Whatever happened to the blog?

From Pirouette

Your blogger got a job. A big job that requires many hours of work, and not nearly enough hours of cooking, gazing at pretty things and wandering the interwebs. BUT - nobody wants this blog to be dead (well, maybe some of you do) so I promise to try to tee up some posts on the weekends (instead of hibernating) and get back to writing little bits here and there. 

It's not over yet :) 

Become Someone Else

A little old, but an incredible advertising campaign from Lithuanian book agency, LOVE.

jellies

Swooning over this unbelievable jelly fish photography from Alexander Semenov! Can you believe the color and texture in these shots? Semenov is a Russian zoologist whose focus on invertebrates led him to photography as he tried to capture images of the creatures he was seeing both in the lab, and out on his dives. He started out with a simple point and shoot camera before graduating to more professional gear (including the camera we just got - the Canon 5dm2). 

I would love to have one of these as a print in our house - but I can't imagine being that close to them underwater. I am totally creeped out by the jellies we encounter every summer at the beach. Aren't you?? Something about their transparency and erratic movements - I'm always afraid of brushing up against one without realizing it!

If you like this stuff - you should check out the rest of Semenov's work on his site.

OK Go + Sesame Street

Yeah - this is pretty fun. Awesome collaboration between OK Go and Sesame Street. I'm thinking of cute little hipster kids learning their colors this way. 

Via Brain Pickings

I heart food

And these adorable biodegradable utensils  - go watch the video on their site, how could you not love them? Designed by Fatima Fazal out of her Manhattan shoebox apartment - they bring the love back into eating.  Wouldn't you love a set for a wonderful Valentine's day picnic in the living room - or sharing Chinese takeout night with friends?

Dip-dyed

I really love these dip-dyed marked baskets from Martha Stewart. They seem so fresh and spring-like. I might need to make a few of my own to fill with veggies from Eastern Market in the coming months. Seems simple enough and so much more chic than my drawer full of canvas bags.

Jump Book

What a lovely gift this book by photographer Phillipe Halsman would be. I love his theory of "jumpology" in which he felt that becoming airborne would allow the true character of his subject to come out.  Hepburn, Bardot, Monroe, Dali and famously, Nixon all jumped for Halsman.

I happen to be a big believer in jumpology - which you'll see on display in every vacation album I have. Do you take jumping pictures? 

A Skulk of Foxes

I adore this series of alphabetical prints by Brit design studio - Woop. The series features collective nouns from the common to the questionable.  In the designer's words: 

"Some of the collective terms listed have real pedigree and lineage and can be found in The Oxford English Dictionary, James Lipton’s 1968 An Exaltation of Larks or even The Book of St. Albans published in 1486. Some are of a more dubious and newer vintage than the original terms of venery. We make no apologies for being eclectic and hope that you will have fun with the words and enjoy our graphic interpretation of some of them." 

 I think these would be perfect in a child's room. No space on the walls? They also have a book and greeting cards! Here are a few of my favorites.

vintage DC map

 I love this great children's map of Washington, DC from "The Best in Children's Books," published in 1959. We live just slightly off the right edge. I think it's interesting which landmarks they chose to include and which they didn't (the majority of the Smithsonian institutions - although a few were yet to be built). The coloring makes me think of cherry blossoms which are just around the corner. Maybe you should come for a visit!

Let's go on more picnics

This adorable picnic kit from Boxsal makes me long for spring. Despite ample park spaces surrounding us, it seems like we dream all winter about picnicking and by the time we get around to it,  it is too warm and no one wants to sweat in the grass while being devoured by mosquitos. 

So this year I propose getting on the ball a little earlier during those pleasantly warm days - and bringing on of these kits equipped with compostable dinnerware and even a garbage bag. If you're feeling inspired by the fresh air - you can even decorate the paint-by-number box. 

Want to join in the picnic? Pick one of these up on Gilt Taste... it's even on sale! 

Head over to the Boxsal site to pick these up.