Lonny Magazine - Amazing Home Decor (esp. for bedrooms!)

 

By now it's all over the web, but just in case....Michelle Adams (of MSL, book, and Domino fame) and NYC photographer, Patrick Cline have just launched Lonny magazine. A sort of Domino/Lucky-esque collection of themed accessories and crisp vignettes, Lonny offers something Domino never could - indie cred.  Being an online mag means lower costs and thus offers them the ability to spend money where it's most appreciated - on the pages - 195 to be exact.  Less overhead also means they're able to offer ads to businesses you'd never find out about on the pages of a print shelter mag and, bonus!, being online means they're able to offer immediate, on-page credit (links) to photographed accessories.

It's a great little mag - the garden story seems a little late, if you want to find something to dislike, but that's all part of launching on your own and it just makes Lonny all the more credible.  The premier issue features a little piece on Grace Bonney, cool kitchens, to-die-for bedrooms, a bit of fashion, and a whole ton of cute stuff you'll want (195 pages!).  Check it out and be sure to leave them a feedback note somewhere (they're on Facebook, but I can't find them on Twitter).

PS. Be on the lookout for several print mags to follow suite.  It's cheap and easy to publish online, (ideas, layout, writing, and photo - that's where the real BS&T lies) and Michelle's team's innovations prove there's a mountain of reader value in publishing this way.

Which leads me back to my previous post (me! me! me!).  Last year, I had the idea to publish my own online zine.  I ran the numbers, researched homes, mentioned it here, tried some different publishing options) and even talked to a couple of friends about helping.  That's as far it went.  Even though I knew it was an great idea, I back-burnered it for more immediate demands - I pursued a job (with a magazine), made two trips out east, watched TV, hustled freelance, etc.  Know that the 18-yr-old me would've done?

Remember most immediate doesn't always mean most important.

RYE RYE can change your life

Just watched a pretty cool short doc (super short) video about the singer, Rye Rye.  She's full of energy - it's just popping out of her all the time so she can't stand still - and it's inspiring.  She's not preaching, but she's telling you that you're old and cynical and that really, in reality, all things are possible.  She's enthusiastic and full of dreams and she's working it - working on it - all the time.  And that's what it is.  It's belief, maybe self-delusional belief, but belief and it's desire and it's a little bit of tunnel vision, but it's also drive.

I get up in the morning and I have a lot of pre-sets that have to get done and then I have a lot of things I'd like to get done and then I have a lot of things I'd rather be doing - those small steps on the road to fulfilling my dream (my current dream).  I know I have to do the things for which I'm responsible, but they were always there; work = chores, family obligations = family obligations.  I may have more to do around the house, but I don't have any school projects or studying on my plate.  So what's different? What's standing betwen me and my dream?  The only thing that's changed is my belief and the level of my desire and my drive.

I think it's time to stop back-burnering my dreams.  Time isn't waiting for me to make up my mind, to take action.  I need to tattoo my dream on my hand so it's always in front of me.  I need to put my dreams further ahead in the heirarchy of have-tos.  I need to believe I can do it, I need to know it's okay to want to do it, and I need to make getting it done a priority.

Just a little self-indulgent food for thought. And a video.

Karim Rashid's modern pop home (for sale)

Well, I'm sure it's not his only home, but it's definitely his.  Scarborough, NY.  Reduced from $750,000 to $599,999!  Pretty good deal on midcentury madness!  More details at DeZona Mag online!  I'm off to Renegade Chicago, ya'll! DM @gussied_up if me if you need me to bring you something back!

quick update

Wow.  It's been two months since I posted and even then, I didn't do very much.  Had a crazy summer and was gone to NJ a couple of times (to see my Granny), so that really cut into my blogging time.  Also, I was a candidate for an awesome design/decor-related job, so I was saving all my good posts for their site - you, know, just in case I made the cut.  Sadly, I didn't.  My loss is your gain.  Those "finds" that are still news will post soon.

In the meantime, I've started a couple Twitter ventures.  I'm uncertain about the future of blogs and of Twitter, so I went ahead and grabbed @Gussied_Up (names are going fast) and a new one, @FoundToday.  @Gussied_Up is mostly all about home design - of course.  @FoundToday is all about everything I think someone would want to see.

I hope you check out my Tweets, I hope you stick with me here.  Follow me on Gussied_Up and I'll definitely follow you back - would ove to know more about you, too.

West Coast Modern Architecture

   

I just found out about Coast Modern, an amazing documentary about the West Coast's Modernist Architecture's roots - the new ideas about breaking barriers between indoor/outdoor space, relationships, materials.

Filmmakers Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome interview Arthur Erickson (Vancouver), Fred Bassetti (Seattle), Hernik Bull (Berkley), Michael Folonis (Santa Monica), Dion Neutra (Los Angeles) - son and partner of Modernist pioneer Richard Neutra, Barbara Bestor (LA) and others.

Legendary photographer Julius Shulman is featured along with the photographs that brought world attention to Southern California. He's known for steadily creating one of the most comprehensive visual chronologies of Modernist Architecture.

The trailer's available on Vimeo - it looks great.  The website is ablaze with photos/info, and you can follow them on Twitter to find out about the projected fall release.

Make It Yourself Word Art

Word art is everywhere and it really takes an artist to make something beautiful out a of bunch of letters.

Enter Wordle. It's a free online service that takes most of the work out of creating your own word cloud. Simple. You can totally use the words from your blog, or your favorite blog, or you can just type in your own.*  Print it out right from the site, or save it using a pdf or image capture command, (just be sure to read the Creative Commons notice).  Then, choose your own font, colors and layout. Printed on great paper, your word cloud works as adorable nursery decor, motivational office memo board art, or the basis for a cool embroidered pillow design (see KnitPro to make pattern). 

*I highly suggest copying your "set list" after you type it in.  The program takes awhile to load so I got antsy and clicked to go back - my words were gone.  1. Give it time to work.  2. If you have crazy fingers, also copy your list.

Beautiful and amazing

Delicious Handscreened Wallpaper

    Repeat after me: Dan Funderburgh. Josh Minnie. Flavor Paper.

*Don't forget.  If you can't commit to placing it on your walls, you can always cover plyboard to prop up in a corner, prop up on your deck, or stick behind your bed.  And there's always the old back-of-the-closet or back-of-the-bookshelves. You deserve cool.