Indie Films, Museums, Restaurants, Design sites, Music...

Favorite Places to Hear Music: Foster Lee - 32, plays drums for the Bitter Tears, a chicago-based band
Foster: "I enjoy music from many genres, but prefer intimate settings and high quality acoustics."
The Hideout -chicago (hidden)
This is the bar that your grandfather didn't tell your dad about but secretly shared with you. There's a healthy Chicago pride that's evident in the booking (though acts may come from anywhere.)
Darkroom - ukranian village (chicago)
A small stage, excellent sound system, and a smart talent buyer. If you want to get a good look and listen at a great new act, this is the place.
The Green Mill- uptown (chicago)
The front door is actually a dimensional timewarp to a much jazzier, more sophisticated age.
The Old Town School of Music - ravenswood, lincoln park (chicago)
True master musicians from all over the world come here just to perform for us.
Sonotheque - west town (chicago)
Chill atmosphere, good looking crowd, no pretension, great sound, amazing DJ's...

Favorite Paper Stores: Jill Anne Emerson - stationery designer, Nancy Bockoven- card designer, collager
De Medici Ming - seattle
Small 'find' in the heart of Seattle. Cards, paper, stationery and a few gifty items.
Kate's Paperie - throughout nyc, connecticut
Well, everyone knows Kate's already, but it's still a great resource!
Daniel Smith - seattle
As a former employee of Daniel Smith (customer service - "Why yes, I can tell you how to prepare Rabbit Skin Glue, can you hold ?") I can attest that Daniel Smith is a fantastic company and art supplier. They used to let the customer service repa work on thier own art projects while talking on the phone as long as we were wearing headsets. Not only that, they provided a whole store room of materials for employees - while at work - free of charge.
Xpedx - national
This is where I buy much of my paper now - especially when I need it in bulk. No frills, but lots of cardstock from Neenah, Fox River, Wasau and the like.
French Paper - online
This is where I buy the rest of my cardstock. Cool paper.
Zoe Paper - brooklyn
Paper Source - national
Post in style! Stationery color coordintation is possible, and even easy with PS! Fantastic selection of handmade, Japanese and novelty paper as well.
Hiromi Paper - santa monica
A great mix of Japanese papers.
House of Cards & Curiosities - nyc
jillanne cards and stationery- nyc
Columbus Avenue btw 68th & 69th St. - West side of the street on Tuesdays from 2pm to 5pm (weather permitting)
Whimsically illustrated cards with flair! www.jillanne.com
FLAX Art - san francisco
Iconic art store in the big bay city. Lots of everything. I used to live in San Francisco, in Chinatown to be exact. In between Flax, Arch, William Stout Books and the myriad of little stores tangled in the Chinatown/North Beach web, you could find almost anything a designer would need, and some things you didn't even know you needed.
The Paper Zone - seattle
Back when I first started making cards, before the advent of the desktop computer as we know it, Paper Zone was just coming into its own. It was sort of like Paper Source crossed with U Line - you Chicagoans will know what I mean. I haven't been back to the store in many years, but their online store seems to have gone a little more crafty/home made invitation-ey - but you can still find what you need.

Favorite Places : Gabby Sills - advertising copywriter
Filter - Wicker Park (chicago)
Le Pain Quotidien (at ABC Home Carpet) - nyc
Julius Meinl- chicago
intelligentsia - chicago
Chicago Botanical Gardens Cafe- Northbrook (chicago)

Favorite Indies Films: Ellis Van den Bogaard, Art Consultant
Pulp Fiction*
Hable con Ella
Little Miss Sunshine
Children of the Secret State
Scener ur ett aktenskap (Scenes from a Marriage)
Yin Shinan Nu (Eat Drink Man Woman)

*Pulp Fiction is really a commercial movie, of course, but some say it’s so ‘cultish’ it became an indie. Well – I’m not so sure about that, so if you’d like to replace it with a real indie, that’s fine with me. Than I’ll probably go with Yin Shinan Nu (Eat drink Man Woman) but I have been in doubting, because I also like The Pillowbook very much. Oh well, put Eat Drink in there, because I love cooking and I am thoroughly convinced expressing love and cooking go hand in hand (as do love and eating; does the saying ‘the love of a man goes through the stomach’ also exist in the English language?)

Favorite (Mostly) Chicago Restaurants: Todd Nickow, Classical Clarinetist, & Bjorn Berkhout, Composer
Favorite Fancy Restaurant - Alinea, Chicago
Favorite Diner: Stella's Diner, Chicago
Favorite Vacation Meal: The Lobster Pot , Provincetown, MA
Favorite Pizza - Pequod's, Chicago
Favorite Breakfast Meal - Lou Mitchell's, Chicago



artisinal, campagne, Maximilien French Cafe

Favorite Seattle Restaurants: Parker Geissler, Design Director
Sarafina
Etta's Seafood Grill
Campagne
Volterra
Queen City Grille

Favorite French Bistros: Art and Letter
Maximilen French Cafe - Seattle (Pike Place Market)
Kiki's Bistro - Chicago
Cafe Stella - Los Angeles (Silverlake)
Artisinal - New York
Tapenade - La Jolla Village

Favorite Design Sites: Stephanie Piekos, Architect
Etsy.com
Great one stop shopping (or selling) for handmade art, crafts, clothing, furniture, jewelry, baby items, you name it ! and their search tools, like geolocator, color, and treasury make it more fun and handy.
apartmenttherapy.com
For the nosy neighbor or voyeur in you, great site for viewing awesome interiors, some right in your neighborhood too! besides house tours, they feature the smallest, coolest contest for all those peapod nyc spaces, and a shopping guide and other posts and links to keep us inspired.
treehugger.com
Like many similar sites, this one appeals to my inner treehugger. here you can find posts on various topics, such as design + architecture, fashion + beauty, science + technology among others.
designsponge.com
There are so many sites just like this, coolhunting, mocoloco etc. but Ii tend to visit this more often, maybe b/c it's simple and small.

These all seem similar, so i can't pick just one....but i do looooove them all - color addict that i am.
colorlovers.com
colorblender.com
colorassociation.com

not to mention, i get both these magazines, and their sites are good references...
readymademag.com
craftzine.com

Five Favorite Online Personality Quizzes: Jill Wells, Graphic Designer
ColorQuiz.com
Remarkably accurate and simple test based on the work of Dr. Max Lûscher
Jung Myers Brigg Personality Test
Interesting, very interesting.
What Kind of Dog Breed are You?
The first time I took this quiz, I was a Bernese Mountain Dog. So I took it again. I'm a Scottish Terrier.
http://web.tickle.com/dog/
Sorry, I only have three favorites!

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