Dine. Travel. Design.

My Aunt Maria went to Montreal a couple weeks ago to visit her in-laws and brought me back these awesome little chocolate treats! I’ve finally caved in and admired these box of Chocolate Shooters with my eyes for long enough. I tried the Raspberry Daquiri tonight..bite off the top of the pyramid, drink the liquor, and chase with chocolate (or just pop in your mouth for an explosion) Delicious! It’s really the good quality chocolate that made it even better, but definitely can’t dismiss what an experience this makes for enjoying dessert. Awaiting a road trip to check out the lounge and enjoy the other sweets! Check out Suite88 Chocolatier and let me know what you think!

• Activity #1: Ice-cream (and dinner) at Cabot’s Ice Cream + Restaurant in Newton, MA. A classic diner-style experience with quality comfort foods and great desserts. From their website:

Cabot’s is a family owned and operated old-fashioned ice cream parlor and restaurant. We are especially known for our generous portions of unique premium ice cream and frozen yogurt creations. We serve breakfast (all day), lunch, dinner and late night treats featuring deli style sandwiches, wraps, flame-broiled burgers, salads, and traditional home-style dinners.

What more could one ask for? Especially in an environment that brings you back to the ’70s. I remember going to Cabot’s as a kid and loving it! (not that I was alive in the 70’s, but you get the point.) That nostalgic feeling and environment is certainly working to their benefit. A definite classic spot for locals and tourists alike.

• Activity #2: The Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA.
  This weekend there was a European bike show which I attended with a couple of friends. A great opportunity to take the camera out for some interesting photos. (Wish I could have stayed longer.) Not to mention the bikes on display were so interesting to look at from a pure product perspective. I may not know too much about them, but I could certainly appreciate the attention to design details that were addressed in the variety of bikes shown.
  Photos after the jump.

(more…)

• Boston Taxi’s will join San Francisco and NYC in going green by 2015. Read the report from the Boston Globe

• Eating beef is good for the car industry?

As long as people are eating beef, there will be hides to recycle that would otherwise go into landfills. So one of the environmental benefits is seen right from the beginning, just in the fact that the leather you are sitting on is recycled product.

According to this article, the more beef we consume then the more environmentally friendly we are in regards to the car industry.

via Inhabitat and MichiganBusinessReview

I joined Twitter a few weeks ago..

So far, I’m just tweeting to myself, but just came across this article from BusinessWeek. Now, just gotta learn to do it right My feed is on the right-hand navigation column. enjoy!

Pros + Cons of Twitter from BusinessWeek and Graphpaper’s blog thoughts

One of the many great photos I took. It’s like my very own postcard!

Labor day weekend I became a bit of a tourist in Boston- the city I grew up in. As a local or a tourist, I would definitely recommend taking a PhotoWalks tour to get a different perspective of the city (both the story of the city and through the camera lens). Not only did I learn a bit of Boston history, but I learned some great reinforcing tips on composition and camera angles. It really is fun and interesting for beginners or photo-hobbyists. The 1-1/2 hour tour really went quick and I’m sure I’ll be back for another. Thanks Saba for the tour of Beacon Hill!

Labor Day weekend has just passed, the unofficial last weekend of summer..

Above is from an event that’s passed, but I just liked the image

via It’sNiceThat

A couple weeks ago I made a new friend and found out about Green Drinks. Last week I attended my first gathering. Get together with friends and strangers alike at a pre-determined location (that changes each meeting, so make sure you’re on the local email list!) Talk about things-green (or not green) and meet some interesting people over food and beverages Simple and fun.

Check out the very simple, yet necessary information at the Green Drinks site. They have groups worldwide!

Good to know basic information, especially as I’m starting to think of my own career path at 1 year out of school and on the job. Go me!

Hierarchy and lifecycle of design titles in Part 1.

Responsibilities and expectations along with some portfolio guidelines in Part 2.

Last week I attended the Design*Sponge Biz Ladies event in Boston hosted at West Elm (D*S Boston Event). Great info from local women in the design business about marketing yourself and being an independent designer. Also, some tips about making an online presence (Secrets of self-promotion at Wired.com) Thanks Design*Sponge!

Unfortunately schedule is over for the summer. Can’t wait until next time!

But until then, check out online resources from Design*Sponge Biz Ladies

Read the whole article at BusinessWeek.

Lots of good arguments for and against the stock photo sites like GettyImages and Design/Photography firms. Basically these are 2 different target markets. Cheap photos from websites target those who would not generally pay for professional work and allows amateurs to gain exposure on the web. Design firms need to continue to focus on clients that will pay for their professional services.

An interesting debate…What do you think?

via Dexigner

Computer keyboard cleaning goo:

and Q-tips to ensure you got every last bit of earwax:
(Black and Yellow have the highest color contrast)

via BoingBoing and Core77

I came across this article from Metropolis Magazine and although it’s mainly speaking of graphics, I do believe it applies to other aspects of design from furniture and tableware to uniform of the servers and staff, which food/restaurant critics often do not comment on, but in passing.

“Perhaps there would be more reason to stress graphic design if critics paid attention to it. But they never mention graphics and, truth be told, barely assess the architecture (even when designed by Pritzker Prize winners). And while I savor the tasty prose of gifted food writers, if I were a critic, my readers would be treated to a regular menu of cuisine and design in an attempt to right the imbalance.”

It’s not only decor and graphics that dictate the identity of a restaurant, but the rest of the experience that probes at the senses make an impression on identity. How comfortable was that chair? How well was the knife designed to easily cut into the delicious steak? These things could be added to the last paragraph of the article…

“To convey the total dining experience it’s essential to include details that add to a restaurant’s overall personality. Granted, graphic design can never be the paramount reason for a diner investing time, money, and calories, but when viewed as a whole it should be worthy enough to be noted and occasionally celebrated.”

Read it here.
(I’m not disagreeing with Metropolis, simply wishing to include more..)