french press coffee // great british editorial // mr.frivolous

i feel that to start the day off right, a a photo of my cup of coffee this morning is in order. and not just any cup of coffee. for those who have never tried coffee from a french press, you don't know what you're missing. i worked at a coffee shop for two years, and live above one now that my sister owns. i'll always be a coffee freak, i think. while having a full-service coffee house practically in my living room usually leads to more decadent beverage choices such as my typical 20oz. triple soy extra-hot toffee nut latte (...), there is a point where a good, fresh cup of made-at-home coffee is just the way to go.


i do not own a coffeemaker, however. my normal french press is a bright blue plastic thing that's something of a modern take on the classic, although i do have the minature copper one from starbucks, pictured above next to my captain planet vhs tape. :)

so, that's the part of the post where i rediscover something i have loved.

onto great british editorial:


i stumbled across this book at work. yes, the bookstore was a total treasure trove a couple of weeks ago! i left one night with a bag that hurt my shoulder to carry, and a ten-inch stack in my arms. way to go! amongst others, i found written on the city by albin and kamler [a collection of graffiti messages from around the world], jeremyville sessions [a collection of jeremyville work and collaborations], news by peripheriques architects [a compendium of their work in a splendid street-savvy little catalog], and 100 years of magazine covers by steve taylor [it is what it is]. a couple of these i'm going to elaborate on later, but as for great british editorial...

i've only just become really fascinated with graphic design. don't ask me why; i know i've studied fine art and my degree is in art history. i've studied graphic design work historically, but i've never practiced it, and in school it was always kept separate from "fine art." it was "commercial art." and pff, no. i was going to be a fine artist if anything at all, so don't give me that graphic design crap.

well. i was missing out. great british editorial is pretty much what it sounds like. it's a fat book that showcases amazing british layouts, mostly of magazines. spectacular photographs, amazing work -- some of which i've seen myself when i flipped through the magazines myself [how refreshing!] -- it's so well done. published by indexbook, it includes work from FL@SS, hat-trick, EI8HT magazine, AD architectural magazine and more. SO GREAT. so fun. inspiring, really. the talent is immense. and while looking through magazines for me has become such a treat due to their design, having the best of the best of british design grouped together in one cardboard-coated volume is basically awesome.

great british editorial on amazon.com


and lastly.

mr.frivolous. "don't draw at 1:07am."

via mr.frivolous

aaand finally. this i stumbled across on facebook today, of all places. one of those little ads that pops up on the right side of the site. yes, i clicked on it! yes, i think it's cool! so... to share. mr.frivolous, a london artist who uses mostly felt-tip markers and does some pretty spot-on portraits of people you may recognize.. his work has a spontaneous, almost anxious feel to it that i like. check it out; it's pretty cool to see what markers can do on paper. and he also has a blog, frivolously tasty.