I love books. I love the feel of print. And with ebooks growing in popularity, design and packaging of print is as important as ever… and there are still irresistible books i’ll run into… in the case of Penguin’s Great Ideas series, i wanted them all. They are so adorable, so classic, and so gorgeous with their beautifully designed covers with that letter pressed texture that you can’t help running your fingers over. I had restraint and only bought two last night when grabbing tacos at Brentwood Country Mart when i couldn’t resist a quick look in Diesel, A Book Store. But of course with the two i purchased (a combination of content and cover design went into the decision of course) ~ i came home to look up the rest of the series and covers and my favorites are on the next page. The concept behind the series really is such a lovely idea as well: “Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization, and helped make us who we are.” ~ see all the loveliness on the next page.

TO PAGE 2 of "Penguin: Great Ideas"! ----->

A warming, golden roundup from Tasteologie and Liqurious. To find out more about each dish, click on its individual link and for more taste inspiration, there’s plenty more on the sites!

I know i’ve posted this before, i’ve gift guided it, and wishlisted it even. Well, i finally gave in an impulse bought it for myself. And inspired in part by how horrible the images of the Futurama Complete Collection are on Amazon, and also because it was just so over the top awesome i had to share the madness with you… this is the cutest and most bizarre DVD unboxing i’ve ever done. And the note tucked in the box with the giant head filled with DVDs is just so sweet as well… so, if you were considering the set too, trust me… it’s even awesomer in person. Go take a peek at the madness on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Inside Bender’s Head: Futurama"! ----->

Gorgeous sunny day out, package arrives full of impulse bought Futurama and Dexter’s Laboratory from a nostalgic cartoon watching session over the weekend while catching up on life - emails - the internet. And the graphics on the Futurama Season 5 packaging were too pretty not to share. As much as my instant gratification side loves downloading, there is a definite packaging loss to the experience! So take a peek at the fun details on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Futurama Season 5 Graphics"! ----->

It’s already the last NOTCOT.org roundup of February and the month ends with a fun, playful roundup, featuring real-life gnomes, dancers in the street and a face off between form and function. To find out about these posts and more, click on the individual images.

These ads will make you want to go on an adventure, learn a new language, explore new foods, make new friends, fall in love… with a city, a person, a whole new life… Absolutely stunning typographically happy advertisements set to fun music showing you how to LIVE THE LANGUAGE ~ EF Language School style. I haven’t been able to get them out of my head since i first found them on Wanken. These videos are Directed by Gustav Johansson, D.P: Niklas Johansson, fsf, Typography: Albin Holmqvist, Music: Magnus Lidehäll, and Produced at Camp David. Go get lost in Paris, Barcelona, London, and Beijing on the next page…

TO PAGE 2 of "EF Live the Language Ads"! ----->

Armed with her camera, Justine checked out the Kinetica Art Fair for us, and found some inspiring and fun art pieces i’m loving! Here’s what she had to say about it…

Jun Ga Young’s ‘Whistling Sea’ is another incredible piece at the 2011 Kinetica Art Fair which consisted of hanji paper, creating a sea of colours and hues, which change sometimes calmly and at other times rapidly along with the music. There’s something magical watching it in action, so take a peek at the videos on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Jun Ga Young’s ‘Whistling Sea’ at Kinectica 2011"! ----->

Beautiful opening tonight to kick off the 2011 series of exhibitions at the Scion Artspace LA in Culver City. First show of the season Installation 7: Video - (video trailer here) Challenging 10 artists to create 2-8min non-narrative video pieces, you can see some amazing original work from Franki Chan, David Choe, Cheryl Dunn, Gluekit, Matt Goldman, Cody Hudson & Jared Eberhardt, The London Police, Mackie Osborne, Souther Salazar and SSUR. If you’re in the area, definitely worth experiencing them in person ~ if not in LA, the tour is heading to Brooklyn end of March, Wichita end of April, Minneapolis beginning of June, and ends in Austin in July. Openings like these are enjoyable on so many levels… viewing the pieces larger than life with sounds mixing (there are three projections in the main room), viewing them on tvs with headphones in the back, and watching people watch them in wonder. It truly must be experienced… and then photos of the experience almost become a whole other experience to share! So get over there if you can, and take a peek at my view on the experience on the next page… from fun text over gorgeous scenery to people being slapped while they wait in the shower to pachelbel’s canon, to those crazy huge promotional balloon beings… you’ll see what i mean on the next page.

TO PAGE 2 of "Installation 7: Scion Art Tour"! ----->

Get inspired for your next escape with NotVentures. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual link.

I don’t throw dinner parties, but ‘Dressed’ created by Marcel Wanders for Alessi makes me want to. This white porcelain table set and stainless steel cutlery are just stunning. He always fine that delicate line between modern minimalist and ornate, a strangely over the top yet still simply refined feel. And the photography of the settings with painted porcelain dolls is rather cheeky and playful.

TO PAGE 2 of "Dressed by Marcel Wanders for Alessi"! ----->

I was the girl sitting in the back of the old shiny black pick up staring up into the trees as we drove through Veracruz up into the coffee sanctuary… AMAZED. And constantly taking pictures of the spiky clusters covering ancient trees from trunks to tips… and upon closer inspection they are air plants! Bromeliads! Tillandsia! So this post is a special one for my mom… who somehow manages to keep my TINY air plants alive and flowering while i’m out of town, and somehow has hers flourishing and growing new bits all the time in her courtyard! And the species covering these trees are just like the ones that you will find hanging in little glass orbs, sold in lots of succulent centerpieces, and every where from trendy gift shops to nurserys… and here they are covering huge trees!

So all through the little hike in the coffee sanctuary, i was enamored by the sheer number of plants and how well they thrived, it was amazing the larger trees even stayed alive seeing how covered they were at times! And close up the tiny baby ones were SO cute. I kept imagining how they climbed their way up there… picturing those super slow time lapsed plant nature documentaries… seriously, it is mind blowing how many spiky clusters there were. And it was like EVERY tree. I guess the locals are used to it. In the little town of Coatapec where we were staying (bummed i forgot to take a pic! it was dangerous while in the middle of the street though!) i kept seeing growing tiny clusters of air plants around the middle of TELEPHONE LINES! Right in the center! Like where you’d see sneakers hanging… Anyhow! Check out some pics of them on the next page and see why i was so mesmerized ~ also take a peek at the adorable retro truck we rode around in!

p.s. if you want some, or just to estimate the amount of airplant value on one of those trees ~ Airplants4U.

TO PAGE 2 of "Airplant Overload in Veracruz"! ----->

There’s plenty to drool over at Liqurious and Tasteologie. To find out more about these delicacies, click on their individual images.

Mmmm, simple amusements. Adorable little design/art bookstore (La Valise in Mexico City) ~ cute little glass case ~ filled with ~ FLIPBOOKS! And not any flipbooks… but adorably cheeky beautifully illustrated ones that end with a twist that makes you giggle, then turn and make anyone around you watch it as you flip it again and again. Silly as they are, these are my favorite little goodies i brought back from the trip, and i’ve been dying to share them with you!

The Deportistas series of 4 flipbooks from Tumbona Ediciones by the awesome creative studio Eramos Tantos. AND, i was absolutely giddy when i found the animated version of all 4 in the series (Diving, Fencing, Hurdling, and Weight Lifting) set to music! (Previously i was trying to figure out how to make videos to show you as i flipped through them.) Truly an awesme homage to Tex Avery ~ we need more of this in our lives! So take a peek at the video, pics of the real flip books, and screen grabs on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Deportistas Flipbooks"! ----->

First things first, sorry i’ve been quiet. Bottom line, ferverish for a few days that ends up being strep - sucks. Combined with a bit of travel craziness, and right into Grammy parties in LA, i might have overextended a little this month… BUT loading up on antibiotics, chicken soup, coconut water, pudding, etc… and hopefully back to normal by tomorrow?

That being said ~ Cotton Candy Foie Gras Lollipops at The Bazaar at the SLS in Beverly Hills are always awesome. Especially when you have the guy there making them non stop, its mesmerizing. Popped by Primary Wave’s annual Pre-Grammy Party, this year celebrating their 5 Year Anniversary. On fun stuff to share, it was a great chance to try out the new Absolut Wild Tea (black tea + elderflower!) in some of their new cocktails… and being The Bazaar the food was of course molecular gastronomy goodness… and my favorites have always been their Cotton Candy Foie Gras Lollies and the dark chocolate covered pop rocks… so i couldn’t help taking lots of pics of the Lollipop guy set up outside at the party doing his thing! Check it all out on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "Absolut + Cotton Candy Foie Gras Pops"! ----->

This beautiful roundup from the always inspiring NOTCOT.org captures a great mix of what we’ve been loving this week. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.