Author: avery

A Smile for Your Friday

duckie

 

duckie2

 

I saw this on Facebook and Twitter this morning, and had to pass it on.  A 50-foot inflatable rubber duckie was floated down the Thames River in London on Tuesday.  It was all part of a campaign on behalf of JackPotJoy.com’s Facebook Fundation, a bursary program “granting funds and rewards for daft ideas to encourage Brits to have more fun.”

[via itv.com]

The Yurt (aka Winter Patio) at the Ceili Cottage

If you’ve walked or driven by the Ceili Cottage recently, you may have wondered what the heck that big white thing is.  It’s a yurt!  They have it set up as a winter patio, and it’s fully licensed.  There’s no power [correction: there IS power and heat!] and the inside is lit up with candles and there’s a record player for entertainment.  Apparently it’s quite warm inside, and looks so comfy.

Next time we have a babysitter, we’re going to go check it out.

[images from the Ceili Cottage’s Facebook and Twitter feeds]

Tiny Train Chugs Across Canada

This made me smile.  Photographer Jeff Friesen travelled across Canada, taking gorgeous photos along the way – all featuring a tiny model train that he artfully incorporated into each shot.  It’s kind of like the roaming gnome, but cooler.

See the whole photo series (aptly titled “The Canadian”, after the train’s name) here.

[via Twisted Sifter]

I Love Getting Mail

What could be better than returning home from a great mini holiday?  Returning home from a great mini holiday to find some prezzies in the mail!  My designer pal Luke sent me some of his “Don’t Stop Believing” Christmas cards (remember when I mentioned them a couple weeks ago?), and also included a very special “Last Christmas” record EP card.  Luke, how did you know that’s one of my favourite Christmas tunes?  The video is epic. (And ridiculous.  Look at George Michael’s hair.)

Remember that time a few years ago when I took a one-day letterpress workshop, and totally sucked at it?  Since then, I’ve had HUGE respect for those that do their own printing well.  Add Luke Despatie to that group.  And, he was recently featured on the cover of Design Edge Canada as one of “Ten Young Designers To Watch”.  Buy Luke’s letterpress prints online on his Etsy shop.

…And, I’m Back.

Ah, a little mini vacation was just what I needed.  Our 4-night trip to the Finger Lakes was awesome.  The days were chilly but sunny – perfect for hiking and shopping (and relaxing and eating my face off).

[photos from our trip, including Millie, the “house dog” at the William Henry Miller Inn in Ithaca.  She stays under a blanket in front of the fire most of the time.  Smart dog.]

The Power (and the Process) of Saying No

I sat with a cup of coffee this morning, watching this video of Jason Santa Maria’s recent Creative Mornings talk all about “saying no”.  Jason Santa Maria is a big deal in the web design world, and rightly so.  His work is amazing, and he’s a talented writer and speaker.

I’ve read/seen other creative people talk about the power of saying no to projects/clients/things, but this talk is a little different.  Jason Santa Maria is wonderfully honest about the fear of saying no (even at his level of expertise and acclaim), and realistic about real-world issues (“do I need the money”).  He charts the path he took to where he is now, and admits to making many mistakes.

I particularly enjoy the last few minutes, where he outlines his process for identifying potential projects/clients/things that he should say “no” to.  This video is a must-watch for any creative professional.