HAPPY HALLOWEEN (AND WEEKEND)!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and Halloween! I meant to include the DIY project above—colorful Halloween candy garlands by The House That Lars Built—in the roundup on Wednesday but forgot. Making up for it here!

I have been accumulating lots of fun reading material for you and, on the off chance you are like me and planning to hibernate over the next several days, thought it would be fun to list it all below. Enjoy!

Vital info for insider (candy) trading.

I will not be wearing any of these (ridiculous!) costumes this year. (Pizza rat?!)

I may, however, be learning to draw a person. Adorable!

A Young Man's Follies. A touching glimpse into a stranger's life (and beautifully laid out, too!).

Made me smile: #notonappstore.

Galant, clever, polite ways to say no.

A fact every minute. Perfect to stock up on dinner party conversation starters.

Annie Leibovitz and 400 women. Inspiring.

Finally, for those in the New York area, some excellent shows closing after this weekend:

Robert Morris at Leo Castello Gallery*

Robert Indiana at Craig F. Starr Gallery*

Robert Overby at Andrew Kreps Gallery*

Pierre Huyghe at the Metropolitan Museum

The Xerox Show at Paula Cooper Gallery (my personal favorite!)

*apparently I like artists named Robert?!

AN IDEA FOR FATHER'S DAY: LEGACYBOX

For years my Mom and I have been racking our brains about what to get my Dad on holidays, birthdays and other gift giving occasions. Boys are so hard to shop for, we say to one another. A book, a shirt, a cd? Once you have covered the standards I find it hard to come up with something original, particularly at a time in my family's life when everyone is conscious of trying to live a more clutter-free life.So I was intrigued to stumble across LegacyBox recently. It's a full-service scanning business that takes all your family media—everything from 18mm films to slides—and digitally scans them, sending them back to you as DVDs. The prices look fairly reasonable (anywhere from $75 to $500, depending on the number of items scanned) and will definitely provide the closest thing out there to a trip back in time. I am putting this on the gift idea, for sure!Learn more about LegacyBox here.

ENGINEER PRINT INSPIRATION

I got an email announcement from Photojojo recently (my favorite) announcing they are now offering limited edition engineer prints taken by professional artists. How gorgeous is this shot from Austin Rhee? (And only $35!) What are engineer prints you ask? Basically they are big, inexpensive prints created at copy centers with a streaky black and white effect. And they are all the rage right now!I started thinking about all the cool things people have done with engineer prints . . . 

 

You can get a custom print done at your local print shop or, of course, at Photojojo.

You can make a super cute faux newspaper print for a kid's room or birthday party.

You can blow up a vintage  illustration of a dinosaur and make your own frame for it.

You could make a serene landscape into a minimalist headboard.

You can use adorable photos of your children as larger than life decoration in your living room or nursery.

Tired of this lingering winter weather? How about a tropical wall mural?

Or, a personal favorite, how about some specialty wrapping paper?

The possibilities are endless! What would you do with an engineer print? 

IMPOSSIBLE!

Hold the phone. Photojojo just released some new Impossible Project instant camera film that has my eyes going wide. We know the Impossible Project has been the saviors of the Polaroid film industry for several years now, but they just released something even more exciting (at least for me): film with round borders! Image a truly vignetted portrait in polaroid form! I can't wait to get my hands on these beauties. If you can't either, check out the new instant film offerings at Photojojo here.
(Polaroid nerd like me? You'll like these posts too.) 

DANIEL CEREJO IS AN INSTAGRAM JEDI MASTER

Daniel Cerejo is an Instragram master. His unique experiments with architecture, shadows and an impressive toy collection make his Instagram photos a true joy to discover day in and day out.

Do yourself a favor and follow his feed here.

(Like Instagram? You can also check out my feed here. #shamelessplug Thanks to My Modern Met for the tip.)

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.

FRAGILE FROZEN FRACTALS

WOW. These photographs, taken by Washington-based photographer Angela Kelly, are spectacular. Kelly shot these images of bubbles in the midst of freezing before dawn, where you could see each facet of crystallization forming in all their perfect geometric glory. A perfect set of images for a cold snowy day, don't you think?See more of Kelly's work here and learn more about the frozen bubble shots here.
(Like bubbles? Check these out! Or how about these beauties?)

I'M BACK!

Hooray! I'm back! My beloved MacBook Pro came back from the shop this weekend and when you use your computer as much as I do, the relief I feel in getting it back is akin to the joy you feel sinking into your own cozy bed after a long business trip rife with crappy motel stays. It's delicious. Welcome back Prince Humperdink the Third! I missed you dearly. Anyway, last week when my computer heaved a heavy sigh and quit on me I was in the midst of preparing a post on this incredible photographer you see above named Bernard Lang. He does a lot of very cool commercial work but my favorite part of his portfolio by far are these incredible aerial shots. How awesome are those beach umbrella photos?!! I must have one. Must!Check out all of Lang's very cool and colorful work on his website here.

VIVA ITALIA! THE ITALIAN GRAND TOUR, PART THREE

I am back in action today with the next stop on our Italian Grand Tour: Venice! It's a city of romance, of crumbling buildings and rising waters, of Renaissance masterpieces and seafood specialities. We had a lovely time getting lost in Venice's labyrinthine walkways and sneaking peaks of its chaotic canals. While not our favorite place in Italy (I know, heresy!) it was spectacular to immerse ourselves in a place so steeped with history that every scratch on that wall seems like a relic from a lost era. Museums, churches, and a bit of shopping—we did it all. I am including a bunch of photos below that speak for themselves. If you have any questions about our itinerary leave it in the comments! 

Of course the city looks just as beautiful in color as it does in black and white . . . 

All in all a lovely way to spend a couple days! Here are a few of my favorite experiences/insider tips if you are headed there soon.

favorite church (exterior): Santa Maria della Salute, set on a plaza facing the grand canal!

favorite church (interior): Saint Mark's mosaics are not to be missed.

best way to get in a gondola: take a traghetto, a commuter gondola that ferries you from one side of the grand canal to the other for only 2 euro; there are six or seven crossing points open at any time, so to maximize the ride take one of the routes that cut diagonally across the canal.

best museum (for historic art): A tie between the Venice Guggenheim (now a must see stop for modern art lovers or people wanting a great canal-side resting spot) and the spectacularly chic space of the new Punta della Dogana museum of contemporary art (bonus! it's next to Santa Maria della Salute!).

best museum (for contemporary art): The Gallerie dell'Accademia is in a totally dilapidated building, but has some breathtaking altarpieces and Renaissance paintings (see photo of coffered room above).

best evening activity: Besides getting lost in a new neighborhood, I highly recommend heading to Piazza San Marco and listening to the black tie bands play in front of the swanky bars. It's sounds cheesy but there is something magical about hearing a jazz piano solo while staring at the twinkly lights of a world famous palace and church. (Don't believe me? Check out this video.)

best place for a romantic dinner: A tiny place with super friendly staff that's been winning acclaim for twenty years now, Osterie delle Testiere is wonderful. Get seafood and dessert. You won't regret it.

That's all! Next stop Cinque Terre, to be posted later this week.