no thank you to plastic bags

tinychoices, a new but not-so-tiny envirogreen blog, wrote this week about steps to ban the overuse of plastic bags in cities around the world. americans alone use 100 billion (plus?) plastic bags--every year. argh.

i may get funny looks for refusing bags and occasionally stuffing my purse with groceries... but i'd rather have an excuse to stock up on fun, reusable bags than have to look at a cabinet full of bags & bags of cheap plastic.

here are a few favorite bags&totes:
- "thank you have a nice day" [photo above]
- envirosax in amazonia patterns
- ecobags in earthtones
- bazura market bags from recycled materials


[EDIT: los angelenos held a "ban the bag" rally on jan 22...read more interesting info at the great LA green girl.]

special delivery

after weeks of printing, cutting, pasting, brainstorming, and shopping for just the right materials... my holiday project is finally complete! i am oh so happy with the results.

more photos to come once these packages reach their recipients.

P.S. special thanks to allison for not complaining about the enormous bookmaking mess in our apartment--to mum&dad for allowing my mess at home--and to matt for being a super production assistant.

[photo from myflickr]

come alive!

inspired by this great poster on hi+low (another favorite blog for visual inspiration), i started reading a profile of the artist Sister Corita, an LA/Boston nun-turned-artist who spent thirty years teaching & publishing her art across the country.

she was the artist behind the 1985 Love stamp and, before that, the south boston gas tank (above), which i've driven by a million times (always pointing out the infamous hidden face!)--but never learned its history.

her art seems to be an awesome mix of mid-century pop culture & spirituality.


the Corita Art Center is here in LA and now added to my explore-the-city list.

her art bio is out there just waiting to inspire: come alive!


[photo from ..jolli......]

2007 by the books

from january to december
- on beauty (zadie smith)
- what is the what (dave eggers)
- kafka on the shore (haruki murakami)
- white oleander (janet fitch)
- how to win friends and influence people (dale carnegie)
- atonement (ian mcewan)
- a tree grows in brooklyn (betty smith)
- getting things done (david allen)
- refuse to choose (barbara sher)
- no one belongs here more than you (miranda july)
- omnivore's dilemma (michael pollan)
- how we are hungry (dave eggers)
- the bell jar (sylvia plath)
- the history of love (nicole krauss)
- girl, interrupted (susanna kaysen)
- apartment therapy (maxwell gillingham-ryan)
- living the simple life (elaine st. james)
- god bless you, mr. rosewater (kurt vonnegut)
- the fountainhead (ayn rand)
- white teeth (zadie smith)
- the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (c.s. lewis)
- prince caspian (c.s. lewis)
- the audacity of hope* (barack obama)

*still reading into '08


[backdated]

exploring brooklyn

i had the pleasure of spending an excellent work-hard-play-hard week in new york & brooklyn. fantastic friends & wintry weather.

here are a few shots that i managed to snag in park slope & williamsburg.




[photos via myflickr]

[backdated]

giving thanks -- and eating tofurkey

the family's thanksgiving feast was enjoyed by omnivores & vegetarians alike.

and the tofurkey was the talk of the day.

the face of a hungry vegetarian

[photo via myflickr]

[backdated]

holiday season

with thanksgiving around the corner, my brain flashes forward to the full-fledged holiday season. christmas carols start to ring in my ears (they are already playing them in the streets). red becomes the color of the moment. i am thinking about family, friends, buffets of food, egg nog, and gift giving galore...

i am already working on my recipe book project for all the 20(and30)-somethings on my list...but there are so many more projects that i'd like to work on. cards to create, projects to brainstorm, crafts to make.

and there are so many more places that i'd like to explore to find Just The Right Thing for so-and-so. here are a few online shops that i want to take advantage of:
- the curiosity shop with it's quirky mix of fun & useful
- uncommon goods for the more-than-ordinary
- elseware to support awesomely independent design
- kiosk, the eclectic seasonal mix of imported goodies
- threepotatofour, one of many little online shops to scour
- reform school and other local LA shops
- and all of etsy for surprising finds

for ideas:
- thisnext, maybe a little super consumerism, but it's got spark
- mighty goods, a daily dose of interesting online finds


[photo of xmas06 from myflickr]

hollywood

above is the view from our living room window. yes it's true! the ultimate symbol of beauty, power, and entertainment is visible from our own home!! well...visible when the smog clears up, that is.

after a chilly week, LA has warmed up and the sun was shining again today. i took an afternoon walk downtown, picked up the house a bit, did some reading. a lowkey day.

back to work tomorrow. the last push before holiday season begins..

sunday farmer's market

we finally got the hollywood farmer's market today, where we bagged lots of delicious veggies. heirloom tomatoes (red, yellow, green), avocados, hot! peppers, onions, limes, herbs... all fresh and ohsogood. especially those yummy late summer tomatoes. we had a had big bowls of guacamole & fresh salsa and a heaping tray of nachos.

and on the side, perfectly tangy caipirinha (brazilian rum + limes + sugar).


[photo from emdot]

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]