COFFEE CHIC

Check out this super cute and functional wrist/coffee cuff! In love!
Now I might lose half my guilt over the paper coffee cup protector...but there's still that paper cup.

SCOUT

Recognize this building from an awesome 80's movie about ghosts?

It is all in the details... over at Scouting NY, a film location scout records the details of New York City "most of which are ignored every day by thousands of New Yorkers in too much of a rush to pay attention." I personally like the focus on Art Deco architecture and typography in signage.

VIA PSFK

KIT

Have a super fab holiday! I'll be back around the 29th! xo.

PRESIDENTIAL DESIGN

My personal favorite, the classy and personal B+W card from Hoover

Over at the Daily Heller, design critic Steven Heller points us to a brief history of presidential season's greetings. I just love peering into a somewhat personal relic of holidays past, especially with the perspective of today. A Kennedy holiday card? Très chic if Jackie would have been plastered on the front of it.


On an more timely note, since I donated to the Obama cause, I can't wait for my holiday card... hint, hint! Will Obama bring a new updated design sense to the Oval Office's communications? I think so. His design team's fresh (for politics) choice of Gotham from HF&J in campaign branding is a design geek's indicator. The choice shows a new recognition and sensitivity to the changing faces of modern design, and I would argue, modern thinking. (Check out more on the politics of Gotham over at the Atlantic Community blog.)

Historical type references from HF&J

WINE SAMPLER

While searching for unique gifts, I found these wine sampling bottles. While wine tasting will always trump just about any weekend activity, this is a sweet packaging idea for any liquid-- or gel? Don't let the hero shot fool you: these are available in small 6cl and 10cl variants. For those of us still in the dark ages of American measure, this equals 2 fl oz.(2 tbsp) and 3.3 fl oz.(6.6 tbsp). The flat base and flat screw top likely make them easier and cheaper to ship in large quantities.

The only place to get these mini marvels are in Colette, Paris. Follow the link to email some French dude if you insist upon finding these. In the meantime, I'm going to do some digging of my own design...

VIA Luxury Insider

BUILD YOUR OWN

Love this interactive bike builder from Pedal Mafia! At first I went a little crazy and designed something with rims and hyphy color, but then I went for a classic, a lemon yellow frame with a Brooks saddle. I could obsess over this for hours...

VIA Ryan.

COMMENTING

a new cover design i'm working on...

Hey Readers! So, I've heard from a few people that they tried and tried to comment on the DPV blog but to no avail. I finally fixed the blogger bug-- so now you can comment. Please do. I don't only want to hear the sound of my own voice.

SOMMELIER INFOGRAPHICS

Check out this beautiful infographic: a "visualization" that depicts the strength of the relationships between descriptive flavor words for wine. Written by Carl Tashian for Visualizing the Five Senses, a class at ITP @ NYU.

BEACH CHIC

With the cold weather officially here in Northern California, I'm jonesing for a vacation. Check out this Ed Ruscha beach towel. Love.

LOVELY

Check out 24k on Lovely Package. Thanks for the shout out!

OBAMA ON STYLE

old school, super stylish Barack

"Here is my attitude: I think people passing a law against people wearing sagging pants is a waste of time. We should be focused on creating jobs, improving our schools, health care, dealing with the war in Iraq , and anybody, any public official, that is worrying about sagging pants probably needs to spend some time focusing on real problems out there.

Having said that, brothers should pull up their pants. You are walking by your mother, your grandmother, your underwear is showing. What's wrong with that? Come on. There are some issues that we face, that you don't have to pass a law, but that doesn't mean folks can't have some sense and some respect for other people and, you know, some people might not want to see your underwear -- I'm one of them."

VIA Black Voices

-----

A poignant message from a good friend who was married legally before November 8th. Please pass it on.

All love,
Sara
-----


Subject: Prop 8

Hi friends,

Have you seen Keith Olbermann's "Special Comment" about Prop 8? Keith eloquently expresses why the passage of Prop 8 is so tragic, and he addresses supporters of the proposition directly. David and I watched this the other night and it is amazing.

Here is a link to watch a YouTube video of Keith's comments. Please check it out and then join me and over 100,000 other people in signing a pledge from the Courage Campaign and CREDO Mobile to repeal Prop 8 and restore marriage equality to California:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/prop8repeal

Usually, discussions of political issues wind down after elections, but Prop 8 is not about politics. It is about love, equality and civil rights. That's why we cannot let the passage of Prop 8 stand.

We all need to talk to our family and friends about the importance of restoring marriage equality to California.

That is why I am asking you to watch what Keith Olbermann said and then sign the pledge to repeal Prop 8.

Thanks.
Scott

REAL LIFE DESIGN

Check out real life Photoshop on Flickr. Such a fun, simple concept.

THE BANGLE(S)

The iBangle is a thin piece of aluminum with a multi-touch track pad, and all the functionality of a clunky-now-size iPod. So you don't break it the day you buy it, a cushion inside the ring inflates to keep itself taut against your wrist . Too bad it’s only a concept at this stage!

VIA Yanko Industrial Design

I ADMIT...

Mr. Norris kicks butt and takes names in his action jeans

I've been off the blog radar. A sense of dread has spread over me as I realize it has been almost 4 months since I blogged! I apologize to anyone who actually reads this. Here is my excuse: I was promoted in June, and became so busy with work the last thing I wanted to do was spend more time on my computer. I'm finally coming up for air, so expect to hear from me regularly again.

And this leads me to today's topic: what if we had a magical product that made us more efficient? Well, for Chuck Norris, this means having a pair of trusty action jeans. For me, I am perpetually working on my time management. Each industry will have it's miracle product: for heroes in street clothes, action jeans are the answer. For creatives like me, Behance has been a fantastic source of knowledge and inspiration.

I'm inspired by getting things done (and done well). My favorite quote is "making lists just to check things off them." So when Behance came into my life about a year ago, I was addicted. It is a time management and information resource I depend on. In my previous life as a freelancer, the key to making money was/is time management. Check them out at behance.com.

"Making lists just to check things off them." The Action Book.

LOVE LOTTA

I am working with this fantastic pattern maker named Lotta Kühlhorn. She just sent me the sweetest book with her patterns in it. The only thing it is in Swedish– I wish I would read it! The bronze foil embossed cover is drool-worthy! Thanks Lotta!!!

FANCY NATURE

from Flickr

PRESENT & CORRECT

I'm so in love with everything from Present & Correct that I had to show you everything! I'm infatuated with this concept of designers-turned-online shop keepers. They style their photos in such a clever way. Lots of people are doing it, but P&C's style gets an A+!

HOT TYPE PART DEUX

If you read my blog on a somewhat regular basis, you know that I am a sucker for found type. Take anything that has a decent typeface on it, repurpose it and I am sold. Check out this super portable BBQ from Delight.com for on-the-go summertime action. So many places to Q it up!

TILT TYPE

Tilt, 2006

Check out the work of Polish artist Paulina Olowska. I love how she incorporates image and type in a sophsiticated, yet still collage-y way.

More slides at artkrush.

Soviet Life, 2006