Blog About It

I love a good collection, and I love the ways in which they say so much about a person. While the majority of the blogs that I follow are either personal or based around topics of art, design and the somewhat catch-all category of lifestyle, I also love the ones that are very highly specialized in nature. I've shared a few examples before, but although today's are fairly new to me - I'm only been following each for about a month - they've quickly become favorites: Lists of Note and Cabin Porn.

Lists of Note is based on the very simple premise that people have been writing lists for many centuries and for all sorts of reasons; this blog serves as way to showcase some of the best of them.

Johnny Cash's to-do list:

Image: Julien's Auctions

Transcript

THINGS TO DO TODAY!

1. Not smoke
2. Kiss June
3. Not kiss anyone else
4. Cough
5. Pee
6. Eat
7. Not eat too much
8. Worry
9. Go see Mama
10. Practice Piano

NOTES: Not write notes

Eero Saarinen's list of his wife, Aline's best attributes:

Image: Archives of American Art

Transcript

I — FIRST I RECOGNIZED THAT YOU WERE VERY CLEVER

II — THAT YOU WERE VERY HANSOME

III — THAT YOU WERE PERCEPTIVE

IV — THAT YOU WERE ENTHUSIASTIC.

V — THAT YOU WERE GENEROUS.

VI — THAT YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL

VII — THAT YOU WERE TERRIBLY WELL ORGANIZED

VIII — THAT YOU WERE FANTASTICALLY EFFICIENT

IX — THAT YOU DRESS VERY WELL

IIIA — THAT YOU HAVE A MARVELOUS SENSE OF HUMOR

X — THAT YOU HAVE A VERY BEAUTIFUL BODY.

XI — THAT YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE GENEROUS TO ME.

XII — THAT THE MORE ONE DIGS THE FOUNDATIONS THE MORE AND MORE ONE FINDS THE SOLIDEST OF GRANIT FOR YOU AND I TO BUILD A LIFE TOGETHER UPON (I KNOW THIS IS NOT A GOOD SENTENCE)

The above examples are some of my favorites, but the topics covered in Lists of Note by its creator, Shaun Usher (who also runs the equally fantastic Letters of Note) are as broad and wide-ranging as the people whose lists are featured. From Kurt Cobain's list of things needed for the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video shoot and Houdini's rider, to Thomas Edison and his colleague's potential names for the phonograph and advice from Thelonious Monk, these notable lists are at once fascinating and thought-provoking.

Who doesn't dream of getting away from it all? As inspiration for your quite place somewhere, Cabin Porn seeks to fulfill that fantasy, even if it's only from the comfort of your home or office.

 Cabin in Suphellebrae, Sognefjord, Norway ca. 1890

 Designed and built by 21-year-old industrial design student Robin Falck in the Finnish archipelago of Sipoo.

Cabin: Minka in Ainokura, Japan by Eddy Wong

Cabin Porn is such a simple concept, but the result is a wonderful collection of primarily reader-submitted photos that's enough to make anyone pine for their own personal cabin in the woods, on the side of a hill, under the Northern Lights, on the banks of a lake, or even just in the backyard. Plus, it's got one of the best names and url's (http://freecabinporn.com) around.