rip domino

it was recently announced that domino magazine will be closing up shop due to the tough economy.

just a moment of silence for a great magazine.

thank you.

Box of Tricks

So there's this architect, Gary Chang, in Hong Kong who has lived in the same apartment since he was 14. Now that he's older and wiser, he outfitted his apartment to maximize space. Mostly. He installed accordion-style walls, and can have up to 14 different room configurations. Pretty clever. My only hesitation with the space is that he needs to purge his cd collection. Anyone ever heard of iTunes?The man himself.

The ridiculous cd collection, flat panel TV mounted on one of the moveable walls, and the stacked laundry.

Apparently, this guy loves cleanliness. He's got an oversize tub, a steam shower, and a toto toilet with a heated seat and bidet function.

A shot of the walls in action. They're all installed on steel tracks located on the ceilings.

The kitchen, of course.

The murphy-style bed he designed. There is a couch on the other side that is in use during the daytime.

Hammock lounge. I'd rather have a nice chair, but I suppose space constraints dictate furniture selection in this home.

And lastly, the closet. I love an organized closet. Just like Carrie Bradshaw, I suppose.

*k

poster boy!!!!!!

OMG.

this guy from nyc makes art out of posters in subways with just a razor and a dash of creativity.

he's political, funny, controversial, and thought provoking all at once. LOVE <3

check out his flikr photos here. 

This creeps me out.

And also makes me happy. All at the same time.

I love this stuff.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite shows on TV these days- Ace of Cakes. Their creativity and dry humor is one of my absolute favorite things to watch. Not to mention they're all a bit hipster-y, which really makes me happy. The greatest thing about this whole tomfoolery is that they make these amazing creations out of edible things... chocolate, sugar, and pure goodness. Check out some of my favorite works of art below.
*k

love...

...is cinnamon flavored breath spray.

Cousin-love

I've always wondered who my cousins will end up with, and lucky for me, CousinNate ended up with a fantastically artsy/crafty woman, Angela. Other than being just plain great, she has some great stuff to check out.

First- you can find her in the blog world: http://vintagerags.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2008-11-25T12%3A29%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7.

She's got some great photos of her son, as well as some great crafty-ness!

Check out this great stuff at her etsy shop!

<3

so fun.

but this is my favorite.

So go buy some of her stuff now. SleepyOwlVintage- http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6500172

*k

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thankful.

I could post some things today talking about the inaguration and how the Mrs. finally got it right (nice work, btw!): but what is really on my heart is that I'm thankful. I'm thankful that I live in a country that recognizes that the President is merely a man- prone to fail and suck at times (just like us all), but that our faith in this country is undeterred.

This post is about even more than that, though...

I'm thankful for hair that stays on my head and fingernails that grow. I'm thankful that I can sleep without feeling ill. I'm thankful for the curves and extra pounds that never seem to leave (for that is what helps keep me healthy). I'm thankful that I don't live surrounded by needles and doctors.

I'm thankful that even if any of these would happen to me, I would have the *best* support out there, interceding on my behalf. I'm thankful for parents that care deeply, for brothers that love with their entire soul, for the friends that make you laugh when laughing seems impossible. So for those of you out there that are fighting, keep fighting. We love you, we support you, we're praying for you daily, and we know you can kick cancer's assface.

*k

Wonderfactory

I was checking out DesignSponge one afternoon (as I usually do), and came across this office space... it's called the Wonderfactory, which is a company located in New York (where eklse?!) and is basically responsible for being really really creative and really really fantastic. At my work, we're focusing our attention on one of the top five Marketing/Ad agencies in the states and redoing their space... so the Wonderfactory served as a great bit of inspiration.

The waiting area- check out how slick the Barcelona Chair looks in this space.

One of the two collaborative spaces in the office-

In this room, the "paintings" that you see are actually a grouping of a triptych that are digital images taken by employees on vacation. The wall covering was also designed by three of their own employees.

One of the conference rooms- check out the frames around digital screens... clever.

The open work area-

No lie... The Wonderfactory spent $285,ooo on this small meeting space so that he could tell people to "go to hell." (The affectionate nickname of the space.)

This is my favorite... it's called the play lounge. Check out the umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Mary Poppins-esque.

More images are on the Wonderfactory's site- check them out yourself... http://www.thewonderfactory.com


*k

spontaneous dance combustion.

I love this. More than words will ever be able to describe.

Richmond Christmas Glory...

Whoa, this is super-late. (But still incredibly amazing. Don't you worry about that.) On the fateful night of the finger-cutting, emergency-room visit, Sara and I had to stop and take some photos of how Richmond "does" their Christmas lights. There's an unusual style to Richmond-specific light-hanging. They usually have some odd type of drape-y, asymmetrical-ness to it all. Believe me, there is no true term to describing it.

Naturally, homes in richmond have large (about 4-5' tall kind of large) steel dogs in their front yards. With Christmas wreaths hung around their necks. Naturally.


Unfortunately for us, this was the best shot of the drapey-ness I was talking about earlier. We really did enjoy the lights on the INSIDE of the porch, though.

Also in our quest for the Christmas miracle, we made a stop into a local thrift store and found some beauties. The clown parade arrived a bit before we did... in full makeup and costumes.


Forgive me for not knowing my punkmetal bands... Kiss? Maybe? Really? WHY WOULD YOU EVER GIVE THIS AWAY?!?!!?

Did you know that both penguin and santa were hand picked to be the faces for Captain Morgan? True story. They parted ways shortly after their first gig, citing irreconcilable differences.

The beauty of this craft astounds me. The angels with sailor costumes and red hair? Truly magnificent.


and lastly, our absolute faves. two light bulbs covered in plaster and decorated as snowmen. "may your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmas' be white."

*k

cinematic hypnotism

since december 16, i have gone to the movies four times. FOUR TIMES. i am pretty sure that is more than i have been in the past four years. anyways, i thought i would share my knowledge.... before anyone throws away $10 or a perfectly good two hours of your life.

quantum of solace

go see this one. it's totally fun, the scenery is stunning, and the building in the last big explosion is really cool. i would love to find out more about the architecture.

the spirit

ugh. ugh. ugh. nice graphics. bad acting, bad script. weird references to eggs. 

and PLEASE tell my why samel l jackson is called octupus?

seven pounds

i liked this one, but i would have preferred to rent it. it was a little too long, but the acting was good. and i kept laughing at the wrong times too because the dog is so ridiculously big.

the day the earth stood still

better than expected. entertaining, if you don't mind keanu (i like jennifer connelly, so she helped balance out the keanu factor). some of the special effects were pretty cool on the big screen. my vote is rent it and find someone with a big tv. 

happy new year!

National Gallery of Art

What a fantastic break. I went home to NoVA and spent a good while just hanging out and getting things ready for my last semester. One of the highlights, though, was getting to go to the National Gallery of Art in DC. I had forgotten how many AMAZING works they have on display there. The collection they have is seriously huge- ranging from Van Gogh to Warhol, they have quite a variety. I prefer the more modern side, although the classics are ridiculously intriguing. Sadly, I don't have photos of the creepy baby sculpture that was Meghan's favorite thing to look at all day... but here are a few other works that are on display. And when you get the chance, GO. Don't just pretend to go. Make a day of it.

Monet's "Japanese Bridge" was way better in person. The colors are just... fresh.


Oldenberg's "Soft Drainpipe" would have captured my attention for a little bit longer had it been dusted in the last... 15 years or so.

Matisse's famous cutouts- "Venus"


The massive Calder-mobile.

Lichtenstein's "Look, Mickey!"



Helloooo Degas and your dancers. "Four Dancers"

*k