me on d*s guestblog


: : I am honored....I have been invited by .grace. on designsponge to share my inspirations on her guestblog during the next two weeks. I can't even tell you how excited I am!! so, step on over to d*s guestblog to check me out [smile].

alfredo häberli





photos: :www.alfredo-haeberli.com

: : alfredo häberli, one of my favorite designers. [espcially for the work that he has been doing with Iittala. ] his products are not only beautiful but also functional. a brilliant hanger, an ashtray that flips over, beautiful glass pitchers, and a soup bowl with room for your utensils, a piece of bread or even a flower.

preparing for the winter



photos : : www.papastour.com

: : ...some things to prepare you for the winter...all from .papastour.
cute water bottle to keep you warm in bed. cushions and scarf by .rosie brown. oh, how I would like that scarf! cute for any season.

egg cosies and other fun things at .papastour.



photo: : www.papastour.com

: : .papastour. is a wonderful online store with one of the best collections of unique gifts. based out of Scotland, all the work is by Scottish artists. the website has some beautiful photography! there will be many more .papastour. posts to come, for sure...

these egg cosies are just adorable! I'm not sure of the usefulness of them, but it would make for a really fun gift! and the little birds...soo cute...perfect in a kids room.

tea-shirt


photo: : www.evasolo.dk

: : I have always loved .eva solo. and especially their teamaker. all their forms are just incredibly beautiful, organic and inviting and I just love the round softness of the teamaker, with the little sweater on. I was reading in an article today that the teamaker won a gold IDEA [Industrial Design Excellence Award] this year. exciting!

: : could it be the red..


: : I don't know exactly why I fell so for this one....but I just love this Christmas card....maybe it's the red.. *smile*. print&pattern is sharing a lot of great sites where you can find beautiful and fun Christmas cards. i've never been one to do the "christmas card thing" but some of these cards are definitely inspiring me to.

I have to apologize to anyone who has been trying to find this gorgeous red Christmas card, I gave you all the wrong link, my mistake...and I'm so sorry. [Thank you Mary Jo and Michi Rohana for catching my mistake]. I was able to locate the card...and I have good news, it's available online at the MoMa store. Jippiee!! It's designed by Peagreen in the UK, but doesn't seem to be available through their site though. For those of you who were especially attached to this card, I hope this will help make your holidays merry!

variegated inc



photo: : variegatedinc.com
: : hello. I'm sorry the posts have been so sparse in the past week. i've been doing some traveling and haven't had as much access to the internet as I usually do. but, now I'm back and here is a new dose of color.

I mentioned .variegated inc. in my "pillow madness post" a few months ago. recently, one of the owners of variegated inc .jim. contacted me to thank me for the mention. I was excited to learn a little bit more about the company, about him and Corbett, the two owners, and to see more of their collection. I thought I'd share some more of their happy beddings and pillows with you all.

papercuts





: : these remind me of fall, flowers and leaves falling to the ground, and bright colors..... wonderful papercuts of apple blossoms and poppies, via oncotton.

fall colors

photo:: amyhelfand.com

: : I'm leaving you guys with these beautiful, colorful illustrations by .amy helfand. as inspiration. I am off to New Hampshire to watch the beautiful foliage....and spend quality time with my good friends....one house, 12 friends....I can't wait.

.elles. tip of the week

photo: : www.elle.se

: : Swedish interior design magazine .elle interiör. is featuring glass artist .fredrika linder. and her current exhibit at .galleri lerverk., in Göteborg, Sweden [on exhibit until Oct 22nd]. find these gorgeous lamps under tip-of-the-week [veckans tips] on .elle. or visit .fredrika's. website to see all of her glasswork www.fredrikalinder.com.

warm and trendy feet


photos: : www.modernseed.com

: : I was reminded of these adorable felt slippers by Swedish designer Pia Wallen today when I was introduced to Canadian online design store .uptoyou. available on their website as well as on modern seed. oh, I would love a pair of these for the winter! .mamma. [mom], christmas present..hint, hint... and the kids sizes are just too cute!

check out Pia Wallens other work at her website

marimekko in cambridge


photo: : Globe Staff photo/Michele McDonald www.boston.com

: : oh, the excitement!! everyone knows I am a color freak, and what company has more bold, bright colors than marimekko? well, my friend .gisela. sent me a link to an article in the Boston Globe [Oct 5th] announcing that marimekko's very first retail store in the US has opened in Cambridge!! of all places!! so exciting! anyone want to meet me there this weekend?

here's a piece of the Boston Globe article

"It makes perfect sense that the country's first Marimekko major "concept" store, which opened last week, would be in Cambridge. "We think of Cambridge as the birthplace of Marimekko in the US," says Yossie Bitton, managing director of Marimekko North America.

Local design afficionados of a certain age associate Marimekko -- the Finnish textile and clothing company -- with Harvard Square of the '60s and '70s. It was Cambridge architect Benjamin Thompson who first brought Marimekko products to the United States in 1959, selling them in his legendary home furnishings store, Design Research, on Brattle Street. (It now houses Crate & Barrel.)

Known for their vivid, uninhibited colors and exuberant patterns, ``nothing like it had been seen in America," Thompson wrote in 1985. ``It matched the mood of the times . . . Marimekko was freedom of movement -- women in an equal rights world, breaking out into a new life."

find the store at 350 Huron Ave., Cambridge. 617-354-2800.

buster vacuum cleaner for kids


: : my wonderful, sweet designer friend .tina. has just graduated from Lunds University School of Design. grattis!! [congratulations!] and is ready for the real world as an industrial designer. her thesis project for Philips is this very cute and practical vacuum cleaner for kids. children are invited to help out with the cleaning of their home in a fun, responsible and inspiring way. when they are very young they can sit on it and ride along, then when they get older they can start cleaning areas by themselves.

buster doesn't have to be hidden away like most other vacuum cleaners, he becomes part of the interior when not in use. the shape derives from a fantasy animal that adds a story to the product which will inspire and enhance the power of play. .tina. is available at tina.id@gmail.com

compact living







photo: : www.bonbon.co.uk

: : these clever solutions to compact living were passed along to me from my very good friend .leo. what first drew my attention was this sofa bed that converts into a bunkbed. i then realized that bon bon trading offers a huge variety of bed transformations to save space. "murphy beds" was something I thought only really existed in movies...but here are some modern and very well executed versions of the "murphy bed"

creative ad campaigns




photos: :www.flickr.com/photos/liveu4/131931031/in/photostream/

: : these creative ad campaigns have been circulating the internet for a while, I found them again yesterday on people against dirty and they just make me smile.

the nose cup....clever way to advertise plastic surgery [Toronto plastic surgery. agency: DDB, Canada]. the gun; this bag was given when the customer bought a book by Belgium's most famous crime-writers. [ agency: Duval Guillaume Brussels ]. Stop'n grow's nailbiter bags, and Folgers coffee NYC ad campaign, YKM creative jump rope bag and Blush Lingerie "x-ray bag".

[find high res pics on liveu4's flickrsphotostream ]

herman yu


photo: : hermanyu.com

: : my nature inspiration from this weekend reminded me of designer .herman yu. who makes these beautiful prints [calendars and cards] with motifs inspired by nature. so many beautiful colors. i like the warm reds and oranges, appropriate for the fall.

...it is the season




photo: : red.house

: : ... for apples, pumpkins and leaves of all colors....everything that comes with fall! i love fall in new england. it's absolutely beautiful. the leaves are changing a bit more slowly this year I hear, must have been because the warm summer stayed with us for so long.

spent my saturday in a pumpkin patch and in the apple orchard. found the perfect pumpkin! he's sitting on our doorstep, and picked too many apples. they better turn into apple crisps at some point soon.