In keeping with the recent spate of food-related posts: There really isn’t much here that needs explaining. Scanwiches has detailed our national obsession with anything and everything between two slices of bread.

This photograph is of my brother Doug’s to-do list. Please keep in mind that this is just “this” week’s list…so, one of hundreds, if not thousands. I first saw one of his lists a couple of years ago when he and his partner John were staying with us, probably en-route to some country no one had ever heard of. You see, he and John own a high-end travel company and are, understandably, quite busy. However, my first thought was that he might need some counseling, as this takes list-making to an entirely new level. Either way, I pounced on it, and practically pleaded with him to hand it over on the spot. Yes, it betrays a kind of obsession, but on its own is a unique and unintentional work of beauty.

This image is from a 1997 book about Kindergarten written by Norman Brosterman, with shimmering photography by Kiyoshi Togashi. Kindergarten was a 19th century invention whose original purpose was to teach children about art, design, mathematics and natural history — among other things. This is news to me. I thought those early school days were all about getting me out of the house so that I wouldn’t drive my mother mad. I haven’t yet seen this book, but it is on the list. If there are other images similar to this one, I will indeed be happy.

Found these over-sized flash cards today at John Derian’s shop in NYC. I get a little weak in the knees when I see single words (cows and sheep notwithstanding) on oak tag. With radius corners no less.  Molly, eat your heart out!

I wish I could remember where I first came across Andrew Bush’s envelope project. It might have been at An Ambitious Project Collapsing –one of my favorite favorite blogs!  And, in fact, I do believe that is the case. No matter, I had to look through ALL of the photographs. I like that we, as a culture, can be identified and even defined by such a quotidian object. One can easily pick out the envelopes that originated here in the US versus those from other parts.