• Mmm. Pretty. All these wallpaper downloads for my iPhone. When did having the right background wallpaper on a cell phone start defining my life? I really don’t know, but I like changing out designs. Change is good. Pretty changes are even better.
• Are you ready for Halloween? I’m totally not, but I’m getting into the spirit with these freaky faces. There’s really nothing appealing about them and that’s the point. They’re just weird. And kinda cool. A definitely download if you ask me.
• I anticipate that by the time I publish this post, that all of Elsie’s kits from her Etsy store will be near to sold out. Her kits are very, very cool. I like adding touches of Elsie to my pages. I sincerely love the girl and I love her style. And if you’re going to miss her line through KI Memories like I will, then perhaps you’ll find just what you need through her shop.

• I’ve been dying to photograph a concert for practically forever. I might still get my chance to, but until then I’ll enjoy these photos from The Roots concert performance in Oslo. I love this band. They do it for me. I describe them as singer/songwriters for the hip-hop community. They’ve got soul, style, class, feeling. Their music tells a good story. And their drummer is one of my personal favorites: ?uestlove. Click here to watch the video to “The Seed (2.0)” - love this one.
• We’ve come a long way, baby, as evidenced by this photo gallery from Discover Magazine. Here you’ll find photos of our galaxy taken from years gone by, then compared to how we see these same sites today. Take if a visit if you get the chance to. And don’t forget to read the blurbs accompanying each photo. They’ve tied our world history very well to each shot. Fantastic.
• Have you ever had the chance to see the world from above? I’ve been fortunate enough to take flight a few times and see the world in peace from up high. Everything looks so different, so in tune, and you see the bigger picture. You appreciate just how small you are and how awesome the world is. These photos from Yann Arthus Bertrand are highlighted in his work “Earth from Above.” Go ahead. Take a look. It’s worth it.

TONIGHT, TOMORROW, SUNDAY
Tonight - NKOTB Concert in San Jose at 7pm, poker with friends at midnight
Tomorrow - Drop Cat off at SFO, go to Keeble and buy a new lens, do my laundry, finish proofing photos, visit friends through Facebook
Sunday - Maternity shoot with Sevilla family, meet with Allison to check out her venue, drink a margarita

So which one of these activities do you think I’m looking forward to the most?

Ciao, friends.

• Smashing Magazine has a great article out about the inspiration behind some great designs. They highlight the creator of the original icon set for Mac’s as well as the Godfather of Photoshop to name a few. It’s interesting to see where ideas originate, especially those ideas that I exist in without thought. And it’s interesting to see how these same ideas have evolved. Evolution. It’s the new thing.
• When I was in college I took a Children’s Literature course to fulfill my English minor requirements. I loved the class. We focused on the origins of classic children’s stories. I was so surprised to learn how many have been diluted and turned into the happy endings we accept today. I found this article from The Boston Globe that enters into such a discussion. It’s a good read and one I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
• On my last week at my old job, my co-workers had a little fun with me. They pulled off an office prank by moving all the contents of my desk -everything on my hutch, desktop, files inside the desk drawers, everything but my computer- off my desk and recreated the layout on a table top right beside our copy machine. (I guess they couldn’t figure out how to remove my computer without cutting off my access to the network.) I had to take my hats off to them. They recreated everything. And to recreate my computer monitor, they drew my Windows screen on a piece of cardboard and stuck my Post-It notes all around the “screen.” So long story short, check out this funny blog post about over-the-top office pranks. Ha!

• Do you like free things? Are you into digital design? Then go and start downloading free ornaments made available through Briar Press. I’ve found a lot of the offerings similar to rub-on designs I’ve seen around the scrapbooking world. Check out the site if you’ve got the time and start the downloading madness.
• Yum. Cake. Good. And all in 5 minutes. I’ve yet to try this recipe, but I’m betting my friend Rene will give it a go for me. And if any of you do, too, please let me know how it goes. Because if chocolate cake can really be made in 5 minutes, I am in serious trouble.
• The art of book cutting fascinates me. Me, who never, ever wanted to bend the spine of my books when I was younger. Me, who made book covers for my book covers. But I can see the art behind the madness. Books last forever. Now here’s another way to enjoy them.

• Okay, so now it’s October. Okay. Wow. Then next month will be November. Then the month after that, December. And I really need to decide on a 2009 calendar already. These animal ones from MOMA are my current cute favorite. Seriously, I think I need that hippo sitting on my desk.
• I’ll admit it, I fell into the hype that is Mad Men. I’ve been a religious follower of the show since it first aired. It is probably the sexiest thing on TV right now and the writing is just smart, smart, smart. So, yeah, I’m definitely a fan. And the fan in me fell in love with these Mad Men illustrations. I mean come on now! These are so smooth.
• So I’m at that point in my life where there’s no point to my life. But I’m finding some comfort in Avenue Q. The music, the lyrics, the whole idea behind the musical. I’ve been playing the album over and over and over again. They’re Sesame Street for adults and just what I need right now. They’re my chicken soup.

SO….

1. I need to share photos.
2. I need to share those mini-albums I’ve been promising to.
3. I need to take a walk.

All will be done this weekend. See you soon!

Love their rings. Freakin’ love them.

John educated me on the ways of men, on coat sleeve buttons and cuff links.

I flipped when i saw Megan’s dress. It was oh, so romantic. And I had fun with their blackboard.

Their daughter who always gave the best smiles.

And their son. This kid was the perfect model. Always ready for a shot.

First dance.

And the reception layout. Gorgeous.

Thanks for letting me share.

• The graphics departments on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are some of the unsung heroes in the world of political comedy. I found this great article online at Print Magazine making the argument that the graphics seen during the shows’ segments are the modern-day version of political cartoons. Interesting read.
• Is there someone in your life who can’t seem to hold a conversation without cursing every other word? Then maybe this this eraser gum is for them. They’re actually real erasers that look just like gum. Funny. Wish they would work to erase some of the colorful language you just don’t want to hear.
• If you know me you know that I’m a huge fan of The Family Guy, especially of precocious little Stewie. Definitely not a cartoon for kids. I knew I had to share this gallery on TMZ, imagining The Family Guy characters and the actors who could play them. Unbelievably spot-on for most of them, especially Cleveland’s character. High-larious.

• I found this site showing some of the hand-painted art by the late Mario Mariotti. I’ve seen hand-painted art before, but these are so, so interesting. Fun, yes, but interesting, too. The way you look at something for a long time just to see all the details. Fascinating.
• This little program has changed my life: Dropbox. It allows you to keep a synced folder between any computers you own. Life-saving. I’m flawlessly syncing folders between my Macbook Pro and PC work computer. Right now it’s beta and for free, so I suggest you check out the site, watch the video, then download and install it immediately.
• You smell. No, really, you do. Have I insulted you? I didn’t mean to. The packaging designed for a line of detergents by Megan Cummins gets away with being so sassy because it’s so, so brilliant, inviting the customer to investigate the package longer. And getting a good laugh. Like telling your friends that they smell. Hee.

BIG PLANS THIS WEEKEND
A wedding I’m photographing with my friend Jennie. Finishing up a series of mini-books that I’ll be sharing next week - a total of 5 of them! Woah! And a huge pile of laundry that just needs to get done. The pile is getting frightfully large.

What can I say? I am a thrill-seeker.

Gotta love a guy and his guitar.

Especially gotta love a guy who loves his mom.

Thanks for letting me share!

• I like toast probably as much as the next person. But I know I would fall in love with toast if I had one of these scanner toasters from Electrolux. I’d scan affirmations for myself everyday, saying things like, “It’s okay, Grace. You’re doing fine.” If that’s printed on my toast, I will believe it.
• Now here’s something truly industrious: a bottle cap that acts as a tripod. Head over to your local hardware store and, for just a few bucks, build yourself one. Really smart, I think, if you’re traveling around and need to take a quick, steady shot. I usually carry a water bottle with me wherever I go, so one of these would be brilliant to keep around. A bit trickier if you need to keep an SLR steady, but still, genius.
• Saw this tutorial on Design Sponge for creating days of the week folders. Easy and effective. Something cute to do to get past the manila of the office folders. Now that I think about it, I’ll probably use up any excess stickers I have lying around. And chipboard alphas, too. How funky would that be? Too funky.

• The next time you see a road sign, take a moment to take a closer look. You just might find yourself surprised silly. The Glenn Group created these cool parking lot signs as part of a campaign to liven up the city of Reno, Nevada. What a cool way to show some love. Kudos for the excellent effort! And if you want to order a sign of your own, click here.
• What’s hot in Japan right now? These Blackbird, Fly twin reflex cameras from Superheadz. The photographer in me can’t wait to play with one of these. I’ve been scouring eBay and Craig’s List for old-school Mamiya’s and Roloflexes, and I can’t wait to see how these models will play out.
• Who wants interactive wallpaper? I do! And if you do, too, then this is probably the wallpaper for you: Frames designed by Taylor and Wood. This wallpaper reminds me of those times when I was a kid and I itched to draw on the white, white walls of my bedroom. Now someone’s done it for me! So cool. I think I’m going to order myself a patch and actually cover my door with it. It’ll make for one kick-ass bulletin board, I think.

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Do you feel it? Summer’s over and the holidays are just around the corner. My life is going to get way busy again before I know it. So I’m going to take this weekend to appreciate the good things in my life.

For those in Hurricane Ike’s path, stay safe. My prayers to you.

Until tomorrow,
Love,
Grace

With her husband. Awww….

And their kids. Spitfires, both of them.

Yup, total pros.

I also grabbed these quick shots of Jason and Joy. They’ve been my friends since middle school. I love saying I have friendships that have lasted. I’m lucky like that.

Perfect. Just perfect.

Thanks for letting me share!

Have you guys seen this? If not, check it out. Only because, you know, Love Lists are the coolest things in the world.