rambling #37 @ 7:22pm

in my room

Currently listening to The Like.

No international holidays today.

Early this morning, @hruffe (Hillary) and I went to the Kiwanis Rummage Sale in downtown Ann Arbor and to Treasure Mart in Kerrytown.  We didn’t find anything at the rummage sale, but I did find some awesome jewelry at Treasure Mart.  I bought a pin, necklance, pendant, and hat pins.  I’ve recently become obsessed with hat pins and am now becoming obsessed with suitcases like this.  I saw a couple of suitcases that I liked at Treasure Mart, but some wire was exposed on them and I poked myself.

Today was the first time that I went to Treasure Mart, and though it was a little pricier than I had thought it would be, I’ll definitely be returning soon.

My Treasure Mart finds! (Clockwise from left): A brooch and chain made into a necklace; a lovely green pendant; five stick/hat pins.

This past Sunday @sara_bee (Sara) and I put on the design inspiration board at The Michigan Daily office.  I think it looks great (I’ll try to get a picture of that up too)!  We put 16 hooks on a wall and ran a whole bunch of string from hook to hook.  We’re using clothespins to hang up cool designs that we come across in magazines, online, etc.

Haven’t heard back from the people at ffffound.com yet about my invite….

The list:

1) NEED: The Clock Clock.  GENIUS.  See The Clock Clock in action here.

2) Etsy.com. @hruffe and I love this site.  They even have a category called “geekery.” I haven’t bought anything from here yet, but I’m sure I will soon.  Like in two days or something.

rambling #18 @ 10:07am

@ my room

Going to grab some breakfast in a bit.  I am starving.

I went to Saigon Garden for lunch with some friends/people I work with yesterday, and it was dee-li-cious!  That was the first time I went to Saigon Garden, and I will definitely be returning.  If you haven’t been there, make sure you go sometime.  (FYI, I got #33—a spicy Vietnamese noodle soup dish.)

Here’s what my fortune cookie said:  “Your skills and talents will be called on in unusual areas.”

Interesting.

The list:

1) USA Network did a character project!

“USA Network announces the launch of Character Project, an ongoing artistic initiative to celebrate the extraordinary people, from all walks of life, who make this country unique. Inspired by USA’s iconic ‘Characters Welcome’ brand, and with the support of the not-for-profit photography organization Aperture Foundation, USA assembled a team of 11 world-class photographers to capture the character of America during the summer of 2008. The artists’ work is showcased in the powerful photography book entitled American Character: A Photographic Journey (Chronicle Books), which features a foreword by best-selling author and former “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw.”

I want that book.  In the meantime, I’ll settle for looking at the photos on their website.

2) I saw this YouTube video in my American Culture class a couple of months ago.  A classmate had e-mailed the link to my professor.  We’re learning about graffiti now, so I got on YouTube to watch it again.  It’s a pretty cool video.

Off to breakfast now!

rambling #2 @ 9:23pm

@ the fishbowl

It’s wet out, and it’s really cold, but it’s refreshing. I managed to get a good amount of work done today for classes, and my to-do list is becoming shorter and shorter. I love crossing out things on my to-do list–it makes me feel very productive.

I had some red bean mochi ice cream today! I haven’t had mochi ice cream for a few months and forgot how delicious it was. I’ll have to have some again soon. If you haven’t tried mochi ice cream before, you’re missing out!

Here’s the round-up for today. Enjoy!

1) Chris Spooner is a graphic and web designer based in the UK and has compiled this amazing list of tutorials: 50 Illustrator Tutorials Every Designer Should See. I’ve found the “How to Make a Map in Illustrator” and “Design with Swirls and Flourishes” tutorials to be very useful. And best of all, the steps are simple and easy to follow.

2) Isn’t this photo gorgeous? I saw it at ilovetypography.com (a website “devoted to fonts, typefaces, and all things typographical” that you should need to check out). Now I want a wax sealer. Click on the photo to visit Andy Clymer’s flickr account.

3) Speaking of type, you should also visit vimeo.com to see “sturdy typography, motion and kinetic type explorations, and other typographical niceness.” Basically, there are a ton of videos of type! It’s a great distraction, and a great way to put off that American Culture assignment (I’m speaking from experience here). Make sure to check out the Technologic and School of Rock videos.

4) Alexander McQueen has a line at Target! I haven’t bought anything from his line (yet), but from what I can see at Target.com, the pieces seem to be of high-quality construction. I’m not very fond of some of the pieces, but the Alexander McQueen® for Target Studded Denim Jacket in Smoke looks really nice. I love the dramatic collar.