at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Besides a number of birds; we saw 5 deer, a ton of groundhogs, a garter snake and a large brown trout. The weather could not have been better for a day of taking in nature :)

Charley Harper + Todd Oldham + Fishs Eddy

2011-06-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Todd Oldham is back with another round of revitalized Charley Harper products. If you haven't purchased the book (or are lucky enough to have an amazing little sister who knows you like, ahem, a book) "An Illustrated Life", it's an amazing retrospective of Harper's work. Oldham continues to work with the Harper estate to apply Harper’s work to pieces for new generations and multiple uses. His latest: Harper’s designs on a series of plates, glasses and bowls for Fishs Eddy. I'm loving the fish theme, but hoping a series emerges with my favourite of Harper's subjects, birds!

illustrated maps

2011-05-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for a cute illustrated map. Such a sucker in fact, that my wedding invites will naturally feature a hand drawn map of our ceremony and reception area. But more on that later... (that will be one big, fat exciting post!)

Scouring the web for hand-drawn map awesomeness, I came across Owen Gatley on always fun blog, GrainEdit. Some of the best things about travelling are often overlooked on maps. Owen takes a lighthearted view that takes you literally into the traveller's world.

design: missy austin

2011-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Fun and well executed identity for the National Park Service's 95th Anniversary. It has a very family-friendly look and a nice combination of modern and retro styling. Including a nicely packaged style guide here.

Check out more of Minneapolis designer, Missy Austin here.

wordmark: Sarajevo

2011-05-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Beautiful wordmark for Boat Magazine.

Boat Studio is a small creative studio based in London, but twice a year they up sticks and relocate to a different city. But not any old city: “We don’t just go anywhere, we go to places that have been overlooked or overshadowed by incidents in the past, and we work with local and international writers, photographers, illustrators and artists to update our readers’ ideas about a particular place.” Cool concept for a magazine.

The first issue of Boat magazine is out right now, featuring naturally, Sarajevo. Thoughtful design and interesting contributors.

rejected: book covers

2011-05-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

The New York Times Sunday Book Review "covers" 15 book cover designs that were not chosen. For cover designers, it can also be the beginning of their own struggle on behalf of their favourite ideas. I'm a fan of rejected covers: "Heft", "Wetlands" and "Out Backward". Take a look for yourself and then go see which covers made the cut here.

april skies

2011-05-09T18:47:00.001-07:00

A rare sunset I caught last month from one of the better weekends for weather in an otherwise cold and snowy April.

window displays: Anthropologie

2011-05-05T12:45:00.001-07:00

Besides the great clothes and swoonful home decor, Anthropologie has a lot going for itself in the design department. Especially their storefront window styling. The store's window displays are well designed, current and always in tune with the retailers style and philosophy. Often making use of recycled and reusable materials like paper and found objects, the "green" look is always exceptionally well crafted. I collected just a few of the many images you can find on the 'net of their handy work. Its amazing how much design can influence a shopping experience and a sense of quality.

I have even seen a lot of their displays used as inspiration for wedding decor. Like using books, corks and handing plants.

sunday morning breakfast

2011-05-01T18:20:00.001-07:00

Whole wheat waffles topped with yogurt, granola and fresh strawberries :)

have you heard of pogo?

2011-04-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

How cute and fun is this!?!?

Upular - UP! Remix

Check out more of Nick Bertke a.k.a pogo here. Nick has created a career out of his love for recording and re-mixing music. His work has been generating tremendous corporate appeal. He's produced for Honda, Showtime, Disney and Harpo Studios.

First image is from the also very popular Skynet Symphonic (Terminator 2 remix). Entirely made up of sounds from the movie.

happy 226th birthday john james audubon!

2011-04-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Audubon was born in 1785 in Saint Domingue, now Haiti. He was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, hunter, and painter. He painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America in a manner far superior to any before him.

A bird lover like Audubon, I have collected and studied his prints for years. My first memory of Audubon was on old Audubon Encyclopedia collection my parents had in their basement. From his earliest days, Audubon had an affinity for birds. "I felt an intimacy with them... bordering on frenzy [that] must accompany my steps through life." His father encouraged his interest in nature; "he would point out the elegant movement of the birds, and the beauty and softness of their plumage. He called my attention to their show of pleasure or sense of danger, their perfect forms and splendid attire. He would speak of their departure and return with the seasons."

Check out Google's homepage doodle today dedicated to Audubon.

screech cakes

2011-04-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

Had a delicious Easter dinner at my sister and her boyfriends last night. I was in charge of dessert and to celebrate Easter, but also my sisters b/f's Birthday, I made Screech Cakes. The Birthday Boy is from Newfoundland, so I thought it only appropriate to pay homage to his homeland.

What I did: Super simple substitutions to your basic cake in a box and icing mix.

I replaced half the water in the cake mix for Screech (rum) and added a tablespoon of screech flavoured coffee bean powder.

The icing I did pretty much the same thing, a dash of coffee and a dash of the screech. Finally, the chocolate tops got sprinkled with some extra Screech coffee.

The verdict: Yummy! The screech flavour didn't come out as much as I had hoped but they were chocolately and delicious, with just a hint of East Coast :)

natural egg dyes

2011-04-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last night I spent the evening with my sister dying eggs. We were looking for something new to try, and didn't want to use the typical packaged dye kit from the grocery store. So we turned to the kitchen and equipped ourselves with a selection of natural products that worked really well. A great way to celebrate both Easter and Earth Day! And we achieved the subtle and rustic look we wanted.

What we did:

Mix coffee grounds with some boiling water and let egg sit until light brown. Take egg out of coffee, sprinkle with water and recover in cover grounds. The extra layer on the water spots will create a second level of darker colour.

Onion skins and tea both gave us a nice yellow-tan colour and afterwards we rubbed paprika on top to give the eggs a hint of terracotta. The paprika worked really, really well. We also tried cinnamon but the results were not as obvious.

The purple colour was pretty fun. We started with a base colour of red wine, and then later added blueberries to get that extra punch of blue and violet hues.

Lastly, we got our light green and robin's egg blue from mixing boiled spinach and green algae powder together. It worked, but this one took a long time to transfer colour.

Trick: Add a splash of olive oil to your liquid and see what happens. Our purple eggs looked really cool with this addition, as the oil allows only certain parts of the egg to achieve colour, giving you a great spotted look.

And the best part? Everything is natural so when you are done, you don't have to feel bad about about dumping your wastes down the sink! We were so excited by the results we immediately set up a mini photo shoot to showcase our work :)

tips for students

2011-04-21T08:44:00.001-07:00

A great link. 50 Things Every Graphic Designer Student Should Know from Jamie Wieck. Some great tips that I wish I would have known as a young hatchling emerging from the protective shell of art school. Much of the advice still applies today and should throughout your entire career. Take a read.

Dutch Shinobi - Life Sherpa

2011-04-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

egg-cellent idea

2011-04-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

Passed to me from my friend Meg at I Think Therefore I'm Single... a great idea for collaborative art and fundraising. Artists and illustrators have submitted custom design egg-shaped canvases in black on wood. Each "egg" can be purchased by making a donation that goes towards relief in Japan. Visit Eastern Eggs here.

wisdom + style

2011-04-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

Still just loving the site Advanced Style. Had to post this lovely lady with style and a great outlook. She says "curiosity is the key to a long and happy life."

I so agree! One should never lose their youthful curiosity and the desire to keep seeing, doing and learning!

posters for japan

2011-04-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Three of my favourites, and many more here.

rule breaking books

2011-04-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

Fun Design Rules book at Ridiculous Rules. Also see Fashion Rules, Typography Rules and more here. Great discussion starters!

shopping by colour

2011-04-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Go here to view Marco Ugolini's idea of grocery shopping... by colour!

history of macaroni

2011-04-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Nice follow up on the new Kraft Macaroni brand from here at idsgn.

My original post on the new logo is here.

Happy Friday to you all!

fun fashion friday

2011-04-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

Two new fabulous fashion blogs I am currently enjoying:

Advanced Style

The Man Repeller

Hilarious, yet totally informative, current and on trend view of women's fashion from super cute and witty Leandra Medine.

outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.

–verb (used without object),-pell·ing, -pell·ed.

to commit the act of repelling men:

Girl 1: What are you wearing to the party?

Girl 2: My sweet lime green drop crotch utility pants!

Girl 1: Oh, so we're man repelling tonight?

*DISCLAIMER: the above conversation is not a dramatization, took place in this room 5 minutes ago.

jillian tamaki: embroidered book covers

2011-03-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just discovered that Alberta raised, super illustration talent Jillian Tamaki has designed book covers for Penguin. Not just any book covers though, but amazing hand-embroidered covers in her well-known illustration style. Hello! Can you say amazing!?!?! I love Tamaki's work, and the embroidered look adds so much to her style. Very tactile, the Black Beauty cover is my favourite, and will most definitely have to be purchased for my book collection!

Reminds me of the Siddhartha book cover I did in 4th year at ACAD. (Tamaki is also ACAD alum) I also attempted embroidery. Not nearly as well executed as Jillian--but I should post it just for kicks.

View Tamaki's SKETCHBLOG and her full covers here.

enormouschampion: squirrelly love

2011-03-28T08:57:00.001-07:00

I love, love enormouschampion's products. They carry notecards, prints, tea towels, and my favourite, their Kingdom Animalia line of sustainably harvested wood figures. Check out the new squirrelly love piece. Wondering if I should purchase for our dessert or guest table at the wedding? It would work perfectly with our wilderness kitsch theme.

enormouschampion is based in Brooklyn, New York, drawing inspiration from childhood memories, nature, 3 particularly lovely cats, ephemera, the places we go and the people we meet. We hope you like our line of assorted greetings, notecards and various other objects.

sweet Friday: cupcake anatomy

2011-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you Swilson for this SWEET info. graphic! So cute!

happy birthday houdini

2011-03-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Born in 1874, the great illusionist, Harry Houdini celebrates his 137th Birthday today.

His most famous act was the Chinese Water Torture Cell in which he was suspended upside down in a locked glass and steel cabinet filled with water. It required him to hold his breath for more than three minutes.

Here are some great posters from the era.

your name is too long

2011-03-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

i like this humour. from here.

threads

2011-03-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Nice projects with a bit of raw stitching added to the mix from studiowill. Love the look of handcrafted paper and book binding.

elle muliarchyk: fashion photography

2011-03-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Elle Muliarchyk is a simultaneous model/photographer. Her career started as a struggling model. She was not getting any jobs, so she took matters into her own hands and decided to photograph herself. She ventures to New York's ritziest stores and set's up her camera/props and takes pictures in fitting rooms in expensive designer gowns. In the past she's been arrested for this, but since being discovered, she has been elevated from struggling model to a highly sought after photographer in the fashion world.

See some of her shots here, including her early dressing room work. And her studio page here.

She's adventurous, super artistic and definitely an entrepreneur. Love it!

a light cup of tea

2011-03-18T14:18:00.001-07:00

Totally fun and whimsical lamp found here at Design Sponge. Made by Sarah Goodwin from Daisies & Pearls. perfect in the tea shop/bakers setting, it would also be an amazing conversation piece in a minimalistic, white living room, or totally funky amongst other Alice in Wonderland type kitsch like small glass bottles and a dusty mad hatters cap.

retrofuturs: organic architecture

2011-03-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

Retro fun here. Organic architecture visualized by retrofuturs at Cargo Collective. Cargo is a web publishing CMS and community-building platform whereeverything, from the ever-changing visual appearance of people's personal websites, to the user interface is built around the work shared by its members. Our design philosophy is that the content is the Cargo.

snacks: oskri organic bars

2011-03-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

A new favourite work snack is the Oskri Organics Coconut bar! I picked one up at Vitamin Farm on my lunch hour yesterday. I was torn between the regular coconut almond and the chocolate coated version, but the $1.99 price on the plain one sold me, as the chocolate covered bar was almost $4.00!

I decided quickly that I didn't need the chocolate anyways. The coconut itself is so sweet, it should curb any sugar craving and the texture is super chewy and moist. If you are a coconut fan you have got to try this lactose free vegan bar.

pretty packaging

2011-03-15T15:38:00.001-07:00

Adorable nail polish packaging by Megan Miller. Found at Anthropologie. Love the rustic cork cap and the peacock feather detail in the wordmark.

acad portfolio show

2011-03-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

The ACAD Portfolio Show is on Thursday April 14th from 6 - 9pm in the Nexen building. If you are in the visual communications industry, this is your chance to check out some fresh new talent at no charge. I remember when I was grading and eagerly sat at a table, hoping someone would show interest in my book. It's a great experience and important to come out and support the students in their leap from school life to the real world.

Event will feature all 5 streams of the Visual Communications Program: Illustration, Graphic Design, Advertising, Photography, and Animation/Character Design.

we (heart) japan

2011-03-12T09:18:00.001-08:00