Babycakes

I am kind of fascinated with objects or art made at exaggerated scale (particularly miniature scale, dollhouses, terrariums,  Dominic Wilcox's watch sculptures). So, I was delighted to come across the concept of scale related to desserts in this article in the New York Times.  Hurray for bite sized portions of concentrated deliciousness.

Steve Jobs

Professionally, Steve Jobs was such a hero of mine. His approach to design, communication, user experience and the consumer informs my thinking, especially now that I'm trying to launch a start-up of my own.  When I heard the news that Steve Jobs died last night, I was so stricken and  transfixed on the relentless stream of  updates, news, obituaries, and eulogies, written to not only honor his corporate accomplishments, as a leader of one of the most amazing companies ever--but also to salute the amazing way he lived his life. Here is a commencement speech that he gave to the very lucky, 2005 graduates at Stanford.

I LOVE this speech and his parting words were perfect: "Stay hungry, stay foolish."



Who wants to take calligraphy class with me?
R.I.P Steve Jobs.

Brian Atwood

If you created a Kepner-Tregoe chart to decide what shoes to wear this weekend,  Brian Atwood would come on top for height and comfort requirements.  Yes, those stacked loafers (Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang) look so comfy (relatively, natch), but you can't pair them with just anything.  The gold python pumps will be mine. I  also quite like the quilted, black patent leather.  I believe they are from the Pre-Fall 2011 Collection....

Via:
Brian Atwood 
Net-a-porter.com

Arrested Development Redux

Another season AND a movie... Check out the Bluth Family Reunion on The New Yorker Facebook Exclusives page... Hilarious.

First signs of Halloween...

Well, I've seen various Halloween trinket and candy displays mass-marketed at Duane Reade, since August, but here's the first pumpkin I've seen in my neighborhood. Any costume ideas?

Fun I-phone cases

Via: A.D. on my FB newsfeed

Via: Amazon.com 

Jim Henson and Being Elmo

Thanks to Google's doodle today, I  know it's Jim Henson's Birthday....which reminded me of an entertaining,  little documentary, called  Being Elmo that I quite enjoyed.   It tells the story of the puppeteer behind the sweet little red muppet with the distinctive laugh that delights millions of screaming rugrats all over the world. It's fun. See it.
 


Via: Google.com

Japanese Film - Mizoguchi

This week, I saw the film The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums which is playing at BAM, as part of a series curated by Chicago Reader film critic, Dave Kehr. It's directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, who, along with Kurosawa and Ozu, make up the Japanese triumvirate of cinema masters of their era.

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums is a slow film with, ahem,  incredibly LONG takes, so it's a bit hard to sit through for 2 hours and 20 minutes. But if you have the patience, you will be impressed with Mizoguchi's visual composition, camera angles and point of view, which work together to tell a compelling story of a struggling Kabuki actor and his dedicated, selfless wife. Check it!

Via:  BAM.com 

Miniature Watch Sculptures, Dominic Wilcox

Take a look at these miniature watch sculptures by British artist, Dominic Wilcox.  I originally saw images of the sculptures on  the "It's Nice That" site, but the video on  the artist's YouTube channel better demonstrates the interplay between the subjects he features.  The artist designed this series "using a collection of vintage watches and customized model figures. By attaching tiny figures onto the second and minute hands of each watch, Wilcox has made unique, animated scenes from everyday observations and imagined situations."

I really like the "Oblivious i-Phone User" piece...

 Via: It's Nice That
Dominic Wilcox.com

Coach Taylor

Kyle Chandler, who played Eric Taylor, dedicated high-school football coach and inspirational mentor to hormonal and misguided athletes,  won a well-deserved Emmy for his performance on Friday Night Lights, one of the most under-rated series ever aired on television.

Every episode offered entertainment value, with its phenomenal acting, small-town authenticity, fully-fleshed out characters and consistent writing--that is, of course, minus the  time-suck spent on the Landry and Tyra murder/sexual assault  storyline.  Kyle Chandler's depiction of Coach Taylor was always nuanced and real, especially during his scenes with Connie Britton, who played his wife and school counselor, Tammy Taylor. Anyway, congrats to Coach Taylor!! Clear eyes, full hearts....


Via: Reuters.com