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art / des moines / entertainment / event / music / rad — Comments
25
Nov 09

NYE 2010: Decode the future with Flatform

NYE2010Des Moines, prepare your scanning devices (aka your mobile phones) and get ready to unlock a full sensory experience brought to you by local DJ and design duo FLATFORM to stimulate your rawkin’ faces this NYE:

What: NYE 2010 presented by Flatform w/Alex Brown
When: Thursday, December 31st, 2009 @ 9pm
Where: Vaudeville Mews, 212 4th Street, Des Moines
Tickets: $10 @ iowatix.com
RSVP on Facebook

And now for the best news evah! – You don’t have to wait until NYE to start experiencing this party. Effective immediately, you must arm your mobile devices with a QR code reader (for iPhone / for other phones), and keep your eyes peeled for the NYE 2010 promo posters while navigating the streets, venues, coffee shops and local businesses of Des Moines. If you see a poster, activate your code scanning app and scan the QR code on the poster. What happens next will blow. your. mind. Dramatic? So is your mom. Scanning the QR code will cause your browser to launch and blast off to an event specific URL. You can also follow along at www.nye2010.info to download digital mixtapes, access limited edition prints, win VIP giveaways and more.

If you’re reading my blog, you’re either rad and/or a geek, so you probably already know about QR codes, especially those of you in the Twitter community who have been sporting QR codes on your TweetUp Badge (thanks, @richdrake) since last spring – but just in case, I bring you this explanation freshly swiped from Wikipedia:  A QR code is a two-dimensional barcoding system created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. QR stands for “Quick Response,” as the Japanese creator behind the idea of the code wanted information to be deciphered at an elevated speed (fast like rabbit). QR codes have been widely used in Japan for years now to link information to objects and spaces such as billboards, magazine ads, buildings, etc., but are just recently starting to catch on in the U.S.

So, what does all of this mean? The idea of linking information to spaces and objects is not a new concept, but the innovation behind QR code technology has simplified the process. Like any other communication technology that makes our lives easier and accessing information more convenient, expect to see widespread use of QR codes in the future and lots of innovation and information connected to locations and objects. Can you think of any other innovative uses for QR codes in Des Moines? Leave me a comment!

fashion / rad / style — Comments
5
Nov 09

Neck-warming trends: when fashion meets function

The thing about scarves is . . . sometimes they can be overwhelming, less than functional, or quite frankly, a fashion hazard. While wrapping yourself in a giant blanket scarf may occasionally seem like a splendid idea, the fashion concept itself can come off as . . . well, a little constricting.

fashionindie.comPhoto via fashionindie.com: Giles Deacon’s fashion forward, giant scarves

Searching for the perfect scarf can be burdensome, especially if you’re vertically challenged (like moi). I recently bought a scarf at H&M that is literally 8 feet long (that’s 2 ft + 10 inches longer than my entire body). I didn’t realize this until I got it home, of course. Oh, and trust me, I will wear the darn thing – even if I have to wrap it around my neck 20x, but lacking the proper wrapping technique, this scarf could potentially be a serious walking hazard.

00070mScarf wrapping 101 FAIL

Style Watch: Tube cowls, snoods, and neckwarmer-beanie combos FTW!

It seems I’m not the only person who has thought, “Sure, necks should be warm, but at what expense?!” While (browser) window shopping for cozy, cold weather trends today, I found myself strangely attracted to knit’s answer to neck warmers with functionality. Check it out:

thewardrobecincinattiHandknit Collar Scarf: $136 at thewardrobecincinnati.com (website often down)

cherry up - red button up cowl YesJess EtsyCherry Red Button Up Cowl: $36 YesJess on Etsy.com (Made in Iowa)

il_430xN.99483359Textured Tube Scarf: $65 tortillagirl on Etsy.com

snood o.u.Staring At Stars Open Knit Snood: $34 Urban Outfitters

And for the dudes… It’s a beanie! No! It’s a neckwarmer! No! It’s both!
neck warmer beanie u.o.Tornado Neckwarmer Beanie: $28 Urban Outfitters

What do you think about these neck-warming trends? If you’re a local DIY, crafty gal or guy, what are you knitting this season? Please share in the comments (still at the top of the post, for now).

crafts / fashion / hillary brown / how to / rad / social media — Comments
2
Nov 09

How to make an iPhone costume

front-back_iphone
Need a Halloween costume? There’s an app for that.

I was feeling super crafty this Halloween, so I decided to make another fabulous felt creation and dress up as something that I can’t live without – my iPhone. The costume was a huge hit, and people were really feeling the felt (literally), so I thought I should share my iPhone costume recipe with the world. F-yeah for felt!

Supplies:
1. felt. . . lots of felt
2. silver fabric
3. a black t-shirt
4. a white sweatband
5. scissors
6. tacky glue
7. mad, freehand cutting skills (Tweet to Katie B. for tips)
8. band-aids for battle wounds

Instructions:
1. Decide which 20 apps you would like to create. I recommend a good mix of the standard, most recognizable iPhone apps mixed with some of your geeky faves.
2. Cut out the app backgrounds – squares with rounded corners. I divided the felt sheets into fourths to determine the width of each app (approximately the same width as an iphone).
3. Cut out the app icons – This takes a steady hand and patience. If you’re unable to freehand cut the icons, you can print out stencils to use as a guide.
4. Use tacky glue to attach the app icons to the app backgrounds (allow 4 hours for drying).
5. Once the apps are dry, you can glue them to your black t-shirt. Make sure to place cardboard or paper (I used a paper grocery bag) inside of the shirt, so you do not glue the front and back of the shirt together.
6. Every iPhone needs an AT&T signal (or lack thereof). This is where the white sweatband comes into play. Plus, it just looks cool. Cut out the signal bars, “AT&T” and “3G” text and use tacky glue to attach them to a white sweatband (allow 4 hours for drying).
7. And last, but not least – the Apple icon for the back of your t-shirt. I printed out the Apple logo and used a stencil for this because I wanted it to be perfect. You can use double-sided tape or pins to hold the stencil in place while cutting the Apple out of your metallic silver fabric. Use tacky glue to attach the Apple logo to the back of your t-shirt (allow 4 hours for drying).

And, voila! You’ve got yourself an iPhone costume. :) (Dark fairy aka Jill Haverkamp not included)
voila_iphone

Once you’re wearing your iPhone costume, you’ll feel the power of 100k+ apps and might experience a sudden increase in confidence. Don’t be alarmed if you find yourself. . . singing in an all-girl band, or. . .
iphone_singinginaband

dancing on tables at a college bar. . . totally normal.
iphone dancing on tables