Friday Finds 10.28.11

Diana: Chewbarka

I'm not sure where this photo originated, but it's definitely the best pet costume I've ever seen. Happy Halloween!

Amanda: Diwali 2011: From Space

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, continuing for five days each year near the end of harvest season. Check out this amazing image taken by NASA of the whole of India, exactly when the festival begins. The International Business Times has a nice collection of more shots, featuring more expressions of celebration, but this one was my favorite.

Aaron: Most Exciting World Series Game in Ages

If any of you missed the Cardinals incredibly dramatic Game 6 comeback over the Rangers last night, you'll never fully recover. But for heaven's sake, get conversant by watching this recap on ESPN. I cannot describe how incredible this game was, and I heard the best parts on the radio. Game 7, friends. Game 7 tonight! And tomorrow, the day after the World Series ends, will be the saddest day of the year.

Jaime: Being Elmo



I hope this documentary—about the man who "invented" and plays Elmo—comes to San Francisco soon! Looks amazing. In the meantime, this trailer is a sweet and intriguing intro to the film.

Julia: Christie Hemm

Christie Hemm is a Los Angeles-based photographer who makes absolutely beautiful images. I especially love "Elizabeth," a series she created after discovering an abandoned house. She used the contents she found in the house to recreate the life of its former owner, Elizabeth. Take a look at her work—it won't disappoint!

Tammy: He did the Mash...the Monster Mash



In the spirit of ghosts and goblins, we turn to last year's Halloween YouTube craze for little inspiration on how to dress up your house. You'll be happy to know that for this year's light show, featuring the Party Rock Anthem, most of the lights have been changed from incandescent to LEDs in an effort to be more energy efficient.

Katie: Vogue Pumpkins

I did my fair share of pumpkin carving this week, but these simply smashing, and sophisticated pumpkins take the cake (or pumpkin pie)! This halloween, vogue.com handed the job to design and tastemaking mavens to create some truly unique works of art. From delicate patterns and an amber glow from designer Chrissie Morris, to mummified ones with shades by Warby Parker, who could have guessed gourds could look so good.

Leah: Home Maker

Is there anything better suited to a lazy Sunday afternoon than a meandering stroll? This past weekend’s meanderings led me to Cricket Engine Collective & Gallery in Oakland, CA. On display was Nesting, an exhibit by sculpture artist Mary Mortimer. The central idea connecting the pieces—housing as an elemental, yet fragile commodity in today's world. Mary's sculptures, installations and assemblages are earthy contemplations on how she reacts and interacts with the word "homemaker." Those reflections inspire her to pose the question to us, hopefully to spur us all to reevaluate how we as a society see housing and the “homemaking” of our own nests.

Each piece is rooted in the traditions of and respect for nature. From the branch wall sculptures to the gentle nests and to the centerpiece installation—an igloo-like shelter that dominated the gallery—Mary evokes the actual process of making a home. For the shelter she gathered leaves, small branches and placed them in linen bags. By stacking them up over the course of the exhibit, she illustrated both the process and the sublime simplicity of home making. The austere beauty of her work left me with some consequential thoughts on how we build houses. Mary posits some important questions about sustainability, recycling materials efficiently and the problems of access and affordability.