Georgia On My Mind >> Weaver D's

California is mighty wonderful, but you just can't get food like this out here.

Formerly RIP, Now Revived (Somewhat) >> Domino

Fantastic news over at Black*Eiffel (and others)!  Like Gourmet's new online reincarnation, Domino Magazine is going to start putting up their archives online! On Brides.com.. I don't quite understand why it is going on Brides.com, but I don't really care.  

Some of it has already been posted here.

I'm pretty sure I have every back copy anyway (#nerdalert), but a searchable archive is still fantastic news!

J'Adorable

 Love this stoneware from May Luk Ceramics on etsy!  Coco + Kelley featured it today and I instantly fell in love with the uneven, handmade-quality of the stoneware and the retro graphics.  Doesn't this look like something Anthropologie would pick up??

ChairLust

Ok just saw this chair in a house tour on Apartment Therapy and instantly became a little obsessed, thinking it was like 1960s Italian or Danish or something, and it turns out, as a commentor revealed, it is Restoration Hardware!!  I tend to hate of RH, but they do have some really well-designed pieces.  If you sort of ignore the overall overload on one trend (currently Belgian), individual pieces do stand out.

If anyone still is wondering what to get me for my birthday, I'll take one of those chairs please. 

Image from this post at Apt Therapy.

LustList >> For the library >> "Lists"

I am dying to get a look at manuscript archivist Liza Kirwin's new book Lists.  The book collects various lists of famous artists, from to-dos to address books, with the premise that such lists both augment an artist's personal history and add insight to bits of history that were happening at the time.

(Can't make out much of Kline's tab, but the one at top looks like possibly a Chateauneuf du Pape?)

The book includes ephemera like Picasso's list of his favorite artists at the first Armory show in 1913, most of whom went on to dominate the art scene in the coming years, proving that he not only had personal talent, but also an eye for quality in others' work.  (Also interesting that he left off Braque, his contemporary in the Cubist movement... I am personally gratified by this because I never liked Braque's work haha.)

(Pretty awesome cover, no?? I love the retro illustration and the mix of typography!)

Another "list" is Alexander Calder's address book, which reads like a summary of the "who's-who" of avant-garde Paris in the early 1900s. Other lists are more personal, like Janice Lowry's list of "50 people I need to forgive" and Eero Saarinen's list of reasons he loves his soon-to-be second wife.  

 Little seemingly insignificant lists, in retrospect, can actually take on major significance as snapshots into the making of a decision, the evidence of priorities, etc.  As a compulsive list-maker myself (I literally have lists for everything-- running lists of gifts to give people, equipment I want for the kitchen, etc.), I am totally intrigued by the chance to look at other peoples' lists, espcially hand-written ones!

Available here from Princeton Architectural Press.

Via The Morning News.

PS -- Speaking of lists, if you're looking for something to make, here's what's on my list of things to cook this week: Grapefruit, Celery, and Parmesan Salad, Cilantro-Marinated Grilled Tofu and Soba Noodles, Grilled Guacamole, and Double Chocolate Layer Cake.

Special Collections >> Mike Miller for West Elm

Silhouette art is definitely having a moment in the design world, and I might've almost had it with silhouettes, but these quirky silhouettes by artist Mike Miller for West Elm keep the charm alive.

The palette and styling don't hurt either... they manage to make silhouettes look less precious and more masculine, in a way that really works for me.

Available here at West Elm.

Via Design*Sponge

Girl Crush >> Emmanuelle Alt >> Who knew she had an absurdly cute daughter??

I posted this pic above of Emmanuelle Alt a while ago, and ever since I've noticed that in every single picture I see of her, she looks unbearably cool.  This really isn't any surprise given that she's head of Vogue Paris, but I like that she isn't super-trendy or all dressed up all the time.  Usually just a tshirt or sweater with jeans and a great jacket... just casual, a little rough/tough around the edges, but still very chic, with an effortlessness about the whole thing. 

Anyway, then I saw these pics of her daughter, and I almost died.

I want one just like her.

 Cuffed jeans, trench, striped tee, and flats?  Seriously?  Does Emmanuelle dress her or is that just genetically inherited style right there?  Either way, I don't care, I want to steal her.  She couldn't get ANY cuter.

Classic >> Joe Cocker

Even though Joe Cocker looks pretty possessed in this video, it's still pretty great.  The song is a classic.  ...As is the man.

via A Continuous Lean

THANK YOU >> Homonym Clarification

As a former copy editor and general nerd, I have little tolerance for misspelled/mixed up homonyms.  The stationery/stationary one seems to befuddle many people, (is it just me, or did this one get skipped in elementary school when you learn these?), so I love this cheeky bag that clears up the issue...  Available here.

Nostalgia >> Land Cruisers and VW's "Thing"

Going with a theme today apparently... nostalgia.  Sometimes it just happens.  But seriously, I love these cars.

The "Thing"-- removable doors, top, and a windshield that folds down.  What more could you ask for in a car to hit the beach in?

 Notice the available colors above are "Pumpkin Orange," "Sunshine Yellow," and "Blizzard White."  Not only did the colors have great names, but they were painted in that wonderful flat lacquer that doesn't have any of the obnoxious glittery "pearlescent" nonsense that car colors have now.

via Secret Forts

Paper, Typography, Graphic Design... Nostalgia

 I'm a sucker for old paper things, like airmail envelopes and tickets... they have that effect I've mentioned before of making me long for an era I never actually lived through.  They also make me wish the design of small, everyday things like this were still given such attention. 

 It's the same way I feel about public buildings, like post offices and public schools-- they used to be built so beautifully, and were architectural icons in town, and now they're just built to be functional and cheap.

via Paper is Lovely

(Still) Listening To >> Local Natives

I posted these guys, Local Natives, a while back, but I just came across these videos of them I hadn't seen before... good stuff!

PS- for my Santa Barbara folks - they're playing at Soho Sept 20!  I've already got my ticket!

Summer Lovin >> Aubin & Willis

Loving the styling and photography for Aubin & Willis's summer lookbook.

Also, I love their logo/typography/packaging details! ...

Images from Aubin & Willis website, 

collage of A&W products from Black Eiffel.

NYT Wednesday Dining >> Dinner Co-ops

Similar to the community-helping/sharing themes of the NYT crop-mobs I posted back here, today's dining section has a great article on the growing trend of homemade dinner co-ops...  Check it out!

Revisiting >> Fantastic Mr. Fox

Finally saw Fantastic Mr. Fox!  And it did not disappoint.  Think of the brilliance and detail of Wes Anderson's directing style mixed with the wit and nostalgia of Roald Dahl's writing, plus the charm of stop-motion animation, and you can imagine what a wonderful film this results in.

So anyway, now that I've seen it, I went back and watched these making-of videos again.  The one at top I've already posted once, but I think it's worth watching again.  I'm just amazed at the detail and intricacy of how all the sets, props, and characters were created, shot, and animated.

There's no way you can watch these and not want to see the film.

Does this convince you Wes Anderson is a genius or what?

Stop-motion animation!  Amazing!  24 stills for every second of film!  Also, they way they recorded the voices is pretty impressive... usually for animation work, actors just sit in a studio and read the lines... not for a Wes Anderson film!

They photographed every piece of furniture in Dahl's house and created a miniature of it!

Ok now I want to watch it all over again.

Summer Lovin >> Weekend Cottages

 Erin Martin

Cote Ouest

 Suzanne Kasler

 New York Times

Laurel Roth >> A More Interesting Damien Hirst?

"Food #4, Pig," 2008.

 Laurel Roth's motifs of death, consumerism, and consumption have an echo of Damien Hirst's famous pieces involving skulls, diamonds, etc., but I actually think Roth makes more interesting and thoughtful use of her materials, and the body of her work suggests a deeper line of thinking than Hirst's.

"English Bull Dog," 2007. 

Though I do have a lot of respect for Hirst and what he's managed to do in the art space, half the point of his pieces sometimes seems to be giving the middle finger to the art world, as if he's just seeing how much he can get away with, and how much money he can make doing it.  

Roth, on the other hand, seems to be legitimately exploring the darker aspects of human nature (consumption, consumerism, greed) and the dynamics between ourselves and the animals we both eat and love.

 "Great Dane," 2008.

The piece at top is from the series "Food," with the top piece titled "Pig," and the following pieces are various breeds of dogs, from the series "Man's Best Friend."  Roth hand carves these pieces herself, out of walnut, vera wood, or acrylic, and embellishes them with gold leaf and Swarovski crystals.

"Chihuahua," 2007.

Below, two pieces from her "Peacocks" series, made of fake nails, hair clips, fake eyelashes, and dime store jewelry.

See more at Roth's website here.

The "Let's Colour" Project

The "Let's Colour" Project, sponsored by Dulux paints, is on a mission to color over grey spaces (ie, plain concrete) around the world.  While I do think that color can add energy and happiness to a space, I'm not totally sure how I feel about the project as a whole.  Regardless, the video they've made of their work so far is pretty cool... check it out and see what you think!

Evolution

The NYT created this interactive feature about the evolution of the world cup ball.  ...I still feel nostalgic for the 32 hexagon-paneled balls!

via Black Eiffel

I Love Maps >> Papercut World Map

Love this whimsical print of a handmade papercut map by Famille Summerbelle.

Available at Famille Summerbelle.
via Design*Sponge

Must See >> Sophia Coppola's new movie

Looks like she's done it again, and I can already tell the soundtrack is going to be awesome.  

I love this woman.

LustList >> Calligraphy Return Address Stamp

Love these custom calligraphy return address stamps from Primele...

Available here.

Via SwissMiss.

Drink about it >> MASH: Purveyors of the Fine

 In my recent wine label researching, I came across the design firm MASH, based in Australia.  And I think their stuff is just awesome.  Any of these would definitely catch my attention immediately on a shelf.

Seemingly unconstrained by any wine world standards, MASH creates their concepts based on the people and ideas behind the wines they are designing for, coming up with a real and full identity for the wine as a whole, rather than just designing a little rectangular label to stick on a bottle.

Their concepts are totally unique fully realized in every detail, and they also simultaneously are sophisticated enough visually avoid sliding into gimmick territory, which could be a danger given how into the concepts they get.

For the wine above, MASH created the concept based on the identity of the man behind the Small Gully wines, a Mr. Stephen Black, who formerly was a chemist who worked in pharmaceuticals.  So MASH ran with the chemist thing, calling the wine "Mr. Black's Concoction" and designing a retro apothecary-ish feeling label.

The other concept they created for Mr. Black is Black Magic, which has the "label" laser-etched directly onto the glass instead of using a paper label.  They said they wanted it to look as if perhaps the winemaker himself scratched the information on to the bottle, and the subtle etched glass also works perfectly to complement the concept of "black magic."  

The concept for this cheeky, almost creepy wine, called Return of the Living Red, was born out of the fact that the wine is "non-vintage" -- the two grape varieties are from two different vintages -- meaning it is "ageless." 

Once again, MASH took the idea and ran with it, coming up with a whole identity for the wine based on this "Return of the Living Red" idea...   

"This was a complex fine wine with no listed age; a mysterious and intriguing wine.  To compliment this the nature of the product, Mash developed a concept to create a small pack containing missing and/or supproessed crime files implying the existence of the living dead in and around the vineyards." 

"With the use of disturbing illustrations and fascinating old photos on a toothy uncoated paper the concept was brought to life.  A slip knot with old twine and a deep red wax dipped bottle went with the old crime file folder to create one of our favorite wine packaging pieces."

 

For Inkwell, they came up with the imagery, the inkblot, directly from the name, and left the label free of any other text or design.  The name itself resides on a neck label.  The simple black and white palette is used to great graphic effect, and the inkblot is artistic and literal without being in your face or cheesy.

Here's another one where they based the concept off of the man behind the wine-- the owner of this winery also happened to be a magistrate judge, so they decided to go with the idea of "The Guilty."  

The label has only the ambiguous and creepy black and white photo, from which it is impossible to tell whether "the guilty" is the defendent or the judge himself, and the handwritten info at the bottom.

More MASH labels to come...