The Craft Begins

I have a sort of love/hate relationship with jellyfish, in that I love them and think they’re fascinating and beautiful to watch but I hate them because I am really allergic and thus terribly afraid of them.  I’ve had my fair share of encounters with the squiggly beasts out there in the wilderness, but I think that I would prefer them in a lovely enclosed container on my desk.

This amazing tank is specially designed to hold jellyfish, which would get sucked up into the water intake of a normal fishtank.  Thanks to great success on kickstarter, you can preorder your tank right now!

I know, I know.  Masterpiece Theater, British TV show, etc., BUT – have you seen the costuming?  It’s exquisite.  I love all of the small details – the patterns, the lace, the beadwork, and oh, the hats.

The show itself is actually quite compelling and I think the acting is amazing – subtle, but well-rounded, and the characters are much more dignified and realistic than I think your typical tv character is.  They do an amazing job of not stereotyping male and female characters, which shouldn’t be a revelation, but really is.

Who knew the early turn of the century was quite so stylish?  I think I might have next year’s Halloween costume in the bag!

Who knew that this classic American standby could be so chic?

Though I think that men find a lot more on offer when it comes to really well made American sportswear classics, this is still a great find.  And I’ve always lamented the lack of the same for women, but it seems that L. L. Bean could be really fitting the bill here.  A tweet jacket with elbow patches?  I’ll take one in every color, thank you!  And with luggage like that, you’d have to try hard not to want to take it on an adventure every weekend.

You can find some amazingly well-designed and hilarious stereotype maps over at Alpha Designer – I’ve just showcased perspectives of the world according to Americans but there’s a whole variety of stereotypes to be had.  Click here to see just how many ways you can view the world!

Photographer Irina Werning has accomplished an amazing project – before and after photos that not only recreate a pose and a feeling but the exposure and texture of the photographs themselves!  Some are beautiful, some are poignant and sweet, and some are just downright funny, but they are all extremely charming and her talent is quite obvious.  Make sure to check out both series one and two.

It’s a wee bit after the fact now, but as I’ve been bad with blogging I figure it’s never too late to share.  Some of my very good friends got married this summer up in the beautiful mountains of Estes Park, Colorado, and I was honored not only to be part of the wedding party but to be able to share in creating some of the memorable details.  Some of my favorites included birch branches that were cut down and turned into tea light holders by the groom, and a wide variety of hand-picked pinecones decorating the tables that I spent months digging for, looking for only the most perfect ones!

They wanted an affair that was rustic, vintage, chic, mountain-y, and somehow highlighted their western spirit (the bride rides rodeo, and the groom’s family is in buffalo ranching).  The challenge was to do so without breaking out the hay bales and the red bandanas.  I loved the way that everything came together visually, and it was an amazing party as well.  Nothing like two-stepping the night away to a killer country band!

If you’ve ever discovered a lost roll of film, forgotten in a box somewhere, and thrilled at the possibilities that it contains, this project is for you.  Brendan Corrigan captured amazing images of cameras that he purchased secondhand containing undiscovered treasures in the films inside.  He displays these alongside the actual photographs that came out of the camera.  It’s an amazing look into small moments in total strangers lives.  There’s something so endearing and yet totally voyeuristic about it.  It’s almost like looking at memories that someone else has forgotten, or that have disappeared into the haze of time.

Hello to anyone still reading – it’s been a while since I’ve posted (which should be obvious); funny how you get busy living and things get away from you.  I’ll be trying to keep this updated going forward, so wish me luck!

How’s everyone doing?