{ Winx to Linx }

Synthesize by Anthony Neil Dart

• Work from Anthony Neil Dart has been my latest graphic inspiration. It's a beautiful collage of information and text and imagery. Reminding me of Corner & MacClean beautiful landscape images, Dart's work uses images of beauty and limited color, but still very bold and capturing. Think Design Blog did a great interview with Dart, which worth filing away for a read of inspiration. {via}
• While researching websites this week, I came across some beautiful examples, including this awesome full screen video website, Uniqlock. It might not seem like much, but the full screen/scaling site option is pretty new (to me) works beautifully in multiple sizes. And the super text graphics for the loading screen doesn't hurt either. 
• Hot wheels on steroids - I was (and still am) a huge lover of slot cars and tracks. Having grown up with no brothers, my father treated me like the son he didn't have, so I had a few of these racing kits growing up (and still do!). But these tracks will blow any enthusiast away!  {via}
• JCPenny's new logo screams America, but to me its more reminiscent of London's Mind the Gap campaign. I definitely see the market they were going after, but I'd have to say my verdicts still out on the revamp. What's your thoughts? {via}
• I love bacon more than the average person, but I'm not so sure about this one. Bacon Flavored Diet Coke. {via}
• Artist, Chad Wys new series, Nocturne and Process of Elimination series is total eye candy. Taking works of master paintings and leaving out gaping 'pieces of information' is great to see what conclusions or assumptions the mind recognizes and fills in. This is a beautiful way to revisit the classics. 

{ Winx to Linx }

This has been a crazy few weeks, and like always I'm behind on what I'm doing. But I'm in need of sharing my awesome finds of late.

• Swissted is an ongoing project by graphic designer mike joyce, owner of stereotype design in new york city. Drawing from his love of punk rock and swiss modernism, two movements that have absolutely nothing to do with one another, mike has redesigned vintage punk, hardcore, and indie rock show flyers into international typographic style posters. And these are definitely worth the bookmark. These are real shows, and totally reminds me of some of my fave Frank Stella work, and probably needs me to print a few.  
• I knew I wasn't the only one who was noticing handwritten letters, typically from editors, finding it's way all over the publishing world! and even on some of my fave blogs, A Beautiful Mess uses it all the time! Luckily Noteworthy put together a great list of brushes (free!) to download and try, I can't wait to get home and really try these out on my tablet! {via}
• The Creativity Post put together a really great list of 12 things you were never taught in school. I'm not normally a big fan reader of these sort of posts, but I found this one pretty inspiring for the new year and my new positive outlook. {via}
• Fourth Year Studio - a great letterpress company, and former architecture students with me, out of Knoxville is having a fund raiser for Baby Tyson (who is a heart baby of another fellow archy over at Vandy). You can check his inspiring story here. And as a new mother, I have no idea how I would be able to be half as strong as Tyson's mom, but they are so wonderful, and it's great to see how wonderful he has been doing, I'm somewhat addicting to checking his status, and hoping (since I'm not the praying type) he's continuing to do well {to purchase a calendar}.
• Best Movie Posters of 2011 - some definite eye candy in the mix. I'm in LOVE with the Eames one .. of course! also a brilliant documentary if you haven't seen it, it's a must. And I have a serious crush on Cam Archer's film, Shit Year. {via}
• Shrinking Kat - Kat, whom you might remember from previous post, is dieting like no other, and documenting her journey on the dukan diet, the one Kate Middleton supposedly lost all her pre-wedding weight on. I know it's a fad diet, but it seems like one I could get behind, with all these veggies and meats! If you want to follow and encourage Kat's success please click. {via}

{ Linxxx Luv }

and of course in my absence on the blog, I've collected a few really beautiful sites I'd love to share!

• Saks in the City - Fashion blogs are a dime a dozen, but with Saks I found a real girl trying to make it in the really big city (Paris), and she is doing it all while looking great and sharing her secrets. I know, as I have never been petite in size, fashion and even just drooling over fashion is hard. There is never anything that fits just right, and while there have been great advances in the ...dare I say it... Plus Size World, It's still hard to find someone to really identify with, but Saks is great! wearing things I would wear, and not at all feel weird about wearing them.
  
• Isle of Tune - a great little time waster. This site lets you make roads and houses and plant trees and lights in a city of your dreams, but to car driving music. wait.... does that make sense? It's like Sim city, but as you let your cars drive around it plays music based off where you placed your houses and stuff... It's really cute and fun! and I'm just loving the MJ Beat It city!
  
• Google Body - Now you can be an anatomy perv! Google just recently launched Google Body! an 'Google Earth' for the body. I know I'm not the only one who zoomed in on the genital, right?
  
• Missed Connections - You know those great posts on Craigslist, Missed Connections? Well this clever artist is making up some great illustrations to go along with those missed out love ones. 

{ linxxx luv }

Here's some great finds I have been holding on too...
1. Design Observer.  posted a great collection of vintage cigarettes and photos... not that I'm a smoker, but I think had I lived 50+ years ago I wouldn't be able to turn it down, it was so damn glamorous! {via}


2. Friends of Type . this great site was a stumble / recommended to me via Nubbytwiglet (which I know I mention all the damn time - so if you haven't check her out). but I knew I would love this site as soon as I opened it and saw in green, orange, and white 'D'yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?'. this was without a doubt one of my fave Oasis bsides, and the graphic on the site was hot2death. linxxx luv fo'sho. {via}


3. Have you heard of Senoa Dancing? they were a new wave group from way back when... but do you recognize the singer? cause you should. It's Ricky Gervais, from the Office (UK) The Invention of Lying. This cute pudgy fellow actually tried a serious time singing new wave... just too funny! {via}

4. Fashion Indie's Top 10 Favorite Fashion Pervs (nsfw). but totally worth it. A nice lilttle collection of some classy yet creepy peoples, like tom ford, karl lagerfeld, and the grandmama madonna. {via}

5. Schrute Farms . yes, that's right you can leave Schrute Farms a nice lil' review on trip advisor. and if you don't leave one, atleast check out the others... ctm!

6. W+K Studio . a nice graphics firm. and worth the book mark. {via}

7. Hoefler & Frere-Jones . who doesn't need another great tutorial / write up on fonts? here the H&FJ folks help us out with 4 different ways to combine fonts! thnxxx {via}

Linxxx Luv

It's time for another installment of Linxxx Luv (also known as Winxxx to Linxxx). So here are so handy, fun time things I have found for entertainment on the interweb.

1. Missed Connections Illustrated. You know that super funny section on craigslist, you know, the you secretly hope you will find a post describing you (or atleast someone you know). Well this lil' jewel illustrates those posts. It's a super ceeeyyute!

2. Three DD. Just like what it says, three dimensional boobs. grab those blue and red glasses and get to checkin' out the tah tah's.

3. The Blueprint Database. They even have a Millenium Falcon!

4. A closer look at the making of a film I'm dying to see, Fantasic Mr. Fox. (via)

5. Last, a nifty lil' animation of the 4 world maritime powers and their decline. Totally nerdy, yet totally entrancing. I heart year 1960 when France explodes! tehehe...

Linxxx Luv

1. miscellaneous culture - through a Linkedin request came across this UT grad's design site... totes bookmark worthy for inspiration

2. Architizer - beta version officially launched last week, and I have apparently been living under a rock! How did I miss this? It seems this is the new way for architects to connect across the globe. A Daily Dose is refering to it as 'the facebook' for architects, well... we'll see, but who doesn't need another work time distraction?

3. Nendo for the Moleskine Project - artist Nendo has simply cut the top edges of moleskines to create landscapes, his goal is to show sketches teetering on the edge of two and three dimensions...totally eye candy.

4. Gropius is falling down - it seems that not only did Chicago architect suffer a blow from the loss of the Olympic bid, but the Bauhaus designer, Walter Gropius, and his 1957 Friends of Convalence Home (read as hospital) was torn down. A sad sad day.

5. Princess Leia x2... sunbathing? - just so damn sexy!

Linxxx Luv

1. 100 Incredible Lectures for Architects of the Future (via). Lots-o TED lectures, which is never a bad thing

2. The Times have put out this neat-o lil' graphic depicting How Different Groups Spend their Day. Somehow I don't fully believe the women shopping percentage! ha!

3. Do you wonder through life without any vices or imperfections? well let me say... BOOORing! that's major snooze-ville. I unfortunately fall into too many of these 7 vices for creative people (particularly 1-be a drinker, 6-sex, and 7-abuse the card). sigh, I wish I just had more time / opportunity to be more creative.

4. Was bummed when I heard Gwathmey passed away, but found this link to my fave project, Whig Hall. Those axons are sexy as hell. (via)

5. Who doesn't need more fonts? Lately I've been on a handvetica kick. Here's 22 drawn-esque fonts.

Linxxx Luv

And here's this week's installment of the best things on the inter-web.

1. 100 Years of Design Manifestos. I haven't read them all, but F.T. Marinetti and Walter Gropius and El Lissitzky are ones I always go back to.

2. Do you Tweet? More Recently I have become way into it, but have you wondered why people quit following you? or who it was? Quitter lets you see just that, and what your last tweet was that might have sent them running.

3. Lessons from Swiss Style Graphic Design. What can't the Swiss do?

4. Inglorious Bastards opens in theatres in 2 weeks, and I have a serious itch to see this. Tarantino never disappoints.

5. Remember Kara Janx from Project Runway? She definately wasn't a fave. of mine, and honestly I think she had something to do with Santino not doing as well towards the end (he was my fave). Well her line is looking alright....

6. And the last thing I need is another distraction at work. Studies via pubmed show that gaming during work helps increase productivity... well sign me up I need some PORTAL!

7. Peter Callesen. Great paper artist.

Music + Design

How can these things not go hand in hand? I've (in the past 2 weeks) come across 2 great sites or articles about this: Music + Design. Bands, album art, videos, imagery that is evoked when listening to music, its the stuff that really gets me turned on! yesh, I'm sooo serious about this.

So here are my two great finds (and consider this a lil' winx to linx, since its been mia for a while)
1. 100 obscure and remarkable cd covers - via smashingmag.com, but don't they always have the coolest finds? And who doesn't love a good album cover? My only complaint would be lack of 70's Yes albums, sooo psychedelic.
2. Bands&Design.com. A great site I stumbled upon when trying to soak up all things from White Rabbits (totes the best new band I've heard in a while! get this album!!! white rabbits myspace). A great blog by RichSamuels, someone I totes recommend following via twitter!

.

edition deux

1. The Design Files - a great blog with fantastic images of all things bad ass in design, architecture, graphics, illustration, furniture! especially check out the post: everything is ok
2. Paramodel: Graffiti-style Rail Track Art - via Ping Mag. Artists Hayashi Yasuhiko and Nakano Yusuke create these graffiti-esque installation that resembles circuit boards with vinyl, paint, lights, or whateve. else. Its definate candy for the eye and mind!
3. PSDTUTS - This particular tutorial, dynamic recessed watercolor typography in photoshop, is one I am tryin out today, and will post the results! promise!
   
4. 2PzNaPpod - This particular link is to Kylie for giving me a great laugh yesterday afternoon with her two link finds. The first one is great, I promise tons of laughs! and the second one made me miss modern rock from my middle school days! I mean, what the F happened to modern rock? Now we have 3 doors down and nickelback?!?! Those bands can't even compare to the Cranberries, or Smashing Pumpkins, or Local H... ahhh... memories
   

winx to linx

... the best links of the week

• Mr. Glasses, the architect of my broken heart (check out the first episode and the 'building's' he has designed http://www.icn.tv/watch/110
• Nubby has the best inspiration and her 'this week in pictures' was no exception http://nubbytwiglet.com/blog/2009/04/03/the-week-in-pictures-4309/
• Graflex Directions have a rad flash animation where they take the continents and make animals out of them.. its major eyecandy http://www.graflexdirections.com/project/piecepeace/01/