Maximalist birthday cake, baguette pillows, a YA series full of puzzles
plus absurdist TV, a funny easy podcast and an otter tape dispenser
I started Design Scouting because I love to look - really look - at the world around us. Whether wandering through galleries, window shopping, or going down various internet rabbit holes, I have a bottomless curiosity for human creativity and ingenuity. This week was all about planning my youngest son's 7th birthday. Winter birthdays can be so hard, so I find I put a little more thought into delighting him because why are we here if not to love each other?Â
What I Read
I've been in a reading slump. I read to relax my ADHD brain, and it's always a bit of a warning to me when I go for a few weeks without reading - it's time to slow down and recharge. I slurped up The Inheritance Games series - a YA series with lots of puzzles and a little mystery. The premise is a bit of a stretch (wealthy oil tycoon leaves his billions to a random teenage girl) but no more absurd than the premise of The Gentlemen, which is a riotous, technicolor, absurdist, and very violent comedy TV series from Guy Richie that we watched this week too. Finally, I recommend the podcast Dead Eyes. On the surface, it's about an actor cut from a small part in Band of Brothers and his exploration, many years later, as to why. But underneath that (absurd!) premise is a very warm, hilarious meditation on keeping going as an artist and the underlying power structures of Hollywood. I found it to be an easy companion while wrapping gifts, sorting through the never-ending morass of our basement that contains the contents of one Brooklyn apartment, both Tim's and my childhood homes, the contents of the house we spent the pandemic, and much much more!
Design Notes
A. This cake!
B. I don't collect many things—dictionaries, card decks, and maybe the occasional sheet of vintage stamps. Over the years, I've become more disciplined about adding anything to our home. However, recently, I discovered that Ben shares my absolute gaga love of playing card designs—truly a shared joy. Dog card deck here, blank DIY deck here, leaf deck here.
C. These light-up goldfish (they light up when they touch the water) are one of my favorite tiny delights. They never fail to make me smile.
Found Objects
D. I bought this book-making kit to do with both my 15-year-old and 7-year-old. It can be hard to find activities that appeal to them both, but art has been a reliable shared love.Â
E. This is an enormous 40-inch pillow shaped like a French baguette. HA! What more do I need to say? I gave it to Ben for Christmas, and against all odds, we use it daily as it is SO comfortable and actually a great size for propping up your neck while you read.
F. Tape seems to be a universally loved item among the under-10 set. I'm giving this to Ben along with a vast supply of tape. Adorable otter tape dispenser here.
Sunday Daily Dose of Green
Playing cards are little pieces of art. (Do you know Art of Play? They have a very tempting selection.) Between their relatively small size and reasonable price point, I find playing cards very hard to resist!
T got the baguette pillow from his grandma for Christmas a couple years ago and it’s still in constant use! Hilarious.