Whoa! I sure didn’t need to spend much time on the Aviator Nation website before being entranced by their hoodies. Everyone knows great marketing is not just the product, but how you tell the story and let’s just say these guys have sold me with their lifestyle photography that makes me miss my Southern California days. I’m normally someone that enjoys dark tones, but am straight up loving the colors in these. The only thing holding me back is the hefty price tag, but sometimes you just have to say screw it and pick up the things you like. That or just enter their giveaways.

Today is Small Business Saturday, perhaps the only part of the extreme shopping bullshit I can get behind, so I’d like to take the time to mention Betabrand, a SF retailer I recently learned about since moving to the city. Besides making some unique fashions (all made locally) to the scene, what I really appreciate about these guys is the sense of humor and playful copy. The store has a number of hilarious items like the Discolab collection or Nauseating Holiday Pants, but here are two of my faves in store.

Vagisoft Blanket – The model in this photo is serving you chips, guacamole and Pacificos which is already perfection, but the fact that this blanket is described as in between the softness of the womb of a marshmallow mermaid and the pouch of a cloud kangaroo tells me it’s the perfect gift to bestow upon a lucky lady.

COLOURlovers Plaid Flannel Shirt – Betabrand always has creative ideas and promotions and the idea of crowdsourcing flannel design and colors with the COLOURlovers online community is a perfect example. Plus, this shirt looks fly. Can someone get this for me please? I’m a medium.

Made entirely of clips from YouTube, today seemed like the perfect day to share this video. There’s no denying the magic of laughing. Here’s hoping it happens more often.

If film is the ultimate art form, or at least a vehicle for showcasing all types, I can really get behind Breadtruck Films and Jeff Durkin’s Kickstarter-funded documentary Art As A Weapon. The art film/political documentary is focused on raising awareness about the Burmese struggles for human rights through a dialogue with Western artists like Shepard Fairey. This project is yet another awesome example of how we can provoke change by speaking with our dollar. Money might not be the root of all evil, but rather how we spend it. If you’re interested in funding the project, check out the Kickstarter page and the different rewards for participation, not least of which could be bettering many people’s quality of life.

Wow, I’m officially sold. Nice work BBHNY.

This is internet and THIS is our monthly mixtape. With Dirty Gold, The Drums, Cant and more, “Dayummm” is what we hope you’ll be saying about this one. And in case you were wondering…. yes, it’s Chuck Norris approved. [animated GIFs via IHeartChaos]

There’s no doubt Miles put cool on the map but it was Sam Cooke who unmistakably got the party going. So when the invitation came in for Amber and I to attend Maneesh & Andrew’s 5th Annual Salad Toss-Off, we knew just where to turn for inspiration.

Sam Cooke’s Twistin’ Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• Spiral Pasta
• Ball of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Sweet Grape Tomatoes
• Spicy Italian Sausage (for our pasta salad, we used local Brooklyn Cured Hot Italian)
• Pine Nuts

For Dressing:

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Italian Seasoning
• Fresh Black Pepper
• Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• Fresh Lemon Juice (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350. Spread out a handful of pine nuts on a cookie sheet and set aside. Once oven is hot, bake the pine nuts until they are lightly toasted (about 5 min). While your oven is heating up, fill a large pot with water and begin to boil. If desired, add a dash of salt and tablespoon of olive oil to the water for taste. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, cook your italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook it in the same way you would brown ground meat. Cut open the sausage skin before you place it in the pan. Depending on your sausage you may need to add a bit of oil to the pan so it doesn’t stick. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir while cooking. Make sure all of the sausage turns a nice brown and there are no pink spots in the meat. This should take about 5-10 min then set aside to cool completely.

Wash your fresh vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half and set aside. Break basil into medium size pieces and set aside. Cut the mozzarella into small 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. While your pasta and meat are cooling, gather your ingredients for the dressing. In a small bowl, combine 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. Sprinkle in some italian seasoning, Tony Chachere’s and fresh black pepper to your desired taste. You may also add some fresh lemon juice if desired. Whisk all ingredients together until they are mixed well.

Once all ingredients are cool, combine pasta, sausage, tomatoes, basil, and cheese in a bowl and stir with a large spoon. Cover and place pasta in refrigerator until ready to serve. Keep dressing at room temperature. When you’re ready to serve, toss your salad in the dressing mixture until you’ve lightly coated the salad. Finally, sprinkle your toasted pine nuts on top and enjoy! This pasta salad also tastes just as great with no meat. Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes for some extra spice if you’re going meat-free.