I just wanted to show off what I thought was one of the best birthday presents ever! 2 dozen pencils — 12 Black Warriors (the name alone makes me feel invincible when I draw) and 12 newly reissued Blackwings. The jury is still out on the Blackwings, in part because I am continuing to process their decision to remove the tag line that used to be printed on the pencils themselves: Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed.

Millipede from Melissa Easton on Vimeo.

Up in the Catskills, when someone says they are going for a walk or a run, I like to keep an eye on the time. I am not an alarmist, but if they don’t return within a reasonable span, there could be cause for worry. So, on Saturday, when my husband said he was going for a run, I didn’t think anything of it until I looked at the clock. Why wasn’t he back yet!? Had something happened? Did that bear get him (really)? So I hopped in the car and zipped up the road only to find him standing over a millipede moving softly across the pavement. He was filming it. Over and over. Enter stage left. Exit Right.

I would have thought James Bond would be a slight bit more polite in his handling of this. To Ms. Mookerjee’s point, could this actually be real? I may now have to rethink my life long dedication to Mr. Connery’s 007.

Simple, clean and the most durable solution I’ve seen to date for kitchen storage. These metal enameled canisters with ash wood lids, designed by the women behind the Viennese studio Dottings, are so nice and so practical! Keep in mind that while these are indeed opaque, you can easily write on the surface so that you know what’s inside. I came across these while I was wandering around vineet kaur’s tumblr blog. Photos by Christina Häusler.

I am often amazed at how much subtle variation exists within a single product. There is obviously an entire industry surrounding the manufacture of these little plastic bag closures. Some friends of mine knew I was forming a little pile of them and presented me with a bag full the other night.