Two of my favorite design blogs, Design*Sponge and DesignWorkLife, pleasantly surprised me this morning with their (unrelated) posts on Pennsylvania designers whose work serves as an ode to Philly (and Lancaster, respectively).

theheadsofstate.myshopify.com

First up is Design*Sponge’s feature on Philly-based artist Dustin Summers, who’s just released an eight-city series of travel posters called The Heads of State. All the usual suspects — NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle — are there, but Summers would’ve been remiss not to include his own City of Brotherly Love, here represented by the requisite Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Think fast if you want one — it’s a limited-edition run of 100 prints ($30 a pop), so hustle over to theheadsofstate.myshopify.com. Click For More »

New Hampshire-by-way-of Philly resident Robin McDowell has us wrapped around her little finger. First the UPenn fine arts grad popped up at Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (which happens to be our favorite First Friday hang) to present her February exhibit, “The Farm” (through March 21, AITA, 116 N. Third St., 215-922-2600, artintheage.com). And now, on her Ornament and Crime blog, there’s this:

ornamentandcrime.blogspot.com

You’re Gonna Have an Awesome Night.

And this:

ornamentandcrime.blogspot.com

Sammi Won’t Do the Dishes.

Basically we’re stalking her now, because how awesome are these prints? Meal Ticket master/CP Food+Web master/master of The Situation Drew Lazor wants one of these Surf + Turf numbers, like, NOW. Luckily for him they’re only $12 on Etsy.

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Back in 2007 when Deidre Wengen was a City Paper Web intern (or “Webtern,” as we liked to call her, somewhat uncleverly), she spent her afternoons hunched over a slow-moving Mac, compiling listings and checking facts and formatting blog posts.

Which is why we’re glad to see she’s up to something more enjoyable these days: Putting her HTML skills to fashionable use, Wengen’s launched Hinterland Vintage, a great go-to for romantic dresses, delicate jewelry, shoes and even antique kitchenware.

On her blog, Wengen explains what drew her to the “old and pretty” world of vintage:

When I was a little girl my parents used to drag me to antiques shops and scold me not to touch anything. I went kicking and screaming as a kid, but as I got older, I began to develop an appreciation for items with a history and a story. The clothing came next.

In high school, thrift stores were somewhat of a haven for me. I loved to hunt around in racks and racks of clothes, looking for that perfect piece. I began to shop vintage as a teenager and haven’t stopped since.

With her collection of sharp suitjackets, pencil skirts and low pumps (all for sale on her accompanying Etsy shop), it all feels very Mad Men over there — especially since Wengen’s shopping for women of all sizes, not just extra-extra-small.

But if you happen to fall into that teeny-tiny category, here’s an item we’re sweating but could never fit into ourselves, as described in her shop:

Beautiful golden yellow party dress ($54) from the 1950s or early 1960s. It has a great cut with a fitted bodice and a full skirt. Lovely bow details on the straps. Pleats and darts give it a nice structred look. No material or maker tags, so it looks like this was handmade. The material is somewhat stiff and has a kind of taffeta-feel to it. Has a nice sheen to the fabric as well. Will best fit a size extra small.

Keep up the good thrifting, Deidre, and let us know when you find a dress like that in a size 8. Thanks.

Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday Monday, we’re rounding up a what’s-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can’t help but stalk on the regular.

The Oxford in blue and yellow, Foulard Threads

We moved! Since Mondays are automatic-suck days, we thought we’d try to cheer you up. This week, we’ve been thinking about summer scarves — the ones you wear strictly for fashion purposes on warm days despite being teased by your male co-workers. It ain’t quite summer yet, but we’ll make do.

Firstly: We’ve been eyeing Foulard Threads‘ eco-friendly cowls, made entirely of recycled men’s Oxford shirts and polos, for a while now, but that was back when we were buried in 70 inches of snow and needed something warmer. At first we weren’t sure we could rock these without looking sloppy, but the promise of a run of 60-degree sunny days this week encourages beater-and-jeans ensembles, amplified with a big messy scarf. Right? Hipsters, don’t fret: Plaid versions abound. $26, Foulard Threads, spied first at modish.com.

In case March showers bring April … showers: The thing we like best about Mother Eleganza’s brightly colored “Dancin in the Rain” Head Hoods (which, yes, we know is not a scarf at all) is the headless models. Silliness aside, these hoodie heads seem like a nice compromise between jacket and down-comforter coat seasons. These are the same folks who make Bread Shoes, the ones Felicia D’Ambrosio wrote about on City Paper’s food blog, Meal Ticket, not so long ago, which I guess means we trust them. $45, Mother Eleganza, spied first at designyoutrust.com. Click For More »

Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we’re rounding up a what’s-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can’t help but stalk on the regular.

Here at Coveted HQ, we’ve got Oscar night on the brain. Apparently, so does everyone else.

Glourious, glourious poster art: We just saw Best Picture-nominated Inglourious Basterds the other day, and while we kinda thought it felt like two separate films (one about lovely, heart-wrenched Shoshanna; the other about kicking Nazi ass and taking names), we’re still rooting for the underdog. Last month, L.A.’s Upper Playground Gallery auctioned off 13 amazing Quentin Tarantino-signed Basterds posters with proceeds going toward Haiti relief, and we covet them all. $300 (sold out), upperplayground.com, first spied at bestweekever.tv.

O-82!!!: Here’s a fun game for pajama Oscar parties with friends: Oscar Bingo, courtesy of DIY blogger Jessica Jones of How About Orange … . It’s full of hilariously predictable Oscar-night happenings — think “George Clooney Seen Sporting a Beard”; “Someone Mentions Haiti”; “Patrick Swayze Appears in Dead Person Montage” — in PDF form for easy printing. Good luck! Free, howaboutorange.blogspot.com.

Julie or Julia: We weren’t fans of Amy Adams’ annoying, cloyingly self-centered portrayal of Julie Powell in Julie & Julia. (Perhaps this is why Meryl Streep’s the one who got the Oscar nod.) Adams groupie or not, though, you’ll like Etsy artist NOOBOO, who’s replicated the Subway token necklace that Julie wore throughout the film. The old-school token (from 1953) hangs inside an antique brass filigree circle ring, upping the ante from the simpler version in the movie. (Alternatively, you could always just read the book.) $50, etsy.com/shop/NOOBOO.

Fantastic Mr. Badger: Die-hard Bill Murray fans would have recognized that voice anywhere, and even though the Wes Anderson mainstay won’t win any Academy Awards for his voiceover of a nebbishy attorney, Fantastic Mr. Fox (nominated for Animated Feature Film and Music/Original Score) would’ve felt incomplete without him there. Illustrator Michael May’s Eros Inc. shop on Etsy features sweet, vibrant Mr. Badger, Demolitions Expert prints, plus one of Mr. Fox himself if thieving carnivores are more your scene. $5, etsy.com/shop/erosinc.

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Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we’re rounding up a what’s-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can’t help but stalk on the regular.

We may be ripping off the title of CP contributor Amy Strauss’ delectable food blog here, but bear with us: Posters and tees, we think, are an excellent combo for a sludgy Friday afternoon spent blog-browsing.

First, and most angry-making: The Lost Valentine’s cards we showed you earlier today got us thinking about the show (and how we’re pretty damn sure Sayid is the new Jacob and why the hell was Desmond on the alternate-universe Flight 815?). Lo and behold we found these amazing vintage-y Lost-inspired posters — like the polar-bear-meets-smoke-monster style, above, and the infinity bunny, right — but, judging by the psycho comments on Mattson Creative’s site, they’re not for sale. Come on! It’s not nice to tease. mattsoncreative.com, spied first at sharesomecandy.com.

Speaking of vintage-y: Book-jacket design is half the reason we get so mad when we hear the word “Kindle.” There’s something magical about the old-school-iest covers of our favorite novels, and we are just plain sad to see them electronified. Out of Print understands our bookish woes, and thus has created an assembly of iconic and out-of-print books made into tees. We’re partial to Slaughter-house Five, but there’s something for everyone (for now, only men’s sizes are available, but they’re remedying that in the spring). $28, outofprintclothing.com, spied first at designworklife.com. Click For More »

These are too perfect not to share. Illustrator/designer/LiveJournal-using genius Lee Bretschneider has created the best Valentine’s Day cards we’ve ever seen, just in time for the big day. Print ‘em out, or add ‘em to your Lostie friends’ Facebook walls.

Bretschneider’s main Web site, adventuringcompany.com, has a bunch of cool prints for sale, too, and all proceeds will be donated to Haiti via the Red Cross. (No Lost posters up there yet, but we can dream.) Check out more of our favorite Lost V-day cards after the jump, and don’t forget to keep up with Patrick Rapa’s weekly Useless Lost Recaps. (h/t Jon Solomon) Click For More »

Reading is fundamental.

Apropos of nothing except that Criminal Minds is on TV tonight, I would like to direct everyone’s attention to Matthew Gray Gubler, the hottest nerdy scientist to hit procedural crime dramas since B.D. Wong.

I’ve only recently discovered Criminal Minds — which is constantly in reruns on Ion TV, FYI — and I already know the following facts about Dr. Spencer Reid:

1. He does not like spinach, or the dark, or baby kicks.
2. He is smarter than everyone else on the show, and possibly the world.
3. He once almost got shot in the face by James Van Der Beek, who also injected him with heroin which gave him visions of his wackadoodle mother, who is Jane Lynch.

threadless.com

I’m Profiling You.

More Gubler-junkie movie factoids: He made his big-screen debut as Intern #1 in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou after Wes Anderson, for whom he was interning, suggested he audition; he played lovable broham to Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer; and is the voice of Simon in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. (Aw. The nerdy one.)

Speaking of preciousness, there are loads of Web sites dedicated to Gubler, but none so adorably named as thegube.org, which, among other things, directs us to an awesome Reid-themed threadless.com tee (pictured, right).

So, readers, I ask you: Has the Gube won your heart, as well? Or does your police-drama TV lust belong to another?

Buy us this.

It’s a 2010 calendar featuring some of the greatest hits of Temple University’s Urban Archives, a place where many a young Philadelphian has fallen in love with her city, and/or her fellow GUS classmates. (And yes, we know it’s almost February, but some of us got the year off to a late start, kay?)

Check out the calendar, which is free (!) if you only get one and $5 for additional copies, in full here. If you’re interested in getting your hands on it, head the Urban Archives themselves (Samuel L. Paley Library, 1210 Polett Walk, bottom floor, 215-204-8257), which are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Courtesy of daymaker on Etsy

As my friend Kate said, this Kenzinger beer truck ($5 on etsy.com/shop/daymaker) is like a paper doll for adults — and “I want a whole paper doll beer village.” The Etsy crafter daymaker doesn’t have that available, sadly, but he does sling paper Philly-style food trucks, townhouses, a Mambo moving truck and a wee Memphis Taproom. Best of all, and just like paper dolls, the sculptures come flat and you have to put them together yourself. That truck up top has a construction difficulty rating of 6.4.