well, the title of this blog does have the word redux in it

So, it seems I've only updated this blog once since moving to NY. It's not that I haven't had ideas for posts. Or, honestly, time to write them. I just, er, haven't. But I am now! Prepare yourself for all the stuff I've done in the last 6 or so weeks, coming to you in a shotgun blast of posts.

boxes!

I have finally and at long last moved. And, because of careful planning and many many trips to Target, I managed to bring almost all of the furniture and stuff I might ever need with me in my parents' van. Of course, there's always a couple more things that I just absolutely need. The nearest Target is in Brooklyn and I didn't feel like trekking all the way there for a couple tiny plastic drawers. I almost went to the Muji section of MoMA's Design Store (really, it's not that expensive, you just have to be able to convert inches to centimeters to figure out dimensions). I might go back for their tiny stapler.

The previous day I had come across a wonderland of plastic, wire mesh, canvas and cardboard called The Container Store. It's two floors of every kind of box, closet organizer, drawer, file and other storage media imaginable. I picked up four of these beauties for my horde of makeup and jewelry. Boy do I love translucent plastic. Check out this stuff too:

A tiny version of the lasercut acrylic chandelier

A create your own size bag dispenser

A translucent plastic chair

And, of course, more delicious cube storage

back from ny

While I was there I (of course) stopped at the MoMA design store. And, well, I found some things I just couldn't not buy. My favorite by far is this sign by Richard Tipping. I love signage to my very soul and a bit of paranoia is good for everyone.



Sadly, the artist's website is under construction but there's still enough there to get a flavor of his work. Hopefully the online store will be back soon...I need to decorate my new apartment.

meat flaps

I love this short story! Possibly you will too. Make sure you stick around for the credits, they're v nice.

phear of fones

I've probably mentioned this before, but I hate phones. I hate calling people I don't know. I calling people I do know. I hate answering calls. I'm not sure if I'm afraid of the connection cutting out or of misunderstanding someone/being misunderstood, but phones just freak me out. This is probably why I like texting so much. They also, apparently, make me sound like an idiot. And I'm pretty sure I'm not an idiot.

I applied for my first credit card yesterday. (Hurrah for more debt! I feel so American.) And, stupid me, I tried to use fancy settings on my new phone like mute and speaker while I was looking for paperwork. My call may have been recorded. So perhaps it will give people a laugh for years to come. I'm also apartment hunting, which means calling people and explaining who I am, what I do, and why any sane person would want to live with me. Not an easy task. And it's made more difficult (or so I'd like to think) by the fact that my job is terribly obscure and nearly impossible to explain without visual aids to anyone outside the design field. I must simply learn to deal.

Your musical reward for reading my complaints this time is Radiohead covering Bjork. Wow. I've got to write that again. Radiohead covering Bjork. Magic.

the hits just keep on coming...

Following close on the heels of the raging success of my latest instructable, my lovely paper folding applets have been linked to by the Fitful Flog. This is, of course, awesome. But my MIT webspace runs out in January and my website will go poof. I think it's time to get serious about choosing a new host.

I've been doing a lot of holiday shopping of late and it got me thinking about an old (possibly true) story that my 10th grade history (during our local history section) and science (during our topography section) teachers told my class. My city used to have a lot of mob money running through it. Among other things, it supposedly funded the design and construction of our local mall. If you look at a map, the mall looks suspiciously like a handgun pointed pretty directly at city hall. Thanks to the wonder that is Google Maps, the story seems to be true. Take a look for yourselves:

View Larger Map

delicious

I finally got to upgrade my old phone.  I hate phones, so I didn't really expect to be excited by this (I assumed anything short of an iPhone would leave me frustrated at best) until I saw the Chocolate's scroll wheel.  It lights up.  It follows your movement.  It's shiny.  And the other keys make the phone vibrate ever so slightly.  Yummy haptic feedback.  And I found a Psapp's Hi as a ringtone.  I still don't know if I'll like actually calling people anymore than previously.  But I do enjoy scrolling through my contact list.  I just hope I don't ruin the slide mechanism.

I've also found a really excellent lamp.  I sincerely hope whatever apartment I find is in need of a light fixture.  Design shopping websites are dangerous things.

I can add another notch to my baking-bedpost.  I made banana bread all by my lonesome yesterday.  Must get all this cooking out of my system before moving to Manhattan.

Here's your reward for reading this post - my ringtone.