buy:design | mustache mania

I’m an end-of-the-trend kind of gal. I usually catch them on their way out, just as they are about to hit the mainstream and become a Hallmark card or Target sales merchandise. Sure, there are a few folks behind me, but there are plenty more ahead of me.  Skeletons, blackbirds, and robots, remember them? When mustache stuff started showing up, I just thought it was quirky and weird. I didn’t figure out it was a trend until, well, yesterday when a few design blogs started demanding death to the mustache posts. Which means I am right on time and have about three days left before I have to hide.

We all know every trend breeds unfortunate knockoffs. And really, a bad mustache is just…bad. As a public service to help prevent mustache mistakes, Re:design brings you the best-designed, classiest, most useful, clever and tasteful mustache gifts for the holiday season. You can thank me later.

For the jewelry lover, the Mustache Ring, by Melanie Favreau.

The How the West Was Warm Cowl, from Toasty Knits on Etsy.

Draw your own. Comes in five styles–Salvador, Zorro, Burt, Django and Clark. From Atypyk, via Swiss Miss.

If you’re on a budget, consider Mustache Bandages.

For your bike, from Etsy, also via Swiss Miss.

I don’t know that I can actually look at these, but I can’t look away, either. Mr. Mustache Pillow from Whorange.

But this, this I gotta have.

The Humunga Stash Dog Chew Toy, via Internet Therapy.

visual learners

Oh, those small ideas that keep on going and growing. Young, a UK design firm is creating a buzz with their blog, Learn Something Every Day. Odd little tidbits offered daily to make you look smart, or perhaps obscure. But clever, for sure.

Sesame Street turns 40

Which means I have been a parent for a many, many years. Long enough to have seen this about a bajillion times. And loving it. Still.

Yes, I know the thread between design and Sesame Street is thin, and perhaps even invisible. But I couldn’t pass it up. I consider it cross-over art. And when my girls were toddlers, and I needed a bit of space so I could write a proposal, or call a client from home, I considered it divine, blessed and high art.

Enjoy.

buy:design | 500 Colored Pencils

If you’re looking for the gift that keeps on giving (and I don’t mean the fruitcake of the month club) check out 500 Colored Pencils from Social Designer. Twenty five pencils delivered each month, for twenty months to the lucky-soon-to-be-inspired-and-never-again-lacking-for-color-in-their-life recipient.

Designed by Felissimo, the subscription is $33 each month (don’t do the x20 math, it’s better that way). I’m sold based on the names of the colors alone. Who wouldn’t be swayed by Lettuce, Mermaid’s Gown, Drizzly Afternoon, Lobster Bisque, Tragedy, Norwegian Sky,  Vedure, Grandma’s Ring, and Frog Pond? (And Grandma’s Ring really is the same purple as my Grandma Jessie’s ring. How’d they know?)

I love this idea. And the packaging. And the displays. Steve has always had a healthy collection of colored pencils (although his are in tin cups, rather than cool acrylic art piece displays) both at home at at the studio, so I can’t get it for him. Kate will be moving around in Canada next year, so she’s out.

Gosh, know of anyone who could use a monthly dose of inspiration? Because this is so much better than fruitcake.

a (well designed) place in time

The most awesome design studio clock ever. If I had this clock, I wouldn’t be able to stop staring at it. Meet the Qlocktwo.

I would buy this, right this minute, except that we have a runner up for the m.a.d.s.c.e., the shadow clock that Steve carried back from Paris, on his lap.

But I will lust for this one. Perhaps in red, and in Spanish.

Or the Lime Green in Dutch.

The Frozen Blackberry tabletop, in Russian?

And they have an iPhone app. Of course, they have an iPhone app.

It’s from Biegert & Funk.  It comes in six languages and five colors (except for the iPhone app, which is English and German only) and updates time every 5 seconds. I think it’s beautiful and brilliant.

Thanks to If It’s Hip, It’s Here for the find.

re:treat | vintage candy wrappers

Think of this as my Halloween gift to you.

Some of my favorites from  The Candy Wrapper Museum.

I actually have this one by R. Crumb. Had the good sense to pay $1 for it at the now-defunct-but-never-forgotten Tower Records on Broadway. The candy bar has crumbled (no pun intended), but the package sits on my desk and makes me laugh every day.

From Jason Leibig’s awesome Candy and Snacks Flickr set.

some creative briefs are more intriguing than others

For instance, if you happened to be Andy Warhol, and your client happened to be Mick Jagger, your brief might look like this:

I saw this for the first time on Swiss Miss, and it looks like Letters of Note (gosh, this might be my new favorite site) published it in September.

My favorite line….I leave it in your capable hands to do whatever you want….and please write back saying how much money you would like.

where the wild things are

“Inside all of us is a Wild Thing”
— Where the Wild Things Are

I knew this was a special story the first time around.  I remember reading Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are to my younger brother (about 1969 or so) and, of course, to my own daughters. Somehow I scored the one well-worn copy and have it tucked away for my future grandchildren. Funny thing about WTWTA, I thought I was the only one who loved Max and his wolf suit.

Nine sentences. It had adventure, hope, fear, wonder, and the goodness of home in just a few wonderful pages.

Unless you have been hiding in your room, or on a deserted island nurturing your own inner-wild thing, you know that next week, the much anticipated Spike Jonze-Dave Eggers movie will be released October 16.

(There’s something a little goofy with the trailer. You just have to click the You Tube link. Go ahead, it’s worth it.)

There’s more, of course. Steven Heller wrote a wonderful interview with writer and illustrator, Maurice Sendak.

And Dave Eggers (my new superhero) has written a 300-page novelization, The Wild Things. The cover alone makes me want to buy it.

Furry and standard editions. (Update: I ordered the furry guy.)

Here’s a cool piece about Geoff McFetridge, the title designer (it’s the official Wild Things blog). Check out the design studies. What a project.

And, there’s a WTWTA week in New York and WTWTA fashion at Urban Outfitters.

And you know, there’s an iPhone app.

Me, I’ll take the movie, and maybe the music. And the book of fur.

Let the wild rumpus start!

wet paint | water into wine

We have a wonderful client, Larry Walker & Associates, who are water and environmental engineering consultants. We’ve been able to refresh the LWA website and collateral, and get to know some of the family who help run this company (where everyone is treated as family).  LWA  truly cares about doing the right thing for their clients, for the environment, and for their staff. That comes from Larry, himself.

Larry and his wife, Louise, are retiring after 30 years with the company, and the staff chose to honor them at their retreat at Lake Tahoe last weekend. Lucky for us, they decided to do it with wine for all, and Steve was asked to design a wine label for the event, illustrating the passions of Larry and Louise. Italy (especially Lucca), art (especially sculpture) and water (especially Roman aqueducts). Of course, Larry and Louise were also presented with the painting, along with the wine.

The painting:

The label:

The wine:

Illustration: Steve Barbaria

Label printing: Monarch Color Services

Wine: Putah Creek Winery

Client of the day, Kathryn Walker!

core values

Two values, one poster. From Anthony Burrill.  Simple and true.

Once again, thanks to Swiss Miss, archeologist of all things cool and relevant (at least to me).