beats by otter » Design Stimuli http://www.beatsbyotter.com This is a place for things Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:13:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Chocolate Cake Planter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/chocolate-cake-planter/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/chocolate-cake-planter/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:48:51 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1900 There is this Chocolate cake that I buy about once every two months. I wait this long between buying it because I eat the whole thing within 48 hours. Yeah, it’s just something I do. Another thing I like to do, is re use packaging as much as possible, especially for planting up house plants. The dome of this packaging has a #3 recycling type on stamped on it, and I could just put it in with the rest of the recycling, but I had three Kalanchoe (Beharensis “roseleaf”) That needed a home. Ideally I would use the bottom part of the cake packaging as the saucer for the Dome planter part. But it had a 3″ raised section in the middle, and the dome when place upside down on it, wouldn’t sit right. So instead of poking hole in the bottom, I will just plant it as a planter without drainage. One just has to be careful not to overwater, and allow the soil to be bone dry before adding more water. These are succulents, so this won’t be a problem. Easy Peasy…..

Add drainage rock, I went with two inches because of the lack of holes at the bottom, extra is good if you have the room.

Add proper potting mix, I got this nice succulent cacti mix from work (Sprout Home)

plant!

Done! Now to put this little guy into a bright sunny spot.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/chocolate-cake-planter/feed/ 0 2012 rap attack name. http://www.beatsbyotter.com/2012-rap-attack-name/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/2012-rap-attack-name/#comments Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:42:00 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1864 Dirty Mittens….

mitten

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/2012-rap-attack-name/feed/ 0 The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art http://www.beatsbyotter.com/the-ukrainian-institute-of-modern-art/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/the-ukrainian-institute-of-modern-art/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:39:56 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1840 I have walked by this building at 2320 W Chicago Ave for several years now, biked right by even more.  I always told myself, I should check it out.  I mean… a museum in the general area that I live and work.  So yesterday I checked it out.  Super nice.  Once i got into the door, A woman that was working seemed a bit shocked to see me tugging on the locked door.  But she finally trusted her best judgement when I mouthed the words through the glass, “i want to see your exhibit”.  She opened the door, and a man that was inside and also associated with the museum seemed to came up to me with a very nice greeting, and an info sheet regarding the current exhibit “Bauhaus Now”.  Very cool art works.  This is housed on one side of the museum, and the other room held their permanent collection, equally very nice to see.  I don’t want to get to much into what the art was like, or what I thought about it.  This is really just a suggestion that you check it out.  I dropped a couple bucks into the donation box for sure.  There was also a rack of prints for sale, $35-$350.  Decent for sure.  Here are some shots of some things I liked.  Wall Clock (the three horizontal brown wood pieces, they have moving arms that move in the same manner as a regular clock, just in three different pieces)  was something that I would like to actually see in production for the masses.  I was generally inspired to get some things going myself.  There were a couple video deals that were very good.  Human Polaroid was the bomb.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/the-ukrainian-institute-of-modern-art/feed/ 0 like the sign says… http://www.beatsbyotter.com/like-the-sign-says/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/like-the-sign-says/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:26:15 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1836 IMG_1302

I really like the way this sign has aged, and the color scheme.  Nice right?  I think i’ll put this post under the category of Design Stimuli.  Seems appropriate.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/like-the-sign-says/feed/ 0 This is soothing to look at. http://www.beatsbyotter.com/this-is-soothing-to-look-at/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/this-is-soothing-to-look-at/#comments Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:38:20 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1800 Moss-dish-yellow-2

This is here mossandstonegardens.com or at least that is where I got the image, I like the vibe of this blog, or maybe I just really really like soft green moss.  Either way, just rest your head on this type of fuzzy happiness.  Not really an ad for these peeps, I just thought if I was going to rip the image, that I should pay dues, so to speak.

This Sunday… it’s been ok, I have been reflecting on how things have been made overly difficult by myself at times, and how this really needs to change. I thought I was a pretty decent communicator, but I”m finding that not to be so true.  At least the sun is out, the dogs been on walks, and well…  We got our health, whatever the hell that is suppose to mean.  I don’t know what i’m looking for, but I am sure being a picky dick about it.  Don’t go pickin’ dicks though, lets just drop the words pick and dick out for a bit, they don’t seem to go together.

My street is super void of noise at the moment, I have the stereo set to off.. so just this click clack, and well… the fading in and out of Law and Order from my neighbors tv.  Not the dialogue so much, just the Law & Order Bass Tones… funny shit, and somehow not so bothering.

I think I”m writing in a moment of hunger, so.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/this-is-soothing-to-look-at/feed/ 0 Erin made this http://www.beatsbyotter.com/erin-made-this/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/erin-made-this/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:38:10 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1721 It’s a nice look into a terrarium scape she create.

rocksterracat

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/erin-made-this/feed/ 0 Bone Ceramic…. Keeping it Cozy http://www.beatsbyotter.com/bone-ceramic-keeping-it-cozy/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/bone-ceramic-keeping-it-cozy/#comments Sat, 12 Mar 2011 06:05:37 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1713 sprouthome_2150_38529765-1

and knitted by the dudes mother.  cools. recent arrivals at the gig.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/bone-ceramic-keeping-it-cozy/feed/ 0 Wallter is more than a misspelled Kink’s song. http://www.beatsbyotter.com/wallter-is-more-than-a-misspelled-kinks-song/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/wallter-is-more-than-a-misspelled-kinks-song/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:01:34 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1668 Look….! pretty dope right?  Modern spun aluminum hanging planters by Wallter.  We rock these at my jobby job, and well, you should to.  They are a tad pricey, but the specter of well designed hanging planters will sometimes do that.  I”m going to stop with the words, and just let you peep these planters.  There are tiny drainage holes at the bottom of the planters, so they would like to be taken down and watered over the sink.  I know, that sounds like an extra step, but what are you going to do, they rock, they are available in great colors, and well…. you can hum that Kinks song while you enjoy the visual pop they will bring to your space, indoor or out.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/wallter-is-more-than-a-misspelled-kinks-song/feed/ 0 a very nice misuse of air plants http://www.beatsbyotter.com/a-very-nice-misuse-of-air-plants/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/a-very-nice-misuse-of-air-plants/#comments Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:39:58 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1622 So you have been collecting Tillandsia for some time now, you have your nice display ideas for them and they are looking great.    You have been soaking your air plants every 4-9 days depending on how dry and bright your place is, all is going well.  People come over and always bring up how great and interesting they are, and you beam inside because most of your friends have not even heard of such a thing as an air plant.  Well… here is another way you can display air plants, a fresh little look for that special dinner party, or restaurant hostess counter, or storefront window display.

All you need is some kind of glass container, floral cylinders are nice especially if your going for the special event or window display idea, but don’t sleep on the humble little mason jar as a great piece of glass to work with.   The next thing you need are the air plants (the tillandsia in this piece are from Sprout Home) and water.  Typically one should only soak tillandsia for about an hour, every week or so.  That said, we are going to totally misuse these plants by over soaking them, they can be soaked for up to 3 or 4 hours if your only doing this long soak once a month or so.  If you go with this display idea every weekend, your plants are going to start to rot from getting too much water too often.  If this look is something your going to do often, I would suggest having a rotation of plants.  If your rocking a one time event, go crazy!  Tillandsia are pretty inexpensive, depending on the species they can be cheaper than fresh cut floral.

Set out your air plants, set your jars out, and play around with different combinations, just make sure the air plant will fit into the jar that your planning on soaking it in.  You don’t want to damage the plant by cramming it into a space it doesn’t fit into.  I like to soak them root side (the bottom of the plant) up, This will also help by allowing the plants to be removed without bending the leaves back against the grain, they can break off like that.

Place them inside the glass, you can start with large plants, and if there is room, you can add smaller ones into the same piece of glass.  Some very large plants will look great submerged all alone.  Either way, you will find a look that works for you.  The only tool one might need is a chopstick to push down, and arrange the plants.  Some will float around until the air bubbles have all been freed.

Step back and enjoy the little look you created.  These were photographed in a window sill, back light makes these look incredible.  There is a certain bit of optical illusion that goes with submerged structures, so yeah…. don’t get lost.

You want to make sure you pour out the water after your event, and give those air plants a nice shaking to remove as much water as you can from them, and please… let them dry completely out before putting them into any other type of enclosed arrangement, dry or wet.  They need to live the super dry life before they can go to atlantis again.    So there you go, a very nice misuse of air plants.

]]> http://www.beatsbyotter.com/a-very-nice-misuse-of-air-plants/feed/ 0 Nice with the words and the art http://www.beatsbyotter.com/nice-with-the-words-and-the-art/ http://www.beatsbyotter.com/nice-with-the-words-and-the-art/#comments Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:45:29 +0000 otter http://www.beatsbyotter.com/?p=1590 Aesop Rock, Pigs…  Pre crash out time, and i’m checking some music vids and such online, Duran Duran, Neil Young, Das EFX and well… what’s this another list?  I’m really trying to get to, “I fell upon this vid” and I like whats up.

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