Ocean size

Behold my new favorite book, Still: Oceanscapes by Debra Bloomfield (Chronicle Books). A fabulous book to wade through (pun intended) as the weather turns cold and snowy…

Photograph © 2008 Debra Bloomfield

What’s in your Moleskine?

We all know and love them: the classic Moleskine journal. Chronicle Books is inviting readers to share the contents of their Moleskine – for a chance to win a free Moleskine Pack of Notebooks (includes Pocket Ruled Notebook, a Pocket Sketchbook, and a Pack of Plain Kraft Pocket Cahiers).

Send your photos and comments to: webmaster@chroniclebooks.com (subject line “MOLESKINE”). Entries must be submitted by Fri, Nov 14th. Images will be posted on the Chronicle Books Blog.

Read up on Moleskine history (used by the likes of Van Gogh and Hemingway).

From the Chronicle Books e-newsletter

Treats for the discerning canine…

Store-bought treats are just so… pedestrian. Elevate your dog’s level of sustenance with personalized dog treats from A Dog’s Life. Just upload a JPG of your dog’s mug and voilá – a package of treats with his or her adorable face will arrive at your doorstep. And by the way, the treats are 100% natural.

And while you’re perusing A Dog’s Life, vote for the fetching (pun intended) and charming Essie: candidate for Dog of the Month and (we hope) soon-to-be cover model.

Learn something new! Take an art class!

Get inspired, learn something new, or just take a break from sitting in front of the darn computer. Fall classes at the Art School at Evanston Art Center start on Sept. 8. No time? Take a workshop - some are as short as 2 days.

I’m famous (sort of)

Check out the shoutout for Lidia Varesco Greetings on the beautifully fabulous blog, The Blah, Blah, Blahg. We were the featured designer of last week’s “Friday Download” — a weekly offering of a free paper goody (in this case, a lovely notecard). Now get over there and download your free card!

Why am I writing about perforated papers?

Because perforated papers are now available at (one of my favorite places) The Paper Mill Store in multiple layout formats — and in lots of environmentally-friendly options, no less. If that’s not exciting, I don’t know what is….

How to get in for free at the Art Institute of Chicago

No, we’re not telling you to sneak in… August marks the last month of free evenings at the Art Institute of Chicago. Visit on Thursdays and Fridays from 5-9 pm for free admission as well as live music and family activities.

(image from the current exhibition: Benin—Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria)

Dog-shaped office supplies make me smile

There is just something about this that I love. Is it the diminutiveness of the metal dog? The absurdity of a dog eating bone-shaped paper clips? The fact that the dog has poseable legs? Oh, please stop me from buying it…

What do you want to green?

I recently stumbled upon the nifty website GreenYour… Simply enter a word (or phrase) in the search box, and you get a handy list of corresponding green solutions. Just for fun, I entered “nail polish” and got a list of environmentally-friendly nail products (who knew?)

You can also type in “business” and get lots of useful green business solutions… travel, investing, recycling.

What else can you “green”?

We all need some time in the sandbox

Didn’t you just love the feel of sand running through your fingers at the beach? Take a break and let some colored sand pile up on your monitor. Be two years old for a little while. Check out this site and click the little grey box in the upper corner to begin.

http://www.thisissand.com/