Pretty City // Fitler Square

I stuff my laptop and camera into my bike basket and head off to explore a new neighborhood.

Typical summer weekday.

When school is not in session and I can explore a different balance between work and play, I find new-to-me spots and call them home for a few hours. 

A few days ago I rode in the direction of Fitler Square. I parked at Rival Bros. Coffee, where the Loretta Lynn playlist was righteous and the outdoor table I scored was perfect for puppy and baby watching. I cleaned up a unit plan until I had overstayed my WiFi welcome. 

Then my grandma tastes got the best of me and I took a long walk and snapped photos of little houses and their flower boxes.

This is my idea of a reward for a little bit of work. This I could do all day.

And now I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite house in Philadelphia. Hanging Plant Heaven. 

My future friends live here, I know it.

Pet Lion!

This is the best Internet rabbit hole I've been down in a while. I just came across these photos of young Melanie Griffith (who -- I just learned this -- is the daughter of Tippi Hedron) with her pet lion. His name is Neil, and aside from being a lion, he's a totally regular pet.

Images via Mashable

Typography Inspiration

It's been a pleasure to spend part of my summer diving into some graphic design projects. I'm using a part of my brain that gets a little atrophied during the other ten months, and going through the design process, re-learning skills, and making things from scratch is equally challenging and refreshing.

I've been using Instagram to follow artists whose work I admire, and it's been fun adding some typographic inspiration into my feed. Here are some of the accounts I've started following lately:

@christophercraig_ // Terrific hand-lettering, in mostly black and white

@thetypehunter // Curates vintage type and illustration, and a nice burst of colors in the feed

@danielgurwin // Lettering and design projects with dynamic layouts and logos

@highpulpla // Cool style, and lots of process shots

@see_mahimkar // Fun variety in style, all the way from India!

The Internet is so cool.