a perfectly timed note

I've been madly preparing for a presentation—which I gave tonight. Done, what a huge relief!! Amongst the flurry of paper and chaos; I found this hilarious note. It totally cracked me up and made me miss my friend—Satchel. The note was well worth saving for fifteen years.

wallpaper

A few fruitful patterns made during my summer vacation.

Handcut orgami paper and security envelopes.

A to Z: a few of my favorite things

---- C, D and E ----


---- H, I and J ----


---- T, U and V ----


---- the A — Z compilation ----

C: Cats + Cheetahs
D:Dogs + Daisies
E: Eagles + Echidea + Egret + Elephants
H: the oak, Hercules of the forest + Hailey's comet + Hedgehogs of the vegetable world
I: Ivy + Illusions
J: Justification + (queer looking tenants of the) Jungle + a Jumping gibbon
T: Tortoise + Table + Tableware
U: Unwholesome American Fungi
V: Vanishing race + Virtue

Reorganized using my 1941 Books of Knowledge.

die-cuts

Look at these friends. This batch is also quite quaint.

snakes and balloons

perfect description of my week.

nyc 1930s > 1980s > 2009

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The evolution of New York has been illustrated in photographs in countless ways. Two of the biggest collections belong to the city. Between 1938 and 1943, 700,000 stark black-and-white pictures, known as tax photos, were taken to make property assessments and as a jobs program for the federal Works Progress Administration. In the 1980s, a second set of 800,000 photos was taken, also for tax purposes. In both sets, the property's block and lot number is listed on the photos. The photos are available for sale by the city. A New York Times photographer returned to 12 of the sites this year"

— SAM ROBERTS

images sourced from: Evolution, as Traced by the Lens

ravenous!

a n i m a l s

if you're in the minneapolis area today

Empty Bowls @ Powderhorn Park.
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Powderhorn Park Building

The gist:
Pick out a handmade bowl, make a free-will donation, enjoy homemade soup and leave with your bowl — now empty — a reminder that there are bowls that need filling in our neighborhood… and that you’ve done something to help fill them!

The proceeds will benefit the food shelf at the Division of Indian Work, Sisters Camelot, and the Powderhorn Park kitchen upgrade.

I made the flier and I'm back!

11 men

Last week find——
eleven gentlemen occupying one picture frame.
The original Madmen cast?, no?!

the park

our new kite wayyy up + Russia postcard from 1971

---

Really procrastinating here——I just sorted through a bin that was tucked away in my basement. Yikes, I just unveiled a mini-timecapsule filled with rather unnecessary (but kinda fun things) that I saved from the eighties. Lot's of old playthings (I really like these castiron broken toys), odds and ends from highschool and incriminating snapshots (although, these sister photos are kind of sweet).

I'm getting rid of about half of the stuff, so this is goooood! Now to work.

July snippits

July flew by––I find I need photos to jog my memory.
jen's house anticipating the arrival of Claude/the 4th of July/H's firsttime in a church (she was a flowergirl)/loooong overdue ironing/growing ponytails/a little beachtime and upstairs in my studio.

keep these cards handy

These small cards may contain a few handy and amusing tips for the upcoming school year. If not helpful, they sure are pretty.

5 postcards

Crops are very good in our locality. The small print reads (clockwise from topleft): The Modern Farmer / Our Watermelons Grow Big / A Load of Extra Good Apples / Peach Canning Time on the Farm.

+

The Gull, Who Whistled?, a handlettered card and The Sheep (from Nat'l Monument, Arizona)

a lesson in dutch, scotch and weaving

Hello Claude

My sister——queen of endurance and master of magical feats——delivered a healthy babe this Tuesday night at 11:39pm. I was lucky enough to be in attendance to meet the little 7lb9oz fella. Whoah, A M A Z I N G and C R A Z Y!

Welcome baby Claude
+
Congratulations Jen and Jay!

Pictures to come…

Dear Dorothy

These fine graduates were all adorned in great brooches and fancy necklines. The packet of photos were addressed to Dorothy in 1927.

The pictures were included in this box.

northern mn

A few more quiet photos from my trip.
During the drive I revisited some cds that I hadn't listened to since college to accompany the kookoo thoughts that creep in when you're alone.

I'd really like to take classes from here, shelters, sauna, boats, brickovens, baskets...

bill bloedow box

This is an overdue post!
I received one of dreamiest, personalized packages about a month ago from the great Bill Bloedow, former President of the Friends of the Goldstein Museum of Design. The box contained an eclectic range of printed matter and he passed it on to me. I found it quite touching. I'll post some of the highlights in days to come.

Thanks so much Bill.

swimming

These beachy photos make me nutty and being in the midwest makes me long for seaside salty days.

cascade river walk

Last week I took a quick solo getaway to the North Shore. Stayed in a sweet cabin on the icy clear Superior, practiced my embroidery, saunaed in a great woodfired sauna and ate smoked fish. Here are some photos from a walk I took along the Cascade River—— X marks the waterfall, many shades of lush green, woodland faces, a floating caterpillar.

icecream

everything is an ice cream cone!

jot it

Genuine Robinson Reminders! the interiors are perfed into four sections. super handy!

reminders

Look at these sweeties sitting pretty for the camera.

playtime

kiting, wining, beach dining, painting, fridgecleaning, foyerfencing, and playparks.

happy father's day!

june

i'm growing the best clover patch this season.

summer vacation

ready to go!

photos found in 'discarded' albums... between years of 1924-52.

green

After a month of no showers——we finally got a boatload of rain. My peonies are in bloom and I'm eager to get back out in the garden.

Oh, Can anyone identity the pink and red ball-like clustered flowers?

Oh oh oh, the man with the green hat... if you immerse him in water, squeeze his hat, he squirts!!

xx + xy = ?

Here's evidence of an 'educational game' that Tim crafted for the babyshower. Thanks to everyone who played along.

I place my bets on a boy???!!

Last weekend we threw a babyshower for Jen and Jay and celebrated their soon-to-be-delivery with friends and family. the day was sunny and breezy and perfect in many ways. just sort of recovering from all the scurrying around, cooking, frosting, yardwork, hosting...

POM-POM!

This kit is a great find! Lot's of pom-poms in my family!

corita kent

Ah ha Corita!

Top five images are scanned from the book Come Alive: The Spirited Art of Sister Corita .

The bottom image: K—Essence of a Thousand Kisses is an original serigraph by Corita, and can also be found in the book
Damn Everything but the Circus. The print sits beside my couch.

Network, Teamwork

I love love love this project by Uta Eisenreich is not new but remains quite perfect. I finally scanned in her images from Swiss Design 2002: Netzwerke / Réseaux / Networks. The book is published by Lars Müller. [Apologies for the blurred edges, my book wouldn't lie flat].

little things

from the Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry. 1963 by Golden Press.

rack and runner

We finally installed the carpet runner that leads to my studio!
lot's of projects in motion.

Stories Behind the Records

Always fascinating. I'm envious of the pogo guy's record. really.

From Guiness: the Stories Behind the Records. Published 1982 by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Whole Earth

I just revisited my copy of the Whole Earth Catalog. I always find it enlightening and genuine in spirit. Where is the 2009 iteration/compilation? or is there?

I gave a talk tonight in front of a crowd. I've been so anxious but it's over!

jacks and jills

It seems as though everyone close to me is pregnant!
------
Found this bucket of babies photo a while back.
------
Plus a paperdoll from Jack and Jill magazine.
------

grades are in

! let summertime begin !

in the kitchen

Two salads worth trying.

Take a look at Ms. Gauthier's lovely cookbook——it just needs a publisher!

Y & Z

Pages scanned from The ABC's of Origami: Paper Folding for Children.
by Claude Sarasas/Charles Tuttle Company, Inc./1964

Look at these folks from the British Origami Society; this this guy is my favorite.

Cat & mouse and money tricks!

four years

Commencement is today. I'll miss this group of fine people and talented designers.

pre-office cleanout!

I share an office with five others——lots of accumulation and layering occurs in a schoolyear (Booo, I'm the main culprit for the mass paper heaps). This is the time to cleanout, but first a break is necessary.

this morning

Aristocratic Vegetables!

Yes, Common things do have secrets...!

All scanned from my favorite books: 'Books of Knowledge'.

traffic

This guy's bumper is very amusing!

typing lessons

from my sewingbox

fronts + backs of various clothing tags (the backsides look like mini abstract paintings) + a panda paperdoll!

machines

always a good show

Here's a few parade images from this year's Mayday Festival—unfortunately I didn't photograph the dung beetles and balls-o-poop for you all.

Next year I may try out my stilt skills!

end papers

All end papers are from this site which I stumbled upon today. I'd like to see more from the saucy Dutch Treat Club.

This drawger show looks fun too!

endpaper show hosted by Nancy Stahl/endpaper credits:
Dutch Treat Club 1941 from Stephen Kroninger
Give me Liberty [pt4] from GHM327
Dutch Treat Club 1959 from Stephen Kroninger
Beyond the Long-Eared Mountains from Anna
Dutch Treat Club 1956 from Stephen Kroninger
Dutch Treat Club 1945 from Stephen Kroninger
Dutch Treat Club 1925 from Stephen Kroninger
Scalawag the Monkey 1953 from Lou Brooks

playing, cooking, working

The three of us grilled and celebrated last night. Tim got a new full-time teaching job!

Mon Oncle

We watched Tati's Mon Oncle last night—so much to love about this film—the color, the architecture, quirky gardens and gadgets, idiosyncratic characters… Look at M. and Mme. Arpels' neighbor's red dress, hat, shoes and top—perfect in every way! The opening bit will sell you on the film, if you haven't already seen it. Next in line for me is Play Time.

spring accessories

Look at these gems that I found in Estonia a couple years back. All of them are made in the USSR by 'NORMA'. Plus acute cute lunchbox—also by NORMA.

for an upcoming project

I'm making the raw materials for an upcoming project——here's some of the lines, shapes and patterns that I'm thinking of using.

Mitchell, Trevor, Lauryl, Brian, Annie and Katie

A handful of Letraset 'info cards' made by my students on their first day to Introduction to Typography. The quick exercise gives students an opportunity to play with type in an illustrative way—the backsides of each card contain relevant tidbits; ie, name, courseload, major—which help me remember my new students. I've been doing this on the first day for seven years so I have an amazing accumulation of type portraits. [[I can't believe the cost of a custom sheet. whoah!]]

Students:
Mitchell Green + Trevor Burks
Lauryl Loberg + Brian Walbergh
Annie Wang + Katie Lombardo

This site is great fun.

curious goods

More roadtrip photos from many years ago——I wonder if these signs and stores are still around?
The Curious Goods storefront is perfect especially when captured on polaroid film.

cenotes of the yucatan + penguins of antartica

The Yucatan has no noticeable surface rivers, the limestone plateau is riddled with underground streams and caves. A cenote (from the Mayan word, dzonot) is created when a cave ceiling collapses and opens up to the surface. All of them are uniquely different. We went to two: Dos Ojos and Gran Cenote. Millions of bird and bats live in holes in the cave walls and their peeps and chirps echo throughout——this baby fell from from above and was saved from drowning.
__________

Last night we watched Werner Herzog's Encounters at the End of the World. This was one of my favorite scenes.