blue wednesday: martha crafts

I already told you about my head exploding over all the Martha out right now. I mean, the way they merchandised the crafts at Michaels is pretty amazing. Everything down to the glue bottles is gorgeous! I really really want the taupe cutting board and rulers! I also really love the free take-home craft sheet ideas they have available. I especially like this butterfly/moth artwork idea, which is much happier than say, sticking real dead ones.What have you already bought from the new craft line? (hehe, I know I can't be the only victim!)

Dry Soda

So one of the things I discovered in lovely Temecula, was this "Dry Soda". I saw it in this olive oil shop, and was intrigued by the simple and beautiful packaging. It's basically soda with just a hint of flavor. Kind of like fruit water, but carbonated. It was very very light. According to the website, it's meant to be paired with certain foods, etc... a "culinary soda". The story goes that the creater was a food lover and a mother, and found "there was nothing on the market for expectant moms or anyone refraining with alcohol, to pair with their high-end meals at restaurants or at home." I had the kumquat and a taste of the rhubarb (kumquat was better). It kind of reminded me of Hansen's natural sodas, but more subtle, and "dry"- but obviously marketed to a much higher end consumer. Overall I liked it- I am curious about the other flavors, including lavendar and lemongrass. Has anyone else tried these?

Mundane Aesthetic: Temecula

Good morning Temecula! Over the weekend (actually Thrusday through Saturday) I found myself in the lovely town of Temecula, CA. Originally, I was going to go to San Diego, but then found out that the big Comic-con was happening, so decided to detour some place else. Temecula is a growing suburan town. It's located between Orange County and San Diego. There's apparently a large wine country growing there, but then there's also the Pechanga Casino. If you ever find yourself there or passing through, I highly recommend the Blazing Noodles restaurant inside Pechanga. Their Old Town is also quite charming as well.

mundane aesthetic: rainbow carrots

Everytime I go to Ikea at night, I try to arrange it so I can partake in their cafeteria, where I enjoy either the Swedish meatballs, or the salmon. The salmon is always served with "mixed vegetables" and they always have these yellow carrots that fascinated me. I never knew there were different colored carrots! Apparently there's a whole wide world of carrots out there! (I have yet to see a purple one but how cool is that?!) Anyways- I've been looking eagerly at farmer's markets and gourmet grocery stores for them and FINALLY found a bag! They're really pretty... just gotta figure out what to make with them. Anyone have any recipes?

Martha Overload.

Ok. I'm sort of on Martha overload. Yesterday, I had to get some samples for a project I'm working on, and I stopped by Macys. Over at Its(k)wood, we posted about the new Martha line that House and Garden magazine said was coming in September, but I kind of freaked out cuz its already in stores now! I have a big post on the faux bois collection there. It's gorgeous. And she has bedding and kitchen stuff too! I mean, look at the set of melamine bowls above. They're in Taupe gradation!! and just $29.99 for all six! And then afterwards, I went to Michaels, where her new Craft collection is. It's GORGEOUS. Too much eye candy. Just too much. My head is going to explode. Will post more later...

Type the Sky!

How awesome is this font! It's made from photographic images of views from below looking up through architecture. Designed by Lisa Rienermann (via Dezeen)

blue munday: Driftwood and Seaside cottages

Happy munday. Summer dayz... remember those? If you're a slave to the grind like I am, then you'll understand my longing for ocean breezes right about now. Even though I live fairly close to the beach, I am not there at this moment in time, and would rather be, than here in front of this computer procrastinating from work, hehe. The August 2007 issue of Better Homes & Gardens has a great feature on the home of Boston based photographers, Amy and Joe Keller. Their home is a casual but modern take on the whole seaside cottage feel. I LOVE the driftwood starburst mirror they made, as well as the other driftwood acccents. That big white cabinet is gorgeous with the painted blue backing that blends in to the wall color, and I love all the white pottery inside. I'm also loving that little blue bowl/basket thing on the side table. Anyone know what that is? Funny thing is, here's another house with a globe collection- are they the next Foo dog? It looks great though, and adds depth and texture and a little bit of soul. I also love all the little bits of sea glass throughout. I've been very tempted to get one of these vases from Z gallerie that I posted about last week on AT:LA, but I'm resisting because along with pillows, I have waaaay too many. But I'm an addict. And admitting I have a problem is the first step to recovery right? Baby steps...

Set Decor: Mad Men

Speaking of tv shows, has anyone been watching Mad Men on AMC? I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I've been looking at the website and looking at all the clips. I've been hearing so much about the authenticity of the show's set decor (especially the office settings), and from what I can see, it looks pretty amazing. Check out more here and be sure to look at the behind the scenes videos...

You like to watch... HBO Voyeur project

So, I'll admit, there is a voyeuristic side to me. As someone who works in the creative side of things, I'm always looking. (which probably explains why we all love looking at house tours, etc...) This new website from HBO is pretty amazing. It's a website for the "HBO Voyeur Project, which is a series of multimedia stories that revolve around the theme of voyeuerism. "See what people do when they think no one is watching..." There's some gnarly gnarly intense web/multimedia animation/technology going on here. It's very intriguing, and kinda bizarre/creepy... I'm very curious to see how this thing progresses. You have to be patient with the site and let the scenes run, there is a lot of stuff going on in each room and location, and each one is like a mini movie. Check it out only when you have time to spare. I'm not going to say much more, because I think part of the draw of this thing is that you don't totally know what's going on. There is a separate corresponding blog called "the story gets deeper" that kind of explains more and has a forum to discuss what's going on. There's also a FAQ page with more info. Oh, and on a totally side note, I'm also fasciated with all the interiors and how they've decorated them to convey the drama. Very interesting... Anyways- check it out here... See below for a trailer. You know you like to watch.. hehe (via siouxwire)

Kinda Kinky

Happy Friday!! Do a kinda kinky friday dance!

Bamn!

Another thing that I loved during my last trip in NYC was being able to return to BAMN! and sample more of their food. If you're not familiar with Bamn!, it's really fun. Basically, they've taken the concept of the old vending machine "automat", and modernized it with fun japanese pop graphics, and gourmet food. It sounds weird, and kinda is weird- but it surprisingly was really yummy! not to mention fun to do too! During my trip to ICFF, we stumbled upon it, and since we already ate, I wasn't too hungry to try any of the food, but I couldn't pass up the Green Tea Ice Cream SOFT SERVE!!!- that was yummy. This last trip, I had to go back, and me and my two other travelling companions made it a point to try as many items as we could. Everything is basically $2. You have to put in $2 in change into the compartment, and then just open the door and pull out your yummy food. We tried the cheeseburger, teriyaki burger, the yummy appetizer thingy that I don't totally remember what it was, but was tasty, and my favorite was the mac and cheese croquette. Again, it sounds like it would be gross, but it actually was quite good. A definite must try on your next visit to NYC... I wish they'd open one up around here... Read more about the whole Bamn! experience here at their website. You can see more photos on my Flickr page.

New Rex Ray book and mural

I'm such a huge fan of Rex Ray. I remember seeing some of his early pieces at this store called Homework in Los Angeles. I thought his collages were so simple and brilliant and I loved how he used magazine clippings for color and texture. Cut to a few years later and now he's huge and amazing and sold at Jonathan Adler. He has a new book coming out this fall from Chronicle books that you can preorder now at Amazon. It's called Rex Ray Art + Design. I have one of his other books that I bought at the Jonathan Adler store when I was in Chicago, but this one looks like it will be bigger and perhaps have more! I was looking on his website and in the News section that he recently completed this mural painting for the Bank of America headquarters in San Francisco! What gorgeous colors! It totally reminds me of those stunning iconic murals of Mary Blair, for Disnyeland!

cupcake baking cup garland

I always enjoy looking at the window displays at Anthropologie- they always have some great ideas. While in NYC a few weeks ago, I spotted this fun idea- They used different colored paper and foiled cupcake baking cups as garland- Would look great for a party- even as everyday decor if strung in a grouping maybe in a corner with some string lights or something... what do you think?

Jonathan Adler and C. Jeré!

Wow- Jonathan Adler really scored! He was able to get an exclusive partnership with the C. Jeré studio to release 4 amazing classic designs. If you're not aware, C. Jeré stands for Curtis Jeré and their studio churned out tons of these brass sculptures back in the 50's-70's that are now classics and now highly collectible for any mid century modern fan. The funny thing is that "Curtis Jeré" is not a real person. I read about it in a recent issue of Modernism magazine, which I posted about on AT:LA awhile back. (Read more about C. Jeré here. ) Check out the iconic designs here.

Time for Timer!...

and then when you get the late afternoon munchies...

Target College 07 catalog

Target's latest College 07 catalog came in the mail the other day. This year's theme is "Brave new Dorm". Now, it's been a loooooooong time since I was in college, but I always enjoy browsing the college offerings, because generally, it's this time of the year where you can find affordable versions of more trendier furnishings. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed with this one in comparison to last year's awesome offerings. Which, for those that have been following me on this blog know, is weird for me to say, because I'm a huge fan of everything Targé. However, this year's caatalog seems almost like a not-as-good "knock off" from last years. That being said, there still are a few noteworthy things. I'm liking some of the prints on the bedding. Some of the camo pieces could be kinda fun too. There is also this really clever lamp that has multi outlets on it. It reminds me of the lamps I see in hotel rooms, where the outlet is conveniently on the side, so you don't have to search all over for a plug. Plus, it's nice to see a classier looking task lamp than your traditional swing arm or moveable arm one. None of this stuff seems to be up on the website yet for purchase, but I have been seeing it creeping into the stores within the past few days. I'm sure more is coming so stop by your local store to check it out in person. In the meantime, you can explore the mini-site here.

Tara Donovan

I'm surprised I've never mentioned Tara Donovan before, but apparently I haven't. If you are not familiar with her, she does some amazing installation pieces using "mundane" objects. Her installations are large scale and incredibly intricate. She'll create landscapes made out of cups, stacked drinking straws, sculptures with fishing wire, or pencils. You can view a lot of these at the Ace Gallery in NY. A few years ago, I remember seeing this stunning image of hers from mocoloco, of a large cube made of toothpicks.
The latest issue of Surface Magazine (#66) showcases some of her past work and also notes some of her most recent pieces. She did a series of ink drawings and relief prints from rubber bands that form interesting organic patterns. Surface Mag describes them as "organic formations resembling sea grass and anemones." She is quoted as saying "It is not like I’m trying to simulate nature. It’s more of a mimicking of the way of nature, the way things actually grow."

I am in awe of the patience she must have, but I guess it's a good reminder to slow down a bit and appreciate the forms that are right in front of you... More images at the PaceWildernstein Gallery.

Unison home bedding

If you're looking for summer palette inspiration, I'm in love with the latest offerings from Unison home. I think the image above feel so fresh and could translate to any kind of room. I love the combination of the light grey with the hits of forest green and peachy/sherbert-y orange. The light blue and turquoise accents finish it off with just the right punch. I also love how simple and graphic their bedding is with just clean thin stripes. Check out the rest of their line at their website.

Sanna Annukka online Shop!

Ugh. so yesterday's "allergies" have morphed into full blown sickness/cold. ugh. i hate being sick in the summer. it's so lame and a waste of time. sux to be me.
anyways- in happier news- I just got an email announcing the opening of Sanna Annukka's online shop! I mentioned Sanna Annukka last year, she's the one who did those incredible Keane covers. Well, she's now selling limited edition prints and soon, other items including jewelry, textiles, and stationery! I hope she sells some of those mugs and stuff i am seeing on the pictures- they are AMAZING. Check out the prints she has on sale right now at her shop. I am dying over this gold foil one...

Blue Munday: Hot Tamales Ice

Ugh. It's munday and I can't breathe. I woke up with a runny nose that isn't going away. Last night I started sneezing spontaneously and I think it's allergies because my head feels fine and I don't feel sick, just the nose thing. Ugh. I hate it when I feel like this and it's hot outside. Anyone have any good sinus/allergy remedies?

In the meantime, not that this will help anything, but I discovered this new candy over the weekend. I'm sure many of you are familiar with Hot Tamales. Those chewey spicy cinnamon flavored candies that are a movie night staple. Well, they've now come out with Hot Tamales "ICE"- which kind of is an oxymoron I guess. They have the same shape and consistency, but they have an icy cool minty flavor instead. They're actually quite yummy. And they're kinda pretty too- all aqua with light specks of icy frost white-ness... (don't worry, it's not mold!). So for this blue munday, I give you some Hot Tamales Ice!... try some if you see it at the counter.

Kate Spade Book covers

How awesome are these bookcovers (perhaps to conceal that scandously trashy novel you're reading... you know who you are, hehe)- by Kate Spade?! download them for free here (click on "downloads) What are you reading this summer?

table light idea in BluePrint

Happy Thursday! It's such a weird week for me, since today feels like a monday- (since we had July 4th holiday yesterday, and I've been in NY since Saturday) yet it's actually Thursday, which means the weekend is going to start tomorrow! I really should have just taken the rest of this week off, but alas, I have projects and clients to tend to, so... a slave I must be. I hope everyone that did have a holiday yesterday enjoyed it. I saw this great idea in the latest Blueprint magazine for transforming a simple wine glass into a cute table light. So simple but so elegant and fun! I don't know if I'd necessarily need to do put the design graphics on it, I'd probably just opt for it to be plain, but it looks fun nonetheless. Have any of you considered or have done something like this? By the way, in case you missed the very first issue of Blueprint (which came out about this time last year), did you know you can download it? Click here.

Apple Juice bottle birdhouse by Marcel Wanders

I love this Apple Juice Bottle Birdhouse by Marcel Wanders for Droog (via dezeen). I wonder if it couldn't be a fun DIY project...

Blue munday: mundane aesthetic: city blue

Happy munday. Just a little blue from the city...