Funky Beats.

Song/Q.U.E.E.N
Artist/Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu

I Judged A Book.

1/

Monday is library day at my sons’ school. Like clockwork every Monday he brings a book home. I take the book out of his book bag, look at the book and then sit the book on table.  I can honestly say that half of the books he brings home don’t get read, mainly because we go to the public library frequently which amounts to having tons of library books along with personal books.

This past Monday when my son brought his library book home, I took it out of his book bag. I looked at the book and thought, ewe Pinkalicious? To be exact, “Pinkalicious: Fairy House was the book’s title! Really! Oh this isn’t getting read,” I said to myself.

I immediately wondered why my kid picked this book. It’s pink and glitzy - it’s a girly book (yes, I said that). What happened to the robot books, the car books, the truck books, or even the SpongeBob books that he brought home before? I glanced over the book one more time and I then put Pinkalicious and all her pink glory on the table...with no thought of adding it to this week’s reading list.

Today is Wednesday and Pinkalicious: Fairy House was read to my son last night before bed time and I enjoyed it.  Well, we both enjoyed the book.

The book is about Pinkalicious along with her friend Peter, building a cozy house in the backyard for fairies to stay in during their visit to her family’s blooming garden which she believes comes to life each year due to the fairies hard work. The book is an I Can Read book which makes me happy, happy! It’s an easy reader for parents (especially if you are tired from a long day) and it encourages my son to read as well as helps with his reading skills via the use of site words. The book is also well written illustrated.  Because I enjoyed the book so much, I later decided to Google the book title to see what I could find out about the author. What I found was that there was a Pinkalicious website - a lot more than I was looking for! But seriously, the website is very well designed, it’s informative and educational.

So in less than a week I learned again that I was wrong. Just because my son brought home a pink colored glitzed out girly book was not a good reason to not want to read the book to him. Thus I am reminded of an old saying, “One should never judge a book by its cover.” As I am normally not the type of parent that will stir my child away from something because of its makeup…why would I start now? 

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What books are you reading with your children? Do any of these books or authors of books have interactive/educational websites or apps?

2/

Element.

1/

I'd have to say this semester of school was draining. I gave my final presentation for class my digital economy class on Wednesday.

Two days later this graphic clearly shows how I'm feeling - "out of my element."

It's strange to feel this way. I guess I never get over the hustle and bustle of school. I'm excited when classes start. Then I get annoyed during the semester because of the work and time in general. Then classes end and I'm lost and I'm super tired from it all...and my allergies are up to level 90.

A spa day would be awesome but, there are a ton of other neglected things that I need to take care of.

I need to jump back in...and get it together...quickly.

[Farwell] 30 Rock.

...and so they say "All good things must come to an end." Thus we bid farewell to 30 Rock - its catch phrases and zany antics.

Created by: Tina Fey
End: January 31, 2013
Start: October 11, 2006
During its run the show has received:
  3  Director Guild of America Awards
10  Emmy Awards (nominated for 67)
  4  Creative Arts Emmy Awards (nominated for 17)
  1  GLAAD Media Award (nominated for 2)
  6  Golden Globe Awards (nominated for 13)
  3  Producers Guild of America Awards
11  Screen Actors Guild Awards (nominated for 16)
  3  Television Critics Association Awards (nominated for 7)
  3  Writers Guild of America (nominated for 8)
  1  Gracie Allen Award

Honored for the George Foster Peabody Award

NAACP Image Awards (nominated for 4)
Satellite Awards (nominated for 5)
People's Choice Award (nominated)
American Cinema Editors Awards (nominated)
Teen Choice Awards (nominated)
(Via)

Goodbye, 30 Rock | Courtesy of Esty.com

Bidding Farewell, The Esty Blog put together a few items that celebrate 30 Rock above.

---

What's your favorite 30 Rock episode or quote? 

11 IN 40

What exactly is 11 in 40?
Well, it's a branding timeline of the number of brands that I used in 40 minutes (this morning while getting ready for the day). It seems like I should have more than 11 brands in 40 minutes - but there was kid interference and questions about what I was doing! Check it out below.

I saw another version of this idea of a branding timeline on LOGODESIGNLOVE, "33 logos in 33 minutes."

How many brands do you use in the morning or throughout the day? Take a look around and let me know either by taking photos and posting them (somewhere) or listing your brands in my comment section.

Happy branding! Yes, that was corny but go with it...it's Thursday for goodness sake!

Type In Everyday.

©Keia Kenyetta. UB, Type I, Spring 2012

Let's face it – ‘Type’ is everywhere!
What the heck I am talking about?
Well if you have a small child you probably are aware of this as children see the most amazing things - my son is a classic example of this. I swear this boy can identify a letter form from almost any object that comes in his view. It’s actually pretty amazing or not…

Anyway, I was going through my school files and I came across an assignment that I was tasked with last semester in my typography class.  The class was tasked with finding type in the everyday. Still not clear on what I'm rambling out?

Well, for example, a macaroni noodle looks like the letter 'C'. A simple chair can look like a lower case letter ‘h’, and a curtain rod tie back hook might look like the letter ‘J’. If you look around you will see that everyday objects look like type. While these objects look like type they are definitely not type but with a little creativity they can serve as interesting design solutions.

The image pictured above is my idea of type in the everyday. It was created while spending time on the playground with my son. As he played, I walked around the playground and took pictures of the play equipment. The result – the letters h, o, p, e, which spell Hope!

Here's hoping that everyone has a fabulous weekend! Keep your eye out for type this weekend.
Do come back and let me know what you've discovered.

Judging A Book By It's Cover.

Truth be told, I hate reading. Okay so maybe I don't hate reading...it's more that I don't like to be forced to read. Nor, do I have time to read. I can hardly take five minutes to read the directions for a recipe in a cookbook. I'm not sure if this is just the lazy part of my personality or due the fact that I had to read so many literary journals, white papers, etc. in my previous life.

What I do enjoy is the imagery of a book cover, a magazine, or on a flyer/poster, etc. What I've come to realize most recently is that I am in love with the integration of text and imagery...especially on books and in magazines. I honestly believe the images and color choice of written material is what attracts me to reading material. Okay, and the first three pages of a book or article need to be enticing. With the invention of book readers - you know those things called Nooks, Kindles, and tablets (Ha!), I think it's become ever so important for those designing book covers and magazine cover spreads to be creative.

I saw these (below) in Barnes & Noble the other weekend. Well actually, these books spotted me - with all there glitzyness and lead positioning on the center end cap.

Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classics, designed by Jessica Hische

The imagery! The details! The designers choice of color and material...I couldn't help but stop and check them out. I picked up each book - flipped through it, felt its cover, smelled it (no, really I did). It's something about small little details that I enjoy. Something so simple and worldly given new life with fine detail.  The artist behind this awesomeness is Jessica Hische and she's an amazing illustrator, letterer, and designer.

Now, luckily I've read most of these classics because if I hadn't, I'd probably be judging these books by their cover...which one should never, never, ever do! 

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Are you still reading books or have you moved over to the new world of technology? If you are an old school paperback/ hardback reader, what are you reading these days? What attracts you to a book besides hearsay? 

Bounded By Language.

Illustration by Ellie Anglin

Language contains great power for humans;
It shapes societies, creates laws and norms.
Builds skyscrapers and
fills the pages of novels.
But,
when language is abused, it can morally destroy the soul.

“That speech was gay” she said to her friend.
“You should really watch the words you choose.
That person may not appreciate the message you send.”
said the smart man in reply.

She found out later the reason why.
Take a word that is embraced by many
and twist it into a snarling enemy,
watch yourself in the mirror as the tie of
Ronald Regan chokes the sense from your thoughts
and blurs all sense of reality.

-Emily Holmes, November 23, 2011

++++++++++++++++++++++++
How are you bounded by language?

Source: Blueprint Magazine

Mental Note. Labor of Love.

“A labor of love always pays off!”

- Scott Belsky

found on Swiss-Miss.com, Labor of Love Post, 5/10/12

The Letter Factory.

There’s something about a song.

If it’s your favorite song it makes you happy and if you’re crazy about it you sing it every day or maybe you hum it two, three, ten times a day…at least from my experience.

My son has a favorite song. Wait my son has many favorites – it’s almost pretty draining! His favorite for the past month or two: the Alphabet Song. He sings this song at the table, in the tub, while getting dressed, on the potty, on the ride to and from anywhere, in the store, I’d imagine at preschool, and in his sleep (no honestly).  I’ve even caught him walking up to people in the store and singing the song or asking a person if they know how to pronounce a certain letter of the alphabet.  It’s like this little dude is a walking band of three – him, his self, and he!

This morning however, there was a different tune playing – silence. I wondered what was wrong with the kid. Was he not feeling well? Too tired to sing? What could it be?  I went on to prepare our lunches as my son ate his breakfast.  There was a slight moan…and then a little voice said, “the A say’s Ahh, the B says Beh.” We turned and looked at each other and just smiled.  I then thought to myself…they’re back! Let the singing commence.

Source: Leap Frog, The Letter Factory DVD

This post is a part of Monday Moments with Capital Mom. The

topic this week "Singing"

Easy.

In passing, you think:


"Life is easy for her"; or
"Wow life was good for him, he has such an easy life"; or
"Those kids had it easy growing up"

and then you walk a mile in their shoes and find out
...things really weren't just that easy!

[There's more to a book (person) than it's cover]

I Know A Secret - 42 Books 

16" x 26" x 8 1/2" Wall Sculpture

Richard Smith, Finders & Keepers

This post is a part of the Six Word's Friday weekly with Melissa Camara Wilkins. #sixwordsfriday. The

topic this week "EASY"

Zoo + Poop

On Friday during normal folks lunch hour, I headed out to run errands in preparation for a Mother’s Day Lunch. While out I ran into a quaint little bookstore called, “The Children's Bookstore" Actually when I think about it...a little book in the window lured me in – talk about advertising! The book, “Zoo, I drew,” by Todd Doodler. I’d say it was the color + graphics on the book cover and then the construction of the book that just stood out (amazing what the eye detects).

I immediately fell in love with this bookstore first step in the door. Cozy, small, quaint, homey, and perfect is how I’d describe this store. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Barnes & Noble’s but this store had appeal! I can only imagine what story time and book signings would be or feel like here. Being in this store took me back to the movie “You’ve Got Mail” – which I absolutely adore. Can you imagine that or see where I’m going? I’m sure you can!

Okay. So I’m rambling with this post...back to the subject matter.

I eventually left the bookstore with two books (and did I tell you I am on a new budget – HA!). The two books are:

1. The Zoo I Drew (the book that lured me into the store); and
2. On Your Potty Little Rabbit (because I’m attempting to potty train @ 19 months – yeah I know).

Take a few moments to check out these two books…maybe add them to your library.

p.s. Within 40 seconds of analyzing the “Zoo I Drew” book my son tore the back page off the book in half – I could fight this kid. The "On Your Potty..." book, well, my son said, “poop and pot”…25 minutes later my son walks over to me and says, “poop”. I then asked, "did you poop?” He said, “yes” and ran away laughing!

Saying Goodnight.

On the The Burns and Allen Show, George Burns would end his show with "Say goodnight, Gracie" and his wife would reply 'Goodnight'.  As we end our night in my household we end it with a book. A bit of a normal routine unless we get thrown of course somewhere along in the evening.

The book we read is called, "I love You Through and Through" by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak. It's a great book and I've added my own little gestures to go along as I read the book. The little one enjoys the book which I am totally happy about.  He grins and smiles really hard when I pull the book out or when I ask if he'd like to read a book before sleepy time. And at the end of the book he claps and says again, again - so again we go! Don't ask how long this goes on....because some nights we repeat and repeat and repeat the book...other nights he just crawls away and lays down (so nice of him). 

(source)

There are tons of great books out there to tuck your kid in with but as you can see we love this one!  However, I've been thinking (and that's it) about retiring this book for a bit and searching for some new ones.  Any suggestions?