I'm a Batman fan. I'm not a bandwagon jumper, for real. I used to watch the original Batman series every day when I got home from school. No, I'm not that old, I just liked reruns. I also like Welcome Back Kotter. A lot! Anyhow back to Batman. Following many Adam West reruns I got into that animated series for a while. It was great and very dark and definitely was a nice lead in to my high school goth phase. Of course, anyone who knows me well knows about my soft spot for Michael Keaton as Batman.  Only that costume could make MK sexy.  Clooney was just a mess that I'll try to forget, but his casting in that role did make me falter a bit in my love for the hero. I've not seen the Batman's starring Clooney, and I don't think I'm missing anything either. To be honest I don't think you could top my love for MK as Batman by picking anyone other than Christian Bale as the new Batman. I loved Batman Begins so so much. I even own it on DVD and I never buy DVDs because I really have no interest in watching movies over and over again. Though, that seems to be changing with Christopher Nolan movies. The only other exception is Some Like it Hot. I could be forced to watch that movie on repeat forever and never tire of it.

Anyhow this is a long and rambling way of introducing this video which illustrates the evolution of the Batman logo. Pretty neat.

I've got a new office and it leaves a little to be desired in the view department. I'm not complaining at all, it's just a fact.  It doesn't have a window. Now, I've had everything from the wall-of-windows office to the cubicle-in-the-thick-of-it office and I can say that while I enjoyed the windows, they weren't exactly practical.

A wall of windows is hard to handle when you spend most of your time looking at details on a computer screen. That office with the wall of windows might have looked impressive, but not only was I blinded most of the time, I was sweltering in the summer and ice cold all winter. My office needs to feel comfortable, warm, and most importantly, have candy. If it's got those things, I'm good. 

Anyhow, I digress. The reason I've been thinking about those wall paper "instant view" murals from the 70's is related to my lack of windows. You know the kind I mean, right? With the mountains and the rivers and the blue blue sky? Or perhaps a pretty tropical sunset with palm trees?  I'd like to just paste one up, and see the reactions as people walk into my tropical jungle. It at least would be a great conversation starter. Of course I won't do this at work, but it did get me to thinking about my home.


The thing is they are totally back in fashion and there is a lot of selection available. I think it is interesting because they are both wildly old-fashioned (and still making appearances in dated decor like office foyers and community halls) and cutting edge trendy at the same time. This balance of so-lame-it-is-hip is always intriguing to me.



For me liking the look has nothing to do with cool-factor and everything to do with nostalgia. The look above doesn't work for me so much (something about a buck-and-doe headboard doesn't really speak to me) but I am still thinking I want to apply this look somehow in some space of mine.

I found this retro-inspired yellow tree wallpaper mural, and I'm pretty excited about it. Perhaps I'll paste it up on a set of sliding closet doors in my foyer? They are floor to ceiling and white and gross. Think of how cool this would be:



And then there are some really exciting things you can do with a wallpaper mural these days...












Buy guide:


Every so often I give myself a lifestyle theme. I've done this for a few years because it is fun, it challenges me to think before I buy, and he helps my wardrobe match more easily. Plus, it helps with the problem of consumer blindness.



What is consumer blindness? Consumer blindness is a term I just made up moments ago to encompass the following 5 syndromes common to the consumer. These are also the five I encounter most often in my own shopping experiences.

1. Price Blindness. Easily the most dangerous form of blindness. This happens when you put on a pair of jeans that fit pretty well and are $20 so you get really excited and buy them. Then you get them home and try to put an outfit together and realize the cut is all wrong and the wash is horrible. The low price has blinded you to the reality of the item. If you are lucky you can return them, but if not, hopefully they make good jean shorts.


2. Desire Blindness. This happens when you really want something to work that just isn't. For me this seems to happen a lot with button up things and belted items. I wear, but am still not sure about, skinny jeans for this reason. Do they really look good on everyone? I'm skeptical. I really love menswear looks, especially the crisp-buttoned-up-shirt-with-a-great -pair-of-jeans look. That said, I'm very curvy and they never really work well or fit right. But sometimes, if I really love something enough, I will manage to convince myself that the item works and buy it anyway. This goes against the very important 'dress for your figure' rule that I swear by, and always results in disappointment upon the first wear. Or the 9th, in the case of a great pair of skinny jeans (Kenzie, $24. See #s 1 and 5).

3. Funny Blindness. This is what happens when you see an item that doesn't fit well, you don't need or really want, and will likely not use, but you find it so amusing you have to buy it just to have it. To show people how hilarious your taste is. Or to look at it later and laugh again. Funny Blindness is a very powerful tool in the gift industry. This is a close cousin of Sentimental Blindness.


4. Sentimental Blindness. This is what happens when you see something and you really relate to the sentimental message, and/or it makes you feel sentimental about someone. This is one of the most important parts of the gift industry as designers count on the consumer feeling as if they relate to the message of the product, thus making it the 'perfect gift'. Unfortunately this often results in the gift getter wondering "what on earth to do with this thing" and then feeling too guilty to get rid of it or throw it out. In clothing, Sentimental Blindness is the reason you find yourself wearing an ill-fitting concert tshirt that was $50 or a horrid xmas sweater your mom gave you.  (My mom doesn't give horrid xmas sweaters, thankfully.)

5. Brand Blindness. Even those of us who swear they "aren't into brands" (such as myself) have moments of weakness. I recall a story from a friend who was shopping with her brand-loving sister. There was a pair of Tommy Hilfiger shoes on for $20, and the sister insisted my friend buy them, as they were her size. But my friend was not the Tommy Hilfiger type. It resulted in the classic in-store debate, "...but they're such a good deal!", "but I don't like Tommy Hilfiger!" I suppose in this example it is close to Price Blindness, but there's a heavy dose of brand loyalty in that example too. Some people will buy things just because they are a particular brand, authentic or not. I know for myself, I'll always try on Calvin Klein. Always. Not sure why. Sometimes in Winners I'll carry around a $150 LeSportsac bag. I never buy it, but I want to. It's a nylon bag!!! Clearly, no logic will allow me to buy it, but I want the brand. I don't know why. Weird. Brand loyalty is bizarre and fascinating. It is funny how you might buy either Colgate or Crest, depending on which is cheapest, but you might never buy Nike sneakers and instead prefer Adidas. Everyone is blind because of brands in some way. Mac, meet PC.



If all 5 blindness factors combine, you're in big trouble. Well, I am, anyhow. So, this is why I assign a lifestyle theme. Past themes have included Grandma Punk, Tennis Pro, Hot Red, and this spring Equestrian Metrosexual hit me like a tonne of bricks. Ok, ok laugh. But I think challenging yourself to think creatively about the style decisions you make ads another level of consumer blindness avoidance. It challenges you to think about how the item will fit into your existing lifestyle, instead of just how it makes you feel in the moment of buying it. After all, psychologically speaking, we just buy for the feeling we get when buying.


In case you are wondering, Equestrian Metrosexual didn't really stick. Turns out, that look was more a problem of desire blindness then a successful lifestyle theme.
(all pics are from my Polyvore)


















Now, watch Don Norman give an amazing talk about why good design makes you happy (and makes you buy). - From Ted.com.


I ran across this art project-slash-blog by artist Lisa Congdon because I have worked with her agent in the past. I started following with some skepticism about how much variety the artist would be able to produce, but it's pretty exciting, actually.  I'm really into her collections of things like vintage packaging and anything with else with type on it, and her hand drawings are interesting too.

In the artist's own words,
"This is a blog documenting a project that will span exactly one year, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. On each of those 365 days, I will photograph or draw (and occasionally paint) one collection. Most of the collections are real and exist in my home or studio; those I will photograph. Some are imagined; those I will draw or (occasionally) paint."

Check out some of my favourites below, or mosey on over there to check out the whole year so far.


vintage signs


japanese garden scissors



the number 5, various materials




vintage flash cards





vintage button packaging