kokeshi matches.

if there is one thing the japanese understand, it's that everything is better with a face on it.  cell phones, bags of chips, street signs, ATM machines, toilet seats, toilet paper, and naturally, matches.  these adorable kokeshi matches take a very ordinary household item to the next level with their extremely small, extremely cute stamped match tips.  because why not?  see them all here.

only god forgives.

ryan gosling: check. nicolas winding refn, the director of drive: check.  the thai criminal underworld, a smack of david lynch weirdness, and what promises to be another amazing soundtrack.  i can't even pretend i'm not marking the days down on my calendar. 

minerals.

when i was in texas last month visiting my friend kristen, we made a point to go to the nearby petroleum museum (i know, how could one resist?) to see their vast and impressive mineral collection.  i think i took about a hundred photos, but i pulled my favorite detail shots to share here with you.  enjoy!

joanne arnett.

one of my favorite classes while studying for my degree in textiles was jacquard - the behemoth of a weaving machine that truly amazed me each time i had a chance to see my patterns come to life in an instant.  i think my appreciation for the complexity of these machines is what makes me so obsessed with these gorgeous woven portraits by artist joanne arnett.  using vintage mugshots, (which let's be honest, are already pretty cool in and of themselves) she creates oversized portraits that blend pattern mixing, bright color, and intricate weave patterns to create something completely new.  the pieces are woven with a mix of cotton and thin metallic wire which lends them a reflective, photographic quality that shifts with the viewer.  consider me impressed!  see more from joanne here. and thanks to erika for the tip!  

note to self.

courtesy of olivia steele. 

jason molina.

this weekend was a sad one.  on saturday we lost jason molina of songs: ohia, a prolific folk musician with a bit of a beaten soul, to a long struggle with alcohol.  i can still remember the first time i saw him play in 2000, in a tiny room in bloomington, indiana after he had released his album the lioness.  there were no more than 70 people there, so it was pretty intimate, and his emotional presence was so palpable while playing that people were frozen in place.  his voice made you hold your breath and your heart drop into your stomach, it was so pure and sad and sincere.  since he was the backdrop for much of my formative adult life (and still is), this is a tough one to let go.  RIP jason, you will be missed.

block shop textiles.

when i began studying textiles back in college, the very first thing we learned about in print class was the block printing method, one of the oldest and most direct methods of creating a pattern on fabric.  as long as you have a piece of wood that you can carve, some dye, and some cloth, then you're in business. the company block shop textiles, run by sisters lily and hopie stockman, is a textile company based in bagru, india that embraces and supports old school hand block printing - they work with a family of master printers who have been at it for hundreds of years.  each scarf design is stamped onto a cotton-silk blend with all natural dyes and pigments, so each one is unique.  while i'm bummed that everything on their site is currently sold out, i'm hoping they refresh soon so i can scoop up one of these gorgeous pieces of handiwork for myself!  learn more about block shop here.