Liquid Treat

Google maps may keep you from getting lost and confused, but these always accessible, highly accurate directions can also suck a little adventure from your journey. The Hand-Drawn Map Association reminds us that geography has as much to do with the human experience as finding a destination. The group's online collection includes fantasy locations, personal notes and incoherent squiggles. And they're looking to expand the arsenal: Submit your own sketches or direction-giving attempts by April 30 for the chance to be included in the group's upcoming book for Princeton Architectural Press.

by Michelle Taute

There are plenty of creative baby-making ideas in The Kama Sutra, but The Kinda Sutra appeals to the confused kid in all of us. This documentary short chronicles childhood misunderstandings about where babies come from: The stork? The poop chute? Little pollywogs in the lake that swim into girls? In a series of interviews, adults admit to these misguided theories from their growing-up years, then each comical scenario plays out through animation. The real birds-and-bees info in the film comes from the mouths of well-informed babes.

by Michelle Taute

You don't have to worry about running into any rhinestone-studded sweatshirts at RISD's Bedazzled exhibit. Instead of an infomercial craft machine, the show chronicles a fascinating piece of graphic design history known as dazzle. This counterintuitive brand of camouflage was developed for hulking World War I-era ships—the strategy called for dizzyingly wild paint jobs designed to confuse the enemy. Think stripes, chunks, organic forms and even bright colors. See plans and photos through March 29 at RISD's FLEET Library or browse through many of the startling designs online.

by Michelle Taute

Pour the milk over your cereal and listen for Snap, Crackle & Pop. Then point your mouse to MetaFilter to see how these characters fought the evils of sogginess in an early Rice Krispies' commercial. It's one gem in a link list that takes you through cereal commercials from the '50s through the '90s. Watch the Beverly Hillbillies shill for Corn Flakes, the Jackson Five promote Alpha-Bits and Mary Lou Retton "eating what the big boys eat" (Wheaties, for the record). It's a crunchy mix of advertising history, pop culture and vintage animation.

by Michelle Taute

Maybe we've been eating too much Kashi GoLean, but we haven't uncovered a raft of stickers at the bottom of a cereal box for a long time. But we did manage to find a Flickr set that creates a similar prize-induced high without so much sugar. This graphic time machine is packed with more than 200 cereal-related stickers, mostly from the '70s and '80s. There are stick-on graphics for your BMX, "Stay Out" door stickers for your room and familiar faces ranging from Tony the Tiger to Cap'n Crunch ... and even fluorescent stickers to make your playground pals jealous.

by Michelle Taute

Now that you're sufficiently jazzed about cereal graphics, you might want to carry them with you everywhere you go. Or just add a clever little recycled notebook to your arsenal of sketching equipment. There's an endearing selection of hand-bound notebooks over at Etsy, featuring covers made from the fronts and backs of miniature cereal boxes. You can show your allegiance to Corn Flakes, Raisin Bran, Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops and more for only $7. Just don't drag a notebook showing a Kellogg's cereal into a client meeting with the folks at Post or General Mills.