Speaking of blogs… Design*Sponge is a great place to look for interior design inspiration and hip decorating accessories. Watch podcasts, take a sneak peek into your favorite designer’s home or explore a new city with the design guide. With so many great ideas it will have you wanting to redecorate on a daily basis.

And if you are feeling crafty, be sure to check out the DIY section to find instructions for making-over inexpensive items you may already have. The site was created by Grace Bonney, a contributing editor at Domino and CRAFT magazines, and this year Design*Sponge will award $11,000 in scholarships to art and design students. www.designspongeonline.com

Comments (0).

My inner perfectionist has always been at conflict with the force of nature I call my hand. While I strive to create works of art that highlight my mastery of my tools, my hand seems content to prove that it is the master of smudged details and irregularities. It goes to show that I end up with more of my supplies on me (or the floor) than part of my work.

This being the case, I am always in awe of artists who’s technical skills are tantamount to their creativity. Jen Stark is one of those artist. Her hand cut paper sculptures are so expertly executed as if to have been created by machine rather than man. Visit her online at www.jenstark.com

Comments (0).

Whether you have been a client of Rearview for awhile or just now coming on board, you have most likely heard us refer to something called ‘the Portal’. What is this ‘Portal’, you may ask? Rearview Client Portal is a project management tool that was designed by our wonderful interactive team of developers and implemented in September of 2006 to help us manage, yes, you guessed it, projects.

The Portal allows clients to open and close projects, leave updates and notes, and, download proofs and upload support files. If you are our client, an account has been created for you and user/password have been assigned. To access the portal, go to the home page and look for the login fields in the lower right hand corner of the page. If you do not have your login info, you may request it by filling out a form on our contact page.

Version 2.0 is coming shortly and will be even more advanced and cool (yeah, like that’s possible). I hear it will not only manage projects, but also make the bed, cook breakfast and will never leave the coffee pot on.

Comments (0).

I’m always looking for fun crafts for my kids and today I came across Hansi”guru”mi – a Seattle artists and guru of knitting peculiar little creatures. From hermit crabs and garden snails to my personal favorite the “Dumbo Octopus” Hansigurumi’s creations are creative and cute alternatives to your standard stuffed toy!

Check out her online store at Etsy. If you happen to be a knitter like our friend Andrea, she has patterns available for sale also!

Comments (0).

Seems as though everyone has a blog these days. Personally, I think it’s great that you get a glimpse of people’s lives, their thoughts, their opinions and their adventures. Some blogs are about business, some are about hobbies, and some are non-specific ramblings, written with wit and honesty. I have a couple dozen (so far) that I follow pretty regularly. How do I keep up with them all? Google Reader!

If you’re not using it already, Google Reader will make it so much easier to keep up with your favorite bloggers. You can add and organize each blog and Google Reader will have the latest posts waiting for you all in one place. No more digging through that overgrown list of “Favorites” or “Bookmarks”. You can also discover new blogs based on the content in the ones you already read, and enjoy a ton of other features I haven’t even tried out yet. So, go take a tour of Google Reader and see what it can do for you. Be sure to add http://www.rvadv.com/blog to your subscription feed! Happy reading!

Comments (0).

Museums and galleries are great, but when you really need a “shot in the arm” of creative juice it’s my opinion that a good arts festival is where to go. Where else can you see such a wide variety of artists and mediums up close and personal, ask the artists questions face to face, and take home work that inspires and delights you so much that you’ll lose a great parking space to drive to the ATM and get cash because you just have to have it?

Every Memorial Day Weekend, the City of Decatur hosts the annual Decatur Arts Festival. With a wide range of artists and entertainment around the city square, it’s by far one of my favorites. There’s also a children’s festival and great food, so the whole family will have something to enjoy! The weather will be great this weekend, so if you’re in Atlanta stop by, get some sunshine, and fill up on creative juice! If you see me running to the ATM, be sure to wave!

Comments (0).

San Francisco-based painter/graphic designer Kelly Tunstall has got to be my favorite artist. I drool over her paintings of wide-eyed girls and dream of being just like her when I grow up. Her current exhibit, CIRCUS! at the 111 Minna Gallery, is a collaboration with husband Ferris Plock. Check out her paintings at www.kellytunstall.com. I’m going home to paint now…

Comments (0).

The Orange Prize for Fiction is the UK’s largest literary award for a single novel. The main criteria is that the novel is by a woman writing in English and published in Britain the year the prize is awarded. The Orange Prize aims to celebrate novels of excellence, originality and accessibility while promoting women writers to as wide a range of male and female readers as possible.

I recently read the 2007 award winner. The author is Chimamandia Ngozi Adiche. The book is Half a Yellow Sun. It is set during Biafra’s passionate struggle to establish an independent republic in Nigeria during the 1960’s – and the violent aftermath. Through her compassionate and masterful writing, Adiche reveals her natural gift for storytelling and deftly illustrates how war can destroy a blossoming country’s potential. Epic and ambitious, Half a Yellow Sun offers a remarkable commentary on moral and social responsibility that transcends time and space while delivering a searing history lesson that documents the fierce hope and the devastating disappointment of this seminal moment in African history.

Comments (0).

Orange who? Orange you glad I found this fun blog?

“How About Orange” chronicles one woman’s love of do-it-yourself and everything orange. Perhaps a certain big box retailer should consider her their next spokeswoman! Great ideas and easy to follow instructions!

Comments (0).

We are all excited! The new Rearview brochures came in today. Send us an email at contact@rvadv.com if you’d like to receive a copy.

Comments (0).

Lately I’ve been reading about 2 new bills that have been proposed in the US House and Senate. Referred to collectively as the “Orphaned Works Bills”, this new legislation aims to limit liability and loosen restrictions on the use of creations (images, artwork and more) that are considered “orphaned works”, in other words: their ownership is unknown and the work is assumed to be “orphaned”. That would mean libraries, museums and educational institutions would have an easier time using works in their collections when it is hard to find the creator or owner. Sounds good, huh?

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. You see, legislation is complicated, and these bills are no exception. They don’t just try to remedy what some see as the “problem” (liability for using works which have been “orphaned” or for which no owner can be found), they effectively change the basis of copyright as it was legislated in 1976.

I’ve been asked to not go into a diatribe about this here, and I think that is wise considering it’s a topic that easily gets me worked up. So I want to give you some links and ask you to read them for yourself and form your own opinion. This is happening now and it’s happening quickly. It affects pretty much all of us in one way or another, whether professionally or personally. I don’t disagree with the original spirit of the changes (assuming it was honestly aimed at making life easier for education and historical significance), but I know we have to be able to find a better way.

Learn more:

Read the bills at Copyright.gov

A summary by Illustrator’s Partnership of America

Comments (0).

Many people are intimidated at the thought of using the color red to decorate their homes and work spaces. If used wisely, the color red can be inspiring in your living area as well as your office environment. The Home and Garden Television Network informs viewers on these 5 simple tips to bring a splash of red into your home without being overwhelming.

1. Accessorize with Red. Try adding a few pieces of red accessories to your space, such as a single piece of red artwork.

2. Paint the Front Door. Painting the front door red often adds curb appeal as well as personality to the entrance of your home.

3. Add Red Fabrics. Create energy with the color red by bringing in red accent pillows or love seats into a neutral space.

4. Light It Up With Red. Add red lampshades or pendants to your space to brighten up the room.

5. Put Red Underfoot. Not only does a red rug to define a space, but it also puts emphasis on subtly pointing out the red accessories around the room.

Comments (0).

Sometimes I just log on and search for anything that will get my creative juices flowing. This was one such day. Shopping online for inspiration is sometimes like shopping online for shoes. There are so much variety, its hard to decide which is your favorite. Today I found a favorite. Inspired Ideas is a great little website with cute handmade gifts, craft ideas, and more. You might think of it as Martha Stewart for a more eclectic and less commercial crowd. www.inspiredcompany.com

Comments (0).

Ladies, knitting is no longer just for your grandmothers. I stumbled onto my new hobby 2 years ago when I moved from South Florida. Without a single sweater in my closet and nothing to do during the winter months, my new addiction was born. Check out my latest project! And, if you are in need for some girl time and a new hobby, stop by Knitch in Virginia Highlands sometime. The owner, Kim, always loves the company!

Comments (1).