Hipster Puppies

Need a daily dose of happy? The kind that doesn’t stick to your hips? Check out Hipster Puppies. If this blog doesn’t brighten your day, then … well… you need help.

Monsters in Real Places

"Huge Green Guy" by Wayne

I catch myself smiling every time I look at Monsters in Real Places. It’s just so fun. I mean, how awesome would it be to come across one of these monsters in one of these real-life locales? …Well, as long as they aren’t the chew-you-up, spit-you-out-and-leave-you-for-dead sort of monster. My favorite has to be the “Huge Green Guy” above. I love how he looks like he’s totally been caught out, like he’s been hiding in this valley for years and, until now, has escaped being noticed.  

This guy is just adorable. (Never thought I’d call anything with tentacles adorable.)

“Subway Monster” by Theresa Ryan

 I could see this monster coming to life if you let your cottage cheese curdle just a little tooooo long.

"Cottage Cheese!" by Chris Elippoulos

The very best part is that if you’re feeling  inspired, you can submit your very own monster creation. The directions are simple: Use a photo of some setting. Create a monster to go in it. Write a little blurb and e-mail. According to this big guy’s ditty, he was a “Cloverfield” hopeful. Ha!

"Rumpus" by Joe & Seb

 I get “Star Wars” every time I look at this one.

"Beach!" by Chris Walker

There’s currently a call for submissions featuring the 2010 Olympic mascots. Hence, the furry guy with the earmuffs.

"Quatchi" by Caleb Sawyer

 Happy monster sighting!

Distracted by Star Wars

Who doesn’t? I’m loving Distracted by Star Wars, a blog of anything and everything Star Wars-related. It seems as though nothing is off limits, from cute kids in Halloween costumes…

… to fun with action figures…

… to art of all kinds…

… and, of couse, there’s a little weirdness as well.

Be sure to check this one out when you do have time to get good and distracted because it’s sure to take you to a galaxy that’s … well, you know.

Letterheady

2009 Letterhead for Pixel Flix

Only a month old, Letterheady has already made a lot of headway with its daily and, on some occasions, twice daily posts of interesting letterhead designs.

Letterheady is also the little sister blog of my most recent post and one of my most cherished finds, Letters of Note. I totally play favorites with the two, but it was actually Letterheady that I came across first … and subsequently ignored for days after clapping my eyes on its extremely charming and very captivating older sibling.

That being said, Letterheady is a fun little blog to hang out with every now and then. Instead of focusing on the content of a written letter, it pays homage to the paper that it’s written on. And that’s something I can appreciate. I loved stationary stores when I was little, and I had a bad habit of writing letters that never made it into the mail simply for the joy of writing on pretty paper. I haven’t had personal stationary in upteen years, but this blog makes me want some.

Marvel Comics, 1982

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Walt Disney Productions, 1938

Letters of Note

A letter from artist Moses Soyer to his son, who was away at summer camp

Apparently I fall in love easily… especially when it comes to blogs.

But believe me when I say that this time, it’s the real deal. As in head-over-heels infatuation. Seriously, y’all. I’ve been so lovesick over this blog  for the past couple of days that every time I’ve visited it to collect a few tidbits to post here, I find myself reading post after post and loosing all regard for sharing it with you.

But it’s simply too wonderful not to share, and like its own tagline says, this is definitely “Correspondence deserving of a wider audience.”

So in your best interest, I tore myself away long enough to jot out this post.

Letters of Note is a daily posting of interesting letters, postcards, telegrams, memos and faxes. The letters’ authors include celebrities, a lieutenant general serving in the Revolutionary War, a mother of a missing 12-year-old boy, the creator of Superman … and so many other interesting people with interesting things to say.

What I especially enjoy is the bit of background information the blog’s creator provides prior to each letter. Letters are posted in their original form and typed transcripts follow. One of my favoirte posts is Describe the Sky, which includes artist G.C. Haymes’ original letter requesting that other artists reply and descibe the sky. The two posted responses wonderful juxtapositions.  

I hope you’ll love this blog as much as I do.

(Letter images are linked to their original posts so you can quickly access their transcripts.)

Correspondence between Dr. Seuss and a 13-year-old aspiring illustrator who grew up to be an award-winning graphic novelist

A Western Union telegram sent from Malcom X to Martin Luther King

8-year-old Kelli Middlestead's letter to the director of Alaska's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the Exxon Valdez oil spill

Jared Andrew Schorr

I just love cut paper art.

There is something so remarkable about the detail, the precision and the patience that goes into each cut. Imagine the huge payoff when all the intricate, time-consuming pieces finally come together to form the final dimensional piece that pops off the page. And that’s why I was utterly captivated when I came across artist Jared Andrew Schorr’s personal blog.

Schorr’s posts include some of his daily creations as well as his commissions and other works. I love that he shares some of his behind-the-scenes process, such as sketches and cuts in progress, while including a photo of the both the final work and the final work in print. I for one think his work is simply splendid. They make me want to whip out an Xacto knife and shred my way through an entire stack of paper.

Schorr also has an Etsy store. (The smiling sun wearing the cloud glasses is so charming.) My only disappointment is that I wish he had many more pieces for sale. Visit Schorr’s blog here.

Schorr's "Tools of the Trade" from his "One a Day for Thirty Days" series

Schorr's cut paper snowflakes for Go MagazineDrop cap options

Drop cap options created by Schorr for a WIRED Magazine commission

I’m just fascinated by the amount of detail in Schorr’s “Sometimes Things Just Start to Pile Up.” Amen! 

Small for Big

Moby rattle by Haba as featured on small for big

In honor of Christmas, I set out on a quest to find a toy blog to share. My hopes were high because what could be more fun to blog about than toys? Well… I had to dig pretty deep into the Internet toy box to find something worth pulling out. There were plenty of toy blogs, but many were too niche, too commercial, too boring or  too  mainstream and featured the same ol’-same ol’ toys splashed all over the talk show circuit.

But this is always the very best thing about writing this blog: I set out in search of one thing and end up finding something so much better. And that’s just what happened when I clicked through to Small for Big.

What gives this blog its uniqueness and its edge is that its author, Mari, is both a mom and a veteran designer of toys and  children’s gifts. She has distinct modern tastes and she finds the very best stuff: Art books for toddlers, downloadable vintage paper dolls, printmaking sets, customizable cardboard castles … It’s just incredible and so fun to look at. It’s almost like being a kid at Christmas all over again. And Small for Big isn’t just a toy blog, it features other kid products as well, including clothes and other odds and ends. Enjoy! I sure did!

Felt alphabet by Michima

Touch the Art books for toddlers

Tetris for tykes! Block puzzle by Plan Toys

Ouch! Comic Strip bandages

Beautiful mixed pattern dress by Aunt Bucky