Blog About It

Oh man, it has been a loooong time since I wrote a Blog About It post. And there's no real reason why, other than that they're a little more work than my if I had a million dollars posts that I usually have up on Tuesdays, but I figured that I was long over due at this point. So this week, I wanted to share two wonderful blogs with you that, in some ways, are pretty typical art/life/design blogs, but which, in others, are very personal looks into the lives of two interesting ladies: Reading My Tea Leaves and sho & tell.

Erin Boyle describes her lovely blog, Reading My Tea Leaves, as a place for sometimes-stories about unpredictabilities. An unusual explanation, to be sure, but an apt one. While she writes about a variety of different topics, its her regular series, life in a tiny apartment, in particular, that are especially fun to follow.

 life in a tiny apartment

 make-believe: a forest walk

my week in objects

Because, you see, Erin and her husband live in a 240-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. Now, I used to complain about the 450-square-foot Brooklyn apartment that my husband and I shared for 3 years, but clearly, that space was roomy compared to Erin's micro-quarters. But what I think is fascinating is that not only has Erin embraced tiny-apartment living, she's taken it upon herself to share all of her tips and tricks for making it work in her life in a tiny apartment series, in addition to answering reader questions in her life in "your" tiny apartment series. Pretty brilliant move, right? Not only does Erin write about small spaces, my other favorite series include make-believe, where she puts together objects to tell stories about everything from a forest walk to tea time and wedding guest outfits, and my week in objects, which offers a look at five little things that made her week.

Shoko Wanger is another Brooklyn-based blogger who brings a very personal spin to her writing on her blog sho & tell.

The Royal Art Lodge

The Equals Record

Mel Scouts

While most of what Shoko writes about are topics as diverse as music, art and design, fashion and style, and pretty much anything else that catches her eye, she also gets personal with a regular series called looking forward that she writes for The Equals Record, which touches on personal exploration and meaningful moments. I've always admired people who can get personal within such a public forum, and Shoko's used her column to write about everything from great loves to small moments and the importance of daydreaming. It's a great combination of topics for a wonderful blog.

Blog About It

There are some blogs that are so fantastic that you can't help but feel lucky to have stumbled upon them, with Colossal and The Design Ark easily fitting into this category. If you were to look through the starred posts in my reader on any given day, its these guys who would show up far more often than any other sites. Which is why, for this week's Blog About It, the theme is not only going to be favorites in terms of blogs that focus on art and design, but it's also going to be outright adoration for two sites who truly exemplify the best that the blogosphere has to offer.

The reason why I read Colossal is that I know with complete certainty that I will see something incredible on it on a daily basis. In fact, Christopher Jobson does such an great job of finding exciting and inspiring content that I sometimes need to remind myself that re-posting everything from Colossal onto my own blog is not a valid option.

quilted paper anatomy by Sarah Yakawonis

dirt is good: 18-ton sand sculpture backdrops by JOOheng Tan

the minister's treehouse: a 100ft tall church built over 11 years without blueprints

Colossal is all about exploring the intersection of art, design, and physical craft in all its forms. There's no real rhyme or reason to what gets posted, other than that it's going to be content that easily accessible to anyone who happens to stop by, regardless of their background:

I spend a lot of time thinking about what gets published on Colossal, but have thought little about the overall direction of the blog itself. Flannery O’Conner wrote, 'I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say,' which perfectly sums up how I feel about discovering art, and looking back at the growing body of work shared here, I’ve made some interesting discoveries about what I didn’t know I was doing until I saw it.

And then, there's The Design Ark. Another daily must-read, The Design Ark is an art, design and lifestyle inspiration blog that's all about finding the best of what's new on the web. And while this may be a lofty goal for some, Annabel pulls it better than almost any other blog around.

 honeycomb apartments

mobstr

felt bike bag

Like Christopher at Colossal, Annabel at The Design Ark is a master at showcasing interesting content on a variety of different topics concerning art and design, as well as that broader category of lifestyle. In particular, The Design Ark is absolutely the place to go for unusual and inspiring architectural projects. Of course, if you stop by the blog on any given day, you're pretty much guaranteed to be inspired - it doesn't get much better than that.

Blog About It

Today's Blog About It is all about collections. As a series of like objects, collections help us organize and make sense of the world. And what's so great about online collections, in particular, is that it's not necessary to physically own any of the objects that one collects. A shoe collection takes up a lot of space in real life, but online, it can serve many different functions (shoes by one designer, red shoes, flats, party shoes, etc.), none of which require actually owning any of the collected items. This week, I wanted to share two of my favorite blogs that are all about this idea of collections: Gems and Odessa May Society.

Gems is a very apt name for a wonderful, new blog. In fact, it's so new, that it really only started up last week, but Mallory's previous blog, Where The Lovely Things Are, was one of my absolutely favorite daily reads, and I have no doubt that Gems is going to be just as awesome. Because, really, the only reason why Where The Lovely Things Are ceased to be was that Mallory was sick of the name. Gems comes from her Gems of the Week posts, for which she pulls together a collection of favorite things seen around during the past week.

Red dresses, featuring Giambattista Valli.

Illustrations from Tales from the Ballet - adapted by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen (1968).

 Photographic awesomeness by Brigitte Sire.

But what was really incredible about Where The Lovely Things Are, and I'm sure will continue to be the case with Gems, is that Mallory is a genius at assembling posts about any and all topics under the sun. Some recent favorite have included the topics as diverse as dogs and eating and drinking, with images culled from a wide assortment of art, design, tv/film, fashion, and print sources.

Like Gems,  Odessa May Society is also all about collections, but with a very different look and feel.

Collection No. 8:  No. 1 Dress | No. 2 Baby Romper | No. 3 Rifle Notebooks | No. 4 Terrain Hat | No. 5 Michelle Armas Painting | No. 6 Hemp Pencil Case | No. 7 Plush Rabbit | No. 8 Copper Watering Can | No. 9 Scarf

Love 4 Handmade: I | II | III | IV | V

 Can't Get Enough Of...Leslie Thomson | Jen Causey via Lisa Rupp | Therere Workshop | Honey and Jam

Odessa May Society features art, design and handmade items that are primarily showcased through the format of collages. Whether it's a month's worth of books, can't get enough of posts, or various collections of items, they're always showcased through a simple, lovely layout that really does a great job of highlighting each individual item. I may not know the name of the girl who writes Odessa May Society, but her blog is one of my favorite places to visit for perfectly-curated collections.

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.

Blog About It

If you've learned anything about me from reading these Blog About It posts, it's probably the fact that I love reading blogs by people who create lovely things, write about themselves and the business of selling said lovely things, and who do both things accompanied by some good photographs. Where is exactly where I'm taking you all today with blogs by Jennifer Sarkilahti and Anna McClurg.

If the name Odette New York sounds familiar to you, it's probably because it's been featured on this blog many, many times.

Minerva Divinus

party aftermath

Topkapi Palace

But not only does Jennifer create the most beautiful jewelry, but she's an avid blogger as well, featuring images of her life, work, travels, and inspirations. Some of my favorites from the past year included her two new collections, a trip to Greece and Turkey, lots of good studio and process images, and a wonderful d*s sneak peak of her apartment.

Anna's look books for her clothing make me swoon. Case in point? Her holiday 2011 collection made me want to wear velvet more than ever in my life, and I was very disappointed that I wasn't able to buy her Henriette Dress before it (very quickly) sold out. But not only does Anna sell the clothes that she designs and creates herself, but she makes pretty incredible historical outfits as well. How rad is that?

 rag curls

Prince Edward Island

rolls

And of course, there's that small matter of her wonderful blog as well. It's always great to peak into other people's lives, especially someone who lives in a very different place from me. I love seeing images of Anna's work in progress, inspiration, trips taken, good food, and lots of other little looks into her daily life.

Blog About It

Inspiration is a funny thing. Sometimes it comes upon you completely unawares, from unusual places, and sometimes, it's something you find much closer to home. There are a ton of blogs, mine included, that share a belief in searching out the inspirational, regardless of what category or form that may take. For previous Blog About It posts, I've shared blogs that I find inspirational in terms of fashion and style, a focus on curiosity and an openness about both personal and business lives. Today, however, with The Fox Is Black and Cool Hunting, it's all about finding inspiration in the modern world.

I'm relatively new to The Fox Is Black - an art and design blog that seeks to discover and share the most interesting and inspiring parts of contemporary life and culture - but in the 6 months or so that I've been a follower, it's quickly become one of my favorite daily reads.

 Space Suit of the Week

 Re-Covered Books

 The Desktop Wallpaper Project

While Bobby Solomon, the blog's founder and Editor-in-Chief, along with a host of regular contributors, are all interested in many of the same things that you'll find on a variety of art and design-focused blogs, it's the other projects that The Fox Is Black focuses on that are the real draw for me. Don't get me wrong, all of the posts about individual artists, interesting architecture and new technology are fascinating, but you can't deny the appeal of projects like Space Suit of the Week, Re-Covered Books, and The Desktop Wallpaper Project.

Cool Hunting is one of the major players in the blog world, with a global team of editors and contributors that share inspiration and innovation in design, technology, art, and culture.

 Philips concept beehive

 Hollo modular cabinet

Wilder Quarterly

As the name suggests, Cool Hunting is a great site for finding out what's interesting and cool right now, especially in terms of the latest in technology and design. And while the perspective is always international in scope, Cool Hunting's home base is New York, meaning that they're particularly adept at keeping up with a city that has so much talent and inspiration coming out of it, that it's sometimes hard to keep up.

Blog About It

Cultural curators. That's what Maria Popova, of Brain Pickings, and Rion Nakaya, of The Kid Should See This, are so very good at being. Although at first, it might seem like these two represent very different demographics - Brain Pickings' is clearly aimed at adults while The Kid Should See This is geared specifically towards children - both share a similar focus of presenting topics that deal with curiosity in all its shapes and forms.

Brain Pickings is all about different forms of creativity across a wide range of topics. As Maria Popova, the site's brain child, describes it, "Brain Pickings is a discovery engine for interestingness, culling and curating cross-disciplinary curiosity-quenchers, and separating the signal from the noise to bring you things you didn’t know you were interested in until you are." 

 Sophie Blackall's illustrated Missed Connections book.

  Seed Nursery catalogs from the Smithsonian's collection.

Correspondence from Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer.

From the serendipity of missed connections to the millennium seed bank project, illustrated correspondence, and topics as far flung as the science of happiness, creative cartography and collaborative consumption, Brain Pickings never fails to delight. I'm mostly familiar with Brain Pickings through its weekly newsletter, which delivers the best articles of the week straight to your in-box, but to really get a sense of all the interesting, creative endeavors in this world, the blog is definitely the way to go.

Rion Nakaya knew that there was a ton of interesting stuff out there  not necessarily geared towards kids, but which they should definitely see. Which is why, along with her three-year-old co-creator, she put together The Kid Should See This, a site that pulls together all sorts of interesting off the grid-for-little-kids videos and other smart stuff.

The LightLine of Gotham from seeper on Vimeo.

The Alphabet from n9ve on Vimeo.


KLUGE from Northern Lights on Vimeo.

As Rion explains, "There's just so much science, nature, music, arts, technology, storytelling and assorted good stuff out there that my kids (and maybe your kids) haven't seen. It's most likely not stuff that was made for them... But we don't underestimate kids around here." Yes, the kid in your life should see this, but so should you.