Ok, I’ll cut to the chase. Mug shots are usually ugly. Seriously. No criminal says, “Hey I should definitely put on some more lip balm in case I get arrested tonight. Wouldn’t want a busted mug shot.” And the photographer certainly doesn’t care about capturing your good side… no pun intended, or the guilty twinkle in your eye. Too bad now-a-days mug shots don’t look like they use to. These next few, most likely taken by police photographers, look art gallery worthy when they were really just functional; full body and a head shot and into jail you go. Little did these old time criminals know they’d be plastered all over the internet…

Check out A Time to Get for more mug shots.

Here we go again. You’ve had a long day, or are about to have one, and some dude thinks he can worm his way onto your “to do” list. It’s always the same, those one liners that make you think, “How did you really think this little conversation would end up?” These next few stories should have the guys working on their A game…. and ladies, enjoy the laugh.

Pennsylvania native Sayda recounts a failed attempt, “It was sent to me as a myspace message, yeah that’s right, myspace. It was by some dude I didn’t even know and it said ‘Girl, Fidel Castro must have really done you wrong to have brought you here to America and into my presence.’ One I am not Cuban and two, that is so wrong.” Too bad for that guy, his message got deleted and he was blocked. Shame.

Then there are the more… simple minded and less inventive one liners (sounds nicer than plain stupid). College cutie Samanthia has heard it all including, “Is your name Campbells? ‘Cuz your mm mm good!!” Ummm, we’ll just say that relationship didn’t go very far. Though he might have been handy for winter colds, oh well.

And what about the men? One brave soul named Wayne fessed up. “If there was anything I could be I would wanna be your tear so I could be born in your eyes, live on your cheek and die on your lips.” Very Romeo and Juliet… too bad they both died in that book. Not wanting to bruise the male ego you could also go with the pretentious, “I just wanted to notify you that I noticed you noticing me, so I’m letting you know I noticed you too.” Thanks Wayne.

Or if you happen to be in Milan, like I was a few months ago, you just might get it straight up. “Excuse me Miss, do you need a husband?” Thankfully “No!” in English is the same in Italian.

If a diva is the female version of a hustla then Marquita Loving, owner of Beauty MarQ, is one bad chick.  Housed in Baltimore, Beauty MarQ encompasses all aspects of fashion from make up to styling, and recently designing clothing. This self made fashion mogul is “making you pretty from head to toe” as her motto says. 

We met Marquita doing a recent blog for Cut & Sewn called “A Shopper’s Diary” and fell in love. So we caught up with her to find out a little more, here’s what she had to say.

Crystal: How and when did you first get started in the industry?
Marquita: I got started in the beauty/fashion industry by just loving Fashion. I love making people look pretty. I started doing hair professionally in 2005, makeup in 2007 and making clothes for others this year. Nevertheless, before going to school for it all, I always had the passion for it and the drive to become a fashion mogul.

With so many titles, how do you do it all?
It is not hard at all. I kind of juggle them all around. For one event, a client might need me to make them a dress and do their make up and so on. I think that you have to enjoy doing it all to make it work and I absolutely love to do it all, right down to the little details.

What were some obstacles you faced starting your own company?
One of the major obstacles I am facing even now is that I do not drive. It’s really crazy because most people my age drive everywhere I just chose not to. Other than that, everything else kind of flows together because I don’t need help from a financial provider for my business.

How would you personify a Beauty MarQ client?
A Beauty MarQ client is everyone. If you need my service, I am here to help. All ages.

How do you see your career progressing in the future?
In the future, I see my career expanding. Beauty MarQ is not just a business, it’s my brand. This company is everything that I am plus more. I see my clientele growing all over the world.

And finally in keeping with tradition, if you could write anything on a t-shirt, what would it be?
LOVE LIFE (heart) LIVE FASHION

Marquita doing what she does best.

Products of Beauty MarQ.

Racism and thread? Ok, wait, hold on.
Racism: An American Family Value is a new exhibition open at The Center for Book Arts in NYC. The striking title is centered on racism used in art to expose it, satirize it, and document it. The bold pieces are coupled with an annual members show, Threads: Interweaving Textu[r]al Meaning. Members of the Center’s art community and other select artists use actual thread to suggest content and form. This isn’t your mama’s type of thread. Visually compelling and equally thought provoking, these works from over 60 different artists will have you looking at art in a new light. The show is free 6 days a week until September 12th. So don’t sew your mouth shut about it.

Check out a few photos I took on opening night.

Candice Hicks, Common Thread Series (detail)

Heidi Neilson and Chris Petrone, Uniform Paper (text reads 100% Prison Jumpsuit)

Miguel Luciano, Cracker Juan

Vandana Jain, The Lego Alphabet

The streets of New York City don’t tell a tale of economic crisis. Walking through mid town you’d think there’s a fat fed check sitting in your mail box (oooh and maybe the neighbors’ too). Big apple fashion addicts were out shopping for, well, everything. Some laugh in the face of recession while others are clinging to their blue suede shoes in hopes of buying the bag to match. Either way they were out and about finding something to quench their apparel thirst.

This group of Baltimore natives hits the stores at least once or twice a week in search of stand out accessories. They say the item flying off the shelves is sunglasses. I mean, look at theirs, it’s obvious they know where the good ones are.

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Forget about carrying an MP3 player, losing it, or dropping it; well at least for men. Now you can listen to your favorite tunes on a tie clip. … Yeah, I said that too. Designer Jin Woo Han knows that life should be simple, convenient and, most importantly, have constant background music. A tie clip with an LCD screen, play/stop buttons, flash memory and earphone jack pretty much encompasses the idea. Just don’t forget to take out your earphones at the office.

Thanks SwipeLife for the in.

Through all the spitting up, pooping, and crying kids somehow remain the beacon of all things adorable. Striving to preserve the “Aww!” and “How precious” responses of a puppy eyed public, moms dress their little ones in equally cute threads. So what message would proud moms plaster on their bundles of joy? Some admit they’ve thought about it before. If nothing else a t-shirt can inspire the sense of humor some mommy’s lose amongst the diapers and baby wipes.

Ashley, mom of Teddy prefers “Poop Happens” a spoof off of a popular adult phrase. Or “I Might Barf” a warning for the rest of the world at her sons’ habit.

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Nachos NY, a great website all about the pursuit of everything nachos recently produced an awesome shirt with us. “‘Chos before Hoes” as it reads puts it nicely; nothing comes before nachos in this website’s mind.

Both of these photos taken at the recent 2009 Guactacular Invitational, next year expect pyrotechnics.

This is to everyone graduating from college this spring. After four years and a final week of stress and hell, here’s to you. With a future filled with button-downs and ties, let’s hope the frat look is over for you.

It’s difficult to remember a good weekend. But it is important to spend the weekends responsibly. Don’t forget to count your money at the end of the night and know who you are waking up next to in the morning.

When deciding how to spend your precious two days off each week, just think, Monday is coming soon. Imagine what can happen after 9 months worth of Mondays. Live responsibly.

Thobias Fäldt, a Swedish photographer lives and works in Gothenburg, Sweden.  He uses flash photography in the most bizarre, yet intriguing way. It’s up to the viewer to interpret what each photograph means to them because he chooses to keep it a mystery.

His brand new book, Year One, is expected to be released in spring of this year.

“None of the pictures from my series, ‘year one,’ are planned or staged—they’re always snapshots—but i try to frame the picture so you don’t know where it’s taken and you don’t get any geographic information; no answers are given.”

Quote borrowed from I heart photography’s interview with the artist.

Sammy Lin, a coffee shop in Vancouver takes its coffee with art. See how dressed up a latte can be! Playing with your food is so passé.