surprise the designer

Exploring East London was one of my favorite things that we did while we were in the UK. After dining at Pieminister, we wound up walking the entire length of Brick Lane , ducking into quirky vintage shops, admiring the Middle Eastern decor, and ogling at the vibrant colors everywhere.  I haven't heard anyone describe London (or England, for that matter) as 'colorful.' But I was blown away by the bright shades of pigment that showed up not only in graffiti but also painted on the sides of shops and even the crossbars of windows. More after the jump... This caught my eye because it was so super timely. Don't know about Pussy Riot? Learn more here .

During my junior year of college I was lucky (and smart) enough to spend three months traveling all around Europe with one of my best friends. For ten weeks we toured churches and museums, stayed in hostels, and ate falafel. Because we were skipping a co-op quarter to travel, and because of our impending graduation, we noted 'alternative life plans' all along the way. Clerk in tiny grocery store on the Italian coast? Alternative life plan #658. Innkeeper in Toulouse? Alternative life plan #392. You get the point. Fast forward to graduation, and another good friend actually chose a sort of alternative life path. While people were planning vacations or packing their bags to head to design studios around the world, Jen Vitello was applying to the Peace Corps. And the January after we graduated she was officially accepted. Fast forward to today, and Jen is just about at the end of her time with the Peace Corps. So when she let me know that she would have a short break...