i want to go there

Photo by [ Jouko Lehtola ]

crayon couture

Sick of rings that can't multi-task, say like... color pictures, draw on paper? Crayons getting too boring for you? Problem solved. Crayon rings. Got $50, you can buy them here.

[ via Better Living Through Design ]

bryan schutmaat

I really like Bryan Schutmaat's photos. Not much more to say than that... photographs speak for themselves.

Flickr [ Last Leaf ]
Website [ bryanschutmaat.com ]

f bombs

Sorry Mom and Dad, but I have a confession. The "f word" is one of my favorites. Sometimes I use it too liberally, forgetting the company I'm in, and forgetting that to some ears it has more snap than kinder gentler cousins, like "darn" and "shoot". To me it's almost lost most of its zing, but for sensitive readers I shall refer to it as "f#@!".

In the last few days I've come upon a few sites/items that feature "f#@!". It became something I could not avoid and almost begged to be shared. With that I give you some f'y links... if that's your thing.

F IT:
How does your life suck? [ Fmylife.com ]
Cute puppies [ F#@!yeahpuppies ]
T-shirt truth [ Print Liberation ]
N.W.A. [ F#@! Tha Police ]

skip 6 degrees, get 6 courses of bacon

I am almost giddy with the news that the Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a Kevin Bacon feast tonight. It's like a dream just came true. One Kevin Bacon movie, Flatliners, a so-so film but drowning in 90's Joel Schumacher-iness which is a recipe for something so bad it's good... six courses of bacon themed food, along with accompanying beers. I will leave 20 pounds heavier and probably have a massive heart attack but I consider that a positive way to go out.

Details and pricing for the event can be found here.

Image by me (one of the first silly things from 1 Minute Photoshop Thoughts)

GREASY GOODIES:
Bacon Watch [ Archie McPhee ]
Bacon is Like a Hug From God poster [ Nicodemus Green Etsy ]
Bacon for your website [ Bacolicio.us ]
Best Kevin Bacon Roles You've Never Seen [ AMC ]
Food that makes you fat [ Thisiswhyyourefat.com ]

sxsw: film

I don't have too many films to discuss but while I was at SXSW I did manage to see a few, some of which I was assigned to and some that I sat in on when I had free time. Here is a quick play by play, in no particular order. Disclaimer -- I am by no means a movie critic (which is evident).


500 Days of Summer (D. Marc Webb; Starring Zooey Deschanel & Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Let me start by saying that Zooey Deschanel's eyes are bluer in person than on screen, if that is possible. And I covet her healthy hair. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has grown up since his 3rd Rock From the Sun Days and continues to be a treat (I liked him Brick as well).

500 Days of Summer is a surprising spin on the romantic comedy. Maybe it's the "indie" in it that helps it avoid the saccharine hollow characterizations you often find in many "blockbuster" attempts. Or maybe it's the surprising turn the plot takes and you're not sure what or who you're rooting for. Either way the idea of pop culture molding people's ideas of destiny resonates and the chemistry of the main characters, along with the timeless yet slightly retro costume design (I may want to start wearing hair ribbons), catchy soundtrack, and twirling storytelling structure make it a home run, even if a slightly uncomfortable one.

Trailer [ Fox Searchlight ]


Trimpin: the Sound of Invention (D.Peter Esmonde)

Trimpin is a documentary following a portion of German transplant musical artist/junk lover Trimpin's artwork and efforts to share his work. He's an odd but lovable guy that clearly sees things in a way that most people can't (and never will) and manages to create some interesting and beautiful music using ugly stuff, namely the discarded and ignored scraps not often considered to be of much use any more, much less an instrument. One scene in particular that blows my mind is when he writes sheet music that looks more like a complex color coded nonsense graph than an actual playable song. Again, a 100% unique visionary.

Trailer [ Trailer Addict ]



Objectified (D. Gary Hustwit)

From the director of Helvitica comes another equally compelling documentary about a very niche area of design. In this case Hustwit explores the process of creating many of our every day items, from a chair to a handy utensil to a car. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the attention he gave to society's need to have something atheistically fresh while ignoring the ecological consequences and sometimes lack of functionality. Many designers on the other hand pled their desire to express an equal balance of form and function, not just sell a beautiful item or add to the landfill.

I also enjoyed the segment regarding toothbrushes. I have a weird nagging fascination with the evolution of the toothbrush... why there are so many incessant incarnations. Seriously my heart cooed a bit when this part came up, and sighed a secret YES.

Bonus points for a cool poster.

Trailer [ Objectified Film ]



Alexander the Last (D. Joe Swanberg; Starring Jess Weixler, Barlow Jacobs, Justin Rice, Amy Seimetz, Josh Hamilton and Jane Adams)

One of the things that makes this film so compelling is the way that it quietly dances around intimacy and the fragility of relationships when communication is lacking. It's actually the main thing that makes it compelling. I just wasn't sure from the onset what I was getting into so the real reveal was in the entire message which I didn't see until the movie was over with... if that makes sense. The performances were also great, largely ad-libbed I should mention. The main message I take, to quote the film, is "you were supposed to meet me half way." And maybe that's why I like this movie... because it says something true.

Bonus, the music of Jo Schornikow from The Shivers, who in real life seems like a very modest sweet gal.

Trailer [ Alexander the Last ]




We Live in Public (D. Ondi Timoner)

Sometimes I like a movie because it makes me forget, sometimes I like a movie because it makes me remember, sometimes it's as simple as the actors or the score. In other words I'm not necessarily an objective aficionado. I also like movies for how they can make me question all that I know and my fears about the direction that society is heading in. We Live in Public, by acclaimed documentary film maker Ondi Timoner (of Dig! fame), makes me want to unplug the computer, get rid of the cell phone, and connect to the real world. Ironically I say this on my blog.

I left the movie feeling a bit hopeless about the future and never wanting 15 minutes of fame. This is not even touching upon the film's main subject which is the story of internet pioneer Josh Harris, a man that conceivably could be labeled as nuts but seems to know what's really going on, even if his message is lost in eccentricity and in-your-face antics. Sometimes the bitter pill is hard to swallow.

Trailer [ YouTube]

wolf choir

I really like this guy's photos. They range from serene and understated to out-and-out silliness, as if you're seeing the pictures get drunk and then settle down on a Sunday.

Check out Wolf Choir's photostream here. The url contains the word "poop" for Pete's sake (yes!). And to further the dichotomy he is also a wedding photographer (really).

1 minute photoshop: neglect

It's time to give my car some lovin. And then some.

lost ads

Wow, so tonight's episode of Lost was a doozy. In honor of a show that I'm glad to say still kicks ass here are some mock vintage Dharma ads that I discovered today.

[ Diskursdisko via Yay Everyday ]

i hate the dentist, but...

I like this business card.

[ Noquedanblogs via [ Inspire Me Now ]

tee time: sxsw

SXSW is finally over and I have to say that I'm pretty glad. It was a lot of fun from a patron point of view, and educational from a volunteer point of view, but was also exhausting, dirty, and tested my threshold for invaded personal space and crazy strangers. I am certain I could not keep up with the pace if this lasted more than a week and a half.

I am slowly but surely uploading the photos I took and am beginning the laborious task of editing and converting. It's not something I relish so has been easy to drag my feet. I also plan to comment on a few of the amazing things that I saw and enjoyed. The lazy person that I sometimes I am, I am falling back on the organizing my thoughts excuse.

Here is a halfhearted attempt at a side project as I needed a break from my dictated assignments. There were so many folks that passed my line of vision. No doubt, festivals are a great place for people watching. One thing there was no shortage of were t-shirts, namely typographic t's. Everyone has a message, accidentally or intentionally... ironically or literally. In this endeavor to be a word collector I failed with my follow through but learned that another word for thesaurus is lexicon.


P.S. One guy is clearly not wearing a type tee but he REALLY wanted to show me his tattoo and i figured it's type, why not.

1 minute photoshop: digestion

I am more than a little gross. I apologize.

to buy

I am a very conflicted person, constantly considering purchases, asking myself "do you REALLY need this and will life be pretty crappy if you don't have it, or will you get by?". What makes things a little easier these days is the lack of funds in which to splurge on fleeting desires. Even still I have to resort to a sorting method in order to justify a few wants (yes, holes in your shoes is a good reason to get a new pair). Maybe this list will help. Maybe it will help you too if you have the same problem. As with the other OCD lists you can download it for free if you want it.

[ download to-buy list ]

1 minute photoshop: satisfaction

I made my favorite tall drink of water look like a weird Aqua Teen hybrid. Sorry. My attempts at romance are so Adult Swim.

that's incredible!

In the last few days there has been a bunch of clicks on my blog and website, as well as new friends on Flickr. I just wanted to give a super big THANK YOU to the bloggers out there that enjoyed some of the things I made and posted about them. It's due to you that more people are able to find me. I don't think I'm the cat's pajamas or anything but it's certainly nice to be rewarded with praise and meet some nice people. I'm finding that laziness is a universal problem and I'm not the only one out there.

Here are a few of the blogs that mentioned Recovering Lazyholic. I encourage you to check them out. Click on the name to go to their site.

Daydream Lily
The Magenta Links
Draplin (thank you again!)
Picdit
Hello Jupiter
Sooth Brush
Hot Child in the City
Cake, Cats, and Curiosity
The Projectivist
My Modern Metropolis


image cred [ Dying in Downey ]

paul rudd

I saw Paul Rudd while I was walking back to my car yesterday. He's much shorter in person (which I guess is a statement equal to the over used declaration "it tastes like chicken"... in other words duh). ANYWAY, stature aside I absolutely adore this actor and was beyond excited to run into him on my first day out and about.

magnetic reminders

A couple of days ago I made some magnetic photo reminders. It's nothing terribly inventive but I thought about maybe selling them in packs of 5 in my Etsy shop.

SXSWaaa

Tomorrow is the big 'ole start of SXSW here in Austin, and also marks my first time in being a volunteer. I'm taking photos of... what I'm not sure yet. SX is traditionally a hectic time here in town and I usually do my best to avoid the craziness (and go to the free stuff). So this will be a new thing and frankly I couldn't be more nervous. Naturally I made myself a little checklist and hopefully that will help prepare me for the next week. All I want is to do a good job and not submit blurry photos. I'll see what I can do. Maybe somewhere in there I'll manage to check off "have fun".

last reminders

I have officially exhausted this series. Even though there are a few more that I did not post and still even more ideas I think it's time to say enough. So enough. You can see the last of the new ones here.

my website

So it took me long enough, but I finally have an official website up and running. It's the first one I ever made and I'm pretty sure that there are probably some short cuts I could have taken, especially since it's a relatively basic site, but anywho I'm glad for tackling something new AND more so finally being done with it. It's the ultimate scratch-off on my list and feels so good, like scrubbing chicken pox (I guess).

Please feel free to offer any feedback... broken links, navigation suggestions, you hate it (ok, maybe not that last part).

Thanks Mom, John, and Seana for listening to me yammer on about this and for being my sounding board.

Oh, and if you want to check it out the site is www.recoveringlazyholic.com.

there's a new super blanket in town

The other day I was cruising through my daily fix of Google Reader when I noticed, on some site which I don't remember now, a blanket... that you wear... that allows your hands to be mobile while being warm... without the hassle and shortcomings of your every day blanket. And it wasn't the Snuggie (or the Slanket, but that's a debate for another day).

This brave new invention was called Shivers, a pretentious version (is my bias showing?) of what we have come to know and love with nary a mention of its established cousin. There really can only be one so this calls for a thought out, sensitive, and intelligent comparison. It's on!




To sum up:

SNUGGIE -- family oriented, sporty and comfortable wizard-friendly color coordinating economical American product.

SHIVERS -- depressing foreign itch mess with an anti-comfortable name that might make you closer to God but will cost a load and take forever to get.

Who will win?

smarty shots: reality bites

After a long break I finally have added something new to Smarty Shots. Yes, I'm sure that's such great news, as I'll bet everyone has been seriously jonesing for an update. Click here to see the latest post. I hope to be better about keeping up with it. We'll see.

Reality Bites was the film of choice this go 'round. This movie holds a significant spot in my heart, albeit a silly, nostalgic, what-was-I-thinking-but-still-I-love-it-in-spite-of-it's-crappiness spot. When this movie came out I had just graduated from high school. At the time I was a huge Winona Ryder fan so I was automatically going to be enthralled. Upon watching it, I fell in love with it because it painted this world of being an adult, complete with roommates, job woes, and romance, that seemed so appealing. This was a world I couldn't wait to be part of.

Over time I can't say that the film has held up well and I'm pretty sure my infatuation was rooted in the fantasies I just mentioned. Reality Bites is actually quite bad. It serves as a great time capsule, with a young Ben Stiller (who also directed), the introduction of Janeane Garofolo (as far as I know), and 90's fashions. Beyond that it's a giant pop culture reference, shouting out to 70's sitcoms, commercial slogans, and other empty sound bites. Ethan Hawke is presented as the dreamy/dirty misunderstood intellectual jerk that Winona Ryder falls for, which I guess is nothing new in the world of cinema... bad boys are good for you right. And the acting is bad. The movie mocks MTV culture but in the process is offering up nothing more substantial.

But damn it if I don't still adore it. I just needed to put it in its place and dissect my misplaced devotion; it's like film therapy. There is a bright spot. 'Ole Mr. Keith David makes a cameo. He makes everything better.

to do list

I made another list. This is a to-do list for the week. Again you can download it for free if you want and size it however you like for printing. It's divided into the things you want to do and the things you have to do. The days of the week are listed and you just fill in the day and month (if you so choose).

[ download to do list ]

bleck

Let me preface this by saying this is going to be a whole lot of whining, and not even good whining... just whining about dumb stuff. I'm mildly irritated by a few things and need to vent.

1) The Bachelor. I have no-one to blame but myself but I actually wasted my time today watching this. I'm generally not super critical of T.V. shows, as I'll watch most anything, but this is probably the worst show on the entire planet. Even worse than crap like the reality show nightmare Sunset Tan (gives me the willy's) because it tries to pretend it's something better. P.S. Anyone that goes on T.V. to find true love AND thinks they find it... so delusional, words fail me.

2) Tumblr. I signed up as I mentioned the other day. I like it... and I don't. I am following a few sites that I truly like and the rest occasionally post something awesome but I have to sift through 500 photos of some "heartthrob" to get there. How do you find other Tumblr sites that are in line with your tastes, and consistently so? Why do I feel like I'm too old to tumble in this playground? Surely there are a ton of folks out there that post what I crave and are not into creating a virtual Tiger Beat.

3) Creating a website makes me tired. I have been trying to put together a website for a while now. The actual act of it has not taken that long so far. The delay has been in coming up with a suitable way to organize everything and figuring out what to include. I have a self-editing problem and am also sometimes indecisive. I think FINALLY I know what I want to do and any seasoned web designer could probably do what I want in a second but I'm stubborn, want to learn something new, and am dedicated to the idea of seeing this through. I don't know what I'm doing though, so I'm entering phase 2 of taking an eternity to make this. I want it over with so I can not think about it anymore.

And really that's it. Life is so tough right. I know, I know.