calculator chairs

These chairs from PantoGraph are great. I'm thinking this photo of them would look marvelous framed & hanging in my office.

via swissmiss

more & more owls

Rachel of Cornflower Blue Studio
posted this owlie a couple of days ago.

I absolutely adore it.Notice how it's a page from Jane Eyre.
Love it!

friendship bracelets

How many of you have made at least one friendship bracelet in your day? Be honest.
I've certainly made many over the years (working as the handicrafts director at a summer youth camp leaves one with little choice). I love them. A little cheesy, yes...but fun!

Ray Fenwick has created a friendship bracelet series of paintings that I absolutely adore. Colorful & nostalgic. My favorite part? They are all painted on old book covers.

via hello bauldoff

owl love

Barry's Farm offers some adorable laptop sleeves,
including this one:

I really love owls;
& despite my aggression towards most things pink,
I am surprisingly ok with the hearts.

Thanks Amanda (of cusp of normal)! via a geek in anything but pink

the great unknown

I feel just like this poor girl. Stranded in the middle of nowhere. Alone. Lost.

So my situation isn't quite that desperate...but it's getting there! I've got one week to find a new place, sign a lease, pack & move out of my house. Then, I have one more week to unpack, settle in, re-pack & head to camp for 5 weeks. ...Did I mention I'm supposed to be taking a class & working 30ish hours a week while all of this is happening?
-I've never had to look for a place on my own before. I've always had a roommate or two. I must say, it's slightly terrifying.-
Needless to say, I'm going to be a bit scarce around here for a while. I will try my hardest to keep posting for the next two weeks because I know that once I leave for camp, I won't be able to post much at all.
Though I'm not leaving just yet, I will say again, I'm going to miss you, dear readers & I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summers!

photo via ali loves flickr

candy cups

Don't you love these cups from Room Service Home?! I want to throw a carnival party just so I have an excuse just to use them!

via black*eiffel

happy birthday, jason!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Mine was hectic but still nice. We took my little sister to the county fair, held our very first yard sale, & celebrated Jason's birthday (which was Saturday). It was eventful to say the least.

(oh the joys of working at a youth camp)

For his birthday, I gave Jason this hilarious Zombie Escape Plan set from etsy seller Christine Renee. He loved it! Haha, I knew he would. Jason has a slight obsession with zombies (which I've mentioned before). He was so inspired, he immediately began planning & outlining for his own survival plan. He's been clacking away on the type-writer for a few hours already!
Happy Birthday, Jason. You deserved a good one.

top 5: the week at a glance

a few of my favorites (in no particular order) from around the blogosphere this past week:

this attic makeover blows my mind. simply incredible.
via a cup of jo

book sculptures by Jennifer Khoshbin are lovely & so attentive to detail.

via paper schmaper

would it be absolutely absurd to own each & every one of these hoses so that i could stack them just like this? ...probably so.

via oh happy day

i love these tea lamps from domestic construction. they feed my mug addiction. in fact, i could almost dedicate an entire room to them.
via decor8

this little shack is perfect in every way. i could live there. would love to live there.
via design*sponge

punctuation games

Here are a couple fun learning games for kids (or for you...I know I enjoyed them). These, unlike Meet the Marks, are learning tools that wear their educational aspect on their sleeves. They are fun, however, & so hopefully effective.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves Punctuation Game is based on the book by Lynne Truss. It's very simple & fresh. It has a Dick & Jane feel to it that I love.

Punctuation Paintball from iknowthat.com is a little more complex but still fun & easy to get the hang of quickly...& you get to splatter aliens with paint!

punctuation for kids

Meet the Marks is an incredibly clever children's book by Frederic Terral of Right Brain Terrain. The book explains punctuation basics in an under the radar sort of way...kids will begin learning about punctuation without even realizing it. The entire book is available online here.

PS also check out RBT's inspirational posters. I especially enjoy this one & this one is currently my desk top background. You'll dig em, I promise. All the cool people do.

book via "write now is good."

your punctuation?

I'm curious. Do you, lovely readers, have a favorite punctuation mark? I am personally oh so fickle, so mine varies with my mood. But I am dieing to know which you love. I've created a poll in the sidebar (& yes, perhaps I went a little over board)...you can vote for multiple answers, so pick all your favorites!
Also, I would love to know more about your love or hate or indifference of punctuation. Know of a cool product or project involving exclamation points or question marks or semicolons? Have any silly (& possibly slightly embarrassing) stories about punctuation mistakes that you wouldn't mind sharing? Leave me a comment, I want to know about it!

*Update* The poll has now closed. Ampersand pulled ahead (by just one vote!), followed closely behind with a tie for second was the colon/semicolon (my guess is the semicolon was the true favorite there) & the ellipsis. Thanks to everyone who voted...it was truly interesting to see which are your favorite punctuation marks.

image via rekindled moments

punctuation pagemarkers

I would use all of these up in no time!
Alas, they are currently sold out.

sign language matchbooks

So sign language doesn't exactly fit into my punctuation week...but they both relate to communicating & this is just plain cool, so it works.
This collection is a series of American Sign Language hands that JK Keller made from matchbooks found on the street. Beautiful.
via design mom

breakfast challenge

This week Here Kitschy Kitschy is hosting (I say hosting when really she is just challenging herself) a breakfast challenge. I am so terrible about eating breakfast. I know how bad that is...but really, I am just never hungry first thing in the morning (not to mention, always running late), so I've joined in! It has proven to be a little difficult for me...but definitely worth it.
The actuall challenge (eating a healthy, full breakfast that she makes from a recipe she's always wanted to try...each morning) is a little ambitious for someone who usually never eats breakfast, so I am content with making sure I actually eat something every morning.

Monday was a sausage biscuit & an orange juice.
Tuesday was...er, a rough morning.
Today...quite possibly the best tasting (but definitely not most healthy) breakfast I've ever had!

Here's how it came to be:
Sunday afternoon Jason & I were visiting with my family at the local American Legion when we happened to discover a cherry tree! I know very little about this kind of thing, but the cherries were yellowish...or perhaps they're called white cherries? I'm not sure, please comment if you know! They were certainly delicious, though, & we spent about an hour climbing the tree to pick & drop cherries to Emma (my 3 -almost 4!- year old sister). It was great fun & we went home with a bag full of delicious cherries. Jason, of course, had to make a pie...& he decided he would take it to my mom as a little treat for them (sweet, I know) but this meant that I wouldn't get to try even one bite! I was quite sad if you can imagine.
Lucky for me, Jason is a big sweetheart & he made a miniature pie (tart?) just for me! So I let it bake this morning while I was going about & thus, one of the yummiest breakfasts I've ever had.

punctuation greeting cards

sudoku inspired greeting cards by Objet de Carte
what fun these would be in your mailbox!

necklaces

Visit crinoline's etsy shop for some funky punctuation necklaces.

Remember shrinky-dinks? Still love them as much as I do?

Then you'll love this collection!

ampersand, semicolon, question mark

stamps & stickers

Stamps & Stickers

tldemay's shop seems to primarily carry scrap-booking supplies, but I found these wonderful punctuation flavored stamps & self-adhesive chipboard that could be used for a variety of purposes. I can think of gobs of crafty things I'd like to do with both...in fact, I just might have to grab these for myself!
PS don't miss these colorful punctuation marks!

etsy tuesday

Today is a day of etsy finds & punctuation combined!
The next few posts will feature some of my favorites.

For starters, meet Harlan.

"Harlan loves cereal. He's a big fan of grains in general, but breakfast cereal is by far his greatest love. Sometimes he waxes poetically about oatmeal, other times about Apple Jacks. He also enjoys lectures about particle physics and roller derby."
To make Harlan your new best friend, visit Tofu Nutloaf etsy shop! Afraid Harlan will get lonely? I feel like Percy would make him a great companion.

punctuation pendants

Comma Pendant & Talk Pendant
Both from Chao & Eero Jewel.

Oh do I love these necklaces!

comma pendant via swissmiss

punctuation week!

click on the image to find out how

much you really know about punctuation

Since I've been coming across a lot of punctuation paraphenalia recently, I have decided to make this punctuation week! - Disclaimer - If you love punctuation as much as I do, beware. Some of these finds just may make your heart explode.

We all use it, some of us even know how to use it correctly (even if we don't all of the time)... but if asked how to define it, would you be able to rattle off a quick definition?
Here's what wikipedia has to say,
"Punctuation is everything in written language other than the actual letters or numbers, including punctuation marks, inter-word spaces and indentation.
Punctuation marks are symbols that correspond to neither phonemes (sounds) of a language nor to lexemes (words and phrases), but which serve to indicate the structure and organization of writing, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading it aloud.
In English, punctuation is vital to disambiguate the meaning of sentences. For example, 'woman, without her man, is nothing,' and 'woman: without her, man is nothing,' have greatly different meanings, as do 'eats shoots and leaves' and 'eats, shoots and leaves.'
The rules of punctuation vary with language, location, and time, and are constantly evolving. Certain aspects of punctuation are stylistic and are thus the author's (or editor's) choice. Tachygraphic language forms, such as those used in online chat and text messages, may have wildly different rules."

the ampersand

If you know anything about me, you know that I am slightly addicted to punctuation. You can imagine my excitement when I discovered this quirky website dedicated to the ampersand!
PS the ampersand is quite possibly my favorite of all punctuation marks.

sailin' up! sailin' down!

by: elinkan

via red aprons & lunchboxes

highlights part 7 - black*eiffel

It seems I have a weakness for clever (cup)cakes.

Thank you, Rachel of Black*Eiffel for sharing these darling little fellas. Also...see these 80s cartoon cupcakes created by the same amazing baker.

highlights part 6 - {frolic!}

{frolic!} ...the name alone makes me smile.

1) flickr love

2) "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better than your dreams." -Dr. Suess

3) Chelsea has recently posted about 2 of my favorite people:
Sondre Lerche & Zooey Deschanel.
Does anyone else think these two should team up
to make one (or five) amazing albums?

highlights part 5 - hello bauldoff

Through Hello Bauldoff I have found some excellent stories & links. This one I find particularly interesting...

The Biggest Drawing in the World.

"With the help of a GPS device and DHL, I have drawn a self portrait on our planet. My pen was a briefcase containing the GPS device, being sent around the world. The paths the briefcase took around the globe became the strokes of the drawing." by Erik Nordenankar

Check it out. I think it's an excellent concept despite all the stink about it being "a hoax."

rubik's cake

I want a cake just like this one for my next birthday.

highlights part 4 - a cup of jo

A Cup of Jo has been one of my favorite blogs since the very beginning of my blog addiction. Her posts are always almost as lovely as she is.

A couple things Joanna has posted recently that tickle my fancy:

1) The 80s!photo via the sartorialist

Though I can't really see myself dressing like this anytime soon, I have definitely been experiencing some serious 80s love & obsession lately. I'm so glad that someone else appreciates the decade with me.

2) She has girl crushes, too.
This woman is so lovely.

highlights part 3 - swissmiss

Tina of swissmiss is always a good source for some interesting links. Here are just a few of my recent favs:

- The Book of Sleep: a collection of photos of sleeping people

- How to Live With Just 100 Things: about a fascinating article

- The Perfect Summer Lamp

- & this shirt

highlights part 2 - decor8

Holly of decor8 has posted some things over the past couple of weeks that I think are simply amazing...

1) Print Your Own Fabric at Spoonflower

Whoa! It's just what I've been wishing for...Spoonflower has "launched a site where you can upload a pattern or image of your choice and they will print it onto 100% cotton fabric and have it delivered within a week from ordering. AWESOMENESS." Check out the process here.

The one down side? "Spoonflower beta is currently limited to a small group of passionate crafters. We send out a handful of new invitations each week." But go ahead...get yourself on that list & cross your fingers! You just might see an invitation in your inbox.

2) Mood Board Contest

Claire Green's Entry

Such a fun concept! The mission: Design a room around one (or more) of your picks from Amy's new Midwest Modern fabric collection. Submit your own for a chance to win some great prizes or if you aren't feeling especially creative...browse the submissions here. They are all so lovely!

Find out how you can enter here.

3) Can You Inspire Someone?

Inspiration Packs. Another great concept...Holly is organizing something similar to a swap but (in my opinion) more constructive. Why? "Recycling is smart and helpful to others. The purpose is to recycle what you have and make someone else happy and inspired to do something creative." In other words, let those scraps (that you would otherwise throw away) be put to good use.

Find out how you can join here.

Thanks for all the great info & ideas, Holly!

highlights part 1 - creature comforts

This month is the first birthday of Creature Comforts, one of my favorite blogs.
To celebrate, Ez is hosting a Birthday Giveaway Extravaganza!

You can enter to win some really fabulous prizes

such as these beauties from Ink + Wit.

Thanks for a great giveaway, Ez!

& thanks for being such a huge inspiration!

Happy Birthday!

a big pile of catch-up

While reading the 700+ posts that accumulated in my reader while I was away, I discovered so many fun things that I feel the need to share with you (just in case you somehow missed them).

The next few posts will be somewhat of a catalog of highlights of the past two weeks from some of my favorite daily reads.

Hope you enjoy!

photo via afterthegoldrush's flickr (I've been slightly obsessed with apples as of late...there's really no other reason for this photo).

playing catch-up

(This thank you post should've gone up a couple a weeks ago...
alas, with my in-the-middle-of-the-woods status
I am just now getting around to it. eek!)

As I've mentioned before, I've fallen in love with swap-bot. The last swap I took part in was a simple $5 swap & I really wasn't expecting too much out of it...but boy did I get a surprise.

I received this delightful package from
the wonderful Kelley of dragonfly reflections. Thank you so much, Kelley!
I absolutely loved it all...& oh, that little snail!
(please forgive me for taking so long to thank you).

vector portraits

I am loooving this project by Andrew Bush.
Bush describes his "Vector Portraits" as photographs made while travelling 50 to 70 mph in Los Angeles and other parts of the Southwestern United States from 1989-1997.

Teenagers bopping through light traffic at 51 mph on the Ventura Freeway near Valley Circle Boulevard, Los Angeles, at 3:18 p.m. on March 16, 1997

Man rolling along (and whistling audibly)on U.S. Route 101 at approximately 55 mph on a summer day in 1989

High school students facing north at 0 mph on Sepulveda Boulevard in Westwood, California, at 3:01 p.m. on a Saturday in February 1997Genius.

I am also a big fan of some of the other projects Bush has done.

Check out his Envelopes & Prop Portraits.

via ali loves curtis

home once more

I'm home again! The past two weeks were amazing...so amazing in fact that it is nearly killing me to be away from camp.
I am, however, thrilled to be posting again. I can't wait to get caught up with all of my favorite bloggers. I hope you've all been doing great!

PS that bowling pin sits beside the computer on my desk. The other side is signed, "Merry Christmas -Dude Lebowski." I got it as a White Elephant gift a few years ago. A-mazing.
It makes me smile every single day.