Tomorrow, bright and early, I am hitting up some sample sales. I really shouldn’t. I don’t want anything (ok ok aside from rainboots, a gray wool coat, a tiny floral skirt, and a Woolrich Woolen Mills coat for the boyfriend).

Past sales have resulted in many crazy pieces and the majority of non-vintage items in my wardrobe. An Alexander Herchovitch black and white seedbeaded jacket that is so heavy it’s the punchline of key practical jokes, several Vena Cava and Lyell silk blouses and jackets, pairs of Sigerson Morrison heels, Alice Roi bouses, and most everything I have by Built By Wendy.

So, I will, like an idiot, brave the cold and hit up the Steven Alan Sample sale bright and early. And then maybe these:

SALES
Jill Stuart : 60% off the Entire Fall 08 Collection Thursday and Friday. 100 Greene St 11-8
Steven Alan: 30-75% off. Thursday through Sunday. 87 Franklin Street. 8:30-8

More from Racked

Rebecca Minkoff, Nicholas K.
50% off Minkoff’s entire inventory of handbag samples; below wholesale prices on Nicholas K’s outerwear, sweaters, tops, dresses and pants. Thursday through Sunday, November 23rd. Thu, Fri 9:30am—8pm; Sat, Sun 11am—6pm. 33 W 17th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-677-7829.)

Theory
Below wholesale prices on current-season merchandise (cashmere, outerwear, skirts, pants, dresses, blazers) Wednesday, November 19th through Tuesday, November 25th. Wed, Thu, Tue 10am—6:45pm; Fri, Mon 10am—5:45pm; Sat, Sun 10am—4:45pm. 261 W 36th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, second floor (no phone).

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Rainboot and umbrella shopping has officially begun. I’ve amassed several cheapie bodega umbrellas, but I want something durable and (most importantly!) cute.  I’ve been trying to find a duck-handle umbrella in New York for years. I may pony up the insane shipping and order one from Lederer de Paris. Otherwise, one of these babies might do the trick.

black “Can Can”
lil lady from Fred Flare
wholesale duckie
purple duckie from Target

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I’m feeling the work of graphic designer Kristin Eddington, a recent graduate of SVA and now a designer for Nylon. Her work is stylish, sophisticated and has a nice sense of humor. Her remixes of teen cult novels by Francesca Lia Block was a welcome surprise.

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I just found the blog of Brooklyn artist (by way of Sweden) Fanny Bostrom. The Selby had a great feature on her and Bill Gentle’s space and after seeing their teepee I was totally intrigued.

Before Leti and Ami moved out of their old space we had schemed up at teepee in the backyard idea. And then again this summer a birthday teepee in Maccaren Park complete with “buffalo wings” and other appropriate snacks. Alas, the idea didn’t pan out before they moved. We’ll always have Urban Outfitters’ version, won’t we girls?

Anyway, I like Fanny’s art. It reminds me of one part Henry Darger and Fred Tomaselli and one part Kyle Ranson and Elizabeth Huey. (who shares my love of half-timber homes).

Her and Elizabeth’s work inspires me to work bigger and not fear moving my art to oil on huge panels. I want to push the weirdness and work to incorporate my patterns and colorful landscapes with the figures with more texture and layering.

Fanny Bostrom

Her Illustrations

Kyle Ransom

Elizabeth Huey

Fred Tomaselli

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So, to anyone who tried to comment in the last month or two and couldn’t or couldn’t wrap their head around the login process I set up… things will be different now.

I spent sometime trying to figure out the intricacies of wordpress and installed some plugins. Hopefully now the spam will not be an issue and my friends will write and say hello.

Hello!

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This turned out so nice on the page! I have my work in two ads this month. A single pager in Snowboard magazine and this lil lady in Transworld Snowboarding. I can’t wait to see the whole Mountain High series.

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I’ve been working on some new Blood is the New Black shirt designs. Usually, I come up with the concept and colors and placement, but I’m interested to see what happens if it’s a collaboration between friends. I gave a gigantic file of my illustrations to David and he cooked this one up. I like how simple it is. I don’t think it even needs color.

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Taken at the Chanel Mobile Art exhibit in Central Park. Last day, minutes before it closed.

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I am on the hunt for a pair of rain/snow boots for the upcoming gross season. I’m torn between trying to find a pair that replace my stolen hunter boots and getting something really clunky and short like duck boots.

LL Bean

LL Bean

LL Bean

JCREW

JCREW

Target

Zappos

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My friend John is whipping up a website and so I was enlisted to create simple icons that turn blue when rolled over. I got bored and assembled some of them into this composition. What does it all meaannnn?! Um. Nothing!

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Things I want an excuse to buy:

A circular decorative rug, white metal 1930’s style bed, fancy taper holder, burled wood side table, and faux hanging birdcage for tea lights. I know I know birdcages are very Anthropologie. And guess what? That’s where all this stuff is from.

Charming mmmg pen and adorable Shinzi Katoh notebooks and files from The Little Happy Shop

Mini colored pencils and Sukie “new leaf” notebook from Uppercase. Their panda blog is also totes cute

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I am trying to get work through the efforts of a creative staffing agency. They listed a job that requires “hand drawn packaging” and I want it. I want my art on perfume, some blush, and a carton of ice cream!

I gathered together a gaggle that showed I can draw. Here are a few.

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A Sneak.

A Chaplin.

A Party Girl.

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Ok. So my original plan to be Kate Gosselin for Halloween seems unlikely. I’ve been too busy to actively source 8 plastic dolls on the cheap. I could theoretically go to Toys R Us and buy them, but I can’t bring myself to spend the money. All the 99 cent stores had one or two dolls and I need them to match.

Anyway. Nobody seems to know this TV show. Although, those that would get the reference would have some good LOLs while I dragged all the “babies” –mildly retarded plastic things with eyeglasses drawn on– bopping down the street whilst tanked out of my mind.

My plan B was to be a sneak. An inside joke between three people but I don’t care. I’m going to maybe dress as a French sneak. Or a Hamburgler sneak. Someone with an eye mask and a bag of loot. Looking, of course, sneaky.

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I bring you newly minted model Rachel Ballinger. First brought to my attention last year when I stumbled into her Bushwick house party and she was rocking the most insanely bright pink lipstick that nobody else could pull off.

She’s the girl in the new Opening Ceremony and Rebecca Turbow look books. And she looks so good.  There are tons of party pix featuring her on Kathy Lo’s website (think the Cobrasnake but all NY kids). Here are some I like best.

From the house party in question. Via Kathy Lo

I would like this jacket please. And not the pleather version at Urbn.

one look from Opening Ceremony’s 1989 styled collection:

from Rebecca Turbow’s look book for spring. i die.

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Here’s what I created for the third Mountain High Snowboard resort print ad. I was supposed to reference Disney and Alfred E Newman character from Mad magazine. But remix them.

That’s why the Mickey,  Snow White,  Pinocchio and even the Mouseketeer hat are tweaked and janky. If they were literal I think the Disney would sue, but this is ok for parody’s sake. If you look close there are also tea cups, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty’s castle (who cares), the Matterhorn, the Monorail and what might be called a “dwarf.”

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I’m in tonight working late, finishing a job so James and I can take a buying trip tomorrow. Every weekend the past month I’ve left the city and hit up flea markets and antique stores outside of the city; traveling to Columbus and Englishtown NJ, Philly, and a secret spot far away in CT.

Tomorrow, it’s back to PA. I am trying to finish up the new apartment on the super cheap. I’m hunting for a Danish Modern credenza, old mirrors (especially those with scalloped edges), a coffee table, shelving brackets, threadbare oriental rugs, an ornate headboard or captain’s bed, pendant lamps and chandelier, a china cabinet, and flair in the 5-20$ range.

While this may sound like a tall order, the prices are so much less than anything in the city, less than Ikea even. I’ll post photos of my finds later.

I made two mixes for the trip. Too bad muxtape is dead. I’d post them otherwise.

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I’m drawing Disneyland themed illustrations for a third Mountain High Ad. In the process of culling reference, I got sucked into a Flickr void and stumbled upon all these cute vacation snapshots from the sixties and seventies and illustrations by some artists I’d never heard of. In particular I’m into these works by Paul Hartley.

Disneyland ‘72 from: Galexie Girl
Paul Hartley Illustrations from: Miehana

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Just whipped up this portrait of Dan Deacon for another Boost Mobile silk screened show poster.

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