i want to ride my biiiiicycle

These were excellent modes of transportation around the jungle of Costa Rica... until I got a flat tire. FANTASTIC.

Kidrobot Endangered Dunnys

KLAFDJOPIEURKSNCDKSCNDS

WANT

Dunny Endangered Series from Kidrobot on Vimeo.

Outdated, old fashioned, a giant hassle- many words and phrases that come to mind when considering wallpapering vs. painting a room. Believe me, trying to change wallpaper is NOT a simple project for the antsy decorator who loves to change room decors per season. Still, if you're ready to make a semi-permanent decorating decision, then wallpaper is a funky and fun way to make a potential accent a major part of the decor. The Curiosity Shoppe has a new book out all about your options and project ideas! Wallpaper Projects by Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith is available now in a 144 page hardcover edition that's chock full of amazing projects involving wallpaper, not always on walls! Pick one up if you're ready to take the plunge...

Enter their giveaway at their blog Smarts and Crafts to win a free copy!

Born Ugly mag

Holy cow. What a week. Things have been absolutely insane for me, so TGIF to the maxxx! Still, a bright spot in the week came from the news that Issue 1 of Born Ugly mag is now a reality! Jim Callahan (aka Barf) is already a Richmond underground icon with his memorable Municipal Waste art, Nowhere Skateboard line, and Tales from the Underground comic (check it out at Velocity- best place in Richmond for your comic and graphic novel needs). The link above is to the online .pdf of the mag, so be sure to snag a print copy wherever you can. Michael Brock of Wilted Roses was kind enough to pop one in the mail for me, so whenever I get that will be a happy day. If you're in the Richmond area, be sure to get to the launch party tomorrow, Saturday May 9th at Holly Street Park at 4 pm. I'm sure it will be a debaucherous event filled with only the finest of Richmond's youth!

North Park Festival of Arts

Come one, come all to the 13th annual North Park Festival of Arts! Sunday, May 17th between 30th and 32nd Streets from 10 AM to 6 PM will be you, your family, and 35,000 other people enjoying the arts, culture, and entertainment in this creative hub of San Diego. Unfortunately, I'll be returning from Las Vegas that day, so I'll miss out on the fun, but don't let my absence deter you! There will be artist demonstrations, animals for the kids, a variety of international food booths, and best of all, it's FREE! In this economy, anything free is welcomed and should be enjoyed to the fullest.

Snail!

He's baaaaAAAACKKK!!!

The Obscura

VA has got no shortage of great young artists right now. Richmond might seem like the center of the Virginia Artistic Universe, but the oft-overlooked region of Hampton Roads has got some really innovative stuff happening as well. The 7 Cities have a ton of fabulous organizations that are rapidly gaining attention, and the latest one is the web collaboration The Obscura.org. The photography based site has a handful of contributors at the moment, and it seems like the emphasis is portraits. I don't have a ton of info, so take the initiative and check the site out. It's a nice mix of artists, and I'm looking forward to watching it grow!

Vinyl store in San Diego now!

The nearest Kidrobot store to me is in Los Angeles. Now, I'm sure LA is a great town. There's a ton of artsy stuff going on non-stop, it's a giant hub of the world, a really lovely place with lovely people... right. As much as I LOVE the 2 hour drive up there to buy overpriced (albeit cool) clothes and knick-knacks, I'd just as soon stay local and buy my vinyl wares in the neighborhood. Now, thanks to Gunnzo, I can do just that!

Gunnzo is located in Old Town San Diego at 2445 Juan Street. It doesn't look like much from the outside (the store is located in the left side of a house smack in the middle of an incredibly steep residental street), and the inside consists of a small front room which leads to a slightly larger and more angular back room. All of this is attached to a great back porch which opens into a small courtyard linking the other side of the house (I'm assuming). What it lacks in space it makes up for in cozy quality.

Chika Sasaki has opened the only designer toy store in San Diego as far as I'm aware, and I'm hoping it works out beautifully for her. I got to go to the "opening" party where every attendee got a free Mini Munny Mobile to decorate as they pleased! I got to talking with a guy there (Jesse? Maybe? Bad with names) and apparently this entire venture started from her own personal collection. From the sounds of things, it seems like she has more internet business than walk-ins, but I'm sure as the buzz continues she's going to find herself in a great spot to dominate the toy market in San Diego. Not only does she have a great collection of hard to find Dunnys, Gunnzo is the exclusive US retailer for MINDstyle Asia Exclusives.

The fact that this is a toy store by a toy collector means that some things are off-limits, but what is for sale isn't grossly inflated with outlandish retail upcharging. Yes, she's got to make a profit, and her collection is small but very thorough. Sasaki seems to have a good handle on what's available and what's coming, so I'm expecting great things from her.

new from Generate

Generate Design is a super-cool site with a ton of stuff for the design lover. Their prices range from the wallet-friendly to back-breaking, but I assure you whatever you pay for you get your money's worth. This lamp is my new personal favorite thing ever, and I for one will not rest until I have fooled everyone with this illusion of suspended animation. Personally, I think it's a little on the pricey side, but what it lacks in affordability it makes up for in style, and isn't that what's really important?

Available in wall or table versions. Red or white interior.
Product Specs

Materials: Iron PlateLiquid Lamp
Designer: Kouichi Okamoto
Price: US $199.00 (red interior add $28, table lamp option add $11)

New from Veer

When I graduated from college, I had the choice to either A) go to Peru for a month for a school program (I'd get no credit for it but it would be an experience that basically was just set up for me) or B) upgrade my old hand-me-down laptop to a brand new Macbook Pro. For a variety of reasons (new boyfriend, long term helpfulness, I'd just gone to Costa Rica 2 months before, etc) I went for the Macbook Pro. I assure you I have no regrets about that. It is a magical device that I cling to my bosom and have already set up a trust fund for it. Still, it is not without its flaws, such as the tendency to get reallly hot on my lap while I'm using it for important design business. More like Tetris.

Anyway, Veer has a new product for just that very malady. Smooth, classic, modern, and with a type-twist, it's the perfect thing for the Mac-lover. I guess you could use it for a PC laptop but if you have one of those you probably hate pretty things anyway so don't bother.







The 3/4" engraved wood dissipates the heat (I always thought wood was flammable but design has proved me wrong once again!) and features 2 types that are elegant and swirltastic. Get yours here for the low low price of $100. Personally, I enjoy the crotchal heat. Convenient for private sexy time with my Mac.