Resource: Hollander's

I would love to visit Hollander's Decorative Paper and Bookbinding Supply store in Ann Arbor . Their selection of 1,500 different kinds of paper is truly exhaustive and their website is equally encyclopedic. One thing I especially like about the website is that you can see both close-ups and full page shots of the paper (I know this is a given for most products sold online however, the online community of paper sellers hasn't really caught on to this feature.... Hollander's has).

Library Week: "Lists: To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, Collected Thoughts, and Other Artists' Enumerations from the Archives of American Art"

If I had to pick an art exhibit that I most want to see this year, it would have to be "Lists: To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, Collected Thoughts and Other Artists' Enumerations from the Archives of American Art" at the Smithsonian. I think it would probably make me faint.

Check out the catalog here.

Library Week Continues: American Memory

There are lots of ways to waste time on the internet however, hours spent on the American Memory section of the Library of Congress' website are never wasted. So far, I've only scratched the surface of this resource but my favorite parts include: Walt Whitman's butterfly (above), the American English Dialect Recordings and browsing the Panoramic Photograph section by subject.

Mark Twain's Annotations

This week is shaping up to be library week here at The Order of Things...

There are two kinds of people in this world; those that annotate their books and those that don't. I like to write all over my books. I'm also wild about reading the the annotations of others and I will even go out of my way to find used books that other people have annotated. Here's an article about the things Mark Twain wrote in his books. Jackpot!

By George: George Washington's $300,000 late fee

George Washington owes the New York Society Library $300,000 in late fees for two books that are 220 years overdue. Read more about it here.

Product Appreciation: Label the Cable

"Cord control" products are a dime a dozen these days however, I am confident that the German company Label the Cable has created the most versatile cord labeling/managing system to date. Label the Cable products use a clever combination velcro, elastic and label all of which allows you to not only keep the slack of a cable under control but also strap chargers to their designated devices when they're not in use.

It's the cord control system to end all cord control systems (rolls off the tongue doesn't it?)

Thing Celebration: "30 Dumb Inventions"

T.V. Glasses! Yodel Meters! Baby Cages! ... and much, much more!

I think you'll find the whiz-bangery of the Life slide show "30 Dumb Inventions" most entertaining.

via Dwell blog

Product Appreciation: L.L. Bean Rubber Moc Bean Boots

Chances are, if you've seen me since January 1st I've been wearing a pair of Rubber Moc Bean Boots from L.L. Bean. Now, I know that this is not my first post which sings the praises of Mr. Leon Leonwood Bean's products (and I doubt it will be my last) but these shoes have actually made my winter better! I think I resisted buying them for so many long winters because I was concerned that they would be too "ducky," however, I've been pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and downright wearable they are.

Click here to watch a video on how they're made!

Note: the sizing is a bit strange so be sure to read the info on the Bean website.

"Stage Hands" in Inglorious Basterds

Product Appreciation: Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats

Bob's Red Mill rolled oats make Quaker oats seem like little flakes of fish food.