Christmas Eve seemed an exceptionally appropriate time to share these pieces from Still. Take time to reflect on the beauty of the simple things in life and the wonders of the world.
(Most of Still’s pieces are available for purchase or licensing.)
01/ A placemat set that features engineering blueprints for different foods.
02/ Bookhive is an interactive library display full of 400 “moving” books!
03/ Transfer, a project where partially painted hands blend into the landscape.
04/ A printable Letter to Santa if anyone in your house still needs to write theirs.
05/ In Variable Face a 22-year-old hides behind ordinary objects in a beautiful way.
06/ A quirky outdoor embroidery project that I looove!
07/ A beautiful photo series of the Texas tradition of homecoming mums entitled Mum.
08/ It’s late for holiday cards, but here are 14 cards to wish someone a Happy New Year!
09/ This marks 24 years of Sweden’s Ice Hotel and it’s inspired by Frankenstein.
10/ Create your own (virtual) snowflakes!
Sally Lundburg‘s Space Invader is a series of digitally manipulated photographs inspired by Hawaii’s intricate ecosystem. The result is a beautiful set of “portraits” of men, women, and children that represent the real and imaginary genealogy of the state’s storied history. (via The Jealous Curator)
This week on Design Crush: Geometric abstract paintings from Jackalope Heart, plus an awesome discount!
Seventeen planners to get you planning 2014! (Only 25 days left in the year!)
And twelve more calendars for your consideration in part 5 of our roundups.
I played Oprah and shared a few of my favorite things.
Beautiful painterly textiles from Milk Farm Road.
Twenty-five projects full of DIY holiday decor!
A festive drinking glass project from Omar Sosa.
Sent out your holiday cards yet? Here are a few more to consider in part 4.
A pop-up shop full of handcrafted wooden skateboards – Side Project Skateboards.
Check out how we decorated for the holidays at Design Crush HQ!
I love a good end table, here are eleven I’m considering for my living room.
Symmetry always appeals to me, as do overhead angles in photography. That said, Omar Sosa has me wrapped around his little finger with this project entitled Drinking Glasses. It also feels festive and party-ready if I say so myself! (via Present&Correct)
This week on Design Crush:
Modern, timeless jewelry from Isobell. (And a 15% discount!)
Plenty of holiday cards in part 2 and part 3 of our roundups.
Perfect gifts from Baba Souk! (And another 15% discount!)
Forty-eight cocktails to get you through Alcoholidays 2013. Giving thanks with photographer Jessie Askinazi. 24 Merry Days is back this year! 24 days, 24 bloggers, 24 giveaways beginning December 1st!
I hope all of our U.S. readers had a Happy Thanksgiving!
See how my month went via Insta November.
For me it’s been a bittersweet year. I’m thankful for the time I got to spend with my step-grandfather, Pete, as he battled the end stages of Alzheimer’s. I’m thankful for a big decision that was just made, one that should lead to great things (Sorry to be vague – more to come on that front!). And I’m also extremely thankful that I’m able to earn a living doing what I love.
Today I’m happy to share the work and words of friend and (killer) photographer Jessie Askinazi. A few weeks ago we were chatting and I thought it would be interesting/awesome to see what she’s is most thankful for because if nothing else Jessie is always beautifully honest.
So, what are the three things you’re most thankful for this year?
COMRADES. When I say comrades, I mean more than friends. These are my beloved, the people I’d take with me to a desert island because I couldn’t imagine a life without them. These are the sort of nut jobs I can make morbid and distasteful jokes with; things we could never say to most people, our dirtiest thoughts that expose character flaws and perversions. The real stuff. The good stuff. The bad stuff, too. The faces that have seen me after I’ve been hospitalized for an intestinal migraine, and came equipped with a bottle of Pedialite in the middle of the night; or made me dinner with what little money they had left. They don’t judge me for my essence – they know that I will always exist outside of conventional perimeters, and I know that they will too. They’ll say the truth, especially when I’m terrible – and call me out.
FASHION DESIGN. I’m thankful for fashion design, for style being a means to protective armor, an illustrative palette that says it all and says it proudly. I’m grateful for the heavy-knit sweaters I want to burrow under so I can pretend I’m nestling in a cavern by a seaside during the winter. I love fighting the bigotry, the confines and the tar pits of the big picture by wearing a dress splashed with colors of the rainbows. I time travel through the decades by browsing my closet and issues of Harper’s Bazar from the 60’s. I outline my femininity, I imitate architectural blueprints, I mirror historian findings and I conjoin with textures. I fight the good fight, and I’m proactive through what I put on. Fashion takes me outside of the flatlands and transports me to a sky full of stars.
MORTIMER. When I lived in Los Angeles, I worked at a great shop called Polka Dots and Moon Beams. During my lunch breaks, I’d wander into the pet store next door and play with the puppies. One day I met a teeny tiny chihuahua about the size of a newly hatched duckling. He was so much calmer and sweeter than all of the other pups and there was something special about his disposition that kept calling me back. I guess it’s that thing pet owners talk about when they said “he chose me.” Even Penelope Cruz told me to buy him (she was in the store at the same time). I wasn’t planning on getting a pet, but everything in my gut told me I couldn’t stand to see him go to someone else. I’ve had Mortimer for about six years now and he’s lived with me in LA, NYC and FL. He has been by side through every crashing point over the past several years. He burrows under the blanket and sleeps wrapped up in my legs. He knows when I’m sad or sick and fills up my loneliness. He doesn’t question my antics or judge me if I’m broken out and wearing a face mask. I’m convinced he loves more than any creature can love, and his eyes look up at me with pure devotion. I miss him if I’m gone for an hour and I see how much he’s missed me when I return. Sometimes it feels like he’s the only thing I need in the whole world, like that’s enough.
Jessie Askinazi is a photographer and journalist that has contributed her work to Purple Diary, Whitewall, Bullett, Vogue Italia, Filter, Artinfo and others. She does her own styling and art direction, and runs an art/fashion/design blog called Morning Passages. She also writes poetry and personal essays. Jessie studied theater in New York and continues to act in independent films and theater. You can follow her on Twitter at @jessieaskinazi.
