Pretty Ladies

Hello! You’ll have to forgive me, I was out of town over the weekend and didn’t get to draw as much as I would have liked. For now, here are some wonderful Visionaire photos from 2006.

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Rest in peace.

Nixon Watches

You can tell a lot about someone’s personality by the kind of watch they wear. A vintage Rolex says old money, a Casio calculator says indoor kid, wearers of the Swiss Army watches are renaissance men, Swatch watches indicate a little sass and an overall good nature, Movado is a nod toward restrained luxury and anything covered in rhinestones suggests the owner has never quite left childhood behind. So, what does wearing a Nixon Time Teller P say about it’s wearer? Probably that they’re one hell of a cool individual and are likely to  possess superpowers. Just look at those colors! I am positive Superman owns the blue one and Spiderman has the red. I think I might just pick up the green for those days when I am feeling a little larger than life.

Nixon Time Teller P

St. Tropez Leisure

I’ve always been very pro sexy underthings. I remember being in my teens and going to Hudson’s department store (now Macy’s) with my mother and sister for our bi-annual routine underwear purchase. While she helped us pick out the basic necessities I would usually manage to throw a black lacy bra or a little string bikini bottom into the mix, hoping it would somehow make it past the cash register. She would always discover my hidden gem and pluck it from the pile with one finger, giving me one of her looks and saying “why do you need this?” before tossing it aside. She had a point, I hadn’t even kissed a boy yet. I didn’t need it but, I wanted it.

And to this day I still do. I am always looking for new lingerie labels to covet. My current favorite is St. Tropez Leisure out of London. The line mixes feminine sex appeal with a playful attitude. From the collection names like “Skipping Lunch” and “Always on Friday” to cheeky details like well-placed hearts and bows, any pairing is sure to make a good impression between the sheets. I love the rustic-themed lookbook in which girls comb the countryside and relax in an old farmhouse clothed in nothing but their knickers with colored socks pulled up to their knees.

The String Republic

I discovered The String Republic about two years ago while scanning the internet for cool design item links with which to impress my new boyfriend. We will have been dating for 2 years in August so I guess I must have been successful. I fell for this product the first moment I laid eyes on it. As a former French major I love that they’re espadrilles, the most classic of French footwear. As a textile designer I love love love the edgy & cool graphic patterns created by the guest artists. As I’ve said before, I am always partial to putting a new spin on something classic. This year they’ve even upped the ante with dunks and boat shoe-styles.

Sadly I do not yet own a pair. I always find it so difficult to choose between all of the amazing patterns. Here are a few of my favorites, maybe you can  help me decide…

Maybe someday I’ll even get to design a pair (an aspiring illustrator/blogger can dream, can’t she?)

From left to right: “Spitter” by Jonathan Ball, “Lost Diamonds” by ILK, “Trouble Makers” by Ryan Cox

Ippudo

This weekend we went to one of our favorite New York restaurants, Ippudo. Although I have only visited Japan in my wildest dreams, I am told that their ramen is as close to the real thing as it gets. Ippudo has many locations in Japan though so far just one in the states. From it’s popularity–we waited an hour for a table at 6pm!–it is clear that there is ample demand for additional locations.

Ramen is a versatile dish, though it’s basic appearance is the same: soup broth, noodles, stuff on top. The individual varieties are as different as a hamburger is from a club sandwich. We had four different flavors of ramen at our table and each was unique and exciting. We may not make it there as much as we like (the wait can be somewhat daunting) but I am always happy when we do.

Rainbows

It’s been a long time since grade school so get ready, rainbows are back.
Artists these days seem to be crazy about rainbows. However, your third grade notebook doodles they’re not. These rainbows have left behind the usual ROYGBIV frown in favor of more futuristic layouts. They are broken like prisms, mixed with prints and type or given 3-dimensonal form. They are unified through their exuberant colors and prismatic triangle shapes. So, why rainbows? Maybe because it’s all of the rain lately or maybe because our world view has been dreary for quite some time. Could it be that these rainbows are a reminder, encouraging us to wait for that beautiful moment after the storm?

Artist credits (from top to bottom): Jack Featherstone, Harry C. Doolittle, Mike Perry, NDEUR

Swash

I love it when someone takes my breath away. With all of the art and design projects I research I often find things I like, sometimes things I love, and every so often something that leaves me well, breathless.

That’s how I felt when I happened upon Swash design studio on Style Bubble. The illustrations on their textiles are what I can only aspire to with the silly sketches I post on this blog. I love their imagery, use of color and the grand-scale of their designs. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on their work from now on.

Neon Yellow & White

I am loving the neon trend we have going on right now. It feels new and fresh and the neon hues look ridiculously good against our current neutral palette of nudes, greys, khaki and chambray. Neon Yellow is my favorite of the bunch and I find that it looks best when paired with our most trusted of summer uniforms, a white dress and a sun-kissed tan. With all of the options out there, you can opt for a small pop of color or a traffic-stopping burst.

Clockwise from top: Sunshine & Shadow, Essie Nail Polish, Elizabeth and James, J.Crew, CC Skye & Tapeet

Summer Cool

Last week my honeymoon with the summer weather ended. Every day of the week was that rainy and that sticky, wet, humid, hot that makes my hair go from straight to abundantly curly. I spent most of my after work hours trying to de-frizz and searching for an edible antidote to the hot weather. I am pretty excited about these gems you can make at home for a quick summer cool-down.

1.) Homemade Wine Spritz: This is a fast, refreshing summer libation. I have long been a fan of the Basque drink the Kalimocho which mixes red wine and Coca-cola though, I have found it comes off as a very offensive prospect to your average wine snob. Here’s a new take on my old favorite.

GuS Sodas are made in New York, crafted for adults (GuS stands for grown-up soda) as a less-sweet-than-soda sparkling beverage. With flavors like Meyer Lemon and Cranberry Lime they are certainly a step above your average canned cola. To make the grown-up soda into a full fledged adult beverage, try mixing it with red wine and pour over ice. This works best with wine that is fruity but not too sweet. You can stick to one flavor or mix and match. GuS even makes a Dry Cola so you can mix up a grown-up Kalimocho if you’re feeling brave.

2. Popsicles: After reading about People’s Pops on Coolhunting last week, I made a stop at the Brooklyn Flea to try them out. The strawberry rhubarb was divine and the guys serving them up were cute and very into my dog (fastest way into my good graces I tell you). It was the perfect weekend summer treat. But, what about my weeknight popsicle fix? Sure I could pick up some generic pops at the bodega or, for a fraction of the price (this is a recession and the cost of popsicles does add up) I could make my own at home.

Though I will never attempt to aspire to the greatness of People’s Pops, here are the amateur versions I have been concocting with my Cuisinart.

• Pineapple Lime Pops: 1.) Pour contents of 2 20oz. cans of pineapple chunks in juice with 2/3 cup lime juice and 1 tablespoon lime zest into Cuisinart. 2.) Pulverize to desired consistency. 3.) Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube tray and freeze.

• Strawberry Mint Yo-Pops: 1.) Combine 2 cups vanilla yogurt and 1 12oz. bag frozen strawberries into Cuisinart. Blend until mixed. 2.) On stove top make Mint Simple Syrup: Bring 1 cup sugar and 1 1/2 cups cold water to a boil, cook until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup fresh mint leaves. Allow to cool. 3.) Add Mint Simple Syrup to strawberry yogurt mixture to taste (remaining Mint Syrup can be added to lemonade or iced tea or used to make a killer Mojito) 4.) Pour into popsicle molds or ice cube trays and freeze.

The best part about these two recipes is that you can’t go wrong. Just mix up whatever tastes good to you. Instant cool.