bumble ink blog

Where the wild things are...by Christopher Walken. Painfully funny.

2012-01-24T00:43:00.000-08:00

It's a bit painful to sit through it all, but he throws in enough commentary that some of them just have to hit your funny bone.

nice design, but can it fool a baby?

2012-01-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

and the packaging is clever too...

What's Awesome? Ninjabread Men.

2011-12-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Some people like ordinary gingerbread men. We say, your little sissy gingerbread men don't stand a chance against our ninjabread men. "Be a man," as Russell Peters would say, and sneak some of these ninjas into your mouth during the holidays.

Check out these cool cookie cutters as seen on foodiggity.

remember to check yourself before you wreck yourself...

2011-12-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Is this like your holiday family gathering? Cause it's definitely like ours.

2011-12-07T17:52:00.000-08:00

predictions for this year...

2011-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

having watched my second 3-d movie in the theaters (i'm a little slow) and thinking about the plastic glasses they give to you and then....you maybe dispose of or recycle...

since 3-d will probably become only more so prevalent, high end designers should start making designer 3-d glasses in the mode of the French Lorgnette/Opera Glasses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorgnette

*photos courtesy of Morning Glory Antiques and Gilai Collectibles

I'd be way into some Chanel 3-D glasses that I would use whenever I went to the movies. Maybe it would lower the price of my admission and cut down on the unnecessary production of so many disposable glasses.

Then we could make some 3-d cards! Though I think it doesn't really work like that...

new wedding invitation available on minted.com

2011-02-15T21:46:00.000-08:00

Shop my wedding invitations at Minted.com.

Thanks to all of you for voting for our designs during minted.com's latest wedding invitation challenge! Our latest wedding invitation design is available exclusively through minted.com. As an added bonus, you get 10% off any bumble ink designs on their site! Just use the code BUMBLE 2011. Enjoy!

A month of thanks and giving!

2010-11-18T23:25:00.000-08:00

we at bumble ink have lots to be thankful for this holiday season. the following represents a smattering of joy we'd like to share with you.

firstly, many thanks to kristen at Paper Crave who wrote a great post about our new cards and line of photocards. we're so glad they made her smile, that's what we aim for!

also, for the first time, we are teaming up with lovely photographer Meg Perotti and offering her clients a special discount for our holiday photocards. just another excellent reason to get those beautiful portraits taken for the holidays! (so efficient...and we all know how i feel about efficiency!)

click the photo to check out her post at her blog:

be safe this weekend!

Photocards featured on Cool Mom Picks!

2010-11-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hop on over to Cool Mom Picks (click on their logo above to go to the article) to check out the article they wrote about our new photo cards!

Hooray -- Thanks to cool moms everywhere!

toon tuesday twist

2010-11-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

With Halloween aside and as we enter into the holiday season, I'd like to take a little variation in honor of the toon tuesday theme.

Joyous, festive and a time of togetherness, nothing reminds us of how lucky and grateful we are for our loved ones more than the holiday season. Unfortunately, the flip side of this -- as so graciously touched upon in many a holiday movie -- is the reminder of the utterly lonely and lacking facets of our lives.

So, as my pep talk to those of you who rue the holidays, just remember Garfield. Yes, that snarky, dry humor chubby tabby we all love. He would tell you to snap out of it, things could be worse. You could be Jon Arbuckle -- as demonstrated through this hilarious website garfield minus garfield

On his website, Dan Walsh takes the popular Jim Davis comic strip and erases the existence of Garfield, creating "a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb".

Published as in 2008, (and available on Amazon) this is my idea of a great coffee table book.

bumble butts

2010-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I dragged my weary self out of bed to participate in the 2010 California Coastal Clean Up Day. Normally, a morning of picking up plastic caps, bags and napkins off the ground would give me a warm glowing philanthropic feeling inside, akin to the time my friends and I created a pie* of 1) graham cracker crust 2) crushed oreo cookie double crust 3) Ben & Jerry's half baked ice cream 4) chocolate pudding 5) final oreo cookie layer, however circumstances conspired to ruin my happiness.

Firstly, a horrid heat wave made everything uncomfortable. (And the dress I wore gave me the most absurd tan line) Secondly, my terrible choice in footwear had blisters growing on blisters. To top it all off, it wasn't as if I was picking up soda can plastic rings preventing seabirds and cute ocean mammals from imminent death by plastic, but instead, suffering because I had to pick up countless cigarette butts!

Photo Credit: www.treehugger.com
In general, the stigma associated with flagrant public littering is fairly pervasive as mainstream society frowns on throwing trash out the window or on the ground. I remember a specific instance in San Francisco where I was in a car at a stop light and glanced out the window. Next to me was a minivan where a woman in the passenger side was finishing up a (delightful) meal from McDonalds. She took the entire bag of trash and dropped it out the window. Just threw it onto the street. Why she couldn't bear to have it in the car until she got home, I couldn't say, but flabbergasted, I recall seeing looks of horror on the faces of nearby drivers.

So why do so many people not find any problem with throwing cigarette butts on the ground?

Maybe they see the sand on the beach and think, ashtray?

Is there really that much of a difference between bags of fast food trash vs. a cigarette butt? Do smokers justify these actions because cigarette butts are small?

Smokers prove the fallacy of size. Size matters.

The unfortunate truth is, as one of the most common types litter found along the coast, cigarettes are absolutely terrible for the environment. As plastic litter breaks down into small non-biodegradable pieces and later chokes some poor sea creature to death, cigarette butts are made up of "12,000 plastic-like cellulose acetate fibers" and contain remnants of toxins and carcinogens that can be released into the soil and leach into groundwater.

In the time it's taken me to put together these observations, I've sat on the steps of a liberal and prestigious ivy league university and watched 7 people next to me stomp out their cigarettes and leave the butt on the ground (and one person spit into a planter).

Age, education, race, upbringing, it doesn't matter, littering butts is a socially accepted practice in smoking culture.

Maybe with scientific progress there will be some way to re-use the nasty plastics and toxins in butts, keep trying China, but the infrastructure alone in collecting and recycling butts worldwide feels insurmountable.

All I know is that after spending hours in the hot sun picking up scores of these, I can confidently say I never want to touch another butt again.

*yes it did happen, yes it was amazing, yes i hated/loved myself for days after.

If facebook existed in the old days...

2010-10-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

for the full deal-- check it out here:
http://coolmaterial.com/roundup/if-historical-events-had-facebook-statuses/
and part 2:
http://coolmaterial.com/roundup/if-historical-events-had-facebook-statuses-part-2/
pretty entertaining :)

Nine

2010-10-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

She's only nine years old. Wow. Talk about talent.

The Twit Network

2010-10-21T17:23:00.001-07:00

The Social Network has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. For all other genres of films, be it horror, suspense, romance, action or comedy, rating tends to be heavily skewed by subjective personal preference. But a movie about the origin of Facebook? Nope, apparently it transcends all genres and finds universal appeal and approval mainly because the topic is so pervasive as to connect and interest so much of the population.

I found the movie entertaining and enlightening in painting the evolution and story of such a social phenomenon, but it fell more into the category of "well, I don't regret watching it but I don't know if I'd want to sit through it again". On the other hand, I watched Nowhere Boy last night and was blown away. I'm sure it's mostly because I'm a huge Beatles aficionado and all, but Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne Marie Duff and even Aaron Johnson (of Kick-Ass fame) did such an amazing job in their portrayal of the early years of John Lennon, I didn't want to the movie to end.

But what do I know? I have amassed an embarassing collection of Beatles biographies, none of which are completed because I always stop reading about 75% of the way in when things get depressing and sad. Can you tell I'm a romantic comedy type of movie lover?

So I leave you with this amusing Twitter movie parody that emerged from the Social Network movie buzz. Especially entertaining for those of you who have seen the movie....

new holiday photo cards - coming soon!

2010-10-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce our new line of photo cards just in time for the holidays! we've been hard at work getting these designed and integrated into our site, and it looks like we're on target to launch within the next few weeks. You'll soon be able to choose from a variety of designs which feature your personal photo(s) and messaging. Choose your favorite, personalize it with your own words, upload photos, and our professional designers will layout your personalized design and send you a proof of your photo card for approval before sending it to the printers.

Our mailing list will receive a special discount offering. Sign up from our home page to get in on the deal!

On all the photo card backs, you can even add a form letter or short message--

The designs featured here are just two of the many designs that will be available. Stay tuned for our official launch announcement. Of course, we'll also be releasing our usual new line of holiday greeting cards!

Maximize Efficiency

2010-10-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll admit it.

I'm a sucker for efficiency.

I am the person who will google maps multiple routes to see which one is the shortest or is the quickest with traffic layer (trafficlayerisamazing).
**
Sure I'm no mathematical whiz, but that's why I love those "cost per ounce" comparisons at the grocery store to get the most bang for my buck.
If I could adhere only one adage/expression/idiom to myself it would be "kill two birds with one stone".

Let's face it, the only thing better than winning, is win-winning.

So I certainly got a tickle out of the recent blog from Re-Nest showcasing a neat way to re-use those normally hard to recycle plastic bottle caps.

Photo Credit: One of those annoying chain email FWDS

Apparently it is as easy as:
1. Cutting off the top of a plastic bottle (obviously I assume you all use a Klean Kanteen, but on the off chance you stumble upon one of these poor suckers)
2. Pulling a plastic bag up through the neck of the bottle, folding the bag down over the neck, and replacing the lid.

Viola! A air or water tight seal for your Kirkland signature brand goodies you bought in bulk...because you love efficiency and therefore a good deal!

My favorite thing about this post and consequent re-post on LifeHacker was the follow up comment by StinkyPetethePirate:

Why not just pour the contents of the bag into the empty water bottle, seems like a lot less work

Efficiency to the point of laziness?

True or False: After reading Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella, I may or may not have reused coffee grinds. Sure sure, some might say there is a thin line between efficiency and frugality, I say who cares when all paths lead to WIN WINNING?

Spoiler Alert: Don't think I don't realize the irony in utilizing a plastic bag to re-use a plastic bottle cap. Boy am I excited to tell you about this cool product I saw at the last UniqueLA show.

**and yes, I made that gorgeous piece of MS Paint Art. This is why bumbleboy won't let me into near the product designs.

Manhattan Vintage

2010-10-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Vintage Clothing
& Antique Textile
Show & Sale

Friday, October 8th, 2010
1:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 9th, 2010
11:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Show Website

Culture Addict Article

I'm curious to see if this is the east coast equivalent to the Vintage Fashion Exposition that happens in LA and SF 4 times a year.

Either way, vintage is green, holds a great number of independent and local retailers and is a spectacular way to people watch.

POPO-Wow.

2010-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

For you urban dwellers, I hope you're all aware of the POPOS (Privately Owned Public Open Spaces) near you and have had a chance to take advantage of them, especially if masses of people hinder your enjoyment of taking lunch outdoors. A dear friend, and budding urban planner pointed these out to me and mentioned that some of these public spaces have the best views of the cityscape yet are relatively unknown.

Photo Credit: http://sfcitizen.com/

San Francisc o

New York

Los Angeles -- Although LA's urban sprawl provides much more accessible space, this article shows an interesting dimension to the fight over beach access in places such as Malibu where private vs. public can be the difference between wet and dry.

Photo Credit: http://sfcitizen.com/

History of Rap

2010-09-30T16:21:00.000-07:00

I was not expecting this, but after the Emmy's and now this, I have renewed love for Jimmy Fallon.
As for JT, well that goes without saying, he's so cool.

poopy plastic

2010-09-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Fresh off the splendor of reading bumble girl, boy and baby's interview at Minted, the toon tuesday minted challenge fecal debacle (see previous blog post for reference) got me thinking about...well, poo.

Ever the optimist, I present to you a recent article over at EcoGeek

E. Coli Could Replace Petroleum in Plastic Production

"A biotechnology company based in Boulder, Colorado has discovered a way to engineer E. coli to convert sugar into acrylic acid - a major component in paints, diapers and adhesives - in place of petroleum. This new process produces 75 percent less CO2 emissions than the petroleum-based process."

Photo Credit: OPX Biotechnologies

Talk about awesome scientific poo-gress!

Although over at bumble ink we didn't wait for poo technologies to advance in the field of plastic and went straight to corn based biodegradable packaging, here is how I see it:
(I would try to draw a diagram of this poo-cess, but unlike bumble boy, I'm no artist)

Corn needs manure (nee poo) to grow and mature, to eventually be harvested then magically transformed (poo-f!) into earth friendly card packaging. So by rule of transitive poop-erty, we kind of beat the scientists, no?

I wonder if bumble boy could have maybe prevented a few gray hairs, or at least one less exclamatory tear shaped cartoon drop around his head, had he had the right poo-spective.

Interview by Minted

2010-09-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

and just wanted to thank Minted one more time for the fun interview!
http://www.minted.com/blog/2010/08/27/meet-a-mintie-bumble-ink/

swagger wagon

2010-09-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

brilliant-- how many parents can relate to this?

toon tuesday 08/03/10

2010-08-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

wtf is a toon tuesday?? oh yeah, it's that thing we're supposed to have out every tuesday. that would make sense. I suppose we should name it toon -every-tuesday-when- i-get-an-idea-which could be a month from now.
so um, yeah, here it is. hey, you can't put a time to the creative process...*cough* *cough*

LXD - chapter 1

2010-07-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

and so it begins...

and, chapter 2!

enjoy!

toon tuesday 06/08/10

2010-06-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

have you ever experienced anything like this? ;)

LXD - League of Extraordinary Dancers

2010-05-27T10:06:00.000-07:00

LXD "Moments" Trailer from Jon M. Chu on Vimeo.

If their performances on SYTYCD and the oscars is any indication of what this film will entail (2 of the best dance performances we've ever seen), we WILL be seeing this movie-- looks like a whole story told through dance.

Their Oscars performance here for your reference:

LXD from Bboy WIZ on Vimeo.

toon tuesday 5/25/10

2010-05-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

stupid captcha...why do they make them so hard??

world cup awesomeness

2010-05-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

this video is so awesome-- pretty funny too, says something about how fortune and fame / defeat and misfortune can follow a player after a single play in professional sports... makes me so excited about the world cup!

toon tuesday 05/18/10

2010-05-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

our source for trends and ideas. hasn't failed us (too much) yet!

toon tuesday 05/11/10

2010-05-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

don't ask me how i came up with this one. it started out very innocent and sort of ballooned into this monster. i blame the wasabi chips i ate earlier.

toon tuesday 05/04/10

2010-05-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

our passwords are so creative that even we don't know what they are.

unique LA this weekend!

2010-04-20T21:47:00.001-07:00

To our dear 2 readers (Hi Mom!):

We're so sorry we didn't have a toon tuesday cartoon today. We've been busy busy busy preparing for the uniqueLA show at the CA Market Center in downtown LA coming up this weekend 4/24-4/25. It's our first non-wholesale/non-stationery show -- so there's alot more inventory to prep ahead of time!

If you're in the LA area, come by and say 'hi'! And while you're at it, pick up some birthday, mother's day, father's day, congratulations cards! :) As an added bonus, we'll be debuting our new t-shirts! (They'll also be available in our online store shortly. )

The show features indie designers and artists that sell stationery, clothing, jewelry etc... We've seen the list of vendors and can't wait to meet them! (and do a little shopping of our own too!)

Toon Tuesday 4/13/10

2010-04-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

so yeah, we're on facebook. become a fan...if you dare.

Toon tuesday - 3/30/10

2010-03-30T23:31:00.000-07:00

how to look busy, part 2

Chat Roulette - pretty dang funny

2010-03-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

interesting concept, this guy is hilarious.

toon tuesday, 3/16/10 - Minted design challenge part 2

2010-03-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

for all you "minties" out there -- a follow up to last week's debacle...

toon tuesday 03/09/10 - minted wedding challenge

2010-03-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

we submitted some designs for the minted breakout wedding challenge! rating begins soon...we'll post our submissions once the ratings begin.was extremely fun to participate in!

Monday funny

2010-02-28T23:50:00.000-08:00

something to get you through the monday sludge...look at your man, now back at me.
pure genius.

Toon Tuesday 02/23/10

2010-02-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

somebody's got to make work interesting.

happy valentine's

2010-02-16T00:12:00.000-08:00

hope you had a good one...

bringing back the swear jar

2010-02-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

another one from the collection of "best commercials of all time..."

toon tuesday 02/02/10

2010-02-02T00:05:00.000-08:00

clowns are just freaky.

the fringe benefits of failure

2010-02-01T00:05:00.000-08:00

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.
inspiring talk for your monday morning.

clown commercial-- um, funny?

2010-01-28T20:23:00.001-08:00

hilarious! what is it with clowns?

toon tuesday 01/26/10

2010-01-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

every office has one...we are no exception.

congrats, zo. you made it into the comic. wait, just kidding! ow! OW!

toon tuesday 1/19/10

2010-01-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

productivity is all about perception.

toon tuesday 01/12/10

2010-01-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

daddy don't "do" poo. but sometimes daddy has to.poor daddy.

All CG....unbelievable

2010-01-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

this is done entirely in CG...unbelievable! You gotta fullscreen this to truly appreciate it. I mean, none of this is real? I am blown away... filmmaking has reached a whole new level!

toon tuesday 01/05/10

2010-01-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

word of the month....don't know where she got it, cause we definitely don't say it! honest! anything that has an 'f' in the word has been frighteningly transformed...yesterday, california roll became "cow-f*ck!"
very embarrassing...

Toon Tuesday 12/15/09

2009-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

xmas shopping begins! or...shopping begins, at least.

I'm yours - the official version

2009-12-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

classic...the non-radio unedited version ;) this kid is so cute with his expressions, and i think his nose is itching, haha.

kudos to employee zo for finding this little gem, haha.

toon tuesday 12/08/09

2009-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

c'mon, daddies need some mommy time, too...

toon tuesday - 11/24/09

2009-11-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

a special thanksgiving toon tuesday edition -- have a happy thanksgiving!

Toon Tuesday 11/17/09

2009-11-17T00:02:00.000-08:00

quarantine, people...quarantine...

toon tuesday 11/10/09

2009-11-10T23:32:00.000-08:00

sometimes the best cure: misery loves company...

toon tuesday - 11/03/09

2009-11-03T00:39:00.000-08:00

to vaccinate or not to vaccinate, THAT is the question...

look very carefully at the singer(s)!

2009-10-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

what a great tribute to michael jackson! and look closely, it's just one singer! crazy, huh?

toon tuesday 10/26/09

2009-10-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

sometimes you just have that perfect working environment...

toon tuesday 10/20/09

2009-10-20T00:27:00.001-07:00

sometimes you can get away with it...

Bumble Ink Holiday Photo Card on Minted.com

2009-10-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

we're having bumble baby's holiday picture taken this weekend for our annual xmas greeting card. we always debate whether we should be in these pictures or not. friends and family would much rather just see how big baby has gotten, right? but then again, it's a family christmas card? we'll see what we end up doing. nevertheless, bumble ink's all about tree holiday photo card is available at minted.com this year. get them early! they are offering 15% off if you order by 10/18. just use code EARLYSITE09.

My holiday photo cards now available at Minted.com

toon tuesday - 10/06/09

2009-10-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

yes, we've skipped two tuesdays...ummm....yeah. hopefully this will make up for it? we all must sometimes be reminded of who is the boss of us.

Drool...new gadget...

2009-09-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

make sure you check out the video here. gotta get one of these...just think what it would be like to sketch/research/etc. on one of these things! can't wait for it to come out!

toon tuesday 9/15/09

2009-09-15T23:40:00.001-07:00

football season is upon us! good times had by some...

toon tuesday 9/8/09 - where did it go?

2009-09-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

before you know it, it's come and gone. long weekends/vacations need to go by in slow motion time. we could definitely use it...

toon tuesday 8/18/09

2009-08-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

no seriously, it's pretty hot right now...

Toon Tuesday 8/04/09 - the housing dilemma

2009-08-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

housing in San Francisco is still so @$#*&%in expensive! i think we can afford a cardboard house in the Mission, now.

funny thing on google...

2009-07-28T15:56:00.001-07:00

a friend pointed this out to me today-- went to google.com today and typed in "i am" -- and let the "google auto-fill" end the sentence for me...

being chinese, i find it both disturbing and yet strangely...gratifying?
i dunno, i don't see myself as very scary.

Toon Tuesday 6/28/09

2009-07-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

now that we're getting older, i find i have to learn a bit more about portion control. i used to be able to eat 5 whoppers in one sitting back in the day.

ok, 4 and a bite. it got a bit monotonous. and now i hate whoppers to this day. probably wasn't the best idea, but hey! it was like a 5 whoppers for $5 deal!! we college men took that as a challenge!

all i know is, when we ordered, the guy at the counter whispered, "madre de dios," meaning, 'mother of god.' we all thought he was amazed at our eating prowess, but now that i think back on it, he was probably referring to how stupid we were.

uh..yeah. anyways, point is, gotta eat smarter!

a wedding i'd like to attend...

2009-07-24T00:02:00.001-07:00

now this is what a wedding should be all about-- fun! how about a bride who is willing to just let loose and have a good time on her big day! makes you want to do it all over again...almost.

toon tuesday 07/21/09

2009-07-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

now serving...a slice of our lives. welcome to "owning a card business with a baby."

toon tuesday - 07/14/09

2009-07-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

ummm. i dunno. was feeling a bit weird today?

like peanut butter

2009-07-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

did we ever say how much it sucks to change poopie diapers? never knew how much of a fan i was of urine until now.

Best MJ article out there

2009-06-26T23:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard and seen everything there is to see and hear about Michael Jackson's death in the past 2 days, but just wanted to share this article written by a local SF columnist -- i thought it was a pretty profound piece.

needless to say, inspiration comes in many forms-- without music like MJ's to rock out to while we're working, i'm certain that almost all of our designs out there would suffer immensely. for me, good beats translates directly into good design. when you feel good, design is that much better.

please check it out if you have a moment, it's definitely worth a read.
(thanks to our friend ngoc for finding this!)

in the meantime, this is my personal fave from Michael's work, and one i still have today on my playlist to move me while i design:

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
by hushhush112

toon tuesday 6/23

2009-06-23T00:02:00.000-07:00

times may be tough-- but that won't stop us! buy buy buy buy buy buy buy!

prodigy? i would say so.

2009-06-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

Sungha Jung has been on youtube for 2 years now, yet i only saw him today! with this level of talent at such a young age (he's 12 now), i'm surprised i hadn't seen him earlier. he's sooo good. soo inspiring. if you watch him play, you can tell he really loves it -- and it's so great to see that. just goes to show how much better things are when you love doing them. he even composes some songs! check out all his other songs, too. here are some of my favorites:

...and one he composed...so nice.

stop motion kick

2009-06-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Bubblicious from Rex The Dog on Vimeo.

we're on a "stop-motion" animation kick! found this gem on vimeo-- absolutely love it. The author even shows process -- all that x-acto work on the foam-core...oh my god, getting unpleasant flashbacks from school...what a nightmare that must have been. but what a result!

music is great, too-- kinda makes us want to dance!

bing bing bing

2009-06-17T00:02:00.000-07:00

we usually don't get too excited when someone mentions another search site -- it usually elicits a *yawn* -- i mean, lycos, alta vista, yahoo, google, dogpile, etc.-- we've seen it all. or have we? Microsoft actually took a page out of apple's book and made a search site that is actually nice to look and interact with...
bite your tongue, right???
anyways, see for yourself-- it actually looks nice, and has some pretty neat features, like a rollover summary of the search result a la netflix, among other things.

not to mention, a pretty cool name. it's just fun to say it...bing!
anyways, i digress.... just go check it out already.

toon tuesday 6/15

2009-06-16T00:03:00.000-07:00

there is just too much material for this subject...

some friday fun

2009-06-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

a little fun for your friday-- so creative!

Toon Tuesday...6/9

2009-06-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

men vs. wild

2009-06-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

this guy just cracks us up, whatever he does--

when all else fails...or chair fails

2009-06-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

poor guy..but so funny...sad how little things like this make me laugh.

no rest for the weary...

2009-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

no refunds or exchanges... it's the toughest job for a reason! ah, gotta love em, though ;)

inspiration comes in many forms

2009-06-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

you wouldn't think that the performing arts could inspire visual arts, but you can really draw from anything as long as you can distill what makes something really work. this group gave a commanding performance because every piece of the puzzle worked in precise unison. the choreography and attention to detail transformed the piece from simply a dance routine to a work of art.

loved it!

thanks to our friend Cyrnni for finding this!

powdery goodness

2009-05-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

where can i get beignets in the SF area that taste like the ones you get at Cafe du Monde? call me a beignet snob -- but i grew up on this stuff! they must be airy in the inside and sprinkled with a generous amount of powdered sugar! gawww... i have a craving for them.... i need them now!

photo via yelp.com

jon and kate...don't h8

2009-05-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

so we've been watching this family for a long time now, and they've been an inspiration to us and many families, i'm sure. i mean, if they can do it with 8 freaking kids, surely we can handle just one, right? right??!?

anyways, recently it looks like they've had some highly publicized marital problems, and this season's premiere as a result was definitely an awkward, and sad one.

gets us thinking how we always dream of being famous, but have never thought of what comes with fame. i don't think we could ever handle that kind of attention and, wow, the paparazzi -- what i saw in that episode would have set me off. those guys looked like the lowest of life forms throughout the show.

please don't break up, jon and kate!! it's just too sad.

time sink

2009-05-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

if you have a moment, you've gotta check out one of my favorite design sites from red interactive agency-- you can create a little avatar on their site and literally roam, fly, chat (with little word bubbles) and interact with other visitors. it's definitely fun, and the art style is fantastic. there even seems to be a sort of cult following on this site, as every time i visit, there are people hanging out.

it's kind of a time sink too, so if you get caught looking at this at work, just say you're "doing research" on a local design firm ;)

bumble ink day care system

2009-05-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

how did our parents do it? bumble baby was a terror this weekend, so we had to employ the services of the best baby sitter on the planet....elmo! and big bird, and grover, etc. er...we don't do it that much...really...:/

the one hot dog per month rule - a memorial day exception?

2009-05-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

the famous bacon dogs in sf -- image from yelp

i love hot dogs. i mean, really love them. i love them so much that bumble girl has instituted the "one hot dog a month rule" so i don't die of a hot dog induced heart attack. i often ask myself whether i've had my hot dog this month. so sad.

i propose an exception for memorial day though! since it's barbeque season, what is a good bbq without hot dogs? a bad bbq, i say!

so for those who are grilling it up on memorial day, here are some great hot dogs you can buy from the store: Uncured Niman Ranch Fearless Franks. these guys are healthy (as healthy as a hot dog can get, at least)and have been taste tested as scrumdelicious!

for those that don't want to grill their own, go to some of our favorites:

1. New York: Crif Dogs or Gray's Papaya
2. Los Angeles: Pink's, or the bacon dogs outside of the staple's center
3. San Francisco: Top Dog, bacon dog cart, or fatt dog
4. other cities...uh....i dunno. post em if you know of any!

bumble ink in poppytalk!

2009-05-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

thanks for the paper pops mention! check it out here

btw, we love love love poppytalk! jan posts about so many inspiring and beautiful finds! and we are huge fans of her poppytalk handmade market! (where we currently have a table -- go now! :) )

the seafood guide

2009-05-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

i was at Lee's this afternoon contemplating whether to pick up some fish for lunch when i started doubting the quality and origin of said fish. now, they may have the freshest, most sustainably fished, best quality fish there -- but i just didn't know. i ended up passing on it.

it brought me to thinking about a handy mini-pamphlet we picked up at the monterey bay aquarium awhile ago, explaining the best choices of seafood, as well as the worst choices and why -- a very handy item to keep with you for just such an occasion!

you can download a pocket guide here!

one item of particular interest was the inclusion of "farmed Salmon" on the "Avoid" list. basically, they swim in these pens full of their own feces, which are then released directly into the ocean, chock full of parasites and diseases.

YUM.

brilliant? i'd say so.

2009-05-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

we're big big fans of adobe, having used their product for years. and after seeing this beautiful and interactive mini-site, we love them even more. it's fun to just surf around and interact, and ogle at the eye candy throughout this piece. learned a lot about cs4 as well! no doubt that was their intention...
check it out at http://www.adobe.com/brilliant/

get the digits. even if they're wrong.

2009-05-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

another successful night out-- for all you playas out there, learn to take a hint.

Chalk it up to inspiration

2009-05-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

Very inspiring piece -- original and well done! Must have taken an enormous amount of time and chalk...

the lightest, fluffiest, and BEST cheesecake ever!!

2009-05-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

so we here in the SF bay area are lucky enough to have Zanze's cheesecake. it's not your typical new york style cheesecake. instead, the texture is very airy and light -- and just melts in your mouth. once you've had one bite, you won't be able to stop! the only caveat is that zanze's is only open a few days a week during a small window... i've known a few people to take an 'extra' long lunch from work just to pick up a cheesecake!

photo courtesy of yelp.com

the guy has something...i'll give him that.

2009-05-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

not many singers turned actors have been successful. in fact, most if not all are downright terrible. this guy has had a lot of exposure lately. bumble girl, as a matter of fact, is a big, big fan. i've seen the way you look at him, bumble girl! and how you laugh a little too enthusiastically at his antics! hmph!

i am not a big fan, but i have to admit, the most recent snl skit of "PlasticVille" is one of the funniest things i've seen in a long, long time. the boy's got some comedic talent, i'll give him that. but that's all i'll give him!!! for now...

EDIT: Well, we USED to have a link to the video, but apparently NBC is keeping this one under wraps for now. SO, you'll just have to check out this video, which Plasticville was derived from. Still funny, just not AS funny in certain respects!

what freedom can do with the right tools

2009-05-13T00:37:00.000-07:00

Cisma's "Le Sens Propre" from glossy inc on Vimeo.

we love adobe products. having used adobe since the first photoshop, we've come to appreciate what its tools allow us to do.

given the freedom to do whatever you want -- that's a designer's dream. this campaign for adobe had only one directive-- you can do anything you want, just do it with adobe cs4. and wow...what an amazing result. just goes to show how much creativity there is out there in the world!

hope you get a kick out of it!

baby survival mode

2009-05-11T23:31:00.000-07:00

an extension of mother's day -- this is to all those "new" moms out there who may not have had the time to do much on mother's day.

trust us. we know how you feel.

hang in there!

prime, but subprime

2009-05-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

subprime from beeple on Vimeo.

looking around at the state of housing in california, and found some eye and ear candy here -- beautifully and exquisitely done with great visual style and sound.

tea time with mom

2009-05-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

this mother's day, take your mom to a cute tea house, or brew your own pot of tea. it makes for great bonding time with mom! my sisters and i do it anytime we get together with our mom. we like to try out different cakes, scones, and pastries to accompany our tea.

if you live in the los angeles/burbank area, try martino's in burbank for their tea cakes. mmmmmm.... their buttermilk and blueberry cakes are just the right size and simply deeee-lish!

i can't wait for bumble baby to be old enough so we can do our own mother/daughter tea parties!

happy mother's day to all the moms!

Arzberg Warmer and Teapot from Crate and Barrel