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I can’t describe how much fun it is receiving emails from readers, friends and designers. People are so passionate about what’s moving and shaking in the design, fashion, ad worlds. Sometimes it’s hard to update because there is so much to choose from! Today I got an email from one of my best friends from Michigan, Kristin Daubenmeyer, (she’s in the green on the left) recommending that I check out Staynice. I am overly inspired! These guys rock. I especially love the transparent vinyl art they made for BONK Skateshop May ‘09. Keep their website bookmarked, these guys are killer.

Here are a few of their custom BONK boards and idenity.

Online stores by local designers are really starting to sprout and grow. You can pretty much find anything, for any niche, with a simple Google search. Cat Lovers, Bacon addicts and graphic design aficionados can buy, sell and collect a bevy of products quite easily.  This particular Chicago designer’s online shop has caught my eye…

Adapt-Studio launch in 2003 by Jay Byrnes as a creative umbrella for all of his graphic design and artwork. He loves to roll-up-his-sleeves and get down and arty. I love his style. And lucky for us, he just launched his online store. yay!

HA!  This is not a joke, in fact, this is the online portfolio of Lawson Clarke, not Burt Reynolds, also known as the Male Copywriter. With the economy in the dumps and copy-gigs on the low side, this website launch was sure to get some attention. I think it’s hilarious and his resume is quite impressive with accounts like Ocean Spray, Carnivale and Jack Daniel’s. He took a risk (a nude shot on a bear rug?? WOW!) but I have been emailed about this 4 times… so it’s working….? How is your resume/portfolio shaping up?

Hilarious.

For over a decade Kevin Bauman has been taking photos of abandoned houses in Detroit.  Boxed windows, crumbling rooftops, chipped paint and broken dreams are somehow documented beautifully by Kevin. Being from the Detroit suburbs myself, these photos are heartbreaking.

“I actually began photographing abandonment in Detroit in the mid 90’s as a creative outlet, and as a way of satisfying my curiosity with the state of my home town. I had always found it to be amazing, depressing, and perplexing that a once great city could find itself in such great distress, all the while surrounded by such affluence.” (Kevin’s Website)

When you drive downtown, through the residential streets, you can’t help but invison it the way it’s supposed to be. I remember when I was little my dad would take me downtown to show me the old Tigers Stadium and he’d show me the bus route that he used to take when he was growing up. These photos help me remember the mansion-lined streets that were empty, boxed-up and abandoned.

Detroit needs love.

Thanks Boooom!

1. to think or speculate curiously: to wonder about the origin of the solar system. 2. to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often fol. by at): He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.

I hope you all make you holiday weekend amazing! Take time to laugh, smile, create, dream, wonder and everything else inbetween.

Image source: From Keetra

Ahhhh Spain. If I could go back tomorrow I would in a heartbeat. The food, the people and the culture is so rich and dynamic. The whole time I was there I felt like the biggest dork; everyone, literally, everyone has wicked style, wild life experience and creative jobs and passions. At the time I was just a dime-a-dozen American tourist looking to be inspired and ZAM, was I ever.

One great thing that’s great about Spain is their Renfe sysmtem. Basically it’s a modern and chic version of our Amtrak. You can travel all over the place in this bad boy and their new campaign represents the coolness.

The campaign centers around real life “Pop-Up Books” designed by Serial Cut. It’s clearly imaginative and fresh - just like my trip!

Schmoopy + Designer shoes = Fail.

I can’t get over how gorgeous & comical this French Marie-Claire editorial is. It’s so lively! I love the jeweled colors mixed with the vintage flooring & styling. The photographs feel candid, too, which i love. It hits so close to home, you just have to laugh.

We’ve all been there, with a dog or a rude roommate, and in that moment you realize your designer shoes, shirt, dress, etc has a stain or bite marks you just have to say “FML”.

Found these images on the lovely Juliette Merck site.

8-year-olds have the best imagination, I’ll arm wrestle you on this one, end of story.

That’s why this photo exhibition is so rad: Sam Rosen, one of the bro’s over at The Post Family, is celebrating his 24th birthday by showcasing photographs that have inspired him, moved him and transformed him over the years.  I’m stoked to see how his creativity has shaped over the years cause his stuff now is A+ and so adult.

In honor of his 24th birthday, Post Family member Sam Rosen is tackling the very nature of his memories. How? It involves a thousand picture frames hung in the Family Room gallery space, each containing a photo taken by Rosen himself—the candid moments, street shots, and vivid landscapes that have made him the man he is today. Visitors at the unveiling June 5 can purchase any of the photographs right of the wall, in a sense, becoming part of the show themselves- for cheap.

But that’s when the project just starts to show its true colors. Behind each picture is a solid square of pigment—in fact, the average color of each corresponding photo, determined by a computer algorithm. Removing the pictures begs the question: Without any sort of reminder, how potent can we expect memories to be?

PS. there will be empanadas.

June 5, 2009, 6:00 pm-11:55 pm

Location: The Family Room 1821 W. Hubbard, #202 Chicago, IL 60622 

I’ve been doing make-up professionaly for the past 4 years so whenever I find a new beauty product or must have I am always eager to dish. Ladies, let me introduce you to Gee Beauty. Gee Beauty is always dedicated to making you look gorgeous. At heart it’s a beauty space where women can come in for makeup lessons, wedding trials, manicures, facials and everything in between. Gee also carries their own accessory line which includes luxury brushes, eye lash curlers and faux lashes. It’s the place to retreat and feel sweet.  Oh Gee, please come to Chicago!

I am in love with the chic and modern packaging design by GJP Advertising.

Ahh… beauty babes who loves copy; I think these girls are my soul-sisters! They call their blog “Talk is Chic” how adorable!!

Portable Creative Space: AMAZING

Don’t have the space in your hood to have a creative seminar or art class? No problem, call the gang over at Spacebust and let the seminar come to you!

I love experiential projects so this ‘mobile bubble’ instantly grabbed my heart. Raumlabor is a Berlin Base interdisciplinary collective that focuses on the issues of visionary projects in urban contexts. Their latest project Spacebuster is an inflatable mobile pavilion. Right on!

The intention is to transform any community space into a “creative space”. Recently, they held a 10-day course of letcures, classes and workshops which was organized by the New York non profit Storefront.

Dear Spacebuster, please come to Chicago!

More amazing images by Dan Tansey

Playing with the habitual thought of “the grass is always greener” DDB Brazil just released it’s silly “Routine Sucks” campaign for Terra Travel. I love the bubble thoughts from the country farmer and the snowy mountain man. Cleaver and cute! They should have a city girl dreaming of cheesy suburban shopping malls … cause that’s me!!

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I stumbled across this uplifting and emotive book “Teach Your Granny to Text”. After I did a little research I found out that the authors also wrote to “Change the World for a Fiver”  and has quickly become a movement of inspiration. In this particular case, the movement is inspiring children to reflect, give back, engage in communities and to do more. I love how the book encourages youth to feel empowement and responsiblity for change. The chapters are all lighthearted and insightfully written; my personal favorites are “Stand up for Something” and “Grow Something and Eat it”. I love their mantra of small actions X lots of people = big change because it’s true.

Design/Illustrations

We Are What We Do

I found these images on my favorite packaging website  The Die Line. I love this hairstyle bag for a few reasons (besides how pretty it is). 1. I love how the illustration gives the bag a 3 demensional look, adding so much movement and texture to the whole piece. 2. The illustration is HANDMADE. Check out The Die Line for a close up. It’s very impressive.

I adore waves in hair. This might sound sick, actually let me rephrase that, this is pretty gross: I love making shapes with the loose hairs that get stuck to the walls in my shower and this design kinda reminds me of that. (okay maybe i’m stretching it a little. My designs look nothing like this.)

The bag was designed by Serbian design firm Peter Gregson. The illustration by Marijana Zaric, logo design by Jovan Trkulja.

I stumbled across this adorable Tie-Pography series by NY graphic designer Ed Nacional and had to share. With Father’s Day (June 21) right around the corner I thought it was fitting! I want to download these and create a card or a #1 Dad mug. Enjoy!

Last weekend a few friends and I headed to the Hyde Park Art Center for their “Clay and Cocktails” event. I didn’t have much of an expectation since it was a “community center” and I have had my fair share of disappointments with them. However, Hyde Park Art Center is different. It’s modern, it’s hip and it’s mission is to stimulate and sustain the visual arts in Chicago, not just display and definitely not to exploit the arts. Another interesting component is it’s community outreach, education programs and social media outreach. They have classes on “What is Twitter. Who is Facebook?” they have a South Side Tweet Up next weekend, they have a Cycle/Bike Run and their art classes are endless. This place rocks.

The whole time I was there I kept asking “I live in Wicker Park, the artist community, where’s my center!?” (If I’m wrong here and there is one that is adult-focused, please advise!)

When I arrived to HPAC I was instantly impressed with it’s modern architecture and attitude; it definitely stands out and sparkles at night with all of the windows and contemporary lighting. We had about an hour before our pottery class started so we walked about the exhibition and that’s when I feel in love with the work of Chicago-based artist Julian Williams. As an expressionist, his work captures a bevy of feelings using landscapes and energetic colors to animate his moods. His work was also a little reminiscent of my favorite abstract expressionist, Mark Rothko. Strong, prominent lines beautifully interrupted by flamboyant colors.

Here are some photos of me and friends enjoying Julian Williams exhibit:

After a few cocktails, some chats on art and the routine introspection talk. (Hey, it’s art, it happens.) We settled in to our chairs for our pottery/clay class. It felt like 3rd grade all over again, only with cocktails and less rules. It rocked! We made body parts, faces, legs shoes.. the whole shebang. My night was more than I had expected and it made me realize how important it is for us to be able to enjoy our community centers, as adults. I walked out feeling creative, inspired and a little buzzed, not going to lie.

The images of the new Heineken Green Line bottels by Ora-Ito are sprouting about the interwebz. The sexy aluminum bottles are very eye-catching so I’m excited to hear more about this new limited-edition campaign. So far, all I can find is written in French, so here is my best translation:

“The edition 2009 is a wink with the beer mark preferred of the French, letting appear only fine green curves on the raw material. With “GREEN LINE”, Heineken and Ora-Ïto offer a combination of purity and freshness to the consumers. At the beginning of May, “GREEN LINE” will be available in series limited in a selection of prestigious establishments.” Design Deco

If anyone has more information about Heineken Green Line please share!

The little 9-year-old girl inside of me is hyperventilating “I want, I want!” while the 25-year-old lady in me now is thinking “Holy brand experience!” The First ever flagship store for Barbie opened it’s swanky doors in Shanghai, China.  It’s six levels, designed by Slade Architecture, is all-things-girly, indulgent and imaginative; a true destination for all Barbie fans, aficionados and spoiled princesses.

With Barbie sales falling 21 percent in the last quarter of 2008, Mattel is looking at the new retail experience and new marketing approach (not just aiming the young girls, mothers too) to help spring back sales.

There is a cosmetics floor with a spa, accessories, couture and huge diva-inspired mirrors. Basically, every lil’ girls dream powder room and every parents nightmare. (hello, adolescent self-esteem issues…)

Their is also a  Barbie Design Center where girls can design their own Barbie. Chute Gerdeman Retail planned this feature and was designed by Slade Architecture.

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When Pepsi unveiled their new branding this past fall they had an overwhelming huge response; the media and cusomers just couldn’t stop talking about Pepsi! Since then, Coca-Cola’s image has started look a little dusty. I personally love CC’s branding  so I don’t think they needed total idenity innovation but I am happy to see that they jazzed things  for Summer ‘09. Here are the 5 limited edition cans for summer.

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I still haven’t tried the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken, have you? However, their micro site www.unthinkkfc.com is offering a promo! #promos