Favorite Things: Brainstorm Print and Design

I had stored in the que a blog post about the lovely little group Brainstorm Print and Design, who sells limited edition screen prints out of their online shop. My favorite was sold out at the time, so I had a second print lined up and ready to purchase. Then, I swung by IndieFixx this morning and discovered they had released another print I'm absolutely in love with and a second edition of the one I liked so much in the first place.


Here they are:

The New One.
Love this for several reasons: 1) Take It Easy is my favorite Eagles song. 2) The vintage styling in the horizontal lines is pitch perfect. 3) Amazing composition

The original print I was drooling over.
Love this one because 1) the brown on brown is a favorite palatte of mine. 2) perfect pine silhouettes, a canoe-- its adorable! 3) I looooove camping.

I can't decide... help!
If you love these, get yourself over to the Brainstorm shop-- they sell out fast!

Favorite Things: Charley Harper for Children

Last week I had the lucky fortune of stumbling on some Charley Harper learning materials for children on clearance.

I contemplated buying it all, but showed a little restraint and walked away with just two items: this ABC's board book and Memory Game. My friend Marissa informed me that night when we were playing Memory at happy hour that she played with one just like it as a kid. By the way, I had forgotten how much fun Memory is-- and hadn't (until last week) experienced the pure joy that is Memory paired with beer. We had a blast!

For more Charley Harper, you can visit this Grain Edit post.
For the best happy hour in Ypsilanti, you can visit the Corner Brewery all day on Monday.
(They have board games if you forget to bring your own. )

One more link! Handmade Detroit has remodeled their site with all sorts of new features!

My weekend officially started at 6pm this evening and runs through Tuesday-- aside from shipping a few orders I will be on ART LOCK IN finishing up the screens and starting woodcuts! It helps that its supposed to snow tomorrow.

Print preview to come on Tuesday!

Favorite Things: SPRING

In addition to hearing thunder and rain in the place of the deafening silence of encroaching snow, I also see signs of spring on the way inside our apartment. The first houseplant I have ever successfully cared for, my little peace lily, blooms about two or three times a year-- one of which is always in March, the same month in which I received her. She just bloomed around the holidays, so I thought that maybe it wouldn't happen this March. I was delighted to wake up last week and see that a bloom had shot up seemingly overnight.

I counted four flowers in various stages of growth when I watered her today, there may be a few more on the way. I love that she opens them up slowly, one after another, to savor this rare moment in the limelight before her return to normal houseplant-dom. It always reminds me of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi-- that the most beautiful moments happen in the starts and finishes, not the grand crecendos in between. Because these blooms move slowly in sequence there's always a beginning and an end taking place on the same plant whenever she blooms. I like that about her.

(click me for some stamen detail!)

Even though the last few days here have been gray and totally abismal (albeit snowless) this little plant reminds me that sun is on the way.

By the way, if you think you have a brown thumb than a peace lily might be just what you need to gain some confidence in your growing skills. They add a huge jolt of green to your space and respond to less than ideal gardeners with a knack for indirect light and over watering-- you really can't water this plant too much, just set the inside pot on a little pedestal of floral foam so the roots don't sit in the extra water. One of my favorite things about this plant is that the water has an instantaneous effect-- you can see the leaves perk up within five minutes!

Favorite Things: Secondhand Picture Map Puzzle

I found this Picture Map Puzzle of the United States several months ago and did a happy dance of glee right then and there. It reminds me of textbook thematic maps in elementary school-- the type that would illustrate agricultural or industrial data in social studies texts.



This isn't a superb shot, but the detail is incredible and varied about this country we all share. It sits in a shelf above my kitchen sink and the amazing illustration inspires me on a daily basis.



It also helps me to remember the Alamo!

Favorite Things: Brownie Edition

Its hard working in a grocery store. We have delicious food of every variety constantly around. Christmas candy season is the worst. The other night I was cruising the aisles looking for something delicious that didn't list butter as the first ingredient, and I settled my gaze on this:



At first I was all 'ehh... these will probably taste like cardboard'. They don't, and in fact, I strongly encourage you to eat these brownies. Straight away.

Pros:
1) Prep is simple-- they mix up with a little fat free vanilla yogurt.
2) There's a really easy microwave recipe for a single serving, which strongly curbs my needs to leave the knife in the brownie pan and return 20 times throughout the evening. Instead I mix up the little single serving, pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds (perfect fudge-ocity) and then eat it right there in the kitchen in all of its hot delicious glory.
3) 110 calories, no fat. It feels like you're getting away with something.

Cons:
none as of yet, though I'll keep you posted.

I have a four day weekend, so I'm taking advantage and working on a couple of prints and a custom order. Look for them up the shop by Monday.