I’m of the philosophy that if you’re not lucky enough to be currently eating cheese, you may as well as be thinking about the next cheese you’re going to eat — a little advance preparation never hurt anyone, right? And if you’re spending your time thinking about the next cheese you’re going to eat, then it better be something more exciting than your weekly ration of chèvre from the grocery store. (Although I do love you, weekly ration of goat cheese from the grocery store.) What better way to think about the next cheese you’re going to eat than with a handy and oh-so-pretty visual guide? Enter the Charted Cheese Wheel, this cheese-shaped cheese chart of the 65 best pressed curds of milk from around the world is for both the established and aspirational experts among us. Not seeing some of your faves? (I’m looking at you, époisses). The chart’s tiny drawings, color coding, and category breakdown will help you expand your aged milk horizons. I, for one, am going to shake up my weekly dairy run with some new varieties of goat cheese. I wonder if my grocery store carries pantysgawn? (Trust me, just click the link).
More Design Stuff
Wild Mushroom Botanical Prints
Our dining room doubles as a watercolor studio these days. Botanical art being a big part of the weekend. It’s no wonder that a stop at Bower Studio’s booth at the Renegade Craft was mandatory. Vincent Frano and Isa Wang screen their delicate and intricate designs on patches, pins, bags, scarves and cards. The best part, the paper stock is seeded, therefore plantable. Who doesn’t want a greeting card that turns into a bunch of wildflowers? The above set of wild mushroom prints are unmatted, original ink drawings with digitally collaged watercolor that is printed with Epson archival inks on textured Fabriano watercolor paper. The essence of their craft is humbly articulated in their website description. “…to create functional artwork that encourages environmental stewardship, highlighting the diversity of American flora and fauna with educational products that use environmentally friendly materials.” We kind of LOVE that.
Food Wrist Watch
We’ve always admired Forever 21 for their super fast to market, on trend, dirt cheap clothing and accessories. This line of craveable Food Wrist Watches calls for a time out. We, of course, would opt for the center image so that it’s always pizza time o’clock in our dough filled, tomato sauce world. Although, donut time is also not a bad alarm to wake too. Enough of the time jokes. Go ahead and scarf these up online but it’s much more fun to go into a store and try them all on, trust us.
Mission Grove Cardamom Coffee Soap
If I handed you a steak scented sponge you’d probably think I was pining for a role in True Blood. That’s why Mission Grove Cardamom Coffee Soap makes sure their blend of scents makes for the perfect clean, fresh, olfactory delight instead of a vampire induced, midnight frenzy. Mission Grove makes other scents but this South Indian and caffeine combination scratches two of our continual itches, love of the subcontinent and our habitual morning cup of comfort.
Fries Before Guys T-Shirt
We’ve been seeing this in many styles, designs and mediums and think it’s pretty right on. Maybe that’s my poutine loving wife’s influence but this rhyme is far better than some of the crass copy us boys throw around at happy hour. Also, if the Fries Before Guys T-Shirt is the flag woman start waving these days it beats the “Diamonds are a girls best friend” mantra of the 80’s. I’ll buy deep fried spuds for her all day everyday. I know, diamonds are still a “thing” but a man can dream right?