Points and Picas

Things have been quiet around here...

2010-01-28T17:20:00.003-06:00

Yeah, so I have been busy with stuff and have sort of neglected this blog. I may start posting again soon but right now I am starting a new blog with Jason all about our jukebox, Jolene. So head on over and check it out.

I smell wedding present

2009-05-13T13:41:00.005-05:00

Even though I love my new Gocco and it has been good to me thus far, I am not going to ignore the fact that supplies are becoming increasingly hard to find and are outrageously expensive. But there is a glimmer of hope since the YUDU hit the market.

Its a more advanced at home, all-in-one, silkscreening kit. It has a significantly larger screen size and supplies are readily available. The cost of the actual machine is kind of steep but I think it would be a good investment or an equally amazing wedding present. (hint, hint)

Almost Done...

2009-04-22T22:11:00.003-05:00

The portfolio show is less than two weeks away. It's crunch time. Still more designing, silk screening and book binding to do!

I totally got this one down...

2009-03-09T15:55:00.001-05:00

The Cut Copy Dance

Take Note...

2009-02-23T15:52:00.003-06:00

I wish everyone would follow the advice on this poster. Unfortunately, even today in class, someone whipped out Papyrus. On on guys, we graduate in 10 weeks! Lose the Papyrus.

Criterion Inspirations | Two-lane Blacktop

2009-02-07T16:23:00.001-06:00

Amazing.

Wedding Stuff | Save the Dates

2009-02-06T06:33:00.003-06:00

Our Save the Date cards. I did the hand lettering on the banner and we took about 50 photos to come up with the two chosen. We are working on a budget and these ended up costing less than 50 cents each to make!

Gocco!

2009-02-05T14:35:00.002-06:00

I have been wanting one of these for quite awhile and this morning I finally received my lovely package from Japan. I can't wait to get started. I am printing our wedding invites, thank you cards and I am also using them for my business cards. This will satisfy my silk screen needs till I can set up an actual studio.

Criterion Inspirations | if...

2009-02-05T10:13:00.004-06:00

Cover and packaging done by my favs, Aesthetic Apparatus.

Criterion Inspirations | The Ice Storm

2009-02-05T10:09:00.003-06:00

I love how striking a simple cropped photo of ice on a window and be so striking and say so much about the movie.

Coolest Thing Ever | Nerdy Typography

2009-01-07T10:26:00.004-06:00

Whoa there...

2009-01-06T14:56:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:18:00.000-06:00

Happy 2009!
It's going to be a busy year! Graduating in May, getting a job, then the wedding in October. Phew!

Gettin' Hitched

2008-12-31T18:57:00.005-06:00

Jason and I are tying the knot! That means we have lots of planning to do before October! I have started a mini wedding blog through Tumblr to keep track of my ideas and inspirations all aspects of the process. Check it out to see all the thoughts running through my brain.

Winter Hibernation | Video Games

2008-12-17T22:58:00.002-06:00

So winter is officially here and it's going to be sticking around for awhile. To prepare for this, Jason and I have been geeking out enough for the past few months to build up a huge arsenal of things to keep us occupied during the winter.

First off, we have spent a ridiculous amount of money on video games. We bought Rock Band awhile back ( I can't wait for The Beatles version), I still have about 4 games to finish on my DS, we downloaded Dr. Mario and Tetris on the Wii, and then there are the life consuming Little Big Planet, Animal Crossing and Grand Theft Auto. To top it all off, we also have an NES and SNES emulator hooked up to the tv with any game that ever came out on those systems available to us.

Jeesh, I will never go outside.

Mix Tape | End of Semester

2008-12-08T23:01:00.002-06:00

Finally...

2008-12-02T22:58:00.004-06:00

Life magazine is uploading their entire photo archive to Google images. They are high res and they are amazing. Many hours have already been spent pursuing.

A song I can never get out of my head...

2008-11-15T12:08:00.000-06:00

Another chance to vote!

2008-11-11T23:07:00.004-06:00

This time it is voting on what kind of dog the Obama's should get.

Coolest Thing Ever | Flip Clock Screensaver

2008-11-11T22:46:00.006-06:00

It turns your computer into a flip clock.
So simple, so striking, so useful.

Get a load of this...

2008-11-10T23:17:00.003-06:00

I got a new 15 inch MacBook Pro last week and I couldn't believe the size difference of the box compared to my old 12 inch iBook G4. I am glad to see that they put lots of thought in waste reduction.

Mark Your Calendars | Aesthetic Apparatus Studio Warming

2008-11-07T18:50:00.002-06:00

WHAT: Aesthetic Apparatus Studio Warming Extravaganza
WHEN: Saturday, November 15, 2008 - 6PM
WHERE: 2215 Snelling Ave, Minneapolis MN. 55404
WTF: FOOD, DRINKS, AESTHETIC APPARATUS PEOPLES

These guys are my gods, there is no way I am missing this.

Coolest Thing Ever | This photo

2008-11-06T12:15:00.009-06:00

Classic.
from BGLewandowski

Exposing the Screen

2008-11-06T00:45:00.004-06:00

Home Page

Interior

This is the website I created for my Dreamweaver midterm. It isn't officially online yet, but should be soon. I will update later.

I just decided...

2008-11-06T00:42:00.004-06:00

This may be one of my favorite albums of all time.

Recent Purchase | Of Montreal Album/Tote

2008-11-06T00:29:00.006-06:00

Ok, for those of you who don't know, Of Montreal is amazing. And they just released a new album. And their album formats are outstanding. You can purchase it the normal ways: CD, vinyl or digital download OR you can get a nifty item that includes a code for a digital copy of the album. The nifty items consist of a shirt, wall decals, paper lantern, or tote bag. I went the tote bag route and am so happy to have my album purchase be a functional item and not just a cheap plastic case sitting on a shelf.

Yes We Can

2008-11-04T21:17:00.000-06:00

Forget Paint-by-Number!

2008-10-23T23:35:00.005-05:00

Jason and I bought a couple of cool little paint-by-number sets awhile back. But it is hard to find enough time to gather all the supplies, get comfy and paint. Plus there is all the clean up!

Well, during a trip to Michael's we discovered a great alternative to campy apartment art--ScraperFoil! It's like paint-by-number but with scratch board!

The images are amazing, the process is simple and your friends will be so jealous. We picked two of them, the wolf and a pair of dolphins. I highly recommend these.

In My (web)Sites | eatPES

2008-09-14T22:13:00.004-05:00

Here is an amazing video from PES. It's called Western Spaghetti and it's simply magical.

Recent Purchase | Water is Yummy!

2008-09-14T22:08:00.003-05:00

I have had my eye on this water bottle for awhile and today I just had to give in.

I miss...

2008-09-11T23:27:00.005-05:00

Kings of Convenience.

We're Moving!

2008-08-29T17:26:00.006-05:00

Jason and I are bustin' out of Uptown proper and heading to a quiet neighborhood surrounded by lakes. It is going to be lovely. We have been wanting to move since February and we finally found a great apartment with a great location. The one thing I find confusing is the faux fireplace. What is the point of that?

Deco File

And with new apartment comes new decorating ideas. To help me keep all ideas and inspirations I find on the web organized I am using a brilliant feature from dominomag.com called Deco File. With Deco File you save images from your favorite web sites and blogs and them organize them according to room, color, theme or whatever you like. It beats the heck out of saving hundreds of bookmarks and trying to sift through them all.

Homegrown Cinema Series Poster

2008-08-14T22:54:00.002-05:00

The poster I made for the second running of the Homegrown Cinema Series.

Featured Designer | Mike Davis

2008-07-22T20:27:00.006-05:00

Mike Davis is the man responsible for the ABC poster I purchased a few months back. This is a little Q&A grainedit.com did with him.

Coolest Thing Ever | Font Conference

2008-07-22T20:27:00.005-05:00

In My (web)Sites | Handwritten Typographers

2008-07-22T17:10:00.007-05:00

Handwritten Typographers shows the actual handwriting of some of the industry's top type designers compared to the fonts they design.

Blast From The Past | Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme

2008-07-16T00:00:00.005-05:00

For awhile I thought I may have imagined this entire movie, but after a little searching on good ol’ YouTube I now have proof that I am not completely crazy. I remember watching this strange, trippy interpretation of Mother Goose rhymes many, many times. But it hasn't been till now that I can appreciate the bizarre, star-studded(?) cast.

Here is a sampling of the stars:
• Cyndi Lauper
• Bobby Brown
• Art Garfunkel
• Little Richard
• Debbie Harry
• Woody Harrelson
• Howie Mandel
• Randy Jackson

This gem has yet to be released on DVD but if it ever does see the light of day again, I will be first in line to purchase it. But there will probably not be a line.

Start watching the movie here. It is about 9 parts, so sit back and enjoy.

Coolest Thing Ever | Russian Winnie the Pooh

2008-07-15T19:43:00.004-05:00

Even without understanding one word of what they are saying, this 1969 Russian version of Winnie the Pooh is simply irresistible.

Vinni Puh - Part One
Vinni Puh - Part Two

Musical Husband(s) #3 | The Carleton Singing Knights

2008-06-20T19:21:00.003-05:00

These guys are outstanding. They are an a cappella group from a college in Northfield, MN and they are nothing short of amazing. I almost cried when I saw their repertoire of songs.

Just see for your self:
• Andrew Bird - A Nervous Tic Motion
• Flight of the Conchords - Sello Tape
• The Zombies - Care of Cell 44
• Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

And well, the list just goes on. I can't believe I have gone on living here this long and not known that these wonderful boys exist. I will definitely be attending their next performance.

In My (web)Sites | Grain Edit

2008-06-17T21:55:00.003-05:00

Grain Edit is one of my favorite design sites. I feel like no other design site has matched my design aesthetic so perfectly.

From website:
Grain edit is focused on classic design work from the 1950s-1970s and contemporary designers that draw inspiration from that time period. Site content includes interviews, articles, designers’ libraries as well as examples of rare design annuals, type specimens, Ephemera, posters and vintage kids books from our bookshelves.

Guilty Pleasure #8 | Rodelbahn

2008-06-17T21:36:00.007-05:00

So as a previous post states, I watch Rick Steves' Europe. Alot. Maybe too much. But that’s not the point. The point is that one particular episode has struck me as having “the most fun activity I have never tried” featured in it. I am of course talking about Rodelbahn.

Rodelbaun is basically a slide built into a hill that you slide down on a little cart. And basically I need to go on one of these. I have even considered taking a Rick Steves' tour that conveniently visits one.

Bonus:
I found this video which is probably the closest thing to actually going on a Rodelbaun. It is especially awesome because the music is nerdy and the guy has a great accent.

Mark Your Calendars | Poster Offensive 4

2008-06-17T21:02:00.009-05:00

Poster Offensive 4

From grainedit:
Poster Offensive is partnering up with the organization, Provention: A group of Minnesota artists offering a peaceful welcome to the GOP conventioneers as they arrive in town. The Poster Offensive is a non-partsian poster show dedicated to the promotion of peace and democracy.

Participants include: Aesthetic Apparatus, Peet Fetsch, Todd Bartz, Boyd Brent , Kelly Munson and many others.

August 15 - September 15, 2008

The Black Dog Cafe

308 Prince Street St. Paul MN 55101

Opening Reception: August 29 5pm

October 3 - October 12. 2008

1224 2nd Street NE Minneapolis MN 55413

Opening Reception: October 3 5pm

Coolest Thing Ever | NaniBird

2008-05-15T17:16:00.002-05:00

These cute little NaniBirds are a great little do-it-yourself rainy day activity. Just download, print them, cut them out and enjoy these inquisitive little birds.

In My (web)Sites | Tony Stark: Your Go To Guy!

2008-05-04T15:27:00.006-05:00

In honor of the release of Iron Man:

Tony Stark: Your Go To Guy! is an excellent blog where artists and illustrators post their own interpretations of Iron Man. They are all pretty amazing.

Just Found...

2008-05-02T19:13:00.003-05:00

in a brown paper bag in the Dunn Bros. lost and found.

My life is truly blessed.

Just Read...

2008-05-01T14:28:00.007-05:00

I was introduced to the Blue Monday series a few years ago when a classmate of mine recommended them to me. She let me borrow the first three volumes and I was instantly hooked. The story follows a girl named Bleu who is obsessed with British culture, Pepsi, boys and Adam Ant.

One of my favorite features of Blue Monday is that it makes loads of music references and at the beginning of each comic, there are songs listed as the “soundtrack” for the story. This really helps to put you into the right frame of mind.

The books are currently out of print so I hunted the first volume down on Amazon. It ended only costing about $7 with shipping. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

In My (web)Sites | The Rather Difficult Font Game

2008-04-20T22:04:00.002-05:00

This is a very simple, yet difficult multiple choice font game.

Even if you don't know exactly what it is, you can usually employ the process of elimination

Musical Husband #2 | Elvis Costello

2008-04-20T21:50:00.004-05:00

I don't care how old he is, I would marry this man in a heartbeat.

You can't beat a geek in glasses that can play guitar.
Check out this little ditty, its one of my favorites.

To the max...

2008-04-20T20:31:00.005-05:00

My brother and I have this thing where whenever we go to Davanni's, we play the doodle game.

Here's how you play:
1. Make a squiggle.
2. Pass the squiggle to the another person.
3. That person uses the squiggle to make a drawing.

Easy, right? Even people that think they can't draw can make some pretty amazing doodles.

Here is some of what we have done.

(If you look in the upper right hand corner, you will see John Travolta...as a ghost.)

Anyway the point I was trying to get to was the this guy, Stefan G. Bucher, does the doodle game to the max. He creates a monster a day by using a ink blot. Awesome.

And yet another...

2008-04-14T20:47:00.003-05:00

My latest poster purchase. I got it at the Burlesque of North America secret poster show. It is a whopping 6 color print. Yum yum.

Nerd Alert “#2”

2008-04-14T20:33:00.005-05:00

Awhile back, I was watching one of my favorite game shows, Jeopardy. About half way through the program, I sat up with a jolt when I noticed this:

Jeopardy totally uses dumb quotes.

If you are reading this and it doesn't upset you, read what this guy had to say about it. It pretty much sums it up.

Guilty Pleasure #7 | Phantom Planet

2008-04-05T15:42:00.008-05:00

Phantom Planet

Ok ok ok ok. So I have never really thought of this band as necessarily a guilty pleasure before. Mind you I have been a fan of theirs long before that devil show ( hm hmph...The O.C.) used their song California as it's theme. And because of this I found out that outside my mind and my River Falls dorm room, they aren't the coolest band around.

Well, I still think they are pretty cool. They have a new album “Raise the Dead” (which was supposed to come out about 3 years ago) which is being released on April 14th. They are touring for this album but to my disappointment they are touring with Panic at the Disco and playing at the Myth and tickets are $35. Triple blow.

But no tears will be shed. I have seen them many times and my friend Lynn and I are even on their concert dvd “Chicago, Chicagoing, Chicagone.” We waited about 6 hours in a bar, too young to drink, just to get in the front row. But while we were waiting, James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins fame stopped in the bar. I bought him a lemonade.

Here is a clip of the intro of the dvd, unfortunately I couldn't find any of the concert footage. But we have developed a great drinking game for the dvd that involves taking a drink anytime Lynn touches her hair, which happens alot. Like, 50 times alot.

Nerd Alert

2008-04-05T15:28:00.003-05:00

Jason and I were watching one of my favorite movies, A League of Their Own, last night. I know it's strange but I have a thing for baseball movies.

Anywhoo, I have always loved the look and feel of this movie. It seemed like a lot of time and care was put into giving the movie a very authentic 1940's setting. Then I noticed something that stuck out like a sore thumb. During one of the scenes, there is a banner proclaiming "Catch a foul, get a kiss." Well, thats ok except that is was written in Banco, a typeface introduced in 1952.

tsk tsk Penny Marshall.

Guilty Pleasure #6 | Pocky

2008-03-26T23:26:00.003-05:00

So dark.
So distinctive.
So good.

Alpha-doodles

2008-03-25T23:03:00.003-05:00

I have a sketchbook similar to this except I would draw out complete, existing fonts. I would practice trying to copy them exactly and also loose and sketchy. It is a good way to get a feel for different letter-forms.

Hell yes...

2008-03-25T18:24:00.004-05:00

For those of you that don't know, I can predict the future...or maybe even control it. Specific examples aren't really necessary, just trust me on this one.

Now a few days ago, Jason and I were in the car listening to the Current and they were talking about the big announcement of the bands that are going to perform at this years Rock the Garden held at the Walker in June. I asked Jason who he thought would be performing and he said he had no idea. Then he asked me and I gleefully replied, "Andrew Bird!" And Jason not totally aware of how great my mind powers are said, "They are going to have a bigger act."

And guess what? Mr. Bird is in fact going to be rocking the garden along with the always lovely New Pornographers and Bon Iver.
My mind powers win again.

I am definitely going to be saving my pennies for this one.

Oh Hey...

2008-03-18T23:10:00.002-05:00

Remember AOL keywords?

Every product, show, person, etc., would tack on a AOL keyword on the end of ads and things.

It's almost as cute and funny as CD-ROMS.

Whoa... (the catch up post)

2008-03-18T22:49:00.003-05:00

So I have been really super lazy with this blog. Things have been pretty busy. I am mostly trying to deal with the weather constantly playing with my emotions. But the good news is that my birthday is coming up and it is on the first day of spring (according to some calendars), so we have nothing but sunny skies ahead.

I have been watching way too many travel shows lately and now all I want to do is travel.

Damn you PBS.
Damn you Rick Steve's Europe.
Damn you Rudy Maxa.

I want to visit so many countries, I don't even know where to start. My latest favorite was the show on Switzerland, so now that may be on the top of my list. Norway, Sweden and Finland are also in the running for the top contenders. And Great Britain has always been a must for me. Some of my favorite things came from there: The Beatles, The Naked Chef, The Office, Horatio Hornblower. ahhhh, it will be lovely.

Other than that, my life has been filled with school, work, and busy-ness.

I promise I won't slack off so much.

Guilty Pleasure #5 | Katamari Damacy

2008-03-07T21:07:00.005-06:00

Katamari Damacy.
The King of the Cosmos accidentally destroyed all the stars in the sky while drunk.
Now you, the Prince, must roll up objects into a ball and rebuild the entire universe.

But, really, the story doesn't even matter, this game is just amazing. It is easy to learn, easy to play and easy to become completely addicted to. There is nothing but non-stop, crazy colorful imagery and the most annoying/wonderful songs on the soundtrack. Even after you are done playing the game, you will still be in a daze, mumbling the songs and wanting to roll up everything you see.

If none of this makes sense, just play the dang game. You will surely get it then.

Free Fonts | Fresh Fonts

2008-03-04T21:55:00.002-06:00

Gelvetica / Tomatica / Heldentica are three new (and free) fonts that have been created by Autobaun using toothpaste and ketchup. It interesting to see the process from tube to type.

Recent Purchase | Duluth Trip

2008-03-04T21:18:00.008-06:00

So I have been kind of a bum since we got back from our mini vacation, at least as far as blogging goes. But, I am back now and everything will be o.k. my little ones.

Now lets get to the blogging:
In Duluth, Jason and I did a little shopping and I picked up some great things. When I saw this first one, I think I actually screamed.

A Hard Day's Night Tumblers

That's right Beatle drinking glasses. I saw these in the oh-so-nerdy BeatleFest catalog and there they were, waiting for a good home.

Ray Fenwick Coin Purse

Mr. Fenwick was one of my past featured designers and I could not resist this charming little bit of irony that fits conveniently in my pocket. My personal favorite phrase on the purse is "Awesome Car Payments" because will all know how awesome they really are.

Poketo

These designer wallets are amazing. There are dozens of designs to choose from and each one comes with a matching button! I was so happy to find them on sale for $10. It is a divine wallet.

And We're Off...

2008-02-29T09:18:00.002-06:00

Jason and I are headed out of town until tomorrow. So we will be back with more blogging goodness then, my lovelies.

But here is something to keep you busy:
Japanese Juice Bar!

Later Gators.

Amish v. Hipster | Battle #3

2008-02-28T19:56:00.004-06:00

FAMOUS PEOPLE!

HIPSTER CELEBRITY!

AMISH CELEBRITY!

Now in this batlle I have to give a ton of credit to the Amish for saving us from seeing any more Home Improvement and Look Who's Talking movies. Thanks Amish.

in My (web)Sites | Linotype FontExplorer X

2008-02-28T19:40:00.004-06:00

FontExplorer X is a free font management program that will help you keep your sanity when trying to find the perfect font for a project. There are other font management programs out there that will cost you quite a bit, but if you are just starting out, this will do just fine. I have thousands of fonts on my Mac and sorting through them is now a breeze. You can organize them anyway you choose: tag them, name them, make cute little font folders, whatever you heart pleases. You can activate/deactivate fonts so every font is not being uploaded when you open Quark or what not. I can spend hours monkey-ing around with this nifty little program.

Check it out, y'all.

Guilty Pleasure #4 Update

2008-02-27T21:59:00.004-06:00

Just so you know exactly how amazing these guys are, I thought it might be helpful if I gave you one more visual example.

Their Ultimate Album Cover.

Well, most of their covers looked like this: just the two of them, alone, and usually sweaty. Alot of thier videos from the 80's were pretty much the same too, hence why I posted the live 70's performance. I was trying to do you all a favor.

Check out their other great hits!

Private Eyes
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Maneater

Guilty Pleasure #4 | Hall and Oates

2008-02-27T11:14:00.004-06:00

Hall and Oates... I love these guys far more than a normal person should.

Andrew Bird Bonus!

2008-02-24T15:01:00.001-06:00

Dr. Stringz!!

Musical Husband #1 | Andrew Bird

2008-02-24T14:19:00.004-06:00

Andrew Bird is simply amazing. He has an outstanding voice and can play the hell out a violin, mandolin and glockenspiel. And to top it all off, he is a professional whistler. He has perfected a complicated looping system so that when playing solo, it sounds as if he is backed by a half dozens players. The man is outstanding.

I have hade the privilage of seeing this man perform three times.
Once at a zoo.
Once at an intimate Q &A session.
And once at First Ave.

All were wonderful.

Here is a lovely video of Andrew wandering the streets of Paris whilst playing. He is just like magic.

Hipster Bonus!

2008-02-22T12:22:00.002-06:00

Amish Bonus!

2008-02-22T11:52:00.001-06:00

Featured Font | Gotham

2008-02-22T10:06:00.003-06:00

This font has been getting some buzz lately. It has only been around since 2000 so it is still a baby. But now its time to shine has come, it is the “official” font for the Barack Obama campaign. Type nerds everywhere took note.

This video is one of the special features on the DVD for the movie Helvetica, which everyone should see. It is a great film and it really makes you stop and appreciate this font that you see everywhere.

This video knocks my socks off!

2008-02-21T18:58:00.001-06:00

in My (web)Sites | Thinking With Type

2008-02-20T18:10:00.006-06:00

thinkingwithtype.com is a great resource for type basics and also a great place to indulge in a little typographic humor.

The site is a companion to a book of the same name. The beauty of the site is that you get mostly the visual side of what would be in the book. Hooray for pictures. It lays everything out very clearly with the three catagories of letter, text and grid. They don't go into too much detail explaining everything but it serves as a great refresher or a quick introduction to typography.

Once you are done actually learning something, they have a few nerdy type games. One of my favorites is “The Personals” where you read the personal ads for different fonts and then deciede if you would like to pursue a relationship with it.

They also have a Special Characters pop-up window so you can make a double ff ligature in a jiffy!

I Wish...

2008-02-19T17:24:00.003-06:00

I wish that people (aka my fellow graphic design students) would realize that 12 point is way too gigantic for body copy (in most cases). It looks so tacky! Come on people! Embrace the white space and make the text smaller!

But, this is just wishful thinking.

Featured Designer | Jeremy Pettis

2008-02-18T21:22:00.005-06:00

Twenty-Six Types of Animals by Jeremy Pettis. A great and original use of type. Also quite educational! Get to know your animals with Jeremy!

P.S. His site scrolls sideways, it took me awhile to figure that out.

Amish v. Hipster | Battle #2

2008-02-18T21:02:00.002-06:00

THIS WEEK'S BATTLE- FACIAL HAIR!

HIPSTER!

AMISH!

This is a tough one, the hipster looks like that because he wanted to be cool. The amish man looks like that because he wanted to be married.

Which is more hardcore? hmmmmm...

Recent Purchase | Five Year Diary

2008-02-17T21:21:00.004-06:00

I just got my Five Year Diary in the mail yesterday. I managed to run down to the mailbox and grab it before the guy who has been tampering with the mail in our apartment got to it. I have been wanting this diary for some time now and one day I just gave into to the urge and ordered it. Now even though I have this handy dandy blog to keep track of happenings in my life, I felt I needed something beyond the digital format. Something I could carry with me, draw in and hide in the rafters of a creepy old house so someone could find it years after I am gone.

And this five year diary seemed the perfect choice. I am too lazy to sit down and write a whole page everyday, so the 4-5 lines provided for each day will suit me just fine. I don't want great detail or the ramblings of my inner thoughts. (I do enough of that here.) I just want to look back and remember what my day-to-day life was like.

I can not wait to get the next five years started.

Featured Designer | Ray Fenwick

2008-02-16T21:22:00.019-06:00

Ray Fenwick...oh Ray Fenwick. He is my favorite non-traditional typographer/
illustrator/pattern designer of all time. I first came across his work while I was going through a mega Threadless phase. And I do mean MEGA. I purchased about 20 shirts from said website whilst going through said phase.

I was really drawn to the shirt
A. because it was typographicly striking
B. I love hand rendered type
C. it was awsome

I soon purchased another of his shirts and then looked into the man behind these amazing designs. And that is when I found Ray and fell head over heels. Not only does he do typograhic designs he also is a total wiz at pattern design. And not like your grandma's wallpaper patterns, but funny yet beautiful patterns. For example the picture to the left is actually a pattern. And no one can deny the awsome-ness of it. His site features loads of examples of his work including some prints that he made featuring the lyrics to a bunch of L.L. Cool J songs hand written out.

I really now regret not purchasing the Ray Fenwick bed sheet I found at Urban Outfitters. I thought they were too expensive and didn't get them. A few days later I decieded I really wanted them and by then they were gone. Oh well, that's my fault.

But visit his site if you have a chance. It always a really good time.

Amish v. Hipster | Let's compare and contrast

2008-02-16T11:24:00.003-06:00

Here is a fun new feature for my blog!

I am going to compare and contrast Hipsters and the Amish. I came up with the idea last night and I don't remember exactly why I chose these two particular groups of people but right now the combo is sounding pretty good.

So this is how it's going to go:
Every now and again or whenever I feel like it, I will pick a topic and compare the hipster option versus the amish option.

THIS WEEK'S BATTLE - TRANSPORTATION!

HIPSTER!

AMISH!

Oooooo. This is a battle that is going to rage on for some time.

Messing with the blog, yo.

2008-02-14T22:20:00.003-06:00

I am trying to find a better layout/color scheme than the ugly colors it is right now. So just sit tight if things start to look strange. They will be fabulous soon... maybe.

Go do something with your life...

2008-02-14T15:40:00.007-06:00

... learn how to yodel. Hipsters are not invited.

Jason has a blog!

2008-02-11T21:17:00.000-06:00

The magical and mysterious director/editor/writer/producer/sound boy genius/rock and roll star/boyfriend, Jason Lynn Mitchell has started his own blog. It's nifty and so is he, check it out, yo.

The Sickness Continues

2008-02-11T20:53:00.000-06:00

While writing my post about the Daniel Johnston concert on Saturday, I was casually browsing the web and decided to check the Aesthetic Apparatus website to see if there happened to be anything new. Well, there was. It was a poster they made promoting a poster sale that they were having THAT DAY!

How had I not heard about this before? They were holding an amazing $5 poster sale at Grumpy's downtown and I just had to go. The problem was, it started at 6 pm, which just happened to be the exact time I started work that day. Crap. But luckily, the sale went on till 11:30 and I only had to work till about 10:30. Perfect!

The only thing now that was standing in my way was the -50 degree wind chill forecasted for that night. But guess what, I am tough as nails (yeah right) and Jason and I braved the cold and lack of parking to attend the sale. By the time we got there, the $5, slightly imperfect posters, were pretty much picked over. But we did find one $5 poster of a movie that Jason's teacher made.

So we nabbed that.

In addition to the $5 posters they had a bunch of there other posters and merchandise for sale at there online price of $20 to $50. I was very excited to see the Boogie Nights poster that I have wanting to get for Jason (and myself) for quite some time. I knew the online price was $30 but I asked about it anyway. They said that tonight only it was $20. Awesome! Then when we said we would take it, they realized it was the last one and it had tape all over that back and a small dent on the bottom, nothing major. Because of that they gave it to us for $15. Even more awesome! And the thing is huge! The poster, I mean. Not Dirk Diggler's you-know-what. Well... maybe that too.

Then I stumbled upon this amazing Decemberists poster from a show they did in Germany. It's the shit.

Then for being such a geek and spending so much money, I got a bonus mini poster for free!

So now I got posters coming out my ears and I have to try and hunt down frames for all of these. But I couldn't be happier.

Tie Your Shoes Cool!

2008-02-09T16:05:00.002-06:00

Are you bored with your shoes being laced in the same ol' boring way? Well our friend Ian came up with 33 different methods to lacing up shoes. The website is almost creepy in the amount of detail put it to the description of each method. Each one even has their own pro-con list. And I am even going to admit that I have tried out a couple of these wonderful lacing methods. Come on...you know you want to try it!

Recent Purchase (slash) Recent Concert

2008-02-09T13:43:00.001-06:00

Last night, Jason and I attended the Daniel Johnston show at First Ave. Overall it was a pretty good experience.
Here is the rundown:
• We found an open meter (which we had to fight for with knives and fists)
• We got into the show for free (with only a small amount of confusion)
• We got free coat check (with my mad connections)
• We had a crazy but kindly drunk helping us find a good view of the stage (he also like to grab lesbian butts)

The place was pretty packed with hipsters. Some of the hipsters were what I called "To The Max" because you could tell that every fiber of their being was dedicated to being as hipstery as humanly possible. There were non-hipsters there too. My favorite was the older rocker woman jamming like she was at a Poison show in 1989.

Daniel's performance was overall pretty good. The lo-fi charm of his music really stood out when he played by himself but later became more muddled when a backing band joined. The band felt awkward and clunky and sort of stole away the innocence of the songs. (That last statement made it sound like the band raped the songs...well maybe that's true.) Daniel sounded pretty good considering is age and the fact that he is schizophrenic (which might be what makes him brilliant).

But the BEST part of the night was my purchase of yet another Aesthetic Apparatus poster. The second I got in the door, I darted over to the merch stand and bought one. And luckily you can check posters at the purse check so you don't have to carry it around like a big weenie all night.

Typographic Close-Up! Boop!

Another Movie Font | The Big Red Comedy

2008-02-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

This blog link was posted along with the article that I found the Trajan movie font clip in and I find it to be equally as interesting. It discusses the theory that the majority of comedy titles are done in big, red, sans serif type. And from the font choice, we can in fact tell that the movie will not be funny. It seems like studios are using it as more of a call out to certain types of movie goers and it lets them know that no thinking will be involved during the viewing of this film.

The author shows some examples and the list is quite daunting...and fairly accurcate.

Then this guy read that article and decided to see if the theory was true. Well you can read for yourself what he came up with. I think the results are a little skewed because this is he based his results on his Netflix ratings. And from the look of things, I think he feels he is the authority of bad comedies.

Either way, it is an interesting concept to explore: fonts and the movies that love them.

Recent Purchase Update

2008-02-04T22:14:00.002-06:00

Thanks to my InAnimate Stickers, I now have a really lazy, cracked-out, Fonz-like computer screen looking back at me. He's all like, "eehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Amanda." And I am all like, "Well, eeehhhhhhhhhhhhh to you to computer." Yeah, we have a real good thing going.

In My (web)Sites | Design Police

2008-02-02T15:31:00.002-06:00

This is one of those great ideas that is wish I would have come up with. Design Police is a site thats sole purpose is to help enforce good design in the real world. The site itself is very simple and straight forward, just download the "Visual Enforcement Kit" and you are on your way to helping the world become a more typographically correct place. There are 5 pages of great hints for not-so-greatly designed pieces. I really want to print all of these out and run around the city pasting them up on everything. I am gonna paint this town red, damn it.

Some of my favorites:

Cutest Thing Ever | Mr. Winkle

2008-02-01T13:55:00.001-06:00

Mr. Winkle is the cat's pajamas. He is one of the cutest, most adorable and weirdest dogs I have ever seen. He has crazy buggy eyes and a tounge that can't seem to stay in his mouth. Nobody really knows what he is or where he came from but they do know that he is pretty much irresistable. His owner is also happens to be a photographer that has been banking on her dog strangeness and making books and calendars featuring Mr. Winkle in various outfits. Heck, the dog has even been on Sex and the City. I got a "What is Mr. Winkle?" calendar for Christmas this year and now I get to have Mr. Winkle brighten my day everytime I walk out the door.

Trajan | The Movie Font

2008-01-31T21:10:00.001-06:00

This little clip is so great. It talks about Trajan- The Movie Font. It is the font that is used on almost every movie poster ever created. After watching this, I went through my entire movie collection to see how many used this font. The results were quite surprising...you will just have to see for yourself. Also, it is fun to keep a look out for this bad boy at the movie theatre. I have recently discovered that if this font is used for a movie promotion, you probably don't want to see that movie. But hey, that's just what I have found to be true.

Good Times

2008-01-28T20:15:00.001-06:00

Nothing in the world beats going out on a Saturday night with your main squeeze and your good friend. Especially when you are going out to the Kitty Cat Klub to see a friend's group perform. It's the perfect setting, nice comfy couches, cheap PBRs, great music and bizarre conversation. The Kitty Cat Klub has this sort of "grandma's basement meets my dream apartment" kind of feel to it. There is mismatched furniture and classy velvet paintings everywhere. Just the kind of things I love. To top off all of this great decor, there is an old fashioned photo-booth tucked away in a corner. Now who could resist this little gem? In goes the money and out come the very unpredictable photos. We didn't even know that the first one was being taken, hence my head in the way. Poor Jason was cropped out completely and I know for a fact he was whipping out some gangsta poses. I will mark this one up to another great night.

Recent Purchase

2008-01-27T15:30:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I made a quick jaunt to the Borders in downtown Minneapolis. Normally this would be a pain to get to and slightly out of the way but I had some motivation, the store was going to close in a week and everything was on sale. At this point the majority of the stock was only 25% off. This included CD's, DVD's and most popular books. But the items that I was most interested in were the gifts and stationary. All these items were 75% off. By this time most of the selection was picked over but I still managed to come away with some great finds.

1. In Animate Character Stickers

I have seen these around the web and have always wanted some. They are kind of silly and really serve no purpose but I love the idea of seeing faces on everyday objects. And what better day to get them than when they are 75% off!

2. Paperchase Address Book

It seems that with the popularity of the cell phone and email that there is no need to keep a good ol' fashioned address book any longer. Well as I have learned many times in the past, I know that you can't depend on technology. Plus, I think nothing can replace the great feeling of having books and tactile items.

3. Black Photocorners

This is another item that may seem outdated and not at all useful but in fact, I can't get enough of them. I use them for so many different things. I have used them for art and design projects and the occasional scrapbook type item. I even use them when I am framing a picture without a mat. They add a bit of class and old worldly-ness to any photo. So if you see some, get them! Believe me, you will find a way to use them.

4. The Best American Non-Required Reading 2007

The cover of this is what stopped me first. I love that hand drawn style. Upon closer look I realized that I have read a few books in this series and this was the newest one. Now, if you must know, I have a really bad habit of starting books, losing intrest and starting another. I have about four books I am reading currently. But the great thing about these books is that they are jam packed with great short stories, articles and even comics. So you aren't commited to reading the whole dang thing, you can pick and choose. For example, last night I chose to read a high school commecement speech given by Conan O'Brien. It was amazing and I am forever jealous of those high school kids.

Over all, it was worth the bus ride downtown. I got all this for only about $15. It is sad to see Borders fail in so many areas of this city. Just last winter, the Borders in Uptown closed its door as well. Mind you, I do love the local independent book stores in the area but I grew up going to Borders and I like the familar feeling of the store. I have spent many hours and many dollars there and I wouldn't mind keeping that going.

Featured Designer | Aesthetic Apparatus

2008-01-25T15:42:00.002-06:00

What can I say. These guys are amazing. They are the reason I wanted to be a graphic designer and they never cease to stun me with their bold images and creative pop culture sense. Their designs range from the strikingly simple to in-your-face ironic. I have become so familiar with their work that I can spot an AA piece from a mile away. The majority of their work is silk screened posters for concerts and various events. At most shows that they make posters for, you can find them at the merch stand selling the poster for $5 a pop, an absolute steal for such beautiful wall art. The first time a bought a poster directly from them I was so nervous to meet them, I could hardly talk. I guess I could be called an Aesthetic Apparatus groupie.

Aside from the posters, they also dabble in corporate identity and product packaging. Most notably, a few Criterion Collection DVD covers. Criterion DVDs also have a very distinctive design, and I can pick a Criterion DVD out of a entire wall filled with DVDs.

So if you are out at a show in Minneapolis or even elsewhere (they sometimes do designs for out of town shows- subscribe to their mailing list for updates) check out the posters. If you see their AA logo, be sure to pick one up... you won't regret it.

Guilty Pleasure #3 Update

2008-01-20T11:58:00.002-06:00

Last night I purchased both of the new Carmex flavors, Strawberry and Cherry. First I tried strawberry which was in the click stick form. The strawberry flavor is quite overpowering and completely hides that Carmex flavor I love. But that is not to say I didn't like it. It has a great flavor but I don't think it will win over my heart the way the original has. The same goes with the cherry flavor in the squeeze tube form. The flavor is nice, but it isn't Carmex. The new flavors are perfect for those who hate the Carmex flavor but still want to be cool and use Carmex. So that's my update, I was just really excited when I saw them at the store.

Featured Font | Futura

2008-01-19T15:39:00.002-06:00

Futura may not be always be the font you notice right away but it will be the font you remember for looking amazing, whether you know it or not. It was created by Paul Renner in 1927 and was designed using the most simple geometric forms; squares circles and triangles. It has a even stroke weight and avoids frivilous decorations and flourishes. These features create the long lasting and timeless appeal of Futura. It can be seen in many company logos and used for signage and advertising.

One of my favorite users of this lovely font is Mr. Wes Anderson. Futura is frequently used in his films and on the packaging and promotions for his films. And I can see why he loves it, it's simple, clean and even though it is called Futura and is meant to have a timeless, futuristic style, there is something about it that seems really vintage and retro about it. It may just be because of the context of Anderson's films but I adore that retro feel.

Here are some of Futura's big screen apperances:

In conclusion, I love Futura. It is a typeface that works for so many different projects and will always look sharp and clean. And for those of you stuck in a default rut, then Futura is the perfect Helvetica alternative.

One last thing...

Guilty Pleasure #3 | Carmex

2008-01-17T22:19:00.002-06:00

It was only while talking with a fellow coworker earlier this week, that I realized how obsessed I am with Carmex. I have been using it for years and it is no secret that I am a fan of stuff but I had a freakish, extensive of knowledge about it. I knew the history, recent new flavors and other innovations. A few years ago I considered sending them a letter, offering to be the Carmex spokesgirl in exchange for a never ending supply of Carmex. I never actually sent the letter but the offer still stands.

Here are some tidbits from the Carmex Facts and Myths page:

•S-A-L-I-C-Y-L-I-C...WHAT! THERE'S ACID IN MY CARMEX LIP BALM?
No, you won't have hallucinations while using Carmex lip balm. Salicylic acid is as safe as aspirin. It helps Carmex lip balm, in combination with other ingredients, as an antiseptic and a cold sore drying agent and helps relieve the itching of sore lips. Salicylic acid is found naturally in many vegetables.

•CARMEX LIP BALM IS ADDICTIVE -- NOPE
People all over the world are different. Some people like to have soft, supple lips all the time and use Carmex lip balm often. Carmex lip balm restores the moisture to your lips and when the climate is dry and your lips show the effect, people simply repeat the soothing, tingling and healing process Carmex lip balm provides.

•RIDDING YOURSELF OF CARMEX LIP BALM -- STAINS
This is the hazard that can result from always having Carmex lip balm in your pocket! Forgetting to remove Carmex lip balm jars, tubes or Click Sticks from pockets before washing or drying your clothes can cause concern. Carmex lip balm will liquefy in extreme heat and may then creep into clothing.

A quality household laundry detergent rubbed into the garment as a pre-treatment before washing again usually will remove Carmex lip balm. If the garment needs to go to the cleaners, be sure to tell them Carmex lip balm is a grease-based product with lanolin and cocoa butter.

(P.S.- This fact will prove to be very handy seeing as I just washed a load of clothes with a stick of Carmex in my pocket)

And since my birthday is coming up soon, I thought maybe I should ask for the Ultimate Carmex 10 Pack from Sam's Club.
I would be the happiest girl ever.

Guilty Pleasure #2 | Harriet Carter

2008-01-14T20:41:00.002-06:00

So at work today, the bookshelves were being cleaned and some of the magazine and catalog riff raff was being thrown out. I was a tad bored and decieded to look through the pile of junk. Most of the catalogs were your basic Crate and Barrel and clothing catalogs. But then the light gleamed up from this pile of trash... I found a Harriet Carter catalog. For those of you not familar with this little gem, it is basically the ultimate junk catalog for old people. It has eveything and anything you would ever need.

Usefull things like:
A Hair Cutting Umbrella

Doggie Neck Ties

And the best one, Urine Gone! which also includes a little blacklight

This catalog holds a special place in my heart because I remember browsing through this catalog at my grandma's house. There were always about four of them sitting on the coffee table. I haven't seen one for years and I don't think I ever really appreciated the true comedic value of the catalog.

I suggest you do like I did and requested the catalog to be sent to me. For those of you trying to save the planet, the website is just as amusing as the catalog, the link is in the blog title.

Best Driving Song | Ping Island

2008-01-07T19:22:00.001-06:00

The iPod has inspired yet another post with it's shuffle feature. Whilst driving, "Ping Island" by Mark Mothersbaugh came on. I used to have this song on a mix CD in my car and the memories came flooding back of how much I love driving to this song. It just pumps me up like no other and makes me want to speed and weave in and out of cars. But since I was driving downtown and hitting every red light, my urges were crushed. Some day I want to just really go out there are tear it up with this song on repeat.

A couple songs after "Ping Island," "My Favorite Game" by the Cardigans came on, which is another great driving song, thanks to Gran Turismo. It is more of a chill, highway driving song and doesn't quite match the energy of the Ping. Here is a cheesy YouTube video thingy were the song is played and just shows an image. I don't really know how to embed mp3s yet but I am working on it. In the meantime, play the song, close your eyes and imagine yourself in the drivers seat while this song guides you through traffic.

In My (web)Sites | 40 Free Fonts

2008-01-06T20:29:00.002-06:00

This is a great website from Smashing Magazine that features over 40 free fonts. Now, sometimes free fonts from the internet can be sketchy at best, but these are lovely, well designed, and mostly all Open Type fonts. So take a little vacation from the default and give these a try.

Featured Designer | Herbert Matter

2008-01-06T13:24:00.002-06:00

Herbert Matter was born in 1907 in Switzerland, which meant being born in one of greatest countries for design in the world. So we probably all can see where this is going. He soaked up all the greatness he could out of Switzerland and then moved on to Paris. Here he picked up the influences of Man Ray and began to develop his signature style of using collage and montage and learned the fine of typography.

When his style and reputation was established we did a design tour of America and soon got jobs with Saks Fifth Avenue and Harper's Bazaar. This poem, written by fellow designer Paul Rand best describes Matter and his work:

Herbert Matter is a magician.
To satisfy the needs of industry, that's what you have to be.
Industry is a tough taskmaster.
Art is tougher.
Industry plus Art, almost impossible.
Some artists have done the impossible.
Herbert Matter, for example.
His work of '32 could have been done in '72 or even '82.
It has that timeless, unerring quality one recognizes instinctively.
It speaks to all tongues, with one tongue.
It is uncomplicated, to the point, familiar, and yet unexpected.
Something brought to light, an image, a surprise, an analogy.
It is believable, as it is unbelievable.
It always has an idea, the one you almost thought of.
It may be formal or anecdotal, full of sentiment, but not sentimental.
It is commercial; it is contemplative.
It enhances the quality of life.
It is Art.