get bassed

i went to see mike gordon perform at the blind pig in ann arbor last night. ben, being the diehard phish fan that his is, pulled me up to the front so that we were feet from the stage. they played two incredible sets in front of an audience of a few hundred ecstatic concert-goers and didn't stop until after 2 am. on our way out we passed mike at the sales counter and ben shook his hand and told him what an amazing show it was. we had a great night - my ears are still ringing this morning. here is a little sketch from mike's website. a man of many talents.

made by hand

sarajo frieden's collection of work is full of color and texture, most recently consisting of gouache paints, paper, and embroidery collages. sarajo has started to stitch her own artwork, however, the top image above, "bathing caps," is a collaborative piece created with embroidery artist marci boudreau. today is the last day to see her new work in the eta 6 show at the nahcotta gallery in new hampshire. 

pedal to the metal

i wish that all of our things weren't still in storage or back in minnesota so that i could take a bike ride. (1) linus dutchi bike, (2) merino wool cardigan, (3) herringbone bow top, (4) corduroy jeans, (5) skinny studded belt, (6) on-the-road boots, (7) merino wool scarf, (8) filson field bag, (9) stanley thermos

dressing the part

steven alan always has a classic collegiate style with a twist. fall essentials include signature shirting and extended outerwear with cropped trousers, opaque tights, and ankle boots. the designer recently added a spring 2010 video of his upcoming collection, which follows a couple through an idyllic weekend in the country.

dog days

today is the first day of fall. i've seen it coming for a few weeks with the morning rain and the changing leaves, my melancholy mood with summer gone and winter on the way.

these next few months are what i look forward to. curling up in bed, reading, with the rain outside my window. big burly sweaters and rubber boots. hot tea and steamy baths. chimney smoke and sharpened pencils. it will only last for a second, one heavenly second, and then the snow will come and the mornings will be dark and i will be hungry for spring again.

(photos by: erin)

lacy bits

katy horan is a storyteller. instead of scratching rudimentary sketches on the inside of cave walls, she creates scenarios through folklore inspired paintings and drawings. traditionally, stories are kept alive by being re-told again and again. in many of katy’s pieces this is shown through the repetition of figures in a series of connected vignettes. her most recent work includes lacy ladies, where katy puts her crocheting talents on canvas. her art can be purchased on etsy and littler paper planes. 

star light star bright

according to my horoscope, something unexpected is going to happen to me today. i'm currently still waiting. i wish i was better at sending out birthday cards. maybe if i had blue pool road's astrology card set i would be more prepared. their stationary is simple and beautiful, made with recycled paper and soy-based inks.

pearly whites

the honeycomb texture and delicate painted graphics on self-taught artist isabelle abramson's hand cast porcelain ceramics are unconventional and beautiful. after pouring liquid clay into plaster molds created from found objects isabelle drills, carves, and scratches the pottery until it achieves this unique look.

on my honor

i was never a girl scout. secretly, i was jealous of the girls that were. the badges, the berets, the cookies. visions of roasting marshmellows and singing songs around a campfire. my sister and i, along with our neighbor kristin, formed our own organization called the pine cone club. we created a mission statement and organized a book of achievements, holding our meetings in my dad's old ice fishing house. i remember a photo that was taken of us dressed in club created puffy-paint shirts holding our construction paper books. kristin was wearing a big smile with her sweet adolescent lips coated in fire engine red lipstick (the preferred shade of madonna in "who's that girl").  i, on the other hand, was chapstick free and frowning. i wish i could find that picture. i wish i could remember what i was pouting about. maybe i had just realized that i would never win that new bike with ribbon tassels, a basket, and a bell for selling the most cookies.

the autumn 2009 dear creatures collection draws it's inspiration from a 1960's girl scout theme, with sweet smock dresses that are reminders of the old troop uniforms. it might not be to late to relive my dream after all.

united steaks

with only 2 weeks left of summer, labor day is a time for parties, going to the park and the beach, running through the sprinklers one last time, and, for most of america, grilling. i haven’t made it through 2 cups of coffee yet and already i can smell the lighter fluid and charcoal. something to consider for next year – state shaped steaks. it doesn’t get more festive than that. photographer dominic episcopo's new exhibit, "united steaks of america," which shows our country in images of carved and manipulated ribeye, porterhouse, and sirloin, is currently on display at the state museum of pennsylvania in harrisburg until september 20. 

it's easy as 1-2-3

erin hanson (aka recovering lazyholic) is an austin, tx, based photographer/creator. she designed this delightful alphabet series - a grab bag of metaphors, idiums, pop culture references, and the artists personal experiences.

looking the part

clothing designer, dace moore, consistently creates the most beautiful lookbooks for all of her collections. the fall series, shot at the southlands riding club in vancouver, bc, shows fog creeping across the field, frost melting off of tree branches, and a horses steamy breath breaking through the cold air, all embodying the beauty of the season. the collection has a 1930’s equestrian feel with rich colors, structured skirts, high-wasted trousers, and draped silk tops. the video is a sneak peak of the spring 2010 collection and another lookbook to anticipate. it makes me want to skip winter all together and get on a flight back to paris.