TOOLS of the TRADE:retro

General Mills has released retro cereal boxes for Cheerios brands, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs and Trix until March 21 in Target stores. The designs, including back-of-box activities, were taken largely from the General Mills archives, with modifications to reflect food updates.


Consumers with five proof-of-purchase labels will be entitled to a free shirt at cerealwear.com. Consumers who would rather just buy one can go to the site and spend $5 to don a defunct Mills design.

Too cool!

TOOLS of the TRADE:plaid

Plaid is just not for redneck and school girls anymore. It can be seen everywhere in fashion.

Did you know there are four types of plaid?

• tartan

• blackwatch

• houndstooth

• buffalo

Here is a Photoshop tutorial on how to make your own plaid!

TOOLS of the TRADE:Michelle Obama Purple

Purple (my favortie color) has long been neglected and Michelle Obama reminded the world just how flattering it can be.


Now everyone's suddenly got a bit of regal Michelle purple. The purple shift began when she wore this dress, by Maria Pinto, in Minnesota in June when her husband won the Democratic nomination and she, famously, did the fist-bump with him.

It is no exaggeration to say that this dress caused near hysteria. It prompted the New York Times to write an adoring piece about her wardrobe under the headline "She Dresses to Win." The paper said that the color was "symbolically rich, even if its message may have been so subtle as to be subliminal."

First Lady Michelle Obama will grace the cover of Vogue's March issue. Mrs. Obama is only the second to grace the cover. She appears wearing a magenta silk sheath dress (still in the purple family) by Jason Wu, who also designed her inaugural gown.


You can even get your very own Michelle Obama purple button!


Michelle Obama has already brought purple back from the cold. Who knows what other shades she might redeem.

TOOL of the TRADE:collage art

I found this cool collage art on Etsy by Kareem Rizk.

Kareem experiments in blurring the line between handmade work and digital work. He uses mixed media techniques along with graphic design.