I open my e-mailed New York Times today, and find an Op-Ed that echos my feelings about gifts given on Valentine's day.
Valentine's Day From My Side of the Counter
What better than the opinion of a jeweler about giving jewelry on Valentine's Day?? I was discussing this point with Danny, Alicia and Christa over lunch yesterday. I am not into giving lavish gifts in the first place. Money really CAN'T buy my love. I'm the type of girl you give a toaster if I need one! Or sheets, I love new sheets....
anyway, I am not one to be blown away by jewelry or roses on V-day, or most occasions. It's just too uninspired and cliche. How much thought goes into these gifts?
Precisely why the best Valentine's Day gift I ever got was (along with a necklace btw) a homemade card. I hate cards for the same reason I dislike jewelry and flowers...but a homemade card shows forethought and creativity. The next best gift I ever received from that boyfriend was a hand thrown coffee mug, made for no particular reason while he was in a ceramics class. I'm drinking my coffee from it right now, as I do every morning.
The necklace I received from him broke, and one of a pair of earrings he gave me is long lost....but I've got that card tucked away, and the mug reminds me of better points in that relationship. Nevermind that my memory of receiving bot the card and the mug are far clearer in my mind than any other gift he gave me.
Thoughtfulness and creativity go a lot farther for me than the norm. Take that extra step this Valentine's Day!
Have a Happy Valentine's Day!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Detour Art Project
Through Alicia's blog, I found this project from Moleskine called Detour.
Her post of Paula Scher's notebook of type doodles just got me hooked on a plethora of you tube videos displaying the work. I like the idea of this project: creative professionals show how they made use of a Moleskine notebook. Some very creative takes, my favorites being the more sculptural pieces.
The comments on these videos are unfortunately less than intelligent. I think very few of them knew they were looking at "notebooks" of professionals. Even worse, many were hung up on the fact that these were moleskines, and therefore responded more favorably to intricate doodles than what I see as more creative attempts. More inherently creative to me are Birgit Brenner's embroidering a fold-out moleskine to make a sort-of animation, or Antonio Jorge Gonçalves paper cut-outs of classified nose shapes (each page is a profile of a person, with name on the back), or Scott Henderson's cut and folded in pages that create a sculptural object.....simply because they cross the parameters of the use of a moleskin notebook. How cliche, in a way, to simply SKETCH in one? (I am not suggesting that sketching isn't creative, just that doing something other than sketching in these notebooks does not make that action less artistic and therefore less valuable or enjoyable.) Thinking outside of an objects normal use in order to transform it is showing a completely different way of thinking, which I applaud and sincerely hope future comments on these videos take into account.
I mean, of couse no one has to like everything they see, but at least give it some intelligent thought before dismissing it completely!
Her post of Paula Scher's notebook of type doodles just got me hooked on a plethora of you tube videos displaying the work. I like the idea of this project: creative professionals show how they made use of a Moleskine notebook. Some very creative takes, my favorites being the more sculptural pieces.
The comments on these videos are unfortunately less than intelligent. I think very few of them knew they were looking at "notebooks" of professionals. Even worse, many were hung up on the fact that these were moleskines, and therefore responded more favorably to intricate doodles than what I see as more creative attempts. More inherently creative to me are Birgit Brenner's embroidering a fold-out moleskine to make a sort-of animation, or Antonio Jorge Gonçalves paper cut-outs of classified nose shapes (each page is a profile of a person, with name on the back), or Scott Henderson's cut and folded in pages that create a sculptural object.....simply because they cross the parameters of the use of a moleskin notebook. How cliche, in a way, to simply SKETCH in one? (I am not suggesting that sketching isn't creative, just that doing something other than sketching in these notebooks does not make that action less artistic and therefore less valuable or enjoyable.) Thinking outside of an objects normal use in order to transform it is showing a completely different way of thinking, which I applaud and sincerely hope future comments on these videos take into account.
I mean, of couse no one has to like everything they see, but at least give it some intelligent thought before dismissing it completely!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Resolutions via Listmaking
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a good time celebrating. I ended up in Connecticut for a few days, avoiding the city crowds in exchange for a more intimate party with good friends. Always a good time with that crowd!
I haven't made any resolutions formally, but really I'm always re-evaluating and making new ones. Every few weeks even. I'm feeling some hard-core list making coming on...
Through college I became a list maker. Between being a full time graphic design student and working 20 to 25 hours a week, it was something of a necessity. Lots to keep track of, and always changing tasks and goals. I'd fill up agendas, and got into the habit of plastering those pages with post-its as deadlines experienced further changes. As finals approached, I'd make lists on loose-leaf with even more minute details. And the hallmark of finals was always the calendar, a 5-week usually redone into a three-week toward the end so I could visually map and understand my time frames.
and of course these were all color coded, thank-you my mini sharpie key ring.
I chalk it up to my first-born, A-type, over-achieving, detail-oriented mind. Lists and schedules are a comforting thing to someone who can kinda be a control freak!
I was really happy to start filling in my '09 agenda.
Hmm shall I make a list now? I'll ponder on my lunch and give an update.
I hope everyone had a good time celebrating. I ended up in Connecticut for a few days, avoiding the city crowds in exchange for a more intimate party with good friends. Always a good time with that crowd!
I haven't made any resolutions formally, but really I'm always re-evaluating and making new ones. Every few weeks even. I'm feeling some hard-core list making coming on...
Through college I became a list maker. Between being a full time graphic design student and working 20 to 25 hours a week, it was something of a necessity. Lots to keep track of, and always changing tasks and goals. I'd fill up agendas, and got into the habit of plastering those pages with post-its as deadlines experienced further changes. As finals approached, I'd make lists on loose-leaf with even more minute details. And the hallmark of finals was always the calendar, a 5-week usually redone into a three-week toward the end so I could visually map and understand my time frames.
and of course these were all color coded, thank-you my mini sharpie key ring.
I chalk it up to my first-born, A-type, over-achieving, detail-oriented mind. Lists and schedules are a comforting thing to someone who can kinda be a control freak!
I was really happy to start filling in my '09 agenda.
Hmm shall I make a list now? I'll ponder on my lunch and give an update.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
About time to post something...
Well, I set this up a few months ago and then never posted anything. So is my life.
It's almost Christmas. We got snow here in NYC finally. It snowed a fair amount, but being from upstate I couldn't help but scoff at all the hullabaloo on TV about the storm. I am sure they got more snow back home, and there still was only an early dismissal in my school district, not a closing. Oh, well, I did get out of work early because of it!
Ahh, hopefully I will continue my effort to post here more. Maybe even some drawngs, which I am going to embark upon now!
It's almost Christmas. We got snow here in NYC finally. It snowed a fair amount, but being from upstate I couldn't help but scoff at all the hullabaloo on TV about the storm. I am sure they got more snow back home, and there still was only an early dismissal in my school district, not a closing. Oh, well, I did get out of work early because of it!
Ahh, hopefully I will continue my effort to post here more. Maybe even some drawngs, which I am going to embark upon now!
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