Have you guys seen Tammie Bennett’s new Dear Universe project? She’s combining her awesome illustration skills with a weekly prayer to those in need. Its really very heartfelt and clever – go follow along. I’ll be sharing more on a recent collaboration with Tammie in the next couple weeks, but needless to say she’s pretty awesome.

Anyway, the Test Takers prayer illustration is really hitting home right now. After a couple years of procrastination, I finally got off my butt to study for my Architect Registration Exams.  Every year I kept saying I’d study in the fall when the weather got crummy, but then it would be the holidays, and then suddently springtime again and I couldn’t justify wasting the Seattle summer. But, with the wedding on the horizon, I figure I’d better get my act together before I have Erik home as a major distraction

I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty but the basics of the exam are that there are 7 portions (each taken individually), all of which have both a multiple choice section as well as a graphic “vignette” where they give you a word problem and you have an hour to draft up a solution using their stone-age proprietary software. My first test is tomorrow! I signed up for one that was a medium-level difficulty topic for me, not super hard, but also saving the easiest ones for the end to hopefully coast through this fall. My goal is to have them all done by this time next year. These tests are what finally enable you to legally be called an “Architect”, so it’ll be nice to cross that one off the Life List.

So, if its quiet and/or uninspired around here, you probably can know the next test is pending and send me all the good testing prayers and vibes you want – I won’t turn ‘em down!

Every time the Olympics end, they seem a far memory, don’t they? We always get so excited, glued to our TVs, but after they’re over its another couple years for the hype to re-build.

Lately I’ve been really intrigued by pattern design. Its something that seems so easy in concept, but not knowing much about the mechanics of it I’m sure its actually very tricky to make a successful pattern. I stumbled upon this whimsical retro synchronized swimming pattern and was instantly transported back to glimmer of this summer’s London games.

Aren’t these patterns fantastic??

Images by SketchThisOut. Via.

As Seattle weather slowly turns back to the drizzle we so know and love (actually, I really do love it!) we start to be on the lookout for fun indoor activities to keep us from just laying on the couch watching Laguna Beach marathons (for me – Anne of Green Gables for D).

How fun would it be to frolic in a room packed to the brim full of balloons? AMAZING. This Martin Creed installation at the Cleveland Museum of Art called “Half the Air in a Given Space” does just that.

Images from TrendHunter via Making it Lovely

PS – Here are some fun behind the scenes images of the install process.

I LOVE this time of year. You always think of summer as the time when food tastes so fresh and wonderful, but these golden days of September are when the harvest shows its true bounty.

The other day I was scrolling through my Pins and noticed several images from my “Arts and Prints” board that truly capture the colors and the festive spirit of the harvest season. When I clicked on the links, to my surprise they were all from the same shop, Anek. I thought I’d share a few of my favorites with you (click on the image for a link to each print).

Which is your favorite? I am torn between the plums and the tomatoes (although tomatoes usually win my heart).

We have an exciting giveaway today for our local readers!

If you live in the Seattle area, have you been to the Bellevue Arts Museum? It doesn’t get as much attention as SAM, but its terrific for so many reasons. Firstly, its housed in a building designed by one of my favorite architects, Steven Holl (not my favorite of his, but a good one nonetheless). Secondly, because part of their focus is on Design and Crafts, their exhibits tend to focus on handmade as well as just fine art so you get to really see the process.

The great folks at BAM are hosting a party next Friday (8/17) called BAMignite: Funk Out! which is an evening fusing BAM’s latest exhibitions with style, music, performance art and interactive experiences. They are offering a pair of tickets to a local ready to come check the party out.

In their words: “Get funktified on BAM’s brand-new rooftop sculpture garden while you enjoy funk, soul, hip-hop & world music by KEXP DJs Darek Mazzone and Chilly. We’ll have live performances by: Marmalade, Seattle’s legendary funk & soul collective; Gansango, contemporary African dance & percussion; spoken word performances by Marita Isabel & okanomode and so much more!”

Additionally, I’m planning to be there, so you get to hang out with ME!

Since this one is a quick turnaround, we’ll keep it simple – to enter simply leave a comment on this post. The giveaway will be open until midnight PST 8/14. Good luck and hope to see you there!!!