Alexa Meade is an installation artist based in the Washington, DC area. Her background in the world of political communications has fueled her intellectual interest in the tensions between perception and reality. – Alexa Meade

From the artist’s short introduction, you can easily tell why she paints people to make them appear as if they were paintings.

View more of her paintings at her flickr.

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Images: Daily Acid

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Penny C doesn’t want to take forever to wrap up.

1. What’s Your Card?

That deck of cards don’t only belong to the table, they make interesting gift tags and gift embellishments too. Pick a playing card for each gift and if you want, write a note on the back of the card in striking colour. Instead of having friends look for their names under the tree, hand them numbered cards to match the playing cards on their presents. Fun up the system, we say.

2. Wish You Were Here

Postcards make whimsical additions to any package. They come in so many imaginative designs and they’re affordable too. The best part is that postcards double up nicely as gift tags and wrapping decor. Time to head out and pick some!

3. Skip the Bow

Add a touch of fancy by substituting the ribbon with a small toy. Up the fun by choosing one that represents your recipient. It could be toy kitchen utensils for the one who loves to cook, or perhaps even toy furniture for the aspiring interior designer friend. Whatever you choose, just make sure that the toy’s tasteful and of the appropriate size. Avoid bulking up your gift.

4. Homemade Goodness

Jazz up your presents with your personality by opting for decorating the paper yourself instead of store bought ones. Draw on them, create your own motifs or use pages of your old schedule books. This is also one of the best times to let out some creative steam and get the party going with conversational gift wrap!

5. Reading the News

I know you’re thinking about boring newspaper pages but that’s not it. This only applies if you don’t go picking out the first page as wrapping paper. Be thoughtful and use sections like the comics (where you can colour in the strips) and classifieds (where you can randomly circle ads to add to the design). Once you’re done, substitute ribbons with hand drawn ones around the box. Try something visually different too by using foreign newspapers. Get squiggly and imaginative!

6. Reading Maps

Got a bunch of old maps but never seem to leave your house enough to use them? Here’s a better use for them – keep your gifts memorable by wrapping them with maps. They’re huge and wide, enough material for wrapping more than one present too. So head down to the store for some directions and couple your purchases with pretty bows and ribbons!

7. Grocer’s Brown Bag

Simple strings and brown paper lend that enchanting rustic charm to presents and also, this attractive wrapping method is ideal for the oddly shaped purchases. Once wrapped, keep the decorations to a minimum and attach pretty gift tags to your packages. The trick is to not go overboard with this idea. So start getting busy, y’all.

8. Doilies

Finally, another use for these paper coasters! Available from DIY and craft shops, these doilies can look like snowflakes when you stretch your imagination a little more. If you’re the type who’s into minimalism and avoids anything gaudy, decorate your packages with the sweet innocence and of simple doilies. Pretty, no?

9. Gift Boxes

Boxes are great alternatives to wrapping paper. It’s easy on your pocket and decorating them is the fun part. You can do so by either designing those boxes on your own with colour markers, pasting stickers, wrapping them in fabric or by using a single bow to adorn the box. Simple!

10. Elegant Embellishments

Donning your gifts with loud wrapping paper and an extremely fancy bow can be an eye sore. But the solution is simple  – just pick just ONE option. We know it’s fun but don’t go overboard with all that wrapping. Select whimsical, fanciful embellishments and pop them onto very minimally designed wrapping paper (or think brown paper bags). Taa-daaaah, tasteful looking packages that go well with everything else.

Now You’re Done!

It’s the season to be jolly and what better way to get down and crafty than this? Creating your own wrapping paper and supplementing it with quirky novelties is a very economical way to show your stuff. Talking about being economical, you can recycle these gift wrap ideas for occasions other than Christmas too. But in the meantime, have fun and have a Happy Christmas!

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A lovely addition to Penny’s fashion directory, the 2nd feature of Street Slicks continues with subtle earth tones to rock this mellow Tuesday – Comment te dire. We like. Do you?

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The South Korean talent might not be able to speak English well at this point in time, but his work speaks for him with his perspective on the female face and form. Dark and edgy, his work is a cross between looking like a mess of graffiti inspired art, aggressive brushstrokes and idle sketching, yet it comes together seamlessly and provocatively.

Dramatic and emotional, the self-taught artist’s uses traditional mediums to create images embodying fragile tension that draws you in the more you look at each piece; each woman telling you their own story.

Visit Minjae Lee’s site here.

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An Article by Penny V

There’s nothing better then taking a shower after a long day of work or play, slipping on your favourite sleepwear and falling into bed. While most women have a variety of nightwear stowed away in their closet ranging from silky negligees to baby soft flannel sets, it’s safe to assume that most guys usually don’t bother and just head into bed with a pair of boxer shorts. It just could be that they never have had the options and variety until now.

Gone are the days of boring plaid pyjamas and plain sleepwear that’s best left in your bottom drawer. In recent years, pyjamas have gotten a makeover and are produced in a variety of materials, designs and styles that will suit any climate. From fleece and cotton to silk and poplin, you’ll be comfortable and rockin’ in style with the sandman.

We bring you our top 3 picks that will have you sleeping like a baby in no time and looking great the minute you step out of bed in the morning. And hey, it also makes a pretty good gift for Christmas or a birthday!

Tepper Jackson

This actually is pretty much my absolutely favourite with their range of abstract and psychedelic colours. Not only producing unisex pyajama loungers, boxers and robes, they also produce travel accessories. Their sleepwear will brighten your mood before you head to bed so you’ll fall asleep with a smile on your face.

Visit www.tepperjacksononline.com

Peter Alexander

Offering men’s and women’s pyjamas, Peter Alexander has been a hit in Australia for several years. The popular sleepwear store produces themed pyjamas that look so good you wouldn’t mind wearing it out of the house! Great for cool or warmer climates, slip on a pair of Peter Alexander jammies that are fun and fashionable.

Visit www.peteralexander.com.au

The Cat’s Pyjamas

Focused on women, The Cat’s Pyajamas is most well-known for their sushi-inspired sleepwear. They also have produced a number of quirky and comfortable pyjamas like their crossword puzzle flannel sets that will leave you wanting the entire collection, with Ms. Pug included.

Visit www.thecatpjs.com

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Cast away the doom and gloom that fall and winter might bring because some of the bigwigs of the fashion industry are bringing a splash of colour into your wardrobe!

We also seem to be going through a time warm this year, as the eighties are in full swing with its big-shoulders and bright neon-hues that will chase away any recession-induced frown. When Marc Jacobs presented his fall/winter 2009 ready-to-wear collection earlier this year, he noted that he wanted people to remember the simple joys of dressing up.

How can you not be in a good mood, when you’re sporting Day-Glo?

Marc Jacobs is the man who can do just that. His show introduced his current status quo, braces and the back half of a kilt, while working his way through high-wasted jeans, jackets with shoulder pads you could swing from and full skirts and dresses in leather and floral brocade. Don’t forget the coats and capes.

While some detractors have noted that it’s a little over the top, we love it because what better way to fight the season’s blahs and financial woes then with loads of colour and volume – the bigger the better! Not just waxing crayola, it had a rock edge to pull it all together. So whip out some hair-spray for massive hair flip or bouffant and some bright eyeshadow to go along with it. If you need some inspiration look back to, Debbie Harry from Blondie is always fabulous.

For something slinkier and elegant, but still vibrant in colour, Donatella Versace laid out some gorgeous gems, minus the over-indulgent golds and logos, which was a huge plus in our books.

Versace focused on beautifully draped long dresses, beautifully fitted coats and artfully-fitted skinny pants. Dresses were flowly and almost greek-goddess like. With some subtle bling and thigh-high slits it definitely hit the right notes, as each dress skims curves in all the right places. It was all very old-Hollywood chic. The collection is also studded with some fabulously smoky hues that just about melts right onto you.

For more sensible and subtle pops of colour, Dries Van Noten based his collections colours on Francis Bacon’s paintings: shrimp pink, beige, ocher orange and mauve. Always one for daily casual refinement over editorial couture pieces, Van Noten offered suitably draped day dresses, buttery soft coats, fluid pants and blouses that skim just so.

With his unique colour-scheme, each piece had an almost raw edge in its simplicity and was far from boring. Subtlety and simplicity can still be a joy to behold.

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Having lived in the same room for over a decade, believe me when I say I get bored of it sometimes. Instead of moving out which we all know is expensive and just not a practical option, why not give your room a paint-over? You’d be surprised at what a change in colour can do for your humble abode and for some, your humble paychecks.

I’ve gone through several colours since the day I moved in: cream, light fresh apple green and finally, dark red. Each colour signified a different stage of my life, but as you can tell I got bolder with my choice of room colour as the years went by.

I started out with cream because really, how wrong can you go with cream? It’s a mellow colour meaning it’s simple but off-white enough so you don’t have to fret incessantly over stains being visible. You also won’t have turn into the Wall Police – “You! Don’t touch my walls!”

A couple of years went by and I grew tired of cream; being around the Plain Jane of wall colours all the time was no fun. I decided to pick something more adventurous, but nothing too crazy so I went for a light, fresh apple green. My room was transformed instantaneously from an all-too-spacious-for-one-person abode to one that became a tiny bit cosier, with a fresh pop of colour too! I loved it.

As time would have it, I grew tired too, of that light apple green. The fresh pop fizzled out and had unfortunately run its course. I wanted something even cosier; something darker. If walls had arms I wanted to be embraced when I walked into my room – a feeling apple green could not give. So I plucked up my courage and opted for dark red. I wanted a room where I could bring a guy to and share an amorous moment or two and the red I chose really created the right kind of atmosphere for that wrong kind of desire.

You see, over time you will demand different things of your room and colour is a big contributing factor to how being in your room can make you feel. They say don’t miss the forest for the trees, but the trees make the forest so before you start blaming your house, your estate, your developer for not being able to harness all the rightness that your home is so missing, look first at your room, specifically your walls and its colour.

So you’ve decided to paint your walls…

Bear in mind certain aspects of your room such as how much natural lighting it allows, how much space, what kind of mood or atmosphere you’re trying to create with your room, and such like. Such things are worth considering because, for instance, while you may LOVE hot pink, it’s probably not wise to go with that colour if you live in a hole.

Some colours to consider… or not.

Red

Red can be a classy colour if darker shades of the colour like maroons are used. It will make your room appear smaller but can make it appear cosy, if your idea of cosy is a warm coloured room. Avoid using red in kitchens as it is known to stimulate the nervous system thus boosting appetites. Unless you need to eat more than you already are, we suggest keeping reds for rooms only.

Orange / Coral

Oranges and corals are stimulating colours. They give a room warmth and provide a homely feel. However, neither should be applied to large areas of walls. If your room allows for little sunlight to begin with, you should avoid these colours as they are rather dark colours and could make your room appear even darker than it already is.

Yellow

Like orange, yellow is a great colour when working with small spaces. Objects in a room with yellow walls appear closer, making the room appear bigger. However, yellow can be straining on the eye if used in large doses so perhaps choose a feature wall and paint that one yellow instead of all four. The only time it’s great to feel like you’re living in a block of cheese is if you’re a rat.

Green

Green is a healing colour that can soothe the soul. If you’re taking care of an ailing family member be sure to give their room a fresh coat of green paint. It’s also known to lower blood pressure and relax the nervous system – great for people living with their families or for couples who live together!

Blue

If you’ve got a room that the sun shines on constantly, you need to give it the cool blue treatment. It can also make a room appear bigger. Depending on which shade, blue can make a room look formal so always apply in moderation you don’t want your house to turn cold.

Brown

Brown is an earthy colour that can bring to your room tranquility and intimacy. Don’t overuse though as your room can look dull.

Pink / Peach

Pinks and peaches are warm colours without the intensity of reds and oranges. If you find your room just a tad bit too cold, paint it pink or peach and you’ll find your room radiating subtly with warmth.

Years of response research have shown that colour affects human behaviour so pick yours wisely. Sure the above are some tips that we’ve put together but the home is yours, so choose colours that resonate well with you. Here’s to happy living!

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Elegance and colour, what a way to start the month of October already! This limited edition 750ml glass bottle is available for pre-ordering at the Evian online store at US$13.95. You’ve got a month to decider before it’s ready for shipment on Oct 31! [Edit: It's so sad that Evian only ships within the US! For those living in Singapore, quickly get your chums/relatives to get one for you!]

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