Aspirations for the New Year

I don't really do resolutions, they're too much pressure. I prefer aspirations.

Put together a budget
Run a Half Marathon
Start an Etsy Shop

Those are the aspirations I need some accountability for. Feel free to call me out if I don't do it.

Polaroid 420

This is my new obsession. I found this old polaroid camera for $3.50 at my local thrift store. I've been wanting a polaroid camera that took the kind of film that you peel apart for some time, but just hadn't found the right one yet. I happened to have the film for the camera at my house leftover from some polaroid transfer experiments. I can't stop playing with it! I can't wait for more film to come from Amazon. Here are some photos from the where I work that I took on my lunch break.

Christmas!

These are my favorite presents I received for christmas. A chia herb garden, giada cookbook, salad spinner, sweet tube socks, and OPI nail polish. And the gifts to myself included a polaroid 420 camera from who knows when, and a nerdy nooka watch.

Talented Friends

My fried Joel is super talented at lots of things, so when he entered Sufjan's Christmas song contest and came in 35 out of over 650 and got his song played on the asthmatic kitty website I was not surprised. Click here to read about the contest and listen to Joel's song "No Mo' HoHoHo".

Color of the Year

Pantone just announced it's color of the year for 2008; Iris Blue. That's PANTONE 18-3943 TCX for all you color nerds out there. Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said: “Blue Iris brings together the dependable aspects of blue, underscored by a strong, soul-searching purple cast. Emotionally, it is anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.”


Bah! I love it. Read the Times article here.

Cookies!

Last night was a cookie party at Lana's with Lindsey and Jess. Super ridiculously awesome. Mine is the purple ninja at the bottom.

Sufjan

We were so the annoying kids after the Sufjan concert, but when else do you have the chance to be captured with your favorite musician.

Us and Sufjan Stevens

Nativity

For the Christian modernist.

Made by Massimo Giacon & Alessi.

Sick!

I love taking paper objects and making them ceramic; making disposable objects into something to be treasured. These ceramic air sickness bags from Mano are the coolest.
as seen on notcot.

Feeling like

I want to be Mary Tyler Moore.

Juno

Please go see Juno it was glorious.

Lana Tuesdays

Tuesday is Haley Lana day and it is glorious. I look forward to it. I get to hang with my super cool coworker Lana who makes me eat weird things like tofurkey sausage since she is a vegetarian. It's actually pretty good. I've also had teriyaki tofu, and lemon grass "chicken" at our stellar dinner and small group nights. She's pretty much my favorite!

Random Rant

Has anyone else noticed the way that MTV is trying to shove independent artists down their viewers throats? I was watching the Hills (guilty pleasure) when who comes on at the end but Against Me! !!! I can understand MIA and Rilo Kiley, but baby if your an anarchist then appearing on MTV is a very poor move.

County Fair

We had our company Christmas party last week and the theme was county fair. There were corn dogs, a mechanical bull, skee-ball, karaoke, and a ferris wheel. Not to mention free photo booths! Coolest ever. Here are me and my coworkers.

Jeni, Bryana, Me, and Jeff

Lunch Break

On my lunch break today I got to see a free Ingrid Michaelson (a la old navy commercials and grey's anatomy soundtrack) concert at world cafe. Absolutely glorious thanks to Kenj and her last minute tip about the show! You'll be able to listen to the concert on the world cafe website. Listen for my clapping!

The Ultimate Sushi Buffet

Last night was my boss's mom's birthday and she invited us to go to an all you can eat sushi buffet. So we went to Minado and were welcomed by rows upon rows of the most incredible sushi, sashimi, tempura, and other deliciousness. They are constantly making rolls, and never put too much out at one time so there's a big turnover and the fish is always fresh. It was a totally bizarre/glorious experience.

It's only 20 minutes outside Philly, and completely worth the trip. Oh yeah and it's only $26 for infinite sushi rolls. BRILLIANT!

Sometimes you just need to hear

from Matirose via decor8.

Type

After watching the documentary on the typeface Helvetica on Saturday with my cool designer friends I'm in a total typography mood...and I never say things like typography mood. The movie was just so informative and entertaining. It made me want to say something...in Type. It made me miss communicating through design rather than the decorative drawing I've been doing lately, though I love that too.

Here's a sweet site found on veer with the top 9 moving type videos. Maybe they will help you appreciate what I'm talking about a little more.

This is a sample of what they have on there.

Dynamic

Howies always makes me think.

Muji

On my to do list for my Saturday with designer friends in NYC is to go to the new Muji store that just opened. It appears to be an ikea/container store with emphasis on clean functional design. I just read this article in the NY times about the opening in which a couple who is being interviewed states that they are selling all of their possessions on e-bay until they only have the things they use on a daily basis. I like the idea of minimalism, but the creative lifestyle is kind of inherently filled with inspiration...better known as clutter.

I also love how the article calls Ikea a "gateway drug" for good design.

And you know how I love a good manifesto.

Because there is complexity in purity.

Elegance in plainness.

Intricacy in streamlining.

Richness in reduction.

Depth in minimalism.

Surprise in uniformity.

Innovation in re-use.

Cool in the avoidance of cool.

And there is true
sophistication in simplicity.

Talented Friends

One of my college graphic friends, Nikki, is a designer for the window displays for the flagship Anthropologie store in rockafeller center. She periodically e-mails sweet photo updates of her work. The windows are absolutely gorgeous! They make me want cocoa.

PLEASE look at her slideshow!

Wishlist

Adding to your amazon wishlist is one of life's greatest simple pleasures.
Here's mine.

I also just bought this book at the Urban Sample sale called Listography: Your Life in Lists.


you get to compile all of your favorite things in lists in this book. Super cool.

How to be an Artist

I would love to check out this little zine about what it takes to be an artist.

Apparently being an artist has something to do with getting no sleep and fleetwoodmac. I have to tell you that I am intrigued.

Christmas list!

You only have to look through previous posts to figure out what I want for Christmas. So I figured I'd give a list of resources to find the coolest most thoughtful gift ever.

1. Ebay
I could only hope to receive a lot of vintage polaroid cameras.
2. Etsy
Just search for screenprints and you'll get a host of beautiful posters, gifts, clothes etc.
3. Amazon
Magazine subscriptions are the coolest.
4. Kiva
Make a loan to a small business owner in someone special's name.
5. Tastespotting
Find the perfect recipe for some Eggnog latte cupcakes that you can give to you coworkers.

What do you want for Christmas?

Ben the Dinosaur

Ben texted me a joke today at work, and it was so good I had to share.
-Be warned I love cheesey jokes-

What's black and white and black and white and green?
.
.
.
.
A penguin and a skunk fighting over a pickle.
HAHAHA

Where I work

Philadelphia magazine had an article this week with the best places to work in Philly. They had a nice spread on Urban. The image shows our coffee bar and newstand. It's pretty much amazing.

Click the photo below to see the larger image.

Guitar Hero

Joel and I rocking out. I think this photo says it all.

Non Planner Datebook

Have I blogged about this yet? It's a planner for the creative unorganized types...right people like me. It has fun creative exercises and kind of embraces the fact that you will never be organized.

Rob Ryan's Cut Paper

This man is brilliant.

Good Reading

An article on Sufjan's BQE project
"It’s not easy being 2007’s wacko cultural wonder boy."
Courtesy of Joel.

David Sedaris's favorite books.

Philly is Ugly

According to Travel and Leisure Magazine:

Philadelphia is home to the least attractive people in the United States, a survey of visitors and residents showed on Friday.

The city of more than 1.5 million people was also found to be among the least stylish, least active, least friendly and least worldly, according to the "America's Favorite Cities" survey by Travel & Leisure magazine and CNN Headline News.

This makes me happy to still be living in Wilmington...it also ups your chances of being the cutest girl in the room when you go out. Pretty much hilarious.

Nickel Creek

I saw Nickel Creek perform last night at The Delaware Opera House with some friends. They put on a phenomonal show. They are to bluegrass what Iron and Wine is to folk. Chris Thile plays a mean mandolin.

How I feel today

I found this on Rachel's Blog and decided to post it in honor of another rainy day.

The Best American Non-Required Reading

I'm loving this book of the best American short stories of 2007 (edited by Dave Eggers from McSweeney's). I picked it up because the cover looked interesting, and then when it said "Intro by Sufjan Stevens" I was sold.


The intro starts out like this:

"There are some things you tell no one, secrets packed and folded away in the far reaches of your mind - admissions of mouth herpes, for example, or athlete's foot, or a night spent in jail for drunk driving. These irreversible facts, like birth certificates and blood donor cards, we keep under cover in the fireproof safe-deposite box hidden in the closet, under the Ouija board and Christmas-tree stand and the packs of Nicorette gum."

quit your day job

Here's a site from Sharyn called 12 Travel Websites that will make you quit your day job.

From the Brave New Traveler Blog.


I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Thoreau

So Fun!

Check out this super weird, cute and genius video that Brad sent me.




Thanks Bradizzle!

Also I had a business trip (HAH!) to NYC yesterday to buy some prints and scope out what the other retailers are selling (aka we went shopping). Then I got to meet up with Danielle, Greg, and Manning and eat delicious BBQ. Manning also gave me the coolest umbrella ever that they had left over from a Women's Health benefit thing.

It's biodegradable!


It's called the Brelli.

Things We Love

I love the lists people make of things they love, which is why I'm really enjoying this part of the Kate Spade site. Just click on "Things We Love" in the navigation bar.

I'm loving
Tazo African Red Bush Tea
The Boat Wall Paper by Mike Perry
Circle of Hope, the new church Kenj and I are going to
My new grey boots and t-shirt scarf
The TV show "Pushing Daisys"
Open Windows
Cooking these chicken enchiladas
Sunsets over the big ships in the naval yard

Please tell me what you're loving.

Style?

Last night was Jess and Laura's birthday cocktail party which was super cute and super fun.

Apparently though this is what working two weeks at Urban Outfitters does to your wardrobe. You think it's ok to start dressing like a mushroom.


Kendra, Donna, Me, Laura and Jess looking snazzy.

Cupcakes

Yesterday at work we had a cupcake party for one of the assistant buyers Lana who is more than mildly obsessed with cupcakes. It was her birthday so we surprised her with some sweet treats. Since Kendra was away I entertained myself by baking the cupcakes and laughed hysterically by myself when it all went wrong.

They were like little volcanoes in the oven.


I decided to just make the icing green and call them dinosaur sludge cupcakes and call it a day.

Johnathan Adler

I'm flipping though this Jonathan Adler book, "My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living", and I came across this great quote.

"I think that somewhere along the way, people got tricked into believing that art has to be incomprehensible and skill-free and ugly. I totally reject that idea. I want my work to be communicative and beautiful and, I hope, impactful on an emotional level before an intellectual level."

80 ain't what it used to be

For my grandfather's 80th birthday he received a mac mini computer so that he can check his e-mail from his flat screen TV. My how times have changed.

I love this man.


Also Kendra's away on a business trip until Wednesday, and I'm stuck here with no cable and internet that only works sometimes. We also only own exercise dvd's and the andy griffith show, so as much as I enjoy silence and solitude feel free to give me a call.

Christopher Neal

I love this illustration from Christopher Neal. It makes me so happy.


I'm going home this weekend for my Grandfather's 80th birthday. So exciting!

First Day

So our internet only works sporadically so I'll keep it brief. I got the Urban orientation today, and saw their sweet gym where they offer yoga classes free of charge. You're also allowed to bring your dog to work and they even provide dog training lessons. I found out that my benefits package includes 30% off massages and acupuncture.

I was super surprised to see that urban bought one of my prints I designed for printfresh, so when I saw the spring line they have an apron, dish towel, and tapestry with a print I already designed on it. It was super bizarro, I'll let everyone know when it comes out in January.

I got to spend the rest of the day playing with a label maker, and flipping through European design magazines for inspiration. And chatting with my awesome coworkers. I'm so glad I only have two of them to really get to know.

I then came home to my amazing roommate who made me a fabulous dinner. Followed by painting furniture and listening to the most hilarious "this american life" that I've heard in a while.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Getting settled

Last night was my first in the new apartment. Moving in wasn't too bad, but I have a long list of things I forgot at home. I celebrated the evening by heading to Philly with Joel, Claire, and new friend Brian and enjoyed a concert in a TINY couple hundred year old church with super uncomfortable pews and 46 other people squashed in with no air conditioning. It was pretty much the coolest venue ever air conditioning aside. We saw Marla Hansen and Denison Witmer. They are best friends with Sufjan, Marla is a classically trained viola player with the voice of an angel. Denison is a philly native with "guy with guitar" songs.

Here's Joel's photo of the day.


I ended the evening at Ben's house with new roomie Kenj for a going away party for Dave who's going to California to work with invisible children. It was a glorious start.

Ethan Curry

Today I had the opportunity to take photos of Mike and Carrie's new baby Ethan.
He is a bundle of adorableness.

How to meet ladies

Tatz needs this shirt.

Groovy Jamison

One of the people I'm truly going to miss when I leave starbucks is Jamison. He is 6'5, every song is his favorite song, he is an artist, and everything in his world is Groovy. He educates me on the hidden meanings in Grateful Dead songs and plays guitar in his church's worship band. This man is one of a kind, and keeps me in stitches with his goofy dancing, sing alongs, and coffee descriptions that make him sound like a sommelier.

Tonight he pulled out his to do list to show me I was on it (bottom right) I was in hysterics because his to do list describes his personality more aptly than I could ever put into words with his quirky drawings, crayon highlighting, and all around Jamison gloriousness. I made him hand over the list because I thought it needed to be enjoyed by everyone.



I'm looking forward to Sunday when we get so sit down for brunch and talk art. It should be groovy.

Salmon Dance

I've been thinking about decorating me and Kenj's new crib and my mind is out of control. I've been joking with Kendra that I didn't get a new roomate, but that I got a new personal trainer and she got a new decorator.

I saw this Amazing photo on Greg's (geeze Greg you've had like 80 shoutouts on my blog) portfolio. It looks like it's from a vintage postcard that he took in Yellowstone. So I decided it needed a little Haley touch, so I added some fish since I can't get the salmon dance out of my head.

This is the beginning of it.



now picture it like 3 feet wide over our new couch.

Mail

I love mail, and I rarely get it because I am terrible at sending it. So today when I came home from making lattes I was super surprised to see two letters sitting on my kitchen table. One from Carolyn in CO with a copy of a photo of us outside of mets stadium. Absolutely glorious.

The other was from Greg, which contained my lumberjack. I think I need to start a collection.

Here he is.


ALSOOOO Speaking of lumberjacks:

You can listen to the new Iron and Wine album in it's entirety on Myspace

I love Sam Beam

Into the Wild

This book changed a lot about how I look at the world. I hope the movie does it justice.

Book Autopsies

Crazy ridiculously awesome book sculptures from Brian Dettmer.

"Brian Dettmer carves into books revealing the artwork inside, creating complex layered three-dimensional sculptures."

More Horsepower

Here's a VW ad Greg sent me in honor of my new golf.


so clever.

To whom much is given, much is expected.

My new title is, "Haley Smith: Assistant Designer-Home for the Urban Design Department". I got a job yesterday. Not just any job, but my dream job. I get to sit around all day and design the coolest stuff ever. And we take field trips to flea markets.

I now have a way to pay for my new car, and on top of all this I get to live with Kendra Acker in Wilmington in what she assures me is the cutest apartment ever.

This is what I get to design.

Here are my favorite ladies helping me celebrate. My new roomie is in the corner opposite me in the black tank top. I LOVE KENDRA! Joel, Melissa, and Donna also came to dinner to celebrate.

Galileo!

I got a new car today. Crazy right? It's a lovely 2005 Volkswagen Golf with 26,000 miles. On the way home Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was playing on the radio so I decided I should name it Galileo. Hopefully we'll do some amazing exploring together.

Wedding Photos

I photographed my first wedding today for Cheryl and Athen. I worked with Cheryl at Starbucks and was flattered/terrified that she asked me. I'm really excited about how they turned out. You can't go wrong with a beach wedding.

Here they are.


And this is the lovely Erica.

Wooden

This would be the sweetest wedding ring of life.


Don't worry I'm not getting married until I'm 35.


I found this on the PoppyTalk website.

We're HOME

Carolyn and I are back a little early from our new england road trip. You can see all my photos on my facebook account, but here are some of my favorites.

Syracuse Gnome


Me and Carolyn kayaking on lake champlain


Birdman in Montreal


Poutine


Bug Light Maine


People I met walking on the rocks



Boston Aquarium Jellyfish


Carolyn, Lauren, and I with my favorite hat in CT


Time Square


And we finished with hanging with one of my favorite people in the whole wide world, Danielle, watching a mets game.