*NOTCOT in design - 07.24.09 -

SDCC 09 - The Bazaarium + Silhouette MT

bazaarium0.jpg Hard to believe it was Nov 2007 that i first wrote about Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre… i got reminded about it when i saw The Bazaarium: Your Victorian Emporium booth at SDCC. I had no idea you could by those cheeky little victorian silhouette images in cute little wood frames! As well as awesome black and white buttons and gun shaped soaps! (Might need to head over and get some later?)… Also, so many new pieces since i last visited the Silhouette Masterpiece Theatre… so take a peek at some of the newer ones i’m loving as well as the booth and goodies available on the next page!

p.s.
also got a card saying “for a limited time 5% off all purchases with this code: ODDGOODS”

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*NOTCOT in playful -

SDCC 09 - Rocketworld

rocketworld0.jpg On NOTCOT favorites, SDCC highlights always including visiting the Rocketworld booth to see what Patrick/Otter X and his crew have been up to. Just as it was really fun to see how many unexpected product offerings were popping up at Dumbrella’s booth ~ Rocketworld is also expanding and evolving through collaboration in some great new directions… incredibly cozy floppy plush toys (with velcro hands and skull - and a little belly button!)… super limited edition silver jewelry pieces (only 5 of some of them! i couldn’t help myself)… stickers!… 2 series of new toys… mini exact replica T.A.D. Gear backpacks for the IWG… letterpressed cards… and even a peek at a *possible* animated IWG to be! In a time where many companies (esp some of the toy guys it seems) are hurting a bit, and it certainly felt like less new launches this year… the Rocketworld booth was almost all brand new products, and really expanding the line by bringing in friends who are masters at plushes and jewelry. See lots of pics on the next page!

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*NOTCOT in design - 07.23.09 -

SDCC 09 - Dumbrella

dumbrella0.jpg On more fun branding/design ~ i love what the kids at Dumbrella did embracing Recession/Hobo chic ~ i’ve have always loved a good use of cardboard and brown paper though… now if only they gave you your goodies in a bag tied to the end of a stick bindle style? Also noteworthy? It’s not just web comics into tshirts, books, and stickers anymore ~ i was impressed to see how much incredible artwork (both 2+3D)… take a peek at some of my favorite offerings on the next page. And if you’re here, be sure to pop by and check it out in person at the perfectly numbered booth #1337.

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*NOTCOT in playful -

SDCC 09 - KidRobot

kidrobot0.jpg On toys i was excited to peek at in person ~ three blind box sets from KidRobot jumped out at me at their booth. The Futurama ones of course ~ and Junko Mizuno’s Pure Trance ~ and DJ Kid Acne’s Rolling Stock… take a look at closeups on the next page!

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*NOTCOT in playful - 07.22.09 -

SDCC 09 - Andrew Bell’s O-No Sushi

ono0.jpg While the sdcc preview night doors open in just a few minutes ~ i couldn’t resist taking in the view and doing a little photoshoot on the hotel coffee table to show you Andrew Bell’s amazing O-No Food Company Sushi toys that just launched with limited edition Blue 150 colorway (only 150 pieces) for sdcc… Luckily the Dumbrella crew snuck me in early, and gave me a chance to see what pre-comicon is really like (constant forklift dodging!)… BUT back to the matter at hand, while i got excited about these Sushi guys when they were NOTCOT.org #22670 ~ they are even better in person! And their stumpy little arms rotate… their eyes swap… and he’s strategically placed his name on them too. Anyhow, see the pics of them on the next page… i even tried to put SOME of their tentacles back on…

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*NOTCOT in food+drink -

SDCC 09: Syfy’s Cafe Diem

diem00.jpg So i’m in San Diego ~ wandering the gaslamp district, and for the first time i’m actually STAYING in the gaslamp (i’ve lived in sd for years in so many different places, but never really stayed downtown much)… and as soon as i was cruising towards the convention center white picket fences caught my eye ~ then i saw the big Cafe Diem sign! (Yes! the fictitious Eureka cafe) And cardboard cutouts of the Eureka cast! And huge Syfy logos…. and had to swing back over. (Unfortunately the Cafe Diem main sign had JUST fallen over when i got back with a camera, so perhaps an update with that later!)

So as far as marketing/sponsorship opportunities go ~ i’m impressed! Last year there was a Eureka ice cream truck ~ and this year they really stepped up the food serving idea and took over a cafe across from the convention center. The branding is impeccable as expected… from the picket fence, to the signage, to the purple gumballs, to the backs of all the counter seats, coasters, and more… and brilliant idea as far as fun places to have Syfy meetings? Or meet for drinks? or have parties? And talk about a captive audience, it’s still a fully functioning cafe… Love the versatility of branding a full service space. Take a peek at more pics on the next page!

p.s.
What’s next? Will we get to explore a life sized S.A.R.A.H?

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*NOTCOT in tech - 07.21.09 -

Samsung Pebble Remote

samsung2a.jpg Beauty in Technology post series sponsored by Samsung’s new LED TVs! Post #2 of 6 in this series exploring random beauty in technology, NOTCOT style.

Remote controls - they come in so many shapes and sizes, yet i’d never seen one quite like the extra mini pebble one that came with my Samsung LED TV. (For full disclosure - Samsung’s LED TV campaign is sponsoring this post series, but they in no way knew that their ads got me looking at the new TVs enough to love it and buy one… and make the pebble remote the subject of this post! So perhaps this is less a conflict of interest, and more of a convergence of interest?)

This tiny pebble remote has a jeweled center piece which for the 7 series is blue, and the 6 series is red. It is mesmerizing how it subtly sparkles in the light… and the weirdest thing is how nice the small indented pebble shape feels in your hand, it actually reminds me a lot of those Worry Stones that originated in Ancient Greece - thin oval pieces of stone that are held between the thumb and forefinger with the thumb in the indentation… and the rubbing is said to help take your worries away. Basically its hard not to rub this remote as odd as that sounds? Now as far as practicality, it only does power, volume, and channel, so its the opposite of the huge remote that also came with the tv, but nice when you just want the basics. Unfortunately the channels don’t work for my DVR, so its a bit useless, but i just love the what the design looks and feels! Isn’t it about time we take more steps away from the traditional grid layouts of remotes? Take a look at more images of the pebble remote on the next page!

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*NOTCOT in design -

NOTCOT.org Roundup!

notcotorg #23483 notcotorg #23468 notcotorg #23461 notcotorg #23462 notcotorg #23477 notcotorg #23401 notcotorg #23451 notcotorg #23481 notcotorg #23399 notcotorg #23421 notcotorg #23440 notcotorg #23382 notcotorg #23415 notcotorg #23372 notcotorg #23444 notcotorg #23455 notcotorg #23348 notcotorg #23413 notcotorg #23472 notcotorg #23330 notcotorg #23479 notcotorg #23351 notcotorg #23433 notcotorg #23386 notcotorg #23450 In the midst of laundry and packing to head down to SD tomorrow! Excited to be back in SD, its strangely been far too long. Here’s a dose of late tuesday inspiration in gridded form ~ as usual, click the squares to find out more! Posting might get a little lighter over the next few days, or there may be a few spurts of excited comicon posting… will see what i find, or if i end up taking a beachy break!

*NOTCOT in travel -

Blink 182 Reunion - F&F Show

ablink0.jpg So you’ve seen the craziness that is Travis drumming over the audience as he’s floating/rotating around… well for another peek at the Blink 182 Reunion Tour friends + family show ~ the visuals were stunning. Some really really incredible animations were going on behind them in a fascinating array of round screens and stripes of light that i couldn’t possibly capture and enjoy all at once. So, you’ll have to catch them on tour for the full experience, but i have a few sneak peeks to whet your appetite.

This was a really fun test of the 5D MKII ~ The roof of the LA Forum is beautiful! And it was such a trip to see it so empty, and be able to actually wander around and take pics throughout the show… HUGE thanks to, Mark for the invite. Anyhow, go see the pics on the next page ~

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*NOTCOT in travel -

Blink 182 Reunion - Flying Travis

travis0.jpg It’s kind of surreal how everything comes around ~ loved Blink 182 as a kid ~ and it turns out Mark Hoppus is a fan of NOTCOT ~ and when he invited me to their friends and family show tonight before they kick off the big reunion tour, i couldn’t say no! And it was awesome! 1) it was totally amazing to go to such an intimate show 2) i got to play with my big camera in a concert! 3) when they had travis AND his drum kit literally flying around over the stage at impossible angles while he played a hell of a drum solo… it was just stunning. So first things first, check out the pics of Travis’ flying solo, and a snippet of a video of it too on the next page. Totally mind blowing…

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*NOTCOT in wearable - 07.19.09 -

SurfMonk Beach Blankets

surfmonk0.jpg SurfMonk ~ i wrote about these comfy cozy looking surf coverups and blankets over a year ago, but only just caught up and checked them out in person. As you can see, i couldn’t resist, and brought some home! These are the types of things you definitely need to check out in person, or at least have someone you trust check it out ~ but they feel AMAZING. My car is always ready for the beach, and this just made the cut, it is such an incredible (super secret special blend) bamboo/cotton terry used, that once you feel it, you will want the whole line. SurfMonk opened up a showroom/store in Malibu this May, so in yesterdays gorgeous socal beach weather i cruised up PCH to check it out, and lucked out ~ and designer/owner, Claudia Taylor, was in! It’s so nice to meet people who are incredibly passionate about their lives and business ~ and it’s clear that she cares about every aspect of SurfMonk ~ from the great tagline sewn into every hood “We are all islands, oceans connect us.” to the luscious custom materials locally made here in LA to the simplicity and comfort of the pieces. The classic pieces are large monk like robes large enough for surfers to both change underneath and curl up in. (Really, slanket lovers would just adore these)…

my favorites though ~ are the blankets! It’s so hard to find the perfect beach blanket, and this is my new fave. Also the strap she has designed for them are incredibly simple, versatile and functional ~ nothing a little tension can’t take care of? With cozy terry shoulder pads, cotton/hemp straps, and brass clips ~ loop it around just about anything, clip it together, and you’re good to go! Also the wrap skirts! And the kids robes are adorable! Take a peek at details of the newly opened store and details on the next page!

p.s.
i always hated that phrase “No man is an island” - much prefer “We are all islands, oceans connect us.”

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*NOTCOT in tech - 07.17.09 -

HTC Hero Hands On!

htchero0.jpg It’s a bold move naming something/someone HERO. That’s a big label to live up to! And i must say, the HTC Hero is living up to it so far… i’m kind of loving how it feels in my hand, and how beautifully they’ve skinned Android into HTC Sense! This was going to be an unboxing post, but it came in a white box, no real paperwork to walk me through (and it didn’t really need any!)… it is totally the white label version of a mobile? (Yes, i’m completely giddy that this showed up today!)… so unboxing aside, and without getting too far into the UI side of it… this is a beautiful object to handle! And the details are just awesome! So see lots of close ups on the next page…

So, Justine checked out the launch of the HTC Hero and HTC Sense in London a few weeks back, and i’ve been curiously lusting since… And for those paying close attention to the differences between the original design Mike and Maaike made for the G1 and the actual G1… you’ll notice the Hero is actually a little closer. So far i’m already loving the 5mgp camera, the BUTTONS, and the awesome integration of twitter/facebook/flickr… the HTC Hero just feels amazing in my hand! Only curiosity not put to rest… what’s that magical white dupont coating like? They sent over this rubbery soft touch metallic pewter like color. (UPDATE: sources tell me “FYI the white non-stick coating feels exactly the same as the brown. the additive is simply there to keep the white, white. no need for it on the brown one.”) I can already tell, the HTC Hero is going to be a hard one to send back at the end of testing! Anyhow, take a peek at pics on the next page!

P.s.
for physical comparisons, you can also see it stacked with the G1 and iPhone 3GS. As for what i’m currently using these days… Primary is BB 8900 Secondary is iPhone 3GS… but the iPhone sim just went into the Hero for play time…

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*NOTCOT in playful - 07.15.09 -

Ma Me Pa - Eco Turtle Toys

turtlesmain.jpg Found these adorable wooden kids pull toys the other day, and the simplicity of the design, and the appeal of the adorable glossy turtles. From Maya Organic Toys in India ~ made from a sustainable wood source and hand crafted with natural dyes, it even has nice simple eco-friendly recyclable packaging! My favorite part are the details like… it looks as if they lacquered the whole sphere, THEN cut the stripes into them… and they spin simply from the friction of the little sphere “legs” rolling along! Check out the video and more close ups on the next page!

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*NOTCOT in food+drink - 07.14.09 -

Diet Rubyy Blood Orange Energy

rubyy4.jpg A while back i showed you the amazing bottles of Rubyy Blood Orange Energy ~ they even have that amazing matte black finish with blacklight loving illustration on it. Well, freshly launched is the DIET version, in an inverted angelic white with a black logo… and the same gorgeous silver graphic… three samples of these just arrived in a box sealed with that same print on paper tape! Find out more about Rubyy here and take a peek at the latest packaging, as well as a look at it next to the classic black bottle on the next page!

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*NOTCOT in food+drink -

Lemon Trees in my Lemon

seedmain.jpg As promised in the last post about the Arta Barware goodies ~ while making lemonade we cut open one of the largest (nearly softball sized?) lemons from the top of my tree ~ and we were surprised to find that the seeds had started sprouting! Not knowing this was possible, i immediately started rethinking those old wives’ tales about how swallowing a seed would make a tree grow out of your head…. and while talking to someone else, i started thinking of the plant based villains from Darkwing Duck too (embedded videos on the next page if you need to catch up on Dr. Bushroot and Spike)… Anyhow, the seeds have now been planted, will see what happens to them, but not before taking some pics to share with you!

p.s.
I’m no botanist. Is this normal?

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