Friday, November 30, 2012

In the Presence of Greatness

I love surprises. So it was a pleasant happenstance when we were hiking near Huntsville, Alabama and stumbled across a State Champion Tupelo Tree.

Now, I'm not making this up. While Tupelo's sound like, and kind of look like, something out of a Seussian world, they actually grow in the Southeastern US and are more commonly referred to as a sourgum tree.

They sit, with their comically wide base in water, thriving in wet soil, swamps and flooded areas. In fact, their genus name, Nyssa means Greek Water Nymph

But not only is this a cool tree species that we'd discovered, but we were also face-to-trunk with a Champion. I didn't even know there was Tree Champions, but boy do I feel honored to have met one.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Retro Never Looked so Good

This is not a news flash to say that I'm obsessed with ModCloth. 3 orders in 5 days? Clearly I have a problem. But I think the design of their latest StyleBook alone justifies my obsession!

A little throwback flare is the perfect way to display their vintage inspired collections. I think they absolutely nailed these layouts, they look completely modern, while showcasing their '60s style. 
Like what you see? Shop to your heart's delight – and get a $15 credit with this link!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Burger of the Week #85

#LaundryBurger! I enjoy this more than I probably should.....

Thursday, November 22, 2012

When Clouds Appear... out of Nowhere

I spent a cloudless Thanksgiving day hiking in the Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Today's blue skies reminded me of the work of Dutch Artist Berndnaut Smilde, who miraculously conjures clouds from thin air. The remarkable photos that result look like PhotoShop trickery but take a look at the video and you'll see that you're not being deceived. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Barefoot in the Snow

It's getting cold outside. But up at Wolverine, we're keeping nice n' toasty with Cushe!

Burger of the Week #84

It's that time of year again... here's a fun pairing to keep you warm from the folks at Threadless.

And don't forget, if you are getting chilly... may I suggest some mittens and/or slippers?

Monday, November 19, 2012

Who's the nerd now?

Learned a fun little fact while browsing on dictionary.com... (I love words!)

Did you know Dr. Seuss invented the word nerd? 
The slang term, which means "and intelligent byt single-minded person, obsessed with a certain hobby or pursuit"first appeared in Dr. Seuss's 1950 children's book If I Ran the Zoo
According to Seuss, a "nerd" is a small animal from the land of KaTroo, not the pale kid with taped glasses that we think of today!

And no, I'm so not a nerd for hanging out on dictionary.com.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Burger of the Week #83

Burger, Fries AND Legos? Throw a monkey in here somewhere and I'd probably have an aneurism. 

This Big MaK was designed by Sean and Steph Mayo for a Lego charity event called Creations for Charity. Click here to shop the other creations!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Changing Corporate & Personal Identities

In these email crazed days, there isn't often an occasion where I find the need to actually run a piece of letterhead through the printer. But there is no simpler example of design functionality over form, and I love to see letterhead done right!

Originally made popular during the advent of Industrial design and the invention of the printing press, letterhead allowed people and business to create an identity for themselves—letting people know who they are and what they do.

Notable and historic letterhead samples can be found on Letterheady.com. Now I scrolled down this page for quite some time, wondering when, or even, if it had an end. Using the archives is actually an easier way to browse. (December 2009 is where it begins, to ease your curiosity). But take a look—there is hundreds of amazing corporate and celebrity highlights. If they were arranged chronologically, it would be an incredible spanse of identity design history.

The whimsy of Warhol next to the modernism of Paul Rand
Dr. Seuss meets the Muppets
Calvin and Hobbes colliding with Nikola Tesla
Beautiful roofs that endure against Paranormal Activity

If you're interested in little more insight on the Evolution of Letterhead Design you can get it from inspirationfeed here.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Burger of the Week #82

A little post-Halloween Burger of the Week from a pal and her boys. Check out their masterpiece! I absolutely love the pumpkin seeds as the buns sesame seeds... and her hysterical kid pics!

Thanks for sharing, Sheri!

Get your Vote on.

Whether you believe it's a right or a privilege, it's time to get off your ass and go vote. Vote Smart!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Put a Cap on It

Know some adorable kids? Well I know someone who makes adorable caps for babies and toddlers (and even some for adults). 

These caps are made from recycled t-shirts and fleece scrapes. We have animals, holiday specific caps, fruits and veggies, and even some "mad" birds.

AND—they're only $5! What a fantastic stocking stuffer! Email me, or message ScrappyLynn on Etsy for more information!


Sunday, November 4, 2012

Socks for your Head

Now I don't normally talk about fashion (unless it's shoe specific) but a girl at work had the most adorable hairdo the other day and when questioned about it, she eventually revealed that there was a sock inside it.*

My curiosity was piqued— I had to find out how she hid a sock in her hair. So I turned to YouTube, where I discovered Wendy and her lookbook.

As it turns out, Wendy Nguyen herself is quite an admirable individual, fashion-sense aside. She grew up in foster care, until she emancipated from the system and went to University of California, Berkeley where she studied Psychology. She currently lives in LA, and volunteers at InsideOutWriters, a non-profit organization that provides mentorship to previously incarcerated youths.

Well done, Wendy. But back to the lookbook. What immediate struck me about WLB was the quality of her videos. This is not a home webcam DIY operation.** The tutorials are polished and professional from her fall fashion intro to the Fashion is Courage piece to this bit of scarf porn:
But my favorite bits range from fast-forward giggles to brain-dead moments—the little things that weren't edited out that make these videos appealing.

Oh, and about that sock bun. I haven't quite mastered it, but Wendy can give you a hand:
*This was a mistake as it lead to merciless teasing—not from me of course.
**Obviously! since  her intro is shot in three different countries. I'm dying to know how she funds this! Simply in advertising dollars?

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Recycle your Holiday Rush?

It's November first, which means today my Starbucks had a holiday sleeve, my McDonalds was on a peppermint tray* and Best Buy was piping in the carols. Get ready folks. The holidays are here.

Well there's no better place to jumpstart your holiday shopping than at the City High Recycled Art Market this Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm.

All items are made with at least 50% recycled, upcycled or repurposed materials. This is my fourth year participating in the show and it is hands down the year's best.

So come, check out the handmades, eco-friendly goodies, and cross some shopping off your list. You can preview artisans on facebook and see some of my own items on Etsy!

This is a fundraiser for City High/Middle School PTSA and entrance is $1. The market is at the school at 1400 Fuller Avenue NE in Grand Rapids

 *I normally eat better I swear!!