Happy {Labor Day} Weekend.

It would be very, very difficult for me to be any happier about this week being over. The three-day weekend is much needed.

This weekend is also - are you ready for this? - the start of college football season!!! Most of you probably don't know that I'm an absolutely DIE HARD Oklahoma Sooners fan. I'm not originally from the state (that badge belongs to PA!), but live here now and attended OU for my BA. I'm sort of obsessed with college football in general and will be watching it all weekend. Yeah, I'm a dork.

This Weekend:
• OU v Chattanooga - tailgating in Norman (Boomer Sooner!)
• weeding (bleh)
• grocery shopping
• finish framing photos
• hang things on walls - for real this time
• watch as much college football as humanly possible

Happy Labor Day!
Happy Weekend!

:: photo of Memorial Stadium via google

The Daily Eat: Zucchini Rice Gratin.

I'm pretty sure I could eat this summery Zucchini Rice Gratin by its lonesome for several dinners in a row and be perfectly content. Is it lunchtime yet??!!

:: recipe and photo via epicurious

Chrono_Shredder.

Note: This product is fictional.

Susanna Hertrich designed the Chrono_Shredder while studying the idea of human hibernation.

"The Chrono_Shredder is a device that makes past time tangible. It is a hybrid between calendar, clock and waste producing automaton. It has no on/off-button, thus it is unstoppable, just like time. It features the 365 days of the year represented on a paper-roll. The paper-roll is led through a hacked paper-shredder, which is programmed to use exactly 24 hours to shred one 'day'."

:: via CasaSugar

Mad Props: August.

It's that time again. The end of another month and time for Mad Props: August!

Rizzo's Original Fortune Teller : BB-Blog

DIY Fabric Party Garland : Creature Comforts

It's Freebie Time : Creature Comforts

Storybook Inspired Looks : Creature Comforts

Cardboard Shadow Box : Design*Sponge

Square Deal : Hello My Name is Heather via How about orange...

Circus Act : in(side) the loop

Paper Cut : in(side) the loop

Phunk Lab Custom Digital Portraits : More Ways to Waste Time

Spins Designs Mobiles : More Ways to Waste Time

A Good-Looking Family Reunion T-Shirt : Orange Beautiful

Rainy Days : Proficiscamur

Doorbell Buttons : Remodelista

Old-Fashioned Scales : Remodelista

To make your heart melt : Smoke and Ochre

lisa & nick : snippet & ink

non sequitur : something old, something new

An Orange and Black Halloween Wedding : The Finer Things

no love : urban grace interiors

Sunny Side Up.

Forgive me if I seem a little out of it. A little flighty or flakey. A little "Did I put on deodorant today?" This week is leaving me with a mental meltdown, a fried egg for a brain. And it's showing itself off in all other aspects of my life. Only one more day to go, but until then there's this...


:: image via ffffound

Painter Crush: Stellalola.

These paintings by Stellalola (aka Julie Lewis) are perfectly fun and vintage, yet somehow have a modern vibe all at the same time. Hooray for versatility!

The Daily Eat: Cheese Zucchini Strips.

Baked Cheese Zucchini Crisps (aka Zucchini Fries). For those of us who are, um, watching our waistlines (and hoping they're shrinking instead of expanding).

:: photo and recipe via The Well-Seasoned Cook

Wedding in Your Pocket.

I first came across Wedding in Your Pocket in an issue of Communication Arts a few years back and have had it bookmarked ever since. It's basically pure, lovely genius in paper form. The kind of design that makes me envious and a little green with jealousy. In other words, the absolute best kind.

"What does it take to tell the story of a wedding? In our case, six books. Each book in the wedding series corresponds to a specific event in the process: invitation, welcome, ceremony, etc. A custom illustration by Adam McCauley opens each book, playing on cliche wedding terms (think getting hitched and dropping the anchor). The books combine honesty (ten things you may forget) with humor (how to find a hay barn in town), while maintaining a taste of elegance and tradition."

Alfred D. Souza.

I find inspiration everywhere, including quotes from all sorts of sources. Hopefully through this new feature - And I Quote - I can pass on some of my favorites and find out some of yours! What's your favorite?

My Clients.

This is how they're making me feel today. Yeah, I'm the chick on the ground being choked with that lady's leg. Grrr. At least I have a cool bustier bodysuit on.

:: image via ffffound

On the Rocks: Pisco Sour.

In my mind I've been a day ahead of schedule this week. Which means I woke up thinking today was Thursday. And was sad when I realized it was, in fact, not. But since Thursday is the official start of the weekend and I was already there, a cocktail is definitely in order. I'm really feeling the Pisco Sour.

Ingredients:
- egg white
- 2 1/2 ounces Chilean Pisco Capel
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- Angostura Bitters

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine egg white, Pisco, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Cover, shake vigorously for 15 seconds, and strain into six-ounce cocktail glass. Top with a few drops of bitters.

:: photo and cocktail recipe via yumsugar

How do you feel about cocktails that contain egg whites?

The Daily Eat: Chai Zucchini Bread.

As I look at this delectable Chai Zucchini Bread I am damning my diet over and over. And over again.

:: photo and recipe via dlyn

Before I die I want to...

Love this.

The Before I die I want to... project was inspired by a combination of factors: (1) the “death” of the Polaroid, (2) a psychologist’s tool called safety contracts, and (3) a passion to get people to think about (and act upon) what is really important in their life through this simple, very straight-forward question.

Process
Creators, Nicole Kenney (Brooklyn, NY) and ks rives (Chicago, IL) keep their Polaroid cameras close at hand, taking portraits wherever they go to add to the collection. They snap the photo while the subject is saying what they want to do before they die, getting them in the act of stating their desire. Nicole and ks then request that the subject writes his or her statement on the Polaroid starting with the words “Before I die I want to....” As the subjects are signing the release form, the artists ask them to include their email.

The website is updated continuously with new portraits.

In a number of years (five, ten, twenty, etc.), Nicole and ks will contact the participants via email to see if they have accomplished their goal, if they are on their way, or why they haven’t made steps in that direction. At this future time, Nicole and ks will ask them to write a short story next to their photo on the website about fulfilling their expressed want. Seeing online that other people are fulfilling their desires will motivate participants to complete their task and write a story of their own.

:: via Josh Spear

Remember Me Pendants.

I'm the sentimental type, so it's really no surprise that I fell desperately in love with these Remember Me pendants the instant I saw them. Stamp them with a name or a date and carry it with you always.

:: via Something Old, Something New

Design Matters: Packaging 01.

A few months ago my friend Megan, the lone copywriter at Capsule, hooked me up with the latest book in their Design Matters series. Design Matters: Packaging 01. Design is an increasingly competitive marketplace, one in which you constantly need to be in the "know". But these days most design books only focus on type, color, and layout. The Design Matters series takes a more strategic approach, allowing designers to learn not only what looks good, but also what sort of design is smart.

Packaging 01 is the latest book in the Design Matters series and focuses on developing, creating and implementing package designs. The book is full of beautiful, intelligent examples, so readers can understand the points being highlighted along the way. Their goal? That by the last page you walk away with a better understanding of packaging, the process of creating it, and how it influences our world.

Mission accomplished.

{Thanks Megan!}

The Daily Eat: Zucchini Strand Spaghetti.

Zucchini Strand Spaghetti is a great way to make the pasta-you-just-have-to-have-right-now into something a little healthier. A tasty, light, simple summer meal.

:: photo and recipe via smitten kitchen

That Feeling.

Everyone's had it at least once in their life.

:: via ffffound

Space Grill.

The Space Grill. Not as in aliens and UFOs, but as in multi-functional awesomeness.

"The unique, swing-out grill system comprises of two heavy-gauge stainless steel grills that height-adjust for different cooking temps. On the top grill, sit a serving dish, a saucepan or use as a back-up cooking or warming grill. The larger main grill swings out to enable quick fuel top-ups. Underneath the bowl is an integral ash collector and adjustable ventilation system. We also love the eco-friendly bamboo chopping board and built-in hooks for tools."

First Blush.

Think of First Blush juices as a sort of wine of the grape juice world - including Merlot, Cabernet and Chardonnay varieties. Each varietal grape juice has a unique and dynamic concentration of flavors. All juices are 100% natural with no added sugar and no preservatives. Might be a nice option for a dinner party for those who prefer something a little less, ahem, alcoholic.

Astrology Drinking Glasses.

Loving these astrology drinking glasses at Urban Outfitters. Classic pint glasses, printed with a zodiac sign on the front side and an irreverent description of each sign's characteristics on the back.


:: via Oh Joy!