Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

This Week in Inspiration..

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

This week in inspiration is a little random… We have a really complete article on Jquery best practices from TVI Design. For those who don’t know jQuery is a very popular javascript framework, very lightweight and feature-rich. You will only like this if you are a little nerdy of course… So in news for other kinds of people… :)

Video of one of the most genius DIY recreations I’ve seen in a long time, from Volpin Props in Atlanta. Who was also kind enough to share tips on how he achieved his final product. The detail in this is amazing, and he goes into everything from building circuitry to getting parts cast, chromed, and molded.

I thought I’d also share a link to Rebel 8, interjet home of Cali-Creative Mike Giant, and purveyor of fine and stylish goods. People bite this style like there is no tomorrow, but none compare. Giant is a technician.

Giant sighting on Melrose in LA, via LATaco.com

Giant sighting on Melrose in LA, via LATaco.com

And speaking of things California, a friend of mine is traveling to Long Beach in August and it got me to thinking. Having been born there (full disclosure, I didn’t actually grow up there, mostly spent summers there visiting family), I felt the need to share what little I know about spending quality time in the LBC.

  • Fingerprints Records : A sweet record store… lots of hard to find music and local goodness… This area is called the Belmont Shores and is on the edge of Long Beach along the shoreline going South towards Seal Beach. A few little shops that are aight.. a little touristy other than Fingerprints.
  • MOLAA : The Museum of Latin American Art is pretty dope, and there is an arts district that was just coming up last time I was around. On the edge of downtown Long Beach. A few Black barber shops, bodegas, Rasta shops and a couple of cool bookstores featuring local literature.
  • Proper : This little section of East Broadway has a couple of boutique type shops on it and some independent coffee shops. Community garden too… within walking distance of downtown. Downtown Long Beach is a good place to park and walk around, lots of restaurants, a few small cafes, a movie theater. A little pricey, but there are some old shops with character tucked away on the side streets.
  • Bixby Park, sometimes know as Cherry Park (but not actually Cherry Park): A good spot to chill, a family park with only the occasional sketchy characters. It is on the outskirts of this Gay-centric strip of bars and shops (Broadway and East 4th), which includes some cool antique stores and the East 4th skateshop that’s been around forever. People used to skate this park up like crazy (it used to have a huge stage on it), it’s been in some historic skate videos. Across the street is Ocean Boulevard and the beach, which is behind breakwaters. I met a someone recently that said that the beach has been cleaned up in recent years. Miles of walking along the shore here, and you can walk up to the Long Beach Museum of Art, which is alright sometimes depending what you’re into.
  • VIP records: incubator to Snoop, Doctor Dre and many other LBC locals. Haven’t been there but they are still going strong after 31 years.

What’s missing on this list? Locals have got to know more about the city than me, and I know that LA has a lot to offer too… Holla at me,  or comment on this post, I’d love to learn more about the city I’m from!

Links:

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Home Sweet Home

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Was browsing the interwebs last night and came upon Home Sweet Home, a wonderful blog about living spaces. All of the content is submitted by users, and there is some great design involved. I would give up (metaphorically of course) some body bits to live in some of these places. The best part is that there is a tonne of DIY taking place. Sure there’s some nice furniture but most of the beauty involves re-purposing found items, and finding interesting ways to make use of limited space.

Image Via Home Sweet Home...

Image Via Home Sweet Home

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A Somber Month, This Month of April

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

April was pretty nostalgia-laden, remembering friends and family who have passed away and mourning a friend we lost way too soon, over an April weekend… (and in turn reminding me of others, loved and missed)

Devon was a drummer in indie band You Say Party We Say Die, all friends that grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Devon lived life to the hilt, he would keep you up until all hours whether you liked it or not, and you’d have a good time (so long as you didn’t close your eyes).

When I was a freshman student at the University of the Fraser Valley we were room-mates. Devon gave me a gig once drawing a graphic for one of his bands, a band called Blue Collar Bullets. He always did what he loved, and anything he had going on on the side was really geared towards making it easier for him to do more of what he loved, which was making music with his friends.

Take it as a not so subtle hint that,  death does come ripping.. So tell people you love them if it hasn’t been said, talk to your family and keep your friends close. And do what you love, or learn to love what your doing. It can all change in a second, in all its horrible beauty.

Devon at the Marshall house, somewhere in the late nineties...

Devon at the Marshall house, somewhere in the late nineties...

Some Links…

  • Devon Clifford’s Obituary, a great tribute - Apr 19, 2010 Vancouver Sun
  • Also lost in the month of April, legendary MC GURU from GangStarr, one of a handful of the reasons I found to love hip-hop music… Keith GURU Elam R.I.P. –  New York Time Obit.
  • And if you can, please take a moment to donate to the American Cancer Society – In Loving Memory of Kathy Gwen Hahn

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