Monday Mood Board: Love Is Enough

Row 1:

I'm Done Trying to Be Perfect by Rosanna Geissle,

Anatomical Heart Cupcakes by Black Cherry Bakery via Design Fetish,

Love is Enough by Tara Donaho

Row 2:

Keys To My Heart by Jean Fan,

It's Raining Hearts by Jenni Penni

I was in two minds about posting anything Valentines related today. And whilst typing up a blurb to go with my Monday Mood Board, I've kind of realised why. I can't be nice about it. Don't get me wrong, being in love must be lovely, but why commercialise it?

Valentines bullies people in love to declare it and tries to make anyone who isn't feel bad.

Now trust me when I say that I could be more anti Valentines. I could easily go on about the horrors of commercialism, or the lack of any romance in my life, but the fact is it's just a day. I would rather someone expressed their love for me in a thousand tiny insignificant ways during the other 364 days of the year than by wasting money on flowers and cards and all that stuff on February 14th.

I'd be fine with a spontaneous cuppa and the washing up done!

Anyway, in amongst the deluge of red, heart encrusted, love laden posts which will have appeared online today, this is my nod, with anatomical heart cupcakes made for the London Dungeons.

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Listening: Michiel Huisman - Hello

Monday Mood Board: Rainbows

Row 1: From inside a rainbow... by Joshua Liberman, Jónsi by Lilja Birgisdóttir

Row 2: Rainbow Umbrella #5 by Yein~ , Chihuly 8 by Andi Wolfe

Inspired by my day at the Scottish Bead Fair 2010 on Sunday. So many wonderfully beautiful stones and beads, glass and plastic, natural and unnatural to be hand in every colour and finish imaginable. I spent way too much money but came away with a few ideas and some beautiful stones to play with.

My mum even bought me some glass rods so I can start teaching myself how to make lamp work beads or whatever my little brain can come up with. Very exciting. I've wanted to learn forever!

Shall post my purchases when I get a moment.

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Listening: Radiohead - Nude

Raindrops On Roses by Scarborough Fair

Rain...again...naturally.

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Listening: Elliott Smith - Angeles

Unbrella-ella-ella

Given we've gone quickly from sunshine to rain again, in typical Scottish style, I thought I would post this piece of protective design. The Eco-Brolly by Shiu Yuk Yuen is an environmentally friendly umbrella made to encourage people to recycle newspaper, card, plastic bags etc and use this as the canopy. It's not designed for long distances and I wouldn't want to use it in a downpour or high winds, but how often do people get caught short without an umbrella (an A1 art folder makes a very effective brolly) or the one you have fails so you're forced to wander around using random objects as a little bit of protective cover?

"It is a supporting devise when it rains, all the user has to do is unscrew the top lid, poke the lid onto the middle of a reuseable object, quick screw to secure it & open it out like an umbrella!" (Yuen, link, 2008)

Et voilà! Couldn't be easier and it would certainly be an effective way to use up the Metro's that are abandoned all over London every day. It would make storage much easier since the wettest part of the brolly would be disposed of and while you might ask why not just use the paper since it is equally as disposable and there is absolutely no wet part to put into your bag. Well, next time it rains you try holding a broadsheet over your head with as much ease as the girl in the photo appears to be. I bet you'll curse your lack of umbrella then.

via

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Listening: Deftones - Jealous Guy