Lavanderia, a font inspired by Mission laundromat windows

Local designer James T. Edmondson has created a new font based on the lettering found on laundromat windows in the Mission, aptly named Lavanderia. Fancy!

Here’s what James had to say about his font:

Laundry is an incredibly tedious task—the antithesis of glamour, so I have massive appreciation for the guy that decided to letter the window with a script that captures all the essence of what a laundromat lacks. Excitement, passion, love. It’s all in that script.

How nice it is to create something beautiful, where boring, stagnant lettering would have easily sufficed! My latest typeface Lavanderia is a celebration and a tribute to the enthusiasm that influences those who go above and beyond to create beauty where there is none.

Inspiration came from San Francisco’s Mission District, a vibrant and at times foul smelling part of town, rich with dive bars, taquerias, and unemployed twenty-somethings who look extremely creative but actually do very little. It’s a magical place.

Download Lavanderia here, and consider leaving a donation. Making fonts is hard!

Hot water bottle culture shock

Some Aussie friends of ours were perplexed to learn recently that hot water bottles are not really a common household item here in the Mission. Some Missionites hadn’t heard of them at all, and they’re not exactly readily available at the corner drugstore like they would be back in Brisbane (the best our local Walgreens could do was a douche bag).

So, where do you go? Bed, Bath and Beyond, surely, but they’re a giant corporation. Some cute shop on Valencia, maybe? We should all have hot water bottles now that it’s THE DEAD OF WINTER.

If all else fails, just make a douche sweater for your douche bag like Laura here did:

Thanks for the story and the photos, David!

Bike Basket Pies recipe booklet is now a handy iPhone app

I love pie! Buy it here!

(The actual physical booklet is available for sale at a bunch of actual physical local retailers as well. Full list here.)

Sutro Tower’s looking a little structurally unsound on Google Satellite

[via Satellite Tourist]

Monkey hot tub

The Tenderloin Geographic Society spotted this object on a curb. They have a few guesses as to what it is, but I’m thinking their first one (Monkey hot tub, doy) is right on the money.

How to keep your tree from falling over

iAltar

Here are a couple of choice altars from last night’s Day of the Dead in Garfield Square park.

Steve Jobs inside a Mac Classic II (alongside other computer science luminaries that passed away this year):

Bonus: Ronny James Dio with the Dio Calavera Band

Riding the Treasure Island Music Festival ferris wheel

[via C'mon Pony]

Back rest

Like so you don’t develop any back problems from lazing about in the prak.

(Thanks, Eliza!)

Parachute party in the park