Worth: The Evolution of Financial Intelligence. There are two aspects to this article. Firstly the design - which was actually enticing enough to make me not only grab a copy and flip through it, but to then purchase it at its pricey 20$ price tag to further dive into its Monocle sized uncoated/matte velum glossy covered magazine and take pictures to share its interesting layout/design choices with you. So on the next page you’ll find many examples of some of my favorite visual details of this recently updated magazine.

The second aspect is the business of it ~ as you’ll see in the video and press releases from just a few months ago, this 18 year old magazine title was acquired by Sandow Media (of LUXE and New Beauty) in 2008 ~ and only 2 issues ago completely redesigned. Not only in look and feel, but also focus and revenue model. In a time where we are watching magazines close monthly, print dinosaurs falter, and online advertising still finding its legs (at least conceptually!) ~ Worth magazine has taken on an interesting concept lead by publisher Patrick Williams (from the Economist and Conde Nast’s Portfolio - which while also beautiful and infographic heavy, didn’t last long): “The Worth Leading Wealth Advisor Program” where essentially they have wealth advisors underwriting the profits of the magazine by having them thoroughly vetted, and if accepted they pay for an opportunity to write articles for the magazine and have 100 copies to distribute (to their clients and potential Worth future readers?). This is in addition to their advertisements as a revenue stream… and their bold move not to allow subscriptions (unless you are considered a high net worth reader and happen upon a free subscription), the only way to acquire Worth is to pay their $18.95 cover price. And Patrick even says in the Bloomberg interview that “We want to be known as the 20 buck magazine, which makes us the most expensive magazine in America.” Funny thing is when i first landed on their site, the most surprising usability issue i encountered was not being able to find a subscribe button, usually they are huge, flashing, or begging you to click them on magazine sites. I guess not being allowed to subscribe will make some want it even more…?

Business aside. Its a gorgeous magazine, and i am quite intrigued by their layouts and typographic decisions. The paper also feels stunning to hold in your hand, and it’s quite an interesting read… awaiting future issues to see if it holds up. Oh, and i’m smitten by the fact that they have lovely Object of Desire pages. See pics on the next page ~ as well as the Bloomberg video.

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Andy Bell is probably one of the awesomest people i’ve met in 2009 (yay, sdcc?) ~ and his red and blue sushi’s sit sadly in their boxes by my desk inspiring me daily. So you can only imagine how ridiculously giddy i’ve been photoshopping the behind the scenes pics for this feature where he gives us a look into not only how they came to be, but also a chance to giveaway one of the much coveted GREEN O-NO SUSHIs!!! Before they are even available (you can buy one in january, but you’d better be quick!)…

So if you’re ready ~ go see the making of feature as well as details on how to win one of these awesome little guys + some stickers too on the feature page!

p.s. we got a sneak peek at the green ones at SDCC

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I’m a bit obsessed with print recently. I mean, i always love/d print, but extra aware of it and all its design nuances at the moment. Beyond that, i can’t seem to help fixating on the way digital/online medias can translate back out to print in the real world well ~ and how integrated ads can be beautiful and/or enhance the content. Ran into this little booklet for the first time at a hotel and love not only the concept and execution, but also the design!

Daily Candy has a beautiful Los Angeles pocket sized city guide that is perhaps one of the most thorough (SO many of my favorites and many more are included!) guides to places to eat, sleep, shop, and more in LA! Design is fun and readable, adorable little icons and extra notes and illustrations tucked away in each page. It’s also light on the branding/advertisements Only a few Jet Blue ads inside with fun creative and copy of course! On the front it mentions it is in partnership with the Viceroy Group and Urban Retreats. As far as positioning, seems like great positioning to get Daily Candy in front of boutique hotel guests ~ particularly those who may not know the mailing list yet. Lovely idea, beautifully executed, i’d rather grab one of these than a Wallpaper guide, etc. if i’m sending a friend off to explore LA ~ now i’m curious what other cities exist! And how to find them! Take a peek inside this LA guide on the next page…

UPDATE: Just in from Daily Candy - there are NYC and LA guides. the NYC guides were made last year and can be found at the 5 W hotels in NYC. The LA ones just arrived in the Viceroy and Urban Retreat hotels last month! “They were penned by the NYC and LA editors respectively. It’s the first time we’ve printed our favorites in such a fashion and they are being well-received in both markets. The great thing is it’s everything we love — Not just the “latest and greatest” but they also include mention our tried and true favorites.”

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Joey Roth takes us behind the scenes of his new Ceramic Speakers! 4 years in the making, these beauties started as an idea in college, only to be further developed in 2008, and now they are a reality! While i have yet to hear these myself, Gizmodo and Wired are already commending their “audiophile-worthy sound” ~ and personally i’m smitten by the combination of ceramic, wood, and cork ~ yes CORK! the way the plugs go into the cork before the ceramic is my favorite detail of all. Take a peek at the feature on the next page, including a super cute stop motion video ~ and he’s also giving away a set of these lovely speakers to one lucky reader! Giveaway details are here.

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They’re heeeeeeere!!! Meet the Puma Penguin Army that arrived yesterday. Sorry i lost a few hours of my day yesterday to unpacking the fort of 20 massive boxes that showed up. And then carefully pulling out each of its foamy filled box… only a few casualties. 1 poor orange guy totally shattered (we’ll consider him a sacrifice in the name of science to see what’s inside a Puma Penguin)… one green guy lost a foot (don’t worry he’s being superglued as you read)… another orange guy has a special sunburst like color fade with a cracked neck (watching him carefully to make sure not to snap his head off!).

Need a little background story? Haven’t walked by a Puma store this season? Well Puma’s window and instore displays internationally have these incredible life size plastic penguins around. And they are simple beautifully designed glossy little statues. For those of you who , you know I’ve been obsessing over them since Stockholm. And then every time i walk past the Santa Monica store. They are truly one of the awesomest window displays i’ve ever seen. Awesome enough that i couldn’t help reaching out to Puma in hopes of telling their story and begging to buy one. And then 20 showed up.

PUMA - i just have to say, you guys are amazing. Like, best christmas present ever amazing. THANK YOU! Now that being said ~ go see the many photos of where i first spotted these guys, how they arrived, and just how fun they are en masse. Now the question is, what to do with them???

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Ready to take off for the holidays? Well wejetset wants to hook you up.

What can you win? + 1 Hideo Bean 19 (Green) Luggage + 6 Wallpaper City Guides + 1 Arkitip x Incase Curated Laptop Sleeve for (15” Macbook Pro) Steven Harrington + 1 WeSC Bongo Blue Headphones + 1 pair of Sunglasses by Super See pics of it all in the feature as well as details on what to do for your chance to win!

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Happy Holidays! Here’s what just came from Winstanley ~ and this little plastic petri dish came with playful cheeky cards warning us how to deal with the H0H0 Chimney Flu as well as two jingle bells… and they lead you to play this addictive holiday season version of brick breaker. See more pics of the silliness on the next page!

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Sometimes i get so excited i think in pictures. Too giddy for words? So many stunning details to show you? SO, after showing you the awesome ads that came together in McSweeney’s San Francisco Panorama ~ as promised, here is a look inside the newspaper itself. Basically i sat down outside with newspaper and camera in hand, and as i got excited reading through it, snapped pics of the visual details that grabbed me… and omg there are a LOT, so here is the curated down visual inspiration from the Panorama to give you a taste. As for the intellectual literary goodness, you’re really going to have to grab a copy and catch up on that yourself, but for the visual overview and some of the hilariously inspiring details this should whet your appetite for the moment. Hope you enjoy it as much as i do!

We need more of this in our lives. I feel like such a slacker right now. Suddenly i want NOTCOT in print. Anyhow… go see the pics of what newspapers SHOULD be like!

p.s. … also, blogs and websites will never be as fun to take outside and shoot… with a camera.

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I love print. I love magazines first and foremost, and newspapers right behind that. They just FEEL so good! All these lists of things that became obsolete in the last decade keep including magazines and newspapers and honestly it just makes me want to cry a little. And you know what else i absolutely adore in those mediums? ADVERTISING! When its good… which so often it can be amazing. Also collectively, taking a look advertising in a magazine or paper says a lot about the publication itself. Picking the right ads is critical ~ as much as people seem to want to squeeze anything on sites some days (yes, you advertisers know who you are) ~ choose wisely. Also if EVERYTHING moves digital, what am i supposed to read when the power’s out and its a gorgeous sunny day? Hmmm?

Ok that’s my little print/ad rant for the moment… mildly triggered by my overwhelming inspiration rush from sitting out in the sun reading, flipping through, and shooting McSweeney’s San Francisco Panorama… which is AMAZING. But since i ended up with so many parts i wanted to show you… lets start with the advertising that grabbed me. Literally with every page flip it was “oooooh amazing picture…. wow what a fascinating read… wait, that pic is actually an AD?” Both the graphics and advertisers that made it in are quite stunning, and together say so so much about the world they’ve created in the newspaper. So before i get to the rest, take a peek at some of the stunning design and fun ads that grabbed me.

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On Los Angeles field trips, i took a little trip over to the Baxter of California HQ last week and met up with president, Jean-Pierre Mastey, a fellow mini haribo gummi bear and packaging design junkie ~ he’s also passionate about boxing, cars, men’s skincare… and japanese, Head Porter bags! I am so excited to share a peek into their world… so fun to get to see the products waiting to go out, some of the R&D in progress, and even some amazing retro barbershop accoutrements and playful art and design… it was also awesome to get a peek into his packaging design library! Take a look at JP’s desk up there, that juxtaposition of objects sums up his well rounded background quite nicely!

Beyond the peek into the world of Baxter of California on the next page ~ JP has also been generous enough to give one of you lucky readers the new Porter collaboration Baxter Dopp Bag filled with Baxter travel sized goods - Face Wash, Oil Free Moisturizer, Super Close Shave Formula, After Shave Balm, Daily Protein Shampoo, and a special edition Baxter anodized aluminum travel shave brush produced just for this kit in Black. I was jealous enough of this being a men’s product, i bought one for myself… it’s a fabulous dopp kit! With three removable velcro’d sections! With stunning details you’d expect from Porter, it is the ultimate flexible travel kit! See more images and details on the giveaway here!

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This morning i woke up and fell for Keith Noordzy’s “Man Made Disaster Studies” which he has in the latest Gallery 1988 show Paper Pushers. So clean, so thoughtful, so dangerous (both the enormous sea creatures and the weapons of mass destruction) ~ love them! See them all on the next page!

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Noferin has launched their latest set of woody toys, this time a blind box set: Jibibuts! And for this Holiday feature, they give us a peek into how they are made, the full set, and even a teaser as to what those 2 super special mystery characters are… ready to take a peek? See the full story on the next page!

Also… they have sent over one full case to give to one of you! For a chance to win, leave a comment on the feature with your favorite childhood toy!

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On more exciting holiday features ~ a first time i’m trying out having our friends at some of NOTCOT’s favorite companies share some stories and behind the scenes look into their worlds ~ here’s a look at the Unearthen Watches at Forward Forward, the luxurious high end sister store of Revolve Clothing… I love hearing about how these watches were discovered, and what it was about them that pulled them in! See the full feature on the next page!

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On unexpected popups i wish i could teleport over to, this news was too fun not to share when it just showed up in my email! Photos by Hiroyasu Masaki (punkfloyd).

Ace Hotel and Japanese retailer Isetan Shinjuku are curating a pop-up shop for the holidays. Ace Hotel is in Seattle, Portland, Palm Springs, and New York. Culture, collaborations, and a design aesthetic that mixes uncluttered comfort with a bohemian vibe are Ace’s trademark—informed by each city’s sense of place. It’s a gathering place for neighbors and guests alike. We at Ace love Japan, and we’re excited to be able to come to Tokyo and bring all of our recent product collaborations to the heart of Shinjuku.

Isetan will be showcasing gifts from Ace that give you a sense of the hotels and their cities. Products include collaborations with Pendleton Woolen Mills, artist Evan Hecox, Generic Man, Dean Markley, Fjallraven of Sweden, Mackintosh, Coto, Le Labo, Wings & Horns, Project No. 8, Pearl Plus, and many others. Products from Rudy’s Barbershops will also be available for the first time in Japan. Come find something Wednesday Dec 2-Friday Dec 25.

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Let me level with you. It was my birthday and i totally tried to take the day off a little. Got some extra sleep. Went for a walk and caught up with a friend on the beach ~ a beach walk complete with ice cream and taco truck tacos (in that order of course!) ~ did super chill dinner and… met up with Linhchi for the most ridiculous microwave experimenting we’ve done in a while… People claim i’m hard to shop for, but really you just have to keep in mind that i’m pretty easy to amuse? Besides, this little as seen on TV number even has CORE FUSION TECHNOLOGY!!! (Ok, so to me, it feels more like magical gravity weighing down on my poor explosive marshmallow) AND she brought adorable marshmallows that are products of israel covered with adorably anthropomorphized illustrated mallows that would make the sanrio crowd squeal. The cuteness does make it easier or harder to consume them (depending on how you react to the cuteness!) Impressive? Their mallow jumping and squishing the barcode. LOVE IT. But i digress… we microwaved up a few of these babies, watched them mushroom up, and then the MICROSMORES machine (read: plastic container with weighted platform on a stick that you don’t even get to PUSH) did its thing, making magical smores. Now if only there was some liquid smoke or fire involved in the process, you’d truly recreate the campfire smore experience…. ok even then, a bit is still missing, but that didn’t hold us back from sticking whatever else we could find in there!

I know i have SO many things i want to post and show you that i’m behind on this week (that life balance thing kicked in ~ you understand, right? this week life won a bit more than usual ~ but don’t work, workaholic me will be back, and might need some assistance, but more to come on that soon perhaps)… but figured we should start with the fun crazy stuff first… anyhow! Check out these awesome marshmallows and the MICROSMORES magic on the next page… good times!

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