Mango Squirrel

the color of 2012

2011-12-27T12:42:00.004-06:00

Tangerine Tango is Pantone's color of the year for 2012. This color is "a spirited reddish orange that continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward" according to Pantone's web site: pantone.com.

chalk lettering

2011-11-16T16:17:00.002-06:00

beautiful chalk lettering by dana tanamachi. check out her work here: danatanamachi.com.

a kick in the inspiration III

2011-11-10T16:22:00.003-06:00

here's some inspiration for your thursday: check out dribbble.com to see some lovely design work.

wildwood

2011-11-05T17:43:00.001-05:00

awesome illustrated book by carson ellis. check it out here: wildwoodchronicles.com.

Sound Advice for OWS

2011-11-02T16:49:00.002-05:00

Here's an article that offers the soundest, clearest advice that's I've heard for the confusion around the Occupy Wall Street movement. Read it here: Dave's Take on Occupy Wall Street.

scarf maven

2011-10-26T07:52:00.001-05:00

here are some fun ways to tie a scarves for fall (from ruche).

paradise

2011-10-25T14:44:00.001-05:00

mylo xyloto

2011-10-24T09:28:00.001-05:00

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coldplay's new album mylo xyloto is out today! it's amazing...be sure to check it out!

spex club

2011-10-23T15:41:00.002-05:00

love this company and their vision.

squirrel at cardinals game

2011-10-06T18:40:00.002-05:00

Squirrel steals the spotlight at the Cardinals game last night! You can follow him on Twitter: @BuschSquirrel.

yee haw press

2011-09-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

beautiful video for yee haw industries by paper fortress films.

lake michigan

2011-09-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

spin of the day.

friendly fires

2011-09-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

sweet jam...excellent audio supplement to type design.:)

we love typography

2011-09-13T12:00:00.004-05:00

just found this amazing resource for typography: welovetypography.com. super inspiring!

lost type

2011-09-11T12:00:00.005-05:00

lost type is an amazing co-op type foundry that let's you name your price when purchasing typefaces. bonus...all the money goes directly to the designers themselves. fantastic concept for fantastic typefaces. definitely check them out!

yarn bombing

2011-09-10T12:00:00.005-05:00

this is "yarn bombing" is amazing...so colorful & creative!

modern art

2011-09-09T12:00:00.002-05:00

haha, love this. check out all the awesome $20 artwork from 20x200.

the artist film

2011-09-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

can't wait to see this film...love the throwback to 20's style!

charlie brown

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

particle animation

2011-09-06T12:00:00.003-05:00

a bit of creative brain floss from f5. love it.

&

2011-09-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder about the history of the ampersand? Here is an excerpt from a dictionary.com article explaining....

"The shape of the character (&) predates the word ampersand by more than 1,500 years. In the first century, Roman scribes wrote in cursive, so when they wrote the Latin word et which means “and” they linked the e and t. Over time the combined letters came to signify the word “and” in English as well. Certain versions of the ampersand, like that in the font Caslon, clearly reveal the origin of the shape.

The word “ampersand” came many years later when “&” was actually part of the English alphabet. In the early 1800s, school children reciting their ABCs concluded the alphabet with the &. It would have been confusing to say “X, Y, Z, and.” Rather, the students said, “and per se and.” “Per se” means “by itself,” so the students were essentially saying, “X, Y, Z, and by itself and.” Over time, “and per se and” was slurred together into the word we use today: ampersand. "

hello...i like you

2011-09-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

super creative, refreshing & inspiring...a short brought to us by f5fest!

think different

2011-09-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

a little creative inspiration brought to you by an Apple campaign from 1997.

bonfire sparks painting

2011-09-02T12:00:00.004-05:00

i did these two paintings as a commission for my cousins. rather pleased with how they turned out...they slightly remind me of bonfire sparks in a night sky. it was so good to be painting again after a 6 month reprieve.:)

little friends of printmaking

2011-09-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

stumbled upon this amazing site for the little friends of printmaking. truly incredible stuff. and affordable too. be sure to check them out!

banksy spotting?

2011-08-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

while on charing cross road in london i happened to spot this work of art in an alleyway...looks like the work of the mysterious banksy, no? stunning.

coffee quiz

2011-08-29T17:44:00.004-05:00

sooo, just how good is that cup of joe in the a.m.? much better than i thought...take this quiz to find out why it's so great!:)

JTB Podcasts

2011-08-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

ok, so these are hilarious...somewhat about food, somewhat about whatever is on their minds. again, hilarious. you can download them free from itunes. enjoy!

orla kiley look book 2011

2011-07-30T12:00:00.001-05:00

lovely and creative way to showcase her autumn/winter 2011 collection.

jet set for the UK

2011-07-15T09:07:00.004-05:00

i'll be out of the office for a while...on my way to an adventure in the U.K. it'll be my first time in London and I plan on exploring lots of museums to boost creativity and inspiration for this next year. so I'll have lots to share when I get back. happy summer!!:)

last leaf

2011-07-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

stop motion toast! yet another inspiring video by ok go.

threadless

2011-07-11T15:27:00.002-05:00

so, threadless.com is amazing. cheap t-shirts with fun, creative designs. check 'em out here.

evon cassier

2011-07-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

check out these awesome messenger bags by evon cassier made from upcycling firefighter coats. here's a link to her etsy shop and a here's a link to how she makes the bags.

go squirrel go!

2011-07-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

in squirrel news....let's hear it for the sprinters!

white knuckles

2011-07-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

love these guys & their creativity.

teepee for your T.P.

2011-07-04T12:00:00.007-05:00

this project was for my packaging class last semester...we had to take an everyday object and create "over the top" packaging for it. so i chose to do toilet paper and repackage it for glampers (glamorous campers) who appreciate a little extra in their every day staples. i stitched the teepee together out of felt and designed the paper covering in illustrator. it was a fun project!:)

a big thank you

2011-07-02T12:00:00.003-05:00

this last semester i took an independent study illustration class. it was quite challenging, as i've struggled with my hand drawing skills, but i grew a lot through it. my main goal in taking the course was to develop an "illustrative voice" and i think i did. my new "voice" tends to be on the pointilistic side of things and emphasizes shading. i'm excited to see where it develops from here. here are some thank you cards that i made...i drew the leaves on paper with black ink and then put them in photoshop to add the color, texture, circles and text.

kavarna coffeehouse

2011-07-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

so this is a place i would love to visit...kavarna coffeehouse in green bay, wisconsin. first off, i absolutely love their hand drawn squirrel logo and the fact that they serve a diverse range of amazing food and coffee. they also have a heart for their city and for supporting local, organic food. if you're in the green bay area be sure to check them out!

badge tutorial

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

just stumbled across this photoshop/illustrator tutorial from Abduzeedo on how to make a "vintage badge." great advice and easy to follow. check it out here.

archer.

2011-06-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

archer. sigh. can i just say how much i love this typeface? it is absolutely my favorite typeface right now. the epitome of a sweet, playful, approachable serif. modern and clean, yet whimsical. it was designed by hoefler + frere-jones for the martha stewart living magazine, but is also available to the public. i've been seeing it more and more in the marketplace and every time i do it brings a smile to my face. you may purchase it here.

milk + cookies

2011-06-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

got this delightful book at anthropologie the other day...it's from the owner of the milk+cookies bakery in NYC. i made the basic chocolate chip cookie. amazing. perfect texture...crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. the charming book design is by chronicle, of course.

story

2011-06-27T12:00:00.004-05:00

came across the site, story, recently...so cool. it's an online shop with a beautiful collection of art + design work as well as a collection of stories. love the concept and the art work. here's a link.

the illusionist

2011-06-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

just saw the illusionist. amazing illustration. absolutely beautiful. the plot is a bit tricky to follow and i may have to watch it again to fully understand it, but i think an underlying theme is that people need people in their lives and we all get a little weird when we try to do life alone. check it out if you're looking for something "a little different."

cherry-o!

2011-06-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

in an effort to expand my creative horizons this summer i've turned to the kitchen to more fully explore the culinary world. last night: homemade cherry jam. it was so easy & quick and tastes amazing. not to mention, you feel like a rockstar for actually making jam from scratch. i used the skillet cherry jam recipe from whole foods...here's a link. whew, after trying this there's no going back to grocery store preserves. smuckers is for suckers.

blog spotlight: Dinner: A Love Story

2011-06-22T12:00:00.001-05:00

check out this delightful blog...from a husband and wife who love to cook and share their culinary adventures & recipes. Plus they have a book in the works. Be sure to check them out: www.dinneralovestory.com.

a kick in the inspiration II

2011-06-21T12:00:00.004-05:00

running a little low in the inspiration department? well, problem solved...my sister just showed me this site called craftgawker that provides inspiration and links to new projects; it also links to sister sites dwellinggawker, weddinggawker and foodgawker. super awesome. super inspiration.
photo cred: leah minium

(500) days of summer

2011-06-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

just saw this film last night for the first time...loved it. the perfect indie feeling film, that's not too indie. plus it has an awesome soundtrack. great "summer" flick.

us.

2011-06-19T12:00:00.002-05:00

can't get this song out of my head. love it. especially nice touch with the handmade illustrations.:)

dakota d

2011-06-18T12:00:00.003-05:00

check out the work of photographer dakota d....lovely imagery that makes you feel like you've just blitzed through a european vacation. swoon.
photo cred: dakota d.

kingdom: God reigns

2011-06-17T12:00:00.002-05:00

i heard this sermon a few weeks ago and it blew me away. it's definitely the best description of the book of revelation that i've ever heard. and especially in the recent context of people predicting that the world's about to end this is a good dose of truth amidst all the confusion.

to be organic or not to be....

2011-06-16T12:00:00.006-05:00

A new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has come out to reveal the top varieties of produce that contain the most pesticides (even after washing and cleaning). Dubbed the "dirty dozen" for 2011 Here's the list in order from most pesticide residue to least: Apples, Celery, Strawberries, Peaches, Spinach, Nectarines, Grapes, Sweet bell peppers, Potatoes, Blueberries, Lettuce and Kale/Collard greens.

The study also came out with a list of the "clean fifteen," for 2011 those fruits and veggies with the least amount of pesticide residue:
Onions, Sweet corn, Pineapples, Avocado, Asparagus, Sweet peas, Mangoes, Eggplants, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, and Mushrooms.

Pesticide residue on food is linked to severe health complications. All the more reason to go green!
Organic food=pesticide free!

Here's a link to the study's article.

shirin neshat

2011-06-15T12:00:00.002-05:00

wow. listening to her story makes me incredibly thankful to be a american artist. i can't imagine living in daily fear of the government. so grateful that she can safely share her story in the west.

tolerance

2011-06-13T12:00:00.002-05:00

here's a clip from a mark driscoll sermon in which he addresses the effects of tolerance. great points as only he can put them.

happiness

2011-06-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

swoon. the sweetest video i've ever seen...from jeremy & elsie larson's wedding. check out elsie's blog here. super inspiring.

aelita andre

2011-06-11T12:00:00.005-05:00

wow, aelita andre is only four years old and is already heralded as a painting prodigy. really amazing stuff, and at such a young age! here's a link to her web site:aelitaandreart.com. it'll be cool to see her craft develop as she gets older.

stefan sagmeister

2011-06-10T12:00:00.002-05:00

here's a TED talk from austrian designer stefan sagmeister. interesting and inspirational. i need to follow his advice and start an inspirational diary!

homemade strawberry jam

2011-06-09T12:00:00.006-05:00

so homemade strawberry jam just happened. oh yes. honestly, i've always been a bit intimidated, yet intrigued, by the whole jam making process. i'd never made it before, but my sisters were raving about this super quick recipe from Gourmet that they had tried, so i decided to give it a try too. amazing! easy! delicious! here's a link to the recipe if you want to try it too.:)

lmnop

2011-06-08T12:00:00.003-05:00

i've been trying to read a lot more this summer and just finished my first book, Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. the book is an engaging, quick read about an island country that holds language in the highest regard, as the founder of the island was the man who invented the phrase "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" which uses all 26 letters of the english alphabet. trouble arises when the island government bans the use of certain letters of the alphabet, until only a few remain. intriguing ideas about government, language, and taking things a bit too far. great summer read!

freelance whales deux

2011-06-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

oh, just slightly addicted to their sound. check 'em out: freelance whales.

bottletree bakery

2011-06-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

while in route to baton rouge, we stopped by the bottletree bakery in oxford, ms. truly charming place. we tried their chocolate croissants, cherry brioche, and ham and swiss savory croissants. plus their lovely bottletree blend coffee. delightful. my favorite pastry was the chocolate croissant, boasting 1,280 layers of flaky lovelyness. their humble pie has been featured on the food network. next time you're in mississippi be sure to stop by, you will be so glad you did.

artist spotlight: neal hamilton

2011-06-05T12:00:00.005-05:00

i just stumbled across work by neal hamilton. super talented painter. i love the comic book-esque style he adds to his work. fantastic. here's a link to his site where you can purchase his work: nealhamilton.com.
photo cred: neal hamilton

rannygazoo

2011-06-04T12:00:00.003-05:00

In addition to the Buck-U-Uppo labels I designed the Rannygazoo wine bottle labels. The word rannygazoo means horseplay or a prank and also happens to appear in PG Wodehouse novels. Lovely. I illustrated the horsesuit by hand, scanned it into Photoshop, and then added color. Nice. Super fun project.

buck-u-uppo

2011-06-03T12:00:00.007-05:00

In my packaging design class this past semester we got to design wine bottle labels. I chose to create a varietal named Buck-U-Uppo, based on the short story by P.G. Wodehouse in which Mr. Mulliner, a mild-mannered character tries a serum called Buck-U-Uppo and suddenly becomes a bold character with super-human powers. I thought the name Buck-U-Uppo would be a fun play on words as some turn to vino for a pick-me-up when in need of a little courage. The Wodehouse story was set in the 1920s-1930s so I treated the piece with a little Art Deco flair courtesy of the lightening bolts and sans serif typeface.

blog spotlight: habit

2011-06-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

habit is this interesting blog of photographic snippets of life posted by several people each day. quite interesting and perspectively inspiring. check it out: habit.

custard's first stand

2011-06-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

one of my goals for this summer is to spend more time in the kitchen exploring the world of culinary creativity and i've been wanting to try my hand a some new recipes. so this weekend i made vanilla custard. it turned out pretty well, though the taste reminds me more of tapioca pudding than of vanilla ice cream. still, it got rave reviews from my family of foodies.:) here's a link to cuisinart's premium vanilla ice cream.

freelance whales

2011-05-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

love these guys. perfect summertime music for roadtrips & revelry.

clear for re-entry in 4...3...2...1....

2011-05-30T13:49:00.008-05:00

ahem. so, hi. i've been gone for a bit. not as diligent in posting over the past couple months as i would have liked. so sorry. the reasons are plentiful, but mostly focus around this semester of school being crazy and trying to soak up lots of time with my sister and her lovely family before they moved to louisiana. now here we have it...school is done and my sister has moved. so the attention swings back to the list of tasks and goals that have been on the back burner and with that comes a bit of relief. so hello summer and hello re-entry.

language

2011-05-24T23:12:00.002-05:00

thank you to my cousin chris for passing this on...quite the nice commentary on language usage.

bjorn lie

2011-05-02T16:11:00.005-05:00

i just stumbled upon this amazing illustrator: bjorn lie. love his work...beautiful, simple, with the perfect touch of nostalgia. be sure to check out his work!

cowart artwork

2011-04-29T19:00:00.001-05:00

here's a look at photo montage artwork by photographer jeremy cowart. pretty cool stuff.

karmin

2011-04-28T17:43:00.004-05:00

haha, this girl is amazing...here's her cover of "look at me now."

time to say goodbye

2011-04-26T21:05:00.001-05:00

goodness. he is amazing.

crisis of credit infographic

2011-04-25T19:13:00.001-05:00

beautiful example of an infographic in motion by jonathan jarvis.

blog spotlight: joy the baker

2011-04-20T12:00:00.005-05:00

do you like to bake or want to like to bake? well, i have just the blog for you...joy the baker. she makes amazing food and is hilarious, plus she takes excellent photos of her creations. all a winning combination to get you in the kitchen to whip up something marvelous.

ode to monsanto

2011-04-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

one of the more creative statements i've seen against GMOs.:)

what the font!?

2011-04-17T12:00:00.003-05:00

have you ever seen a font on a sign or menu and wondered what it was? well, wonder no longer! what the font has come up with an app that takes the mystery out of found typography. you simply upload a photo and what the font tells you what it is...mystery solved!

rob ives paper animations

2011-04-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

super cool paper animations by rob ives...here are instructions on how to make the butterfly.

morphotic multiplicity

2011-04-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

super cool animation by paul nicholls. check out more of his work here.

WS Honey

2011-04-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

in my packaging class we just did a redesign for an existing company and i chose to work on wholesome sweeteners...redesigning their honey, molasses & turbinado sugar packaging. it was a fun project!

one day for design

2011-04-13T12:00:00.005-05:00

Today is the day! "One Day for Design brings together a global community of designers and design enthusiasts to exchange ideas, challenge viewpoints and push boundaries—collaborating in real time on the future of our profession and the organizations behind it. Spread the word. Join the conversation. At onedayfordesign.org or via Twitter"

hedda sterne

2011-04-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

a few days ago, on april 9, Hedda Sterne passed away at 100 years old. Hedda was involved with the surrealist & abstract expressionist movement in NYC in the 1940s. she was also part of The Irascibles...a group of 18 avante-garde artists, including Jackson Pollack and Mark Rothco, who protested MoMA's policy toward American painters. Hedda will be sadly missed.

photo cred: Theodore Brauner

dominos

2011-04-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

how to choose a typeface

2011-04-10T12:00:00.003-05:00

here is an excellent, detailed article on how to choose and pair typefaces from smashing magazine. super helpful!

animal

2011-04-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

watch out...this song will get stuck in your head.

a is for armageddon

2011-04-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

a book by illustrator richard horne and is a catalog of disasters that may end the world as we know it...clever concept and great design. thanks to chris for passing this on to me!

parkour

2011-04-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

this is amazing...he makes it look effortless, like a dance.

OAT shoes

2011-04-05T12:00:00.005-05:00

OAT biodegradable shoes! these innovative kicks were awarded 2nd place in a Green Fashion Awards competition at the Amsterdam International Fashion Week. excellent green concept!

let's colour project

2011-04-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

restoration in colour. beautiful.

colbert's rendition of friday

2011-04-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

hilarious. and much better than the original.

best beverages of STL

2011-04-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

thirsty? me too. here are my current top favorite beverages available in STL:

1. caffe latte by crepes etc. they only serve illy coffee...please & thank you!
2. caffe mocha by winslow home...best mocha i've ever had in my life
3. kiwi lemonade bubble tea + extra boba by bubble tea house...so refreshing and summery
4. chai soy latte by companion bread company...sweet heaven
5. raspberry hefeweizen by schlafly bottleworks...my favorite seasonal beer
6. fitz's root beer by fitz's...delicious and crisp

cheers!:)

jacob tucker wins NCAA 2011 dunk contest

2011-04-01T12:00:00.005-05:00

check it out...my friend's brother just won the NCAA 2011 Dunk Contest last night!! congrats jacob!!

bronx zoo cobra

2011-03-31T11:53:00.004-05:00

so an eqyptian cobra snake escaped from the bronz zoo a few days ago and someone has created a twitter account documenting the cobra's life on the town. it's hilarious and a genius PR move to get the word out with humor so people are watching for the snake but aren't in a state of panic. elegant solution.

i eat typography for breakfast

2011-03-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

i made this poster for a "created alphabet" project for my typography class...each letter is made out of a breakfast food item, except for "u" which is made out of utencils.:)

zoomquilt

2011-03-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

zoomquilt is a collaborative artistic effort and this example is a depiction of hell...this is rather dark, but cool in how they combined everything in flash. thanks to my cousin chris for passing this on.

grouplove

2011-03-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

grouplove's colours...quite different from the average music video.

financial peace

2011-03-27T12:00:00.003-05:00

i've been listening to dave ramsey's financial peace university class...super interesting, wise advice that i've started implementing. and i already have step 1 done!:)

why denim

2011-03-26T12:00:00.004-05:00

i've always loved denim jeans and for some reason i've especially been wanting to wear denim jackets this spring...here's a video about denim that h&m just put out.

step it up

2011-03-25T12:00:00.005-05:00

i ran across the steppie on etsy recently and absolutely love this shop!! the panda & ninja themes are so cute. here's a link to the official web site. check it out!:)

history of film title design

2011-03-25T00:33:00.002-05:00

a very sweet compilation of film title design...by art of the title.

toms crush

2011-03-23T12:00:00.003-05:00

sigh. love these & the mission they represent.:)