RANDOM THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY, VOLUME ONE

As Rebecca Black says, it's Friday! Friday! Gotta get down on Friday!So I am going down by sharing all the random fun things I have picked up recently but haven't gotten around to posting. I think this will be a new column (posted very randomly, as is only appropriate, ha ha) that I hope will make you as happy as it makes me. Without further ado . . . ONE > Recently during Paris Fashion Week famous supermodels Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) walked the runways and took some epic selfies promoting their eagerly awaited sequel to Zoolander, out in 2016.TWO > I am majorly in love these page flags that turn the edge of your book into a monster showdown in the sky. (Bonus! They also have regular city skylines, forests, deserts and many other scenes).THREE > The cards and prints in the Etsy shop Hooray Today are cute and colorful in equal measure—my kind of store!FOUR > Every slim chic woman of a certain in the city seems have a cool tote for their yoga mat. This adjustable suspender tote by Mimot strikes just the right balance between functionality and fun. Love it!  FIVE > Maps. Rainbow colors. Clean typography. Killer graphic design. English Muffin Shop is definitely worth bookmarking. (Plus, that name! How can you resist?)SIX >  Since its inception several years ago I have been a major fan of Kate Spade's spunky sidekick endeavor 'Saturday'. Popping into their online shop recently I fell into major love with this bright, brushy print.
I would love to hear what random things make you happy in the comments. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

MY DREAM HOME: FEELING DOTTY!

When I was on Pinterest recently I stumbled across a mini trend: decorating small spaces in this fabulous dalmatian-style dot print. I love polka dots but this organic take on it is spectacular!

So, I thought I would start a new installment of 'My Dream Home' featuring none other than—you guessed it—polka dots in all sizes and, apparently, shapes! I know, what took me so long?!

sources: spotted bathroom, spotted entry (painted with a stencil!), spotted bookcase

Click through the link to see more spotty goodness!

EITHER OR WISH LIST: I CAN'T DECIDE!

Hi friends! How was your weekend? I spent it with my parents doing some serious clean up/home improvement projects at my grandmother's house and I have to say, I am wiped! 

So, since I will almost certainly be total couch potato while I let my aching muscles heal today, I thought it only fitting to shin two variations which I am having major trouble deciding between. Care to help me choose? Here are the either/or pairings in my online shopping cart right now . . . which should I pick?

from top to bottom . . . . 

nixon small kensington in gold ($175) or 

nixon kensington leather in natural/silver ($125)*

make it happen gold foil notepad by laracaseyshop ($20) or 

jumbo writing pad by poppin ($8)

kate spade saturday sneakers by pf flyers ($65) or 

converse chuck taylor all stars fancy ox ($55)

black trim correa sandals by toms ($59) or 

yosi samra cambelle flat sandals ($130)

dots iphone case by priscilla peress ($35) or 

emily rickard color study no. 7 iphone case ($35)

So hard to choose! I may just have to buy them all . . . kidding!

*Do any of you married ladies have trouble finding a watch that works with your wedding and engagement ring? Either I find the watch too casual in comparison to my ring's setting or the watch-ring combo just looks overwhelmingly shiny. I look the way watches look, though, and miss wearing one so I am hoping one of these works out!

KELLI IS COOL

Have you ever opened up a website and felt your jaw drop? Well I just spent a very long time looking through the glorious online portfolio of graphic designer and illustrator Kelli Anderson. I am telling you, this woman is my design hero; she rocks color, pattern, maps and bold infographics like nobody's business. Every single image on her site is going straight to my inspiration file.

Do yourself a favor and check out all the Kelli Anderson goodness here.

SUMMER ESSENTIALS

I don't know about you, but I am ready for summer! I finally finished my last week at my job and am delighted to report that I am now a full time student again. Hooray! That means more time to get back to the things I love: photography, thinking up great posts for the O.I., cooking, reading, and spending time with my family at the beach. Sounds pretty good right?

So to get ready for a fun-filled jam-packed summer, I put together a quick wishlist of items that will have you prepped for lazy June days in no time. And can you tell I am on a black, white and yellow kick right now (see here!)?

Without further ado, here's your list of summer essentials:

one.
a statement necklace to rock with shorts and a crisp white tee
geometric wooden necklace, $30

two.
cool patterned pants to throw on for a night out
1969 printed legging skimmer jeans, on sale for $56.21

three.
lovely sandals that go from beach to bar
tabbie t-strap sandals, on sale for $98

four.
protect your tech in style from errant splashes or popsicle drips
clearly cool beach set, $38

five.
a true story that will make your mouth water and the pages fly by
heat by bill buford, $13.16

six.
a lightweight layer with sailor's style
babaton hobart sweater, $85

seven.
this is one beach blanket that won't get lost in the sand
beach blanket in signature zig zag, $50

eight.
big, plush and perfect for warming up after a quick dip
dot beach towel, $34

FEELING DOTTY

This is crazy! Recently a group called Studio Vollaerszwart installed 50,000 fluorescent pink dots on a street in Rotterdam, The Netherlands as part of a big art festival. Can you imagine how cool that would have been to see? It's like something out of a children's book!

The studio has done some other amazing projects too; check out this, this, (holy cow!) this, and (wow!) this.

(thanks to Design Mom for the tip)

KENTUCKY DERBY

Did you watch the Kentucky Derby on Saturday? It was a big day for daytime fun (and big hats!) since it was also Cinco de Mayo. I decided to watch the derby and, as always, was struck but the colorfulness of the celebration.





Not only do people go all out with their fashion—wearing big hats and beautiful dresses (or suits!) in bright hues—but they also go all out with the jockey silks, too!




These were the silks worn by the jockeys yesterday. Aren't they amazing? Apparently the colors and patterns are registered by the horse's owner and this tradition may date back to medieval times where knights jousted. Cool, right? I bet you can pick out my two favorites (the polka dot obsession continues!).

Read more about the derby and the amazing come-from-behind win of 'I'll Have Another' here.


(top photos from the New York Times, bottom photos from the Associated Press; jersey icons from Kentucky Derby website)

LONDON UNDERGROUND: ARTISTS' TUBE MAP

        

          



        

Boy is New York behind the times! Apparently the London Transport Authority has been commissioning artists to design the cover of their underground map since 2004. How cool is that? And the artists they have worked with are big names: such as David Shrigley, Liam Gillick, Barbara Kruger and now (bottom-most image) Yayoi Kusama. Oh and did I mention that the Whitney Museum is hosting a Kusama retrospective this summer? As the queen of polka dots, Kusama is pretty much my artistic hero. I can't wait to see the show!

In the meantime, I would advise you to check out all the other artist maps for Art of the Underground here.

SUMMER CHIC: STRIPES AND DOTS

We all know I love polka dots and stripes and, this summer, JCrew is totally feeding my obsession. It seems like every other top or dress is in one of these patterns (or anchors), but you won't find me complaining!

So without further ado, from top to bottom, left to right:

-------------row one---------------------
Kimono-Sleeve Maxidress, $118
Big-Shot Dot Dress, $158


-------------row two-------------------
Drawstring Tunic in Stripe, $88
Zip-Front T-Shirt Dress, now $69.50


-------------row three-----------------------------------
Vintage Cotton Pocket Tank in Stripe, $29.50
Naomi Top in Polka Dot, $110


-------------row four------------------
Elinor Dress in Polka Dot, $148
Maritime-Stripe Blazer, $118


Have a great weekend! I will see you back here on Monday!

PROJECT THIRTY THREE, REVISITED

   


   


I posted about Project Thirty Three—the very cool album cover archive—before here. But, as you can see, it is definitely worth a revisit. After all, while I am designing my wedding invitations I am looking for inspiration everywhere. I love the way the covers interlace text and shapes so seamlessly—the designs appear both 2D and 3D at the same time.

Get yourself inspired here.