Our friends from Piano Nobile just recently added wonderful new member to the group! They just had their baby girl, Clara!! Although she'll take some training to do some printing and welding for them, but soon enough she'll be able to do incredible work just like Isabelle and Nick!
For Isabelle's baby shower, I ended up making a felt baby gift similar to the needle felted pillow I made awhile back.
I wanted to make something for them that they can keep even if Clara gets older.
The stuffed cloud can be hung above the crib and also doubles as a rattle toy....you know so little Clara can play with it or drool on it or watch it float above her head!
And since I'm so felt obsessed anyways, I also made her a pair of high-top felt & leather booty...
with the top folded down...for a more casual look.
the leather bottom & lace
All wrapped up for little Clara!
I'll have more photos of the little one actually wearing the boots soon!
This is something I just stumbled upon..it's from 2009, but still pretty freakin' amazing!
This whole line designed by Alexandra Verschueren reminds me everything great and fun about elementary school. You know...doodling with color pencils and folding & cutting with paper using mix array of line papers...all the things I love to do at school!
Except all these pieces are simply stunning and are WAY more amazing than your typical school craft project covered in Elmer's glue..at least mine was like that!
I especially love seeing the stylized sketches and swatch boards... 
I'm obsessed with general office & school supplies...and I'm especially drawn to the graphic quality of grid & line paper of all sort. So I think it's freakin' brilliant that Verschueren has turned such ubiquitous graphic into high-end textile prints...and on top of that with all the added colorful hand drawn/hand painted texture!
....It's all just too cool for school.
I'd like to wear this and do my weekend produce shopping at the farmer's market with it...or just wear it everywhere.
Perhaps I'll finally get some respect around here...
These huge bonnets made of plaited hair are made for a workshop, called Crazy Hair; a fabulous collaboration with professional hairdressing academy Studio Marisol and Spanish designers of CuldeSac.
Talk about crazy amazing....
Via Dezeen
This awesomeness.....
plus this awesomeness....
Equals.....this awesomeness
Starting April 13-April 18 at the Milan Design Fair 2010, Apartamento Magazine and DesignMarketo are teaming up to create a pop up shop called FoodMarketo.
It's a half pop up store, half cooking workshop, selling contemporary design objects commissioned to over 30 international designers and hosting daily workshops to share recipes and everyday life ingredients.
I'm so wishing that I can go to Milan just for this event! If only I knew how to fly my private jet that's sitting in my backyard...man, this sucks.
I'm so wishing that I can go to Milan just for this event! If only I knew how to fly my private jet that's sitting in my backyard...man, this sucks.
Neat music video 'Divisive' by UK based We Have Band produced by SoLab in Paris. There's also the clip on how they made it! This looks like it could be a good workout!
We Have Band "Divisive" from SoLab on Vimeo.
Via Black Eiffel
So, we're standing on the edge of the funnel here at 2430...the kitchen remodel funnel. And there we pause peaking over the edge of the funnel, half scared, half excited, half unsure, half confident, and half really bad at fractions. In this moment of reflection, we'd like to use a few posts to share a glimpse at what is inspiring our soon to be torn up and put back together kitchen.
We're lovin' this island. We really want a dining height eating surface and this is the most elegant integration of one yet.
The feeling of this room is really nice. The graphic black kitchen with the mis-matched dining chairs.
A nice mix of materials.
The red here helps define the work area graphically.
Designer, Oscar Diaz recently launched and line of these totes called Glueline, made with canvas straps and bonded together with rubber at the points where the straps meet.
I really like the simple use of material and how the rubber functions both as the adhesive and also adds a decorative element to the bag.
Ok, so this isn't one of those "perfect" bags with super high performance and function and has hundreds of pockets for anything you can think of or forget about...or one of those transformer bags where it goes from a purse, to a messenger bag, to a backpack, to a suitcase where you can carry things from books, to ipods and ipads, to a dog or a baby...
Nope, this bag does none of that....and that's perfectly okay! Its just a cool and simple bag for....ya know, the beach or the market!!
Actually..come to think of it, you could put a dog or a baby in a bag...and it would just be like a sling with their legs dangling out!
It's especially great for people like me who likes to organize things where I have smaller bags inside bigger bags or smaller boxes inside bigger boxes...and so on...
I hope I'm not the only one in the world who finds that somewhat satisfying....
Oh! Also another neat design by Oscar....An Ink Calendar! What the WHAT?!
Pretty amazing...but if I had this in the house, I would just end up sitting in front of it and watching it and not get anything done...but I suppose that's no different than getting sucked into watching trashy reality shows ...oh, but they're so bad its gooood....
Via Dezeen
This is the first of a series that I'd like to call "I'd Like To Tap That..."
where it will be designs related to awesome spaces, interiors or architecture.
I really like this simple iconic shape of a house extruded by Kavellaris Urban Design. It's great how they even continued the lines further out in the front to create the balcony and covered car lot.
what a nice open kitchen & dining room.....
The seemingly simple concept is well-executed with thoughtful details through out the house inside and out. Pretty amazing how how bright it seems even though the only light source is coming from both ends of the house!
via blue ant studio
German artist, Denise Julia Reytan, created these series of jaw-dropping and UH-mazing necklaces cast from bunch of found precious trinkets and jewelery that she's collected over the years. I love her uninhibited use of color and texture that's daring and sophisticated at the same time. I can only dream of wearing daring outfits with such bold color combinations without looking like I'm a desperate lady in my late twenties trying to fit in with a group of teenage candy ravers.... 
Also, I can't help but to love these plated metal T1IMEPEACE bracelets! I can care less about time if I get myself one of those!
I just spent WAY too much time browsing on this online Vintage shop, Modern 50 with an INSANE amount of vintage-antique furniture, things, and random finds that are all to die for!!
Not only are the stuff cool, all the shots are totally well stylized...I can only imagine what the rest of the space looks like. 
So, even if you're not serious about buying anything (like me), it's worth a look simply for some good inspirations!
Although I have to warn you..... you might end up like me....where you'll be feeling miserable and depressed after looking at everything because you'lI want everything but can't afford most of it.
......unless you're actually rich..then you probably won't be feeling so miserable or depressed. But I guess in that case, then you should be a philanthropist and share the wealth so we can all be happy. :)
My new favorite blog, Emmas Designblogg, its about design in Stockholm and everything awesome. This is where I like to go and pretend that I actually live there...this is as good as it gets for now.
Emmas mentioned this nice exciting new restaurant with a lovely space, called Restaurang Bar. I don't know much about the food from that country. But everything I've seen makes me suspect that they know what the hell they're doing...and is doing it very well.
What crisp, chic, and classy interior...all that and with a feel of a classy French bistro.
The food looks amazingly simple and fresh...
Here's a menu sample....it says...something something Pommes Frites...and then bunch of something else...then something really exciting at the end!
There's couple of fun things going on this weekend....plus the weather is supposed to be nice!!
1. HENRY ART GALLERY:
Champagne Truffle: Henry Gift Shop project #6 (the final project) Tea Party reception, March 27, 2-4:30pm, open now through April 11
Champagne Truffles with Maki Tamura, Nicholas Nyland, Jennifer Campbell, Ian Toms and me, Saya Moriyasu. 5 artists along with Matthew Offenbacher transformed the space with wallpaper, live webcam of a cat colony, videos and precious belongings. Feel free to come and hang out in the space, eat lunch, watch the kitties and write in the journal.
Henry Art Gallery:Unieversity of Washington
15th Ave NE and NE 41st
Seattle, WA, 98195
2. HIAWATHA ARTIST PLACE:
Spring Open House with 4 floors of resident artists, 3 bands and food & drinks to keep you happy! Open House, March 27, 2-8pm
peruse the Hiawatha Artists Lofts open studios 3pm-6pm
mingle with the 60+ residents & their neighborhood support the Hiawatha Artists in their first annual silent auction 3pm-6pm listen to one resident musician & two visiting bands from S. California & Portland 6:30pm-8:10pm
check out the little café that caffienates our residents....amongst our other neighboring specialty businesses enjoy the new neighborhood developments as we can walk freely down a beautiful new sidewalk share a yellow truck from Georgetown called H A L L A V A....yes bring your cash, they will be here from 2pm until the food runs out!
Jackson Place Community, Hiawatha Artist Loft
843-855 Hiawatha Place South
Seattle, WA, 98144
One of my favorite online place for inspirations, The Selby, is coming out with a book, 'The Selby-Is in your place' on April 1st....no joke! Although they could easily do that since it would be April Fool's day....but I think they have better things to do than play pranks like that...
Todd Selby's photographs creative & artistic individuals from all aspects in their space, whether it be some totally outrageously fancy loft or the less than perfect overly crammed tiny apartments, Selby's honest no-filter approach is all about documenting the creative individual's lifestyle that's simply inspiring to see.
"I'm Here" is a lovely short film of two robots falling in love in an ordinary world...but beautifully sad and touching like "The Giving Tree." Great cinematography with a great soundtrack. I especially love how Spike Jonez integrates all the beat up recycled computer parts and bringing it to life...
I don't have any...but think this is quite lovely...But I can see myself wanting to keep washing it forgetting that it's not just paint on my arm...yeah. I'm forgetful like that.
Spent too much time on Toast.....and the result is....
... me wanting all this but can't get any of it. Oddly, this pathetic process of me photoshoping this collage of all these things was somehow therapeutic and satisfying. Hurray.
1. Fine Suede Wrap Jacket 2. Shibori Print Tunic Dress 3. Denim Straight Leg Jean 4. Damini Scarf 5.
Wala Sandals 6. Benny Bag 7. Clustered Beads Necklace 8.Eva Belt
Happy Weekend.
I'm drooling all over....
Saw these on Totokaelo recently (pronounced TOH-toh-KYE-oh) This awesome pair of heels by ELSA is making me wanna scream like a crazy shoe-obsessed lady.
Yes...I'm screaming and drooling at the same time. Just look at it...
For mere $588, you can get yourself a pair, too.
God damn why can't I be rich?...damn you god!
P.S. I'm not REALLY damning you god. I don't think I would have the power to do that.
'My things' by Gabriel Grundler. 
This could be a fun way to document our own lifestyle. The things we own and cherish can say so much about who we are. This is much more pleasant to look at, and much MUCH less humiliating than looking at old awkward teen photos with giant glasses, braces and horrible outfits. Goosebumps.....
via itis edition
Featured work: Mega Doily Rug
Started on February 1st this year, a design nonprofit Project H Design launched a project called Design Revolution Road Show run by Emily Pilloton. The project's mission?
Simple but ambitious....35-schools, 75-day, 7000-mile tour and exhibition showcasing design for social impact that takes place in an Airstream.
'The programming will bring the evidence of and tools for design for social impact to the doorsteps of students, with the ultimate goal of enabling and empowering the next generation of creative problem-solvers to apply their skills to the world’s most pressing problems and improve life on a global scale.'
But as I looked at their itinerary, I noticed that they purposely avoided the Northwest! Portland gets to be part more things these days than Seattle, so screw them. But Hello?! What about us!?
What's up San Francisco? I thought us west coast people are tight, that's the one thing we do have in common is the fact that we're physically on the same side, right? We gotta stick together! You guys are like the people who knows how to put on awesome parties, while Portland is like the laid back cousin who have all the great "hooks ups." I know...we're like the dorky brother who never gets invited to any cool events... and yeah, maybe sometimes we seem like we have a stick up our a** but that's only because we're a little socially inapt, but that doesn't mean we don't know how to party!
I know you think its ridiculous that we mix fleece vests with business outfits...but really, it's Seattle who started the whole woodsman-hunter-look of black & red plaid button shirt with Redwing shoes....not Portland! They just know how to wear it well! Just look at this 1966 Edie Bauer catalog!
They even got C.C. Filson's products!....Although I've yet seen anyone in Seattle carry a Filson bag...and no, it's not because we're too cheap to sport one, damn it!
See! Seattle was sporting this whole look more than 30 years ago! Perhaps that's our problem...we're just way too ahead of the game for anyone to understand us. We're like the awkward prodigy guy who's too shy to get a girl's number...or the sexy librarian lady who's too intimidating for most guys....or something like that.
Just you wait and see, soon enough, y'all will be sporting the fleece-Patagonia-vest-with-sports-sandals-look.....and of course with white socks!