i hope to one day be this talented

I came across this on design work life and am currently contemplating recording my screen at all times in hope that I may have something even half as cool one day. Here's hoping!

Poster Process - The Black Keys from DKNG Studios on Vimeo.

Awesome, right?

I doubt my past 22 hours (continuous, for the most part) of design work for one of my classes would have been worth recording. It would NOT have made for very riveting watching! It included quite a lot of pinterest searching in an effort to overcome my designer's block that has plagued me throughout this entire project!

if i were rich...

I would shop exclusively at Steven Alan. Ok, maybe not exclusively...but I could definitely do some damage.

1. Libby Dress, $125-$149  2. Fairchild Dress, $169
3. 3/4 Sleeve 50s Dress, $259 4. Willow Dress, $119

adventures in cooking: parmesan chicken

I think I have finally found my signature dish. It is my firm belief that everyone needs one. That go-to recipe that never fails you and looks fancier than it really is. I think I have finally found mine and it is Parmesan chicken! It has been in my recipe box all along, and is written in my mother's handwriting even though I don't remember ever having it when I was younger. Regardless, I have already made it twice this week and think I've worked out what the key elements are to it's success!

They are:
First, crushing up the stuffing until it is nice and fine. I do this with my mortar and pestle but I'm sure you could use a food processor or a ziploc bag and rolling pin to achieve the same results.
Second, I've experimented with both butter and olive oil as the means to making the coating stick. I know some recipes call for egg and I may try that next. My only issues with the olive oil was that it made the crumbs slightly soggy but not enough to totally rule out using it in the future.
Third, I used smaller cutlets the second time versus larger chicken breast pieces so there was a smaller crumb to chicken ratio. 

The Recipe:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast or cutlet
1/2 cup crushed stuffing mix
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian herbs (or just buy Italian Herb Stuffing mix and skip this)
2 Tbsp. melted butter (or Olive Oil)
1/8 tsp. minced garlic

Mix stuffing, cheese and Italian herbs in bowl. Brush chicken with butter and garlic mixture. Roll chicken in crumbs to coat and cook 45-50 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil for final 10 minutes.

book work

For my Typography course this quarter I had the opportunity to try my hand at bookbinding for the first time. It took me several attempts to get my stitch down for the style binding I ended up using but I am very happy with the result! Here's some quick photos of the finished product before I turn it in this evening.

chalkboard art

I've seen Dana Tanamachi's artwork all over the blogsphere (Design*Sponge today) and can't express my love enough! What's better then looking at chalkboard art? Seeing it made...

Stop motion video of Dana creating artwork for the Nagging Doubt wine label. See more videos and work here.

how cool is this

I originally saw this here along with her amazing tutorial. I think this is the perfect counterpart to the increasing trend of feather extensions that I've been seeing. I love the idea of the feather style but I've heard some alarming information about how they get the feathers that have made me hesitant to join in. I was instantly enamored with this colorful alternative. Can't you just imagine one or two streaks in the front or under layer?  And like she says, you can easily hide the streak in a bun because it is just the ends of the hair. I would love to try this but the bleaching part slightly terrifies me (in addition to her warnings about seeking professional assistance). We'll see how brave I am!

i want these NOW

We had these growing up and I didn't appreciate them at the time but I'd love to be given a second chance! Just look at the options...

Letter Set Transfers from Veer

so neglectful

I'm just going to pretend that I haven't been absent for over a month.

I'm a few weeks into my summer quarter classes and one is a typography class. We take a very hands on approach to learning letterforms!

I had a shaky beginning...

This lovely f was my greatest accomplishment!

finals week

I'm in the home stretch of projects for this quarter. I just completed this one today and wanted to share. Out of context it doesn't make a whole lot of sense but isn't it pretty?

Also check out the corresponding twitter @be_a_tree.

amazing buildings

Can you imagine the pressure of choosing the titles that make up this architectural bookshelf. This is a library I would visit regularly.

From Interior Holic

music monday: fleet foxes

from the audio perv

how to sew a button

How to Sew on a Button from Emily Scott on Vimeo.

clever cards

I know these are all over but the messages are just so cute and clever. I appreciate a good "just because" card.

All images from Sapling Press. Visit their etsy shop for more letterpress goods.

taking to heart

I read the following advice on BrownChickenBrownCow a few days ago and it has stayed with me.

"Only own clothes in which you’d feel comfortable letting your partner pack for a surprise getaway without your input." 

I'm definitely the type to have a stash of clothes in the back of my closet that I don't wear but I can't bring myself to get rid of. I think this is the kick in the butt I needed to finally take a good hard look at the things I don't wear and edit my wardrobe. 

ted talk: the birth of a word

I've been really obsessed with TED Talks lately. This was partially brought on by my need to find multiple research topics lately, and further fueled by meeting TED's creator Richard Saul Wurman. In my browsing I came across this great talk by Deb Roy who charted his son's language development. About 80% of this video went over my head but the overall idea just floored me, particularly his 40 second clip that traced the evolution of his son's vocalization of the word water.


Enjoy!