The Musical Stylings of Patatap

Was sent a link yesterday that is one of the best internet creations I've seen. I love the beauty and simplicity of this program— the amazing interactive music and stylings of Patatap.


Created by designer Jono Brandel in collaboration with the music composers Lullatone, Patatap is described as a "portable animation and sound kit. 

The program allows you to create melodies and animation simply by typing on your keyboard. The visual music, satisfies multiple senses, and it's just a delight to experiment with.

Go ahead... waste some time..... visit Patatap. 

Burger of the Week #153

I want to visit Georgia-based "Yeah Burger" simply because of the design!

But a burger joint with a (soon to be released) vegan menu – hellz yeah!

Burger of the Week #152

For those of you with little willpower... meet pornburger.... Good luck.

Burger of the Week #151

Just a humble gold-plated burger.

The Shining Brow goes West for Winter

After my summer visit to Talieson (East), I was very eager to visit Talieson West. Luckily, a recent visit to my grandparents in Mesa, Arizona put me right in the vicinity. 

Frank Lloyd Wright built Talieson West as his winter home while he was working on the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix. He, along with his (third wife) Olglivanna and his apprentices traveled to Scotsdale for 20 winters. Students of the Fellowship still travel between Talieson West and Spring Green.

Architecturally, there are many similarities to Talieson in Spring Green. The layout is long and vast, built right into its environment without obliterating it's surroundings. The views are intentional and breathtaking. The 620 acre estate was confirmed a National Historic Landmark in 1982. 

Talieson West is owned and run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation now, but overall seems to be in much better condition than the home in Spring Green. (Perhaps because West is made from a mix of desert rock and concrete, while most of Spring Green is made of softer limestone, which was more readily available in Wisconsin.) But if Wright had bothered to patent any of his structural innovations, the Wright Foundation wouldn't be struggling to afford repairs!

It's an (not surprisingly) impressive design and architecturally amazing site—especially when you consider most of the building was done via forced labor of his apprentices! Oh, plus it's in the desert so it's an amazing escape from these nasty 2° Michigan Days!

 

No Filter: Declaring my Love for Instagram

As millions of teens flee Facebook, I've begun to wonder if they're smarter than the whole lot of us. 

Facebook has almost become a dirty word, and I find myself put off by the whole process and idea (and the fact that I recognized a friend's wife and child who I never met at Meijer, simply because I'd seen them on Facebook...).

It's Facebook's 2012 acquisition, Instagram, that has drawn my attention as of late. No ads, no baby pics, no weather rants, no silly games, just pretty pictures and fancy filters. It's simple, it's clean, and there's a certain level of impersonal, anonymous-ness to it.

But most importantly, it's full of pretty pictures, and lots and lots of glorious food porn! I suggest you check it out!

 

Burger of the Week #150

I love Burgers. But enough to wear one close to my heart? Well at least Lazy Oaf is giving me the option.

Hamburger Locket from Lazy Oaf

In the Mood for a Little [Red] Velvet

Because nothing sounds better than ice cream when it's a heavy 2° outside. Whipped this Red Velvet Ice Cream up this morning. I love an ice cream recipe that doesn't require cooking and straining a custard. This recipe from Urban Bakes is a winner.

Reflections: Potato Lover's Month

Why does potato month have to be the shortest month of the year?
In honor of my favorite tuber, I will share two potato firsts I experienced during that short month that came and went so swiftly.

First, the amazing Microwave Chip Tray from  Pampered Chef. This tray is reason alone to attend a Pampered Chef party. I was so skeptical when my grandma introduced me to it on my recent trip to Phoenix. But Ho. Ly. Chip. It totally does work!! Just slice the potato, lay on tray and microwave!

Then, while in Vegas, I had my first taste of Poutine at the Public House. Poutine is a dish common in Canada consisting of french fries, cheese curds and gravy. (I of course had it sans gravy, cheese curds and duck confit... so in essence I had french fries > but it felt like a true cultural experience!)

So February has passed, but I will no doubt go on enjoying the potato and potato-themed snacks for the next 11 months till it's here again. If you feel like a belated celebration, try one of the billion and a half inspired potato recipes on Pinterest.

 

The Paper Queen

Mother of the year award goes to Angie [@2sisters_angie] for her encouragement of [the nothing short of fabulous] Mayhem—her 4-year-old daughter, who seems to have an eye for fashion.

Over 9 months ago, mother and daughter began designing gowns from paper, which Angie uploads to her instagram feed. Looking back over the stills, the styles are vast, breathtaking, creative and just plain fun. Look out world, that is one well-dressed 4-year-old!

Designs started out relatively simple, and rapidly began evolving, still using mainly only paper and tape. Mayhem and her mommy often draw inspiration from the runway and red carpet. I can't get enough of these beautiful, colorful dresses and their sassy little model.

See many more designs, and read comments from Angie on Huff Post.
#fashionbymayhem

Burger of the Week #149

 
So what was the most epic Christmas gift of 2013? It was the TRIVET BURGER. A 7-piece work of art. Each handmade layer is a perfect representation of the proper produce. Unwrapping and assembling this was a delight.

And of course something this awesome could only have been made by scrappylynn.

Give Monday a Beating

It's February. It's Cold. It's Monday. And we're all Tired. Here's some appropriate advice for this Monday morning.

Wise Sentiments. Coming soon to Etsy.

Art on Drugs

I'm going to say that I find this fascinating, but I hesitate to recommend this....

Artist Bryan Lewis Saunders decided to take a different drug every day for a few weeks and draw a self portrait while under the influence of each substance.

The results are staggering. I'm stunned by not only the different styles but the different mediums, techniques and skill level that came forth during this experiment. 

For starters, i think this would be incredibly challenging and difficult on the body doing this Every Day and allowing no recovery time in between. It seems like the risk for disaster would increase with every drug you took, and Lewis came up with a lot to try...

I also feel like he must have a handler for some of these instances. Someone to remind him that he's supposed to draw a self portrait. One would think you'd forget what you're meant to be doing once you get high!

Here's just a few samples but you can see many, many more here.
(Oxycodene shown above).

Cough Syrup, Abilify, Xanax >

PCP, Ritalin, Mushrooms >

I'm curious to know what Bryan thinks of these drugs after trying so many of them and seeing the often insane impact they had upon his work. 

So the question is, is Bryan Lewis justifiably committed to his work? Or should he just be committed? 

Breakfast Pints

Here's a delicious, convenient breakfast snack for the working girl (which I sometimes am). From The Yummy Life it's a fairly ingenious overnight, no-cook refrigerator oatmeal.

Basically it's a smorgasbord of opportunities. You start with greek yogurt, milk and oatmeal (I leave out the chia seeds since i'm not seeking out extra protein and fuel) and then add in a variety of flavors. 

Initially the Yummy gave us 6 flavors to try:
– Mango Almond
– Blueberry Maple
– Apple Cinnamon
– Banana Cocoa
– Banana Peanut Butter
– Raspberry Vanilla

But later 8 new flavor combinations were added:
–  Pineapple Coconut
– Mandarin Orange
– Cherry Garcia
– Peach Melba
– Pumpkin Pie
– Cranberry Pecan
– Apricot Ginger
– Mocha

This week I tried Blackberry Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon , and the Peach Melba. Leaving it sit just overnight has worked for me everytime. And I like working with the jam and vanilla the best. But really it's just such an easy grab-n-go breakfast, I see endless possibilities here. 

Burger of the Week #148

This mega-cute cat-burger graphic is inspired by everything from rave culture to Japanese pop. It's the Cat-chup and Mustard tee from reliable ol' Modcloth

DIY: Easy Afternoon Stamping

This is a Pinterest find that I just think is so brilliant in it's simplicity. A quick craft that anyone can do with items they  have around the house–a rubber stamp made from a pencil eraser!

This blogger over at Cut & Paste used the stamp to make simple and adorable stationary, tags and wrapping paper.

If you're looking for a bigger cutting surface or different texture, try a cork! Another reason to drink more wine!

Mike & Ike: Together Again. And Looking Quite Different.

In case you missed it (and were worried)...

Mike & Ike are back together.
And have been for some time it would seem.

The break-up of Mike & Ike two years ago, due to creative differences, shock the candy world quite hard. I first noticed the sugar-coated divorce while standing in the check-out lane at the Meijer. My first thought was that a child had gotten loose with a Sharpie. But no, we were supposed to pick our candy based on whose side we were on.

Oh, marketers.

The fictional split, which included wide-spread billboards and a vast social media campaign, increased the sales of Just Born's Mike & Ike by 7.2% in 2012.

And just in time to cash in a second time, the candy duo  reunited. This happy news I received while standing in the check-out lane at the Meijer, when the packaging above shouted it out at me.

It would seem that their reconciliation came with a rebrand. Personally, I would have favored a throwback, retro-style packaging, vs. the bad fruity arcade stylization they ended up with (is that PacMan fruit I see??)

But as they are heading into the next phase of their relationship, I can understand why harkening back to their (apparently somewhat rocky) past would seem unwise. So I will accept the new look, and simply wish the duo best wishes and many happy returns on their joyful news!

 

Burger of the Week #147

The most inspirational video of a burger you'll ever see? Check it out here on Buzzfeed.

Kisses and Hugs for February

There's something appealing to me about old typesetter's letters. Probably the combination of vintage, wood and typography. I've been collecting letters of various sizes for awhile now and have begun combining them to stamp out cards and phrases.

For Saint Valentine's it's XO. Two simple letters that can mean so much.


Essentially it's rubber stamping but with acrylics rather than a stamp pad. I love how every imprint is just a little bit different then the last. Intrinsically handmade and one of a kind, like a thumbprint.

This set of Valentine's Cards and other cards are available on Etsy.