Wreck This Journal :: Week 5

Dear Wreck This Journal,

What happened to week 5? (What the heck happened to week 4, for that matter? I sure missed the boat on that one.) You have sat ignored and unappreciated at my bedside for two weeks now. And for that, I am sorry. There has been no wrecking from me, and you must be mighty upset. I will do my best to make it up to you, possibly by smearing your pages with Lucky Charm marshmallow rainbows or drawing destructive things on your cover that I think are ugly but you will love.
Please forgive me, Journal. I promise that from here on out, things will be better for the both of us. And if you could just help me pack up the contents of my apartment and wrap up my work projects and get me travel insurance quotes and passport photos and give me an extra 4 hours in the day for the next couple weeks so we can have more time together, that would be AWESOME.

Things I Love Thursday :: July 9, 2009

* Love Life, Not Stuff. Hallelujah Zen Habits, you're totally speaking my language:
"Your life is the series of moments that is steaming through your consciousness right now, and how you use those moments and what you fill them with is what truly matters, not what you fill your home with. At the end of this short journey, you’ll look back and remember your experiences, the people you loved and who loved you back, the things you did and didn’t do. Not the stuff you had."

* Quirky portraits by Tuesday Mourning. I'm totally digging the cute illustrative style of these works, and I love that she does custom portraits! Check out Tuesday Mourning's Etsy shop here (and bonus, she's got a great illustration blog and personal blog too).

* What is Nubby: 2009 Media Kit. The fabulously stylish Nubby walks us through her brand spankin' new media kit, and it is a goodie. If you've ever though about putting together a promotional kit, Nubby's is full of great information and inspiration
* Exploding Dog. I just want the weekend back too, buddy. Luckily for us it's almost here!

Happy Thursday!

Things I Love Thursday :: July 2, 2009

* Mid-week holidays. Work two days, have Wednesday off, and work two more days? Sure. That's awesome. Thanks for having a birthday, Canada!

Photo by Amy Mortimer

* Puppy-sitting. Guess who I got to spend the day with yesterday? My favourite Boston Terrier/Beagle mix MORGAN! We chased balls, laid around in the grass, and had a super nap-fest for a good part of the afternoon. He also shimmied under my desk and ate a few rogue Froot Loops. All in all, a lovely day.

* Why your email inbox is NOT a good to-do list. Using my inbox to keep track of my to-do items was something that I had done for a long time, and only recently decided to work at processing my inbox to empty and listing my to-do's elsewhere. (If you're curious, I use the Remember the Milk gadget right in my Gmail.) Zen Habits has a great article on why there is a better way than an email inbox to keep track of your to-do's.

* The 2009 World's Ugliest Dog. Awww, this puppy's not ugly, he just has a pretty wicked underbite! I think he's kinda cute, actually.

Via Perez Hilton

* Alphabet cabinets. I'm totally loving these alphabet drawers, inspired by old-school letterpress blocks. So many little drawers to organize so many little things! (If anyone would like to buy me one for my future studio, I would be eternally grateful...wink wink.)

Via Poppytalk

Happy Thursday! What do you love this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Erin Kenepp

Ohhhh yes, I am in instantly smitten with the collage work of Erin Kenepp. Pretty pastel paint smears with little handwritten bits of emotion and just a touch of paper ephemera. Very Sabrina Ward Harrison. I heart it.

Via NotPaper

Happy Tuesday!

Wreck This Journal :: Week 3

My journal was taken hostage this week. Hostage! I did not "ask a friend to do something destructive to this page", she STOLE THE BOOK AND RAN INTO MY BATHROOM WITH IT. And now it is covered in Mac foundation and glitter eyeliner and blush and eyeshadow. Which I guess is kinda pretty...
Thanks Beth, for helping me wreck my journal. You are awesome.

Happy Friday!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 25, 2009

* Emma Watson in Teen Vogue. Love love LOVE this photoshoot. This is how I imagine characters in a Francesca Lia Block novel dressing - quirky and colourful, and just a little bit over the top. (PS. I want that purple dress with the million layers of tulle!)

* PocketMod. PocketMod is the funnest little 4-page personal organizer - set up each page just how you like it (with a calendar, task list, graph paper, or chart), print on a good 'ol standard piece of paper, fold, and VOILA! It becomes a teeny little portable organizer, complete with a pocket for business cards. I'm trying this out as a wandering to-do list, so that I can catch everything in one place. It tucks perfectly into my Moleskine planner...I think I'm in love.

* Antiqued wooden signs. Printed on wood and made to order, these are a lovely way to add some texture and retro charm to a room.

Via Poppytalk

* Coeur de Pirate. The lovely Beatrice Martin (aka. Coeur de Pirate) played her first Toronto show last week as part of NXNE, and the venue was so packed I almost didn't make it in! A little eyelash batting and sweet talking got me through the door, and I'm so glad it did, because she is fantastic live. Although I don't understand a word she's saying (all of her songs being in French and all), her music is definitely worth a listen.

Photos by Lesley Denford

Happy Thursday! What's making you swoon this week?

Creative Inspiration :: Library Catalogue Cards

I love typewriter text. I love index cards. And I love all things vintage and charming. So the fact that there is a website where you can create and print your own library catalogue cards makes me swoon with delight. (I can imagine using these in a collage, or as a rad to-do list, or possibly sending a sweet love note to a boy...) Click here to make your own!

Via Design*Sponge

Happy Tuesday!

Wreck This Journal :: Week 2

A busy week means little time for journal wreckage. But I did sneak in some time to be a wee bit rebellious....hehehe.
Happy weekend!

Things I Love Thursday :: June 18, 2009

Ohhh hey you! Did you miss me? It's been one of those super busy weeks, and I've barely been home any night long enough to get anything done. So let's call this the abbreviated busy-Lesley version of Things I Love Thursday, shall we?

* Being on the guest list. NXNE is in full swing in Toronto, and I had the privilege of seeing the Arts&Crafts Records showcase tonight, featuring Timber Timbre (and my adorable boyfriend on sax). The funnest part? Skipping the line, and getting to say, "Yeah, I'm on the guest list". Just another day in the rockstar life...

* Coeur de Pirate. My darling francophone music crush Coeur de Pirate is playing downtown tomorrow night (also part of NXNE). I will totally be there. I don't understand a word she's saying, but I will still totally be there. (Maybe she'll play one English song from her side project, Pearls, that I can sing along to?)

Happy Thursday! What's rockin' your vida loca this week?

Wreck This Journal :: Week One

Hoo boy, cracking the spine and tearing out pages of a brand new book goes against every fiber of my being! But I did it anyway, teeth clenched and eyes closed. Here's this week's progress with the journal that is TORTURING ME BY INSTRUCTING ME TO DESTROY IT:

First things first - the spine needed to be cracked. And as hard as I tried, it really didn't want to. It took a few good tries to crease it, and then I died a little inside.
Being the organized little girl that I am, I of course had to fill in my name and address. If I lose this book it had better be returned to me, because there is NO WAY that I am destroying another beautiful helpless journal!Next came sticking random things in the journal, like postage stamps from my mail (all from Willmar, Minnesota this week!) and fruit stickers. This part I like. I am essentially an expert at sticking sticky onto other things (see this for proof!). If the book was called Wreck This Journal Simply by Sticking Interesting Collected Things In It, I'd be a happy camper.
After the pleasure was more pain to be had...tearing out my very first page. I have since bid it farewell, and I hope it leads a very lovely life in my kitchen garbage can. (I miss you already, black page.)
My fellow wreckers...how's your wrecking going this week? (And for those of you who have no idea why I'm willingly destroying a book, read this.)

Happy Friday!