Vintage Mint

It’s not often I get excited to go see a movie {Husband, on the other hand, is a movie/film.o.phile}, but wow, Christopher Nolan’s work reels me in every time. And Inception doesn’t disappoint:  it’s complex, ambiguous, smart, with mesmerizing visuals, and a captivating storyline. And let’s be real here, how often does something intellectually original like this come about these days? {Movie critics: there are plenty of other movies (Sam Mendes) to get pretentiously snobby about.}

{Photos by Stephen Vaughn and/or courtesy of Warner Bros.}

I stumbled upon these black + white oil paintings by Howard Pyle {more known for his Americana genre illustrations; akin to Norman Rockwell’s style} the other day. Who knew a Realism painting of a cargo ship could be so surreal (awesome!)? and somewhat Impression-istic? (My art history/critiquing skills at its finest, yes).  Seeing this image reminded me of one of my favorite painters, James Whistler {part of the Tonalism movement}.

Ships Loading on Albemarle Sound

There is such a resonating brevity to his paintings…the atmospheres he creates are luminous and ephemeral; drifting from reality into subconsciousness….

Nocturne: Blue and Gold - St Mark’s, Venice

Nocturne: Blue and Silver - Cremorne Lights

Nocturne in Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge

Nocturne: Black and Gold - The Falling Rocket

{Note: Although I admire his work, from what I remember reading about him, he was kind of a douche. Sorry, it had to be said.}

{Image via Antiquarian Society}
{Images via WebMuseum}

I don’t watch a whole lot of TV, but when I do, I am absolutely glued to the screen every Sunday MM is on. {Geek sidenote: I also love to read about and analyze each episode. My Husband definitely gets an ear-full of my theories and wtf? questions. I am probably the worst person to watch anything with because of my Mystery Science Theater 3000 like tendencies to  provide running commentary}.

Can’t wait until Season 4! Just two more months {July 25th} of sub-standard television…

{Photos by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair, Sept 2009}

Endless hours at a soul-crushing office job, wasted! I could have been making these amazing paper-clip + color-tape {MANU by Lauren Manoogian} necklaces  instead. Now that I have some free time {so long Spring semester!}, I need to get my craft on-on…just need me some paper clips…

{ Leave A Comment }Arts + Media, Crafts + Ideas, Fashion + Beauty, Finds

I’m so excited! The brilliant craftsters at Lifestyle Crafts have made a mini letterpress! that will actually fit in my house! and doesn’t break the bank! It’s the “greatest thing since sliced bread” of the crafting world.

Although, there are some notable downsides {i.e., plates prone to cracking; problematic brayer}, creating satisfactory prints  {with some modifications to the tools and techniques} is still possible! {Phew! Dream of letterpress still intact!}

With this, you can make …

all this!

{Images via L Letterpress}

Once I become a full-fledged librarian marm, this is what I would do all day.  These images, by cheeky artist, Nina Katchadourian, kind of remind me of those poetry {faux-etry} fridge magnets but more thought-provoking and entertaining.  {Read: I’m slowly exposing my inner nerd-obscura}. I wish I had thought of this…

{Images by Nina Katchadourian, Sorted Books Project}

I can’t wait to see Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. I’m a novice fan of his film style and imagery. {As well as cooler than cool, Mr. Cheekbones himself, Johnny Depp.} These are not promos for the movie, but I love how these photos capture the Carroll-ian essence of the story’s characters and events {and fashion!}. They’re kind of dark, somber, macabre — and I l-o-v-e it!

{model: Natalia Vodianova}

{designer: Nicolas Ghesquiere}

{designers: Stephen Jones, Christian Lacroix}

{designer: Marc Jacobs}

{designers: John Galliano, Alexis Roche}

{Best Tweedle Dee + Tweedle Dum ever}

{Photo by prodigy photog, Eleanor Hardwick}
{Photos by Annie Leibovitz, Vogue 2003}
{Photos via Ragazza, thanks to Style Amor}
{Photos by Lorenzo Agius}

Don’t the color schemes in these paintings by Brooklyn artist, Bella Foster, look similar to the color palettes found in a J. Crew catalog? {That has to be the most un-artsy observation ever, I know.}  I admire her use/control of different opaque +  heavy hues; they just seem to complement each other so well.  Very vibrant yet cozy.

{Still Life with Flowers and Moth}

{Atrium}

{Birthday Cup}

Update: Arcade Fire licensed their song for a Haiti Charity. Phew! Street cred restored.

Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up” in an NFL commercial(s) {and played during commentary}? Okay? And now Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” in an, admittedly funny, VW commercial? During the Super Bowl?? I don’t know if I’m comfortable  having my hipster music convoluted with pro-sports media just yet. What’s next? The Shins in a McDonald’s commercial? Oh, wait…

I’d be doing my MS program a huge disservice if I didn’t mention this week was Banned Books Week; which “highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States” (ALA.org).

Crazy to think these great works were at one point, and probably still are somewhere in the nether-regions of the US, banned:

And of course…

 Celebrate the freedom to read.