Inspired by my recent post I’ve decided to unleash some more anthropomorphic favorites of mine. Thanks to Wacky Stuff on flickr and The Dark Victory‘s blog for the googly eyed dogs. Anddddd thanks to the o.g. inspiration Louis Wain.

not having the best day.

i turn to the powers of the internets to cheer me up.

cats = laffs. maybe i need one.
it would be named “sneak.” obviously.

creepy dudes in kiddie costumes never fail to elicit a smile

i like the baby freaking out in the corner.
not having such a fun time after all, are we? babies crying make me smile.

anthropomorphic things are best. (doesn’t matter, animal mineral, vegetable)
faces on tasty food = +10

I’m in the process of entering Young Guns, we’ll see how it goes. I think I may submit this old cut paper image I made years and years ago. I still like it. Oh so summery.

I recently wrapped up my very first pitch at Brand New School. The finished image we ended up submitting looks very different, so I think it’s ok to post my work in progress.

I love the Hamburglar, Adolf Wolfli’s masked figures, the original sneak (Where’s Waldo), the original sneaky animal (obviously, a Raccoon).

Recently I discovered my newest friend.. THE RED PANDA. Omg. I think this is the cutest animal ever. I am in LOVE.

Then I realized in Super Mario 3, when Mario finds a feather (or is a leaf?) he turns into a Red Panda and flies. It all makes sense!

THE OG I CAN HAZ CHEESEBURGER

WHAT’S GOING ON, JUST WEARING A MASK AND HANGIN IN MY CRAZY FLOWER PETALS

PLZ NOTE: WALDO LOOKS LIKE ALL MY EXBOYFRIENDZ

CUTE!

UM. EVEN CUTER!!!

NUM NUM CUTE SNEAK

SLEEPY SNEAK!

So, due to shitty economy, I’m diversifying. First it was at Hush and now I’m at Brand New School working on an illustration-based project (maybe I’m not allowed to say for whom? Or post my drawings?)

I’ve spent the past week drawing cars and Double Decker buses, bedroom and bathroom furnishings, buildings and cobblestone bridges, patterns (plaids, delicate florals, kooky textiles), and creating a whole hand-drawn world soon to be populated with cute girls. Then it becomes a commercial airing all over the UK. Very cool.

Tonight I’m teaching myself how to mask things out and make crazy patterns with overlays. Pretty bananas that I’ve been using Photoshop for years but never really used the mask tool. I fail. But not for long-I expect to be an After Effects, CS4, motion graphics wizard in the coming weeks!

I own a lot of sixties teen and fashion magazines, but until tonight I never knew any model names beyond the obvious: Twiggy, Peggy Moffitt, Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree. I just stumbled upon Mini Mad Mod 60′s: an online archive filled with images of some of my favorite mystery muses. Several girls, like Lucy Angle or Jean White, I had clipped out and framed over the years.

Jean White, with her big eyes, Shirley Temple ringlets, and a Betty Boop styled expression is often styled in Great Gatsby themed outfits; perfect for the sixties-twenties moment that happened around ’68 or ’70.

Then there’s Lucy Angle who rocks one of the cutest bowl cuts I’ve seen. I used to bring her photo to hairdressers back when I attempted one. She appeared on some of my favorite Seventeen covers. For some reason she reminds me of Mia Farrow. No surprise, loooovvvveeeee her.

oh, and by the way, there are some epic sixties fashion images on this live journal entry: ana-lee

In recent weeks I’ve been way into attempting arts and crafts projects that were the staple of nine years of Girl Scout camp or bored suburban afternoons circa high school. Except tweaked for someone now much older.

Covering a cashmere scarf, a black leather purse, and a coat entirely in pyramid studs. Dying lace blouses to look antique with herbal tea. Buying embroidery floss for six friends to make friendship bracelets while watching two back to back episodes of The City. It’s like a meeting of the BSC over here. Next up, lanyards? Maybe I’ll make a zine? Hand tooled leather belts stamped with initals and weird teepee symbols? Perhaps take up… scrapbooking!?? Who knows, but I’m having so much fun.

I’m already mentally beyond Christmas (as I was raised a Jew, this holiday thing to me is logistically annoying and boring). Are there NO native New Yorkers who stick around? How is it possible that all* my friends are from another state?

Anyway. Besides starting a new art project, I’m thinking about the New Year. And getting a 2009 daily planner to fill. I stumbled upon a slew of really amazing Korean agendas on Ebay and some others that do the job.

Fresh Apple
Daily Color
Draw your Tomorrow
Day By Day

Color Diary
Banana Eat Yellow

Hello Lucy

Cocoro
Coco
Panda Schedule

and here are some others I didn’t bother to show the images of:
Agenda
Red Moleskin
Shinzi Katoh
Travel Journal

*Ok, minus Elizabeth

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.

» Continue Reading…

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

This is way too cute. I don’t need a water bottle or a bento box but I am weak… especially for “french girlish mood” and “today is so fine day!!!” journals by Japanese Zakka designer Shinzi Katoh.

Great for Cram Cream, Milimeter/Miligram, and Sugar Pine Beauty lovers. And those who won’t be traveling to Tokyo any time soon.

Available at : his website and online shop

I assume most people know the work of Alexander Girard; what with a MOMA exhibit, FLOR carpet tiles, reissued pillows, alphabet blocks for House Industries, a Kate Spade collaboration, and wooden dolls for Vitra, you might even say he’s played out. Anyway. I think he’s awesome. I like how he uses bold colors in simplified shapes, avoids line work, and tends to put faces on everything. His name keeps coming up as I’ve been researching textiles and mid-century illustration, so I figured I’d post some of his work.

Some images via CathyofCalifornia and Reference Library. Welcome mat via Maximo Design.

I just splurged and purchased several things from this UK design shop Present and Correct. I couldn’t help myself!

This isn’t necessarily what a ordered, but a sampling of some cutes: