Friday I’m in Love

Posted on: October 29th, 2010 by Andrea 2 Comments

As the leaves form a yellow, red, and orange blanket over the landscape, the air becomes more crisp, and I start to see my breath when I go outside, it becomes more and more apparent that temperatures are dropping. It’s getting cold, and I need to keep warm. Here are a few things I’ve come across that would do quite nicely, if I do say so myself (from top to bottom):

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If I knew how to knit I’d be all over this adorable Deer with Little Antlers tuque pattern by Tiny Owl’s Magic Attic…it has got to be one of the cutest animal-themed hats I’ve ever seen.

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But considering I don’t know how to knit, I might have to resign myself to purchasing ready-made items, like this Knit Loop Scarf by Silvia66. Not only are the colours beautiful, but it’s got a cozy woolly look about it that says: “I’ll keep you warm and fashionable, but won’t strangle you.” Visit Silvia66′s Etsy shop or blog to see this and more of her beautiful creations, including more scarves, capelets, and shrugs.

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I’ve always had difficulty finding a great winter coat…I inevitably cave and go for marshmallow-proportioned practicality over structured, fashionable and drool-worthy. Like the Hazel Coat…or really, any other coat created by Vancouver-based Little Houses Clothing…I love ‘em all. They’ve got great button and collar detailing, and many include beautiful little touches of lace. Give their shop a look if you’re in need of a new coat this season.

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I’ve never been much of a skirt person…if I was, though, I’d be sporting super cute crochet leg warmers like these on chilly days. Created by Mademoiselle Mermaid, they’re equal amounts practical and pretty.

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…But those who know me, know that I’m not really a skirt person (unfortunately). So instead of sporting cute leg warmers, I’d be more likely to pull on a pair of these adorable Stag, You’re It Socks by ModCloth. Love, love, love.

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And that’s it for the first edition of “Friday I’m in Love”…please note I am well aware that none of the items I’m in love with go together…that’s not really the point!

Type Tuesdays: Fat Fonts

Posted on: October 26th, 2010 by Andrea No Comments

Many of the blogs I read and enjoy have theme posts, usually associated with a particular day of the week…I’ve decided to get in on the action with my very first theme: Type Tuesdays!

(or more likely: Type-Every-Once-In-A-Blue-Moon-Tuesdays)

This Tuesday, I’m sharing some of my favourite (and FREE!) slab serifs and fat sans serifs that are explicitly meant for headlines and to grab your attention (I’m not talking font families that happen to have an extra or ultra bold weight). So without further ado…and in almost no particular order:

Romeral

A beautiful display slab serif created by Juan Pablo de Gregorio, one of the contributors over at Typies…Admittedly, I’m quite in love with this font, and keep trying to use it somewhere…anywhere. It’ll happen. To use it in your own projects, you can get it here.

MEgalopolis Extra

Created by French font factory SMeltery, I’ve got a particular soft spot for this one (just look around the site)….it’s got a fantastic and somewhat playful look about it, is easy to read, and comes with a whackload of OpenType ligatures and special characters. This one’s my typography BFF…become acquainted with MEgalopolis Extra yourself by downloading it here.

Chunk Five

Another slab serif, with a slightly old-fashioned poster feel to it. It’s a great example of a font demonstrating that typography really can stand on its own, with no need for graphics or imagery. Chunk Five was created by The League of Moveable Type, and can be downloaded here.

Birra Stout

Created by Brooklyn-based Darden Studio, Birra Stout is very unique, with interesting angles and curves in unexpected places…this is a recent “purchase” of mine….if you want it too, you can buy it for $0.

Giant Head

And finally, here’s a fun one brought to you by Blue Vinyl Fonts…it comes as a set that’s meant to be laid one on top of the other. Download it and have some fun!

…now all that’s left is to find the perfect headline!

Tags: fonts, freebies, type
Posted in Typography | No Comments »

Clifton Hill Signage

Posted on: October 25th, 2010 by Andrea No Comments

I’ve been to Niagara Falls, Ontario a few times now, and can’t understand the “been there, done that” attitude about them…maybe I indulged a little too much in the local wines, but I really do think the falls are beautiful and worth revisiting: both from afar, and from right up close on the Maid of the Mist.

That being said, there are elements of Niagara Falls that are a little much: like Clifton Hill. If you go there knowing it’s over the top, though, I found there was much to appreciate about it:

Like the many, many candy stores offering up not only real candy (and amazing fudge and peanut brittle), but loads of eye candy as well.

I couldn’t help notice that many of the candy stores featured pink very prominently, which immediately calls to mind cotton candy…what other traditionally pink candies are there? (besides bubble gum?)

But it wasn’t just the candy stores offering up delights…all down the street are wonderful, wonderful signs flashing, and blinking and accompanying a cacophony of sounds trying to grab your attention:

Even huge brand names have gotten into the spirit of Clifton Hill…which happens to abound in haunted houses, all claiming to be the world’s most frightening…so what to do if you’re attached to one? Burger King decided to embrace it:

Much to my boyfriend’s dismay, we didn’t visit the House of Frankenstein…I’m a big chicken and am consequently not too keen on haunted houses.

Maybe next time.

Tags: Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, signs
Posted in Signage, Travel | No Comments »

The Comeback Kid

Posted on: October 24th, 2010 by Andrea 3 Comments

About a year ago, I decided to change hosting plans, transfer my domain, and do a little spring cleaning on my site…at the same time, I decided I’d give it a much needed facelift to better reflect my current aesthetic.

A funny thing happened along the way, though…I took my site down, but never put it back up. As I started to work on its new design and structure, I started questioning its purpose…did I really want just another portfolio website? Didn’t I have more to say than “here’s some of my stuff”?

I thought about it. And then I thought about it some more. I went on a few vacations where I tried not to think about it at all (here I am in Niagara Falls, enjoying the sun, the mist and the resulting rainbows…I can assure you, I was not thinking about my website).

And then I just knew the answer: no…and yes.

So here it is…about a year late, but with a design I like (for now!), and a new focus: while the portfolio remains, the emphasis is now a blog…where I’ll share crafty and design projects and inspiration, digital resources for the DIY and design-inclined, current obsessions, and anything else of interest that happens to cross my path – either online, in life, or (God-willing) on vacation.

Welcome back!