Early American Flags

Good quick read: 10 factoids from Jeff Bridgman {via 1stDibs} to get you in the mood for Independence!

Upgrade

Love this collection by Tomas Kral in which industrial bottles are upgraded with the traditional methods of cut crystal and gold leaf beautifully joining together the industrial and craft!

{via mocoloco}

Clouds

I wish the rain clouds surrounding Texas this week looked more like the Kvadrat clouds...then I wouldn't mind doing without a little sunshine all week....at least we have beautiful sunsets to look forward to...

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. -Rabindranath Tagore 

all images via Kvadrat

Greetings and Salutations

Charlotte: Salutations. 
Wilbur: Salu-what? 
Charlotte: Salutations. 
Wilbur: What are they? And where are you? 
Charlotte: Salutations is my fancy way of saying hello. 


Greetings to the start of a new week...to an old friend you haven't seen...to a loved one that you miss dearly...

Hammerpress "Bonjour"; Anna Fraser's "Hello Stranger"; Threefold Collective "Hello" Postcard; WKD "Bonjour" recycled sign; Papertoruim "Bonjour" | "Hola"; Viva la press "Que Pasa Dude"; Yeehaw "Namaste"

When I grow up...

Still not sure what I want to be when I grow up {besides a lottery winner}, but looking at these images again from Sandra Freij for Milk magazine, is an inspiration and reminds me to believe in all the potential that I felt as a child.    {But then again all of Sandra's work inspires me..see here and here.}

Whatever is in store for you this weekend, I hope its an amazing one!

Nice Package

This weekend I secured a small lot of  really wonderful colored masking tape for a considerable discount.  {See my  photos above.}  So my new score + my mass quantities of bingo paper have me committed to amassing cute packaging materials! Here are some of my latest packaging obsessions from Present&Correct {I think I will start with the grab bag}:

 

{hat tip}

Longing...

to get back to the Holy City.... The adventures of Nola West actually began east of the Mississippi River when I dropped everything to move to Charleston, SC.  {I just had to see what was to come with the most sincere man I'd ever laid eyes upon, and as it turns out, he was a sure thing.}  Casual, sophisticated, carefree, and southern...idyllic isn't it!

Holy City, Off the Battery and College of Charleston by Kaelyn Michaels; Vintage Waves, Beach Houses, and In Flight by Minty Prints

Fade to Light

Imagine being able to interact with your reflection `a la Peter Pan.  This installation by rAndom International subtly fades mirror images to light {commissioned by Philips}.  Today, I think I would like to fade to light.

It Ain't My Fault

Happy Friday...Good things come to those who have all night jam sessions....Mos Def, Trombone Shorty, Lenny Kravitz, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Tim Robbins are the Gulf Aid Allstars....love this version of the delta classic "It Ain't My Fault"....download this song to support Gulf Aid.

Puffin Clouds

Love these images by Paul Octavious.  Makes me think about all the crazy things mother earth [& man] have been throwing at us lately....like my friend Mark said on the phone "if only superman were real, he could clean this up."  

i art u

So one of my daily vitamins is to jump over to i art u and see what Jennifer Young is up to.  I love her photography style whether she is documenting a latest trip, creating a color inspiration board, or shooting one of her magnificent terrariums.  Even her blog title reminds motivates me to use art daily.  Today she has an amazing give-away from Four Corner Store for one of her readers [see the collection below: German medic bag, assortment of 110 film, an Holga 120 twin lens reflex camera, and field notes...wow].  So this morning I am dreaming of winning the whole lot because it would be so sweet to have an actual film camera to toy with...its like the promise of having just bought a lottery ticket.

Don't you think this medic bag will look great with my first aid box?

So do you ever enter blog giveaways or are you a silent observer?  Either way be sure to visit i art u.

Janelle Monae + Cactus Music

Janelle Monae + Live Acoustic = Why you should love your local record store!

Cactus Music had one fantastic weekend of live in-store performances [+free beer].  We were able to soak in three diverse and entertaining artists: Houston's own Wild Moccasins, New Orleans' Anders Osborne and the sensational Janelle Monae.  Didn't have the camera on Saturday but here are a few shots of Janelle belting out some beautiful melodies...and let me tell you 'she ain't just the pretty one'.  

If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to check out her video for Tightrope. [Thanks Courtney for introducing me to this soulful little lady.]

We Are the World

Pretty excited about the World Cup starting this weekend.  I  love this colorful graphic by David Watson for Soccer Aid, its a great way to chart your team's rise to the clinching the cup.  

via

Got Milk?

I have been seeing lots of great design lately referencing that wholesome dairy product that I can't get enough of.

“He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself”- James Matthew Barrie

“I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.”- Woody Allen

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.”-Barbara Jordan

  

Kind of Groovy, Dairy Token Necklace, Porcelain NYC Milk Bottles, Vintage Milk Cap Bracelet, Jugs Bookmark, Cream in my Coffee Postcard