Signorina Navarra {Nonsense & Ditties}

Eye Bee M

2010-07-14T11:42:00.017-04:00

I know I am a day late with this post but... better late than never - right? maybe? :)

In May 1956, the new IBM logo was created by the famous graphic designer, Paul Rand. It was a complete redesign from the 1924 version. The logo was replaced by another typeface, known as City Medium, from the earlier Beton Bold typography, boasting a more solid, grounded and balanced look.

In 1972, IBM introduced a new version of the logotype. Also, designed by Paul Rand, horizontal stripes now replaced the solid letters to suggest "speed and dynamism."

Today, IBM has taken a new and colorful approach while still maintaining the original, iconic logo. A team effort by Office and Ogilvy & Mather. I just can't stop starring at them! Gorgeous!

Yadnom Monday - Gleem Toothpaste

2010-06-28T09:02:00.001-04:00

Hey there!

I'm sure Gleem toothpaste isn't something we see in many households any more. Let's face it - with the cazillion other options and promises toothpaste brands make today (glitter, flavors, stain removing, cavity prevention, special fancy horse teeth) what would ever steer us to Gleem?

Gleem came out and about in 1952 made by Proctor & Gamble. Their ingredients are simple and get this - they only had and still have ONE flavor! Their packaging, also said simplicity back in the 50s and I believe still does today. I am personally not a fan of the current stylings of Gleem. Their current packaging looks like it should be a prop on an episode of the A-Team. Can't you just see Mr. T promoting this?! It just might be the gold that's doing it for me.

So, below is a before and after shot of the packaging design along with a few ads from decades passed.

BEFORE

(I think they should revert to this design :)

AFTER

circa 1950s

circa 1961

coupon circa 1961

circa 1968

circa 1988

(I guess its been awhile since they updated their packaging - shocker ;)

Now I think I will buy me some Gleem! Yummmm... paste!

Enjoy!

Angela Navarra

Now introducing.... YADNOM Mondays!

2010-06-21T11:35:00.003-04:00

Buon giorno!

No one can deny Monday's are a drag. I try to cure my Monday blues buy drowning myself in about 3 cups of coffee before I get into it. Well, after that dose of caffeine I really have no choice so I have to be doing something. Occasionally, my neighbors will hear me fine tuning my karaoke skills which I'm sure get's them heading for the door earlier than usual (Olivia Newton John's "Let's Get Physical" has been on my playlist - Yes, I know! Keep laughing it up)!

Also, ogling at retro packaging while slurping down my mud like coffee makes me all frisky happy. This is why I will designate Mondays as "YADNOM Monday" on the good old S. Navarra blog! Yes, Yadnom is Monday spelled backwards and that's why I'd like to begin the week with a blast from the past - from the back to the front. For me, it's a way to see how design has been influenced, changed or remained the same today. A good filter to look though while getting the work week going. SOOoooOooOo - here we go...

I found these 2 beauties on Christian Montone's photostream on flicker and I must say I do adore them! The type, die-cuts and colors make these a gem for anyones collection. Unfortunately, crayon packing today is just not the same but at-least seeing these can show you how far you can push an idea for something that you're currently working on!

Enjoy and see you next Yadnom! :D

Pee Wee is baaack!

2010-06-06T11:03:00.009-04:00

Actually, he never really left my life completely. I still think of Pee Wee (not in the indecent exposure sorta way ;). Waking up early Saturday mornings, trying to perfect my peewee laugh & using the "word of the day" around anyone I knew equaled my parents trying to boycott my lovable hero in any way possible. You can only guess how my parents reacted when I demanded a Pee Wee doll for my birthday?! They replied "We already have one in the damn house! It's you! Now shut the hell up! HA HA!"

Well now, I am 29 and got just as excited as I did waking up on Saturday mornings in the 80s when I heard Pee Wee will be on Broadway! I know... breathe... and/or scream.... laugh & you can totally "marry it" if you choose to!

Check out the gorgeous site and get tickets asap! It opens this Fall for only 6 weeks! I am counting down the minutes and currently looking for a Pee Wee suit to wear to the show.
Wow - i deserve to be made fun of for that, don't I?!

Later gators!

Strand Books NYC Tote Bag Contest

2010-05-31T13:27:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

I thought I would share something I finished up not tooooo long ago :)
Above is an illustration I submitted for the Strand Books tote bag contest.

Visiting Strand is like an adventure for me. Ducking in and seeing all these
books, getting lost and finding your way again only to get sucked into a
new space all over again. It's almost a game of unintentional hide and seek
and I love every minute of it! And OH MY do the minutes... hours all
pass so quickly!

So I decided to seep some of that fun and adventure into my illustration.

Thanks for checking it out :)

Later gators!
Angela

"Better Together"

2010-04-21T00:35:00.002-04:00

A new spot for Match.com from FWYstudios. It is sooo gosh darn adorable! Flip and flop,
strawberry and cream, rabbit and a hat - examples of how one can compliment or is essential
to another. It's fun to think of other ones that probably didn't make the cut: Booger and a tissue,
ear and q-tip, coffee and cigarettes - this list can just go on so I'm stopping myself... NOW! :D

Enjoy!
Angela

Gibberish

2010-04-16T09:36:00.001-04:00

If you ever wondered what english sounds like to foreigners... Check out the above! This was done
by the italian singer/songwriter Adriano Celentano. I need to send this to my parents since they are obsessed with him and it would totally take them a few. It took me a minute and I was born in the US.

Enjoy!
Angela

Budget cuts and the Arts

2010-04-11T18:28:00.001-04:00

A brilliant video from Good Magazine about art education. It is a damn shame that art programs are usually the first to go when budget cuts creep up. We need to cultivate this imaginative, innovative thinking from the ground up in order to face the many challenges that lie ahead. SO what better way than making art classes mandatory in all schools? :)

Been there, done that

2010-03-18T08:31:00.005-04:00

Hey all!

This poster made me laff so I thought I'd share! I've been sucked into doing 7 of them and many
others that need to be added to the KILLER JELLY FISH OF GRAPHIC DESIGN FAVORS.
It's from core77.com if you want to purchase.

Thanks so much to my boyfriend Dominic for sending. :)

Enjoy!

Angela

Myows.com has got your back

2010-03-15T21:34:00.002-04:00

Myows.com is a new and easy-to-use site providing a full suite of copyright solutions. The best part is that it only takes about 10 minutes to protect your work! By uploading your artwork or writings here you are stamping a date on them and documenting your precious pieces. Be sure to use Myows soon after you have finished your creations. This simple process can be a great help to you in the event that your work is stolen.

Seriously - just do it! You'll be happy that you did!

Below is an example of one of my works on Myows.com. You can download a certificate, open a case and even license your piece.

Later gators!

Angela

LETTER LOVIN!

2010-03-13T21:42:00.010-05:00

Hey all!

For all you die hard type lovers OH boy do I have a treat for you!

Yes - LETTERCULT.com! You can submit, check out custom movie
titles, meet some hard core letter makers and go though the droolable
flow of inspiration. Something great to sink your type lovin paws into!

Enjoy!

That's not creepy....

2010-02-10T12:02:00.004-05:00

Wow! I need to get me a Face Bank and carve a hole into the wall

and place this fella in that spot! Not creepy - I know!

Who wouldn't want to shave a baby? It's never too early to start learning!

Especially those tough areas like the back of the knees and that rump!

Gotta love the Japanese! :)

Baby Laugh A Lot probably made a special appearance in the Exorcist!

These dolls prove they just don't make em like they used too!

Enjoy!

Via Web Urbanist.

TAT OHhhhhhhh....

2010-01-23T16:23:00.007-05:00

That image to the left is not exactly what comes to mind when I think of the word TATTOO. It's just gorgeous, abstract and makes me feel like I want to roll around in a bunch of paint splats (I know it wouldn't look that good but a gal can dream can't she?!). It just appears like your body is one with the tattoo - not one of those that seem to be just slapped on and rinse off in 2-3 showers.

The artist is Amanda Wachob and she is a tattoo artist at Dare Devil Tattoo right in NYC! She has actually got me thinking of really getting one - seriously! :)

Later gators!

Angela

A Town Called Panic

2010-01-17T18:12:00.005-05:00

This Belgian stop-motion flick (the first of the genre to be accepted into Cannes), tells the story

of three inseparable plastic toys—the simply named Cowboy, Indian, and Horse—who live in an

extremely odd house where magical events occur. I mean really - who wouldn't love that?!

When I first saw the trailer it took me back to my Gumby days so I definitely will be checking

this one out!

Check out their website! You can see upcoming show times and watch additional clips.

PRINT Regional Design Annual

2009-11-21T13:30:00.011-05:00

Hey there frisky people!

Just wanted to share some great news...

The Holiday card I created for Paper Stories is in the 2009 Print Annual! Yipeeee! I'm so

siked and honored. I've been on the PRINT band wagon since my first year of college and

have drooooled and "ahhhhhh'ed" upon the arrival of every issue.

Thanks for listening! :)

Angela

Espresso gives me chills down my spine

2009-11-21T13:05:00.010-05:00

I'm in love with this photo! Coffee in any way, shape or form ;) Unfortunately,

I don't know the artist - DRATS!

Tim Burton at the MOMA

2009-11-21T12:18:00.007-05:00

Hey there!

Tim Burton's exhibit at the MOMA opens tomorrow and goes on till April 26th - so we do have a little time to go check it out. ;) It only takes watching a few seconds of a Burton film to recognize his twisted imagination and this is why I am eager to see some of his less mainstream pieces.

MOMA also has an online exhibit dedicated to his work here.

Enjoy!

Panic Face King

2009-10-20T22:49:00.004-04:00

Terrifying Sniper Prank on Japanese TV - Watch more Funny Videos

A Japanese prank show called Panic Face King set up an unsuspecting guy to believe he

was the only survivor of a shooting. Sheesh! Hysterical and evil all at the same time - gotta

love those Japanese!

GOOD: Diamond 101

2009-06-25T07:17:00.002-04:00

Fantastic video on the making and distribution of diamonds.

Beautiful interactive music video

2009-06-14T17:19:00.012-04:00

Check the video out right here from Labuat (singer from Spain). Just wait till it loads and drag

your good ole mouse across the screen and absorb the yummy eye candy that follows.

ENJOY! ;)

The Goode Family

2009-05-30T11:07:00.002-04:00

A new series from Mike Judge, the creator of Bevis & Butthead. I was the biggest fan of that show so I kinda got a little psycho frisky when I heard of The Goode Family. It's about a family always trying to do the "right" thing (environmentally, socially and/or politically) but always end up making a bigger mess than anyone else. For example - they have a vegan dog that's so desperate for meat that all the pets in the neighborhood end up disappearing! Hahaha - love it! Watch the clip & enjoy!

The Goode Family airs on ABC - Wednesday nights - 9/8c.

Another gangster movie or not?

2009-02-16T07:15:00.005-05:00

Woah - I woke up this morning and told my mom that there was a new mafia movie out and about. I went on to tell her how it took place in Naples and it was in italian subtitled in english. So she replied "No, not mafia - you mean gomorra! We used to watch shows back in Italy about them! We knew about them - they wera so bad - mamma mia!" I told her that was actually the name of the movie and she was siked.

The highly anticipated Italian film "Gomorra" opened in a few spots last week. It has been crowned by critics as “the greatest Mafia movie ever made,” stripping the “romanticism from The Godfather saga” to depict “the everyday reality of organized crime’s foot soldiers.” Reviews here, show times in NYC here.

Decor8 blog post

2009-02-07T22:58:00.005-05:00

I was so siked to find my print on the decor8 blog! I love this site and I sign up for the newsletters which I find to be inspiring and informative. The post is on BIG Cartel shops (online stores that predominantly feature independent artists). Click here for the post via Decor8 and click here for my online store. ;)

Laptop charging SOLAR bag?

2009-02-06T15:56:00.007-05:00

Yes that's right! A laptop bag that can charge up your laptop with the power of the sun! Oh Snap! ;) It can even charge up other electronic devices as well. The solar-powered Generator bag uses a single solar panel to produce up to 14.7 watts of power, compared to about 4 watts on the first generation of backpacks and other bags.

To check out the Generator (doesn't that name just induce images of the next terminator film? haaha ;) and its price tag click here.

Have a swell weekend! :)

Creepily lovely little things

2009-01-29T21:33:00.013-05:00

I stumbled upon Jessica Joslin's website and I have to say I am in loooove! She creates these whimsical little creatures by hand and each one has this morbidly beautiful quality to them. Check out her site there is definitely a lot of slick stuff to go through!

Super Mario lives!

2009-01-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

Old school twist on the ipod

2009-01-11T12:37:00.007-05:00

How can you not love this?! A gramophone and ipod unite - who woulda thought? This piece is the size of a table lamp and made of ceramic. Hmm, I would actually prefer not seeing the ipod. Maybe it could slip into the bottom part of the faux gramophone? Well I still desperately want one - how could I not? Oh yeah - maybe cause it's $500 bucks! sheesh! I will just stare at the photo to satisfy my mock gramophone craving.

You can purchase it here.

Skullastic.com

2009-01-02T13:56:00.019-05:00

Hey there!

Hope everyone had a swell New Year's celebration. I spent mine in DC and it was fun! I got to hang in China Town, see the Washington Monument, ride the metro and see alotta Obama paraphernalia. I had a nice dinner at this spot called Sonoma and it was all spent in great company. I also stopped by this vegan bakery called Sticky Fingers and ohhhhh my it was deeeeeelicious! I had a chocolate brownie and this bagel with tempeh bacon for breakfast yesterday. Droooolable material! I brought back a cupcake for my friend Tanya and I swear she was making sweet lovin to it! It probably would have been a good idea if her and the cupcake had their own room! hahahah ;)

Well now onto the business side of things...

Good news alert: Skullastic.com is up and running! Now you may ask "What in the turds is Skullastic.com?" This spot provides school supplies with attitude. From t-shirts, rulers and journals - any F student would be excited about these school supplies! Skullastic is based in Hollywood and I had the pleasure of working with them when I was living in LA. I designed the "Decomposition" notebook and it was a ton of fun to work on.

Don Rich - founder of Skullastic approached me with this slick project. His concept was to put a twist on that old school composition notebook and to use the title, "Decomposition" notebook. He went on elaborating his intentions with this notebook; objects decomposing into the cover and many other gross and smelly things. I was instantly smitten! I had the opportunity to use my hand lettering skills & I definitely went to town on this one. Below is the final outcome.

front cover

I presented the idea to have the bugs ingesting the old marble pattern to go along with the decomposing idea and Don dug it. Phew! ;) I then went ahead and created a bunch of bug illustrations to complete the cover.

front interior

What I was really excited about was that the lined paper didn't have to be that generic lined notebook paper. I got to explore that avenue and tie the concept into every part of this journal.

back cover

Yes, I hand lettered all that info in there which caused me to be cross-eyed for 3 days. ;)

Later gators! :D

Gift Card Rescue?

2008-12-26T11:37:00.004-05:00

Is that $100.00 gift certificate you got to the Elder Depot have you stumped? Ok maybe it's just me - special thanks to my Aunt Donna ;)

Now there is hope for those unwanted gift certificates! Check out giftcardrescue.com to exchange your unwanted gift cards for something you actually want! OR you can even sell it (at a small loss) for some much needed mulahhhh!

Swell idea, no?

Happy Holidays to all!

2008-12-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

PoppyTalkHandmade.com

2008-12-14T10:24:00.006-05:00

Hey ya'll!

Well the holidays are approaching at ninja lightning speed and I still have not dented my gift list. Oh well - I really am the queen of procrastination :D

It has been a crazy month so far but I have still managed to get a few things done here and there. An example is being apart of the poppytalkhandmade.com market. I am definitely siked about this one! It's kinda like the etsy.com of Canada. It is really great & inspiring being amongst so many talented artists. Sooo if you have a moment please check it out and take a peak at my table. I have 5 items for sale this month and hopefully I will have a few more in the market place next month.

Enjoy!

Angela

Paper Stories Letterpress cards for sale

2008-11-26T09:46:00.008-05:00

Hey there!

I have been working with this slick letterpress shop right outside of Chicago called Paper Stories. They do great work and create customized calling cards, invitations & greeting cards - I am a big fan of the Nerd Love Series.

SO now up for sale are 2 cards that Kelly Maron of Paper Stories and I have collaborated on. I must say I am so siked over the outcome! :) Please check them out below!

For the Holiday card click here & for the Birthday card click right over here.

Later gators! ;)

Can you afford to love NY?

2008-11-24T10:40:00.007-05:00

Hey there!

I stumbled onto this site last week - ifeelnyc.com

It's sorted into 9 categories such as naughty, chill, girly and my favorite, broke. So after you click on how you feel it displays a map with some cool spots according to your mood.

Check it out! You might discover a new spot that you didn't know about before!

So FRESH & so clean

2008-11-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

Well I know it has been awhile since I have posted. I got back to NJ about a month ago and man O man has it flown by! Between working and hitting up some good old buds it has been quite entertaining & it really does feel good to be home - well for now at least ;). I do have a couple good things to post about so here goes...

I'm siked to tell ya'll that I am this weeks featured FRESH artist on the Communication Arts website! Wooohoo! You can view some of my latest work along with some other info that officially declares my lunacy ;). Check it out right over here.

Oh, and if you happen to be hanging around on my website please click on the STORE button to see some of my artwork I have up for sale. Any feedback or comments you might have would be greatly appreciated! Check out my shoppe right here.

Later gators!

Bayer (aspirin) distributed HIV/AIDS to thousands!!!

2008-10-17T07:59:00.000-04:00

There can never be enough "GOOD"ness in my day ;)

2008-10-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

All about Good Magazine right here.

GOOD: Palin vs. Biden

Unbiased and factual. This video displays the importance of making an informed

choice rather than getting caught up in the labels of red vs. blue. Oh and a pretty

cool song to go along with it! :D

GOOD: The Hidden Cost of War

Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhh..............

Back on my good ole stompin ground

2008-10-11T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hey there!

Well I am finally back in NJ and I arrived to insanely great weather! It was a great road trip and craps I am sooooo tired!

In my last post I was going to explore Denver the next day. Well I did and I totally love Denver and all the other towns I embarked upon in Colorado. Downtown Denver was like a more spacious and cleaner Hoboken, NJ. We also got to see the Rocky Mountains and killed a fat beaver on the highway - drats, the guilt still eats away at me. I met so many cool people and saw many adorable cabins - kinda looked like the cheesy holiday cards you get at the 99 cent store. After exploring Colorado, South Dakota was next on the agenda.

Mount Rushmore was cool and great to see but nothing like seeing the natural wonders of this little planet (such as the grand canyon) as opposed to the man made. South Dakota was unreal. We arrived at 2am and saw deer like we see squirrel - well in NJ atleast. They were everywhere - on lawns, by traffic lights, chillin in packs just literally mowing lawns. Bison and elk burgers swarmed every menu - a grrreat spot for a vegan ;) Needless to say potatoes were my best friend in this state. OH and I have never smelled cow farts that intensely as I did driving through SD - I dry heaved and blamed Humberto a few times for the stench.

We then went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was a pleasant experience - kinda like sitting on a swing with your grandma talking about the latest craze in denture wear, pleasant. Adorable little town with a flourishing art community. Pretty falls, coziness, and total cleanliness everywhere. I stumbled upon this great Dutch cafe where my cool ass coffee cup was the hot topic of conversation for atleast 20 minutes. Woooohoo!

From Sioux Falls we drove to Madison, Wisconsin and hung out there for the night. We went bar hopping and ended up at this cool gay bar called the Shamrock. We got hooked up with a few drinks then went to hang at this cigar bar for awhile before we stumbled into the Shamrock again. I met this one guy from Minnesota and he had the coolest accent! I swear - at one point I kinda didn't know what he was saying but that just didn't matter - his accent was fascinating and kept me drooling!! So that night Humberto was getting hooked up with drinks left and right (yes the boys loved him ;) and I had to drive the 2 hours to Chicago. You think "hmmm, 2 hours not so bad" right? But at 3 am after a few drinks it was kinda torturous and harder than the 9 hour drives - sheesh!

So we got to Chicago at 5 am. Lugged our asses out of the car - slept for 4 hours (you know my cheap ass has to take advantage of the free breakfast!) and explored a rainy Chicago. Cute shops and an insane sales tax of 10.25% kept me from purchasing anything!! Ate some great Chicago pizza at this place called Giordiano's. They totally made me a great cheese-less pizza that was scrumptious! Since it was constantly pouring that day it was hard to really do anything - kinda sucked but we still wandered around like wet rats anyway. I also got to meet Kelly Maron (gal I am working on greeting cards with) from Paper Stories. I got to meet her hubby, adorable baby Jackson and see her cool letterpress machine along with her studio. She was great and I was siked to finally meet her in person :D

Our next stop was Cleveland, Ohio to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I was completely smitten! From the gorgeous building designed by I.M Pei (photos here) to the massive amounts of music you can submerge yourself into - we were there for 4 hours! We got to see great installations, costumes, Janis Joplin's car, etc. I also discovered how much music that we hear today are actually covers by old school blues and motown artists! So fascinating! Also I loved viewing all the record and poster designs! Droolable material! :D

After Cleveland - we headed for NJ and arrived at 2 am. My family was thrilled and zombie like at the same time (I don't how they pulled that emotion off but they did). I was delirious as well and stuffed my face with my mom's homemade potato salad (yay more potatoes!) and passed out! ZZZZzzzZZZzz.....

Check out photos from my trip below. Some of the photos from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame were dark cause photography was actually prohibited so no flash.

Enjoy! :D

Road Trip 10/08

According to Plan

2008-10-04T03:51:00.000-04:00

Hey there ya'll!

Ok well it has definitely been an interesting couple days that's fo sho! :D

I did leave LA on October 1st but I left at 130 am -well I guess I actually left on October 2nd then. It was a day filled with madness - packing and getting my life together is always a fun and simple task ;). Our 1st stop was the Grand Canyon in Arizona. SO we actually drove through the night and arrived at 8am. My pal Humberto and I were deliriously tired but it was ok cause we were exploring new grounds. We then spent the day at the Grand Canyon and got ambitious and headed out to Denver at 2pm. Yeahhhhhh that was an insane trip! Mapquest said that Denver was 12 hours from the Grand Canyon but too bad Mapquest freakin sucks and makes me want to stab myself every time I use it (and yet I always do)!! On our drive we ended up getting lost on this Indian reservation for 3 hours and still in AZ! It was pitch black and were constantly warned about cattle, wild horses and coyotes roaming the narrow 2 lane highway we needed to get on to get outta there! We drove kinda slow and luckily saw most of the animals on the side of the road. Just rabbits were on the freeway and they are soopa fast and made it across.

We realized at 4am we would never make it to Denver. Humberto and I were soo tired we both started seeing imaginary cattle and strange cartoon characters cross the highway. Funny what lack of sleep does to the mind! I kept on falling asleep while driving and started having detailed conversations with no one (says Humberto). Example: Humberto says I said exactly this - "Man, that man was so fucked up. I mean why would someone do something like that - you know shoes are there for a freakin reason!! Man if I had a sock...." Humberto said "Um who are you talking to and about?" AT that point we both knew we needed to look for a hotel and we made it to Blanding Utah. YUP - and let me tell you, the town definitely lives up to the name! It was fine and I saw a cool abandoned tractor that made my day - hahahha.

We left Blanding and continued our drive to Denver and holy turds it was an amazing view. Canyons and the reddest rocks I have ever seen! We hiked up through some spots and the view was so beautiful I just lost my breath. This country is so gorgeous and I'm so siked I got to see what I have seen so far! The photo up top was taken in Utah. We hiked this crazy boulder and boy was it so worth it!!

Right now I am in Denver at a fancy Motel 8 after a night of bar hoping downtown. I have to say I really love Colorado . I stopped at a few spots in CO and the people we so friendly and it has such a great energy. I look forward to exploring Denver in the daylight tomorrow.

Our stop after Denver is Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It's only a 6 hour drive so not as long as the Grand Canyon to Denver. Im really happy we got to Utah though. Hopefully we will have some other unexpected pleasant surprises along the way!

Ok well I will try to post when I am in SD tomorrow night! Ahhh now sleep! :D

"I Am Not A Paper Cup"

2008-09-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-18T15:51:00.001-04:00

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

2008-09-18T15:51:00.000-04:00

One of the coolest promos i've ever seen!

Via Boing Boing

Mugs I lust for......

2008-09-17T12:09:00.000-04:00

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!

2008-09-16T13:08:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-14T11:52:00.000-04:00

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

Some good ole sinister ads

2008-09-10T12:11:00.000-04:00

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?

2008-09-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

Well - taa daaa! Click right here!

Handmade Nation

2008-09-08T12:48:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-04T16:04:00.000-04:00

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

2008-09-01T16:49:00.000-04:00

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

Frida Kahlo in SF

2008-08-28T11:36:00.001-04:00

Hey there -

I was in San Francisco this weekend for the Outside Lands concert at the Golden Gate Park. I got to see Beck, Manu Chau, Radiohead and a few others. It was great seeing these bands but it was too frigid for a summer night in August for my taste! It was packed and hard to see the stages and a few bands overlapped which annoyed me. Radiohead had an amazing light show and sent chills down my spine. They played for 2 hours (nice!!) and included some old school stuff such as Talk Show Host along with some of the latest tracks from their new album. Manu Chau had an amazing energy on stage! They were in super frisky mode and got all experimental with each one of their tracks. All in all - it was a great time! I have to admit though - the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the SFMOMA was what really got me to hike my ass up to SF.

Yes - the exhibit was packed and I had to purchase timed tickets but man O man, it was all soo worth it! Not only was Kahlo an amazing painter she was also quite the fashionista. The show displayed all sides of her which I thought was great. A wide collection of her paintings along with photos and a home movie with her and hubby Diego Rivera. If you are in the SF area go check it out asap!

Two of my favorites at the show. Top one is titled Borderline between Mexico and the United States. This painting was created while she was in Detroit. You can see her holding the Mexican flag which shows us where her heart lies. To the left is Mexico represented by a crumbling pre-Columbian temple along with fertility idols, a skull and flowers. To the right is the USA - represented smoke stacks and other industrial forms. She seems to be so distant and isolated from the two. I guess maybe since she was not physically in Mexico (where she longed to be) and how she always felt out of place in the US.

The second one is titled A Few Small Nips. Kahlo created this piece after she discovered the year long affair between her hubby Diego and her younger sister, Christina. She was inspired by the coverage of a murder trail during which the perpetrator excused his drunken stabbing of an unfaithful girlfriend by saying, "But I only gave her a few small nips." Kahlo later confided to a friend that she decided to paint the scene because she sympathized with the dead woman, since she herself had come close to being "murdered by life." You can also see that the canvas could not contain the pain, the bloodstains went on and became part of the frame.

I found something on youtube.com that contains clips of the home movie at the exhibit. This addition was one of my favorites as well. It shows Kahlo and her hubby Diego Rivera just hanging out and laughing. It brings her to life and displays how much she loved and was loved.

George Bush quotes

2008-08-28T04:03:00.000-04:00

Hahahahah I can't breathe! hahahhaaha

Number 2 is my favorite! OMG - I almost fell off my chair! hahahah

Cargo Container Home

2008-08-20T01:33:00.000-04:00

Peter says it well, "It's not revolutionary, it's common sense".

Ernest Borgnine reveals the Secret of Life

2008-08-20T01:00:00.000-04:00

Forget those pricey moisturizers - his formula is free! ;) Hahahahah

Animals on the Underground

2008-08-15T11:53:00.000-04:00

I was browsing the www this morning and I stumbled right into a really cool ad campaign from the London Underground metro. It's all about spotting animals right in the map! This operation's aim is to bring attention to the world's dying species, educating the public

& getting people involved to support the IFAW {International Fund for Animal Welfare}.

After seeing this campaign I

have a fresh perspective on what reading a map entails. Hmmm I wonder what other things aside from animals I can find ;)

Check out all the animals that have been located already right here.

Type themed pillow covers! Oh la la!

2008-08-13T20:14:00.000-04:00

Check em out here. They have a few other styles in their Type line & many other themes to choose from. Bonjour Mon Coussin is located in France and I am totally willing to shell out some extra moolah to get me one {hmm probably more than one :D} of these puppies!

Hamster Stuck in a Video Game

2008-08-09T15:01:00.001-04:00

Hhahahaha this is soooo cute! Wouldn't it be cool if I actually had an apartment

decorated like this? Hmmm pondering....

Where the Wildwoods Are

2008-08-07T03:56:00.000-04:00

I am in total shock that it has taken me so long to write about my red hot love - Wildwood, New Jersey. I mean whenever anyone hears I'm from NJ I never get a "What a wonderful place to have been born and raised!" I get a more of a pity look for about 3 seconds followed by a sleezy Jersey girl joke then the dreaded question - "You must have that Joisey accent?" Then I proceed with an eye roll and politely scratch my nose with my middle finger sarcastically laughing at their question.

New Jersey, which is most often overshadowed by New York has some pretty fun and frisky places to explore. I mean yeah - it can be smelly, among many other things. Some people might have houses on what were toxic waste dumps 30 years ago and now have children with extra appendages but all in all - it's a swell place to roll. Which takes me to my favorite spot on the planet (drum roll please!) WILDWOOD NJ!

It's a place where I spent summer vacations every year growing up and so did many North Jerseyans, Philadelphians and a shit load of Canadians (I was always baffled by that). Wildwood displays a signature of an era. A collection of motels of the 50s & 60s that flaunted flamboyant motel signs with names such as the Ala Kai, The Royal Hawaiian, the Satellite and one of my top favorites - the Casa Bahama. These motels, whose style which is now referred to as Doo Wop Architecture, were copies of buildings seen by developers in Florida. Who would have known that these motels would become jewels of kitsch design? Not many that's why over 100 Doo Wop motels have been knocked down and replaced by generic town houses and condos (hmm - I wonder if we will ever see these cookie cutter condos and homes today as the signature of our era? - ponder upon that one ;). Wildwood really did not intend on being a place full of architectural history. This spot was made for the blue collar working class. Just another place to spend those lazy summer days right on the Jersey shore.

Wildwood was also known for a ton of other deranged things and events. It is home of the Baby Parades, Marble Tournaments and the country's biggest boardwalk (filled with water parks, fantastic roller coasters, yummy funnel cakes and the wonderful TRAM CA R!

So if you ever find yourself slugging around on the Jersey shore swing on by to Wildwood. You might experience mild heart palpitations from the finger-licking boardwalk food but for the most part you will be drooling with delight the whole time ;)

So Below are a few links and photos - ENJOY!

Excerpt of a documentary on Wildwood

Video featuring Wildwood's theme song

"Wildwood Days" by Bobby Rydell

Photo from

The Pentagram Papers

Shop in Wildwood

restoring old motel signs

Doo Wop styled

Wawa//gas station

{part of the restoration effort}

Vintage photo at the

Wildwood Museum.

(OMG yes, they have

a museum!!)

Wildwood Doo Wop home page {great old photos and documentaries for sale}

Wildwood official website

Urban Typography

2008-08-05T12:20:00.001-04:00

Seeing letterforms everywhere! Sighhhhhh type lovin ;)

source

Renewable Clothing by Fernando Brízio

2008-08-05T11:57:00.000-04:00

By placing colored felt-tip pens in the pockets of the dress its appearance changes over time. Within an hour - to one and a half hours the colored ink bleeds into the fabric and creates a one-off design for each occasion. The owner can then clean the dress and color it in a different way for each time they wear it.

via DesignBoom

What a fun Idea! Wish I had something like this when I was in high school. It would have definitely been a nice venture from my puff paint lovin! Sighhhhhh and glitter puff

paint - hehehe. :D

Random Photos

2008-08-01T13:05:00.000-04:00

Hey ya'll!

Ok well I have been collecting and taking photos from trips and cool things that
I've seen for some time now. So when ya have a few check em out! Enjoy! :D

Around & About

Font Conference

2008-07-23T01:36:00.000-04:00

These type styles reveal the other "face" we don't usually see. Enjoy! ;)

Pervey Potholders

2008-07-21T02:05:00.000-04:00

I just recently went to check out the Marcel Duchamp Redux at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. It was a great show - a nice variety of found objects, paintings & glass displayed how he did not bear allegiance to any one medium. One of my favorites was a set of potholders titled Couple of Laundress's Aprons. Potholders are usually associated with traditional domestic duties or female activities. Duchamp altered these feminized objects and gave gender identifications for both. I really love the mini peep show in these common house hold items. I've also gotten a kick out of the penis light switch and even a pair of breasts on a tooth brush - but those are cheap thrills. A tooth brush and light switch aren't really thought of being macho or feminine (unless you throw genitalia on em ;) so there isn't the same type of substance or statement as these slick potholders contain. Now if only my potholders were as cool - mine only have pears on em ;) LAME! hahahahahaha

Photo of Duchamp by Man Ray, 1921. Way ahead of his time don't ya think?

Inflated gas costs - not as smelly as we thought!

2008-07-11T11:54:00.000-04:00

Ok now I had to make a nice fart joke regarding our gas obsessed country. I know you liked it -

ok common? Just a little?

Anyway Erin W sent me a great article titled "10 things you can like about $4 dollar gas." As soon

as I saw the title I did a major eye roll that almost made me have a bad case of the eye strain. What the bloody turds could I like about these insane gas prices!? Well - Time.com sure as hell outlined the answer to my question and stomped all over my skeptic tude!

Gas prices are shaping many decisions. From people wanting to move closer to work, 4 day work weeks to cut down on energy costs to software pinpointing optimal locations for truckers to refuel

is showing how frugal our country is becoming. Woah and best of all - LESS TRAFFIC!! WOOHOOOO!

So check out the article right here and soak up goodness of 4 dolla gassy-ness :D

"Even if we're separate we'll still be called equal"

2008-07-10T13:02:00.000-04:00

A stinging satire on the republican partay. Oh so slick! When you're done with

the video click here for more elaborate information on the issues.

NO MO junk mail!

2008-06-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but I get tons of crappy flyers that flood my mail box. So I just signed up for GreenDimes. It's free service that removes you from crap mail lists, helps the environment and lowers my blood pressure ;)

Not your traditional Sears photographer

2008-06-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

I recently went to see an exhibit on August Sander, (b. 1876) a photographer from Germany who's work is on display at the Getty. People of the Twentieth Century is a collection of portraits showcasing German society. Sander categorized his subjects by profession or social class, rather than portraits of individuals. So as I walked in I saw titles such as Peasant Woman, Dwarfs & Farm Couple and I have to admit I was intrigued. Seeing each subject with a look of arrogance, fear or distance really told a story about each character's life and personality in a way no words could ever do. I later found out that Sanders stated "We know that people are formed by the light and air, by their inherited traits, and their actions. We can tell from appearance the work someone does or does not do; we can read in his face whether he is happy or troubled." He really depicts this well in each one of his portraits.

Sander's project was not even really appreciated during his lifetime (sighhh as many good artists). Many saw him as a conventional studio photographer and he was not included in exhibitions dedicated to the latest trends in modern photography.

SO if you are in the LA area check him out! Well worth it! OR check out that link up above and you can see a lot of his work right on the Getty Museum site.

Drooling o'er Kara Walker

2008-06-17T12:58:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Luis and I headed over to the Hammer Museum (AKA "You can't touch this!" Museum hahaha - yeah like you weren't thinking it too ;) to check out the Kara Walker exhibit. I saw ads for this show around LA and have been dying to go for sometime & it was so worth it!

Light projections, video installations, poetry, paintings and black paper silhouettes decorated this gorgeous gallery space. Upon walking in I thought "How lovely and whimsical her artwork is - reminds me of a children's story book." Then as I got up a little closer, hmmm not so much anymore. Images of suicide, various sex acts and racism are the tales told with these pieces. This medium Walker uses to deliver her message is brilliant. It is a way to give us comfort in viewing the defective parts of our society - to make it more accessible. The fact that the images were silouettes also made the work impersonal. We can "fill in the blanks" if we choose to do so. As Walker says, "the silhouette says a lot with very little information, but that's also what the stereotype does. So I saw the silhouette and the stereotype as linked."

Check her out right here

My day is complete after watching this (my comment above got me in the mood :D)

Earthlings are SCRUMPTIOUS!

2008-06-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

Have any of you heard of the documentary called "Earthlings"? Well if you haven't check this out. It is one of the most eye opening documentaries I have ever seen. Yeah - it is intense and overwhelming but we need to see what is actually going on behind closed doors. We are so desensitized in this day and age. Everything comes in a package, all pretty and clean - but we have no idea of the journey that slab of meat took to get there. Weather you believe humans are omnivores or herbivores - there is no need for other species to suffer like this to become our food (entertainment & clothing as well - even worse!). I really believe in the saying "what goes around, comes around." You can see the evidence - people dying of cancer and heart disease, it's disturbing. We have a wealth of knowledge at our finger tips - all you have to do is really open your eyes and really see things for what they are.

Visit the site here

Woah - she blinded me with science & other things

2008-05-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

A baffling account of a brain scientist (Jill Bolt Taylor) having a stroke. She had a uniquely useful perspective when, one morning in 1996, she awoke to a pounding pain behind her left eye. As reality slowly sank in (“I’m having a stroke!”), the brain doctor struggled to get to a hospital, and her real-time understanding of what was happening swung wildly between informed concern and unexpected euphoria. This lecture, given more than a decade later, after a remarkable recovery, fully delivers on the “you’ll laugh, you’ll cry” come-on — but you’ll also be acutely aware (and profoundly grateful) that you’re doing both.

Watch this! I know our brains are the magic behind the curtains but I didn't really understand exactly how the process went down. She explains what "left and right brained" means in an truly accessible way.

I set my SPAM filter to ....

2008-05-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe SPAM turned 71 on May 16th. I had a long history with this feller to the left here. In high school my lunches consisted of SPAM and cheese & on occasion a fancier cheese like provolone or scamozza. I had an addiction to Spam and I wasn't ashamed of it. I would eat lunch and see Tanya's PB & J and Romina's avocado sandwich then whip out my smelly Spam out of the ziplock bag and inhale the spicy goodness. DROOOLS! Of course Tanya always mocked my Spam - but that only made my love grow deeper for my salty darling.

I was obsessed - I would go home and stare at the Spam can and read the recipe on the back and mimic it. I put it on anything - pasta, eggs and I even tried mashed bananas once (omg I know but it was sooo good!). It was serious and even my mom was concerned and she is usually so oblivious. So one day at school - looking forward to my salt injection at noon I open up my ziplock bag and see a roasted pepper and cheese sandwich. I was like "WTF is this!" I go home and have a few words with my mom and she says "Spama was no on sale dis week" in her heavy italian accent. I was pist but I remained patient cause I knew my Spam lover would come back to me.

Well it didn't. I soon forgot about my savory Spam and before I knew it I became a vegetarian and now a macro vegan. I can still smell it just thinking about it - I do miss it. The miscellaneous pig part gelatin sliding out of my sandwich - sighhhhh. If it was a super hot day at school my whole locker would be spamified! Man, I wanted to live in my locker and just inhale it for hours - it was my crack! Well now - whole wheat rice cakes smothered in mustard is my crack - YUMMMMMEEEE!

Something I thought was funny about the word SPAM:

SPAM was 52 years old before the name was first used to describe unwanted email. Sean Radford, Hormel’s archives manager and SPAM museum curator says that this wasn’t easy for the company

to handle.

“We have a product we really believe in, a product with a long and interesting history, and that product’s name was co-opted for something that a lot of people really hate — spam e-mails. So, sure, there was a lot of debate about how the whole situation should be handled,” said Radford.

“But Hormel decided pretty quickly that it was best to be dignified and gracious about the entire issue,” he said. “The company decided that instead of turning the lawyers loose we’d just assume that people can tell the difference between good canned meat and bad e-mail and that people wouldn’t confuse the two. All Hormel asks is that people not use uppercase letters when referring to spam e-mail. Spam — all uppercase letters — is our product.”

Simmental is a famous italian brand of canned meat - even better than Spam! Maybe my mom looked to Spam to fill her Simmental void. I can't even find a photo of it! RATS!

Click here to visit the Spam site.

Another damn ticket! OR not....

2008-05-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

I was in West Hollywood a couple weeks ago with my friskie friend Susan. It was a swell day spent at the beach then chowing down at this goomba-ish place right on Melrose Ave called Good Fellas. It was actually good (at least what I got was) and the chalk outline on the floor upon walking in made me even more home sick than ever! Muahahah - um no not really.

After dinner we walked o'er to my car and I see a shitty ticket on my car! I was like "FUCCCKKKKKK, not again!" I looked at the street sign and saw that it said free parking after 6 so I got even more pist-off. Then I just picked up the ticket and saw one of the violations was "driving a 4 wheeled vehicle on 2 wheels" - hahahahah I still didn't get it and I got even more pist. I just saw TICKET and I just wanted to kill something! Then finally Susan cracked the case. It was an ad for the new movie SPEED RACER! I guess that was a slick move and a pretty clever way to promote the flick BUT I was still annoyed. Then gradually I started appreciating the ad and became more OCD about street parking. :)

Bras aren't just for Boobies anymo!

2008-05-09T22:02:00.000-04:00

I took this pic to the left at a craft fair in downtown LA. I looked up and wondered "What is this frisky looking spiderweb?" Then I realized this bra web would be a great visual for students just learning their ABC's - hmmm ok maybe not ;)

Well - unlike my alphabet idear I thought this one was great! The bra web created great shadows on the wall and completely dressed up this bare warehouse space. I turned around and hoped I would see a web of panties or even tampons but unfortunately (sighhhhh) I did not. Hmm well maybe they have a suggestion box? Victoria's Secret here we come! muhahahahah

OH and today I had a SWELL lunch with Don (former boss/current boss/lover) at this place called Native Foods. Just thinking about it makes me produce excessive amounts of drool - and so does thinking about Native Foods ;) heheh. It's a total vegan place (Don thinks he ate real chicken! Well so did I till I did some research). One thing I love about LA is all the healthy restaurants - something that is not too common back in NJ unless you count delicious cheese fries & pancakes w/tabasco sauce at 3am healthy pickins. Sighhhh I do miss the Meadowlands Diner and that IHO AKA IHOP on Route 17. Who woulda thought! BUT hanging with Don gives me a lil taste of home each time! We could speak of farts, kidney kicks and getting down to business all in one session. I guess we are just skilled like dat ;)

Day in Venice

2008-05-02T13:06:00.000-04:00

Hi yall -

Thought I would share some cool artwork I saw right off the Venice boardwalk a couple weeks ago. Pretty cool huh?

"I was raped" tee - Liberating or Confining?

2008-04-28T09:34:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Baumgardner, Williamsburg writer & feminist, has sparked some controversy with her "I was raped" tees. It all started a few years ago with "I had an abortion" tees which she got onto artists like Ani DeFranco, Susan Estrich & Gloria Steinem.

Wearing tees that announce anything such as "I'd Hit That" to "Obama for your Mamma" display what are on peoples minds (no matter how profound or minor). You are basically your own walking advertisement which I think is way cooler than wearing something that says "Polo Sport" or "Baby Phat." SO why not wear a tee that says "I was raped"? I believe that wearing these t-shirts is a part of the healing process. Putting it in peoples faces so blatantly forces them to deal with it and know that it is happening more so than we'd like to admit. Perhaps seeing this would make another rape less likely to occur by the fear of being outed. I believe it also puts the victim in control with owning an experience that was out of their control to being with.

Seeing tees saying "Breast Cancer Survivor" really woke me up to how real and common this disease is. I remember thinking "I could easily be one of them." There should be tees that say "I was beaten by my partner" just to even put domestic violence into the same light. Hell - why not an "I was molested" tee? Then when we see each other on the street we can all unite in the park for a big therapy session. My point is that we all have something that broke us at one time - that made us who we are today. So why the fear of being honest about what has happened in our lives? Judgments? Pish posh - look who's judging? We are all more similar than we'd like to admit. I know I will embrace this type of openness because I've seen just how rare it is.

Article on New York Times

Why wear a shirt that says “I Was Raped”?

Because wearing it lets others know that they aren’t alone.
Because wearing it invites conversation about a silenced
experience that so many women and men share.
Because rape is a crime that someone did to you, against your will.
Because, as Maya Angelou says, “I can be changed by what happens
to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Because you shouldn’t be ashamed that you were raped; the
perpetrator should be ashamed.
Because being public shatters the very silence that enables rape
to be so common.
Because naming what has happened is the first step toward changing
the reality of rape.
Because legal redress is rarely served, so it’s crucial to find our
own justice and acknowledgment.

~ Jennifer Baumgardner, “I Was Raped” project, 2008

Felix - cooler then Heathcliff & maybe Garfield

2008-04-28T00:59:00.000-04:00

Woah, I haven't seen this video since I was 5 years old.

SO fresh & SO clean

2008-04-27T12:06:00.001-04:00

Howdy Yall! Well I have always been afraid of setting up my own blog (hmmm more like lazy). Now - I'm siked and ready to bombard you with fun, pointless and friskie information!

STAY TUNED!