Photo Journal: Days with My Father

Phillip Toledano's photojournal–Days with My Father–is a touching portrait of a family coping with loss and aging with humor and dignity. Heartbreaking.
I enjoy journals like this because they capture more of those "in between" moments. It's a truer portrayal of life, and sometimes words aren't enough.

Real Men Wear Pink...

Professional sports are filled with the color green (grass, uniforms, the Monster), but rarely do you see pink anywhere close to a sporting event. Except, in Italia... specifically Palermo, Sicilia.  This Serie A football team is clad in our namesake and watching them play they prove that real men do where pink. Yes, even in sports.

pink"IS"green

Owen's Corning new ad campaign is right up our alley. Pink is Green? I nearly choked when I saw this logo appear at the end of their new commercial the other night. For a split second, I thought it said "pink er green." After a little investigating, I realized it's a very appropriate name for their sustainability initiative.
Owen's Corning manufactures the pink fiberglass insulation that keeps our homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Here's what they have to say about their pink stuff being green.

"By reducing the energy required to maintain a comfortable living or work environment, insulation reduces the greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. Each year, Owens Corning insulation eliminates more than one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equal to the annual emissions of 200 million passenger cars or two billion barrels of oil." Also… "All of our glass fiber and foam products made in North America are certified for their recycled content by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS). Our glass fiber products use an average of 40% recycled glass content, and our rigid foam insulation uses an average of 15% recycled content, with all foam scrap recycled back into the process instead of going to landfills. And when it comes to distribution, our compression packaging means we can ship more insulation per truckload, resulting in 25% fewer transportation miles and reduced pollution from truck emissions."

That's a great green initiative. They didn't mention any steps on their site about reducing their carbon footprint during the manufacturing process, so I did downloaded their sustainability report to do a little more research on that. Regardless, this company is definitely headed in the right direction. Way to jump on the green bandwagon OC!

Too bad fiberglass is so itchy, it would be a great base for my Halloween costume this year… Pink Cotton Candy. Oh well, tulle will have to do.

Delicious Doilies

Every now and then we like to show you what we've been working on during our 9 to 5. Here's a recent header we designed for the Diva of Dining Blog. Budding food writer Melissa Bruno approached Pinkergreen to develop an identity for her side project and after designing a few concepts we all agreed this was the perfect amuse bouche to the main course… her blogging. The witty mark which uses silverware to mimick a crown, was the perfect graphic solution to combining diva and dining. That combined with the doilies, well it's just plain delicious.
If you have the slightest interest in cooking, dining or Italian wedding soup–this blog is definitely one to add your RSS food… I mean… feed. Get it?

Cut & Paste

Ever since I discovered Modge Podge in middle school, I've been mildly obsessed with collage as a form of art. I tear out pages of magazines, not for the article, but for a great color, storing them for future illustrations. This Korean artist puts my 2-D creations to shame.
I happened upon this sculptor via The Junction, who left a comment on our blog yesterday. They found the artist via Design Boom… (I have to give credit where it's due.) Osang is best known for his work which he refers to as Deoderant Type, which I've shown above. Taking thousands of photos of his subject he then creates a foam base and covers it with hundreds of those original photos. In short, 3-D becomes 2-D becomes 3-D. His work gives me a kind of creepy, strange and uncomfortable feeling, but at the same time, I think he's so freakin' cool, I can't stop looking at it. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a show at the Boston ICA.

Threadless Loves Democracy

At a recent AIGA Get Out the Vote event, we spotted the winning design from the Threadless Loves Democracy competition. (Sappi Fine Paper was the sponsor for both events.) The "Yes or No?" design was submitted by Ericka Gonzalez. I think it does a nice job of simplifying the concept of choice.

Fashionably Safe.

Okay, I can't stand it. I really can't. I stumbled upon these bicycle helmets made by Yakkay, via DesignMom.com, and truly, they are the cutest, most fashion-forward safety accessory I've ever seen. A traditional bicycle helmet custom covered in the hat design of your choice. Yakkay is located in Copenhagen, a city known for its cyclists, and why shouldn't they be stylish on their commutes.
Oh to be European, they think of everything. As soon as I get a bike cute enough to accompany it, I'm all over the Tokyo model. Once you invest in the helmet the covers are interchangeable, so you can get a few and change them up. They're not yet available in the US, but several of the European stores have web sites where they are available for purchase.

Next challenge for Yakkay: Figure out how to protect my valuable brain while not ruining my voluminous curls. What's a curly-girl to do?

Bacon or Sausage? No thanks, I'm full...

I absolutely love Jimmy Dean's breakfast sandwich commercials! Who would've thought two dudes dressed up as celestial beings would make a great commercial. Kudos to the agency who developed this campaign.

Generally, I'm not a big fan of microwaveable eggs, but after watching the commercial a few times you have to admit, the sandwich looks pretty good.

Old School...

Greetings, my name is Ryan Wade and I will be guest blogging this week. Thank you Pinkergreen for giving me this opportunity to contribute to your wonderful blog.

This is the ultimate time of year for a sports fan. The playoffs have begun in baseball, hockey and basketball are starting, and Sunday's are filled with football and food. As much as I like to watch and play sports, I have always been fascinated with sports logos. This fascination began when my father took me to my first sporting event, a Hartford Whalers hockey game. I was young, but I remember looking at the Whalers logo and thinking ah-ha, I get it! Even to a child the logo was simple yet effective. Since then I've been obsessed with logos, particularly well designed sports logos.

Here's a great website that shows all of the current and past sports logos. Enjoy!

Marvelous Muesli

I came across a shelf of Dorset Cereals last night in Stop & Shop's organic aisle. These boxes are were so cool, I had to get a closer look. The award-winning packaging–which was designed by UK firm Big Fish–features a smartly placed die-cut of the Dorset Cereals mark as well as silver foil-stamp treatment on their logotype. Those two brand elements remain the same, allowing for a variety of sophisticated colors on the boxes. A real treat.

Benetton texture

I check out Benetton's site from time to time... Seeing as how we're honoring Columbus today, I thought I'd highlight some cool new shots from their fall/winter line. I love all the wooly texture in their "Urban Nomad" series. The look definitely gives off a sherpa vibe, but–so help me–I'm into all the pattern layering.

Design Dish: Ryan Wade

Next week, we are lucky enough to have recruited Ryan Wade, to be Pinkergreen's guest blogger. Ryan is one of the more well-rounded designers we know, and is a consistent resource for his honest criticism as well as international geographic expertise. He's one of the only people we know who chooses to spend his free time studying the ever-changing world map, and actually retains country borders and their capital cities. He's an accomplished athlete, just having finished the Boston Marathon— and a huge fan of classic rock. Ryan Wade is a Boston-based designer to watch, and we're looking forward to his contributions next week.

What's your job? What do you do?
I'm a Senior Graphic Designer at Phillips Design Group in Boston, Massachusetts.

What's been inspiring you lately?
The seasons here in New England really inspire me. Nature inspires me. Whenever I'm in a creative rut, I can always rely on nature to get my creative juices flowing. Nature is simple, yet detailed... it's the ultimate designer.

Who's album is on repeat on your iPod?
Right now I'm listening to Arcade Fire. Recently I've been listening to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Arctic Monkeys, Queen, The Shins, Radiohead, Amos Lee, and John Legend. I'm a big Classic Rock fan.

What are you reading?
Right now I'm reading The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It's a coming-of-age story of a young English boy in South Africa. It took me a while to get into it, but I'm really liking it now. Young Peekay is the man!
Besides novels, I read a lot of articles in magazines and on the internet. I like to know what's going on in the world and my community. I also really like looking at maps, I love geography!

What are your Top 5 Bookmarked sites?
CNN: news/current events
ESPN: sports
Craigslist: I like to look for Eames furniture and also for yard sales on the weekends.
Food Network: I love to eat!
New England Moves: Looking for my dream home!

Been to any good gallery or museum exhibits lately?
I visited Taliesin West recently. It was Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school in the Arizona desert until his death. Today, it houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, a school for architects. I really love how Wright always kept nature in mind when he designed.

How do you unplug?
Exercising usually works for me. I love that feeling after you've exercised... when you're body is worked. You feel like you've accomplished something.
The ultimate unplug would be hiking. Hiking allows me to get away from the traffic, my cell phone, and my everyday stresses. It's very refreshing.
Oh, a good meal with a nice glass of wine also works! I just love food!

create your own rubber stamp

I just discovered a site where you can create your own custom stamp. Just $49.00. I think Bert, the growing lab mix puppy may be getting his very own custom stamp soon.

http://picturemystamp.com/

evolution of a sweater

I think every Icelander must own at least one “lopa peysa” - the traditional style of Icelandic sweater with a decorative design around the neck. They’re made of lopi (the wool of the Icelandic sheep - unique because it is made of both the long hair and undercoat) so it keeps you super cozy in the harsh Icelandic climate.

On my latest visits to Iceland, I’ve been so impressed with the modern interpretations of the classic sweater - both in fashion and in art and design. Farmer’s Market sells slimmer, more refined versions of the lopa peysa and their advertising and photography is just gorgeous. You can find great sporty zip fleece versions at 66ºN. I picked up a, fitted short sleeve lopa peysa in the classic textures at the duty free that I’m looking forward to wearing soon now that it’s fall in New England. At a recent gallery show of my cousin’s, where artists used chairs as their canvas, my favorite was the chair with it’s own knitted sweater cover. funky! Two other irresistible items spotted around town - the lopa peysa napkins and gift bags produced by one of my favorite artists/painters, Hekla Björk Gudmundsdóttir. Simply adorable! I love the creative re-interpretations of a national classic.


lopa napkin photo: Topher Cox
sweater/chair card: Sigrún Sigvaldadóttir
duty free sweaters: Lára - iPhone pics
sheep: iStockPhoto

Ride the waves…

It isn't just Kenley who's making waves over on Project Runway. Leanne is certainly contributing to the tidal waves! Her final collection is just sensational. The former graphic designer turned fashion designer has won it for me. She found the inspiration for her concept in waves and has managed to turn very clean, cool fabrics into a runway show that literally moves as the models walk. The fluidity of these garments is subtle and impeccable and I love them. You can see the other contestants final collections and decide for yourself who should win. Just please, don't say Suede.

Wall fix

I think I'm liking this paintable, textured wallpaper at Graham & Brown. I could see it adding some nice detail to an otherwise blank space. It's also handy for covering up dated paneling or cracked walls.

Felt ROCKS!

Hi all. I’m doing a few guest blogs here on the Pinkergreen site this week. As Pinkergreen mentioned in my profile I have Icelandic roots, and a big appreciation of that amazing small country and the many creative things that are happening there. So, today I’m going to write about one of the design related things that I really love from Iceland, my felted rocks. Yes rocks. They're made by TÓ-TÓ, (artists Anna Thóra Karlsdóttir and Gudrún Gunnarsdóttir). They’re a little like pet rocks, but even better. They’re covered in felt - sort of like rocks in a sweater. It’s cold in Iceland, so maybe the artists thought the rocks needed a little something to keep cozy? I truly love these little things, maybe it’s because of this appreciation I’ve had lately of all things felt. Could be the colder weather? The little rocks make great paperweights, or just funky little decorations and they come in all sorts of beautiful saturated colors from primary to the natural woolen colors. I had a few in my offices over the years and they’ve always been a conversation piece. Some people love ‘em and some even think they’re a bit gross (?). Or maybe that was just the green one? Sadly, the store where I found the felted rocks, Kirsuberjatréd, www.kirs.is no longer carries them, but if you ever find yourself in Reykjavík you should check it out this great Icelandic design shop anyway. They have many other wonderful felted things, (I picked up some coasters) gorgeous handbags made of fish skin leather, woolen fashions, lighting and ceramics.















Photos: Lára Vukson

Design Dish: Lára Vukson

I am thrilled and honored to introduce you to Lára Vukson, formerly Gislason. Pinkergreen has been lucky to collaborate with Lára on previous projects and are looking forward to potential future collaborations with her. A Boston-based gal, with Icelandic roots, she is definitely one to watch. Lára has been selected to guest blog the week of October 6th— so keep an eye for her…

What's your job? What do you do?
I'm a freelance designer and photographer – Lára Vukson Creative Direction, Design + Photography.

What's been inspiring you lately?
I'm inspired by so many things. Great colleagues, travel, movies, magazines. I feel most inspired when I visit a new country or city…most recently, Reykjavík, Iceland, Italy and NYC. Every time I come back from a trip I just feel re-energized because of all the new things I've seen. Locally, I'm just in love with the new gallery for affordable art + photography on Newbury St. – Lumas. I'm a big fan of their artist, Beatrice Hug's, photographs.

Who's album is on repeat on your iPod?
Lately I've been listening to a lot of Feist, Arctic Monkeys, The Ting Tings, Taxpayer and The Figgs.

What are you reading?
The latest issues of Domino and Dwell Magazines and Independent People, by the Nobel Prize winning Icelandic author Halldór Laxness. It's quite heavy - a story about poverty in the Icelandic countryside in the early part of the last century, so I have to admit I've had a few breaks to read some trashy novels on the beach too. I also just finished Playing for Pizza while on our Italy trip/honeymoon. That was a good read while vacationing in Italy.

What are your Top 5 Bookmarked sites?
Etsy, Photojojo, B&H Photo, Communication Arts and a handful of photo rep's sites. I'm also a bit addicted to JCrew - I think it's something about the color palettes and I love the photo travel stories they've had for the last few seasons.

Been to any good gallery or museum exhibits lately?
Absolutely. I just went to Ólafur Eliasson's "Take Your Time" at MoMA. I also had the pleasure of taking in the art + culture week in Reykjavík when we were there a week before our wedding this spring. I saw a great glacier installation, paintings by Erró and even Björk live and in person taking in some art.

How do you unplug?
Oh, if only I had enough time...there are so many things I love to do. Right now, I spend a lot of time working on our "fixer upper". We're doing a lot of painting. It amazes me how much a new color can change a room. When we're not doing home renovations I love to try a new restaurant, knit, sew, run, be outside or hang out with our new puppy Bert. I also love to take photos. Even though it's part of my work, I find it relaxing.

Portrait of Lára shown above © Topher Cox.

Ben Morgan at Orford Social

Our good friend Ben Morgan is having a show at the Orford Social Library in Orford, NH. The show will be up for the month of October. The drive up to NH is beautiful this time of year!