For Christmas, I was given a few cookbooks. Modern ones, of course. But, it got me thinking about vintage cookbooks. Styles of books may change, but a good recipe remains a good recipe. (Click through on each picture to see the listing on Etsy.)

I like the covers of these books, and enjoy looking at the interior illustrations. I am quite sure a few of them would make me shudder with their ingredients, however. Especially the cookbooks from the 1960’s. Margarine! Yuck! A couple covers, for fun:

And a “vintage” (1983) Martha Stewart book. I love that woman. There, I said it. Say what you will about her, but there is no denying how wonderful her recipe for a pie crust is.

Blu’s video, Big Bang Big Boom is the story of of evolution and its consequences. The logistics and planning to make this short film are really mind-boggling, not to mention the invention and innovation of the urban landscape. It’s nearly 10 minutes long, but a very worthwhile 10 minutes.

BIG BANG BIG BOOM — the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Animal Collective is a favorite of mine. Their music (which is often a sampling of other music, such as the Beach Boys) lends itself so well to a myriad of abstract representations and psychedelic experiences. Ori Toor created this video as his final at Shenkar School of Engineering and Design. It’s a stream of consciousness so appropriate for the song, Lion in a Coma.

Animal Collective — “Lion in a Coma” from ori toor on Vimeo.

Have you ever been in a relationship gone awry? Fallen out of love? Julia Pott’s animation, Howard is heart-breaking and poignant, and done completely in Julia’s unique drawing style. The film is laden with some ambiguity but it works so well for what it is — an internal questioning, self doubt, and finally a resolution.

The Sketchbook Project is like “a concert tour but with sketchbooks”, and available to everyone. Participants sign up and choose a theme to their book and use it as a basis for imagery. From there, each individual fills the book with drawings, collages, painting, writing, etc. until the project deadline. After it’s been sent it to the good folks at the Art House Co-op, all of the sketchbooks tour the United States until they are put in permanent collection of the Brooklyn Art Library. If you are interested, you have until October 31st of this year to sign up and choose your theme!

From top to bottom, in order: Andrea Posada // Jesse Draxler // Lizzy Stewart // Lili Scratchy // Tyler Parker

Artists shoes add a unique flair to an often banal silhouette. Betsy Walton has designed a line of Keds shoes, come in different colors and patterns, and are a nice nod to her work. Other artists create one-of-a kind designs on their shoes, including Ana Benaroya and Luke Best. What I love the most about these shoes are the new life they are given, and how each artist really uses their perspective to work with the limitations of the materials.

Sneaker Pimps uses shoes like nothing I’ve ever seen. A large touring sneaker/street art/concert, it displays innovated and sculptural uses to (mostly) the Nike Dunk shoes. Some are not wearable, but all are customized and take on a life outside of being a normal shoe.

From top to bottom, in order: Betsy Walton // Ana Benaroya // Luke Best // Sneaker Pimps, Manila 2007

My main obsession is with vinyl toys, more specifically with designers and illustrators that turn their 2D drawings into 3D objects (more commonly referred to as “art toys”). There is a certain level of artistry and attention to surface detail that can be lost with other toys. Kid Robot is a great place to go for these precious objects!

There are collections sold in “blind assortment”, meaning that you don’t know what you’re going to get before the box is opened. Sometimes, you’ll get the figure you want, other times not so much… but that’s part of the fun! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite Kid Robot collections. I am especially loving the Treeson and Other Stories Series. I find the characters to be simply adorable. They are not overdone with detail, not overly complicated… just these wonderfully rounded shapes that melt my heart. The Treeson series is based on stories from artist Bubi Au Yeung’s first storybook.

There are only a few Kid Robot locations around the United States (Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco). Never fear, though. You might live near your own Kid Robot-esque store. In Baltimore, I shop at Atomic Books.

From top to bottom, in order: Tic Toc by Amanda Visell // Treeson and Other Stories Series by Bubi Au Yeung // Heroes & Heartbreakers by Ryan Bubnis // Gloomy Bear by Mori Chack // miniTotem Doppelganger by Anton Ginzburg

Nesting dolls, or more commonly known as Matryoshka dolls are traditionally a wooden doll with five different figures. There is a large figure (the matriarch — grandmother — babushka), and each subsequent doll is “nested” inside the other. The outward design on each doll follows a theme, but can vary on what that theme is, exactly. The first makings of a Matryoshka dolls depicted families and peasants, and later leaders of the Soviet Union.

Modern day nesting dolls simply reference the shape of dolls past. For instance, both Friends With You and Piksel — Kopter have added and subtracted from the original shape. Friends with You has turned their doll into an alien-like creature — it’s like a pod.

I love how so many of the dolls of the present destroy the my conventions. I often think of these dolls as being rigidly patterned and very traditional. It’s nice to see them break my expectations and be so illustrative and lively.

Upon researching the culture that’s been built around nesting dolls, I found this interesting post on If It’s Hip, It’s Here. Also, thanks to some of the good folks on Twitter (@npldave, @hellojenuine, <a http://twitter.com/lizzystewart”>@lizzystewart) for helping me the the hunting and gathering of the dolls.

From top to bottom, in order: Mogu Takahashi // Irina Troitskaya // Friends With You // Ben Javens // Piksel — Kopter

Finger puppets can be made out of a variety of materials. Perhaps the most popular is felt and crochet, but as you can see, Sweet Bestiary and Samarrakhaja have used air-drying clay, so these are like tiny sculptures that fit on your fingers! You can make puppets emotional or moody, or just happy-go-lucky, like Moontsy and Floonsty (my heart melts for those tiny felted guys!). I love all of these because of their imagination — they aren’t the conventional animals, and take finger puppets from being a bit juvenile to something that is more serious and earnest.

From top to bottom, in order: d.s.lookkin — Hugging Finger Puppets // Sweet Bestiary // Moontsy and Floonsty // Samarrakhaja — Your New Best Friends // Baby Animals — Arctic Animals