video: fifty people / one question

what do you wish for by the end of today?



Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

advice

work hard. play hard.
create something amazing.


- advice to sink in slowly

video: it's a new day

:: video by will.i.am / dipdive

a new day

"i have never been more hopeful." - president-elect obama


:: image from the boston globe

vote.

today is one of the most important political moments in modern history. so wherever you are, whoever you are, go to your local polling station and make your voice heard.


and after so many months (and so many years),
i think, i hope: our time is now.



from sooo many months ago, remember: yes we can.


:: images from [top] nikki mcclure and [bottom] www.designforobama.org

toast-y

the UK-based clothing company toast is like a refined, british anthropologie. i've received a couple of their (thick!) catalogues, and i'm in love.

the clothing is beautiful. but it's the photography and the page layouts and the weight of the catalogue that really made me fall for them. better than any anthro or j.petermann catalogue that i've loved in the past.

if only the dollar were not such a weakling...

check out their website -- or request a catalogue here.


:: images from toast, fall 2008

sitting on the rock in the bay

perched on a rock in the middle of narragansett bay in rhode island, clingstone has avoided falling into the ocean for a century.

dramatic. and gorgeous. and from this nytimes article, it sounds like the ultimate fixer upper.

i love the history, and from all the photos, i love love the house.

to keep the huge home in shape, the owner hosts annual "work weekends" and invite 50+ friends and family come to eat&drink and clean&repair. sign me up please!





:: all images from nytimes

one two three four

wow. feist rocks AND she plays on sesame street.

and she is performing (for the big kids) at the hollywood bowl on sunday (can't wait!).

odes to new york

+ michael surteese records 36+ days of nyc sky

+ julie cloutier creates color swatch books of nyc streets

+ e.b. white's here is new york

There is not enough air and not enough light, and there is usually either too much heat or too little. But the city makes up for its hazards and deficiencies by supplying its citizens with massive doses of a supplementary vitamin—the sense of belonging to something unique, cosmopolitan, mighty and unparalleled.

oh and this little movie



[art links via swissmiss]

a pretty presidential affair

personally i am more than ready to move on from the reign of George W, but i was intrigued by a photo slideshow from his daughter jenna's wedding over the weekend. hosted at the family ranch in Crawford, TX, it was an intimate evening (ie no press allowed), but the white house presented this set of wedding pics.

hm! in my eyes, this wedding looks pretty fresh & colorful for a presidential affair! she has this simple elegance thing down! i love what they did here with colorful flags strung up in the reception tent and the paperbag luminarias lighting up the yard.

after the wedding, the president stated that they sure are "mighty blessed."


THEN to avoid feeling too warm&fuzzy about Mr. Bush, i also spent 10 minutes watching this Al Gore video by Spike Jonze. nothing extraordinary, just a day in the life of the gore family (circa 2000). so down to earth; good people.


PS i'm sorry if yesterday didn't post properly! josh krause is not to be missed~


:: photo from the white house

treats & treasures

marieke of treats&treasures has been recording her journal pages--sketches, designs, photos, clippings, polaroids--since 2006. she posts almost daily, and i am always always inspired by whatever appears on the pages from her day.

i love how it touches on everything from her daily thoughts & doodles to her world travels.

for more sketchbook/journal inspiration, check out:
+ drawing from life: the journal as art
+ the 1000 journals project

::all images from treats&treasures

sweet greens

busy busy this week. but still looking at lots of pretty things online.

apartment therapy featured the pantone-style paint job of this house in munich [see more photos!]. each room is painted in gradiated blocks of color. like a house-size paint sample strip!

i love these greens. i've been thinking of adding some green (a wall? the curtains?) to my room. great inspiration.

it is what it is

cheers! to keri smith's slogan of the day.

so long, winter

the gridview of a flickr set is always an interesting way to capture a group of photo clips together. today mav of port2port closed her Winter 08 photo set...and the result is a lovely combo of twinkling colors and stark whites.

goodbye, winter. hello, spring!

post it!

i'm trying use post mail more often, and these projects are getting me inspired...

- postcrossing connects postcard writers around the world. like a massive penpal/chainletter network, you sign up, send a postcard, and then someone else sends one to you. and on and on, around the world! (via photojojo)

- the postcard says is a new project by fiveandahalf. over 400 blogreaders received postcards with a little creative task to complete and mail back. from a recent sneakpeak, the results are looking great ~

- make your own photos into postcards with photojojo's 3 easy options.

our moment is now

an excerpt from Barack Obama's speech on 01/09/08 in nashua, NH:

we know the battle ahead will be long,
but always remember that
no matter what obstacles stand in our way,
nothing can withstand
the power of millions of voices calling for change.

In the unlikely story that is America, there has
never been anything false about hope.
For when we have faced down impossible odds;
when we've been told that we're not ready,
or that we shouldn't try, or that we can't,
generations of Americans have responded with
a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that
declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists
as they blazed a trail toward freedom through the darkest of nights.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants
as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballot;
a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and
a King who took us to the mountaintop
and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.

And so tomorrow...we will remember that
there is something happening in America; that

we are not as divided as our politics suggest.

that we are
one people; we are
one nation.

and together, we will begin
the next great chapter in America's story
with three words that will ring from coast to coast;
from sea to shining sea:

Yes. We. Can.


[watch the music video] [read the LA times]


[photo from threecee]

seeking inspiration

inspired by design for mankind's awesome new monthly e-zine of inspiration boards, i looked to my bulletin board of the moment. not wildly exciting, but an interesting collection of items from the past months...

yes, this is leading me to another list of links. i guess i'm in a phase of collecting & examining. soon to be followed by a period of creative action...

[counter clockwise from midright]
- "be kind to books," cuz you should
- food - hipster eating joint on pico blvd. their "market" has a great collection of iconic food items (heinz ketchup, grey poupon, morton's salt, etc.)
- snippet of a colorful lamp by heather wells, beautiful after dark
- card from nana with a print of her mariner's compass quilt
- sample of teal paint, my new favorite color
- old john lennon trading card
- button from LA's craft & folk art museum - check out their local event listings!
- wristband from the standard hotel - hiphip + interior design lust
- little green pin from phantomlimb
- leftover red ribbons from wonderful papersource
- print of matisse's basket of oranges. "One of the proudest moments of Matisse's life was when Picasso bought his Basket of Oranges in 1945. Matisse reciprocated by sending Picasso a crate of real oranges every New Year's Day." love this.
- matt's paused-for-now prntd.com

and obama 08 - spread the hope. [words & image]


[photo from myflickr]

stormy night

the rain continues to pour in LA, with flash floods warnings, snowstorms, and even a tornado scare. after a long wet day, all i wanted was a sweatshirt and a hot bowl of soup.

i took advantage of the soggy night to catch up on some emails...and to sort through a biggg stack of old magazines that have been piling up. tearing out the worthwhile articles and photospreads (ohh that martha stewart and her pretty pictures). and then tossing (recycling!) the rest.


on the side, hot cocoa (the milk+cocoa+sugar variety) made with dad's special gradually-add-the-milk technique, in my barnswallow mug from mum (one of my favorite things).

now the electricity has gone out (third time tonight).

this city cannot handle precipitation.


[photo from myflickr]

a favorite blog

over a year ago, i came across five and a half. i fell in love with judy's journals and bought one of the original choose-your-own color varieties. since then, five and a half has exploded in the craftster world, growing into retail stores and expanding their line of pretty paper products every season.

recently, i started following judy's blog and i am totally captivated. she posts the most lovely pictures, often with simple insights & musings & information. it's a beautifully balanced blog experience.

i've especially appreciated the detailed info & advice she offers about working with paper, generating a quality product, and growing into a small business. with my own little paper project underway for the holidays, her tutorials (especially photojojo's awesome video!) have been my foundation and inspiration!


[photo from myflickr]

beautiful

i had a wonderful, long walking afternoon (celebrating car-free monday!).

while i was out, i finally posted a few beautiful stickers.

i came across the you-are-beautiful website last spring. such a simple, but awesome idea. i sent away for the stickers---and then they've sat in my wallet for months.

today i finally stuck the message to the streets of LA.


[photos from myflickr]