Just the Gritty

We've Moved!

2010-09-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

sorry blogger, but i just don't love you anymore. there's someone else, and her name is tumblr.

please fix your bookmarks (both of you), i've moved!

A Deer Wearing Gym Socks

2010-09-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

i'm kind of addicted to Etsy these days. i lived in my loft for almost 2 years without putting up most of my art (disgrace), and then i was laid off. begin color explosion of the home. now i don't have nearly enough wall space for all the prints/photos/paintings/etc that i love...and keep buying. i've even put art up in my closets.

anyway, here's another print i really want to buy, but i think this time i'm going to resist (since i still have about 6 prints to find wall space for). i guess i'll have to buy a bigger home.

Go check out Charmiane Olivia on Etsy!

p.s.
i actually really love the art in my closet. my best friend made it for me and every morning i get dressed in there and look at the sun and beach and a big "YEAH!" and the day starts out a little better. i highly suggest you put motivational artwork wherever you get dressed for the day.

My Personal Love Letter to Mykita

2010-09-10T12:18:00.001-07:00

with love,

how to design like Apple

2010-09-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

A Love Letter To Syracuse

2010-09-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

the five years i spent in this city are some of the best and some of the worst. whenever i see syracuse in a headline i pause and wonder, "what would anyone have to say about this place?" now, don't get me wrong, i loved going to undergrad there and wouldn't trade it, but i'm certainly never headed back.

today as i was skimming some blogs i came across this one: A Love Letter To Syracuse

I paused. And clicked.

Stephen Powers and his crew of painters have come to Syracuse to transform what has been a colossal barrier between two very disparate neighborhoods into a point of interest, a gathering spot, and a conversation.

no, i'm not mesmerized. but i'm happy to see someone taking at least one step towards revitalizing Syracuse (or at least bringing a little attention to it).

Wishlist: Wacom Cintiq & New MacBook Pro

2010-09-08T18:02:00.001-07:00

Please Please Please? I'll make you something pretty if you buy me one of these.

....and while you're at it, my laptop is seriously failing. might as well add one of these:

Playful Typeface: Hannah

2010-09-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Portfolio Site Redesign

2010-09-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

it took me long enough, i know. i hadn't updated the content on kateshay.com in over three years. well, until now that is. i've adopted a whole new layout and moved from flash to a sort of portfolio-blog. twitter and facebook have been integrated (you can "like" projects at the detailed view level).

no more static layouts, never-ending loading bars, and re-learning flash every time i want to update. this way i'll get to share projects big and small, link to this here lovely blog, and really just make a more fresh and dynamic UX.

have a look around. i hope you like it.

Drywell ETSY shop

2010-09-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

this artist has some seriously strange and awesome prints. i just bought two myself, i'm really excited about the "SF is for carnivores" poster, although i think i got the last one available at the moment. Go check out Drywell's store.

street dog at the office

2010-09-01T21:29:00.000-07:00

i have Maybe do my expenses for me.

Baby Carrots: The New Junk Food

2010-09-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Think they can pull it off? Read the article on psfk.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

2010-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Double Rainbow Song

2010-07-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

Wishlist: Superheadz Digital Harinezumi

2010-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

feel free to purchase this awesome camera for me. please and thanks!

Lost Cat Poster - Office Email Thread

2010-07-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

This email thread is hilarious, so totally worth reading from beginning to end. Loves it.

Ball Pool - html5

2010-07-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

this little demo is simple, and really beautiful. of course, you also have to remember i'm easily amused.

Pure Delicious Vegetable Fat

2010-06-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

Been Working on a Pitch

2010-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

and this is how i feel!

Steak House or Gay Bar?

2010-05-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

It may be harder than you think. Test your gaydar at Steak House or Gay Bar?

Another Awesome SOUR music video

2010-05-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

LG Teaser Gets Some Action

2010-04-20T11:29:00.001-07:00

One of the fans on our FB page grabbed the teaser and put it on YouTube. over 100,000 hits in one day, hey not bad.

can't embed it for some reason, here's the link: Watch the Video

Fetch! ...Your Personal Assisstant

2010-04-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

"...Have you ever wished you had a personal
assistant to take care of these nagging little items for you
so that you can focus on the things that really matter?
Good news! You do now.

Let Fetch step in and take care of all your loose ends. As
a customized concierge service, we can be your errand
runner, your birthday gift shopper, your bill payer, your
travel planner, your closet organizer…"

Go Fetch!

timewasting video edition

2010-04-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

Flaunt Off with Eva Longoria and Victoria Beckham

2010-03-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

this makes me laugh.

SloganMaker

2010-03-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

they need to add more, because i'm addicted to this simple pleasure.

enter your name and make yourself a slogan with the SloganMaker

Cheater Registry

2010-03-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

yikes!

"Developed by a group of friends who've been on both sides of infidelity, CR's a brand spankin', terrifyingly public index where anyone with privileged fling-fo can sound the alarm by posting names, photos, and pieces of damning evidence..."

Log in at Cheater Registry and be damned.

LG Fashion widget

2010-03-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

i'm currently launching a campaign for LG fashion and am testing our widget here.

shameless plug in 3...2...1...

Check out the entire app at LG Fashion

TXTS from last night

2010-03-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

i love that these aren't just drunk texts, instead they speak the truth. go read a few at Texts From Last Night

super chameleon

2010-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

This little guy is pretty awesome. Watch Him Go!

tsovet

2010-02-24T10:05:00.000-08:00

mmmm black on black.

ok ok, i've been off the grid for a few months. we all need a break sometimes. but i'm back in action now. i've changed directions and currently working on new clients with a whole new set of creative challenges and offerings. i have to say, i'm loving it. it's always great to keep things fresh and my designs are thanking me for it. anyway, that's a sidenote.
really i just wanted to show you this beautiful watch from TSOVET.

stunner of the month

2009-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

like sunglasses (even if you don't need to be wearing them)? are you hipster enough to handle this? go to stunner of the month and you too can be seen with new shades every month.

Stunner of the Month isn't just a club, it's a lifestyle. Wear January's Stunners in September. Share a pair with a friend. Give a pair to get laid. Wear two at the same time. It doesn't matter.

i'm definitely not cool enough for this jam. are you?

webcam-filmed music video "hibi no neiro" by sour

2009-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

wow!! this music video is really beautiful. this was filmed mostly by the band's own fans via webcam. seriously cool.

the eternal moonwalk

2009-07-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

a tribute to the king of pop. people from around the world are keeping it going: the moonwalk goes on (and on).

dontevenreply.com

2009-07-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

more procrastination! this time it involves more than a picture with a funny caption, so move on if you are adverse to reading. but seriously, if you're looking to waste a few, read a couple of these email strings and try to understand the human race. check out Don't Even Reply: Emails From an Asshole.

package design at its worst

2009-07-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

seriously? this is horrible.

really?

2009-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

today's big thing

2009-06-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

gotta love procrastinating. not much else to say, really. just go to Today's Big Thing. you might see something cool, ridiculous or pretty awesome.

Barack Obama: The Freshman

2009-06-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

portraits of the president, back when things were cool: check out Lisa Jack's Exhibition.

Awkward Family Photos

2009-06-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

we all have 'em. but maybe not as bad as this. yikes! here's a blog paying tribute to all the awkwardness thrust upon us when posing with the fam.

check out Awkward Family Photos

Pretty Loaded

2009-06-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

back in the land of dial-up, websites took forever to load. a new art form emerged: preloaders.

Pretty Loaded is an archive of preloaders that preload other preloaders...which in turn reveal yet more preloaders...it's a tribute to a vanishing art form amid a constantly changing digital landscape.

Get Loaded Right Here.

Republic Bikes

2009-06-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

ehhh i know i know, another post about a bike, but i kinda want one of these, too. hah. i like that it has the option of a freewheel (otherwise it'd be a no-go for me). i know you get what you pay for so the parts may not be the best, but i'm also not looking for a super expensive bike when i only spend an hour a day on it. so please head over to Republic Bike and build this one for me. email me for my shipping address. thanks!

swoops the attacking bird!

2009-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

7 of my coworkers have been attacked, one twice!

**update**
i really can't stop following swoops attack chronicles. so funny. and now his wife Swipes has joined him in protecting the nest.

you can read his blog, here: http://frontstreetattackbird.blogspot.com/

MOOF bike

2009-05-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

somehow in the last year and a half i've managed to become one of those SF bikers, weaving in and out of the traffic and annoying drivers. i haven't quite reached the level of yelling and hitting cars, but really that's only a few steps away at this point. so why don't you help feed my addiction and buy me a MOOF bicycle from Design Public. here's what they have to say about it:
MOOF improves the basic functionality of the urban Dutch bicycle by combining a beautiful extruded aluminum frame with integrated solar powered head and tail lights. This single speed sleek and smooth urban cruiser is both smart and conscientious.

BreadxBread

2009-04-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

yes, this is a blog about a blog. oy. what has this world come to?

well, while we're pondering the online world we can chomp on some delicious sandwiches, all reviewed and photographed at BreadxBread. this guy obviously lives in my neighborhood, because most of his chosen sandwich locations are located in the mish. perfect! plus the posts are funny, complete with whole and sometimes half-eaten photos, and sometimes include poetic odes to the sammies. yum!

focus issues

2009-03-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

see? i tried to get back to work, and my computer expressed what's going on in my brain.

Marine Layer

2009-03-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

and speaking of buying me things, i FINALLY found a shirt that'll fit. well, maybe. i mean, there's a really good chance that it will. whatever. skeptic.
anyway, head over to SF's very own Marine Layer for a sustainably made, better-fitting tee or polo. they've revolutionized the standard S-M-L with the in-between sizes your body has been aching for. try a smedium, marge or larger on for size, eh? and for shorties like myself, you can get a "slightly shorter" length.
alright, maybe i'll get back to business soon, but for some reason i've been in a shopping kind of mood.

the property of

2009-03-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

it's tax return season, anyone looking to spend some of theirs on me? i recently discovered The Property Of, a great company that produces bags and wallets. unfortunately for me they're not based out of the US, but they just so happen to have a really rad guy named jasen working here in the bay area that helped me locate retail spots in SF. i sent the company a quick email asking for help locating their wallets, and i got a friendly, detailed email back. way to go, guys. your customer service is top notch, and i'll certainly be heading over to hayes valley in search of your leather goods.

oh, and p.s.
you may buy me this:

Honda: Let It Shine

2009-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wieden+Kennedy of Amsterdam made this spot for Honda. Pretty epic in my opinion. But i'm a sucker for choreography.

A Month in the Mish

2009-03-26T14:36:00.000-07:00

do i really want to see a map of a month's worth of crime in my own neighborhood? hmmm. not so sure. but my curiostiy got the best of me. oddly enough i actually feel better about my place of residence after perusing this map.
i mean, sort of. on it you get a location and brief description of each crime. this particular map is from february 19 to march 17. ahh, the mission, how i heart thee. if only there was less crime. mom, don't read this post.

F*** My Life

2009-03-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

does hearing about someone else's lows put you on high? well then! come and git it at F*** My Life. it's a stream of anyone's contributions of embarrassing moments, unfair truths, and just general oh sh*t moments. they're all pretty short, so you can follow it on twitter, too. some of them are seriously funny. others make me want to cry a little on the inside. enjoy!

Pitchfork

2009-03-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

so, you think you're a hipster? well break out your white jeans and fanny packs, cuz you can stay on top of what music will be cool tomorrow, today. check out Pitchfork for music news, reviews and of course, the forkcast. but i warn you, this site might cause cravings for fixies and PBR.

Tweet O'Clock

2009-03-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

i could go on and on about social applications and their usefulness (or lack thereof?), but i think i won't. i just don't have the time right now. however, i've found that there are now tools that do the thinking for you. like what, you ask? well for assessing twitter's value there are a whole slew. one such tool is called tweet o'clock.

what's it do? well, you type in the username of anyone without protected tweets, and it spits out the day and time that user is most likely to be on twitter. why would you care? if you're looking to use twitter as a communication tool, then knowing this information would help you know when others would be most likely to see and respond to your tweets. i guess. it's all just so fascinating.

Flickr Clock

2009-03-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

what? new feature on flickr: a video clock. click on a bar and it expands so you can watch the video. explore uploads by time of day. yum, organic. Check it out.

TinEye

2009-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

here's a new way to image search...with images! at first thought i was a little wary of how useful this engine would be, but it just so happens it came in really handy this morning. here's what TinEye has to say for themselves:

TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can submit an image to TinEye to find out where it came from, how it is being used, if modified versions of the image exist, or to find higher resolution versions. TinEye is the first image search engine on the web to use image identification technology rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks.

basically, i needed a higher rez version of an image, and found it in seconds. rad.

see-thru headed fish!

2009-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

really! man, the oceans have some weird stuff. you can read about it/watch a video here.

What the comp?—Your Girlfriend is Ugly

2009-02-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

it's always so refreshing to meet people outside The Industry. i mean, usually they're doing something a little more worthwhile than trying to sell stuff, but that's beside the point. really, it's just nice not to talk business and throw jargon around all the time. i recently met someone who gets lost when i start talking about design and tech, and i love it! here i am blathering on about usability and she's like, uhhhh what's an app? hah. it's so cool.
anyway, this post doesn't have too much of a point. i was just reading a guilty pleasure of a blog called Your Girlfriend is Ugly. it's witty, sarcastic and generally just makes me laugh for a minute before getting back to the task at hand. well, the author recently wrote a post about comps that made me laugh, mainly because i just finished describing to my friend what a "comp" is. you can read the entry here if you desire. while it may not be her absolute funniest (in my opinion), i certainly appreciated it. but really, she's funny. i've been known to procrastinate way too long on her blog.

Poladroid

2009-02-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

ok, it's official. i'm kind of obsessed with this free application. and not only is it free, but it couldn't be easier to use. all you have to do is go to Poladroid, download it, and then start dragging jpg's into the desktop icon. really!

great! so what the hell is it? all it does is take your image, any image, and make it look like a polaroid. that's all, nothing crazy. i mean sure, you could do it in photoshop, but why? Poladroid messes with the colors, crops, and adds vignettes to give each photo a very realistic, instantly developed look. maybe it's just me, but i can't stop. send help? please?

Passive Aggressive Notes

2009-02-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

fan of Fail Blog? well, you should be if you're not. in any case, here's a distant cousin, Passive Aggressive Notes. anonymous users submit these lttle gems that they find (or receive). i do warn you, these can get a bit nasty, but i'm certainly amused.

Fidelity: Don't Divorce...

2009-02-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

my friend katie sent this video to me.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

mmmm stop motion

2009-01-28T16:15:00.000-08:00

i think this video is great. Have a look at it here.

credits are here.

Freelance Freedom #88

2009-01-21T15:04:00.000-08:00

Animoto for your iPhone

2009-01-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

i know, this is a big day here at just the gritty. but hey, i have a little time so why not?

i believe a while ago i posted about animoto. it's a site that puts together a customized video of uploaded still images for you. well, just as everyone else has, they've created a free iPhone version. you can take pics on your phone and immediately create a video set to music to send to anyone. i haven't tried it yet, but it could be fun.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it)

2009-01-21T13:52:00.000-08:00

this is some great stuff.

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

It Even Has A Watermark—Business Card Gallery

2009-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

speaking of Francesco Mugnai, he also has a great site called Oh My God. It Even Has A Watermark. it's a gallery of business cards that you can apply many different filters to, including things like color and material. a great place to get some inspiration. you should also watch the video clip in the about section, it explains the name of the site.

and p.s. if you haven't seen american psycho, read up on it before you put it in your queue. it's not about type design.

crazy 3D type tutorial

2009-01-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

oh, why not one more, just for shits and giggles?
want a celestial look for your text? here's a tut that could give you what you're looking for. francesco mugnai offers it up, right here.

Rockin' Silhouette Tutorial

2009-01-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

i guess it's tutorial day. here's another one on creating a silhouette with a little more than a simple black color overlay. you can find it here.

Digital Smoke Tutorial

2009-01-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

here's a tut on how to create some digital smoke. what does that mean? look at the pic. then go here to learn how to do it.

Durex: Get It On

2009-01-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

HAH! This is an awesome video. Watch it here.

Coke Zero Dance Hero

2009-01-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hmm. Another underwhelming microsite, if you ask me. Coke Zero Dance Hero seriously disappointed me. Sure, the design is all fancy-pants and it's got some cool music, but here's what I walked away with:

1. i had to spend more than a minute learning what the hell i was supposed to do. sorry, but that goes beyond my microsite attention span.
2. after all the instructions, all i had to do was click some dots and hover over some other ones. really? this is called dance hero and i'm not even controlling the dancing? hm.
3. i felt like i was learning mousing skills, not enjoying some fun online procrastination.
4. although the dancing tongue was kind of gross and funny.

Microsoft Songsmith

2009-01-12T10:27:00.000-08:00

I don't even know what to say about this. A friend just passed it on to me and I'm not sure if I should vomit or cry. Maybe a little bit of both? Please, someone tell me this is a joke. Please?

Watch the Video.

Whopper Sacrifice

2009-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

What would you do for a Whopper? I can't say I'd personally do much, if anything, but apparently a lot of people would kill off their friends. BK just launched Whopper Sacrifice and it's apparently really catching on. It's a Facebook app that gets you to "sacrifice" ten of your friends, and in turn receive a free burger. I can't say I'm enticed, but I'm impressed at how popular it's quickly becoming.

The Unloader

2009-01-08T09:17:00.001-08:00

Nokia has a viral site up right now where you can go to 'destroy' all those horrible documents you accumulate. You know, spreadsheets, word docs, powerpoints. It's called The Unloader. I just tarred and feathered a particularly annoying PDF.

Snow

2008-12-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

i went back to the jerz for thanksgiving and saw my first snow of the year. yes, it's beautiful, but i still don't miss it. all that cold? no thanks. SF is plenty cold for me these days, and i am comfortable with the fact that i'm officially a wuss.

anyway, i digress. get in the spirit without being cold with a snowing desktop. it's simple, and it keeps me entertained at work. i like the random windstorms that have the flakes blowing sideways.

you can get the 10-day free trial here.

Thoughtpile

2008-11-25T10:28:00.001-08:00

Sharing ideas. Not exactly a new idea, but I kind of like the interface on this. In their own words:

"Thoughtpile is an open invitation to share your best ideas with the world."

Basically, they come up with a topic, and you come up with answers. Then people can vote on them. You know, like Yahoo! Answers...but a lot prettier. Plus you get to win stuff if your answer gets the most votes at the end of the week (specifically a Herman Miller Embody chair. yes, this is a ploy to sell stuff).

So go ahead, jump into the Thoughtpile.

Jan Feliks Kallwejt

2008-11-20T16:48:00.001-08:00

Here's a talented designer with some really interesting vector work. All sorts of new stuff up. Check out Jan Kallwejt.

Bubblewrap

2008-11-20T16:17:00.001-08:00

No, this isn't new. But at this time of year I think we could all use a little stress relief. I know personally I've been going crazy trying to finish my masters degree on top of my new job. So as stupid as this site is, sometimes it's nice to stop thinking for a minute. Or five.

Swedish Dance Bands from the '70s

2008-11-14T13:45:00.001-08:00

what's not to like? Dance it up!

Viewzi

2008-10-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm really not sure how I feel about all these new search engines that bring up results in "new" and "visual" ways. yes, i think they are beautiful. yes, i'm glad people are out there trying to make changes. but are they really going to catch on? I know I see one, say "oh! neat!" and then close the browser window on it for good. perhaps that really is just me and my jaded self.

In any case, here's a new one. It doesn't seem all that different to me than the last visual search engine I posted about. But why not give it a chance, right? check out Viewzi. It's even a little more personal: they have blogs (both typed and video). How 2.0.

Word of the Day

2008-10-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is Dictionary.com's word of the day today. If someone understands this, please help me to.

••••

synecdoche \si-NEK-duh-kee\, noun:

a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole or whole for a part or general for the special or vice versa

Help Josh Decide, Palin Is President

2008-10-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Oh the Interweb. How did people survive elections without all these videos, games and websites? I can't even count the YouTube videos that have hit my inbox and IM while at work. Most of them so funny, and so very sad. But there's much more than video footage of our candidates making the rounds. Some real time has gone into a bunch of sites dedicated to this year's rather important election.

I'll share two.

First, a site from a guy just trying to make sense of it all. Sway his vote, and get some good sense out there. Head to Help Josh Decide and tell him who he should be voting for, and why.

Once you've gotten your serious opinions out of the way, lighten the mood at Palin Is President. Rollover and click your way through the oval office as you imagine what it might be like.

DesignFlavr: Daily Design Inspiration

2008-10-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hit a design rut? It's always nice to have a few (or more) sites to peruse when you're looking for inspiration. Head over to DesignFlavr for just that purpose. One thing that's nice about this site is its organization: you can browse in several different ways, including by topic (illustration, flash websites, etc), by color, and even by tags.

There's a lot to see there, so go get lost.

Texture King

2008-10-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

mmmmm textures. I can't help it, I like me some (uh-hem) gritty, grungy backgrounds now and then. I think that's due in part by my roots as a scenic artist. Got a wall that needs paintin'? Let's throw some texture on that bad boy first. Anyway, I digress. The Texture King is a good resource for when you need a free, high res image. They've got over three hundred at this point, plus they're organized nicely so it's easy to find what you're looking for.

YouWorkForThem

2008-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

YouWorkForThem is all shiny, new and updated. You should go check it out. Don't forget they have a freebies section, too, if you like that sort of thing.

FAILblog

2008-10-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously? I can't stop looking at this site. The other night I found myself at home alone in the wee hours, laughing hysterically. If they didn't already, my neighbors officially think I'm nuts.

One or two example pictures can't do FAILblog justice. It's the combination of images, type treatment/placement and entry titles that make my coworkers huddle around my desk. No, not every entry is amazing. But the good ones are enough to keep you coming back for more.

windshield wiper fail:

baby fail:

toy fail:

Schtock.com

2008-10-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

How many times have we looked through a stock site and wondered why the hell there isn't better stuff available? Well, actually, there is, we just don't know about it because we're not looking in the right places or plugging in the right search terms. How are we to know?

There are a few people out there that do know. They are, of course, the ones who work at the stock houses. One such person has started a blog to display some of the fine stock that's out there, in an unexpected way. From the "about" section:

I work at a major stock photo company cataloging images. The majority of the stuff I work with will never see the light of day for no other reason than that most people don't know it's available to them. It's a shame which I'm trying to remedy with this site. As an amateur designer, I occasionally can't help but play around with the images I see floating across my desk on a daily basis. This site contains the results."

Have a look at some Schtock.

Panos 2013: Fake Streetsigns

2008-09-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

A friend just passed this one on, and I'm loving it. The first edition happened in 2004, and it's coming back around for our viewing pleasure in 2013. The project: taking different artists' work from around the world and creating fake street signs in Lyon, France, in effect creating a huge "gallery without walls."

The round red and white signs look enough like real European traffic signs that you might take them for granted, but weird enough if you notice them to make you stop and think. This project has a delightful sense of humor, lots playful absurdity and a wonderful scale.

Take a look at the 2004 gallery.

Coke Zero Zero 7

2008-09-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

Is Coca-Cola Bond's new drink of choice? I doubt it. But the limited edition packaging for Coke Zero that's promoting the new Bond flick is pretty rad. The new (temporary) name: Coke Zero Zero Seven. The new look: the gun barrel wrapped on the bottle. Not bad, guys.

Oreo's Elevator Dunk

2008-09-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Oreo. The cookie that is most known for its dunkability, right?

Jonathan Saunders

2008-09-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a personal site that caught my attention. Well, really just the homepage—I think there's more that he could have done with the navigation and design of individual project pages. However, I really liked his look/feel on the index page. Take a look!

return to cube life

2008-09-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

i've been taking a break from the blog as of late, but as i step into my new position at a new agency i will also get back into the world of the interweb. i've been spending a lot of time outdoors and my keyboard calluses faded, but soon it shall be my tan that disappears. sigh.

in any case, i'm back in action. i know you've missed me dearly. hah.

AirBed & Breakfast

2008-08-15T15:42:00.001-07:00

So, you're going on a weekend getaway and you don't know where you're staying. You could A) stay on a friend's couch, but you have to take them out to dinner (or do something nice), B) pay for an expensive (yet comfortable) hotel, or C) book a stranger's couch for real cheap.

What?

That's right, now you can pay to stay with a stranger in a strange city. Simply head to AirBed & Breakfast, plug in the city and dates you need a room for, and get a Google mash-up with different faces and prices of who you could stay with. Prices are set by the users, so they range, but most of them are about 15-75 bucks a night.

I know you're all rushing to sign up your very own couch.

Mint

2008-08-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's "refreshing money management." Cute. But cuteness aside, Mint is seriously helping me get my finances in order. It's seriously easy to use, it's free, and it helps you stay on top of your budgets. I spent about 5 minutes plotting in a couple different screen names and passwords yesterday, and all of a sudden my financial life was in front of me. Since I was at work I didn't have all my account numbers in front of me, so i'll be getting to those this weekend, but let me tell you: I am completely impressed by how easy this program is to use. Plus I'm a sucker for statistics, and Mint is full of useful analytics. You can also set email and mobile alerts for when you're exceeding your personal budgets, have a low balance, need to pay a bill, etc.

The only downside: you're reminded you're spending way too much on wine.

Blue Whale

2008-08-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ever want to look a life-size blue whale? no? well, you can anyway! just go here.

Flickr Blow Up

2008-08-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

When developers get bored at work, we get some cool new applications. Blow Up is just such an example. It's a Flickr viewing tool to help you browse through albums a lot quicker, and maybe even in a more aesthetically pleasing manner. I haven't played with it that much, so I'm not necessarily endorsing it quite yet. But I'm down to give it a go. How about you?

Internet Memes

2008-08-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

Remember that YouTube video that was going around three years ago? Me neither. Until I saw this website. Have a look around, and have a walk down interweb lane.

I can't believe I forgot about Hatt-baby.

Daily Color Scheme

2008-08-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Here’s a new tool to create color combos that won’t make your client cringe. Daily Color Scheme offers up new schemes each day, and a really thorough package of downloading options. The hex, rgb and hsb codes are featured on each swatch and are copied with a single click of you don’t want to download them. I love it when tools are simple to use.

Animatorio

2008-08-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today is apparently inspiration day. If you're looking for some nice animation and motion graphics, have a gander at Animatorio, a rather new company based in Brazil. I also like their site design, so hell, just go look around in general.

1-UP

2008-08-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Just a random personal website I stumbled upon. Some nice work by Joakim Jansson.

The Process

2008-07-25T15:45:00.001-07:00

LaunchBar - If Quick Isn't Fast Enough

2008-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

I love efficiency. And keyboard shortcuts fall right into that "holy crap she's a dork, and efficient!" category. That's why I just downloaded LaunchBar. It's a productivity utility that lets you navigate pretty much anything on your computer with a few keystrokes. You get instant access to your applications, documents, contacts, bookmarks, iTunes, search engines and even a calculator. All you have to do is know what short abbreviations to type in.

I'm still working on them.