Print & Finish

Just picked up this book, "Print and Finish" by Gavin Ambrose & Paul Harris and am really enjoying it! At work we have been meeting with print shops in order to see what's available to us locally, so I thought I had better brush up on some of my print knowledge. At my old job, they wouldn't even let me do spot colors! Now it's like the world has opened up to me design-wise and I might finally have the opportunity to pump up my designs with fun things like die-cutting, varnishes, etc.

If you're interested in these things, I highly recommend picking up this book!

Asian Butterfly Bowls

The bowls I ordered from Urban Outfitters months ago finally arrived today in a badly battered box. I could hear the chatter of the ceramic bowls when I lifted the box. As I suspected, one of the bowls was broken! So disappointed. They sure are pretty though! It would have been nice to have a full set of 4!

It's Official!

I'm completely obsessed with my new phone! This video cracked me up!

Manuel - you have to watch it!

The Green Screen at Work

The Green Screen at Work
Originally uploaded by sfraz71

Thought I'd show you a little glimpse into my daily work life. Although I don't use this room for my job specifically, I still get a kick out of it just being there! I love green screens! The possibilities are endless....

Hiking at Red Rock

Me - Hiking at Red Rock
Originally uploaded by sfraz71

Took Austin hiking at Red Rock National Park today. What fun we had! We hiked up a trail labeled as difficult, and while it was a bit of a hike, I didn't find it necessarily strenuous. After that we drove to the Petting Zoo at Bonnie Springs. Good day!

At Red Rock National Park

At Red Rock National Park
Originally uploaded by sfraz71

**Update: I had sent this while on the hill at Red Rock earlier with a message. Guess I need to work out some flickr glitches for sending pics to my blog from my iPhone.

Grace Box Set

Aren't these trinket containers lovely? I would love to display them on my office desk. Grace Box Set is available at Modern Dose.

{{via Glassford Hill Girl}}

Who is your Favorite Candidate?

Originally uploaded by EYASU.SOLOMON

Undecided? I certainly was! Here are two links that might help:
Candidate Calculator
Pick Your Candidate
When I was feeling overwhelmed by the issues, as well as the candidates, this has now helped me narrow it all down and feel much better about getting out there and voting for our next President!

My top two were Kucinich and Clinton, according to my beliefs on the issues. (Sorry Manuel!)

{{via La Dolce Vita}}

Business Casual

Now that I have a job that I can dress business casual at, I'm constantly on the lookout for cute outfits that are fun, feminine and yet still professional. I love this entire look from Banana Republic! Oh, and Trouser Jeans are GENIUS!

Fine Art Coloring Books

From Prestel International, fine art for your little ones (or you!), in the form of coloring books! Oh, what fun! Artists: Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, Jan Vermeer, Wassily Kandinsky, Salvador Dalí and Gustav Klimt. How cool is that?

Helvetica love and hate.

helvetica love and hate.
Originally uploaded by urbanroutine

Whether you love or hate Helvetica, sometimes it's just time for a break! Here are some great alternatives to the famed font, from How Design magazine:
Univers
FF Schulbuch
Groteska
Neuzeit S
Heldustry
Akkurat
Paralucent
Galaxie Polaris
Basic Commercial
FF Bau
Monotype Grotesque
ARS Region
Figgins
FB Titling Gothic

Test Shot

Test Shot
Originally uploaded by sfraz71

Just when I thought I would never again get stuck behind a tractor with my new, easy route, I got stuck behind a crawling tractor! Took this with the new phone to see if I can email it to my blog!

Lookie! Lookie!

I got it!
Originally uploaded by sfraz71

Well, I caved in today and bought the iPhone! After seeing that no new iPhone release had been announced at the keynote address for Mac Expo, I decided to go for it! I bought this in honor of my new job and fresh take on life!

Fresh & Easy

Hollywood fresh and easy sign is up!
Originally uploaded by benchristen

I finally made it over to the new Fresh & Easy grocery store on Saturday. Like the sign says, it really is Fresh & Easy. It is a bit sterile looking inside, but it's super convenient and quick to buy grocery staples there! They don't have a hug selection but what they have is pretty good. I will most likely just shop for meat, prepared salads and things like dried cranberries, almonds and banana chips.

Let me just tell you, their meat is amazing! We bought the chicken and prepared it that night. We loved it so much that I went back the following day to get more. I also bought salmon, which we had tonight and loved. Apparently their chicken (along with most of ther meat selection) is all natural, no growth hormones. That must be the reason it tasted so good!

Stamps

How fabulous are these stamps making an appearance this year?

From USPS:
Eames - In recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, manufacturing and photographic arts, designers Charles and Ray Eames will be honored next summer with a pane of 16 stamps designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC. If you’ve ever sat in a stackable molded chair, you’ve experienced their creativity. Perhaps best known for their furniture, the Eameses were husband and wife as well as design partners. Their extraordinary body of creative work — which reflected the nation’s youthful and inventive outlook after World War II — also included architecture, films and exhibits. Without abandoning tradition, Charles and Ray Eames used new materials and technology to create high-quality products that addressed everyday problems and made modern design available to the American public.

Betty Davis - Film diva Bette Davis becomes the 14th inductee into the Legends of Hollywood series on the 100th anniversary of the year of her birth. A consummate actress with a magnetic screen presence, Davis (1908-1989) played a wide variety of powerful and complex roles during her six-decade career. Her riveting performances, acclaimed by critics and fans alike, resulted in 10 Academy Award nominations for best actress; she won twice for her starring roles in Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938). Artist Michael Deas of Brooklyn Heights, NY, based his painting for the stamp on a black-and-white still of Davis made during the filming of All About Eve (1950). The selvage, or margin, photograph is a black-and-white still from Jezebel. Deas worked under the direction of Richard Scheaff of Scottsdale, AZ.

Another great find from Design Crush!

Oh, how I wish I could have attended this exhibit! It is from John Huck's most recent exhibition, called "Couples". Fascinating work there!

Thank you Design Crush!

Jack and Lulu Recipe Boxes

Best recipe boxes I've seen yet! House your favorite recipes in style in this graphic lucite box! More colors & designs can be found here.

{{via Design Crush}}

KnoWhere Clock - You & Me

What a great clock for those of us with loved ones who travel! This would be a really cool clock for when Craig goes to Eurpoe in March! But, I would have to change his clock hand every day, as he will be going from country to country on a daily basis!

Artecnica: KnoWhere Clock - You & Me
Designer: Peter Stathis
Graphics by Susanna Dulkynis

{{via Velocity Art & Design}}

Photography Resolutions

Click here to check out
The Las Vegas Photography Meetup Group!

For this years resolutions, I included learning more about photography. I am considering signing up for a non-credit class through UNLV in February. But, I am also getting more invloved in the local Photography MeetUp Group. The group had been pretty stagnant last year, when I joined, but it looks as if things are picking up and people are showing more interest this year! I started a flickr group page for it, and people are starting to participate there too, which is very exciting! I cannot wait to grow in photography with this group!

Inspired!

Love the looks of these two office areas I found in the latest issue of InStyle magazine!

**Sorry about the poor image quality of both of these pics! I scanned them straight out of the thick magazine.