{ Eye Candy: Rugrats All Grown Up }

Ever wonder what became of your favorite nickelodeon cartoon characters? Ya know, incase they kept on growing up in cartoon world. Well wonder no further! The amazing Celeste {via Celeste Doodles} has a real talent for re-imagining your favorite cartoon characters. The above image are the gang from Rugrats, which while a lil' too young for me in its hay day, was still a well watched show of mine. Be sure to follow her on Tumblr and check out the rest of her work. It's definately inspiring (I know I'll be sketching tonight!).

{ A Pixar Conspiracy Theory }

A conspiracy theory regarding the Pixar movies? Sounds pretty wack-a-doodle to me, at least that's what I first thought...
I heard about this theory a few month back, and since it's been lingering with me for a while I kept looking (I have a 2 year old so it's not like Pixar movies aren't in the rotation pretty regularly) for any overlap in the films and low and behold, I did find a few! I won't get into mine, because Jon Negroni does more than an amazing job pointing out each overlap and signs. I mean those guys and gals at Pixar are pretty clever, I'm sure they weaved in some great 'easter eggs' for those bright eyed enough to see them. 

Negroni believes (and I might too, it's pretty convincing), that all of the Pixar movies actually exist within the same universe (beginning with Toy Story).  Every movie is connected and implies major events that influence every single movie.   

You will definately need to read more of this article to really appreciate it, here is one of my favorite mentions. {via}

In the beginning of Up, Carl is forced to give up his house to a corporation because they are expanding the city. Think on that. What corporation is guilty for polluting the earth and wiping out life in the distant future because of technology overreach?


Buy-n-Large (BNL), a corporation that runs just about everything by the time we get to Wall-E. In the “History of BNL” commercial from the movie, we’re told that BNL has even taken over the world governments. Did you catch that this one corporation achieved global dominance? 

Interestingly, this is the same organization alluded to in Toy Story 3:

Toy Story 3 (Buzz’s batteries)

{ Can I Just Live Here? }

As a new mom I'm sure I follow / subscribe to too many blogs and people about parenting (mostly cool things for kids), but today there was a post for these incredible outdoor play houses. Now my lil' man just has your standard run of the mill fischer price play house / slide combo (it was actually a craigslist find), so he doesn't need a new play house or anything, but the designer inside of me just SQUEELED when I saw these!

Meet the Illinois Play House from Smart Play house (appropriately named)! Smart Play House has tons of other great modern play houses, but isn't this Farnsworth House knock off the cutest? I'd totally live there (well if the darn thing was scaled up like 300%). I mean it's a straight up copy, but who hasn't copied this house (thinking of ol' PJ, and don't forget Bill Shell - ut arch knows what I'm saying).

::::swoon::::

{ Eye Candy: A First Trade Show Booth }

what a sexy booth number graphic!

I've designed a few trade show booths in my day, one for cdp and one for medmaps. But to have the ability to display your own personal work and really go all out is something I've often daydreamed about.

 The Creative duo at These are Things got the chance to do just that, at the National Stationary Show and whoa! is their booth and documentation impressive. It has just the right amount of handmade flair that makes my design heart flutter. I have friends who do plenty of craft shows and can't help but think of them when I saw this. Check the link for more and a time lapse set up video, but below are my fave.  {via}

{ Knoxville Murals: Sprucing Up Dead Space }

It looks like those Dead Spaces under the interstate by-passes are getting some love in north knoxville. A mural project was started a few months back by the north knoxville communities (Fourth and Gill, Parkridge, old North, and Knoxville) and led by Parkridge resident Lynne Sullivan and artist (chosen via contest last winter) Per-Ole Lind, also an East Knox resident. But it seems like the murals are finally taking shape and coming together and additionally bringing the communities together!

“It’s done more than create art,” Sullivan said. “It’s created community. And I hope it’s just the first of many projects the neighborhoods can do.” 

For additional pics see link {via}

{ Apparently Artists and Cats have a Bond }

While I'm no stranger to the benefits of having some great kitties. It's always nice to find others (artists I admire no less!) who share the same love for felines as me. Similar to the Freddie Mercury article, I'm in love with Dali and his beautiful Ocelot, and Warhol and his 25 kittens all named Sam.


The elusive, self-sustaining nature of the cat finds its human reflection best in the personality of the artist - as they often seek inspiration from their feline companions. similar to ancient egyptian culture - in the sense that they revered cats as borderline deities - cat domestication owed to the clear depictions of house cats in paintings from over 3,600 years ago. being viewed as both an object
of worship and an adored pet, the animals frequently were adorned with jeweled necklaces and gold earrings.{via}

{ Tweets worth a Laugh }

Found this chuckle worthy twitter feed, The Entitled Tech Worker from a friend via FB. It's a nice lil' commentary on how ridiculous those tech workers (out west typically) are.
Enjoy the morning laugh, My fave was (fyi ruby on rails is for the fail)

we deserve our salaries because we solve hard problems, like "using ruby on rails" and "hiring more of ourselves"

{ The Smithsonian is Not Amused }

Jenny Burrows and Matt Kappler teamed up to create “Historically Hardcore,” a super cute and seriously chuckle worthy set of ads for the Smithsonian that sort of shows up how not hardcore modern day rappers are compared to tall tales of historic figures. 

The ads are not official Smithsonian ads and the Smithsonian is not amused. Burrows writes that shortly after the ads went viral and she began receiving requests from local media outlets, she got in touch with the Smithsonian to make sure they were square.

Well, they were less than pleased about the attention the posters were getting and requested that I take them down immediately. Honestly, i don’t blame them. If someone put something out there with my name on it, I wouldn’t be too happy about it either, no matter how awesome it was.

I immediately complied, getting rid of any trace of the museum’s logo, name, and building on the posters and my portfolio site they were posted to. I’m not really one that goes around trying to piss people off. Especially government-run facilities.

What a shame that ol' stuffy (don't worry Smithsonian, I really do love ya) Museum didn't want any part of this cute portfolio exercise. It seems pretty effective and worth a good chuckle. {via}

{ How Many Humps? }

well not really humps, but how many camels are you worth?
It's a silly online test site, and on this bleak, rainy friday I figure we could all use a little laugh... and it's been ages since I did a good post. Don't worry this isn't a good post per sea, but at least it's a post!

Be sure to do kilograms instead of pounds for weight. I messed up the first time, and apparently was weighing in at 900lbs (cause I entered pounds) and ended up being worth zero camels! lol! The picture is my actual camel trading value. Enjoy and feel free to post your results in the comments! {via}

{ Coloring for Adults }

I've come across a few really funny 'adult' coloring books on my time internet-ing, so I've been saving them and finally put them all together to make coloring book of my own to share! It's a lil' compliation of all my faves. and fit real nice on an 8.5"x11" sheet folded in half. Download the mini book here!

{ Help Build the Death Star }

A while back I read about a campaign to get the White House to build a Death Star, but unfortuantely the administration wasn't really feeling it, eventhough it had more than enough signature. I mean couldn't they have let the Death Star fans down gently?  Well, now it appears the people have taken the matter into their own hands with Kickstarter, a sweet lil' funding platform for creative projects. They are making decent headway on funding this ridiculous project, but still have a ways to go. Here are a few of my fave moments {via}:

• £300,855 pledged of £20,000,000 goal
• To keep costs lower the entire project will use open source hardware and software.
• The only risk is the power of the Force.
• and Finally this image, paying a lil' homage to one of my faverite movies, The Hudsucker Proxy

Initial design (not for kids)

{ Calvin and Hobbs in Real Life }

I loved these comics when I was a kid. I think it's the only thing I ever really loved about my elementary school's book fairs. These photographs by Redditor nite4awk are real photographs with calvin and hobbs photoshopped in. I love them and just had to share this updated nostalgia! {via}

{ Quote from Today }

“You think relationships are difficult? Try friendships. Try courting someone in order to convince them to join you in some nameless, shapeless Platonic complication — forever. Convince an adult stranger that you are worth a healthy slice of their limited time and energy without the prize of sex or romance.”

Laura Jayne Martin {via}

Yes, making new friends (and now that I'm older) is tough. 

{ Modern Quilt }

I've been dying for a more modern everyday quilt, I am in LOVE with Nubbytwiglet's design for the blogacademy (someone please send me to one!) and have been obsessed with finding a quilt similar to that design. I feel like I keep seeing it, but can't find it... I know, that makes no sense! But I finally did! well... sort of... The lovely lady, Kate, of See Kate Sew. Posted an adorbs quilt she made (and a how to!) for a cute lil' babe. It's pink, but it has that fractal pattern I love so much. Now to make mine but with greys and aqua! {via}

{ My Daguerreotype Boyfriend }

Now, don't worry, I haven't left the Loon. This is just the name of the cute new site I found with hot2death... like literally cause these photos are so old, gentlemen from the olden days when cameras become more widely available... I know! so silly! and definately worth the giggle time. I even love the site's tagline, Where Early Photography Meets Extreme Hotness... I lol'ed at that. They even have a calendar if pin-ups and beef cakes aren't your thing. {via}

{ What have I been working on? }

 Just doing a lil' fun illustrator poster for the Mary Poppins show coming to the Tennessee Theatre. I'm mega excited! Are you? If you want to order the poster gimme a hollar! {via}

{ ABCs of Architecture }

This animation was too fun not to share. I adore this!
The ABC of Architects from fedelpeye on Vimeo.

{ More Arrested Development }

That seems to be the word around the ol' internets, apparently creator, Mitch Hurwitz filmed too much for the show's Netflix revival, so now we probably have to deal with the crappy reality of twelve to fifteen new episodes rather than a nice clean ten. Oh bummer! what a delightful mistake! now to just make time go faster so we can get to the Spring 2013 release... 

{ Kanye Wes Anderson }

This was too good not to share. Kayne West lyrics matched up surprisingly well to Wes Anderson (movie) screen shots. Enjoy! {via}

{ Stuck on Repeat }

{ Seinfeld Today }

What if Seinfeld was still on the air today? I love this show and can watch rerun after rerun, and never really thought it was too dated, even though it aired in the early - mid nineties... I don't miss Seinfeld too much, cause I often I think It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia seems like a modern Seinfeld... but maybe way darker...
But thanks to the great people with a twitter account, I no longer have to wonder what this show about  nothing would be about today! {via}

{ Mies Greeting Card }

{via}

{ On Repeat }

I saw the Mutations, a few months back at the local establishment, The Pilot Light, and instantly fell in love with their cute cheeky surf music. I was there to see my friend's band, Daddy Don't, who also killed it. But The Mutations have the bubble gum grunge I just love so I had to share! Be sure to check 'em out when they head back to Knoxville.

{ It's Hard }

Bjork, "It's incredible how nature sets females up to take care of people, and yet it is tricky for them to take care of themselves."
Wise words to remember. I've been having a hard time lately, somehow this helps.

{ Stray Cat Strut }

 this lil' cutie just wanted to show off at the ol' Univision Studios.  {via}