Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Carnevale



It's Mardi Gras, and all over the world — Rio, Venice, Prague, Cologne and above all New Orleans — the festivities are under way. In these dreary late winter months, a reckless and jubilant celebration is just what is called for.  Bottom line, Spring is right around the corner—and not a moment too soon! Can I get an amen?!

Also:
  • If you are into this kind of thing, you might think about making a mask for the occasion.  Mr. Spoqui (already mentioned here) is having another competition. Recycled masks, this time. You've got until  March 31st...

  • Another competition, this time centered on clouds.  So playful and clever! (from Gerstenberg, the German publishing house...via Miss C.)

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Eyes on the prize


Things have been so busy these days! A lot of plans in the works right now and who knows what will happen?  Certainly not me.  I usually manage to get from point A to point B eventually.  But sometimes it's via points Q and N and even Y.  Or, as I like to call it, The Scenic Route™.

Speaking of which, here are a few little detours — very scenic, I promise you! — you can take today:

The Bologna Book Fair (which takes place a few short weeks from now) has announced the winners of this year's Ragazzi Awards.  The winning children's books are divided into the categories of  Fiction, Non-Fiction, New Horizons (for entries from countries further afield), and Opera Prima (for artists' first works — talk about hitting it out of the ball park the first time around!). Félicitations, everyone!

Mouse's Houses.  Just because. (More here, if you must).

Les Fables, at the Galerie Camera Obscura in Paris:  photos (dark and evocative) on the theme of fairy tales and fables, and the thin barrier between that world and ours. Includes images by the wonderful Sarah Moon! Thanks to lovely Hazel for passing along the invite...

And finally, today's thought for the day comes from Randall Munroe:
"Take wrong turns.  Talk to strangers. Open unmarked doors. And if you see a group of people in a field, go find out what they are doing. Do things without always knowing how they'll turn out... There are so many adventures that you miss because you're waiting to think of a plan.  To find them, look for tiny interesting choices.  And remember that you are always making up the future as you go."
See you at point B!