On tabs that stay open way too long on my laptop making me realize i am more drawn to the work than i first thought, i haven’t been able to close the website of Rachell Sumpter since i found her through Kitsune Noir ~ the colors are just stunning, and once you get over that you get sucked into the level of detail, and the possible stories that exist in the technicolor dreamworlds she creates. Will someone please animate her world and set it to a dreamily inspiring soundtrack to lose ourselves in? I wonder how large her originals are? They’d be stunning as large wall sized pieces to wander up to and stare at… See more of my favorites on the next page…

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The internet definitely works in cycles, if you miss something the first time around, don’t worry, the awesome stuff always loops back. So please forgive me for not having jumped on Yu Jinyoung’s A Family In Disguise at the Union Gallery one back in Dec 08, but Josh Spear seems to have resurfaced the work of Yu Jinyoung that showed at Art Basel Miami 08, and try as i may, i can’t get them out of my head, so need to save them somewhere to look back on later! First thing i thought was, Audrey Kawasaki! The dark thoughtful floating faces disappearing into their surroundings… but in sculptural PVC lifesize form! Then i kicked myself when i saw on Boing Boing that Pescovitz actually found it from Audrey who loved it too in March 09… best find? Awesome interview over at Arrested Motion with a peek into how these are made! So see more pics on the next page and join my fascination with this eerie and amazing body of work… i can only imagine how breath taking they must be in person. (They are LIFE SIZED! Mind blowing.)

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Stuck in a flight ~ thought i’d share some fun from NotCouture! So, click the pics to find out more! Hopefully touching down in SFO soon.

The Dyson Air Multiplier Fan is inescapable since its launch two days ago ~ and to be honest, i’m a huge dyson fan (honestly, smart innovative tech/science for everyday products with gorgeous design and sleek packaging, what’s not to love?)… so instead of showing you the usual press photos, how about a peek into the really fun launch! You know Dyson, they don’t overlook any design details, so as expected, everything from the custom tees on the all black tee/pants dressed fan plug-in-ers to the adorable mini BLT branded mini toasts to the bottom lit displays with cable captures (think half cable turtles) for perfect length cords when displayed… also, when it comes to a product like this, while the object itself and the technology are fascinating, there is something truly awesome about being able to watch a crowd of people respond and react to it for the first time (or perhaps that is just my voyeuristic inner user experience junkie!)… So take a peek at everything from the stunning sunset river views to launch reactions to the munchies to the beautiful displays and Dyson Air Multiplier Fans on the next page!

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So that sudden redeye from SF to NY (you know, the one that left my poor new carnivorous plants hanging out in my car in SFO somewhere) it is for the Dyson Air Multiplier Fan launch ~ and just between you and i, it took everything inside me not to get all fan girl while meeting James Dyson, and he was so incredibly nice (smart too of course!). But while i have lots of pics of the launch as well as the fans themselves… first things first ~ how adorable is the press kit? Stunning, sleek little brushed stainless usb key on a wire keychain attached to a book describing how not to waste those OLD fan blades that are now being rendered obsolete? (nearly?) ~ So, had to share with you “The demise of the buffetting blade: 20 Uses for the old buffetting blade” and adorably cheeky little book, my quick hotel shots may not fully do it justice, but you’ll get the idea, and perhaps a quick giggle too. So flip through the details with me on the next page…

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I was heading to Petaluma from the Broad Summit ~ and just as i was getting out of Sebastapol i did a double take, pulled the car over, made a u-turn, and popped into California Carnivores in hopes it was open (it was late afternoon on a sunday) ~ and it WAS! And it is AMAZING. Apparently it is the “largest carnivorous plant shop in the united states”!!! AND omg. wow. you HAVE to see how stunning (and huge) this place and their plants and their kiddie pools filled with more plants in the process are… Good news is that they are carnivorous plant obsessed, extremely informative, super nice, and you can order online and they will ship anywhere in the US (he was even describing their intense packing process for shipping, and after hearing about it i’m confident to order more soon!) ~ but for now, i couldn’t resist and currently have a box of 4 in my car… SO beautiful. They are so incredibly inspiring, take a peek at the pics of many species i have never seen up close before!

On unexpected discoveries, next time you’re up in wine country california style ~ California Carnivores is a definite stop not to be missed!

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Just a quick peek at last nights festivities ~ i’m currently at the Broad Summit at the Boon Hotel up in the Russian River Valley ~ what is it? “So. You may be wondering what this party is all about. In short, The Broad Summit was an idea hatched over Margaritas at SxSW. Maggie has “organize a retreat” on her life list, Aubrey is a party planner, Laura Mayes is a conference organizer, and Helen Jane supplies wine and cheese for the entire Internet. We talked about how fun it would be to have our blogger friends in one place for the weekend. Tipsily laid plans don’t often come to much, but we’re an unusually efficient group.” Basically its like a blogger/tech ladies summer camp (fall camp?) of sorts, but with wine, massages, bonfires, pajama parties, hot tubs, and fun sponsors! So, yes, i’m totally at a tech conference north of SF… and the bonfire was so pretty, had to share a few quick pics with you! (More random pics keep popping up over on my twitter) ~ so first take a peek at the awesome fire, and the surroundings on the next page!

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Sometimes there are moments where it feels like the universe is against you and you’re torn between too many awesome opportunities ~ those are definitely the moments where you just have to step back and find less obvious solutions? In this case, i double booked myself. Months ago i agreed to be a media sponsor for Beyond Eden (AMAZING collection of my favorite LA galleries coming together for a HUGE show in the gorgeous Barnsdall Park LA Municipal Art Gallery) which has the VIP opening tonight, and runs through the weekend… i also got committed to join the lovely ladies of the Broad Summit up in wine country (hence my currently being up in SF!).

None the less, i think somehow this has worked out perfectly thanks to the quick thinking of Andrew (of the fabulous Thinkspace Gallery and co-founder of the event) ~ because he let me go sneak in early before i drove up to SF, and get some exclusive sneak peek pics to tease you with! And it was SUCH a fun challenge! I promised not to show you and full pictures… so i got a chance to shoot some amazing close ups and details as well as a few overview shots to give you a feel for the massssssssive space! I dare you to figure out where all the details came from… and there are so many pieces i’m dying to share with you fully soon too! But Angelenos, you HAVE to go check this out ~ especially if you love art, gorgeous parks, and stunning views of LA (you can see downtown skylines, hollywood sign, and griffith park observatory to name a few from the grassy goodness right outside the gallery perched upon the hill!). So first things first ~ go peek at what you’ll find at the show.

And no joke. AMAZING show lined up over at Beyond Eden this weekend! Go check it out!!!

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Remember those 1800 Tequila Essential Artist bottles? (I also showed you the close ups of the real things - even more stunning than in pics!) Well, at the time of the first collection launching, there was also a contest where you could submit your designs to be a part of the second collection… well the winners have been announced! And the bottles are just starting to make their way out into the real world! They are AWESOME (not that i would expect any less from 1800 Tequila after their great pick of designs the first time around)… 12 Limited Edition Bottle Designs Including one from Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One… so if you’re ready, take a peek at the winners and a little background info on them on the next page… Also, beautiful video embedded on the next page animating and showing off all of the new designs, which is a definite must see! Can’t wait to see these in person!

p.s.
HUGE congrats to all of the winners ~ and to creative agency, Dead As We Know It for another stunning job.

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Mmmm, who doesn’t love surprise packages in brown paper tied up with string? This latest mysterious piece of mail comes from the very awesome folks at W+K teasing me about their new ARG (Alternative Reality Game), Levis Go Forth, that just launched yesterday! (You twitter followers will recall i gave you a heads up when we were 20 min from the start!) SO what is it? Well, you’ll have to take a peek into the package on the next page… but from what i can gather we have the opportunity to win G.O. Fourth’s fortune of $100,000. Mixing part story, part scavenger hunt adventure, and part puzzle game ~ between online, word of mouth, real world events and more layered across the country and internet ~ we’re currently in Phase Two of this adventure where the Online intersects with Reality… Phase Three is all about the Real World… and in Nov the final phase will narrow things down to 100 finalists to solve the final puzzle… SO, game on? See what was in the mysterious envelope on the next page!

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Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Yes. I do believe it is the first week of October. Isn’t that a bit early for holiday festivities and shopping to be kicking in? If i’m sick of Christmas before halloween, that’s just sad? Also a little disappointed nothing in the book got me too excited this year, but the front and back COVERS are another story. So excited that they got awesome paper artist, Yulia Brodskaya to do her thing with santa’s beard and hat… see close ups on the next page…

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Last night popped over to the Beverly Hills Anthropologie down the street to celebrate the launch of the new Sundance Channel Show Man Shops Globe ~ and some late night shopping, some Stella Artois and Ferrero Rocher too of course… While normally not so much a reality TV person, this one is pretty fun! I love Anthropologie, and global shopping, and in this show you get to explore the world with Keith Johnson, buyer-at-large for Anthropologie, as he scopes out everything from St. Ouen Flea Market in Paris, the Kapalicarsi Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and Piet Botha’s Craft Shop in Cape Town… it’s a shopaholics dream. Did you know they actually shop for all the one offs strewn across the stores… and absolutely anything you see in a store (furniture, displays, etc) are ALL for sale?!?!?! I had no idea… on that note, take a peek at a preview vid as well as some pics of the very cute (and huge!) beverly hills store ~ the succulent and bromeliad displays were my favorite of course…

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On products that i’ve put through the paces a bit more than usual before sharing with you, when i was up in SF the guys over at Rocket World gave me one of their new Ronin softshell jackets ~ it was hot that day. Super sunny out. But i was curious, it felt incredible, lightweight, thin, warm, and i was about to embark on one of my whirlwind trips (remember i just did LA-Paris-Reims-Paris-London-NY-LA?) ~ and those are all cities you never know quite what to expect in when it come to weather! Luckily it was primarily gorgeous out the whole trip ~ but on those days when it got iffy (which was at least one or two on each leg of the journey!) ~ the Ronin definitely came through. Like when they say to be ready for “all weather” for the Veuve Clicquot harvesting… oh yea, basically any time i didn’t need to be in heels and looking a bit more polished? You’d find me in the Ronin, tank top, and jeans. This unisex jacket fit beautifully (my sister and i both love the XS ~ that’s her modeling it in the pic in the Hazlitt’s room so i could get images of the patches to share with you) ~ and while i always loved that you could put any velcro patches you wanted on ~ with this latest jacket i almost don’t want to because the detail of the sewn in skull and paw print are so subtle and awesome. As with all Rocket World gear, the Ronin is of the highest quality, the subtlest branding, and really the details will blow your mind in person ~ every zipper, every pocket, every little headphone jack hole, every angle of the hood… is meticulously thought out. If you’re looking for something sleek to get you from running around the city ready for anything to exploring the great outdoors with some understated styling… i’m definitely smitten with the Ronin and its versatility, definitely making it on my “must pack” list for unexpected adventures! … take a peek at more pics on the next page!

p.s.
OH! and i nearly forgot, while supplies last, they come with the SUPER adorable IWG Black Bear Mini Figure!

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Oh, BMW. Haha. Nothing like a hilarious new video from BMW, for BMW.tv, which manages to poke fun at Audi while simultaneously making you giggle and inspire you to want to leap into your car as you take off for work this monday morning. While their first Jump For Joy video launched two days ago ~ its the twist that got added in this latest version that will really make you gasp… then giggle. Watch it on the next page!

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On random sunday inspiration from the tons of photos from the last few weeks of travel, while wall stickers have been a bit overdone the last few years, and black on white vector motifs have been omnipresent more so than usual this design week. But what was surprisingly lovely was the juxtaposition of the gorgeous white house within The Dock, with beautiful ornate ceiling moldings and wrought iron staircases contrasted with these delicate 2D strands and clusters of black faux foliage and fauna draping on the bright white walls. A little cluttered, but nicely detailed and random ~ the concept has been stuck in my head and inspired so many ideas! Take a peek at more pics + close ups on the next page…

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