Advanced Printing

I wanted to learn a bit more about printing processes so I borrowed The Printmaking Bible from a nearby University library. Wowie! I was not prepared for the amount of information included in this hefty volume. It covers everything about printing materials and techniques and has lots of great photos to get your creative inks flowing. It's a great reference for serious print people.

Mod Glam

Though my house will never fit the description of "modern" nor "glamorous" by any stretch, I still like to look at homes that are just that. Nobody does it with more gloss or style than Metropolitan Home. Glamour: Making it Modern is a visual feast that has many ideas that anyone could incorporate into their space. I especially like the Villinski "Beer-can Butterflies" and the Philippe Starck chandeliers.

Snuggly Graffiti

Yarn Bombing is an art form that greatly appeals to me. I think there are a whole lot of sad declining cities who could benefit from a little knitted love. I might have to see if I can round up some of my fellow knit-wits to get a project going. Check out the website for more inspirations.

Design of All Things

In my next life I want to be a designer. I can't imagine what it's like to be able to have a great idea, modify it to make it better, fabricate it, and have other people love it and have to have it. I'm drawn to things that are clean and modern-looking even though I don't think I'd want to own them or live with them. 21st Century Design displays cutting-edge items from furniture to clothing, products to architecture. I don't have to spend any money to spend time with the lovely things--it's a great compromise!

Snooping

I like letters. I like to receive them, to send them (though I rarely do), and to read them. I confess that they don't necessarily have to be addressed to me--I'm not picky. Imagine my delight to see Other People's Love Letters. Bill Shapiro put together 150 love letters that range in emotion from elation to misery. You'll be able to relate to many of these, whether you want to admit it or not. This one is short and sweet: "I love you like a fat kid loves cake."

Sketchy

I just found a tiny new book that allows us to glimpse into the artistry behind the fashionable shoes made famous by Sex in the City. Manolo Blahnik Drawings is full of sketches from the seventies to the present day that stand as works of art by themselves. Fluid and full of color, they look good enough to wear!