lost your i/denti/tee? get a new one.

this is a pretty sweet idea: lyrics on tee shirts. novel, i know.

the concept is it has to start with "i." because... they like that.
i'm not really sure why.

i know it has nothing to do with iTunes other than that you get a free 10 iTunes songs with every tee purchase. that's pretty cool, admittedly, but that's also cos i'm a (legal) music download addict. a definite plus when their tees are $35 + S&H.

it's socially conscious, too. from their FAQ:
'Grow-to-sew' African means that from the cotton they source, through the spinning and knitting stages, all the way to the final logo print on the inside of every music tee - the benefit of each goes back to the people working on the product in sub-Saharan Africa.

only dilemma here? their lyrics are LAME.
of their current 9-tee line, the only one i can maybe relate to enough for purchasing... ok, well, none of them. and i even like Joan Jett by a lot. but for personalized feel, these "i" lyrics aren't really doing it for me.

i actually went through and read all 200+ song lyrics you can vote for. i submitted another 20 or so (odd that you can't also say who the artist is). i have not yet seen any added to the 200+ choices for the new line.

my suggestions included but were not limited to:
i am flawed if i'm not free [rilo kiley]
i won't sit nice & be quiet [the trucks]
i swear by my wrists that we're better than this [park]
i choose light i choose love [the submarines]
i want to be the car crash [snow patrol]
i am better with a pen [fall out boy]

Microsoft tries to be cool, again.

avert your eyes, if you must, or see more here. with a pun that would make Kenny Cole jealous, Microsoft is trying, yet again, to be relevant and cool with "Softwear," 80s inspired Microsoft clothing.

to be fair, i owned a Microsoft PC up until this year. i do not hate Microsoft. i think Vista ("Mojave") was a terrible mistake of epic proportion and handled poorly, but that's about the extent of my hatred.

the bottom line is that Microsoft just isn't cool and they desperately, desperately want to be. we have a computer company making clothing now. and a "conscious" rapper (whom i actually like, mind you) backing it up (that's a head trip).

people make Apple and Microsoft tee shirts for the hell of it anyway. because they're fans. because they support the brand. but Apple is that kid who's cool without trying too hard. Apple doesn't mean to throw epic parties... it just happens. elegant, sophisticated, well-dressed.

with Softwear, Microsoft is the less cool younger brother who wants to emulate and get a piece. but Microsoft is automatically positioning themselves as 30 years old. explain this to me. nostalgia? alright, maybe a little. but i just don't see it helping in the long run.

...unless Microsoft really does start throwing parties.
maybe in Williamsburgh. so Bill Murray can come.

the good, the bad, and the ugly, deux.

other places to be. 1) because it's 9/11 and i'm sad and inarticulate. 2) because i was just on a three hour conference call. 3) because all lists need at least 3 things.

THE GOOD
if you thought Blue Oyster Cult was better with cowbell, you have NO IDEA. now, you can bring a little Walken into any situation. that's right, i said it. i have a fever and the only prescription is MoreCowbell.dj. and if you think your friends are funny, they are even funnier in 140 characters. so says ChoiceShirts, a spiffy company now promoting a tee shirt widget. you can get anything your friend said on a tee shirt with ChoiceTweets.

THE BAD
dear Miriam decides that she'll stick to mechanics rather than touch advising a woman about her cross-dressing husband. also--i am late on this, sorry, but Dane Cook is too funny at addressing this photoshop disaster.

THE UGLY
why did the chicken cross the road? Political Disgust answers. and if you need more disgusting politics... nah, i'm sure you know where to find all that.

the good, the bad, and the ugly. other places to be.

link haze; things i don't have time to comment on, since i'm actually doing work on a friday, like you should be, haha. ;)

THE GOOD
just some random funny stuff i found... Unplug Your Friends made me smile, and also made me look up Get Off the Internet by Le Tigre on songza. Listen here. and if you need to get out of a not-so-hot date tonight but don't have the balls, there's always the coward's way out: Get MOOH [get me out of here!]. oh, and lastly, am&a's Reverie Apparel is clearing inventory; 2for1 sale, check it out.

THE BAD
i am not at all touching on Palin's politics here, suffice to say i disagree; that's my prerogative, and you can have yours, that's cool. i don't care what it is so long as you VOTE. regardless. i am floored that, above all else, she wanted to ban books. 1984 anyone? oh, and while we're on the topic, Heart isn't so fond of Palin's... musical choices.

THE UGLY
as if you couldn't tell from my post about Twittad, i am tired of people hijacking some other people's stuff. for more blatant ripoff fun, check out You Thought We Wouldn't Notice, a fave blog of mine for some time.

Lovefool: 3: Etsy

this is the third official post of project Lovefool, wherein i promised i would:
"post about how much i love your brand. why i love your brand. and how much i'm willing to talk about how much i love your brand."

because i'm so fickle, this project has become fewer and more far between. but i think that lifts up the things i'm dedicated to even more. previously in Lovefool, #1 was To Write Love on Her Arms, my favourite charity; #2 was Pandora, for all my music radio needs. this round, i give you the elements of style. it's up to you to arrange them and bring out your inner indie kid.

target #3: Etsy.
[as if you couldn't tell from my tweets over the past week.]
shown left: Rock'N'Bun-ee, a possession from JitterBugBark
why you should care:
if you ever wanted a closet full of personal designer gear, you should care. if you're that discerning connoisseur of home decor, you should care. if you are a geek and want all the bracelets from Twilight in different artists' interpretations, you should care (or if you're a geek and want Darth Vader lego earrings). if you are that kid who listens to 250 bands no one else has ever heard of, you should care. if you're the sort who wants a one of a kind gift, or loves the individual look a 1-of-only-5 tie can give you, you should care. but most importantly, if you want a say in your style, if you want to be social about your purchases, and if you want to support DIY in our economics, you should care.

why i love them:
i love Etsy because i have a very distinct sense of style and a need to be social combined with a deep love of and respect for DIY (do-it-yourself) culture. i love them because all the stuff is so interesting and unique, and because the price range (while vast) is also at one end very affordable. i love it because i'm a small person, and the artists are really, really excellent at working with me.

i've gotten a bracelet shortened, a wallet redone in black and white, a swallow necklace resized from 2" to 1", and two lovely Brooklyn ladies (Lianna and AJ) are making me a custom jacket--to name a few. many of the sellers are really friendly and welcome this sort of interaction. they want to see you love what they do just as much as they love to do it.

this ability to reach out to the artists and have collaborative conversations has dramatically increased my loyalty to the site.

how much i'm willing to talk about how much i love them:
in the past week alone, i have purchased 11 items, 4 of which were gifts to spread the love. i have another 7 items on the docket for my next paycheck. i have been talking about Etsy on twitter probably far more than my fair share. i've told my friends and family. i have installed Etsy widgets on Facebook and on my blog, which you can scroll down on the right to see what new fun things i've recently bookmarked.

there are many ways to search Etsy. if you go to the Buy tab, you can search by colour, proximity to your location, recently listed, and by "connection"--seeing who else likes the things you like, and then viewing other things they like--among other ways. it's also fun to search by team (groups of sellers with a common goal/theme); i love browsing DIYScene team. also, just run a word search of your favourite things--you'll be surprised what creative, insightful things come up! searching "Alice in Wonderland" found me any number of interesting necklaces, corsets, ties, wall hangings, decor, etc.

how much i love them/aka/the backstory:
! i am also going to take this time to highlight some of the sellers i've had truly excellent experiences with in case you are interested in their work as well. i highly, highly recommend the following thus far:

Emily, @ Faster Than You*
[old school tattoo style, hand-painted art on jewelry]
Lianna [& AJ], @ Vigilante Labs*
[vintage inspired modern custom clothing for men & women]
Erin, @ Insane Jellyfish
[hand-stamped silver/pewter jewelry, very unique]
Deanna, @ Baroque & Roll
[girly/artsy designs on leather and fabric, accessories]
Emily, @ Dismantled Fashions
[ladies' retro & punk clothing with cute accessories]

*those with asterisks have gone, in my eyes, above and beyond the call of duty as an Etsy seller. i have had extensive conversations with both these ladies about highly customized work. Emily is transforming a necklace of hers that i loved to sit like tattoos on my neck, and was kind enough to make a second set so i could give it to a friend. Lianna and AJ are meeting me in person for choosing fabric and taking measurements, which is not required (often, it's all discussed online and i'd take my own measurements). if either of these ladies can do anything for you or for a loved one, i would highly recommend them. they are prompt, accessible, friendly, and make me excited about their work.

! if you want to see other sellers i've bookmarked (but haven't yet had the chance to interact with) feel free to browse my favourites.

july about how good your copy is?

okay. i can't believe i forgot to mention this. seeing as when i saw it, i called my mother up immediately to scream. nevermind that i was on an agency shoot. nevermind that it was almost lunchtime. all that mattered was the absolutely inane drivel i'd just seen.

as copyranter has honourably pointed out many, many times (and more), Kenny Cole should be prohibited from writing any more advertisements. ever. the puns are often confusing. and downright crappy. at first, i couldn't blame the guy his ego. at first, i kind of forgave Kenny.

after all, even though they were crappy, they had some (pseudo) attempt at relevance. awearness = awareness. potential carriers = bags/AIDS. etc. i get it. it's shitty, but i get it. marrying two concepts, commercialism and activism? not the first or the last time. but on this past Friday i saw the biggest Kenny Cole atrocity ever while wandering around the upper west end of Colombus Ave:

JULY ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT?

and a whole bunch of other really terrible things you may "ly" about (in July?). i assume it correlated to some month-long sale. i don't care. this particular advertisement crossed a line for me in Kenny Cole land. i can forgive shitty if it's uplifting. sure, raise AIDS awareness. sure, "make the most of grey summer days" with new grey styles. sure, acknowledge that we all walk in "different shoes" and then buy some.

but the derogatory nature (as if i should be surprised) aimed mainly at women (again, should i be surprised) combined with bastardizing punning (as usual) makes this the worst thing he's rolled out with yet. i'm ashamed for him. this gets a big ride on the failboat, hook line and sinker.