Nylon Blogs

Installation artist Candy Chang initially created the Before I Die project by covering the side of an abandoned house in New Orleans with chalkboard paint.

Neighbors quickly filled in the blanks with their hopes, aspirations, and secrets.

According to Chang, “This project is currently expanding with more installations, a project website, a kit with a how-to guide and stencil, and more.”

If you’re as into this as we are, check out her website here and cross your fingers that she’ll be coming to your city next!

Here’s the scenario:

You’re traveling abroad and don’t have cell phone service.

That means no Google maps and no navigator.

You need a real map, and we’ve found the perfect option.

Available for London, Paris, NYC, Berlin and Rome, these Crumple Maps are printed on virtually indestructible material, so they can be bunched up, packed away, and unraveled without any fuss.

Lightweight and waterproof, they’re sure to survive all kinds of weather…and the chaos in your purse.

Get them here.

– REBECA ARANGO

We love to bike around the city, but it presents a couple of problems.

There’s navigating the scary traffic, dodging pedestrians, and it’s always a pain finding a place to lock up our bikes.

But just in time for summer, an architecture firm in Seoul has created a brilliant new solution for urban bicycle storage.

Manifesto’s Bike Hangers are totally recycled, human-powered structures that would take advantage of unused space all over the city.

They’re simple, eco-friendly, and yeah – they look pretty cool too.

Fingers crossed this awesome idea makes it stateside!

– REBECA ARANGO

Did you know that you can use Google Maps Street View on all seven continents?

Neither did we, but it’s pretty incredible.

Clockwise, from top left: Half Moon Island, Antarctica; Douro River, Portugal; Notre Dame Cathedral, France; Kumamoto Castle, Japan.

See it for yourself here!

If you’ve ever had your luggage lost or misplaced at the airport, you know what a miserable process it is in reclaiming your bags.

Here’s one way to make your suitcase stick out from the rest of the boring pack.

These adorable Penguin luggage tags feature book titles, like Kerouac’s On the Road and The Lost Girl by H. Lawrence.

Talk about well read.

Buy them here.

Feeling spontaneous?

These Destination Blocks are guaranteed to take it to a whole new level.

Made in Sydney, each of the blocks in the set have four different places written on the sides.

You can choose between Australian beaches, Italian landmarks, random international cities, and more.

So roll these blocks and let them decide where you go on your next vacation.

With locations this awesome, you really can’t go wrong either way.

Buy them here.

We’ve already raved about the Bruise Cruise – a trip that sends indie bands on a Carnival Cruise Ship across the Caribbean with their fans! – but if you’re on the fence, today is your LAST CHANCE.

Tickets will be DONE SELLING tonight at 9 pm (Pacific Time) which means you’ve got about twelve hours to do the following:

1.  Clear your schedule for February 25-28.

2.  Get the okay to put about $600 on your credit card.

3.  Book your ticket.

4.  Download songs from Turbo Fruits, Vivian Girls, Black Lips, Surfer Blood, and all the other bands riding with you.

5.  Pack your best bikini.

Like we said before, it’s going to be amazing fun and amazing sun – why miss it?!

(Click here for the entire band lineup, and to get your tickets.)

Quick question: Would you want to sleep in a pipe?

Designed by Andreas Strauss, the Das Park Hotel in Austria is composed of recycled sewer pipes.

Yes, this sounds kind of gross and definitely the setting for a really  scary movie, but somehow we’re very intrigued…

Go here for a closer look!

You either love it or you hate it: the Hipstamatic app on iPhone.

Whatever the case, a London museum thinks they’re worthy of their very own exhibit.

Presenting 157 photos taken from Hipstamatics.com, the city’s Orange Dot gallery is setting out to examine these digital prints as a photographic revolution.

Hm….we’re not so sure how we feel about faux-analog phone pictures in the greater context of photography.

Do you think these 1982-inspired prints deserve their own gallery exhibit, or should they stay on your iPhone?

Fact: Today, January 17th, is officially the most depressing day of the year.

Psychologists deem today “Blue Monday” because of the highly unfortunate triple threat: freezing weather, post-holiday debt, and the failure to keep your New Year’s resolutions….yikes.

Well, if you happen to be in London, here’s one way to be happy: Smile for London is a 2-week long creative event featuring music, art and film guaranteed to get rid of the January blues.

The films (see a screenshot of the movie “Smiling is Contagious” to the left) will be shown in the Tube stations, while the art exhibitions and performances will occur in other public places across the city so everyone can get inspired.

And if you’re not in London? We have a feeling that some hot chocolate, shopping, and playing outside just might do the trick.