box of sunshine from florida

This month for the first time I participated in Foodie Pen Pals, a sort of secret santa for food bloggers and food lovers across the country. Things like this are why I love The Internets. I sent off a box of treats to some stranger, specifically Emily aka Chatty Dabbler. I sent a box of picnic treats but you'll have to hop over to her blog for the details. 

[This lovely box of treats? Straight from a stranger in Florida.]

And then Christina from Bad Communication sent ME a box. Inside were: Publix brand "cheetos" which she claims are THE BEST, pink lemonade cake mix which demands being made into cupcakes, frosting that can be flavored, Fiber Plus bars (perfect for breaks at work- chocolate! almonds!), mint marshmellows*, and of course, a Florida orange! 


Plus in that plastic bag are "chocolate milk straws" with little balls of chocolate powder to flavor milk. I tried them out on Friday. I stirred and stirred and stirred but they didn't dissolve. Left them for 5 minutes and came back to a glass of milk with chocolate powder on top. I stirred it up and drank the slightly-chocolatey drink. I think Cornell Dairy spoiled me on chocolate milk that isn't pure decadence. 


*Christina included a sweet note in which she joked about summertime hot chocolate. I think she has no idea how perfect SF summers are for hot chocolate. I haven't done it yet, but sampled a few on their own and they were just slightly mint chocolate-y, great for hot chocolate. 

If you live in the US or Canada and are interested in being a Foodie Pen Pal, check it out here! Basically, you send a box of treats ($15 max) to someone, someone else sends you a box and the lovely  Lindsay of The Lean Green Bean does most of the coordinating. You sign up just a month at a time, so if you are tempted, just try it out! Details.

tumblights 7/29

This week my favorites all had a bit of a *pop.* I'm up in Napa for the weekend to cheer on a friend running (and swimming and biking) an Ironman. If you are feeling a bit lazier, curl up on the couch and enjoy this week's tumblights. 

Clockwise from top right:

1. hanna sandin’s mobile sculptures via Design For Mankind

2. Laser cut flat pack shelves that you pop out yourself via Design Milk

3. ABC Shelf for Saporiti: Read Your Bookcase via Design Milk

4. Black Box Office by Tina Tziallas Architecture Studio via Design Milk

Enjoy these? Find more daily at percentblog.tumblr.com. And even more stunning images on my pintrest.  

street scenes

[Flourish]

This morning I tumbled a picture of Mademoiselle Maurice's origami installations and it reminded me of some of my old favorite street art installations. So I though I'd put together a little round up. Each piece is clearly meant to bring a smile to the viewers face and I can only imagine my delight if I was to stumble across one on a walk. Such little decorations that liven up the street can be a powerful influence on the attitude of a community. 

Clockwise from top left: 

1. Anna Garforth's "Grow" moss graffiti

2 & 3. Paige Smith's Paper Geodes

4 & 5. Mademoiselle Maurice's Origami

5. Unknown artist, Richmond, VA

tumblights 7/15

Clockwise from top left: 

1. At the correct angle, “light loves” sculpture forms a heart via designboom 

2. tom fruin’s watertower via Design*Sponge

3. ‘Lean With It’, a new photo project from Paul Octavious via The Fox Is Black

4. Jewelry by Vanessa Gade via Design Milk

5. Physical representation of the “idea of measure” in concrete and metal by Fabrice Le Nezet via Design Milk

And, of course: Enjoy these? Find more daily at percentblog.tumblr.com. And even more stunning images on my pintrest.  

tumblights 7/8

This week I found installation after installation looking to change the way we interact with our environment. Whether the material were made of recycled objects, the artist intention was to imitate nature, the installation actually contributed to cleaning the environment or the work just added a little more 'play' into our day, this week was all about 'environmental interactions.' 

Clockwise: 

1.  ‘(POP)culture’ turns trash into a beautiful canopy via The Fox Is Black

2. Art Installation Creates the Sun with 84 Miles of String via Apartment Therapy

3. Wendy, an installation that cleans the air and beautifies the city via The Fox Is Black

4. ‘Color Jam’ drenches Chicago in color via designboom

Happy Fourth of July!

I have no flag cakes or adorable picnic spreads planned, instead plans consist of just showing up at friends backyards with drinks and store bought snacks. So today is the perfect day to share with you a recent "project" aka evening of fun times for my friend, the talented Karen Kanan Correa of The Future Brite.

The shoot consisted of a a slow-motion camera that captures 2,000 frames per second (typical video cameras capture 60) and some illegal-almost-everywhere-in-the-Bay-Area sparklers. Highly illicit stuff, yes, but we headed to the one town they are permitted and found some public land, though I forget the name of the park. I absolutely love sparklers and fireworks so am glad to have had an excuse to play with them before the Fourth.

The video is now "in production" but you can hear The Future Brite here. Happy Fourth of July!

tumblights 7/1

Clockwise from top: 

1. carved bookstacks by kylie stillman via designboom

2. Daniel Arsham's Dig via  I’M REVOLTING 

3. chromatic typewriter "paints" by keystrokes via Mr. Kate

4. 11 Hypnotic GIFs By A Master Of The Art Form via Fast Co.Design