ONE DAD'S EDIBLE TYPOGRAPHY LESSONS









Oh man, I am pretty sure Tommy Perez just won the cool dad of the year award. Turns out he is teaching his two year old daughter, Zöe, about the alphabet (and design! and food!) by shaping her snacks into letters in various beautiful styles—script, sans serif, capitalized, lowercase and more—and then photographing her adorable little hand as she samples the results.The series is called from A to Zöeand shows off Perez's impressive styling and graphic design skills. He posts his images on Instagram and I highly recommend you follow along. In the meantime, you can learn more about Perez, his daughter, and the whole series at Fast Co. here.

VIEWMASTERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY





Oh my goodness, guys! I just found out some pretty fabulous news: Mattel is reissuing the 1980s/1990s cult classic of my youth—the Viewmaster—later this year. You may remember that I had a bunch of these at my wedding with photos of my hubby and me over the years and they were a huge hit with our guests.

Well now, instead of the traditional cardboard wheel with slide imagery, the new Viewmaster will use discs that pair with an app to provide a 3D immersive experience that you can explore, much like a virtual reality simulator. Cool, right? I love that they have thought through the historical use of the Viewmaster—an armchair travel device much like the original stereoscope—and updated it for the 21st century. I know this is supposed to be a "learning tool" for kids, but dang it, I can't wait to get my hands on one for myself this fall.

Learn more about the new Viewmasters here.


LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFTS




If you woke up this morning and thought 'Eeek! Christmas is only days away and I still need gifts!' then never fear! Several years ago I did a round up of my favorite things on offer at Amazon that will ship for free in two days with a Prime membership (I have one; it's totally worth it!). Well, I thought that was a pretty fun exercise, so I am back again this year with an expanded list. Here are a bunch of things that will be sure to please all of the nearest and dearest folk in your life this holiday season and arrive on time!

GIFTS FOR BABIES

one | kid o color steps, $6.88






GIFTS FOR KIDDOS


seven | schylling kids accordion, $18.67



ten | 884 piece lego set, $50


GIFTS FOR GUYS

eleven | clark's desert boots, $39.99 - $149



fourteen | the essential bar book, $16.39


GIFTS FOR LADIES



seventeen | kindle paperweight e-reader, $99

eighteen | razzle dazzle amaryllis plant, $23.99


I am signing off today and will be away from the blog until 2015 (feels weird to say that!). I hope you have a fabulous holiday and enjoy the remainder of 2014 to the absolute fullest. Happy Holidays! See you next year!




*This post is not sponsored by Amazon (or anyone)! I just happen to be a big fan!



KATE SPADE, JAKE SPADE AND GAP: TOO CUTE!

Okay, I know I am super behind the 8 ball on posting this, but how gosh darn cute is the collaboration between Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Gap?! It came out at the end of last month and tons of things are already sold out, but I am still trying to convince myself that I can squeeze my 5'7" frame into a girls extra large (haha, in my dreams) or find a way to use too cool for school pencil case.


Of course, the promotional styling was on point too. Those cut out stars and rocket ships? I am pretty sure they would make the perfect kid birthday photo booth backdrop or, you know, decoration for my living room. Just sayin'. 






I would pretty much buy any of the items above if they came in big people sizes. I am seriously swooning over those bow tie pants and I love the playfulness of the boys sneakers with tiny cartoon eyes on them. I can totally see millions of little boys stomping around delightedly in their 'eyeball' shoes.

If you have a little person in your life—or are lucky enough to be tiny enough to squeeze into these things . . . Mom, I'm looking at you!—check out the selection here before these (very) limited edition goodies are all gone.


(all photos from the Gap website except for the lookbook shots, which were borrowed from Brit+Co)




FEELING CRAFTY . . .




If you have been reading this blog for a while you know that love books. In fact, at this moment as I look around the room I realize that there are hundreds of books within arms reach. Nerd alert!Anywho, while I have to read art history books for my dissertation every day, I get a hankering to read craft and decorating books whenever possible. I get a little jittery unless a do something creative or crafty every couple of days and craft/design/DIY books help stave off that craving until I actually have time in my schedule to make something. That said, I have a constant wishlist of these books saved up in my Amazon cart tantalizing me with fun, inspirational ideas. In case you have similar craft cravings, here are a bunch of the books I have had my eye on . . . one | made by hand, $18.94 | Lena Corwin is a master and this book looks incredible!two | paper to petal: 75 whimsical paper flowers to craft by hand, $15.80 | I have a soft spot for fresh flowers (a rare thing that's actually cheaper in NYC!), but this book might cure me of that habit.three | find & keep, $18.15 | Colorful collections become cool projects? Sign me up!four | playful: fun projects to make with + for kids, $16.73 | Sometimes kids craft books have the best projects! Simple, fun, and graphic, this book has gotten rave reviews and I am dying to sneak a peak.five | martha stewart's encyclopedia of sewing and fabric crafts, $24.92 | I bought a sewing machine this summer and am all about fabric projects these days. Martha's book is basically a bible leading me to a sewing promise land.six | a field guild to fabric design, $18.10 | Speaking of sewing, it is surprisingly hard to find fabric that meets my crazy colorful pattern-plenty standards. Tips in here could spark a serious fabric design habit.seven | decorate with flowers, $17.34 | I am excited to learn all the new ways to use flowers to liven up our tiny apartment. As if I need another excuse to hit the flower stand at the local bodega!eight | design bloggers at home, $21.37 | I draw most of my inspiration from fellow bloggers, so to steal a glimpse into their picture perfect homes is too tasty to miss.nine | surprise-inside cakes, $18.75 | Technically not a craft or design book, but how irresistibly cute do these cakes look? Yay for creative baking projects!ten | pretty packages: 45 creative gift-wrapping projects, $15.57 | I am obsessed with dressing up gifts in fancy packaging and the tips packed into this book look like they would definitely help me step up my game even further.eleven | project kid: 100 ingenious crafts for family fun, $15.86 | More family fun; the cover alone is out of this world. (Get it?! Spaceship? Insert pitying chuckle here.)twelve | bright bazaar: embracing color for make-you-smile style, $20.56 | This is the only book of the group that I actually already own, but boy is it awesome. If you aren't afraid of festooning your home in bright color (or if you are but want a change), don't miss this!
That's is. Anything I missed? I am always happy to add to my wishlist . . . Hope you have a lovely weekend! See you next week!




RANDOM THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY . . .

Just some things I have come across recently that make me smile and are sure to brighten your mood too . . . .




High top sneakers shaped like dinosaurs with a fabulous kickstarter video to boot. (MIND. BLOWN.)




























A hose attachment that lets you fill and tie 100 water balloons in one minute. (Instant summer fun!)
































This amazing illustration (Supermannnnn!) by Phil Jones.



Speaking of masked men, Strongbad is back! (And there goes my afternoon!)



And, last but not least, Jordan (from Oh Happy Day) started an amazing new company selling these colorful string lights. (#wishlisted!)

What makes you (randomly) happy? Anything I missed?



CRAZY CUTE: BABY GAP PADDINGTON BEAR COLLECTION







Oh my goodness (insert excited giggles here)! I just got an email about Baby Gap's latest capsule collection based on—wait for it!—the famous children's book Paddington Bear. After a little research I found these studio shots of babies sporting the new clothes and (holy cow!) I almost fell off the chair from cuteness overload! Seriously, the bear sweater? The yellow boots? The blue toggle jacket? Eeee!

Now it's too bad there are no little nephews, nieces, or babies in my life to dress up in these sweet outfits. But in case you do have a tiny person to spoil head over to Baby Gap here to snatch them up for yourself. (Also check out the adorable promo video here).

Have a fabulous weekend!




SCIENCE!























The other day I read about the amazing Science Cheerleaders and knew I had to share their story with you. Made up of professional cheerleaders who are pursuing careers in science—in the fields of biology, neurology, engineering, math and more—these lovely ladies are out to encourage young women (particularly young cheerleaders!) to get excited about science. Awesome, right? Learn more about their fun, important work here.

And speaking of science . . .








































. . . you may be wondering what these pretty little pouches have to do with the field? Well a percentage of all the proceeds from the Etsy store 'Little Bright Studio', which makes these sweet zippered bags, goes to support teachers in low-income schools teach students science. Love it! Check them all out here.





And then last week I saw this old episode of Ellen on tv with a hilarious segment with Steve Spangler. His motto is 'Make Science Fun' and with this demonstration I think he achieved that goal! He kind of reminds me about this show (and this one!) that I was obsessed with as a kid . . .

Check out more of his great work here.





Last but not least, I wanted to share this inspirational commercial for the new toy company GoldieBlox. Like a combination of Lincoln Logs and Legos, these building-based toys are designed to get kids excited about engineering. In the case of GoldieBlox, though, the toys are specifically created to put girls in the science mindset and let them know they can be anything they want to be. Pretty important message, no?

Thanks for listening to this break for science. Back to our regularly scheduled programming of art, culture and design tomorrow. :)



IN THE EYES OF CHILDREN






Aren't these portraits stunning? Benoit Paillé, a French-Canadian photographer, takes photographs of the eyes of children with one twist: while being photographed the children look at drawings they have done about school bullying. Knowing that you can begin to read the determined, impassioned, innocent even hurt expressions these beautiful children carrying around with them in the wake of torment by their peers. 

The photographs were originally shown as huge (5' x 21') installations at the Towada Art Center in Aomori, Japan in 2011. See more images from the exhibition here and learn more about the project here.

Like this? Check out this project and this one too!


FLEET FEET





























Comfortable. Light. High tech. Just a couple of ways of describing these cool new shoes being developed by Unbelievable Testing Laboratory and being made of Tyvek!! Given the amazing properties of Tyvek—a construction material—the shoes promise to be long-lasting, breathable and water-resistant. Sweet!

What are you up to this weekend? I am going home to Connecticut and contemplating a quick trip out to Cape Cod to hang out with some friends early next week. So, just in case I don't make it back to the blogosphere until late last week, here are some fun things for you to check out:

The Summer of George.

275,000 dominoes.

This would be perfect for a NYC-themed party.

If You Give a Mouse Rat a Cookie; ha!

Speaking of Parks & Rec, I love Aubrey Plaza and think this could be hilarious.

I stopped watching this show a while ago, but boy is this performance impressive.

Beautiful tumblers.

An interview with my grad school professor on his new exhibition at MoMA.

Well, don't these look tasty.

Montage and Chevron look really pretty.

I would like to own this.


Have a great weekend!



(Tip about the Tyvek from here)



I PRESENT TO YOU: KID PRESIDENT




I don't know about you, but I need to push the restart button. Between a crazy schedule at work over the past several months, studying for the biggest test of my life, being sick, tired and generally anxious about the filthy state of my apartment, life has been taking its toll on me!

But that doesn't mean I am feeling down and out. My exam went wonderfully, I am pleased to have countless amazing colleagues helping out at work, it is absolutely beautiful weather outside and, well, today is also my birthday. Throw in my fabulous family and friends and I have a whole lot of things to be excited about and grateful for. Watching this video reminds is just another great thing to add to the list. In case you are feeling a little run down or just in need of a little boost, check out this incredible 'kid president' (he kind of reminds me of this great guy). He is sure to put a smile on your face!

Have a great day everyone!

(thanks to Black*Eiffel for the tip)

p.s. As a die hard Robert Frost fan, I have to say that his analysis of The Road Not Taken is pretty impressive. Ha, my 12th grade poetry teacher would be proud (shout out, Mr. Tippy!).

p.p.s. If, like me, you can't get enough of this little guy, I highly recommend watching this video of the kid president meeting the 'real' president. Awesome in every way.



SWEET DREAMS
































So it's been a long time since I have had a room of my own (minus the hubby!) and it will be even longer before I need to decorate a kid's room, but I am totally smitten with the amazing sheets and duvet covers on offer at the Netherlandish shop Snurk. Seriously how cool are these? I love the photorealism of them—a fitted sheet that looks like the mattress itself, a coverlet that looks like a trampoline (hard to keep them from jumping on the bed, though!), and duvet/pillow sets that make them look like the princess or astronaut they dream of being. Awesome!

Check out all the awesome options in their online shop here.


DR. SEUSS THE MAD MAN






As you have probably figured out from reading this blog, I am very interested in the history of graphic design (see here). So it is with pure delight that I introduce you to these fabulous advertisements created by none other than Dr. Seuss (way back when he was still Theodor Seuss Geisel)! Before embarking on his uber-successful career as a children's book illustrator and author he worked as an ad man, often debuting the quirky characters that would reign supreme in his stories in later years.
Intrigued? Read more here and check out Dr. Seuss' amazing interactive website here.


WHERE THE WILD (LAUGHS) ARE


Thought you might like a little something to make you smile on this dreary day (there's a 70% chance of rain in New York this afternoon!). I meant to post this amazing Stephen Colbert interview of Maurice Sendak when the venerable illustrator died last month but it somehow slipped my mind. No matter, the brilliant author's acerbic wit continues to shine through in this hilarious and endearing interview; turns out Sendak was the perfect repartee partner for the cheeky Colbert.

See more humorous hijinks by Colbert on his website here and view part two of the interview here.

PUT ON A HAPPY FACE


I am putting this wonderful, heart-warming documentary at the top of my Netflix queue. It would be the perfect thing to watch on a rainy day when you have the blahs.


Could this kid be any more creative, clever or straight up adorable? I don't think so. So glad to see his college fund is overflowing with admiring donations!


This guy, journalist Charlie Bird, definitely has the coolest job ever. I think the seal agrees!



Just three amazing videos (recently posted by swiss miss here, here and here) to put a smile on your face this Monday. I am headed to a conference today and tomorrow, so I will see you here again on Wednesday. Until then, don't forget to smile!


CANADIAN COLOR: ANDREW B. MYERS

ANDREW B. MYERS
ANDREW B. MYERS
ANDREW B. MYERS
ANDREW B. MYERS
ANDREW B. MYERS


I am totally in love with the colorful quotidian scenes artist Andrew B. Myers likes to photograph. Something about the color palette (and the nostalgic, childhood-recalling objects) makes these shots seem like dreamscapes or hazy, pastel-infused memories. And wouldn't it be great if all childhood actually looked like this?


Learn more about Myers' work here. And don't forget to enter our delicious Valentine's Day giveaway here; it ends tomorrow!


(thanks to Fast Co. Design for the tip)