"I Am Not A Paper Cup"

Coffee is my water - I notice my body doing crazy things to me if I don't quench my caffeine thirst every morning. I guess the people that have seen my car would agree. Paper coffee cups everywhere! Yeah people getting in my car always bitch and comment on my multi rotting coffee cup sculpture and I guess that's what made me realize I need to get this  "I Am Not A Paper Cup" thing asap!

I have been drooling over this thing for quite some time but I was too cheap to spend 20 bucks on this reusable coffee cup. Well last week I finally caved and I couldn't be happier. 

It is ceramic (I know, I know - I will try not to be my spazish self and be careful with this one), has a spill proof silicone lid & keeps my beverage nice and HOT CHA CHA!  It is also eco-friendly (I had to say that because I now feel cooler than I did before - hahaha)! An essential item for my cross country adventure and my paper coffee cup sculpture! ;)

Get yours here: 

DCI

uncommon goods

Out on a Massive prowl

Well - everyone agrees time does fly doesn't it? It will be a year and a half that I have been in LA this coming October and boy what a ride its been. I have met and worked with some incredible people, made some impressive friends & hoped daily to live Italian family drama free (a gal can dream can't she?). It was a great time getting here and I hope it will be a fun trip going back. If someone said, "I bet the only reason you moved so far away was to have 2 crazy road trips across the US" I don't think I would be able to fully deny it ;) 

There were many reasons I flocked away from the greater NY/NJ area. Some only kinda really known by me and some more obvious reasons. I did need a change and a breath of fresh air (even if it was polluted LA air) & that I got. I knew I would not be able to stay away forever but all I know there is nothing like distance to gain some well needed clarity - and that I got. Enough so to keep me preoccupied for awhile.

SO I am definitely excited and nervous about this upcoming adventure (feelings that I always love experiencing no matter how much I bitch and complain about ;). I will be staying in 6 cities across the northern US and will try to post on my blog while I'm on this trip. So I will be leaving LA on October 1st in the afternoon and my first stop will be the Grand Canyon in Arizona! I will be storming through in my Toyota Corolla with my cat Lola and my pal from NJ, Humberto.

If anyone has suggestions on some cool spots in the cities I will be visiting let me know! It would be greatly appreciated! 

Oh la la! Stay Tuned! :D

• Grand Canyon, AZ

• Denver, CO

• Mt Rushmore, SD

• Sioux Falls, SD

• Chicago, IL

• Cleveland, OH

Iconic Mickey style guide

Ok so I finally put the recent stuff I did with Disney. It was a really cool project and I am gonna blab about it now ;)

Disney Consumer Products contacted me a lil while back about doing an exploratory to refresh good ole Mickey Mouse. They eventually want to use the art I create for office supplies (journals, paper clips - etc) & it was good to know & keep that in mind while conjuring up ideas. They wanted four styles and all had to have a monochromatic color palette. Disney would then decide from what I present which style to move forward with. So their instructions were pretty much, "Have fun with it!" and that I did! 

So the day arrives where I present my boards and yes I was nervous. I made sure that everything looked pretty slick and the four styles were distinguished but still looked like a set. Well - they absolutely loved everything - I was totally siked! Nothing but positive feed back and they wanted to use all four styles I presented. YAY! 

So below are the links and some boards I presented to Disney.

Later gators! 

Icons & logos // Textiles

Scarfing NEMO

One of the coolest promos i've ever seen!

Via Boing Boing

Mugs I lust for......

I saw these mugs last weekend at a shoppe on Vermont St & I was instantly smitten! They are adorable and beautifully designed by Otogicco (a japanese company - duh! ;). I didn't want to purchase them on the spot because I am moving & I don't need any other junk to drag along. So I looked them up online and and found only the 3 little pigs version at Art Effect. Hmmm, I just might have to go back to that shoppe if I can't find the Little Red Riding mugs any place else on the www.

PB in a KAZILLION flavors!

I mean who doesn't love peanut butter (unless you're deathly allergic to it)? Yes, it is a little on the fatty side but don't leave me in a room alone with a jar - I will pull a ninja move on the PB that will make me even wonder where it went ;)

Spread, a company started in Southern Cali has 130 peanut & almond based butters (hold on - I'm still drooling). With flavors such as Dark Chocolate infused with Pretzel Peanut Butter, Rose Salted Basil Peanut Butter & White Chocolate Cantaloupe Almond Butter - a variety to satisfy any palette! 

They were recently featured on the Food Network, The Learning Channel & the Today Show and it is no surprise why. I will be ordering within the hour - Oh I can't wait!

SNL Palin & Clinton address the nation

Tina Fey's Palin is right on! Enjoy! :D

Some good ole sinister ads

I love old advertising because most of it is so surreal (actually so is modern day advertising). From the early 1900s to today, advertising provides insight into social history. In the beginning of the 19th century health was the big obsession. People were able to promote wild concoctions and potions without fear of the FDA knocking down their door. Today, sex is everywhere and sells anything from a damn burger to a glass of milk. 

Check out the original post that inspired my own right here. 

These are freakin hysterical! A pig slicing itself to make pepperoni, women using Lysol as a douche (the prescription to make any marriage work ;) & a baby shaving - it just doesn't get any better than this! 

Ever dream of searching ALL of Craigslist at once?

Well - taa daaa! Click right here!

Handmade Nation

Handmade Nation, debuts in 2009, is a documentary featuring about 80 artists who 

all create - yup, you guessed it!!! HANDMADE GOODS! It's an incredible movement 

and Faythe Levine has interviewed some of the artists that are apart of it.  

Cali Uncovered

I wasn't aware California had such crazy healthcare figures - 6.7 million with no insurance of any kind, 800,000 of them children & 40% with household incomes above $50K. Cali has more uninsured people than any other state -  Pretty wild no?

Blue Shield is putting up naked statues all over LA to represent the "uncovered" Californian. One hundred life-size versions of these statues will be planted across LA and SF. I've been without health insurance for over a year at one point - being a freelancer and all it is easy to do (not smart - I know, I know ;) but to hear that so many children are not insured is scary and it shows that something needs to be done. I am glad to see that Blue Shield is taking action by raising awareness and by also being the 1st health insurer to propose a strategy for universal coverage. 

Hmmm, but knowing the good intentions of these nude statues still won't stop me from trying to fondle one on the street - hahahahah ;) 

Movie Poster Floating Heads

Meet the graphic designer behind Hollywood's most famous floating head 

movie posters. This is pretty funny - especially the ending. ENJOY! :D

Ancient Not-So-Chinese Secret

Watch people in China puzzling over their first fortune cookies. Hysterical!