A Morning With Anna Karina

"Wake up every morning and be just as surprised to be just as happy"

You were one lucky guy Godard!

DIY: Botanical Specimens & Shadowboxes

If you're looking for a quick and fun craft project for this week I suggest checking out design*sponge for their new DIY pressed botanical specimens tutorial. If I weren't leaving for Britain this week I would definitely get into it but as it is, I'll have to wait til I'm back at the end of the month :(

Let me know if you create anything special of your own this week!

Also, if you're in the mood for a more time consuming or stimulating craft, you might check out this DIY shadowbox project with Moomah also found on design*sponge

A Peek Into The World Of Faeries

For those of you who missed out on visiting the magical FaerieWorlds festival this year, I offer a glimpse into another way of life...

Backpacker Cat

This is the dream life....starting in 2008 this couple started on a 3 year, 9000 mile journey from Miami to the far tip of Argentina....with their KITTY!

News of their travels are recorded on their blog Turn of the World and plenty of video clips document their incredible adventures and most importantly the cutest cat in the world.

I know that the second clip is in French but even if you don't understand a single word like me, the point gets across just fine...the sense of wanderlust isn't just for humans, cats live for it just the same.

Thanks to Cute Overload for introducing me.

FaerieWorlds I Already Miss You...

Don't worry I'll be posting some more images of my trip to FaerieWorlds soon. It was such a wonderful, fantastical adventure I wish I could have brought all of you with me.

I did however lose my wings though.....hopefully the soul who found them loves them as much as I did...

Natural Formations

Seriously....how beyond unbelievable is nature?

Via I Love Psycho

More From Silhouette Masterpiece Theater

You may remember awhile ago I posted about the brilliant artist behind the darkly hilarious Silhouette Masterpiece Theater, Wilhelm Staehle.

Well there are some new pieces up on the site and I couldn't bare not posting them. Hopefully they will make you laugh as they did for me. Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry I can't make them any larger....I suggest checking out the site to fully enjoy their beauty.

Maru Getting Into Trouble Once Again

Seriously Maru is the most entertaining cat EVER. He's just so fat and round and curious I can't stand it! It's almost like it's a scripted comedy show or something....Maru has perfect comedic timing don't you think? Another note: How the heck does he jump like that?!

Check out his blog here or my past Maru post here.

The Perfect Book: Pictorial Webster's

Amazon just recommended me the perfect book..........Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities.

Just released this July, this book is for anyone who lusts after clip art, curiosities, or reference books. I thought this book would be way out of my price range when I saw it BUT instead of the relatively low regular price of $35, on Amazon it's only $23.10!!!!

Definitely adding this to my wish list......I'm drooling......

Play Him Off Keyboard Cat!

New Threadless tee "Three Keyboard Cat Moon" tee Keyboard Cat Moon" combines the best of cute kitty keyboard cat with the #1 best selling "Three Wolf Moon" tee on Amazon. I don't know about you but it seems like a masterpiece to me!

Tokyo!

Just finished watching this brilliant film, Tokyo!, made up of three mini stories by three brilliant directors, which takes place in well....Tokyo. The first short film and also my favorite, was directed by Michael Gondry who is the director of the Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of an Endless Mind which I'm sure many of you have seen. This comes HIGHLY recommended. Go and rent it now!

Rednecks and the NRA...Surprise Surprise

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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Ballard Billboard Vandalism

Lately the Seattle neighborhood I live in, Ballard, has experienced a number of acts of vandalism on high traffic area billboards. Personally I think they're hilarious although I'm not so sure the companies that paid thousands of dollars do. Thank goodness for liberal Seattle activists! They keep us all young.

FaerieWorlds 2009 & New Faerie Wing Tutorial

So I finally bought my tickets to FaerieWorlds '09! I've missed the scent of incense, sweat, and craft booths, and I've missed being in that little secluded spot of fantasy and magic lovers, dancing and creating for 3 days.

And now as the countdown begins (24 days) I'm trying to energy drink my creative flow into overdrive so that I can pump out something truly fairy-like for the festival. Last year I posted a wonderful fairy wing video tutorial which I used to make my own wings since I was a beginner.

This year I'm trying something a little more challenging. I will attempt to make some insect like fairy wings out of iridescent cellophane paper, using wire as veins to create an open frame like these ones below.

Thank goodness for Faerie Muse and her extremely helpful tutorial! Wish me luck! Keep checking by for updates on my costume!

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all are living it up and enjoying this beautiful day and night we have for BBQ and fireworks!

Etsy Blog: New There's No Place Like Home

I love when Etsy posts little videos of artists in their homes! It's always so inspirational and personal that immediately afterwards I find myself wanting to reinvent my own place. This week the creators of the blog The Snail and the Cyclops, Alice Saunders (Forestbound) and Francesca Zmetra (Thirteen Eighty-Five) let us into their flea market filled home. I love Alice's wood crates and frames that she uses in so much of her decor and Francesca's walls filled with delicate vintage clothing on hangers was gorgeous. Enjoi!

Etsy Find: Chipmunk Cheeks

Who wouldn't love the flowery illustrations of Katie Vernon from her Etsy shop Chipmunk Cheeks?! They're so cheerful and folksy I would love to frame one in a gaudy gold frame don't you think? Cheers to design*sponge for the link!

Colin Thompson

If you've ever visited Gelaskins for a new phone or laptop cover, you might recognize Colin Thomson's "Bookshelf" or "Underworld" (which is the one I have for my mac). He's an amazing artist and I've always been drawn to his detailed illustrations.

Well...yesterday and I browsed the sale bin at Borders I found a large picture book titled "How To Live Forever" and I recognized right away the Thomson's style that adorned the cover. Of course as I'm a fan of children's book and his work I had to buy it! (only $5)

It's a story about a library that houses all books ever written which come to life every night. It's so beautifully illustrated and all the little hidden details kept me reading longer than the short story demanded.

After discovering this book I've realized that Colin Thompson actually has a huge collection of storybooks that he's written! Here are a few of them. I can't wait to get ahold of more and you should join in the search with me. These books and Colin's work are so worth it!

Laughing With Regina Spektor

I love Regina Spektor's new video for her song "Laughing With" because it reminds me of my good old angsty teenage years when I replayed my favorite Fiona Apple video "Paper Bag" over and over again and it broke my heart then healed it. Embedding the video is disabled but you can watch it on YouTube here.

Stella Im Hultberg's Moleskine

I love love love when artists post images of their personal sketchbooks! It makes me feel so connected to the artist and helps me to understand their work better. Recently on her blog Stella Im Hultberg revealed to us ink sketches from her Moleskine journal. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that I'm a big fan of Stella's. She's part of my favorite female Pop Surrealist triad, consisting of Stella, Audrey Kawasaki, and Amy Sol.

Thanks Stella for sharing!

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I'm too late! I'm heading to Edinburgh, Scotland in August and while I'm there I'm lucky enough to catch the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival! Tons of authors will be giving lectures but you have to get tickets for them and as is to be expected they're selling out fast. I JUST found out about this and of COURSE the one author that I'm absolutely crazy about, Carlos Ruiz Zafon author of The Shadow of the Wind, has sold out!! Nooooo! I'm pretty devastated.

If you haven't heard of Shadow of the Wind before just an interesting little fact: Did you know that this book from Spain has outsold JK Rowling, John Grisham, and Dan Brown put together?! -link

So basically my point is number one, read this book. Number two, pray that any other authors appearing at the festival I like will not be sold out.

Film To Watch: Phoebe In Wonderland

I'm writing this post immediately after watching the new film Phoebe in Wonderland on Netflix (it's available on instant). I was not expecting myself to be so moved with the film, based on what I got from the trailer, and I found the experience to be quite therapeutic actually.

The story line combines the rich literature of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a look at mental illness, specifically in children with Tourette Syndrome, within the household and society. In researching the film a bit I noticed that it has developed quite a following of people with neurological disorders themselves who related to Phoebe's struggle. I personally am effected by a mental disorder and as I watched Phoebe deal with fear and her parents try to cope, I felt comforted in a strange way.

Point is YOU NEED TO SEE THIS FILM!!! Oh and p.s. the casting is brilliant.

It seems like the movie can actually be watched in parts on youtube. Click here for a clear video of part one.

Abandoned

Abandoned dwellings have always held so much mystery and fascination for me. It's that strange ghost town effect you know?

Well here are some lonely little places I found through 100 Abandoned Houses and If Charlie Parker Was A Gunslinger... take them into your heart and dream about their stories tonight. These places make excellent dream backdrops don't you think?

I Want One!

Cute Corgi puppies!

Via Cute Overload

SNACKS

If you live ANYWHERE close to the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle you have to make a special trip to the newly opened Snacks! right now.

I've been complaining forever that there are no places around here to go for quick lunch breaks because the area is basically all sit down restaurants. And now there is an answer to my prayers (took me 8 minutes to walk there and get a dog) and that is Snacks! If you've ever visited Dante's Inferno Dogs hotdog stand during Sunday Market then you'll die to see that your favorite veggie dogs are served all day (and weekend late nights) long!

Inside you'll find a casual set up of cheap candies, beer, snack foods (duh), ice cream, and other grocery staples. Plus there's a special notepad for customer requests!

5219 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA