JK Wedding Entrance Dance - Forever

On Thursday of last week, a friend of mine sent me a link to this amazing video on You Tube. It quickly spread around the office and then within hours I started seeing it on many of the wedding/design blogs I visit daily! Since its debut on July 19th - this video has had over 12 million views and is taking the web by storm! This choreographed wedding ceremony entrance, to Chris Brown's "Forever" is a hit. It seems as if that video just might have pulled him out of celebrity exile, at least for the moment. Currently in iTunes’ number 9 slot for top purchased songs, Forever’s role in the wedding procession video has managed to help it rise as high as the number 6, and might have even made Chris Brown relevant again. Not only has this been a hit on the web, but on TV as well! Many news stations/shows have been talking about this - The Today Show actually invited the newlyweds to reenact the dance on their show.

Crate & Barrel Faves

With the 4 weddings this summer and one more in the fall, I have been spending a lot of time taking a look at gift registries! I am going to have to say my favorite for now is Crate & Barrel. I have selected some of my faves they have out now - I want 'em all!

Making of My Portfolio

Well, it feels a bit strange that I have graduated college and been working full time for over a year now already. I was reminiscing on my days in school - long nights/all-nighters and thought I would share some of the process of how I made my portfolio book and case all by hand. Enjoy!

Stand by Me

I am so happy to have seen this video of the song "Stand By Me" sung by Andy, Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora & Friends. It is beautifully done and actually gave me chills! On June 24, Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian went into an LA recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and American record producers Don Was and John Shanks to record a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran. This version of the old Ben E. King classic is not for sale - it was not meant to be on the Billboard charts or even manufactured as a CD - it's intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people - to give voice to the sentiment that all people of the world stand together - the handwritten Farsi sign in the video translates to "we are one". BEAUTIFUL and THANK YOU for doing this to all who were involved!

Nervous System Jewelry Design

The Etsy shop {Nervous System} was found by my {friend} who shared it with me know I would be intrigued. The jewelery art pieces are made using silicone rubber that is cut into an organic network of distorted ellipses. The shifts in direction and scale created a sense of movement and tension around the wrist. They are inspired by the complex forms of radiolarians - plant cells - or even honey comb. The white ring was made by building up layer by layer in durable nylon plastic using Selective Laser Sintering, a kind of 3D printing. These forms would be impossible to create by traditional manufacturing methods. The process creates a piece with coral-like texture, while the slight flexibility of nylon and airy design make it fun to wear. Nervous System creates unique, modern jewelry combining rapid prototyping methods with industrial materials. If you are interested in the process, check out this {link}.

Flicker Photo Layout - Pretty Sweet

This {Flickr link} was sent out a while back at work and while cleaning up my email folders I found it again and thought it was definitely worth sharing!

Sand Art Masterpieces!

Inspired by the work of Andy Goldsworthy, these artists have truly created masterpieces. I am blown away! A few weeks ago I cam across the work of {Jim Denevan} and then today a friend sent me a great {link}, introducing me to the work of {Andres Amador}. He has been producing sand art on Ocean Beach in San Francisco for five years - they creates intricate masterpieces that the sea washes away within hours. Many of his stunning images, which start out as simple squiggles in the 39-year-old's notebook, span an incredible 500x300ft - he has masterfully "doodled" on the beaches of San Francisco over 100 times over the past five years.

Words Hurt Too

This is an excellent typographic piece done by {Loducca}, a campaign associated with Children & Adolescents Reference Center - Words hurt too. Any kind of violence against children is a crime. The bruise and blood is made up of typography - phrases such as "Nobody loves you" or "I hate your voice". Found via {Fubiz}.

Edison Chandelier

Who doesn't love Pottery Barn? I am a bit obsessed, but was even more excited to see such a cool lighting fixture. This {Edison Chandelier} stood out to me as being very different and unique from what is usually seen in their stores. It was inspired by the work of 20th century designedrs like Adolf Loos, who were drawn to the austere beauty of industrial light fixtures and adapting them for home interiors. They have taken the bare essentials - wires, sockets and bulbs - and raised them up to be a great chandelier.

HUNDE HUS - Modern Pet Sanctuary

I thought this was a pretty cool modern pet sanctuary that doubles as a nightstand. Danish Etsy seller {MadsHome} is offering one of the cutest, decor-friendly pet pieces. The inside provides a quiet, dark shelter and a matching cushion - the terrace offers a lookout spot with a cozy sheepskin.

I Love You, Blogs and Coffee

Story of my life! I must get one of these :) I am obsessed and get lost in design/wedding blog world and can't live without coffee...Check out this screenprint along with many other great designs by {MadeByGirl}.

Just for fun :)

I was pretty inspired by the photography/fine art of {Beth Armsheimer} today and wanted to take my first stab at applying textures to a photo I had taken of my friends daughter in her baptism dress to make it look vintagey. Stay tuned for more pics of her, this here was just for fun.

Quite amusing if you ask me...

I found this a while back and have since been thinking about whether or not it would be a good idea to post. Ideally I should probably stay away from anything that can be seen as inappropriate (condoms) or offensive (brutal leaders), but then again that just isn't me. So {here} it is, I found this to be extremely amusing and hope you will too! If only their parents had used protection...

Faves from {The Die Line}

BEFORE AND AFTERS

RECENT DIE LINE PICKS
These are just a few of my favorite package designs found on {The Die Line}, a great blog/resource for anyone interested in a variety of package design. I have included the before and afters / re-branding that I though were pretty effective and well executed, as well as some overall well-design products and packaging. Seems as though I have been thinking along the same lines as {Pattern of Life} lately...

Beth Armsheimer Photography

Meet Beth Armsheimer - an amazing new photographer find here on the Central Coast! She is a wife, mother, and self-proclaimed "moment capturer". Photography is her passion and she is self-taught which I admire - truly inspirational. It all started when she had her first child, her son Wesley, followed by her daughter Chloe. She has not spent a day without a camera since. As she says, she is not a traditional photographer and enjoys a more fun, uncommon, experimental, storybook, fine art, photojournalistic style. Say that 5 times fast! Her favorite subjects are happy people and love. So as you can see I had a hard time picking just a few to highlight in this post, so I just went ahead and put up all my fave. She has much much more, so take a look at her {blog} as well as her {portfolio site}.

Fashion Plates!

I was checking out one of my fave blogs, {Pattern of Life} today and came across a post from a week ago that truly brightened my day and brought back some really great childhood memories. I really hope that many of you out there remember drawing with Fashion Plates and are feeling what I felt when I was reminded!

How to use up bread stat!

So I had 4 sheets of tonir lavash bread left and it needed to be used before it went bad. I was trying to think of a way to use them up quick without making sandwiches everyday. I came up with a quick and very easy layered pizza. I used spicy Calabrese salami for an added kick. I have done this before with a French bread baguette and it is delish.

Glastonbury Solar Concept Tent

{Orange} revealed their vision for the "tent of the future" - the {Glastonbury} Solar Concept Tent. This tent utilizes cutting edge eco-engergy technology that will allow campers to keep in touch and power their camping gadgets! Though this tent is only a concept, the vision of the Orange Solar Concept Tent has been designed to celebrate Orange’s 11th year at Glastonbury. Below is a list of the main features and explanations of each:

Photovoltaic Fabric
Latest research shows that by weaving specially coated solar threads into conventional fabric, revolutionary new ways of capturing the sun’s energy could soon become a reality. These radical advances mean that rather than relying upon familiar fixed panels, designers were free to conceive how a tent of flexible solar fabrics might look. The Concept Tent’s solar shell uses this technology to full effect with three directional glides which can be moved throughout the day to maximize its solar efficiency, capturing the optimum amount of energy which can to be used throughout the tent in a variety of new and exciting ways.

Glo-cation technology
To avoid festival-goers ever losing their tent, the Concept Tent would be fitted with innovative “glo-cation” technology. Glo-cation works by enabling campers’ mobile phones to identify their tent using either an SMS message or automatic active RFID technology (a longer range version of that used in London Underground Oyster cards); both would trigger a distinctive glow in the tent helping identify it from a distance.

Wireless control hub
The heart of the Concept Tent is a central wireless control hub which displays energy generated and consumed as well as providing a wireless internet signal; all information is displayed on a flexible, touchscreen LCD display screen. Integrated into the hub is a wireless charging pouch which powers mobile phones and other portable devices without the need for messy wires and multiple chargers. The ‘magnetic induction’ technology passes an electric current through a coil embedded in the charging pouch, this in turn generates a magnetic field which creates a charge and powers the battery.

Groundsheet heat
Also controlled by the central hub is an internal heating element embedded within the tent’s groundsheet; this under floor heating is triggered automatically once the interior temperature falls below a set level. Kaleidoscope Strategist, Finn McKenty, said: “The development of photovoltaic fabric will revolutionize festival tent design, in working with Orange we have created a vision for a solar tent that we believe is a great glimpse of what’s to come.”

Happy Belated Birthday America!

I have come across this {design} on several blogs in the past few days and it keeps standing out to me so I wanted to share it with all of you. It is a pretty creative concept that is well executed. Each print is handmade, signed and numbered in a series of 175. They are xylene transfers on paper - much like screen printing but without a screen and the design is transferred by hand inch by inch. Each piece is original and therefore may be slightly different from each other.

Festival of Speed!

This is a pretty sweet {sculpture for Audi} at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. It was created by designer Gerry Judah and stands at 32 meters high and weighing 44 tons! It was created to mark the car brand’s centenary, featuring a vintage Audi on one end and a modern car on the other, racing into the sky.

Dorms should have these!

It would be a great idea for college dorms / apartments to come with {these}! Well, maybe if each compartment was a little bit larger, but the concept is great!

West Elm Couches :)

Just wanted to share a couple of my favorite couches from {West Elm} right now!

Save the Dates - Raffi & Kohar

Here are the save the date cards that I designed, printed, and put together for a friend of mine. The image is one from their {engagement photoshoot}. Check back for the wedding invitations I designed for them once those are printed. Can't wait for the big day guys!

Rest In Peace MJ

In honor of Michael Jackson's very touching memorial service today - here is a clip of him doing the famous moonwalk that many since him have tried and failed - no one will ever come close to his pure talent on so many levels.

Restoration Hardware Fans!

I have been spending a lot of time in Southern California with family lately - this past weekend I was able to squeeze in a bit of "me time" to stroll around Old Town Pasadena. Being that retail shopping in San Luis Obispo is limited, it is always nice to hit up some of my favorites that we don't have in town. While walking through {Restoration Hardware}, one thing in particular caught my eye and it was these beautiful vintage style {fans}.

Penny Tile Floor - The Standard Hotel

Check out this awesome penny tile floor in{The Standard Grill} in {The Standard Hotel}

Fabric Wraps

{Chewing the Cud - Weddings} is a subsidiary of {Chewing the Cud} - a full service design, paper goods, and textile-based accessories company. They are a concept-driven design studio that specializes in personalized weddings and special occasions stationary. All invitations are printed by Flybird press using fine 100% cotton, tree-free papers and soy-based inks. I loved this idea of favors in pillow boxes wrapped with different scraps of fabric.

Vintage Engagement Photoshoot

I feel in love with this absolutely beautiful engagement photoshoot by {Simply Bloom Photography}. Everything from the style of photography to the concept - including peaches and the puppy - work really well together. Check out more shots on their {blog}. I came across these photos on the {Green Wedding Shoes} blog. I really could see these being used in an {Anthropologie} catalog.