TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO.

This enameled Benjamin Saaflux factory shade was salvaged and restored by skinflintdesign and is a piece of history, circa 1930. These shades would have been seen hanging over manual production lines - neat, huh?

TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE.

So, okay. You continue to win me over, Work of Art. I mean, if anything, you can't argue that seeing some part of someone's creative process is ultimately one of the most fascinating things ever. It's the positive side of reality television (although, one can launch into an entire tirade about why it isn't, etc, etc) and I think for me, personally, there's just something great about seeing a show like this providing a platform for art and allowing it to have a much more public forum.

And of course, they bring in Jon Kessler and my love of this show continues to grow. Anyway this week's challenge is to make an interesting sculpture out of found objects - or well, junk. The studio erupts in a really form of contained chaos where you're suddenly seeing who's really taking the idea to heart, how they understand it, and who's struggling. I wonder sometimes how time really plays into this - think about, a television show is cut and edited so that we, the audience, are drawn into this crazy web of suspense. There's no time limit to art, but then again, we're only at the second episode and we've barely scratched the surface what's apparently ahead.

It also further convinces me that Nilda and Michelle could do a show like this and make everybody else eat their dust. I know, I know. Bias meet readers. Readers meet my bias. I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't seen the episode, but Jerry Saltz continues to be my favorite judge, probably since he reminds me a little bit of my mother and because his blog is hysterical. And this week's winners are interesting picks as well as the artist who ends up going home and who, now thinking about it, I can imagine myself seeing his piece at the ICA and just shrugging my shoulders - despite my reaction of OMGREALLYWTF? In that order.

And by the way? I still want China Chow's closet.

TWO HUNDRED SIXTY.

A woman in Malibu builds her dream home out of a recycled 747. I kid you not. Read one of the articles about it here. How you get a 747 out of wanting your house to be eco-friendly and feminine, I don't know, but the house is very green and the woman, Francie Rehwald is being contacted by people who have researched the tail number - from passengers to flight attendants, etc. There's no such thing as too big or small.

TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE.

Some more excellent links!

Our favorite, The Urban Hound, is being featured over at another one of our favorites, by the wonderful ladies at New Brahmin. Read here.

Be sure to head over to The Urban Hound's website as well where you check out their great membership package deals, running for a limited time. And of course, there's the blog where every Monday, UH will feature a weekly steal with great coupons.

You can see The Urban Hound at the SOWA Open Markets on July 11th as well. Make sure you stop and say hello! You'll get some great information about the hotel and daycare. You'll also be able to see some training demonstrations and of course, be able to win some great prizes from a raffle they'll be having. Check their blog out!

TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-EIGHT.

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I have to admit it takes me a little while to think of catchy titles. I think that issue heads back to Freshman composition class (ugh, you don't even know!) where were told that for the rest of our university career and as English majors, titling things is MANDATORY. Just like that. Caps and all.

So to keep in vain with that tradition and to avoid countless of puns (also learned in that class, puns not avoiding puns), it's time for some design news and odds and ends:

The Guggenheim and YouTube are partnering to find the next and greatest in video art. How cool is that? Beginning Monday, anyone who as access to any sort of video equipment or a simple camera and a computer will be able to vie for a place in a video-art exhibition in October at all the Guggenheim Foundation's museums.

Be sure to definitely take a peek at Sam Songailo's art, which is heavily influenced by design, electronic music, technology, and futuristic aesthetics. Media Centre is Songailo's first major installation. The photos of the installation are tremendous.

And to round this out, a bit of an interesting blurb on bloggers. Ad Blogger Jumps the Fence is about Mathew Van Hoven, who was the head of a mediabistro blog called Agency Spy and how he's now been hired as the Communications director for Skinny, an NY-based agency. It's a cool read.