November 5, 2012
Golden Typestaches
Along with the lovely Lauren and Joel over at Old Tom Foolery, I've created Volume 2 of the Field Guide to Typestaches. It's printed with metallic gold ink on 80lb black paper for all you fancy folks. It's a limited-edition so get yours while they're hot off the press. And even better news, for the whole month of November we'll be donating 10% of the sales to Movember.
October 5, 2012
October 3, 2012
Foliage Series / Tor Weeks
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| Untitled Foliage 01 |
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| Untitled Foliage 02 |
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| Untitled Foliage 03 |
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| Untitled Foliage 04 |
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| Untitled Foliage 05 |
October 1, 2012
Running in Leaves
We're getting our first and last week of summer in SF this week so naturally I'm preparing for all the goodness that fall has to offer. And of course the only thing that really matters to me right now is how my toes will be covered. Here are my favorite shoe picks for the fall:
1// Madewell h by hudson 2// Madewell old town boot 3// TOMS wine cordones 4// Frye Carson tab short 5// Jcrew cece ballet flats 6// Frye Dorado short 7// Hunter wellies 8// Anthropologie 80%20 pony printed hidden wedges 9// GAP calf hair loafers
1// Madewell h by hudson 2// Madewell old town boot 3// TOMS wine cordones 4// Frye Carson tab short 5// Jcrew cece ballet flats 6// Frye Dorado short 7// Hunter wellies 8// Anthropologie 80%20 pony printed hidden wedges 9// GAP calf hair loafers
September 10, 2012
Brimfield
I just got back from a trip to Massachusetts where I got the chance to go to Brimfield Antique and Collectables Show. If you aren't familiar, it's a massive triannual antique show in Brimfield, MA and this final show of the year didn't disappoint.
It was my first time at Brimfield so I can't say how it compared to previous shows but because of the threat of rain the first 3 hours of the show seemed much more empty than I thought. For a while, I just assumed my sisters and I were in an unpopular part of the show but the vendors were quick to chatter about how slow the morning was starting off. We got to Brimfield at 6:30am after reading many guides and tips on blogs suggesting that the early bird gets the worm and they were right. It was great for us newcomers to get our bearings without crowds around us because there was so much to see and people to meet.
My sisters and I don't exactly come from a long line of hagglers so bartering isn't exactly our forte. We tried with all our might over the course of the day to learn this ancient technique but mostly we just ended up buying things we already thought were great deals. My sister found an amazing vintage sled for $20. I ended up with a few treasures myself and I'll post them soon once I find some nice light to snap a photo of them.
Speaking of photos, I got so overwhelmed by Brimfield's vast awesomeness that I forgot to snap photos of the show until the last half of the day. Here are some of my favorite shots after I remembered to actually use the 5 pound camera dangling from my neck:
It was my first time at Brimfield so I can't say how it compared to previous shows but because of the threat of rain the first 3 hours of the show seemed much more empty than I thought. For a while, I just assumed my sisters and I were in an unpopular part of the show but the vendors were quick to chatter about how slow the morning was starting off. We got to Brimfield at 6:30am after reading many guides and tips on blogs suggesting that the early bird gets the worm and they were right. It was great for us newcomers to get our bearings without crowds around us because there was so much to see and people to meet.
My sisters and I don't exactly come from a long line of hagglers so bartering isn't exactly our forte. We tried with all our might over the course of the day to learn this ancient technique but mostly we just ended up buying things we already thought were great deals. My sister found an amazing vintage sled for $20. I ended up with a few treasures myself and I'll post them soon once I find some nice light to snap a photo of them.
Speaking of photos, I got so overwhelmed by Brimfield's vast awesomeness that I forgot to snap photos of the show until the last half of the day. Here are some of my favorite shots after I remembered to actually use the 5 pound camera dangling from my neck:
August 27, 2012
Color Coordination
There's nothing better than a little color coordination to make a Monday happy + bright. Thanks JCrew + Madewell.
Building A Mystery
I'm currently in the process of building a terrarium out of a old poopy lamp I bought for $14 at the thrift store. I've been inspired but these glass terrariums that seem to be quite popular these days and when I saw the lamp at the thrift store it had to be mine.
The inspiration:
I'm actually going to attempt to put soil directly into the glass bit unlike the photo above but you get the idea. So here's what my glass bit looks like:
Step 01:
I gutted out all the bulbs and other dangle bits and disassembled the top portion while watching the show Dance Moms so that should tell you about how much focus you'd need for a project like this. And as far as tools go, I only needed a wrench or actually I should say I only used a wrench because, well, that's all I really had that could aid in this situation.
Step 02:
So this is going to be the trickiest part of this whole project. Originally, when I bought this sucker I thought I'd just flip the whole thing over and have the bottom be the top but then I realized the door doesn't exactly allow for that. So either I seal shut the nifty little door or I configure some sort of bottom part. It would be just silly not to make the door functional so I'm attempting to figure out a bottom solution. I suppose if all else fails I can just put a potted plant into it like in the inspiration photo.
More steps to come just as soon as they happen.
The inspiration:
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| via moontomoon |
I'm actually going to attempt to put soil directly into the glass bit unlike the photo above but you get the idea. So here's what my glass bit looks like:
Step 01:
I gutted out all the bulbs and other dangle bits and disassembled the top portion while watching the show Dance Moms so that should tell you about how much focus you'd need for a project like this. And as far as tools go, I only needed a wrench or actually I should say I only used a wrench because, well, that's all I really had that could aid in this situation.
Step 02:
So this is going to be the trickiest part of this whole project. Originally, when I bought this sucker I thought I'd just flip the whole thing over and have the bottom be the top but then I realized the door doesn't exactly allow for that. So either I seal shut the nifty little door or I configure some sort of bottom part. It would be just silly not to make the door functional so I'm attempting to figure out a bottom solution. I suppose if all else fails I can just put a potted plant into it like in the inspiration photo.
More steps to come just as soon as they happen.
August 15, 2012
Lighthouse Central, USA
This weekend we went to Point Cabrillo to see the lighthouse, and it was a little gem. When you get to the parking lot there is a road path you can take down to the lighthouse or the better option which is the walking trail which is a bit more wilderness-y fun. The grounds were filled with obese grey squirrels and lots of blackberry brambles. There were also a ton of white spotted harbor seals being fatties on the rocks offshore. There weren't that many people around when we were there so it was a lovely adventure. You can also rent out a refurbished light house keeper's cottage on the property which would make for a fun little adventure depending on your obese squirrel liking level.
August 10, 2012
August 9, 2012
F + U
I follow a lot of blogs and a few of them happen to be wedding blogs though I am not married or engaged, but I am a girl so I suppose I always qualify. I like to look at pretty flowers and fancy things. But recently looking through these blogs, I feel like I'm looking at the same wedding with different faces, colors, and locations. Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions to this (thank god) but for the most part it seems like a few current trends are so out of control that I couldn't help but make a joke of the whole thing. So I created a five step guide to totally fucking up your wedding. Also, I'll add that it is the sum of all 5 of these steps combined that makes the wedding a total modern stereotype rendering your whole wedding meaningless to me.
Step 1: The strapless sweetheart neckline dress
I don't give a shit if you think yours is different because it had forty-four organza roses at the bottom or has 40lbs of beading, they all look the same. You spent upwards of 10K to look like everyone else. I hope it was worth it. I know you are probably thinking "hey bitch, back off my big day dreams" which is fair, it's your day do whatever you want, but for the love of bananas is it really what you want? Everyone seems to want it. Not even Kate Middleton could make this trend go away.
Step 2: Different dress same color
The problem with this situation is in the fact that you're pretending like you've given your bridesmaids a choice when you really haven't. You're still making them buy a $200 silk taffeta piece of poop that they would not like to wear in periwinkle ever again even if they had a choice of four styles. This whole rant also applies to different shades of the same color with different dresses.
If you're going to be different, be different; don't half ass it to feel better about it. If you want your bridesmaids to feel comfortable and wear something they'll actually wear again why not make them get something in a fabric wasn't exclusively used for weddings and Quinceaneras? Have you really not liked a single dress your friends have ever worn? Would a simple pattern distract so much from your big day that you'll never forgive them for outshining you? There are so many lovely dresses in the world and it's a shame that bridesmaids are forced to wear mediocre, bland dresses made of the world's weirdest fabrics.
Step 3: The ring within a ring within a ring wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a dream
I'll be upfront in this section, I don't know much about diamond cuts and karats and all that, but these rings are boring as shit. Don't get me wrong it's damn flashy and says "yup, he totally loves you" but they all look the same. Maybe it's compounded with the wedding photography of the rings in weird situations like on a feather or sitting on a succulent. The physical manifestation that represents your unending love and you want to take a picture of it nestled inside a plant or on top of a bird's molted body part, yeah that totally makes sense.
Step 4: OMG I die! SO adorbs.
"OMG those are so cute" is not a good reason to make paper straws a focal point of all your wedding photos. Yes, there is no denying these paper straws are cute and come in so many colors they can match any wedding color scheme. But they were way cuter in the first hundred thousand weddings they were in. Now it seems like a staple. "You havin' a weddin'? You havin' a weddin'? What color straws ya' want? I can gettum real cheap like, for yous." It used to be bride, groom and God but it's turned into bride, groom and cute striped paper straws.
Step 5: Let's take step 4 and make it even MORE cliché. And you thought it couldn't be done.
Holy shit! Let's drink from jars instead of glasses, so creative Martha. I really shouldn't be complaining about how my alcohol is served to me at a wedding because frankly I don't care as long as there is an open bar. But a mason jar with a paper straw is overrated. There are so many other respectable containers you can put your booze in; for example a glass or a mug or a tea cup or a bottle. Keep the ol' mason jar and straw trick for your backyard bbq unless you are having a backyard bbq wedding in which case where do I RSVP? You cookin' ribs?
Step 6: Because using mason jars wasn't enough you had to add more weird glass containers
I have noticed that with the reintroduction of what many are calling the "cupcake" back into society, the rate of the color coordinated candy table is slowly dying. Maybe not dying but at least being demoted to such events as "the baby's first shower" or the "i turned 40, again" party. Don't get me wrong I love a good sugary treat, but it's so overplayed that it couldn't possibly be authentic to your wedding; you know, the biggest day of your life. Unless you and your fiancé met over coffee while sharing an Almond Joy and you happen to love the colors brown, white and blue, this cliché should be avoided.
- -
All and all, my personal feeling toward weddings is that it should be party for you to express the combining of two lives forever. If you feel glass jars of bubble gum or a topiary of pink caramel represents your relationship then by all means. If those straws are "so you" then fuck it do the straw thing, but all I ask is that you think it through. Your wedding is an opportunity to share the story of your relationship with all your loved ones. I just can't imagine that it's possible that everyone's story involves paper straws, mason jars, and color coordinated candy.
Step 1: The strapless sweetheart neckline dress
I don't give a shit if you think yours is different because it had forty-four organza roses at the bottom or has 40lbs of beading, they all look the same. You spent upwards of 10K to look like everyone else. I hope it was worth it. I know you are probably thinking "hey bitch, back off my big day dreams" which is fair, it's your day do whatever you want, but for the love of bananas is it really what you want? Everyone seems to want it. Not even Kate Middleton could make this trend go away.
Step 2: Different dress same color
The problem with this situation is in the fact that you're pretending like you've given your bridesmaids a choice when you really haven't. You're still making them buy a $200 silk taffeta piece of poop that they would not like to wear in periwinkle ever again even if they had a choice of four styles. This whole rant also applies to different shades of the same color with different dresses.
If you're going to be different, be different; don't half ass it to feel better about it. If you want your bridesmaids to feel comfortable and wear something they'll actually wear again why not make them get something in a fabric wasn't exclusively used for weddings and Quinceaneras? Have you really not liked a single dress your friends have ever worn? Would a simple pattern distract so much from your big day that you'll never forgive them for outshining you? There are so many lovely dresses in the world and it's a shame that bridesmaids are forced to wear mediocre, bland dresses made of the world's weirdest fabrics.
Step 3: The ring within a ring within a ring wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a dream
I'll be upfront in this section, I don't know much about diamond cuts and karats and all that, but these rings are boring as shit. Don't get me wrong it's damn flashy and says "yup, he totally loves you" but they all look the same. Maybe it's compounded with the wedding photography of the rings in weird situations like on a feather or sitting on a succulent. The physical manifestation that represents your unending love and you want to take a picture of it nestled inside a plant or on top of a bird's molted body part, yeah that totally makes sense.
Step 4: OMG I die! SO adorbs.
"OMG those are so cute" is not a good reason to make paper straws a focal point of all your wedding photos. Yes, there is no denying these paper straws are cute and come in so many colors they can match any wedding color scheme. But they were way cuter in the first hundred thousand weddings they were in. Now it seems like a staple. "You havin' a weddin'? You havin' a weddin'? What color straws ya' want? I can gettum real cheap like, for yous." It used to be bride, groom and God but it's turned into bride, groom and cute striped paper straws.
Step 5: Let's take step 4 and make it even MORE cliché. And you thought it couldn't be done.
Holy shit! Let's drink from jars instead of glasses, so creative Martha. I really shouldn't be complaining about how my alcohol is served to me at a wedding because frankly I don't care as long as there is an open bar. But a mason jar with a paper straw is overrated. There are so many other respectable containers you can put your booze in; for example a glass or a mug or a tea cup or a bottle. Keep the ol' mason jar and straw trick for your backyard bbq unless you are having a backyard bbq wedding in which case where do I RSVP? You cookin' ribs?
Step 6: Because using mason jars wasn't enough you had to add more weird glass containers
I have noticed that with the reintroduction of what many are calling the "cupcake" back into society, the rate of the color coordinated candy table is slowly dying. Maybe not dying but at least being demoted to such events as "the baby's first shower" or the "i turned 40, again" party. Don't get me wrong I love a good sugary treat, but it's so overplayed that it couldn't possibly be authentic to your wedding; you know, the biggest day of your life. Unless you and your fiancé met over coffee while sharing an Almond Joy and you happen to love the colors brown, white and blue, this cliché should be avoided.
- -
All and all, my personal feeling toward weddings is that it should be party for you to express the combining of two lives forever. If you feel glass jars of bubble gum or a topiary of pink caramel represents your relationship then by all means. If those straws are "so you" then fuck it do the straw thing, but all I ask is that you think it through. Your wedding is an opportunity to share the story of your relationship with all your loved ones. I just can't imagine that it's possible that everyone's story involves paper straws, mason jars, and color coordinated candy.
August 8, 2012
Digital Digital, Beep Beep
I follow the pins of a online store based of out Brooklyn called Kaufmann Mercantile. They have so many gems in their shop that I wish to make mine someday. I started following them a few months ago because they have lovely photos of the outdoors and other goodness, but today in a moment of pure glory I saw they pinned my bikes of sf poster:
About now is where you say "yes, Tor, wow you were repinned. Congratuf*ckinglations. Do you know how many fucking pins people pin a day? Give or take a few billion."
Yeah, yeah I know it's teeny tiny small potatoes, but I was pretty excited that it was repinned by a company I really like. It was like their way of saying "hey, we like what you do too even though we didn't credit you as the creator on the pin so we really have no idea who you are still."
Then I started wondering how many people have pinned the bike poster. It's like a weird new version of googling yourself.
It's simultaneously weird, awesome, and totally nutty that people have access to a little poster I created and can pass it on like magic in a matter of seconds. And even more amazing that a company in Brooklyn can make my day by pinning something I created and not even know who I am.
The digital age, man. The digital age.
About now is where you say "yes, Tor, wow you were repinned. Congratuf*ckinglations. Do you know how many fucking pins people pin a day? Give or take a few billion."
Yeah, yeah I know it's teeny tiny small potatoes, but I was pretty excited that it was repinned by a company I really like. It was like their way of saying "hey, we like what you do too even though we didn't credit you as the creator on the pin so we really have no idea who you are still."
Then I started wondering how many people have pinned the bike poster. It's like a weird new version of googling yourself.
It's simultaneously weird, awesome, and totally nutty that people have access to a little poster I created and can pass it on like magic in a matter of seconds. And even more amazing that a company in Brooklyn can make my day by pinning something I created and not even know who I am.
The digital age, man. The digital age.
August 7, 2012
New Goods
I have no self-control especially when it comes to sales. JCrew was having a 30% off sale items so I got 2 new gems. And then today I found two things I just couldn't say no to so four new little gems should be arriving soon.
1.
Yes, let me get this dirty secret out of the way first. I wear glasses that have no prescription or "Lebroning it" as I like to sometimes call it. I've been doing it since I stole a pair from my roommate in college and felt like a fancy librarian all day. As some kind of karmic retribution, I'll probably end up having to wear glasses because I wore the glasses without a prescription but honey badger don't give a sh*t.
2.
Ponies and anchors. Need I say more?
3.
I finally purchased a respectable bag to carry around my junk. My current purse/bag situation is a canvas tote I got for free from the bike to work day which I have turned inside out to make sure it matches everything. So a sale on this amazing Wixon purse couldn't have come at a better time for me and those around me who have too look at me carrying around a glorified shopping tote. I had really originally gotten super jazzed about this Wixon purse because it came in mint green. That color sold out before I saw the sale, but I think it's for the best because this little brown guy is so much more versatile and quite handsome I might add.
4.
"Those are french schoolboy shoes" according to my Turkish lover. A fine enough description for me. I've always wanted shoes that have a bit of gradient in the tips so I'm excited to wear these dancing shoes to arrive.
1.
Yes, let me get this dirty secret out of the way first. I wear glasses that have no prescription or "Lebroning it" as I like to sometimes call it. I've been doing it since I stole a pair from my roommate in college and felt like a fancy librarian all day. As some kind of karmic retribution, I'll probably end up having to wear glasses because I wore the glasses without a prescription but honey badger don't give a sh*t.
2.
Ponies and anchors. Need I say more?
3.
I finally purchased a respectable bag to carry around my junk. My current purse/bag situation is a canvas tote I got for free from the bike to work day which I have turned inside out to make sure it matches everything. So a sale on this amazing Wixon purse couldn't have come at a better time for me and those around me who have too look at me carrying around a glorified shopping tote. I had really originally gotten super jazzed about this Wixon purse because it came in mint green. That color sold out before I saw the sale, but I think it's for the best because this little brown guy is so much more versatile and quite handsome I might add.
4.
"Those are french schoolboy shoes" according to my Turkish lover. A fine enough description for me. I've always wanted shoes that have a bit of gradient in the tips so I'm excited to wear these dancing shoes to arrive.
August 6, 2012
August 5, 2012
July 30, 2012
Fancy Magazines
Recently, I've been noticing how many fancy magazines I'm seeing, named a singular word.
A few years ago, I fell in love with Lemon magazine (1) created by Kevin Grady and Colin Metcalf who in addition to Lemon, have illustrious advertising + design careers. After reading a new issue of Lemon, I would cry myself to sleep every night hoping for more, but they would eventually stop and my fancy magazine lust would waver.
In the last couple months, I've noticed some interesting magazines that seem to follow in Lemon's footsteps. Bullett (2), like Lemon, has themed volumes and I recently read their sin article and it was quite lovely.
I found Wilder (3) today, which is a mag for people enthralled by the natural world. Where do I sign up? I hope it's as good as they set it up to be.
Gather (4) seems like a bit of a knockoff of Kinfolk (5) at least in design sensibilities. Gather takes a more cookbook approach and Kinfolk is all about the gathering. Kinfolk reminds me of how wonderful my world would look if I had a photographer following me at all times taking monotone vintage shots of life. Oh yeah, and in the shots I'm totally cool and photogenic, which if you've ever seen a picture of me you'll know I look like a the real life version of Beaker, the Muppet.
A few years ago, I fell in love with Lemon magazine (1) created by Kevin Grady and Colin Metcalf who in addition to Lemon, have illustrious advertising + design careers. After reading a new issue of Lemon, I would cry myself to sleep every night hoping for more, but they would eventually stop and my fancy magazine lust would waver.
In the last couple months, I've noticed some interesting magazines that seem to follow in Lemon's footsteps. Bullett (2), like Lemon, has themed volumes and I recently read their sin article and it was quite lovely.
I found Wilder (3) today, which is a mag for people enthralled by the natural world. Where do I sign up? I hope it's as good as they set it up to be.
Gather (4) seems like a bit of a knockoff of Kinfolk (5) at least in design sensibilities. Gather takes a more cookbook approach and Kinfolk is all about the gathering. Kinfolk reminds me of how wonderful my world would look if I had a photographer following me at all times taking monotone vintage shots of life. Oh yeah, and in the shots I'm totally cool and photogenic, which if you've ever seen a picture of me you'll know I look like a the real life version of Beaker, the Muppet.
July 27, 2012
Gardening Adventure
And really when I say gardening adventure, I really mean gardening on my back porch and my houseplants. I'll take what I can get when it comes to gardening space in SF, and since there is a 10 year wait list for the community garden in my neighborhood, my back porch is pure gold. Here's a little board of my dream supplies for this garden adventure. Naturally, since much of the actual gardening is inside my house I can totally rock those green heels.
1. a $490 pocket knife necklace is essential for gardening
2. from the home depot collection
3. amy merrick just a gem of the world
4. camera strap so you can garden and snap, garden and snap
5. wonderful
6. fancy gardening shoes
7. pruning saw
8. you never know when you'll need a survival guide
9. pruners
1. a $490 pocket knife necklace is essential for gardening
2. from the home depot collection
3. amy merrick just a gem of the world
4. camera strap so you can garden and snap, garden and snap
5. wonderful
6. fancy gardening shoes
7. pruning saw
8. you never know when you'll need a survival guide
9. pruners
Beauty is Embarrassing
Wayne White's work is pretty stellar and now there is a documentary about him. I can't wait to see it. Too bad none of the screenings so far are in SF.
I love love love his word paintings. It's amazing how funny they are but how seriously the words are painted on there.
I love love love his word paintings. It's amazing how funny they are but how seriously the words are painted on there.
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