inspired by :: dorset muesli packaging

Please excuse me while I geek out for a moment...

I can say with about 99% certainty that we all get roped in by pretty packaging from time to time. We are, after all, aesthetic creatures. Not only an exception, I am a startling example of this. So much so that this frugal girl who is trying to seriously cut down on her gluten intake was persuaded to fork over $6 for a box of muesli based solely on it's absolutely gorgeous packaging. I've never even had muesli before!

Go ahead, gaze upon this glory. Take your time.

My photos here aren't doing the overall effect any justice. Their on-shelf presence is stunning, even amongst all the other cleverly designed natural cereals and granolas—a shiny beacon of advertising at it's absolute best. The color palette was so phenomenal that I wanted to collect the entire product line. That's when the hubbs stepped in..... I kid! sort of.

Turns out Dorset is a British company with a serious passion for simple, wholesome foods and brilliant design. I recommend learning more about them (and checking out the entire color palette) from their slickly designed website.

See the multiple die cuts?
Oh, and the METALLIC ink?! Metallic ink on a cereal box? Surely you jest!
Gotta love all the wholesome facts and the fun tidbits of info about the ingredients. How do you suppose they figure how many times all the cranberries grown in North America last year would stretch from LA to Boston 565 times? How do you begin to quantify such a thing? But I digress...
I always enjoy cute and conversational messaging.
P.S. Upon finally tasting the muesli after gazing at it in my pantry for a week and painstakingly photographing it for 15 minutes, I think it's pretty good! Tastes mostly like plain cornflakes with dried fruit and seeds in it.

threadless select

Have you seen the Threadless Select collection? It's a group of tees, tanks and dresses that is hand-currated by Threadless themselves, by choosing their favorite designs and applying them to premium fabrics. I'm drawn more to these products than their regular tees because of the sophisticated designs, chic cuts, and subdued color palettes. I've already purchase the peacock tee, and absolutely love it.

monday meal make-ups

:: photo via elephantine ::

I had planned on doing a Sunday Snack post yesterday. I researched a recipe on lemon bars, bought all the ingredients, made the darn things and... and.. huge FAIL! It wasn't my fault this time around (I swear). It was mainly the recipe. They turned out....fine. They tasted... okay. However, I'm not in the business of bringing you okay.

So as a total cop-out since I didn't have the time to research a new recipe and make a whole new batch of better-than-fine lemon bars, I'll bring you this adorable pasta recipe/video combo by Rachel of elephantine. The amount of effort that must have gone into making something this cute, and I have to assume tasty, is worth mountains of applause. Thanks, lady!

inspired by :: Vhils

Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, is a relief sculptor from Portugal. He creates his amazing street art by literally chipping and blowing chunks out of the wall. You can explore his impressive body of work at his very slick looking website. This video is stunning.

part way

Where in the heck have I been? That's what I keep asking myself lately.

Mainly I've been working. alot! And I've been neglecting everything else. I have a painting hanging out in my living room that eyes me suspiciously every day, wondering why it's only 50% finished. The art room sits almost completely finished, but needs a few things hung, and just two shelves removed. Have I mentioned I'm training for a fitness competition? Well, that has suffered because I can't make it to work out that often, and never mind that I just ate 3 homemade thin mint cookies (that are most definitely not healthy nor did I even blog about this awesome recipe). Even this poor blog has seen the effect of my overwork, and for that I apologize—To you, my handful of readers and to myself. However, I'm so proud of the work that's been accomplished these past few weeks! So it's not a total wash.

I really wish that it was my job to make crafty things all day and then blog them. Or to surf the internet for the coolest new things, and tell you all about them. I truly find joy in the things I share here, and wish I could do it so much more. Someday, I suppose!

So bear with me this moment as I do everything (except my job) part way. I hope to be back in some capacity next week. But in the meantime I have a presentation to finish, notebooks to make, and some kick-ass art to design. See you soon!

decorate by decor8

I'm an avid follower of the blog, decor8, by Holly Becker. It is a wealth of amazing decorating and design inspiration. I've been much anticipating the release of her book which is aptly titled Decorate. If you could for sure judge a book by it's cover, I'm pretty sure this will not disappoint. It officially comes out next month, but I was thrilled to discover that you can order it now, exclusively through Anthropologie for the reasonable price of $35. Happy reading!

japan

I had a post prepared for today, but in light of everything that is happening in Japan and on the Pacific Coasts, I'll save it for another day. Those people are in the forefront of my thoughts today.

inspired by :: the big bad wolf

Are you as excited as I am about the Red Riding Hood movie that is coming out this week? It’s by the same director as Twilight so I’m crossing my fingers that it’s less of an over-the-top teen melodrama, and more of a whimsical, yet edgy, scary movie. I hope I won’t be disappointed!
I was so inspired by the preview that I saw this morning that I created a style board for the modern Red Riding Hood. I scoured Mod Cloth for the perfect red cloak (okay, it’s a coat) as well as a simple and nostalgic dress. I found those floral oxfords at Urban Outfitters. They’re flats so they should be perfect for traipsing through the forest as night. The dragonfly pendant, also from UO, looks right at home in a woodland setting. Finally, what Modern Red would be caught dead without a picnic basket-like bag for storing all her goodies in (thanks to Fossil for that one)?

quotabili-tee :: fast times

I should probably start out with an apology for my lack of posts this week (and last). It seems my life has gone from crazy busy to bananaface busy. Yes, I made that word up. This weekend is proving to follow that trend. I'm starting out this evening as my husband's band is playing two shows in one night! Thankfully they're on the same street—and the birthday party I'm attending is taking place in between them on the block. Thank goodness for small coincidences, and that Dayton has a very small bar district.

Tomorrow afternoon, one of my lovely cousins will be walking down the aisle (congratulations, Lisa!). I still don't know what I'm going to wear... Anyway, that will wrap up just in time for me to meet up with some girlfriends for a much needed night of frivolity, drinks, and probably a lot of talk about shopping and clothes. Finally, I'm attempting to conquer my fear of heights on Sunday by taking a rock climbing lesson (eek)! I'm not sure if I'll be able to squeeze in a Sunday Snack post this week, but I will really try...

Gees. The good times truly are killing me!

:: via PacSun ::

a (sort of) grown up application for Lisa Frank

I'm pretty sure when I was a little girl, I dreamed in Lisa Frank. I made sure that every year I had at least one folder or notebook with her violently colored designs on them. I think I can contribute a lot of my love for illustration, animals and school supplies to her. I was pretty tickled when I logged onto the Craftzine Blog this morning and found these Lisa Frank wine charms that have been fashioned out of an old bead kit. Kitsch to the Nth degree, and I love it!