Fly

Seeker by Michael Velliquette

Cut card stock, bristol board, and glue are used to create this series of sculptural characters by Michael Velliquette. See more from the series here.

Bantu Wax

Summer is almost here and I need a new bikini. Here are some cute ones from Bantu Wax.

Designing Hair Grease

 

I'm so in love with the designs of longstanding black hair products like Murray's Superior Hairdressing Pomade, Nu Nile Hair Slick, and Dax Pomade. The lettering, the illustrated hair models and the color palettes have a special yet simple quality that I'm really drawn to. I hope they never seek a design team to "freshen" the look of their brands. There's so much history in these companies, I'd hate to see that identity get lost in a totally new look.

I don't care what anybody says, I still use my Bronner Brothers Super Grow.

Save the Manimals

Animal friendly accessories from Manimal.

Link of the Day

Sitting here listening to Got To Be There. Still and always missing Michael Jackson. Check out this MJ RIP graphic by Kerry Roper.

Knitted Branches

From Animal Bandido. It's fun to see creativity in unexpected places.

A Book After My Own Heart

Browsing around Anthropologie I came across this fantastic book, My Wonderful World of Fashion by illustrator Nina Chakrabarti. She infuses hand-lettering and funky illustrations to inspire creativity in fashion. This is a great collector's item and a must have for the kids. See more pages here.

Bow Pumps in Magenta

Fun shoes in a perfect color. From Opening Ceremony.

Link of the Day

a slideshow with Naomi Beckwith, assistant curator of the studio Museum in Harlem

Tube Scarf

Great unisex scarf in West African Batik from Casa di Culture. It's reversible, and the jersey knit makes it perfect for any season.

Lovely Illustrations

Totally diggin' these illustrations by Catell Ronca. A link shared by Jamala of Miss Modular.

FGOTW

Who? Leigh-Ann, 32

Where? I live in Southern Orange County at the moment, after having lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Austin. But when I say "I'm going home for a visit," I always mean Washington, D.C.

What do you do? I am chauffeur/social planner/valet/personal chef to the world's flyest 5-year-old. When she's at school, though, I use my remaining energy to draw, write and run my kids' t-shirt line, Swirl Syndicate.

What inspires you? I am inspired by my daughter, Simone, who frequently spouts out such unsolicited statements as, "Mommy, you are the best cooker ever!" and "Man, Mommy, you sing really well" (when, in actuality, I regularly fail at both activities). Ask most stay-at-home parents trying to get back into the swing of things and they'll likely tell you that ego and self-esteem are hard to come by. Simone's random declarations remind me that I'm not too shabby, after all. And even when I actually am rather shabby, there's nobody judging me as hard as I judge myself.

Why are you fly? I am fly because I refuse to let my unglamorous playground-hopping, tantrum-calming, grocery-shopping status keep my style sense in the doldrums.

Advice: If you find yourself in a situation in life that's less than ideal, don't even start the pity party. In my experience, self-pity and inertia go hand in hand. Don't start none, won't be none!

New Luscious Leather Bags

Kiandra just launched a new site showcasing her latest 2010 collection for Quejimenez. Delicious colors and gorgeous craftsmanship come together to form this beautiful line of collectible bags. See more here.

Smokin' Angel

I was cleaning out some stuff the other day and came across an old exhibition postcard featuring this artwork. The original piece is mixed-media on a door called "Smokin' Angel" by Jason Douglas Griffin.

Link of the Day

connect, share ideas and grow creatively...