old photo maker

If you haven't already, you must try converting your photos on this Japanese website called Bakumatsu Koshashin Generator. I don't know much about the site and it's inventors. But basically any photograph you upload can be converted to look like old black and white daguerreotypes from the 1800s. The converter actually converts exactly the resolution you upload. When I first heard about this, I converted so many images! It's very addictive because the results are quite amazing. Besides, who knows how long this site will be up! Go play now! 

Below are some before and afters of my own photos :

My very own profile photo (see original to the right):

Here's one of my sister Christine modeling my necklaces:

Here's one of me in Paris (right outside the Louvre) 

Here's one from my friends Jenny and Daren's wedding last year: 

curated.

The company I work for (3:SL Creative) was lucky enough to find office/studio space to share with an interior design firm called Curated. Not only do we get regular glimpses at beautifully designed rooms, we get to work out of their gorgeous space. Admittedly, I also enjoy overhearing snippets of interior design-related conversations :)  

Below is a book that Curated published to show off their work and their inspiration. I thought it was so well done, I had to share. If I had better lighting equipment and a seamless white backdrop, I would have been able to take better photos of the book. Hopefully, the images below will give you an idea. It was designed with meticulous detail. Even the "inspiration" section was printed on toothier, warmer, uncoated stock. 

Here are images from their current and past projects that I particularly liked. Love their style, the use of mid-century modern furniture as well as their use of color. Plenty of inspiration here for my future apartment. I'd love to be able to afford to hire them one day...

caramelized black pepper chicken love

Vietnamese food rocks my world. I love this quick, easy and flavour-packed recipe from GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly newsletter. In fact, I've made this several times already. It was lifted from Food & Wine magazine and it's by chef Charles Phan who runs Slanted Door, a great Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco. My variation of this recipe uses less sugar and fish sauce. I also like to marinate the chicken in the sauce ingredients for at least a half an hour before I stir fry – this gives the breast meat the chance to absorb more flavour.  Most importantly, I top the dish with a TON of fresh cilantro before I devour it! Just thinking about this is making me salivate. I'm looking forward to making this again... tomorrow night. 

View or download the recipe here (scroll down to the bottom). 

P.S.1 swimming pool

This was one of only a couple of truly exciting pieces at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center's  Spring Opening this past weekend. It's by artist Leandro Erlich. He achieves an amazing illusion of a deep swimming pool filled with water from above as well as below. Very clever and well-designed. Loved it. 

when eye wear = art

I would consider myself an eye wear fiend of sorts. At least I am very, very particular about the pair I chose to wear simply because I wear them everyday of the year. I prefer glasses to contacts because of the distinct personality and style they add to my look. I always notice and call attention to people when they have beautiful specs on. I was floored when I came across Urban Spectacles  by designer Scott Urban. They are meticulously hand sculpted from solid blocks of wood! Unbelievable. These have to be the most unique and beautiful eyeglasses I have ever seen. Amazing. I would give up a few pairs of new shoes to own a pair of these. Seriously.

speaking of cinematic...

I am a immense appreciator of well-designed, clever, creative and beautiful title sequences for film (as well as the films themselves, of course). Art of the Title is solely dedicated to featuring great sequence titles. The examples above are just a few of them. They also have viewable clips of each one. Love it. 

Stranger Than Fiction

Juno

High Fidelity

Delicatessen

Napoleon Dynamite

eric blum

I was mesmerized by Eric Blum's work even before I saw his work in person. I loved it even more after I learned more about his process and his point of view. These abstract watercolor paintings on paper or silk with multiple layers of beeswax added on top. The artist works with the paintings flat on a work table, carefully pouring thin layers of wax over a period of time (sometimes months) achieving this depth that is uniquely sensuous, dream-like and translucent. Needless to say, some of the larger pieces can weigh well over a hundred pounds by the time they're completed.  

During a studio visit last year, I asked Eric Blum about his work and also shared my own thoughts with him. I pointed out one of my favourites (directly below) because it reminded me of a street in Paris at night (my favourite city after NY, after all, is "The City of Lights") when viewed through a misty car window. I was fascinated to learn that he actually used to be a photographer and the evolution of his work to where it is now has much to do with the type of photographs he always wanted to take. They are all about light! 

What I love most about these paintings is that it allows the viewer to impose their personal story of what each one might be about. There is a seductive, cinematic quality to his paintings that makes me want to get completely lost in them...

an elegy for a camera

I thought it quite fitting for my old trusty (and first ever digital) camera capture it's last dying frames whilst walking through New York's flower district last week. I love the bizarre and haunting photos I took while my coworkers and I did research for a store window display. The images look as though I've blended them with computer graphics. In some strange way, they are quite beautiful.

Thank you, camera for your many wonderful years of loyal documentation. 

(I had to replace you, though... tout de suite!)

Love, 

Catherine

lovely package, darling.

Who doesn't get seduced by beautiful packaging? I love it and enjoy being part of the design process (when I get the opportunity). Lovely Package™ is the place to go to see beautiful, clever and delicious examples of all things packaging design related – from all over. Great name too. Above are just a few examples. Talk about inspiring. 

Here's another packaging design blog of note: The Dieline

i want skull candy

I was already a huge fan of Skull Candy's in-ear headphones – a less expensive alternative to Apple's in-ear headphones (they are only $15 at Staples). They sound amazing. Then my co-worker sent me a link to these yesterday. They really are carved out of wood. It's no secret how much I love anything made out of wood – particularly jewelry, accessories, high heels and house wear ;) And how adorable is the packaging design?! Love! 

Available at Urban Outfitters (online only). 

This Vers iPod Dock is also right up my alley too. I believe this has been in the market for some time but I still really like it. Gorgeous and on sale at Target.  If you love bent wood furniture, this ones an easy sell. This one's made from Natural Cherry wood but it's available in Bamboo, Dark and Natural Walnut. Apparently, it sounds great too. I should write them and inquire about when they might come out with one designed for the iPhone.