his advice is a platypus.


Un Sedicesimo. Frank Chimero
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“It’s hard to make purple work in a design.
Look people in the eyes when you are talking or listening to them.
Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling.
Libraries are a good place. The books are free there, and it smells great.
Keep two books on your nightstand at all times: one fiction, one non-fiction.
Adobe software never stops being frustrating.
If you meet a person who cares about the same obscure things you do,
hold on to them for dear life.
Most important things happen at a table.
It is okay to romanticize things a little bit every now and then: it gives you hope.
If you need an analogy, use an animal.
Be suspicious of lists, advice, and lists of advice.
Everyone is just making it up as they go along.”
.

– a little bit of Frank Chimero’s advice to graphic design students

amster amster dam dam dam.


Zeitgeist / Jungstar. Job Wouters
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Job Wouters designed these super swell flyers for Jungstar (formerly known as Zeitgeist) which, according to the MRKMLM-group’s website, is “a bi-monthly club night at the Sugar Factory in Amsterdam with young and upcoming DJ’s from Europe and the Netherlands…The music is mainly electronic and includes styles such as electro, fidget house, baile funk, baltimore, and acid house.”
.
this is very important:
if you ever find me living
in some ramshackle fidget house,
please schedule an intervention asap.
.
(no cameras).

these are just pretty cool balloons.


maplesyruponly
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Lately, I’ve had a few people tell me that while they think the photos I post here are “pretty” and “cool,” they find my written content really hard to follow.  I’m too confusing, too cryptic, too stream of conscientious, they say. Now I can’t stop wondering, does everyone feel this way?
.
Is my writing hard to follow?
And, if it is, does it bother you?
Do you wish I wrote more clearly?
Or, is it like a fun surprise when you visit?
Like, Ooooh maybe this time I’ll understand her!
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J..U..S..T…..L..E..T…..M..E…..K..N..O..W…..

talkin’ bout my generation.


Documenting the Life of 20-Somethings. The New York Times Magazine
.

According to The New York Times Magazine, this is a snapshot of what it feels like to live through your 20s in the 2010s. Personally, I just skimmed Robin Henig’s accompanying article on “emerging adulthood” because it was, like, 10 electronic pages on why my generation is just a bunch of babies.  Boo!  Old news.  (Molly and I figured this out in 2005).  But the editor’s footnote f-ing rules:
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Robin Marantz Henig is a contributing writer. Her last article for the magazine was about anxiety.
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Damn, this bird knows me.
No, like, she really knows me.
Also, everyone poops.

crazy, lovely.


Colour Me Silly. Jon Burgerman
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I spent the final days of my summer vacation at a crazy-lovely lake house in North Carolina with some of the craziest-loveliest people I’ve met in quite a while. In the weeks leading up to our arrival, the man of the lake house sent out these awesome pre-trip emails and I’m inclined to say that this one was my personal favorite:
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Friends,

The flights are booked. The van is rented. The boat is tuned and the giant snakes that live under the boathouse are fed. Less than 3 weeks until Lake Lure! This year I am asking everyone to bring one special item. This could be a playlist, mix CD, drink, food recipe, game, movie, one-man play, troupe of acrobatic monkeys (though they may not get along with the snakes)…anything you think that will add to the fun (extra points for creativity).
.
Since my insider @ weather.com tipped me off to at least one day of rainytimes, I decided to bring a a Ziplock bag full of paint brushes, a set of 16 Crayola Educational Watercolors, and Colour Me Silly by Jon Burgerman (pictured above).  I’m still waiting to hear back on my extra creativity points.

no worries.


Living the Dream. CDRyan
.

As I was walking back to my apartment from the gym this morning (feeling awesome, obvs), I wondered if just by living in the city you’re automatically a little smarter because you end up using at least 10% more of your brain power just to fucking cross the street.  I mean, I keep my iPod pumped up to 11 and look both ways for pedestrians, bikers, cars, pigeons, signaling taxis, non-signaling taxis, leashed dogs, non-leashed dogs, hidden poop traps, et al in a matter of seconds just so I can be sure some bullshit traffic signal isn’t telling me how to live my life.  I’m a grown ass woman, cross traffic green light.  Leave me alone!  I hate you!  DOOR SLAM.  Okay.  Wow.  That felt good.
.
I think [like a new yorker] therefore I am [a little smarter, quick to anger]?
.
Also, I’m broke.
Please send money.

boy smarts.


100% the same.  borna
.

“Your awkward/repulsive stage will pass. In the meantime, here’s what you need to do: worry less about getting your young teenage self laid and start thinking about getting your eighteen or twenty year old self laid. Join a gym and get yourself a body that girls will find irresistible, read — read books — so that you’ll have something to say to girls (the best way to make girls think you’re interesting is to actually be interesting), and get out of the house and do shit — political shit, sporty shit, arty shit — so that you’ll meet different kinds of girls in different kinds of settings and become comfortable talking with them…get a decent haircut and use deodorant and floss your teeth and take regular showers and wear clean clothes.”

– Dan Savage’s Advice for the Hard Up Teenage Boy

dressed in the dark.


Lord the Air Smells Good Today, Joe Nigel Coleman
.

When I was younger, I used to be afraid of the dark.  I just knew there was something really troubled and terrible lingering in that thick unknown behind my back and my only option was to leap up my basement stairs fast enough to reach the light switch before whatever was back there reached me.  And though my track record for making it to the top unscathed was impeccable, my heart had little affection for history and would still flip and jump with the same ferocity every time.  Nowadays, my fear has subsided substantially and it’s just that I prefer the light / the day, but I’m stating to think this oh-so-soon (and oh-so-necessary) summer vacation might change my tune as I have a distinct feeling there could be something really great lingering in those dark, post-sunset hours.
.
At least, I hope so.

classic rocks.

Metal Links & Turquoise Necklace. The Vamoose
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Hey, kids!  I want to tell you things.  First, these turquoise necklaces are gorgeous.  I really wish I wasn’t in my post rent paycheck empty pocket apocalypse so I could buy one in good conscience and give some love to my sternum.  Second, vamoose.  How ridiculously awesome is that word?  I mean, really.  Dads who like classic rock say vamoose!  Grandmas who drink beer say vamoose!  Counselors who wear cutoffs say vamoose!  This level of cool speak is for reals. Oh man, you know what?  It’s Friday at my nine to five.  F this S.  I say:
.

V..A..M..O..O..S..E..!

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frigid bear.


july + august. sara parks
.

I’m really frustrated about the lack of written content in my recent posts. I haven’t had anything nice to say because things at work aren’t exactly ideal and, even though I try to let it go and ride it out every evening, I’m still aching to leave all this shit.  I have no real prospects, leads, ideas, destinations, end goals, and yet I somehow feel so ready.
.
Ready to get a life, laugh.
Ready to slow it down, relax.
Ready to be a friend, befriend.
Ready to pick myself up, run.
Ready to take a leap, fall.
.
Just so ready (fuck ’em all).

there will be time for that too.


.


Hang With Me by Robyn

will you tell me once again
how we’re gonna be just friends?
if you’re for real and not pretend
then I guess you can hang with me

and if you do me right
I’m gonna do right by you
and if you keep it tight
I’m gonna confide in you
I know what’s on your mind
there will be time for that too
if you hang with me

just don’t fall
recklessly, headlessly in love with me
cause its gonna be
all heartbreak
blissfully painful and insanity
if we agree

oh you can hang with me . . .
.

PS – Right now, Robyn is subletting my iPod.
PPS – I cannot wait until September 7, 2010.

see ya.


See Ya When Ya Get Black. Oda Rosa
.

this week behaved like a spoiled brat with no bedtime.
it gets my lowest mark (a check minus).
remind me again what day it is?
.

I..T..’..S….F..R..I..D..A..Y...

cinque terre, yo.


.

Don’t get me wrong. It would be an absolute dream to be vacationing in Cinque Terre, Italy right now.  But, let’s be honest, the New York Times also just described my bedroom.

rainbow bright.


Prints. Anthony Burrill
.

Fact: Thursdays are great days for life advice.
.
Why?  Because Thursday is far enough from Monday that you probably won’t take it the wrong way or let it sneaky hate spiral your whole week and also close enough to Friday that instead of table-flipping your entire world, it fast passes you to the weekend with nothing but good intentions.
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Good work, Anthony.
Your timing is impeccable.

on the verizon.


.

direct dials down.
but seriously, who cares?
dot com eats ‘em all.

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hot and heavy, pumpkin pie.


Felt Pillows. Love, California
.

Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros


alabama, arkansas
i do love my ma and pa
not the way i do love you
.
holy moly, me oh my
you’re the apple of my eye
girl i never loved one like you
.
man o man, you’re my best friend
i scream it to the nothingness
there ain’t nothin’ that i need
.
hot and heavy, pumpkin pie
chocolate candy, jesus christ
there ain’t nothin’ please me more than you
.
home, let me come home
home is whenever i’m with you
home, let me come home
home is wherever i’m with you
.
lalalala take me home
mama i’m coming home . . .

obama & me, embracing the rut.


Obama’s Rut-Splosion. Adeline Affre
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I decided this afternoon, amidst the fabulous company of my best friend Dan, that although being in a rut sucks ass on the surface, it’s actually kinda great because it means your headspace is sputtering / flailing and a holycrapthatfeltgood rut-splosion is on its way. Seriously. Rutting has always brought significant check pluses (hardruns, goodlaughs, goodcrys, confrontations, ruminations, much needed vacations) into my life while non-rutting has just offered up a totally inactive (albeit tasty) cupcake front-loaded with fear frosting of the inevitable downswing to come.  So, in case you were wondering:
.
yeah, i’m in a rut.
a really big fucking rut.
but it’s awesome – you?

i’ll show you my 3d view-master.


3D View-Master. Emma Kelly
.

1. ...hey fri! .hey sat! .hey sun!
2. ..clouds, but not cloudy
3. ..endless movie previews
4. ..the breeze and the bike lane
5. ..toasted with butter + blueberry jam
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. . . if you show me yours.

remember the icing, very important.


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“Imagine a sweet shop, a really really big one with shelves filled from floor to ceiling – bursting with all sorts of sweets and candy. There is chocolate, liquorice, caramel, sweet and salty, hard and soft – everything your heart desires. Besides the ones you have already picked out as your favorites, the ones you know for sure will not disappoint you, there are still so many boxes and jars filled with intriguing treats, all colorful and tempting and you want at least one of each. It is so hard to choose which ones go in the tiny bag in your hand and which ones you will have to skip.
.
Now, it is important that the selection you end up with is good since you will have to share it with all your friends at home.There has to be both something sweet and something sour, something longlasting and something that gives a moment of delight- it has to be the perfect mix for the perfect night. You must fulfill everyone’s expectations, but it is also important to add some suprises to the bag that will love once they taste it for the first time.
.
It is like developing the ultimate cake recipe. A tad of this, a pinch of that, stir it well, add some sunshine, a little love and a whole lot of creativity and diversity. Stir again and leave it to rest for a while before you add the final secret ingredient and put it in the tin to bake it. Remember the icing, very important! Be careful with the ingredients; good quality raw materials always give the best results.
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At Trailerpark Festival you will get both the cake and the candy.”

– Trailerpark Festival 2010

there’s always room for a but.

Illustrations. Ellie Foreman-Peck
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I average about 0% awesome when it comes to dinner party conversations that get political. I find them absolutely terrifying (the conversations, not the parties, love the parties!) mostly because I have nothing to add since I’d rather spend my time oogling superfab illustrations and graphic designers on my reader than schlepp through internet eyesores (ie 24 hour news urls) so I can figure out let alone give a fuck who’s senate seat is in jeopardy and what Sarah Palin is gonna do about it.
.
But (there’s always room for a but),
.
I’m going all downtown Gordon Brown for Ellie Foreman-Peck’s 102% awesome poly-strations.  Don’t get me wrong, I will still lose the color in my face and close up shop once our small talk gets hot and D.C. heavy, but maybe next time we’ll be at Ellie’s house where one can transition from talking to drawing should the need arise.
.
McWorld!

lovett.


Oil and Acrylic Paintings. Dane Lovett
.

“Lovett works primarily with acrylic on canvas but also explores watercolour and gouache in his works on paper. His works often juxtapose traditional still life with rock and roll iconography such as cassettes and tapes; insinuating a nostalgia for the grunge music of the 1990’s.”

– Chalk Horse