It’s that time of the week. What do I love this week?

• The ever-insightful Frank Chimero shows us how to have a good idea.
• Lovely round up of typographic art from Web Urbanist.
• Exchanging silly videos with my bff. Spontaneous and goofy.
• There’s still time to enter ByHillary’s giveaway for a Marc Jacobs owl bracelet! It’s super cute! Go enter—if I wore any gold, I would be!
• Rottencupcakes has been all up in them user-created treasuries on etsy! Yay! & thank you!
• Glasses! Glasses! Glasses! I can’t wait to receive this poster from Moxy Creative! (found via Swiss Miss)
• Pineapple Mint Vintage is giving away an amazing leather bag & a $25 to her shop! Awesome!
• My friend arrives for a weekend visit today!
• This video! This is what I do for a living as an Art Director for a magazine!

What do you love this week?

Malabrigo!

What’s on my love list this week? Let’s see here:

• Malabrigo! Malabrigo! Malabrigo! So much lovelyness. I snagged some Chunky Malabrigo Mariposa 125 at KnitSchtick when Celeste was in town. I can’t wait to start working with it. It’s so squishy!
• Getting into a drawing groove. I hope I can keep it up through deadline & press week! Yowza!
• Being one of Yes and Yes‘s sponsors this month. Hello to all the Yes and Yes’ers & welcome!
• Something is not right! From Madeline. Do any of you remember this?
• Sometimes teddy bears are scary.
• The Planet of the Eternal Piefight on e-merl.com I hope it’s banana cream. I really love this series of comics about different planets.
• This incredible article: An Introduction to Graphic Design by William Drenttel and Jessica Helfand on Design Observer.
• The promise of a datenight this weekend.
• 36 Awesome Vintage Care Emblems.
• How to Download a YouTube video Hello handy! I was just trying to figure this out the other day!
• Gap goes back to the old logo. Good call, guys.

What’s thrilling you this week?

What’s on my love list this week? Let’s see here:

Surly Cashmere.

• My bff came to visit last Thursday and we had the most glorious long weekend hanging out (I took Friday off!). There was so much chatter, trashy television, several yarn stores, makeup, fancy lady night, recreational ikea, chick flicks and KNITTING. So much knitting. Celeste is the most rad & my closest friend, even though she lives in Chicago. <3
• The new hat yarn I discovered. Cashmere deliciousness! (pictured left with my surly mug).
• This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer from Quotes on Design: “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.”
• Ninjabreadmen! Pow! I also think this how-to can be used for all types of cookie cutters! Like oh, I don’t know…a cupcake shaped one?
• More baking madness: How to Freeze Cookie Dough! from Good Life Eats! Guess what I am going to do Sunday?
• The awesome vintage skirt I found on etsy & fits like it was made for me from Fat Rabbit Vintage. LOVE.
• Nubby Twiglet writes about being yourself as a designer: “‘Cool’ is relative anyway.” YES.

What’s got you writing How-do-I-love-thees today?

Tell me! Tell me!

Getting my Gocco on.

Things I Love This Thursday:

• Gocco! I finally busted mine out last night for some fun times. Should have a big entry up by Monday at the latest; full of pictures and a step-by-step walk through.
• Another interesting design essay about Ten Things I Have Learned by Milton Glaser that is filled with Truth, even for non-designers. “3. Some people are toxic avoid them.” & my personal favorite: “8. Doubt is better than certainty.” (found via SwissMiss)
• An insanely productive week for personal projects and illustration work.
• I have to say I am pretty happy with my most recent edition of Let’s Make Stuff.  Pretty wordy for me!
• Little Doodles by Kate Wilson; This truly is how to eat a cupcake.
• My husband being super awesome. He surprises me with dinner (steaks procured & grilled by his sweet self) and movies and general spoilage. He also surprised me with the complete set of Scott Pilgrim books; I had already borrowed book 1-4 from a friend and was waiting to procure the last two novels. We saw the movie too which was alright; the only massively disappointing thing about it was Michael Cera being wretchedly cast. Michael Cera/George Micheal/every character Michael Cera plays…he’s not a “lady killer” and never will be. Books FTW!
• Oh Hello Friend curated a fabulous collection of ampersands.
• Rediscovering my love for artist Fred Sandback; his installations were the reason I first started exploring mine.

What’s sparking your smile this week?

most of my evenings are spent a bit like this.

The things that are making this week alright:

• My friend reviving his blog & some absolutely stellar photos! Check out Luke’s photos (& tutorials!) at ninethreestudio
• Socially-acceptable breakfast ice cream (jamba juice)
• Replacing fear with curiosity…and Yes and Yes. Uplifting without being too saccharine? Check. Funny and smart? And check.
• Bicycling to work again! I missed Dolores!
• Do you ever make a list of projects you probably will never start let alone finish? I certainly do and here’s a new one to add to it:  How-To: Felt Argyle Cushion cuteness!
• More bicycle-love and a love of autumn, but you know the crunch of the leaves when you walk over them? that lovely noise that maybe makes you make an effort to step on every single leaf? That. Except instead of using my feet, I use my bicycle.
• A friend shared this through google reader:  MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
• Lots and lots of knitting with lots and lots of different yarn. Excitement! I’m thinking about starting to do yarn reviews here on rottencupcakes…yay or nay?
• It’s Monday but it’s OK!
• Still majorly looking forward to my friend’s visit which is soon!

What’s the word, hummingbird?

A trio of buttons.

What’s plucking on the heartstrings this week?

• My totally awesome (totally rapid) visit to Seattle last weekend! Want to see my trip photos? They’re over on flickr. (want to see just the design related ones? I put them in their own album!)
• Knowing so many brilliant people who love what they do.
• Hooking up some pattern testing connections and ordering some new yarn! Check out my lovely knitting pal: handmade by stefanie! I am testing out a pattern for her and she’s testing out my Daisy Cutter beret! Which means the pattern will soon be available for purchase! Hooray!
• Absolutely beautiful knitting on etsy: Tickled Pink Knits; in particular the Rococo Cotton and Merino shawl. The drape is kind of mind-blowing!
• Being inspired by photography again! Of, you know…NOT just oufit pictures.
• Archer. The cartoon. Seriously.So.Funny. Whomp/whomp.
• Knowing that at the end of this deadline, my best friend is coming to visit! Huzzah!
• Ryan Kapp: These paintings are utterly phenomenal! His use of negative and positive space is thrilling as is his brushwork. And he’s from Chicago!

What’s giving you a yay hip hooray?

Things I love this Thursday, rottencupcakes-style from me to you!

• Accomplishing things on my to do list!
• Cooking at home! Nothing fancy but we never cook and have relied on takeout for far too long. There is nothing like a homecooked meal and I’m lucky enough that Scott is an amazing cook!
• Hat Season is officially underway!
• Speaking of which, I am knitting like mad! I am currently working on a custom order hat (fuzzy & grey! for a dude!),  an ottoman cover for myself & a present for my bff. As soon as the custom order hat is off these needles, I will be casting on another beret for the shop! A new design! I think in black but haven’t decided on color yet!
• More Whatcha Workin’ On? posts up my sleeve!
• Avocado toast! Om nom nom. Sourdough bread + mashed up avocado + a pinch of salt=perfection breakfast!
• This video of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (I have crushed on you since 3rd Rock!) singing Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance (found via my google reader & a fabulous lady who shared the Jezebel article):

What’s setting off your lovebombs this week?

Lovelist for this week:

Skull Portrait 5 by 7 Inch Letterpress by Letterpress Delicacies

• Letterpress Delicacies on etsy! Look how amazing this print on the left is (which I totally just ordered)—the craftsmanship looks stellar and their designs are incredibly clever. Check out the Bolts and Clouds card and the adorable Thanks a Million set.
• The September calendars! Holla!
• AngryPaulRand on twitter: “3 easy steps to being a successful designer: 1) Do great work. 2) Don’t be an asshole. 3) There is no step 3.” Brilliance, truth & hilarity!
• The upcoming long weekend! Hopefully, it will be both relaxing and productive!

“If you can’t draw as well as someone, or use the software as well, or if you do not have as much money to buy supplies, or if you do not have access to the tools they have, beat them by being more thoughtful. Thoughtfulness is free and burns on time and empathy.” -Frank Chimero, What advice would you give to a graphic design student? I think a whole lot on this list is applicable to more than just design students.

• My rad new cupcake earrings that sooz gifted to me!
• CS5–> Old hat, I know it’s been out forever BUT we’re doing the big switcheroo at work and we watched a bunch of videos and I got all re-super-stoked (gridify/live distribute/split/span columns!!!).
• Getting ready for hat season to commence! I have a bunch of gorgeousness that I’ll be adding to the shop this weekend!

What’s plastered a smile on your face this week?

Expedit.

• Cee-lo’s F*ck You! Video. The song, of course, is catchy and the lyrics are well written and funny; the reason I am putting it on my TiLT: holy shit-that typography/video is BRILLIANT.
• Building our giant IKEA expedit! (see dark super-classy iphone pic left) Well. Not the actual building part but the having a bookcase part. We got rid of our giant (very old & not particularly well-made) bookcases before we left Chicago because I didn’t feel like they would survive the cross-country move.
• My cat curling up on my lap as I work on this post. Menace: you are so nice & warm!
• [Why bitches be crazy?] That isn’t the actual title of the article (just the one I gave it!); it’s actually a really interesting and easily digestible science of why women really are wired differently than their male counterparts.
• One of the best compliments I have ever received: “I mean, compared to some of the other women we know, you’re a vulcan.”
• Oww! I stubbed my face! I have totally done this. Which is why there is a scar in my eyebrow. How graceful.
• Patternmashing. Today’s selection is black and white polka dots with black and white zebra print. Clash ‘n’ match, yo!
• Planning my teeny trip to Seattle. Airplane tickets have been purchased and I’ve procured a ride from the airport from one of my dear ex-Chicago friend who lives in Seattle now and has a 1+ year old (I haven’t seen her in 2-3 years). Majority of the weekend is going to be spent in the company of my friend Jenny, who has been one of my best friends since high school. I haven’t seen her in a year and a half and am super excited to bounce around Seattle with her (where she has been living since 2007 when I flew out from Chicago and we drove up the west coast from San Diego to the Seattle/Tacoma airport over a Labor Day weekend). I can’t decide if the weekend will be epic or legendary.

How’s about you? What’s putting a smile on your face this week? Tell me all about it!

Pink things.

Things that are meant for loving on this edition 63 of TiLT, rottencupcakes-style:

• The color pink but more specifically monochromatic arrangements of ordinary objects. This is the second one I’ve put together (see the first one here). Wanna see the pink one up close & tagged like crazy? Up on the flickrs.
• We are family: Family skyping!/ Sisterly Facebooking<3/ My sister is coming to spend Thanksgiving with us! SO EXCITED.
• Bladon Conner Studio (as featured on Design*Sponge)—it’s the perfect mesh of utility and beauty. The mix of vintage and industrial furnishings makes me swoon. There’s nothing I love more than a gorgeous symbiotic relationship between form & function. Everything should have a purpose; even if that purpose is simply because it is aesthetically pleasing.
• How to be alone by Tanya Davis (poet/performer) and Andrea Dorfman (filmmaker). Beautiful.
• Battlecats! Menace & Gibson have been having some epic wrestling matches only to be followed by mutual snuggles & grooming.
• Funny colored pens (pink, purple & teal)
• Beach Days with ladyfriends & wretched brain-rot magazines
• Surprise husband-delivered soft-serve ice cream at the end of my work day. <3
• Trying to find the perfect datebook as I approach the final quarter of 2010′s weekly datebook moleskine. I love the format of this one; with the week facing a notebook page (for to do lists!) BUT I also carry a teeny sketchbook AND an eight-subject notebook. That’s a lot of notebooks. I am trying to find one that consolidates all of those things for me. I am thinking either doing a total custom job through a print-on-demand service) OR getting a filofax and making custom pages for it. Decisions, decisions!

What do you love this week?