{ April Download from A Print a Day }

If you haven't visited A Print a Day before, go check it out! I love the free download for April.

* Folkart from India *

These images are from a post a few weeks ago on the well-worth-visiting blog, Bibliodyssey. I'd like to just directly quote from there:

"Tara Books from Chennai (Tamil Nadu, India) very kindly sent me a few of their books, not for review, but as thanks following their contacting for some advice. After I saw the books, I asked - would have begged - if it was ok to scan some samples. Illustrations from three books appear below.

I'm afraid these images hardly do proper justice to the textural wonder of the handmade paper and crisp, silkscreened illustrations. The scans themselves could only have been improved by breaking the books which wasn't even a consideration: these glorious books are treasured works of art that I'll not be destroying or parting with in this lifetime."

The London Jungle Book' © Tara Publishing 2004
(in association with The Museum of London)
Art: Bhajju Shyam
Text: Sirish Rao & Gita Wolf (from Bhajju's oral narration)
Design: Rathna Ramanathan, Minus9 Design

.. Hop Skip Jump ..

A couple of years ago one of the first blogs I ever started looking at was Hop Skip Jump, created by a sewing-loving mommy named Fiona. Hers was one of the first inspiring examples I discovered of an indie creative type who made home-spun hip and became successful without leaving the walls of her own cushy home. Above are some of Fiona's recent creations, a few of which you can even buy on her online shop. Her blog has lots of neat homemaking ideas (like her very cool Christmas stockings).

** I Heart Misha Lulu!! **

It's too much! I can't handle all this cuteness. I am in LOVE. I'll take one of everything. Misha Lulu has the cutest clothes I've ever seen! The above are from the Spring and Fall 2009 lines. How come I never saw this stuff before? I discovered Misha Lulu because she posted about The Paper Nut on her blog she posted about The Paper Nut a little while ago, here.

* APAK *

The adorable blog Tokyo Bunny just clued me in to an amazing talent, APAK, a design studio in Portland, Oregon. The post was about APAK's solo show "Rainbow Garden" at Tinklark Gallery in LA. Images above include gallery art pieces, as well as lovely artwork and stationery products available in the APAK shop, and their Etsy shop.

New York Times Tote Bag Offer

I have been feeling a great need to subscribe to news magazines (Time, Newsweek), but I never thought about getting an actual newspaper. Well, now I am tempted. The New York Times is offering this very sweet tote bag to new subscribers (I learned from this morning's Daily Candy). Image from The Scout blog. The Scout says:

Books and bags go hand in hand, but what about newspapers and magazines? They’ll work just as well. The New York Times T Magazine produced a limited edition tote bag last fall in conjunction with the release of their fall fashion preview. They were handed out during fashion week with a few given away to their readers. Needless to say they disappeared pretty quickly. The tote has returned, but is only available to subscribers.

LOOKBOOK.NU

Have you heard of LookBook? Thanks goes to my sister Renae for cluing me in on this terrific source of fashion inspiration (Check her new blog, So Hot Right Now). Okay, you're probably out there going, "Well, yeah! Who hasn't heard of LookBook?" If you haven't seen it, it's "the Internet's largest source of fashion inspiration from real people around the world." It's awesome to see how many different countries the posts come from and languages the comments are written in. In any case, the overall look and style of the invite-only contributers seems to represent a pretty narrow taste range, like a giant Urban Outfitters catalog (Eighties dominated, slouchy tops, baby doll dresses, micro-to-nonexistent minis, tall socks and nippy little boots). But there's some sweet stuff in there. (Sorry to those of us who don't have the legs to attempt most of these looks).

Are all these people trying way too hard to be cool? I believe it all just simply looks like a lot of fun. And there are also some great hairstyles.

Betsey White

Um...why is it I search and search for awesome wedding invitation design, and manage to skirt around discovering an company like Betsey White? I love their work. I love their logo. I love their website design. You'll be as awestruck as me after you cruise through their incredibly beautiful, extensive, and fantastically organized blog.They are like that girl at school who has the perfect haircut, dresses like a fashion model, AND has a 4.0. Do I sound bitter? I do hope not! Jealous? Well, I am, a little.