Children's Books: Yoshitomo Nara's The Lonesome Puppy

Who would have thought Urban Outfitters has an amazing book selection? On a lazy Sunday, I intended to clothes shop but stopped when I found Yoshitomo Nara's children's book, The Lonesome Puppy, lying among the piles. I love Yoshitomo Nara as seen -- Yoshitomo in House Decor  --so I'm biased but, whatever, I think this was  a fine debut for a children's book too.  The pages have these lush illustrations (perfect for tearing out and framing if I wasn't such a book lover) and the story is totally endearing. It's worth the pick-up. 

Here's Amazon's re-cap: "In his first book for children, renowned artist Yoshitomo Nara tells the charming story of a puppy so large that no one notices him—until a determined little girl climbs high enough to meet him and become his friend. A sweet tale from an artist for whom childhood holds a magical appeal, The Lonesome Puppy is sure to delight young readers and Nara fans of all ages. "

The Lonesome Puppy $17.99, Urban Outfitters

Street Fashion Blogs

“I don't do fashion, I am fashion.”
Coco Chanel

Nowhere is that more apparent then in these two bloggers: Susie Bubble and Bryan Boy. Thanks to the Internet shrinking phenomena, I can always check to see what this quirky London girl and sassy Filipino blogger are wearing--she in her modest, downturned eyes, self-conscious mirrored poses and he in his fabulous, fierce, runway-ready struts. Thanks to them, I find new ways to kill my office productivity during the week.

Mother's Day Tech Gift: Flip Video Camera

So I've been stumbling over what to give my fussy mom for Mother's Day. She's the type to shun expensive gifts, elaborate displays (no flowers, it's superstitious to associate with funerals), and, if I don't pick just right, will ohhhhh-and-awwwww over a nice gift but will also set it aside if she sees no use for it. She's practical to a tee--which is appropriate for a single-mother who raised five children on her own--but it can be quite maddening when her kids wanna give her presents.  

But I think, THINK,  I got the perfect gift for her. A new grandmother, my mom is heads-over-heels over my three-year-old niece and loves to photograph her (with a Canon ELS, we bought her for Thanksgiving).  But she still lugs around a clunky Panasonic video camcorder on family vacations. That's why I think the Flip video camera would be perfect -- small, compact, and easy to use, what's not to love? What makes it unique? It's stupidly simple. Just a red PLAY button to record. No zoom. No blank tapes. Just an embedded USB stick to plug directly into your laptop. It stores 60 minutes of video on AA batteries. If someone's computer illiterate, like my mom is, you can also take it to a retailer, like Walgreens, and they can burn the video on a DVD. How cool is that? 

The video quality ain't too shabby either, I wasn't convinced until my coworker showed off -- no  joke -- video footage of him chilling with Pharrell at a South Beach pool party. Clear and audible.  Perfect for spontaneous moments on the go. It comes in different color trims: silver, pink, green, orange, black...Hmmm...I'm starting to covet one myself. Well, for $131 at Amazon, the Flip Camera is just right. 

PS: If you want to know the tech details, David Pogue of the New York Times did a great review of it: The Flip Ultra Video Recorder. Or click on the video below. 

Too Cool For Plastic Bags

Tired of the trendy, hipster statement shopping bags (I'm looking at you, I AM NOT A PLASTIC BAG) that fashion blogs have been pushing for Earth Day? Want to adopt a more sardonic, rakish stance with your farmer's co-op grocery stash? Karmaloop is offering these bewilderingly adorable cotton totes by Insight. What does a sun-shaded donkey (an homage to Risky Business) say about you? Or, a pirate-eyed kitty? At 14in. x 14in, these roomy totes can stash a mini laptop. The Oreo Donkey Tote, above, and The Oreo Cat Tote, below at $25.

I would be a terrible mother

...to subject my own child to this for my own personal amusement. I'd, so, totally do it.

 Raised By Wolves organic cotton onesie

Fashion Catalogs from Korea

Let's add more fashion to the blogroll shall we?
if my love for CanCam, Non-no and other fashion magazines weren't enough, I came across Susie Kim , a Korean retail catalog that showcases cute dress styles: trendy, sporty, office-lady, party--I got totally absorbed clicking around. The fashion keeps me plugged into the Korea/Japan/Chinese fashion scene--yes, its a retail catalog but I liked seeing how the models were put together. Very cute sensibilities. I think my next hair cut might come from seeing something I saw here.

Fashionably Photographic Lifestyles of (Anonymous) Bloggers

Life is hectic. Be entertained by the flurry of photo blogs I gift thee. Oh, and when I meant anonymous, I meant I've never met these people--online or off--so I just like the photo voyeurism of it. God bless the intertubes!



Who is Candyya? I have no idea. She seems to be a young 20somethingyearold girl in Seoul. I can't read Korean but I can appreciate her pretty (if sometimes mundane) photo diary that documents her trips around Seoul, at work, at home, and on the streets. How she stylizes her shots, whether its a cafe brunch or a walk around town, definitely has a je ne sais quo feel. 

The Vagabond Blog  is a whole other creature. Sanna is a nightlife photographer who clubs and snaps Tokyo's clubgoers and fashionistas. Very rock 'n roll. Read or look over her nightime revelry with DJs, stylish expats, and trendy Japanese. Not just a pretty snapshooter, she'll also upload some gorgeous dawn photos of Tokyo's cityscape--her blog makes me want to move to Tokyo. 

She maintains her own party nightlife photo gallery here, Vagabond Set. It's worth it to troll, very Nylon magazine. 

And last, but not least, the always entertaining Elyse Sewell of America's Next Top Model fame (Season 1, #3 finalist). By far, the smartest girl to be on that show, Elyse blogs while jetsetting for modeling gigs. Beauty and wit with a smart-ass demeanor? Definitely right up for dearlydevoted's blog. Am loving her coverage of Korea -- its culture, food, and fashion. Read it all on Elyse Sewell's Journal