Celebrating 75 Years of Design Brilliance.

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge Built 1933-1937

Declared one of the Wonders of the World the details of the Golden Gate Bridge’s construction are both facinating and ingenious.

Engineered by Joseph Strauss and designed by Charles Ellis between 1916 and 1928, the Golden Gate Bridge’s 4,200 foot long suspension spans were the longest bridge spans yet designed, the iron towers were among the world’s tallest (746 feet tall) and the suspension cables designed to pull, flex, bend and bow were an engineering feat that had yet been accomplished. (Each cable is made up of 27,572 perfectly aligned, individual steel wires that weigh a total of 24,500 tons and measure 3 feet in diameter.)

Every detail of the bridge is facinating to me. The color, international orange, selected to stand out in the fog, the minimalist art deco tower design, the delicate lines of verticle cable, the picturesque views of Marin and San Francisco but what holds my facination most is that the design was concepted and constructed to support variances in load, weather and temperature. Built to sway 27 feet side-to-side and move up and down as much as 16 feet due to load, the Golden Gate Bridge moves almost as much as the narrow straight it is built above—ingenious!

Thank you Joseph Strauss and Charles Ellis. Your vision, determination and perserverance lead to pure design brilliance.

I “like” this!

This editorial illustration created by Brian Rea is brilliant. Do I need to say anything more?

Thank you Brian, your poetry and social commentary has once again made me smile.

Only in San Francisco

Last night I attended one of the best dance performances I have ever seen. It was energetic, innovative, passionate and powerful. It included 14 unique routines danced and choreographed entirely by high school students from SODA, Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts.

Directed by Elvia Marta, one of SODA’s founding instructors,“30 Years of Dance,” honors the high school’s anniversary and her extraordinary talent as an instructor.

Sitting in the audience at the Palace of Fine Arts theatre, I was both proud to live in a city that supports such a magnet school and elated to know that these talented and dedicated students have the benefit of developing themselves in the direction that tracks to their personal passions.

Only in San Francisco.

Book as Object

Miler Lagos Book Igloo

I am always on the look out for books that are transformed into new objects. When I found photos of Columbia-based artist Miler Lagos used book installation at piccsy I knew I had to share it on my blog.

Constructed of 100’s of well-balanced used books, Miler’s igloo, is tall enough that one person can stand upright in the center and large enough to fit a small group sitting.

Clever idea. See more Miler Lago’s work here, http://milerlagos.com

I’m impressed.

Happy Mothers Day!

I’m a very lucky girl. I have the most amazing mom. She loves me, supports me, and trusts me. When I was growing up she made my home cosy, taught me how to eat and cook healthy, and spent every Sunday afternoon taking long walks with my sister, father and I. Those Sunday walks are some of my happinest memories and have become an integral life-long love of mine. Thanks for holding my hand mom—everything you shared with me, everything you taught me, made my life better. I love you.

Too Busy to Read?

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson,571 pgs vs. Quicklet Hyper Ink 48 pgs

Ever found yourself wondering“Where will I ever find the time to read a book?” Hyper Ink e-books has solved this problem.

Founded by Stanford alumni Kevin Gao, Hyper Ink, is an e-book company that specializes in condensing career, education, self-help, popular classic, fiction and non fiction books into condensed quick-to-read e-books. The average distilled “quicklet” is 20-75 pages long.

With over 200 successful titles currently available, Hyper Ink has discovered a vital need for the busy working professional who wants to stay up-to-date with current popular culture but is struggling to find the reading time.

Think about it. . . everything popular you ever want to read distilled to it’s core essential content. A luxury? No, it’s modern reality—Cliff Notes without the guilt.

I love this idea and am excited to read my 48 page Quicklet of Walter Isaacson’s Steve Job’s memoir. And with hundred’s of titles in development, Hyper Ink is sure to become a fast friend of mine.

Thank you, Kevin Gao, you have just made me feel “a little” more informed.

Book as Object: Storybook Roses.

Storybook Paper Roses 100layercake.com photo by Valerie Lloyd

I have a facination with books that are being repurposed, specifically, old books becoming new objects. My facination is due to the technologies that are replacing printed books—ebooks, tablets, apps and the conflict they are creating for me by substituting my tactile memories of reading a favorite book with a multi-use device.

When I saw this storybook rose bouquet made from old German linotype it caught my attention for the very reason that its literally a repurposed book designed as an object to be held in the hand.

If you’re interested in making one for yourself, follow these simple steps from the 100LayerCake.com  tutorial by Valerie Lloyd. All you need is a quiet afternoon, some patience and the following 7 items:

• An old favorite book

• Ribbon

• 16 Gauge Wire

• Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

• Scissors

• Wire Cutters

Love it!