February 29, 2008

Good rug deal at West Elm.

This beauty is on sale - 5'x8' for only $199. Other sizes available. If I needed a rug, I'd be all over this.


beanstalk rug | west elm

February 27, 2008

Greetings from Bruceville.

I'm not a fan of The Boss myself, but I respect those who are. (There are a number of them in my family.) So, Bruce fans, this one's for you. For the rest of you, Strange Maps is a fantastic site. You should check it out.


James Joyce once boasted that, should Dublin ever disappear off the face of the earth, the city could be reconstructed from the references to it in ‘Ulysses’. The maker of this map did something similar: ‘Bruceville’ is New Jersey, as it can be reconstructed out of Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics.

134 - Greetings from Bruceville | Strange Maps

February 26, 2008

Street Anatomy

A lovely blog about the intersection of Medicine, Art & Design. This entry caught my eye.


The Australia Post released this stamp in early February to coincide with Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week. Australia has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the developed world and it is hoped that this beautifully designed stamp will help raise awareness of organ and tissue donation.

Street Anatomy

Choplery utensils.

Sweet.

East meets west in our newest tabletop design. Choplery is made from 100% bamboo and allows for a choice while eating. This design forces the user to make a decision and commit to their eating preference. Coming Soon!

designGO!

(via Design Milk)

Pen-on-a-rope.

Running between floors at work, I'm constantly losing pens. I could really use some of these.


Enamel finish aluminum pens in 4 vibrant colors. Magnetic necklace closure and cap to wear around your neck, hang from refrigerators, file cabinets or any metal surface.

UPPERCASE

Bed Bath & Beyond Thread Count Settlement .

If you purchased multi-ply sheet sets, pillowcases, down comforters, bedskirts, shams, duvets or down pillows that were labeled as “plied,” “two-ply” or “2-ply” from Bed Bath & Beyond between August 1, 2000 and November 9, 2007, you may have a claim for benefits in a proposed class action settlement.

Bed Bath & Beyond Thread Count Settlement :: Instructions for Completing the Claim Form

Garfield minus Garfield.



Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life?


garfield minus garfield

(via defamer.com)

BB space monkeys!

In response to my previous post, my pal Timmy sent me this. It made me giggle.

February 25, 2008

Customizable canvas for kids.

Two things:

1) I wouldn't mind a few of these myself.

2) Maybe it's just me but I find "Jim" as a baby's name hysterical. (No offense intended to those of you out there with Baby Jims.)




Mirror Wall Art, Chalkboards, Posters, Canvases & Art Prints - Decor Delights

With a Can of Air, Hackers Can Steal Encrypted Data From Laptops

This short article kind of fascinating. I'm wondering how long it will take for this trick to make its way into a movie.

All it takes is a can of air and some know-how to unlock the contents of a laptop computer’s memory, even if the data were sealed with encrypted techniques. That’s the argument made by researchers at Princeton University in a paper released this week on the Web site of the university’s Center for Information Technology Policy.

Wired Campus: With a Can of Air, Hackers Can Steal Encrypted Data From Laptops - Chronicle.com

February 23, 2008

Coolest Retro Devices.

Fantastic vintage images.




Dark Roasted Blend: Coolest Retro Devices

(via pocket.info)

Speaking of fonts...

This from The Onion:


Wrong Font Chosen For Gravestone

(via H&FJ)

Political typefaces.

For all you type geeks out there. This made me laugh.


Hillary's snooze of a serif might have come off a heart-healthy cereal box, or a mildly embarrassing over-the-counter ointment; if you're feeling generous you might associate it with a Board of Ed circular, or an obscure academic journal. But Senator McCain's typeface is positively mystifying: after three decades signifying a very down-market notion of luxe, this particular sans serif has settled into being the font of choice for the hygiene aisle.

Ask H&FJ | Hoefler & Frere-Jones

(via Design Observer)

p.s. I have to congratulate H&FJ. Three months ago, I had no idea who they were. Now, it seems like every time I turn on online corner, there they are.

February 22, 2008

Online celebrity fashion auction.

I suspect BB's readers cannot afford this, but you never know. (I can't quite picture millionaires reading my blog. But, if you're a millionaire and you're here, welcome!)

Anyway, if you have a few extra sacks of large-denomination bills laying around, maybe you should bid on Keira Knightley's green evening dress from "Atonement." It's lovely.



Own the green evening dress seen on Keira Knightley in Focus Features’ Atonement. Memorably worn during the crucial emotional and romantic sequences by Ms. Knightley as Cecilia Tallis, opposite James McAvoy as Robbie Turner, the backless dress was taken directly from the production’s archives and is one of a handful that was made specifically for Ms. Knightley to wear during filming. Multiples were fashioned because of the fragility of the dress. The dress being auctioned off was made under the supervision of, and has been authenticated by, Jacqueline Durran, who is nominated for an Academy Award for her costume design of Atonement. (Note: Sketch not included with dress.)

Clothes Off Our Back: Celebrity Clothing Auctions


p.s. The auction is run by Clothes Off Your Back, a non-profit charity organization, founded by Milwaukee hometown actress lady, Jane Kaczmarek, and "West Wing" hubby.

Obsolete Skills.

A wiki. Just scanning the list is pretty funny.

OBSOLETE SKILLS: A - Z


(via The Wired Campus.)

Frozen smiles.

Incredibly weird, but amusing.



FROZEN SMILES

(via outnext)

Lovely toys.

I've said it before; I'll say it again. I love the illustrations on the toys at buyolympia.com.



buyolympia.com: mudpuppy

February 20, 2008

Liz Hurwitz.

There's something about her sweet, kind of deadpan, kind of sad faces that gets me every time.





Art Star Gallery & Boutique :: Philadelphia, PA

NPR – Voting in Milwaukee: With Cupcakes

As a huge National Public Radio nerd, I'm stupidly geeked about this. Via Twitter, Laura C. at NPR's Bryant Park Project NY radio show asked me to snap a photo when I voted yesterday. I sent her a few last night – today they're on the BPP blog.


Granted, they're really crap photos, but I was convinced I was going to get thrown out of the polling place for taking pictures, so I was trying to be sneaky. (Which probably would have gotten me thrown out faster than just taking some pictures.)

How chuffed am I? SO chuffed. Thanks again, Laura. You rock.

NPR: Bryant Park Project – Voting in Milwaukee: With Cupcakes


p.s. The rest of my voting pix, including a snap of the cupcakes, are here.

February 19, 2008

Wisconsin: Cell phones OK'd for 'do not call' list

For the locals here.

Madison - The state Senate today unanimously voted to add cell phones to the state's "do not call" list and raise the maximum fine for violating that law from $100 to $1,000.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton), said it would be the first major expansion of the "do not call" list maintained by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection since it became law in January 2003. Last year, more than 1 million Wisconsin residential phone lines were covered by the list, Erpenbach added.


Read the rest here

Harmonie Intérieure – Les stickers grand format.

I actually squeaked (out loud) in utter delight and surprise when I saw these. They're all vintage-y and type-y and modern, all the SAME TIME. I love.




Harmonie Intérieure ..... atelier de décoration ....... home decoration workshop

(via Apartment Therapy SF & Poppytalk)

Win a Girls Rock! Stratocaster from Fender.

For those chicks about to rock.


For all you budding rockers out there, Fender has generously sponsored the giveaway of a few special, limited edition 'Girls Rock!' emblazoned Fender American Standard Stratocaster in Olympic White. That's right, you're not dreaming. Top of the line Strats. You won't be able to buy them, they're available only during the movie opening! If you are already a member of this website, all you have to do is login and invite at least 3 people who actually become members of the site and you're entered in the drawing. Each of the people you invite will register a special code for you when they join that will show how many folks you've invited. Only invite people you think will join, as they have to actually become members for it to show up on your tally.

Girls Rock! The Movie || Win a Girls Rock! Guitar from Fender

February 17, 2008

February 16, 2008

Make-My-Own-Monster Custom Plush.

If I was a parent, this is the sort of childhood memento I would actually invest in.


Be sure to scroll down and check out some of the kids' creations for sale. (I certainly hope the kids get a cut!)

Make-My-Own-Monster Custom Design Kit at FAO Schwarz

(via Oh Happy Day)

Nightscape Shade.

Gorgeous.


bad banana blog: Nightscape Shade

An unsolicited shopping endorsement/tip.

A few weeks ago, I was looking for my favorite shampoo online. I ran across beautyexclusive.com. Since they offered free UPS ground shipping, I gave 'em a try. They rocked.


They have a great product selection. The prices are the same as retail, the shipping was free, and they filled my order the next business day.

What genuinely impressed me, though, was that everything was packed with such care. The box was lined with beautiful lime green tissue paper. My shampoo was wrapped in matching tissue paper with a black satin ribbon. They even included lovely little free samples.

It's not very often that an online retailer surprises me. This one definitely did. They definitely get the BB thumbs up. Aces.

BeautyExclusive.com - Archipelago Botanicals, Antica Farmacista, Animalia, Korres, Nuxe, Seda France, Slatkin, Tocca, and more!

February 15, 2008

Luggage art.

Not sure how well it would hold up to actual use, but it's fab as a concept piece. I heart luggage.



Maps and kids and lost parents, you cant go wrong. This great looking case measure out to be 23" in length, 17" in width, and 7" in depth. On the front we have our two kids, ready for action, with a map of america as the background, and a red line showing the everlong trip ahead. On the back, we see the same background, but with a classic station wagon, and some very lost adults. All the figures were hand painted and attached to the case.

Etsy :: finalapproach :: The Longest Road Trip

(via the always-fun, always-fab Shelteriffic.)

HIGHMATH – A Viewmaster art magazine.

This is kinda fab – a one-off collaboration between Arkitip magazine and Danish design collective, Wood Wood.




Arkitip™ | Magazines | No. 0044