There’s enough going on in this world to fill you with despair to the highest degree. But all it takes is a single candle to bring light to an entire room. Never underestimate the need for hope. Hope is a confident expectation. Once you lose hope, you lose will and purpose. I don’t know who created this website but I think it’s both the antithesis and backbone for our culture. www.givesmehope.com

So it seems modern trends are moving towards how things were done in the past. For instance, motorless grass trimmers, backyard gardens, composting, sewing, and now chicken eglu’s. Join the ranks of the socially aware hipsters and own your own chickens. If I didn’t live in the city where farm animals were illegal, I would totally do this. What’s better than fresh eggs? I guess, a fresh chicken on the grill.

Here’s the latest and greatest print from Marco Suarez. Bicycle was inspired by my time in New York City earlier this month. I’m working on several designs inspired by NYC that I hope to have up soon. This print is available in my Etsy store for only $20!

I stumbled upon this great illustrator, Jon Klassen. He has some amazing illustrations including this one. I absolutely love it and wish I could’ve thought of the idea first. He’s got tons of amazing work on his site. You really need to check it out.

Here’s a great kids book with great illustration. It reminds me so much of my dog, Basil. I don’t have any kids yet but I want this book. Created by the folks at EightHourDay and illustrated by Katie Kirk. This is what the folks at EightHourDay had to say about the book…

“Inspired by a phrase often said by our nephew, Parker, Eli no! uses iconic illustrations to tell the story of one trouble-making dog (our own Eli) and the one word that is never far behind. We paired bold graphics and bright colors with clean, strong typographic layouts to instantly engage audiences of all ages. A call-and response writing style makes this book easy to read and even more fun to shout!”

So while in Brooklyn we visited the Renegade Craft Fair. Very cool and very overwhelming. We came away with quite a haul. And left with a lot less money than we came with. But it was worth the finds. I was able to meet one of my favorite artists Dolan Geiman and his fiance Ali. They were very nice and I think I may have convinced them to come to Artisphere next year. Greenville desperately needs some real art at Artisphere instead of the overpriced Garden Ridge art that they currently offer. Here’s a few pics of the noteworthy booths we found.

So we just got back from New York and had a great time! Very exhausted though. It was Michelle’s first time there so we did the tourist thing as well as hit some very local spots. Michelle’s sis Erica lives in the East Village so we spent most of our time around there. We also ran into Jermaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords there. He had his baby strapped to him and was with his wife. We went up to him to take a pic but opted on just saying hi. We wanted to respect his privacy.

We also visited Dailey and Michelle Crafton in Brooklyn during the Renegade craft fair, which was quite overwhelming. So much good art. We came away with a haul and a lot less cash but we had a blast. I took some photos of some booths that I thought were especially noteworthy.

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This Sunday I have the great opportunity to visit the Renegade Craft Fair that’s happening in Brooklyn, NY. I can’t wait. I’m hoping to pick up some awesome stuff. My friends at Gothamville will be having a booth there. If you’re anywhere near NYC this weekend, check it out.

Well it seems cars are FINALLY catching up with technology. There’s more technology in my phone than there is in my 2005 Honda! But with the Nissan Cube and the all new 3rd Generation Prius, it seems auto makers are taking that leap into the next generation of automobiles. It’s about time! It’s crazy how there’s hardly any difference between between a car from the 90’s and a car from 2009. It’s weird how technology can advance so quickly in things like phones and computers and is pretty much non-existant in the auto and airline industries. There has to be a cover up.

Anyway, check out the new Prius. Anyone have any ideas on the price? They’ve neglected to add that to the site. I know everyone that is not into “green” says it’s more green to buy a used car than a new green one. Which makes sense, but since the world isn’t going to stop manufacturing cars (even though they really could and we’d have plenty) it’s good to encourage them by purchasing autos like the Prius. Maybe the bankrupt 3 would have been in a different situation if they hadn’t resisted change.

But from a design standpoint, this site kicks! Though it is built in flash and has crashed Firefox twice while viewing it. Flash is Satan and everyone knows it. Unless they’re action scripting demons. Then you’ve drank the cool-aid.

So we’re selling our house. We’re saddened by this and excited to see where we’ll end up. So if you’re looking for a great house in a great location in Greenville, SC, look no further. 3 bedroom 2 bath bungalow. 1400sqft. Located off of LeGrand Blvd near Greenville Tech. Less than 5 minutes from Publix, Fresh Market, movie theatre, mall, downtown and Pita House. If interested, contact Debbie Dujardin at ddujardin@remax.net.

More pics after the break.

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