20100128

what did we accessorize: artifacts by casey


artifact 001 / ring / plug / $200

artifact 002 / ring /socket / $170

artifacts by casey

so today i went into work (nylon) for the first time since i'd come back to ny (which really was only six days ago). and in the morning i really didn't have all that much to do so i was flipping through the latest nylon feb 2010 issue (with the vampire diaries stars on the cover) and came across this really cool jewelery designer. it motivates me to start wearing rings again since i stopped after i realized i kept bashing them up with all the art i was doing.

"I like making things that don't follow the traditional notion of what jewelry is supposed to be," says Brooklyn-based designer Casey Perez of her line, Artifacts by Casey. "People think it has to be precious and luxurious, but if my jewelry makes people stop to think for a moment, then I'm happy." (taken from the nylon article - can be found here)

the top two rings made from a plug and a socket in sterling silver are clearly meant to be bought for a couple, and i think it's a pretty innovative and cute idea. the one below is just fun. i would wear any of the three (now if only there wasn't that zero at the end of those prices...)

artifact 003 / ring / jaws / $140

20100114

what did we heart: karlie for vogue china

Perfect Sport
Vogue China Feb 2010
Shot by:Patrick Demarchelier
Model:Karlie Kloss


karlie kloss is so beautiful. (A - i hope you appreciate this post.)

these shots of her are gorgeous and i like the casual athletic chic of the clothes too. the poses / set up may be simple but the photos are clean and really naturally appealing - plus did i mention that karlie's incredibly attractive? the more i look at these shots the more i like the blurry/textured gray/black/white neutral sort of watercolored looking background as well.


links: fashionindie and fashion copious

(think i might go out and actually buy the issue...)

20100113

what did we lace up: temperly oxfords

i entirely agree with fashionindie and thecoveted about these temperly s/s 2010 shoes.
i know oxford lace up flats are all the rage and i've been a part of the trend and on this topic for a while now...(as proven by this post about the $700 hkd lambskin ones) but the steel toes and white cut outs on these pair make them that much more different while at the same time basic and quiet enough to wear regularly.

20100112

what did we watch: AVATAR

So tonight I watched Avatar with my parents. From what I hear, the director James Cameron who is also the director of Titanic, The Terminator films and The Abyss, aimed to make Avatar an epic that would be of as much fame and as notorious as Titanic. I'm not sure if the film can actually accomplish such a feat, if that really was the idea, but the film is definitely a success in it's own right.

My number one reason for its success is its gorgeous aesthetics. Gorgeous doesn't even appropriately describe the beauty of this film, all 2 hrs and 42 minutes of it, or at least every shot that involves the fictional world of Pandora. The effort put into every scene reminds me of Haruki Murakami's Princess Mononoke (which I can't seem to find a good website of) and the fantastical plant life in that film as well. And it's not only the imaginary flora and magnificient forest that are works of art, the indigenous Na'vi people are equally beautiful in their own right as well as the creatures of Pandora that on the whole seem very likely to rip your throat out. I could probably expand even further on how much the beauty of Avatar is enough to make it worth watching (and worth winning a couple awards for) but I feel it's necessary to mention things like plot and characters.

("spoiler" alert)

Sam Worthington plays the male lead of Jake Sully, a paraplegic marine taking his dead brother's place in a scientific mission to understand Pandora better, and the very attractive Zoe Saldana acts as the Na'vi who takes him by the hand, Neytiri. Honestly, there isn't a great deal of character development, though I suppose in films of this sort aimed to be epics it's not necessarily the most crucial element. The one source of change in heart lies within the male lead and it's a transformation you can see coming - you expect certain roles from certain characters: hero, heroine, bad guy, secondary characters that help the good guys triumph (sigourney weaver and michelle rodriguez)...Avatar does tug at your heartstrings (or it did tug at mine) but not because of dynamic characters, for reasons of more epic proportions involving ideas that are regularly approached by films: the meeting of races, total irrational violence, rallying of people around one cause, the maturing of one person and being accepted, as well as good winning out over evil.

I think the film can easily be split into two halves, a first half giving the audience total understanding of the world of Pandora and creating an emotional connection with the people of Na'vi and then a second half where all the action happens. Action that I prefer greatly over the guns and car chase types of a great deal of films nowadays. Let's not kid ourselves, before stepping into the theater I already knew there was going to be romance and I knew very well that there was going to be a happy ending. I'm not complaining, I think both were tastefully executed and I'm the type to enjoy both of those elements in a good movie. (I don't handle the reality of misery very well when displayed in Hollywood generated films.) Both halves let you fully appreciate the stupidity of the human race and if you're the sentimental sort (like me) then you also can spend the movie considering the utopic idea of a race completely interlocked with the nature around them. (and actually in love with their world)

Though this is a lengthy post, (and really just my amateur shot at a movie review) I think it's worth mentioning again that the aesthetics of Avatar alone are amazing. That balance struck between complete fantasy and plausible reality (which I also said about Up by Pixar) is incredibly well done and is part of why I can be so in love with this movie; it's a wonderful example of imagination at its fullest and an unfathomable amount of hard work and labor (which I like to perceive as very passionate and heartfelt). My last additional comment is that the 3D element is, in my opinion, not necessary and almost an obstacle in fully appreciating Avatar - something so well done doesn't require the gimmick.

this movie is so gorgeous.

20100111

what did we decorate: WONDERLAND

"rabbit"

artecnica is a los angeles based design company co-directed by enrico bressan and tahmineh javanbakht that collaborates with emerging, international designers to create "inspiring decorative objects for the living environment."

while wandering through homeless today in causeway bay with friends, i came across these three candleholders designed by stephen johnson for artecnica. the artist creates them from pieces individually cast from objects found in antique markets in England and are inspired by alice in wonderland - hence the name of the collection: wonderland.
"bird"

they caught my eye firstly because of their whiteness and the lack of distinguishment between the various figures until further investigation. i love that you can continue to stare at all three (which is made even more difficult i acknowledge by the fact that photos of these very white objects are against a white background...) and discover increasingly more detail or whimsy. i also like that i couldn't immediately tell they were inspired by alice in wonderland (as everything seems to be these days) until i read the blurb posted next to them. the uneasy balance of the objects, the quirky seemingly random arrangement that was so carefully designed makes for an excellent design piece (that i would probably never use for it's real function - to hold candles).

"lady"

it also invokes in me the desire to doodle and draw, perhaps because in that way i could replicate something similar on paper.

20100110

what did we illustrate: daily drop cap


DAILY DROP CAP by Jessica Hische


im not sure if i've blogged about this before, but no harm. daily drop cap is a website i'm fairly certain most fans of typography have come across before - the title and tagline says it all, "an illustrative initial every day." definitely worth going through the now almost three complete sets of the alphabet. the artist puts a great deal of effort and creativity (and dilligence in commitment to the project) - some i like better than others, but that's personal preference. i also appreciate the artist's welcoming of blogging and usage.



it's an exercise that i think would be fun to try out myself, just in a sketchbook or really roughly in illustrator - a letter a day might be a bit pushing it - maybe a letter a week and that way i'd be able to go through the alphabet twice in a year...just thoughts - maybe something you'd like to attempt?


20100109

what did we watch: all you need is love baby

this video by garance dore: all you need is love baby
is gorgeous - so simple but well shot and wonderful in its various scenes and colors




wish i could embed it here - the screenshots aren't quite the same as the moving thing so click the link!

(upon further browsing, i actually appreciate quite a number of her short videos)

20100108

what did we LOVE: BAD MACHINERY (and scarygoround!)

sept 21, 2009 (first bad machinery strip)

beginning in approximately tenth grade, i started reading a great deal on online comics / graphic novels etc. the non syndicated kinds drawn lovingly by laboring artists around the world trying to earn a living by posting a lovely strip of art a day.

bad machinery sept 23, 2009

here's one of my favorites:
BAD MACHINERY by John Allison (as presented by scary go round)
the artists earlier strip (his second) was entitled scary go round and lasted from 2002 to 2009(of which i have read from beginning to end - trolling through archives is a great deal of fun and wonderfully time consuming) and the characters currently featured in bad machinery stem in a way from this work.

both scary go round and bad machinery are excellently done in their artwork, full color, character development and long story plotlines. and i know i've included a lot of links in this post but if nothing else...go read this interview with the artist! i like knowing more into the minds that engineer the creative work i love.

bad machinery jan 7, 2010

someday (*hint hint*) i would love to own all the SGR books...unfortunately 1- 3 are out of print.

sketch from sketch fiesta dec 2009

the artist also has a flickr full of sketches well worth browsing. and a blog! the man is well versed in the ways of the internet world.

20100104

what did we browse: lookbook.nu

LOOKBOOK.nu: "And they think you should know" by Denni .: "AA Chambray Trousers, Steve Madden Shoes, Ax Dress"

first 2010 post is entirely irrelevant to the fact that it is a new year and the end of another decade. it's actually merely about this site that is very much so like
chictopia and is very much so on the mark with the latest trends: blogging and street style.

LOOKBOOK.NU


the tagline being "collective fashion consciousness" this site consists entirely of photos contributed by anyone at all who cares to make an account. looks can collect "hype" and you can browse by "new" or "hot" and see "stats" etc etc - things you're probably accustomed to navigating.

likes: some fresh/interesting outfits and some interesting/good photography

dislikes: (other than the unavoidable fair share of meh photos and looks) incredibly large amount of pretentious, pointless, ridiculous post titles....like "singing and dancing to them nighttime songs..." and "&She Red my Mind." seriously? also the inability to scroll to the bottom of the page of "hot" looks as they keep loading past ones.

p.s.: jane aldridge from sea of shoes has an account as does tavi from style rookie


LOOKBOOK.nu: "back from the dead." by Jarrod Thornley: "3d Glasses from Greater Union, Portmans Bow Tie, Flannel from Overseas, Urban Skinnies from Pumpkin Patch"



LOOKBOOK.nu: "Woman exposed pt. 2" by Celine Missoorten: "Coat, Made by Grandma, - Scarf from H"