Neat Finds
cool videos and colored cheerios
I found this great video today on someone else’s blog. The person described it as “DIY crafts meet cooking,” which I have to agree with. Very creative.
You’ll have to follow the link, because I have no clue how to embed this silly thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBjLW5_dGAM
In other news, I got froot loops for breakfast! Yum!
Alicia <3
ahh… rugs.
Rugs are such ingenious things, really. Just in case you forgot or never noticed.
I’ve been looking at persian/oriental style rugs online. I actually don’t want any that I’ve come across, but there are some very pretty ones. I started out looking for those adorable persian rug mousepads and coasters like at museums and bookstores, and kind of branched out to full-size rugs from there. (Btw, some great mini rugs can be found at SmallCarpets - they have a free bookmark promotion right now - and at the Museum Store Company - which is an amazing store in itself - and on Ebay - by the hundreds.) Anyway, in my internet adventures I decided I would look for pretty full size rugs too, and I found some great sites with info on rugs. I even found one (Rug Rag) which lets you take a quiz to find your perfect rug, and then gives you several buying options and pages of history and general info for your results. (Through which I discovered I have rather expensive tastes in rugs and I never want to become a rug specialist. Oh well). Ebay is the biggest rug bargain spot that I came up with, but I was not exactly playing a serious shopper, either. I don’t like the color scheme of some of my finds but there are others that I would love to design a room around. The picture in this post is one of the more drool-worthy carpets I have found.
Anyway, I am still on the lookout for what I would really like to find: synthetic, boldly dyed persian style rugs - for example, a site that either sells every color of the rainbow or takes custom orders, so that you can have your five favorite colors in a floor rug, or buy placemat versions that match your dining room, or have coasters that match your couch, etc. That would be really awesome (and probably also too expensive for any normal person). I’m all for authenticity, but sometimes twists on classics are really amazing. I mean, purple plaid fedoras are modern and old school simultaneously and they rock. I think this could be one of those situations. Regardless, I haven’t found any like I’d hoped.
I also struck out on finding persian/oriental carpet desktop wallpaper, even though I looked really hard. I would like for my computer screen to be carpeted sometime… It might actually make my cursor feel warm and cozy too, since it could kind of virtually squish its toes into the background.
Okay maybe not.
I did find an Apartment Therapy article (eek, I heart Apartment Therapy) on a rug that you build yourself out of rubber puzzle pieces. It’s called a Puzzleperser and is designed by Katrin Sonnleitner, and I think you’d have to be really really bored to put it together but it’s a really cool concept for people who like puzzles. I personally don’t fancy them much… but a puzzle rug is very unique and I like the idea. The Puzzleperser has 1,225 pieces but the cute thing about it is, you don’t have to use all of them because they all have the same shape. Nice. Good thinking Katrin, wherever you are. You get a gold star from me.
Alicia <3
good deals in abundance
Saturday my dad took me shopping to get some more wintry/wintery (which one is correct?) wear. I had been wanting to go to Gordmans and attack the clearance section, so we did. First of all I got a Miss Cheivous hoodie with teal and gray stripes and this awesome little ruffle thing at the hem. It has 3/4 sleeves and is really soft. That was $10. Then I got a solid brown Currants hoodie for $12. It’s really long and has lots of buttons so it looks a bit like a henley AND has a bit of that warm fuzziness to it like a sweater. Both hoodies are amazing and I will wear them to shreds. But probably the most impressive thing about the trip was the great sweater I got. Appropriately, I think the brand name on the tag is a division of Great American Sweater Company. Not positive - don’t quote me on that or anything - but this is really just a trifle compared to what I’m about to tell you (hang in there while I take the conversation in the complete opposite direction so that when we come back, my sweater will sound even more astounding than usual!).
While doing my usual designer website hopping the other day, I came across joanshepp.com. Like most designer showcases and outlets, I can afford absolutely nothing on there. HOWEVER, sites like this are fantastic for inspirational purposes. On this particular occasion I had the honor of being inspired by the great and fluffy cable collar sweater by ADAM, which is pictured above. This gorgeous sweater, though it is very pretty and probably is even more “lofty” than the product description promises, also has a lofty price of $425.
Yow.
With that in mind, and despite knowing that my room is not as great a photography setting as some, I thought I’d provide a lovely camera phone pic for you guys so you know what my very own sweater from Gordmans looks like:
No, it does not have buttons, is not quite the same color, and it doesn’t seem to look as soft. But comparatively, I think my non-button one is better. This more solid gray will match better with more colors than the above ADAM sweater. And the picture simply cannot convey the level of warm-fuzziness in this thing. Mine looks to be thicker and simply have more substance to it, which is better for winter here since Nebraska weather is weather gone wild. And regardless of your preferences in fashion, the amazing part is that mine cost only $14! That’s MUCH better than $425!
* singing to designers * “…anything you design I can find cheaper, I can buy anything cheaper than you…”
okay, moving on…
Btw, i do not wish to discredit designer work with this post. I just think the pricing is so outrageous sometimes. I suppose I should go easy on them because designers have to make a living too, after all, but although I can limit my opposition to their methods I will never be able to support their cause with cash [:
Alicia <3
blanding
On someone else’s blog today I found this quote: “If you’re using a promotional product for advertising and not taking full advantage of the creative possibilities, you’re blanding (etymology: bland + branding).” Hear, hear. We need more people who are against the blanding industry.
I have some nice examples of non-bland advertising below, mostly in the form of creative shopping bags. I know probably everyone on earth has seen these by now, but I like them anyway.
And, I also have a picture to illustrate taking advantage of the mundane in fields besides advertising -
If I had to have a satellite dish on my house, I would totally paint it too, although I am kinda doubting this picture is for real. I don’t care whether it is or not really, but the spirit is admirable. Also I don’t really know whether painting your satellite dish would hurt it any. I mean besides voiding the warranty. You might not want to try it, just in case.
Alicia <3
today’s gawk-worthy online finds
| I am practically drooling over the pillows I saw today by Estela Lugo: | |
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| I don’t know what it is with me and owls, but I have come to appreciate them more and more lately (remember the shopping trip where I bought owl-shaped salt and pepper shakers for no reason?). The giraffe version reminds me of a friend who loooves giraffes and would do anything for this pillow. There’s actually an elephant pillow that goes with these too, but I thought the giraffes and owls were cutest. (If you happen to love elephants, then I’m sure the other pillow will be a hit with you.)
If it wasn’t for the price, they’d be in the mail already… But they aren’t quite cute enough to merit $75 dollars each! (Pachyderm lovers, you are in luck - the elephant version of the pillow is only $70. lol.) You can see these pillows and a couple other designs by Estela Lugo here, on the Murals for Kids website. Alicia <3 |
my awesome possum shopping trip(s)
So as promised, i will tell you what exciting things i got at the store the other day. In case you haven’t gathered from my fond mention of thrift stores, I am cheap. Not in quality though - I just don’t believe in dumping a ton of money into something if you can get something just as good for less.
For example, I realize that I do not attend public school and maybe i have no clue what i’m talking about, but i have seen public high schoolers and they have such diverse tastes in fashion that IT CANNOT POSSIBLY MATTER whether you have popular name brand clothes or not. If you have some, then go you. Have a squeal fest about it with your girlfriends or something. But honestly, if you have a brand of jeans on that look amazing but they’re a brand that no one has ever heard of, it just makes you look cultured. Like you’ve been shopping boutiques or something. Plus, i’ve found name brand stuff at the thrift store by my house every single time i go: Paris Blues, Abercrombie, American Eagle, etc. So get over it people, and start shopping at thrift stores! (you can spend the money you saved by shopping bargains on the gas it took you to get there and back.)
Okay that was my weird campaign for the day. To get on with things, i’ll tell you what i’ve bought at reasonable prices the last few days:
- stretch flare Levi’s. (less than $3)
- bootcut Old Navy jeans with adorable bronze rivet things on the pockets. (also less than $3)
- ridiculous OTB pink capris which i think are denim-ish, but there’s really no telling. they are sooo cute too, and fit me really well. ($.99)
- a giant lace robe which i plan to make into something magnificent such as… hmm… ($1, i think)
- aqua and white striped skirt which turned out to be a skort - even better! it is so soft and i wear alot of aqua anyway, so i’m happy. ($.78)
- one of those silver wrap belt thingies. i dunno what you call them or what brand but mine was waaaaay cheaper than buying new. ($1.50)
- brand new with tags crochet-ish shawl thing from Hot in Hollywood… it is bright yellow and amazing, like you have no idea. ($4)
- tiny little silver owl-shaped salt and pepper shakers with blue eyes. Yeah, i’m not sure why either, but they are so adorable and I will store them until i move out if i have to. ($3)
- a nice sophisticated teal leather purse with kind of brassy looking rivets and loops on it. I don’t know what brand this is because it doesn’t flaunt the name all over like some (ugh), but it is a perfect size and a great fall purse. ($3)
- last but not least, my pride and joy at the moment: my suitcase! ahhh! i love it! it’s amazing. i bought it. it’s really amazing. it’s blue with polka dots on the inside. and it’s amazing. yay!
It’s the old Samsonite kind with the latches on top and the hard sides - the kind you sit on to make them close completely [: (it looks like the one in the picture above, only that one isn’t mine and it started out red. yay photo manipulation.) I found it with all the other unloved luggage in a dim corner (literally, i am not making this up) and i decided to open it. Now, i wanted one of these before and meant to go back and get one, but i had never looked inside one before and i was really afraid that it’s amazingness would fade once i saw the interior… but it didn’t! THE INSIDE IS AMAZING TOO! i brought it home and cleaned it for like an hour and a half or something because i love it so much (i also like cleaning, maybe that helps). I got most of the marks off but it still has a few perfect amazing scuff marks for character on the outside, and i think i got most of the last owner’s shampoo out of the zippered compartment… lol. (btw, scuff marks are toast with Magic Eraser. Those commercials? yeah, they aren’t kidding. go get one.) Anyway, it cost me only $5 and i am so in love with it, in case you cannot tell. I am going to look for travel stickers at the store next time i go, so it can look even more awesome and retro [:
And that is my spastic entry for the day. I hope you have enjoyed it and next time, i will have to blog about something really deep. Like the ocean.
Alicia <3
i want one!
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I thought i’d share this adorable thing. Even people who hate the word adorable have to at least admit it’s kind of clever. This is a drain plug, like for your bathtub or sink, and the boat floats on top of the water at the end of the chain. i think it is so cute and it came from one of my favorite websites, Pedlars Webstore, which makes it even more attractive (; unfortunately, it’s currently out of stock at Pedlars (www.pedlars.co.uk/page_1272.html),
but it can supposedly also be bought from Urban Outfitters in the map Also, here’s another drain plug i found which may or may not be a cute idea. |
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| This doesn’t really need an explanation to go with it, but i did think it was cute that it’s actually called the “Help! Drain Plug.” There was another one called the Suicidal Man, but we won’t even get into that. |
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violent room decor
for anyone who likes the idea of knives sticking into their bedroom walls… Happy birthday. these are hooks you just screw into the wall and hang stuff on. i would totally buy some (i’ve no idea why) except that the price is enough to kill me: $25 a piece or $100 for a set. cool things always come at a price, i suppose.
Pricey decorating aside, i’m sick. i have a bug. a true bug, with an exoskeleton and the whole bit. okay maybe not. but yes, i’m sick, and like i totally went to youth group early last night completely unaware that i was feeling yucky because i actually had a fever, which never happens to me. So yg friends, i’m sorry that i exposed you to unneeded germs, lol. the irony of it was that i was showing up early and staying the whole time because beth was sick enough to lose her singing voice completely and i had to lead worship. How funny is that? but, worship was good anyhow. and i came home and went to bed early, and woke up at like 4:30 unable to sleep, so i had time to read an entire 269 page book before six am. it was kinda a blessing in disguise because i love reading, but i am so exhausted now and still feeling blicky. (yes, it is a word, because i said so.) So, here’s hoping tonight and tomorrow go better.
Alicia <3
Protect your hands! You blog with them.
Today i made yet another amazing online discovery. the Library of Congress has a website, and in one place on their site you can search through extensive archives of WPA posters. (WPA = Works Progress Administration, in case you didn’t know.)
This is the address for the WPA poster search engine thing: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/wpaposquery.html
In the process of trying to find an archive just like the one above, i ran into a blog called “Found in Mom’s Basement” which is basically completely dedicated to vintage advertising. i didn’t dig very deep before i kept going but here’s the address for WPA poster entry: http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2007/05/wpa_posters_194.html
you can find your way around the site from there if you’re interested. besides the WPA page, there’s things like “Got Milk” ads, and you can also search by decade. i daresay it is pretty sweet looking. i’m bookmarking that page!
anyway, also today i was wondering where the term “keyed up” came from. i could probably find out with a little effort, but i’m feeling lazy so i guess i’ll never know [:
Alicia <3
Funky phones
my life is pretty boring right now because i really want to just get going and start school! - however, because of all the nothingness i have had plenty of time for pointless web surfing. i found these phones on www.thecoolhunter.net yesterday. they are usb phones, so like they hook to your computer too. i actually have no idea what that means as far as talking on them, but i just think they look cool. they would even be kinda nostalgic, except for the fact that they come in such startling colors. i like them alot but not enough to pay the $60 they’re being sold for (;
Alicia <3
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