Friday LOL (Jersey edition):

I love that somebody matched the skin tone of the Jersey Shore cast to actual Pantone colors.

The second guy down (I only know Snooki) is looking pretty light. Obviously he's not concentrating on the T part of GTL (which I totally had to look up what that stood for. OMG that makes me feel old!).

Photo:

Here I am, riding my bike in the CT Challenge with a big 'ol smile on my face (OK, so this was clearly taken at the beginning of the Challenge, not sure how much I was smiling at the end). Behind me is my friend--and CT Challenge mentor--Ed. Such a fun day!

Faux real::

When I was a child, I wanted to grow up and be an artist--but not just any old artist. I wanted to be the artist that Hollywood producers called when they needed artwork for their movies (as in, the lead character is an artist, but my artwork would be shown as theirs). I had no idea how that all worked--I really thought that was a specific job you could have ("What do I do for a living, you ask? Well, have you ever seen critically-acclaimed, box office smash Movie About an Artist? I was actually the artist behind the Artist.").

Alas, I'm not working for a studio, and my artwork doesn't appear in the movies. But, there IS hope. Check out Fauxgo, a Tumblr of logos of companies that exist only in the movies. Lots of Pixar love here, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Up and Wall-E are all represented; as well as huge pop culture icons Dunder Mifflin, Sterling Cooper and Oceanic Airlines.

I'm checking back regularly to see what else gets added. Who knows, maybe one day that will be my claim to fame.

(via swissmiss)

Yum:

Can we just take a minute to talk about my new design crush, Jocelyn Warner? I first saw her on favorite design*sponge last week, and, come on, who is not drooling over this:



Check out the gorgeous coordinating wallpaper, rugs, fabric and lamps, and if that's not enough for you, head on over to Terrain to see some furniture. Lovely.

(via design*sponge)

Illusion:

This post, like the 13th floor in a high-rise, does not exist. I mean, like the 13th floor, it really does--you're here, reading it, right?--but I'm going to take my cue from high-rise-floor-namers, and not call this what it really is: my 666 post.

Scary.

Friday LOL (best ever edition):

Do you like Mad Men?

Do you like Arrested Development?

If the answer to both of those questions is HELLS YEAH, then have I got a treat for you: a fantastic tumblr called A Trick is Something a Whore Does for Money (see G.O.B. introduction, season 1 episode 1).

Screenshots of Mad Men, coupled with dialogue from Arrested Development. Enough said.

(via Jezebel--I knew this was special when they titled it, Pete Campbell is a never nude.)

Mecca:

The Vogue shoe closet? Yup, that my friends, is Mecca.

Everything Prada:

Quite a number of years ago (more than I would care to admit), a friend found a great little hole in the wall in Chinatown for knock-offs. Completely convinced I was going to find a gorgeous [insert designer name here] knock-off, I trekked into the city, only to be completely let down by that day's selection (first world problems, I know). However, they did have a decent selection of basic, black, nylon Prada bags. For $20? Sure, I'll take one. Problem was, all of the metal Prada tags on the purses were scratched (I think we're beyond first world problems at this point). I reluctantly asked if they had any bags without scratches... and do you know what happened next? The woman took a plain black bag off the wall, and opened a box FULL OF METAL PRADA TAGS.

Naturally I asked her if I could just buy the box of tags.

Naturally she had no clue what I had just said.

So I got my knock-off with a shiny new Prada tag (and believe me I got my money's worth, as I still use that bag to this day). The running joke is that I wanted to buy the box, and stick a Prada tag on everything: our refrigerator? Oh, it's Prada. The TV? Prada. These shoes? No, that's not Nine West crossed out--they're Prada.

Now at least I don't have to worry about labeling my fonts Prada, as Alias has already done so:


Prada the font? I'll take it!

I love how they call it Prada Candy--it seems so appropriate. And, if, if they ever sell it, I won't need that box of metal tags anymore!

Challenge:

This Saturday, I rode in the 7th annual CT Challenge--it was my first time. Even though I'd just gotten into road biking this past spring, I've been training hard and completed the 50 mile route. It was such an amazing experience!

The CT Challenge raises money to support cancer survivors. There were plenty of survivors who were riding, others who chose to volunteer, and lots of survivors cheering riders on. Before we all took off, there was a survivor's walk, and after that they announced that the oldest survivor riding was 71, and the youngest was 8. I'm not sure which was more impressive (and made me cry more!).

The spirit out there was unbelievable. Riders were looking out for each other, yelling "car back!" or "car up!" depending on the direction the car was coming from (a couple times, it was "runner up!"). As we headed through Ridgefield, about a million Ferraris passed us by on their way up to Limerock (and, just so you know, if you're ever on a bike and a Ferrari is behind you, you can totally hear it coming). The rest areas--about every 15 miles or so--were incredible. Stocked with power foods, water, Gatorade, electrolyte tablets, pain relief, EMTs and bike mechanics, they were such a great oasis to ride up to. I don't think I've ever eaten so many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my life!

As I rode, I kept my friend Kathy and her mom in my thoughts--Kathy's mom is battling cancer as we speak, and every hill I climbed I thought of the battle she was fighting. I also kept in mind my BFF Sara's father in law, who just last week passed away from cancer.

There were some tough hills, and every person I know who has been touched by cancer helped me up them. It was such a great feeling finishing the race--I had been on some longer training rides, but never 50 miles. The race to the finish line felt great--we traveled from Westport up through Ridgefield into Bethel and Newtown, and back down through Easton, Fairfield, Southport, and back to Westport--I got excited approaching the Merritt Parkway on the return trip, and even more so once we passed I95. It felt great to finish, but truth be told, I was just so proud that I got to take part in something so amazing!

The CT Challenge is a fundraiser who's mission is "is to empower cancer survivors to live healthier, happier and longer lives. The Connecticut Challenge serves its mission by creating and funding programs, offering credible resources and building a community of support. To date, our programs have impacted the lives of 5,000 survivors in our state." If you are interested in donating, click here.

Friday LOL (font edition):

Comic Sans Criminal.

Recently I had a whole Facebook discussion over Comic Sans. I linked to sites like Ban Comic Sans and the Oatmeal (as well as gave my own opinion, which is that Comic Sans is the official font of the PTA), but today I came across this little gem and think that it is the perfect response to the Comic Sans discussion.

If you ever feel the absolute need to use Comic Sans, I definitely suggest going here first to see if it's entirely appropriate (hint: if you're not 11 or designing a comic--or even dyslexic--it's not OK).

Pillow fight:

So remember a few months back when we recovered our dining room chairs? Being that we recovered each one in a different design, we had quite a bit of fabric left over.

In completely separate news, I was having a hard time finding some throw pillows that I loved for our sofa. Can you see where this is going (because it took me quite some time to figure this one out)?

Yep, I had my mother in law, who is pretty handy with the sewing machine make some throw pillows (I, however, have not used a sewing machine since 6th grade home ec--which, by the by, they don't even call home ec anymore. It's like, consumer science or something like that. Why can't we just call it sewing and cooking? That's what it is, right?)!

Behold, our new pillows, which I love, love, love!







We only had enough of each fabric to do one side (with the exception of one pattern), so I told her to mix and match front and backs. FUN!

Happy birthday:

It's the now-8-year-old's birthday today (hmmm, artist-previously-known-as-the-7-year-old?)! Hard to believe that 8 years have come and gone so fast--as, like most parents, I remember her birth as though it were yesterday.

She's grown into a really cool kid, with a fun personality (see above), and--I might add--pretty decent taste in music (one of her favorite bands is Matt and Kim. Of course, she also likes the Bieber, so let's not go crazy here).

Happy birthday, 8 year old... The past 8 years have been a blast--can't wait to see what the next 8 bring!

Ride:

This past spring, I've really fallen in love with riding my bike. I've always liked spinning, but there is something about riding on the road that I'm really drawn to. So much so that I signed up for my first long-distance ride (50 miles next Saturday, part of the CT Challenge), and have taken more of an interest in the Tour de France (watching it while sick last week--picking up pointers from the pros, natch--I couldn't believe that these guys were racing down a mountain at 61 mph. Sixty. One. Miles--not kilometers. Per hour. On their bike. Yikes).

So it was with great interest that I read Christian Annyas' series Graphic Design in the Tour de France. From team logos and jerseys, to bicycle logos, to component logos, to saddle and pedal logos, it's all covered here in 4 well-researched posts.

I think my favorite feature is the Components--specifically the evolution of the Shimano and Campagnolo logos (let's just take a second to swoon over that gorgeous Campagnolo typography. Whoa). I also love the bike logos--again, some great typography there (yeah, I'm looking at you, Wilier Triestina). All in all, a nice round up of bicycling-related graphic design.

Fools rush in (RANT):

Friday was July 15th--mid-way through the month. As of Friday, my kids had been out of school for a whopping 3 whole weeks. They don't go back for another 7 weeks (not that I'm counting).

So what better time than now to launch back to school?

Yep, back to school is in FULL effect--last week we got multiple catalogs just about every day; advertising backpacks, supplies, and clothes. FALL clothes. Long sleeves, jeans, tights, and--wait for it--puffer vests.

Puffer vests. On July 15th.

While I hate that school has barely ended, and companies are already shoving back to school down our throats (isn't life rushed enough? Can't we just enjoy the laziness that the summer months bring?), I get that different areas of the country start school at different times. For instance, we happen to start in early September, but I know some areas in the South start in early August.

But you know what? They don't need puffer vests. Nobody needs a puffer vest for back to school (except maybe kids in Alaska. Maybe). Did I mention that the puffer vest had a (faux) fur-lined hood? Grrrr.

So I'm going to continue to toss these catalogs straight into the recycle pile, without a second glance. But if you ask me what puts me over the edge, I'm not going to say the summer back to school push (or Christmas in barely-autumn--or July, as there was a Christmas display in a Hallmark store I went into this weekend--which is also spectacularly annoying).

No, I'm going to say puffer vests in July.

Friday LOL (Don Draper edition):

What Would Don Draper Do?

It's no secret I love me some Mad Men, and I love me some Don Draper even more. Even though he's a womanizing, alcoholic jerk; he looks good whilst doing it, so therefore he is swoon-worthy (take your swoon pause here).

Actually, he is so alcoholic (OK, maybe not this last season) that the Oatmeal has made a comic about him. And--spoiler alert--it all ends with a drink. But the journey to get there is quite funny.

Want:

Tattly designy temporary tattoos.

Started by the super-awesome Swiss Miss (aka Tina Roth Eisenberg), Tattly tattoos were born from everyday temporary tattoos looking, well, childish and clip-art-y. So what's a designer to do? Start her own line of temporary tattoos, of course!


If I can't afford to hire Jessica Hische to design me a real tattoo, this is definitely the next best thing.

As Tina says, "Life is too short to drink bad wine and wear ugly temporary tattoos. Right?"

Right.

Dress me up:

I saw this dress the other day on the always fab Zooey Deschanel, and thought to myself, adorbs!



Then I found out it was from my fave Kate Spade, and I thought to myself, naturally!

So now, I'm thinking to myself, I just need an extra $500 and a reason to wear it.

Mr. 3000 (or what I did this weekend):

This past spring, we had a plan. See, we're pretty crazy Yankees fans, and every year we try and get to a couple of games. But this year, our plan was to go to 1 game, and spend more money on better seats. The game we chose was this past Saturday, July 9th.

It was kind of a good game to go to.


This is actually hit 2,999. I didn't have my camera/phone on my for hit #3,000. Aw, snap!

In case you live in a cave (or don't follow baseball. But mostly live in a cave), Derek Jeter reached a baseball milestone: 3000 hits in his career. To give you a little perspective, only 27 other players have achieved this milestone. To say the stadium was rocking this past Saturday is putting it mildly.

We sat in the first tier above 3rd base--awesome seats that gave us a clear view of everything (and were right in the shade the entire game. Note to self, sit there from now on). Hit #2,9999 sent people screaming. The energy in that stadium was unbelievable--as was the fact that his at-bats were the quietest I've ever heard.

Hit #3,000 was amazing. The 7 year old and I happened to be across the stadium--over by 1st base--standing in an aisle (we were on a sno-cone quest), and he smacked that ball--a home run--and the stadium erupted. I cried, natch.

So our plan seemed to be a good one. Who knew, back in March, that we'd be purchasing tickets to history?

Friday LOL (food edition):

What's Good at Trader Joe's?

It's no secret that I love me some Trader Joe's. I started shopping there years ago, when their prices were super duper cheap. Nowadays they're still a bargain, but with food costs rising everywhere, it's not quite like the old days. But I continue to go back: the employees are awesome, I can do a week's worth of shopping in 20 minutes, and--best of all--the food? Well, it rocks. And apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so:

Hello. My name's Nathan, and I love Trader Joe's. My wife Sonia does, too. She's a great shopper, has excellent taste, and knows good value when she comes across it. As many of you know, Trader Joe's is unsurpassed in the world of good-value grocery stores, so we spend a lot of our time and money there. Although the store fairly consistently delivers great taste with its own unique line of food products, there are definitely some big-hits, and unfortunately, there are some misses...

After doing a couple of internet searches for reviews of TJ's food items, Sonia discerned an apparent dearth of good, quality reviews for the store's offerings. So, at her suggestion, we decided to embark on a journey of systematically reviewing every Trader Joe's product, resulting in the blog you are about to read...

It's a great site--obviously much thought and care goes into each review, which is awesome. But I think my most favorite part is that I stumbled upon the site just as they reviewed the Wild Blueberry Vanilla Chèvre, which played a pretty big role in last night's all violet book club! And they gave it 9 out of 10 golden spoons (which I would completely agree with)!

So maybe this site didn't make me laugh out loud... but I think I love it just the same.

Book club:

Last night my book club met, and since I chose the book, I got to host. The book was the Violets of March, by Sarah Jio. Every time we meet we try and do a matching theme to our book (we also have a bottle of whipped cream vodka that comes to every meeting, but more on that later); but this one was challenging. The book itself took place in Seattle, and went back and forth between present day and the 1940s. There wasn't too much food in the book, and save for fish and coffee, I was stumped as far as Seattle foods went. So I got a little creative and decided to have a violet food theme. Blue corn chips, purple grapes, figs (or Fig Newtons in our case)... you get the idea. So I tweeted:



And Oh. Em. Gee. You guys, the author of the book tweeted back!



As my book club gals arrived, I told them the awesome news about my twitter conversation, and you know what? Sarah Jio not only live tweeted with us throughout the meeting, she BLOGGED about our little violet book club meeting(and called us trendsetters! Squeeeee!)! It completely reaffirmed my love of the Twitter.

We promised Sarah that we would tweet some pics to her; here we are toasting her with our blueberry creamcicles (sparkling blueberry juice and whipped cream vodka):



And here is our blue foods spread:


Purple grapes, Washington apples, brie, blueberries and chocolate covered blueberries, Fig Newtons, blue corn chips, hummus (that wasn't blue, but was delish!), and goldfish! Also, red velvet cupcakes for the red velvet diary in the book. Whoever thought of that is the honorary book club rocket scientist.


Cannolis with purple sprinkles? Yes please!

Book club is always a blast--we're such a diverse, fun group of girls--and so far we've picked a bunch of diverse, fun books, so I always look forward to a meeting. The fact that Sarah Jio was conversing with us all meeting long was the icing on the cake. I think the only way the meeting could have been topped is if she was there in real life (her living in Seattle, and having recently had a baby were just a few minor obstacles). But rest assured, next time she does a book tour on the east coast, I am SO there!