THE Scarf to have

Strath of Pacific Standard wrote a good piece on Sunshine and Shadow yesterday, and since I mentioned scarves earlier, I should write about THE scarf that you MUST have. My dear friend Lily's tie-dye scarves are made of 100% silk and each one is hand-dyed with love and care, how special is that?! I love all the super bright neon colors, they are the perfect way to dress up a plain dark outfit! Lily's summer collection is available at these stores.

p.s. I hope that the 3 posts today will make up for the light postings this week, and I was such a downer yesterday, my bad!
photo: pacific-standard

Vera Scarves on Etsy

I subscribe to the daily Etsy Finds, and today I'm thrilled to see that there are some beautiful vintage Vera scarves for sale, here are some of them. Vera Naumann was a textile designer whose scarves were very popular in the 50's and 60's. Another great place to look for Vera scarves is Ebay.photos: Etsy

The Best Shopping Tote

I love carrying tote bags and I usually use a plain black canvas one because I have a hard time finding a good looking one. A couple weeks ago we went to MoMA shop's Destination Japan reception and saw this Roo Shopper Jellybean bag and I thought it is the perfect tote! Not only the graphic is so cool but the shape of the tote is perfect, the wider handles support the heavy content in your bag and are easy on your arm. It's made of sturdy polyester and has an outer zip pocket for your wallet or cell phone. Seems like a lot of people love this high-quality bag with a reasonable price tag, it is currently back-ordered at the MoMA online store! There are a lot more designs and styles if you go on Roo Shopper's Japanese website, I don't care for those Andy Warhol bags that are sold in the US but I heart this Campbell soup tote and the shoes shopper! Wonder if there are stores in the US that sell these bags other than MoMA?photos: moma shop, and roo shopper

Having A Crisis

Today I'm having a Gocco crisis and I need to get myself back together and focus on making new prints, Renegade Craft Fair is just a few weeks away...

Top Five Morrissey Songs- Late Entries

I wasn't going to post any more Top Five Morrissey Songs but the people that submitted them are very special to me so I have to share them with you.

John Richards- Host of the Morning Show on KEXP, Seattle
1. How Soon is Now?- Its their best song, every other song is just trying to be this song
2. Every Day is Like Sunday- The BEST song about the end of the world ever.
3. Girlfriend in a Coma- The Best song about your girlfriend being in a coma ever
4. Panic- Hang the DJ
5. Suedehead- Last great Morrissey song if you ask me...and your asking. (Wonting: I told John that I agree with him on this 100%)

Little Friends of Printmaking (lfop)- Milwaukee
We had to dig out old cassettes.
1. Bigmouth Strikes Again
2. Hand in Glove
3. Panic
4. Well I Wonder
5. November Spawned a Monster

Faiyaz Jafri- Illustrator, New York City
1. Big Mouth Strikes Again
2. Kill the DJ (wonting: I think he means Panic)
3. Suedehead
4. How Soon Is Now
5. Shoplifters of the World Unite

photo: it's morrissey world

Colors of Tulum

I am very inspired by the colors of Tulum- the turquoise color of the sea, the silky white sand, the colorful chairs and tables at Zamas, and the orange that is the signature of our hotel- Casa de Miel. We spent Five days in Tulum doing absolutely nothing, no sightseeing nor activities, it was purely to relax and enjoy the beach. Casa de Miel was the perfect choice, you can't find a place any more eco-chic than Miel, we had the beach to ourselves and we spent a lot of time sunbathing and reading on the swinging bed. When we got bored we would take a walk on the beach or go boogie boarding. I know it's impossible but I dream of going back in 6 months.

Back from Vacay!

We got back late Saturday night (our trip was AMAZING!) and today I have a lot of catching up to do. I'll resume posting tomorrow, adios!

More Moz!

Since I am pre-writing the posts for this week, I completely OD on Moz now. So let's go straight to peeps' top five Morrissey songs.

Moira- New York City
1. I Won’t Share You
2. A rush and push and the land is ours
3. There’s a light that never goes out
4. Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one
5. Death of disco dancer
I’m a sucker for “strangeways, here we come”

Chad- hubby- New York City
1. how soon is now is actually my 1-5.
so
6. Panic- obviously.
7. Heaven knows i'm miserable now- because really we all are, just to lesser degrees. an no one cares if "i live or die"
8. stop me if you think you've heard this one before
9. last of the famous international playboys- though in high school we use to say "flamers", instead of "famous". LOL. good times.

Wonting- NYC
1. Big Mouth Strikes Again (Dunno why but I used to listen to it everyday when I was a teenager)
2. There's a Light that Never Goes Out (My favorite line is "And if a double decker bus, crashes into us, to die by your side, is such a pleasurable way to die")
3. Reel Around the Fountain (beautiful melody, melancholic words)
4. How Soon is Now? (it's on your list too, right?)
5. Cemetry Gates (BEAUTIFUL!!! I used to be obsessed with the lyrics in this song)
photo: amazon

Happy Morrissey Day!

Happy big 4-9, Moz! If you have missed yesterday's post, I am running a 3 day Morrissey birthday special. I asked my friends what their top five Morrissey songs are, and today's are really fun, the first peep is more analytical, the second peep remembers the good times during the golden age of the Smiths (we were too young when they split up, but sometime in the 80's anyway), and the last one has the same b'day as Moz, whoo hoo!

Hilde Tørdal- Telemark, Norway
1. The Headmaster ritual- Yes, I know it probably a bit obvious choice to pick this one, but when I was 18 and hated school with its inhouse authority, this song pretty much summed up my life.

2. Ask- "Spending warm summer days indoors... If its not love then its the bomb that will bring us together..." An upbeat and positive lovesong.

3. Half A Person- Well, who hasn't been sixteen clumsy and shy once? And what about dreaming to just go off to London and ask for a job, any job, just so long as I can stay? Perfect song for my teenage years.
"And if you have five seconds to spare
Then I'll tell you the story of my life :
Sixteen, clumsy and shy
I went to London and I
I booked myself in at the Y ... W.C.A.
I said : "I like it here - can I stay ? I like it here - can I stay ?
Do you have a vacancy For a Back-scrubber?"

4. Sheila Take A Bow- Another upbeat and optimistic song where Morrissey makes the proposition to lift the head, boot the grime of the world in the crotch, and find someone to love. Is Morrissey a bit out of character on this one?
"Sheila take a, sheila take a bow
Boot the grime of this world in the crotch, dear
And don´t go home tonight
Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you"

5. Oscillate wildly- Perhaps not a very "Morrissey" song since its an instrumental, but I think the title has enough material to make the mind wander.
Strath of Pacific Standard- Brooklyn
1. What Difference Does It Make? (There was a period of time working at Visionaire when we literally listened to the Smiths all day every day, and by the end this was the only song I still wasn't tired of.)

2. Half a Person (The first time I came to New York, I stayed in the YMCA, so for whatever reason I retroactively feel some kind of connection with this song, even though I certainly never aspired to back-scrubbery).

3. How Soon Is Now (I borrowed this LP from my friend Michelle and never gave it back. Is that stealing? How can you say?)

4. William, It Was Really Nothing (Being from Seattle I feel a weird kind of angsty pride when he sings "the rain falls hard in a hum-drum town/this town has dragged you down.")

5. (3-way tie!) Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, and What She Said (I think I like these songs for the same reason I enjoyed reading Less Than Zero six times in a row in high school. "I've seen this happen in other people's lives, and now it's happening in mine." There's a sort of salty detachment I identify with for whatever reason. I think a lot of my feelings about Smiths songs would best be described using sentences that end with "for whatever reason.")

Mary Helt of Maryink- Nashville, Tennessee
1. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
2. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
3. The Boy with the Thorn in HIs Side
4. Cemetry Gates
5. Ask
BTW, he and I share the same birthday! (Happy birthday, Mary!)
photos: Morrissey Solo, Amazon

Top Five Morrissey Songs

To celebrate Morrissey's birthday tomorrow (may 22), I ask my friends what their top five Morrissey songs are, and the results are very interesting, do you agree with any of them? I especially love how some of the peeps quote his lyrics like poetry, well to many of us he is the greatest living poet!

Hannah Clarke- New York City
"my choices are definitely plucked from that hazy abyss of highschool...so they are the most delightfully narcissistic/martyr-y of his ouevre!"
1. Unloveable- because "I wear black on the outside, because black is how I feel on the inside..." (!)
2. How Soon is Now?
3. I Don't Mind if You Forget Me
4. Stretch Out and Wait
5. I Won't Share You

Tech- New York City
1. Panic (that's me in 1986 my 1st time in London, Smithin' it up)
2. How Soon is now
3. America is not the world
4. Please plese please let me get what I want
5. The Boy with the thorn in his side
Justin- New York City
1. this Charming Man
2. How soon is Now? ( of course!!)
3. Everyday is Like Sunday
4. William it Was Nothing
5. please, please, please let me get what I want ( so sad )

photos: it's morrissey world, morrissey solo

Harry Allen

Chad and I stopped by Harry Allen's studio for their ICFF party. I'm sure you are familiar with the piggy bank which they did for Areaware comes in and all kinds of fun colors. Here are some of their new products, my favorite things are the lamp made of molded paper, and the chandelier made of black cans.

Apak Show

I stopped by Giant Robot to meet Apak's Ayumi and Aaron in person for the first time, and they are the cutest couple, not to mention very talented. They look just like the happy little hermits in their fantasy land! Here are some snaps from the show, I really love those little sculptures made of paper clay.

Tulum Bound

Yes I am on my way to Tulum and will be gone for the rest of the week but hold on tight, my friends! Thanks to the new Blogger feature I am now able to post my pre-written entries as scheduled, so you will still get your daily dose of Wonting! Tomorrow I will show you what cool products has Harry Allen unveiled for the ICFF party, Wednesday through Friday will be a three-day Morrissey special, to celebrate his 49th birthday on May 22. So check back everyday for new posts ¡adios amigos!
photo: casa de miel

The Cutest Toys!

I'm a Nathan Jurevicius fan and these Owl windup toys are so folksy & adorable! I wrote about them in November when they were still at development stage and now you can get them here. I think I need to get all of them!!!
photo: Toy Tokyo

Weekend Fun!

My Five Whats friends Apak! is in town for their opening at Giant Robot tomorrow, hurray! Here's the info.

Area 2

Got the book and love it!!! Here are some of my faves.

Botanicals

The new Assouline book Botanicals is based on prints from the rare books library of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. It's a great reference book for designers and artists. I will write more when I have a copy of it.
image: Assouline

Five Whats with Eleanor Grosch

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Eleanor is one of my favorite illustrators so today I'm really thrilled about today's Five Whats with her. You'll find that she's as funny and adorable as her work and what a great personality!!! Check out her wonderful prints on her website.
Without further ado, here are the Five Whats:

What do you always carry in your tote bag?
In default mode, I carry my wallet (duh!), at least two kinds of lip balm, Oldspice pure sport, and a very organized change purse. In sleepover mode there's at least a mouthguard (I grind my teeth) and my glasses, but there might also be a clean pair of undies!

What is a typical day like at the Pushmepullyou design studio?
Wake up anywhere from 8-10 with a grumbling tummy, eat bear naked granola and yogurt, let Kit (my cat) outside for a bit, look forward to lunch while I check e-mail, take care of mailing prints every third day or so, get into work mode while I semi-watch a flick (we get Netflix, and I supplement with Library selections), text message my friends to see if we can meet up for a treat, eat/drink a treat, go to the gym/trapeze class to work off the treat, have a shower, watch a flick with my boyfriend, Petey, while we eat dinner, get lured by the charm of sleepo (the clown of sleep - something like the sandman), crawl into bed and dream... What are your inspirations?
I find that anything can turn into an inspiration. You just have to stay open to being surprised. For example, once I noticed that the way two airline magazines were lining up in their little pocket they made a really great owl face.

What is your favorite print that you've ever done?
It usually happens to be the most recent print that I've done. I just made a tiger last night that I really love!I get really proud of each one for a little while and then doubt creeps in and I remember that I may never create anything decent again. It's a horrible cycle in a way, but it does keep me on my toes.

What are your plans for the summer?
I'm planning on swimming a lot, and this year I'm going to my 10 year high-school reunion. I can't wait! It's going to be really weird and probably really nice to get reacquainted with people who also had weird hair last time I saw them.

bonus what What are your hobbies?
Alphabetizing, biking, cuddling, dancing, eating, fiddling, guessing, hand-holding, ice-creaming, jumping, kissing, LOST, making out, nuzzling, ogling, p**ping, questioning, re-questioning, snuggling, trapeze-ing, umbrella-carrying, vexing, wearing, x-rated-joking, yawning, zzzz-ing.
images: Eleanor Grosch, thank you!!!

Who, What?

She is one of my favorite artists who is known for her graceful retro style animal illustrations. She is the master of screen-printing and the goddess of gig posters. You might have seen her mugs and glasses at Urban Outfitters before. Who is she? Find out tomorrow!

7 Travel Essentials

I am so excited that we are going to Tulum next Monday. We'll be staying at an Eco-friendly resort, electricity is turned off at midnight and of course there is no air-conditioning and TV. Here is a list of must haves for the trip.This is the best looking passport and boarding pass holder out there, it's not really a necessity but I love it!

Sketch book by Deadly Squire. Coz I need to sketch down all my inspirations while I'm in this magical Mayan paradise.

Hand-cranked radio and flash light. This is not the best one but it's what we have.

UNO and any travel board games, coz we won't be watching TV or on the computer in our cabana.

A Miranda July audio book, which you can download on iTunes or Amazon.

Mosquito Guard with no DEET. It's important to get one w/o that harmful chemical.

Citronella candles. Very useful when electricity is turned off, plus it's romantic and repels bugs.