Talented Typographer

                    

INSPIRATION 2014 #87: This is typography you probably don't even think about, but you have to be pretty impressed with this painter's skills. Not only is he an amazing lettering artist, but his footwork is pretty fancy as well.

A Solution for the Easily Distracted. . .

Don't think I have enough bowls!

RIP Steve Jobs

Thanks for being one of the crazy ones, Steve.

Something Good for Sunday

Love this video of Monkey, the rescue dog! It certainly captures the joy a dog can bring to your life! Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Spotted this over at something.

Delicatessen

I couldn't remember if I had ever seen the movie Delicatessen, so we ordered it from Netflix and watched it this evening. Once it began, I did remember that I had seen it before, but it had been so long ago, I was happy to watch it again.

Delicatessen takes place in a post apocalyptic world where a landlord and his tenants struggle to survive. Bits of humor break up the horror of the situation while inventive set design and surrealistic scenes make this a film not to miss.

A rather dark comedy, it is the first film of director Jeunet and designer/illustrator Caro ~ they also made The City of Lost Children ~ another film worth viewing. Jeunet also directed the movie Amelie as well as A Very Long Engagement.

See what you think ~ give Delicatessen a try!

Anthology Magazine

Print Is Not Dead from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.

While I can't remember where I first heard about Anthology Magazine ~ probably on a blog somewhere, I did remember that what I saw looked interesting and that Anthropologie was carrying it. So, being the frugal person I am, I decided to pick up a copy to look through before I committed to buying a subscription. So, I came home with Issue #2, took a look and am now a subscriber ~ so happy there are some new magazines being published ~ I was having withdrawal from all those that have disappeared over the last few years.

Anthology Magazine: Living with Substance & Style is an independent magazine that launched in the fall of 2010. Each issue explores a different theme ~ below are the covers of the first three issues ~ click here for a glimpse of the content of each of the issues. Make sure to visit their blog and also don't miss the video above ~ it was for the launch of the magazine and it is just wonderful!

{Issue #1 ~ The Slow Life}

{Issue #2 ~ Where the Past Meets the Present}

{Issue #3 ~ Life is a Party!}

Enjoy the Weekend!

Start your weekend off right with some humor! This video makes me laugh out loud every time! Now that you're laughing ~ or at least smiling, have a great weekend!

Happy Weekend!

A bit of humor to begin the weekend...

Brush Up on Proper Dental Hygiene for Your Opossum!

Have some extra time on your hands this weekend? Why not brush up on some proper dental hygiene for your opossum? This video will provide all of the details (and more) that you will need in order to keep your opossum's teeth looking white, shiny and gingivitis free. If only I had had this knowledge back when Scurvy was visiting ~ perhaps he would have been a more congenial houseguest?!

C or D? What works for you?

Don't know about you, but I could use a laugh today!

Premium Film ~ Everything is Illuminated

This week a friend recommended and loaned me Everything is Illuminated ~ a most wonderfully "premium" film starring Elijah Wood as Jewish American collector of family memories, Jonathan Safran Foer. Jonathan travels to the Ukraine to find Augustine, a woman in a photograph Jonathan's grandmother has given him. Arriving in the Ukraine, Jonathan hires Alex and his "blind" grandfather to serve as tour guides and translators ~ Sammy Davis Jr. Junior, the grandfather's "deranged seeing-eye bitch" accompanies the men on their journey.

In addition to the humor (there are many laughs), I found this movie very enjoyable on many levels. The plot of the story is intriguing and slowly unravels during the film, which is beautifully shot on location in Prague. As a collector myself, I liked that the film offers a glimpse of why people collect things and what those collections can mean to others. I would love to get a closer look at the wall collection shown below!

Quirky, sweet and sad, the film also touches on family relationships, cultural differences, love, friendship and loss. The soundtrack is worth a listen as well. After seeing and enjoying the film, I am looking forward to reading the book it was adapted from.

{click on images for sources}

Orlando ~ A Visual Feast

This weekend I watched for perhaps the 3rd or 4th time, Orlando, a film by Sally Potter. The film was released in 1992 and stars Tilda Swinton as Orlando ~ a person who lives for 400 years ~ the first half as a man, the next 200 years as a woman. The film is based on a novel by Virginia Woolf and won Oscars for both art direction and costume design. While I still wonder (even after watching several times) as to whether I understand all of what is going on, I love the film for the beautiful set designs and costumes ~ it is quite memorable. If you haven't seen it, give it a try ~ it is wonderful! Check out the clip above. Below are a few of my favorite stills from the movie.

{Just gorgeous!}

Treat yourself to a great weekend!

Hoping your weekend makes you feel as good as these guys!

Halloween '09 with the Colonel

When it comes to Halloween, I either go all out or do next to nothing ~ usually that has to do with whether or not I've come up with a good costume idea or not. This year, I was inspired by my own surroundings......

{my boyfriend, Dick}

{Sprocket, our dog that crows like a rooster}

Dick and I worked all day Saturday making costumes and carving pumpkins ~ all for 5 seconds worth of photos ~ Speck and Sprocket were not as calm as I had fantasized ~ they were too interested in all the activity going on in the neighborhood and in getting out of their costumes! I had visions of all of us sitting in the front yard together giving out candy to the trick or treaters. Instead, it was just Dick and me in our costumes with a bucket of candy ~ the barking dogs being locked up inside. We had considered giving out fried chicken instead of candy, but decided against it. As you can see, I disregarded my own advice for a costume this year ~ we had a good time anyway ~ saw some great costumes and enjoyed the neighborhood kids. Hope you had a great Halloween too!

Favorite Movies ~ Harold & Maude

Last night I was up late working on my art projects for the holiday shows I am participating in ~ as luck would have it, TCM was running Harold and Maude ~ one of my favorite movies ~ so staying up late was much more pleasurable!

I don't remember when I saw it for the first time, but I know it wasn't in 1971 when it was released ~ probably wasn't a blockbuster at the time ~ now, it is a cult classic. In it's own odd way, I find Harold & Maude to be an uplifting film, despite the black humor, the characters' obsession with death and the unique love affair between a young boy and an elderly woman. Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort are a delight to watch - along with many of the other quirky characters like Harold's mother and the string of blind dates she arranges for her son in a desperate attempt to set him on the right path. If you haven't seen it, try it, you'll like it ~ according to the AFI's 100 Funniest Movies, Harold & Maude is #45 ~ for a sneak peek, click below....

Clickity, clickity, click

Sorry for the unannounced blog break ~ I had hoped to post a notice, but ran out of time. Lately, I am always scampering around at the last minute ~ especially when it comes to packing a suitcase and catching a flight! I have just returned from a short trip back to Pennsylvania to visit my family, meet my new niece and attend a college reunion at Bucknell ~ had a great time, but it was pretty hectic!

As I settle back into my regular life, I happened to come upon this short film ~ a friend had shared it with me years ago as she knew I love to knit and had become somewhat obsessed with knitting ~ especially scarves. It is rather long, but if you have a bit of patience it is entertaining and beautifully done ~ especially if you appreciate short films or are a knitter. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do......The Last Knit by Laura Neuvonen.

Fun with Coraline!

As I mentioned earlier, D and I decided to go to Coraline for a Valentine's Day treat ~ one of my main reasons to go was to see just what part the scottish terriers had in this movie. I had seen a trailer several months ago and glimpsed a split second of what looked like an entire theatre of scottish terriers ~ I was not seeing things! While the scotchmen played a rather minor part in Coraline, they did add a spot of humor ~ I'm sure someone in the creative group must have a scottie ~ their mannerisms and personality were captured quite well. Check out these handsome well behaved scotsmen below:

While we really enjoyed the movie, I discovered that the Coraline website is lots of fun too! Aside from being a pleasure to look at, one can build your own flower, write your name with jumping mice and button your eyes so that you can stay in the other world if you so choose! Button your eyes here.

{ Our family portraits }