The Passing of A Genius

I'm so sad about the passing of Steve Jobs earlier today. As the child of a graphic artist, I grew up using only Apple products (yeah, even before they were cool again) and always respected the way the company sought to meld bottom-line needs and functionality with aesthetics. Forget the fact that in the past ten years the iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc. have completely revolutionized the way that we communicate and live and you still have a man whose standards built a company that allowed users to have higher expectations for the machines they rely on daily to be multifaceted, forward-thinking, and yes-attractive and user-friendly.

It's hard to think about someone with so much vision and creativity being snuffed out so young and I feel for his family, but it gives me comfort to know that the same standards for business that Jobs sought were those he sought in living life and that he lived it to the fullest. Getting high on psychedelics, running off to explore India, and dropping out of college before going on to change the world shows what life is all about-making yourself happy and following your gut, even if you can't quite see in the moment where that's going to take you.

Super Slides

Teardrop Park's minimalist kids' paradise in Battery Park City, Manhattan.

Genius subway station short-cut in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Surreal slides to the Mediterranean Sea at the Hotel Citta del Mar in Sicily, Italy.

Technical University of Munich shows it's forward thinking mindset in Germany.

At the Tate Modern in London, England. Forget vertigo-you had better believe I am sliding down one of these in December!

Ballet Flats That'll Get You Closer to God

Apparently this Wildfox Couture x Jeffrey Campbell collab comes out in February. However impractical it is to wear pale pink satin platforms during the rainy season, I have a feeling I'll be wanting to prance around in these ridiculous, dreamy beauties nonetheless.

Via Buzznet

Hats ON!

These 1930's inspired hats by Behida Dolic Millinery leave me seriously swooning lately. They are sophisticated and while they certainly evoke the feeling of being out of the past, have a timelessness thanks to the impeccable craftsmanship and modern choice of colors. $400 plus is a lot to drop on anything, let alone a throwback accessory, but a girl can dream. Or hope to collect gift certificates come the holidays, you know, either one. Distant hope of attainment aside, the work is definitely impressive when it makes you want to chop off all your hair, knowing full well it'll never look half as charming as the models.