Instructions for December 26.

Perhaps I'm jumping the gun a bit, but the day after Christmas...it's a little weird, right? Sort of a let down from all the hustle and bustle of the manic weeks prior. No more shopping, gifting, carding etc. But it is indeed restful. And a good time (if you are fortunate enough to have some time off) to re-juice, relax and think about the year to come. I always like fueling up on inspiration and ideas through art exhibits I haven't had the time for, walks around the city and catching up on my arty-farty books. These are a few that I continue to review over and over and always glean something new from.


Tibor, Perverse Optimist. Well, what can I say? He's an Art God to me. Fantastic, clever book. A wonderful chronology of the late Tibor Kalman's work and ideas, as well as his fantastic collaborations with his lovely wife Maira Kalman.

D.I.Y: Design It Yourself, provides you with all the handy dandy tools you'll need to create your own projects, from that crazy thought you sketched out on a cocktail napkin to your very own masterpiece. An excellent resource.

A multitude of musicians from Beck to Johnny Cash have come to Hatch Show Print to create unique and memorable posters for their shows. Established in 1879, Hatch preserves the art of traditional litho printing that has earned a loyal following and a reputation for craftsmanship and quality. A true classic that every designer should have around for inspiration.

Okay, maybe I just love the die-cut cover (c'mon, you know you buy books for the exterior design, as much as guys might buy Playboy for the articles) but I love Curious Boym. This book shares the whimsical designs of Constantin Boym and his partner Laurene Leon Boym in all their good humor and wackiness. Boym finds the extraordinary in the ordinary and makes the mundane into something magical. It's a great book, even if you do just buy it for the cover.

So light up the fire, grab a nice blankie and revisit some of the new classics for some good old fashioned inspiration.