Recently...

Smart Girls At The Party is the new site from Amy Poehler and friends ... I had the chance to help them design the look for the site (which is built on a ning.com foundation)

Check it out!

*jess

The Bridgetown Society

a little logo design action for the Portland crew.

Work/Life

So, lets be real for a second, the 80's tune had it right - "everybody's working for the weekend." And recently my weekends have been jam packed. 

Between Spread Eagle's inaugural kickball season and my sister's buzz-worthy social schedule, I could probably take a vacation from planning anything. 

Add on top of that the play I'm stage managing (shout out to The Racket Collective and "Happy Birthday, Mom" )

My amazing sister's joint birthday party with her fabulous roomie Rita and new Superbalite MC,

and all the miscellaneous goodies and distractions that LA keeps throwing at me - and I am exhausted, exhilarated and overbooked. 

I am starting to think that every Angeleno has a serious case of FOMO and it is seriously contagious!

Next up - a trip to Portland for snowboarding and general debauchery with some of my east coast boys, followed by a much needed jaunt to NC to see the family and all my lovelies back in Raleigh!
PHEW. anyone else need a nap? siesta? cocktail? maybe a J? 
and did I mention, it's already 70 and sunny in LA!


now that. all of it... is fairly genius.


*j


(please note - all the above designs are originals, produced by yours truly. I'm particularly proud of the party poster although the spread eagles franchise is catching on like a SoCal wild fire)

time flies...

I hit me the other day - I haven't posted on the ol' blog in a long while. Let's just say, a combo punch of lazy and busy gave me all the reason I needed to let this blog gather dust. 


But fear not, dear reader, I'm back on the case. 


I've gathered some new "fairly genius finds" and I will be concocting witty commentary to expound on their many admirable qualities. 


And no. I won't be talking about the iPad. 


Stay tuned!


*j


ps - enjoy the new look of the blog. thanks to shabbyblogs.com for stylin' the hot vintage look.

Fairly Genius Finds, Vol.1

Good morning and welcome to the first full volume of...

fairly genius finds 

... a collection of things from around the city, the globe and (mostly) the web that I can confidently say are fairly genius for one reason or another ... in no particular order
enjoy!

Live from Le Poisson Rouge

** Norah ...oh Norah ... if you are hot-blooded human woman and you don't love Norah Jones' sultry, jazzy and silky-smooth vocal stylings ... well. I'm not sure what to say to you. She is divine. Take notes boys, cuz most women love her. and she's great to throw on the ipod for some sweet lovin' to ensue. 

This new album is a bit of a departure for her - a new band and some new style makes this a revelation. Seriously - click and enjoy. Especially that last song (it's about her dog). 

Norah on Hulu - fairly genius indeed.

filmaps.com

** Perhaps it's because I just moved to LA and the movie business is everywhere ... but this is a cool concept for a lil' web site. I've always loved a good flick, and this site gives you quick access to all that random information - where DID they film that cafe scene in Pulp Fiction? ("be cool honey bunny")

Random online databases are fairly genius ... 

** Gear Deals! GAWWWD. I am totally and utterly dedicated to bargain shopping for outdoor gear. It's in my blood (I'm Jewish after all) but it also makes me happy to get what I want at a ridiculously good deal. I dont even have to gloat about it .. i just know i did good. and got something amazingly useful and quality. 

i've passed these sites around to friends before and many have found them useful. so here's a short list of some favorites - 

One Deal at a Time

steepandcheap.com (all sorts of camping + outdoor stuff)

tramdock.com (mostly ski and snow sports)

whiskeymilitia.com (skate and snow gear)

woot.com (tech, home and random goodies)

Always Good Deals

sierratradingpost.com + sierrasnowboarding.com (outdoor of all sorts)

backcountry.com + backcountryoutlet.com (outdoor galore!)

great deal on great gear - my favorite fairly genius find!

Gemma Redux : Omne Necklace

** Being a Industrial Designer means that you can love a product for its ingenuity and artful use of materials. Even if you aren't sure you could afford it or would ever use it. This one I'm on the fence about. It's beautiful, clever and totally unique. So I might break down and buy one, some day when I can afford such things. 

Needless to say, I love versatility in all things. This is a great example a designer using her head!

flexible design is fairly genius.

Outstanding in the Field

** I love this idea. These people make me happy. Their "about us" page reads as follows:

Our mission is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it.

Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure - literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.

Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table.

Need I say more? If anyone was curious about birthday gifts for me - this is a great option. just a suggestion... I'm a total amateur foodie. I have no culinary training (unless you count Alton Brown) and I still eat lots of things I know I shouldn't (bacon cheeseburgers anyone?). But I grew up with some amazing examples of how to make a dinner party come together (thanks mama!) and it ain't easy. As I've learned more and more I've come to realize that the further your food gets from the farm, the more trouble you are bound to be in from eating it. On all levels. 

So these guys are doing a great thing - bringing people to the earth. bringing people together. and bringing amazing food to the table.  a win/win for all involved. 

food+farms+friends = fairly genius.

** Ok. I probably have gone on long enough. Don't want to get ahead of myself ... there's always Vol.2 **

Bumper Car Theory

During the work day, every so often, things get slow. So I chat. 


The other day I was waxing philosophical with one of my nearest'n'dearest about life, love and the pursuit... Specifically about how we learn from mistakes and mess ups, if they don't scar you permanently and make you phobic.


This is a snippet of that conversation that I thought might be interesting to share. (I'm in blue - my lovely friend is in black) 


Bumper Car Theory

you learn from it .. but it scars the shit out of you ...

and you learn to fear it ...

so its tricky.

totally agree

the older i get, the more those lessons learned become phobias ... ugly stuff.

that's interesting

I've never thought of that

hmm

i have a theory on this one ... as with all things

fairly genius theory?

haha ... could be.

i will perhaps call it the "unified theory of stubborn"

when we are young we act like bumper cars ... we try every path, we bounce off the guards, we hit each other, we spin round and round ... we have fun with it ...

the older we get, the more controlled our driving. the more tightly we grip the wheel. we obey traffic. we stop speeding. we stop spinning our own compass, we stop making wrong turns on purpose. we get stubborn.

we think we know where we are going. so we drive there.

and once we arrive, we think we know where we are.

and then we realize ... we were just driving. gripping the steering wheel. eyes ahead.

the best example is dating ... but it applies everywhere.

i think that is very very true

you need to write about that

when you are young you are just crazy - if you like boys, then all boys get a glance. but as you get older, you THINK you know what you like. you PICK a type. you start gripping the wheel ... and then you realize one day (i did anyway) that the guys you choose are wrong for you.

i'll do that ... just for you

the grand unified theory of stubborn.

i love it

or perhaps "bumper car theory"

sounds more fun anyway
-------------
For the record - gmail chat is fairly genius

PB+J

I have a love affair with peanut butter and jelly... 


Over the years I may eaten somewhere in the range of 10,000 pb+j sandwiches. Quite literally, one a day for  the entire duration of my public school career. Any many, many more in college. 


That being said, I made a discovery that made me so happy I have to tell the world. Or at least the world wide web. 


So without further ado, I give you the first of many... 


fairly genius find

This item practically defines what I mean by fairly genius. 


Take a classic, like the utter perfection that is the PB+J 


Throw in a clever new ingredient. How about some delicious, salty, crushed potato chips. 
Wrap it in chocolate. 


Ok, now... wrap it in a cute magenta box and put it at the checkout of a store I frequent... and just wait for it. 


BOOM! Suddenly it's in my basket. In my bag. In my purse. In my desk. Out of it's wrapper. And then it's being enjoyed. Shared with my sister. Ogled by coworkers. 


May I add, that it is as good as you imagine. Maybe better. It is divine. 


It is fairly genius people!