Bold & Noble

I like maps - especially these typographic ones by Bold & Noble

time traveler

// photos from here

Love Sergey Larenkov's photos of WWII, really makes you appreciate the history behind these cities - not to mention their architecture.

nerd alert : oddworld

You are Abe, a blue skinned alien, and you used to be employee of the year. Now however, you are enemy no. 1... After discovering the companys secret plot to start making tasty treats out of its employees your saga for salvation begins, one mudokon at a time. Its not an easy task though, enemies are at every turn to gun you down, or blow you up.

// images from here

The concept art for oddworld is smashing, gorgeous, brilliant. It was my first introduction to concept art and I dont think I have been the same since. The cut-scenes were amazing for '97, and the game play, though 2D, was gorgeously rendered in extreme detail. I'm not going to discuss it in depth now, but the fact that some don't view video games as true art is muffled with each game that takes its concepting to this level; syberia, half life, and final fantasy XIII just to name a few.



01/ pie $28.00  //  02/ barrel $42.00  //  03/ concept art  //  04/ pulley $195.00  //  05/ box-o-bones $25.00
06/ concept art  //  07/ mask $85.00  //  08/ cigar $4.50


The game itself is smart. There is a bit of a learning curve as you learn the Mudokon 'speak' and how to move your co-workers about. I will admit to a few accidental deaths... its very hard not to kill them... If you haven played this game think of it as Lemmings on steroids. The puzzles get a bit intense, and the game itself is very long and progressively more difficult.

You can buy this game in all its vintage glory over at gog.com for $5.99

5/6 Polly toes

20x200

affordable art... is not an oxymoron....

I am the first to admit, it's hard to get started collecting art - especially when it always costs an arm and a leg - or in many cases, a whole paycheck.

This is why I love the site 20x200 - all prints start at $20 - get a bunch of small prints and before you know it your personal gallery is started! what are you waiting for?

Jon Klassen : Up to the House

jon klassen: up to the house | 44"x8" giclee print | $60.00

I love jon klassen, his wintery scenes lend themselves to storytelling. I mean, seriously, the footprints in the snow, the stillness in the air - you just know there is an Agatha Christie style murder mystery taking place inside, while everyone is asleep.

wedding invitations

You may remember I went to a wedding at the beginning of the month. You may not know that I made the wedding invitations.

Since getting a wedding invitation these days feels more like receiving a book in the mail, I decided to go with a "slot" approach, creating an all in one, no way you could lose the directions, invitation.

Each slot was dedicated to a different topic; directions, accommodations, website.
The RSVP was the only separate item.

The slots were a hassle to make, and I made quite a few of these... but in the end it was well worth it.
And most importantly, the bride really liked them, too.

Authors Ridge

I work in Concord, MA. I drive by Walden pond on my way to work every day - its still pretty cool, even after a couple months.

 
Slowly I am beginning to explore the area, In the spring when I was in the process of moving I took a whirlwind tour around Concord, and a little place called the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Home to Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne & Alcott. All nestled on the high point called Authors Ridge.

I will admit a bit of skepticism pre-trip, but I am here to assure you that it was awesome. Its amazing to visit such a peaceful place and see all the beautiful monuments and tombstones. Emersons was pretty radical - I can imagine it was totally unique when it was erected. All the Alcott sisters are in a line, and Thoreau overlooks the cemetery from a hill. Hawthorne is there too - but I cant seem to find his picture. (I did get to go see his house of seven gables! but that's for a different day)

If you go, take a little time to look at all the stones throughout the cemetery, they are so old and so beautifully carved - a typographic dream. So glad I made the trip.

nerd alert : coma / loondon

01/ Coma

There are some great flash games out there, though they err more on the side of artistic statements than real games. I prefer to think of them as small interactive journeys that teach you lessons, one of these games is called Coma

01/ jump rope $18.00  //  02/ caged light $59.00  //  03/ thaumatrope illusion necklace $34.00

It takes place in a dream - a very short dream. in fact you can play the entire game in about 11 minutes. But take your time and enjoy the soundtrack, graphics, and character interaction. it is really lovely.

02/ Loondon

The second game, and my favorite of the two, is called loondon, where your character leaves home to explore the world... the world however has different plans.

 01/ apple brooch $16.00  //  02/ big top picture $6.00  //  03/ city pillow $36.00

This game has more of a defined plot, and a very sad ending. All in 9 minutes I might add.

Whichever one you choose, please appreciate the stylized environments and storytelling in these flash games - It's really wonderful people take the time to share their talents through these games.

gif answers

Have a tumblr account? yes of course? well then head on over to gif answers....

ask a question, get an animated gif to help you elaborate. love it.

the Tropism Fountain

The Tropism Well from Poietic Studio on Vimeo.

Saw this video over on Gizmodo and couldn't resist a repost. the Tropism Well designed by Poietic Studio senses someone approaching and very kindly offers them a drink.

I am ridiculously curious how this works, sensors in the ground? cameras? and most importantly how does it know when to stop pouring!?

lost type

The Lost Type Co-Op is a Pay-What-You-Want Type foundry, the first of its kind.

you heard me - these fonts are free.

dock & dictation

My nightstand is used for two things; book storage and phone charging. Did I ever imagine the two would be combined into one beautifully functional result? not until now. Rich Neeley, the second you put up an Alice in Wonderland edition, I will be there.

Book Docks available on Etsy

nerd alert : big fish sampler 2

This past weekend I stayed in and played a bunch of 60 minute Big Fish trials - Yes again. Not only is it free, but its a great way to get really good at telling which games are worth your hard earned dollars.

Let me tell you a little about the three I played this past weekend...


01/
Twisted Lands: Insomniac Collector's Edition

01/ fingerprint shirt $16.00  //  02/ Syringe necklace $16.94  //  03/ frog print $21.00

You wake up strapped to a hospital bed, the doctor tells you he is to perform a lobotomy the next day. Understandably shaken you decide to fidn your way out of the hospital. The vent above your bed provides you a quick escape from your room and you begin your journey, or so you think. There are toad like people at every turn, foiling your attempts at freedom.

Ever wonder what its like to be insane? well look no further! I honestly think I gained some insight into mental illness playing this game, I was just as confused as my unstable leading lady and after the hour was over I still wasnt sure what was going on.

Overall strength of the games story line 4/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 5/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 4/6


 02/
The Missing : A Search and Rescue Mystery

01/ blue crystal $10.00  //  02/ steam punk gun $30.00  //  03/ tent fire starter $12.00

A group of student researchers are in trouble and you are called in to help. what you find is an island full of mystery (and its own monster to boot). track down the students and get to the bottom of the mysterious monster before its too late.

The hour didnt have me sitting on the edge of my seat, not by a long shot. The plot didnt thicken, and the story fell flat. There is a monster, there is a power hungry team member and there are a lot of puzzles - I'm sorry but there was so much potential and no delivery.

Overall strength of the games story line 2/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 4/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 3/6


03/
Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition

01/ spooky house print $7.50  //  02/ camera ring $15.50  // 03/ piano key print $25.00

A hitchhiker leaves something in your car, a teddy bear, something you remember from your childhood. Return and try to find her as you piece through the broken history of a town that holds the history of the mysterious hitchhiker.

So am I allowed to tell you this is the scariest Big Fish game I have played to date? It honestly made me jump! Thrilling to say the least. the puzzles were challenging, the environment was vast and the graphics were gorgeous.

Overall strength of the games story line 6/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game did I feel I was after the hour 6/6
Odds that I would buy the full version of this game 6/6


So.. which one would I buy? Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker Collector's Edition. Between the highly developed layout of the game and the number of times I jumped, it definitely gets an A+

*** Update: Purchased and played Shivers in its entirety. The game took 2 hours and 22 minutes to finish, so I was about half way through it after the hour trial. The storyline was alright, but you never really understand why you knew the girl you were following in the first place, which is a big story gap in my opinion. The scariness kind of fizzled too, and the ending was a bit lacking - hopefully it was a build to a sequel.... all in all it was a great game - but I would advise waiting for the $2.99 coupons that Big Fish is famous for! updated ratings:

Overall strength of the games story line 5/6
Quality of the graphics, especially in the seek and find elements 6/6
How far through the game was I after the hour 4/6 (i was exactly half way through the game)
Odds that I would recommend the full version of this game 5/6 (with a $2.99 coupon code)

siamese tortoise

Little creatures hold a special place in my heart. These Siamese twin tortoises are no exception. And since I know you are wondering - yes, they have a hard time agreeing on which direction to walk!

FM908

Coats are an addiction of mine... which is why i am not hesitating to do an early winter coat post.

I am already dreaming about the newest wooly addition for my first winter on the east coast - and I will admit a strong temptation to go for a cape rather than my traditional military style pea coat.

I've already decided that the purchase will, without a doubt, be made from FM908 - deciding which one to buy might kill me though - every single item in there store is gorgeous!

solitaire

I love spider solitaire. i played it so much in college it was on my friends most used applications lists (yes i played it on their computers more than they used any other application themselves). My record was 21 wins in a row... I ached to see the waterfall celebration of cards when i finally won... and apparently I wasn't alone because someone took it upon themselves to build the win screen in 3D.

carved love

these carved stumps are pretty cute... so next time you are considering defacing nature please consider this super creative alternative.

nerd alert : Alice for DS

Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole again! but this time, its into a highly stylized illustrated environment. Meet characters, each with a special ability. The rabbit controls time, the caterpillar stretches across gaps, and the cat claws his way clear of confusion as they steer Alice down the right path.

 01/ Alice In Wonderland for DS $11.64  //  02/ Alice $7.80  //  03/ Cheshire Cat $9.48  //  04/ Mailbox $17.97  //  05/ White Rabbit $8.03  //  06/ black hair ribbon $3.75  //  07/ White Gloves $3.08  //  08/ Bicycle Clear Playing Cards$6.48  //  09/Nintendo DSi XL $169.99  //  10/ Mad Hatter$9.50

Thats right - you don't control Alice, in this game your objective is to protect her using the whole Wonderland gang.

The illustrated style of this game is great - I was additionally thankful for my Nintendo DSi xl - the extra large screen made it easy to see the graphics in all of their intended glory.

The red queens army is not to be taken lightly as they try to steal Alice away from the band of Wonderland characters. As the game progresses, your crew gains not one, but 2 abilities (ex. the cat can not only claw, but now also makes things appear and disappear) creating new puzzles in each environment.

Switch between characters at will throughout the game while protecting Alice, finding keys, tracking down treasure chests, and putting together pieces of the jigsaw puzzle as you search for the Red Queen and Jabberwocky

This wasn't just a great movie adaptation - it was a great game! Personally loved the little quips of humor and the games method of layering abilities and characters over the course of the story.

5/6 polly toes - not going to beat around the bush - LOVED this little game. In fact, I couldn't put it down... its as if little Alice belonged in her digital wonderland all along.

Simon's Cat

here at the h&p household, we looove Simon's Cat cartoons...



The latest one struck a personal note... we hope it will shed some light on all of our unintentional typos lol. check out more great videos (we recommend this one) at simonscat.com

alcohol under the microscope

well, I am back in boston! this is both sad and exciting - sad because wedding weekend is over, exciting because i survived.

In honor of all the drinks i drank.... how about some gorgeous photos of what alcohol looks like under the microscope! check HERE for more drinks!

Vodka Tonic

Vodka

Tequila

Martini

Dry Martini

off to Ohio

Well its finally here! one of my all time favorite people is getting married tomorrow so I am off to Ohio to do some celebrating!

(thats me, too excited for stantions!) and HOPEFULLY I'll have some great wedding items to share with you after the holiday weekend!