Monday, May 31, 2010

Huntington Library Fun!

A few weeks ago, I went to the Hungtington Library with my friend Kristine. It was amazing. most of my pictures are from the gardens, but rest assured the exhibits are amazing as well. I saw the Ellesmere Chaucer! If you're ever in Pasadena, visit The Huntington!











Happy Memorial Day!!

Friday, May 28, 2010

We Have A Winner!


The winner of the the Hide N Seek giveaway is....

#26, Elizabeth from The Little Bee!

I will be emailing you shortly to get your address, so check your email!

Congratulations to Elizabeth and thanks to all who entered and a BIG thanks to Hide N Seek for participating!

Another lovely giveaway from a fabulous etsy seller is coming soon!

Playlist For A Happy Birthday!


{newborn me}

Today is my birthday. Does it still count as a birth when it's a Cesarean section? My mom would probably say so. :)

Ever wonder where the term Cesarean section came from? In Latin class in high school, I learned two different theories. The first is that it comes from an alleged Roman law named Lex Caesarea that stated an infant had to be cut out of the mother's womb if she died before giving birth. The other theory, which I was taught had more merit, is that the term comes from the Latin verb caedere, which means "to cut". A form of this word is caesum and it seems this is probably where the term came from.

Anyway.

It's my birthday! And on such a fabulous day, it is only fitting that I share with you my good mood. So here is my current "It's My Birthday!" playlist, complete with youtube links and my favorite lyrics from each song.

Enjoy!

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (video)
"Songs of desperation, I played them for you"

Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness (video)
"String from your tether unwinds, up and outward to bind"

Train - Hey, Soul Sister (video)
"You gave my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny"

Timbaland - If We Ever Meet Again (fetauring Katy Perry) (video)
"Baby what's your sign tell me yours and I'll tell you mine"

Elvis Presley - Stuck On You (video)
"'Cause once I catch you and the kissin' starts, a team of wild horses couldn't tear us apart"

The Beatles - Let It Be (video)
"And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me"

The Dirty Heads - Lay Me Down (featuring Rome) (video)
"I said it's hot outside, let me go swimming in your eyes"

Jack's Mannequin - The Resolution (video)
"Yeah I'm alive, I don't need a witness to know that I survived"

Boyz II Men - Amazing Grace (Acapella) (video)
"'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far and Grace will lead me home."
Papa Roach - Time is Running Out (video)
"I refuse to surrender, I refuse to surrender"

Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire (video)
"Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby, edgy and dull, and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my soul"

Toby Keith - Beer For My Horses (featuring Willie Nelson) (video)
"Grandpappy told my pappy back in my day, son, that a man had to answer for the wicked that he'd done"

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Say Hey (I Love You) (video)
"But I don’t want to write a love song for the world, I just want to write a song about a boy and a girl"

** If you'd happen to like a "hard-copy" copy of this playlist, send me an email with your address and I'll drop it in the mail to you! :) **

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Focus On... Rachael Taylor Designs!

Rachael Taylor Designs is backed by none other than... Rachael Taylor, a lovely and creative lass from the UK. Rachael has loved textiles for a long time; her first job was as a print and design technician and in 2006, she held her first solo exhibition at the Brahm Gallery Leeds.

Around this time, she developed her signagure style of layering and textures, present in her current work.



Rachael likes to bring her own personality to her work & creates fun quirky designs: 'patterns to make you happy'.



Her positive & energetic approach was recognized in 2009 as she was awarded the title of 'the happiest person in Britain 2009' from her excited & happy twitter posts.



 Her patterns are spontaneous as Rachael loves to draw with her right & left hand and sometimes even with her eyes closed. This way her patterns are unique & full of energy, she takes inspiration from everything around her & a lot of her motifs come from her own mood & personality.





************************************
Today is the last day to sign up for the Hide N Seek giveaway!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Focus On... The Harbinger Co And A Giveaway!

I am always amazed by people who have talents I don't. I love the moment when you think, "How does she do that?" And that is exactly what I thought when I first saw the work of Yvonne, of The Harbinger Co. She creates the most intricate, interesting, eco-friendly jewelry I've ever seen. Yvonne graciously answerd my questions and (even more graciously) offered to giveaway a beautiful necklace to one lucky reader!


Tell me some basic info about yourself.
I consider myself an aspiring artist. Art has always been a constant in my life, and what I was best at. I got a little distracted during my college and grad school years, where I was an economics major at Stanford and thought I wanted to go into finance. Then I went to grad school for urban planning because I thought it would be a good compromise between economics and design. But I realized soon after that I needed more creativity. After a few years working as an urban planner/designer, I started selling lasercut jewelry as a side gig under The Harbinger Company. Recently I quit my job and am taking a 1 year sabbatical to do all the projects I never had a chance to. So in addition to my lasercut bamboo jewelry and wood boxes, I'm going to make metal rings, leather and cork handbags, paintings, and maybe furniture. I just want to let loose and do everything.


What kind of mediums do you use and why?
Acrylic, water color, pencil, pen & ink for drawings because those are clean enough to use at home.
Bamboo, non-endangered woods for jewelry and home decor.
Heavy duty raw canvas for painting and sewing. I love canvas because I'm a painter and it's so durable.
Leather and cork fabric for my new handbags because they are nice to touch and biodegradable and not harmful to the environment.
Papers of all sorts for collages and mixed-media works.


What made you decide to sell on etsy?
Etsy is a great venue for artists. I like how the interface is really simple, and you can set up shop without having to know how to make a website. The Etsy community is also large and growing, and that helps with marketing and getting your name out to the public through the daily features, blogs, etc.


Where do you get your inspiration?
I love patterns of all sorts, so most of my jewelry and boxes so far are inspired by patterns in nature, architecture, geometry, etc. I also love maps of all sorts, even before I was an urban planner. I am also inspired by artists and designers such as Mel Kadel, Shepard Fairey, David Ellis, Ryan McGinness, Jason Munn, BLU, Ghada Amer, and so many more. I also love ethnic patterns and textiles.


What is your favorite music to craft by?
Mostly indie pop and dixieland jazz.

When it's cold outside... Which it is always in San Francisco, I stay home and draw, design, or make things.

{Circle Honeycomb Wood Box}
When I'm hungry... I eat.


When I need a boost... I go for a walk or to the gym.
I wish I was/were... A successful designer and artist who was an expert on everything: web design, animation, architecture, welding, wood working, sewing, industrial design, fabrication, film. A more realistic goal would be an environments designer.
If I could give one gift to everyone I know, it would be... Either a plant or a cd of my favorite songs-affordable and likable. Or if I'm Oprah, a well designed housing unit.

{Large Bamboo Cloud Earrings}

If I could have coffee with anyone, it would be...French Artist JR who does the large scale artwork in urban slums throughout the world. Besides art and design, I am interested in international development, and JR has bridged two fields.

{Antique glass flask necklace}

If you were an animal, what would you be? A bird.


What's your favorite piece of your own? My studs. And my leather cork bag which is not for sale yet.


What are your favorite blogs/websites right now? Kate and Oli of course! And notcot, design-milk, svpply, notcouture, apartment therapy, fecalface.



The Harbinger Co. Website
The Harbinger Co. on Etsy
The Harbinger Co. on Facebook
The Harbinger Co. on Twitter

Yvonne has fabulously offered up a 20% discount code just for Kate and Oli readers. Simply enter the code KATEOLI (case-sensitive) when purchasing anything from her website (not her etsy) and receive 20% off your total purchase!

Yvonne has also offered one of her fabulous triple cube necklaces to a lucky winner! I have one of these amazing pieces and you will get tons of compliments! Plus, it goes with everything and is as light as a feather!


- To be eligible for entry, you must be a follower of my blog through google friend connect or through your preferred RSS reader. -
- Make sure you leave me a way to contact you if you win. -
- Please leave separate comments for each entry. -

First entry (mandatory):
Head over to The Harbinger Co. and tell me your favorite item!

Extra entries (optional):
- Become a Facebook fan of The Harbinger Co.
- Sign up for The Harbinger Co. mailing list (go here, bottom right hand corner)
- Sign up for the Kate and Oli mailing list (in sidebar).
- Add my button to your blog (in sidebar).
- Become a Facebook fan of Kate and Oli.
- Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.

- Post on facebook about this giveaway and leave me some way to verify.


Fine print: Giveaway begins when it is posted and ends at 11:59pm pacific standard time June 3, 2010. A winner will be selected by a random number generator on June 4, 2010 and will be emailed promptly. The Harbinger Co will ship anywhere in the world!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Doodle Tuesday

{a doodle by my friend holly.
junior year of high school.
my 16th birthday. may 2001.

does that mean it's almost summer now?}

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Greetings From Pensacola Beach!

Greetings from Pensacola Beach, Florida! My long-awaited trip has arrived! The past three days have been full of sun, sand, laughter and food. I have tons of pictures to share with you guys, but I will wait until I get back to write that post. I'm going to enjoy my vacation while I'm here. Enjoy these pictures though:







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