Pumpkin Carving: Peacock Jack 'O' Lantern

Last year I did my best Martha Stewart take on pumpkin carving and etched a peacock onto my 15" pumpkin. Here is how it turned out. :)

The other sinister looking pumpkins were done by my fiance and our friends. I had also hoped to do my take on Russian nesting dolls, but ended up running out of time. Maybe I will give it a try this year.

First Class on Swiss Intercontinental Airline

I usually balk at paying a premium to fly first class since I consider my trips to truly start once I have landed/arrived at my destination, but seeing this video makes me want to splurge.

I check the cost of flying from NY to Zurich and it runs $12,000+. Sigh, I've come back down to earth in economy class.

Snow Peak Sale at Gilt.com

OMG! Snow Peak is on sale at Gilt.com*. If you aren't familiar with Snow Peak, the Japanese company designs and builds an impeccable line of uber functional camping gear. When I saw their products ages ago at REI, I instantly fell in love. Even though most of their stuff is made for the great outdoors, they are so beautifully designed and made that I wouldn't hesitate to use it inside as well.

In particular I've been dying to get my hands on Snow Peak's Iron Grill which is perfect for car campers like me. Like most of their products, the Iron Grill can be set up multiple ways for different functions but it's main purpose is for cooking, grilling, and eating. You can mix and match accessories on Snow Peak's site depending on your needs but Gilt's sale includes most of the of accessories for a great price of $1120 ($480 off the regular price of $1600). This includes the following:
- a stainless steel table frame
- two bamboo table tops that extend from the frame
- a bamboo corner table top that allows for an "L-Shape set-up"
- large BBQ box which has an adjustable grill top and legs for stand alone use
- single burner stove that uses butane fuel
- extra legs to support the corner and rectangle bamboo table tops
- two stainless steel inserts, bamboo insert
- spice rack insert
- spice bottles that fit in the spice rack
- canvas carry case

Their products aren't cheap but everything is made to last a life time and the designs are so customizable and practical that you will definitely get your money's worth.

Here are some pics.


*Gilt is a member's only site that sells discounted luxury items.

Ultimate Wish List: Hard Graft Bags

Previously I've posted about my futile laptop bag search. While I did find some decent options, I never fell in love until now. Hard Graft's rugged yet sophisticated designs have me drooling and longing for their products. I especially love the 2UNFOLD Laptop Bag. It's so versatile because it can be configured in at least 4 different ways and comes in two gorgeous tones, gray or honey. It runs about $439 (not including shipping) but the Austrian company does ship to the US, so hooray! Make sure to check out all their products.








Another fav of mine is the Heritage Ipad Case.

Cute Signs in Cozumel, Mexico

I encountered these uber cute signs at Mega, Cozumel's version of Walmart. When I'm pregnant, I totally want a shirt that says "Futuras Mama." Hehe.

Nutty the Squirrel

Remember Leo the lion, well here's Nutty the Squirrel. Not as heartwarming but o so cute. Click here to check out the video of the friendship between a construction worker and a squirrel at BBC's site. My favorite scene is the shower but my boyfriend likes the part when Nutty is on the dash.

All the Pretty Horses

I go to Columbia Mall in Maryland and often forget that there is an old fashion carousel at the far end. You would think that having the carousel housed in a mall would take away the magic but, it doesn't. It's actually a welcome dose of nostalgia next to the crowded stores brimming with newfangled fads and tech-savvy teenagers. My boyfriend and I love eating ice cream and watching all the kids ride the brightly painted horses. Here's a picture I took at the end of a ride.

Zee Avi's Bitter Heart Free on Amazon!

Zee Avi's charming song Bitter Heart is on Amazon for free!! If you haven't had a chance to listen to her sweet crooning, check out her Bitter Heart video on YouTube. As a vocalist her voice is clear and beautiful in an Etta James kind of way while the music and lyrics are mellow and true. You will love it!!

Wedding Video by StillMotion

I hope you enjoy this gorgeous real life wedding shot by StillMotion.

In my mind this is what a wedding should feel like, subtly emotional yet stunningly meaning-filled. Hehe, kinda like a music video. StillMotion does a fabulous job of capturing all the unique nuances of the couple and their special day without resorting to cheesiness and cliches. I especially love how they incorporated the sounds of the day. Seems obvious that they would include laughter but the sound of rain drops and grass under foot made the already dazzling videography even more lush. Thanks to Doobybrain for sharing the wedding of his friends, Dave and Grace.

PS Would you believe that this video was shot on an digital SLR, Canon 5D Mark II? In a word, WOW. It seems that there is a whole community of filmmakers who use it. I <3 technology.

Stila Makeup: 40% Off + Free Shipping

If you are a fan of Stila products, get ready to shop til you drop at StilaCostmetics.com! Get 40% off and free shipping with the discount code below. Enjoy!

STILAPRO

On Rainy Days...

On rainy days, I just want to listen to sad songs. It's been raining so much here in DC that we should have the greenest spring ever. Still, I sometime prefer rain clouds over rainbows.

Graphic "Designer" Pillows

I love these Adobe Suite pillows made by My Suite Stuff. The 12 x 12 handmade fleece pillows of Adobe application logos are cute, clever, and, at $15 a pop, extra affordable. Eek, I will have to pick up all of them for my web mastering, graphic designing, video editing, and photography loving boyfriend. Ooh, I hope My Suite Stuff comes out with the other 7 Suite logos and a bigger Euro sized version. Linen, would be nice.

Kudos to Dooby Brain for originally posting it on his blog.

Twilight Spoof

I needed a good laugh today. This totally did the trick.

When one door closes...

They say when one door closes another opens. sigh. I am posting some unique opportunities that I hope someone will explore if faced with a closed door. Here's to making lemonade out of lemons.

Internship at The Knot. What girl doesn't want to live breathe weddings.

Freelance Designer at Glamour Magazine. Need I say more.

Design and building Internship at Yestermorrow. Lodging and food included. I wrote about Yestermorrow in a previous post. If you have nothing to loose, why not learn how to design and build sustainable houses.

To see more design jobs visit Coroflot.com.

Random Acts of Dance

My boyfriend loves sending me YouTube videos. One video that really made an impression on me was of a storm trooper dancing in the streets of Tokyo. He wasn't particularly good but it made me smile to see him delight everyone with his costume and his spunky bravodo. Ever since then, I have secretly wanted to to perform a random act of dance. What's a random act of dance? Watch the video to find out. ;)

Yestermorrow Design/Build School

I'm dying to take a class at Yestermorrow Design and Build School in Vermont where they not only hold workshops on building treehouses (a life-long dream of mine), but also in sustainable design, construction, woodworking, and gardening. After running across classes and courses like the list below, I am seriously considering ditching my vacation plans so I can take a workshop instead. They make it incredibly convenient with affordable onsite housing and even a work exchange program (1 hour of work = $10 off). So attractive in this economy. They also provide discounts for multiple classes/workshops or for signing up with a friend (15% off!). Finally a school that is trying to make a difference instead of money.



* Sustainable Treehouse Design and Construction
* Ecological Water Systems
* Farm Design and Build
* Solar Design
* Rain Garden Design
* Wind Power
* Carpentry for Women
* Biofuels
* Trim and Finished Carpentry
* Furniture Making
* Do and Don'ts of Pre-Fab
* Permaculture Design

These are just a handful of the classes held there. According to the website, the school is accredited as an education institute by the state of Vermont and is an affiliate member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, as well as a Continuing Education Provider for the American Institute of Architects. They provide two Certificate Programs, the Certificate in Sustainable Building and Design and the Natural Building Intensive , "an intensive, in-depth, hands-on opportunities for deepening understanding, acquiring functional skill sets, and widening career opportunities."

Pictured below is one of the projects the school has worked on.

Timberframing course.

I <3 Illustrations by Yulia Brodskya

These 'papergraphic' illustrations are so gorgeous that I had to post about Julia's talent of scrolling and crimping paper into 2D/3D works of art and craft.

To enjoy more eye candy check out her website.

Oldsjö Hultgren Design

Living in a tiny townhouse, I don't have much of a backyard but what little I have, I would love to pave with paving stones by Oldsjö Hultgren Design. There is an Escher-esque quality to their designs, whether it is their tiles, paving stones, lights, or carpet. I love that they can be configured in multiple ways.

Hope this brings a smile to your face this Easter: The Washington Post's Peeps Contest

Pre-Easter, the Washington Post holds a contest encouraging contestants to make dioramas depicting current/historical events or pop culture with Peep candy poofs. Every year I marvel at the level of creativity and secretly plan to make my own. What would I make? Maybe I would go with a Weird Science,Tron, 300, or Twilight theme. In the meantime, here are some of my favorites. Head over to the Post's site to check out the last two years of contestants.

If this last picture doesn't look familiar to you, check out the viral video that inspired this diorama.

Daniel Loves Objects

I'm in love with Daniel Loves Objects furniture designs!! Recently Core77, one of my favorite industrial design sites, wrote a post on Daniel and his modern yet whimsical creations. I would love to post more pictures, especially of his Forbidden Fruit Lamp and Cactus Humidifier but I haven't installed Photoshop on my new Mac. In the meantime, to check out all of his designs click here to see his porfolio on Coroflot.

In Slumber...

If you enjoy artists like Adele and videos like her artistically original Chasing Pavement, here is another creative and soulful video for you to feast your eyes and ears on.

PS Sooner or later I will stop being lazy and post more than my ipod playlist. Promise.

Mario Kart Love Song

I happen to come across this cute song on iTunes before I checked out Sam Hart's self-made video on YouTube. If you've ever played Mario Kart (or still do, like me), it's beguilingly delightful how the Mario Brother's references translates into a heartfelt serenade.

Etsy

If there was one place I would do all my gift shopping, it would be on Etsy.com. Today while I was shopping for a farewell gift, I came across so many things I wanted to buy for myself. Isn't that always the case? There is a good chance I will splurging on one (or all ^_^) of these items.

Lets start off with one of the niftiest things that I saw. Pictured above are matchbook business cards by STORYBYMIA. What could be handier than having a "book" of business/calling cards ready in your purse or pocket sans case or carrier. Each set comes with three books of six in yellow, blue, and pink on 80lb stock.


Some other items that I'd love to get my hands are these hats by TOMOKOHARA. Since I prefer knitted hats, I was drooling to death when I saw these. They look so hip and cool in a UK mod way.



My last pick comes from YAELFRAN. I totally love the whimsical nature of this ring. It completely belies the age of the designer, a forty year old mother of two. Looks like she is still young at heart in her designs and especially in her choice of material--shrink plastic!

Dreamy RVs: The Airstream

Today I drooled over the Airstream website. :) If that wasn't enough, I somehow ended up on iTunes listening/watching podcasts of Airstream owners. (Someone please stamp geek on my forhead.) I probably would have ended up in an Airstream forum or worse bidding on one on Ebay if I hadn't stopped myself. Before I stopped, I came across some wise words that clearly conveys the beauty of RVs and their appeal to me. Editor of Dwell, Allison Arieff succinctly states:

"Trailers so perfectly illustrate Charles Eames’ famous maxim, 'good design comes from constraints.' Every inch of space is exploited to the fullest. Every domestic need is addressed..."

How perfect would be to live in a "house" where everything nook and cranny serves a need and no space is wasted. It's been my dream to own an RV forever. Today when I saw the price tag of $45K on a shiny 2007 model, I asked my boyfriend if we could buy an RV instead of a condo/house and live in it for a year or two. (Hehe, I need to enjoy being semi-young and foolish while I can.)

Homemade Video: The Weepies

Two posts ago I wrote about my love for duets from bands like The Weepies and today I came across this painstakingly cute homemade video. It's too lovely, I had to share. As I watched it a second time, I couldn't help but appreciate all the artistry that the maker put into it. O the things we do for the love of art, music, and clay do.